text:
New Home for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will move to a new, modern space on Halifax's waterfront. The move, announced April 18, will enhance the province's position as a leader in the visual arts, inviting the world to celebrate our culture.
The 142,000 square foot facility will feature large public spaces for Nova Scotians to enjoy and additional space to better showcase the dynamic provincial art collection, much of which has been in storage for many years.
"Culture helps to tell the story of who we are as Nova Scotians and we value the significant contributions the arts bring to the province's economy through job creation, cultural exports and tourism opportunities," said Premier Stephen McNeil. "The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia belongs to all Nova Scotians and benefits us all and we look forward to its expanded presence in its new home."
The new gallery will be located at the bottom of Salter Street. It will be able to accommodate much larger exhibitions and a greater diversity of artists. Visitation is expected to grow from 64,000 to over 120,000 annually.
"Not only will it provide an enhanced and innovative experience for residents and visitors, it will support future artists and their businesses, showcasing Nova Scotia's culture and excellence in visual arts nationally and internationally," said Bernadette Jordan, federal Minister of Rural Economic Development.
"The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia has a bold future ahead," said Nancy Noble, gallery director and CEO. "For the past year we have been engaging with Nova Scotians to reimagine what it means to be an art gallery and a new facility will allow us to set a course that matches the province's diversity and ambition."
"We applaud this fresh approach to spreading the benefits of the arts to more people through the new build," said Melanie Sturk, director of organizational development for Phoenix Youth Programs. "For over 18 years Phoenix has partnered with the gallery to offer an artistic workshop for youth. The benefits of this relationship have been truly immeasurable, and we are thrilled to hear that the new AGNS will open up even more opportunities."
The federal government will contribute up to $30 million. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will lead a capital campaign which is expected to raise about $30 million. The province will cover the remaining cost of the project, at least $70 million, with the exact amount to be determined following competitive processes.
Next steps are preparatory work and the selection of a design team through a design competition. Develop Nova Scotia will also consult with Nova Scotians and major events hosted on the waterfront to get feedback to help shape high quality space as part of the new development and the waterfront overall.
Government will work collaboratively on a design competition and once complete, will issue the tender and begin construction.


The Butler Area School District will reduce debt while saving money after approving payment in full of money borrowed nine years ago, according to administrators.
During a meeting Monday, business Manager Nick Morelli recommended to the board that just over $400,000 from the district's general fund be used to pay off the balance owed on money borrowed from PNC Bank.
Butler borrowed $600,000 in 2010 against future energy savings in order to make energy renovations to the district's administrative offices. The rate on that borrowed money is nearly 5 percent monthly, so paying the amount borrowed off now will save the district over $70,000 in the long run, while also taking debt off the books.
There was no fee for early repayment so Morelli's recommendation was approved unanimously by the Board of School Directors.
The post School Board Members Vote To Make Debt Payment appeared first on ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA.


Above are two maps of the same area drwn some ten centuries apart. While the modern map is the truer to geographical accuracy, the older one is truer to the values of the Middle Ages. More important to the Irish scholar who drew the world map for Bishop Sigeric was the socio-theological accuracy represented.
The Irishman's map shows the important position that the Mediterranean Sea held for Medieval people. It was the major avenue for trade and the usual means taken to reach the Holy Land, the center not only of the map but of the Crusader's and their families' thoughts. The forces of greed and devotion did manage to get mixed in those troubled times. Such is the nature of a "Holy War".
One of the most powerful forces in the exploration and mapping of the furthest reaches of the known world was the quest for Prester John. He was the fabulous Christian king of the mysterious East who would be the help needed to win back the Holy Land from the Moslems. It wasn't until several centuries later that the Portuguese missionaries discovered tht Prester John was a mistranslation of the Abyssinian title Precious Jeanam and a confusion with the Mongol king Yelutashih who fought the Turks in the middle of the Twelfth Century.
The search for the wealth both in riches and manpower of the Kingdom of Prester John extended throughout the Three Indias. This includes not only the subcontinent of Asia that we now call India but also India Ethiopie and India Eqyptii of Africa. The travellers' talesof all the strange peoples and creatures of these far-off places blended into a grand legend of the Fortunate Isles of Saint Brendan of a thousand years before, and enough to lead Columbus and Cortez on their own voyages of discovery of a New World.


HyperBranch Medical Technology, Inc. has announced completion of patient enrollment in the AdherusTM Dural Sealant U.S. pivotal clinical trial, a controlled, randomised trial comparing the AdherusTM Dural Sealant in neurosurgery patients, to the only other approved sealant for these procedures.
HyperBranch Medical Technology is focused on the development of unique products based on its novel hydrogel technology. Development work on HyperBranch's surgical sealant platform has led to the recognition of several novel hydrogel properties that suggest significant utility in a variety of clinical applications such as dural sealing following neurosurgery. The Company claims its sealants have proven to be strong, long lasting and exhibit anti-microbial and anti-adhesion characteristics.
Over 240 patients were treated in the pivotal trial. Patients will be followed for four months to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Adherus, following which, the data will be submitted to the FDA for review as part of the PMA submission.
In what is a logical next step for its technology, Hyperbranch has also received FDA IDE approval to begin a pivotal clinical trial for the AdherusTM Dural Sealant in spinal applications. Hyperbranch will be using its proprietary 1.5 ml Minimally Invasive Applicator in this trial, allowing surgeons who perform MIS procedures to have a dedicated device with the same innovative sealant used in the neurosurgery procedures. Open spinal surgeries will have the option of using the current 6 ml AutoSpray applicator. Both of these spine products have been recently made available in select international markets.
In addition to their proprietary sealant, the Company offers a novel delivery technology which offers high levels of effectiveness and efficiency. It is the first self-contained bioadhesive spray applicator that eliminates preparation steps and allows for effortless and precise start and stop dispensing without concern for clogging, hitherto one of the occupational hazards of liquid sealants. Adherus AutoSpray is CE Marked and has been commercially available in test markets internationally since May 2012.
"The completion of patient enrollment in the AdherusTM Dural Sealant U.S. pivotal trial is a major step for Hyperbranch in bringing the product to the U.S. market. Hyperbranch was created to address the clinical need for better, more specialised surgical sealants. It was obvious to us that new solutions were needed to more effectively address the critical need for watertight closures in several clinical applications. The completion of this trial will mark the first step to demonstrate the superior nature of the AdherusTM Sealants in the U.S. market." said John Conn, President and CEO.


What hotels can you expect on your cycling holiday in France?
Over the past 30 years we've tailored our itineraries to make each stay a unique and wonderful experience.
Many of our hoteliers are fourth, fifth – one's even seventh – generation. They take great pride in their heritage and traditions. Expect oak-panelled receptions, fabric-covered walls and bidets in the bathroom - all unmistakeably vrai français.
Dinner is likely to be silver service, formal dining with professional waiting staff. Your food will have creamy sauces with delicate touches: all beautifully presented and utterly delicious.
Often the accommodation has been built around the reputation of the restaurant. Rooms will be immaculate, comfortable and lavishly decorated but don't be surprised if they aren't very large.
Try our cycling tours in the Mayenne for some great family hotels, including the first we ever used.
Often in very old or historic buildings, our hotels tend to be in the heart of the medieval old town. Many have been in the same family for decades, if not centuries. Your evening meals will be booked in our favourite restaurants a short stroll away. There may not be a pool but we look for pretty courtyards where you can enjoy an aperitif before supper.
Our cycling holidays in the Loire offer some great stays right in the centre of the action.
Chateaux and luxury chambre d'hôtes.
Increasingly chateau owners are inviting guests to enjoy the style and elegance of their wonderful homes. Expect substantial grounds, pools, bags of history and beautifully proportioned bedrooms. Some even have their own vineyards.
We only use hotels where the food is wonderful but don't expect a menu. Instead, sit back, relax, and delight in each course as it is presented to you.
We recommend our cycling holidays in the Dordogne for great chateaux stays.
These aren't just 'Wow' but utterly 'Wowee!' They are achingly elegant, often grand in appearance with lots of rooms and usually a large and busy restaurant. You will be made very welcome – even as you stand in sweaty shorts in the marble foyer waiting for your key - but you may not meet the owner.
Try our Chateaux Escapes in Provence or the Loire.
What about the star rating?
Thirty years ago we booked mainly two-star hotels. Now our itineraries consist of almost exclusively three and four star accommodation.
Be careful now not to put too much store by the star ratings. While they may tell you what facilities you'll find (four stars mean you can expect a dressing gown!) it doesn't rate the things we value, such as being independently owned, a warm welcome, or a taste of real France. For that you need to go back to the Softies address book.


Christopher Lloyd does not just give talks in to public audiences, he is also a popular speaker at educational conferences, INSET workshops / seminars, think-tanks and in a variety of corporations as a motivational speaker and thought-leader.
Christopher's talks focus on evolutionary biology and the development of the human brain over millions of years in a bid to understand what it is that sparks a natural joy of learning.
His contention is that the primary objective of any modern education system should be to promote a lifelong love of learning since this is more likely to create a workforce that is adaptable to change and is willing to re-train as technology and economic trends shift. More traditional methods of 'educating to the test' too often result in the opposite: a fear of failure and a workforce that is resistance to re-engage with education later in life.
Christopher Lloyd argues most of the jobs young people will eventually occupy have not yet been invented. Therefore changing the primary objective in education systems from testing to lifelong learning is vital on three levels: personal fulfilment, social cohesion and economical welfare. In the future economy, adaptability will be king, not a workforce trained in specific skills for jobs that are likely to become outdated.
Key to this shift is to understand what makes learning joyful. What processes trigger a natural release of dopamine that creates self-motivation and a love of learning?
Christopher has a series of FIVE narratives – he calls them THE FIVE WOWS! since the verbal expression WOW! is a universal signal that a shot of joy in the brain has been released. These FIVE WOWS delve deep into the evolutionary psychology of the brain, each one responsible for unlocking a love of learning. His talk shows how each of these narratives can not only be used to help transform learning in the classroom but are also the key to creating a vibrant self-learning culture for business corporations.
Delegates are taken on a whistlestop journey through 13.7 billion years covering every subject in the curriculum using a series of everyday objects. The talk demonstrates how the 'ordinary' world around us can be used to tell the most 'extraordinary' story of planet, life and people in a way that will engage even the most reluctant learner using no more than the power of natural curiosity.
INSET workshops can be designed around a school's individual timescales and requirements. Corporate talks can be as short as 30 minutes or as long as a day. Details on request. Suitable for business executives, teachers, librarians and learning support assistants at all Key Stages.


text:
Gorgon LNG Train Two back online after maintenance work
Kosmos Energy sinks to Q4 loss
Saudi Aramco acquires stake in Malaysia downstream project
Shell LNG carrier damaged after collision with oil tanker in Gulf of Oman
U.S. drillers added three rigs last week
AllAsia NewsAustraliaChinaIndiaSoutheast Asia
Home Latest News Gasoline is now cheaper than milk
Gasoline is now cheaper than milk
By Staff Writers -
Image courtesy of Orin Zebest/Flickr.
Now may be the best time in years to break out the road maps and cut back on the midnight cereal snacks as the average price of gasoline continues to hover well below the cost of milk.
According to data collected by the Wall Street Journal, U.S. consumers were paying an average of $3.30 per gallon of milk in November compared to an average of $2.19 per gallon of gasoline that month.
A report published earlier this month by the American Automobile Association found that U.S. drivers are paying the lowest average price for regular unleaded gasoline since 2009.
Consumers in 42 states and Washington, D.C. are saving 50 cents or more per gallon compared to the same period last year.
Only California has posted a yearly savings of less than 25 cents per gallon, the AAA said.
Gasoline prices fell to a nationwide average of $2.02 per gallon as of December 21, according to the U.S. Energy Administration.
While the U.S. rig count has fallen by about 61 percent since last year, shaky international markets and record breaking OPEC production have held crude prices, and therefore gasoline prices, at multi-year lows.
West Texas Intermediate crude was trading at $36.34 per barrel around noon on Tuesday after touching 11 year lows in recent days.
The EIA currently expects U.S. regular gasoline retail price to average $2.43 per gallon this year and $2.36 per gallon in 2016, down from an average of $3.36 per gallon in 2014.
"The oil market faces many uncertainties heading into 2016, including the pace and volume at which Iranian oil reenters the market, the strength of oil consumption growth, and the responsiveness of non-OPEC production to low oil prices," the agency said.
U.S. Energy Administration.
Previous articleTotal fined $1.67 million for North Sea gas leak
Next articleAramco compound targeted: Saudi Arabia intercepts Yemen missile
DOJ indicts ex North Dakota disposal well operator
Bakken organized crime strike force indicts 29 in drug bust
Top Ten Longest Oil Pipelines
BP shareholders settle Deepwater Horizon claims for $175 million
Second exec at CNPC-owned firm suspected of graft
We're committed to bringing our readers the latest breaking news about the oil and gas industry, both upstream and downstream, everywhere it happens.
Petro Global News and Recathlon LLC Copyright © 2013 - 2020. All Rights Reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Centre's move to set up multi-state seed cooperative society can hit big politicians
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved a historic decision to set up and promote a national-level multi-state seed cooperative society.
This cooperative society is to be set up under Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002. As per the approved guidelines, the new cooperative society will act as an apex organization.
This organisation will work for the production, procurement, processing, branding, labelling, packaging, storage, marketing and distribution of quality seeds; strategic research & development; and to develop a system for the preservation and promotion of indigenous natural seeds; through various cooperative societies across the country with support from relevant ministries especially Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and national Seed Corporation (NSC) through their schemes and agencies following the 'Whole of the Government Approach'.
This means all those politicians like NCP leader Sharad Pawar who virtually dominated and ruled cooperative societies in their respective states and regions for decades will be rooted out automatically. They no longer can keep state-run cooperative societies as their pocket organisations for money-making enterprises.
The Prime Minister has observed that all efforts should be made to leverage the strengths of cooperatives and transform them into successful and vibrant business enterprises.
Why so? The new guidelines say the aim was to realize the vision of "Sahakar-se-Samriddhi' as cooperatives hold the key to rural economic transformation in the country in agriculture and allied sectors.
PACS to APEX: Primary to national level cooperatives societies including primary societies, district, state and national level federations and multi-state cooperative societies can become its member. All these cooperatives will have their elected representatives in the Board of the society as per its bye-laws.
The national-level multi-state seed cooperative society would act as an apex organization for the production, procurement, processing, branding, labelling, packaging, storage, marketing and distribution of quality seeds; strategic research & development; and to develop a system for preservation and promotion of indigenous natural seeds; through various cooperative societies across the country with support from relevant ministries especially Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and National Seed Corporation (NSC) through their schemes and agencies.
The proposed society will help to increase the seed replacement rate, and varietal replacement rate, ensuring the role of farmers in quality seed cultivation and seed variety trials, production and distribution of certified seeds with a single brand name, by utilizing the network of all levels of cooperatives.
The availability of quality seeds will help in increasing agricultural productivity in strengthening food security and also increasing the income of the farmers. The members will benefit both by the realization of better prices by the production of quality seeds, higher production of crops by use of High Yielding Variety (HYV)seeds and also by dividend distributed out of the surplus generated by the society.
The seed cooperative society will involve all forms of cooperative structures and all other means to increase the SRR, VRR by ensuring the role of farmers in quality seed cultivation and seed variety trials, production and distribution of certified seeds with a single brand name.
Quality seeds production through this national-level seed cooperative society will increase the agriculture production in the country thereby leading to more employment in the agriculture and cooperative sector; reducing the dependence on imported seeds and provide boost to rural economy, promoting "Make in India" and leading to Atmanirbhar Bharat.
CM Soren maintains silence on domicile policy bill returned by Governor Ramesh Bais
Blaze at Dhanbad apartment:Tragedy befalls family…
Sports For All joins Khelo India as powered by sponsor;…
Giving a boost to business sector, IndiaOne Air starts…
Dhanbad Hospital Fire:Dead Doctor Couple Son files…


School summer break is almost here. My daughter finishes school in a week or so, and with it comes the good and the bad of having a 6-year-old who requires supervision and entertaining.
For the time being, I am concentrating on the fact that I will no longer have to get up very early every day. For a night owl like me, that is music to my ears. Yay sleeping!
I remember that before I had children every mom I knew would describe the job as "Incredibly hard, and incredibly rewarding. And you will not know until you are a mother yourself". I found the explanation trite, cliched, and frankly, unsatisfactory.
Boy what a surprise, when I had my own child I understood exactly what they meant. And they were right.
Now, I am the first to admit that when it comes to children I struck it lucky and picked an easy one. My daughter is very healthy, a sweet, quiet, smart kid. She started sleeping long hours at night long before her pediatrician thought it was a good idea (my answer? Hunger is stronger than sleep, if she's hungry she'll wake up). As time passes it has gotten better, now it is just a matter of waiting for the dreaded adolescence to arrive. I am afraid she will make me pay for the years of easy parenting.
My dear mother, on the other hand, did not have it nearly as easy. I was a very sickly child, and poor mom endured the pregnancy with my brother while I spent long months in the hospital. I have to say that I cannot imagine what she went through.
And while I am appreciative of the fact that my adventures in motherhood are far, far easier than my mom's, that doesn't mean that some days I am not tired, or scared, or doubtful. Some days I wish I could hold my child really tight and not let her go. One day she'll leave the nest, and perhaps the worst part of this journey will start, knowing that I cannot longer protect and look over her.
These thoughts have led me to appreciate my mother's job even more.
Sunday it's Mothers' Day here in the DR. This is a serious celebration, with people making pilgrimages back to their hometown to spend time with "mami".
So for all Dominican mamis, have a fantastic day, I hope you have the chance of hugging your children that day or at least get a call. Put away the pots and pans and rest. Let others pamper you, you more than deserve it.
For this recipe, I used World Harbors Lemon Pepper and Garlic Marinade. A surprising combination of sweet, sour and tangy. If you want to please mom this weekend (whether or not is Mothers' Day where you live) you definitely have to try it. To make it more interesting I paired it with sweet potatoes, carrots, and pineapple for a one step meal. Easy and absolutely scrumptious.
And by the way, I invite you to go to World Harbors Facebook page to learn more about their Golden Label in-stores promotion, launched this past Monday, 5/21 and the Adventure Sweepstakes, an online sweepstakes hosted on the World Harbors Facebook page live since Friday, 5/25. Six winners could win instant exotic adventure trips. Don't miss it!
Chicken with Lemon and Garlic Sauce Recipe: A combination of sweet, sour and the kick of freshly ground pepper in a tender, fall off the bone-chicken.
Mix all the sauce ingredients (use either prepared sauce, or homemade, NOT both). Heat over low heat until it breaks a boil. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Place the chicken legs in a zippy back and add the sauce mix, moving around until the meat is coated with the sauce. Marinate for at least two hours in the fridge.
Heat the oven to 350 ºC [180 ºC].
Place the sweet potatoes, carrots and pineapple in a baking pan. Put the chicken legs on top of it and drizzle everything with the sauce in which the chicken marinated.
Roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown.
This post was sponsored by World Harbors Sauces and Marinades, I received compensation and products in exchange for this post but these opinions are 100% mine and have not been vetted or altered by the sponsor.
You can try it, it will probably work.


Home » FAQ » When should I open my pool?
Early spring is the best time to open your pool. Opening early allows adequate time to replace any faulty equipment as well as correcting water chemistry before swimming weather arrives.


What do you think? I know the quote is really tiny. If the print quality is good enough it SHOULD still be readable, though.
Also, I can't decide which business card holder to get. What say you?
So cute! The "Looking for a good book?" text on the back strikes me as odd somehow, though. I think it's technically grammatically correct, but it SOUNDS funny.
I'm an argyle person, but the paisley would work better with your cards.
Personally, I like the paisley...the argyle hurts my eyes.
I like the second one (paisley) best, but they're both very cute!
I love the business cards. They are very eye catching and cute.
Love your business card! And I like the paisley.


text:
Don Giovanni {109} Matinee Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/7/1942., Broadcast
(Broadcast
Review)
March 7, 1942 Matinee Broadcast
DON GIOVANNI {109}
Don Giovanni............Ezio Pinza
Donna Anna..............Rose Bampton
Don Ottavio.............Charles Kullman
Donna Elvira............Jarmila Novotna
Leporello...............Alexander Kipnis
Zerlina.................Bidú Sayao
Masetto.................Mack Harrell
Commendatore............Norman Cordon
Conductor...............Bruno Walter
Review of Olin Downes in The New York Times
KIPNIS IN NEW ROLE IN 'DON GIOVANNI'
He appears as Leporello for the first Time in Mozart Opera Given at Metropolitan
The production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" with Bruno Walter in the conductor's chair is now one of the brightest ornaments of the Metropolitan's repertory and the performance of yesterday afternoon when Alexander Kipnis made his first appearance in Leporello's role was if anything superior to previous ones under the same great leader.
Above all this performance had the swift pace and the racy quality which should inhere in the show with the descriptive adjective "Giocosa." It is a Shakespearean succession of scenes: the tragic end of Giovanni by no means indication of the nature of each of the episodes. For the legion runs on with every aspect of human nature finding play in it, and burlesque cheek by jowl with the figure of the disparing Donna Anna, and the balked and some times shrewish emoting of Donna Elvira, and the by-play of the unclean Leporello. The thing is to keep this motley in the full consciousness of the audience by means of dramatic characterization and Mozart's music.
Vocal Style Distinguished
It was a pleasure to perceive in Mr. Kipnis a singer who is an artist to his fingertips, who knows well the tradition of his role -- and who knows so well the difference between humor and farce. To say nothing of his voice and his distinguished vocal style. This was the outstanding new feature of the occasion.
The role of Masetto was taken for the first time on this stage by Mack Harrell and competently sung, but acted in that boyish Hansel-and-Gretel fashion in the first scene with Zerlina which is so completely wide of the mark and uncharacteristic of the frowsy, hard, suspicious peasant-who's a man for all that-of da Ponte's indication. And in the scene between the pair there was more of that superfluous and unadvisable detail which sometimes clutters Metropolitan dramatic presentation.
At the same time more important things are missed in the setup. One of these is the setting of the graveyard scene, which could be so macabre, which could and should reveal in an unearthly moonlight shining down on the statue, the most terrifying moment --the moment when the Commandant's statue nods its acceptance of the Don's invitation, that preluding to his doom.
Aria Greeted by Applause
But in the main an admirable performance, with Mr. Pinza in exceptional form. No wonder the applause crashed out after his champagne aria. But in scene after scene this role seems to have grown with him, grown in significance and versatility of dramatic effect. Supplementing the qualities of the superb voice. Then there was the truly passionate Donna Anna of Rose Bampton, sung with the most moving sincerity, and often despite the fact the fact that it often makes demands of dramatic expression in song more intense and more convincing than any other recent treatment of the part in this city.
Mmes. Novotna's Elvira has, if anything, excessive refinement, though it is beautifully done and the execution of the music met with a high intelligence and skill in resources. Miss Sayao's Zerlina has often been praised and justly.
Above all there was the conducting of Mr. Walter, the sensitive performance of the orchestra, the unity of the ensemble and of the whole interpretive scheme. Once more the indispensability of a great conductor for a great performance was demonstrated. The verdict of the audience was shown in the applause which followed and which often interrupted the performance.
Rebroadcast on Sirius Metropolitan Opera Radio
Opera News 1 Opera News 2 Opera News 3 Opera News 4
Don Giovanni: Conductor [Walter, Bruno]
Don Giovanni: Don Giovanni [Pinza, Ezio]
Don Giovanni: Donna Anna [Bampton, Rose]
Don Giovanni: Don Ottavio [Kullman, Charles]
Don Giovanni: Donna Elvira [Novotna, Jarmila]
Don Giovanni: Leporello [Kipnis, Alexander]
Don Giovanni: Zerlina [Sayão, Bidú]
Don Giovanni: Masetto [Harrell, Mack]
Don Giovanni: Commendatore [Cordon, Norman]
Opera News: Documentation: Don Giovanni
Bampton, Rose [Soprano]
Cordon, Norman [Bass]
Harrell, Mack [Baritone]
Kipnis, Alexander [Bass]
Kullman, Charles [Tenor]
Novotna, Jarmila [Soprano]
Pinza, Ezio [Bass]
Sayão, Bidú [Soprano]
Walter, Bruno [Conductor]


Close in home features low maintenance vinyl siding on exterior, welcoming front porch.Easy commute to downtown and Mercer University. Fenced back yard, covered backporch. Living room features fireplace and is open to kitchen and dining area.
Nice home, large bedrooms, fenced yard. Stove can be gas or electric, laundry room of the 3rd bedroom.


1. He was a schmuck.
2. That Halloween/fall feeling is what I look forward to most this time of year.
3. My best friend is too far away too much of the time.
4. I try my best to be honest with you.
5. Appearances can be deceiving, but they can be instructional, too.
6. The last person I gave a hug to was my husband.
7. And as for the weekend, Friday night I'm looking forward to SLEEP, today my plans include relaxing and Sunday, I want to FINALLY finish unpacking the house!
Well, it's once again time to list our new arrivals for the week. I haven't participated in a while, what with the move and everything being so crazy around here, but I'm trying to get back to regular posting.
I received three books this week. One I've already posted about, an advanced readers' edition of Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same by Mattox Roesch, received from Unbridled Books by way of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. I'm going to be part of a blog tour for the book in September, so stay tuned!
From BookMooch, I received the first two Mrs. Murphy mysteries. A cat solving mysteries with her owner's help...sounds perfect for me!!! I thought it was a tad cute for my tastes at first, but I've seen multiple reviews posted around the internet that seem to indicate that I needn't worry. Ah well, I got a good deal (um, free) on the books, so if I decide I don't like them, they can always be re-Mooched.
That's it for me this Mailbox Monday. What did you get in your mailbox this week?
1. This crappy economy is not the end of the world.
2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I feel nice and cozy in my warm, dry house.
4. Sometimes, putting others first is tough to do.
5. The Florida coast is breathtaking, really.
6. Well, maybe there is some good in people, after all.
1. It's time for school supplies and books.
2. Work; it's not a bad place for making friends.
3. I must be crazy.
4. My husband's love for me is the best thing I have ever known.
5. My chair is simply uncomfortable.
6. The last time I laughed really loudly was talking to a friend on the phone last night.
1. Ice cream is my favorite summertime treat.
2. My favorite John Hughes movies is Sixteen Candles.
3. My cats' fur is something I love to touch.
4. The full moon shines down on us all.
5. I'm waiting on Ricky to get home from work right now.
6. When daylight fades I turn on the porchlight and close the blinds.
1. When will I get to see my sisters again?
2. Magnum P.I. was the last good book I read or movie I saw or tv show I watched.
3. Everything has its beauty but I don't know what anyone sees in a cockroach.
4. McDonald's is what I had for dinner.
5. I'd like your books...all of them...right now.
6. Right here is where I want to be right now.
1. I remember, I remember the day I first met my love.
2. Dear Ricky, I want you to know how very much I love you.
3. Is that my weight!!???
4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of chocolate...good thing we don't have any.
5. I'm saving a new book review just for you!
6. If I made a birthday list BOOKS would definitely be on it!!!
7. And as for the weekend, Friday night I was looking forward to drinks with co-workers, today my plans included relaxing and Sunday, I want to unpack the rest of the house and get it cleaned up!
I'm excited to be a part of my very first (and hopefully not last) blog tour, starting in September. I received Mattox Roesch's Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same from LibraryThing and Rachel at Unbridled Books. You may have seen some of their other titles around the blogosphere: In Hovering Flight, Shimmer, and Last Night in Montreal are a few titles I recognized. ANYWAY...I agreed to do a special blog tour review of the book for publication on my blog in September. Which means I need to get off my duff and start reading!!! This is very exciting for me, as I've never participated (or even been ASKED to participate) in a blog tour before. I am looking forward to reading Roesch's story of a transplanted Los Angeles gangbanger and his adventures in what sounds like a Northern Exposure-esque small Alaskan town. I hope the book lives up to what sounds like a promising premise!
Well. My first week in the new office is behind me. I'm a bit homesick, when I have time, but am starting to get a handle on things, I think. Ricky and I are still unpacking the house. I just finished the kitchen today, so we can get back to cooking, instead of getting take-out all the time! We still have work to do on the house, but it's coming along, slowly but surely.
I have had ZERO time, or inclination, really, to read in the last few weeks. I can't find my book in this mess, anyway, so it's not a big deal. I've been catching up on about three weeks' worth of blog-reading that I didn't do (over 400 entries in my feed reader!), so that's keeping me busy. Usually, I'm simply too tired after work and the commute and unpacking to much more than rot on the couch. We're watching a lot of Food Network and Golden Girls reruns, since the summer is winding down. Hopefully, things will get back to normal soon (and I'll find my book). I just got a new BookMarks magazine and a new Glamour to peruse, so maybe that will kick me out of my funk! But college football season is starting soon, so I'll have another distraction to battle...always something.
Well, we're moved into our new house, and loving it! It's perfect. The neighborhood is friendly and quiet, there's enough room for all of our STUFF (you never know how much STUFF you have until you move), and the cats like it. We're still living out of boxes, but we're going to try to unpack a LOT this weekend. Internet was non-existant here till this past Wednesday. Since then, I've been trying to catch up on everything I've missed thus far, but I've stayed away from my Google Reader. I'm not ready for that yet!
I start my new position on Monday. I'm a little trepidatious (did I spell that right?), but also excited.


text:
Charaxes angusticaudatus är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Johannes Karl Max Röber 1936. Charaxes angusticaudatus ingår i släktet Charaxes och familjen praktfjärilar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Praktfjärilar
angusticaudatus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Replacing types in AST rascal I am trying to replace all types in an AST.
Analyzing Java language using m3 model; definitions from here
If we take this code:
Int a = 1;

I am able to update the type of 1 to void for example.
But I am not able to change the type of the variable itself.
I've included some example lines.
Is someone able to point out the errors in the lines?
case \method(Type \return, str name, list[Declaration] parameters, list[Expression] exceptions)
    => \method(\int(), "funcHolder", parameters, exceptions)

case \type(Type \type) => \void()
case \type => \void

A: Ok, excellent question. First your code and the errors it might have:
This looks good:
case \method(Type \return, str name, list[Declaration] parameters, list[Expression] exceptions)
    => \method(\int(), "funcHolder", parameters, exceptions)

The definition is: data Declaration = \method(Type \return, str name, list[Declaration] parameters, list[Expression] exceptions, Statement impl); (see here), and your code follows exactly the definition. Every abstract method declaration in the ASTs you've parsed will match with this, since there is another \method declaration for methods with bodies with an additional argument.
It may be that you do not have abstract method bodies in your example code, in that case this does nothing.
A simpler version would also work fine:
case \method(_, _, parameters, exceptions) => \method(\int(), "funcHolder", parameters, exceptions)

The next one has issues:
case \type(Type \type) => \void()

Because data Expression = \type(Type \type), that is an Expression and data Type = \void() that is a Type or data TypeSymbol = \void() it is a TypeSymbol the rewrite is not type-preserving and would do wrong things if the Rascal compiler would not detect this. Mostly it will probably not work for you because your example code does not contain this particular kind of expression. I suspect it might be the abstract notation for things such as int.class and Integer.class.
Then this one is "interesting":
case \type => \void()

In principle, if \type is not bound in the current scope, then this matches literally anything. But probably there is a function called \type or a variable or something somewhere, and thus this pattern tests for equality with that other thing in scope. Very nasty! It will not match with anything I would guess. BTW, we are planning a "Rascal Amendement Proposal" for a language change to avoid such accidental bindings of things in the scope of a pattern.
Later from the commments I learned that the goal was to replace all instances of a Type in the AST by void(), to help in clone detection modulo type names. This is done as follows:
case Type _ => \void()

We use a [TypedVariable] pattern, with the variable name _ to match any node of algebraic type Type and forget about the binding. That node will then be replaced by void().
My way of working in the absence of a content-assist tool for pattern matching is as follows:

*

*find full one AST example of something you want to match, say Int a = 1;

*copy it into the Rascal source file

*remove the parts you want to abstract from by introducing variables or _

*test on the original example

*test on the rest of the system by printing out the loc that have matched and clicking on the locs to bring you to the code and see if it wasn't a false positive.

for example I want to rewrite Int to void, I find an example of Int in an AST and paste it:
visit (ast) {
   case simpleType(simpleName("Int")) => Type::\void()  // I added Type:: to be sure to disambiguate with TypeSymbol::void()
}

With some debugging code attached to print out all matches:
visit (ast) {
   case e:simpleType(simpleName("Int")) => Type::\void()
     when bprintln("found a type at <e.src?|unknown:///|>");
}

Maybe you find out that that has way too many matches, and you have to become more specific, so let's only change declarations Int _ = ....;, we first take an example:
\variables(simpleType(simpleName("Int")), [...lots of stuff here...])

and then we simplify it:
\variables(simpleType(simpleName("Int")), names)

and then include it in the visit:
visit (ast) {
   case \variables(simpleType(simpleName("Int")), names) => \variables(Type::\void(), names)
}

Final remark, as you can see you can nest patterns as deeply as you want, so any combination is fine. A "complex" example:
\variables(/"Int", names)

This pattern finds any variable declaration where the name "Int" is used somewhere as part of the type declaration. That's more loose than our original and might catch more than you bargained for. It's just to show what combinations you might want to do.
A final example of this: find all variable declarations with a type name which starts with "Int" but could end with anything else, like "Integer" or "IntFractal", etc:
\variables(simpleType(simpleName(/^Int/)), names)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
important speeches Jan. 26, 2010
Obama's State of the Union Is Not As Important As You Think It Is
We understand that tomorrow's State of the Union address is very important for President Obama. With health care on its death bed, the voting masses in clear revolt, and a potentially disastrous midterm election looming, Obama is tasked with convincing both the nation's struggling middle class and his own increasingly skeptical base that he still deserves their confidence and trust. Accordingly, you're probably hearing that the speech is "the most important" of his "young presidency," or even of his political career. (Side note: At what point can you no longer refer to a presidency as "young"?) Then again, you've also heard the same thing about pretty much every speech he's given of any discernible import. Let's take a look back at this history of hyperbole.
Race Speech, March 18, 2008:
• "…the usual hum of polite chatter briefly went silent yesterday as each man fixed his gaze on one of the half-dozen wall-mounted televisions tuned to the most important speech of Barack Obama's political career." - Maria Szaniszlo, Boston Herald
• "Barack Obama finished what may be the most important speech of his career just after 11:30 Tuesday morning. By noon, some pundits were proclaiming the 37-minute speech one of the most important of all time." - Bill Duryea, St. Petersburg Times
DNC Convention Speech, August 28, 2008:
• "When Barack Obama takes to the podium tonight…it will be the most important speech of his life." - San Diego Union-Tribune editorial
• "Sen. Barack Obama…makes the most important speech of his career tonight…" - John Farmer, Newark Star-Ledger
• "It was the most important speech of the Illinois senator's life…" - Adam C. Smith, St. Petersburg Times
• "The symbolism will be on overdrive when Barack Obama emerges…to deliver the most important speech of his career." - Roger Catlin, Hartford Courant
• "On Thursday night, in perhaps the most important speech of his political career, he answered back." - Dan Balz, Washington Post
Inauguration Speech, January 20, 2009:
• "After taking the oath, Obama will make the most important speech of his life." - Caroline Graham, Times of London
• "He told the crowd he had to keep his remarks short, saving them for his inaugural address, the most important speech he's ever made." -CBS News's Chip Reid
• "He has consulted the history books and no doubt drafted and redrafted the most important speech of his life…" - Matt Frei, BBC
• "Tonight, the pressure is on Barack Obama to put the finishing touches on the most important speech he has ever given." - CNN's Campbell Brown
Not State of the Union Speech, February 24, 2009:
• "…on the eve of the most important speech of his young presidency. " - Columnist E.J. Dionne Jr.
Cairo Speech, June 4, 2009:
• "…perhaps the most important speech of his presidency so far: an address to the Muslim world in Cairo on Thursday." - Ed Pilkington, Guardian
• "Barack Obama gave perhaps the most important speech of his young presidency Thursday…" - Baltimore Sun editorial
• "It was the most important speech of Barack Obama's young presidency." - Gary Kamiya, Salon
Joint Address to Congress on Health-Care Reform, September 9, 2009:
• "Conventional wisdom holds that it will be among the most important speeches of his political career." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial
• "Tonight's the night when Barack Obama — in what may well be the most important speech of his fledgling presidency — goes before a joint session of Congress…" - New York Post editorial
• "The day after the most important speech of his presidency, Barack Obama had the satisfaction of a poll…" - Giles Whittell, Times of London
• "…a young President prepares to deliver the most important speech of his first term in office…" - CBS News's Katie Couric
Afghanistan Speech, December 1, 2009:
• "On Tuesday, he'll outline that mission and give what many say may be the most important speech of his presidency." - ABC News's Rachel Martin
• "It will be the most important speech of his presidency." - ABC News's Nick Shiffrin
• "In just a few moments, the president will deliver what is perhaps the most important speech of his administration…" - NPR's Michelle Norris
important speeches
the most important speech ever of all time ever
Last Sane Man on Wall Street
By Andrew Rice
Nathan Anderson made his name exposing — and betting against — corporate fraud. But short selling in a frothy pandemic economy can be ruinous.


WICHITA (TNS) — For the first time in 31 years, the Marshall men's basketball team is in the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 13 seed Thundering Herd (24-10) will play No. 4 seed Wichita State (25-7) in the first round in San Diego on Friday and WSU coach Gregg Marshall and assistant Donnie Jones know just how much it will mean to the program in Huntington, W.Va.
That's because Marshall spent two seasons there as an assistant coach, from 1996-98, and Jones, a West Virginia native, was an assistant from 1990-96 and then later the coach from 2007-10.
Gregg Marshall experienced the last time Marshall won a regular-season league championship, as he was an assistant under Greg White when Marshall finished 20-9, won the Southern Conference championship, then lost 71-70 in overtime to Tennessee-Chattanooga in the conference tournament championship game in 1997.
"As I recall, Sidney Coles had a 15-foot jump shot at the elbow and if he made that in the Southern Conference finals in Greensboro, we would have won the tournament and gone to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987. He missed it and we go to overtime and we missed a block-out and UT-Chattanooga tipped it in.
The area has remained close to Marshall, as his son, Kellen Marshall, was born at Cabell Huntington Hospital in 1996.
Jones grew up less than an hour away from Huntington and earned his master's degree in sports management from Marshall in 1992. That's when Jones officially joined the Marshall basketball staff as an assistant coach to a newly-named, 28-year-old Billy Donovan. The two worked together at Marshall for four years, then later won two national championships in 11 seasons together at Florida.
Jones declined to comment on Monday.


Oscar Törnqvist is stepping into the role as InterEast CEO. He has his sights on taking shipping into the future through digitalization, and to establish offices in new countries.
"This is an incredibly exciting opportunity and a challenge – to continue to build the company in a directly decision-making capacity. Leading digital growth in the industry is a central component in InterEast's strategy for the future, as well as expanding to new destinations," says Oscar Törnqvist, InterEast's new CEO.
The time has come for the next Törnqvist, Oscar, to take over after Peder as CEO of the 25-year old DI Gasell company InterEast. A natural extension of new leadership is a new growth strategy.
InterEast's performance target is an annual growth rate of 15 per cent, which the company seeks to achieve by extending to other European markets the same shipping and logistics solutions that have proven to be successful in places like Romania and Turkey.
Oscar Törnqvist has solid professional credentials in the shipping and logistics sector where he previously worked as shipping agent, project manager, and trade lane manager at DHL. Since returning home to Sweden and InterEast seven years ago, he has been head of operations and deputy CEO, working closely with his parents, InterEast founders Karin and Peder Törnqvist.


text:
Blog WebandcraftsHow technology could stop mass shooting like the Las Vegas Strip attack?
October 05, 2017 | By Nikhil Mathew
How technology could stop mass shooting like the Las Vegas Strip attack?
Applying the right combination of technology could protect the innocent civilians against violent attacks such as the Las Vegas Country Music Festival.
After being totally devastated and terribly saddened by the Route 91 Harvest Concert terror attack, we – a group of electronics and computer engineers, brainstormed about how to protect innocent people from a similar attack in future. It took over an hour for the law enforcement team to track down and engage the attacker at the Mandalay Bay hotel, by which time he had already emptied his entire ammo on the innocent crowd. The thought that several precious lives could have been saved if the gunman could have been spotted faster, presented us with this challenge.
How to find a shooter in the dark, firing from well over a 1000 feet?
Here's what we found – with the proper combined application of technologies that are readily available, such a shooter could be spotted and stopped within around 10 to 15 seconds!
The loud continuous firing sound was the only indication that something horrible is going on before people started getting hit by the bullets. Finding the origin of the gunshot from triangulation of the sound has been around for several years and can be pretty accurate with the availability of advanced DSP systems for real-time processing of input from a microphone array.
Microphone array that works with a DSP and Artificial neural networks to triangulate the gunshot position and distance.
Artificial neural networks can isolate and compare the pattern of sound with previously memorized sound samples with high accuracy even in a noisy environment and can differentiate between the original sound and echoes.
Even with a suppressor attached to the gun, the sound will be still loud enough for the sensors to accurately determine the direction and distance of the shooter.
We analyzed the audio from the first burst of shooting (~100 rounds at about 10 rounds per second) and found that the isolation of the sound of gunshots from other background noise is easily achievable.
Audio clip from the recording of the Las Vegas Country Music Festival attack.
The spikes represent gunshots.
These systems are capable of tracking multiple sources simultaneously in case of more than one attacker.
Such large gatherings must be secured with one or more tactical police vehicle fitted with such gunfire locator system which could automatically control the azimuth and elevation of the motorized primary weapons pointing and aiming it to the exact source of the gunshots, within 2 to 4 seconds of the first shot fired.
A searchlight and laser beam fitted to the primary weapon would help faster targeting and to stun/warn the attacker.
Since the searchlight and laser beam would draw the attention of the shooter to the equipment, bulletproof glass shields should be put to use to protect all of the equipment and the operator.
The bullets firing out of a gun are pretty hot and would lit up well in an advanced thermal camera and this could be used as an aid for accurate targeting.
The thermal camera will enable using covert Infrared searchlights instead of visible ones, allowing to operate without inviting attacker's attention.
High-Speed thermal cameras can capture the bullet as it leaves the gun at a very high temperature.
Situations where a clean headshot is either impossible or cannot be achieved safely, a fleet of drones equipped with disabling measures could be deployed and guided with minuscule versions of gunfire locator or controlled remotely by the mother unit to approach the source of the gunfire.
Since taking a direct flight path involves the risk of getting shot down, drones can be programmed to take an elevated path and take the attacker in surprise.
Such drones can be used for video analysis of the attacker and his surroundings and also for the deployment of non-lethal countermeasures such as pepper spray, tear gas or teaser.
A high power megaphone on the mother unit and on the drones can be useful to warn the other occupants of the building to move away from the windows, stay low and take cover in case a counterstrike is unavoidable.
Not very hard at all. Almost all of these pieces of technology are already in place, some of them utilized for military purposes.
Drones can fly close to the attacker, send back live video and deliver non-lethal countermeasures.
How long would it take to get something like this ready for action?
Since most of these pieces of technology are tested and proved on its own, it wouldn't take more than a few days, if not hours to put it all together and see it in live action.
How much would these cost?
Not costly at all when considering the millions to be spent on medical expenses of the injured and the invaluable lives lost.
What good is finding a gunman after a shooting has commenced and some people already lost their lives?
Obviously it would stop more people getting injured and killed, but on a psychological level, the presence of such a high-tech defense weapon at these venues and the awareness that the attacker would be killed within first few seconds should discourage any more evil people from trying another copycat attack. Being well prepared and letting know that we are well prepared is the best line of defense. Let technology save us all!
Concept Credit: Nikhil Mathew
Does your Project Demand Expert Assistance?
Contact us and let our experts guide you and fulfil your aspirations for making the project successful.
Configuring your iPhone for Email
An Event Enthused in Spirit
Trending Technologies 2016
CMSDigital MarketingE-commerceMobile AppOnline AdvertisingQuality AssuranceSEOUIUXWeb DesigningWeb DevelopmentWebandcrafts


This is a post peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Synthese, as part of their special issue "Form, Structure, and Hylomorphism," guest-edited by Anna Marmodoro and Michele Paolini Paoletti. Please cite from the final, published version.
The final, authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02112-0.
This essay proposes a comprehensive blueprint for the hylomorphic foundations of cosmology. The key philosophical explananda in cosmology are those dealing with global processes and structures, the regularity of global regularities, and the existence of the global as such. The possibility of elucidating these using alternatives to hylomorphism is outlined and difficulties with these alternatives are raised. Hylomorphism, by contrast, provides a sound philosophical ground for cosmology insofar as it leads to notions of cosmic essence, the unity of complex essences, and globally emergent properties. These are used as the basis to account for the aforementioned cosmological explananda and to resolve two problems in the philosophy of cosmology: the meta-law dilemma and the uniqueness of the universe. In summary, cosmology needs hylomorphism because it is able to ground cosmology's efforts as a scientific inquiry. It can do so because hylomorphism philosophically accounts for changing substances and aggregates of substances, the various scales of law-governed behavior measured by the natures of those substances, and how those substances as parts relate to the universe as a whole.


Features:- Fitted with Bellota 26'' x 6mm discs. High quality NBC taper roller bearings. High Tensile 10.9 fasteners to withstand load during heavy duty operation. SG Iron grade 500/7 bearing hubs. Spindles manufactured with EN-8d steel hardened and normalized. Seamless pipe frame with outside diameter 168mm & inside diameter 146mm. Paint finish - Shot Blasted, PU painted and cured in oven to provide a perfect finish and long lasting paint quality.
Features:- Fitted with Bellota 26'' x 6mm discs. High quality NBC taper roller bearings. High Tensile 10.9 fasteners to withstand load during heavy duty operation. SG Iron grade 500/7 bearing hubs. Spindles manufactured with EN-8d steel hardened and normalized. Seamless pipe frame with outside diameter 168mm inside diameter 146mm. Paint finish - Shot Blasted, PU painted and cured in oven to provide a perfect finish and long lasting paint quality.


text:
Suspected police slowdown cost NYC about $5M in lost fines
NEW YORK — A suspected work slowdown by New York City police at the start of the year has cost the city an estimated $5 million in lost fines.
The New York Times, citing figures provided by the city comptroller's office, reports that the biggest loss came from unwritten parking tickets. It amounted to about $3 million.
Police statistics show that in the last three weeks police issued about 44,000 fewer parking tickets than during the same period last year.
Additional revenue was lost from speeding tickets, other moving violations and petty crimes.
The NYPD said this week that enforcement was returning to normal.
The apparent slowdown was seen as evidence of growing rancor between police officers and City Hall in the aftermath of the slayings of two patrolmen last month.


text:
Board index › General Discussion › Autism Politics, Activism, and Media Representation
Hunger-striking parents protest work conditions
ASPartOfMe
Location: Long Island, New York
Hundreds of parents, teachers and people with autism gathered outside the Knesset for a demonstration on Monday evening at which they demanded that the budget for work activities for people with autism over 21 be raised.
The demonstration was organized by Emanuel Cohen, 56, whose 22-year-old son has autism. Cohen has been on a hunger strike for 20 days and has been sleeping in a tent near the Knesset along with several other parents, some of whom are also on a hunger strike.
Calling on Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Social Welfare Minister Meir Cohen, speaker after speaker asked politicians to address the hardships facing people with autism once they "age out" of the school system at the age of 21.
Cohen praised the education system but said that after they turn 21, "they are pushed out of a helicopter" and given almost no services. The occupation centers that serve people with autism who are lower-functioning – a sizeable portion, if not the bulk of people on the autism spectrum – like Cohen's son and the majority of people with autism and their families at the demonstration, usually provide repetitive meaningless work, which often causes a deterioration in behavioral and communications skills of people with autism.
The speakers at the demonstration had three demands. One was for more meaningful work for people with autism who "deserve challenging work, they deserve to keep learning,".
The other demands were to increase the wages of the teachers and staff who work at such centers, who currently receive minimum wage and who are often forced to leave to support their families. The speakers praised the teachers and staff, saying they were doing the best job they could under terrible conditions, but that they deserved to be paid better.
They also demanded an increase in the number of staff members, so these work environments could be therapeutic and "not just babysitters" as Cohen put it.
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.
"My autism is not a superpower. It also isn't some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It's just part of who I am as a person". - Sara Luterman
AardvarkGoodSwimmer
Good for the parents for standing up for their adult children!
And although it's my own slogan and didn't come up in this protest and news coverage, I personally am very much in favor of the slogan, "We are all middle-functioning!"
And hope that it catches on.
" A recently elected member of the Ginot Ha'ir local council board, the 56-year-old Cohen is fighting for better and more humane conditions for low-functioning autistic persons, like his 22-year-old son Yiftah."
Jerusalem Post article —> https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/parents ... ple-682733
Good for this Dad! ! !
Ettina
ASPartOfMe wrote:
The occupation centers that serve people with autism who are lower-functioning – a sizeable portion, if not the bulk of people on the autism spectrum
Well, that's a flat-out lie. Around 66-84% of autistic people have IQs over 70, and most autistic people have good verbal skills. Just because the bewareness campaigns act like only lower-functioning autistic people exist doesn't mean they're anywhere close to being a majority.
Ettina wrote:
@Ettina
Hi, thank you for catching this. Yeah, that is a blatant error, like a throwback to the 1970s, or earlier.
Maybe it's somewhat more widely believed in Israel, I hope not.
Actually, I hope the journalist just messed up. Yes, this is the population this particular jobs program is targeted for, but it doesn't represent all persons on the spectrum.
Autistic campaigners protest together in Cambridge, UK
in Autism Politics, Activism, and Media Representation
Nades
NYC student pro remote learning walkout protest
in News and Current Events
DW_a_mom
Thousands of NYC union members in anti mandate protest
Are my parents right about this?
in Social Skills and Making Friends
Wyzidiot


text:
The Oscars: RIP-ing the Oscars a New One
By Vanity Fair
By S.T. VanAirsdale
It's probably too subjective anyway, but the only thing I didn't account for on my In Memoriam ballot was Most Controversial Omission. But even judging by the firestorm visible from miles away at blogs including Vulture ("There's probably no excuse for not including [Norman] Mailer") and Hollywood Elsewhere ("The Academy cut [Lives of Others star Ulrich] Muhe out because he was German and because they tend to think like xenophobes now and then"), the unofficial 2007 Mascot for Egregious Montage Oversights must be Brad Renfro.
The Associated Press went straight to the Academy with its questions:
The troubled 25-year-old actor died Jan. 15 of a heroin and morphine overdose. Heath Ledger, killed by an overdose of prescription drugs one week later, appeared in a scene from Brokeback Mountain at the conclusion of the three-minute video tribute at Sunday night's Oscar ceremony.
"Unfortunately we cannot include everyone," said Leslie Unger, spokeswoman for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. "Our goal is to honor individuals who worked in the many professions and trades of the motion picture industry, not just actors." …
Unger shook off the suggestion that Renfro wasn't included because of his history with drugs. "I can't speak to what other people are going to think," Unger said. "We can't include everybody."
So in the spirit of Jon Stewart's accommodation of Marketa Irglova's acceptance speech encore, not to mention eternally elusive Oscar justice, I'd like to take just a moment to supply the late Renfro the clip we (apparently) craved and he (apparently) deserved:
sniff Cue commercial!
S.T. VanAirsdale is the founder and editor of the New York film culture Web site The Reeler.


Secure Shell is a remote outpost, a [sort of] autonomous installation, an attempt at public art; consisting of a Raspberry Pi, a solar powered wireless access point, an always on e-ink display and it emphasises an introverted experience.
Introverts or persons who occasionally experience shyness can feel insecure by being in situations involving many people which demand social skills on a higher level. Secure Shell offers a shelter to those and all participants the chance to rest alone by communicating with the device at a remote location.
On the first days of the PIFcamp the installation will be built. Alongside the making of the device, this process will also incorporate creating a small "shell-like structure" [IRL] to make the device weather proof, as well as providing its participant a safe and comfortable experience. The building of the terminal/installation will be a process, which will encourage contribution from PIFcamp's participants.
The second step will be installing the Secure Shell on a -relatively- remote location. After its installation it will be open for participants.
Participants can have access to the device via SSH protocol with their smartphone or laptops (or any other device with wireless connection and SSH capability) and executing predetermined commands they will trigger random outputs on the screen. Their relationship with the Secure Shell will be based on mutual trust, since they can have full administrator access to it, thus making the Secure Shell hackable and vulnerable at the same time. The textual and visual content which will be visible on the display will be created/curated by the artists.


Keeping kids rooms tidy is a struggle at the best of times and even when you have the kids trained to put their toys away it often still doesn't look neat because of the storage tubs we use. In our house we use the 'pack away before you move away' theory and it works like a charm (except for Poppet, she's still learning). For years now we have used those large clear plastic storage tubs or butchers tubs for the kids toys, as a decent toy box is hard to find at a reasonable price. That is of course until we discovered 3 Sprouts and their fantastic kids range of practical storage from CoolKidz. The 3 Sprouts toy storage is absolutely gorgeous and great quality! We have got a 3 Sprouts Toy Chest and a 3 Sprouts Storage Bin and I love them. They have completely transformed Poppets' room and are absolutely adorable.
The 3 Sprouts Toy Chests are the perfect size for a childs' room and is surprisingly spacious. It hold so many toys without taking up a lot of space. It is made from hard-wearing canvas and reinforced with cardboard. Don't be fooled by reading cardboard; it is strong and will hold the weight of a child leaning over it! The toy chest makes organising a room full of toys easy and have 3 great designs to choose from. RRP $49.95 the 3 Sprouts toy chest stands at almost 40cm high and 60cm wide. Worth every cent!
3 Sprouts have more than just these storage options available and their range varies in size, purpose and price. Storage, bath, nursery and even organisation. Check out the CoolKidz website for the full range.
2 PRIZES UP FOR GRABS!!
With purple hair and tiny feet.
My daughter would think they rock!
ALL OF IT! NO, Really. My kids really need some organisation! And a toy cull. I just can not bring myself to be brutal! I need two of every thing, in the Whale, lion and pink elephant, no the fox, no the zebra. Oh heck, just two of EVERYTHING. STAT… PLease.
Love the pink unicorn – I do believe!
I Love the Fox Design as even though the song is old now and annoying "What does the fox say" stops my 3 year old dead in his tracks to dance even during a tantrum.
I love these toy boxes and actually very recently nearly bought one!
I totally adore the racoon one and to be honest, I couldn't decide which to choose, which is why I haven't purchased yet. They do a mini basket with an owl too which is so cute!
Love the rabbit design for my little man!
my favorite would have to be the poodle toy chest as i love dogs as i use to do volunteer work at an Animal shelter and be with all the dogs.
The whale design is my favourite! We all love our sea animals in this house!
Hippo hooded towel is my favourite, animal and the product, not to mention the shade of purple.
The raccoon is the most adorable ever! Absolute favourite animal!
I'd be barking mad to go past the poodle design!
My daughter would have a 'whale' of a time having this adorable toy chest in her room.
Love these!! The poodle is my fave.
What a fantastic prize, its just perfect for keeping everything in its place, which will make cleaning easier, and that will result in me having a little extra free time to relax.
Love the goat laundry hamper. If only the goat could come alive and give everyone a little nudge when they drop their clothes BESIDE the hamper.
The Leopard, it's like a jungle in my nephews room!
It's yellow, spacious and durable.
Bee storage caddy is my favourite.
Carrying nappy change supplies is no longer a chore.
Big enough to put my kid in!
Fantastic prize for my little boy!
I love the Leopard and what a fantastic way to store the kids toys.
I love the Whale, would be perfect for my sea-loving little one!
Way too cute! Can't go past the 3 Sprouts 'monkey' storage bin/hamper.
My cheeky monkey might actually have a clean room if I had one of these!
'Hang on!!!' I have just seen the gorgeous ' 3 Sprouts' elephant hooded towel.
The other cheeky monkey in this house would go mad for this one, as elephants are her favourite animal.
deliberating and yes, the whale looks fun!!
little miss smiles and bows like a queen!!
Clean rooms, what a treat!
The Raccoon Storage Bin – the kid's leave sh#t everywhere. Everything they play with or open ends up on the floor. Hopefully they could take a leaf out the racccoon's page, race around the room at quick speed and tidy their toys. Yeah well, pigs fly too but one can only hope. Karma will come back and haunt them one day when it's their turn as parents.!!
I love the leopard, just like my girls at bath time…fast on their feet and totally wild!
And made mummy pull hard on her tresses.
And save your poor mummy from stresses".
The whale would suit my son's bedroom the best! However I think I'll need more than 3 to tidy up his mess! toys are EVERYWHERE!
Walrus Bath Storage though we would need two or three of them to accommodate my kids bath toy collection………… Or maybe I should just get rid of some of their toys!
OMG, the Peacock storage box is awesome, I have never seen anything for kids rooms before with Peacocks on it. They are my favourite things ever, forget the kids! I'd keep them for myself!!!
With meals on the floor and appliances smudged not clean!
The dog always looks harassed, I'm surrounded by debris.
So storage would be perfect, for Eddie AND for me.
'Cos Lego would have a beautiful home, no more stepping on small parts!!
The whale as we love to go whale watching at the lookout nearby. There is nothing as wonderful as seeing this mammal.
And cleaning up in a breeze would be sublime.
And I already have an idea for the perfect spot.
Omgsh. All of them. Maybe the poodle.
Love the dog, we love dogs in the family and my toddler adores them. A bit obsessed with dogs and dog items.
The tiger is amazing bright and intriguing for the lil tigers in my house.
I love the storage bins for my little man and he would love the Dinosaur. I also would love to get the elephant stroller caddy for my little miss on the way.
A whale would bring so much joy! A special box for all my boys toys.
There imagination would run wild. Coming up with fun names to call there special box!
special little boy so his face would be priceless to see his underwater friend gliding on bye.


text:
Unpossible Journeys
Level up your tabletop RPG experience!
ABOUT RPGs
Why People Play
A Short History of Tabletop Roleplaying
Who Plays?
Play Your First Game
LOTS OF GAMES
Find Games to Play
Try an Indie Game
Become A Game Master
Teach Newcomers to Play
Gaming Communities
Roleplaying Blogs
Podcasts and Streams
RPG Accessories
Tattoos in Tabletop Roleplaying Campaigns
Guest post by Erwan Roudaut
Tattoos are an important part of my life. I am tattooed, I have frequented many tattoo artists, and I worked in this field for two years when I was still doing my studies. I made a documentary on one of the most prominent artists in the history of tattooing in France, and I also hosted a show called Color My Skin on YouTube during those two years.
One of the reasons I spent so much time getting interested in tattooing is because it is an art in its own right, and like any art, it is influenced by history, and has cultural importance. The reason why I am taking the time to introduce this, is because I firmly believe that this cultural approach to tattoos has given me some refined knowledge about it, and that it is an underestimated medium to convey meaning in our favourite hobby: tabletop roleplaying games.
If we go back in time, the oldest tattoo identified was found the body of Ötzy, a hunter taken more than 7000 years ago in the ice of the Alps between Austria and Italy. Until this discovery, it was according to an Egyptian mummy dating back to 2000 BC that the first tattoo was dated.
Thilo Parg, Oetzi the Iceman Tattoo 2, cropped by Erik Schmidt, CC BY-SA 4.0
It is hard to believe that at the time, the purpose of the tattoo was to put the name of your child in the flesh. Most likely its role related to:
tribal belonging,
importance in society,
or a person's property.
The most famous tribal tattoos are those from Polynesia or New Zealand. For those ethnicities, the tattoo on their faces (the tā moko) is a way to show their courage, their strength, and their belonging (formerly) to the high caste of warriors. It follows a codification, and it has been through Dark Ages because of the colonization, losing all its accumulated knowledge because of the ban on tattoos that was imposed by Christian missionaries.
Today tattoos don't carry the same kind of meaning as they used to do. We don't use it to track our ancestors' lineage, our ranks, or even our achievements in life. Tattoos have become mainstream and with that some part of the meaning has been lost.
If I take myself as a point of reference, tattooing has a purely aesthetic role, and very little significance. I am not part of any group asking for a tattoo as a sign of belonging and I don't want my tattoos to tell my "criminal career" as it can be the case for mobsters. On the other hand, my aesthetic choices say a lot about who I am, my tastes, my personality, and therefore what drives me. More generally, the fact that I have a lot of tattoos may be enough to put me in a box for some people.
This love for tattooing, as far back as I can remember, I have always more or less demonstrated it during my role-playing sessions. Some people often play the same type of character. Well, almost all of mine are tattooed, and I try to give some meaning to that.
I believe that tattooing is not only an element of character construction. Although it is important to explore the reasons that led one of your characters to be tattooed, it is also interesting to see what you can do with this element in terms of game design. By being an integral part of the character, its role can be decisive and transform into a very powerful narrative tool, or even a rule element that can serve the action.
You will find here ideas for scenario hooks, suggestions of the different ways in which the tattoo can be integrated into your games, or even thoughts about what it could tell about your character or your factions without it being a cliché or a misused trope.
I insist on the fact that a "tattoo" is not supposed to be removable or at least easy to remove; the tattooed person is marked for life. That's the point of this act.
If there is magic in your universe, then tattoos are magically (or divinely) indelible. If there is technology, then tattoos are more durable, more strongly inked in the body or maybe are they made of nanotechnologies, and removing them is even more difficult, if not impossible.
Tattoos of Belonging
Those are rather straightforward. They are the continuity of the first example I gave above. In most settings, it is possible to see a moment in time when a group of people all accept to mark themselves in order to tell where they are from, or which clan they were raised in. It can also be a case of a group of friends deciding to share a common symbol to tie to each other such as a military corps, or a group of adventurers using their magical tattoo to communicate to each other.
Clans and Tribes
No matter what universe you play in, you can represent clans. A clan – or a tribe, depending on the time and context – can have a rather vague definition. In the idea, it is a group of people who share a common culture, ideas and way of life. It can range from the Viking tribe, to the Hells Angels – an armed motorcycle gang – to the intergalactic armed forces.
Why does tattooing fit well into these social groups? Mainly because where there is a common culture, there are common codes, and most of them are pictorial, visual, and must be able to be understood without saying a word.
Death Eaters from Harry Potter all share the same mark to make it easy to prove their evil allegiance. In their specific case, they prove that they are devoted to the cause by accepting to be marked forever. It's both an act of faith, and an irrefutable proof of your demise if you get caught.
All members of the Lord of the Rings cast got the same matching tattoo. There is no particular role to it, except to mark a shared memory and milestone in their life. Somehow, the meaning is very strong too, because even if they are public figures, they have this personal reminder of their own history.
You can imagine a setting where a group of younglings have to go through a rite of passage to become full members of a barbaric tribe. Maybe their tradition is that when they reach adulthood, their hands are covered with special symbols, to mark their role, name or lineage. At some point in the story, the clan is being exterminated, except for a few individuals separated by their oppressors.
Decades later, they meet and recognize each other through these hand tattoos that are unique to their culture. Tattoo is then used as a narrative element. It is the shattered glass that ties everybody together when all the pieces are collected. This can lead to a quest to find the rest of the survivors, or a vengeful campaign against those who murdered their tribe.
The interest of an indelible clan marking is to ensure the loyalty of the member as it becomes impossible to deny his membership to a network. A sense of pride can also be taken out of that experience. Getting tattooed is a powerful act, it shows how far you are willing to go to prove your worth to the cause. The tattoo is thus a claim of belonging. It is not uncommon to see activists getting tattoos of their movement's acronym or logo.
How many times in the movies have you seen villains identified because they all had the same tattoo identifiable by the heroes? I mentioned the Death Eaters above, but you can find that trope in several creations and most of the time it's going to be located on the forearm. However, be careful not to overuse this technique, and not to only apply it to your bad guys.
Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
Clanic tattoos communicate information other than just belonging: Russian criminals and Yakuza tattoo (known as the Irezumi) themselves according to an extremely precise codification, telling their deeds: this or that crime, going to prison, etc. Take as an example David Cronenberg's film Eastern Promises, in which Viggo Mortensen plays a Russian mafia henchman. For the Russians mafia, tattoos carry a meaning depending on the symbols and positions. The Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia lists a lot of them and is a great source of inspiration when it comes to understanding the variations of messages one could want to spread on his body.
It is possible that the PC may join a group where moving up the ladder requires an indelible trace. Make it clear to your PCs that integration into certain guilds, sects, organizations can leave irreversible marks, and that these could be harmful to them if they were to consider leaving this "tribe". In a similar fashion, it is impossible to deny their belonging to an organization if they have it tattooed on their body.
In the French role-playing game One Percent, the tattoo has a role both in the character's story, but also in game with specific rules. In this game, Tattoo Cards are used to reduce the die roll and make actions successful. These cards represent the tattoos worn by the character, each of which is a testimony to the character's life. The first tattoos are defined when the character is created, and as the game progresses, the tattoos will represent the character's experience. The maximum being a total of 22 "ink dots" (seven at startup) on the character.
In the German RPG Degenesis several religions integrate tattooing into the foundations of their dogma. The Anabaptists, a kind of 26th century Neognostic organisation, wear three symbols on their foreheads to indicate the group from which they come, and therefore the people to whom their allegiance is directed.
The antithesis of these Anabaptists is the Jehammedans, warrior shepherds whose history is told in the form of patterns on the skin. These reasons are chosen each year by the elders of the tribe, who decide on the remarkable facts attributed to one of their own. Obviously, the more a Jehammedan is tattooed, the more prestigious and worthy his life has been.
A Jehammedan warrior looks to prove himself in battle and gain more tattoos.
Religions are not the only ones doing it. Tattoos are also part of the code of one of the ruling organizations in the universe: the Chroniclers. To be a part of their network of tech-rulers, one has to have their forehead tattooed with a barcode which is then assigned to them for life. When the barcode is scanned, it gives access to all their actions, all their information, and their accreditation for the rest of their life. A Chronicler without a barcode can't access their technology and can't access their headquarters, the Cluster.
Those are there ways to incorporate tattoos in the background and ongoing story of your characters. But Degenesis also has a character with gameplay mechanics linked to its tattoos. Without revealing too much about it, the character has a maze tattooed on his body, and the way it is done, combined to his behaviour, leads to an intimidation and destabilization of those watching it. It is both hypnotizing and frightening for the victim.
I do believe that this is a clever use of what a tattoo can do, without any kind of magical aspect linked to it, just the mere idea of a person covered in ink. Imagine what it would have been like to talk with Zombie Boy, and try not to be mesmerized or embarrassed by his look.
Military Tattoos
The unit to which we belong is another kind of tribe. The more prestigious the unit is, the more it represents the elite, the more the warrior or soldier will want to expose that they were part of it. So in an army without a uniform, rank and unit membership are written on the body. Thus, if the ID tags are lost, bodies can still be identified as coming from a particular unit.
The FBI has finally acquired an AI that analyzes data (big data mining) on forensic reports from across the United States. It reports a statistically unusual prevalence of Semper Fi tattoos on victims of murders, suicide or bizarre "accidents" over the past 6 years. Who wants to discreetly remove the veterans of a certain company of Marines parachuted into Iraq? Perhaps a military supplier whose depleted uranium ammunition causes cancer?
Military tattoos also make it possible to boast of one's victories, and to impress enemies and allies.
Example: In Star Wars, I had a pilot from the New Republic, a very reckless X-Wing freak nicknamed Wildy. Since she had started flying, Wildy had a new circle tattooed around her arm for each imperial pilot shot down. As the adventures progressed, a large part of her arm was covered with these kinds of bracelets, and all the other characters respected her pilot abilities.
In itself, nothing forced the character to mark each victory in this way, yet this choice gave this pilot the appearance of a true leader capable of doing her job and surviving it (and provided bonuses for charisma rolls for leading her group).
Marking Tattoos
A consequence of tattooing as an indelible mark of belonging to a group is that it can be unwanted, and imposed/applied by the "group owner". The marking is then an indicator of inferiority or infamy.
Think of slaves, prostitutes, horses and convicts marked with an iron; deportees with their numbers tattooed on their arms; and other ostracism marked on a visible place (e. g. on their forehead). For example, after liberation from Nazi occupation, in some areas French citizens branded Nazi collaborators with swastikas so they could not escape their prior acts.
In future dystopias, convicts – or even citizens – will have a barcode tattooed on their forehead or neck to serve as identification and thus monitoring of their actions. This page references several films, including Aliens, Fortress, 12 Monkeys and Hitman.
One of the characters is tattooed against their will. The important thing is to see the consequences that this identification will have on them, on their interactions, and on what they will want to do to get rid of them.
Going back to Degenesis, part of the sanctions applied by the Judges in the city of Justitian is to tattoo a guilty person who has been caught red-handed. As a consequence of this, employers, sellers and merchants always ask to see the face and hands of their interlocutor before doing a deal or giving a job. The idea there is to say that if tattoo reveals illegality, there can be ways of building a facet of your culture around it.
If you expect your youth leaders to do something important (e.g., liberate a planet), inflict unwanted tattoos on them that will reveal a brand they can later boast about. For example, the imprisoned PCs are sent to the mines of Kessel. They lead the revolt and after the victory of their camps, can wear their tattoos as decorations: "I was there! And I survived!"
Aesthetic Tattoo
In our time, tattooing is at the crossroads between an aesthetic fashion and a way to mark one's belonging to a movement or subculture. Go to a concert or metal festival, and you will notice that many of the spectators are tattooed, and for them nothing is more normal.
The tattoo can therefore be very individualized, having meaning only for its wearer. Whether it is a body covered with traditional Japanese tattoos, a stained-glass body-suit or an electro-anarchic variant that only exists in the shallows of Coruscant, anything is possible. The important thing is to justify the importance of this tattoo for the character.
Why does a character cover himself with geek references? Is it because he's been a fan since childhood and he buys all the collectors editions of his favorite universes? If a father gets his child's name tattooed, it may be because the child is dead, or on the contrary is it because he has just been born and the father wants to mark this event for life?
On the other hand, aesthetic tattooing can have negative consequences. It is easier to be identified if you have something to to be blamed for, because these particular signs are inventoried in files. And the more a culture progresses in technology, the larger the files are, the better they are kept, accessible from everywhere. Above all, the alteration of the body is not seen positively by everyone.
According to societies, groups, and individuals, the point of view on tattooing and what it can imply varies: refusal of access to a private club, body too impure to access a sacred place, or medical tests to pass to verify that no disease was transmitted during the tattooing (which is what doctors do during a blood donation in France).
A good thing in this respect is to think about how your world is built, and how tattooing can be perceived in its set of rules, beliefs and dogmas. Maybe tattoos are seen as an offense because they corrupt the body, or maybe are they seen in some cities and cultures of the world as a versatile way to express yourself. It can be a bit of both. Think about cyberpunk for example, where tattoos are both a sign of belonging and extreme personal expression. Or on a larger basis, observe how our world contains both types of tattoos and how they coexist with each other, sometimes on the same individual.
Magical Tattoo
For the tattoo to be in harmony with your universe and to preserve the indelible aspect that is linked to it, it may be important to make it magical. The first example that comes to mind is the Avatar in the anime of the same name. Aang found himself marked by tattoos when he completed his training as an airbender, and these lit up as he mastered the elements.
In Star Wars, one could imagine a form of tattoo marking Jedi teaching. The tattoo could mark the first "communion with the Force", and other tattoos would mark milestones reached. However, in the Star Wars canon, Jedi knights do not have tattoos; while in Star Wars comics, the Sith – the practitioners of the Dark Side of the Force – are covered in them. So feel free to tattoo your "extraterrestrial force student".
Another example of what can be done with a tattoo is to make it a way to access magic. In Mage: The Ascension, give one of your characters the tattoo as a focus. It will certainly be limited in place, but its focus will always be on it, and – according to the Magician's Tradition – tattoos could perfectly fit into the paradigm.
In Runequest/Heroquest the PCs tattoo the magic runes and they touch the tattoo to invoke the corresponding magic. This is kind of like what was done in Peter Brett's novel The Painted Man. The character is covered with runes that are the only way to defend against demons invading the world. The PCs then become both the weapon and the carrier of the weapon.
Roleplaying Ideas
Coming from the Players
If a player decides to give tattoos to his character, for example during creation, dig this path with him. Are they clan, aesthetic or magical tattoos? If they are clans, work together on historical and social elements that will justify it.
Coming from the GM
Tattoos in Social Relationships
Intimidation by tattooing is a good example. A completely tattooed character can scare people. If there are few people tattooed in the game world, there may be rejection or sympathy depending on the person seeing another's tattoo. On the other hand, in a society where everyone is tattooed, a "naked" character will be perceived as a newborn who has not accomplished anything, or who is trying to hide something – an antisocial person who says nothing about himself.
A tattooed man or woman is wanted. The tattoo can be a way to identify him.
Tattooing is a message, or a way to always keep information in coded form with you. For example in the TV series Prison Break a man who wants to free his brother from prison gets locked in the same prison, with the plans to the prison tattooed on his body. In the manga Cobra, a pirate tattooed three pieces of a treasure map on the skin of his three daughters (to their misfortune, when bad guys want to skin them alive).
It is possible to imagine the construction of a character through the tattoos that cover it. See the TV series Blindspot, where the heroine is amnesiac but covered with tattoos that allow her to find information about her past (and prevent future crimes – see the magic tattoo). In a series with realistic inspiration, we hope that the writers have planned a good reason not too "fantastic" to explain how the "tattoo artists" saw the future and how the heroine can change it!
The Tattoo Artist as a Character Class
Tattoo artists see many individuals passing through and can retrieve a lot of information.
The "tattoo parlor" is a place of passage and a place full of life and gossip.
The tribal tattooist is almost a shaman. He is respected and important. These people are very often untouchable within their society.
In the Mafia a tattoo can give validation and the right to move to the next step in the organization. See Eastern Promises.
The Way Tattooing is Done Says A Lot About A Society
The old-fashioned way with potentially unclean tools is a bit underground.
Tattooing as it is done now with a dermograph indicates there's a tattoo industry with skilled professionals.
It can be done with a knife or scissors in tribal ceremonies with semi-scarification of the skin. For example the Maori ancestral technique uses bone tips in the same way that the Japanese still prefer tebori. The difference is in the execution, because the bone tip pierces a hole in the skin, and the ink is embedded in it, while the other means are too thin to leave real sequelae.
Review: Your Best Game Ever
Burrito King's Guide to GURPS
All of this and you missed l5r tattooed monks? Shame on you…
Stephen Mackenzie-Hawkins says:
Fascinating and informative article.
Part way through writing an Edge if the Empire one shot for my D&D group at the mo, and you've inspired me to have the slavers all share a tattoo, which one of the PCs will be able to identify with their knowledge underworld skill.
Copyright 2013-2020 Erik Schmidt — twitter — tumblr — email
Unpossible Journeys uses cookies to give you the best experience. You can find out more about which cookies are used or switch them off in settings.
This website uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping the site operator understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.


So ... Who Are The Protesters, What Do They Want, And WHO IS DRIVING THEM?
Okay, before we go any further, let's ask ourselves a couple questions here. First of all, just who are these protesters who have gone off the chain about a cobbled-up YouTube film/trailer/whatever it is? Does anyone here think their average household has a personal computer? Maybe they're subscribed to FaceBook or have a Twitter account? Do you suppose their kids watch Justin Bieber videos on YouTube when they're not doing their homework? Could I get any more absurd here without flirting with becoming totally ridiculous?
More than likely, these people are the same ones who got all bent out of shape when "Everyone Draw Mohammed Day" came to town, the same way that they got bent about the Danish cartoons and Theo van Gogh's film. So how do they know about events happening thousands of miles from their hometowns? The answer is as simple as it is pernicious: Friday prayers at the mosque. They go there to do obeisance to their god and learn from the local imam … who very likely IS hooked up, both to the internet AND to others of his ilk. The imams are the focal point of this whole business. With one well-loaded homily about the Great Satan and the evils done in its name, they can work their congregation into such a state that ANYTHING the imam suggests as an action to be taken becomes the will of Allah to the crowd. Once turned loose, they become a formidable and dangerous force, if for the time, a not very well focused force.
It is possible that there are some of these numbers who are the same that gave rise to the Arab Spring of a year ago, but I suspect not many. While I don't have any demographics to back me up, my suspicion is that the root of those events was in more educated citizens of Libya and Egypt and Tunisia. These were the college students and more sophisticated adults, who were connected by cell phone and internet, who clearly saw the depredations of their governments and finally grew tired of them to the point of being willing to take action against them. Their protests were, for the large part, far more civil, far more focused and far more effective, whereas those stemming from Draw Mohammed Day or the films or cartoons amounted to a large, dangerous, public temper tantrum.
What worries me is the long-term goal of these imams and just what they mean to do with this considerable resource of protesters. Certainly, one obvious goal is the creation of more jihadis for their wars against the infidel, more grist for Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Another possibility, though, might be creating a mass force large enough to bring down a government, though not in the coherent way with which the Arab Spring was accomplished. This would be a coup by chaos and anger, aimed at a weak administration, such as that of Pakistan, and with the ultimate goal of installing a fully Islamic government. Such an action would truly put the imams who fomented it in the proverbial catbird seat, and in the case of Pakistan, in possession of nukes.
My point is that the protests we've seen to date regarding perceived insults to islam are by no means spontaneous or grass-roots uprisings by citizens who are individually insulted by this or that occurrence in the West. These protests are very likely orchestrated by men who are supposedly "holy," but whose motives are anything but. My worry is what will happen when these imams collectively set a goal for themselves and bring their faithful to action as cannon fodder to their ends. Indeed, this may have already happened in Libya, where rioters may have provided cover for the terrorists who attacked the US embassy there and were responsible for the death of Ambassador Stevens and others. I don't know that it's true; I also don't know that it isn't.
I just know that these are questions in need of answers.
Loren...Well-said, as always. A frightening question - what will these fanatics do if they actually take over a government?
Muslims certainly didn't invent inciting riots of the ignorant. Christians have a long history of it (The Jews poisoned the wells and caused the plague, etc., etc.). But they have outgrown it, while Muslims are stuck on stupid in the 14th century, but with RPGs and Ak-47s.
And we must not forget: the fanatics and the inciters (as well as their mobs of dupes) are ALL motivated by religion.
Paul Josef Goebbels, Hitler's Propaganda Minister, said, "The truth is what most people believe. And they believe that which is repeated most often." Still my favorite quote on rhetoric and persuasion, and chillingly realized by the recent image of crowds raging around an Obama-labeled coffin painted with the stars and stripes. Somebody put a lotta work into that!