text:
#ifndef MIRTK_HomogeneousTransformation_H
#define MIRTK_HomogeneousTransformation_H

#include "mirtk/Transformation.h"

#include "mirtk/Matrix.h"

#include <cmath>

namespace mirtk {

class MultiThreadedImageHomogeneousTransformation;

enum HomogeneousTransformationParameterIndex
{
  TX, TY, TZ, RX, RY, RZ, SX, SY, SZ, SXY, SYZ, SXZ, SYX, SZY, SZX,
  SG = SX // global/isotropic scaling for similarity transformation
};

/**
 * Base class for homogeneous transformations.
 *
 * This class defines and implements homogeneous transformations which can
 * be represented by a 4 x 4 transformation matrix. The transformation of
 * a point is implemented by post multiplying the transformation matrix with
 * the point in homogeneous coordinates. The transformation is parameterized
 * by twelve degrees of freedom.
 *
 */

class HomogeneousTransformation : public Transformation
{
  mirtkTransformationMacro(HomogeneousTransformation);

protected:

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Types

  enum AttributeSelector { MATRIX, DOFS, DOFS_MATRIX };

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Data members

  /// 4x4 transformation matrix for homogeneous coordinates
  Matrix _matrix;

  /// Inverse 4x4 transformation matrix for homogeneous coordinates
  Matrix _inverse;

  /// Updates transformation matrix after change of parameter
  virtual void UpdateMatrix();

  /// Updates transformation parameters after change of matrix
  virtual void UpdateDOFs();

  /// Update transformation parameters and/or matrices
  void Update(AttributeSelector);

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Construction/Destruction

  /// Default constructor with given number of parameters
  HomogeneousTransformation(int);

  /// Copy constructor with given number of parameters
  HomogeneousTransformation(const HomogeneousTransformation &, int);

public:

  /// Default constructor
  HomogeneousTransformation();

  /// Construct from 4x4 transformation matrix (without checks)
  HomogeneousTransformation(const Matrix &);

  /// Copy Constructor
  HomogeneousTransformation(const HomogeneousTransformation &);

  /// Destructor
  virtual ~HomogeneousTransformation();

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Approximation

  // Import other overloads
  using Transformation::Approximate;
  using Transformation::ApproximateAsNew;

  /// Approximate displacements: This function takes a set of points and a set
  /// of displacements and finds a transformation which approximates these
  /// displacements. After approximation, the displacements are replaced by the
  /// residual displacement errors at the points.
  virtual double Approximate(const ImageAttributes &, double *, double *, double *,
                             int = 1, double = .0);

  /// Approximate displacements: This function takes a set of points and a set
  /// of displacements and finds a transformation which approximates these
  /// displacements. After approximation, the displacements are replaced by the
  /// residual displacement errors at the points.
  virtual double Approximate(const double *, const double *, const double *,
                             double *,       double *,       double *, int,
                             int = 1, double = .0);

  /// Approximate displacements: This function takes a set of points and a set
  /// of displacements and finds a transformation which approximates these
  /// displacements. After approximation, the displacements are replaced by the
  /// residual displacement errors at the points.
  virtual double Approximate(const double *, const double *, const double *, const double *,
                             double *,       double *,       double *,       int,
                             int = 1, double = .0);

  /// Approximate given homogeneous coordinate transformation matrix
  virtual double Approximate(const Matrix &);

  /// Approximate given homogeneous coordinate transformation matrix
  virtual double ApproximateAsNew(const Matrix &);

  /// Approximate displacements: This function takes a set of points and a set
  /// of displacements and finds !new! parameters such that the resulting
  /// transformation approximates the displacements as good as possible.
  virtual void ApproximateDOFs(const double *, const double *, const double *, const double *,
                               const double *, const double *, const double *, int);

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Transformation parameters (DOFs)

  /// Copy active transformation parameters (DoFs) from given
  /// transformation if possible and return \c false, otherwise
  virtual bool CopyFrom(const Transformation *);

  /// Puts a transformation parameter
  virtual void Put(int, DOFValue);

  /// Puts transformation parameters
  virtual void Put(const DOFValue *);

  /// Add change to transformation parameters
  /// \note Also passive parameters are modified by this function.
  virtual void Add(const DOFValue *);

  /// Update transformation parameters given parametric gradient
  /// \note Only active parameters are modified by this function.
  virtual double Update(const DOFValue *);

  /// Set transformation parameters from a homogeneous transformation matrix
  ///
  /// The transformation sets its parameters to match the given homogeneous
  /// transformation matrix as good as possible and then updates its
  /// internal transformation matrix from these parameters. The resulting
  /// homogeneous transformations may therefore differ from the given
  /// transformation matrix if the transformation is not a full 12 DoF
  /// affine transformation, but has fewer free parameters.
  ///
  /// \note Use one of the Approximate or ApproximateAsNew functions to
  ///       minimize the mean squared error of the approximation at given
  ///       evaluation points instead for a more accurate approximation.
  void PutMatrix(const Matrix &);

  /// Gets the transformation matrix
  const Matrix &GetMatrix() const;

  /// Gets the inverse transformation matrix
  const Matrix &GetInverseMatrix() const;

  /// Reset transformation
  virtual void Reset();

  /// Inverts the transformation
  void Invert();

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Point transformation

  // Import other overloads from base class
  using Transformation::Transform;
  using Transformation::Inverse;

  /// Transforms a single point using the global transformation component only
  virtual void GlobalTransform(double &, double &, double &, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  /// Transforms a single point using the local transformation component only
  virtual void LocalTransform(double &, double &, double &, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  /// Transforms a single point
  virtual void Transform(double &, double &, double &, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  /// Transforms a single point using the inverse of the global transformation only
  virtual void GlobalInverse(double &, double &, double &, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  /// Transforms a single point using the inverse of the local transformation only
  virtual bool LocalInverse(double &, double &, double &, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  /// Transforms a single point using the inverse of the transformation
  virtual bool Inverse(double &, double &, double &, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Derivatives

  /// Calculates the Jacobian of the global transformation w.r.t world coordinates
  virtual void GlobalJacobian(Matrix &, double, double, double, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  /// Calculates the Jacobian of the local transformation w.r.t world coordinates
  virtual void LocalJacobian(Matrix &, double, double, double, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  /// Calculates the Jacobian of the transformation w.r.t world coordinates
  virtual void Jacobian(Matrix &, double, double, double, double = 0, double = -1) const;

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Properties

  /// Checks whether transformation is an identity mapping
  virtual bool IsIdentity() const;

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // I/O

  // Do not hide methods of base class
  using Transformation::Print;

  /// Prints the parameters of the transformation
  virtual void Print(ostream &, Indent = 0) const;

protected:

  /// Reads transformation parameters from a file stream
  virtual Cifstream &ReadDOFs(Cifstream &, TransformationType);

  // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Backwards compatibility

public:

  /// \deprecated Replaced by UpdateDOFs, which, however, does not have to be
  ///             called explicitly. The parameters are automatically updated
  ///             when the transformation matrix changed. Some older code may
  ///             yet call this deprecated method after PutMatrix, which no
  ///             longer does anything and the call should be optimized away.
  void UpdateParameter() {}

  friend class MultiThreadedImageHomogeneousTransformation;
};

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Inline definitions
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// =============================================================================
// Transformation parameters
// =============================================================================

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::Update(AttributeSelector what)
{
  // Update attributes
  switch (what) {
    case MATRIX:
      this->UpdateMatrix();
      break;
    case DOFS:
      this->UpdateDOFs();
      break;
    case DOFS_MATRIX:
      this->UpdateDOFs();
      this->UpdateMatrix();
      break;
  }
  // Mark transformation as changed
  this->Changed(true);
  // Notify observers, keeping changed state intact
  Broadcast(ModifiedEvent, &_matrix);
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::Put(int i, DOFValue x)
{
  Transformation::Put(i, x);
  this->Update(MATRIX);
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::Put(const DOFValue *x)
{
  Transformation::Put(x);
  this->Update(MATRIX);
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::Add(const DOFValue *dx)
{
  double delta, max_delta = .0;
  for (int idx = 0; idx < _NumberOfDOFs; ++idx) {
    // Add change also to passive parameters
    _Param[idx] += dx[idx];
    delta = abs(dx[idx]);
    if (delta > max_delta) max_delta = delta;
  }
  if (max_delta > .0) this->Update(MATRIX);
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline double HomogeneousTransformation::Update(const DOFValue *dx)
{
  double delta, max_delta = .0;
  for (int idx = 0; idx < _NumberOfDOFs; ++idx) {
    if (_Status[idx] == Active) {
      _Param[idx] += dx[idx];
      delta = abs(dx[idx]);
      if (delta > max_delta) max_delta = delta;
    }
  }
  if (max_delta > .0) this->Update(MATRIX);
  return max_delta;
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::PutMatrix(const Matrix &matrix)
{
  if (matrix.Rows() == 3 && matrix.Cols() == 3) {
    for (int c = 0; c < 3; ++c)
    for (int r = 0; r < 3; ++r) {
      _matrix(r, c) = matrix(r, c);
    }
    for (int r = 0; r < 3; ++r) {
      _matrix(r, 3) = 0.;
    }
  } else if (matrix.Rows() == 4 && matrix.Cols() == 4) {
    _matrix = matrix;
  } else {
    Throw(ERR_InvalidArgument, __FUNCTION__, "Transformation matrix must be 3x3 or 4x4");
  }
  _matrix(3, 0) = _matrix(3, 1) = _matrix(3, 2) = 0., _matrix(3, 3) = 1.;
  this->Update(DOFS_MATRIX); // also updates _inverse
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline const Matrix &HomogeneousTransformation::GetMatrix() const
{
  return _matrix;
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline const Matrix &HomogeneousTransformation::GetInverseMatrix() const
{
  return _inverse;
}

// =============================================================================
// Virtual Transformation "Impl" methods
// =============================================================================

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::GlobalTransform(double &x, double &y, double &z, double, double) const
{
  double a = _matrix(0, 0) * x + _matrix(0, 1) * y + _matrix(0, 2) * z + _matrix(0, 3);
  double b = _matrix(1, 0) * x + _matrix(1, 1) * y + _matrix(1, 2) * z + _matrix(1, 3);
  double c = _matrix(2, 0) * x + _matrix(2, 1) * y + _matrix(2, 2) * z + _matrix(2, 3);

  x = a;
  y = b;
  z = c;
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::LocalTransform(double &, double &, double &, double, double) const
{
  // No local component
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::Transform(double &x, double &y, double &z, double t, double t0) const
{
  this->GlobalTransform(x, y, z, t, t0);
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::GlobalInverse(double &x, double &y, double &z, double, double) const
{
  double a = _inverse(0, 0) * x + _inverse(0, 1) * y + _inverse(0, 2) * z + _inverse(0, 3);
  double b = _inverse(1, 0) * x + _inverse(1, 1) * y + _inverse(1, 2) * z + _inverse(1, 3);
  double c = _inverse(2, 0) * x + _inverse(2, 1) * y + _inverse(2, 2) * z + _inverse(2, 3);

  x = a;
  y = b;
  z = c;
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline bool HomogeneousTransformation::LocalInverse(double &, double &, double &, double, double) const
{
  // No local component
  return true;
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline bool HomogeneousTransformation::Inverse(double &x, double &y, double &z, double t, double t0) const
{
  this->GlobalInverse(x, y, z, t, t0);
  return true;
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::GlobalJacobian(Matrix &jac, double, double, double, double, double) const
{
  jac.Initialize(3, 3);
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
    for (int j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
      jac(i, j) = _matrix(i, j);
    }
  }
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::LocalJacobian(Matrix &jac, double, double, double, double, double) const
{
  jac.Initialize(3, 3);
  jac(0, 0) = 1;
  jac(1, 1) = 1;
  jac(2, 2) = 1;
}

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
inline void HomogeneousTransformation::Jacobian(Matrix &jac, double x, double y, double z, double t, double t0) const
{
  this->GlobalJacobian(jac, x, y, z, t, t0);
}

} // namespace mirtk

#endif // MIRTK_HomogeneousTransformation_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Goddess in the Doorway es el cuarto álbum en solitario de Mick Jagger, lanzado en el 19 de noviembre de 2001. La placa marcó su primer lanzamiento con Virgin Records, empresa con la cual The Rolling Stones venían trabajando desde 1991.

Historia del disco
Después de su álbum solista Wandering Spirit; y de Voodoo Lounge y Bridges to Babylon de The Rolling Stones, Jagger comenzó a trabajar en maquetas y demos en 2000, llegando finalmente al estudio de grabación en la primavera de 2001.

Aunque Jagger trabajaría principalmente con Marti Frederiksen y Matt Clifford como productores, también reclutó a Lenny Kravitz y Wyclef Jean para la creación Goddess in the Doorway. Si bien las canciones fueran compuestas en gran parte por Jagger, se esforzó por trabajar con colaboradores de la talla de Lenny Kravitz y Rob Thomas, vocalista de la banda Matchbox Twenty. Las sesiones de grabación de varias de las canciones del álbum fueron incluidas en el documental Being Mick.

Grabación
Durante las sesiones de grabación del disco se acercaron varios amigos de Jagger que aportaron en el disco, incluyendo a Bono, Pete Townshend, Rob Thomas, Joe Perry, Lenny Kravitz y Wyclef Jean. Townshend, de hecho, fue la fuerza iniciadora para la realización del álbum. Después de escuchar algunos de los demos de Jagger, le dijo que no sonaban como canciones de los Stones y que debería grabarlas por su cuenta.

En el verano de 2001, Jagger se topó con Missy Elliott y le pidió que formara parte del álbum. En su hotel en Nueva York, Jagger le presentó el material con el que contaba. Después de la reunión, los representantes de ambos artistas confirmaron que trabajarían juntos la canción «Hide Away», sin embargo, debido a conflictos en sus calendarios, esta colaboración nunca vería la luz. Las colaboraciones de Jagger con el superproductor Rodney Jerkins sufrirían el mismo destino.

Al final del verano del 2001, Goddess in the Doorway estaba finalizado y la canción producida por Lenny Kravitz «God Gave Me Everything» fue posicionado como el sencillo principal en octubre. Aunque la canción no logró convertirse en un éxito significativo, el álbum –híbrido y de diferentes estilos- fue lanzado oficialmente al mes siguiente.

Recepción

Mientras que la aprobación de la crítica especializada de Goddess in the Doorway fue gratificante para Jagger, el álbum solamente alcanzó el número 44 en el Reino Unido y el número 39 en Estados Unidos. Ha vendido 80 778 copias en el Reino Unido, 330 000 copias en los EE. UU. y más de 1,2 millones de copias a nivel mundial hasta julio de 2014.

El redactor jefe de la revista Rolling Stone, Jann Wenner, le otorgó cinco estrellas con la calificación de clásico instantáneo. Sin embargo, no todo el mundo fue tan efusivo, Keith Richards llamó a la placa "Dogshit In The Doorway".

Después del lanzamiento del álbum, Jagger volvió a trabajar con The Rolling Stones en Forty Licks y A Bigger Bang; y sus respectivas Licks Tour y A Bigger Bang Tour. También trabajó junto con David A. Stewart para la banda sonora de la película Alfie de 2004. Lanzó en el 2007 la colección con sus mejores temas solistas en el disco The Very Best of Mick Jagger.

Lista de canciones

Personal
Mick Jagger: voz, guitarra acústica, eléctrica y slide, armónica, percusión, coros
Robert Aaron: teclados, trompa, flauta
Kenny Aronoff: batería, persecución nativa americana
Ian Thomas: batería
Bono: voz en «Joy»
Lenny Castro: percusión
Paul Clarvis: percusión
Matt Clifford: piano, órgano Hammond, piano Rhodes, melotron, teclados, sintetizadores, coros, programación, arreglos de cuerdas y vientos
Kyle Cook: guitarra eléctrica en «Visions of Paradise»
Mike Dolan: guitarra
Jerry Duplessis: bajo
Christian Frederickson: bajo
Marti Frederiksen: guitarra eléctrica y acústica, batería, coros, smples, arreglos de cuerda
Martin "Max" Heyes: programación de batería
Elizabeth Jagger: coros en «Brand New Set of Rules»
Georgia May Jagger: coros en «Brand New Set of Rules»
Wyclef Jean: guitarra eléctrica y clásica en «Hide Away»
Jim Keltner: batería
Steve Knightley: chelo
Lenny Kravitz: guitarra eléctrica, bajo, batería, pandereta, coros en «God Gave Me Everything»
Milton McDonald: guitarra
Joe Perry: guitarra en «Everybody Getting High» y «Too Far Gone»
Mikal Reid: trompeta y programación
Pamela Quinlan: coros
Craig Ross: guitarra acústica de 12 cuerdas
Neil Sidewell: trombón
Steve Sidwell: trompeta
Phil Spalding: bajo
Rob Thomas: coros en «Visions of Paradise»
Pete Townshend: guitarra en «Joy» y «Gun»
Ruby Turner: coros
Chris White: saxofón tenor

Posicionamiento en las listas

Álbum

Sencillos

Ventas y certificaciones

Nota: ^ Cifras de ventas basadas únicamente en la certificación

Referencias

Álbumes de 2001
Álbumes en inglés
Álbumes de Mick Jagger
Álbumes de Virgin Records
Álbumes producidos por Mick Jagger
Álbumes producidos por Lenny Kravitz
Álbumes producidos por Marti Frederiksen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Roadmanbarty's Top 20 Drills
Thread: Roadmanbarty's Top 20 Drills
Mistersloane said a really clever thing on there when I was going on about the lyrics and their heavy use of strings of percussive monosyllables he said it was probably to do with writing on a phone screen. I think he's right.
https://deepmeditationtherapy.blogspot.co.uk/
Corpsey
clod mode
Ah shit that's genius
Αι ψυχαί οσμώνται καθ΄ Άιδην.
You probably read it at the time but cos skunk has given you premature onset Alzheimer's you forgot
thirdform
Originally Posted by Corpsey
I think road rap/drill HAS been criticised for just being a knock-off of US trap/drill. What has happened though is that it's evolved to become a distinctive sound (albeit highly derivative of US rap - Barty will disagree I suppose) - the MCs have a definite grime influence, as well as their own slang etc.
Post dubstep was a coalescing of all these different influences. Which made it a bit tepid and half-baked. Also it rarely if ever managed to transcend those infleunces.
UK drill is definitely open to all manner of criticisms but it has a certain purity that a "scene" like post dubstep lacked. And it's produced tunes that I'd argue are as strong as stuff that Chicago and Atlanta has produced.
Does UK drill really transcend its US influences? I think it would if it rooted its percussion in grime, but it doesn't, only its beat structure to an extent. blackdown called the basslines a kind of darkside acid the other month, which was the most preposterous old man tryna catch up with the yout ting i had ever heard.
Originally Posted by vimothy
I respect islamists
Originally Posted by baboon2004
I think post-dubstep was seen as beyond the pale for its blatant involvement of students?
As said, I both get the 'too samey' criticism and I don't. Part of the charm of, say, rave, is that all the core elements are present and correct in a high percentage of tunes. That said, another part of its charm is that some tunes go rogue
kinda yeah. though this is the poptimist reading of rave, it doesn't get at its morph-beat element, which i tried to get at with my list.
In Morphing Culture 1, we addressed the need for more interesting soundscapes within the rave format. After a re-summary of the ideas, I will present some morph-gems that I have inadvertedly stumbled on over the years. In addition, I would like to invite readers to keep adding to this list of "kinda-reviews" in an effort to further the scope of the music – beyond the dimensions of my un-humble opinions.
What we are slacking toward here in the realm of Morph is a basic premise that, what with all the sounds out there in the universe, and the technology to play around with them, it just makes sense to go beyond the traditional realms of dance music in order to satisfy the constant need for sounds that address our present and future. Now, after a particularly invigorating run-on sentence, I'm really pumped to get started – but wait! Let's just say this first… Credit where due, and more to follow…
…The original Hip Hop djs were seminal morphers. I direct your attention to The movie "WildStyle" where Grandmaster Flash, courtesy of the 3 turntables in his kitchen, collages found sounds into an inspirational minimal alien dopescape. Quick cut to the early industrialists, pre-sequencer, driving bull-dozers back and forth on stage for optimum bass. Jumble break to the best part of every song – that jet engine take-off, that good ole football crowd noise, the explosion at the beginning of every KISS live album, that nutty pre-acid house baleric movement, Kraftwerks "Pocket Calculator", Gongs, lasers, blah blah blah – how often do you wish the musicians would just give it up and just make a whole song out of all those kool sounds? If you have little tolerance for traditional music, the Morph Beat is for you!
https://datacide-magazine.com/in-search-of-morph/
Depends what elements you're inclined to foreground really. If you read the never ending debates on YouTube and Twitter the Americans say it's all DJ L beats and any spin that's been put on that basic template is so small as to be negligible whereas English people say it's it's own thing. Funny thing is the Dutch are on it too and have been for a while. Yamica is Dutch for instance.
Also I think it's got roots in the bibbidy bibbidy jungle/DNB MC rhythm (which of course went into grime too)
Originally Posted by luka
And anyway it isn't just beats is it?
I'm not saying it's some radically new thing but it has matured to reach a level where it's not just a pisspoor imitation of the US stuff
I like all the bickering I think it's funny
Well this is what people argue about. It's not clear cut. As I say it depends what you choose to foreground.
It's interesting cos the MCing is going to be different inherently cos of the difference in language
And that in turn changes the beats
It must be the case, it simply must be
The Following User Says Thank You to Corpsey For This Useful Post:
what's the tune at 1.43 "road rap" tune
The Following User Says Thank You to luka For This Useful Post:
Think that's an old Slackk favourite before he fell out of love with the scene.
Art, Literature and Film
Events, Releases, Sales and Mixes
-- old style -- new style -- Default Mobile Style

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home Top Stories New NGCP line for GenSan in anticipation of load growth
New NGCP line for GenSan in anticipation of load growth
Bong S. Sarmiento
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/30 September)– The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is reinforcing its existing high-voltage transmission line from Matanao town in Davao del Sur to General Santos City in anticipation of growth load in the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines."
Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said in a statement Monday that the company started constructing the new Matanao-General Santos 138-kilovolt (kV) line in October last year.
"The 70-kilometer transmission line project will support the capacity of the General Santos City Substation, which is expected to increase in 2015," she said.
"The project aims to fully accommodate the expected load growth of the General Santos Substation to prevent future overloading and line tripping," she added.
Another component of the project is the expansion on either end of the Matanao-General Santos 138-kV line, which includes the installation of power circuit breakers and corresponding accessories that will protect the substation equipment from damage in case of overloading, the NGCP said.
Perez-Alabanza said the transmission line project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2014 while the substation expansion is scheduled to be finished in November 2014.
GenSan, as the city is popularly called, has experienced a construction boom since the last few years with the entry of new hotels and shopping stores, which include Robinsons and SM malls.
It is also home to six of the country's seven tuna canneries.
The project, which is also part of the bigger initiative called Reliability Compliance Project I-Mindanao, has an Energy Regulatory Commission-approved budget of P623.5 million, Perez-Alabanza said.
The Reliability Compliance Project in Mindanao aims to enhance and expand NGCP facilities to be able to comply with the Philippine Grid Code's requirement of N-1 contingency, or the ability of the transmission grid to operate normally despite the loss of a major system component.
NGCP is a private corporation in-charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country's power grid. It transmits high-voltage electricity through "power superhighways" that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations and related assets. (Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews)
Mindanao power supply
ngcp


The second PT photography contest is accepting entries now through July 15. Please read and follow the rules here and pay particular attention to Rule 12.
Update, July 8: Just to clarify, we give preference to photographs of endangered species, but general entries are welcome as well. If we receive enough endangered species, we will establish a separate category. Entries in the animal, mineral, and vegetable categories are also welcome.
Update, July 15: The deadline for submissions is tonight at 10:00 Mountain Daylight Time. MDT is UTC(GMT) - 6 h.


text:
Review: Ghost Of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is some of the most fun I have in a game in a very long time. It was pure fun every minute and had one of the most beautiful open worlds I have ever seen. Every frame, voice line, slice of your katana, and duel was put together with so much love and care by Sucker Punch. The story of Jin Sakai is great and is honestly just the type of game I was looking to play after a game like The Last of Us part 2.
The story goes like this you are Lord Jin Sakai a samurai who is nearly killed during the opening of the game when Mongols first arrive on the shores of Tshuimia. Now after Khatun khan grandson of Genghis Khan takes your uncle hostage you must learn new methods of fighting to take down the Mongols, save your uncle, and more importantly save Tsushima. You must become The Ghost.
Now I don't want to say any more about the story because it is such a wonderful story to be a part of. Jin Sakai is one of my favorite new protagonists in the last few years. He has great dry humor, who also happens to be a truly strong warrior, and you can truly see why so many people on the island love and respect him. Not to mention the great supporting cast you have from Yuna to Norio a warrior monk this game has a small but well-acted cast.
Each actor puts so much heart and soul into their performances that when you get to a cutscene I am just as invested in each of these characters' stories as I am Jin Sakai's story. You get to play these separate mission the allow you to get to know each of these characters on a deeper level. I think one of the characters I enjoyed watching grow most was Kenji a con artist who takes a liking to Jin.
The game has so much you can do as well from side quest to quest that give you new fighting styles like setting your katana on fire! Which had to be some of the most fun I had in the game. The stealth is on point as well feeling a lot like classic Assassin Creed that rewards you for being quick on your feet and quietly taking as many guards as you can.
The world Tshushima is just fun to live in I never really wanted to stop playing the game I would always be ready to stop playing then find a shrine, fox den, write a haiku, or follow a golden bird and want to just keep going. Then spread across the world there all kinds of Mongol's holding key locations for you to take down and while this is something that exists in most open-world games it still felt fresh.
The music itself is beautiful Jin can even play the flute on the flick of a button. Which made for some great picture in photo mode as well. Photo mode was so much fun to use in this game being able to activate by pressing right on the d pad at anytime.
The greatest thing this game has to offer is the duels which act as boss fights and you are only allowed your katana. These fights require the most focus and watching your opponent's movements as they attack you. I truly had some hard fights while doing these duels but the thing was I never felt like I was going to not be able to beat a duel every time I retried the fight I got a little closer and memorized that much more of my opponents fighting style. Each time there was a duel it felt truly like watching an old samurai movie.
This game on so many levels is perfect from a fun story of honor and duty to amazing action, and an breath taking open world. I loved every second of this game and never wanted to stop exploring Tshushima and become The Ghost. I never even ran into any bugs Sucker Punch made this game with so much love and was worth the long wait for it to come out. While also proving once and for all that PlayStation line of exclusives titles are some of the most amazing games of any generation. I give Ghost of Tsushima a 10/10 for being one of the most incredible games I have played in years.
Currently Playing: Ghost of Tshusima
Michelle Obama's new podcast will launch with Barack Obama as first guest
Details on the former Zack Ryder's AEW deal


text:
import deepFreeze from 'deep-freeze';
import { updateLoginModalVisibilility, updateUserLoggedStatus,
  updateBackEndAuthSupport, updateLoggedUsername }
  from './actions';
import { default as reducer, initialState } from './reducer';

describe('login reducer', () => {
  it('creates the right initial state', () => {
    expect(reducer(undefined, {})).toEqual(initialState);
  });
  deepFreeze(initialState);
  describe('updateLoginModalVisibilility', () => {
    const stateBefore = initialState;
    const isModalVisible = true;
    const stateAfter = Object.assign({}, stateBefore, {
      isModalVisible,
    });
    it('correctly shows the modal', () => {
      expect(reducer(stateBefore, updateLoginModalVisibilility(isModalVisible)))
        .toEqual(stateAfter);
    });
    const stateBeforeHiding = Object.assign({}, initialState, { isModalVisible: true });
    const stateAfterHiding = initialState;
    it('correctly hides the modal', () => {
      expect(reducer(stateBeforeHiding, updateLoginModalVisibilility(false)))
        .toEqual(stateAfterHiding);
    });
  });
  describe('updateUserLoggedStatus', () => {
    const stateBefore = initialState;
    const stateAfter = Object.assign({}, initialState, { isUserLoggedIn: true });
    it('user status correctly updates when loggin in', () => {
      expect(reducer(stateBefore, updateUserLoggedStatus(true))).toEqual(stateAfter);
    });
    const stateBeforeLoggingOut = stateAfter;
    const stateAfterLoggingOut = stateBefore;
    it('user status correctly updates when loggin out', () => {
      expect(reducer(stateBeforeLoggingOut, updateUserLoggedStatus(false)))
        .toEqual(stateAfterLoggingOut);
    });
  });
  describe('updateBackEndAuthSupport', () => {
    const stateBefore = initialState;
    const stateAfter = Object.assign({}, initialState, { isEndUserAuthSupported: true });
    it('correctly updates when back-end available', () => {
      expect(reducer(stateBefore, updateBackEndAuthSupport(true))).toEqual(stateAfter);
    });
  });
  describe('updateLoggedUsername', () => {
    const stateBefore = initialState;
    const username = 'sixstrings89';
    const stateAfter = Object.assign({}, initialState, { username });
    it('correctly updates the username', () => {
      expect(reducer(stateBefore, updateLoggedUsername(username))).toEqual(stateAfter);
    });
  });
});


text:
Career Development » Concerned Liberals Want Details On Ginsburg's Well-Being
Concerned Liberals Want Details On Ginsburg's Well-Being
As liberals familiarize themselves with Judge Neil Gorsuch – President Donald Trump's nominee to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court – they also face the potential for the new administration to name one or more additional justices in future years. That has led to an outpouring of concern for 83-year-old liberal stalwart on the Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, reports the Washington Post. "Eat more kale, that's all I can say," said Kim Landsbergen, a forest ecologist in Ohio. "We love you. Eat more kale." John Hagner, a consultant for Democratic campaigns who lives in Washington, told the Post, "I could organize the gays, and we would just make a protective circle around her at all times." Ginsburg has already survived both colon and pancreatic cancer, missing a mere two weeks of work after surgery for the latter. Other liberals fumed that Ginsburg and her fellow left-leaning Justice Stephen Breyer did not retire during the Obama administration. "Looking back, it was seriously dumb (and, frankly, selfish) of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer not to retire from #SCOTUS in 2013," one person wrote on Twitter.
← Insult-Spitting Family Values Lawyer Gets One-Year Suspension
Why Bush's Former Ethics Lawyer Is Suing Trump →
Trump Clobbers Niece In NY Court
Black Lives Matter Ripped By Litigation
Could Liberal Panic Over Pending SCOTUS Case Help Trump Steal The Next Election?


I received Joseph's outfit today and it is more beautiful then words! Thank you so much! I completely love it, its perfect.! Joseph is going to look fabulous in it. I will send you a picture soon. Thanks again!
Worn by the new baby and preserved for his/her future wedding day ~ great baby shower or gift for the new mother to be! Irish Linen with shamrock lace, pintucks, narrow scalloped edging & satin ribbon ties and an adjustable back ribbon casing. Gift boxed with poem printed on cardstock. Comes with instructions on how to transform the bonnet into a hanky. Fabrics available: Irish Linen (shown), satin, shantung, silk dupione, cotton batiste and linen batiste. Available in your choice of white only in many sizes. Optional cotton liner provides a barrier to the oils used during the christening ceremony. Bonnet may also be monogrammed or personalized for a lasting keepsake gift! (please add your choice to special requests). Optional Irish accents are available on all items on this website. Shamrock lace shown may vary depending on availability.


text:
US Law Week
A sign for Fannie Mae, the Federal National Mortgage Association.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Fannie-Freddie Profit Sweep Draws U.S. Supreme Court Review (3)
By Greg Stohr
Mortgage giants have paid more than $300 billion to Treasury
Court will consider tossing out shareholder challenge to sweep
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether investors can challenge the 2012 agreements that let the federal government collect hundreds of billions of dollars of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's profits.
The justices said they will hear an appeal by President Donald Trump's administration of a ruling that would force the government to defend against a shareholder lawsuit. The investors say the agreements exceed the authority of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates the two mortgage giants.
Fannie jumped 5.7% to close at $2.22 in New York trading, while Freddie rose 6.7% to $2.23.
A ruling ...
Greg Stohr


text:
Tag Archives: alisa krasnostein
Letters to Tiptree
By Alex on August 25, 2015 | 2 Comments
It is Tiptree month, because yesterday Alice Sheldon would have turned 100. I am completely ensnared in All Things Sheldon/Tiptree at the moment because of Letters to Tiptree, which was launched yesterday for Sheldon's birthday and which has been consuming much of my time over the last few months. I'm immensely proud of this book and still incredibly honoured that Alisa asked me to co-edit it with her.
A few people have written articles about Sheldon and Tiptree, so here – have some links:
Leah Schnelbach on What James Tiptree can teach us about the power of the SF Community
Brit Mandelo on Where To Start with the Works of James Tiptree, Jr
Tansy Rayner Roberts on Raccoona Sheldon's "The Screwfly Solution"
Galactic Suburbia on the amazing biography written by Julie Phillips a few years ago
Alisa talked about Tiptree and other things over on the Three Hoarsemen podcast
Not sure you're interested in reading a whole bunch of letters to Sheldon/Tiptree? Here are some examples:
Gwyneth Jones (includes one of the greatest lines ever)
Brit Mandelo
Posted in: Books	| Tagged: alice sheldon, alisa krasnostein, books, brit mandelo, feminism, gwyneth jones, james tiptree jr, nicola griffith, sf
Snapshot: Alisa Krasnostein
Alisa Krasnostein is editor and publisher at Australian specialty press Twelfth Planet Press, a creative publishing PhD student and recently retired environmental engineer. In 2011, she won the World Fantasy Award for her work at Twelfth Planet Press. She was the executive editor and founder of the review website Aussie Specfic in Focus! from 2004 to 2012. In her spare time she is a critic, reader, reviewer, podcaster, environmentalist, knitter, quilter and puppy lover. And new mum.
1. You're just about to launch the anthology Kaleidoscope, which you've coedited with Julia Rios and funded via crowdfunding. How has the experience of creating this anthology been different from previous ones you've done? And has it lived up to your hopes of being a political and diverse set of stories?
With every project I'm always evolving and learning. For a long time I've wanted to be able to pay pro rates so with the advent of crowdfunding platforms, I was able to explore that business model for this project (SFWA raised the pro rates after we ran our campaign which was bad timing!). Crowdfunding is a fascinating and time consuming business model and we learned a lot about the maths behind them and also the amount of marketing and promotion required. It definitely helped keep my mind off my delivery date of my baby!
Kaleidoscope has definitely lived up to my hopes of a political and diverse set of stories. I felt a lot of pressure to do that – when you are given the money up front. The editing process was also a fascinating one. It challenged a lot of my own ideas about creating a good book and in the way I acquire stories. It's markedly changed the way I approach and read fiction. I'm still processing a lot of my thoughts about it. Which is lucky because that gives me food for the thesis! Kaleidoscope is filled with a really diverse array of stories and protagonists – straight, queer, of colour, disabled – we hope there is a story in there for every reader to identify with.
2. Another project that you're still working on, which is now well on its way to finishing, is the Twelve Planets series wherein you decided to publish collections of short stories by Australian women. I know originally the plan was to publish these over a year, or a bit more, which I'm sure in hindsight seems crazy! What impact has the process of developing the Twelve Planets had on you as an editor and publisher, and has it met your expectations?
In hindsight, I'm not sure it was every feasible to publish the Twelve Planets across a year – it's actually a very tall order to ask writers to produce 4 outstanding stories on so tight a turnaround! Most authors ended up submitting more than that before we got to their final collection of 4. I think I've grown a lot as an editor through these collections – both in terms of my editing ability and in the mechanics of how collections work. At times, choosing to do shorter collections was really challenging because you can't get away with things that maybe you might in a longer collection – you can't hide a bad story amongst three others. Which I guess has made me much less compromising as an editor – if I wouldn't buy a story for a collection where I can't hide it, why should I buy it ever?
As a publisher, the Twelve Planets taught me a lot about branding and the effectiveness of a series for promotion and marketing.
The Twelve Planets was conceived back in 2009 as a response to the lack of female authors on awards shortlists. I'm very proud of the work that's been published in this series. I think it shows the outstanding quality of short stories being written by Australian female writers. The series has more than met my expectations and I can't wait to see the full project sitting on my bookshelf!
3. You always seem to have a lot of projects on the go, and more bubbling to the surface all the time. Do you imagine that the next five years will see Twelfth Planet Press branching out into other areas, or strengthening the areas you already do well?
Publishing tends to work on a three to five year timeframe. The more books I publish, the more I am understanding that it really does take 2 to 3 years for a book to properly come to fruition, especially if you're working on developing projects rather than just buying out of an open submissions process. That's a long way around saying I have a lot of the next 3 years' projects already in progress. And if I could source funding, a few more beyond that! I think the next 5 years will see us strengthening areas like novels, our crime line and young adult fiction. But yes, I have a view to branch out further. 🙂
4. What Australian works have you loved recently?
I'm currently enthralled by Sean Williams' Twinmaker – I kind of want to read his PhD thesis after I finish with all his fiction related to matter transmitters. Twinmaker is a fast paced YA thriller and I can't put it down.
5. Have recent changes in the publishing industry influenced the way you work? What do you think you will be publishing in five years from now?
Yes. How can they not? Adapt or die. I have absolutely no idea what the industry will look like in 5 years time. I know we'll do our best to try and ride the wave but I suspect that what will be *it* in 5 years hasn't even really begun to be a thing yet. Recent changes have had us learning how to make good quality, flexible ebooks and to do our best to bring release all formats in tandem. We're now looking at keeping up with the ever expanding distribution channels for ebooks and wondering about the longterm viability of print book distribution. Bookstores keep closing even though readers still buy print books.
Posted in: Books	| Tagged: 2014snapshot, alisa krasnostein, sf, twelfth planet press
ASif! closes its… doors? pages?
By Alex on December 1, 2012 | 4 Comments
It's with a sad (albeit understanding) heart that I pass on the message that ASif! is closing down.
What? You don't know about Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus? The website that started eight years ago with a view to reviewing Australian works of speculative fiction, and – perhaps most intriguingly – aiming to give most works two reviews, thus giving context and a broader perspective? Well heck, get over to what I still consider to be the new site (although I think it's been up and running on WordPress for, what, a year? two?) and browse their wares! It has long since branched out into international works as well as national – not least I think because that's what was sent our way by publishers – but it is still pretty Australian-heavy. Plus, there are retro reviews from the old site, so you can see what we were thinking some years ago too!
… so yes, I say our. I've written reviews for ASif! for… I don't know how long. Some years. I could probably go back and see when my earliest review was, but that might make me scared. Or cringe. Whatever, it has been a tremendous experience. I've been writing the odd review for very many years (back to high school), but this was the first time I got the chance to do it somewhat-regularly. More than that, thanks to the email list… well. I allowed myself to get roped into Last Short Story some fewer number of years ago, which in turn led to going to this thing called a convention, and – yeh. Galactic Suburbia would be a different beast if not for ASif; I wouldn't be on it, for a start, since I wouldn't know Alisa or Tansy (I would have heard of Tansy, of course, because I already had, but it would be a far-off fan-girling).
Anyway. It is certainly the right call for Alisa to have made; she has the most incredible number of calls on her time, and has had for as long as I have known her. It makes sense to tidy things, and projects should definitely have end-points rather than continuing on just because.
No more reviews after the end of this year. Vale, ASif!
Posted in: Books	| Tagged: alisa krasnostein, books, reviews, sf
Snapshot 2012: Alisa Krasnostein
By Alex on June 5, 2012 | 3 Comments
Alisa Krasnostein is an engineer by day and an editor by night… and lunchtime and weekend. Having started the reviews website Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus (ASif!) she has moved on to indie publishing with Twelfth Planet Press. Through TPP Alisa has published anthologies and single-author collections, and will soon begin a novel line. TPP and Alisa were last year recipients of a World Fantasy Award. In her spare time, Alisa is also one third of the Hugo-nominated and Peter McNamara-winning podcast Galactic Suburbia.
You began an indie publishing house, Twelfth Planet Press, a number of years ago. You've been responsible for several anthologies, single-author collections and novella doubles, as well as the shared world of New Ceres and the e-mag Shiny. Why did you start TPP in the first place, and has it lived up to expectations?
I got involved in small press via ASIM [Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine] and starting up ASif! These both whet my appetite for what could be possible in local publishing. I fell in love with the local specfic scene. I spent a lot of time watching behind the scenes at ASIM and learned a lot. By 2005/2006 I was very keen to have a go on my own and see if I could make small press work. I had a lot of ideas about the kind of press I wanted to create and I really wanted to see if you could make small press work, financially.
TPP has well exceeded my expectations. The jury is still out on whether you can make a small press work financially (though certainly there are more than a few American presses that do). A start up can take 5 years to get on its feet and this is about year 5 for TPP. There have been more successful projects than others. And both the successes and the failures have taught me a lot about publishing, editing and business. The recognition TPP has received and the work we have published has been far more than I could have ever dreamed possible this early on.
Your current project is the Twelve Planets series, wherein you are publishing twelve short, single-author collections by a range of Australian authors. What has it been like to edit the twelve planets, and what has been the reaction to those published so far?
This series has been so much fun to work on and so unlike any other project I've done so far. I'm finding it a very personal experience, each volume, I think because a 4 story collection is so intimate – you've got nowhere to hide with just 4 stories so each story has to hit out of the ballpark. There has been such a great synergy and creative vibe with each author I've work with so far. And added into that is the synergy with Amanda as she creates the look of the whole series book by book and with Helen as she pairs up an introducing author for each volume. So, intimate, but a bigger team working on each book than we've had before, especially when you add in proofers and a publicity and ebook team.
The reaction so far has been fantastic! We've had some outstanding reviews, and new subscribers are coming on board all the time (you can subscribe at any time and get the whole series). The ebooks are popular too – we've had a college class in Texas adopt Love and Romanpunk as a class text! I got to manage their textbook buying before the school started in January. Which went how you expect that to go. 🙂
It's been such a great opportunity to show to a much wider audience the fantastic, strong and innovative writing Australians are producing right now. We're starting to see works from the 2011 published works make it onto Years Bests reports and lists, they featured well in the Locus roundup for last year and of course had nods in the Tiptree Jnr Award and the Aurealis Awards. I'm so happy and also so excited for the 2012 books – Showtime came out in March and Through Splintered Walls, Cracklescape and Asymmetry are not far away now.
You recently opened TPP up to novel submissions, which strikes me as a bold move when it comes to considering the slush pile! Has slushing for novels been different from slushing for short stories, and do you still think it was a good idea?
Well, I in no way attempted to work through that slushpile on my own! I was lucky enough to have 7 generous readers who kindly volunteered their time and worked through most of them and offered their thoughts and noted what they thought I should read. I did do a bit of quality assurance testing and am really happy with how that process went in terms of what was forwarded to me to read.
Slushing the manuscripts really helped me cement exactly what it is that I'm looking for and what I see my novel line being. I think it's been a really worthwhile exercise in that regard. Opening to novel submissions was also a really important step in coming out and stating a future direction for TPP. I have a really clear vision now for the novels I want to develop and publish and hope to clearly express that going forward. Of course, you still get submissions that are completely outside your guidelines no matter how you frame them.
I think I liked slushing for novels better than shorts in that we had a reading crew which meant I was able to discuss manuscripts with people and get a bit of an idea about how others saw the same piece of work. It was much less lonely. You tend to spend longer on a novel submission than a short story because you're more forgiving as a reader with a novel than a short story and novel stories take longer to develop and unravel, they're bigger beings. And because you have a package with the submission including the synopsis, you have more to consider and maybe, if the synopsis is written well, more reason to invest in some submissions than others? Like, well the story starts slow but it sounds like it might go somewhere interesting?
I should mention that I haven't finished the manuscript reading yet. Maybe I'll get more jaded by the end of it (June 30).
What work by Australians have you been loving recently?
PODCASTS! Australians are dominating the soundwaves and there are some truly fantastic Aussie podcasts. We have real depth in this format, with so many great ones to choose from. My faves are probably the Writer and the Critic, Coode St Podcast and Boxcutters though I'm just starting to warm to Shooting the Poo. 🙂
As for fiction, Kim Westwood's The Courier's New Bicycle was by far my favourite Aussie work in 2011, and I cannot rave about it enough. I also, despite common folklore, finished and loved Tansy Rayner Roberts' Power and Majesty and am working on The Shattered City (I read slowly, and trilogies are a huge commitment).
I also adored Outland. I hope there will be a second season some day.
It's been two years since Australia hosted the WorldCon. What do you think are some of the biggest changes to the Australian speculative fiction scene?
It feels like more authors are gaining international recognition but I'm not sure if that's just my perception in that authors *I* am friends with are progressing and growing in their careers. It also feels like a lot of authors have left short stories to work on novels. Certainly a lot of the authors I came into the scene reading in the short form have sold novels in that time and have tended to be quiet, working at the long length.
Novellas have kind of grown too. I remember a time when the Ditmar ballot couldn't field a shortlist for novellas/novelettes and now this has become one of the most competitive categories. Again, I think this relates to the maturing of a lot of our authors as they play with form and length towards the elusive novel.
Women authors are being taken more seriously outside of the epic fantasy subgenre. And more women are being collected.
Podcasts – Australians really are punching above our weight class in the podcast department and I think that's brought the world closer to us in ways that have really previously been hard to overcome. We have a greater voice in the international scene and with that comes the ability to get the word out about what we're doing here. Exciting, when I think about it. Where will be next time the Snapshot comes round to take a picture?
This interview was conducted as part of the 2012 Snapshot of Australian Speculative Fiction. We'll be blogging interviews from 1st June to 8th June and archiving them at ASif!: Australian SpecFic in Focus. You can read interviews at:
http://thebooknut.wordpress.com/tag/2012snapshot/
http://kathrynlinge.livejournal.com/tag/2012snapshot/
http://helenm.posterous.com/tag/2012snapshot
http://bookonaut.blogspot.com.au/search/label/2012Snapshot
http://www.davidmcdonaldspage.com/tag/2012snapshot/
tansyrr.com/tansywp/tag/2012snapshot/
www.champagneandsocks.com/tag/2012snapshot/
https://randomalex.net/tag/2012snapshot/
http://jasonnahrung.com/tag/2012snapshot/
http://mondyboy.com/?tag=2012snapshot
Posted in: Books	| Tagged: 2012snapshot, alisa krasnostein, books, galactic suburbia, sf
Thief of Lives will steal your time
By Alex on October 30, 2011 | 2 Comments
This is the delightfully-packaged third book in the Twelve Planets series, from Twelfth Planet Press. I should mention that I am friends with the editor/publisher, Alisa Krasnostein, and a passing acquaintance of the author, Lucy Sussex. But don't worry; I would have no trouble saying I didn't like it much, if that were the case…
The first story is, for me, the blazing outstanding story of the four. Called "Alchemy," it is set in Babylon, a city as evocative, perhaps, as it is foreign. We are presented with a story told from two perspectives. The first is that of Tapputi, a perfumer from a long line of such. She is a mother, a widow, and a skilled artisan. She has also attracted the attention of Azubel, a spirit whose point of view we also read. Azubel has knowledge of the past and the possible paths of the future, with a particular passion for and understanding of what we would call chemistry. The stories of these two, over a long span of time (by human standards) has many strands, weaving in examinations of knowledge and the dangers thereof; juggling career and family; tradition and innovation and the pitfalls of each; and that essential conundrum, discerning good from evil when the world is grey, not black and white. Tapputi is finely, delicately drawn, the balance of concerns inherent being in being a widowed mother and artisan nicely indicated. She is both practical and romantic and, perhaps most wondrously, is actually based on a woman known to historians because her name and trade are recorded in cuneiform from the second millennium BC. This is a story that mixes fantasy and history in a glorious blend, and is one of my favourite stories for the year.
The second story in the collection is Krasnostein showing her readers that the Twelve Planets series is not going to follow the path set by the first two sets (Nightsiders and Love and Romanpunk), because it neither follows "Alchemy" (sigh) nor falls into SF/fantasy. "The Fountain of Justice" was first published for the Ned Kelly Awards, given in Australia to crime authors, and is indeed a story of crime and policing set in Melbourne, Sussex's home city. It wasn't really my sort of thing – crime never really has been. We get the story predominantly from the point of view of Meg, a solicitor who works mainly for the Children's Court, and with the juveniles accused there. It's a convoluted story questioning issues of justice and truth, asking I think whether our legal system delivers justice and even whether it can/should. It is clever, but it didn't ultimately work for me.
Thirdly, "The Subject of O" is again completely different, and perhaps on the face of it far simpler than the preceding two – although it would be a mistake to actually believe that. Petra, a probably twenty-something university student, is the focus, as a stupid comment from an acquaintance sends her memory over the past few weeks and months in which she has been thinking about, and learning about, women and orgasms. On one level it is quite a funny story about students and their conversations, and plays into the common theme that university students are all rather busy with sex and drugs. But the reality is that underneath is a genuine questioning of why discussion of women's sexuality and experience of sex is more often than not hidden, or spoken of only hazily, or left to blokes leering and imagining them as God's gift to womankind. It's frank and honest, refreshingly spiked with wry humour. But don't read it on public transport if you are the blushing type.
Finally, the collection is rounded out by the eponymous story, "Thief of Lives," which itself contains a book of the same name (confused yet?). This is the most complicated story of the set, although fortunately almost everything is clarified by the end, making hindsight a wonderful thing. It's set in Bristol, and told from the first person by someone who is not what they at first appear to be, and whose intentions in Bristol are far from straightforward. It's impossible for me to give a good idea of the narrative, really, without spoiling it. Let me say that it toys with ideas like a cat with string: why (as the blurb puts it) do writers think that other people's lives are fair game? How do writers get their ideas? Can writers and their writing have a concrete impact on those around them, especially when drawing on them for inspiration? It's a little bit labyrinthine, which is echoed somewhat in the maze-like qualities of Bristol itself for our protagonist. It's very, very clever, and the main character herself is a little bit hypnotic.
Also, isn't it a totally lovely cover?
Posted in: Books	| Tagged: alisa krasnostein, books, fantasy, lucy sussex, review, science fiction
Nightsiders
By Alex on April 11, 2011 | 1 Comment
Nightsiders is the first anthology of the Twelve Planets series, a set of twelve collections being put out by Alisa Krasnostein at Twelfth Planet Press. Each of the collections will consist of four short stories. This one, by Sue Isle, features stories that all deal with the same place and similar issues: a near-future Perth, a city ruined by an almost complete lack of water, infrastructure damaged by bombs some time ago, and largely deserted in the Evacuation.
It should be said up front that I am friends with the editor, Alisa, although I do not know the author.
As a package, this is a nice little book. It's 138 pages of narrative (with a short introduction from Marianne de Pierres), and given that's split over four stories it's the sort of book you can consume in one sitting or over several. I'm not a huge fan of the colour, but it is certainly appropriate given how much time is spent in the stories talking about the near-desert nature of Perth.
The first story is "The Painted Girl," and follows Kyra and Nerina as they come into the city for the first time ever in Kyra's experience; they've been wandering from place to place, never setting down roots. Kyra ends up with the Drainers, a name which is never fully explained, and learns something of the ways of this weird new place she's been brought to. As an opening to the collection it works well, because the reader too is new to this near-future city, and has to come to grips with the lengths people go to to get and conserve water, the lack of basic amenities, and the fundamental changes which have happened in Perth, of all places.
The title "Nation of the Night" does not reflect the nature of the second story in the slightest. However, the story itself is fascinating, and I think the strongest of the collection. It deals with multiple issues with an elegance that makes reading the prose very easy indeed. Here, we follow the experiences of Ash – biologically female, psychologically male – as he heads East for surgery to resolve his conflicted nature. In Melbourne – described as intimately and recognisably for me, a Melbournian, as I am sure Perth is for natives of that place – Ash discovers that things over that way aren't that much better, in many ways, than they are back home. The individuals Ash meets are vividly, if briefly, described, but it's really the landscape and geography that stand out in this story; the changes wrought on a city that has taken in millions of refugees are as stark as those wrought on the city from whence all but a few thousand have fled. The story is not without problems – for all the talk of how difficult it will be for Ash to get to and from Melbourne, it feels quite easily achieved. However, as an investigation into gender identity, attitudes towards refugees, East/West relations in Australia, and the impact of climate change, this is a remarkable story.
Third comes "Paper Dragons," which initially appeared in the ezine Shiny, also produced by Krasnostein. For all that I know entertainment has been a basic, perhaps essential, part of human civilisation since the earliest examples we have, I still found it slightly unbelievable that a community struggling as much as the Perth one appears to be would be able and willing to support a troupe of players who appear to do little else but rehearse and perform. Perhaps I'm too much of a pragmatist. I enjoyed the new characters introduced here, and the fact that Ash reappears in a different role, but I also didn't really understand quite what the point overall was – of post-Evacuation teenagers staging an excerpt from a pre-Evac TV show, and its impact on the older people in the community. However, overall it allows yet more insight into how Perth society operates; the often brutally pragmatic choices that need to be made, and the suppression to some extent of 'finer feelings' that find at least a partial outlet in the theatre.
Finally, the collection closes with "The Schoolteacher's Tale." Here, a character referred to in other stories – Elizabeth Wakeling, teacher to generations of post-Evac Perth residents – gets a voice of her own. As a teacher myself, this story struck a chord with me, with its discussion of what learning would be necessary for generations growing up in a society like this. Elizabeth was delightfully curmudgeonly – as the oldest person in the area, and the only teacher, she's entitled to it – but also pragmatic and willing to be flexible. Appropriately, as the collection opened with a confused young woman entering Perth, this story closes the collection with a determined old woman leaving it, with clear and specific plans in mind.
Across the four stories Isle portrays a striking, not-quite post-apocalyptic world that's not quite believable, but not quite foreign enough to dismiss out of hand. The society she portrays in Perth is ethnically mixed, pragmatic, fiercely independent, and built on cunning. Most of those traits are ones that Western Australians would probably claim today, as well. I'm uncomfortable with the idea that the eastern seaboard would abandon the western so completely, but with Isle's portrayal of Melbourne it becomes all too possible. Overall, Nightsiders is an intriguing collection, and it left me wondering whether Isle plans to return to the world in a novel – it certainly feels like it would be sustainable. And if this is the standard of the rest of the Twelve Planets series, I cannot wait for the next eleven.
Posted in: Books	| Tagged: alisa krasnostein, books, review, sf, sue isle


Argyle Winery has been making wonderful Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and Sparkling wines such as Argyle Brut in Dundee, Oregon, in the Willamette Valley, since 1987. The Willamette Valley is the state's most populated region, and is in the northwest. East, west, and south are large mountain ranges, and the valley is very fertile primarily due to conditions from the last Ice Age's flood carried sediments and alluvial deposits. The climate is always mild with very little snow or days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is below freeing only once every 2 to 3 decades.
There are about 200 wineries in the Willamette Valley, one of them being Argyle Winery, and the valley is known worldwide for their Pinot Noir. The Dundee Hills, a sub "American Viniculture Area" or AVA ( a designated grape growing region recognized by law), where Argyle is, has approximately 25 wineries and is particularly noted for their Pinot Noir.
Argyle has 3 vineyards: The 120 acre Knudsen Vineyard which was first planted in 1972 and 1974, and the high elevation portions are large components of their Sparkling Wines. They are planted with Dijon grape clones, both old wine and newer plantings which provide higher yields. The Stoller Vineyard, to the south of Knudson, was first planted in 1995 and contains Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Lonestar Vineyard, 15 miles to the south, is mostly Dijon Clones of Pinot Noir. It was added to Argyle in 1996 and encompasses 160 acres.
Grapes are harvested by hand, chilled overnight to preserve the ripe fruit characteristics and guard against oxidation, and crushed the next day.
Argyle is also a common place name, with over a dozen in the US, many in Canada, one in Malaysia, and more, as well as being a popular pattern for socks and more. Of course we are talking about the winery here!
Along with their well known Pinot Noirs as well as Chardonnay and Riesling, they produce several Sparkling wines by the traditional Méthode Champenoise, all vintage dated.
These include the entry level Argyle Brut with a tasting note below, the Black Brut, a Blanc de Noirs entirely sourced from the Knudsen Vineyards, a Blanc de blancs also entirely sourced from the Knudsen Vineyards, an Extended Tirage Brut which routinely earns mid 90 point scores from Wine Spectator, a mainly Pinot Noir based Knudsen Vineyard Brut, and the Argyle Brut Rosé. All their sparkling wines are vintage dated.
I haven't tried these all, and although I'm not particularly an Oregon fan clearly I can recognize high quality wines from this region. I love even the entry level Argyle Brut.
Light yellow with plenty of small fine bubbles. Mostly Pinot Noir with the rest Chardonnay.
On the nose, chalk, just like a Champagne, and slightly creamy vanilla. Maybe a touch of cookie dough.
Brisk and fresh on the palate. Clean and clear, with some apple, pear, orange citrus, a touch of candied orange peel. Nice, round, and long as it warms. Appropriately sweet to balance the natural acidity. Very well balanced.
A great deal at $25-$30, and I'm not usually a West Coast Sparkler fan, but this has always impressed me.


Welcome to the EliteFitness.com Bodybuilding Site! Please join this discussion about Cardio Cardio Cardio within the Anabolic Steroids category.
I just did 40 minutes of AM cardio Empty Stomach on the revolving Stair Case named the "Guantlet" and had no carbs after 12 yesterday and thought I was going to pass out lol.
I can do Legs and Squats all day and thought that was keeping me in cardio shape, but it was not!
I used to love running, but i have bad knees from sports so now i power walk on the incline tred, great cardio for me.
"OBSESSION is a word the WEAK use to describe the DEDICATED"
"Yeah, lotta pressure, you gotta rise above it. You gotta harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Harness.. energy. Block.. bad. Feel the flow, Happy."
incline treadmill for me, 45 mins on empty stomach first thing in the morning, 6 days per week. I'll be adding in an additional 35 mins on the eliptical after training in the evening in about 6 weeks.
AM empty stomach cardio vs. pm cardio --- does it matter?


Carson Palmer is currently the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. He played football at USC and received the Heisman Trophy in 2002. Shortly after graduating, he was recruited to play with the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2003 NFL draft during which he got selected to be in the Pro Bowl twice. He also played for the Oakland Raiders for two seasons from 2011-2012, as well as the Bengals for 8 seasons from 2003-2010. On April 2, 2013, he started playing for the Arizona Cardinals after being traded for a 2013 NFL draft sixth-round pick and for a conditional pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
DISCLAIMER: PFP Sports Talent Agency does not claim to represent itself as the exclusive agent for Carson Palmer. PFP Sports Talent Agency is a booking agency that represents organizations seeking to hire pro athletes and sports personalities such as Carson Palmer for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements and corporate entertainment. Fees on this website are estimates and are intended only as a guideline. Exact fees are determined by a number of factors, including the location of event, the talent's schedule, requested duties and supply and demand. PFP Sports Talent Agency makes no guarantees to the accuracy of information found on this website and does not warrant that any information or representations contained on this website will be accurate or free from errors. We are often asked how can I find out who is Carson Palmer's agent? To find Carson Palmer appearance fees and booking agent details, you can contact the agent, representative or manager through PFP Sports Talent Agency for speaking fee costs and availability. PFP Sports Talent Agency can help your company choose the ideal sports personality for your next marketing campaign. To hire Carson Palmer for an appearance, speaking event or endorsement, contact Carson Palmer's booking agent for more information.


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Inside the connection between Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead and a Kentucky player
Tyler Horka
Mississippi Clarion Ledger
STARKVILLE – Joe Moorhead didn't have to stay on the field, but he wanted to.
Moorhead had just suffered the first loss of his tenure at Mississippi State. He had already shaken hands with Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops on the 50-yard line at Kroger Field.
More than half of his Bulldogs fled the field right away. They didn't want to linger at the site of their 28-7 loss to the Wildcats. Kentucky fans waved white rally towels amid the sea of blue apparel that filled the stands. They chanted "over-rated!" as the Dawgs trudged up the tunnel.
Moorhead, as displeased as anyone wearing maroon and white at that moment, wasn't following them. Not yet, anyway.
He had to find somebody first. He was looking for a boy in blue, one wearing a No. 1 on his UK jersey and dozens of tattoos on his body.
The search was on for wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr.
'Lynn was a kid that I felt very close to'
When Moorhead was the offensive coordinator at Penn State, he recruited Bowden to play there. He saw the stellar four-star athlete from Youngstown, Ohio, as a future star in State College.
Moorhead wasn't leaving the field without finding him. Not even if he had to endure more trash talk and hysteria coming from the bleachers.
"It's important any time you're in a recruiting process with a young man and you develop a bond with him and get to know him pretty well," Moorhead said. "Lynn was a kid that I felt very close to."
Before arriving in Lexington, Bowden played quarterback at Warren Harding High School. Warren Harding has produced a slew of prominent football players over the years, including Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Paul Warfield and Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett.
The school has a high level of visibility among college recruiters. Bowden received offers from seven Big 10 schools, two SEC schools and one from the Big 12. He ultimately chose Kentucky. It helped that Stoops also hails from Youngstown.
"Lynn has come in and had a great impact on our program from day one," Stoops said. "He's the type of guy that's getting better and better with every week. He's an athlete. He can play a lot of positions."
Stoops' secondary thinned out against Florida when safety Yusuf Corker was ejected for targeting. Stoops said Wednesday during the SEC Teleconference that he wished he would have given Bowden some reps at safety during practices.
He was only slightly joking.
Stoops said Bowden is certainly athletic enough to play the position. Bowden had seven catches for 70 yards and one kick return for 18 yards against the Gators. He's a true do-it-all type of player.
"He could even step in at quarterback and do a heck of a job, and he's obviously continuing to develop as a wide receiver," Stoops said. "He's a playmaker and makes a lot of competitive catches. He's very, very versatile. We're pleased to have him."
'He's an unbelievable player'
Thirteen programs offered Bowden a scholarship. His decision came down to two of them.
"It was Penn State or Kentucky," Bowden told the Clarion Ledger.
Moorhead was a major reason Penn State came close to nabbing the player who has 104 catches and counting in his collegiate career. Bowden said the first thing he looks for in someone is a feeling of mutual trust. He found that and more in Moorhead.
"He was just a goofy dude," Bowden said. "But he was really straight-forward with me. He was telling me what I could do and how he saw me making an impact in his program."
Moorhead saw Bowden as a difference-making slot receiver. He also envisioned using him as a running back on jet sweeps and as a quarterback in the Wildcat formation. He's doing all of that at Kentucky.
He has 20 catches for 201 yards and a touchdown this season after going for 67 snags and 745 yards with five scores as a sophomore. He has run the ball four times this year for 18 yards and has even completed a 32-yard pass on his only attempt.
Bowden also registered five punt returns as a sophomore. He returned two for touchdowns.
Moorhead has a deep level of respect for Bowden as a person and a player. That's part of what he told him when he finally found him on the field after last year's game.
"He's an unbelievable player," Moorhead said. "I just wanted to congratulate him and let him know that he did a nice job."
"He just encouraged me to keep going, telling me I have big things ahead of me," Bowden said. "I encouraged him to keep going with his football program and to keep getting better at what they were doing."
'Right now, we're enemies'
Dynamic and versatile.
Stoops already described Bowden as the latter. Moorhead said during his Monday press conference that those are the words that come to mind when he thinks of the player he tried so hard to lure to Penn State a few years ago.
Moorhead said he doesn't know if the Mississippi State defense can fully stop Bowden this Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. He hopes they can simply slow him down a bit.
"He is one of the top playmakers in the SEC," Moorhead said.
Bowden said he's humbled by the praise, especially coming from someone he cares about in the NCAA coaching ranks. He's excited to see Moorhead and meet him on the field after the game like the two did last year, but for now, he's more focused on the game.
"Right now, we're enemies," Bowden quipped.
Moorhead shared the sentiment.
"I've been very, very excited to see his development and how he's playing for coach Stoops," Moorhead said. "I hope he doesn't have a great game this weekend but I wish him the best obviously in the rest of the season and in his future."
Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter. To read more of Tyler's work, subscribe to the Clarion Ledger today!


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Iran Nuclear Program
Sabotaging Iran's Nuclear Program: Mossad Behind Tehran Assassinations, Says Source
Sabotaging Iran's Nuclear Program Mossad Behind Tehran Assassinations, Says Source
One atomic researcher after the other has died in a series of recent murders in Iran. Is Israel's Mossad trying to sabotage the construction of a nuclear bomb with the attacks? Officials in Jerusalem aren't denying anything. Israeli military generals are even more hawkish, and their calls for air strikes on Iran are growing louder.
Von Ulrike Putz
The funeral of Darioush Rezaei on July 24. Mossad has been blamed for the killing.
"Israel is not responding," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said earlier this week when asked if his country had been involved in the latest slaying of an Iranian nuclear scientist. It didn't exactly sound like a denial, and the smile on his face suggested Israel isn't too bothered by suspicions that it is responsible for a series of murders of physicists involved in the controversial Iranian nuclear program.
There is little doubt in the shadowy world of intelligence agencies that Israel is behind the assassination of Darioush Rezaei. "That was the first serious action taken by the new Mossad chief Tamir Pardo," an Israeli intelligence source told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
On July 23, Rezaei became the latest victim in a mysterious series of attacks over the past 20 months which has seen the virtual decimation of the Islamic republic's elite physicists. The 35-year-old died after being shot in the throat in front of his daughter's kindergarten in east Tehran. The Iranian press has reported that the two alleged perpetrators in the attack escaped on a motorcycle.
A Setback for Iran's Nuclear Program
So who was the man who was shot in front of his wife and daughter? Israeli media reported the scientist, who had a PhD in physics, was working on the development of a trigger for a nuclear warhead. The physicist had apparently been seen daily at a nuclear research center in northern Tehran. An official from a member nation of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency later told the Associated Press that Rezaei had participated in developing high-voltage switches, a key component in setting off the explosions needed to trigger a nuclear warhead.
The fact that Rezaei's death has struck a nerve in Iran is apparent in the official reaction to the killing. Kazem Jalali, the head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, said the murder of Iranian physicists showed that the United States and Israel are "desperate" in the face of Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Rezaei is the third Iranian nuclear physicist who has paid for his job with his life since the start of 2010:
In January 2010, the nuclear physicist Masoud Ali Mohammadi died when a remotely detonated bomb rigged to a motorcycle exploded next to his car. Western experts considered Mohammadi to be one of Iran's top nuclear scientists.
On Nov. 29, 2010, unknown perpetrators committed two attacks which involved motorcyclists attaching explosive devices to their victims' cars while driving. Majid Shahriari, a professor of nuclear physics who specialized in neutron transport, which is relevant for making bombs, was killed when his car exploded. His wife was seriously injured in the attack.
Fereidoun Abbasi was targeted in a simultaneous attack. Abbasi, an expert in nuclear isotope separation, noticed the suspicious motorcyclist, however, and he and his wife jumped out of the car. They were both injured in the explosion. After Abbasi recovered, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed him as one of Iran's vice presidents as well as head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.
Iran suspects that a "triangle of wickedness," consisting of the US, Israel and their hired accomplices, is behind the attacks, according to sources in Tehran. Washington denies any responsibility: "We were not involved," a spokeswoman for the US State Department said in response to Rezaei's death. Israel, for its part, has opted for a policy of ambiguous silence.
Part of a Campaign
According to sources in Israeli intelligence, the killings are part of a campaign to sabotage, or at least slow down, Iran's nuclear program. The alleged campaign also involves other tactics as well as targeted assassinations. The cyber-attack using the Stuxnet computer virus, which paralyzed large parts of the Iranian nuclear program in the summer of 2010, is supposedly also part of Israel's secret campaign against Iran.
But for hardliners in the Israeli military, the covert action does not go far enough. The calls for bombing Iran are getting louder and louder, especially among Israeli Air Force officers, the informant told SPIEGEL ONLINE. There is apparently a heated debate about the effectiveness of such assassination campaigns and whether they can fulfill their goal, reported Yossi Melman, intelligence expert at the Israeli daily Haaretz. In addition, Israel has already faced fierce criticism over other assassinations allegedly committed by its agents in foreign countries.
Until now, Mossad experts have been able to convince decision-makers that the construction of an Iranian bomb can best be delayed through attacks on key figures and nuclear facilities. But it is unclear how long Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to follow this advice. Politicians in Jerusalem know well that Mossad is also pursuing its own interests when it argues that its agents should play the leading role in the struggle against Iran.
"As long as Mossad is leading the fight against the bomb, it will get the big budgets," said the source. Whether there will be an open attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in the future will partly depend on whether the Israeli military or intelligence wins the internal power struggle, the source said. "Just like with everything, this is also about prestige."
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the International Atomic Energy Agency had confirmed that Rezaei had worked on the development of high-voltage switching systems. In reality, it was an official from a member nation of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency who told this to the Associated Press, rather than a official statement by the IAEA. We have corrected the article accordingly.
Iran Nuclear Program Iran Israel
Israel's Shadowy War on Iran: Mossad Zeros in on Tehran's Nuclear Program
Mysterious Assassination in Iran: Who Killed Masoud Ali Mohammadi?
An Eye for an Eye: The Anatomy of Mossad's Dubai Operation


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Latest fundraising values Deliveroo at more than $7bn
Roofoods Ltd
Private financing boost for food delivery app ahead of long-awaited stock market debut
Pandemic lockdowns have more than doubled Deliveroo's UK and Ireland revenues © Bloomberg
January 17, 2021 12:04 am by Tim Bradshaw
Deliveroo's valuation shot up to more than $7bn in a new fundraising, in a sign confidence is growing among the food delivery app's investors ahead of its long-awaited stock market debut.
The new private financing for one of London's most prominent internet groups is the latest illustration of the frenzied investor appetite for high-growth companies, even as some analysts warn that tech valuations are becoming overstretched.
It suggests that Deliveroo's backers believe its valuation can exceed $7bn in an initial public offering, which the company has for the first time publicly confirmed is in the works, after a blockbuster listing from US-based delivery app DoorDash last month.
Deliveroo said early on Sunday that it had raised $180m in new funding from existing investors, led by Durable Capital Partners and Fidelity Management, valuing the eight-year-old company at more than $7bn, without including the new funds raised. That is almost double its 2019 price tag, reported to be between $3-$4bn, when Deliveroo raised $575m from investors including Amazon.
Amazon's funding did not close until August last year after an investigation by the UK's competition regulator. Deliveroo was forced to take out a short-term £198m loan in 2019, when losses grew by a third to £317.7m.
Since then, pandemic lockdowns have supercharged the online food delivery business, more than doubling Deliveroo's revenues in the UK and Ireland and pushing it into operating profitability during the second and third quarters of last year.
Will Shu, Deliveroo's co-founder and chief executive, said the funding would "help us continue to innovate" in areas such as grocery delivery and its Editions network of "ghost kitchens", which allow restaurants to expand delivery coverage without providing in-house dining. "We are really pleased our shareholders see the opportunity and growth potential ahead of us," Mr Shu said.
Durable Capital, based in the affluent Maryland town of Chevy Chase, is also an investor in DoorDash and Affirm, two of the hottest tech IPOs of recent weeks, according to PitchBook, which tracks private investment.
"I have been impressed with the [Deliveroo] team's ability to spot opportunities, innovate and adapt to changes in the market," said Henry Ellenbogen, managing partner and chief investment officer at Durable Capital. "The online food delivery market is nascent and underpenetrated. We believe Deliveroo has the potential to become a much bigger company over time."
Deliveroo has not yet indicated whether its listing, which could come as soon as April, will take place in London or New York, amid concerns that Brexit has dented London's IPO appeal.
Last month, DoorDash saw its share price almost double on its first day of trading in New York. While DoorDash's valuation rose above $60bn last week, its shares have been volatile, falling by almost 10 per cent on Friday without any obvious catalyst.
The difficulty in pricing new tech listings has caused some companies, including Roblox, to reconsider their IPO plans. However, European internet groups including Auto1, InPost and Moonpig have all indicated their intention to float in recent weeks.
Deliveroo's new fundraising comes as it faces renewed competition in its London backyard from Just Eat Takeaway.com, Europe's largest online food delivery group. Jitse Groen, chief executive of the food delivery group, said last week he would "make life very, very, very complicated for the competitors" in London by undercutting them on delivery prices and investing heavily in a new courier network.
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AMP Electric Vehicles Stops Car Conversions, Focuses On Trucks
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield October 18, 2012 Comment Now!
Ohio-based AMP Electric vehicles will no-longer convert gasoline cars to electric, it announced yesterday.
Instead, the company announced on a conference-call yesterday, it aims to focus on converting medium-sized commercial vehicles to all-electric operation.
"People told us how surprised they were that our Mercedes SUV performed every bit as good as the original vehicle - except quieter, quicker and surprisingly refined," Stephen Burns, AMP's CEO said.
"However, it became apparent that the short-term market for passenger car EVs did not grow as quickly as forecasters had predicted," he continued.
Although AMP Electric Vehicles has been offering plug-in conversions of gasoline SUVs for longer than most plug-in cars have been on the market, it has always had to compete with mainstream electric vehicles from mainstream automakers.
That, and its prices.
Take its all-electric Jeep Grand Cherokee, which debuted earlier this year at the Detroit auto show.
With a 100 mile range from its 37.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-phosphate battery, AMP was estimating a new-vehicle price of $60,000.
AMP Electric converted Chevrolet Equinox electric crossover, Detroit, October 2010
That's more than the Tesla-engineered 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV.
"We believe that we are in the right place in this industry at the right time," Burns said in reference to the company's change of direction.
With Q3 sales of just $107,000, a $7.5 million investment from Kodiak Capital Group LLC, and development expenses of $2.5 million, AMP hopes its new direction -- working to convert medium-sized commercial trucks up to 20,000 pounds in weight--will be more profitable than its car conversions.
"We have already had preliminary talks with various end-user Fortune 500 companies whose brand names you would recognize. For the first time in our history, we are to the point that we are positioned to begin revenues," said Burns.
With more electric cars from major automakers reaching market, is there any room left for commercially-converted vehicles?
AMP Electric conversions Electric Cars Electric Cars Green Cars plug-in cars
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Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield - Contributing Writer