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BSkyB
BSkyB to make TV history with the launch of 3D TV
Arsenal vs Manchester United: the world's first live sports 3D TV broadcast
Sky 3D channel to launch in April with live Premier League football every week
BSkyB (LSE:BSY) today announced that it will launch Sky 3D, Europe's first dedicated 3D TV channel, this April. As part of the final preparations for this ground-breaking launch, Sky will preview the new service with a world first this Sunday (31st January 2010), becoming the first TV company anywhere to broadcast a live 3D TV sports event to a public audience. The Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United will be filmed in 3D and broadcast over the Sky platform to selected pubs around the UK and Ireland, with their customers becoming the first audiences anywhere in the world to experience live Premier League in 3D.
To support this landmark broadcast, the nine pubs – located in London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin – have been kitted out specially with some of the first '3D Ready' TV sets to reach the UK and Ireland. As 3D TVs become more widely available, Sky will roll out its 3D channel to hundreds of pubs from April, allowing football fans across the country the opportunity to experience a live Premier League match in 3D each week.
Once 3D TVs begin to reach the consumer market later this year, Sky will then make Sky 3D available to all Sky+HD customers, giving millions of people the opportunity to watch a wide range of content in 3D, including movies, sport, documentaries, entertainment, and the arts.
Sky 3D works with all existing Sky+HD boxes and will initially be introduced at no extra cost for customers who subscribe to Sky's top TV package and the Sky HD pack. Sky 3D will also be compatible with all 3D Ready TVs coming to the UK and Ireland this year, including all models from Sony Corp., Samsung, LG Electronics and Panasonic.
To make the 3D preview a reality, Sky Sports will produce two edits of its live coverage of Sunday's game at the Emirates Stadium, one for its HD channel feed and another dedicated to 3D. Eight specially engineered 3D camera rigs will house sixteen of Sky's high definition cameras, to provide comprehensive stereoscopic coverage from all angles. The 3D broadcast will be supported by Sky's dedicated 3D production team and purpose built 3D outside broadcast truck, which will enable live mixing between camera positions, slow motion replays and the use of innovative 3D graphics. There will also be a dedicated commentary team to support the 3D edit.
Sky's commitment to launch a dedicated 3D TV channel follows a number of 3D 'firsts' achieved over the last couple of years. In December 2008 Sky was the first UK broadcaster to demonstrate 3D through a domestic TV and then went on to broadcast an exclusive demonstration of a Keane gig in 3D live over its satellite platform and offering the UK's first ever live public demonstration of 3D – a recorded performance of Swan Lake by English National Ballet – at the Hay Festival.
Jeremy Darroch, Sky's Chief Executive, said: "3D is without doubt one of the most talked-about developments in television for many years. Sky has always innovated to bring customers the best possible viewing experience, so we fully intend to take the lead in bringing the spectacle of 3D to the UK and Ireland."
Gerry O'Sullivan, Sky's Director of Strategic Product Development, said: "2010 is the year for 3D TV. People have already embraced 3D cinema and because Sky's 3D service uses the same kind of technology, we're confident there will be demand for sport, movies, concerts and drama in 3D. The good news is that all Sky+HD customers already have the set-top box they need to enjoy 3D, meaning they simply need to buy any new 3D TV, all of which will work seamlessly with Sky's ground breaking new service."
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, added: "Sky Sports has a proud history of innovation, from the simple clock and scoreline in the comer of the screen through to high definition. It's fitting that we're pioneering this new, revolutionary development in broadcasting."
Revenues at top 10 pay TV operators to drop $20 billion
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Top 50 operators take three-quarters of global pay TV revenues
Sky's OTT service, NOW TV, launches in Ireland
Sky deploys Nokia CDN in the UK
Sky Q service to be available OTT in 2018


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Medical InnovationsTechnology
The Latest in Gene Therapy Research
By Eileen O'Brien
Gene therapy was the topic at the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association event on April 30 with Ricki Lewis, PhD. The crowd was captivated as Dr.
Gene therapy was the topic at the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association event on April 30 with Ricki Lewis, PhD. The crowd was captivated as Dr. Lewis detailed the history of gene therapy as told in her book The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It. She made the science come to life by sharing stories of individual families.
At its simplest, gene therapy consists of transplanting normal or working genes to replace missing or defective genes in order to correct genetic disorders. The difficulty is getting the working genes into the body and to the place where they are needed without causing unintended side effects. Viruses are currently used. Dr. Lewis gave the analogy of Federal Express: viruses are delivery systems for genes.
Commercially approved gene therapy
In November 2012, for the first time in the Western world, a gene therapy was approved for sale . The European Commission approved alipogene tiparvovec (Glybera®) to treat adult patients with the rare genetic disorder familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency. It is expected to be approved soon in the US. A variety of other gene therapies are in clinical trials.
A variety of clinical trials are currently being run by companies ranging from large pharmaceutical companies, such as GSK, to start-ups focusing on gene therapy, such as Bluebird Bio. These trials are investigating a variety of rare diseases including: severe primary immunodeficiency, hemophilia, adrenoleukodystrophy and beta thalassemia.
The most recent story to make headlines was the promising results presented at The American Society of Hematology by University of Pennsylvania researchers studying acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Novartis is supporting these efforts. Study participant Emma Whitehead's complete remission from disease captured media attention.
"I think that gene therapy will be one of many new approaches to treating disease based on knowledge of our genome sequences and gene expression patterns," said Dr. Lewis. "It will be especially helpful in treating disease early in the course of pathogenesis; or even before it starts, before cells have been destroyed. Once cells are destroyed; stem cells are a better strategy."
In this video Dr. Lewis describes gene therapy and how she came up with the title of her book.
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DiagnosticsTechnology
New Medical Laboratories Are the Key to Diagnostics Research
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The development of the COVID-19 vaccine was a miracle in medical research. It shows the incredible importance of medical innovation in the…
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In early November 2020, Steven Hill* experienced a concerning and prolonged bout of nausea, weakness, and a host of other symptoms that…
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Healthcare costs are on the rise; according to CNN Money, a 2016 report reveals the huge cost gap between the early 2000s…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Anti-static Zip Lock Bags were very useful in mobile or electronic industries for the shipment and transportation of important components. Often these components are very small and shipping them in bulky packaging only added to the shipping cost. The invention of Anti Static Zip Lock Bags made packing and transportation of these electronic components very easy which otherwise get spoiled or corrupted due to the static discharge from normal poly bags. There are many Anti Static Zip Lock Bags Manufacturers in India. Most of these companies give exciting offers and reasonable rates for these bags and also provide door-step delivery.


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Pickup strikes utility pole and rolls, injuring driver
Mike Emery
The Palladium-Item
CENTERVILLE, Ind. — A Wayne County man driving a pickup truck was injured Wednesday when he was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled off the west side of South Centerville Road after striking a utility pole.
Kenneth Vaughn, 53, who had a listed address in Richmond, was flown by LifeLine medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, with serious injuries after being taken to Reid Health. He was listed in serious condition Thursday afternoon at Miami Valley.
Vaughn was treated at the scene by members of the Centerville and Williamsburg fire departments and by Red Line EMS, Reid Trauma and the LifeLine flight crew, according to Sgt. Jack Martin of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
After the accident, which occurred around 5:15 p.m., a Red Line ambulance transported Vaughn to Reid. The LifeLine helicopter that had been on a grassy patch of a field across the road from the accident took off to meet the ambulance at Reid. Medical personnel had begun to unload Vaughn from the ambulance to take him to the helicopter when they reloaded him and headed for Reid.
The accident occurred just past where a sign with a left-pointing arrow indicated a curve in South Centerville Road near Tice Rroad. A small hill led into the curve.
Tire tracks led into the grass west of the roadway as the curve began, indicating the southbound 1993 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck missed the curve. The pickup drove through the grass and struck a utility pole, which caused the truck to overturn, Martin said. Vaughn, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected, and the pickup came to rest nestled against a cornfield with the upside down cab facing west and the mostly detached, upside down bed resting on the cab.
A short stump of the utility pole remained in the ground, with a large middle section laying next to it. The top of the pole remained suspended in the air, held up by the tension in the wires. A Whitewater Valley REMC truck was on hand and the utility's worker had begun making repairs as the accident investigation continued.
The sheriff's department's investigation indicates alcohol was likely a factor in the accident. The investigation continues.
Centerville Police Department, Indiana Conservation officers, Centerville Fire/Rescue, Abington Fire Department, Williamsburg Fire, Red Line, Reid Trauma and the LifeLine flight crew assisted the sheriff's agency at the scene.


The following is supported by Visitation (Dugdale, Yorkshire, 1666, Copley of Batley).
Dugdale finishes with the next generation. The following comes mainly from a schedule kindly provided to us by a site visitor (MF, 06.04.12).
Dugdale shows that Avery d unm but Foster shows that he had the following family, noting that "This match and issue is not recorded in the Heralds' copy of the Visitation in 1612."
The following comes from Visitation (Foster, Yorkshire, 1612, Copley of Hotham).
The following is partly supported by BEB1841 (Copley of Sprotborough).
The following is supported by Visitation (Dugdale, Yorkshire, 1666, Copley of Sprodborough (sic)).
Their son Joseph inherited Sprotborough, changed his name to Copley, and was created a baronet in 1778. One of their descendants successfully claimed the long-dormant barony of Cromwell in 1923, obtained through the marriage of Sir William Copley with Dorothy FitzWilliam above.
The following comes from Visitation (Sussex, 1560+1633-4, Copley) with some support from Visitation (Yorkshire, 1563-4, Copley).
A. Sir Roger Copley of Roughway (a 1485) this generation omitted by Visitation (Yorkshire).
The following is supported by Visitation (Surrey, 1623, Copley).
The following is supported by Visitation (Foster, Yorkshire, 1584/5+1612, Copley of Doncaster).
The following is supported by Visitation (Dugdale, Yorkshire, 1666, Copley of Doncaster).


A: I am Princess Cirina Marie and I live on the Island of Dreams with my father and mother, the king and the queen.
Q: Do you have a story to tell?
A: Well, I wish I had lots of stories to tell, but since I live on an island I don't get to go many places. So I'll tell you the story of how I figured out a way to go wherever I want to go!
Q: Why do you think your story is important?
A: My story's important because my guardian angel helps me figure out how to use my imagination to make my dreams come true.
Q: Can you describe your personality?
A: I'm usually happy and like to have fun. I have lots of energy and want to learn about everything. I love being outside and going on adventures. I'm kind of a tomboy because I don't really like to wear dresses. Maybe someday when I get bigger I will, but when I ride my horse, Moondancer, it's a lot easier in jeans.
Q: What is your best quality?
A: I'm a very good friend. Even though I just have dolls and stuffed animals right now, I love them and take very good care of them. I know when I get to go out in the world and have real people friends that I'll be a good friend to them, too.
Q: Why do you think kids should read your story?
A: I think other kids should read my story because they need to know that they have their own guardian angel watching over them and protecting them.
Q: Who is your best friend and are they in this story?
A: My best friend is Moondancer, my stuffed animal horse. He's silver and gold, and always listens and does what he's told. He's in the story, and I know if he can grow wings and fly, he'll let me ride him and we can go wherever we want to go!
Q: Do you think the author of your story described you accurately?
adventures and hope she'll let me get to have them.
A: I'm happy when I look out my window and it's so beautiful I can go run and jump and play. When I ride on Moondancer's back and we go flying, I get to see mountains and forests and canyons and deserts and towns with people in them, that's when I'm the happiest of all!
A: Sometimes I get sad because my father and mother are really busy and I don't get to spend very much time with them. They have a lot of stuff to do since they're the king and queen.
A: I'm not really afraid of anything. Maybe I just don't know what there is to be afraid of. I know my guardian angel is always protecting me and that helps.
Q: What do you wish for more than anything in the whole world?
A: I think my biggest wish is to have a couple really good people friends to go on adventures with.
Q: If you could share something with kids all over the world, what would it be?
A: I would like to share with kids all over the world that using your imagination and dreaming can take you wherever you want to go. We can use our minds to make our dreams become real.
A: I want to go to Ireland. I've seen pretty pictures of it, and it's an island, but a lot different than mine.
Meet Stacy Manning Cusaluci, Author of Miracles Love A Believer, and Mom to her very own princess.
Editor's note – When other little girls were reading Books like Nancy Drew and The Bobsey Twins, I was reading Grimm's Fairy Tales, so it's little wonder that I was drawn to the magic of this delightful children's book. Kudos to Stacy Manning Casaluci!


FWIP's mission is to promote a culture of reading among very young children and their caregivers, in order to contribute towards children's school readiness. Their objective is to ensure that all very young South African children have access to stimulation of picture books and story books in their own languages.
This project operates nationwide with a focus on pre-schoolers.
FWIP's project is monitored quarterly and reports can be obtained from the Centre for the Book.


Whether you're visiting your doctor, your lawyer, or your auto mechanic, there's a certain comfort that comes from seeing a diploma or certification on their wall.
It's a message that says, "I've done the work. I'm qualified. You can trust me to handle your problem."
The same is true when picking a closet designer. When you choose someone who has received an ACSP certification, you know you're working with a company that aims for professional, high-quality, custom closet installation by a factory-trained installation team.


Renew your enthusiasm by giving your property several valuable upgrades Marvelous Patio Design Ideas #2 Cover Idea Patio Design. The followings are a few sought after home redesigning projects designed to refresh your dwelling noticeably.
Deliver a nice view to anyone with quality landscape. Most people really enjoy seeing Marvelous Patio Design Ideas #2 Cover Idea Patio Design vegetation, particularly in the city places. Having a green grass and also a number of plants in your garden will provide you with healthier air, which often minimize the usage of ac unit.
When was the last time you update your kitchen? Chances are now is the time to upgrade it. If you have old home appliances, it is advisable to update them with the new ones that will be more energy efficient. Granite countertops, a pull-out pantry, and LED lighting are some popular kitchen updates.
Having extra Patio Design Ideas living space in comparison with the ordinary homes would increase your house value. Constructing a bigger garage, converting your attic into useful living space, or setting up outdoor dining space are a couple of pointers to create more space.
Home renovation Marvelous Patio Design Ideas #2 Cover Idea Patio Design is a smart decision but make sure you choose the best update that gives noticeable effect without making cracks in your bank.


According to news reports received on Monday, technology experts from India are now finding it hard to get permits for employment in the country of Singapore after the current administration suspended the total business agreement. In the past, they have faced increasing difficulties in getting work permits in the United States and the addition of Singapore to the list of restricted countries does not bode well for them.
Firms from India have been told to recruit from the country also, and the companies have started to consider the option of moving their businesses elsewhere.
"The issue of the permit is one that has been plaguing Indian techies for a while now. All firms from India have been told to recruit from the country," a CEO of a firm in Singapore told news agencies.
The country of India is in advanced talks with the president of the United States about the H-1B permits for foreigners. The order passed by the President of United States limits the permits for Indian tech workers and also terminates the job security of many Indian workers in the country aiming to work with the H-1B permits.
The permit enables foreigners to be recruited to companies in America for positions that need quality experts.
It is very common for Indians to apply for this permits as they are heavily recruitment by technological firms in the United States.


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Home » Articles Posted by Nachaida Yuguda
Nachaida Yuguda
Home page: http://www.radionigeriakaduna.gov.ng
UNIMAID Holds First International Conference Of Mgt Sciences
By Nachaida Yuguda
The Vice Chancellor University of Maiduguri Professor Aliyu Shugaba has challenged academics and researchers to come up with robust innovation and strategies that will address the nation's...
President Buhari Appoints Olusegun Awolowo Secretary AFCFTA
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr. Olusegun Awolowo as the Secretary, National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for a tenure of four...
PMB Commissions Hadejia Valley Irrigation Scheme,Other Projects In Jigawa
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Wrestler Hulk Hogan Left Half Paralyzed After Surgery
Veteran wrestler and actor Hulk Hogan went through a traumatizing surgery that left him paralyzed from the waist down, as revealed by his fellow WWE legend Kurt Angle on a podcast last week...
Idris Elba To Open Film Studio In Tanzania
Actor Idris Elba plans to open a film studio in Tanzania after holding initial talks with President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The actor met President Samia on the side-lines of the World Economic...
BBC,14 Other Media Organisations Banned In Ethiopia
Authorities in Ethiopia's Somali region have banned 15 media practitioners working for foreign organisations – including the BBC's and the Voice of America's (VOA) Somali language services...
American Actress Annie Wersching Dies At 45
American actress Annie Wersching has died at the age of 45. Wersching was best known for her role as Renee Walker in the hit drama series 24 in 2009, as well as recurring roles in several American...
Uganda launches First Commercial Oil Production programme
Uganda will commission on Tuesday the first of its four planned oil drilling rigs and start drilling the first production well, its petroleum agency said, a key milestone as the country races to meet...
FG Commence Training For 30 Sugarcane Farmers
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has commenced training for thirty sugarcane Farmer to boast sugar production in the country. Speaking at the 2-day capacity building workshop...
Beyonce Returns To Stage After 5years With Dubai Concert
Image caption,Beyoncé made her on-stage return at the opening of a new luxury hotel in Dubai Beyonce has returned to the stage for her first live performance in five years. The US megastar headlined...
PMB Inaugurates Ministry Of Finance Board, Governing Council February 1, 2023
NDE Trains 936 Youths In Kwara State


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The Soul of a Sparrow
A blog about longing, friendship, culture, and theology.
Why a Sparrow?
Merry Christmas to the Insignificant
December 25, 2019 December 25, 2019 Jeb Ralston blog	Christmas, significance
Christmas among many things is a reminder that the Kingdom of God reveals itself through the weak, the lowly, and the insignificant. That Christ would come as a vulnerable and bloody newborn child, that the king of all would come from nothing is something we would do well to remember especially in a culture that seems to frequently imply that what we do or achieve determines our significance.
The birth, life, and death of Christ teach us that this embrace of insignificance is vital to the Christian life. Christ was brought low in coming to us in flesh. He lived a life of service and association with those deemed insignificant by society. Christ taught us to live like him in humility, and he pronounced blessed those who were poor in spirit, those who were hungry, and those who were being persecuted. And finally, of course, he was mocked and strung up naked on a cross.
Christmas is a time of great joy and celebration because we have a God who has come to us, who has not left us alone but has met us in our lowly estate. But it is also a time of great pain for many. Our culture places a tremendous expectation on the holiday season to be a time of familial serenity and warmth. But the reality is that for many, the holidays only magnify their own insignificance or lack of family. And for some, Christmas gatherings can very easily slip into conversations attempting to prove to ourselves and others that we have made or are making something of our lives—whether that is to hometown friends or extended family about the jobs we have, the people we are dating, the families we have, or the degrees we hold. It can quickly become about proving our own significance rather than about reveling in who has given us just that.
The ecstasy of Christmas is more keenly for those who know they can not prove themselves and have very little to their name aside from what they have in Christ. Christmas is for the insignificant. It is for those who know the pain of having very little: for the friendless, the rejected, the poor and lonely and abused. It's for the wash-ups, the burn-outs, and those who are tired of constantly disappointing those they love. Christmas is a time which reveals—in a miraculous way—that the insignificant and significant have been reversed… The prodigal will be embraced. The eunuch will be given a name better than son. The lonely will be put in families. The barren woman will rejoice. The leper will be touched and healed. Strangers will be welcomed. The hungry will be satisfied. The slandered will be rewarded. The grieving will know relief. And those that beat their breasts over their sin will find themselves made right.
God's power is made perfect through weakness, and his weakness has proved greater than human strength or significance. Perhaps in hindsight it should be no surprise that he met us in fragility as a baby, washed his disciple's feet in servitude, and would then go on to a cross for us. His weakness made a mockery of what is strong and significant in the world, and his Kingdom has inverted the order. It's a homeless baby who gets the glory rather than Herod, and it's a man nailed naked on a cross who conquers Death and rises unto glory.
In Jesus the seeming insignificance of our lives is wrapped up in His glory.
Origin and Identity in the Dark Night of Space
December 23, 2019 December 23, 2019 Jeb Ralston blog	ad astra, existentialism, science fiction, star wars
*This post contains some spoilers for the films: Ad Astra, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
"Deep within every man lies the dread of being alone in the world, forgotten by God, overlooked among the tremendous household of millions and millions. That fear is kept away by looking upon all those about one who are bound to one as friends or family, but the dread is nevertheless there and one hardly dares think of what would happen to one of us if all the rest were taken away." – Kierkegaard
Even a journey into the depths of space cannot bear the anxieties of our origins and identities.
This last decade has been filled with existential space films, and it makes sense given that endless space is the perfect setting for finite man's eternal and familial questions. Many of these films—like the recent Ad Astra and the latest Star Wars trilogy—take us to some of the deepest reaches of the galaxy simply to ask questions about where we come from.
Human progress would have it that for us to go forward into the unknown we must untether ourselves—to advance we must go as those independent and unrestrained from anything that might hold us back.
Kylo Ren and Rey, the two protagonists of the latest Star Wars films, demonstrate a helpful tension. One is obsessed with finding out where she came from, the other is possessed with removing himself from the family and tradition in which he came. Without space, we would perhaps never have been given the inspiration for something as imaginative in scope as the Star Wars universe, yet it is in the scope of these cosmos that these characters are still haunted by their own origins. Both Rey and Kylo are desperate to discover who they are despite the enormous power they contain and the worlds in which they inhabit. Rey assumes she will discover herself by discovering the identity of her parents. Kylo assumes he will discover himself only by removing himself from his parents and everything they represent.
At the core of a lot of recent Sci-Fi films is an existential angst of determining who we are in the midst of an infinite cosmos.
The existential and slow-burn of a film, Ad Astra, notably sought to answer this question. Brad Pitt stars as the lonely and depressed astronaut, Roy McBride, who embarks on a mission to find his father who had previously set out to the planet Neptune. This film contains plenty of internal monologues and defies much of what we have come to expect of the science fiction genre. This is partly because this film is less interested in providing cheap human answers like human ingenuity, reason, or force-of-will to solve existential questions (cf. The Martian, Interstellar) and more about the loneliness and ennui that accompany us in the dark night of space.
Clifford, Roy's narcissistic and belligerent father, is intent on discovering non-human life out among the stars even at the expense of all humanity. The one human at the farthest reaches of space is in no surprise the one whose antipathy towards humanity proves to be the strongest. Roy is willing to embark to this far off place primarily, it seems, because of this paternal gravitational pull. And it is not until after his eventual confrontation with his estranged father, that he concludes that life and meaning are only to be found back from where he came. It takes a journey into the unknown to settle for what was already known to him. But this quest for meaning and identity has existed far before space-travel.
The oft told story of the Prodigal Son is a fine example. The younger brother takes what is his, untethers himself from his father, and journeys deep into unknown territory only to come up short-changed and longing to come home. Roy McBride acts as an inverse Prodigal Son who attempts to find his father in far off places only to be radically disappointed by him but who realizes what is significant is what he left behind on Earth. He returns from the far-off place with the final admission, "I am looking forward to the day my solitude ends. And I'm home."
Kylo Ren, also like the Prodigal Son, takes the gift of Force inherent to his bloodline and uses it for his own ends. In a way, both had blood on their hands for what they did to their fathers. Both wanted autonomy. Both wanted a life of their own removed from the security and seeming monotony of their own destiny. Both wanted an identity formed for themselves rather than inherited by another. But, as Rey notes regarding Kylo, "there is still a tension within him." His umbilical severing has not left him without an internal conflict to return.
This innate longing is wrapped up in a return to relationship. And perhaps that is what is so fundamentally wrong with the elder brother in the Prodigal Son story. He is right near his father in proximity but is in his own far off place in spirit. He is in his own way hurdling through space untethered and alone but somehow convinced he is going somewhere. The primacy of our identity lies in being embraced by the father rather than just being near to him in formality. Unlike Clifford, this prodigal father goes out in search for his son and runs to embrace him—unlike Roy's desperate and forced embrace of his father who simply demands he let him go. And like Han Solo meeting his son, he is not afraid of potential harm or disgrace.
Sometimes it is in the context of being alone and removed from what we love that we come to notice something missing. The vacuum of space can help reveal to us what we are not, but it can not in its own right tell us who we are. Rather, it is only by embrace that we can see most clearly where we have come from, where we are ultimately going, and who we truly are.
Recent Posts: The Soul of a Sparrow
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The Great Ten (Shi Hao Xia) or (十豪侠) are a team of Chinese comic book superheroes in the DC Comics Universe, who are sponsored by the government of the People's Republic of China. Appearing in comics published by DC Comics, they were introduced in 52 #6 (June 2006), and were created by Grant Morrison, J. G. Jones, and Joe Bennett. Several of the characters have a basis in Chinese mythology. Unlike conventional superhero monikers, their names are close to literal translations from the Chinese language.

Publication history
Grant Morrison explained the background to his creation of the team, in a pitch which also contained the outline for the Super Young Team:

The Great Ten returned in their own title, in 10-issue monthly mini-series, beginning in early November 2009 and produced by writer Tony Bedard and artist Scott McDaniel, with covers by Stanley Lau.

Fictional team biography

First appearing in 52 #6, the Great Ten's actions are hampered by bureaucracy. Three of the team's members were forced to sit out a battle with Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart because they had not completed the required paperwork. Following the events in the Infinite Crisis story arc, as a signatory of the Freedom of Power Treaty China has entered into a Coalition with Khandaq, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan, leading the Great Ten to join forces with Black Adam on the battlefield. Later, in week #32, the Accomplished Perfect Physician saves Ralph Dibny from his rampaging teammate Yeti, and gains his help subduing and restoring him to his human self. The Accomplished Perfect Physician then shares with Dibny details about his life and powers, his role as a "super-functionary", and some cryptic advice about a coming crisis in the Middle East. The Great Ten later battle Black Adam when he invades China as part of his vendetta after the death of Isis in World War III. This also involves confrontations with several American based superheroes, as the Chinese government was willing to go so far as to launch nuclear missiles if their territory was violated. This portion of the stand-off was ended when the Great Ten lost contact with Beijing, leaving August General in Iron with the authority to allow international help - against his own wishes.

On the final page of Checkmate #3, the Checkmate ground team, on an infiltration mission in China, is discovered and cornered by The Immortal Man in Darkness. In Checkmate #4 the August General in Iron, Celestial Archer and Yao Fei the Accomplished Perfect Physician show up to support the Immortal Man in Darkness, after a brief skirmish both sides declare a truce. Later after Yao Fei prevents Count Vertigo (acting under secret orders from Amanda Waller) from stealing Chinese state secrets, the August General decides that Checkmate has betrayed the truce and orders their deaths, only the timely intervention of Green Lantern Alan Scott and the Chinese Ambassador saves the lives of Sasha's ground team.

In Checkmate #13-15 and Outsiders #47-49, the Checkmate team and the Outsiders are on an infiltration mission to Oolong Island. In Outsiders #48, they are attacked by The Immortal Man in Darkness and Chang Tzu has re-appeared, ready to experiment on the captured Sasha Bordeaux of Checkmate and Captain Boomerang, in the presence of August General in Iron.

Issue #1 details the Accomplished Perfect Physician's origin, and introduces eight deities from Chinese mythology led by the Jade Emperor. The pantheon includes Yu Huang the Jade Emperor and King of the Gods, Lei Kung the God of Thunder, Feng Po the God of Winds, Kuan Ti the God of War, Lei Zi the Goddess of Lightning and wife of Lei Kung, Chu Jiang a minor God of the Dead who rules the second level of Diyu, Gong Gong the God of Floods, and Chu Jung the God of Fire and father of Gong Gong.

Issue #2 details the Celestial Archer's origin, has the Old Chinese Gods have returned for vengeance. With the citizens of Lhasa caught in the middle, the Old Gods battle against the Great Ten, but the super functionaries are no match for the angry, ancient gods, not when one member – the Celestial Archer – chooses to turn against his team and fight alongside the gods.

Issue #3 details Thundermind's origin, he appears in times of need to defend China against evil and injustice. But when Thundermind joins the Great Ten in their battle against the Old Chinese Gods, he learns the startling secret that the Old Chinese Gods have been hiding – a secret so massive it could destroy all of China.

Issue #4 details the Immortal Man-in-Darkness' origin, while he battles Feng Po in Shanghai. Immortal Man-in-Darkness finally defeats Feng Po, and the Great Ten discover Feng Po is using Durlan technology and that the Old Chinese Gods are false.

Issue #5 details the August General in Iron's origin, explaining the classified Qinghai incident, fifteen years ago. In the Kunlun Mountains, the Old Chinese Gods plan to invade Hong Kong. Celestial Archer realizes that the Old Chinese Gods are not the actual gods and sends a message to the Great Ten from their headquarters.

Issue #6 details the Ghost Fox Killer's origin and early history as a deadly crime fighter in Hong Kong, introducing an informant she uses to gather information about the Chinese triads in China. It also introduces links between the Old Chinese Gods, Taiwanese triads and the Taiwanese government; resulting in escalation of conflict between the mainland and Taiwan, and an attack by Chu Jiang on the Hong Kong waterfront.

Issue #7 details the Seven Deadly Brothers's origin, as he and Accomplished Perfect Physician battle the gangster fight in Hong Kong while trying to apprehend Taiwanese government official, Ma Saihung. This issue also introduces a fight between the remaining Old Gods and Great Ten members August General, Ghost Fox Killer, and Shaolin Robot following the death of Chu Jiang.

Issue #8 details the Shaolin Robot's origin, continues the fight that was introduced at the end of the previous issue, concluding with the Jade Emperor's beheading by Shaolin Robot, Great Ten Directorate. The issue concludes with the telepathic interrogation of Taiwanese government leading to the discovery of the robot factory in the Gobi desert.

Issue #9 details the Mother of Champions' origin, and wraps up the series from the viewpoint of one of her latest children, sired by Socialist Red Guardsman. Socialist Red Guardsman's origins are only hinted at throughout the series, however, it is established he was the first Super-functionary and that he felt betrayed by his country. The Great Ten unite at the end, and team with the remaining "false gods" to destroy the robot army created by a rogue Taiwanese general.

In the Watchmen sequel Doomsday Clock, China takes advantage of "The Superman Theory" by having the Great Ten expanded into the Great Twenty. Besides Accomplished Perfect Physician, August General-in-Iron, Celestial Archer, Ghost Fox Killer, Immortal Man-in-Darkness, Mother of Champions, Seven Deadly Brothers, Shoalin Robot, Socialist Red Guardsman, and Thundermind, it is mentioned that the other members include China's versions of Super-Man, Bat-Man, Flash, and Wonder-Woman, Gloss, Dao, Guanxi, Night-Dragon, Ri, and Striker-Z.

Membership

This team of "super-functionaries" (the communist Chinese ethos rejects the word 'heroes' for a humbler one) is based in China's Great Wall complex. This massive complex houses the team's command and support technicians as well as facilities for the creation of more Chinese superhumans. The bureaucracy must approve every action the Great Ten take during combat.

Accomplished Perfect Physician
Accomplished Perfect Physician or 達医者完 (Dá Yī Zhĕ Wán), Yao Fei was born a peasant in the Anhui Province. Yao had dreams of becoming a doctor but lacked the money for medical school. He enlisted in the army instead. When his unit was sent to suppress an uprising in Gyantse, Tibet, Yao killed a monk named Tenzin Cering. Horrified at what he'd done, he deserted his unit and was shot by his commanding officer. He was saved by a local medicine man who told Yao that his son, Tenzin, was supposed to be the seventeenth man to hold the position of the "Accomplished Perfect Physician"; since Tenzin was now dead, Yao was forced to take his place by Tenzin's father. Tenzin tossed Yao through a magical portal, wherein he was filled with the memories and powers of the past Physicians. As the new Accomplished Perfect Physician, Yao was branded an outlaw and an enemy of the state for many years before he willingly joined the Great Ten.

With simple vocal sounds, the Accomplished Perfect Physician can produce a variety of magical effects, such as physical or mental paralysis, force fields, the redirection of energies, healing, destruction of matter, and earthquakes. The diplomat of the team, the Physician appears to be a collected individual with well-developed people skills. He does not get along well with his team leader, August General in Iron, who sees Yao only as an irreverent deserter.

August General in Iron
The August General in Iron or 钢铁圣将 (Gāng Tiě Shèng Jiāng) is Fang Zhifu formerly a member of a "Xeno-Team", an elite Chinese spec ops unit trained for encounters with aliens. 15 years ago, his unit was sent to investigate a Durlan ship that crashed in Qinghai province. The Durlans wiped out his unit with a flesh-melting pathogen weapon. Fang barely survived by injecting himself with a counter-agent that slowed the degeneration. Chinese scientists subjected him to special treatments which saved his life, but also endowed him with superhuman strength and caused his skin to grow iron-like plates. He was then recruited into China's new metahuman division. He wields a staff that can easily slice through metal.

August General in Iron is the field leader of the Great Ten and while he commands the Great Ten, he must still run all command decisions in the field by the Central Committee. He also serves as the Black King's Bishop in Checkmate. He met Ghost Fox Killer in Hong Kong. For some reason, he was immune to her deathly touch, and the two became lovers instead. As a fanatical soldier, he despises the Accomplished Perfect Physician for his irreverent attitude and for deserting the army.

Fang Zhifu habitually quotes from Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

In The New 52 (a reboot in DC Comics), August General in Iron is invited to join the new Justice League International, with the United Nations council that assembled the group noting that he was selected because he represents "the world's most populous nation". His comments about the superiority of Chinese engineering quickly draw the ire of Rocket Red.

Celestial Archer
The Celestial Archer or 天体射手 (Tiān Tĭ Shè Shŏu) is a figure with ties to Chinese mythology. As a teenager, Xu Tao sold souvenirs at the foot of Mount Tai. After his father's business was shut down by corrupt police, he joined a gang to support his family. He was not a good thief, however, and a botched robbery landed his fellow gang members in jail. When they were released, they sought his death. They chased him to an old temple below Mount Tai. While hiding behind a tree, Tao was swallowed up by the earth, and found himself in a cavern where he found the Celestial Bow of Yi. The magical bow begged Tao to take it as his own, as it was dying after four thousand years of disuse. When Tao picked it up, he was transformed into the Celestial Archer and granted Yi the Archer's godlike archery skills. After chasing away his former gang, he instinctively fired an arrow at the moon, creating a magical bridge that took him to the home of the Chinese gods. The gods tasked him to serve as their agent on Earth, to inspire the Chinese and remind them of the old gods, whose worship was suppressed by the Communist government.

The Celestial Archer has unerring aim capable of shooting arrows charged with a mysterious energy, or that can turn day into night.

Xu is an irreverent character, disrespectful of August General's authority. He considers his role in the Great Ten as secondary to his divine mission, something which landed him in trouble when he foolishly defected to a team of metahumans posing as Chinese deities.

Ghost Fox Killer
The Ghost Fox Killer or 鬼狐杀手 (Guǐ Hú Shā Shǒu) is a female emissary from the hidden colony of "Ghost Fox Women". She is charged with killing evil men, and has power over the ghosts of those men. Apparently her home city is powered by the souls of evil men, and her touch causes instant death. She is typically accompanied by a rui shi (or Imperial guardian lion) of living jade. If Ghost Fox Killer does not kill off evil men for her colony, her society will fall. She encounters August General in Iron early in her career, and is stunned to discover that she can touch his body without killing him. She has demonstrated undefined feelings of loyalty towards him.

Immortal Man-in-Darkness
Fifteen years ago, a Durlan ship crashed in China's Qinghai province. The Chinese reverse-engineered the craft and used the technology to build the Dragonwing, the most advanced fighter plane in the world. The pilot sits in a cockpit filled with a sort of amniotic fluid, bonding himself to the craft. This type of bond gradually breaks down a human's molecular structure; each flight takes a year off the pilot's life. The Dragonwing has been flown by a succession of PLAAF pilots, all of whom knowingly sacrificed themselves to serve China as the Immortal Man-In-Darkness or 黑暗中的不朽者 (Hēi Àn Zhōng De Bù Xiǔ Zhě). The current pilot is Chen Nuo. He operates from Anshan Air Base but makes his home in Shanghai.

The Dragonwing is a powerful shapeshifting aircraft. It can take the form of diffuse smoke and handle hurricane-force winds.

Mother of Champions
Wu Mei-Xing, the Mother of Champions or 冠軍母亲 (Guàn Jūn Mǔ Qīn) was a theoretical physicist, working on a particle accelerator when she was briefly exposed to a theoretical "god particle", which mutated her system by triggering her metagene. At first she was unable to bear children, but eventually discovered her super-fecundity powers by accident. She no longer needs to eat, and has to remind herself to breathe, and she is immune to radiation poisoning from ionizing radiation. She can now birth a litter of twenty-five genetically identical supersoldiers about every three days. These children are short-lived, however, only lasting one week, aging ten years every twenty four hours. She has at times used a metallic chair with insect-like legs to remain mobile during her pregnant state. She later pretended that the alias "Niang Guan Jun" was her real name.

One of her superstrong children named Number Four appeared in The OMAC Project: Infinite Crisis Special #1. In Nightwing #144, Mother of Champions is kidnapped from the Great Wall Complex by operatives of Talia al Ghul; in this same issue it is revealed that she has had thousands of children, and that each batch of superhuman children are conceived by suitors whom she hand picks. Her children appear to demonstrate fairly standard superhuman abilities, save for when she has the children of fellow Great Ten members. She has had children with Seven Deadly Brothers, Accomplished Perfect Physician, at least one Immortal Man-in-Darkness, and most recently with Socialist Red Guardsman.

Seven Deadly Brothers
Yang Kei-Ying, known as the Seven Deadly Brothers or 致命七兄弟 (Zhì Mìng Qī Xiōng Dì), was born in poverty in Fujian province over 300 years ago. He was a soldier in service to the Yongzheng Emperor in 1723, and took part in the destruction of the Shaolin Temple. One of the temple's kung fu grandmasters, Bak Mei, defected to the Emperor and helped destroy the second temple. Yang was impressed with Bak Mei's skill and wanted to learn kung fu himself, but Bak Mei laughed at him and thought him unpromising. He deserted the army and headed to the school of the Seven Scribes of the Cloudy Satchel, seven taoist sorcerers in the mountains near Song Shan. Yang begged to become a pupil and fed the sorcerers all manner of excuses and lies, but the sorcerers saw through him and placed a curse on him as punishment for his evil actions. They placed in his mind complete knowledge of all seven schools of kung-fu and a lust for violence, and sent him back to slaughter Bak Mei and the soldiers who had destroyed the Shaolin temples. Centuries later, he was incorporated into the Great Ten and fabricated his origin, claiming that he received his powers from an old mystic whom he saved from a beating.

When entering battle, Yang splits into seven identical clones, each a grandmaster of one of the seven schools of kung-fu.

Shaolin Robot
When the First Emperor of China commissioned the construction of his tomb, a brilliant engineer by the name of Lao Yuqi built a hundred clockwork automatons to serve as tomb guards. The vain and jealous emperor ordered that Lao be entombed with him upon his death so that his genius would never serve another patron. Before dying of thirst, Lao reprogrammed one of the automatons with his own insights, values and priorities and gave it a semblance of free will. Thousands of years later, when the tomb was uncovered by archaeologists, the automatons went on a rampage in an attempt to topple the Communist government and restore imperial rule. These automatons were defeated by the Super Functionaries. Only Lao's reprogrammed automaton remained inactive back at the tomb. The Chinese government reactivated it and upgraded it with Durlan technology.

Shaolin Robot speaks in simple I Ching hexagrams, but can express more complex thoughts using written pinyin. It was seen using hexagrams from I Ching to speak. In 52 #50, Shaolin Robot 'speaks' three times. Springing forward to attack Black Adam, it speaks , Hexagram 38, which is 睽 (kui2), and represents opposition or contradiction. In the next frame, while actively attacking Black Adam, it speaks , Hexagram 6, 訟 (song4), which represents contention or arguing. Finally, as Black Adam destroys Shaolin Robot, it speaks , Hexagram 23, 剝 (bol), which represents deterioration or 'splitting apart'. Later while battling the Shield, it speaks , Hexagram 18 which is '蠱' (correction), , Hexagram 39 which is '蹇' (obstruction), , Hexagram 25 which is '無妄' (pestilence), and finally , Hexagram 1, which is '乾' (force).

Socialist Red Guardsman
Real name Gu Lao, is one of the oldest Chinese heroes. He used his solar powers to carry out the Cultural Revolution. His body is highly radioactive, so he is forced to wear special armor reverse engineered from Durlan technology. He has since become bitter and disillusioned as China abandons Mao Zedong's vision and embraces market economics. He lives like a hermit in an isolated stretch of the Gobi Desert due to the possible threat of a nuclear meltdown. Mother of Champions is immune to his radiation, and was the first person to touch him in over fifteen years.

Thundermind
Thundermind or 雷念 (Léi Niàn) is Zou Kang, a history teacher at Beijing No. 8 Middle School who, on a tour of the Beijing Museum, accidentally recites aloud a sanskrit "trigger phrase" from an ancient Buddhist artifact. Afterwards, he transforms into Thundermind whenever he recites his trigger phrase and unlocks what he calls his full human potential, becoming a Bodhisattva with the power to access metahuman analogues of the powers listed in the Buddhist siddhis. He saves a fellow teacher named Miss Wu, who happens to be in love with his alter ego Thundermind. He also has super-senses akin to telepathy, and fancies himself the team's conscience. He is the most loved of the Great Ten, especially in his hometown of Beijing.

Reserve members

Chang Tzu

As revealed to Alan Scott by Thundermind, Chang Tzu and his Science Squad are members of the Great Ten that provide, among other things, the funds to operate the organization and the technology they use.

Number Four
Number Four was one of Mother of Champions' superstrong and tough children. Number Four was sent into Saudi Arabia to retrieve the fallen OMAC satellite, he demonstrated superhuman strength, invulnerability and heightened reflexes, Number Four is a reference to the 14th Century Chinese myth of the Ten Brothers, the fourth having super strength.

Shen Li Po
Shen Li Po was formerly the Black King's Bishop in Checkmate. Shen Li Po later returned to the Great Wall Complex on a leave of absence and was replaced by the August General In Iron.

The Yeti
Real name Hu Wei. The Yeti is a scientist who unlocked an atavistic trigger gene that transforms men into monsters. This discovery enabled him to transform into a powerful white furred yeti-like monster plagued with an uncontrollable rage. While in his Yeti form, Hu Wei must wear a special electronic amulet around his neck that keeps him from going berserk. He was killed in 52 #50 by Black Adam.

Other versions

Anti-Matter Universe
There is an evil counterpart to the Great Ten in the Anti-Matter Universe, known as "The Most Unworthy Ten".

Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, August General in Iron is a member of the H.I.V.E. council. He voted for innocent civilians to live in Western European between Aquaman and Wonder Woman before using nuclear weapons to end the war.

In other media

Television
Yao Fei appears in the TV series Arrow portrayed by Byron Mann. This version, named Yao Fei Gulong, is a Chinese Army deserter with unspecified medical training. Yao Fei is the father of Shado (and the reason Yao Fei is later allied with Edward Fyers and Billy Wintergreen), and he acts as Oliver Queen's mentor on the island he is shipwrecked on, Lian Yu. He also resembles the Celestial Archer as this version of Yao Fei is extremely proficient with a bow and arrow, but a skilled martial artist as well, proficient enough to combat Wintergreen. He is killed by Fyers in "Darkness on the Edge of Town". His full name is revealed only in the fifth-season episode "Second Chances" and he was also one of Talia al Ghul's disciples when he became an archer. He appears as a hallucination to Oliver in "Missing", during his captivity on the island by Konstantin Kovar, telling him that despite losing loved ones and all troubles what he encountered in five years, to not give up and that Oliver can rise up against all kinds of danger. He returns in season eight episode "Purgatory" when energy build-up on the island restored him, along with Fyers and his group. He helps Oliver and his team to fight against Fyers. After Lyla Michaels activates the weapon that is tied to her DNA, the energies are absorbed causing Yao Fei, Fyers and others who died earlier to disappear.

The Great Ten are among the many superhero and supervillain teams whose names can be read on the wall during a musical number in Batman: The Brave and the Bolds musical episode, "Mayhem of the Music Meister".

Miscellaneous
A version of the Great Ten appears in issue #8 of the Batman: The Brave and the Bold comics. They help Batman fight an army of Yetis.

References

External links
Cosmic Teams: The Great Ten
DC's The Great Ten Preview Gallery, Newsarama
Straight (and Not) Out of the Comics, New York Times, May 28, 2006

Characters created by Grant Morrison
Comics characters introduced in 2006
DC Comics superhero teams
Chinese superheroes
Fictional archers
Fictional dectets

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Finger Lakes Mud Run — Champions for Life, Inc.
September 14th at Everest Park.
The Finger Lakes Mud Run is an approximately four mile, outdoor challenge course that takes place on the beautiful grounds of Everest Park. Designed to help cultivate camaraderie and teamwork, families and friends can look forward to an exhilarating, challenging, and extremely muddy adventure! Donations and registration net proceeds will go to Champions for Life, Inc. which operates the CFL Sports Center, Everest Park, and the Brian Bisgrove Home of Courage.
Registration is open!!! Click HERE to register, or for more information, check out www.fingerlakesmudrun.com. Don't forget to watch our Facebook page for details about the race, the party, and the goodies!
For more information about the Finger Lakes Mud Run, please visit our website at www.fingerlakesmudrun.com!


Learn Everyone About Furniture Here If you want useful advice about buying furniture, this article is for you. It can be difficult to find your way through the market to the furniture you need at the right price. Keep reading so you can be sure on the right side of the bargain. Keep in mind the location of any piece of furniture when shopping.Your furniture will look good for a much longer period if you can cut the pillows. Most of the time, furniture can be negotiated in price. Although a sales person is obvious about selling an item for as much as possible, they are usually willing to compromise. So, if you see something you want to see, but it's too short, offer a cheaper price. If they are not willing to compromise, tell you that you will do business elsewhere.This ensures that you know whether or not you have a reliable brand. You'll probably be doing it, just because you're reading this bit, but use the Internet in furniture shopping. Retailers and manufacturers do not always fit exactly. It is possible to find the same piece of furniture in three or more stores. Use websites to compare prices before going out to brick and mortar locations.Open and jiggle any designers in a piece of furniture before buying. You want to know how well those pictures are fit for the furniture. If they move when they are jiggled, that is not a good sign. The furniture may have been badly constructed. The same happens if you feel tinned when drawing water out. It should slip smoothly. If you find a piece of furniture you want, ask if your furniture shop offers prices matching.


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HSBC Bank - Through the HSBC online banking portal.
Citibank - Through the Citibank Online portal.
Owners of the Platinum Plus Cashback Najm card can also make payments at select ENOC and EPPCO convenience stores.
Alternatively, card members may make their Platinum Plus Cashback Najm card payments through the mail, via cheque. The cheque must be made payable to Majid Al FUttaim Finance LLC. The mailing address is P.O. Box 35995, Dubai, UAE.
Locations of the various Najm credit card payment centres can be found in detail on the Najm website.
Q.4. What do I do if my Najm Platinum Plus Cashback Credit Card has been stolen or lost?
In case the Platinum Plus Cashback Najm card is misplaced, the cardholder is requested to immediately inform Najm card customer care as well as local police in the area. The Najm credit card customer care number is 600-57-6256.
Replacement Platinum Plus Cashback Nam credit cards are issued for a fee of AED 78.75 and can be requested for through the Najm card contact number mentioned above. If the lost Najm card is later recovered, the cardholder should refrain from using it and return it to Najm cut in half.
Q.5. How do I cancel my Najm Platinum Plus Cashback Credit Card?
To cancel the Platinum Plus Cashback Najm credit card, the cardholder must submit a written request for cancellation of the card to Najm. In addition to this written confirmation, the cardholder is also required to return their primary and supplementary Najm cards cut in half, back to Najm.
Najm card owners will also have to clear any outstanding dues on their card in order to successfully initiate the cancellation request. Once the card has been cancelled, Najm will retain the security deposit for a minimum of 60 days.
It is further recommended that the Najm credit card member also requests for a Liability Letter from Najm, which clears them of all liability against the card. This can be obtained for a fee of AED 52.50.


We hosted this Courier Talks session at 18 Montrose in King's Cross to debate how the physical shop is changing. On the panel were Alice Ratcliffe (Appear Here), Paul West (Dalziel and Pow), Tom Broughton (Cubitts) and Ben Banks (Four Marketing).
Courier: What would you say are the biggest shifts happening in retail right now?
Alice Ratcliffe: Brands are demanding greater flexibility. They don't want to be tied to a 20-year lease at one location. We're trying to make retail space accessible and simplify the whole process so you can book a shop online, just like you order a taxi or book a hotel room.
Tom Broughton: In a world where you can buy with one click on Amazon, you really have to excel at service. Cubitts started as an online brand four years ago, and we were trying to cut through the digital landscape with little budget. We survived, but it was hard.
We realised we are fortunate to have a product with a whole customer service element wrapped up in it; frame fitting, eye examinations and lens choice. When we opened our first shop in Soho three years ago we honestly had no idea what we were doing. On the first day, someone tried to buy some frames and we were completely flummoxed. We didn't even know how to take payment so we had to put it through the website. Now we have five physical sites.
Paul West: Dalziel and Pow is now 33 years old. In our business, it used to be enough to design better-looking stores and create great flagship experiences. But now brands have to work so much harder. We're seeing banks as well as fashion retailers trying to build trust and authenticity with customers and create a more engaging experience. Twenty years ago, being a successful retailer meant having 200 branches on the high street. Is it fair to say that's no longer feasible or even desirable?
TB: Historically, you'd create a product, convince a buyer in a department store to buy it, and then in maybe 20 years you would have built up enough brand awareness to have your own store. That's completely changed now because of the internet. You can build a loyal customer base without even having a store. As a consequence, it's led to an explosion of small independent brands opening their own retail sites. I'm not sure we could have launched 20 years ago.
AR: Interestingly, our fastest growing user group is online brands coming offline to launch physical stores. What a lot of them are learning is that the physical store is a great way of boosting visits to their website. So they are looking at it more as a marketing tool, instead of spending money on Google Adwords, which is becoming increasingly expensive.
Ejder For Life is a streetwear brand with a cult following. We showed the founder some deserted urinals in Old Street station, which TfL had seemingly forgotten about for the last 70 years.
Not many brands would look at that space and be like, 'Yes, this could be my shop', but he liked it. It became this underground location – the secretiveness became the most attractive aspect of it. And then suddenly you had Old Street station in meltdown because thousands of people were queuing up, not just to get through the turnstiles, but to get into the Ejder For Life store. Another brand we've worked with, Surfdome, which is an online surfwear marketplace, gave special codes to people who visited their store. Afterwards, they could see that for people who'd visited the store, their average basket size online was double what someone who hadn't visited the store was spending.
So stores are a bit like expensive billboards?
Ben Banks: It's much easier to convey a story in a physical place than online. Online, people have such short attention spans and, frankly, a lot of brand stories are very derivative so it's really hard to cut through.But in a physical space, by the time the person has passed the threshold they're not just hit with how something looks on a screen, but how it smells, how it's lit, what the people look like and what they say to you when you come in. That's not to say online isn't a good way of telling a story, but having a physical space for us really was transformative.
AR: Brands are telling us that when they're launching these stores they see their sales go up online. That's happening for a number of reasons. Obviously, it's more eyeballs on their brand, but also by launching a store you are generating PR. It's a new story for the press to talk about. Brands aren't so worried about driving sales in store. If someone leaves loving their brand they might not make a purchase for two months, but they've already converted them into a fan and they'll see the rewards later on.
Ben, these screens surrounding us here in your new store, are they an extension of what Alice is saying about using stores as advertising?
BB: Yes, I think so. Brands spend millions creating content and there are so few places to actually see it. This store is a little bit of an Appear Here because we'll measure the success of it by the level of engagement. That's not just the pure profit and loss of this space, it's also about hosting events for brands, creating opportunities to invite our customer base to meet us and to socialise with the brands, and giving something back that's more than a pure online transaction.Because everyone's got a smartphone these days, the customer is so much better informed. 20 years ago if I went to Tokyo I'd be trembling with excitement at what I was going to see. Now, unless you abstain from your social media feed for 12 months, you feel you've seen everything to a certain extent before you get there. Brands want to be authentic and while now you've got much quicker access to your audience, it's also much more fragile when you get there. Do you think there's still a template for what makes a successful store?
BB: No. We run stores that sell just one brand, and then we have an environment like the one we are in now where we're selling third-party brands. You can damage your philosophy if you put the wrong brand inside your multi-brand store.
PW: It depends on the brand's purpose. Some want to entertain and create theatre – like Lululemon on Regent Street with its yoga events. But equally, sometimes it's simply about fulfilment and convenience. We did some work with Rockar, a car showroom that pops up in a small format, where you can buy a car in under eight minutes. It's out-performing the whole UK dealership network for each of the brands it works with. It's a very different proposition to Lululemon. It comes back to creating experiences that are absolutely relevant for the brand and not jumping on the bandwagon of creating a tech-led space.
Retail has a habit of bringing in quirky innovations that are disconnected to how we want to shop such as QR codes in windows and iPads for customers. Is there another rush to embrace tech for tech's sake?
PW: There can be a backlash around realness when brands try to create something showcase-y and shiny. It's about real social experiences, threaded together by mobile but not slaves to it – using digital in useful, meaningful ways as opposed to just showcasing something in a corner that nobody really looks at.
What are the best uses of tech in retail?
TB: We work with a company called Hoxton Analytics which has developed footfall counters – cameras that look at people's shoes. So you put a camera in a doorway, and you can see live the number of people in a store, that kind of thing.
TB: We know from our previous stores that between 0.5 and 0.8% of people who walk past one of our shops will cross the store threshold, and then a certain percentage – I won't tell you what – purchase a product. It's not exact, but it's a good filtering mechanism. It allows us to understand the flow of customers and their purchase behaviour in a more intimate way.
Paul, there's clearly a huge amount of customer data now available. Is it changing how you design shops?
PW: Data is obviously important, but unless you've got a really exciting idea it doesn't matter. We've been looking at how to decode what makes a great retail space, and there are six clear principles across the big brands like Apple, Ikea, Muji and H&M.The first is purpose; a clear mission. The second is personality – the brand image, content and tone of voice. Then it's people – do the people of the brand deliver all of that purpose and personality? – followed by process; Amazon, Apple and so on have interesting ways of transacting through mobile, for example. Finally, it's the space, and then the product. All those ingredients are fundamental in creating a retail experience. Capturing data is an essential part of that, but I don't think retail spaces should be driven by data.
Finally, what's the most exciting thing you've seen in retail recently?
AR: The small guys always stand out. You can't beat the experience of walking into a shop and dealing directly with the founder or designer who made the products.
TB: Can I say something really boring that's been around for ages? Click and collect. It completely changes the nature of what a shop is. It suddenly frees up retail space and makes its use more efficient.
PW: It's a really creative time for retail. Brands that are delivering holistically across the whole experience are doing well. One example is Mini; it's got the smallest showroom in the world – a Mini taxi in Paris that has content inside it – as well as bigger projects like the Mini Living Initiative that's been popping up in different parts of the world, which is all about the future of cities and the clever use of space.
BB: There's a retailer in the US called Kith and in its Broadway store in New York there's an ice-cream parlour, tied in with Nike. It's called Kith Treats and is based around taking you back to your childhood.
This is a condensed and edited version of a conversation that took place on 30 August 2017.
Paul West, Dalziel and Pow. West is strategy director for retail design company Dalziel and Pow. He joined in 2015, after a previous stint at retail experience agency Household.
Tom Broughton, Cubitts. Cubitts was founded by Broughton in 2013; it now has five London sites. The company produces handmade and bespoke glasses.
Alice Ratcliffe, Appear Here. Appear Here provides businesses with short-term leases in prime locations around the world. Ratcliffe has run marketing and editorial since 2013.
Ben Banks, Four Marketing. Banks is a founding partner of fashion agency Four Marketing. In August 2017 it opened its third physical retail space; 18 Montrose in King's Cross.


text:
Carriera
È stato scelto dai Buffalo Braves al nono giro del Draft NBA 1973 (140ª scelta assoluta), ma non ha mai giocato nella NBA.

Ha proseguito la carriera, giocando per otto stagioni in Spagna.

Note

Collegamenti esterni

 Scheda su thedraftreview.com


text:
U.S. Oil Worker Wage-and-Hour Pay Rights Issues
By Gail Lin Chung of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Class Actions on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.
Since July 2014, the price of oil has dropped by half. That's good for consumers' pocketbooks, but one segment of the population is facing hard times: U. S. oil industry workers. In the past few years, the boom in oil production meant that companies needed to quickly expand hiring to meet the demand for workers. The rush to hire meant that some companies did not follow wage and hour laws.
Continue reading U.S. Oil Worker Wage-and-Hour Pay Rights Issues...
Tags: layoffs oil workers, misclassification oil workers, oil workers overtime pay, roustabout
Fulghum v. Embarq Corp., No. 13-3230 (10th Cir. Feb. 24, 2015)
By Paul Mollica of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Daily Developments in EEO Law on Tuesday, February 24, 2015.
While ERISA does not provide a limitations period for most claims, it does impose a three-year limitations period after discovery of a breach of fiduciary duty, plus a six-year period of repose. Yet the statute also provides that "in the case of fraud or concealment, such action may be commenced not later than six years after the date of discovery of such breach or violation." The Tenth Circuit examined this quoted language today, and remanded parts of a class action to be reconsidered under this provision.
Continue reading Fulghum v. Embarq Corp., No. 13-3230 (10th Cir. Feb. 24, 2015)...
Tags: 10th Circuit, ERISA
Amara v. CIGNA Corp., No. 13‐447 (2d Cir. Dec. 23, 2014)
This class action, now over 13 years old - with a liability finding against CIGNA and its pension plan under ERISA for cutting back and misrepresenting benefits under an amended plan - returns from the U.S. Supreme Court to determine what kind of relief should be ordered. The Second Circuit affirms, holding that the district court properly reformed the pension plan to preserve all of the benefits earned under the pre-amended plan, up to the date of the amendment. The court also upholds the class certification order.
Continue reading Amara v. CIGNA Corp., No. 13‐447 (2d Cir. Dec. 23, 2014)...
Harrison v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 13-2379 (4th Cir. Dec. 5, 2014)
By Paul Mollica of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Daily Developments in EEO Law on Sunday, December 7, 2014.
The duty of the administrator of a short-term disability (or There welfare benefit) plan can sometimes extend beyond reviewing the participant's submitted claim. The Fourth Circuit holds that it can also be an abuse of discretion for the administrator to disregard "readily available material evidence of which it was put on notice." Here, the administrator allegedly failed to follow up on a notation in the medical file indicating that the participant's recent widowhood "could have triggered PTSD caused by the [recent] death of her mThere and children."
Continue reading Harrison v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 13-2379 (4th Cir. Dec. 5, 2014)...
Tags: 4th Circuit, ERISA, Fiduciary Breach, STD, Short-Term Disability
Tatum v. RJR Investment Committee, No. 13-1360 (4th Cir. Aug. 4, 2014)
By Paul Mollica of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Daily Developments in EEO Law on Wednesday, August 6, 2014.
A hidden difficulty many American employees face is that a huge amount of their retirement income - an estimated $4 trillion - is in 401(k) plans, too many of which are managed by individuals indifferent to (or not competent to advance) the interests of future retirees. In this Fourth Circuit case, the district court found the fiduciaries of the retirement plan in breach of their duty of prudence by their arguably poor timing in liquidating a company-stock fund when its shares were in a trough, without performing a reasonable investigation, but excused them from paying any relief to the participants. The court holds (2-1) that the judge erred in insulating the fiduciaries from remedying that breach, concluding that the fiduciaries had the burden of proving that a prudent fiduciary would have made the same decision.
Continue reading Tatum v. RJR Investment Committee, No. 13-1360 (4th Cir. Aug. 4, 2014)...
Frommert v. Conkright, No. 12-67 (2d Cir. Dec. 23, 2013)
By Paul Mollica of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Daily Developments in EEO Law on Thursday, December 26, 2013.
After three trips to the district court - and a side visit to the U.S. Supreme Court - the Second Circuit issues a liability judgment in this ERISA matter, dating back to 1989. It holds the Xerox retirement plan liable as a matter of law for miscalculating retirement benefits and for misinforming class of their rights under the summary plan description (SPD). The case is remanded yet again to the district court for entry of remedy. Notably, the Second Circuit puts real teeth in the ERISA requirements in 29 U.S.C. §§ 1022 and 1054(h) that a plan must accurately inform participants of plan terms and of any amendments.
Continue reading Frommert v. Conkright, No. 12-67 (2d Cir. Dec. 23, 2013)...
Heimeshoff v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. 12-729 (U.S. S. Ct. Dec. 16, 2013)
By Paul Mollica of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Daily Developments in EEO Law on Monday, December 16, 2013.
The Supreme Court today - in a unanimous opinion authored by Justice Thomas - lays a trap for the unwary ERISA plan participant. It holds that an ERISA plan sponsor can impose its own limitations period and accrual rule for claims under ERISA § 502(a)(1)(B), 29 U.S.C. § 1132(a)(1)(B), different from what is provided by state or federal law, provided that it is not "unreasonably short" (and remains subject to equitable exceptions). This post explains the significance of Monday's opinion and sets out three things that participants and beneficiaries must do to protect themselves from these legal landmines.
Continue reading Heimeshoff v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. 12-729 (U.S. S. Ct. Dec. 16, 2013)...
Tags: ERISA, Limitations, U.S. Supreme Court
Rochow v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., No. 12-2074 (6th Cir. Dec. 6, 2013)
The Sixth Circuit, in a 2-1 opinion, issues an important remedies ruling under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The majority holds that a disability plan participant who was wrongfully denied benefits was entitled to both recovery of the benefit and disgorgement of the plan's profits from the delay of payment. The disgorgement remedy - affirmed by the panel majority - was $3.8 million, based on the finding that the plan treated the withheld benefit as general equity and earned 11 to 39% annually on the money.
Continue reading Rochow v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., No. 12-2074 (6th Cir. Dec. 6, 2013)...
Tags: 6th Circuit, ERISA, Remedies
Killian v. Concert Health Plan, No. 11-1112 (7th Cir. Nov. 7, 2013) (en banc)
By Paul Mollica of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Compensation, Benefits, & Bonuses on Thursday, November 7, 2013.
Seven years into litigation, plaintiff James Killian is a little closer to achieving justice for his late wife. After litigating an ERISA case unsuccessfully before two federal district court judges and a Seventh Circuit panel, the full Seventh Circuit today holds that Mr. Killian may pursue a claim for himself and his spouse's estate against her health care plan. He alleges that the plan misled them about whether Ms. Killian's end-stage care was within network, in breach of the duty of prudence under 29 U.S.C. § 1104(a)(1)(B). The court affirms that the ERISA duty of prudence requires complete disclosure by the plan administrator, "even if that requires conveying information about which the beneficiary did not specifically inquire."
Continue reading Killian v. Concert Health Plan, No. 11-1112 (7th Cir. Nov. 7, 2013) (en banc)...
Tags: 7th Circuit, ERISA, Fiduciary Breach
Kenseth v. Dean Health Plan, No. 11-1560 (7th Cir. June 13, 2013)
By Paul Mollica of Outten & Golden LLP posted in Daily Developments in EEO Law on Friday, June 14, 2013.
An employee is informed by an employer health plan that surgery is approved, only to learn afterwards that the plan changed its mind and refused to pay over $77,000 in bills. The occasion of these simple and all-too-common facts gives the Seventh Circuit an opportunity to apply the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision Cigna Corp. v. Amara, 131 S. Ct. 1866 (2011). It holds that Cigna "substantially changes our understanding of the equitable relief available under section 1132(a)(3)" and expands judicial options for remedies, including monetary relief.
Continue reading Kenseth v. Dean Health Plan, No. 11-1560 (7th Cir. June 13, 2013)...
Tags: 7th Circuit, ERISA, Fiduciary Breach, Health Care, Medical Benefit


Jockeys compete during a horse race at Sao Paulo Jockey Club in Sao Paulo.
Proponents say Brazil, facing its worst recession in 25 years, can no longer afford to forego what could be 23.5 billion reais ($5.9 billion) in annual gambling taxes - an amount that could have increased during the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic games.
"When Brazilians want to gamble, they go to Paraguay, Montevideo, Las Vegas... and they leave all the money there," said Mauricio Quintella, leader of the small, center-right Party of the Republic in the lower house of Congress and one of the lawmakers tasked with leading consultations on the idea.
The president of Brazil's national prosecutors' association José Robalinho Cavalcanti says legalizing bingo halls would be "a huge step backwards," noting that the period in which they were legal was marked by smuggling and money laundering.
Brazil would also be able to incorporate new technology that allows casino operators to more closely track money, he said. Maia said Brazil is among a handful of countries outside the Middle East and Africa that has not implemented laws to regulate gambling.
Brazil has an estimated 18 billion reais illegal gambling market, mostly consisting of a numbers game known as 'game of animals' and many Brazilians gamble online.
Illegal gambling surpasses the 14 billion reais annual market for a legal lottery run by federal bank Caixa Economica Federal and bets on horse racing.
Rousseff's proposal to run a deficit in 2016 triggered a downgrade from Standard & Poor's rating agency, and Rousseff proposed new measures including tax hikes as a result.
Maia said any gambling proposal would need to be passed by Congress and could take around a year to implement. Then, auctions to award licenses for casino and bingo operations would be held.


The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS), Division of Public Health Services, will be running four public service advertisements (PSA) previously run in other states that educate the viewer of the dangers of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and promote cessation: "It's Like They're Smoking", "Nowhere To Hide", "Trapped" and "Cigarettes Are Eating You Alive". All the ads highlight the dangers of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure to children in various environments: the home, in vehicles, during pregnancy and anywhere. Secondhand smoke is tobacco smoke that is exhaled by a smoker or is given off by burning tobacco (as of a cigarette); thirdhand smoke is residual nicotine and other chemicals left on a variety of indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke. The PSAs will provide an educational/information resource for viewers to learn about protecting children from SHS exposure and (www.QuitNowNH.org/ProtectKids) and promote the New Hampshire Tobacco Helpline for cessation (1-800-QUIT-NOW).
On average, children are exposed to more secondhand smoke than nonsmoking adults. The primary source of secondhand smoke exposure for children is the home, but children are also exposed to secondhand smoke in other places as well, such as vehicles and some childcare centers. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the chances children will suffer from smoke-caused coughs and wheezing, bronchitis, pneumonia, potentially fatal lower respiratory tract infections, eye and ear problems and other problems including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other conduct disorders. To protect children, never allow smoking around your children, in your home or where they are cared for, in a vehicle they travel in, or where they sleep.
The PSAs are scheduled to air May 16th and to potentially run for 12 months pending available funding after March 2017. The PSAs will be on television, statewide radio and web/mobile. NH DHHS encourages people who smoke to quit and offers free help quitting via the NH Tobacco Helpline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW.


Westermo offer solutions to allow you to ignore the conventional Ethernet boundaries for copper cable. By design, a standard Ethernet network has a transmission limit of 100 metres over UTP copper cables. The Wolverine Ethernet Extenders have been developed to allow you to go much further and on many other kinds of cable.