text:
The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse will be open for visitors during regularly scheduled hours on Saturday, June 15, during the St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup championship victory parade and ceremony. The National Park Service is expecting large crowds at Gateway Arch National Park beginning in the morning hours and lasting through the afternoon.
That day, visitors to the Arch are strongly encouraged to take note of the parade route and to plan ahead of their Gateway Arch visit. All tram ticket holders are advised to arrive at the Arch grounds at least 60 minutes ahead of your scheduled tram time to go through two security checkpoints. Multiple street closures will be in place and parking will be in high demand – visit getaroundstl.com for a list of parking locations or plan to arrive by MetroLink to the 8th & Pine or Laclede's Landing Stations.
Below is additional information for visitors and Gateway Arch Tram ticket holders coming to the Arch grounds on Saturday, June 15.
Are the Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse open during the St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup victory parade and recognition ceremony?
Yes! The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse will be open for visitors during regularly scheduled hours on Saturday, June 15. The Arch will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the Old Courthouse is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What time are the Parade & Ceremony events?
The St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup Victory Parade will kick off at noon at 18th & Market streets in Downtown St. Louis. It will travel east and end at Broadway & Market Street.
Immediately following the parade, Blues players, alumni, team leadership and other special guests will lead the celebration with a ceremony under the Gateway Arch. The access points will open to visitors at 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 15.
When can I enter the Arch grounds for the victory celebration?
The Gateway Arch grounds will open at 6 a.m. on Saturday, June 15. No overnight camping is allowed.
Do I need a ticket for the parade and/or victory ceremony?
Both the parade and recognition ceremony at the Arch are free and open to the public; tickets are not required. Gateway Arch visitors: As always, entrance to the Arch Visitor Center and the Museum at the Gateway Arch is free. Visitors to the top of the Gateway Arch, however, must purchase a ticket. The Tram Ride to the Top of the Gateway Arch sells out early and often. Please purchase your Tram Ride to the Top tickets by clicking "Buy Tickets" at the top of this page.
Will the victory ceremony at the Arch be ADA compliant?
Yes, there will be an ADA viewing area near Front of House in front of the main stage. This seating area will be first come, first served.
Will there be food and drink at the victory ceremony at the Arch?
Concession stands on the park grounds will sell soda, water and beer. No food will be available for sale on the grounds. Concessions will be cash only.
Will guests be able to bring their own food and drink to the park grounds?
Soft-sided coolers with sealed, non-alcoholic beverages are allowed inside the park grounds (no glass). Alcoholic beverages and outside food are not allowed. At the Arch, concession stands will sell soda, water and beer (cash only).
What else can/can't visitors bring into the event?
Visitors can bring the following items into the park grounds:
Amateur Cameras; Baby Diaper Bags; Small food items that fit inside cooler (No Glass); Baby Strollers & Wagons; Binoculars; small, soft-sided coolers; Compact Umbrellas; Non-Alcoholic Beverages (unopened, factory-sealed); Portable/collapsible chair; Service Dogs; Small sized Bags and purses (14x14x6 or less). All items are subject to inspection.
Visitors cannot bring the following items into the park grounds:
Alcoholic beverages; Bicycles, Skateboards, Scooters, or Personalized Motor Vehicles; Fireworks; Frisbees, Footballs, etc.; Glass Containers; Illegal weapons & substances; Large bags, backpacks or other containers; Pets; Blankets; Professional Recording and/or Photography Equipment including drones (Gateway Arch National Park defines professional lens cameras as a digital SLR with a detachable lens); Large Banners Signs and/or Posters.
If I already planned to visit the Arch on Saturday, how will the parade and ceremony affect my visit?
The National Park Service is expecting large crowds at Gateway Arch National Park on Saturday, June 15. That day, visitors to the Arch are strongly encouraged to take note of the parade route and to plan ahead of their Gateway Arch visit. All tram ticket holders are advised to arrive at the Arch grounds at least 60 minutes ahead of your scheduled tram ride time. There will be three access points to enter the Arch grounds: two at Luther Ely Smith Square (located on 4th Street between Market and Chestnut streets) and one in the north grounds of the park. Tram ticket holders and visitors to the Museum at the Gateway Arch must also go through a second security checkpoint inside of the Gateway Arch facility.
Where do I enter the Arch?
Visitors to the Arch must enter the monument at the new glass west entrance, which faces the Old Courthouse. The Arch legs are exits only. Visitors must first enter the park grounds via one of three security access points: two are in Luther Ely Smith Square (located on Fourth Street between Market and Chestnut streets) and one is in the north grounds of the park.
If I already planned to visit the Arch on Saturday, where can I park?
Gateway Arch National Park does not have designated on-site visitor parking. Visit http://getaroundstl.com for a list of parking locations or to avoid traffic and parking downtown, plan to arrive by MetroLink to the 8th & Pine or Laclede's Landing stations. Ride shares should drop off at the intersection of 8th & Clark streets.
Which roads in Downtown St. Louis will be closed to vehicles?
There will be numerous road closures near and around the parade route and around Gateway Arch National Park. Please check local media for more information about road closures.
What protocols are being enacted to ensure visitors have a safe experience during the celebration at the Arch?
Hosting a safe event for our city is our first priority. We are working closely with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, St. Louis Fire Department, the National Park Service, and private security teams to ensure we have the appropriate levels of security at Gateway Arch National Park during the St. Louis Blues Civic Celebration on July 15, 2019.
Will the park have a secure perimeter and security checkpoints at each entrance?
Yes. Hosting a safe celebration is the first priority for the National Park Service and the St. Louis Blues. The event footprint will cover a designated area centered around Gateway Arch National Park, and several safety checkpoints will be stationed at each entrance. We are working with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, National Park Service officials and other partners on securing each entrance.
At Gateway Arch National Park, visitors can enter the park grounds via three security access points: two are in Luther Ely Smith Square (located on Fourth Street between Market and Chestnut streets) and one is in the north grounds of the park.
What is the plan for bad weather?
In the event of bad weather, updates will be published to our website and social media channels, as well as on the jumbotron screens on the park grounds. Please note, the event will take place rain or shine.


Valerie Ann Evenson, 63, of Rushford died on November 27, 2018, at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Rushford.
Valerie Ann Severtson was born on August 8, 1955, in Rushford to Oscar and Katherine (Sinclair) Severtson. She was raised in Money Creek, Minn., and was a 1973 graduate of Houston High School. She was a graduate of Winona Technical College.
Valerie was united in marriage with Kenneth Evenson on June 12, 1976. She worked her entire career at the Winona County Veterans Service Office. She was active in the Inclusion Body Myositis Foundation.Valerie loved her family and took great pride in their achievements.
She also loved her career and helping veterans in any way possible, travelling to see National Parks across the country and her Scottish heritage were lifelong passions "Free Scotland." She had a smile that would touch the hearts of anyone who saw it. She will be missed immensely by everyone who knew her.
She is survived by her husband, Kenneth; three children: Megan (Ben) Schemensky of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Michael (Stephanie) Evenson of Rushford, and Matthew (Misty) Evenson of Granby, Colo.; eight grandchildren: Caygen, Kaleb, Michael Jr., Joseph, Kaelynn, Alexander, Jaidda, and Kenley; two siblings: Lorraine (Brad) Williams of Houston, Minn., and John M. Severtson of LaCrosse, Wis.; her nieces Tanya (Jim) Nascak of Goodview, Minn., Kari (Rick) Horneck of Prosper, Texas and Abbey Hammes of Holmen, Wis.; her mother-in-law Marian Evenson of Rushford; and many great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her father-in-law Carroll Evenson, two brothers: Roy Severtson and Baby Boy Severtson and her nephew John O. Severtson.
There was a Celebration of Life service Sunday, December 2 at 5:30 p.m. at Hoff Funeral and Cremation Service in Rushford with funeral celebrant, Vicki Nelson officiating. Visitation was at the funeral home from 2:30 p.m. until the time of the service.
In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials directed to the Myositis Foundation. www.supportmyositis.org or to the American Legion Post 9 in Winona Minnesota www.americanlegionwinona.org in her memory.


text:
"Game Of Thrones" Red Wedding Breaks All the Rules We're Used to On TV
By Kyle Zhu
Last night's episode of the popular HBO TV Show Game of Thrones has everyone in a frenzy. If you have not seen the episode, beware:
The gruesome massacre of Robb Stark (Richard Madden), his mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), his pregnant wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin), and the rest of the Stark army at the so-called "Red Wedding" has caused its loyal watchers to dive into a deep depression only to be treated by venting on social media. After the episode, Twitter and Facebook exploded with fans expressing two differing opinions. For non-book readers, the reaction was largely one of anger and sadness mixed in with utter shock. For book readers, the reaction was directed towards the "ignorant fools" who did not know what was coming.
"The Lannisters send their regards."
However, no matter what group of fans you fall under, there is an overarching conclusion that Game of Thrones as a TV series breaks many rules of modern TV. Let's start with just this last episode's conclusion. The "Red Wedding" scene is already being called out by critics as one of the bloodiest scenes in TV history. In fact, some believe it goes way too far. Joe Concha of Mediaite.com comments that the show does the unspeakable by not only killing Robb's direwolf (you never kill the cute animal) but also shows the repeated stabbing of a pregnant woman in the womb. Not to mention that Catelyn's throat-cutting was shown in more gruesome detail than any in Sweeney Todd. For even some book readers, this extremely graphic visual depiction of this scene seems over the top. Did they really have to show the pregnant lady being stabbed more times than Caesar, right in her babymaker?
In one fell swoop (this cliched, overquoted Shakespeare phrase is actually wildly appropriate here), the heads of the Stark family are no more and a major plotline has been suddenly ended. For modern TV, the abrupt ending of several main characters and an entire major plotline are inherently shocking. Usually TV shows do not have that many plot lines to spare, but in Game of Thrones's case there are far too many. Because it is aired on HBO, Game of Thrones's has more creative freedom (for TV sex and graphic violence of course) and it is now reaching far beyond the wall of normal modern TV expectations.
For now, we fans highly anticipate the season finale with only our nightmares to tell us how else Game of Thrones can shock us. It seems that when playing the Game of Thrones, there is less winning and more dying. But for the time being, I will be looking at the following gifs over and over again for comfort.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When we feel stressed, overloaded, or scattered, it's usually because our boundaries are not in place. The lines between what we do and don't want in our lives. The lines between who we are and who we aren't. Mary and Erin explore the relationship between boundaries and our happiness and sanity. They help you define and maintain your boundaries including Mary's ingenious method for delivering the "glowing golden word NO." It leaves the person receiving your NO feeling as though they've been handed a great treasure.
When we're in a good flow in our lives and feel like things are working well for us, it's usually because our boundaries are in place. We know what we're about and what we're not about.
Boundaries clearly speak to ourselves and those around us about what we will and will not have in our space. Things that belong there and things that don't. What we will and will not allow in our lives because it's important to our integrity and our sanity and our happiness.
Are you being selfish to draw a line, to set a boundary?
We often learn about boundaries as adults when there's been a boundary violation.
We usually find that we've lost our boundaries when we're mad at somebody. When we're resentful, stressed out, anxious or don't know who's supposed to do what when.
Once you start learning about boundaries you see them everywhere. You begin to realize just how important they are.
Wars are always about boundaries.
We know we have healthy boundaries when we feel relaxed within the shape of our present life situation. We feel clearheaded because we know what our responsibilities are and what they aren't. We have clear agreements with people so we have good communication with them. We feel calm and confident because we're not stretching outside our appropriate space and we're not cringing inside our space because someone else is pressing into it in a way that makes us uncomfortable.
When you're angry, resentful, or stressed for any length of time, it's because something needs to be adjusted. There needs to be some change around your time and energy and relationships. Perhaps the most beautiful word in the world for some of us. NO. The glowing golden word which is foreign to many women.
It's been said that when a man says no, it's the end of the conversation. When a woman says no, it's the beginning of a long negotiation.
Once you start growing in your awareness about boundaries and get stronger and more confident in your ability to set a boundary and say that Golden word, NO, there's a shift. People are not going to run over you.
Boundaries are a lifelong pursuit because they change. We have to see our life as kind of a work of art that is shifting from time to time. We're adding and subtracting things. We have to review how things are going. We might discover that there are things we'd like to do, but there's no room for them. Sometimes we need to subtract something in order to add something. Like dropping a friend that's too consumptive and uses you and their dramas take up too much of your time and energy.
When life's not going the way we want it to go, it's telling. It's giving us good information that if we can just listen to it and then work with it, we can actually get back on track. It doesn't have to be a crisis.
Viewing things that upset us or make us uncomfortable as boundaries issues changes everything.
Saying NO to someone is a gift because you're showing them that you trust them with your NO. You're showing them that you trust them to be interacting with the real you, not the pretend, stressed out, fakey you, but the real you. That's a gift.
We need to have boundaries around our consciousness and our over concern for other people's problems. Every now and then we have to say to ourselves, "ya know that is their problem." We need to trust them to work their path and handle their own karma. It's tricky. We're dealing with humility and boundaries together. We want to serve other people's needs, but we don't want to resent them. It's a fine fine line. It's something for discernment and prayer and asking our intuition to guide us.
We are the ones that know our boundaries. We're the only ones that can enforce our boundaries because we know what they are.
When we have our boundaries in place, we relax and have an open heart.most difficult, but most rewarding aspect of forgiveness is forgiving yourself.


text:
Del Mar Information
About Del Mar
Travel to Del Mar
Climate in Del Mar
Map of Del Mar
Del Mar is an affluent beach city in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The Del Mar Horse Races are hosted on the Del Mar racetrack every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located on the Pacific Ocean. Colonel Jacob Taylor purchased 338 acres (1.37 km2) from Enoch Talbert in 1885, with visions of building a seaside resort for the rich and famous. The United States Navy operated a Naval Auxiliary Air Facility
Get to know more about Del Mar
History of Del Mar
Location of Del Mar
When to Visit Del Mar
Economy of Del Mar
Culture of Del Mar
Religions of Del Mar
Education in Del Mar
Attractions in Del Mar
Tell the world what you think about Del Mar
Other Travel Destinations in United States
Adairsville Apalachicola Arcata Atlantic City Billings Boone, NC Canandaigua Lake Charlotte Durango Ferndale and the Avenue of the Giants Florida Keys Hells Canyon Madison, GA Manhattan Beach New York City Norfolk Pendleton, SC Phoenix Plains Roswell Sacramento Salem, MA Tate and Jasper Vero Beach and Sebastian Wilmington, VT


n Sunday, all of my six siblings were up for a family gathering and I took the opportunity to corral the extra hands into moving the clay my students and I dug from the deposit site to the barn. My two brothers, Tim and Joe, and my sisters, Paula and Michelle, and Joe's partner Eryn helped me load the 300 lbs barrels of clay into my car. I have the best family in the world, I think.
We used my car to ferry the 8 barrels across the meadow in three trips. My poor Vibe gets beat up like it's a truck too often….


Our LED rope lights are cETL certified and come with a 1-year limited warranty.
Horizontal bulb orientation creates a vibrant even glow in all directions.
These LED strip lights can be cut at 1.5FT intervals so you can customize the length to suit your needs. High, durability, and flexibility, these rope lights will save you energy and money compared to incandescent rope lights.
Product Installation: LED Strip Lights are pre-marked for cutting at specific intervals (1.5FT) and can be connected to a variety of accessories with minimal tools and expertise.
We strongly recommend the use of a surge protector with our rope lights/strip lights. All connections must be sealed with a waterproof sealant or silicone when installing strip lights outdoors.
Water Resistant. IP 65. Can be used in outdoor (Do not submerge in water or around pooling water).
Cuttable and linkable. It can be cut in every 1.5 ft along the cutting marks, without damaging the remaining strips.
High Voltage. Low voltage drop. More little light attenuation, well-distribute lighting in the whole strip.
Reduce re-lamp frequency. Lifespan is over 50,000 hrs. Save effort and labor costs on changing lights frequently.
Widely applicable. Not only be cut in sections but also can run in max 150FT with only one power plug.
It is convenient and cost-saving for large outdoor projects.
Note: Please don't plug the strip without unrolling it. When plugging strip light outdoors ONLY use a GFCI outlet.


RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Feb. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:BCRX) announced today that the company has entered into a $100 million secured loan facility (new loan facility) with MidCap Financial Trust (MidCap) pursuant to the terms and conditions of an amended and restated credit and security agreement.
The new loan facility replaces an existing $30 million secured loan facility with MidCap, provides $20 million of immediate additional non-dilutive capital to extend the company's cash runway and provides financial flexibility to draw another $50 million of milestone-based non-dilutive capital at the company's option.
"This non-dilutive financing provides BioCryst with significant additional financial flexibility, at our discretion, as we move through the topline BCX7353 APeX-2 data readout, NDA filing and our launch preparations," said Tom Staab, chief financial officer of BioCryst.
Under the terms and conditions of the amended and restated credit and security agreement, BioCryst immediately accesses $50 million of the new loan facility, adding $20 million of non-dilutive cash.
An additional $30 million is available to BioCryst, at the company's option, following positive data from APeX-2 that is sufficient to file a new drug application (NDA). To achieve this milestone, BioCryst must publicly announce its intention to file an NDA with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on data which meets the primary endpoint on at least one dose level in APeX-2. BioCryst plans to report topline 24-week safety and efficacy data from the APeX-2 clinical trial in the second quarter of 2019.
Upon FDA approval of BCX7353 for hereditary angioedema (HAE) prophylaxis, BioCryst has the option to draw an additional $20 million. BioCryst intends to file an NDA for BCX7353 by the end of 2019.
The terms of the new loan facility provide that BioCryst will be in an interest-only payment period through June 2020, with straight-line principal payments for 30 months commencing on July 1, 2020. The interest rate is consistent with the existing loan facility and will be a variable interest rate (LIBOR + 8%) with a LIBOR floor of 0.5%. At closing, BioCryst received an additional $20 million of principal, paid MidCap an origination fee of $350,000, an administrative fee of approximately $90,000 and an $80,000 exit fee accrued under the existing loan facility.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future results, performance or achievements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause BioCryst's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein include: Our Credit Agreement contains restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business; these restrictions could cause us to be unable to pursue business opportunities that we or our stockholders may consider beneficial without the lender's permission or without repaying all Credit Agreement obligations; the funding of future tranches requires satisfaction of additional conditions and may not be available as expected. Please refer to the documents BioCryst files periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically BioCryst's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, all of which identify important factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in BioCryst's projections and forward-looking statements.


text:
package org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicommon.models.vms;
import java.util.Collections;
import org.ovirt.engine.core.compat.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicompat.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.core.common.businessentities.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.core.common.vdscommands.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.core.common.queries.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.core.common.action.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.ui.frontend.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicommon.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicommon.models.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.core.common.*;

import org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicompat.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicommon.validation.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicommon.*;
import org.ovirt.engine.ui.uicommon.models.*;

@SuppressWarnings("unused")
public class RunOnceModel extends Model
{

	private EntityModel privateAttachFloppy;
	public EntityModel getAttachFloppy()
	{
		return privateAttachFloppy;
	}
	private void setAttachFloppy(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateAttachFloppy = value;
	}
	private ListModel privateFloppyImage;
	public ListModel getFloppyImage()
	{
		return privateFloppyImage;
	}
	private void setFloppyImage(ListModel value)
	{
		privateFloppyImage = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateAttachIso;
	public EntityModel getAttachIso()
	{
		return privateAttachIso;
	}
	private void setAttachIso(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateAttachIso = value;
	}
	private ListModel privateIsoImage;
	public ListModel getIsoImage()
	{
		return privateIsoImage;
	}
	private void setIsoImage(ListModel value)
	{
		privateIsoImage = value;
	}
	private ListModel privateDisplayProtocol;
	public ListModel getDisplayProtocol()
	{
		return privateDisplayProtocol;
	}
	private void setDisplayProtocol(ListModel value)
	{
		privateDisplayProtocol = value;
	}

	private EntityModel privateInitrd_path;
	public EntityModel getInitrd_path()
	{
		return privateInitrd_path;
	}
	private void setInitrd_path(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateInitrd_path = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateKernel_path;
	public EntityModel getKernel_path()
	{
		return privateKernel_path;
	}
	private void setKernel_path(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateKernel_path = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateKernel_parameters;
	public EntityModel getKernel_parameters()
	{
		return privateKernel_parameters;
	}
	private void setKernel_parameters(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateKernel_parameters = value;
	}

	private ListModel privateSysPrepDomainName;
	public ListModel getSysPrepDomainName()
	{
		return privateSysPrepDomainName;
	}
	private void setSysPrepDomainName(ListModel value)
	{
		privateSysPrepDomainName = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateSysPrepUserName;
	public EntityModel getSysPrepUserName()
	{
		return privateSysPrepUserName;
	}
	private void setSysPrepUserName(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateSysPrepUserName = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateSysPrepPassword;
	public EntityModel getSysPrepPassword()
	{
		return privateSysPrepPassword;
	}
	private void setSysPrepPassword(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateSysPrepPassword = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateUseAlternateCredentials;
	public EntityModel getUseAlternateCredentials()
	{
		return privateUseAlternateCredentials;
	}
	private void setUseAlternateCredentials(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateUseAlternateCredentials = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateIsSysprepEnabled;
	public EntityModel getIsSysprepEnabled()
	{
		return privateIsSysprepEnabled;
	}
	private void setIsSysprepEnabled(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateIsSysprepEnabled = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateIsVmFirstRun;
	public EntityModel getIsVmFirstRun()
	{
		return privateIsVmFirstRun;
	}
	private void setIsVmFirstRun(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateIsVmFirstRun = value;
	}

	private EntityModel privateCustomProperties;
	public EntityModel getCustomProperties()
	{
		return privateCustomProperties;
	}
	private void setCustomProperties(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateCustomProperties = value;
	}

	private EntityModel privateRunAndPause;
	public EntityModel getRunAndPause()
	{
		return privateRunAndPause;
	}
	public void setRunAndPause(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateRunAndPause = value;
	}
	private EntityModel privateRunAsStateless;
	public EntityModel getRunAsStateless()
	{
		return privateRunAsStateless;
	}
	public void setRunAsStateless(EntityModel value)
	{
		privateRunAsStateless = value;
	}

	private boolean privateIsLinux_Unassign_UnknownOS;
	public boolean getIsLinux_Unassign_UnknownOS()
	{
		return privateIsLinux_Unassign_UnknownOS;
	}
	public void setIsLinux_Unassign_UnknownOS(boolean value)
	{
		privateIsLinux_Unassign_UnknownOS = value;
	}
	private boolean privateIsWindowsOS;
	public boolean getIsWindowsOS()
	{
		return privateIsWindowsOS;
	}
	public void setIsWindowsOS(boolean value)
	{
		privateIsWindowsOS = value;
	}

	private boolean hwAcceleration;
	public boolean getHwAcceleration()
	{
		return hwAcceleration;
	}
	public void setHwAcceleration(boolean value)
	{
		if (hwAcceleration != value)
		{
			hwAcceleration = value;
			OnPropertyChanged(new PropertyChangedEventArgs("HwAcceleration"));
		}
	}

	private BootSequenceModel bootSequence;
	public BootSequenceModel getBootSequence()
	{
		return bootSequence;
	}
	public void setBootSequence(BootSequenceModel value)
	{
		if (bootSequence != value)
		{
			bootSequence = value;
			OnPropertyChanged(new PropertyChangedEventArgs("BootSequence"));
		}
	}

		// The "sysprep" option was moved from a standalone check box to a
		// pseudo floppy disk image. In order not to change the back-end
		// interface, the Reinitialize variable was changed to a read-only
		// property and its value is based on the selected floppy image.
	public boolean getReinitialize()
	{
		return ((Boolean)getAttachFloppy().getEntity() && getFloppyImage().getSelectedItem() != null && getFloppyImage().getSelectedItem().equals("[sysprep]"));
	}

	public String getFloppyImagePath()
	{
		if ((Boolean)getAttachFloppy().getEntity())
		{
			return getReinitialize() ? "" : (String)getFloppyImage().getSelectedItem();
		}
		else
		{
			return "";
		}
	}

	private java.util.ArrayList<String> privateCustomPropertiesKeysList;
	public java.util.ArrayList<String> getCustomPropertiesKeysList()
	{
		return privateCustomPropertiesKeysList;
	}
	public void setCustomPropertiesKeysList(java.util.ArrayList<String> value)
	{
		privateCustomPropertiesKeysList = value;
	}

	public RunOnceModel()
	{
		setAttachFloppy(new EntityModel());
		getAttachFloppy().getEntityChangedEvent().addListener(this);
		setFloppyImage(new ListModel());
		getFloppyImage().getSelectedItemChangedEvent().addListener(this);
		setAttachIso(new EntityModel());
		getAttachIso().getEntityChangedEvent().addListener(this);
		setIsoImage(new ListModel());
		setDisplayProtocol(new ListModel());
		setBootSequence(new BootSequenceModel());

		setKernel_parameters(new EntityModel());
		setKernel_path(new EntityModel());
		setInitrd_path(new EntityModel());

		setSysPrepDomainName(new ListModel());
		EntityModel tempVar = new EntityModel();
		tempVar.setIsChangable(false);
		setSysPrepUserName(tempVar);
		EntityModel tempVar2 = new EntityModel();
		tempVar2.setIsChangable(false);
		setSysPrepPassword(tempVar2);

		setIsSysprepEnabled(new EntityModel());
		EntityModel tempVar3 = new EntityModel();
		tempVar3.setEntity(false);
		setIsVmFirstRun(tempVar3);
		getIsVmFirstRun().getEntityChangedEvent().addListener(this);
		EntityModel tempVar4 = new EntityModel();
		tempVar4.setEntity(false);
		setUseAlternateCredentials(tempVar4);
		getUseAlternateCredentials().getEntityChangedEvent().addListener(this);

		setCustomProperties(new EntityModel());

		EntityModel tempVar5 = new EntityModel();
		tempVar5.setEntity(false);
		setRunAndPause(tempVar5);
		EntityModel tempVar6 = new EntityModel();
		tempVar6.setEntity(false);
		setRunAsStateless(tempVar6);
	}

	@Override
	public void eventRaised(Event ev, Object sender, EventArgs args)
	{
		super.eventRaised(ev, sender, args);

		if (ev.equals(ListModel.SelectedItemChangedEventDefinition))
		{
			if (sender == getFloppyImage())
			{
				FloppyImage_SelectedItemChanged();
			}
		}
		else if (ev.equals(EntityModel.EntityChangedEventDefinition))
		{
			if (sender == getAttachFloppy())
			{
				AttachFloppy_EntityChanged();
			}
			else if (sender == getAttachIso())
			{
				AttachIso_EntityChanged();
			}
			else if (sender == getIsVmFirstRun())
			{
				IsVmFirstRun_EntityChanged();
			}
			else if (sender == getUseAlternateCredentials())
			{
				UseAlternateCredentials_EntityChanged();
			}
		}
	}

	private void AttachIso_EntityChanged()
	{
		getIsoImage().setIsChangable((Boolean)getAttachIso().getEntity());
		getBootSequence().getCdromOption().setIsChangable((Boolean)getAttachIso().getEntity());
	}

	private void AttachFloppy_EntityChanged()
	{
		getFloppyImage().setIsChangable((Boolean)getAttachFloppy().getEntity());
		UpdateIsSysprepEnabled();
	}

	private void UseAlternateCredentials_EntityChanged()
	{
		boolean useAlternateCredentials = (Boolean) getUseAlternateCredentials().getEntity();

		getSysPrepUserName().setIsChangable((Boolean)getUseAlternateCredentials().getEntity());
		getSysPrepPassword().setIsChangable((Boolean)getUseAlternateCredentials().getEntity());

		getSysPrepUserName().setEntity(useAlternateCredentials ? "" : null);
		getSysPrepPassword().setEntity(useAlternateCredentials ? "" : null);
	}

	private void IsVmFirstRun_EntityChanged()
	{
		UpdateIsSysprepEnabled();
	}

	private void FloppyImage_SelectedItemChanged()
	{
		UpdateIsSysprepEnabled();
	}

	// Sysprep section is displayed only when VM's OS-type is 'Windows'
	// and [Reinitialize-sysprep == true || IsVmFirstRun == true (IsVmFirstRun == !VM.is_initialized) and no attached floppy]
	private void UpdateIsSysprepEnabled()
	{
		boolean isFloppyAttached = (Boolean) getAttachFloppy().getEntity();
		boolean isVmFirstRun = (Boolean)getIsVmFirstRun().getEntity();

		getIsSysprepEnabled().setEntity(getIsWindowsOS() && (getReinitialize() || (isVmFirstRun && !isFloppyAttached)));
	}

	public boolean Validate()
	{
		getIsoImage().setIsValid(true);
		if ((Boolean)getAttachIso().getEntity())
		{
			getIsoImage().ValidateSelectedItem(new IValidation[] { new NotEmptyValidation() });
		}

		getFloppyImage().setIsValid(true);
		if ((Boolean)getAttachFloppy().getEntity())
		{
			getFloppyImage().ValidateSelectedItem(new IValidation[] { new NotEmptyValidation() });
		}

		getKernel_path().setIsValid(true);
		getKernel_parameters().setIsValid(true);
		getInitrd_path().setIsValid(true);
		if (getKernel_path().getEntity() == null)
		{
			getKernel_path().setEntity("");
		}
		if (getKernel_parameters().getEntity() == null)
		{
			getKernel_parameters().setEntity("");
		}
		if (getInitrd_path().getEntity() == null)
		{
			getInitrd_path().setEntity("");
		}

		getCustomProperties().ValidateEntity(new IValidation[] { new CustomPropertyValidation(this.getCustomPropertiesKeysList()) });

		if (getIsLinux_Unassign_UnknownOS() && ((((String)getKernel_parameters().getEntity()).length() > 0 || ((String)getInitrd_path().getEntity()).length() > 0) && ((String)getKernel_path().getEntity()).length() == 0))
		{
			int count = 0;
			String msg = "When ";
			if (((String)getKernel_parameters().getEntity()).length() > 0)
			{
				getKernel_parameters().setIsValid(false);
				msg += "a kernel parameter argument ";
				count++;
			}
			if (((String)getInitrd_path().getEntity()).length() > 0)
			{
				getInitrd_path().setIsValid(false);
				if (count == 1)
				{
					msg += "or ";
				}
				msg += "an initrd path ";
			}
			msg += "is used, kernel path must be non-empty";

			getKernel_path().setIsValid(false);
			getInitrd_path().getInvalidityReasons().add(msg);
			getKernel_parameters().getInvalidityReasons().add(msg);
			getKernel_path().getInvalidityReasons().add(msg);
		}

		return getIsoImage().getIsValid() && getFloppyImage().getIsValid() && getKernel_path().getIsValid() && getCustomProperties().getIsValid();
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The fundamental purpose of genuine national development is the empowerment of all citizens and the building of their capacity to shape their own lives. This means the availability of options for sustainable livelihoods, the ability to access available opportunities and a genuine participation of all in decision making in matters concerning self, family and society. In India, where 100 high net-worth individuals earn more than the income of half the population put together, this fundamental purpose clearly seems to have been hijacked by other considerations.
It is therefore not surprising, that half of the country's population survives at the margins of the economy, providing a pool of cheap labour as and when required but otherwise consigned to an oblivion from which they have no ability or means to escape. And a great portion of these are women in the villages and slums of our nation, perhaps 400 million or more, whose entire lives are spent in the drudgery and deprivation of working non-stop in household chores – all without pay. Were the value of these activities to be reflected in the national accounts, the GNP could well be doubled overnight.
We cannot expect the change we desperately require to come from either the government or businesses. It must come from people themselves, possibly encouraged and enabled by civil society organisations concerned with the viability of India's future and the lives of our children.
The key to bringing about this change is to set in motion a self-reinforcing process that rapidly brings poor women into a new life of dignity, confidence and self-determination. This means that we have to identify the critical intervention that will set us on the path to the tipping point from where the change in women's lives becomes self-propelling.
From the perspective of Development Alternatives (DA), the most effective intervention is remunerative jobs for women. For this to happen, the first step is to enable women to read, write and do simple arithmetic. The next steps are to provide her the skills needed to work in a local business or set up her own enterprise, all of which are provided by DA and its sister agency TARA.


text:
| Kisii University
Kisii University
Public University
Nyaribari Chache Constituency, Kisii County
Accredited by: Commission for University Education (CUE) Kenya
About Kisii University
Kisii University is a World-Class University for the Advancement of Academic Excellence, Research and Social Welfare.
Kisii University was founded in 1965 as a primary teachers' training college on a 61-acre land that was donated by the County Council of Gusii. The college continued up to 1983 when it was upgraded to a secondary teachers' college to offer Diploma programmes.
The government of Kenya mandated the university to take over the college as its campus in 1994. Kisii Campus was one of the earliest campuses to be created in Kenya by the then Head of State, H.E. Daniel Arap Moi. In 1999, the Faculty of Commerce established a Bachelor of Business and Management as its first degree programmes within the campus to run alongside a postgraduate Diploma in Education, which was phased out in 2001.
On 23 August 2007, Kisii University College was established through a Government Legal Notice No.163 of 2007 as a constituent college of Egerton University. On 6 February 2013, it was awarded a charter to become the 13th public university in Kenya.
The university main campus is situated 2 km from Kisii Town Centre, off the Kisii – Kilgoris Road.
Why study at Kisii University
Kisii University is anchored in the philosophy of creative, scientific, technological, innovative and critical thinking responsive to societal needs and service to humanity.
The focus of Kisii University is on helping you unlock your potential. We provide a thriving academic community where you can learn from experts and gain the qualifications you need and give you an all-around experience that you'll remember forever.
Studying at Kisii University offers an experience that goes way beyond the classroom. From day one we'll help you build the real-world knowledge and transferable skills that employers look for in graduate recruits. And by the time you graduate, you'll feel confident and fully prepared to start your career anywhere in the world.
Vision: A world-class University in the advancement of social welfare, research and academic excellence.
Mission: To train high-level human resource that meets the development needs of the country and international labour market, and to sustain production of high-quality research and consultancy, and dissemination of knowledge, skills and competencies for the advancement of humanity
Core Values: The following are are some of the core values embraced in order to realize our vision and mission at Kisii University;
Professionalism,
Accountability,
Transparency,
Responsiveness and
Integrity.
Kisii University History
Kisii University was founded in 1965 as a Primary Teachers Training College on a 61 acre land that was donated by the County Council of Gusii.
The College continued up to 1983 when it was upgraded to a Secondary Teachers College to offer Diploma programmes. Over the years, the College trained very many teachers who got posted to primary schools in different parts of the country. Many of the teachers rose to ranks of head teachers and others got promotions to work in various educational institutions.
The Government of Kenya mandated Egerton University to take over the College as its campus in 1994. It should be noted that Kisii Campus was one of the earliest campuses to be created in Kenya by the then Head of State, H.E. Daniel arap Moi. In 1999, the Faculty of Commerce established Bachelor of Business and Management as its first degree programmes within the campus to run alongside Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), which was phased out in the year 2001. On 23rd August 2007, Kisii University College was established through a Government Legal Notice No.163 of 2007 as a Constituent College of Egerton University.
On 6th February 2013, Kisii University was awarded a Charter to become the 13th public university in Kenya.
Courses offered at Kisii University
Bachelor of Software Engineering
Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics
Bachelor of Library and Information Science
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science
Bachelor of Arts in Community Development
Bachelor of Arts Criminology and Security Studies
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies
Bachelor of Laws LLB
Fashion Design (apparel design) - Kisumu Institute of Community Development Training
Primary Teacher Education - Embu College of Professional Studies
Masonry (Artisan) - Katine Technical Training Institute
Supply Chain Management - Kenya Coast National Polytechnic
Catering and Accommodation Management - Beacon Technical Training Institute
Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) - Thogoto Teachers Training College
Nutrition and Dietetics - United Africa College
Food Processing Technology (Artisan) - Kenya Coast National Polytechnic


You can climb Ben Nevis. And you can climb it at night. But this is your opportunity to help light up the entire mountain with a team of like-minded people, while also raising money to protect the very area that we love, as well as a charity of your choice.
The biggest challenge and the biggest experience, climb to the summit of the highest mountain in the UK at night in a guided group with poetry, music and light to enhance the natural beauty.
As well as professional guiding and support, complementary snacks and reflectors, all participants will be able to download a free GPS tracker app which will allow you to check in with your friends as you go. Your position will also be displayed on the big screen at event base at the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre.
Following the event you can celebrate your achievement with your fellow walkers with a delicious midnight feast back at the event base.
How much do I need to fund raise?
For Light Up Ben Nevis you will have a fundraising target of £250. The cost of participation and in the event is £50 and the other £200 will go to the Ben Nevis Fund. If you raise any more than £250 you can choose whether the extra goes to the Ben Nevis Fund or to a charity of your choice.
Balance of participation cost - £25 - due by 24th August 2019.
Second fundraising target on the 2nd November 2019 (six weeks after the event) - £200 + any extra raised that you would like to donate to the Ben Nevis Fund.
Register for light up ben nevis!
Join us for The Festival of the Elements!


text:
A Sense of Balance
By John Howard
John Howard HarperAudio 9781460762622
On how our sense of balance has defined us as a nation and will safeguard our future. In the years that John Howard served in the national parliament he came to understand the special character of Australia; to appreciate its strengths and weaknesses; and most importantly to respect the sense of balance in the formulation of public policy that has long defined us as a nation and made Australia an attractive destination for people from across the world. In this book he explores this balance, its foundations and its future. Written against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as some of the more contested political events of recent years - the election of Donald Trump, the Brexit vote, the rise of China, and, within our own country, a carousel of six prime ministers in eleven years - these reflections touch on how Australia has responded to pressure over the last decade or so. Commentary on these subjects from politicians, opinion writers and social media can sometimes seem shrill and divisive. Australia's 25th and second longest serving prime minister has faith that no matter what challenges and extremes threaten to upset our sense of balance, the country's institutions and people will remain robust into the foreseeable future. PRAISE 'John Howard's ongoing and important contribution to this country continues with his latest laser sharp book, A Sense of Balance. No former leader understands the Australian character better than our 25th Prime Minister' Janet Albrechtsen, columnist
On how our sense of balance has defined us as a nation and will safeguard our future.
In the years that John Howard served in the national parliament he came to understand the special character of Australia; to appreciate its strengths and weaknesses; and most importantly to respect the sense of balance in the formulation of public policy that has long defined us as a nation and made Australia an attractive destination for people from across the world.
In this book he explores this balance, its foundations and its future. Written against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as some of the more contested political events of recent years - the election of Donald Trump, the Brexit vote, the rise of China, and, within our own country, a carousel of six prime ministers in eleven years - these reflections touch on how Australia has responded to pressure over the last decade or so. Commentary on these subjects from politicians, opinion writers and social media can sometimes seem shrill and divisive. Australia's 25th and second longest serving prime minister has faith that no matter what challenges and extremes threaten to upset our sense of balance, the country's institutions and people will remain robust into the foreseeable future.
'John Howard's ongoing and important contribution to this country continues with his latest laser sharp book, A Sense of Balance. No former leader understands the Australian character better than our 25th Prime Minister' Janet Albrechtsen, columnist
Author Bio: John Howard
Category: Nonfiction/Political Science
Publisher: HarperAudio


Have you ever attended a trade show or conference that left you feeling like the proverbial kid in a candy store? You had delectable food, met really smart people, attended eye-opening talks, and took tons and tons of notes. The only complaint you had, in fact, was that you were forced to choose between multiple awesome sessions that were happening at once. You were practically glowing as you said your goodbyes and headed back to your normal job, prepared to dazzle your coworkers with all of the new techniques that you knew would be real difference makers.
On the flight home, you've convinced yourself that even if they didn't necessarily buy into everything to the extent that you did, there was that one tool that was just such a no brainer that it would sell itself once you explained it. But it didn't. There's nothing quite like having your proposal flatly and unenthusiastically rejected to shock you out of the post-conference glow and throw you right back into the daily grind. You were so convinced that people would see the incredible benefits that you find the actual results inconceivable: your coworkers shrug indifferently and your manager says, "We're doing fine right now, so we really don't need to introduce anything new." Is this situation avoidable?
I wish I could tell you that I had a bulletproof pitch that would never be rejected. Persuasion skills like that would be nothing short of a super power. But while there's no guarantee that you'll succeed in selling your manager on a tool, you can certainly improve your odds. The way to do this is by making a business case for the tool.
A Business Case For A Tool?
Put simply, a business case is an argument in favor of a business taking some form of action such as, let's say, buying the tool that you want it to buy. Making a business case is as simple as lobbying for something, but making a good business case is a bit trickier. With so many interests and budgets on the line,making a good business case that includes showing that your tool is in the company's best interests- So it saves money and/or time, or it brings in additional revenue.
Let's consider some things that are not good business cases.
Don't tell your manager that you should adopt a method because it's a "best practice."
Don't tell her that you should acquire a new tool "because every modern company uses something like this."
Don't say that it's embarrassing that you're still doing things the old way.
All of these claims are, perhaps, understandable; they may even be right. But what aren't they? Business cases. To management types, these arguments are not compelling ones, and it's difficult to see the value added.
In order to be compelling, you need to start thinking in terms of dollars and cents for the company. You need to start thinking about the bottom line.
When it comes to tools, often the easiest way to make a business case is to make an argument that the tool will somehow save money. Tools are frequently intended to automate existing tasks or otherwise make them more efficient. In general, this results in savings. But you'll want to argue specifics.
The most common form this argument takes is "this tool will save me time." The company pays you a salary, and you know what that salary is. So you can estimate your weekly time savings, multiply it by your salary, and make the case that this is the savings for the company. If it offsets the cost of the tool, it's a financial no-brainer.
Another angle is opportunity cost, which is the idea that doing one thing necessarily means that you can't do another. So if you're offered $20 to spend an hour filling out a survey and you choose to watch TV instead, the opportunity cost of you watching TV would be $20. In this fashion, you can argue that the time savings you realize via your new tool will allow you to do a project that's always been on the backburner.
And finally, there are more forms of cost than just time that a tool might eliminate. Will the tool help improve the quality of the product, saving you the cost of a PR firm to smooth over the bugs? Will the tool stop you from relying on an overseas firm to handle things manually and therefore save your company a monthly expense? Maybe it will reduce the need for travel or will save on fees. Spend some time thinking through all of the ramifications of using the tool, and look for ways that it will save the company money.
Every business has revenues and costs, and revenue minus cost is profit. Therefore, the other way to make a business case for something is to argue that it increases revenue. This isn't as common when it comes to tools that employees use, but it can happen.
Does the tool you're using improve the quality of a product to the point where you could sell a version for more money? Would adopting the tool allow you to reach a new segment of your customer base or define an entirely new kind of offering? Will the tool aid you in boosting sales? If any of these things are true, use them to make your case!
Reasoning out arguments for cost savings or revenue increase is an excellent first step for making your business case, but your work isn't done. These arguments may sway your manager, but they'll be a lot more persuasive if you can offer some form of proof. Seek out case studies done at other companies to present as evidence of time and salary saved. Download a trial of the tool and run some experiments. The more compelling the evidence you present, the harder it will be for a manager to turn you down.
As you go through this exercise, there is always the chance that you discover adoption of the tool won't actually help the company's bottom line once you factor in its cost. That may be disappointing, but if it happens, you'll know that your excitement about the tool is about its coolness factor and not about the benefit for your company. Doing this analysis yourself instead of forcing your boss to do it will be appreciated in the long run.
But don't be daunted. If the tool appeals to you on a visceral level at the conference, it's likely something that will benefit your company. You know your job and the nature of your work, so you likely have an intuitive feel for what makes sense. So when you get back from the conference, keep calm, build your business case, and make it hard for a budget-conscious manager to do anything but get excited along with you.
If you're in the need for a cost saving tool for software development, check out Collaborator, a Peer Code Review Tool from SmartBear. See if you can make an effective business case to your bosses!


text:
Local Rapper David 'Vigatron' Norris is a Force to Be Reckoned With
by Emanuel Wallace
Angie Amata
In Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent says, "I guess you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Look, whoever the Batman is, he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life doing this. How could he?"
Much of the same can be said about David "Vigatron" Norris. He's a force to be reckoned with on the local hip-hop scene, but he's also making waves as an actor with several credits under his utility belt as well.
"I'm a rapper and writer first and an actor second, although the roles have somewhat switched as of late," Norris says. "I focus more on acting now; I've been rapping since high school but only seriously since about 2002 or 2003."
Vigatron made his bones as a rapper, but he's always pictured himself as a rocker. It's a concept he says may one day come to fruition.
"I'm more of a Prince guy," Vigatron says of his influences. "I came up wanting to be Michael Jackson until 1984 when Purple Rain came out; then I wanted to be Prince. I had to make a decision once I decided I wasn't going to play a bunch of instruments. So I started experimenting with writing raps for a bit and discovered I was good at it, so I kept along that path. In my heart of hearts though, I really wanted to be a rock star."
As the younger Vigatron grew more confident in his abilities, he would quickly become one of the standouts amongst his friends in a scene that was rapidly becoming oversaturated by his contemporaries.
"I think it was the summer of 1989, and Too Short started blowing up," Vigatron reflects. "That's when a lot of the guys I grew up with got the bug to start rapping. In my arrogance, I thought to myself that if I'm smarter than them, I can write better raps. I tried it, and it was one of those things I was instantly decent enough at it to keep doing it until I got considerably good amongst my peers. I'd say from '91 through '93, I was in that upper echelon of high school guys that people talked about. It was a good way to express myself. I used to write a lot out of anger back then, but now, it's more like I write things if I have something to say or if I can present it in a funny way."
The name Vigatron is certainly an imposing one, and while the Transformers inspiration is obvious, the journey to the name isn't as straightforward.
"I used to go by Vigilante, but not as a rapper," he says. "In elementary school, me and my best friend at the time had a crush on this girl in our class. We created this hatin' ass group where we were trying to stop this other dude from getting a kiss. This was around the time that the original Transformers movie came out, and there was the whole thing when Optimus Prime dies and comes back."
Norris was the leader of the group and decided he, too, would leave and come back.
"I got bored, and my mother had rented this movie called Vigilante," he says. "I ended up messing around with this old typewriter and typed out this anonymous letter and signed it, 'The Vigilante.' There was this whole buzz about 'who is the Vigilante' around school, and I kept it that way until about 7th grade, and I finally revealed it was me. One of my homeboys started calling me Vidge for short. That's one of those things where I can tell who knew me prior to 2006. People who call me Vidge knew me before; whereas people who call me Vig met me after that point."
By the time he began to record, "Vidge" had made an ascent to his throne.
"I was Emporer Vigilante when I started rapping," he says. "When I started my publishing company in the old days, they would give you a sheet and you would list five names you wanted. I picked something still Transformers-related with No One Summons Vigatron Music as a Transformers reference to 'no one summons Megatron.' Jokingly, I thought maybe I'd just use the name when I do production but it made sense to just use it all the time. No one has it."
It's easy to paint such an imposing figure with an imposing name as a bad guy, but Vigatron sees himself as more of a good guy than anything.
"I'm more in the middle, I think," he says. "I'm a hero with some villainous tendencies. Even if I play a game like Grand Theft Auto where you can have your run of just doing evil stuff to random people, I'm that guy who tries not to do that. If you give me a choice, I'm usually picking someone who's on the hero's side."
Vigatron's latest album, Gargantuan, represents the most recent in a string of releases that all live by the belief that size undoubtedly matters.
"This is my best released work and the most cohesive that I've released so far," he says. "My first release was From the Ground Up, and everything I released after that [Pleasure, Tactical Bastard, Behemoth] has been a product of a project I was working on called Whorer Stories. I would pull a few songs off of it and put a few original songs around it and put that out. With Gargantuan, I was working on a project with someone. It was a 7-song EP. We had completely recorded it, and it was in the midst of being mixed and mastered and all of a sudden this dude stopped rocking with us. It wasn't confrontational or anything, but he must have observed something with us that didn't jibe with the way he does business or his view of hip-hop or something, and he just became unresponsive."
Being the resourceful hero that he is, Vigatron decided to regroup and take things in a different direction. As it turns out, that was for the best after all.
"I'm not the type to let my verses go to waste, so I said I was going to take those verses off and put them on something else," he says. "I got brand new beats from Shawn Charles, Bang Messiah and A-Live and cultivated that new project with a new focus, and it's way more cohesive. The whole thing I've been doing lately has been about proving that lyrically and conceptually I'm one of the best to do it before I hang it up. That's why everything is something big. The last album was Behemoth, this one is Gargantuan and the next will be Gigantesque."
On the film side of things, Vigatron and fellow rapper and actor Mark "bka Watts" Watson have held three film festivals dubbed Levels Film Fest, showcasing short films and music videos from local artists and creatives.
"That is a product of me being selfish and trying to create a new thing people hadn't seen before," Vigatron says. "When I started taking acting more seriously and making connections, those people I worked with already had a film festival. This was around 2010 or so. It was just ironic to me that they had rented out this big theater but it was virtually empty. They showed a video I had directed for a guy from Florida and some other stuff that wasn't from here. I told them they might've had a bigger turnout if they invited more local people. They immediately balked. I sat on the idea for all those years and when me and Watts started getting cool, we talked about wanting to do the same thing. It all came from a desire to see ourselves that way and open it up to more locals. Everybody doesn't get an opportunity to see what they do on the big screen. It's also good for networking and meeting new people to get more work done."
On Saturday, Vigatron will be performing at Grog Shop on a bill that includes Detroit's Slum Village along with Joey Aich, Visual 9 and Unknown Phrazes.
"Nothing but hardcore, stinkin' hip-hop that's a little bit (pauses), I don't want to say entertaining but there's always been a bit more inflection of humor into my shows," Vigatron says of what to expect from his set. His performances are often full of theatrics and even some choreography. He attributes some of his showmanship to his elementary school.
"Even though I came up in East Cleveland, they had an offshoot school that was catered to the gifted and talented," Vigatron says. "They taught us a lot about stage presence, eye contact, projecting your voice and articulating a lot of things. It wasn't like a Fame school, but they gave us all these nuggets of things you could carry on in life."
While music plays a role in his life, Vigatron is starting to embrace the world of acting with greater enthusiasm.
"I'm going to continue to push Gargantuan on the music side but most of the stuff I have coming up though is on the acting side," he says. "I'm in a few webseries that are going to premiere in September, one of them being Nekros Pizza and another being Connected. I'm part of another series called Clique. I filmed a movie last year called We Used to Know Each Other. That's looking to make the rounds at a few film festivals. We filmed that in Vegas."
Vigatron still plans to release a couple projects, but it's going to be at his own pace and on his own terms.
"The rap stuff is voluntary at this point," he insists. "I like performing, I don't like the process of making projects as much. I'm not overly excited when someone says they want to collab with me. It's not that I'm opposed to doing it. I have a list of people that I said I was going to work with before I quit, because I feel like I owed it to them. It's nothing personal, but I don't get much enjoyment from rapping just to rap these days. If I have something to say, I'll say it. Originally I thought I was just going to do three albums and be done. I never thought the music thing would be infinite, always finite. But acting, that's infinite."
C-Notes Vigatron Grog Shop Gargantuan


This week's podcast continues our two month-long discussion of Troilus and Cressida with a overview of the videos available and a discussion of bawdy in the play.
Where's the podcast? It's not on iTunes either. Thanks.
In the coming weeks, I intend to re-edit the content and re-release it.


Every business organization has experience data loss in some part of situation that may occurs due to wrong coding or carelessness in database management. It is a great night mare that gets the concern to face many problems regarding the data loss. Management should concern about the needs and importance of problem or else it affects their relationship with clients and customers. For software companies data is much essential that contains confidential matters and user data importantly basically all know that data is stored in hard drive. Database administrator plays giant role in managing the data and arranging all into the server systems. They used to back up the data in multiple servers so that when one server crashes it can be recovered through another system.
One should take care about securing the confidential data nowadays advanced technologies like cloud management is used to store enormous data in the server that are very secure to access they act like virtual server does not require high hardware systems for maintenance. Data' can be retrieved quickly in cloud management. Even though your hardware completely crashed it is possible to recover the data from virtual server. More than database maintenance and administration data recovery is expensive in all the places. If your company data's has been lost due to software problem or false coding issues then entire data present in the server may collapse reporting issues. To retrieve it back one has to find technical team who are excellent in retrieving all the data without any loss.
Many high end applications and software's are used for the backup services that help in getting back the lost data even though it is highly crashed. When a data is copied in multiple servers then we can easily get the through database. If the whole data has been deleted because of coding problems then hiring the professional programmers who know to recover the complete data in simple coding techniques will be the right choice.
Many people prefer to do course on data recovery and maintenance that give them good job in multinational companies. Find trusted resources when you occurred with any problem relating to data loss sometimes hackers may try to attempt the server only the knowledgeable resources can deal the problems in right way. If data loss occurs due to internal problems then using backup software and coding we can get back the loss one. When any hard drive crashes or damaged then by repairing the issues we can recover the data quickly.


The Gladstone, MO office is owned and operated by Jay and Tami Stone and has been offering professional house cleaning services since opening in 2006. Our team proudly covers the entire Northland area with cleanings that are reliable, thorough, and affordable.
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Surprising Patrick's Day message from Germany
Niall Leahy SJ is involved in this fascinating video by a German Professor which reveals material about the patron Saint of Ireland that many Irish people may not know.
The real St Patrick
St Patrick's own writings tell us more about the depth of the man than the legends that have surrounded him, says Brendan McManus SJ
January 24, 2023 - Dr Kevin Hargaden of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice was shocked by what he learnt at a conference in Bangladesh, exploring the idea of a 'just wage' there.
January 23, 2023 - 'Judge John O'Hagan, 1825-1890', on the life of a respected patriot, poet, scholar and lawyer, is among the most recent Messenger books.
January 21, 2023 - President Michael D. Higgins has led the tributes to Mícheál Mac Gréil SJ, the social justice activist and community campaigner who died on 21 January, aged 92.
Fifty-eight most powerful words
January 20, 2023 - "The fifty-eight most powerful words in the world." is how Richard Leonard SJ describes the Lord's Prayer, in his latest book The Law of Love.
Pope Benedict and the abuse scandals
Benedict XVI's theological legacy
Pope Video: For educators
Pope Video: For volunteer organisations
Jesuit vocations film – 'Walking with Jesus Christ'
Pope Video: For children who suffer
'The Mindful Our Father' – New Messenger book
Disciples of courage
Maynooth College: Essays on dying and death
Hopkins where he died
JCC website project on its way
Short notices
Provincial outlines new priorities


It's been a very busy work week at the muni even though the golf traffic has slowed down, as it always does this time of the season. The entire year has been a challenge dealing with the weather. We had the wettest June and September on record. The other months were nothing short of poor weather either.
The well ran for seven days the entire year. This amounts to 18.55 acre feet of water pumped from the well to the irrigation pond. Our DNR limit is 81 acre feet from April 1 to October 31. This is by far the lowest total ever pumped annually from the well. The irrigation system is not far behind record low totals either.
The abundant rainfall does not slow the grass down from growing on a daily basis. This all adds to the extra man hours on the equipment plus the additional labor dollars spent to maintain the golf course. All the rain reduces our revenue options. Final result of the equation is too much money spent and not enough revenue hitting the cash register.
This past week I fertilized the greens and tees with a fall granular application. The warm temperatures mid week and the rainfall made a direct impact on the health of these turf areas. They look great as we finish the week.
We also started our fall tree removal process. Each year we cut down at least a dozen pine trees that continue to die. Four trees were dropped and the debris was hauled to the maintenance surround for future removal. We still have six more trees to remove in the upcoming weeks.
I spent an entire day with a tutorial from Rainbird learning the new software system for the irrigation system. I remapped the course and programmed each individual station, on the map, to give us spot on control of each area of the golf course. Each station has been mapped based off the location of every valve that operates on the course. It is extremely impressive and makes the whole process work like clock work….considering everything functions properly on the course.
We started the process of filling in the sand traps on #16. The south sand trap has been filled and I shaped the new mounding. The north sand trap has all the fill material added but the rainfall, Thursday afternoon, made it difficult to finish the shaping process. I hope to do some shaping on the north trap this morning.
We used all the old fill material piled around the shop to start our base layer in these traps. The remainder was hauled from the south end of the golf course. This material was all stockpiled from the water quality project. This upcoming week we will be adding sod to complete the repair process in this area.
I'm excited to finish this process and eliminate some of our drainage issues while we wait for the future tile project to be completed. It is not the answer to the drainage problems, but it will eliminate quite a bit of the standing water problem.
I used a personal day, on Friday, to mow at the Country Club. They are currently in between superintendents and have one employee trying to keep up with maintenance practices. I feel it is vital to continue building this working relationship that has been established over the past few years.
I would like to emphasize that my help at the Country Club or time spent responding to medical calls, at the fire department, have no effect on my job at the muni. If I am gone from the golf course, for a short period of time, it is made up later in the day. I always make sure that 100% of the work is completed at the golf course on a daily basis. The golf course is always my first and foremost priority.
This morning we are hosting our annual chili open. It is definitely going to be chilly or chili however you want to interpret the title. We have close to 120 golfers registered to play. Not all will show but it will be an awesome day for the golf course.
Please contact me with any questions or comments. I am always available to provide further detailed information not provided in the weekly updates. For now, I'm going to work on 16 green surrounds and look forward to a great day!
The past week gave us a chance to let the golf course dry out after the recent flooding. I am shocked how well everything rebounded after close to 10″ of rain. There are very few wet areas around the course which allowed us to have everything in great shape by the end of the week.
A few weeks ago, we repaired a lot of areas in the fairways and the roughs. These spots had fill material added, a clean edge cut with a spade, and finally fresh sod laid to complete the repairs. We were finally able to remove the flags from these areas and start mowing them at a normal height of cut. They have turned out very nicely. In the coming weeks we will continue to address other areas.
The trees from the soccerplex entrance are too big for the city tree spade to move. I tried multiple angles with no success. I have inquired about a tree spade and the estimate is $250 per tree. There is no room in the golf course budget to support this expense. We will need to rely on private donations or let the soccer group cut them down. I was disappointed to be unable to move these beautiful Oak trees.
Our tiling project, on number 16, has been delayed for quite some time. The contractor is still on another large project where the heavy rains have put him behind schedule. I have decided to fill in these two sand traps around the green. We will add fill material followed by nice topsoil. The area will be graded to establish a couple of nice berms. These areas will be sodded and mowed as rough. This will eliminate some of our standing water issues.
The shed on number five has been completed to almost 90%. The only thing left will be to complete some additional trim work. The shed looks very nice and once the trim is completed it will be a finished project.
Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns so they can be addressed in a timely manner. Again, direct people to the website for automatic withdrawal, credit card payments, and to the golf course blog. I will see each of you at the respective meetings Monday evening.


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DracheNäscht
Bücher & Musik
Siebenpunkt
Neue Welten
Millionen von Schwalben
Wie ich die Welt sehe
Anno Domini
Cosmic Eidex
Schraumen
Der wahre Walter
Tichu
Ein solches Ding
Wahlspiel
Schicksack
FAQ & Regelfragen
english rules
Download/Links
Tichu - game rules
From the leaflet with Tichu cards by Fata Morgana
Translated November 1992 by A.G. Smith; revised 1993 (and 2004 by fatamorgana)
©Genossenschaft Fata Morgana, Landoltstrasse 63, CH-3007 Bern, Switzerland. Tel. 031'381'33'97 www.fatamorgana.ch
We thank Mr Chuang for everything. Tour leader, German language section, Nanking (Nanjing). Highly recommended. He knows everything. Lengths of bridges, meaning of Buddhas, number of lorries in the province. On request also meaning of bridges, number of Buddhas and length of lorries. Some monument with five goats and a heap of 38 resistance fighters is the landmark of the town. Or perhaps only three goats and 58 figthers - anyway, there are basically more fighters than goats. And to tell the truth - that stuff about landmarks could also be said of Canton (Guangzhou) or Wuhan. But in Nanking there stood a thousand Buddha temple - the area most certainly has a landmark.
Yes, Mr Chuang is an outstanding tour guide. He casts his own Nanking aside into the Yang Tze and leads us into an unknown land: a rock concert, a psychiatric clinic and a private audience with magician. Only with the game was he not so outstanding. Naturally he knows them - he knows everything. Yet the strange card game which the people are playing everywhere in all the parks and squares seems to be frowned upon. Again and again he lures us away from the knots of people. The game is not to be explained.
Tichu is not to be explained
(If we had believed that there would be no rules with this pack. But we brought Mr Chuang round. He drummed up a game in the backroom of the souvenir shop of the Confucian temple. At first we were only allowed to watch. Then we played and the Chinese experts gave us good advice. A first rate introduction to the game, by the way. We recommend this method of learning most warmly.)
Tichu Nanking (4 players)
The cards, with their four suits (Jade, Swords, Pagodas, Stars), each of 13 values, correspond to the western bridge pack. The Ace is the highest in each family, the 2 the lowest. The 10s rank between the 9 and the Jack, as in most British and most US games (not between the King and the Ace as in the American Pinochle and many continental European games). Four extra cards bring the pack up to 56 cards: the Dragon, the Phoenix, the Hound and the Hemp-Sparrow (or Mah Jong).
The two partners in the two Tichu-teams sit opposite one another and try to help each other obtain points and opportunities to lead.
Before the game starts the winner of the previous round shuffles the pack, allows it to be cut and places it in the middle of the table. The Chinese do not deal cards they take them. The dealer himself takes the top card. Now all in turn take one card at a time until the stock is exhausted and everyone holds a fan of 14 cards in his hand.
Now comes the pushing. Everyone gives everyone else one card from his hand, face down, thus giving away three bad cards and getting three unknown cards in their place. Obviously a player can only pick up the new cards when he has made his own three discards.
The game is begun by the holder of the Mah Jong. The player on lead may lay any of the following combinations on the table:
a single card, for example a 4
a pair of cards of equal rank, for example 8,8
a sequence of pairs of adjacent value, for example J,J,Q,Q,K,K (the example is a sequence of three pairs. Other numbers of pairs are also allowable. Translator)
a trio of cards of equal rank, for example 2,2,2
a full house (trio + pair), for example 5,5,5,9,9
a sequence of length at least 5, for example 4,5,6,7,8,9
The next player (to the right - the Chinese play to the right, like the Swiss and the Hopi) now has the choice of
- passing or
- playing a similar combination of higher value
A single card can thus only be beaten by a single card of higher value, a sequence of two pairs only by a sequence of two higher pairs, a sequence of eight cards only by a higher sequence of exactly eight cards, a full house only by a higher full house (in full houses the value of the trio is what counts). Exception: Bombs (see below)
Play continues to the right. As soon as 3 players in serie pass, the player who played the last (highest) combination gathers in the trick and leads a new one. If this happy player has no cards left, the right to lead passes to his right-hand neighbour (passing further to the right if the latter has also got no cards left).
Among the special cards
the Mah Jong comes first, an interesting card of mixed reputation, with the properties that:
- its owner opens the game but need not lead the Mah Jong.
- the Mah Jong ranks as a 1 and is therefore the lowest card in the pack. As a one, it can be included in suitable sequences (e.g. 1,2,3,4,5).
- whoever plays the Mah Jong has a free wish, that is, he is allowed to wish for a certain rank (for example an 8 or an Ace, but not a special card). The next player who has a card of the desired rank and can lawfully play it must play it (possibly in a bomb!). Someone who does not hold or cannot play a card of the desired value can play any lawfull card or pass. The wish remains in force until someone fulfils it.
The faithful Hound has no trick-taking power at all. It can only be played by leading it as a single card and it transfers the right to lead to partner. (If partner has already gone out, it passes to his right).
The ever-changing Phoenix is the most powerful card in Tichu. However it counts minus 25 points. It can
- be built into any combination as a wonderful Joker replacing any normal card between 2 and Ace. (but cannot make up a bomb)
- played as a single card. It's value is half a rank higher than the card it's played on. (If an eight is on the top the Phoenix counts as 8.5 and can be beaten by a nine or higher.) The Phoenix can beat an Ace but not the Dragon. If led, the Phoenix is count as 1.5.
The Dragon is the highest individual card and counts 25 points. It beats - when individual cards have been played - even an Ace or "Ace and a half" (the Phoenix over an Ace) and can itself only be beaten by a bomb. However: it cannot take part in a sequence.
The noble Dragon gives the trick away if it wins (including its own 25 points) to an opponent of its holder's choice.
Bombs are
- sequences of at least five consecutive cards in the same suit or
- all four cards in the same rank
Bombs can be played at any moment (e.g. out of turn) to take a trick. They beat anything, be it a single card or a combination. The higher bombs beat the lower. (The rank of bombs is determined (1) by the number of cards and (2) by the rank of the cards.) A player can even lead a bomb if leading a new trick.
The round ends
immediatly if only one player has cards left in his hand.
Then the tailender (the last player with any cards) hands over his remaining cards to his opponents, his own tricks to the winner (the player who first got rid of his cards).
Now count
+ 10 for each King and each ten
+ 5 for each five
+ 25 for the Dragon and
- 25 for the Phoenix
There are thus 100 points in the hole pack, which are divided between the two sides.
If however the two players on one side achieve a double victory (going out firtst and second) the counting is skipped and they score 200 points.
Oh yes - Tichu
is a sort of doubling. Each player has the right, until he plays his first card, to announce "small tichu". If he then wins the round (being the first out of cards) his team gets 100 extra points, otherwise they lose 100 points.
Note that a tichu is an individual undertaking. It can neither be arrranged beforehand with the partner nor does the partner's victory help. The tichant (don't you like the word? How about tichurent?) must haul his own chestnuts from the fire. The 100 points for tichu are scored independently of, and in addition to, the normal scoring of the game.
A "tichu" can also be announced long before the player plays his first card. A call before the cards are pushed can be useful as a request for partner to hand over his best card.
Where the small tichu is romping around, there must be a grand tichu somewhere. An especially brave or desperate player may, before taking his ninth card, announce grand tichu, worth 200 extra points.
The actuel object of the game
is to score 1000 points. If both teams get there in the same round, then whoever have most points win.
For hints on tactics it would be best to ask a Chinese bus driver. In case such a person should prove unobtainable, we will gladly pass on a few tips from our wretched experience, although when placed beside the wisdom of our chinese tutor this must look like a dusty dog-biscuit beside the highest culinary delights of Nanking (for example the inevitable Sea Cucumber Soup).
Good tichu players
- first try to get rid of their rotten cards (low singletons and pairs) and are sparing with their Aces, Dragons and bombs. Someone who is left, after a dazzling piece of power play, with a singleton four is either the poor victim of a bomb or has not yet fully grasped the game.
- unreservedly support their partner's "tichu". When playing the Mah Jong, they do not demand any card which might break up their partner's bomb, even less often do they take his trick (this is certainly lawful, but it is considered unrefined - unless very low ranks are involved)
- try to bring down an opponent's "tichu" by consistend play against the tichor (tichufant?), the player before him making him take his tricks very dearly
- keep an eye on the score. If the score is 630:970, for example, a grand tichu is begging to be played.
(You can find a German FAQ on http://www.fatamorgana.ch/tichu but hopefully we have translated everything here)
Can the Hound be bombed?
No, You are not allowed to bomb the hound or the right to lead.
Bombs can only be played (even out of turn) onto a card combination (or single card) on the table.
You are allowed to bomb your own trick (if you really want to).
After 3 players have passed any player may bomb before the trick is gathered.
An advanced example for experts:
Player1 leads the Mah Jong and wishes an 8. Between Player1 and 2 (out of turn) all players (including players1 and 2) may bomb (without fullfilling the wish).
When player2 has a hand like 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,D,K,K,K,K he may (before it's his turn) play the K-bomb. After all other players have passed he must lead the next trick (and fullfill the wish) with his sequence.
If another player had a sequence-bomb with an 8 he'd have to play it over the K-bomb in his turn.
Does the Dragon give away a bombed trick?
When must a player fullfill the wish of the Mah Jong?
In his ordinary turn only. - A player does not need to fullfill a wish of the Mah Jong when playing a bomb out of turn. (But usually he has to lead for the next trick after the bomb and fullfill the wish then.) (See also example above.)
Do I have to use the Phoenix to fullfill a wish?
Yes. The next player who has a card of the desired rank and can lawfully play it must play it. Even if he has to play a bomb or a sequence of appropriate length with the Phoenix.
If a player does not have a card of the desired rank he is not obliged to fullfill the wish even if he has the Phoenix (which is not a card of the desired rank.)
What happens to the last trick of the game (when the 3rd player plays his last card(s))?
The trick is ended immediatly, but still normally taken or given away by the Dragon.
What happens if two players want to play a bomb at the same time?
This happens very rarely and the solution of the problem is usually obvious.
However (if you need a rule): Tichu should not be a game of reaction, fast play should not give any advantage:
- bombs can be played before ordinary combinations and
- multiple bombs can be played in order of play.
(BUT: If a player after 5 seconds of thinking decides to play the Dragon, nobody can claim to play a bomb at the same time (and therefore before the dragon).Whoever needs time to think about the situation may ask the other players to wait until his considerations are fullfilled.
And: after a bomb, the player to the right of the bombing player has priority. But this is a very artificial rule, only used if after a bomb 2 players try to play a bomb at the same time...
The proper chain of events should be the following:
A plays a (ordinary) combination.
B can play a bomb or not / C can play a bomb or not / D can play a bomb or not / A can play a bomb or not
B can play a (ordinary) combination or pass
C can play a bomb or not / D can play a bomb or not / A can play a bomb or not / B can play a bomb or not
C can play a (ordinary) combination or pass
(of course you don't want to slow the gameflow with rounds of "I do not play a bomb" on every occasion where players could bomb. But you'd still want to respect this chain and give other players priority based on it.)
Can I bomb my own lead?
Yes. But other bombs have priority. Therefore I have to lead, wait a reasonable time (say: 2 seconds) and then bomb. We are aware of the vagueness of "reasonable time". It must be long enough to give other players the chance to bomb, but fast enough to prevent the next player to play an ordinary combination. - It might be shorter if I lead a single card and a bit longer if I lead a bigger combination...
Anyway: it only matters in the case of another player having a bomb and only one more combination in hand. (In which case he should better have bombed earlier...)
What if two players of the same team announce a great Tichu exactly at the same time.
This is a problem with Online-games but very rare in normal games. In a turnament I'd say that the second player (in turn order) may withdraw his Tichu if he wishes. (But I'd not allow players always to claim having announced a Tichu at the same time and then discussing who might have the better cards and who might withdraw his call.
Is 3,3,3,3,Phoenix a valid full house?
No. In effect this case is not covered by our rules but we may expect the owner of a bomb and the Phoenix to play his hand without this strange kind of full house
Can I play a sequence-bomb as a normal sequence.
No (also not covered by the rules but who wants to give preference to those lucky players always having bombs...)
When can I call a Grand Tichu
Anytime before you take your ninth card. This is a personal decision based on the actual score, the (maximal 8) cards in hand and the information whether any other player (partner) called Grand before). No discussion or other communication with your partner allowed. Not even to stare at your partner for 10 mins and then call a Grand if you did not succeed conjuring him to do so...
Finally there IS a turn order:
(calls on 1-7 cards are possible)
A takes his 8th card (and may call, based on that card)
C takes his 8th card (and may call)
A (seeing that C did not call may call now) A takes his 9th card
C (knowing that A did not, may now call) takes his 9th card.
If you have more questions write to verlag at fatamorgana dot ch
Threechu (Tichu Nanking for 3 Players)
Deal the cards as you would for a four-player game. The dealer plays with a dummy partner.
The dealer may not declare Large Tichu for either himself or the dummy.
Before any cards are exchanged, the dealer may look at both his hand and the dummys.
Pushing cards is the same as in a four-player game, except that you only exchange cards with the oponents.
After cards are exchanged, the dummy is placed face up on the table. The dealer plays on the dummy's behalf. The dealer may declare Small Tichu on behalf of the dummy before the first card is played from the dummy. The dummy does not have to fullfill any wish.
Scores are kept individually, even for the dummy. Each player in a partnership receives the same number of points that the team would receive if it were a four-player game. The deal (and partnership with the dummy) passes to the left after each hand.
Game ends after a certain number of hands. (divisible by three). We do not recommend a game to 1000 points, as the dummy player is likely to win such a game...
Tichu Tientsin (6 players)
In Tientsin (Tianjin) tichu is played six-handed, two teams of three seated alternating round the table. We thank Mr Zhu, an exceptional tour guide, for this variant.
The rules of the game are the same as for the four-handed version, except that:
grand tichu must be announced before the seventh card is taken
each player pushes only two cards, to his own partners and gets one card back from each of them.
the hound transfers the right to lead to ist holder's choice of partner.
in the scoring, the last loses nor only his remaining cards but also all his tricks to the opposition; the fifth (the last but one to go out) gives his tricks up to the winner of the round.
There is no special reward for a double victory, but a triple victory (one team gets rid of all its cards while all three opponents still hold cards) scores 300 points.
Grand Seigneur (5-12 players)
To be frank, we did not learn this version of the game in China, but prosaically in Europe in the mid 80s, from a Japanese student of Criminology at Aix-en-Provence. A simplified version has appeared as "Career Poker" by Hexagames.
Dogs not Admitted - yes, being a partnercard the Hound is utterly unusable. Grand Seigneur is not a partnership game, but rather a wrangle between individualists in a hierarchical system.
The refinements of the game of Tichu are of no worth in the rough and tumble of Grand Seigneur. No one bothers about points. Everyone just wants to get rid of his cards as quickly as possible. No one will announce "tichu!", no one will lovingly gather up his trick and count - just away with the cards! Tricks are taken only for the paltry right to lead.
PS. Collecting in the tricks, shuffling, given out the cards before play begins and all other dirty work is the duty of the poorest of the poor - the Wretch.
The seating order is the Alpha and Omega of Grand Seigneur. At the head of the table, in the most comfortable armchair in the house, sits the Great Lord himself. On his left is the number two in the hierarchy, the Lord. Further to the left, in third place, sits the Squire. In fourth place the Burgher. Number five is the Pauper. In last place - so at the left of the Great Lord - sits the Wretch on a simple kitchen stool.
The number of places corresponds to the number taking part. If need be, obscure forms such as Grand Burgher or Petty Pauper can be added in. Obviously women use the corrsponding forms, such as Wretch (f).
The first round is a simple round of tichu, without any pushing of cards or any point values, in which everyone tries to get rid of his cards as quickly as possible - to be elected as the first Great Lord of the day. Whoever gets rid of his cards second becomes the first Lord and so on. The players then move into the seats to which they are entitled.
The social injustice of the game of Grand Seigneur appears in the pushing in the second round.
- the Wretch pushes his best three cards to the Great Lord (including special cards, which rank Dragon, Phoenix, Mah Jong.)
- the Pauper gives the Lord his two best
- the Burgher gives the Squire his best.
If five play one card less is handed over at each level.
The recipients simultaneously push the corresponding number of cards back - but useless cards of their choice.
The Mah Jong begins, the uneven contest takes it course and the winner becomes Great Lord (...) the tailender becomes the Wretch. The players take their new-won places - provided that any positions have changed. Overlordships is hard to overthrow.
The objecttive of the game does not exist. It is all for fun. At any rate the Great Lord should be able to enjoy unrestrictedly all privileges and comforts of the house (a cup of tea, a little dance performance, a parasol, choice of TV channel, even the desire to continue this lordly game for another round)
The use of two packs is recommended when 7 or more play Grand Seigneur. The Hound and Mah Jong must be removed from the second pack. Extra rules:
- the second Dragon played beats the first
- only four cards of equal rank in different suits count as a 4-bomb.
Howgh!
(An ethnological error by our rule-writer, from which we Editors distance ourselves)
(Ignoramuses! Error be blowed! The Chinese greeting "Knee Howgh" (or "ni hau") means "Person good" and is part of the fundamental vocabulary of all China hands except these dumb editors at Fata Morgana)
(The Editors distance themselves from this distancing of their distancing. Hair splitting in poor taste has no place in serious game rules)
Nach oben Unsere AGB: Ware gegen Bezahlung (so einfach ist das.)
© 2020 fatamorgana.ch


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Review - Comfort
A Journey Through Grief
by Ann Hood
W. W. Norton, 2008
Review by Leo Uzych, J.D., M.P.H.
Mar 16th 2010 (Volume 14, Issue 11)
Comfort is the personal memoir of a mother, Ann Hood, grieving the death of her five year old daughter Grace. Hood is an inveterate writer of books. The enormity of the emotional tragedy of the death of her daughter is recollected, by Hood, in a palpably painful manner. In the prologue and epilogue, and in the ten chapters nestled in between, Hood, using the instrument of a viscerally cutting pen, exposes layer after emotional layer of her grieving for her dearly beloved Grace. Hood's plaintively traversed journey through grief is an emotional magnet penned with artistic beauty.
The body of the book is enlivened with an abundance of animating biographic details. Exhibiting very finely honed writing skills, Hood recollects these details with riveting adeptness. Some snippets of real life comments, interspersed here and there in the book's corpus, further animate its substance. The writing is styled in a plain English manner.
Hood's emotionally painful journey through grief commences with a sobering recounting of Grace's rapid demise, resulting from a virulent form of strep infection. Over the course of her pained journey, Hood writes very candid descriptions of her emotions and feelings; the grief suffered by other family members (her husband, Lorne; and son, Sam) is described candidly, as well.
Following the death of Grace, knitting proved to be an antidote for some of the emotional pain afflicting Hood.
Food also provided a measure of palliative relief. Hood reminisces about foods that Grace relished; and the reader learns that eating foods that Grace had liked was comforting for Hood.
But what Hood did mostly was hide, notably including hiding from the music of the Beatles. As Hood explains, her erstwhile passion for the Beatles (which had also become a passion for Grace) turned upside down and haunted her following Grace's death.
Attending the wedding of Grace's first nanny Hillary was bittersweet for Hood: the sweetness of the wedding was embittered by Hood's heartfelt feeling that Grace should have been there.
The arms of Hood, which had held Grace lovingly in life, now ached emptily for her in death.
Hood's personal tug of war in life, between leaving (things, places, and people) versus staying, and the impact of Grace's death on this struggle, are written about with her customary candor.
The conflicted feelings of Hood about spirituality, and the effects of Grace's death on Hood's spirituality, likewise draw her forthright writing attention.
In the book's last chapter, the adopting (by Hood and her family) of a baby girl, from China, is described. As Hood explains, it is great to have her adopted daughter Annabelle, but the grieving for Grace continues; in Hood's heart, joy and grief coexist.
The powerful currents of feelings and emotions gushing through this personal story of grief should greatly arouse the interest of lay readers. Hood's detail laden account of intense grief should further kindle flames of professional interest engulfing: bereavement counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, emergency room doctors, pediatricians, and clergy members.
© 2010 Leo Uzych
Leo Uzych (based in Wallingford, PA) earned a law degree, from Temple University; and a master of public health degree, from Columbia University. His area of special professional interest is healthcare.