Welcome to our Newsroom. This area of our website is intended for readers in Australia and New Zealand.
Our posts are intended to discuss current activity in our company, the Australian and New Zealand surgical community and also to share relevant information that is happening worldwide.
As we promote our products to healthcare professionals, and not generally to consumers (including patients and recipients of our products), this is not a forum to discuss our products or answer any medical questions.
As we approach the holiday season we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your business during 2014 and inform you of our business operating hours over the 2014 / 2015 Christmas New Year period.
Normal business operations will be shut down from 4:30pm on Wednesday 24th December and reopen again for normal operations 7.30am on Friday 2nd January.
ZipLine Medical, Inc. announced that it has been awarded "2014 Best New Technology In Spine Care" by Orthopedics This Week for the Zip® Surgical Skin Closure device.
Australian-owned orthopaedic distributor, Surgical Specialties (surgicalspecialties.com.au) have entered into an exclusive partnership with Cayenne Medical, Inc (cayennemedical.com).
Australian-owned medical device distributor, Surgical Specialties publicaly announced the appointment today of Phil Nicholl as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and equity partner. As the former President, Asia Pacific for Stryker Corporation, Phil brings a combination of skill and global experience to lead the organisation in consolidating their presence in the industry.
Would you like to join a great team in a rapidly expanding, Australian-owned, Medical Device Company?
Australian-owned orthopaedic distributor, Surgical Specialties are pleased to announce the launch of their new website (www.surgicalspecialties.com.au).
Click here to download our Customer Update notification.
Did you know the average office worker takes just 3,000 steps a day? It's no wonder so many of us aren't as fit as we'd like to be.
Zip® Surgical Skin Closure devices are 8 times stronger than sutures.
An attention-grabbing article was presented in "ORTHOPEDICS THIS WEEK, VOLUME 10, ISSUE 28, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014" co-authored by two orthopaedic physicians from OrthoIndy, Jack Farr, M.D. and David A. Fisher, M.D.
Globally there has been a trend towards increased use of total ankle arthroplasty. With this, comes an inevitable increased need to revise the prostheses, with component exchange and revision procedures often considered.
Post-operative pain management remains a problematic factor within the orthopaedic industry. Poorly managed postoperative pain results in resource and finance stresses to our health system and also directly to the patient.
Surgical Specialties enter agreement to distribute innovative wound closure product.
Surgical Specialties (surgicalspecialties.com.au) have entered into an exclusive partnership with ZipLine Medical (ziplinemedical.com) for their innovative surgical wound closure product in Australia and New Zealand.
As the New Zealand ski fields start preparing for another fantastic season for skiiers and snowboarders, so does the orthopaedic industry which witnesses, the not-so-happy side of this wintertime fun with an increased number of injuries.
Over the past decade, there has been a lot said and written about the obesity epidemic. Initially we thought of ourselves as a fit and health nation, and it was the American's with their fast food diet that led to their obesity problems. In 2014, the difference between the two nations in terms of rates of obesity, is not so great.
With Google recently opening up the Glass Explorer Program to new Explorers (in the US at this stage), many are waiting to see how this will change the delivery of healthcare in the future, and how this may change your next operation.
There is no doubt that there has been an increased level of awareness regarding the clinical performance of metal-on-metal bearing surfaces in recent years, much higher than anyone involved in orthopaedics likes to see. There is also significant awareness in the patient population, thanks to many articles published and presented in mainstream media.
A recent publication in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery provides some interesting data regarding the rates of postoperative infections. With up to 70% of patients who undergo a total hip or knee replacement receiving blood transfusions, the conclusion that infection rates were significantly increased following allogeneic transfusions may bring further attention to this area.Perioperative bleeding is always a major concern in orthopaedics, particularly in major joint replacement surgery. It not only poses major risks to the patients, but also leads to additional costs.
A recent publication in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery provides some interesting data regarding the rates of postoperative infections. With up to 70% of patients who undergo a total hip or knee replacement receiving blood transfusions, the conclusion that infection rates were significantly increased following allogeneic transfusions may bring further attention to this area.
Australian-owned medical device distributor, Surgical Specialties will be a platinum sponsor at the upcoming 61st Continuing Orthopaedic Education of Indonesian Orthopaedic Association Combined Meeting with the Australian Orthopaedic Association Conference. The theme of the meeting is "The Whole Knee: Management of the Cruciates Patella and OA". The meeting is being held at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre from April 24-26, 2014.
While there is much attention given to improving patient outcomes by developments in implant design and surgical approach, it is the risk of infection following total joint surgery that is often most concerning for both orthopaedic surgeons and hospital administration alike.


Tags: Cereal, Marshmallow, Milk, Mixed Berries.
The first Teleos Breakfast at Teleos line. Subtle notes of marshmallow-laden sweetness accompany the flaky undertones of cereal. On the front end you'll get a handful of berry flavour bathed in milky deliciousness and on the back a wonderful sweet, creamy mouth feel. One of the more "mellow" flavours, but full-bodied at the same time. A big personal favourite of ours at Cloudz Vapour!
50ml Shortfill bottle can be purchase with a 10ml nic shot. When mixed, your eLiquid will be just under 3mg in nicotine strength. Use our reusuable Chubby bottles to give you a hand if you need to add more nic!


© Provided by Independent Media President Cyril Ramaphosa said Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams "will shortly be issuing policy direction to Icasa. Photo: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA) JOHANNESBURG – The highly capital-intensive telecoms industry received welcome relief in last week's State of the Nation Address, with the government promising to accelerate the release of radio frequency spectrum, which is seen as the lifeblood of the sector. The move was expected to reduce data prices and open up the market for smaller players.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams "will shortly be issuing policy direction to the Independent Communications Authority of SA for the licensing of the high-demand radio frequency spectrum".
Ofentse Dazela, a director of pricing research at Africa Analysis, said the government had recognised the potential of telecoms sector in its efforts to reinvigorate the economy and the role this sector continued to play in attracting foreign investment.
"By allocating spectrum, the government hopes the move will not only lead to lower-priced data products in the local market, but this will also put the country in the envisaged path of digital economy and to to also unlock opportunities for smaller businesses that hoping to participate in this sector," Dazela said.
Through the Wireless Open Access Network smaller businesses stand to access the costly spectrum resource, which is deemed to be one of the greatest obstacles that is inhibiting the greater participation of historically disadvantaged individuals in this sector.
Africa Analysis in a capex review of South Africa's big networks showed combined expenditure amounted to R100billion in the three years from 2016 to lat year.
The study found that last year three telecoms operators, MTN, Telkom and Vodacom, accounted for 78.6percent of the total annual capex and that MTN, with 32.6percent capex market share, continued to be the largest investor. MTN SA chief executive Godfrey Motsa last month said the imminent release of much-needed spectrum was an important milestone in South Africa's telecoms history and was reason for optimism.
"We are greatly encouraged by the steps being taken by both government and our regulator to progress the release of spectrum. More spectrum will be an important contributor to helping further drive down the cost to communicate and by slashing our out-of-bundle pricing," Motsa had said.
Business Unity SA president Sipho Pityana said the urgency government had placed on the release of spectrum was good for businesses.


text:
Master Plan envisions big projects, including residence hall
Funding for many projects remains contingent on state approval
The University of Colorado Denver's 10-year Facilities Master Plan is filled with exciting and needed projects, all adding to the scholarly and student-focused muscle that's central to our goal of becoming an undisputed top asset in the city of Denver.
'The residence facility has the chance to change the campus in a pretty significant way.'
– Cary Weatherford
Especially exciting on this roadmap, which was the main topic of Tuesday's Campus Conversation in the Terrace Room, is a planned 400- to 500-bed residence and dining facility for first-year students. Were funding to be secured to build the facility, it would be situated between North Classroom and the Student Commons Building, bringing first-year students into the heart of CU Denver's Speer Boulevard neighborhood and strengthening the university's connection to downtown Denver.
There are several transformative projects included in the plan, said Cary Weatherford, associate director for the Office of Institutional Planning, "but I'm especially excited about this one. The residence facility has the chance to change the campus in a pretty significant way."
Weatherford noted that most of the planned projects are contingent on receiving some state funding, far from a given in today's state budget climate.
'Gateway for our students'
This image shows phase-one projects (first five years) – new facilities in red – of the 10-year Facilities Master Plan.
Raul Cardenas, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, added that the new residence facility would help build community, acclimate students to campus and further connect them to CU Denver's vibrant downtown setting. "I look at this as a gateway for our students, a way to show them what our campus is really about. They're going to be feeling that energy from the get-go." He emphasized that "we're going to do everything we can to make sure the housing is affordable."
The Facilities Master Plan, approved by the Board of Regents in November, maps out a vision for the campus over a decade, broken into two five-year phases. If this vision comes to fruition, the CU Denver campus will look and feel much different in a decade or two.
Driven by existing needs and targets for enrollment and research growth and increasing space needs, the nearly $850 million plan includes eight new facilities and six renovations of existing spaces. It calls for leveraging the university's urban location and responding to students' desire for more living and learning opportunities on campus.
First-phase projects (years 1-5) include:
This image shows where phase-one and phase-two projects of the 10-year Facilities Master Plan would be located in the CU Denver neighborhood.
A residence and dining hall next to North Classroom
Engineering and Physical Sciences building, phase one (south of the Science building); North Classroom Engineering backfill
Business School, phase two (events center, entrepreneurial innovation lab, 125-seat auditorium)
Instructional lab wing (addition to the west side of the Science Building)
A mixed-use "Nexus" residential building between the north and south lanes of Speer Boulevard on Larimer Street (currently a city-owned parking lot)
Renovations to the CU Denver Building
Second-phase projects (years 6-10) include:
A Science Building addition
Engineering and Physical Sciences building, phase two
A CU Denver Building annex tower at the corner of 14th and Larimer streets
Renovations to Lawrence Street Center
Weatherford said the Nexus building and the CU Denver Building annex tower signal a developing theme of CU Denver's neighborhood. "What you're beginning to see here is a desire to create a feeling on Larimer Street that is active and really brings in a lot of the character of downtown," he said.
The three prioritized capital projects in the first phase – Engineering building (targeted for completion in '19-'20), Instructional lab ('20-'21) and the CU Denver Building renovation ('21-'22) – are dependent on receiving state funding, which will be made as a three-year package request this year.
Engineering, Business projects
Martin Dunn, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and Rohan Christie-David, dean of the Business School, spoke about the planned projects in their respective areas.
Noting that the new engineering facilities will promote interdisciplinary learning and human-centered designs, Dunn said, "We're focused on creating an environment that supports development of the engineer of the future."
'What you're beginning to see here is a desire to create a feeling on Larimer Street that is active and really brings in a lot of the character of downtown.'
Christie-David said the Business School's physical additions "are not just for the Business School – they're for the university. They will also help promote even closer ties with our industry partners."
View a slideshow with maps and details of the Master Plan.
Improving crosswalks at Speer and Larimer
Weatherford said Senior Institutional Planner Erik Balsley and Chief Planning Officer Michael Del Giudice played key roles in developing the Master Plan, which includes considerations on:
"Active-office" guidelines, similar to those being used at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
Continued involvement with the city-led effort to improve safety of the Larimer Street crossing at Speer Boulevard.
Developing campus sustainability strategies.
Better aligning course enrollments to classroom sizes to improve occupancy.
Implementing recently purchased computer-aided facility management software (CAFM).
Jennifer Sobanet, CU Denver chief financial officer and vice chancellor of Administration and Finance, responded to a question submitted about how CU Denver is honoring legacy populations that lived on the Auraria Campus site:
The 9th Street Historical Park features a plaque dedicated to the Aurarians who were displaced when the campus was developed.
The Auraria Casa Mayan Heritage, a tri-institutional group, was created to promote the early Auraria settlement and indigenous populations residing there.
Sobanet reported that CU Denver received Regent approval for a budget re-write for this fiscal year. She noted that a lower-than-expected decline in international enrollment helped CU Denver to exceed revenue projections for the current fiscal year. Additionally, Sobanet anticipates that in the June Board of Regents meeting, the FY18-19 budget will be approved. This includes a 3 percent compensation pool for employees; more details are available in this CU Connections report.
LYNX UP, Wagner, Wellness Center
In other remarks at the last Campus Conversation of the academic year:
Chancellor Dorothy Horrell encouraged the campus community to continue its already strong participation in the LYNX UP Challenge, which ends May 1. She said the LYNX UP scholarship campaign is essential to easing students' financial barriers to higher education.
Horrell acknowledged the exceptional leadership provided by Vice Chancellor of Advancement Andrea Wagner, who will step down on May 18. A retirement reception for Wagner is set for 3-5 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the 12th-floor Advancement suite of Lawrence Street Center.
Amber Long, director of the Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center, announced a May 9 open house for the Student Wellness Center. The center will officially open in June.
By Chris Casey, University Communications
Things to do for Earth Day in and around Denver
Jake Jabs Event Center groundbreaking
Campus, campus growth, Facilities Master Plan, residence facility, Business School, College of Architecture and Planning, College of Engineering, Design and Computing, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Nuclear Accidents - Civilian
Espionage and Intelligence Gathering
Medical and Biological Effects of Radiation
Nuclear Weapons Design
Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program
North Korean Nuclear Weapons Program
Nuclear Weapons Delivery Systems
Kurchatov, Igor
Oppenheimer, J. Robert
Khan, Abdul Qadeer
Meitner, Lise
Szilard, Leo
The Alsos Mission in World War II
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Keyword Title Creator
My Bibliography: 0
AUTHOR Dobbs, Michael
TITLE One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War
PUBLISHER Alfred A. Knopf
CITY New York, NY
DATE PUBLISHED 2008
The author, formerly a Washington Post staff writer, provides a day-by-day account of the Cuban Missile Crisis from October 16 through October 28, 1962, showing the perspectives of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba. The author uses interviews, visits to missile sites in Cuba, and archival records and reconnaissance photos. Structured chronologically with the headings of each page indicating the exact time when the events took place, the book attempts to capture the anxiety and fear of the time, recounting the major action and the many smaller sets of circumstances that were influencing it. While the missile crisis has been documented extensively, in this work the author seeks to elucidate some of the mysteries that still remain, such as a U-2 flight over Soviet territory, which has yet to be declassified by the U.S. Air Force, and which is treated in this book in a detailed memoir written by the pilot of the mission. Photos and maps supplement the text.
Find in a Library with
Bundy, McGeorge
Castro, Fidel
Dobrynin, Anatoly
Kennedy, Robert
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Osmania University has given affiliation to conduct several Advanced Post Graduate Diploma Courses in Healthcare to different hospitals for the benefit of thousands of graduates with a view to train them or employment in the healthcare industry. The Advanced Post Graduate Diploma Courses in Healthcare are of two years duration consisting of four semesters with theory and practical training and exams in first and second semesters and only practical training and practical examinations in the third and fourth semesters without any internship. Advanced PG Diplomas in Healthcare qualify for a job in hospitals, minor emergency centers, privatelabs, blood donor centers, Doctor's clinics, etc.
Syllabi of all the Courses have been designed with utmost care by experienced University Faculty and Medical experts to ensure that the skills and knowledge that students acquire are parallel to those in demand in the workplace i.e .,Hospitals. The syllabi of most of the Courses include training in Computers information technology and soft skills comprising spoken English and communication.
Healthcare technologists (paramedical experts) are in great demand in India and abroad. They play a very important role in helping the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis for treatment, cure and overall care of patients. More often than not, their role is both diagnostic and therapeutic. Healthcare technologists can advance to supervisory or management position in pathology labs and hospitals. They can also work as laboratory managers, consultants, or supervisors in health care administration.
The candidates with a Bachelor Degree with at least one life science subject are eligible for the courses 1 to 12 above, whereas graduates in all disciplines (except oriental languages)are eligible for course 13 & 14. These courses are offered by different hospitals, in affiliation to Osmania University.


What percentage of participants in your MSC courses are men? My experience as a teacher of MSC and of MBSR, and my conversations with dozens of MSC teachers, suggests that it is common for about 10-15% of any course group to be male.
A few years ago, I was part of a group of male MSC teachers who met monthly on Zoom to puzzle out why the percentage of men in our MSC classes was so low and figure out what we could do to attract more men.
Many of us who teach have noticed that men in our society do not seem to take courses related to their own health and well-being, with the possible exception of when they are in an unavoidable crisis. As my friend and colleague Daniel Ellenberg writes, "men are conditioned to suffer in silence." Rather than participate in self-development workshops about health, well-being, presence, and compassion (such as MSC and MBSR), men are more likely to take "training" courses related to improved focus, results, effectiveness, income, and overall success.
That's because male cultural conditioning favors a bias toward developing so-called "hard" skills that are outwardly focused and do not involve gentle and tender emotions, as opposed to "soft" skills that are inwardly focused and involve softer, more vulnerable emotions. A major reason for the misunderstandings and misgivings about self-compassion is that it's falsely perceived as soft, weak, and wimpy. One way to begin shifting this misconception is to include both the Yin and the Yang aspects of self-compassion in our presentations and conversations.
In addition, I have found this article by Chris Germer and Kristin Neff on "The Near Enemies of Self-Compassion" to be very illuminating. It reflects on the value of self-compassion practices in meeting the real challenges of our lives and our world — a perspective that might appeal to many men. Self-compassion is central to thriving and resilience.
I don't think there is any disagreement in our community that men benefit enormously from MSC courses. We have all seen this happen. So what can we do to bring in more men?
For one thing, I would like to invite the entire MSC Teaching Community to continue this conversation. Whether we do so on PowerSchool Learning, during MSC Teacher Trainings, or periodic community gatherings, sharing effective ideas and strategies would be extraordinarily valuable. As part of our efforts, I would like to see us collect statements and testimonials from the men who do take our courses. We can ask such men what they would say to encourage other men to participate.
In his excellent talk at last fall's Compassion in Connection Conference at the Omega Institute, CMSC Executive Director Steve Hickman offered his thoughts on bringing men into the world of self-compassion. He also suggested that we widen our view to consider how we might bring in more types of people who are not commonly represented in our classes.
Another approach may lie in providing MSC groups that are just for men. There are issues such as shame, bullying, and sexual abuse that some men will feel safer and more willing to explore when in the company of just men.
CMSC did try to fill two different 5-day, men's-only MSC Intensives but was not successful in attracting enough participants. However, in January 2018, Daniel Ellenberg and I worked with Chris Germer to fill and deliver a weekend MSC Core Skills for Men workshop in Boston. Such weekend workshops might offer a more appealing and accessible approach than a 5-day intensive or 8-week course.
CMSC is also beginning to offer Live Online MSC courses that are just for men. One such course, with Martin Thomson-Jones and Joel Grow, happened in 2018. Another LOMSC for Men program, led by Rainer Beltzner and me, will begin March 7.
Even with these men-only MSC offerings, we might also need a different approach, perhaps with different branding, that would be more appealing to more men at first glance; so that they would not be forced to confront their biases against words like "self-compassion" before they even consider the possible merits of the program. In recognizing this need, about two years ago, Steve Hickman, Daniel Ellenberg, and I began offering a weekend workshop called Ultimate Courage. This two-day workshop is deeply rooted in the core concepts of MSC, and also draws from other traditions and approaches. We invite men to engage in the healing cultivation of loving, connected presence in the face of pain and shame, and we also include specific techniques and exercises that encourage them to connect with each other and to discover and acknowledge what is most valuable within each of them.
We have two Ultimate Courage weekend workshops coming up this spring, one in Massachusetts in April and one in California in June.
Let us keep this conversation going. Feel free to be in touch with Steve Hickman, Daniel Ellenberg, and me, David Spound.


text:
New Theatre Oxford
Sat 9 May and Sun 10 May 2020
New Theatre Oxfordchange
24-26 George St, Oxford OX1 2AG, UK
Sat 13:00 and 16:00
Sun at 10:00 and 13:00
Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, MakkaPakka and friends are back in their fun-filled live show Igglepiggle's Busy Day! Join Igglepiggle as he looks for his friends in the Night Garden by following their funny sounds until he finds them all!
You'll see all your favourite characters beautifully brought to life with full-size costumes, magical puppets, and enchanting music. This completely new show lasts just under an hour and your little ones will be amazed when they see a very special visit from The Amazing Flying Pinky Ponk.
There's nothing quite like In the Night Garden Live
- The Independent
Now in its 11th year, In the Night Garden Live is one of the UK's favourite family events. Over 1 million people have seen it so far and it gets 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 13,490 parents' reviews.
Box Office opens at 12:00 and closes 15 minutes after show start. On non performance days, Box Office closes at 4pm.
If there is a performance on a Sunday or Bank Holiday, Box Office will open 2 hours before show start, and close 15 minutes after the show start.
There is a large air-conditioned bar with seating located below the Stalls foyer, two furhter bars in the Circle Foyer and one at the back of the balcony. All stocked with an array of drinks and snacks.
Avoid the queues and be our guest in the Ambassador lounge. Add some sparkle to your night out and enjoy a show with bespoke service.
There is a cloakroom located in the stalls bar. If this is closed please speak to a member of staff. £1 per item. It is free to ATG Theatre Card memebers.
There has been a theatre on George Street for almost 185 years. The first theatre was built in 1836, and a second in 1886. In 1908, the Dorrill family took over the venue and finally in 1934, the third Theatre opened; the 'New Theatre'. Stanley Dorrill masterminded the rebuilding of the theatre as we know it today. He commissioned a new building from the well-known theatre architects William and T.R. Milburn of Sunderland. The Milburns developed the decadent art-deco interior with T.P Bennett and Sons, who also designed the Saville Theatre in London.


Every year No Smoking Day is the launchpad to a smoke-free life for thousands of people in the UK.
This year's No Smoking Day takes place on Wednesday, March 8.
Dr David Kelly, Chair of NHS North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: "We understand that the majority of smokers want to stop smoking, but many find the task too daunting.
"No Smoking Day is the perfect opportunity to inspire smokers in Kirklees to quit for good.
"In addition to cigarettes, it's important to remember that tobacco that you don't smoke (including paan, betel quid and chewing tobacco) is not a 'safe' way to use tobacco.
Several different treatments are available from shops, pharmacies and on prescription to help you beat your addiction and reduce withdrawal symptoms.
Speak to your GP or pharmacist for support to stop.
If you want to stop smoking there are also online resources including an app that can support you to stop or cut down.


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It is made of graphite, acrylic, spray paint and oil on canvas which is mounted on a board. The hair is made from recycled broken glass. The watch and button are real, though recycled too.
It talks about a young school girl coming from a humble background. She is still in college but enjoys living lavishly. She seems to be wearing an expensive watch with well done nails and make up for a girl her age to afford. Therefore, she decides to date older men (sponsors) to fund the lifestyle.
Looking at her face, she looks worried. She knows the danger that comes with living such a life, making her fearful and broken inside. She isn't certain of the future since the sponsor might jilt her for someone younger overtime. She is also afraid of getting pregnant, having an abortion or even dying when aborting.
However, she is still adamant to leave this life and focus on her studies. Her hope is to get the most out of it (her definition of success).
This piece talks to every girl out there who believes that sponsors are the solution to success. Hence, the title The Broken Glass since she is so fragile and she's broken deep inside.
Disclaimer: The opinion from this article are from the artist who made this piece and does not speak on behalf of The Somo Project.


text:
Amid Huge Korean Feminism Debates, Rapper San E Fuels The Fire With "Feminist"
Anna Hommel·
The Korean feminism movement has been shaken up by the release of San E's new song "Feminist" on November 16th. In this song he gives his opinion on feminism in South Korea, making statements such as "Women have always been oppressed/ Us men have always oppressed them historically/But I don't understand those who say women and men aren't equal right now" and "Korea has a gender pay gap of blah blah blah/ F**king fake fact." Understandably, this has led to quite the flurry of criticism on Korean social media.
San E's new song was not expected at all, as his record label, Brand New Music, said it was not aware of the release of this song. San E himself announced the release of the song on social media a mere hour before publishing it. DKDTV, who often explain Kpop videos, posted a translation of the lyrics on Twitter quickly after.
Credit DKDKTV
The song starts off with San E claiming to be a feminist, but it quickly goes into a rant pertaining to feminism, with the rapper complaining about Korean dating culture (where men often pay for dates) the rise of the escape the corset movement, and the Korean MeToo movement. He also mentions that he does not care about the gender pay gap in Korea (which is the highest amongst OECD countries with women earning 63% of what men earn and only 56.2% of women in the country are employed) and questions why women are not required to serve in the Korean military (even though the rapper is a US citizen and did not serve in the military himself).
The song admits that men have oppressed women historically, but these days, men and women are basically equal. The main thing San E wants to say, apparently, is that women should "blame the system, not men."
This song comes at a time where the feminist movement in Korea is present and loud. The past year has seen several developments, from the MeToo movement to the Escape the Corset movement. At the beginning of 2018, the MeToo movement rose in Korea, as several actors, directors, and politicians were accused of sexual assault. Soon after, the MeToo movement took on another difficult subject: spycam porn. Huge demonstrations over the summer have led to the Korean government cracking down harder on spycam porn: websites get monitored more, more arrests have taken place and special teams have been set up to find and disable these spycams in public places.
Feminism in Korea has also touched upon beauty. Although traditionally, Korea is known for its Kbeauty products and rigorous beauty standards, recently the Escape the Corset movement is on the rise. Famous YouTubers film themselves destroying their makeup, and more girls go outside wearing less or no makeup. Teenage girls have also taken on defying school uniforms.
Understandably, San E's song has not been taken kindly. There has been a massive response on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/mooyeoksi/status/1063493401142792193
Fellow rappers have also responded, such as Jerry K. in his track "No You Are Not" and female rapper SLEEQ : "Don't tell us to blame the system and kick us out of the system."
San E has also responded to the flurry of criticism he has received. He says that "Feminist" does not express hatred towards women and claims that the narrator in the song is not him. He stated, "I chose this theme in order to speak strongly against the societal issue of hatred against both men and women". Put differently, he is claiming that the views expressed in the song are not his own and the song was meant to show the hypocrisy of other people's opinion.
When San E uploaded his video to Youtube, he captioned it "I do not detest women. I detest the situations that are sparked by the flames of aversion." Whatever that may mean, I think we can all agree his song added more fuel to the societal conversations around Korean feminism.
Anna Hommel
Originally from The Netherlands, Anna has made her home in Seoul. She loves to procrastinate from studying for her MA by exploring the best kimbap places and hidden parks in Seoul.


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Palmer Follows Turnbull's lead on ETS
The federal leader of the Palmer United Party and Member for Fairfax, Clive Palmer, is following Malcolm Turnbull's lead on supporting market based mechanisms to reduce emissions.
Mr Palmer said he agreed with the Coalition frontbenchers' characterisation of his own party's climate change policy as "short term" and would vote in favour of a new Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Mr Palmer has met with former United States Vice-President Al Gore in Canberra to discuss policy issues relating to carbon and global warming.
"Vice-President Gore is a great leader and he has certainly further convinced me of the need for the whole world to work together,'' Mr Palmer said.
"In voting against the abolition of the Climate Change authority, Palmer United Party senators will move an amendment to that legislation to establish a new Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
The Climate Change Authority will be charged with drafting a new ETS based on the existing model but that would not start until certain conditions had been met. They would report to parliament and the relevant minister would be required to bring the scheme into law
"The scheme will have a zero carbon price and the government will eventually have the ability to set the financial parameters of the scheme depending on the actions of Australia's leading trading partners such as China, the United States, the European Union, Japan and Korea.
"The Abbott Government has got it wrong with Direct Action, which is an ineffective policy and a waste of money at a time when families, pensioners, young Australians, stay at home mums, single parents and our indigenous communities are facing unfair measures in the Budget,'' he said.
Mr Palmer said the Palmer United Party, which will hold the balance of power from July 1, will move amendments on climate legislation relating to the ETS and the Carbon Tax.
"True to our promises to the Australian people at the last election, Palmer United Party senators will vote in the Senate to abolish the carbon tax," he said.
However on the ETS, he said Palmer United Party senators would move an amendment to provide for the establishment of a new scheme which will only become effective once Australia's main trading partners also took action to establish one.
"In understanding climate change, we must remain ever vigilant and be aware of how Australia as part of the international community is doing and, more importantly, what the global community can do together to make the lives of all those who inhabit the world more secure."


text:
package ca.damocles.Damage;

public enum DDamageCause {

	BLOCK_CONTACT, NATURE, EXPLOSION, ATTACK, POTION, SPELL;

}


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LRC Italy's employee of the quarter grew up near Vicenza with an affinity for Soldiers
By Cameron Porter, 405th AFSB Public Affairs OfficerJanuary 11, 2023
Luca Gianello (left) is an Italian local national employee with Installation Material Maintenance Activity, Logistics Readiness Center Italy, 405th Army Field Support Brigade. He said growing up near Vicenza, Italy, he's always had an affinity for Soldiers and Army life. The Italian local national employee has worked for the U.S. Army almost 24 years ago, and he assumed a new position as maintenance operations specialist, Jan. 1. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL
VICENZA, Italy – As a young Italian boy growing up near Vicenza and the U.S. Army installations there, he's always had a special affinity for Soldiers and Army life. Add in his life-long passion for tactical vehicles and military hardware, it's no surprise that upon finishing school as a young man he leapt at the chance to work for the Army.
That was almost 24 years ago, and Luca Gianello, the maintenance operations specialist at Installation Material Maintenance Activity, Logistics Readiness Center Italy, 405th Army Field Support Brigade, said he's very glad he made the leap.
"At the beginning I was an automobile mechanic for my first 10 years," said Gianello who was recently selected as the LRC Italy Employee of the Quarter, senior-grade category, 1st Quarter, FY 2023.
"Following those first 10 years, I was an automobile inspector for 10 more years and then a lead inspector for a couple more years," he said. "But effective the first of January 2023, I am now the maintenance operations specialist – exactly 10 days in the new position today."
The new IMMA maintenance operations specialist said being selected as LRC Italy's employee of the quarter is a great honor but workwise not much changes.
"I'm proud, but it doesn't change anything much for me. I work hard at my job every day. I'm proud that they selected me, but now I will just continue working hard. That will never change," said the 46-year-old Italian local national employee.
In his new position, Gianello is responsible for coordinating the maintenance and repair schedule for LRC Italy, nearly 40 mechanics and maintenance personnel. They work in the automobile maintenance and repair shop, welding and machine shop, and the fuel and electrical shop, plus there are also personnel assigned to the POV inspection station. One of LRC Italy's primary customers is U.S. Army Garrison Italy and its Directorate of Public Works.
"I coordinate the workload and the work schedule with the supervisors of the various sections as well as the POV inspection station," said Gianello. "And if a customer is having a problem, they'll come to me and I'll work with them and the appropriate supervisor to help solve their problem."
"I'm proud to work here with this amazing team. For me, they're like my second family," said Gianello, who is married and has two sons, ages 12 and 13. "This is my first job after finishing school – my first workplace – and it's part of who I am."
The IMMA team at LRC Italy includes a supply shop, a service and repair shop, an allied trades shop which includes production control with safety and environmental, as well as the POV inspection station at Caserma Ederle. The IMMA team does maintenance on commercial vehicles and equipment, such as trucks, vans, sedans, generators, cranes, tractors, street sweepers and more. They also support the Caserma Ederle Fire Station by performing maintenance and repairs on their fire trucks and equipment.
LRC Italy is one of seven LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, and transportation as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management, and property book operations. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Italy directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of USAG Italy.
LRC Italy reports to the 405th AFSB, which is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging U.S. Army Materiel Command's materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site.
January 31, 2023More time for family: Army updates guidance for expanded parental leave
January 30, 2023Deployed Army Guardsmen train with active-duty aviators
January 30, 2023Fires CDID: Supporting war-winning future readiness
January 26, 2023Generations bonded through loss
January 27, 2023Northern Strike builds readiness, challenges visiting units
January 27, 2023Prototyping agreements awarded for Common Tactical Truck program
January 26, 2023Secretary of the Army talks quality of life with Families in Hawaii


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You are at:Home»One year MBA around the world»One year MBA in India»IIM Lucknow»IIM L-Axis Bank MoU to Benefit Female Students of IPMX Program
IIM L-Axis Bank MoU to Benefit Female Students of IPMX Program
By Our Correspondent on	 October 27, 2017 IIM Lucknow, News
All the women candidates enrolling for the 1-year International Programme in Management for Executives (IPMX) at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIML) will get an option to join the private sector Axis Bank.
IIML and Axis Bank have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under the WE Lead initiative of the Bank. In a statement, the bank said it was part of the efforts to go beyond placements to focus on leadership, nurturing and inclusivity by developing mid-managerial talent among women.
In terms of Industry Mix, 34% of the class is from IT/IT Services, 16% from Power/Energy, 15% Manufacturing, 8% Banking/Finance, 6% Telecom, 5% each in Insurance, Construction and Automobile besides 3% E-Commerce/Retail.
This initiative is the brainchild of Shikha Sharma, CEO, Axis Bank. "This cohort is important from the point of view of building a strong career foundation for women to stay within the workforce and progress on to senior levels of management," the bank said.
From TwoYearMBAWorld: Admissions Open for XLRI Virtual Interactive Learning PG Certificate Programs
Aimed at those interested in building a career in the banking sector, the program would provide an overview of the Indian banking industry with a focus on current and future trends and other important areas of banking like retail, corporate, wholesale and consumer business. It also focuses on nurturing business leadership skills in the backdrop of the current business milieu.
The IPMX, according to IIM Lucknow, provides an industry-relevant curriculum, international immersion module and case study based pedagogy designed to transform candidates to industry leaders of tomorrow. It is the flagship program run from the Noida campus of IIM Lucknow, the only IIM with two fully owned campuses.
ALSO READ: Will 'Choreographers' & 'Storytellers' Replace Program Managers in Businesses?
The program is accredited by AMBA (Association of MBAs) and has gained acceptance amongst corporates in India and abroad.
Specifically designed for mid and senior level executives who take a break from their professions to pursue higher education, IPMX designed to groom executives not only to enhance their skills and competencies but also to help them gain a much more holistic perspective of business.
The Class of 2018 comprises 61 students with 92% men and 8% women. The median age is 30 years. The average work experience is 8.4 years. The average international work experience is 8.4 years.
While 30% are from Operations, and 23% each from Project Management and Software Development. The rest are from Consulting (10%), Marketing & Sales (8%), General Management and Entrepreneurship at 3% each.
In terms of Industry Mix, 34% of the class is from IT/IT Services, 16% from Power/Energy, 15% Manufacturing, 8% Banking/Finance, 6% Telecom, 5% each in Insurance, Construction and Automobile besides 3% E-Commerce/Retail.(Image Source:wikipedia.org)
IIM Lucknow IPMX Placement 2019: Average CTC Rs 20.05 Lakh, Median CTC Rs 18.82 Lakh
How Is Life After Doing An MBA From IIM?
IIM Lucknow Team Bags 1st Prize in Accenture B-School Challenge
Is the Indian School of Business (ISB) Over-hyped?
Outlook's Best B-Schools For a One Year MBA In India Ranking 2018-2019
One year MBA at IIM Calcutta: MBAEx (Formerly PGPEX)


After a failed early career as a cellist, Amy has had much better success as a bassoonist. Former Principal Bassoon with the Philharmonia Orchestra, she is now Principal of English National Opera and the Aurora Orchestra, as well as a member of Ensemble 360. A particular highlight has been performing with Birmingham Opera as a 'flying soloist' from a trapeze suspended above the audience.
Amy's chosen to include Roxanna Panufnik's 'Cantator and Amanda' in this programme, which tells the story of an ill-fated love affair between a 14th-century monk and the young maiden Amanda. She will also introduce Nielsen's Wind Quintet, an entertaining piece that captures the character of the musicians he wrote it for, including a wonderful 'argument' between the bassoon and clarinet.


The Performance Solution are committed to giving back to the community!
At The Performance Solution, we are passionate and dedicated to giving back to the communities in which we do business, supporting the education and learning of those who will play an active part in the future management of our planet and giving immediate aid to reduce poverty .
We are particularly active Wiltshire, Bristol, Warwick, Romania, India, Africa and the Middle East. Through various initiatives, we help to build sustainable communities in which we live, work, and do business.
At The Performance Solution, we feel it is our responsibility as a member of the community to support effective charitable organisations that perform humanitarian services for the betterment of our children, society and the future of our planet. We try to choose organisations where funding goes directly to those who need it.
Through People against Poverty and Business against Poverty (see below), we support organisations that emphasize local outreach efforts, the involvement of the community, and children's initiatives that benefit the communities in which poverty is rife. As with our other endeavors, TPS focuses its funding on programmes that relate to our strategic direction and reflect our Core Values of Integrity, Authenticity, and Total Customer Satisfaction.
The TPS team give their time to Directorships and Trustee roles in charities and community interest organisations . Members of TPS also act as advisors to learning and educational organisations such as Bristol and Warwick Universities. In many cases this time and sharing of professional expertise is essential to rebuilding lives, and we are pleased to be in a position to make a difference.
People against Poverty is a charity committed to changing lives by alleviating poverty and suffering around the world through direct action.
Feed the hungry, provide shelter, clothe and educate the poor, care for the sick and bring communities together to break the cycle of poverty.
To form communities to engage with People against Poverty.
To be a gateway, directly enabling communities here in the UK, to engage with international communities bringing life changing experiences.
Business against Poverty, is a community of businesses in the UK who through their engagement with projects support the reduction of international poverty and who have a desire to change the lives of others.
Business against Poverty is an accredited membership; this community of business people care about the issues of poverty and ethical standards and are taking action! Working together with like-minded people, Business against Poverty enables businesses to embrace their corporate social responsibility.
TPS are working with Business against Poverty on their child sponsorship scheme to enable companies or individuals to sponsor a child, in various countries, to help improve the quality of life for the children unfortunate enough to be living in extreme poverty. Many of the children who come onto the scheme have either been orphaned, abandoned, or just forgotten by society. The children are closely monitored by the Child Sponsor Administrator to ensure that their needs are attended to immediately. The money that is sent via People against Poverty ensures the child receives regular meals, basic medical care and access to an education along with small amounts put aside for an annual holiday away at camp, outings in the community, and Christmas and birthday celebrations. More importantly, that child is given hope for the future.
Every penny donated makes a huge difference to the young children and their families. It literally can mean a case of life or death for some. If you would like to help change the life of a child or for more information on People against Poverty, or Business against Poverty then please don't hesitate to contact People against Poverty or Business against Poverty direct.


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Feel the Force, Darlins! How 'Star Wars' Mirrors 'Dallas'
You love "Star Wars." You love "Dallas." Have you ever noticed how much they have in common?
The first "Star Wars" trilogy and the original "Dallas" series are both sweeping sagas that feature dreamy heroes, scary villains, epic romances and lots of family drama.
The similarities continue in "The Force Awakens" and the canceled-too-soon "Dallas" sequel series.
Both stories combine new characters and old favorites.
Both also feature ambitious young men with daddy (or granddaddy) complexes …
Kickass heroines …
Handsome heroes who like to go fast …
And tender reunions between beloved characters.
Also, the "Star Wars" and "Dallas" guys get hotter with age …
And so do the gals.
Other similarities include evil masterminds who toil in the shadows …
Complicated bromances …
Tall gals with guns …
And iconic villains who cast long shadows.
Only one question remains: Now that "Star Wars" has been reawakened …
Why can't "Dallas" rise again?
What similarities do you see between "Star Wars" and "Dallas"? Share your comments below and read more features from Dallas Decoder.
Filed Under: Features, Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Charlene Tilton, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Ken Kercheval, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, TNT
Linda Gray Tackles New Roles — and a New Book
June 8, 2015 by Chris Baker 19 Comments
Linda Gray has spent the past six months playing four roles on two continents.
The iconic "Dallas" star appeared in a London stage production of "Cinderella" during the holidays, then came home to California to film a cable movie, an independent feature film and a new online soap opera.
She also wrote a book.
Hey, you weren't expecting to Sue Ellen Ewing's alter ego to slow down, were you?
"It's been fabulous," Gray told Dallas Decoder last week. "I feel very fortunate because I got to have all these different experiences, one right after another."
Gray's fans will begin to see the results of her busy schedule on June 20, when her Hallmark Channel movie, "Perfect Match," debuts. She plays Gabby, the mother of the groom in a story about dueling wedding planners who fall in love.
Gray describes the movie as "very Hallmark-y," right down to the happy ending.
In other words: Don't tune in expecting to see a Southfork-style wedding.
"No, not at all," she said with a laugh. "Nobody gets dunked in the pool."
Gray donned heavy makeup for her role as an eccentric, elderly matron in the feature "Wally's Will," which will be shown at film festivals this year.
She also plays Joanna, the matriarch of a wealthy candy-making family, in the online soap opera "Winterthorne," debuting August 27.
"She's weird and wonderful. She wears all these feathers," Gray said. "It's one appearance, but I would say she's an important character."
Gray's most intriguing project might be her memoir, "The Road to Happiness is Always Under Construction," which will be published September 8.
She began writing the book while working in London last year. In between performances, she Skyped with her editor in New York City and wrote a chapter at a time, dashing off drafts via email.
The book will cover her experiences as a mother and grandmother, as well as her career. She writes about playing Sue Ellen on both incarnations of "Dallas," as well as her longtime friendships with co-stars Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy.
Gray promises lots of candor. She doesn't want to give too much away, but the book will include her experiences working with the original show's executive producer, Leonard Katzman, who she said wasn't always nice to her.
She also writes about a scene she felt Sue Ellen should never have been part of, along with other behind-the-scenes revelations that are bound to fascinate "Dallas" diehards.
"I wanted to write about the good and the not-so-good," Gray said. "I don't write anything mean or dismissive — I just share what I've learned. Everyone may not like it, but I can't worry about that. As I get older, I find that the things that used to worry me don't worry me anymore."
'The Trampoline Effect'
"Wally's Will"
One passage in the memoir will detail what Gray calls "the Trampoline Effect," a period last year marked by high points, like her return to the London stage in "Cinderella," and low moments, including the death of her beloved cat and "Dallas's" cancellation.
She also writes about the fan-driven #SaveDallas campaign to rescue the series, which she found inspiring.
"I still believe we should have been given another season — even if it was something like eight episodes," Gray said. "They could have billed it as the end of 'Dallas.' The fans invested so much in the series. They don't deserve to be kept hanging."
The cancellation was "like breaking up a family," Gray said. She stays in touch with friends from the show, including Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo and costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin, who all got together with Gray for lunch recently.
"Everyone is moving on, but we all miss working together," she said.
Above all, Gray misses Sue Ellen.
"I always say she was the most interesting woman on television in the '80s. I had to wait 20 years to play her again, and then I got her back and they took her away from me," Gray said.
Although the "Dallas" writers penned several fourth-season scripts before TNT pulled the plug, Gray doesn't know what was planned for Sue Ellen. She suspects the newly sober heroine was going to throw herself into her career and clash with her estranged son, John Ross (Josh Henderson), and his new ally Judith Ryland (Judith Light).
"I think we would have seen Sue Ellen and Judith go at it, which would have been such fun," she said.
Gray believes "Dallas" remains a viable brand with worldwide appeal, although she doesn't expect the series to return anytime soon.
"I never say never," she said. "If it happens, it happens and that would be wonderful. I just don't want to have to wait another 20 years to play Sue Ellen."
Are you looking forward to Linda Gray's new projects? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.
Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: #SaveDallas, Hallmark Channel, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Judith Light, Julie Gonzalo, Larry Hagman, Leonard Katzman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Rachel Sage Kunin, Save Dallas, TNT
Dallas Desserts: Valentine's Day Edition II
"Dallas," this one's for you.
For this year's "Dallas Desserts" Valentine's Day treat, Cook In / Dine Out whipped up a special version of tres leches cake. The recipe calls for three kinds of milk, making it an ideal choice to honor "Dallas's" three-season run. The cake also happens to be sinfully delicious, just like the show.
So fire up your DVD player, pop in a "Dallas" disc and spend your Valentine's Day reliving the series with your sweetheart and a slice of this cake. Be warned, though: Once you taste the cake, you probably won't want to share it — one more reason this dessert is fit for a Ewing.
Filed Under: Dallas Desserts, Features Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzlao, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, TNT
'Dallas's' Third-Season DVD is Now Available
January 13, 2015 by Chris Baker 3 Comments
They're back
"Dallas: The Complete Third Season" arrives on DVD today. You can purchase the three-disc set from Amazon and other retailers.
Dallas Decoder shared an exclusive deleted scene from the DVD yesterday, along with a review of the extras and a poll on the third season's best scene.
Also, if you were unable to join the DVD discussion during last night's #DallasChat, visit Dallas Decoder's Twitter page to read the my questions and the fans' responses.
Will you buy "Dallas: The Complete Third Season"? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.
Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Patrick Duffy, TNT
Dallas Parallels: The Puppeteer
January 8, 2015 by Chris Baker 11 Comments
Cliff Barnes may be "Dallas's" biggest loser, but give the devil his due: He has a knack for pulling the strings of women who've been wronged by J.R. Ewing.
On TNT's "Dallas," after the Ewings framed Cliff (Ken Kercheval) for J.R.'s "murder," he summoned Elena Ramos (Jordana Brewster) to his Mexican jail cell and made a shocking revelation: J.R. once swindled Elena's father out of oil-rich land. After Elena confirmed Cliff's claims, she accepted his offer to help him get out of jail and join forces against the Ewings — an alliance Elena came to regret after it triggered a chain of tragedies that included the deaths of brother Drew and true love Christopher.
Elena — perhaps the new "Dallas's" smartest character at one time — became the latest in a long line of ladies who foolishly sought revenge against J.R. by getting into bed with Cliff (only figuratively in Elena's case, thank heavens). Cliff previously manipulated Sue Ellen, Julie Grey and Afton Cooper, although the strongest parallel between him and Elena might be his relationship with Mandy Winger (Deborah Shelton). During the original show's ninth season, after Cliff stunned Mandy by telling her that J.R. was sleeping with Angelica Nero — cheating on his mistress with another woman, the nerve! — Mandy agreed to spy on J.R. for Cliff.
The scene where Many and Cliff form their alliance is not unlike the one between Cliff and Elena 29 years later: Each woman sits across a table from Cliff and tells him she's confirmed his claims, and then she expresses anger over J.R.'s betrayal and declares she's ready to fight back. Later, Mandy's scheme spirals out of control — especially after she flushes expensive jewelry from J.R. down the toilet — and she ends up feeling guilty and disillusioned, just like Elena does many years later.
The parallels aren't perfect, of course. Unlike Mandy, who makes J.R. the target of her revenge, Elena decides to make all the Ewings pay for J.R.'s sins. Also, only Mandy's story has resolution: She eventually draws the wrath of Sue Ellen, who forces her to leave town.
I can't help but wonder: How many "Dallas" fans wish they could have seen Sue Ellen do the same thing to Elena?
'J.R.'s Betrayed Me for the Last Time'
Seeking revenge
In "Curiosity Killed the Cat," a ninth-season "Dallas" episode, Mandy (Deborah Shelton) sits across from Cliff (Ken Kercheval) at a sidewalk cafe.
MANDY: I went to Angelica Nero's hotel last night and waited. It was 5 o'clock in the morning when J.R. came out.
CLIFF: He didn't see you, did he?
MANDY: [Shakes her head no] When he came over to my place this morning, I asked if he'd worked very late. He said he was back at Southfork by 11. You were right, Cliff. Sue Ellen was right. Everyone was right.
CLIFF: I'm sorry you had to find out this way. But since you did, are you ready to take me up on my offer?
MANDY: [Determined] Yes. You just tell me what you want me to do. J.R.'s betrayed me for the last time. Now it's my turn.
'His Betrayal Cost My Father His Life'
In "The Return," a third-season "Dallas" episode, Elena (Jordana Brewster) sits across from Cliff in a Mexican jail cell.
ELENA: I don't like you. You're scheming. [Sighs] But I researched the land records. What you told me is true. J.R. switched my father's land with a worthless deed. His betrayal cost my father his life. I came back here to accept your offer to be your proxy at Barnes Global.
CLIFF: Good. I spent my life building that company. I'd be loath to think that the Ewings could destroy it before I get out of prison.
ELENA: You're getting out?
CLIFF: Yeah. And you're going to help me.
ELENA: Why would I do that?
CLIFF: Because you want to hold real power over that family. And to do that, you need leverage — leverage in the way of evidence that they framed me for J.R.'s murder. My plane, without me in it, was moved to Nuevo Laredo the night that J.R. was killed. And that American woman in Nuevo Laredo — the dancer, Rhonda Simmons or something — you know, she lied to say that I was in the club when I wasn't. And the gun that killed J.R. they stole out of my locker at the gun range. Together, we can take back Barnes Global, and then Southfork. Take from them what's most important — what they took from us. But I need to know that you have the strength to exact revenge.
ELENA: They kicked me out of a company I helped start. They took away my oil leases. They accused me of helping my brother when they would have done the same to help their own, and now all this? I'll find the strength — because I'm not thinking of this as revenge. I am thinking of this as justice.
What do you think of Cliff's manipulation of Mandy and Elena? Share your comments below and read more "Dallas Parallels."
Filed Under: Dallas Parallels, Features Tagged With: Curiosity Killed the Cat, Deborah Shelton, Jordana Brewster, Ken Kercheval, Return, TNT
The Dal-List: What's In and What's Out for 'Dallas' in 2015?
January 1, 2015 by Chris Baker 7 Comments
What does the new year hold for "Dallas" fans? Your guesses are as good as mine, but one thing is certain: Just because our favorite show isn't returning in 2015 doesn't mean we have nothing to look forward to. Here's what Dallas Decoder's crystal ball shows. What about yours?
IN | OUT
In: Cameos
Out: Chiefs
Guesting | Starring
Celebrating | Mourning
Hardcore fandom |
Casual viewing
Deleted scenes | New episodes
Dreaming up your own resolutions | Limbo
In: Saviors
Out: Sinners
Have mercy, Jesus! |
Have mercy, Nicolas!
Live chatting | Live tweeting
Gratitude | Griping
Wands | Flasks
Cheap gas from everyone |
Cheap gas from the Ewings
In: Matriarchs
Out: Madams
More Shelly, please |
Less Judith, please
Ooh, what's Jane wearing? |
Ooh, what's Elena wearing?
Bust | Boom
#JRForever | #FarewellJR
"Next year in Dallas!" |
"Next year in Cuba!"
Now it's your turn. Share your ins and outs for 2015 below and read more "Dal-Lists."
Filed Under: Dal-Lists, Opinion Tagged With: Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Juan Pablo di Pace, Judith Light, TNT
Season's Greetings, 'Dallas' Fans
The only thing I enjoy more than watching "Dallas" is writing about it, so I want to take a moment to thank everyone who read Dallas Decoder in 2014. Please know much I appreciate your support, feedback and enthusiasm.
This is the first December in a while that we don't have new "Dallas" episodes to look forward to, but I hope none of us will allow that to dampen our holiday spirit. That's why this post is accompanied by an image from the cast's 2012 Christmas-gone-awry Funny or Die video. Patrick Duffy, Josh Henderson and the rest may look a little beat up here, but they're still standing — and by golly, so are their fans.
In that spirit, I look forward to joining with you next year to continue sharing our love for "Dallas." Thanks again, and happy holidays.
Filed Under: Announcements, News Tagged With: Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Patrick Duffy, TNT
'Dallas's' Third and Final Season Comes to DVD on January 13
December 1, 2014 by Chris Baker 8 Comments
Mark your calendars: The third and final season of TNT's "Dallas" will come to DVD on Tuesday, January 13.
The three-disc set will contain all 15 episodes, along with never-before-aired scenes. The recommended sale price is $39.98
You can pre-order the set from WBshop.com, the online retail arm of Warner Bros., the studio that produced "Dallas," as well as Amazon.
Which deleted scenes would you like to see on the "Dallas: The Complete Third Season" DVD set? Share your comments below and read more news from Dallas Decoder.
Filed Under: News, News Tagged With: Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Julie Gonzalo, Linda Gray, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, TNT
Critique: TNT's 'Dallas' Episode 40 — 'Brave New World'
September 28, 2014 by Chris Baker 66 Comments
Throughout "Dallas's" third season, John Ross strives to honor J.R. without becoming him. He wears Daddy's wristwatch and belt buckle and embarks on one ambitious scheme after another, hoping to emulate J.R.'s business successes without repeating his personal failures. Nothing goes according to plan, of course, and by the end of the season's final hour, "Brave New World," John Ross has lost his company, his wife and his family's goodwill. In a climactic scene, the young man who was so eager to be a better man than J.R. — the son who previously slammed his hand on Sue Ellen's kitchen counter and insisted he wasn't his father — stands before her and Uncle Bobby and repeats this assertion, this time with a caveat. "I'm not just like my father," John Ross says. "I'm worse."
Chilling? Yes, but also poignant. The truth is, John Ross isn't worse than J.R. Not by a long shot. John Ross is more heroic than his father, as we see at the beginning of "Brave New World," when he defeats the drug cartel and tries to avenge Emma's rape by nearly killing Luis. John Ross is also much more emotional than J.R., which we witness during this episode's elevator scene, when — having lost it all — he collapses in tears and listens to an old voice mail in which J.R. says he's proud of him. How could anyone this sensitive be worse than J.R.? Maybe the setbacks John Ross experienced this season will harden him and make him as cruel and as calculating as his father, but he's not there yet.
Regardless of how bad John Ross becomes, there's no denying how good Josh Henderson is at articulating his character's complexities. Henderson allows us to feel John Ross's vein-popping rage in "Brave New World's" opening scene, when John Ross slams Luis to the floor, digs a gun barrel into his face and screams, "You regret what you did to her now? Huh?" Henderson offers a different kind of anger in the scene with Bobby and Sue Ellen, when he doesn't deliver the "I'm worse" line as much as he growls it. At the other end of the spectrum, there's the elevator scene, which is moving not just because we hear Larry Hagman's voice, but also because we see Henderson's tears. (By the way: J.R.'s voice mail comes from a phone conversation between him and John Ross in the first-season episode "The Price You Pay," and the song that plays when John Ross begins weeping was written and performed by Henderson. Is there anything he can't do?)
If John Ross's elevator breakdown supplies "Brave New World" with its emotional high point, what is there to say about Christopher's death at the end of the episode? Even though TNT's promos warned us a Ewing would die, this is still a shocking moment. Much of the credit goes to Jordana Brewster, whose anguish is palpable when Elena sees Christopher's car blow up with him inside. (And yes, that is supposed to be Christopher, even though we don't actually see Jesse Metcalfe get behind the wheel.) Nevertheless, this doesn't feel like the blaze-of-glory exit the heroic Christopher deserves. Is the audience supposed to admire him for dying while helping Elena? Sorry, but I can't fathom why he remains so devoted to her after all the terrible choices she's made. I recognize killing off Metcalfe opens lots of new storytelling avenues for this series, but I can't help but wish Elena had been the one to blow up instead.
Christopher's death puts a grisly punctuation mark on this season's better-than-expected drug cartel storyline. There's also a nifty musical montage in which the braided henchman Jacobo kills Luis and El Pozolero in their jail cell before a cane-wielding Nicolas is revealed as the mastermind behind the murders. (The cool song that powers this sequence: Eric Church's "Devil, Devil.") Other highlights include Mitch Pileggi's beautiful performance when Harris professes his love for Ann, as well as Elena and Nicolas's dramatic showdown, although I wish she hadn't shot him. Now virtually every leading lady on this show has plugged someone. Likewise, I could do without Judith Light's mugging when John Ross tells Bobby and Sue Ellen he's worse than J.R. — a scene that should've been reserved for Ewings only. (And isn't it funny how the elevator doors open and reveal Judith at the precise moment John Ross announces she's the new railroad commissioner?)
Criticisms aside, "Brave New World," which comes from scriptwriter Robert Rovner and director Steve Robin, brings the third season to a satisfying conclusion and resets the table for "Dallas's" fourth year — and TNT willing, there'll be one. The scene where Bobby and Sue Ellen foil Pamela's plan to reclaim Ewing Global is heartening because it suggests the Barnes/Ewing feud isn't over, despite what Pamela told Cliff a few episodes ago. I especially like how Pamela accuses her in-laws of screwing her over like Jock cheated Digger. (Is she wrong?) The other promising development: the addition of Tracey McKay to the Bobby/Ann/Harris triangle — especially if it means Tracey and Harris will join forces against the newly reconciled couple.
"Dallas's" most intriguing new storyline, of course, is John Ross's discovery that J.R. has a secret daughter. Like all "Dallas" fans, I have lots of questions about this one, beginning with the obvious: Who's the mama? I figured the young woman would turn out to be the product of J.R.'s marriage to Cally, although executive producer Cynthia Cidre tells Dallas Decoder the daughter's mother is dead. (Cally is still alive in this "Dallas" universe, or at least she was when she showed up at J.R.'s funeral last season.) Will the mother turn out to be J.R.'s longtime secretary Sly, who slept with him shortly before he fired her at the end of the original series? What if Kristin Shepard didn't suffer a miscarriage after J.R. impregnated her in 1980? Could the daughter be the product of J.R.'s romp with Katherine Wentworth, who may or may not be lurking around somewhere? The mind reels.
More questions: How is John Ross going to use the existence of a half-sister to his advantage? You might think someone like him wouldn't want other siblings hanging around, especially if there's a possibility they could stake a claim on his inheritance. On the other hand, he must have something up his sleeve. How else to explain his toast to J.R. and his "Thank you, Daddy" line in the final shot? (Is this a nod to the classic scene where J.R. gazes at the heavens and thanks Jock after sneaking a peek at his will?) There's also the question of where John Ross's sister will fit into "Dallas's" romantic sphere. If she likes guys, she doesn't have a lot of options among the show's main cast members, does she? If, however, she likes gals, there are a few tantalizing possibilities. This could be fertile new storytelling terrain for "Dallas," although I'm not sure the show would want to go that route after the uproar over John Ross, Pamela and Emma's threesome this year.
Then again, maybe that's all the more reason to do it.
Hot wheel
'BRAVE NEW WORLD'
Telecast: September 22, 2014
Audience: 1.72 million viewers on September 22
Writer: Robert Rovner
Director: Steve Robin
Synopsis: John Ross's commandos rescue him and the Mexican police arrest El Pozolero and Luis, who are later murdered in their jail cells by Nicolas's henchman. When the government seizes the cartel's Ewing Global assets, Pamela plans to buy them back, but Bobby and Sue Ellen beat her to the punch, infuriating both John Ross and Pamela. Bobby and Ann reconcile, but she becomes alarmed when she finds him comforting a grieving Tracey. Elena realizes Nicolas is responsible for Drew's death and shoots Nicolas in a fit of anger, but he escapes. John Ross walks in on Pamela and Nasir in bed and later forms an alliance with Judith, who returns Candace's blue dress to him, replaces Bobby on the railroad commission, and gets her hands on Harris's tape of her drug deals. Emma gives one of Harris's secret files to John Ross, who discovers J.R. has a daughter and tells Bum to find her. Elena learns she's pregnant and is getting ready to leave a gas station when a car bomb planted by another one of Nicolas's henchmen goes off, killing Christopher.
Cast: Emma Bell (Emma Ryland), Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos), Melinda Clarke (Tracey McKay), Juan Pablo Di Pace (Nicolas Treviño), Akari Draco (Sheriff Derrick), Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Julie Gonzalo (Pamela Ewing), Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing), Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing), Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing), Antonio Jaramillo (Luis), Judith Light (Judith Ryland), Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher Ewing), Kevin Page (Bum), Pete Partida (Jacobo), Gino Anthony Pesi (George Tatangelo), Mitch Pileggi (Harris Ryland), Carlos Sandoval (El Pozolero), Brenda Strong (Ann Ewing), Mikal Vega (Walter)
"Brave New World" is available at DallasTNT.com, Amazon and iTunes. Watch the episode and share your comments below.
Filed Under: Critiques, Critiques (TNT), Opinion Tagged With: Brave New World, Cynthia Cidre, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Larry Hagman, Mitch Pileggi, Price You Pay, Robert Rovner, Steve Robin, TNT
'Which Ewing Dies?' It's [Spoiler]
Warning: This article reveals the identity of the character killed during "Dallas's" third-season finale. Other storylines are also discussed. Scroll down to read more.
No, seriously, if you don't want to know, stop reading now.
You've been warned.
As promised, TNT's "Dallas" killed off a Ewing in its third-season finale. The victim: Christopher, who apparently perished in a car bombing. In another surprise twist, John Ross learned he has a sister — or maybe a half-sister — courtesy of J.R.
During the back-to-back episodes, Ann and Emma (Brenda Strong, Emma Bell) were rescued from the cartel, Elena (Jordana Brewster) shot and wounded Nicolas (Juan Pablo Di Pace) after discovering he was responsible for her brother's death, and Bobby and Ann reconciled, although she worried Tracey (Melinda Clarke) was making a play for her husband.
At the end of the second hour, Bobby and Sue Ellen (Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray) joined forces to buy back Ewing Global from the government after the feds seized the cartel's assets. John Ross (Josh Henderson) — angry that he was shut out of Ewing Global and that Pamela (Julie Gonzalo) was cheating on him with Nasir (Pej Vahdat) — formed an alliance with Judith (Judith Ryland) and reconnected with Emma, who gave him a mysterious red file that Harris (Mitch Pileggi) had been compiling on J.R. before his death.
Meanwhile, after a more-menacing-than-ever Nicolas ordered hits on El Pozolero and Luis (Miguel Sandoval, Antonio Jaramillo), Elena was seen getting sick in a gas station bathroom, where the results of a home pregnancy test revealed she was expecting. She was on her way to join Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) in the car when it blew up — the result, apparently, of a bomb planted by one of Nicolas's henchmen.
The final scene: John Ross was in the back of limousine, where he received a call from Bum (Kevin Page), who wanted to discuss the contents of the mysterious red file on J.R. "What do you want me to do about it?" Bum asked. John Ross's response: "I want you to find her, Bum. I want you to find my sister."
Dallas Decoder's coverage of the season finale will continue throughout the week, including a special edition of #DallasChat on Tuesday, September 23, as well as full-length critiques of the season-ending episodes, "Endgame" and "Brave New World," and much more.
What did you think of "Dallas's" third-season finale? Share your comments below and read more posts on Dallas Decoder's "Which Ewing Dies?" page.
Filed Under: Features, Features Tagged With: Antonio Jaramillo, Brave New World, Brenda Strong, Emma Bell, Endgame, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Josh Henderson, Juan Pablo di Pace, Julie Gonzalo, Kevin Page, Linda Gray, Miguel Sandoval, Mitch Pileggi, Patrick Duffy, Pej Vahdat, TNT, Which Ewing Dies?


We want to send so much love to you, our amazing readers, always and especially during the holiday season. We're truly grateful that you're reading, and for your thoughtful comments and stories and feedback.
We love you, are honored that you're here, and hope you continue to grow with us.
Those sentences moved me greatly. I want to have courage to risk my own delight, despite what may happen around me. Who knew it could be such a worthwhile risk?
I hope that you too get to risk your own delight this holiday season.
Have some fantastic holidays with your loved ones, and Merry Christmas!


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01/02/2014 01/02/2014 development, financial sustainability, funding, transmedia, transmedia development, transmedia storytelling Leave a comment audienceaudience engagementcollaborationcross platform contentdistributionmarketingmediaNightvisionremedy entertainmenttelevisiontransmedia
Funding cross platform content in 2014
The crowd. CC license from Moses Namkung.
One of the things I've been most curious about as I've seen the rise of cross platform content, transmedia practices and the need to cater for an increasingly active audience over the past few years, is the urgent need for projects to achieve financial sustainability. Coming from the world of television, I believe the chances of you getting to do what you want to do are far greater if you can point to financially succesful projects as examples of your skill.
Now, there are a lot of different ways to go about this. We tested some during the production of the music show "The Mill Sessions" a couple of years back, where we created different cuts for different buyers. A longer HD version for the telecom operator with the IPTV service that was looking to move into music. A shorter SD version for the free-to-air TV channel that could sell ads around the content. Music videos cut from the material sold to the artists' record companies. The DVD/Bluray rights sold to yet another buyer. And everything was backed up by the transmedia script that resulted in shareable material on social media, in meaningful interaction with the audience and in a frame for the whole show, where artists as well as the production crew and the audience could all fit in and see the same content in the same light. Unfortunately, the financing chain was only as strong as its weakest link, which lead to difficulties in the long run when policy changes and restructuring had their impact on the different distribution partners.
Another interesting example is "Nightvision", a mystery horror thing created by Play This Next. I spoke to Kevin Moss and asked him how he had approached the project:
Q: What was your initial approach to Nightvision, with regards to financing and financial sustainability? What approaches did you consider?
A: We saw Nightvision as an experiment from the get go. We've been working on several longer term projects and just wanted to get something 'out there'.
I wanted to create something manageable, in a way comparable to a short-film, as a way to test and play with a couple of structural ideas I had.
We're very aware that we want to have as much control over our projects as possible so we also wanted to test a ticketed event as a possible way to get a return. I saw this as a win-win because by creating a time-boxed experience that was replayed it made a massive difference to how I approached the structure of the piece. Artistically this was very liberating.
We were going to self-fund the project but we made the decision quite early that we wanted a known cast to be involved. I think this really made a difference, allowing the audience to give the project their sense of disbelief a little easier. A small but interesting point. Plus also the added confidence when it came to handing over cash!
So we turned to crowd funding. We approached this as though we were just selling advanced tickets. It turned out to be much harder than we imagined, much. We should have planned much more than we did. We chose the wrong platform too (this was pre-kickstarter in the UK) Getting a little bit of twitter support from Kevin Smith and Neil Gaiman certainly helped us turn a corner. We also managed to secure a little bit of commercial R&D money which also helped.
Q: How has the uptake been, and what do you feel are the key findings you bring with you to other projects from Nightvision?
A: The intention of the project was to prove that we could sell tickets and we did that! We've done pretty much no marketing and we're happy with the amount of tickets we sold. I think limiting this amount of tickets help build a little bit of exclusivity (with the added bonus of making it easier to manage, though we think we could handle a much bigger crowd)
We are now looking at different ways to market the project and the most cost effective way to do it. For example: how would it work within the festival circuit and how would we run it globally rather than just on GMT.
Key findings: people loved the challenging nature of the project, the fact they had to be involved, actively find content and make decisions about where to follow the story. For me this was really pleasing. "Why isn't TV more like this?" was one of my favourite comments.
Backstory is vital (not events but character motivation). The 24hrs before the project are really important. The audience that enjoys it the most are the people who follow the characters on Twitter beforehand and dig into some of the supporting websites. We saw that people were doing this on their commute home, getting ready for the event in the evening.
That said, we were keen to make sure that the backstory didn't sprawl, that it felt contained and manageable, that was important.
People are always late. We told people to turn up for 9, they turned up at 9.10. We built into the story a 15min window and told people to arrive at 8.45pm. This worked better.
We built the experience for desktop/laptops, clearly people wanted and expected to play using their tablets. This think this is exciting and certainly going to be using this in future productions.
Nightvision is actually quite linear. The audience can find the story through various feeds and in a slightly different order, but it is actually designed to be linear. Even so we were surprised by how people approach the experience. Some people used multiple devices. Some one told me they played across three devices (and thought that was amazing!) Some people used Twitter as an anchor and some people used the footage. This is brilliant and as we expected/hoped. In future projects we will build more data analysis into them so we can adapt and optimize the story.
We created a space with in the story that allowed the audience to go back and look again at the footage. The project is intentionally fast and furious (getting this pace right took a lot of tweaking.) To begin we had a very final ending, with all the content being deleted. We thought this was a very clever piece of storytelling, but it turned out people were just really annoyed by us doing that. When we left the content up for 1/2hr and built this into the story it made a massive difference. People pieced it back together. There is always a 20min lull (which is very scary) where after the event there is a virtual silence, then people start to chat about the event.
Choose the right medium for the story. We started with the story playing out on Facebook. We did two beta performances on Facebook and it just felt wrong; the UX experience was not quite right. Swapping to Twitter took some time and effort but it was really really worth it.
Q: If someone else were to set out to do what you did and produce and distribute in a similar fashion, what would be your advice?
Don't make it too big.
BUT make it big enough, people are going to be paying for it, remember!
Control your audience's expectations and don't design a million things. It's very easy to want to make EVERYTHING. Question every piece of content and what it does for the story and the characters. Be minimal.
Be bold and trust your audience. Don't dumb it down for the sake of it. Simple is important, but that doesn't mean dumb.
Don't be held back by code, we built the whole project with no code on existing platforms.
Fast prototype. Try not to write a script but write a prototype. Then get people to click around as quickly as you can.
Selling tickets is always going to be tough. Make sure people feel it is an event.
ALWAYS be truthful to the story. Don't make false hacks to get people to interact. Don't be scared of the audience lurking. Lurkers are really important; design to put lurkers on the edge of becoming active. Finding that balance is the sweet spot.
Distribution is exactly that. Try and find time-saving ways to do it. We've got some great ideas on how to distribute Nightvision but the reality of doing it is very time consuming. This is a real trade off and worth thinking through.
Listen to your audience, but try to make informed artistic decisions. Stand behind your artistic vision.
Finally, a creator who's tried the crowdfunding route is Andrea Phillips, who has been very open with the results of her project "Lucy Smokeheart", initiated last year. On her blog she tells the story of the project, what the results have been and what conclusions she's drawn. But why crowdfunding?
A: I love crowdfunding. A lot. It's best for projects looking for modest amounts of seed capital, by creators with some existing track record and an audience, and for daring indie projects that wouldn't be an easy sell to an investor, a TV network, a publisher, etc. If you're looking for a lot of money and/or you don't have an audience to begin with, crowdfunding probably isn't going to work for you.
It's a bit ugly to say it, but in a sense crowdfunding is monetizing your social capital. You're turning relationships and goodwill into money. That's why an otherwise interesting project asking for a huge sum of money or a person making their very first project ever are going to have trouble hitting a goal; the success of a crowdfunding campaign is usually determined long before the campaign launches.
I also think crowdfunding is an incredible way to check the pulse of public opinion to see if a project is worth doing or not. If there's not a minimum interest to even fund the project, it's better to know before you've spent time and money building something nobody even wants.
Q: With "Lucy" you've been very open with all the data so far, and it's a very interesting read – what have been as you expected it, and what has not?
A: I came into all of this not really knowing what to expect, to be honest. What I'm finding is a sort of middling success; it's not money to retire on, but it's a respectable amount of money to have earned for a work of this nature. But I'm wired to expect extremes, so I half-anticipated total failure to begin with — I genuinely wasn't sure Lucy Smokeheart would fund at all — and on the other hand I half-expected wild success, so the ongoing small sales numbers of the ebooks are a little bit depressing. You start trying to find patterns to what's working and what isn't, when there simply isn't enough data.
The pleasant reality is that there is plenty of space for working creators to craft modest successes for themselves. I've reached the goal I set for myself: earning about as much money as a similar work would earn selling to a genre publisher. The project has done what I set out to do. And I'm finding, to my surprise, that it's starting to open doors for me as well. I can't talk a lot about it just now, but there's been interest in expanding Lucy's story and world onto other platforms as well.
Q: It would seem to me that the solo route is as challenging as ever, however many self-publishing tools and social media channels there are. What's your opinion?
A: In some ways it's easier, in some ways it's just as hard as it ever was.
The main disadvantage to self-publishing has traditionally been lack of distribution, followed by lack of credibility. In the olden days, when you published through a vanity press, it was because you weren't good enough to get a real publishing deal. But now we're seeing the financial incentives flip, and traditional publishing is increasingly looking like a devil's bargain — the author gets such a tiny share of the profits. And so we're seeing incredible works published through Amazon KDP, through Smashwords and the like, where millions and millions of readers can find your work, and it's increasingly obvious that it is not, in fact, the sole path for those who aren't good enough to make it through the gatekeepers.
On the other hand, while distribution is much simpler now, we still have the problem of obscurity. Promoting your work and getting a reader to take a chance is really hard. This isn't unique to self-publishers; it's the same problem facing midlist authors forever, too. But as the crowd of potential books expands away from the physical, we simultaneously have access to an exponentially growing amount of new books by self-published and traditional authors alike, and a growing backlist of all the other written works now being converted to digital formats.
Readers have so much choice now. It's a great to be a reader; there's never been a better time. The jury is still out on whether this is a good time to be a writer, though. Ask me again in five years!
To conclude, I think we'll be seeing a lot of interesting examples of how to fund different projects and make them financially sustainable. Some will flop – hell, most will probably flop – but even so, we'll have some very interesting examples to look at. The crowd, the audience, will become increasingly involved, for good and for bad. Traditional ad revenue will shrink, while interactive, experimental brand integration will be a new playground for creators to get creative on. If you have some good examples, do share them in the comments!


Celebrating its second show of the season, Fort Lauderdale's prestigious Las Olas Boulevard provides the ideal backdrop for this exceptional top rated Howard Alan Events Art Fair. Centrally located in the downtown restaurant and shopping district of Fort Lauderdale, the Art Fair on Las Olas Boulevard is prime real estate to showcase your hand crafted works of art. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the Las Olas Art Fair Part II will again present another exciting blend of eclectic artists, fabulous South Florida weather, and contagious positive energy you definitely don't want to miss!


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HISTORY TALKS...
First skiers in the High Tatras
THIS PICTURESQUE colourised postcard dating back to the beginning of the 20th century shows a group of skiers on the frozen Popradské pleso in the High Tatras. It is notable that all the women have a stationary pose while most of the men attempt to make a dynamic impression, indicating that people at that time thought that having their photograph taken was a serious matter.
It is also interesting that some of the skiers were leaning on just one ski pole – this was a popular skiing style then. The first ski training organised in 1907 for guests at Tatranská Polianka by Dr Michal Guhr featured the one-pole method. Guhr was one of the biggest promoters of skiing in the High Tatras. In its first years, skiing in the region gained enthusiasts as it was part of the organised daily routine at sanatoriums and the sport was considered part of the treatment .
But even 100 ago people aspired to conquer more demanding slopes on skis. The first recorded alpine skiing was on January 13, 1903, by Karol Jordán from Budapest and Karol English from Krakow. These two daredevil skiers took on Krížne hill in Liptovské Kopy.
The first club to pursue organised sport skiing in the High Tatras was from Budapest. This club organised the first ski competition in 1911 in Tatranská Polianka.
5. Mar 2012 at 0:00 | By Branislav Chovan


Located in the heart of South East Philadelphia, a few blocks East of East Passyunk Crossing, BOK sits on an entire city block in a residential neighborhood. Please note, BOKWed has no open office hours, and all tours must be scheduled in advance. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate any same day, unscheduled or walk-in tours.