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Upcoming Releases: VARGA RETURN WITH PROG-METAL TOUR DE FORCE, 'ENTER THE METAL'
Nuendo tells us:
TORONTO - Hamilton, Ontario-based progressive metal band, VARGA, has just unleashed their 3rd full-length studio recording, 'Enter the Metal,' via the band's own label, Vargantuan Music. Currently available digitally on iTunes and Amazon.com, there are several formats of hi-resolution downloads available for purchase from the band's own vargahq[dot]com website. CD's will begin shipping and in stores November 14th, but can be pre ordered from vargahq[dot]com until then.
Comprised of members Joe Varga (bass & vocals), Adam Alex (guitar), Sean Williamson (guitar), and Dan Fila (drums), the veteran band (originally formed in 1989) has built a large and loyal following of heavy metal fans, particular in their home country, on the strength of such popular releases as 1994's 'Prototype' (released via the Zoo label), which spawned the hits "Freeze Don't Move" and "Greed," earning the band a thumbs up on the then-popular 'Beavis and Butthead' program on MTV. After over a decade apart, Varga reunited in 2011, and issued their awesome reunion effort, 'Enter the Metal' (their first new studio album in 17 years).
The album was produced by long time friend and producer/engineer, Julius "Juice" Butty (Alexisonfire, Protest the Hero), and recorded at both Six Nations' Jukasa Studio, and Butty's own Silo Studios. As the band's leader, Joe Varga, states, "In this collection of music, you'll hear a return to our metal and progressive roots with songs laden with heavy licks, crazy time changes and insane vocals."
As heard throughout 'Enter the Metal,' the long delay between releases has not dulled Varga's penchant for penning inspired and challenging heavy metal in the slightest. Welcome back, lads!
1) Beginning Of The End (6:19)
2) Gamera (7:52)
3) Mad Scientist (5:37)
4) Plane Crash (8:01)
5) No More Clean Air (4:59)
6) Shark Attack (6:59)


The Brooklyn Nets are the perfect example of just how hard the NBA is when you don't have any superstars. They made a lot of bad decisions a couple of years ago, but have since tried to right the ship through rebuilding. Only problem? No assets and no draft picks. It's pretty hard to rebuild when that is the case and that's what we have here.
The Nets have done a lot of things right over the past couple of seasons though. They've taken on bad contracts in return for assets, taken chances on young players like D'Angelo Russell and reclamation projects like DeMarre Carroll, and they've given big minutes to interesting players like Spencer Dinwiddie who might not have got it elsewhere. They have built themselves an interesting roster, but where do they go from here?
Brooklyn finished 28-54 last season, but they played a lot tougher than that. A good measure to look at is their against the spread record. This is how they performed against the Vegas betting lines' expectations of them. The Nets had the fourth best record against the spread at 47-34-1. They played hard every night and even surprised some teams. Unfortunately, it's hard to see them building off of that and doing better this year.
There just isn't anything here to make you think that some big improvement is coming this season. Allen Crabbe is a nice piece, DeMarre Carroll is a nice piece, Jared Dudley is a nice piece. They have a lot of nice pieces, but they don't have any stars. This team is actually in a great position to get someone… next year. This year? Not so much.
They will have some interesting decisions to make this year and they could definitely get some assets if they play their cards right. Carroll, Ed Davis, Kenneth Faried and Jared Dudley are all on expiring contracts and those are exactly the kind of veteran players that can help a contender come playoff time. If all four of those guys end the season on this team I would be very, very surprised.
The team is not without interest though. Top pick, 29th in the draft, Dzanan Musa is a very interesting piece. Only 19, he shot 31% from three and 47% from the field in the Croatian League. He averaged 12 points per game and won the EuroCup Rising Star Trophy and the ABA League's Top Prospect award while also being an All-ABA selection. At only 19, the team will likely bring him along slowly but after the sell-off I could see him getting some run late in the year.
We list Allen Crabbe as the starter, but by the end of the year I think Caris LeVert will take that spot. He averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 assists in just 26 minutes per game last season and I could see him taking that starting job before season's end. A good argument could be made for Joe Harris taking that spot as well since he's one of the best 3-and-D wings in the game.
It will also be interesting to see what D'Angelo Russell does this season as he's supposedly in the best shape of his career after an off-season of working on his game. and this is also a contract year for him. A big year could get him paid in a big way and at just 22 years old, he's a pretty strong bet for that to happen.
This is probably the toughest win total I've done yet this offseason. Coach Kenny Atkinson has done well and gotten a lot of his team over the past couple of seasons. They play hard and play smart, if Russell is able to make the leap they could have something here.
I just don't see it though. There are too many veterans that this team can move and/or players who will want to be released come buy-out season. I like Hollis-Jefferson, Russell, LeVert, Harris and Jarret Allen. I'm really interested to see what they do next offseason and at the deadline. I'm just not sure I see them winning more than 31 games this year.


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Ohio State and Clemson fans return to Fiesta Bowl with something to prove
Jessica Boehm
Columbus, Ohio, and Clemson, S.C., are each about 2,000 miles from Glendale and University of Phoenix Stadium, where the college football teams from those cities will battle in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve.
But distance aside, Glendale — and the Valley in general — has become a familiar travel destination for football fans of both Ohio State University and Clemson University.
Both teams played at the Glendale stadium last year: The Buckeyes trampled Notre Dame in the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl and the Tigers fell short of a national title when University of Alabama eked out a win in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Thousands of out-of-state fans are expected to come in droves yet again for this year's PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, which is also a semifinal playoff game. The winner will head to Tampa Bay, Fla., for a shot at a national title.
Both teams have historic football programs and passionate fan bases that go to extraordinary lengths to travel with their team.
They include fans like Chad Lusher, 42, of Columbus, who is driving two-and-a-half 2½ hours out of the way to fly from Indianapolis. When the Fiesta Bowl teams were announced, prices of flights to Phoenix from Ohio skyrocketed, but Lusher, who said he's been to 300 Ohio State games in his lifetime, couldn't imagine missing it.
Or Clemson alum Jeff Moyer of Limerick, Penn., who is spending just 12 hours in Arizona. He surprised his 14-year-old son with tickets to his first Clemson bowl game for Christmas. They land in Phoenix about 5 hours before kickoff, and leave on a red-eye flight at midnight.
But for both sets of fans, this game means more than usual: It's a chance to prove something to themselves.
For Ohio State fans, there's pressure to showcase that Arizona is Ohio State territory. The Buckeyes have played seven bowl games in Arizona over the past 15 years, and Phoenix is home to one of the largest Buckeye alumni contingents in the nation. Fans know they have an obligation to overwhelm the stadium with scarlet, no matter how many Clemson fans make the trip.
And for Clemson, the Fiesta Bowl is a shot at redemption. Fans say they will return to the site of last year's loss with their heads held high, determined to cheer the Tigers to a win. That will not only allow them to replace the painful memory, but also give them another shot at a national title.
Arizona: Ohio's southwestern home
Brandee Nemire, 26, was born and raised in Scottsdale. But she also was born and raised as a Buckeye fan.
Nemire attended Ohio State University eight years ago, and she stayed in Columbus. She's now an admissions counselor for the university and manages a sorority house.
But she wouldn't miss the Fiesta Bowl. She's seen the Buckeyes in the Arizona bowl game six times. Nemire flew to Arizona for Christmas and decided to stay through New Year's weekend to take her parents and twin nieces to the game.
"I consider these places both of my homes, and to have them come together for this weekend is very cool," Nemire said.
She's not worried about Clemson's presence at University of Phoenix Stadium. If she had to guess, she thinks it will be 70 percent Buckeye fans.
Not only do the team's fans travel incredibly well, but many of them also have Arizona ties, which makes the state a popular tourist destination for Ohioans.
That was the case for Tyler Cortelezzi, 32, who lived in Scottsdale for about four years after he graduated from Ohio State University. He moved back to Columbus in 2011.
He and his wife decided to make the trip to Phoenix for the bowl game, partially because it was a playoff game, but also because some of their best friends still live in the Valley.
"We spent four years of our life out there so that makes it a pretty compelling reason to go back out there," Cortelezzi said.
Alexis Ito, 30, has never traveled to Phoenix, but she said she expects this weekend to be reminiscent of a giant reunion. The alumni association is hosting a "Buckeye Bash" pep rally Friday afternoon at Westworld of Scottsdale from 2:30 p.m.-4 p.m.
She grew up in Ohio and attended Ohio State University, but several of her childhood friends now live in Arizona, she said. Outside of Ohio, she predicts Arizona is home to the largest Ohio State alumni base in the nation.
Lusher, who is making the trip with three close friends, called Phoenix his home away from home, despite the fact that he's never lived in the Valley. The Buckeyes have brought him to three or four Fiesta Bowls so far, he said.
"It's almost like a home game because we always outnumber whoever we play out there," he said.
Unfinished business for Clemson
Moyer, who's making the turn-around trip from Pennsylvania, isn't concerned about being outnumbered, or being an underdog.
"I love the fact we're an underdog. That's kind of the position we like to be in. I have a tremendous amount of confidence we will go back to Phoenix and come back victorious," he said.
Suzanne Shumway, 39, was in the stadium the last time Clemson played in the Valley, and watched the team lose by five points to University of Alabama.
She didn't let it get her down. She decided to make this season her "bucket-list season" and attend every game — home and away — including the Fiesta Bowl and, hopefully, another national championship.
"I have a good feeling. We're supposed to go back to Arizona and win where we lost. Things are ending up to work out really well," she said.
Shumway said she "didn't care one iota about football" before she went to Clemson. She lives in Charlotte, N.C., now, but has bought season tickets for all but two years since she graduated.
"I won't move to where I would be too far to get to Clemson," she said.
Carrie-Rachel Dean, 44, also went to last season's championship game and the loss left her more devastated than she expected. She's "pretty excited to move forward," she said.
"I actually kind of like it for our guys. It's pretty cool that the game is happening in the same place. They have unfinished business in that stadium," Dean said. She's the co-founder of the Clemson alumni club in New York City.
Dean is driving to Arizona from South Carolina with her parents and plans to stop at the Grand Canyon and Sedona along the way.
"I haven't taken a road trip with my parents in 30 years probably," she said.
Winnie Tannery Pelfrey, 64, lived in Phoenix for 22 years, but the Clemson Tigers never made it to a game in Arizona until just before she and her husband were preparing to move to Oregon in January.
They stayed long enough to attend the national championship game, and although the outcome wasn't what she wanted, she was thrilled to have her team in her backyard.
This year, she's flying to Phoenix and said she has "great faith" that the Tigers will emerge victorious.
And for Pelfrey — who attended Clemson in the '70s and shared an English class with football great Bubba Brown — a win in the Fiesta Bowl wouldn't just be redemption from last year's loss, it would also be a chance for payback, nearly 40 years in the making.
She took her daughter and oldest son to the 1978 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. The coach of Ohio State's team, Woody Hayes, punched a Clemson player in the throat after he intercepted a pass. All these years later, the incident still leaves a bad taste in Pelfrey's mouth. This is the second time the teams have met since that infamous game.
"If there's anyone we hate as much as (the University of) South Carolina, it's the Ohio State Buckeyes," she said.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In a move that is sure to get many fans talking: the Killer Instinct team has sent well wishes to Ed Boon & NetherRealm Studios for their official launch of Mortal Kombat X!
"To @noobde & @netherrealm, have a KILLER Launch!
Before anyone gets too carried away -- the message delivered via Microsoft's Community Manager is much more of a Friendship than a challenge to fight to the death.
Despite Killer Instinct's "MK killer" status in the early nineties, the series has been a cult shadow to Mortal Kombat, dormant since its 1997 Nintendo 64 sequel port, until resurrection as a 2013 Xbox One exclusive. KI's aesthetics and violence paid obvious homage to Mortal Kombat, while appropriating ideas from other fighting game influences, such as Street Fighter.
While Street Fighter has long been seen as the "inevitable" opponent for a future Mortal Kombat crossover, the trans-pacific divide has rarely been crossed [read more], making Killer Instinct's Chicago ties an argument for a franchise face-off.
Killer Instinct - friend or foe? Register to have your say on the Mortal Kombat X forum! Celebrate the launch of by liking and sharing related stories via @MK_Online & Facebook!
Reminds me of when PS4 and Xbox wished each other a successful launch. I like that sort of thing. Civility among rivals.
Honestly makes me smile seeing comradery between two fighting game developers.
That is pretty cool, honestly.

Though I can't help but think how a lot of Street Fighter fans (not devs, fans) always seem to trash talk other fighting games on video game boards instead of talking about their own. Not all of them, but I see it a lot. It's like the existence of other fighting games bothers them.
That is pretty cool, honestly.
Though I can't help but think how a lot of Street Fighter fans (not devs, fans) always seem to trash talk other fighting games on video game boards instead of talking about their own. Not all of them, but I see it a lot. It's like the existence of other fighting games bothers them.
They were celebrating it all week, very dope of them.
Very cool.

As for crossovers, MK vs KI is more likely than anything else because the 2 are more similar in art style and violence level. I think people would prefer to see MK vs SF, but I don't see Ed Boon wanting to dumb down MK after MK vs DC and I don't see Capcom allowing Fatalities to it's characters.

Also, reading the linked forum stuff, I read somewhere they were basing the sales and receoption of SF X Tekken to determine other crossovers. MK vs SF has infinitely more appealing than SF X Tekken.
As for crossovers, MK vs KI is more likely than anything else because the 2 are more similar in art style and violence level. I think people would prefer to see MK vs SF, but I don't see Ed Boon wanting to dumb down MK after MK vs DC and I don't see Capcom allowing Fatalities to it's characters.
Also, reading the linked forum stuff, I read somewhere they were basing the sales and receoption of SF X Tekken to determine other crossovers. MK vs SF has infinitely more appealing than SF X Tekken.
If a crossover game were to happen, it would have to be an Xbox exclusive since KI is the property of Microsoft.
Dont know how to feel about this TBH but phil spencer says it would be a cool idea https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/589929968328552448?s=08. Would you want a Ki vs MK game.
I've been all for this idea since I was aware both games existed. Like buddy above me point out though, it would be difficult as KI is owned by Microsoft.
Killer Instinct is amazing and the reason I bought an Xbox One in 2013. It's crazy to have MK and KI icons together on my dashboard.

MK vs. KI would be great but probably will not happen. Unless Microsoft worked something out with WB and NRS.
Killer Instinct is amazing and the reason I bought an Xbox One in 2013. It's crazy to have MK and KI icons together on my dashboard.
MK vs. KI would be great but probably will not happen. Unless Microsoft worked something out with WB and NRS.
Is it impossible for Microsoft or whoever to sign a deal to allow MKVSKI be on PS4 too? Or is that something that would just never happen no matter what?
Yes! Yes! Yes!. I also been waiting for this since the beginning.

Blade4693 Wrote:
Is it impossible for Microsoft or whoever to sign a deal to allow MKVSKI be on PS4 too? Or is that something that would just never happen no matter what?

See the problem with that is that it's a monatery issue. Basically it would give PS free money and Microsoft doesn't really want to aid the "enemy" or help them gain money, especially if more people buy it for the PS.
See the problem with that is that it's a monatery issue. Basically it would give PS free money and Microsoft doesn't really want to aid the "enemy" or help them gain money, especially if more people buy it for the PS.
They should make a contract saying Microsoft (Or whoever owns KI) gets a certain percentage of each game sold, even PS4 versions.
For me, it's a yes and no.
Yes because MK would mesh very well with KI and it would be very interesting to see how they translate the mechanics from each game. Plus seeing MK characters doing an Ultra Combo would be insane.
No because I never want to see MK go exclusive to any one platform. I would not support that at all. And since there's no way in hell Microsoft would let Playstation have a piece of that crossover, I can't in all good conscience support it.
I think it is more likely an MK character like Scorpion or Sub-Zero will appear in KI.
Is it just me or has anyone else seen the competition between MK & KI the same way people see the competition between SF & KOF.

Only difference is one rivalry is American and the other one isn't lol.

As for my opinion I would be down for it but because of Microsoft exclusive-ness that has KI kinda on lock down I don't know if Boon even see's a point anymore unless something was worked out.
Is it just me or has anyone else seen the competition between MK & KI the same way people see the competition between SF & KOF.
Only difference is one rivalry is American and the other one isn't lol.
As for my opinion I would be down for it but because of Microsoft exclusive-ness that has KI kinda on lock down I don't know if Boon even see's a point anymore unless something was worked out.


This copy shows the entry on 22-Apr-2019 at 22:58:36.
GREAT TEW B4031 SP33SE (North side) 2/31 Outbuilding approx. 5m. N of 24/09/85 Pike Cottage (Formerly listed as Outbuilding to rear of Pike Cottage) GV II Outbuilding. c.1800. Coursed marlstone rubble with wooden lintels; thatch roof with brick lateral stack. 2-bay plan. Front has a central plank door and there is a 2-light casement at the rear, possibly inserted. Interior: copper in corner. Principal rafters cross at apex. Included for group value.


RoseAnne oversees all the education and outreach programs of the Sarasota Orchestra including the Sarasota Music Festival. She says that watching the students grow up as they move through the Sarasota Youth Orchestras and the Summer Music Camp is one of the most fascinating aspects of her position. Earning her Bachelors and Masters degrees in double bass performance from Indiana University, Bloomington.
RoseAnne is a also a contracted player with the Sarasota Orchestra and you will frequently see her on stage playing bass at concerts.
"Strauss' Four Last Songs are my favorite compositions because they are just so beautiful and moving no matter where I am in life."


(1) The New Day beat The Bar.
(2) Primo vs. Sin Cara ended in a no contest when Sanity ran in and destroyed both. I thought it was kind of awesome that they came in because they didn't have to. They came all the way to Albuquerque, dressed up, and had one minute of ring time. They did and it was awesome for fans.
(3) Andrade Cien Almas (w/Zelina Vega) beat Tye Dillinger. Awesome match! I didn't expect to see Almas, so it was a treat to see him. Vega was awesome, too. She did the whole Paul Heyman-style intro by interrupting the ring announcer to introduce Almas.
(4) Rusev beat The Miz. Miz was awesome as always. He knows how to work the crowd. He showed a certain star power, in my opinion.
(5) Becky Lynch beat Sonya Deville. Lynch got the biggest pop. I enjoyed your podcast where you guys talked about how we like her but expect to see her lose all the time. Deville ranted on Twitter about her late arrival, but she made it.
(6) The Bludgeon Brothers beat Karl Anderson & Luke Galows. A lot of "Too Sweet" chants. Even Gallows was encouraging the crowd to say "Too Sweet, Woo Woo!" Anderson and Gallows had their moments with hot tags and they looked good, but of course the Bludgeon Brothers won with a top rope powerbomb to Anderson.
(7) Jeff Hardy beat Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Shelton Benjamin in a Fatal Four-way match. Hardy still had his old make-up on even though just before the match they showed his Smackdown promo on the big screen. That was weird. Short match. Hardy stayed around to sign pictures and mingle with fans.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, we enjoyed the show. Worth the money for sure. The floor was full. I sat in a box right up from the floor and those were fun, but the upper deck was a little embarrassingly empty. I wanted more people to show up so they'd be back again sooner. All they said was see you Tuesday night on USA Network.
Thanks for the podcasts. I listen on my way to work and when I'm mowing the lawn. Good job!


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Midtown Literacy Services would like to work with Pathways To Potential DHS initiative, to reduce public school truancy for students having difficulties. The Literacy Center is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit public benefit organization dedicated to improving lives through literacy and education.
They provide online tutoring (includes laptop) and Summer Fitness Sports Camps. DBA as Midtown Literacy Services, have partnered with Detroit Police Department's Alternative to Suspension and Expulsion Initiative, The Parade Company Ford Fireworks, Summer Camps at Wayne State University, and worked with Detroit Public Schools in our efforts to promote Literacy through our summer camps and tutoring program.
This would be an opportunity for The Literacy Center to be part of helping to reduce truancy and educating our kids through literacy initiatives by making learning fun, engaging and entertaining. Please see the link to Midtown Literacy Services 2013 Ford Fireworks Tent.


If you got busted for speeding or got caught running a red light, don't worry. You may be eligible to complete a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) approved traffic school course that can drastically reduce the repercussions of your ticket.
What Are the Benefits of Traffic School?
Completing a California Online traffic school course can be beneficial in a number of ways. First of all, completion of a course often means that you will not receive a point on your driving record. The DMV will still keep a record of your infraction, but the infraction will not be part of your public record. This is a great way to avoid a bump up in your insurance bill. You may also be able to dismiss your citation by completing traffic school. If you are eligible, the court that is handling your ticket will likely send you a notice explaining your options. If you do not receive a courtesy notice, call your court for more information (the number should appear on your citation). Even if you did not receive a traffic ticket, there are still benefits to traffic school. Many insurance companies reward their clients with safe driver discounts if they choose to voluntarily complete a traffic school course. Check with your insurance provider to learn about their policy.
You were driving a noncommercial vehicle.
You were ticketed for a moving violation.
Infractions that took place in a commercial vehicle.
Offenses that require a mandatory court appearance.
If you have already been to traffic school for another infraction in the last 18 months, you will NOT be eligible to attend again.
To find a California State Approved Traffic School, you can visit the DMV's Occupational License Status Information System and click "start search." Once you access the system, you will be able to search for traffic schools. You will be supplied with a list of schools and can even modify your search to include only internet, classroom, or home study courses. The cost of traffic school varies depending on the school and county.
During your traffic school course you will learn about California traffic laws, defensive driving techniques, and other tips that will lead to safer driving. Traffic school courses can be taken online, in a classroom, or at home using a DVD study course. Most of these courses will take around 6 hours to complete. At the end of the course you will take a final exam. You must pass the final exam to receive your certificate of completion. If you are taking your course in a classroom, the test will be administered there. If you are taking a course online or at home using a study course, you may be required to take your final exam at a DMV approved location. This will be made clear during the course. Once you pass your final exam, you will receive your certificate of completion. The traffic school will notify the DMV and the court that is handling your violation that you have successfully completed your course. To be safe, consider calling the DMV and court to verify your traffic school completion has been confirmed.


It's hard to believe I've worked at ICC almost 35 years! I want to thank all that came to my retirement celebration in December. I really appreciate that each of you took the time to wish me well.
I am so lucky to have worked with such wonderful people! Thanks for all the cards and gifts that I received. They are much appreciated. I will truly miss my ICC family! Onward to the next chapter!


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The impact of robotic intervention on joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorders
Hirokazu Kumazaki1Email authorView ORCID ID profile,
Yuichiro Yoshikawa2,
Yuko Yoshimura1,
Takashi Ikeda1,
Chiaki Hasegawa1,
Daisuke N. Saito1,
Sara Tomiyama1,
Kyung-min An1,
Jiro Shimaya2,
Hiroshi Ishiguro2,
Yoshio Matsumoto3,
Yoshio Minabe1 and
Mitsuru Kikuchi1
A growing body of anecdotal evidence indicates that the use of robots may provide unique opportunities for assisting children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, previous studies investigating the effects of interventions using robots on joint attention (JA) in children with ASD have shown insufficient results. The robots used in these studies could not turn their eyes, which was a limitation preventing the robot from resembling a human agent.
We compared the behavior of children with ASD with that of children with typical development (TD) during a JA elicitation task while the children interacted with either a human or a robotic agent. We used the robot "CommU," which has clear eyes and can turn its eyes, for the robotic intervention. The age range of the participants was limited to 5–6 years.
Sixty-eight participants participated in this study, including 30 (10 females and 20 males) children with ASD and 38 (13 females and 25 males) children with TD. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the following two groups: the robotic intervention group or the control group. JA in the children with ASD was better during the robotic intervention than during the human agent intervention. These children exhibited improved performance in the JA task with human after interacting with the robot CommU. JA was differentially facilitated by the human and robotic agents between the ASD and TD children.
The findings of this study significantly contribute to the literature on the impact of robots on JA and provide information regarding the suitability of specific robot types for therapeutic use.
Joint attention
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social communication deficits and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors [1]. A core social-communication deficit observed in children with ASD is limited joint attention (JA) behaviors. JA refers to a social exchange in which a child coordinates attention with a social partner or aspect of the environment by the acts of eye-gazing and pointing or other verbal or non-verbal indications. JA serves as a foundation for developing communicative competence and early social and cognitive skills [2–9]. Early interventions that facilitate JA are promising because these strategies increase children's opportunities to learn from their environment and change their developmental trajectories [10, 11].
To engage in JA, children must orient toward their social partners and shift attention rapidly between social and non-social stimuli in their surroundings [12, 13]. Children with ASD require a well-suited interaction partner to develop JA skill [14]. In many cases, children with ASD do not show sustained motivation to interact with an interaction partner. For caregivers and trainers, concentrating on interactions with children with ASD is a difficult task [15, 16].
Children with ASD preferentially orient visually toward non-social objects, such as robots, rather than social objects [17–19]. These children prefer non-social objects because they are predictable, simple, and easy to comprehend. The use of robots may provide unique opportunities for assisting children with ASD [20–25]. For example, children with ASD exhibit improved performance in imitation tasks using a robot [22, 26]. However, previous studies [14, 27, 28] investigating the efficacy of interventions using robots on JA in children with ASD have shown insufficient results because these studies used a robot (i.e., "Nao") that cannot turn its eyes. The robot's inability to turn its eyes was a limitation that prevented the robot from resembling a human agent, and eye-gazing is among the primary elements of JA [28, 29].
Thus, we selected the communication robot "CommU" (Fig. 1; Vstone Co., Ltd.) [30, 31] to facilitate JA. CommU has clear eyes and can turn its eyes. Because eye contact is a basic social skill that children with ASD often lack, CommU's clear eyes allow the children to recognize and interpret the communication signals and are expected to facilitate JA.
CommU
We compared the behavior of children with ASD with that of children with typical development (TD) during a JA elicitation task while the children interacted with a human or a robotic agent. The primary objective of this study was to test whether the robot is more useful in facilitating JA than a human agent in children with ASD during an interactive session. Second, we tested whether children with ASD show improvement in JA during human interactions after interacting with the robot CommU. Third, we tested whether the robot is more useful in facilitating JA in children with ASD than children with TD. We hypothesized that (a) children with ASD would demonstrate better JA under the CommU condition than under the human agent condition, (b) children with ASD would show improvement in JA tasks with a human after interacting with CommU, and (c) the facilitative effect of JA due to robot intervention would be larger in children with ASD than in TD children.
The age of the participants naturally affects the outcome of experiments investigating JA. JA performance in older children with ASD (mean age 9.25 ± 1.87 years) is similar to that in TD children during interactions with a human agent [14]. However, these experiments are too difficult for younger children to complete. In fact, in a previous study [28] involving children with ASD under 5 years of age, many participants dropped out of the study. In our preliminary study (unpublished), many children younger than 4 years of age were afraid of CommU and could not participate in the study. This confounding factor should be minimized using subjects within a narrow age range over 5 years. In addition, Vailouli et al. [32] suggested that challenges with JA do not abate, even at the time the child enters elementary school. There are several studies reporting the efficacy of JA intervention in children with ASD older than 5 years of age. For example, Vailouli et al. [32] have shown that JA intervention for children with ASD between the ages of 5 and 7 years was effective in promoting social engagement. Eissa [33] showed that JA intervention for children with ASD between the ages of 5 and 7 years was effective in improving eye contact, gesturing, following instructions, initiating caressing/singing, and communication skills. Therefore, we studied participants whose age range was limited to 5–6 years.
The present study was approved by the ethics committee of Kanazawa University. All participants were recruited from the Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University. All procedures involving human participants were conducted according to the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its subsequent amendments or comparable ethical standards. After providing a complete explanation of the study, all participants provided written informed consent. All participants and their guardians agreed to participate in the study. The inclusion criteria for the participants were as follows: (1) age 5–6 years, (2) mental processing score on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) [34] ≥ 70, and (3) acquisition score on the K-ABC ≥ 70. The K-ABC was employed to estimate the intelligence levels of the children. The children with ASD were diagnosed using the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) [35], the Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) [36], and the DSM-5 criteria at the time of recruitment for this study. Children with ASD were included in this study if they met the diagnosis criteria for childhood autism, atypical autism or Asperger's syndrome with DISCO or the ADOS criteria for an autism spectrum disorder.
The parents of the children in the TD group completed the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) [37] to screen for clinically significant ASD symptoms in the TD children. Furthermore, to exclude children with psychiatric diagnoses, the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI Kids) [38, 39] was administered.
Both the children with ASD and the TD children were randomly assigned to one of two groups (see Fig. 2). The participants completed a sequence of three interaction conditions that were done consecutively within the same visit. In the robotic intervention group, the participants interacted with "human A," "CommU," and "human A." In the control group, the participants interacted with "human A," "human B," and "human A." The participants were informed of the interaction order after the group assignments. During each session, the participants interacted with the robot or human agent for approximately 5 min (i.e., the participants in each group had approximately 15 min of total interaction). During each interaction, a human agent or "CommU" followed a specific interview script and protocol. Across the sessions, the scripts were slightly varied to promote engagement but followed the same basic structure. Please refer to the Additional file 1 for examples of the scripts.
During the "CommU" session, the robot was placed on a table in the middle of the room. To elicit the belief that the robot behaved and responded autonomously, we adopted a Wizard-of-Oz scheme similar to the systems conventionally used in robotics studies [40]. Specifically, the robot was operated by the researchers, who sat in front of a terminal computer located against a wall in the experimental room; the researchers were not visible during the trial. The participants were not informed that the robots were controlled by the researchers. The researchers operated the robots according to the prepared scripts.
To capture the relevant information, a simple joint interaction performance was prepared. A child-sized table with chairs was set up in the middle of the experimental room. The parents were invited to sit 150 cm diagonally behind their child. CommU or a human agent was seated in front of the participant at a distance of 150 cm. We placed CommU on a desk at a height similar to that of a human agent. Two images were placed on the left and right sides of the participant, which were used as the foci of attention by the system. The images were 21 cm × 29.7 cm (width × height). The images were replaced each session. The images were placed at locations 200 cm to the side of the participant. Figures 3 (robotic setting) and Fig. 4 (human agent setting) illustrate the experimental room setup.
Experimental room setting during the robotic intervention session
Experimental room setting during the human agent session
During each session, the participants were individually brought to the room by a research assistant and were accompanied by their parents, who remained in the room throughout the entire procedure. Each trial lasted as long as the participants were comfortable in the room and ended immediately if the children indicated that they wanted to stop the interaction or if the prepared content of the interaction had been completed.
During the latter half of each interaction session, after calling "Ne!," which corresponds to the English "Hey!" (we used this syllable because /ne/ is a sentence-ending word in Japanese and conveys prosodic information [41]), the human agent or CommU attempted to induce JA by alternatively gazing toward the child for 1 s and then toward the image on the left side of the participant for 3 s; then, without calling, the agent again gazed toward the child for 1 s and then toward the image for 3 s. Then, the human agent or CommU gazed again toward the child for 1 s and then toward the other image on right side of the participant for 3 s using the same procedure, first after calling "Ne!," and second without calling "Ne!" (i.e., the human agent or CommU attempted to induce JA four times during each interaction session). Three digital videos were set up to capture any participant response to the social prompts for an off-line analysis. Figure 5 provides an example of how the participants typically interacted with the robots. The person in this manuscript provided written informed consent to publish this picture. He agreed to publish the picture.
Typical interaction with the robot
"Achievement of JA" was defined as a participant responding (i.e., turning to look at) to the correct target within the 3 s window. Regardless of the participant response, the human agent or robot returned to a neutral position (standing straight and facing the participant) after each prompt. Each "achievement of JA" was measured offline by counting the number of times the child turned his/her head and/or eyes in the direction of the target without fully turning, following the social prompt. Each JA event was rated a 1 (success) or 0 (failure). Each score in each interaction was calculated by simple addition (maximum score = 4). Two trainers who did not know the objective of this study independently rated the scores by watching the videotape. The raters attained a high degree of reliability (intraclass coefficient (ICC) = .98). If their scores differed, they watched the videotape together and determined the score.
Robotic platform
CommU (Vstone Co., Ltd.) is 304 mm tall. CommU has 14 ° of freedom (DoFs) as follows: waist (2), left shoulder (2), right shoulder (2), neck (3), eyes (3), eyelids (1), and lips (1). The careful design of the eyes and multiple DoFs dedicated to controlling its field of vision contribute to its rich gaze expressions. Its face can show a range of simplified expressions that are less complex than those of a real human face. The robot's cute shape, which resembles a child, is expected to be easy to anthropomorphize. Furthermore, its small and cute appearance is expected to help prevent fearfulness among children. In addition, CommU makes very little noise, and its interlocutor is not distressed by its noise.
The statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 24.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Descriptive statistics were performed to describe the sample. The differences between the groups in terms of age, K-ABC mental processing score, and K-ABC achievement score were analyzed by performing independent samples t tests. The gender proportion was analyzed by performing a χ2 test. To test the first hypothesis that children with ASD would demonstrate better JA under the CommU condition than under the human agent condition, a two-way mixed ANOVA was performed to analyze the collected data from the children with ASD (JA) with one repeated factor (time; first and second interactive sessions) and one group factor (i.e., robot intervention group vs. control group). To test the second hypothesis that children with ASD would exhibit improved JA tasks with human after interacting with CommU, a two-way mixed ANOVA was performed to analyze the collected data from the children with ASD (JA) with one repeated factor (time; first and third interactive sessions) and one group factor (i.e., robot intervention group vs. control group). To test the third hypothesis that JA was facilitated differently by the human and robot agents between the children with ASD and TD children in the robotic intervention group, a two-way mixed ANOVA was used to analyze the collected data (JA) with one repeated factor (time: first and second interactive sessions) and one group factor (ASD vs. TD). An alpha level of 0.05 was employed for these analyses.
Thirty children with ASD (aged 5–6 years) and 38 children with typical development (TD) (aged 5–6 years) participated in this experiment. Two children with ASD who were assigned to the control group were unable to complete the study due to distress. The ASD robotic intervention group included 16 participants (12 males), with a mean age of 70.56 ± 6.09 months. The ASD control group included 12 participants (7 males), with a mean age of 69.00 ± 4.39 months. The TD robotic intervention group included 17 participants (11 males), with a mean age of 69.88 ± 5.88 months. The TD control intervention group included 21 participants (14 males) with a mean age of 67.62 ± 6.03 months. No significant differences were observed among the groups in terms of the mean age, gender proportion, K-ABC mental processing score, or K-ABC achievement score. The SCQ total score of all participants was under 10. The participant details are presented in Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics of the participants in the ASD robot intervention group, ASD control group, TD robot intervention group, and TD control group
ASD robot intervention group (n = 16) (M, SD)
ASD control group (n = 12) (M, SD)
TD robot intervention group (n = 17) (M, SD)
TD control group (n = 21) (M, SD)
Age in months
Sex (male:female)
K-ABC mental score
108.59 (12.54)
K-ABC achievement score
SCQ
M mean, SD standard deviation, K-ABC mental K-ABC mental processing scale, K-ABC achievement K-ABC achievement scale, SRS-2: Social Responsiveness Scale—Second Edition, T-score, SCQ Social Communication Questionnaire Lifetime Total Score
Performance of the children during the JA task
Regarding the differences in the ratings of JA between the robotic interaction and human agent groups in the children with ASD, the results of a two-way mixed ANOVA with one repeated factor (time; first and second interactive sessions) and one group factor (i.e., robot intervention group vs. control group) showed a significant interaction between the time and group effect (F (1, 26) = 11.45; p < 0.01; see Fig. 6). This result supported our first hypothesis that children with ASD would demonstrate better JA under the CommU condition than under the human agent condition. In addition, the results of a two-way mixed ANOVA with one repeated factor (time; first and third interactive sessions) and one group factor (i.e., robot intervention group vs. control group) showed a significant interaction between the time and group effect (F (1, 26) = 8.90; p < 0.01; see Fig. 6). This result supported our second hypothesis that children with ASD would exhibit improvement in JA tasks with human after interacting with CommU.
Mean rating of the joint attention in the robotic intervention and control groups (i.e., human interaction) in the children with ASD
Regarding the differences in the ratings of the JA under the robotic condition between the ASD and TD children, the results of a two-way mixed ANOVA with one repeated factor (time; first and second interactive sessions) and one group factor (i.e., ASD vs. TD) showed a significant interaction between the time and group effect (F (1, 31) = 8.00; p < 0.01; see Fig. 7). This result supported our third hypothesis that the facilitative effect of JA due to robot intervention would be larger in children with ASD than in TD children. The details are presented in Table 2.
Mean rating of the joint attention in the robotic intervention group in the children with ASD and TD children
Performance of the participants in the ASD robot intervention group, ASD control group, TD robot intervention group, and TD control group during the JA task
First interaction (M, SEM)
Second interaction (M, SEM)
Third interaction (M, SEM)
ASD robot intervention group (n = 16)
ASD control group (n = 12)
TD robot intervention group (n = 17)
TD control group (n = 21)
M mean, SEM standard error of the mean
Among the children with ASD in the robotic interaction group, 8 of 16 participants (50.0% of total sample) had improved JA responses, and no participants had worsened JA responses under the human agent condition before vs. after interaction with CommU (i.e., first and third interactive sessions).
In the current study, we examined the differences between children with ASD and TD children in their responses to induction of JA by either a human or robotic agent with clear eyes that can turn its eyes. The children with ASD who interacted with the robot had better outcomes in terms of JA than the children who interacted with a human agent during all sessions and exhibited improved performance in a JA task with human after interacting with the robot. In addition, the facilitative effect of JA due to robot intervention was larger in children with ASD than in TD children. While we used a simple design, our aim was to provide preliminary data regarding which agent better elicits JA from children with ASD and TD children with the goal of designing appropriate and tailored robotic intervention paradigms in the future.
The results of this study demonstrate that simple exposure to the robot CommU increased JA. Interestingly, this occurred in the absence of specific guidance and special settings (i.e., we used simple pictures on paper as the target objects.). Thus, utilizing this robot could contribute to improvements in JA.
Many interventions using non-social objects are available for children with ASD; however, humanoid robot-assisted interventions could be more interesting to the children than two-dimensional programs (i.e., virtual reality) [42] because the physical presence of a robot allows for a more engaging and enjoyable interaction than the use of virtual agents [43, 44]. In this study, many children with ASD showed sustained motivation to interact with the robot, which is an important factor in facilitating JA.
Madipakkam et al. [45] suggested that children with ASD exhibit an atypical response to eye contact due to their unconscious avoidance of eye contact. Thus, CommU's clear eyes likely urged the children with ASD to pay attention to the existence of its eyes. In previous studies using Flobi, which has clear eyes and can turn its eyes, the children with ASD paid attention to the robot's eyes [46]. In contrast, in previous studies using Nao, whose eyes are relatively small, although the children with ASD appeared to be absorbed by the robot, they could not pay attention to its eyes [14, 27, 28]. Notably, Nao is a strong attractor for children with ASD. Nao does not highly resemble a human; thus, children with ASD do not feel threatened. However, Nao's body parts may not lead to the best results, as the attractive body parts can prevent the children from attending to a third object [29]. While brightly colored body parts attract attention, they must not be so bright as to over-stimulate the child in order to prompt JA. The color of the body parts of CommU is quiet and may contribute to the facilitation of JA in this study.
Pierno et al. [22] showed that during an imitation task, facilitation effects were only observed under the human agent condition in the TD children and only under the robot condition in ASD children. Our results are consistent with these findings in terms of the behaviors of the ASD children toward the robots and the behaviors of the TD children toward the human agents. One plausible theory might be that the complexity of the tasks completed by the robot and the human partner differ considerably. That is, variables in human behaviors include body pose, head pose, facial expression, head rotation during the experiment, and special unintentional gestures not present in the robotic experiment. The much larger number of potential uncontrolled variables in the experiments with the human partner makes it difficult to improve performance for children with ASD. Using a more complex robot like iCub [47] which has many other variables, it may be impossible to improve performance in children with ASD. Future studies using robots with different degrees of social complexity for children with various social abilities would help clarify an important factor in facilitating JA in children with ASD.
Although the changes observed in children with ASD in the robotic intervention group were statistically significant, we must consider whether they are also clinically significant. On average, the total JA score improved by 0.69 following interaction with CommU (i.e., first vs. third interactive sessions). This comprises an increase of 69% when compared to the pre-test score. In contrast, the total JA score was reduced by 0.25 in children with ASD in the control group following interaction with "human B" (i.e., first vs. third interactive sessions). This indicates that JA can improve in children with ASD in a quite limited number of sessions over a short period. Although the children in this sample demonstrated variable baseline JA skills under the human agent condition (i.e., first interactive session), 8 of 16 participants (50.0% of total sample) had improved JA responses, and no participants had worsened JA responses following interaction with CommU. Collectively, these findings suggest that robotic intervention successfully improved JA. Therefore, we believe that this increase is clinically relevant.
The strength of this study is its simple setting (i.e., we used simple pictures on paper as the target objects.) compared to that in previous studies [14, 28, 48]. The participants had no previous experience interacting with an unfamiliar robot. Notably, the children with ASD, who are generally weak in novel settings, demonstrated better JA during the interactions with the robot than with humans, and they exhibited improvement in JA tasks with human after interacting with the robot.
Certain limitations must be acknowledged. First, this study was a single session study and did not provide any indication of whether the children respond similarly over multiple sessions. Multiple sessions may offer a more extensive understanding of habituation to the robotic agent over time. While the current study did not test habituation effects in any way, it represents one of the first systematic investigations of JA using robots in children with ASD. Future studies should evaluate habituation effects with the robots by observing JA over an extended period. In addition, we do not have evidence supporting the generalizability of acquired JA to daily life. Therefore, we cannot comment on the social utility of our intervention program. The ultimate goal of the program is to enhance communication skills in daily life. In order to examine whether our program can attain this goal, future studies with a long-term longitudinal design are needed to confirm the generalized effect of this intervention in daily life (e.g., in kindergarten and at home). Third, the studied group had average cognitive skills. Clearly, future studies involving a broader range of functioning individuals are necessary to obtain a richer understanding of the potential use and impact of robotic interventions.
In conclusion, as hypothesized, the children with ASD demonstrated better JA during their interaction with the robot which has clear eyes and can turn its eyes than during their interaction with the human agents. In addition, the children with ASD exhibited improved JA tasks with human after interacting with the robot. While robotic technologies are considered potential vehicles for enhancing skills in children with ASD, few studies have shown such an impact using experimental designs relevant to core challenging areas. It is both unrealistic and unlikely that robotic technology will constitute a sufficient intervention paradigm addressing all areas of impairment for all individuals with the disorder in the immediate future. Given the current state of robotic technologies, we recommend that robots be used as adjunctive tools for short-term training in individuals with ASD. The findings of this study represent a meaningful contribution to the literature on the impact of robots on JA and provide information regarding the suitability of specific robot types for therapeutic use.
K-ABC:
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children
MINI Kids:
Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents
SCQ:
Social Communication Questionnaire
We sincerely thank the participants and all the families who participated in this study. We thank M. Ozawa, Y. Morita, S. Kitagawa, and Y. Saotome for assisting with the data collection.
This study was partially supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (17H05857), ERATO ISHIGURO Symbiotic Human-Robot Interaction Project and the Center of Innovation Program from the Japan Science and Technology Agency, JST, Japan.
HK designed the study, conducted the experiment, performed the statistical analyses, analyzed and interpreted the data, and drafted the manuscript. YuiY, YukY, TI, CH, DS, ST, AK, JS, HI, YMa, YMi, and MK conceived the study, participated in its design, assisted with the data collection and scoring of the behavioral measures, analyzed and interpreted the data, were involved in drafting the manuscript, and revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content. MK was involved in the final approval of the version to be published. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Yuichiro Yoshikawa and Hiroshi Ishiguro serve as consultants for Vstone Co. Ltd. Hiroshi Ishiguro owns stock in the same company. This involvement does not alter our adherence to the Molecular Autism policies regarding sharing data and materials.
Additional file 1: The following scripts are example of the scripts. Each session lasted approximately 5 min. (DOCX 18 kb)
Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, 13-1, Takaramachi, Kanazawa Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3, Machikaneryamachou, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
Service Robotics Research Group, Intelligent Systems Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki 305-8560, Japan
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rentals@wrexrent.com
New Tenants
Existing Tenants
Onus on Government to avoid chaos in the courts if Section 21 removed - NLA
by NLA - www.landlords.org.uk
The National Landlords Association (NLA) is lambasting the Government's proposal to remove Section 21 'no fault' evictions, essentially creating indefinite tenancies.
Section 21 was originally designed to allow landlords to regain possession of their property to sell it or to move into the property themselves. The NLA has long argued that it has become a backstop to overcome the ineffective Section 8 process, where a landlord has to go to court to regain possession when a tenant is in breach of their tenancy agreement, because it is seen as slow, costly and inefficient.
Research conducted by YouGov* on behalf of the NLA in December 2018 showed that of the 11 percent of landlords surveyed who had sought possession over the last five years where the tenant was in breach of their agreement, 44 percent used only the Section 21 process to regain possession, while a further 22 percent used both Section 21 and Section 8.
According to the Government's own figures**, 90 percent of tenancies are ended by the tenant. Of the tenancies ended by the landlord, the majority are ended because of rent arrears.
Richard Lambert, CEO of the NLA, says:
"Landlords currently have little choice but to use Section 21. They have no confidence in the ability or the capacity of the courts to deal with possession claims quickly and surely, regardless of the strength of the landlord's case.
England's model of tenancy was always intended to operate in a sector where Section 21 exists. This change makes the fixed term meaningless, and so creates a new system of indefinite tenancies by the back door.
The onus is on the Government to get this right. It's entirely dependent on the Government's ability to re-balance the system through Section 8 and court process so that it works for landlords and tenants alike. The Government should look to Scotland, where they reformed the court system before thinking about changing how tenancies work. If the Government introduces yet another piece of badly thought-out legislation, we guarantee there will be chaos."
* All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 3,088 Landlords in England and Wales. Fieldwork was undertaken between 21st - 27th December 2018. The survey was carried out online.
** English Housing Survey, Private Rented Sector 2016/17
WREXRENT 2017 - Made by Staunton Rook Marketing


The bike stem is made of 6061 aluminum alloy, with 3D forging, T6 heat treatment and polishing, super strong and durable. It is a great accessory for your bicycle.
3D forged 6061 aluminium alloy, T6 heat treated and polished.
35 degree rise, fits 31.8mm handlebars.
Great replacements for those old, worn down stems.


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How Canada's oil industry should respond to the war in Ukraine
Posted by Brian Zinchuk | Apr 6, 2022
The war in Ukraine is now more than a month old, nor does it show serious signs of ending anytime soon, despite attempts at peace talks.
Canada has had a month to determine a response. Even if the shooting stops, Russia's oil and gas exports must be replaced by that from other nations over the long term. You don't give money to the bully to buy the stick to beat you with.
I'm coming at this as a father whose daughter is just turning 18 and graduating this June. She also has six years of experience as an air cadet. She's of perfect draft age, and the military is no longer a boys club. I don't want her to go to Europe to, as my late grandfather said, "stop a bullet."
To the oil producer executives who are more concerned about dividends and share buybacks than increasing production, give your kid a rifle and tell them to pack their bags for Europe. Because that's what this could come down to.
This isn't a joke or hyperbole. Unless you're willing to hand your son or daughter a C7 should a draft be implemented, reconsider your priorities. You're still going to make enormous amounts of money, just not as much as you will with your current shareholder-focused plans. Start focusing on the geopolitical issues here.
It's much better for Canadians to send tankers full of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe than tanks full of our kids.
There needs to be a national imperative to do this. Hopefully, most of industry can come to their own conclusions without being pushed. But to get the pipeline built, the federal government will have to say there's no more fooling around. This is going to happen, now.
With all these caveats, this is the plan I propose that Canada implement to respond to the Ukraine war. Much of it focuses on our energy independence, should global shipping become disrupted by Russian action. One torpedo from one Russian submarine can upset the entire global shipping order.
By becoming entirely energy independent, we free up global cargo to Europe. Eventually, we would be able to export our oil to Europe.
If any of this sounds familiar, it's because these actions, particularly on Energy East, should have happened eight years ago. We would be in a much better position today if that had occurred.
Here's my plan:
Assume that every incremental barrel of oil produced in Western Canada and Newfoundland will displace one barrel of oil coming into Eastern and Central Canada, particularly Saint John and Montreal refineries. Canada imports 475,000 to 675,000 barrels per day (bpd). Two-thirds to three-quarters are from the United States. Overseas imports amount to 160,000 to 250,000 bpd.
Every displaced barrel frees up a barrel that can go to Europe instead of Canada.
Federal and provincial governments need to suggest, cajole and implore oil producers to increase oil production across the spectrum, but particularly in light oil.
Oil companies should shift their focus from dividends and share buybacks to increasing vendor workforce wages to attract people to the industry. There are lots of idle service rigs in Canada but not enough staff to man them all. This is why the pay must go up substantially. The companies will still make lots of money, just not as much.
Additional service rigs will allow for increased production through workovers. This is the lowest hanging fruit to increase incremental production in the quickest time.
No tax incentives should be required. West Texas Intermediate is US$110, and Western Canadian Selection is US$101 per barrel on any given day. The oil companies will be making plenty of money and shouldn't require additional incentives.
Many of the drilling rigs in Canada didn't work this winter. Despite high oil prices, many companies, including Cenovus and Crescent Point, dramatically reduced their drilling programs. This needs to be reversed.
Enhanced oil recovery, such as waterfloods, can be implemented to boost production.
The argument has been, "We don't have pipelines to tidewater." The reality is by 2014, Saskatchewan had enough crude-by-rail infrastructure in place to ship every barrel we produce, if we chose to. This needs to be reactivated to ship additional, incremental oil to Central and Eastern Canada. A typical crude-by-rail train is around 70,000 bbls.
Alberta has also built sizeable crude-by-rail facilities, including loop tracks at Edmonton, Hardisty and Bruderheim. Total 802,000 province-wide if all implemented/reactivated.
Manitoba has an idle 60,000 bpd facility at Cromer meant for Saskatchewan and Manitoba oil. It's directly tied to the Westspur System from southeast Saskatchewan.
Additional rail tankers and engines will need to be built and crewed.
Start by shipping incremental oil by rail to Montreal and then Saint John. Eventually, all incoming tanker traffic will be displaced. At that point, Canada would have become energy independent and freed up 675,000 barrels from the world market for Europe. Russia exports 4.5 million bpd to Europe.
The same hardware that offloads oil from tankers should be capable, with minimal work, of loading tankers. As our production increases, we start exporting oil to Europe via tanker.
Concurrently, we build the Energy East Pipeline, or at least parts of it. TC Energy has all the plans for Energy East sitting in storage, including all the surveys.
All the pipe from Hardisty to Kingston is already in the ground. When TC Energy built the Alberta portion of Keystone XL, they built it from Hardisty to the Bindloss Pump Station near the Saskatchewan border, including two pumping stations. That pump station is where Energy East was supposed to begin using the existing TC Energy Mainline. It was no accident that TC Energy built that portion first. They clearly planned for this possibility.
Europe's energy crisis set the stage for war in Ukraine by Tim McMillan
Unfortunately, Canada is in no position to help because of decades of poor energy policy
Unless they've already disposed of it, TC Energy should have all or most of the long-lead hardware for the pumping stations that were meant for Keystone XL. This includes the pumps, valves, pre-fab buildings, transformers, etc. Redeploy this to build the pumping stations through Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Keystone XL had 41 pumping stations planned, so most, if not all, of that hardware should be available.
The Cromer-Moosomin lateral would allow southeast Saskatchewan and Manitoba oil to be shipped on Energy East.
Build the Kingston-to-Montreal portion of new pipe at minimum. In the interim, crude by rail could be used from Kingston to Montreal and Saint John.
Build the tanker terminal originally planned for Cacouna on the St. Lawrence River.
Continue the pipeline to the Saint John Irving Refinery and switch it entirely to Canadian slate. This may require refinery upgrades such as a coker.
Increasing Canadian oil production and displacing imported oil results in Canadian energy security in a world where energy security is now everything. Under this plan, we're taken care of and can't be threatened.
Every displaced ocean-going barrel becomes one more barrel available for Europe. Once we displace all incoming oil, we can begin exporting barrels to Europe, with the caveat that anything on the high seas is now at risk.
Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of PipelineOnline. This piece was originally posted by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
Brian is a Troy Media Thought Leader. For interview requests, click here.
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Our team of professionals in innovations and design who work to meet our customers' needs and who are responsible for the quality of products manufactured and services provided, primarily with their impeccable reputation.
At present, World of Photo Wallpapers is an acknowledged leader in manufacture of highest quality photo wallpapers as well as in provision of innovative solutions in interior design.
the company has the full range of enabling documentation: from certificates of compliance for materials and finished products to Commencement Certificate. The ecological cleanness and safety of our products have been acknowledged by Conclusion of the state sanitary-epidemiological expertise of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No 05.03.02-04/18239 dated March.
the company possesses the most advanced equipment, which is in a way unique for Ukraine. It is used to manufacture photo wallpapers and interior design elements. Only high-quality and ecologically safe materials produced in Poland and Germany are used for printing.
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Q: Bash- Run multiple commands at the same time Is there a way to run multiple commands at the same time, but not moving on until both are finished? I have been trying to use similar instructions to the following, but both take a long time to complete and would be better if I could run them at the same time (cannot use & to run it on the background since the next step requires all the output files)
sed -i 's/x/y/' file1
grep 'pattern' file2 > file3

A: This is probably what you want:
sed -i 's/x/y/' file1 &
grep 'pattern' file2 > file3 &
wait

A: Not exactly the answer, but a few lines of makefile would do what you want
file1:
    sed -i 's/x/y' <someinput

file3: file2
    grep 'pattern' file2 > file3

nextop: file1 file3
    whatever you want to do next

and make -j so that tasks are done in parallel when possible

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Although the value of radar to the defence of southern England during the Battle of Britain is well known, little has been written about the electronic arms race that developed thereafter. In addition to radar tracking and communication, radio technology became increasingly important in target and bomb-guidance systems. This book tells the story of the RAF support squadron that provided vital protection to Bomber Command operations by employing radio jamming and radar countermeasures against German defences.


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Embert Charles to deliver talk on Saint Lucia's traditions, Kwéyòl language
By Staff on May 08, 2019
Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day), celebrated at the end of October, is one of the most popular cultural festivals in Saint Lucia. Photo: @wavemakerphotos/Instagram
Embert Charles, WACC president-elect, is scheduled to deliver a talk on the Kwéyòl language on Thursday, May 9, in Toronto.
Charles was invited by York University in his capacity as chairperson of the board and former executive director of the Msgr. Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre (FRC) of Saint Lucia.
Established in 1973, the FRC has been a "repository for cultural heritage, a vehicle for research, study, recording and promulgating Saint Lucia's rich heritage," according to its website. [The FRC headquarters was destroyed by a fire on March 25, 2018 and resulted in the loss of Saint Lucia's major collection of cultural and historical artefacts. A rebuilding fund has been launched and members continue their restoration efforts.]
As one of the principal vernacular cultural institutions in the Caribbean, the FRC has been at the forefront of the Kwéyòl language movement. Kwéyòl, a French-based Creole language, "is unique despite the fact that it is easily understood by Creole speakers in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana and Dominica where there are varying degrees of difference," says its website. "It plays a central role in local culture, religion, politics and economics and serves as an appropriate link for Creole speakers in the Americas and in the Indian Ocean."
FRC's public awareness and promotion of Creole culture culminates each year with what has become one the largest and most popular cultural festivals in Saint Lucia, Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day), celebrated at the end of October, during Creole Heritage Month.
An experienced communication and media specialist, Charles has been one of the prime movers in the research, documentation and teaching of traditional and vernacular culture of Saint Lucia and the eastern Caribbean. Charles has an MA in Telecommunications Regulation and Policy from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.
"Traditional knowledge, the Kwéyòl language and public policy in the small nation state" will be held at A Different Booklist Cultural Centre , 779 Bathurst St., at 7 p.m. The event is organized by York University's Cultural and Artistic Practices for Environmental and Social Justice, Faculty of Environmental Studies and the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Embert Charles named new WACC President
WACC members have elected the organization's next president, who...
By Staff| May 08, 2019
Categories: News|WACC Caribbean
Keywords: Communication Rights


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Charles Sweeney
Charles took a first class honours in Computing Science from Glasgow University in 1985. His initial career was spent in software development and consultancy with Burroughs Machines, The Turing Institute and Unisys. Charles has worked with a number of successfulhigh-growth SMEs across a variety of sectors including medical devices, animal health and software development. He has been CEO of Web filtering and security specialists Bloxx since 2012.
Follow @Bloxx
Follow @charles_sweeney
A practical guide for developing a social media policy
During my professional experiences over the last year, cyberbullying, inappropriate behaviour, access to unsuitable content, privacy and productivity are key concerns of IT executives working in education. But despite the risks at stake, a quarter of education establishments permitting access to social media admit their acceptable use policy does not address the use of Twitter, Facebook or other mainstream social media platforms.
Cybersecurity: What do schools really need to know?
Chances are, your school uses a large amount of internet-connected devices during its daily business. How best to go about ensuring that everyone using them stays e-safe? Charles Sweeney, CEO at Bloxx, gives his top tips for keeping yourself covered.
The rapid, pervasive and unrelenting nature of the internet's impact on the curriculum means that schools and other educational establishments have had to rapidly understand this changing environment. Balancing the great potential of the web with its inherent risks isn't easy. In fact, the latter can sometimes seem overwhelming. Understanding the cybersecurity ecosystem and how it works is vital to helping educators identify what steps they need to take to protect young people.
Anonymous proxies: do you know your stuff?
When you're in school, you want to defy boundaries, but those boundaries are generally put in place by school staff who know better. Policing how pupils use the internet without stifling their education can be difficult. On top of this, students can easily use proxies to access any site they wish, as Bloxx CEO Charles Sweeney points out.
The education sector has been quick to realise the potential of the Internet as a valuable and collaborative teaching aid. Certainly, the ability to interact with dynamic applications, collaborate with students from around the world and have guest speakers beamed into your classroom via video conferencing has changed education as we know it.
This can only be viewed as a good thing. Broadening children's horizons is key to developing a generation that will keep the UK at the forefront of economic developments, generate new business ideas that create jobs and nurture the talent that leads foreign companies to invest in Britain. But it also brings with it inherent security risks, and schools have a duty of care to protect children from any inappropriate or offensive online content. The ramifications of a five year old being exposed to inappropriate content over the school network has serious ramifications for the school.
teaching aid


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Sinkin' in the Bathtub (1930) – amerykański film animowany, w którym bierze udział Bosko. Jest to pierwszy animowany kinowy film krótkometrażowy w dystrybucji Warner Bros. oraz debut filmowy postaci Bosko.

Animowane filmy krótkometrażowe wytwórni Warner Bros.
Amerykańskie filmy z 1930 roku

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


What is the meaning of the Three of Pentacles?
The Three of Pentacles is about doing your job and getting it checked and approved.
This card is known as the Three of Coins.
Because Pentacles are associated with the element of "earth" this card could be called the Three of Earth.