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Period: Early Imperial, Augustan or Julio-Claudian
Date: late 1st century B.C.–early 1st century A.D.
Culture: Roman
Medium: Glass; cast, tooled, and cut
Dimensions: H. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm); diameter 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm)
Classification: Glass
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number: 17.194.170
This elegant jug, whose shape imitates that of a metal vessel, shows how quickly the newly founded Roman glass industry mastered its medium. It represents a transitional phase in glassmaking, when casting and cutting, and blowing techniques were used. The jug's handle was cold-carved and the base was cut on a lathe, but the body seems to have been blown. A similar combination of techniques is found on some examples of early Roman cameo glass, notably the British Museum's Portland Vase.


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|Professional Automotive Repair Technical Discussions for July 19, 2011
International Automotive Technicians' Network (iATN) - Members Only
|(Also Available: All, Asian, Chrysler, European, Ford, GM.)
|Vehicle Owners: If you are seeking an automotive repair professional to service your vehicle, visit the iATN Repair Shop Finder.
Open Help Requests for Asian
|Help Request
|2002 Honda Odyssey EX 3.5L Misfire VIN: 2HKRL18052
Good customer just bought used vehicle with check engine light on. Checked for codes and found misfires in cylinders 3,4, and 5. Suggested spark plugs because they were original. Removed and replaced - Spark plugs, cleared codes, test drove, shipped vehicle. N... Trouble codes: P0302, P0303 (Cylinder three misfire), P0304, P0305 (Cylinder five misfire), P0306, P1399
|2002 Honda Civic EX 1.7L oil VIN: 2HGES25722
customer states he has to keep adding oil since the head work was done . initial inspection shows no real oil leaks , minor wetness around valve cover , customer added 2 quarts of oil , 3 times , in the last 3 months . I don't see where it's going , car dosen'...
|2007 Hyundai Tucson SE 2.7L MIL Lamp on VIN: KM8JN12D27
Replaced t-belt and ran fine, replaced plugs and now it pops and runs terrible. Tested maf voltage and have battery voltage, tested signal wire for continuity and found good to ecm, tested signal wire for short to ground and have a short. Has any body seen thi... Trouble codes: P0102 (Maf low signal)
|2004 Kia Rio 1.6L head VIN: KNDAC12554
Greetings Kia Experts, guess I am not. Car came to Shop timing belt broke, broke valves off stuck some of them into top of pistons, replaced all pistons, sent head off they reworked head, head has water pipe sticking out they removed pipe so would fit in box. ...
|1996 Lexus ES300 3.0L Vents VIN: JT8BF12GOT
Hello lexus techs i have a lexus es 300 that has a whistle noise coming from the vents.it is most noticable on the second and third speeds.any help would be appreciated.thank you all in advance.
|2004 Mazda 6 i 2.3L Charging VIN: 1YVFP80C24
We installed a new alternator in feb. 2011 at 102869, it now has 108k and the alternator works great (13.9v) at start up but slowly drops till after 10 min when it reaches below battery voltage (11.7v) and the batt light comes on. I was looking at some technic...
|2005 Mazda 6 S 3.0L Hesitation, Lack of power VIN: 1YVHP84D85
This Ford in Mazda clothing is giving us a kick. Car has no power on take off but punches good when it get up to 3000 rpm then sometime the check engine light will start flashing with a p0300 code (multiple misfire) although you really cant feel a misfire. we ... Trouble codes: P0300
|1999 Subaru Legacy Outback 2.5L Hesitation VIN: 4S3BD6857X
Got a tough one here. 99 outback with a 2.5l. Found a severe hesitaion, bad enough that on an incline you can't actually go anywhere, rpm's stay around 1,000 even with the throttle to the floor, I have to put in reverse and turn around. On a level road there i...
Fixes & Summaries for Asian
|2002 Honda Accord EX 3.0L Poor Idle Quality, Misfire, MIL Lamp on VIN: 1HGCG16522
Not often a Honda kicks our arse like this one. Checked leak down and 5% was max reading. Tough to get a fuel guage in line on this engine to do an accurate inj. bal. test, so removed injectors . Like some others these injectors have a small 'basket like...
|2005 Subaru Outback R L.L. Bean Edition 3.0L Parking Light VIN: 4S4BP86C95
Hi Group Thanks to all who responded, the Subaru is finally fixed. There where some really good advice1 I learned a lot about those cars. The problem started a while back, with [...] in the rear door (hatchback) with brocken wires in the harness for the rea...
|2001 Suzuki Esteem GLX 1.8L Pads VIN: JS2GB41W71
Thanks to those who responed, some things suggested we already checked or tried. ( Our brake inspection process is very thorough, we measure and check everything. I have a written procedure that is 27 steps [...] all my techs follow)We decided to try the BG bra...

subset: commoncrawl


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One thing that's incredibly special about visual artists is they know how to make us smile.
They are masters of emotion and use their medium to make us feel. That intuition can extend to anyone, even kids, as Crispin Young Wilson found out. Wilson's latest project involved painting her friend's son's ceiling because he didn't want to sleep in his own room, but it's part of a long tradition that she takes everywhere she goes.
The artist, who goes by @crisp22 on Twitter, has painted her ceilings with glow-in-the-dark paint in every home and apartment she's had.
"I've done this for myself in each place I have lived. The landlords either never knew, didn't care, or new tenants liked it and didn't complain," she told BuzzFeed.
Read More: What This Photographer Can Do With Fire Is Straight-Up Incredible
When she heard her friend's son Ben didn't want to sleep in his own room, she decided to see if he would love a galaxy ceiling just as much as she does.
The result is an absolutely magical night sky that only shows up when the lights are off.
Wilson says the plan worked. The little boy was tucked into bed kicking and screaming, but the second the lights went out, he was astounded.
"Ben sounds very proud," she said. "I think he will love his new room, and it makes me so happy to help make his transition to the new home a little easier and more enjoyable."
The tweet of Ben's ceiling has now gotten more than 35,000 retweets and 80,000 likes as people respond excitedly to this woman's amazing artwork.
"It's a little surreal, but I'm just so touched at how positive it's been," she said. "I'm definitely hoping to keep doing this and keep getting better at it."
Here's what the ceiling looks like with all the lights on.
And here's one final look at her incredible gift. She says that Ben's siblings are jealous now but that he loves sleeping in his room.
(via BuzzFeed)
Read More: This Guy Took Out Some Packing Tape And Turned It Into Unbelievable Art


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If you are after a beach getaway in Vietnam than Nha Trang is probably where you will end up. Nha Trang is the only beach destination on the well travelled Hanoi to Saigon route, and offers an entirely different experience than any of the other stops on the route. This is also the place to come if you want to try scuba diving in Vietnam.
Where is Nha Trang?
Nha Trang is located in between Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An. It is easily reached by either plane, train, or bus. If you are travelling by bus, it will take about 10 – 12 hours to get to Nha Trang from Saigon, or 6 hours if you are travelling by train. Plane of course, is a much quicker, but more expensive option.
What to do in Nha Trang
Nha Trang is known as a beach destination, so the beach is obviously a main draw here. There is a long stretch of beach lined with restaurants, beach chairs for rent, and snack vendors wandering the sands. The beach is walking distance from the area where most hotels are located.
If you are going to be spending any amount of time in, around, or under the sea in Nha Trang, then a visit to the National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam is certainly worthwhile. This museum/ aquarium will introduce you to some of the rare an beautiful sea creatures found around these areas, and is also a great place to come with children.
If you want to get on the water, there are quite a few islands near to the coast of Nha Trang, and sailing around them makes for a lovely day trip. There are many tour options that offer sailing and beach trips to the different islands. Scuba divers might be interested to know that there is some pretty decent scuba diving and snorkelling. The diving here is not world class, but the sheer amount of dive shops in town means that if you want to get your certification, then Nha Trang is a pretty affordable place to do it in.
If you feel like momentarily escaping the sea and sand, and want to soak up some culture instead of sun, then head to the Po Nagar Cham Towers. These brick towers were built by the Cham civilization between the 7th and 12th century. It is an interesting place to explore to learn about the interesting and ancient Cham people, and there are also some great views across the bay and the town from the hill that they are located on.


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Easy Ways to Jazz Up Short Hair
Cute Easy Buns for Long Hair
Cute Easy Ponytail Hairstyles
Yarn Dreads into Braids
Short Classy Hairstyle for Thick Hair
Cute Sassy Short Haircuts
Jessica Alba Long Wavy Hair
Gisele Bundchen wants photo retouching to stop
The Hottest Short Hairstyles & Haircuts for 2016 Looking for cute, short hairstyles and haircuts? Or maybe just new ways of styling your shorter hair? Then youve come to the right place! Browse our collection ... 4 Surprising Ways A Hairstyle Can Improve Your Overall ... If you're petite and wish to look taller, consider a short haircut. That may sound counterintuitive, but Scrivo explains: "A petite woman who wears her hair very long ...
ACCESSORY IDEAS FOR SHORT CURLY/KINKY HAIR - YouTube Finally! This video was supposed to be posted last week as some of your guys know who follow me on IG but I had problems with someone I was working with. I ... Hair Styling Hair Care eHow Ever feel like you're fighting a losing battle with your blow dryer? We've rounded up our favorite hair tutorials that are so easy anyone can pull them of. Cute Short Haircuts for Thick Hair (with Pictures) eHow Cute Short Haircuts for Thick Hair. While thick hair is extremely desirable, it can also be unruly and hard to manage. One of the best ways to take care of your thick ...
6 Ways to Style Your Short Natural Hair Beyond the Fro About Toia Barry. Toia B. is a wife, natural hair enthusiast and the voice behind natural hair & fashion blog, also known as ToBNatural. This online platform has ... short hair cable car couture In an effort to connect the short hair sisters of the world, each week for Short Hair Sunday, were going to feature a woman who is embracing her fierceness and ... HairBoutique Offering hair care, nail care, bath and body, hair jewels and accessories.
Hair Challenge: Twist & Pin - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam Are you up for trying a new style for our 30 Day Hair Challenge. This simple twist and bobby pin look works perfectly for all lengths of hair. Easy Hairstyles When Growing Out Your Hair - YouTube Whether you're growing out your hair or not, these hairstyles will work with any hair length! Don't forget to check out my Lazy Girl's Guide to Beauty ...


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Jeremy Paxman
Life Path Number 22
Jeremy Paxman is an English broadcaster for the BBC since 1972, journalist and author, known for his forthright and abrasive, and often intimidating and condescending interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians.
He was born on Thursday May 11th 1950, in Leeds, Yorkshire, England.
Jeremy Paxman was born under the most powerful and potentially the most successful of all Life Path numbers. It offers him the extremes of life's possibilities: on one hand, Jeremy has the potential to be the Master Builder, the person capable of perceiving something great in the archetypal world and manifesting it in the relative world; on the other hand, he can slip into the depths of obscurity, achieving little more than personal support.
Paxman's power is delicate. It exists by virtue of his ideals and vision, which he must use to inspire others to join him in his dream. Only by marshaling collective forces is Jeremy Paxman able to bring together the necessary elements - people, ideas, resources - that will enable him to realize his goals.
Consequently, Jeremy's Life Path is one requiring dramatic evolution. By being able to integrate seemingly conflicting characteristics within himself - Paxman's inspiring vision and his natural tendency toward practicality, for example - he develops the talent to deal effectively with a great variety of people. This allows Jeremy Paxman to understand and unite many differing people toward a single goal, melding them into a concerted whole. His task in life is to unite the dream with the bottom line. In short, Jeremy Paxman is the visionary with his feet on the ground.
Jeremy is good at business and politics. He naturally understands large institutions, and has the ability to think and act on an international scale.
He is gifted with uncommonly sound common sense. Paxman is able to see the beauty and potential in a given idea, but also the practical methods that will bring it to fruition. Somehow, Jeremy Paxman understands the limitations of ideas - what will work and what will not. This is an intuitive gift that can evaluate possibilities on the basis of their practicality.
While in many aspects the 22 is the most promising number, it is also the most difficult to live up to. Paxman has a great ambition, which can be a most difficult master, driving him to accomplish all that he is capable of.
Jeremy Paxman is a steady partner in any relationship. He offers sound advice and consistent emotional support. Paxman does not suffer from flights of fancy, and naturally resists the emotional heights. He is unconventional in thought and action, but tends to be traditional in appearance. Jeremy avoids airs and pretension.
Paxman's challenge is to share his vision and allow others to make their personal contributions. That requires flexibility on his part, perhaps his weakest characteristic. Jeremy Paxman often lacks faith in the ability of others. Therefore, he tends to control people and situations, sometimes tempted to manipulate.
In the end, Jeremy Paxman must learn to surrender to the larger cause that he serves. The final result may be quite different from his original vision, but with faith and commitment Jeremy will make an enduring impact on the world.
You and Jeremy
About Jeremy's Life Path number
If ever there was a single moment of total transformation, it was actually the moment of Jeremy Paxman's birth. In that instant, Jeremy stepped through a door in time into a new reality - the reality of human life. The most critical number in Paxman's numerology chart is based on the date of his birth - the moment when the curtain went up in Jeremy Paxman's life.
Read more about our numerological interpretation of Jeremy Paxman's


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FinTech Startup, BudgIT to Develop an Open Budgeting System for Kaduna State, Nigeria
The Kaduna State Government of Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FinTech startup, BudgIT to develop an open budgeting system for the state.
With the project, citizens will be able to verify and monitor the government's progress using their mobile phones, access the policies, budgets, procurement records and status of fund released in the state and report their feedback via the platform.
Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai said, "We are delighted to be making this contribution to enhancing transparency, and shredding the veil of secrecy that often marginalizes the citizen from informed knowledge of how public finances are mobilized and utilised."
According to Oluseun Onigbinde, BudgIT co-founder, "This initiative is to deepen the interaction between citizens and government, in line with the current mood of the country for increased transparency and accountability."
Onigbinde revealed that the project is expected to kick off within the next three months, with a rigorous, forensic analysis of the Kaduna State budget and thereafter, infographics and online portals will be used to ensure wider dissemination of public data to the masses.
BudgIT's previous release was Buharimeter, a tool to weigh the performance of Nigeria's current President.


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Course:Life in the OutdoorsGood Shepherd Finishing School
In Ooty
Price on request
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Career assistance, to those who are splashing for direction is given to all. You are counseled on the subject of the Courses in addition to line of business options accessible for you. Students have the alternative of training for the IELTS exams, the requirement for admittance to colleges in England, Australia in addition to Canada. Out-of-doors games like cricket in addition to hockey in addition to enclosed sports like badminton plus basketball accommodate to the healthy minded students. You will also be taught to swim in the centrally-heated swim pool that is the smugness of the School. Tournaments in addition to matches are played at usual intervals to test your staying power as well as style. Open-air performances take account of cross country, running, swimming in addition to horse-riding - not to state two-week long classes in mountaineering in addition to rock climbing guided by specialized teachers trained from best mountaineering organization of India.The Physical fitness management includes Yoga, Aerobics plus force in addition to staying power gaining.


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BBB - A+ Rating - the best there is
An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2018
Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in a region called the Grange which were farms that belonged to the old abbeys. These farms were attended by monks who carried out their agricultural activities, and where the grain and cattle were held. The name was derived from the Middle English and Old French word grange which meant "granary" or "barn."
Grainge Early Origins
Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Wolsingham from very ancient times, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.
Grainge Spelling Variations
Grainge Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Grainge include Grange, Grainge, Greinge, Graynge and others.
Grainge Early History
Grainge Early History
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grainge research. Another 290 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1296 and 1568 are included under the topic Early Grainge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Grainge Early Notables (pre 1700)
Grainge Early Notables (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Grainge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Great Migration
The Great Migration
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:
Grainge Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Grainge Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Grainge Family Crest Products
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These views were especially attractive to those among the Merchant Venturers who focused their trade primarily on Bristol's southern markets, where the drive to maximize profits from imports was especially strong. These traders, who numbered in their ranks the city's richest and most powerful men, were the leaders of the Society. However, men who devoted the majority of their trade to the northern markets, where bulky items with low profit margins were preeminent, would not only have been rather less threatened by the trading activities of the so-called rich retailers but somewhat less inclined to see the economic world in terms of a rigid hierarchy of crafts. Trade in salt, canvas, naval stores, and other goods that came from the French coasts and the Baltic simply did not lend itself to systematic differentiation of the economic functions of merchant and retailer, since the primary market for many of these products was the merchant community itself. At the same time there were always Merchant Venturers who valued their relations in the city at large as much or more than their devotion to the Society's ideals or their connections with particular members and who therefore were reluctant to press their demand for monopoly to the point of lasting conflict with their fellow Bristolians. But among the leadership of the Merchant Venturers, the dominating view in this period and for decades to follow was the one articulated by John Browne. Restricting each art and craft to its proper bounds alone would benefit Bristol's commonweal.
Not all Englishmen, and certainly not all Bristolians, agreed with the view of the proper urban social and economic order that prevailed among the Merchant Venturers. Many of the retailers and artificers saw freedom to trade—their "wonted libertye"—as a natural concomitant of their status as burgesses, secured by their freeman's oath. At the end of Elizabeth's reign Thomas Dekker's London comedy The Shoemaker's Holiday presented in dramatic form just such a vision of urban life. There Dekker tells the story of Simon Eyre, the simple London shoemaker who rose to wealth and the lord mayoralty through his good fortune in the merchants' trade. It is a fantasy of social mobility and urban achievement. Pretending to be of great standing and credit, Eyre bought at a bargain a rich cargo of sugar, almonds, and other luxuries imported to London by a debt-ridden merchant who needed a quick sale. Eyre's progress to greatness depended on the special customs of London—still in force, though perhaps in modified form, at the time Dekker wrote his play—whereby every freeman of London enjoyed the right to buy and sell by wholesale any goods that came his way. Hence he could also change his occupation from craftsman to trader, even though he had not apprenticed in his new calling.[30] Late medieval Bristol had operated by somewhat similar rules, at least as regards the right to engage in overseas commerce. All freemen could do so without hindrance. As we have seen, in the fifteenth century Bristol's merchants still traded by retail as well as wholesale.
Those excluded from foreign trade saw the Merchant Venturers' monopoly as usurping the ancient rights of citizenship and those who performed this act as violating the bonds of community. "O mercifull lorde god," some of them had lamented after Thomas Chester had obtained the Society's monopoly in 1566,
This language represents a very early expression of the arguments mounted time and time again by Elizabethan and early Stuart lawyers and parliamentary debaters in attacking monopolies. By granting an exclusive right to trade to particular individuals, it was said, a monopoly deprived free men of their livelihoods and thereby turned them into villeins or slaves.[32] Even the merchants recognized the strength of this view and were obliged to accept its underlying premise. The existence of ancient rights was in no danger from their corporation, they alleged, because
who wolde have thought that Mr Chestre beyeng a free Citizen borne and sonne unto the naturaleste Cytizen that was in Bristol in our tyme…wee say who wolde have thought that Mr Thomas Chestre by name wolde consent to have the cytie of bristowe made bond.…[W]hat hath happened to thee o bristowe, bondayge bondaige and mysery for before Bristol withall for inhabitaintes were free and theyre lybertie alwayes to sende theyr goodes unto the sees.[31]
But they would not yield the main point. For them, overseas trade was a separate craft.
no man is exempted that ever occupied the seas, but such as voluntarily sequestered themselves from the same, for every retailer, leaving off his retailing, may be a merchant, so that he will content himself with the only trade of merchandise.[33]
In this way two rival concepts of the urban community found particular expression in 1571. The Merchant Venturers envisioned a society in which specialized economic functions were arranged in hierarchical order, with foreign commerce at the pinnacle. The retailers and manufacturing entrepreneurs saw all freemen of the city as members of the same undifferentiated legal and economic group, all possessed of an equal right to trade abroad. The struggle between these views, which had previously coexisted in the city's culture of community and authority, remained the recurring theme of local politics for the next century or more.


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Australia v British & Irish Lions, Melbourne, June 29
Jones: Late-night antics reflect lack of standards
ESPN Staff
June 28, 2013
Kurtley Beale was again making headlines this week for the wrong reasons © PA Photos
Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones believes the British & Irish Lions will prevail in the tight second Test in Melbourne and that the result could mean the end for current mentor Robbie Deans.
Discussing the lead-up to the Melbourne clash in his regular Saturday column in The Courier Mail, Jones criticised Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor for their late-night antics in what he says should have been a focused week of preparation for all the Wallabies players.
"Players in Test week are never not preparing," he wrote. "If they are not training they are recovering, sleeping, eating and relaxing in an appropriate manner.
"For the Wallabies to lose tonight against the British and Irish Lions may mean the final curtain for Deans at the helm. Beale and O'Connor have not helped their coach's situation but they have a history of food fights and alcohol-induced absences going back years.
"A new coach in Ewen McKenzie or Jake White can quickly change this around and make the Wallabies a team with zealous internal standards, although I'm heartened that the senior players have stepped up to say they will deal with the pair after the series is over."
Jones says scrum-half Will Genia will again be key to the home side's chances and that Australia must look to develop rucks further infield to ensure the Lions are forced to cover both sides in defence.
"In the first Test, on slow ball, we continually went down the short side which left a ruck near the touchline. This allowed the Lions defence to rush on the next phase because the Lions only had to defend one side. The Aussies need to play more around 15 metres infield so the Lions have to defend two sides, making it much harder to have fast line speed."
"Half-back Will Genia is crucial again. He must work to keep the Lions on the back foot and decide the right time for attack, kick, run or pass. Make no mistake, the Lions have picked big defender Dan Lydiate at flanker for one reason . . . to look after Genia.
"Tonight will be a spectacle but I'm tipping the Lions by 4."
George Gregan and Gavin Hastings preview the second Test in Melbourne
© ESPN Australia / New Zealand
Communication error please reload the page.


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India-born former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta can remain free on bail while he challenges his conviction on insider-trading charges, a US court ruled on Wednesday.
New York: India-born former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta won a major reprieve after an appeals court here granted his request to stay out of prison on a USD 10 million-bond while he fights his conviction on insider trading charges.
64-year-old Gupta, who was to begin his two-year prison term on January 8, had filed an appeal in the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals seeking stay of his surrender to prison and to remain free on a 10-million-dollar bond while he challenges his conviction.
A two-judge panel ruled in Gupta's favour at a hearing yesterday, saying "it is hereby ordered that the conditions of release imposed by the district court will be continued.
"Motion is granted," US Circuit Judge Jose Cabranes said in the ruling, allowing Gupta's motion to stay his surrender date and remain free on bond.
The court is expected to hear Gupta's appeal around April next year and it could be a year before his request to overturn his conviction is ruled upon.
The bail conditions imposed by the district court since Gupta's arrest in October last year include the 10 million dollar-bond, surrender of his passports and travel restrictions.
The ruling comes as a major relief for Gupta, who is one of the most high-profile Wall Street executives to be charged with passing confidential boardroom information about Goldman Sachs to his friend and business associate, hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam, who prosecutors allege made millions of dollars in profit and avoided huge losses thanks to Gupta's tips.
Gupta was accompanied by his wife Anita and their four daughters at the hearing.
After the decision was announced, Gupta's wife burst into tears.
Judge Cabranes issued his ruling after consulting with US District Judge Reena Raggi, who was also on the panel.
The former McKinsey head was convicted by a jury in June on one count of conspiracy and three counts of securities fraud.
US District judge Jed Rakoff had in October sentenced Gupta to two years in prison and slapped a five million-dollar fine on him.
Gupta and his lawyers Seth Waxman and Gary Naftalis declined to comment on yesterday's ruling.
The office of Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, India-born Preet Bharara, who had brought the insider trading charges against Gupta, also declined to comment on the appeals court's ruling.
In court papers, Gupta's lawyers have argued that the district court, which convicted Gupta, erred in allowing at the trial an October 24, 2008 wiretapped conversation between Rajaratnam and David Lau, a Singapore-based portfolio manager at Galleon, and a September 24 conversation with his trader Ian Horowitz.
In the October call, Rajaratnam told Lau that he "heard yesterday from somebody who is on the board of Goldman Sachs, that they are going to lose two dollars per share."
Gupta's lawyers said there was no evidence that Lau had ever traded in Goldman stock. They also say that Gupta was never a participant in these calls.
The "October 24 wiretap, which contained the only direct suggestion that Rajaratnam had a source on the Goldman board, coloured the jury's analysis of the wiretaps... Which were vague about the source and content of Rajaratnam's information."
Waxman also argued that the court erred by excluding as hearsay critical evidence that Gupta's eldest daughter Geetanjali could have provided at trial regarding Gupta's state of mind and about her father's deteriorating relationship with Rajaratnam.
Waxman said Geetanjali was not permitted to testify on an issue which was "most critical" to the defence that Gupta was "angry" with Rajaratnam for cheating him before he tipped the Sri Lankan in September and October 2008.
Gupta had told his daughter on September 20, 2008, just days before prosecutors say he tipped the hedge fund founder about Goldman, that Rajaratnam had withdrawn money from the Voyager fund.
Gupta said he had lost USD 10 million as a result of Rajaratnam's actions.
"Geetanjali's excluded testimony would have provided the evidentiary support for counsel to argue, and the jury to conclude, that Gupta believed as early as September 2008 that Rajaratnam had stolen from him, which would have raised a reasonable doubt about Gupta's motive and provided an innocent explanation for his phone calls to Rajaratnam ? that Gupta was remonstrating with Rajaratnam and demanding an explanation and a return of his funds," Waxman said in court.
Waxman said "Gupta's principle defence is he would have never provided any benefit to Rajaratnam because he had come to believe Rajaratnam had swindled him. The timing (of their relationship deteriorating) was everything in this case."
The other argument that Gupta's lawyers presented and on which their case for appeal will be based is that the district court erred by excluding wiretap evidence of an alternative Goldman Sachs tipper providing inside information to Rajaratnam.
"The district court barred Gupta from presenting any evidence that another Goldman executive David Loeb, in his frequent communications with Galleon, passed on confidential information, including inside Apple and Intel information," Waxman said.
Assistant US Attorney Reed Brodsky, who had prosecuted Gupta at trial, argued that the district court had not erred in its rulings and was correct in rejecting Gupta's request to remain free pending appeal.
He also said that it had correctly permitted prosecutors to play the wiretaps between Rajaratnam and Lau.
Rajaratnam is serving an 11-year prison term for insider trading at the Federal Medical Center Devens in Ayers, Massachusetts.
The same appeals court that granted Gupta's request had denied Rajaratnam's bid last year to remain free on bail pending appeal.
Prosecutors have also said Gupta should not be allowed to remain out of prison as he is a flight risk due to his strong personal and financial ties to his native country India.
Gupta's lawyers have argued that he does not pose any risk of flight.
"The government's new, perfunctory contention that Gupta poses a flight risk is frivolous (and unsupported by any record citation). Gupta has lived in the United States for more than 40 years; his four daughters, grandchildren, and wife all live here," the lawyers said.


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Although the 'Ivan the Terminator' military robot looks like a regular soldier at first glance, the unit is indeed all-robot from the exterior, to the interior components.
Designed to be a replacement for human soldiers, 'Ivan the Terminator' is powered by artificial intelligence technology and could identify what's to come in the field of robotics.
'Ivan the Terminator' is capable of driving vehicles, firing weapons and going into locations that would otherwise be too dangerous for human soldiers to venture. The military robot comes as the country's latest innovation in the worldwide race to develop robots that are suitable for warfare.
'Ivan the Terminator' is still undergoing a series of tests to make sure it's ready for action, but it's certainly not far off from hitting the battlefield should the country call for it.
Humanoid Military Robots
More Stats +/-
Wearable Robotic Exoskeletons
Realistic Robotic Dogs
Solar-Powered Watering Robots
Fashion-Inspired Robot Arms
Home Robot Assistants
'Ivan the Terminator' is a Powerful Military Android from Russia
- By: Michael HemsworthMay 31, 2016
References: damngeeky
References: damngeeky


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Alternative Titles
Synonyms: She Feeds on My...
Japanese: 僕のアレが、彼女のご馳走。
Type: One-shot
Volumes: Unknown
Chapters: 1
Status: Finished
Published: Oct 7, 2014
Genres: Hentai, Supernatural
Authors: Tsuda, Nanafushi (Story & Art)
Serialization: Comic X-Eros
Score: 4.751 (scored by 24 users)
1 This score is not weighted. Please note that 'Not yet published' titles are excluded.
Ranked: N/A2
2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #26542
Members: 69
Favorites: 0


text:
Diplomatic Activity In Service Of Papal Teaching: The Promotion Of Religious Freedom In Relations With Selected Islamic States During The Pontificate Of John Paul II
The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the various diplomatic agreements between the Holy See and four Islamic states (Kazakhstan, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, and Egypt) concluded during the pontificate of John Paul II as instruments for giving legal form to the pontiff's magisterial teaching on religious freedom. It also determines how much of John Paul II's teaching on religious freedom has been implemented and if the juridic status of Catholics in these states has improved with the conclusion of these agreements. This dissertation is divided into three chapters. The first chapter identifies four key elements of John Paul II's teaching on religious liberty which shaped the Holy See's diplomacy, shows how the pope developed from these four theological principles twelve specific benchmarks for success in promoting religious freedom, and identifies and examines the four core strategies that the Holy See has utilized to advance religious freedom, particularly in Islamic majority states. The second chapter examines the organization and functions of the diplomatic activity of the Holy See, including the activity of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue (Pastor bonus 159-162), and the instruments available for realizing the ecclesial vision of religious freedom in the Church's external public law. The third chapter discusses how the teachings of the Church as articulated by John Paul II have been given form within his pontificate in the diplomatic agreements with all four Islamic states under consideration. It examines each of these agreements and the corresponding diplomatic initiatives to determine whether John Paul II met his own theologically-derived standards in promoting religious freedom through these diplomatic initiatives in these four Islamic-majority states.
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A/N: Final chapter. Lets get on with it! Enjoy.
Disclaimer No, I don't own any of it...
Alice and Tarrant became even more inseparable as the year went by. Many people would find them on long walks, hand in hand throughout Underland or even through the White Queens' white rose garden. When they weren't doing that, they would be taking tea in either ones rooms. Tarrant had officially moved in during the fall months when, he said, "It was simply too cold to walk to and fro the castle."
Mirana had a feeling that more then friendship was growing between her champion and her hat maker. She smiled at the idea, the wonderfully, mad, crazy idea.
Alice reached Underland holiday. Surprisingly enough, the creatures of Underland celebrate Christmas as well. Except, Santa Claus is real, their trees are upside down, and they hang the presents from the ceiling above the tree. Just a few differences.
One soul day was dedicated to decorating the castle, and everyone helped, including Mirana. In fact, Mirana seemed to be the most in a holiday type spirit, and that is saying something because everyone seemed rather excited.
The day went by quickly, as everything was being done, step-by-step. Trimmings were hung from the many arches of the castle, white lights were displayed on the outside of the palace, and bows were tied around the trees in the entrance courtyard, hopefully to make them feel more festive.
"Now, we have saved the best for last. Decorating the tree!" Mirana announced to the group as she checked over everyone's work. Exciting cheers filled the air and the group quickly ran to the Queen's throne room, Alice laughed as she started getting pushed by the many excited chess pieces. Tarrant's hand quickly grabbed hers to catch her from falling. She looked up at him with a smile. Their hands didn't drop from one anothers until they caught up with the group.
"Only one tree?" Alice asked as she looked at the full, seven foot evergreen now being stringed in lights.
"Ehh...well ya'. Won Santa...won th'ree" Thackery said in his heavy accent. He twitched slightly as he held a white, glowing bulb. "Oh, shineh!"
Decorated with white lights, white glass bulbs, white flowers, and white "shoes?" Alice looked at them in curiosity.
"Here in Underland, Santa fills the shoes with treats. Candies, toys, tea bags, whatever he sees fit to fill our Christmas morning with. You don't hang shoes in Upperland?" Tarrant asked.
"No, in Upperland, we hang stockings by the fire. That's where our treats are left." Alice informed Tarrant as she recalls Christmas in England.
"How very odd...I bet your teabags would smell, and perhaps taste, horrible." Tarrant says, giving a slight look of disgust at the thought of "foot-flavored tea." This got an angelic laugh from Alice, making Tarrant smile.
"Be careful, it's hot" warned Alice as she passed Tarrant a green mug full of delicious, Underland hot coco, topped off with whipped cream.
Instead of tea, since it was Christmas Eve and rather nippy outside, Alice thought hot coco would be appropriate to drink. Alice had her hands wrapped around her warm red, matching mug full of the delicious chocolatey mix.
Tarrant looked at the drink with question. He had never tried chocolate in liquid form before, nor had he tried the white fluff on the top of it that Alice called "whipped cream." "Alice...no cows were hurt in the making of the 'whipped cream', correct?"
Alice slightly laughed, "No Hatter, no cows were whipped to make your whip cream. It's just some sugar, milk, and vanilla mixed very quickly to make it fluffy. It's very good, I hope you like it."
Alice sipped her coco slowly but very lady like. The way she did it was almost artistic. Tarrant watched her movements from under his hat. Alice closed her eyes as she swallowed the coco, loving the taste on her taste buds and the warmth that filled her whole body. She released a low "Mmmmm."
A soft sigh was heard from Tarrant not long after. Opening her eyes, she noticed her friend enjoying the delicious brew. "Will it be replacing your tea anytime soon?" Alice asked, already knowing the answer.
Tarrant's eyes shot open. "It is quiet good, however, nothing can replace my tea." Looking her way he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Alice seemed to have a slight smudge of the white fluff "whipped cream" to the side of her mouth. "Oh, Alice, you have a bit of-" Tarrant stated as he motioned to his own mouth in reference to hers.
Quickly, Alice's hand shot up and rubbed the opposite side of the spot. "Did I get it?" she asked, blushing at the embarrassing display she must have been. Tarrant shook his head lightly as he reached in and gently wiped the fluff away.
But his fingers slightly lingered. When he felt skin, he couldn't help but notice a slight surge of electricity that kept him in place. Looking up to Alice's eyes, he noticed they had grown slightly in size. His fingers danced over towards her lips, which puckered as they came into contact with his skin, releasing light kisses and soaking up the whipped cream slowly.
Their eyes were glued, and their hearts raced. Who would be the winner? Tarrant slowly dropped his hand as they starred into one anothers eyes, in somewhat of a trance.
Slowly but surely, Tarrant leaned towards the Champion of Underland, and noticed she began to lean towards him. As they came closer and closer in contact her eyes began to shut. He could feel her breath on his face and smell her coco-like sent. Just before their lips brushed, Alice pulled away with wide eyes. Tarrant stayed in place, lips puckered, waiting for them to meet lovely pink ones.
Alice covered her mouth, and mumbled a quick "sorry" before standing up and rushing from his room. Had he done something wrong? It seemed as though everything was moving along so nicely, the light kisses to his finger tips almost confirmed to him that these feelings and emotions weren't one sided. He had been feeling the futterwacking rabbits in his stomach for months now, every time he caught sight of Alice. He couldn't ignore this anymore.
Slowly rising to a standing position, Tarrant straightened his hat and strode to Alice's room just down the hall. 'I hope you're there, Alice."
She was there, leaning over the balcony, wrapped in a blanket, staring out into the rising moonlight. Tarrant crept behind her slowly. He took his normal place next to her, remembering all the times thee had done the same. This time, however, he was not greeted with an 'Alice Smile.' She did not turn, did not speak, she seemed to have not even noticed his presence.
Tarrant looked into the profile of her face. Her cheeks were rosy, whether from the cold or the previous action, Tarrant did not know. But he found the colour to look ever so lovely on her. She took in a breath of air and slightly moved, showing a glistening speck on her cheek. Tears.
"Oh Alice, please do not cry. I hope my actions have not upset you." Tarrant said in a panic. He did not wish to upset her at all, he wished to see her smile, hear here laugh. And yet, he has done the opposite.
Alice did not jump at the sound of his voice, she merely wiped the tear from her cheek. "You have done nothing Hatter, it is what I have done. I have done something that could possibly be seen as the most maddening thing anyone could think of..." she stated in a light, sad voice.
"...What have you done?" Tarrant asked in wonder.
Alice sighed, and looked down at the light snow that covered the balcony banister. "The Champion of Underland has fallen deeply in love with the Queen's hat maker..."
Tarrant's heart skipped slightly. Then why had she pulled from him? Was the idea of kissing him that maddening? Was he repulsive? He frowned at the thought.
"and now I am taking advantage of your kind gestures. You're helping a friend who seems to only think about nothing more then kissing your pale lips..." Alice shed another tear, melting the snow in its path as gravity took over.
Placing his hand under her chin, Tarrant slowly brought her to look at him. His eyes wide with wonder and his face plastered with the biggest smile Alice had ever seen.
"You're not taking advantage of me dear Alice. For I want nothing more then to kiss your petite, pink lips as well..." he stated with a slight lisp before he went in to finish the deed. Leaning in as quick as possible, before she had the chance to change her mind.
Pale met pink, mad met madder, and waltzing butterflies met futterwacking rabbits.
Tarrant cradled her face ever so gently as her arms crept up to his shoulders. Mouths slowly opened and closed as they took in one another's taste, with eyes shut.
That "hour or two" Alice had meant to be away for in Upperland turned to days, then turned to weeks, which turned to months, that then turned to years.
Hatter would not be waiting ever again.
A/N: I want to know how to futterwacken...however, I don't think I could ever spin my head in a 360 degree turn. No no, just couldn't be done.
YAY they kissed, YAY Alice stayed, and Hatter doesn't have to wait anymore. VICTORY IS MINE!
Don't forget to comment/favorite. Like I said last chapter, I enjoy all kinds of comments, whether they be praises or hard criticism. Also, don't forget that I have two other Alice/Tarrant paired fanfictions. Both are complete and can be found on my profile. One is a multiple chapter story where the other is a one shot.


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I have played arround with pretty much any distro you could find on distro watch etc.And if i have to give a recommendation, simply stay with one of the bigger dogs in game.Those bigger distributions that are allready there for manny years have a huge support base, and there is allot of help to be find if needed.
To me distro´s that make sense to look at.
Debian based.
Ubuntu Based.
RPM based.
Arch based.
Gentoo based.
Gentoo for da win!
so the issue i have with the Linux "community" is the same issue i have with other online communities. things are created specifically for new users, new users come in asking "hey, what thing should i be doing/using?" and are then quickly snowed under by people claiming that the specifically new user thing is shite, because they are not new users and have moved on to X or Y, and X/Y is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than Z because [insert advanced user things]. and then the new user takes them at their word, DOESN'T use the new user thing, and ends up running into problems. they then ASK the advanced users "hey, this thing you told me to use is hard!" and either gets a load of complicated answers which they don't understand, OR gets referred back to the new user thing they were persuaded not to use in the beginning. they most likely then proceed to ragequit, which brings mockery and self masturbation all around. helping exactly no-one.
tl;dr: no. not really. people should be given as much of a head start as possible. a non frustrating experience will then not only lift up the people who're predisposed to charge into challenges and learn the hard way, but also the people who're just mildly curious and a positive experience will help FOSTER an attitude of wanting to learn. imo.
Honestly, Manjaro has been my go-to recommendation in person lately. I keep finding my way back to it because of the AUR and the "stability" of if. I've seen less problems coming out of Manjaro than many other distros lately.
It's definitely got a learning curve, but once you get through the first week or so (assuming you're already comfortable with a terminal) you're off to the races.
@Goblin, That's why I always try to be up front about the learning curve and difficulty. Sometimes I've got my head so deep in the rabbit hole that I forget what the sun looks like though.
I fully understand and get your point. You are making a good and valid point. I agree with you.
As is get it the Question is: What is a good Distro to operate and use as daily driver WHILE learning GNU/Linux.
And when, in my opinion, you look for a distro under those parameters you do want a robust, well used, well documented, well featured distro.I really dont wanna go with the storys but i started with ubuntu and loved ubuntu for exactly the thing it does so good: look very friendly and good for beginners.
Well, we are not talking about the average citizen here. OP knows his stuff, works and learns in this field and WANTS TO LEARN how to OPERATE GNU/LINUX.
In my eyes you have to come up with a distro that does that and in its essence that means go enterprise distro.
So i conclude that FEDORA will make a very fine choice. Even comes with Gnome3. I use it on my machine and on my MacBook, very nice.I even use it in my LPIC-1 Certification Workshop Seminar whatever you call those things. The machines run win10 with Debian 8.7.1 in an OracleVM,its madness. What do i use!? Well, Fedora25 with fucking pre-installed Boxes as VM for Debian 8.7.1 and do most things on both Distros.
Maybe im a bit biased, but given that you have a capable young human who wants to learn GNU/LINUX i say: get the best tool! And not giving this personthe most shiny, fluffy and squanchy tool.
@H37 : Im glad you wanna learn GNU/LINUX, please do so. Choose any Distro you like and then work with it. If you have question, please please ask,we all wanna help out.
Thats about it.
Yeah the new Manjaro 17.0 release is really nice.Till now tried out the XFCE flagship and the Cinnamon community version.Both are pretty nice indeed..
I've been using the i3 variant because XFCE and Cinnamon feel a bit clunky to me. I recommend Cinnamon to people who are moving from Windows though.
Yeah the i3 version is blazing fast.Cinnamon in particular doesnt run as smoothly in a virtual machine.But thats also a thing with Linux Mint Cinnamon basiclly.Its really ment for installing on hardware, with a reasonable gpu basiclly.What i like about Cinnamon is that indeed users that come over from Windows7, should really not have much issues to get used to Cinnamon.The Linux Mint team does a pretty good job on that.They have allot of settings at the right places and what not.And its pretty much good to go out of the box.Also their own Xapps forks are pretty neat.
XFCE is basiclly allways a sollid choice, its a slow developing desktop.Their Whisker menu is great, the only thing is that settings arent allways in the places you expect them to be.So it needs a littlebit more time to poke arround to find certain things.It takes a little bit more time and afford to tweak and get used to.
It really doesn't matter all that much which distro you get.... just get one put it in runlevel 3 and run it like a real friggin unix box.
Addded bonus - you'll see what really makes Debian different from a red hat distro.
well as someone with aspergers, all I can say is how dare you use my disability with the seemingly lack of knowledge about it
Funny ? Never struck me as that ?
I think he was being serious.
Maybe, but I concede to the point of the intent.
I al can say is avoid the politics of the distro wars and just use what is best for you. I like Manjaro,Opensuse,Fedora. I have use Mint. Mostly, it is all better than windows but with a learning curve.
I second that. More people around who can help or point you in different directions, the better. @MisteryAngel has made a nice survey here.
As to specific choices - - ? Depends on what you want to do. For software development, I started with Linux with pre-Fedora Redhat and rode with that through Fedora 10, then migrated to Gentoo. Why? I wanted to be able field strip Linux down to its essential bits and then reassemble it the same or differently, in the dark. I found Fedora/Gentoo very supportive for that particular arc - both have big, engaged and helpful communities. However, not everyone wants to take apart and put together operating systems as a hobby. If, instead, you just want to use Linux and have a straightforward, uncomplicated existence with it while you pursue other interests in Life, then any of the main stream distros are good. Read the distro support forums - try to see which ones have useful content, and are not too much wrapped up in distro politics and other noise. At the end of the day, the folk in these support forums are the ones who are going to be there for you when it's midnight before the paper is due and the damn box doesn't boot.
How much are you selling that Fury for? Is it a reference card or aftermarket cooled?
Welcome to the internet.
Its the Sapphire Fury Nitro I'm going to bundle it with a PNY 480GB SSD and see what I can get for it on ebay... Its looking like $250-$280 based on similar.


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Last Wednesday night, Gov. Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senator Dean Skelos and Senator Jeff Klein announced that they had reached "conceptual agreement" on a 2013-14 state budget. The $135.1 billion budget (which totals $143 billion when federal money related to Super Storm Sandy is included) will increase the state's minimum wage in three phases, and reduce personal income taxes by $650 million over several years.
Read Gov. Cuomo's press release, or watch the press conference.
The budget agreement includes:
– a $1 billion increase in education aid;
– an increase in the state's minimum wage in three steps, from $7.25 to $9.00 in 2016;
– changes to the Workers Compensation and Unemployment Insurance programs;
– the renewal of personal income tax rates adopted in 2011 for an additional three years (including an extension of the millionaire's tax and the slightly lower rates for people reporting between $20,000 and $200,000) which will otherwise expire at the end of 2014;
– a child tax credit of $350 per-year for three years (the credit will be delivered as a check beginning in 2014);
– funding for the Innovation Hot Spots program that will create or designate ten high-tech innovation incubators at locations affiliated with higher education institutions;
– includes a third round of the Regional Economic Development Councils including $150 million in new funding and $70 million in tax credits
– a third round of the SUNY 2020 program and the new CUNY 2020 program to provide competitive grants for projects "that connect economic development and academic excellence";
– creation of the Market NY program to promote Upstate tourism and agriculture;
– an extension of the 18-a energy surcharge, which was set to expire in 2014; and
– a pension stabilization program that is intended to provide local governments access to short term relief as the savings of Tier VI begin to take effect.
There is a good deal of "magic" in this budget. Our elected leaders are hoping that you will forget that they just dipped their hands into your wallet and took your hard earned money.


text:
Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)
Although the Lodgepole pine is a close relative of the native Scots pine, this decorative form stands out with a truly eye-catching winter display. During summer this is green, but after the first good frost it turns bright gold and keeps its colour until the new growth appears in spring. This makes the variety a useful plant for winter colour.
Lodgepole pines can reach nearly 100 feet tall and are tolerant of dry and infertile soils. They are often the first trees to re-colonize land after a fire, as their cones require extreme heat to open and drop seeds.


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Mid day protein shake with organic Acai from Sambazon and organic vegan protein powder from Raw Green Organic. And I throw in some organic frozen mango pieces to keep me cool on this hot day in Los Angeles!
Protein shake is not only good for pre and post workout, its good for dieter as well. Protein shake will keep you feeling full and control Insulin level in your body. For more information, click here.
Organic vegan protein powder
1 cup of organic frozen mango
Acai juice
A splash of water ( if you dont want yours to be too sweet)


text:
New to Architexts? Click here for the most popular comics of the past 30 days.
About Architects In Fiction:
This comic was inspired by this article on ArchDaily. Who is your favorite fictional architect? –Maverick
Discussion (24)
MinnesotaFatsAugust 27, 2014 at 7:29 am | Permalink
Mike Brady! Had a family of eight, plus a live in maid on an architect's salary in the 1970′s. He was able to take the whole family to the Grand Canyon and Hawaii (yeah, like a client is going to pay for his whole family to go). He got to design the ultimate "decorated shed" for Zsa Zsa Gabor, "Poofy-er darling, poofy-er!" Mike Brady is the king of all fictional architects.
WolfAugust 27, 2014 at 7:48 am | Permalink
Ted Mosby!
joearchAugust 27, 2014 at 8:08 am | Permalink
The Phantom of the Opera
August 27, 2014 at 8:23 am | Permalink
Wilbur Post. He had an excuse for putting up with a lot of horse s**t.
JennAugust 27, 2014 at 2:34 pm | Permalink
And who among us would not love to draw on a board that is covered in horse dust?
KeraineWAugust 27, 2014 at 8:29 am | Permalink
Elyse Keaton, Family Ties – my original inspiration for becoming an architect. And I challenge you to repeat this exercise and find any other fictional female architects, 'cause I can't think of any others at all.
August 27, 2014 at 8:47 am | Permalink
Philip Bosinney, from the Forsyte Saga
jesserAugust 27, 2014 at 9:28 am | Permalink
Hands down…Art Vandelay.
SGAugust 27, 2014 at 9:32 am | Permalink
George Constanza ought to get an honorable mention, even though he was just faking. "Nothing is higher than architect".
For female architects, how about Michelle Pfeiffer in One Fine Day.
Random ArchitectAugust 27, 2014 at 9:50 am | Permalink
Daddy Pig in the kid's cartoon Peppa Pig. Yes, I have small children at home, and they think I'm an architect just like Daddy Pig, lol!
How about these:
or this:
KrushertAugust 27, 2014 at 10:16 am | Permalink
Simon Wyler (played by Christopher Plummer) in the movie "The Lake House"
joearchAugust 27, 2014 at 11:17 am | Permalink
I guess it's a positive sign of our society that no one has gone with Paul Kersey yet…
ArchAddictAugust 27, 2014 at 11:19 am | Permalink
For Hotness: Virginia Madsen as Beth Stanfield in Firewall (2006)
For Everything Else: Ted Mosby, Mosbyest Designs
archtimAugust 27, 2014 at 12:01 pm | Permalink
George Monroe (Life as a House)…in the opening scene when he tells his boss off and then goes to town on the models with a drawing tube….who hasn't dreamed of that!
archmakerAugust 27, 2014 at 7:14 pm | Permalink
As they pointed out in the movie, he wasn't a "real" architect, he was just a model builder.
AnssiAugust 27, 2014 at 1:35 pm | Permalink
Seth Pecksniff (in Martin Chuzzlewit). He keeps drawing instruments by his bedside in case divine inspiration hits him at night but in reality he steals the ideas of his apprentices.
Ty KaulAugust 27, 2014 at 2:02 pm | Permalink
Joker / Maverick
as an instructor at an architectural school -( basically first and second year)
besides the usual course material I relish the opportunity of turning students on to your website…
( if they are going to be architects they might as well learn to laugh…)
congratulations you have just given a wonderful lead in to the semester…
thank you
A NavarAugust 27, 2014 at 2:12 pm | Permalink
It would have to be Art Vandelay.
Also another female architect is Michelle Pfeiffer in "One Fine Day"
KatAugust 28, 2014 at 2:55 pm | Permalink
Me too!!!
VADesignerAugust 27, 2014 at 2:42 pm | Permalink
Mr. Simms – "Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House"
DarcyAugust 27, 2014 at 3:18 pm | Permalink
Even though the movie terrifies me for what it represents (losing your life trying to work towards partnership), Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) in Click.
MikeAugust 31, 2014 at 8:14 pm | Permalink
Peter Mitchell (played by Tom Selleck) in Three Men and a Baby
RamaFanSeptember 3, 2014 at 8:51 am | Permalink
Ted Mosby…probably one of the most accurate portrayals of an architect I've ever seen in entertainment. He's obsessive, he's nerdy, he's detail oriented…he's just like most of us. I wonder who they had consult on that.
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For those artists & local producers (wine, honey, cheese etc.,) who are interested in taking part in our first "Rencontre de l'art et des Saveurs" in Luc Sur Orbieu, France. Please refer to the following links for more details.
Should you require any additional details please do not hesitate to contact me!


text: Come October, the children will outnumber the adults in our home. We found out Baby No. 3's gender on Thursday. "Don't hate me if I'm wrong," the ultrasound tech said. "But see that line? That indicates the vaginal lips. It looks like you're having a girl." "Does she look ok?" my wife asked. "She looks fine. Completely normal." Are there more powerful words in the English language? Completely normal. God, I hadn't realized how badly I needed to hear that. At the moment, she weighs 15 ounces, as much as a can of kidney beans. Later, the OB would tell us she's underweight. "She's in the 14th percentile." "Should we be worried?" we asked. The OB shrugged, palms pointed at the ceiling. "Maybe." "Should I eat more cake and ice cream?" Rachel asked. Kidding. She didn't say that. But she did ask...Continue reading


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KENNY CLARK reckons ropey ref Alberto Mallenco let Juventus off the hook.
The Spanish whistler turned a blind eye to Juve defenders constantly manhandling Celtic stars during Tuesday's Champions League clash.
Ex-FIFA ref Clark said: "It was a cop out from the ref and I found that astonishing from someone as experienced as Mallenco."
Mallenco booked Hoops stars Gary Hooper and Scott Brown and Juve's Stephan Lichtsteiner and Simone Padoin following penalty-box clashes.
But he took no further action when the Italian side continued to grapple with Celtic players.
Baffled Clark added: "I just can't fathom why at some point he didn't summon up the backbone to give a penalty.
"Both Lichtsteiner and Padoin should have been sent packing for the way they manhandled Celtic players too."
Juve legend Gianluca Vialli agreed the Italians were lucky to escape further punishment for their rough-house tactics.
He said: "I think that the Italian defenders continued a very bad habit they have developed in the home championship.
"Italian defenders have to be careful because there were definitely some situations which should have seen penalties being given to Celtic. If penalties were awarded more often it would stop what went on.
"Sometimes defenders have to be clever and use everything they can according to the laws of the game to stop the opponents from jumping and heading and scoring.
"There's a very thin line between what you can and cannot do. Some pulling is allowed but you need to be clever. On Tuesday night there was far too much in my opinion."
Former Chelsea star and boss Vialli admitted that the Italians feel Celtic have no chance of overturning the 3-0 defeat in Turin next month.
He said: "In Italy people feel the tie is over and we are now thinking about who Juve will face in the quarter-finals."
Meanwhile, Kelvin Wilson last night backed defensive partner Efe Ambrose to bounce back from his Champions League shocker.
Ambrose was at fault for two of Juve's goals but Wilson said: "Efe's a big boy, he'll recover from it.
"Efe's got great experience and he'll bounce back from it no problem."


text:
Christian Dior Couture reports 18% increase in first quarter revenue
In the first quarter of the 2017 fiscal year, the Christian Dior group recorded revenue of 10.4 billion euros, up 15% at actual exchange rates compared to the period from January 1 to March 31, 2016. Organic revenue growth was 13%, with all business groups contributing to this increase.
During the first quarter, the Group benefited from a favourable comparison base, particularly in Europe, where activity was affected last year by the impact of the November 2015 attacks in Paris. The trend currently observed cannot reasonably be extrapolated for the full year.
For the first quarter of 2017, Christian Dior Couture posted revenue of 506 million euros, up 18% at actual exchange rates and 17% at constant exchange rates compared with the same period in 2016. Retail sales revenue grew by 19% at actual exchange rates and 18% at constant exchange rates. During the quarter, the first Spring/Summer 2017 Ready-to-Wear and Accessories collections designed by the new Creative Director for women's fashion were very well received.
In the first quarter of 2017, LVMH recorded revenue of 9,884 million euros, up 15%. Organic growth was 13% compared to the same period of 2016. Positive growth was achieved in Asia, Europe and the United States.
In a particularly uncertain environment, the Christian Dior group will continue to focus its efforts on developing its brands, maintain strict control over costs and target its investments on the quality, excellence and innovation of its products and their distribution. The Group will rely on the talent and motivation of its teams, diversification of its businesses and good geographical balance of its revenue to reinforce, once again in 2017, its global leadership position in luxury goods.


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UK: Burberry and GlaxoSmithKline sign up to living wage
Date: 28 Apr 2015
High end fashion firm Burberry and pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline have been accredited as Living Wage employers, meaning that they have acted to ensure that employees and subcontractors are all paid a minimum of the Living Wage rate, currently set at £7.85 an hour.
The move now means that over 1,400 employers have signed up to the initiative, and approaching a quarter of the FTSE 100 are amongst them.
Rhys Moore, the director of the Living Wage Foundation, welcomed the action by the two companies.
"The move by these companies to accredit as Living Wage employers is a significant milestone for the Living Wage Foundation; increasing the number of FTSE100 Living Wage companies and cementing the Living Wage mark as a sign of responsible business."
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Encinitas Rotary Peacemaker Award honors Fallbrook champion for peace
Last updated 3/14/2017 at Noon
ENCINITAS – The 2017 Encinitas Rotary Peacemaker Award was presented March 1 to honor local artist and journalist Kira Carrillo Corser for her work with the Posts for Peace and Justice program.
Rotary Peace Chair Robert Blumberg said, "This award recognizes individuals who facilitate, motivate and inspire others to work together for common goals, removing strife or negative divisions in the process. Kira Carrillo Corser, Fallbrook-based artist and journalist, was a natural choice for the 2017 award."
Much of Corser's work has focused on promotion of peace and justice, not only at the local, but also the national level. During the course of her 30-year career, her humanitarian efforts have given voice to diverse populations and issues of vital importance through documentary films, books, artwork and teaching.
Corser's work has been displayed at the Smithsonian, Congress and Senate buildings in Washington DC, and throughout the US.
A resident of Fallbrook for seven years, Corser has taught at the Fallbrook School of the Arts, and taught and exhibited at the Fallbrook Library.
The "Posts for Peace and Justice" program, cofounded in 2014 by
Corser and Lisa Parsons, promotes nonviolence and peaceful solutions that bring together intergenerational and divergent communities through in-depth discussion and creation of "Peace Posts" that serve as public symbols of their commitment to peace.
The 8-foot tall vinyl posts are collaborative efforts that include input of professional artists and program participants. Each unique post features meaningful images, symbols and quotes, along with handprints of each individual involved in its creation.
Having shown in over 200 locations, the posts are designed to travel as they act as a community voice and promote peaceful discussions. The public is encouraged to photograph themselves and others with the posts to "post" on social media and the Posts for Peace and Justice website blog.
Beginning March 15, several Peace Posts created at the Compassionate California Youth Summit will be displayed at various Southern California locations including the Celebrity Center in Hollywood, Los Angeles police stations, the L.A. Underground, and Pasadena homeless shelters.
Corser said, "To promote peace, Posts are used to teach at community gatherings, to build bridges between communities such as the police and communities of color, to lessen fear between immigrants and established communities, to educate in schools concerning issues of bullying and racism, to help stop university campus rape and, of course, to promote world peace and environmental conservation."
To learn more about Corser's work and the Posts for Peace and Justice Project go to www.kiracorser.com and www.postsforpeaceandjustice.org.


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Varun Dhawan and Ileana D'cruz were on the sets of Dance India Dance Little Masters to promote their upcoming Bollywood romantic action-comedy Main Tera Hero. The actors were also seen shaking a leg with the young contestants on stage.
Directed by David Dhawan, Varun, Ileana and Nargis Fakhri starter Main Tera Hero is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Alpana Mishra. The film with its funky posters and trailers have captured the interest of the youngsters in the nation.
The young stars of the film are on a promotion spree off late. They were on the sets of Boogie Woogie along with this dance show. It is also said that the actors will soon be appearing on Kapil Sharma's comedy show Comedy Nights With Kapil as well.
Varun, who is famous for his dance moves, was impressed by the young talent on the show. He was seen interacting with the contestants and even dancing along with them.
Dance India Dance Little Masters with 16 contestants kick started on 22nd March. The show is meant to showcase the power of Bachchagiri through the medium of dance.
The show follows a format similar to the original season where the 16 little talented kids are divided into 4 teams led by the skippers, Sanam Johar, Raghav Crockroaz Juyal, DID 4 contestant Swarali Karulkar and Rahul-Paul.
Click here to know the names and details of all the 16 talented contestants on show.
Varun Dhawan And Ileana D'Cruz
Varun and Ileana were on the sets of Dance India Dance Little Masters to promote their film Main Tera Hero.
With Contestants
Varun and Ileana met the young contestants and the kids were over the moon having met their favourite actors in real.
On Stage
The young actors also shook a leg on stage for the peppy music from their film.
Jay Bhanushali
Ileana along with the host of the show Jay Bhanushali on stage interacting with the judges.
Candid Picture
Varun and Ileana during their shoot on the sets of Dance India Dance.
Varun Being Varun
The young and energetic actor Varun is often found doing stunts. He did the same on DID sets as well.


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Understanding the basics of health insurance plans enable the medical office staff to effectively communicate with patients regarding their health insurance benefits and discuss patient account details with insurance company representatives.

Having a basic understanding of each type of insurance will minimize complications for filing claims and collecting payments. There are two major types of health insurance plans:

Indemnity Insurance: fee-for-service plans

Managed Care Plans

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)

Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs)

Point-of-Service (POS) Plans

Medicare: Medicare is the federal program that provides health care coverage for over 40 million Americans which includes:

the elderly over 65 years of age

permanently disabled adults under 65 years of age

individuals that suffer from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) which is permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant

Medicaid: It is important to keep in mind that Medicaid is not an insurer. Medicaid is a program that makes medical payments on behalf of the recipient.

If third party liability exists, then Medicaid is always the payor of last resort. This simply means that Medicaid always pays last where other insurance is present.

TRICARE: TRICARE, a part of the Military Health System operated by the Department of Defense (DoD), is a health care program for active, retired and Guard/Reserve service members and their families.

CHAMPVA: Although similar to TRICARE, CHAMPVA is handled by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and if a member is eligible for TRICARE they cannot be eligible by CHAMPVA. Both TRICARE and CHAMPVA are always secondary to other Health Insurance Plans excluding supplemental plans and Medicaid.

Patient check-in: During patient check-in, patient demographic information is entered including insurance payer, policy number, and other information necessary to process a clean claim.

Insurance eligibility and verification: Because insurance information can change at any time, even for regular patients, it is important that the provider verify the member's eligibility each and every time services are provided. This step of the process also is necessary to obtain benefit and authorization information.

Charge Entry: Charge entry is the entering of charges for services received by the patient and includes the appropriate linking of medical codes to services and procedures rendered during the patient visit.

Coding of diagnosis, procedures, and modifiers: Coding claims accurately lets the insurance payer know the illness or injury of the patient and the method of treatment.

Claims submission: After the claim is complete, the claim is submitted for payment to the insurance payer. In order to submit medical claims efficiently, medical billers need to know or have access to lots of information for each insurance company.

Payment posting: Payment posting involves posting and deposit functions and the reconciliation of posting activities with deposits.

In medical billing, there are two different types of billing - professional billing and institutional billing.

Professional Billing: Professional billing is responsible for the billing of claims generated for work performed by physicians, suppliers and other non-institutional providers for both outpatient and inpatient services. Professional charges are billed on a CMS-1500 form. The CMS-1500 is the red ink on white paper standard claim form used by physicians and suppliers for claim billing.

Institutional Billing: Institutional billing is responsible for the billing of claims generated for work performed by hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and other institutions for outpatient and inpatient services including the use of equipment and supplies, laboratory services, radiology services, and other charges. Institutional charges are billed on a UB-04. The UB-04 is the red ink on white paper standard claim form used by institutional providers for claim billing.

Paper billing is not the first choice for billing medical claims but is sometimes a necessary chore. Of course, the electronic claims process is much simpler and faster compared to the manual process of paper billing.

Most of the larger insurance payers offer electronic claim submission. You have the choice of direct billing or setting up an account with a clearinghouse.

A clearinghouse is a company that will accept all of your claims and electronically forward them to the insurance payers for processing. They also have edits in place to check for errors in your claim to help avoid delays in billing.

The major benefit of electronic billing whether you use of clearinghouse or you direct bill is that you will speed up your claims processing. Paper billing can take up to 45 days for processing.

You will want to become familiar with these terms related to health insurance, medical billing, medical coding, payment technology, and health information technology.

You will need to understand billing electronic claims with electronic versions of forms, which are accepted by Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurance companies. However, paper billing claims still exist and you will need to be familiar in processing them.

These governmental payers are an important part of medical billing. You will need to become thoroughly familiar with their processes. Explore each one in depth, as well as some of the major private insurance companies.


text: The Street Outreach Program supports program users throughout the HRM; the Outreach team works with community groups to provide a presence on the streets 2 evenings a week. We provide information, condoms, lube, sandwiches, snacks, and the bad date list. Beyond meeting immediate needs, the outreach team provides peer support, referrals to in-house staff when necessary, as well as other support organizations such as MOSH, Mainline, Avalon, and more.


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Allgemeine Aufregung unter Musikfreunden des ottocento: Saverio Mercadantes Oper Francesca da Rimini gelangte beim Festival della Valle d´Itria in Martina Franca in diesem Sommer (2016) zur Weltpremiere – so zumindest benennen es die Veranstalter. Die italienische RAI übertrug den Abend vom 30. Juli live. Vor Jahren hat Michael Wittmann einen spannenden Artikel über Mercadantes Francesca geschrieben, den wir hoffen für uns noch einmal loszueisen. Einstweilen ist es wieder unser amerikanischer Freund John Jernigan, der – festivalerprobt – für uns in Martina Franca im nächtlichen Innenhof des malerischen Palazzo Ducale der Aufführung beiwohnte. Nachstehend sein Bericht (sorry, nur in Englisch). (Red.)
The theme of this year's Festival della Valle D'Itria, in Martina Franca, in the Puglia region of Italy, is Eros and Dionysus. As usual, the choice of operas reflects the baroque and bel canto periods, and emphasizes composers who came from this region, or whose careers were centered in southern Italy. And also as usual, the operas are mostly unknown works. One was even the world premiere of an opera written in 1830, but never performed, even in its own day, and thereby hangs a tale.
Ein paar Sätze zu Saverio Mercadante, who was born in nearby Altamura, had a long career composing operas, many of them very successful, although for posterity he has always been in the shadow of first, Rossini, later Donizetti and finally of Verdi. Many scholars feel that he is the link between the bel canto tradition of the early nineteenth century and Verdi. Long before Verdi wrote Un ballo in maschera, for instance, Mercadante had written Il reggente on the same story.
Mercadante studied at the Naples Conservatory, and made his professional debut there in 1819; his first great success was the comic opera Elisa e Claudio, which was written for La Scala a couple of years later. From that point on he pursued an international career, writing several operas for Vienna as well as for theaters all over Italy. All of his early works were strongly influenced by Rossini–it was almost impossible to escape him if an opera composer wanted success in those years. Elisa e Claudio was very popular, and was staged abroad–in Germany and London, and even New York in 1832. In 1826 Mercadante left Italy and went to Spain as Director of Italian Opera at the Teatro Principe, where he produced several Rossini operas as well as works of his own. While there, he wrote I due Figaro, but it was not staged until 1835 (in Madrid). Riccardo Muti successfully revived this opera recently and made a recording; it was also revived in New York. After a short time back in Italy (with operas for Turin and Milan's La Scala), Mercadante returned to the Iberian Peninsula and composed several operas for Lisbon and Cadiz (including Don Chisciotte alle nozze di Gamaccio, revived several years ago at Bad Wildbad and also recorded). In Madrid, things did not go well, for it was there that he wrote the opera under discussion here, Francesca da Rimini, which was never staged. The reasons for the completed opera remaining unproduced are hazy, but most scholars feel that the project was torpedoed by a prima donna–Adelaide Tosi–who had it in for Mercadante. In Italy, she and Mercadante had been lovers and she accompanied him to Spain, but her voice was in a serious state of decline. According to Mercadante, Tosi started "spreading poison" about all manner of colleagues with Mercadante at the forefront, perhaps to deflect attention from her failings. Her influence in the madrilene theater world seems to have nixed the planned production of Francesca in Madrid, and Mercadante, disgruntled, traveled back to Italy with the score in his suitcase.
In Milan, he once again completed a contract to stage the work, this time at La Scala, but this plan too was torpedoed, principally because the Intendant changed the terms of his financial offer to Mercadante's disadvantage, but also because of another prima donna's influence. This time the lady in question was Giuditta Pasta, the great singer who premiered Bellini's Norma at La Scala in 1830. If the opera had gone on, Pasta would have sung the pants role of the romantic hero, Paolo, but evidently she did not like the idea that she would play second fiddle to the soprano Francesca. The contract with La Scala was annulled. Disgusted again, Mercadante went to Rome and wrote Zaira. Francesca da Rimini was shelved, never to be heard from again–until now.
Even in our time, when new interest in Mercadante's works has spurred scholars to search out the score of Francesca da Rimini, production of the work has suffered delays. It was announced a few years ago for the Wexford Festival in Ireland, but mysteriously disappeared from the program between the time of the announcement and the production. Only now has
this massive opera finally found its voice. The world premiere of Mercadante's Francesca da Rimini took place on July 30, 2016, in the courtyard of the Ducal Palace in Martina Franca, only 186 years late. The good news is that it was worth the wait.
Vorlage/ Plot/ Libretto: The story comes ultimately from Dante's Inferno, were the immortal lovers are blown around the second circle of hell by an infernal wind which represents the passion which incessantly drove them to lust and adultery. There really was a Francesca, the daughter of Guido da Polenta from Ravenna. For political reasons she was married to Lanciotto, a warlord of Rimini without even seeing him–they were married by proxy while Lanciotto was off fighting and his younger brother Paolo stood in for him at the wedding ceremony. That was a mistake, since Francesca fell in love with handsome Paolo (Paolo il bello), and one night her husband came home unexpectedly, caught the couple in flagrante delicto, and killed them both on the spot. In the Inferno, Francesca explains to Dante's Pilgrim how they came to their passionate desire; one day, alone, they read the story of Lancelot and Guinevere (King Arthur's wife), and how they too were driven to passion. "To one line alone we yielded," she says, "It was when we read about those lips being kissed by such a famous lover that: la bocca mi baciò, tutto tremante (he kissed my lips and trembled as he did).
For Dante, lust is a sin wherein human reason is dominated by desire or the emotions. Yielding to the emotions leads inevitably to disaster, but the character of Francesca is so appealing, so beautiful and she speaks in such wonderful poetic language that Dante–who is a poet after all– is overcome and faints hearing of her sad plight. That is, he loses his reason when he is overcome by his emotions. He has a lot to learn before he is ready for Paradise.
When the nineteenth century romantics got hold of Dante, it was inevitable that they would find the sad story of Francesca and Paolo irresistible, not as a lesson about the evils of lust, but as a tale of romantic love thwarted by the strictures of a society where marriage is based on political alliances rather than love, like those other famous medieval lovers, Tristan and Isolde and Romeo and Juliet. The libretto was directly based on an early nineteenth century drama by Silvio Pellico, which changed some aspects of the story as presented by Dante. Felice Romani, the librettist, adjusted the story further to fit the operatic structure of the time so that each of the three main characters (Francesca, Paolo and his brother Lanciotto) gets a major aria with cabaletta in each of the two acts. Further, there are duets, trios and a great concertato finale at the end of Act I.
It is, for the most part, an excellent, taut libretto, although the second act goes on too long in order to give a chance for the three main principals to have a big aria. Logically it should end when Lanciotto gives the lovers the option of suicide, but just as Paolo is about to stab himself, Francesca's father rushes in with his men to free them. Later another confrontation with Lanciotto occurs, and when the doomed lovers finally die, Francesca intentionally runs onto Paolo's dagger and he stabs himself; the aggrieved husband does not kill them. The tragedy is in fact universal–Lanciotto's as well as the lovers and also her father's (Guido da Polenta is the fourth character in the opera, a bass).
The libretto was not written for Mercadante, but for Feliciano Strepponi, the father of Giuseppina Strepponi, Verdi's wife, in 1823. Thereafter it was well traveled, set by Luigi Carlini in 1825 and eight other composers up to 1857. Mercadante's libretto used the basic Romani text, but with several changes by an unknown collaborator, or by Mercadante himself.
Die Musik: Musically, the opera is going to excite anyone who loves bel canto singing. A lot of it is very Rossinian, composed for the Madrid audiences which had been driven to a frenzy by the Rossini operas that Mercadante had produced there. By 1830 Rossini had stopped composing operas, and the style of his late works was quite different from the works of the 1810's. Thus the Rossinian sections (such as both cabalettas for the mezzo Paolo or the allegro-andante-allegro style of many of the arias and duets) are retrograde–and very exciting. Even the tradition of having women sing major roles in travesti was old fashioned by 1830 in Italy (but probably not in Spain). Thus Mercadante often used an older style that he thought would bring him success in Madrid. But that is not the whole story.
Listeners who love the romantic, melancholy melodies that one hears so frequently in the operas of Donizetti and Bellini will find a great deal of beautiful music here too, especially the wonderful scene when the reading of the tale of Lancelot and Guinevere bring Francesca and Paolo together, or the gorgeous, sad mezzo aria in Act II, "Se trocondo i giorni miei." Mercadante's complex orchestration gives a lot of color (tinta) to the piece too. The harp and English horn (cor anglais) are often used to create feeling, especially in the emotion-laden music for Francesca.
As a lover of bel canto, I was mesmerized by these wonderful pieces, and the wonderful performance that made the music live. Francesca is relatively early Mercadante, but the Mercadante scholar will find music which forecasts the later "reform" operas that he wrote, that give him his own unique voice, distinct from Donizetti or Rossini. He was famous as an orchestrator, and was considered superior in that way to Donizetti and his other contemporaries. You hear that technique in the instrumental coloring, in the deft writing for the many ensembles and in the beautiful blending of the women's voices, but also in the choruses and strictly instrumental movement. Consider the long, gorgeous choral passage which opens Act II, "Rapido come al vento" or the part writing in the trio "Cielo a miei voti/gemiti."
Die Bühne/ Inszenierung: The opera's success in Martina Franca was aided immeasurably by the wonderful production of Pier Luigi Pizzi. Pizzi left the whole wide stage in the Ducal Palace bare. Only at both sides of the stage huge black veils, like black sail cloth, hung three stories high and billowed and turned in the wind. Pizzi was obviously inspired by Dante's imagery of wind in the Inferno. One might also note references to wind in the libretto, and the wind sounds occasionally pulsing through the orchestration. Pizzi also designed billowing, diaphanous costumes for principals, chorus and dancers. The chorus were in black (men) and brilliant white (women), or both, and the lead singers wore bright colors–red for Francesca, blue for Paolo, yellow and black for Lanciotto, and purple for Guido. There was also a corps de ballet, with choreography by Gheorghe Iancu, Pizzi's long-time collaborator. Though there is no ballet music per se in the opera there are many passages of orchestral music, and the dancers intervened tastefully to create movement and interest for the eye. Pizzi is a past master of creating beautiful tableaus and he did that here with constant movement–placing and replacing singers and dancers.
Die Vorstellung: All of that does not mean that the production was static or uninvolving from an emotional point of view. Mr. Pizzi provided a runway around the sides and front of the orchestra which was used liberally by the singers to bring them into intimate involvement with the audience. When Francesca and Paolo sang their heartbreaking scene, 'reading' to each other the tale of Lancelot and Guinevere, you could almost reach out and touch them; you wanted to shout, "Don't do it!" So, with the billowing movement of costumes and veils, with the placement and replacement of tableaux, with dance, and with the singing, of course, the opera never flagged. I might add that Pizzi did it all without recourse to guns, uzis, barbed wire, cell phones or other ubiquitous references to the ugliness of contemporary culture which so often blot the opera productions of our times with clichés. I was reminded that there is worth in something purely beautiful for its own sake. We had recently seen the production of Rameau's Les Indes Galantes in Munich, which used discordant modern dance including break dancing set to baroque dance music. None of that here! The dancing was classical ballet, in perfect synchronicity with the music and theater of Mercadante's time, and the production itself was classical, restrained and immensely beautiful.
The singers were all young, very well rehearsed and very good, particularly at the second performance (we saw the first performance on 30 July and a second one on August 2). Leonor Bonilla looked exactly like Francesca should–young and vulnerable and appealing. Vocally, and in her looks, the petite singer reminded me of Cecilia Gasdia in her prime. Technically, she was utterly splendid, handling the difficult Rossinian coloratura with ease. Her Paolo was mezzo Aya Wakizono, equally young, equally doomed. Wakizono's voice is extremely rich, almost a contralto, and she too was the complete mistress of her technique in florid passages. Tenor Mert Süngü was also very fine in the duties of Lanciotto; he convinced us that he was not a cardboard villain, but a tragic figure too, doomed to love a woman who loves someone else. Antonio Di Matteo handled the bass duties of Guido with sonority (and sometimes too loudly); Mercadante did not give the bass an aria, but he participates in many ensembles.
Along with the eleven dancers of the corps, there were two excellent principal dancers, Letizia Giuliani and Francesco Marzola. Even Ms. Bonilla danced in one scene, and skillfully too. Finally there was the large Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia led by Fabio Luisi, the Music Director of the Festival. Luisi is one of the world's greatest conductors and his commitment to this piece was evident. He shaped every phrase, brought out every orchestral color, and never allowed the pace to flag. The 50-person strong Chorus of the "Transylvania" State Philharmonic of Cluj-Napoca (Cornel Groza, chorus master) was superb too.
I have attended several world premieres of new operas, and I have attended a few first performances in modern times of older operas, but I never thought I would see the world premiere of an opera written 186 years ago. It was an occasion to be savored, and not just an academic experience. Our party of five friends agreed that Francesca da Rimini is a work of the first order, that the production was superb and that the singing was first rate. I can't wait for the CD/ DVD on Dynamic (Foto oben: Mercadantes "Francesca da Rimini" in Martina Franca 2016/ Szene/ Foto Paolo Conserva). John Jernigan