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I have forgiven my mother and father for taking my foreskin at so young an age. She told me it was so I could look like my father. This was in a different time dimension. We must speed backward past the invasion of Iraq, past the civil rights movement of the 60's, past the Korean war of the 50's to the New York of the mid 1940's. People were acculturated to a different world. I distinguish between male and female circumcision because the former removes the skin covering the penis and the latter removes the whole clitoris, not just the hood, and is meant to decrease sensation. That's a big difference.
This is the view of western culture. I deplore the notion. I also deplore honor killings and many aspect of patriarchy. But I am western and see through western eyes. Eastern eyes often see the west as decadent and sinful. I won't change the east to be a reflection of the west any more than I would force anyone to change their religion. Of course, this is not a universal view.
I enjoyed Ms Gummow's article although some of her assertions are new to me as below she states: "a white woman in Beverly Hills is able to have her clitoris reduced for aesthetic reasons…," I assume she is referring to vaginal rejuvenation, which does not normally include a clitoridectomy. I suppose anyone can parse a term like FGM, which is widely used, and redefine it as FGC. However, I hear the drums of political correctness distantly beating by creating a difference without a clear distinction.
Evidence Shows That Illegal Female Genital Cutting Is a Growing Phenomenon in U.S.
Up to 200,000 American girls and women are at risk, many of them sent abroad to undergo the procedure.
Jodie Gummow is a freelance journalist and human rights activist.
Female genital cutting (FGC), also known as female genital mutilation (FGM) and female circumcision, is an increasing international concern to human rights activists and feminists across the globe. An estimated 140 million girls have been subjected to the practice worldwide and it is still prevalent in at least 28 countries according to the World Health Organization Progress Report in 2011.
In Western culture, mere mention of FGM sends feminist activists up in arms, generating intense negative feelings and evoking discussion about sexism, brutality and gender-based violence. However, while FGM is mostly practiced in African and Middle Eastern countries and classified as an "off-shore problem," many Americans are unaware of the cultural complexities embedded in the custom and the fact that it is happening right under our noses.
According to a report by the non-profit group Sanctuary for Families, the practice of FGC is on the rise in the United States. The study claims that up to 200,000 American girls and women are at risk of FGM whether at home or through what is known as "vacation cutting," in which young women in the U.S. are sent abroad to undergo the ritual.
"People in the United States think that FGM only happens to people outside of the United States, but in all actuality, people here all over the country have been through FGM. Kids that were born in this country are taken back home every summer and undergo this procedure," a 23-year-old woman from Gambia stated in the report.
The document claims that traditional practitioners are often secretly brought in from overseas to carry out the ritual on U.S. soil, where an entire group of girls may be cut in an afternoon.
Such occurrences, according to Claudia De Palma of Sanctuary for Families, are the result of family pressure from the ancestral home as well as from community and regional leaders who wish to preserve the practice for generations that are now growing up in the United States.
"We started to see that once it became illegal to conduct FGM in the United States in 1996, more and more families started sending children back home over school vacation, and it would happen there. Sometimes it was the intention of the trip to meet with grandparents—a coming of age—and sometimes it was not intended that it was going to happen, but once the girl arrived, it became clear that this was what the larger community had in mind," she told AlterNet.
It's difficult to estimate exactly how many girls have been exposed to the practice in the United States. The procedure is heavily under-reported and shrouded in secrecy by communities and family members who are aware of the legal ramifications of revealing that they have committed FGC. According to De Palma, anecdotal evidence suggests that the figures of those at risk of FGM in the United States are a lot higher than initially indicated.
"Every year we see thousands of women who have experienced FGM or who are fearing the practice come in to see us. Some of the women we receive are community survivors, others have immigrated here based in part that they were forced to undergo FGM, and others have daughters who are U.S. citizens and are terrified their daughters will be subject to vacation cutting," she said.
The report provides a number of case studies of victim statements, such as a 17-year-old girl who was sent from the U.S. to Angola and told she was being prepared for circumcision in order to become a woman so her husband would respect her. The girl didn't know what the procedure involved, and could only conclude from her family's reassurance that this was the best thing for her.
A 25-year-old woman from Ivory Coast was threatened by her parents to be sent to Africa to undergo FGM. Having moved to the United States at 13, and knowing full well the effects of FGM, she did not want to comply. However, because she was an undocumented alien, she was afraid to report the threats and her counselor failed to intervene on her behalf, as he viewed the issue a cultural problem.
Human rights activists and feminists view such examples of FGC as mutilation, a barbaric practice that violates women's fundamental human rights—a position that is backed by international treaties, medical documentation and United Nations resolution. However, at the other end of the spectrum are hundreds of thousands of women who see such objections to FGC as ethnocentric and racist and wish to honor the custom, which has been passed down through generations.
In many cultures, it is inconceivable to think that a woman has not undergone some sort of cutting, with many women not considered "fully female" and ostracized by their communities for failing to undergo the procedure. The practice is said to pre-date religion and is linked to femininity, honor, social status and marriageability.
Cultural relativism plays an important role, as those who disagree with the ideology that FGC constitutes a human rights violation advocate for the right to cultural self-determination. While cultural relativism has shifted over time as human rights arguments gain momentum, there are a number of groups that view the international response as one-sided and ignorant of the culture complexities that underlie the practice.
The term FGC has been chosen over FGM by a number of organizations, such as Sauti Yetu, a community center for African women and families in New York. They believe it better reflects the fact that over the last decade in communications with women in the community, "mutilation" is not always the intent of the practice and thus does not apply to all cases. Their website deemed it inappropriate to label all women as mutilated, when each woman should have the right to determine the terminology which best describes their own personal experience.
Dr. Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, director of the Refugee Women's Health Clinic in Arizona, agrees. In her experience treating immigrant patients and providing medical care to women who have undergone FGC, she found that many women actually embraced their scars after being cut and in some cases requested recutting after the scar had been opened, viewing the scar as a representation of their womanhood.
"Some women are opposed to the practice, while others view it with pride and honor. There are women who consider it part of their beauty and want to protect the practice, and other opinions that fall in between," she told AlterNet.
Johnson-Agbakwu explained that there is a public policy debate over what we label "genital modification" in the United States. While FGC among African communities is considered a human rights violation, vaginal rejuvenation among American adult woman is viewed as a personal cosmetic choice.
"How is it that a white woman in Beverly Hills is able to have her clitoris reduced for aesthetic reasons, yet an adult women who seeks to modify her genitals for cultural reasons is considered mutilated," she said.
When it was pointed out that the majority of girls undergoing FGC procedures are 10 to 15 years old and thus not voluntary electing to have their genitals cut, Dr. Johnson-Agbakwu was quick to distinguish such a situation described above in which an adult woman makes an informed choice about her body, from the plight of an under-aged girl who is incapable of consenting and has the procedure forced upon her against her will.
"From a human rights perspective, subjecting minors to cutting should not be allowed for either girls and boys, period. I don't distinguish between the sexes," she said.
Fuambai Ahmadu, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Chicago offered similar insight, although her own story is unique. After growing up in the United States, she returned home to Sierra Leone at the age of 21 to willingly undergo FGC in an initiation ceremony.
"My experience is rare," she told AlterNet. "My parents were African immigrants and interested in preserving our culture and traditions whilst providing me with an education in the United States. When I returned to Sierra Leone, I was greeted by a supportive, embracing feminist society of women in my community. The practice was celebrated and girls were pampered and spoiled prior to the cutting. It was an opportunity for me to join a larger movement and I wanted to go through this experience because of the notion of empowerment."
When asked her opinion on the consent issue, Ahmadu said, "Why do African girls have to give consent, when males circumcised at birth do not? Why are we singling out and stigmatizing African girls? I have a problem with the fact that we are treating these girls differently in a negative way. As a result, these girls are internalizing this negativity and believing that they are inadequate whereas once before, this procedure marked their sexuality and empowered them sexually. The standard of consent should be applied equally across the board and not just to Africans."
Ahmadu's perspective rarely rears its head in human rights discussions, as we generally only hear about girls who are subjected to FGC against their wishes or who suffer irreparable harm. Her story highlights the need for more empirical data specific to particular ethnic groups and regions in order to obtain a better understanding of the procedure and more accurate representation of the groups exposed to FGC.
Still, the severe physical pain some young girls experience while undergoing FGC, specifically when enduring Type III FGC, cannot be denied. This category, called infibulation, involves the removal of all the external female genitalia and the sealing or narrowing of the vaginal opening, with a small hole left for urination and menstruation. Often performed with glass or razor blades in extreme cases, many women experience acute physical, sexual and psychological complications as a result.
So how do we protect girls in the U.S. and abroad who may be at risk of a similar fate? In January 2013, President Obama introduced legislation criminalizing the transport of girls abroad to undergo FGM, which finally brought the United States in line with international standards to end the practice. However, U.S. policy has focused largely on prohibitive legislation rather than enforcement, with no prosecutions under federal laws and only one criminal case under state law.
Perhaps the answer lies in working with local community groups that have a clearer understanding of the cultural complexities and are better equipped to challenge questionable FGC practices by engaging with women affected by the practice. Such efforts would assist in working toward the protection of human rights for women and girls both in our own country and abroad.
Jodie Gummow is a freelance journalist and human rights activist.


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It's too easy to gloat about news that a northern Maine company has been enticed across the border.
A press release from the NH Division of Economic Development told us the news that P.A.T. Products has relocated its corporate headquarters to Pease. It included a quote from founder and company president Leo Coyle explaining that it now will be closer to its customers and have lower business costs.
Chalk up another win for the New Hampshire miracle and the state's benefits, especially lack of an income tax.
But when you talk to Coyle he is not one to get on a soapbox and bash Maine. Although he has his issues with its business climate. Big issues.
He also is quick to point out NH is not perfect either, mentioning the use of property taxes to pay for so many things.
But the timing was just right for him and his family and of course there are the benefits, which those of us who work and live here know all too well.
Still, there is a certain sadness that comes through when you talk to him about the decision.
Coyle started his company in Bangor and ran it successfully for 39 years, after all. It was an excellent place to raise a family, he adds.
It just is a long way from major metro areas and airports, and freight and travel are big parts of P.A.T.'s business expenses.
The firm is small, it employed about eight people in Bangor. And private.
Coyle is not forthcoming about revenues and doesn't have to be. He does estimate the firm will save about $15,000 a year on travel alone by virtue of the move to Pease.
We only can speculate how this will improve its other expenses but one thing is certain. When it comes to the shareholders' and workers' take-home pay, they can add up to 8 1/2 percent to their checks without giving it to the state. Not too shabby.
This alone is a huge incentive to own a business here. Throw in proximity to recreation, the arts, Boston and there is a reason the Seacoast is booming.
Hidden away at Pease and other commercial locations big and small are thousands of companies we never even know exist until we stumble on them or they make the news.
P.A.T. is such as place, supplying other companies worldwide with ingredients such as gums for food manufacturers and shellacs for ink makers.
It's not the glamorous business that often makes headlines but it is the type of small family owned business that keeps its finances close to the vest and close to home. Family members often live where the business is based and spend their profits locally.
They weather downturns and keep the doors open and don't casually decide to relocate.
When they make good business decisions a small employer can become a big employer with a huge long-term economic boost to the area's bottom line.
Mike Bergeron, business development manager for the NH DED, said it's the kind of firm the state tries to entice here. It is not an easy job, despite the area's obvious benefits.
He does not have the ability to offer special economic enticements, such as some states have. There is a lot of competition out there and economic development work takes persistence. Bergeron has been in contact with P.A.T. since 2003, for instance.
Could Maine have done something to keep P.A.T. there?
When you prompt him, Coyle does not mince words when it comes to Augusta. He said he's seen the business climate in Maine get worse over the decades he's been there. The tax structure has serious problems and business gets no breaks, he said.
And no, nobody from Maine contacted him to see if he'd reconsider leaving.
Maybe they already knew the answer.
Jeremiah Turner can be reached at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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This is the second in a series of blog posts I intend to post about my experimentations with cooking in a kettle. I was put on to the idea by a bloke I met in Cambodia and cooked some fairly decent meals in cheap hotel rooms out there.
But since I've been back, I've been experimenting further with cooking times etc. and asking people for suggestions.
This one came from an Australian woman called Sarah I work with. Her mother used to make her this when she was ill. The Jews have chicken soup, the Australians have their own brothy penicillin in Vegemite soup it seems.
It really couldn't be simpler, and the beauty is of course you can "cook" it in a kettle, which after all is the point of these recipes. I have to say I've cooked it twice, and preferred it better the second time.
Perhaps I didn't pick up on the gastronomic subtleties on first tasting, but it definitely has a moreish quality, and I imagine with the "B vitamins for vitality" so prominently displayed on the rather garishly-coloured Vegemite tube is a good pick-me-up if you're feeling under the weather Down Under, or anywhere else for that matter.
Sarah's mother sends her a parcel of Vegemite tubes every couple of months or so to stop her getting homesick, and she was kind enough to give me a tube so I could try out her delicious recipe.
Like all Australians she detests Marmite, and swears this soup should only be made with 100% Australian yeast extract grown on barley and wheat ie. Vegemite. She also recommends coating warm hard-boiled eggs with the stuff so that it melts and gives, I imagine, a 1,000-year-old eggs-style coating.
Vegemite Soup
1 kettle
1 bowl
1 soup spoon
1 slice of bread
Fill the kettle with about half a pint (250ml) of water and boil. While you're doing this carefully prepare your soup base. Using the spoon, gently spread enough Vegemite so the bread is completely covered.
It's important to get a consistent covering for aesthetic purposes, and after all, as chefs will continually tell you if you give them half a chance - you eat with your eyes.
The next bit is a tad more tricky. Take your bowl and carefully press the bread into it so it's evenly centred with the corners poking up into four peaks. The Vegemite side should be facing up.
Pour in enough water to half fill the bowl and let it rest for two minutes to amalgamate the flavours and give the bread a doughy - almost melted cheese - consistency. Serve immediately.


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Martin Scorsese has a lot of recurring themes in the movies he's directed over the last 44 years, but he's never helmed a 3D kids' movie. That is until 'Hugo' is released on November 23. With that date approaching, I thought it would be a good time to tackle the filmography of Martin Scorsese, one of America's greatest directors. Here are the Top 10 Martin Scorsese Movies.
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Teddy Bear Puppies for Sale at Puppy Plus
Teddy Bear dogs are not purebreds, but rather, a hybrid dog selectively bred to resemble a child's stuffed teddy bear. Normally a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Toy Poodle (a Shih Poo), a Bichon Frise and a Toy Poodle (a Poochon), a Bichon Frise and a Shih Tzu (a Zuchon), or a mix of all three, Teddy Bear Dogs are normally small and fluffy with brown or black coats. Teddy Bear dogs are considered "designer" crosses and are bred solely for appearance, rather than temperament, health or functionality. This type of dog is perfect for apartment life, but does require daily exercise in the form of a walk or a romp in the park. As adults, Teddy Bears tend to have large bursts of energy for short amounts of time, so do not over exercise. Fortunately, they are usually small enough to carry if they become tired during a walk.
The practice of breeding a Teddy Bear or a designer dog is a controversial topic for some animal rights groups. With a recent surge in popularity in hybrid dogs (especially among Hollywood celebrities), there have been charges that some breeders are reproducing irresponsibly by disregarding overpopulation and the health of the puppies or parents. Others have questioned the often excessive price breeders charge for Teddy Bears (normally $950-$1750 for a "professionally bred" Teddy Bear) because they are, according to many dog enthusiasts, simply "mutts".
Teddy Bear Dogs
Teddy Bear Dogs vary in size but are normally quite small, weighing no more than 7-9 pounds. Because they are hybrids, it is difficult to determine what health/temperament issues may arise. If the dog comes from purebred parents, they will be susceptible to health problems from both breeds. If the dog is more than a mix of two purebreds, it becomes more difficult to pinpoint potential health issues. There are, however, ailments that are common to smaller dogs, for example eye and ear problems, sensitivity to the cold, and bloat if overfed. Teddy Bear dogs tend to be quite yappy and difficult to housetrain, but this can be alleviated through proper training. Beware when you buy the Teddy Bear for sale or Teddy Bear puppies for sale as they can become startled easily and may nip children, so they should be monitored when in the presence of others.
Because these dogs are often purchased for appearance sake, they tend to be spoiled, which can lead to overfeeding and a lack of discipline. The former can pose a serious health risk to the dog – weight gain can result in a shortened lifespan.
Teddy Bear Dog Puppies
Teddy Bear dogs are normally bred from purebreds with hyperactive tendencies, so puppies tend to have abundant energy levels. Some owners of Teddy Bear puppies say their dogs are resistant to crate training, and do not like to be left alone. Puppies need a lot of love and attention and require a lot of discipline. Some Teddy Bear dogs will howl when left alone. This will pass overtime, providing the owner does not give in to the puppy. If the owner retrieves the puppy when she cries, it will believe that howling is permitted in the home. It may be difficult to resist that adorable little face but be strong. Your puppy will thank you in the end!


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So, you have push access to one or more of the repos in the diagrams organization on github. Now what?
Do code reviews. When someone opens a pull request for a repository to which you have push access, you are welcome to review their code. (You're also welcome and encouraged to review pull requests on other repositories as well.) At a minimum this means reading carefully through their proposed changes and commenting; ideally it also means downloading and testing their code.
Some guidelines for code reviews:
- Be constructive. Say what is good about the patches, and how they could be improved, rather than just pointing out all the flaws. Of course, you should also be honest.
- Be clear. Make it clear what action(s) are necessary to improve or correct the code. Clearly differentiate changes that must be made before you would consider merging the code from "nice to have" changes.
- People are more important than code. Adjust the level and thoroughness of your comments to the committer. For long-time contributors, you can be more stringent. For new contributors, try hard to accept their patches as quickly as possible. Of course there always needs to be a basic level of correctness and style, but smaller issues can always be cleaned up later. The most important thing is for new contributors to have a positive experience, so that they want to continue contributing.
- See it through. If you review a patch, try to stay with it through the process of revision and eventual merge. Don't demand some changes and then ignore subsequent updates. As a corollary, make sure your notification settings are such that you are aware when someone makes a new commit or comments on a pull request you have reviewed.
- Merge. When a pull request has been reviewed and the reviewers are happy with its current state (perhaps after one or more rounds of revision), merge it.
Submit your own code for review. Having push access means you are trusted to make good commits, but you are still welcome (and encouraged, for larger commits) to submit pull requests so others can review your code. Whether to submit a pull request or just push in any given situation is left up to your judgment.
Note that when submitting a pull request, you need not fork the repo; you are always welcome to create a new "topic branch" in the main repo and push to that branch. Then open a pull request from the branch to master (see [1]). If you prefer, you can also fork the repo and submit a pull request from your own feature branch.


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I knew I was right to make this dish, oh my gosh it was absolutely scrumptious and nothing less than fantastic! This is a light and refreshing curry with a subtle spicy kick which in no way over-powers the other flavours. Whether you love Thai curries or never tried one before this is one you must make!
Serves 4 (I halved the recipe for 2)
2 tbsp sunflower oil (I used olive oil)
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp Cooks' Ingredients lime leaves
450g raw king prawns
400ml can coconut milk (I used half fat coconut milk)
2 limes, juice
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
100g mange tout
10g coriander, chopped
Heat the oil in a large pan; sweat the onion for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli, curry powder and lime leaves and cook on low for another few minutes.
Add the prawns and cover with the coconut milk. Cook for about 7 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and desiccated coconut, then add the mange tout and cook for another few minutes.
Season. Sprinkle with the coriander. Serve on a bed of plump rice.


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Anyone who has met our family will know that we are without a doubt crazy about nature! One of my children's favourite hobbies is to watch the birds that come and visit our feeders throughout the year. So what sort of craft do you make to keep a couple of bird brained nature lovers happy? Why you construct a simple bird blind of course for hours and hours of bird watching fun that keeps you up close and personal while incognito.
You will need:
A large cardboard box
A small cardboard box
Masking tape or clear packing tape
Exacto knife
A glass
Start by finding the largest cardboard box that you can. A great place to get a box if you don't have one handy at home is by visiting your local grocery store and asking if they have a banana box or another large box hanging around in their stock room that they could spare. Quite often I have gone asking for boxes for school projects and I've never been turned down yet. Once you have your box, carefully open the top and bottom flaps and then cut vertically down one of the side seams so that the whole thing lies flat on the floor, then cut the box in half and stack the one layer above the other creating a large square. Now grab your tape and tape up the center seam where you are joining the two box halves together on both sides of the cardboard and any other spots on the box that appear to be weak. It may take a couple of strips of tape layered side by side until you have a good six inch width of tape to create a nice sturdy seam that is going to stand up straight when you set your cardboard upright.
Now that you have the backbone of your bird blind built you will want to put in some viewing holes. Place your bird blind on the window sill where it will be used for bird watching and have each of your children stand right in front of it so that you can mark exactly where their eyes meet the cardboard. Take a glass and use it as your template for drawing nice uniform circles. Using your exacto knife carefully cut out the circles slightly within the lines.
Using the tip of your scissors poke a hole above each of your viewing holes on your bird blind and through the top of each of the viewing hole covers. Then place a brad through each of the covers and in turn through the holes on your bird blind creating little flaps that swing open and closed over your viewing holes.
We had fun drawing on ours so that they looked like eyes looking back at us. We also thought it would be neat to use our bird blind as a bulletin board (see very first photo) for our nature drawings as well. So we taped up a bunch of our bird drawings from out of our nature journals and photos from bird articles in our local newspapers so that the we could try and spot different species as we watched our feeders. The entire project from start to finish took us about an hour to complete and it is amazing to be able to sit less than a foot away from the feeders watching unnoticed as the birds munch away on their bird seed. Don't be afraid to get creative with your bird blind either. Take it outdoors on a nice day and have your children cover it with branches and leaves to really camouflage it or let them paint it to blend into the surrounding shrubbery. Set it up near a place you know the birds always gather at, bring along a couple of lawn chairs and some snacks and have fun!
If you decide to make one let me know. We'd love see how you make your bird blind special :)
~ Rosina


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Black Raspberry Vanilla Scentsy Pods
Black Raspberry Vanilla Scentsy Pods- Delicious, sun-sweetened DARK BERRIES warmed with VANILLA.
Black Raspberry Vanilla Scentsy Pods- Delicious, sun-sweetened DARK BERRIES warmed with VANILLA.
What is Scentsy?
Scentsy started as Scentsy Wickless Candles and sold electric candle warmers and wax blocks to use with the warmers, that some people still call Scentsy burners. But since we're not 'burning' anything and only warming the wax just above body temperature, we try to refrain from using that 'burning' term.
Over the years, Scentsy has expanded its product lines to room sprays, car bars, travel tins and Scentsy buddies. Just within the last few years, we have also added essential oils and diffusers to our lineup, in addition to cleaning products, laundry care and bath & body products. We're a fragrance company. Our products are available in our most liked, most popular scents. Black raspberry vanilla has been a classic and liked by just about everyone.
How many Scentsy Wax Cubes do I put in my candle warmer?
Depends, how strong to do like your fragrance? I like mine pretty strong, so I use 3-4 cubes at a time. Those 3-4 cubes last about 4 days when the warmer is on 24/7. I then use a cotton cleanup to get the wax out of the Scentsy warmer when I no longer smell it, and put another set of cubes in again.
Please join our live chat if you have any questions - we're here to help answer your questions and get you set up with your new Scentsy system!


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China TDI Weekly Report 20180910-20180914
1. Weekly Market Overview
China TDI market....
2. Toluene
China toluene market .....
3. Asia TDI Facility Movements
4. Import and Export
China TDI imports in Mar. 2018 under the HS code of 29291010 were...
5. Market Outlook
It is expected that China TDI market is to go....
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Butt Impants Gone Wrong: Girl Who Paid $5,500 For Her New B00ty Has Cheeks That Are Now Drooping & Putting A Hurt On Her
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In our cinematic age of superhero and sci-fi films, director Peter Jackson is doing his part to shoulder the fantasy genre with a return to Middle Earth in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The first in a trilogy of films adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," An Unexpected Journey sets out to tell the tale of titular protagonist Bilbo Baggins and a company of Dwarves on a quest to reclaim their ancestral home from the grip of the fearsome dragon, Smaug. The film also serves to establish an origin point for the events leading up to and through Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a classic adventure quest in the making; packed with colorful characters, gorgeous settings and plenty of action, the only setbacks are technical ones.
Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett and Andy Serkis, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in 3D December 14th. Hit the jump for my review.
Going in to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, it was difficult to hazard a guess as to how much of the source material I'd be seeing on screen. With Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, he kept the book-to-film ratio at 1-to-1, with a moderate degree of variation. For The Hobbit prequel trilogy, Jackson and screenwriters Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro portioned out Tolkien's original tome to suit the needs of all three films (though it was originally only two). Judging from An Unexpected Journey, I think it's safe to say that we're in good hands, as far as story goes.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey starts off with a prologue that explains a bit of backstory, much like the opening of The Fellowship of the Ring. (The comparisons between the first films in each trilogy are quite striking; we'll get into that more later.) This time, instead of a history lesson from Galadriel (Blanchett), we're treated to a narration by an elder Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). In the chronology of the overall story, this is just before his long-awaited party in the early part of Fellowship. What might be my favorite sequence of the entire film comes within the first few minutes, as Bilbo narrates over the destruction of the ancient Dwarven kingdom of Erebor by the fearsome dragon, Smaug. We also get the introduction to our secondary protagonist, the serious and driven leader of the Dwarves, Thorin Oakenshield (Armitage). Armitage is positively heroic in the role and Jackson gives him plenty of camera time to shine.
But what this picture really comes down to is right in the title: Hobbits and unexpected journeys. Freeman plays a version of Bilbo who is 60 years younger than that of Holms' and does so with a reluctant and nebbish quality. As Gandalf (McKellen) and the company of 13 well-armed and armored Dwarves storm into his Hobbit hole and ransack his wares, Bilbo attempts to turn them away, equipped with only strong words and sulking expressions. Freeman portrays the reclusive Bilbo quite well, but comes alive as the Hobbit who remembers an even younger version of himself who was obsessed with adventure (thanks in part to an appeal from Gandalf). Bilbo, who is recruited into the company as their thief, never becomes an expert swordsman or skilled warrior, but he eventually finds the courage to take a stand and fight, making his character arc in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey more fulfilling than that of Frodo's in The Fellowship of the Ring.
While most of the Dwarves are window-dressing as far as character development goes, they do provide a good portion of levity within the film…perhaps to a fault. As "The Hobbit" novel was originally meant for children, its tone is lighter and its story is less dense than that of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Jackson has adapted that lighter tone of the book as well as the story within it, leading to a lot more laughs than Lord of the Rings, but also an over-indulgence on silly humor. There is a scene in which a named villainous character is cut down by our heroes, but takes the time to utter a cringe-worthy one-liner. (Imagine if the Balrog had stopped to quip with Gandalf before the wizard smote his ruin upon the mountainside and you'll get the idea.) The humor of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is mostly on par with that of Lord of the Rings but there are moments clearly meant for kids in this more family-friendly installment (though it is rated PG-13 and there are a surprising number of decapitations…). The Dwarves may belch and cuss, throw plates and juggle, eat too much, drink too much and fight amongst themselves too much, but that's all welcome fun within a company of Dwarves. Thorin Oakenshield, however, is a Dwarf apart.
As I previously mentioned, Armitage brings gravitas and solemnity to the role of Thorin, especially when surrounded by the clownish Dwarves in his company. Thorin's backstory is steeped in blood and fire, loss and longing, and he is doomed to lead his people in search of a new home after Smaug took up residence in their ancestral halls. Though Thorin also struggles with his grandsire's affliction with the "dragon-sickness" (an obsession with treasure), this is only cursorily mentioned in the first film. Rather, Thorin's main objective is to keep his company in one piece while making their way to the Lonely Mountain. If he gets the chance to sever the head of Azog the Defiler (Manu Bennett), a pale orc chieftain who slew his grandsire, then so be it. While Thorin is a strong and capable warrior, he still has more to learn as a leader; Bilbo manages to help him with that and much more.
An interesting comparison exists between Bilbo and Thorin in An Unexpected Journey and Frodo and Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring. While the supporting characters are much stronger, more fully realized and therefore more easily relatable in Fellowship, the relationship between the Hobbits and the "wandering Kings" gives a strong undercurrent to each film. Upon repeat viewings, I think it's possible to match up plot point for plot point, but in summation: the wandering King thinks the Hobbit a childish and burdensome addition to his quest but takes him along at the behest of the wizard Gandalf, then is surprised to see the Hobbit prove himself in unexpected ways over the course of the story, only to regard said Hobbit as a worthy comrade and welcome friend by the picture's end. There you go, film majors, I just outlined your thesis for you.
As for the supporting cast, most of your old favorites are back, along with some new surprises. New additions include a mostly-silent Lee Pace as the Elven King, Thranduil; Sylvester McCoy as the zany and entertaining, but oddly-used wizard, Radagast the Brown; Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin (what a weird character, both in terms of ill-conceived design – you'll see – and as a plot device since he served little purpose), not to mention Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, William Kircher, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown and Stephen Hunter as the Dwarvish company, who all did fantastic jobs, but weren't given much room to breathe. Hopefully, now that they've been introduced, they'll get some individual moments in the future films. Bombur (Hunter) is sure to be a kids/fan favorite and Fili (O'Gorman) and Kili (Turner) do their best to steal the show, though I preferred McTavish's gruff warrior, Dwalin.
And, of course, McKellen is fantastic as Gandalf, a role he was surely born to play. As the meddling wizard, he's as charming and manipulative as ever. McKellen also continues to show great range as both the soft-spoken advisor, the knick-of-time rescuer and even as the upstart challenger to his superiors and mentors. There's a great scene that reunites McKellen's Gandalf with Galadriel (Blanchett), Saruman the White wizard (Christopher Lee) and Elrond (Weaving), all who happen to be more powerful than Gandalf. Not only does it connect the characters throughout the entire arc of Tolkien films, it establishes their relationships and actually manages to strengthen the Lord of the Rings series because of it. A small scene, but a well-directed one. And I can't forget Serkis, who is brilliant as usual. The scene between Gollum and Bilbo is, not only iconic, but exemplary of Serkis' performance abilities.
A note on 48fps: I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 48fps and 3D in a Warner Bros. studio screening room, so my review can only speak to that experience as a reference. (I'd like to see the film in 2D at 24fps and 48fps to see how it compares, but we'll see.) Here's my take on 48fps:
- Pros: Incredible clarity and sharpness of detail. Characters and objects in the background are nearly as clear and defined as those in the foreground of a shot. It makes for absolutely gorgeous establishing shots and exploration of new settings (Erebor, the Dwarven Kingdom before Smaug's attack, is amazing. I'd love to see a film just about the Dwarves and their lives under the mountain). It's great when steady or slow-moving camera work is applied. Beautiful for scenery or landscape shots; would make for excellent documentary applications.
- Cons: Definite "motion sickness" potential during scenes of chaotic action or fast-movement; the increased clarity often feels as if you're standing on set with the actors/characters, so when they take a crazy tumble down a rabbit hole, for example, you feel just as disoriented…which might not be too pleasant for some. There is a bit of an adjustment period for 48fps; I was jarred by it at the start but warmed up to 95% of its usage over time. 48fps means you cannot hide mistakes…period; there were some poorly-rendered VFX sequences that were unintentionally comical and resembled the old-school tactic of filming a stationary actor in front of a moving background. These effects were bad, bad, bad; there's no way around it.
I admire and support Jackson's decision to use 48fps and 3D going forward, but there is still some work to do to make it seamless. If you want more technical explanations of 48fps, head over to PC Mag's explanation (via The One Ring). Another quick note on a technical aspect: most of the enemies simply had no weight to them. Goblins were tossed aside like paper dolls with the Dwarves flicking them out of the way without breaking a sweat. I can only think of a handful of instances of this happening in Lord of the Rings, such as the surge down the stone ramp leading out of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers or parts of the massive Battle of the Pelennor Fields in Return of the King. But for An Unexpected Journey, there was no sense of real danger during most of the fight scenes, right up until the end. This is strange, because the flashback battles were, for the most part, epic and brutal and heavy, with real emotion tied in to the loss of believable warriors. On the plus side, the costume and make-up design for the flesh-and-blood characters and creatures was phenomenal, even managing to surpass the original Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The greatest achievement of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, is how well it ties in with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, much better than, say, the original Star Wars films and their prequels, which are widely-considered to be inferior. As we recently discussed in our Star Wars podcast, watching the films in episode order is not only visually jarring, it ruins the dramatic tension of the whole arc. At first blush, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey appears to avoid this pitfall. The film is set up in such a way that new viewers are briefly introduced to Bilbo and Frodo, but regard them only as an old storyteller and his nephew, nothing more. Returning viewers of the Lord of the Rings feel a bit of nostalgia for the old films and are transitioned into the new films by having a familiar starting place. This introductory scene, which some early reviewers cited as unnecessary, links the trilogies together in a much stronger way. I don't know how Jackson plans to end his Hobbit trilogy, but the opening of An Unexpected Journey and Fellowship of the Ring are already neatly tied together.
Also, "Easter eggs" are not just there for fun; they actually refer to each other in the films (depending on which order you watch them in), as well as to the source material in the books. Without giving too much away, An Unexpected Journey enriches the relationship between Gandalf and Bilbo (and, by extension, Frodo), as well as Gandalf and the elder powers of Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman. The film also explores the reasons for the deep-seated hatred between Dwarves and Elves, Gandalf's connection to nature, the desecration of the Greenwood, the secrets of Saruman, the origin of some of the famous weaponry in the series and, of course, the lore of the Ring. So An Unexpected Journey manages to pay homage to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, while forging strong introductions to the themes that are explored in the chronologically later-occurring films, especially for first-time viewers. It's evident that much care was given over to consideration of how to weave these two tapestries together and it's brilliantly achieved.
Special attention must be given to the musical score of the film, both for original pieces (such as "Misty Mountains," the haunting yet stirring theme for the Dwarves) and incorporation of the themes from Lord of the Rings. The musical cues go a long way to reinforce the connection I mentioned above. While the Misty Mountains theme pervades the film, there are also ties to the Shire, the Ring and even a heroic bit of music that I won't spoil here, but will come as a welcome surprise.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has set a high bar for the next two installments, but if the Lord of the Rings trilogy is any indication, I fully believe that bar will be surpassed. Moving forward, I'd like to see the films become a bit more serious, especially since Bilbo is now in possession of a certain ring and all the grave consequences that portends. It would also be a more gradual transition into the Lord of the Rings trilogy and would allow new fans to mature along with the entire six-film arc, much like the Harry Potter films so expertly achieved. While The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is destined to be a stand-alone adventure classic in the vein of The Neverending Story, Willow and Legend, it is surely strongest when viewed as a satisfactory part of a greater whole.
Rating: A-
For more on The Hobbit, here's 6 clips from the film and twenty minutes of behind-the-scenes footage.


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Magician David Copperfield is engaged to Chloe Gosselin, the mother of his 3-year-old daughter, Hello! magazine reports.
See more celebrity engagement news
"I'm engaged and in a committed relationship with Chloe in my mind and my heart," Copperfield, who previously dated Claudia Schiffer, tells Hello!.
Copperfield, 57, and Gosselin, 28, have been dating for six years and live in Copperfield Bay in the Caribbean. Their daughter Sky was born in 2010.


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LA JOLLA, CA-Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have invented a new method for designing artificial proteins, and have used it to make key ingredients for a candidate vaccine against a dangerous virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a significant cause of infant mortality. The virus has been resistant to current vaccine-design strategies.
With the help of collaborating laboratories, the scientists were able to apply the new method, which uses a "rational design" approach to making vaccines focused on specific binding areas (epitopes) on the virus. The result was designer vaccine proteins that the scientists showed stimulate the production of the desired virus-neutralizing antibodies in rhesus macaques.
"This was a proof-of-principle demonstration of a technology that could be very useful against HIV, influenza and other highly variable viruses that have been difficult to stop using traditional vaccine-design strategies," said William R. Schief, associate professor of immunology at TSRI.
"The achievement represents the confluence of recent technological advances in computational biology, structural biology and immune monitoring, and offers great potential for accelerating development of next generation vaccines against major global diseases," said Wayne C. Koff, chief scientific officer at IAVI, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which helped to fund the studies.
The research is reported in the journal Nature on February 5, 2014.
Folding from Loops
The new protein-design method represents a significant advance over previous methods.
"One approach we and others have taken has been to transplant a protein fragment of interest, for example one that mimics a particular structure on a virus, onto an existing protein 'scaffold,'" said TSRI Research Associate Bruno E. Correia, a member of the Schief laboratory at the time of the study and lead author of the new report. "While this approach often works well to mimic the structure of a viral epitope, it has never successfully induced neutralizing antibodies, and in some cases this method falls short of even producing viable vaccine candidates."
In these difficult cases, the scaffold structure fails to stabilize the transplanted fragment, resulting in an imperfect mimic of the virus and consequent loss of immune-stimulating properties.
The TSRI scientists wanted a way to design scaffold proteins from scratch—proteins that would fit around their functional fragments more naturally, and would do a better job of stabilizing them.
The result was a new software app, "Fold from Loops," for designing proteins that fold up around a functional fragment of interest. For a proof-of-principle demonstration, the scientists decided to attempt one of the most important current protein-design challenges: making a new protein that mimics a particular epitope on a virus, and thus can serve as a key component of a vaccine.
The Promise of Rational Vaccine Design
Researchers want to be able to stimulate antibody reactions against highly specific epitopes because some infectious agents seem unstoppable by traditional methods of immunization.
Virtually all existing viral vaccines, for example, use whole (killed or weakened) virus particles or entire viral proteins to stimulate antibody reactions. These vaccines display virtually the same large set of viral epitopes that the immune system would encounter during a natural infection.
Yet some viruses, such as HIV and influenza viruses, effectively conceal their truly vulnerable epitopes during natural infections, displaying mostly "decoy" structures that change from one viral generation to the next. Only vaccines that can artificially stimulate large numbers of antibodies—against just the vulnerable epitopes—are likely to provide broad protection against such viruses.
Scientists know how to sift through blood samples of virus-exposed patients to find the rare, "broadly neutralizing" antibodies that hit those vulnerable epitopes. They also know how to map the precise atomic structures of these antibodies and their corresponding epitopes, using X-ray crystallography.
"What we haven't been able to do is to take that information about broadly neutralizing antibodies and their epitopes and translate it into effective, epitope-focused vaccines," said Correia.
A Candidate RSV Vaccine
For the test case, the team used the Fold from Loops software to design proteins that incorporate and stabilize a broadly neutralizing epitope on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a significant cause of infant mortality for which no preventive vaccine is yet available. Winnowing thousands of design possibilities down to four that seemed to have the best properties, the team turned them over to collaborating laboratories for preclinical testing and analysis.
In rhesus macaque monkeys, whose immune systems are quite similar to humans', the designer "immunogen" proteins showed great promise. After five immunizations, 12 of 16 monkeys were producing robust amounts of antibodies that could neutralize RSV in the lab dish.
"It's unusual to take a newly designed protein and immunize rhesus macaques with it," said Schief. "We were fortunate to collaborate with Philip Johnson at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, whose laboratory performed those immunizations."
Analyses of the animals' immune responses were conducted at Johnson's laboratory and at the laboratory of James E. Crowe, Jr., at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and in Barney Graham's lab at the NIH/NIAID Vaccine Research Center.
At the laboratory of Roland K. Strong at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, researchers performed X-ray crystallography of two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies produced by the macaques—antibodies that had never been described before—and confirmed that each hit the desired virus epitope.
Having proven the principle of epitope-specific design, Schief and his colleagues now hope to continue this line of research and produce a working RSV vaccine. "RSV is estimated to cause nearly seven percent of all human deaths worldwide in children ages one month to one year," said Schief. "Beyond that, RSV sends millions of kids to the hospital and right now there is no licensed vaccine. So we are going to push hard to see if we can make an RSV vaccine for infants and children using these new technologies. We're also trying to improve this protein design method further and apply it to other vaccine projects including HIV and influenza vaccines."
Other co-authors of the study, "Proof of Principle for Epitope-Focused Vaccine Design," were John T. Bates of Vanderbilt University, Rebecca J. Loomis of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Gretchen Baneyx of the University of Washington, Christopher Carrico of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Joseph G. Jardine of TSRI and the University of Washington, Peter Rupert and Colin Correnti of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Oleksandr Kalyuzhniy of the University of Washington and TSRI, Vinayak Vittal of the University of Washington, Mary J. Connell of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Eric Stevens and Alexandria Schroeter of the University of Washington, Man Chen and Barney S. Graham of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Skye MacPherson, Andreia M. Serra and Yumiko Adachi of the University of Washington and TSRI; Margaret A. Holmes (deceased) of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Yuxing Li of IAVI and TSRI; Rachel E. Klevit of the University of Washington; Richard T. Wyatt of IAVI and TSRI; and David Baker of the University of Washington.
Funding for the research was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grants 5R21AI088554, 1UM1AI100663, 1R01AI102766-01A1, P30AI36214); the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Consortium; the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center; the March of Dimes; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; and the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia of Portugal.
About The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs about 3,000 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists—including three Nobel laureates—work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. For more information, see www.scripps.edu.
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Export 42 results:Author Title [ Type] Year
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Conference Paper
"The Added Economic and Environmental Value of Solar Thermal Systems in Microgrids with Combined Heat and Power." 3rd International Conference on Solar Air-Conditioning, September 30 – October 2, 2009. University Palermo, Sicily, Italy, 2009. 11. LBNL-2629E..
"Added Value of Reliability to a Microgrid: Simulations of Three California Buildings." Cigré Integration of Wide-Scale Renewable Resources into the Power Delivery System, July 29-31, 2009. Calgary, Canada, 2009. 9. LBNL-1853E..
"Applications of Optimal Building Energy System Selection and Operation." Microgen'II: Second International Conference of Microgeneration and Related Technologies, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, 4-6 Apr 2011. Glasgow, Scotland 4-6 Apr 2011: LBNL, 2011. LBNL-4764E..
"Auswirkungen einer CO2-Steuer auf Dezentrale Energieversorgungsunternehmen mit Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung und deren Interaktion mit dem Verteilnetz, analysiert am Beispiel eines städtischen Mikronetzes." Energiegespräche, September 24, 2002. Technischen Museum, Vienna, 2002..
"Control of Carbon Emissions in Zero-Net-Energy Buildings by Optimal Technology Investments in Smart Energy Systems and Demand-Side-Management." 32nd IAEE International Conference, Energy, Economy, Environment: The Global View. June 21-24, 2009. Grand Hyatt Hotel, San Francisco, 2009..
"Customer Adoption of Small-Scale On-Site Power Generation." European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Summer Study 2001. Mandelieu, France: LBNL, 2001. LBNL-47896..
"Distributed Energy Resources On-Site Optimization for Commercial Buildings with Electric and Thermal Storage Technologies." 2008 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Scaling Up: Building Tomorrow's Solutions, August 17-22, 2008. Pacific Grove, CA: LBNL, 2008. LBNL-293E..
"The First Step for Implementing a Stochastic based Energy Management System at Campus Pinkafeld." E-nova International Congress, November 24-25, 2011. University of Applied Science Campus Pinkafeld, Pinkafeld, Austria, 2011..
"Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Distributed Generation in California's Commerical Buildings." 10th IAEE European Conference, Energy, Policies and Technologies for Sustainable Economies. Hofburg, Vienna, Austria, 2009. LBNL-2693E..
"Integrated building energy systems design considering storage technologies." ECEEE 2009 Summer Study, June 1-6, 2009. La Colle sur Loup, Cote d'Azur, France, 2009. LBNL-1752E..
"Microgrid Selection and Operation for Commercial Buildings in California and New York States." 4th European PV-Hybrid and Mini-Grid Conference, May 29-30, 2008 . Glyfada, Athens, Greece: LBNL, 2008. 12. LBNL-313E..
"Modeling Electric Vehicle Benefits Connected to Smart Grids." 7th IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference. Chicago, IL : LBNL, 2011. LBNL-4929E..
"Optimal Control of Distributed Energy Resources and Demand Response under Uncertainty." IAEE's Rio 2010 International Conference, June 6-9, 2010. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil : LBNL, 2010. LBNL-3828E..
"Optimal Technology Selection and Operation of Microgrids in Commerical Buildings." IEEE 2007 Power Engineering Society General Meeting, June 24-28, 2007. Tampa, Florida, 2007..
"Optimal Technology Selection and Operation of Microgrids in Commercial Buildings." 31st IAEE International Conference "Bridging Energy Supply and Demand: Logistics, Competition and Environment", June 18-20, 2008. Istanbul, Turkey, 2008..
"Shape of the Microgrid." Power Engineering Society Winter Meeting, 2001, January 28-February 1, 2001. Vol. 1. Columbus, OH: Practical, 2001. 150-153 vol.1..
"Smart buildings with electric vehicle interconnection as buffer for local renewables?." Researching the Intelligent City: Key Challenges of Integrating Urban Energy and Mobility Systems Research Symposium. Berlin, Germany : LBNL, 2011. LBNL-4921E..
Conference Proceedings
"Effects of a Carbon Tax on Combined Heat and Power Adoption by a μGrid." Second International Symposium on Distributed Generation: Power System and Market Aspects, October 2-4, 2002 2002..
"Effects of a Carbon Tax on Combined Heat and Power Adoption by Microgrid." 22nd USAEE/IAEE North American Conferences, October 6-8, 2002 2002..
"The Influence of a CO2 Pricing Scheme on Distributed Energy Resources in California's Commercial Buildings." 23rd Annual Western Conference, Advanced Workship in Regulation and Competition 2010. LBNL-3560E..
"Spot Pricing of Electricity and Ancillary Services in a Competitive California Market." Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2001: 10..
Journal Article
"Applications of Optimal Building Energy System Selection and Operation." Institution of Mechanical Engineers Journal of Power and Energy Special Issue (2013). LBNL-6302E..
"Control of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Optimal DER Technology Investment and Energy Management in Zero-Net-Energy Buildings." European Transactions on Electrical Power 21.2 (2010) 1291-1309. LBNL-2692E..
"The CO2 Reduction Potential of Combined Heat and Power in California's Commercial Buildings." Clean Tech Law & Business Journal (2010) 16. LBNL-2850E..
"Effects of a CarbonTax on Microgrid Combined Heat and Power Adoption." Journal of Energy EngineeringAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 131 (2005) 2-25..


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Broncos' Manning may keep going even with SB win
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) Peyton Manning might have a few years left in his record-breaking right arm.
So, the idea that he could ride into retirement with another Super Bowl ring? Well, that's not even a thought for the Denver quarterback.
"If I can't produce, if I can't help the team, that's when I'll stop playing," Manning said Sunday. "If that's next year, maybe it is, but I certainly want to continue to keep playing."
The AFC champion Broncos arrived in New Jersey on Sunday to start preparing for the big game next week against the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium. Manning, at a news conference aboard the Cornucopia Majesty cruise ship docked outside the team hotel, said he has no plans beyond next Sunday's Super Bowl.
It's hard to blame him after a season in which he set NFL records with 55 touchdown passes and 5,447 yards while leading the league's top-ranked offense. Manning is trying to become the first starting QB to win Super Bowls with two teams, an accomplishment that seemed a bit of a long shot after he underwent two career-threatening neck surgeries two years ago.
"I still enjoy playing football," Manning said. "I feel a little better than I thought I would at this point coming off that surgery, and I still enjoy the preparation part of it, the important part of it. Everybody enjoys the games, and everybody's going to be excited to play in the Super Bowl.
"But I think when you still enjoy the preparation, I think you probably still ought to be doing that."
Manning is the favorite to win his fifth league MVP award, and is the indisputable face of this year's Super Bowl – the first in which the Broncos have played since John Elway won the second of consecutive titles in 1999.
After that victory, 34-19 over the Atlanta Falcons, Elway retired from the game a champion. Manning has spoken to Elway, now his boss in the Broncos front office, about walking away from the game after winning a ring. He has also spoken to former Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, who did the same last year after the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers.
They talked about how great a feeling it is, being able to go out on top, but Manning noted that there is a major difference between their situations and his.
"In talking to Ray Lewis and in talking with John Elway, they couldn't play anymore," Manning said. "That was all they had to give, and they truly left it all out there. I certainly had a career change two years ago with my injury and changing teams, so I truly have been kind of on a one-year-at-a-time basis. So, I really have no plans beyond this game. I had no plans coming into this season beyond this year.
"I think that's the healthy way to approach your career at this stage."
For those who work with Manning every day, they have no doubt the 37-year-old quarterback still approaches the game with the enthusiasm of a youngster.
"Absolutely, you can just tell he enjoys it and he loves it," said wide receiver Wes Welker, wearing an eye-catching bright orange suit. "He loves being around the guys. He loves the game-planning. He loves Sundays. You can just tell all of the aspects of the game he really enjoys.
"It's great to see and it definitely inspires me as well."
John Fox will be participating in his second Super Bowl as a head coach, and first since his Carolina Panthers lost to the New England Patriots in the 2004 game. He was sidelined a month earlier this season after needing open-heart surgery, so he knows a few things about quick comebacks.
But even he has been impressed by what Manning has been able to accomplish in two seasons with the Broncos.
"He's a tremendous, tremendous player as well as a guy, as far as what he went through," Fox said. "It's a pretty different injury that he experienced. To work back and to learn a new offense, learn a new football team, learn a new city and two years later be in the Super Bowl is pretty incredible.
"I hope that's glowing enough."
The Broncos, greeted by hundreds of bundled-up fans decked out in blue and orange outside the Hyatt Jersey City, also got a frosty taste of the bitterly cold weather – it was about 25 degrees when they arrived – they might have to play through next Sunday in East Rutherford. The game at MetLife Stadium will be the first Super Bowl played outdoors in a cold-weather site.
"I don't mind," said smiling cornerback Champ Bailey, playing in the first Super Bowl of his 15-year career. "I'm used to Super Bowls being in better-weather cities, but I don't really care. When it's time to play, it's time to play."
And, after a long day of traveling from Denver to New Jersey that included two bus rides, a 3-plus-hour flight and a whirlwind interview session on a boat, the Broncos are ready to focus again on football. No matter the weather.
"We couldn't be more excited," Manning said. "The Super Bowl, it's a big deal. I know how hard it is to get here."
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org


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The changes to the program include the following, quoting from the FamilySearch Labs blog:
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GENEVA – A night out with Hollywood stars at a Jenny McCarthy charity event ended with tickets for public intoxication for some outside a nightspot in Geneva, records show.
McCarthy's event Saturday at the Hotel Baker in St. Charles raised money for Bridges Montessori Academy in St. Charles.
Among those cited were actors and dancers.
About 12:30 a.m. Sunday, 30 to 40 guests came with McCarthy to EvenFlow Music and Spirits, 302 W. State St., Geneva, according to Michael Knuth, who, along with Nicholas Mercadante, owns the bar, dinner and live music venue.
"It was a very nice night," Knuth said. "Jenny invited her guests from Baker Hotel. She was very nice and enjoyed music and spirits."
Knuth said the last call for drinks was 1:50 a.m. The guests did not drink any alcoholic beverages in that time, he said, because it's against the city's liquor code to serve alcohol between 2 and 6 a.m.
"They were not here at 5 a.m.; they were outside waiting for a cab," Knuth said. "I don't know how long they were waiting. Who knows where they went or what they did, but as for me and my bar, they were not drinking."
According to Geneva police reports, those who received $50 tickets for public drunkenness at 5:45 a.m. Sunday were Kelly M. Monaco, 37, of Pocono Pines, Pa.; Sergey A. Onik, 25, of West Hollywood, Calif.; Heath J. Freeman, 36, of Los Angeles; Joanne C. McCarthy, 38, of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Alexis A. Gault, 32, of the 400 block of South Third Street, Geneva; and Michael L. Isaacson, 25, of the 500 block of Kingston Drive, Geneva.
Monaco is a reality TV star, winner of "Dancing With the Stars" during its first season and an actress on "General Hospital," according to the IMDB website.
Onik is a United States national dance champion, choreographer and instructor at L.A. Dance Events, according to its website.
Freeman is a movie and TV actor who was in "Skateland" and serial killer Howard Epps on the TV series "Bones," also according to IMDB.
Joanne McCarthy is Jenny McCarthy's sister and a makeup artist, according to IMDB.
Jenny McCarthy's publicist did not respond to an email seeking comment about the citations.
Geneva police reports are at odds with EvenFlow partner Knuth's explanation of what happened that morning.
According to reports, Joanne McCarthy told police they arrived at EvenFlow at 1:45 a.m. for an after-hours party and they drank alcoholic beverages, up until they went outside, right before police arrived at 5:45 a.m.
Also according to reports, Monaco was belligerent to officers at times, and "repeatedly stated she was a celebrity on the television shows 'General Hospital' and 'Dancing With the Stars.' "
The report said Monaco's demeanor changed when police advised her of the consequences of her behavior.
Gault, a server at EvenFlow, told police she drank alcohol herself as well as served it to the group after the business closed.
According to police reports, Mercadante told police he admitted serving alcohol to the group until their departure at 5:45 a.m. because he wanted to "accommodate some 'famous' people and made a poor choice for his business."
Mayor Kevin Burns, in his capacity as the city's liquor commissioner, said he is reviewing the police reports and talking to officers and witnesses involved.
If charges were to be filed against the business, it would be EvenFlow's third liquor code violation.
In November, the business was cited for serving alcohol between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m., as per the city's liquor code.
The business also was cited in June during Swedish Days for serving underage patrons during a police compliance check.
Knuth insisted that no matter what the police report states, he and Mercadante both were working that night, and no alcohol was served after last call. He said if they were intoxicated, it was because they were drinking earlier.
"We did not break any of the local laws," Knuth said. "No one was drinking at EvenFlow."


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Members of Ron Goldman's family say their loss still feels fresh 20 years after O.J. Simpson was accused of murdering Ron alongside Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.
"It's like yesterday, the loss is exactly the same, nothing has changed," Fred Goldman, the victim's father, said Thursday on NBC's Today show.
"It's just become a new normal, minus my son, without any of the opportunity to share his life with him, his joys, his happinesses, his successes… all of that is gone."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Friday marks 20 years since the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found outside her townhouse in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murders in an eight-month trial that captivated the nation.
Ron Goldman's sister, Kim Goldman, who wrote a book recently entitled, "Can't Forgive," about her brother's murder, told "Today's" Matt Lauer that she had to force herself to reclaim her life after the tragedy.
"I had to find what was important to me again," Kim Goldman said. "At the age that I was in, early twenties, to be walking away from what I was supposed be doing. After my brother died I didn't know what that was because everything shifted and I was lost for a long time. It was hard to find that place."
Kato Kaelin, who was living in O.J. Simpson's guest house at the time of the murder and was a witness during the trial, reflected Thursday on how his life changed from being in the spotlight.
"One day I'm in a courtroom, I walk out of the courtroom and everyone is shouting my name," Kaelin said. "I became this public figure and everybody had an opinion. I was Kato the character. Still to this day I can't believe some of the hate that can come over social media. If I work, they say you're capitalizing, if I don't then I'm a bum. I can't win, it's a difficult situation to be in."


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Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Membership required
Mondays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:15 pm
Mondays through Thursdays from 4:30 to 8:00 pm
Saturdays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Please Note Schedule Change: The first Saturday of the month from 9:00-10:30 is reserved for beginners with skills & drills mini-clinics.
Pickleball is an exciting sport, described as a combination of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton. This game is played on a badminton-sized court and is easy enough for a beginner, yet challenging enough for the advanced.
Birmingham Next


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Emergency call leads to dead bodies in Coventry
COVENTRY, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut state police say a 911 call reporting a disturbance at a home in Coventry triggered the intervention of a regional SWAT team and the discovery of two dead bodies.
State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance announced on Saturday that Coventry police received the emergency call reporting the incident possibly involved guns Friday, at about 10:14 p.m.
Officers who responded to the scene secured the area and tried to communicate with people at the State Road home without success. Members of a regional SWAT team got into the home nearly three hours later and found two dead people inside.
State police detectives investigating the incident say the deaths were a result of a murder-suicide.
Police were withholding the names of the dead because relatives had not been notified.


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Aim1 Carpet Cleaners
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Hunnewell Intern Code of Conduct
Interns selected for the Isabella Welles Hunnewell Internship Program are expected to act in a professional manner. Intern conduct should fully reflect the work-life of the institution by adhering to rules outlined below:
- Do not conduct personal business during work hours (e.g., emails, cellphone calls, internet, etc.).
- Be fair, considerate, honest, trustworthy, and cooperative when dealing with co-workers.
- Abide by the Workplace Harassment Policy of Harvard University and immediately contact the Director of Operations if you feel victimized by a work-related incident.
- Be familiar with and follow the policies of the Arnold Arboretum.
- Commit to best practices for ensuring workplace safety.
- Understand what constitutes a permissible work absence and know who to notify if absent.
- Be on time to work and be prompt in completing assignments.
- Dress appropriately for the work setting. Altering your Arnold Arboretum staff-issued shirts is prohibited.
- Keep a positive attitude.
- Keep an open mind; avoid jumping to conclusions; try to make informed judgments.
- Seek feedback from supervisors, accept constructive criticism, and continually strive to improve performance.
- Seek to enhance professional effectiveness by improving skills and acquiring new knowledge.
- Remain drug and alcohol free.


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Special animals in our world.
Animals with special abilities.
What is the fastest animal on land?Which animal is a mammal that lays eggs?What animal can make a web?Which animal uses sonar to know where he is?What animal can jump 100 times its body length?Which animal can change color?Which animal is pregnant the male instead of female?What animal can make a cocoon?Which animal has an excellent memory?What animal can bring water on his back?Which animal breathes through a hole on top of his head?Which animal can roll up into a spiny ball to protect itself?
Ready for classrooms with a SMARTboard or Interactive Whiteboard
Educational science lessons for elementary / primary school online homeschool curriculum


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|Shopping cart is empty.
This Non Fiction Slimline Shelf Divider Starter Pack will be an excellent way to get non fiction signage started in your library.
Slimline dividers are excellent for use when shelf space is limited.
Each Slimline Divider measures: 55m (w) x 250mm or 200mm (d) x 220mm (h).
Vinyl signs (included) adhere to the front of the acrylic dividers (easy application instructions provided).
Dividers are Australian-made from quality 4mm white acrylic.
This starter pack is available in two convenient sizes:
This Non Fiction Starter pack includes:
Available in a range of colours (single colour only) to suit your library.
Check out our Senior Genre and Junior Genre Spine Labels & Posters designed to assist users locate books in their favourite genres.
Each series contains 25 handy Genres to suit the needs of your Library.
We have added this handy product
to our range following feedback
from our customers!
Now you can get all your spine
label needs in the one place!


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Curating Citizen and Community News Stories
Journalists today are being urged to add context and curate news events for their viewer/users. As OMNI's Joe McPherson says, just start with "…an article or video from a citizen journalism source and talk about it." For lots of local news, this kind of simple reporting works well.
You can find a newsworthy post or photo or video, and add a bit of background information, some details, and explain the local connection or angle to the story, and it works for your audience.
There are stories, even local stories, that end up generating streams of comments and SMS-style updates, related photos, or videos but as they are posted in real time, they don't create a structured narrative.
Reporters today need to learn how to verify, source, and analyze social information streams to provide context. Curating is adding a structure or frame to this social stream, reducing redundancy or echo in the messages, and writi
ng what you know best, and just linking to the rest.
I found a small but important example of this new kind of reporting on one of Chicago's Everyblock community sections. From the initial question about an incident of indecent exposure– a "flasher" –near an elementary school, a discussion ensures about the flasher and what can be done. Then a community reporter, tipped to the stream by his publisher, uses the community site to get in contact with the victim. The reporter followed up on the story, which ended with the apprehension and arrest of the flasher. The reporter published the story in print, but then posted it back on the community site.
Most of the interesting reading, from the comments to the timeline, to the reporter's version of the story, happened online as part of Everyblock's community section for Bowmanville/Ravenswood, or via Twitter. If I tried to copy/paste and link them here, it would have been a big job. Instead, I used a new tool, storify.com, that let's a reporter easily integrate social media from multiple social networks into a storyline, with drag and drop. It preserves all attribution and metadata of each element, and is set up for easy sharing when your story is finished.
You can read and view how the social media are formatted automatically with the metadata and links for yourself. You will be able to view the discussion as it happened. What do you think of this method of curating a story? Want to talk about it? Leave a comment.
The Future of News is Social, Local, and Gets a Flasher off the Streets – storify.com.
Related articles
- How journalists will curate the web (biverson.tumblr.com)
- Five stories to inspire you to try Storify – which anyone can now join (blogs.journalism.co.uk)
- Curation Tool Storify Opens To The Public (readwriteweb.com)
- How to Use Social Tools to Curate, Research and Expand Sources for a Story (pbs.org)


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15" Braided Retriever
- Durability: Hard
- Breed: Large & Giant
- Chew Style: Active
- Material: 100% Rawhide
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Henry Hearle, Rated: 5
Really effective
I bought a few packs of these at an exhibition and what a difference they make to the hillside on my layout! look very effective.
Here at TGauge.com, our philosophy is simple: -
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