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Code Geass
The day is August 10th , 2010. The Holy Empire of Britannia put its plan on world conquest into motion and Japan was one of its victims. The invasion of Japan was relatively easy because of Britannia's use of mobile humanoid armor vehicles called 'Knightmare Frames'. The dignity, rights and pride of the Japanese people were stripped away and the nation was given a new name: Area 11. Lelouch Lamperouge is a cunning prince who was exiled from the Britannian Royal Family who wishes to bring down the Britannian Empire. Through a chance meeting with a mysterious woman named C.C. Lelouch—Under the guise of the masked terrorist Zero—gains the power of the Geass,which grants him the ability to control anyone. It may seem that his dream of the destruction of Britannia is not too far from reality.
If there is one staple in the world of Japanese animation it is the use of giant robots, simply referred to as 'Mecha'. This genre of anime seems to follow some typical characteristics, and one of them is having a main character who is a teenager and full of angst. Anxiety ridden characters such as Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Amuro Ray from Mobile Suit Gundam: 0079, are two characters which instantly come to mind. With Code Geass, the main character is definitely a teenage male, but that is as far as it goes, and Lelouch Lamperouge has everything but that crippling quality. Lelouch is instead a headstrong, manipulatory tactician with the mind of a cunning genius and with such a intriguing lead for the show, this anime would have to receive a perfect score. Not quite.
On a visual note, Code Geass has another defining trait about it. The main crew that is at the helm of character design is CLAMP; yes the same CLAMP that penned the manga classics Cardcaptor Sakura as well as X penned the characters that the viewers see before them. While this—at first glance—may be a unusual staff choice for an anime that focuses on bombastic action and large-scale mech battles, it actually works quite well. Code Geass also has done what many other anime do not do and that is the ability to create fanservice which would appeal to both male and female viewers. The male characters fill the pretty-boy quota perfectly, giving fan-girls something to squeal about; and the female characters with their lissome appearance and curvaceous design give something for the male fans to drool over. In the fanservice department, everyone wins. Aside from character design, Code Geass has a knack for portraying mech battles with a fast paced panache that is not found in a lot of other anime within the genre. The battles are fierce and move with brutal grace all the while maintaining a sharp witted edge that displays Lelouche's flair for military tactics and underhanded political proceedures. It is this duality of roles that makes this anime so intensely interesting to view.
Speaking of brutality, Code Geass is not afraid to dish out the effects that war has on civilians. People die, and sometimes in the most pointless ways possible and with a bloody aftereffect. It is this unflinching realism in the portrayal of war, that shows how horrifying war truly is.
Musically speaking the soundtrack fits well with the series, and works for the most part, but there is nothing truly memorable in the score for the viewer to take notice. The soundtrack consists mostly of forgettable classical pieces, and as for the opening and ending themes; there is nothing in those areas except generic J-pop and J-rock. Most of the excellence in sound lies in the sound effects of battle and in the emotionally driven voice acting.
Unlike a lot of other main characters in anime, Lelouch is not a hero in any sense of the word; in fact he is quite the rogue. His goals are noble, but the means to which he achieves those goals are anything but, and a lot of times he will raise a few eye brows. Lelouch is a harsh manipulator but also a loving brother, fighting for his blind sister so that she may live in a safe world. To be fair, Lelouch's arrogant actions come back to bite him in the rear several times throughout the series, so karma does play its role in the story of Code Geass. Another vastly important role that is touched upon in the story is that of the relationship between Lelouch and Suzaku. Once best friends, now bitter enemies (or rivals, depending on how one looks at it) this drama provides a lot of the tension in the series because the two now are forced to try and kill one another while trying to maintain a shred of the friendship they once shared. A lot of Code Geass is focused on cat-and-mouse games between Lelouch and his enemies, and him trying to gain the upper hand in his battle to destory the Brittanian Empire, and although the story does speak out about Imperialism (to some extent), it is really a character driven series, and all of the emotions they carry into battle.
This is one of the things wrong with Code Geass but it acts simultaneously as its strongest facet and its biggest weakness. Code Geass has a habit of insisting on its own melodrama by crafting a story that constantly presents emotional ice cubes as emotional icebergs. Zero's speeches are sweeping and emotionally charged from the tone of his voice that swells with corniness, down to the over-the-top gestures that would make the most hammy actors roll their eyes. Code Geass is a series that is attempting to relay a message that denounces imperialism but at times becomes drunk in its own characters emotional power that the message it is trying to convey, becomes lost in the process. Code Geass is trying to make the viewer take it seriously, while bringing about giggles and snickers. On the other side of the spectrum, the melodrama is tight and well executed enough to provide an epic overtone to the whole anime, and covers over the weaker half of the prose of this series nicely.
All in all, Code Geass is a solid work with some visual surprises and well executed action; This is all accompanied with some over-the-top meleodrama that both compels laughter, and stirrs feelings of epic emotions.
A melodramatic piece of science fiction that has more than enough going for it in terms of action and visuals but tends to go overboard with its emotionalism. If this minor flaw can be overlooked, there is an epic story to be told with a rather intriguing main character at the helm. Take away one star if that minor 'flaw' cannot be ignored. — Dallas Marshall
Recommended Audience: We get graphic violence right off the bat, and while it's not in every episode it's intense enough to make this inappropriate for kids; in addition, people are shown being massacred. There is some nudity, as well.
Version(s) Viewed: R1 DVD
Review Status: Full (26/26)
Code Geass © 2006 Sunrise, Bee Train, Bandai
|© 1996-2015 THEM Anime Reviews. All rights reserved.


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Nashville, Tenn. – Thirteen attorneys have applied to fill the Circuit Court vacancy in the 16th Judicial District, which serves Rutherford and Cannon counties. The vacancy was created by the appointment of Circuit Court Judge Don R. Ash as Senior Judge.
Among the candidates is Woodbury resident and Assistant District Attorney Trevor Lynch, who serves as the main prosecutor for cases heard in Cannon County's General Sessions and Circuit Courts.
The Judicial Nominating Commission will hold a public meeting to interview the following candidates:
Keta J. Barnes
Municipal Court Judge
Smyrna, Tennessee
Kirk D. Catron
McCarter, Catron & East, PLLC.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Tolbert Franklin Gilley III
Rucker, Rucker, and Gilley, P.C.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Sonya W. Henderson
Private Practice
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Brad W. Hornsby
Senior Partner
Bullock, Fly, Hornsby & Evans
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Trevor H. Lynch
Assistant District Attorney
16th Judicial District
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Thomas Earl Parkerson
Private Practice
Bennett, Parkerson, & Bray
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Russell Nelson Perkins
Assistant Public Defender
16th Judicial District
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Mark A. Polk
White & Polk, P.C.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
M. Keith Siskin
Magistrate for Rutherford County Juvenile Court
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Barry R. Tidwell
Price & Tidwell
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Alicia C. B. Widrig
Administrative Hearing Official
Tennessee Department of Human Services
Nashville, Tennessee
Howard W. Wilson
Private Practice
Wilson & Bradley
Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
The public hearing will be held on Friday, August 17, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. CDT at the Historic Rutherford County Courthouse, 2nd Floor Courtroom, One Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN, 37130. During the public hearing, attorneys and members of the public may express their approval or objections to the candidates.
Following the public hearing, the commission will interview each applicant before recommending three candidates to the governor. Members of the public are invited to attend both the public hearing and the interviews.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rental Housing Inspection Program
The Rental Housing Inspection Program was implemented in 2007 to promote and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Moline. The program helps provide safe, quality rental properties within the City of Moline by working closely with property owners to inform them of the current codes and preventative safety measures.
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Catholics Oppose New Law Allowing Kids' Vaccines Without Parental Permission
California governor authorized the measure on Oct. 9; children as young as 12 can receive vaccinations and other medications to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV, without their parents' notification.
LOS ANGELES (CNA)—Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez joined the California Catholic Conference in criticizing a new law that allows 12-year-olds to receive vaccinations against sexual diseases without their parents' permission.
"Parents bear the first responsibility for their children's physical and spiritual well-being. This new law, however, bypasses parental involvement, wisdom and guidance," said Archbishop Gomez in his Oct. 10 response to Gov. Jerry Brown's decision to sign the vaccination proposal into law.
The new law, which Brown authorized on Oct. 9, allows children as young as 12 to receive vaccinations and other medications to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including the human papilloma virus (HPV).
Archbishop Gomez called the governor's move a "serious erosion of parental rights in California," saying children are "not mature enough to think through the consequences of complicated medical decisions."
"As a result of this law, children will now face these decisions without parental guidance — and likely under pressure from adults and corporate interests that have financial and other motives to promote these medications," he noted.
"Rather than excluding parents, our government should be working to support and assist them in making the best decisions possible for their children, especially when serious medical and moral issues are at stake."
Edward Dolejsi, executive director of the bishops' public-policy work at the California Catholic Conference, said he was "puzzled and disappointed" by Brown's decision to remove parental oversight from childrens' STD vaccination choices.
Dolejsi explained that he was puzzled in light of the governor's cautious approach to other matters involving children and parents.
"On the same day he signed A.B. 499, the governor signed a 'first-in-the-nation' law to prevent children under 18 years of age from using tanning beds," the conference director pointed out.
"Just a month earlier, on Sept. 7, 2011, he vetoed a bill to mandate helmets on underage youth, expressing his concern about the 'seemingly inexorable transfer of authority from parents to the state,' saying, 'I believe parents have the ability and responsibility to make good choices for their children.'"
"In this case, it appears that by signing A.B. 499, the governor abandoned the principle of parental responsibility he so eloquently stated earlier," Dolejsi observed.
William May, chairman of Catholics for the Common Good, told CNA in September that the HPV vaccination of teenagers would likely end up squandering resources, as well as undermining families.
As May explained, 73% of teenagers who sign up to receive the Gardasil vaccine never complete the series of three shots, which must be received over the course of three months at a cost of $120 each.


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The attacks continue a surge in bloodshed that has engulfed the country for months.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which targeted commercial areas and parking lots in seven cities. But systematically organized waves of bombings are used out by al-Qaeda's local branch, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, to undermine confidence in the Shiite-led government.
Sometimes insurgents launch multiple attacks for two or more days in a row. On Monday, 27 people were killed in suicide attacks, bombings and shootings.
The deadliest was in the city of Hillah, 95 kilometres south of Baghdad, where a car bomb explosion near an outdoor market and parking lot killed nine civilians and wounded 15 others, a police officer said.
A few minutes later, another car bomb went off nearby, killing six civilians and wounding 14, he added.
In the nearby town of Iskandariyah, 50 kilometres south of the capital, another car bomb hit a parking lot, killing four civilians and wounding nine, police said.
Another explosives-rigged parked car bomb went off in an industrial area of the Shiite city of Karbala, killing four and wounding 25, a police officer said. Karbala is 80 kilometres south of Baghdad. In the aftermath, security officials inspected burnt-out cars in front of what appeared to be a smashed row of workshops.
And in Kut, another Shiite-dominated city 160 kilometres (100 miles) south-east of Baghdad, a car bomb targeted a gathering of construction workers and food stalls, killing two and wounding 14, another provincial police officer said.
Seven more civilians were killed and 31 others were wounded when four separate parked car bombs ripped through the towns of Suwayrah and Hafriyah outside Kut, police said.
In Baghdad's northern Sunni-dominated Azamiyah neighborhood, a car bomb that exploded near the convoy of the head of Baghdad's provincial council killed three and wounded eight, police say. The council head escaped unharmed.
Two other car bombs hit the southern cities of Basra and Nasiriyah, killing eight civilians and wounding 26, two police officers said. And two more civilians were killed when a bomb hit a police patrol in Baghdad's Sunni western suburb of Abu Ghraib. Nine other people were wounded.
To the north-east of Baghdad, gunmen broke into a farm in the village of Abu Sayda and killed three Sunni farmers, police said.
Eleven medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All spoke anonymously as they weren't authorized to release information.
Iraq is going through its deadliest bout of violence since 2008, raising fears the country is returning to a period of widespread killing such as that which pushed it to the brink of civil war following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. More than 4,000 people have been killed in attacks since the start of April, including 804 just in August, according to United Nations figures.
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Herbal Weight Loss Product
Thousands and thousands of people, not only Americans, are trying to lose weight and every year, millions more join the fray. In the battle for losing more weight, many are forced to turn to weight loss aids, such as diet pills or herbal weight loss products for help. Yes, it's true that losing weight has an appeal that is hard to pass up. And the faster you lose weight, the better. But do these herbal weight loss products achieve any of its purported claims? Do you really lose pounds by buying them? Or do you only lose some through your wallet?
Below is a list of some herbal weight loss products that are all the craze today. See what they will and won't do for you.
Ephedra – Herbal Weight Loss Product
Ephedra is an herbal weight loss product derived from the Chinese Ma Huang. The herb is considered potent and is present in many herbal weight loss products, especially those designed to increase energy. Ephedra contains a substance called ephedrine, which is considered as its chief active constituent. Found in most herbal weight loss products, ephedrine is said to suppress appetite and thus encourage weight loss.
However, along with losing weight quicker, there are many cases associated with this substance where people experience high blood pressure, heart rate irregularities, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
Because of these health concerns, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States banned ephedra-containing herbal weight loss products from the market in late February 2004. This greatly affects the dietary supplements industry, however, the ban does not include herbal supplements. Some foods and herbal remedies may still contain ephedra.
Garcinia cambogia is another plant used as an ingredient in many herbal weight loss products. The weight loss properties of this plant are attributed to HCA, or hydroxycitric acid. This substance is purported to promote weight loss in two basic ways. First, HCA works by stopping the body from converting glucose into fats. Second, HCA can raise levels of serotonin, a key hormone that regulates the appetite. As such, Garcinia herbal weight loss product works as a fat inhibitor and as an appetite suppressant.
Clinical studies concerning this plant are mixed for the most part and the evidence found is insufficient to prove this claim.
Herbal Laxatives
Herbal laxatives are primarily used to help ease constipation and bowel problems but some dieters claim that they can also function as herbal weight loss products. Water constitutes over 70% of the body weight and herbal laxatives help get rid of any excess amounts. It should be noted though that herbal laxative is only effective as far as water is concerned. It does not help in getting rid of fats. Also, constant use of this herbal weight loss product may result in your bowels growing dependent on them.
KEYWORDS "Herbal Weight Loss Product" – 13 (density = 2.7%)


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Meet Me Monday – Marching to Spring
March has arrived, which means spring is right around the corner for those of you pining for some good weather. It's coming. Let's start the month off right, shall we? Feel free to hop around and meet some cool bloggers. … Continue reading


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Thyroid - Related Eye Disease
Eye symptoms
- Hyperthyroidism almost always causes general eye symptoms like dryness and irritation, regardless of what the cause of the hyperthyroid state is. However, these need to be distuingished from Graves' ophthalmopathy, which can only occur in patients who have Graves' disease. (It may possibly also, rarely, be seen in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, primary hypothyroidism, and thyroid cancer).
- About 20-25% of patients with Graves' disease will suffer from clinically obvious Graves' ophthalmopathy, and not just from the eye signs of hyperthyroidism. Only 3 to 5% will develop severe ophthalmopathy.[15] However, when subjected to closer inspection (e.g. by magnetic resonance imaging of the orbits) numerous more patients have evidence of ophthalmopathy (primarily enlargement of retroocular muscles). It is estimated that for every 100,000 persons, 16 women and 3 men have Graves' ophthalmopathy every year.
- Although it is true that in most patients ophthalmopathy, goiter, and symptoms of thyrotoxicosis appear more or less coincidentally, it is also true that in certain cases eye signs may possibly appear long before thyrotoxicosis is evident, or become worse when the thyrotoxicosis is subsiding or has been controlled by treatment.[3] In approximately 20% of ophthalmopathy patients, ophthalmopathy appears before the onset of hyperthyroidism, in about 40% concurrently, and in about 20% in the six months after diagnosis. In the remainder, the eye disease initially becomes apparent after treatment of the hyperthyroidism, more often in patients treated with radioiodine.
- It can frequently be difficult to distinguish between eye symptoms due to hyperthyroidism and those due to Graves' antibodies, not in the least because the two often occur coincidently. What can make things particularly difficult, is that numerous patients with hyperthyroidism have lid retraction, which leads to stare and lid lag (due to contraction of the levator palpebrae muscles of the eyelids). This stare may possibly then give the appearance of protruding eyeballs (proptosis), when none in fact exists. This subsides when the hyperthyroidism is treated.
Graves' ophthalmopathy is characterized by inflammation of the extraocular muscles, orbital fat and connective tissue. It results in the following symptoms, which can be extremely distressing to the patient:
- Most frequent are symptoms due to conjunctival or corneal irritation: burning, photophobia, tearing, pain, and a gritty or sandy sensation.
- Protruding eyeballs (known as proptosis and exophthalmos).
- Diplopia (double vision) is common.
- Limitation of eye movement (due to impairment of eye muscle function).
- Periorbital and conjunctival edema (accumulation of fluid beneath the skin around the eyes).
- Infiltrative dermopathy (pretibial myxedema).
- In severe cases, the optic nerve may possibly be compressed and acuity of vision impaired.
- Occasionally loss of vision.
Due to hyperthyroidism
In the absence of Graves' ophthalmopathy, patients may possibly demonstrate other ophthalmic signs due to hyperthyroidism:
- Dry eyes (due to loss of corneal moisture).
- A sense of irritation, discomfort, or pain in the eyes.
- A tingling sensation behind the eyes or the feeling of grit or sand in the eyes.
- Excessive tearing that is often made worse by exposure to cold air, wind, or bright lights.
- Swelling or redness of the eyes.
- Stare
- Lid lag (Von Graefe's sign)
- Sensitivity to light.
- Blurring of vision.
- Widened palpebral fissures.
- Infrequent blinking.
- The appearance of lid retraction.
- Anophthalmos
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WonderCon Anaheim once again features a diverse group of amazing guests from comics, science fiction and fantasy, and illustration. The guests listed below are scheduled to appear at this year's event.
WonderCon Anaheim 2013 Special Guests
Brent Anderson
Artist, Astro City, The Phantom Stranger
Brent Anderson's work is well known for its focus on character. Brent's professional career began at Marvel in 1979 with Ka-zar the Savage and the Marvel graphic novel X-Men "God Loves, Man Kills." Since then he has created or co-created the series Somerset Holmes, Strikeforce: Morituri, and the Eisner Award-winning Astro City. He is currently working on a new cycle of Astro City stories scheduled to be published by DC Comics in 2013, as well as several personal graphic novel projects in collaboration with writer Shirley Johnston: El Jaguár; Tecknight: Jar of Ashes; and Good Mother Dinosaur.
Frank Cho
Writer/artist, Liberty Meadows, Savage Wolverine
Frank Cho is an Emmy Award-winning and critically acclaimed writer and illustrator. He is known for his newspaper comic strip series Liberty Meadows as well as for such titles as Mighty Avengers, Shanna the She-Devil, X-Men, and The Hulk for Marvel Comics. Frank's work is noted for his precise figure art, illustrations of beautiful women, humorous writing, and adventure stories. He is currently under exclusive contract to Marvel and is writing and drawing the new ongoing Savage Wolverine series. When he's not working on Marvel projects, Frank freelances as a writer and designer for movies and video games.
Amanda Conner
Artist, Power Girl, Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre
Amanda Conner started out in comics on books such as Barbie and Gargoyles. She also illustrated Soul Searchers & Co., and Suburban Jersey Ninja She-Devils. Amanda then moved on to what is probably her best-known work, as penciller of Vampirella. She also illustrated Painkiller Jane vs. the Darkness, Power Girl, Codename: Knockout, and Birds of Prey for DC; drew X-Men Unlimited for Marvel; and co-created Gatecrasher for BlackBull Comics, and The Pro, a creator-owned book for image with Jimmy Palmiotti and Garth Ennis. Her work outside comics includes ABC's Nightline, The New York Times, MAD magazine, and character designs for film and television. Her current work includes Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre (DC), and Captain Brooklyn (Image).
J.M. DeMatteis
Writer, Moonshadow, Justice League
Eisner Award winner J. M. DeMatteis has worked in the comic book business for more than 30 years, writing the adventures of such Marvel and DC icons as Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and Captain America. He is perhaps best known for the intensely personal visions of Moonshadow and Brooklyn Dreams, as well as (with co-writer Keith Giffen) the superhero comedy of Justice League and Hero Squared, and (with artist Mike Ploog) the all-ages fantasies Abadazad and The Stardust Kid. DeMatteis—who also writes novels, television and film—lives in upstate New York.
Jane Espenson
Writer/producer, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Once Upon A Time
Jane Espenson is a Hugo Award–winning television producer with a 20-year career writing for such shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, The O.C., Gilmore Girls, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Torchwood, and Game of Thrones, among others. She is currently consulting producer of ABC's Once Upon a Time, as well as co-creator, along with Brad Bell, of Husbands, an award-nominated comedy series. Espenson has also written comic books, essays, and stories related to her television work. For more info, visit HusbandsTheSeries.com.
Mark Evanier
Writer/producer, Kirby: King of Comics, Garfield animated TV series
Mark Evanier has worked with Jack Kirby; written hundreds of comic books, including Blackhawk, New Gods, Bugs Bunny, The DNAgents, Crossfire, Scooby Doo, and Tarzan; and written dozens of TV shows, both live-action and animated, the latter including most of the animated Garfield shows for the last 20 years. He is the author of several books on comics, including Kirby: King of Comics, which won two Harvey Awards and one Eisner. He has several other Eisners for his work with Sergio Aragonés on Groo the Wanderer and other silly comics. And he's hosted countless panels at both Comic-Con and WonderCon.
Matt Kindt
Writer/arties, Mind Mgmt, Super Spy, 3 Story
Matt Kindt is the Harvey Award-winning writer and artist of the comics and graphic novels MIND MGMT, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Revolver, 3 Story, Super Spy, 2 Sisters, and Pistolwhip. He has been nominated for foue Eisner and three Harvey Awards (which he won once). His work has been published in French, Spanish, Italian, and German.
Dean Koontz
Author, Odd Thomas series, Frankenstein series
Dean Koontz, "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone), is the author of more than 58 New York Times bestsellers, including more than 30 that reached #1. His work is published in 38
languages and has sold more than 450 million copies around the world. His next novel, Deeply Odd, to be published as a Bantam Hardcover in May, is the next installment in Koontz's bestselling series featuring Odd Thomas. The motion picture Odd Thomas, starring Anton Yelchin in the title role and directed by Stephen Sommers, will be released in Spring 2013.
Appearing on Saturday, March 30 only
John Layman
Writer, Chew, Detective Comics, Mars Attacks
John Layman is the creator, writer, and letterer of Chew, the New York Times bestselling, Harvey Award and multi-Eisner Award winning cannibal cop comedy series from Image Comics. Layman was an editor for WildStorm and has written or lettered for every major publisher in comics for the last decade and a half. Currently, he's writing Detective Comics for DC and Mars Attacks for IDW. He's written Godzilla, Thundercats, Gambit, Scarface, Red Sonja, Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness, House of M: Fantastic Four, the Marvel Identity Wars annuals, Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen, and a whole lotta other stuff. He loves kitties, LEGOs, and World of Warcraft.
Jim Lee
Artist, Justice League, DC Entertainment co-publisher
Jim Lee is a renowned comic book artist and the co-publisher of DC Entertainment. Prior to his current post, Lee served as editorial director, where he oversaw WildStorm Studios and was the artist for many of DC Comics' bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including All Star Batman And Robin, The Boy Wonder; Batman: Hush; Justice League; and Superman: For Tomorrow. He also serves as the executive creative director for the DC Universe Online (DCUO) massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). For his next project, Lee will be working with writer Scott Snyder on a new Superman book in 2013.
Marjorie Liu
Doug Mahnke
Artist, Green Lantern, The Mask
Doug Mahnke is a 25-year veteran of the comics business, including early work with Dark Horse on the legendary The Mask titles and X and at DC Comics with the creator-owned Major Bummer with writer John Arcudi and work on Superman: Man of Steel, JLA, Batman, Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein, and Final Crisis. Doug currently enjoys working with Geoff Johns on Green Lantern, having begun his run with the eerie issue #43 prologue to "Blackest Night."


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Hello my friends. I am very excited and extremely grateful to tell you all that I have completed my Conscious Energy Meditation guidebook, and that it is now available to everyone. I started creating this guidebook a while back as I have been asked many, many times to write down the meditation process I use, and the metaphysical techniques that I incorporate into my daily life. Mostly, this request has come from my Conscious Energy Healing clients, because through our healing sessions together, they've wanted to know what they could do on a daily basis to keep their energy flowing in the best way possible. I have told them how to do this particular meditation, and almost all of them said, "You should write a book on this."
So, I did. In this guidebook, I've put together some of the very best self help and metaphysical techniques that are out there today, and I show you, in a very easy to understand way, how to incorporate the main meditation with each of these processes, so that you can get even more out of each one. That is one of the beautiful things about using the Conscious Energy Meditation – it enhances all other processes. Every technique that I've used along with the meditation has been better and more successful because I was coming from a clean, clear and powerful energy space.
Once you start using this meditation, you'll be truly amazed at how much positive energy you'll have at your command. The clarity and focus that you'll experience is simply amazing. Your level of awareness; of yourself, your surroundings, and everything about your life, will increase dramatically. Through this meditation, you'll begin to allow yourself to have more insight and fulfillment than ever before. It truly is that profound. This is one of the main things that I've learned over the years that I am continuously and supremely grateful for. It has radically changed my life for the better, and I know it will do the same for you.
For more information and to get your own copy, click this link here: Conscious Energy Meditation
Bright Blessings and deep gratitude to you all. =)
Ross – "Tolemac"
P.S. I've added 3 powerful bonuses along with the guidebook, that will help you immeasurably. Be sure to check it out.


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The contract to build what will be the world's largest shared TETRA public safety network (in terms of geography) has been won by a consortium led by Saab and including Nokia and Swedia. The Swedish government has chosen the Nordic consortium to build a professional mobile radio network for the shared use of all Swedish public safety organizations. It will provide and operate a single nationwide TETRA-based network that will replace the large number of separate systems currently in use by the Swedish authorities.
The Swedish government has allocated some €250 M for the 'Radio Communication for Effective Public Safety' project (known by its Swedish acronym of RAKEL). Nokia will provide its complete TETRA system, including digital exchanges, base stations, network management system and dispatcher workstations, while Saab will carry out system integration and Swedia Networks will provide operation and system maintenance. The network will have nationwide coverage, and it will be implemented in phases from 2004 to 2009, starting in southern Sweden, followed by the Stockholm and Gothenburg regions.


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Web applications may one day surpass desktop applications in function and usability -- if developers have more programming languages to choose from, according to a Google engineer.
"You should have more choices of viable languages," said Gilad Bracha, software engineer at Google, speaking to an audience of programmers Wednesday at the QCon developer conference in New York.
"I think the Web platform could make Web applications as good or better than native applications," Bracha said. "Ultimately it has to do that. Otherwise, the proprietary app stores will come and eat us all."
The benefits of Web applications are well-understood by developers. They don't need to be installed and they can work on any platform that supports the Web.
Unfortunately, one of the chief drawbacks is that they don't operate when not connected to a network.
So the ability to run Web apps offline will be critical given that, at least for the foreseeable future, many users will not have constant access to network connections.
"The Web is always available, except when it is not," Bracha said. "It isn't always available in a way that you can always rely on it. You may have a network that is slow or flaky or someone may want to charge you."
Therefore any Web programming language, and its associated ecosystem, must have some way of storing a program for offline use, Bracha said. The Web programming language in the future must also make it easier for the programmer to build and test applications.
The chief language used today for the Web is JavaScript, which is deficient in a number of ways, such as support for offline usage of apps. And this may remain the case for a while: JavaScript is based on the ECMAScript standard, which can take years to be updated. "It should be easier to do these things," Bracha said.
There are other programming languages being built for the Web but very few are viable -- meaning they aren't well-engineered, lack key features and don't operate efficiently, Bracha said.
One of the reasons that Google started work on the Dart programming language, which Bracha helped author, is to provide the Web with an industrial-strength programming language.
Google did not design Dart "to replace JavaScript, but to give you options," Bracha said.
Bracha pointed to some other lesser-known and still experimental languages that show promise as well.
One was Elm, a functional programming language for building GUIs (graphical user interfaces). He demonstrated how only a few lines of Elm could allow the end user to draw a circle in a browser window using only a mouse.
Elm is designed in such a way that once the code is placed into its Web editor, the results show up immediately in a preview screen, eliminating the need to save the code and run the program in a separate window.
"Try this in Swing," Bracha said, referring to the Java GUI widget toolkit that can be cumbersome to use. Bracha also co-authored the Java Language Specification, so he has some experience in that language as well.
Bracha also demonstrated Lively.
Lively is even more responsive than Elm. The developer, when viewing a draft of their program in the browser, can simply click on any part of the application on the screen and Lively will bring up to the screen the specific object code that rendered the object.
Even the Lively code editor is an object that can be manipulated, allowing the developer to move and manipulate any of the controls.
This approach is far easier to work with than, say, using a standard IDE (integrated developer environment) such as Eclipse, which would require the user to scan through thousands of lines of code to find the section that needed to be modified.
Bracha showed off other responsive languages, Leisure and Newspeak, the latter of which Bracha created.
"Hopefully, this will give you an idea of the wonderful variety of stuff that is out there," Bracha told the audience. "Competition is good for everyone."
Joab Jackson covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Joab on Twitter at @Joab_Jackson. Joab's e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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A Roadway Conceptual Analysis (RCA) Study is being conducted for Orange Avenue. The primary study corridor is from the Orange – Osceola County line to Florida's Turnpike (approximately 0.61 miles).
The project will determine the preferred roadway alignment for the widening of Orange Avenue from two to four lanes and the addition of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, roadway lighting and a closed drainage system with stormwater treatment ponds.
Stakeholder and general public input play a key role in guiding the development of the Study recommendations. As such, a community meeting will be held prior to determining the final roadway alignment. The meetings will be publicly posted and an informational newsletter will be distributed to property owners in the vicinity of the road at least two weeks prior to the meeting date. Public hearings will also be held with the Orange County Local Planning Agency and Board of County Commissioners where public comments will be received.
Location Map
Blanche V. Hardy, P.G., Orange County Project Manager
Planning, Environmental and Development Services Department
4200 S. John Young Parkway
Orlando FL 32839
Phone: 407-836-0257
Fax: 407-836-8079
All e-mail sent to this address becomes part of Orange County public record. Comments received by our e-mail subsystem can be read by anyone who requests that privilege. In compliance with "Government in the Sunshine" laws, Orange County Government must make available, at request, any and all information not deemed a threat to the security of law enforcement agencies and personnel.


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This was my entry to the ILM Art Department Challenge at ArtStation, in which we had the briefing of creating some new situation in the Star Wars universe utilizing the visuals – characters, environments, props… – shown in episodes IV, V and or VI.
What drove me to draw this was that we see the cute little creatures with their spears and weapons in Endor, but we never imagine them having their hunted meat. I'd thought it seemed cool to picture that.


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Cuba's motorcycle culture roaring back to life
VARADERO, Cuba (CNN) -- Decades navigating the roads in Cuba have left deep scars on Sergio Morales' jet black 1947 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
The Harley's frame is a battlefield of craters and gashes. The frozen odometer stopped counting at 45,000 kilometers. In Cuba, where little is in abundance save shortages, Morales uses a car wheel for his motorcycle's back tire.
But when Morales kick-starts the Harley, its engine roars to full-throated life.
Morales is a "Harlista," what Cubans call the small band of men and women who have preserved the island's motorcycle culture.
That hasn't been an easy task in a country where a five-decades-old U.S. economic embargo makes getting new parts -- much less bikes -- near impossible.
"It's work. You have to have spirit, desire," Morales said. "There's nowhere to buy spare parts here so over the years we have had to find alternative fixes or invent our own."
And being a Harley fanatic courted controversy in the early years of the Cuban revolution when everything American, from jazz music to rock 'n' roll, was considered suspect. It also didn't help that Harleys were the motorcycle of choice during the Batista dictatorship.
But now the iconic American bikes are enjoying something of a comeback.
Over the weekend, Morales was one of about 50 Harlistas to participate in Cuba's first ever nationwide Harley-Davidson rally in the beach resort town of Varadero.
"It's an opportunity for us to celebrate not just the Harley but the Cuban Harley," Morales said. "And in one of the prettiest places with the best beaches in the country."
The sight of the motley crew of black leather-sporting motorcyclists pulling into a seaside town seemed like a scene straight out of the classic Marlon Brando film "The Wild One," where a band of bikers terrorize a small community.
But in Varadero it was the bikers who were beset upon by admiring locals and tourists. One family of American tourists said they had changed their travel plans to come from Mexico to Cuba for a few days after learning about the event.
"We are here to give these guys a hand; it's lot of work to keep their bikes running," said event organizer Kristen MacQueen.
Cuban Harley aficionados are unique, MacQueen said, because their vintage bikes are not just for show.
"A lot of the people use them in their everyday life to get around," MacQueen said. "For some people here, it's their only form of transportation."
The bikes lined up at the Varadero rally were a mix of Harleys from the decades leading up to Cuba's 1959 revolution. Some Harleys were adorned with the face of revolutionary icon Che Guevara, others with American eagles.
In between demonstrating their agility in biking competitions, the Harlistas checked out one another's rides and explained to tourists how they keep them running.
Even with foreigners bringing in replacement parts from the outside, keeping the Harleys running is no small feat. Many of the bikes used parts cannibalized from Asian and old Soviet bikes and cars. Some Harlistas are legendary in the community for hand-making the parts they need.
But however challenging, none of the Cuban Harley fanatics says they plan to abandon their passion any time soon.
"You get to a point where the Harley becomes part of your family," Cuban Harley owner Yuri Garcia said. "You become inseparable. If you sold it, you'd never find another bike like it."


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You're in the right place, whether you're looking for management for an HOA, a condo association, or a large gated community.
You'll get managment customized for your needs. From websites and landscaping to legal questions and accounting, CAS has you covered. CAS is never far away, with local offices across the state.
CAS has been providing association management services to North Carolina communities since 1976. Additionally, an Attorney and a Certified Public Accountant are on staff. Between its longevity and expertise, CAS is uniquely qualified to manage your HOA or condo association.
You can find more information about CAS's HOA management services on the services page. When you're ready for a customized quote, just request a proposal.


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The following apparently elementary question came out of a somewhat naive attempt to prove that every distribution $u\in \mathscr D'(\mathbb R^2)$ with $\partial_1 u=\partial_2 u =0$ is a constant function (this can be reduced to $\mathscr C^1$-functions by convolution with an approximate identity and for $\mathscr C^1$-functions it is completely elementary).
For which $\varphi \in \mathscr D(\mathbb R^2)$ does there exist $f,g \in \mathscr D(\mathbb R^2)$ such that $\varphi = \partial_1 f + \partial_2g$?
The only necessary condition I see is $\int \varphi(x,y) d(x,y)=0$, and the conjecture is that this is sufficient.
However, all my ad hoc attempts failed. On the side of Fourier transforms one would have to write $\hat{\varphi}(\xi,\eta) = \xi h(\xi,\eta) + \eta k(\xi,\eta)$ which is easy with smooth $h$ and $k$ (using $\hat{\varphi}(0)=0$) but I do not see how to do this with entire $h$ and $k$ satisfying the Paley-Wiener conditions for $\hat{\mathscr D}$.
(If the conjecture is true one gets a solution of the above mentioned problem since then the kernel of $v(\varphi)=\int \varphi(x,y) d(x,y)$ is contained in the kernel of $u$ and therefore $u$ is a multiple of $v$.)


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Daniel Hodge - October 14, 2019
S.4 E.2 It's Time to Leave all White Christian Orgs Pt. 2: Andre Henry
From Series: "Profane Faith"
A podcast that engages faith, on the margins. Faith that has been labeled, profane, non-conformist, and/ or "out there." We'll be exploring the intersections of the sacred, secular, and profane to find God. Profane Faith is a Dauntless Media Collective podcast. Visit dauntless.fm for more content.
Andre's Main Website Aliens in the Promised Land (Book) Black Scholars in White Spaces (Book) Black and Tired Embracing Hopelessness (Book) Challenges of White YMIN and Fundraising Andre and my Convo Pt. 1


text: Time to pick up the pace and get going to Game to grab these specials before they're gone! Simply click on the specials on this page to see what Game has in store for you this week. Trusted for low prices, excellent service and a wide range of quality products, Game is the place you want to be.


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Oracle is working on an update to address a flaw in its Java software.
The company says it will release a patch that will fix 86 vulnerabilities in Java 7 on Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security last week said computer users should disable the program in web browsers because hackers were using a zero-day vulnerability to attack computer systems. Criminals were using the flaw to stealthily install malware on the computers of users who visit compromised websites.
The problem, which affects Oracle Java 7 update 10 and earlier, can allow an untrusted Java applet to escalate its privileges, without requiring code signing.
In fact, Java is so ubiquitous that the software has become a major bull's-eye for hackers. Last year, Java overtook Adobe Reader as the most frequently attacked software, according to computer security firm Kaspersky Lab.
Mac users probably don't have to worry because Apple already removed Java plug-ins from OS X browsers. Apple apparently learned a lesson last year when it took its time making a Java patch available and as a result more than 600,000 Macs were infected with malware.
Last February, Oracle released a fix for a targeted vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0507 and included it in an update for the Windows version of Java. However, since Apple distributes a self-compiled version of Java for Macs, it ports Oracle's patches to it according to its own schedule, which can be months behind the one for Java on Windows.
Mozilla also has blacklisted all current releases of Java.
"The advantage to this approach is that you are prompted every time a website wants to launch a Java applet and you can make an informed decision as to whether you truly need that applet," says security firm Sophos in a blog post.


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"The Caves Of Androzani" (season 21, episodes 17-20. Originally aired March 8-16, 1984.)
Across all his incarnations, the Doctor's character has always stayed true to a few core traits, perhaps none more so than his restless, insatiable curiosity and wanderlust. He's a traveler, winding his way around the universe on a flightplan drawn up with no grand scheme in mind other than to see the next new thing. He rarely knows where he's going, and rarely plans ahead. He just steps out of the ship and looks around. And from the beginning, that has always gotten him into trouble. Which is only to be expected. That's the basic setup of the whole show: He arrives somewhere, he gets into trouble, he gets out of trouble, and he leaves. It'd be a pretty boring show without the middle bit. But still: It's a dangerous universe out there. You'd have to be foolish to go out there without a plan, armed with nothing but your wits. And you'd have to be criminally reckless to take people with you. One of the things that makes "The Caves Of Androzani" great is that it cuts to the heart of this problem and brutally critiques it. Here, the Doctor gets himself and his companion Peri into a deadly mess that rapidly shows itself to be much worse than he bargained for, and against which the best he can reasonably hope for is base survival and escape. In the end, he can't even manage that. He saves Peri but sacrifices himself to do so, as Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor collapses, and essentially dies, regenerating into Colin Baker's Sixth.
"The Caves Of Androzani" enjoys a very high reputation in Doctor Who fandom; in fact, Doctor Who Magazine's 2009 readers' poll named it the best story in series history. I can't go quite that far, though it would certainly make my top 10 or 15. For one thing, though this is admittedly minor, you've gotta take some points off for the the magma beast, just a sad, sad, weak attempt at the obligatory monster-of-the-week. But what really bothers me about this one is how corrosively cynical and dark it is. And I say this as a fan of corrosively cynical and dark stories in general, and of the cynical and dark mind of Robert Holmes, who wrote this one, in particular. It's the whole point of the story, of course, so in essence I'm objecting to Holmes hitting the bullseye. But in the final analysis I just can't buy into the notion that a story this pessimistic is what Doctor Who is about, on a grand scale.
Still, I can see why it won that poll. It's a terrifically propulsive, twisty thriller, well-directed by Graeme Harper—tense, raw and very dark. It vividly creates a world that has been corrupted, perhaps irreversibly, by the toxic effects of greed, violence, and unchecked corporate power, and which has poisoned the souls of every character we meet—especially the revenge-crazed maniac Sharaz Jek, a creepy and intense but ultimately pitiable Phantom Of The Opera-like figure vividly played by Christopher Gable. And it made excellent use of the extra dramatic weight that all regeneration stories get as the closing chapters of their eras, really putting the increasingly desperate Doctor through the wringer and making him fight with his every last breath. Davison makes the most of it, giving one of his best performances in a script that gives him a lot to work with.
"Caves Of Androzani" is also one of those stories that looks even better in the context of its mediocre era. This was the last really good story Doctor Who would do for about three years, until the Seventh Doctor era started to hit its stride. Season 21 was bookended by two truly awful trainwrecks, "Warriors Of The Deep" and "The Twin Dilemma," and was helmed by the show's worst creative team, producer John Nathan-Turner and script editor Eric Saward, whose combined vision, despite their intentions, tended to make the show tacky, vulgar, and nihilistic, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. And if you look at the plot of "Caves" on paper, it fits almost too well next to Saward's most misanthropic, least watchable stuff. But somehow "Caves Of Androzani" not only rises above the rest of its era, but shows that Saward's approach could work very well in the hands of a really good writer—like Holmes, the quintessential Doctor Who scribe.
As the story begins, the TARDIS lands on a desolate, sandy rock, Androzani Minor, part of a twin-planet system with the nearby, populated Androzani Major. The Doctor has come on a benign, almost boring mission: He needs some sand to make a new glass tube for one of the widgets in the TARDIS machinery. He's been to the Androzani system before, but characteristically, isn't sure when: "I don't remember. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the future…." And he hasn't bothered to figure out what's happening there right now, assuming that Androzani Minor is abandoned because of the deadly mud eruptions that happen periodically.
It's a crucial mistake, because besides sand, Androzani Minor has another valuable resource—spectrox, which can be refined into a powerful immortality drug and which has made some people on Major very, very rich and powerful. The economics of the spectrox trade combine the worst qualities of oil and heroin, and like them, spectrox spurs bloody wars over who controls it. That's what the Doctor and Peri unthinkingly walk into: A decades-long bloody stalemate between a Major-based conglomerate led by the cold, ruthless, and viciously self-interested Morgus, and on the other side, Morgus' former partner Sharaz Jek, a brilliant scientist-turned-terrorist who is hideously disfigured and insane, and who bollixes up the flow of spectrox down on Minor with an army of unbeatable androids. Jek is also working with a motley crew of gunrunners led by the psychotic Stotz, who keep him supplied with arms and equipment in exchange for spectrox.
Things go badly almost immediately for the Doctor and Peri. First, while exploring the caves, Peri falls into a hole and has to be rescued, covering both of them in a white, weblike substance—seemingly harmless at the time, it turns out to be spectrox in its raw form, condemning them to death by slow poison. Continuing on, they walk right into the gunrunners' weapon cache just in time to be captured by a military raid and brought to the army chief, General Chellak, cursorily interrogated and accused of being spies for Jek, and sentenced to death.
Holmes constantly ratchets up the tension and danger level on the Doctor and Peri, never giving them a safe place to rest but shifting them instead between a series of frying pans and fires. Jek rescues them, but he's no friend—he's only done it out of a creepy fixation on Peri's beauty, and isn't interested in the Doctor at all. The Doctor convinces a fellow captive, Chellak's lieutenant Salateen, to help them escape, but Salateen betrays the Doctor and takes Peri back to Chellak. Salateen's escape, by the way, is the key to the downfall of both Jek and Morgus—his knowledge of Jek's defenses allows the stalemate to be broken, and the war to reach its bloody conclusion. And here's the Sawardian weak-hero thing done right: All the Doctor really does is convince Salateen, who has grown despondent after months of imprisonment under Jek, to act. The Doctor had no idea of how significant this would be. He just wanted to get Peri and himself to safety. It's the only thing he does in the whole story that has real consequences for either of the two major players, Morgus and Jek, and it's not intentional in that way. It just pushes over all the other dominoes. The Doctor's work is pretty much over as far as the larger story is concerned, even though still he gets a terrifically exciting scene at the cliffhanger of the third episode, commandeering the mercenaries' ship to deliberately crash-land it back on Androzani Minor in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to save Peri by finding the antidote to raw spectrox. At last, after being beaten down for so much of the story, the hero gets to act, but it's a hail-Mary and not a decisive strike to save the day, thrilling in part because this time there's a real chance it won't work.
This is a story with no strong heroes but several frighteningly capable and domineering villains, each in their own way. Stotz is a purely physical and immediate threat, asserting his primacy over his disgruntled second-in-command in the time-honored way of cavemen by threatening to kill him by knifeblade, poison and pushing him off a high cliff. Morgus is a fan of murder-by-long-fall as well, but his real danger is his deviousness in service of his greed. Despite Jek's flamboyance, Morgus is clearly the story's true villain. Thanks to his political connections, Morgus has the army under his thumb. But because it's good for the spectrox prices to disrupt the spectrox trade, he also funds Stotz and his gunrunners, who supply Sharaz Jek. This also gives him the excuse he needs to close his factories on Androzani Major and convert them into prison-slave workhouses that do the same job for free. He's ultimately responsible for all the major horrors we see here, and a powerfully corrosive force on his own society. Without the supplies Jek gets from Stotz, which ultimately come from Morgus, all of this would have ended years ago, without the Doctor needing to show up. Knock Morgus out of the equation, and things will get better. Assuming, that is, that his replacement, Trau Timmons, doesn't turn out to be just as viciously self-interested in the long run—that's a happy ending that I don't think Holmes would want us to assume. There's not much innocence to be found on Androzani.
And perhaps the only person in the story who seems to care about that lack of innocence is, oddly enough, Sharaz Jek, who is fixated on Peri not only because she's pretty but because she hasn't been corrupted the way everyone else he knows has been. Jek has been deeply corrupted himself—like Morgus, his power rests on control of the spectrox industry, and he does not appear to have any noble intentions for it either. Jek falls into a classic Robert Holmes villain type: The twisted monstrosity lurking in an underground lair and driven by a connection to a perverse, almost alchemical secret to eternal life and vigor. It's a well that Holmes went to at least four times when he was script editor during the early Fourth Doctor years, with the antagonists of "The Deadly Assassin," "The Brain Of Morbius," "Pyramids Of Mars," and "The Talons Of Weng-Chiang." Jek is different, though, in that he's not seeking eternal life—he already has it, with his control of the spectrox flow, and he knows it's not enough. Like the Phantom Of the Opera, Jek is too complex to be pigeonholed as good or evil. He has real grievances against Morgus, who richly deserves anything Jek has cooked up for him and more. He is as ruthless and dangerous as a snake, but his deep emotional trauma makes him pitiable—but also creepy and perverse.
Getting back to that idea of the Doctor's reckless approach to traveling: That is, of course, a running theme going back to the earliest days of the show, but some eras hit that harder than others. The First Doctor's first trip with Ian, Barbara, and Susan nearly got them all cannibalized by cavemen, and for a long time his adventures were driven more by trying to get back to safety than any loftier concern. Later, though, the series settled into a mode where he was increasingly at ease with whatever the universe threw at him, from the crafty little man of the Second Doctor to the dashing man of action of the Third to the overwhelming hurricane of confidence and eccentricity that was the Fourth. Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor had been a reaction against all that; although he was younger and physically fitter than ever before, he was also vulnerable and frail in a way he hadn't been since William Hartnell was the star. In Davison's first story, "Castrovalva," the Doctor was so weakened by his regeneration that he nearly died from mere exhaustion. "Earthshock," written by Saward, had seen the death of his companion Adric, announcing clearly that this time around, he wasn't always going to win. And the buildup to the Fifth Doctor's final story throughout season 21 had kept that idea going. "Warriors Of The Deep" had ended in a pointless massacre, "Resurrection Of The Daleks" with a companion, Tegan, leaving the TARDIS behind forever because she couldn't stand the constant violence anymore, and in "Planet Of Fire," the Doctor was forced to mercy-kill his terminally wounded robot friend Kamilion after the Master had suborned it in a failed revenge scheme.
Given all that, what sets "Caves Of Androzani" apart from the rest of the season isn't the grim mood, but the competence of the story construction. Holmes' script succeeds at the two things Saward consistently tried and failed to pull off in his Fifth and Sixth Doctor stories. First, although he's not afraid to populate the story with shadowy characters and muddy morals, Holmes never loses sight of who his characters are and what their often-ghastly behavior says about them. As dark and grim as the worlds of Androzani are, Holmes doesn't ask us to respect his swaggering thugs and hired killers the way Saward did with characters like Orcini in "Revelation Of The Daleks."
Saward was also questionably fascinated by stories where the traditional hero role is weakened and even totally collapsed, which often reduced the Doctor and his companions to absurdly peripheral roles in what the title of the show implies is his story. It's a major reason why so much of the Sixth Doctor era is so difficult to watch, but Holmes takes the idea and actually makes it work, by making the Doctor and Peri's struggle to survive weave around the events that are unfolding around them without actually intersecting them as much as it might seem. Although the arrival of the TARDIS kicks off a disruption of the local balance of power that eventually overthrows the evil Morgus who sits at its apex, the larger issues of the plot resolve themselves without the Doctor or Peri as a major, direct cause—basically, other than showing up, they're minor figures in someone else's drama. The best that the Doctor can do here, as a direct action, is to see that he and Peri get out of the whole mess in one piece, and avoid a swift, brutal death leaving nothing behind but a horrifying blood smear and the smoking remains of a panama hat. And, of course, he fails. This is miles away from the glib, wizardly Doctor who can restart the universe with a bit of intense handwaving and some deliberately obscurantist technobabble.
There's a good case to be made that this vulnerability is an essential part of the show's roots, and a mode that it needs to keep close to in order to stay true to the truest spirit of what Doctor Who is about. After all, the First Doctor and his friends were constantly in real peril, and often spent an entire story unable to do more than try to survive long enough to get back to the TARDIS. That's one of the central tenets of the show: It's a very dangerous universe out there, full of horrors, and woe betide you if you get lost in it.
But though "The Caves Of Androzani" illustrates this point excellently, it's missing anything of the other side of that argument, without which you don't truly have the spirit of Doctor Who at heart: That there are good reasons to travel around the universe. Because this is also one of the central tenets of the show: It's an amazing universe out there, full of wonders, and what a rare privilege it would be for you to get lost in it. Eric Saward's version of the show never got this. The next era, under script editor Andrew Cartmel, very much did, to its credit.
Stray observations
• I'm not spending as much time as I should here on the regneration scene, but one thing to note is that Colin Baker gets a great introduction here. For the first time, a new Doctor gets his own scene at the end of an old Doctor's regeneration story, and in three short lines, Baker captures the signature arrogance and vanity of his version of the character, hugely different from Davison's calmer Doctor, and is still mysterious enough that I found myself wanting to know what crazy thing was going to happen next. And then I remembered what did happen next: "The Twin Dilemma."
• Jek's map of the Androzani mines looks uncannily like the 1980s video game Dig Dug.
• Upcoming schedule:
Feb. 17: "Shada"
And on deck, order to be determined: "The Ark In Space," "The Reign Of Terror," "The Edge Of Destruction," "The Sontaran Experiment."


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2009 April The Local View on Nashville
|The Local View on Nashville
|By FM Todd Andrews
|April 8, 2009
Preparations for the Super Nationals IV started for the top chess programs in Nashville at the beginning of the fall semester last year. Our students at Hume-Fogg and Meigs Magnet Schools train with weekly, group lessons at school and some with private lessons with titled players. They compete in the regional and state competitions, first individually and then as a team. Some use their free time to sprinkle in a few one-day or two-day events around the region.
I attended Hume-Fogg High School from 1996-2000 and this is the first year our school has had a well organized, after-school chess team. Hume-Fogg is a magnet high school located in downtown Nashville in a building that was built to look like a castle in 1912. Meigs Magnet school is located right across the river on the east side of Nashville and is coached by International Master Ron Burnett. Meigs students get automatic entry into Hume-Fogg, where every other kid in town has to rely on their chances in a lottery. While we do well perennially in state competitions, this was our initial shot at any sort of National competition.
Our high school kids all entered in the K-12 Championship, top dog section. Even though we could have entered a fairly strong K-9 Championship team with 5 students and an even better K-12 Under 1600 team with 7 students. I wanted my team to be exactly that, a team. I wanted them to all compete together as one and our goal for this event was to prepare for creating a strong, nationally competitive program in the future. With a good attitudes, strong coaching and great parents to help organize the program, we hope to be a top-10 team soon. The photo to the left was taken on Sunday after the rounds: I only allow bughouse after the event.
Getting over to the first day of Super Nationals IV at the luxurious Opryland hotel was a bit of an adventure. Thursday afternoon, I picked a friend up from the airport and we jetted over to Hume-Fogg for our Thursday meeting. About half way through the club, while going over a game, the all too familiar sound of tornado sirens started to blare (It was the second time in a week). Students in the high school were ushered down to the bottom two floors. Chess club was interrupted to the point that we just decided to finish the day playing. About the same time, Opryland Hotel occupants did the same in their building with ceilings made of glass. About 4 pm when chess club ended, the downtown streets of Nashville had turned into small rivers, which made navigating to the hotel very difficult. It took well over an hour and a half to complete what is usually a 15-minute drive. My car, which has seen plenty of miles , did not like being out in the weather or the stop-and-go traffic and it forced us to hitch hike the rest of the way to the hotel in the gullywashin' storms. But finally, soaked and worn, we made it to the event to scope out the Thursday activities. Getting familiar with the layout of the event and catching up with old friends took up most of the evening.
Friday morning, we met at Hume-Fogg to caravan over and set up camp. Our entourage of nine students, one coach and a few parents had a great spot all weekend in the spacious, warehouse like skittles room. Many improvements were made since the third Super Nationals and it never felt much like there were the same congestion issues as in previous years. We got off to a great start winning many games while playing opponents 300-500 points higher than our members.
One local boy that attends our main rival in everything, MLK High School, played a solid game against an opponent 300+ points higher than him. His opponent ended up finishing in clear 2nd with 6.5/7.0, so Gainer did well to be the only to knick this strong player.
1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 d5 7.Nbd2
7.b3 is the most popular choice in this position, protecting the c-pawn and offering possibilities of trading the "bad" dark squared bishop with Bc1–a3.
7...c6 8.Ne5 Qe8 9.Ndf3 Ne4 10.Ne1
There are only a few acceptable reasons for placing your knight on the edge of the board like that. Here the purpose is to dislodge the e4 knight with f2-f3 and to transfer the knight to the Queenside.
10...Nd7 11.N1d3 Nd6 12.Qc2 Nf7
Black tries to fight for the e5 square.
13.b4 Nfxe5 14.dxe5 Nb6!
A nice and thematic idea to take over the c4 square once the d and b-pawns have been pushed too far to ever cover it again.
15.c5 Nc4 16.Bb2 a5 17.a3 a4 18.Bd4 g5 19.e3 h5 20.f4 g4 21.Nb2 Nxb2 22.Qxb2 h4 23.Rfb1 Bd7 24.Kf2 Qh5 25.Rh1 Rf7 26.Rag1 Rh7
The game has become fairly locked up and neither side can seem to afford to try and break it open. Black can only do this with either hxg3 or b7-b6. White can only break with b4-b5. ½–½
The third day of the festival was the most interesting and enjoyable of them all. Our players kept doing fairly well against much higher rated opposition and at the end of the day we were in the top 20. Myself and some of our Nashville Chess center members got a chance to "be in the presence" of Kasparov. I would not go as far as to say I met the man. I stood in line for two hours not for myself, but to get a cool collectible for our club.
The best part of the event was the hanging out with my team. We spent a lot of time going over games, reviewing openings with a few endgames here and there. We ignored the "No outside food or drinks in the skittles room" sign and enjoyed being able to relax in our area with our large amount of rations. Sunday would be far more grueling for the team.
Besides hanging out with my students, seeing old friends from various part of the country was one of the greatest perks to having the Super Nationals at home. Our old clan, from the days when we played in the Super Nationals I, had a nice reunion and the top activity at our multiple get-togethers was team chess. Players on each team alternated moves without discussion. Although we got some pretty good cheat signals down, and it is got more and more blatant as the night went on. We had two player teams the first night and three player teams the second. It was a blast and the average rating of the teams was fairly high.
IM Greg Shahade just played Qg7xg2 the team game above. Was it a good move?
One the final day of the tournament is was clear that our team did not have a lot of steam left. For that matter, it did not look like much of anyone had any energy. Our results showed this fatigue, but our results were so strong on the previous days that I believe we played well above our rating level. We built a strong foundation this year and I am eager to already start preparing for next year in Columbus, Ohio.
I will leave with a game from JoAnn Welch, our only female player on the Hume Fogg squad in 2008-2009.
Over 5200 players attended the SuperNationals in Nashville (April 3-5). Living legend Garry Kasparov and astronaut Greg Chamitoff spoke at the opening ceremony. Check the final results, MSA rated results , the official website and the video contest page. Also on CLO: Jennifer Shahade's event wrap-up , Macauley Peterson's interview with GM Yury Shulman and a Parent's Perspective, Part I and Part II.


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Doctors told Justin Bieber he will have to wear a gas mask for the rest of his life.
It's a rare condition, similar to what Michael Jackson had – except it's much more severe. Justin Bieber can not breathe the air that the rest of the humans on the planet can breathe.
"He needs much better air than we are producing on Earth," said a source close to Bieber. "Justin was crushed to learn that he would never be without a gas mask, but he's accepting it in stride. He thinks he'll still be able to record – he'll just have a much deeper voice."
Bieber is taking it all in stride: "I'm focused on the good things in life. I'm blessed and not forgetting it. I'm giving back every day for it. Can't phase me." He added: "I'm a good person. I know that. You can't tell me different. We know the truth.
"As long as my family, friends, and fans r with me u can say whatever. We are all equal in God's eyes & we have a responsibility to each other."
He went on: "I understand it is part of the job to be judged…but judge me on the facts, judge me on the music, and be careful of the judgement u pass.
Here's some of Justin's tweets in response to some criticism about his gas mask:


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Sony will launch a new line of small, flat, external batteries to provide extra juice for tablets and smartphones, the first such products to use its thin "laminate" technology, it said Monday.
The Tokyo-based electronics firm announced several models, including one with 7,000 mAh capacity, that it says provides about three full charges to a typical smartphone, at 2.1 amps when both of its USB ports are used. The battery weighs 198 grams and measures 130.6 millimeters by 70.4mm by 12.9mm, on a par with many smartphones.
"This thin type of battery is Sony's strength," said spokesman Jin Tomihari. "The smartphone market is growing, so the battery market is also growing accordingly."
The company is marketing the new batteries as having the same thin profile as modern phones and tablets, making the two easier to store together. Sony will also launch a slightly smaller model that holds 3,500mAh, as well as a colorful batch of smaller cylindrical 2000mAh batteries.
This is on par with modern smartphones: Apple's new iPhone 5 is said to have a 1440mAh battery, while Samsung's Galaxy S3 has a 2100mAh battery.
Sony is know mainly for its electronics, games and media holdings, but the company also has advanced battery technology, including for batteries in which the components are laminated together, cutting weight and materials as well as allowing a greater variety of forms.
The company announced the new batteries for the Japanese market, with the round type to go on sale from Oct. 13 and the flat variety from Nov. 14 in Japan, with prices ranging from 2,300 yen (US$30) to 7,000 yen depending on the capacity.
Global launch dates and prices will be around those for the Japanese market, Tomihari said.
Sony said the 3,500mAh version of its new line can be reused about 500 times, and can charge a typical smartphone in about 130 minutes. They can be recharged in about 8 hours by USB and 4 hours by electric socket.
Sony was an early adaptor of current rechargeable battery technology, and was the first to market with lithium-ion batteries in 1991.


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Stocks were little changed at the end of a strong week as investors head into the home stretch of what has been a terrific year for Wall Street.
The Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 ended flat Friday. The Nasdaq fell slightly. For the week, all three indexes advanced more than 1%. Trading volume has been below average this week with many money managers absent for the holidays.
Related: Fear & Greed Index gets greedy
Markets have charted big gains this year. The Dow is up more than 25% and S&P 500 has gained nearly 30%. The Nasdaq has soared 38%. The Dow is on track for its biggest annual gain since 1996 and the S&P 500 is on pace for its strongest year since 1997.
Several factors have helped spur gains this year, including ongoing economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve, increased confidence in the economy and solid corporate earnings growth.
Earlier this month, the Fed announced that it will modestly reduce its bond buying program in January. But many experts believe the bull market will continue for a sixth year in 2014, albeit at a more modest pace.
In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose to 3% for a second day. That's the highest level of the year and some investors say it could set the stage for higher interest rates next year.
Delta Airlines (DAL) shares fell after a glitch caused steeply discounted tickets to be offered online Thursday.
Some StockTwits traders said the selling in Delta stock was overdone.
"$DAL hahaha seriously, People freak out and sell over something like this. Hilarious," said Apeneck.
Another trader joked that Delta may have revealed the true cost of its airfares.
Related: Best year ever for stock funds
"$DAL Round trip tickets for 80 bucks? Did they just show us true cost??? Haha," said kayak83.
Sprint (S) shares surged amid ongoing speculation that SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate that owns the telecommunications company, is working on a $20 billion bid to buy rival T-Mobile (TMUS).
Shares of Twitter (TWTR) were under pressure following a strong rally this month. Even with Friday's declines, Twitter stock is up more than 57% in December.
Some traders said the selling is just getting started.
"$TWTR too early to call the drop over..." said straightsix.
Others said it was not surprising given the run Twitter has had this month.
"$TWTR healhty for this to give up 10 points here," said OptionsNoobi.
Facebook (FB) shares have also been on a tear this month. The social network has gained more than 20% in December, but shares were little changed Friday.
European markets and Asian markets ended the week on a positive note.


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We would be delighted to work with you and your advisors to plan a gift that would be most advantageous to you. All inquiries will be kept confidential. Even when you're gone, you'll be buying rabbits a little more time munching on the carrots your bequest will buy.


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Yesterday Matthew Inman (sole proprietor of the generally hilarious webcomic The Oatmeal) put up a post on his site to help raise funds to buy Tesla's lab, Wardenclyffe Tower, preserve it, and make it into a Tesla Museum. At the time I'm writing this, 10,900 people have committed a total of $480,00 dollars to help make this happen.
I think folks who work at libraries, archives and museums need to pay attention to this. In particular, people who work at libraries, archives and museums that have a science and technology focus need to pay attention to this.
The Oatmeal and Tesla as the Geek of Geeks
If you don't follow The Oatmeal you should, it's a fun comic. If you do, you'll know that Inman recently posted a funny and exuberant ode to Nikola Tesla as the geek of all geeks. It's a story about an obsessive desire to make the world a better place through science and technology. (If you check that story out you should also check out this response from Alex Knapp and Inman's critique of the critique.) The original cartoon uses Tesla to define what being a geek is. I like the sincerity in this particular quote at the front of it.
Geeks stay up all night disassembeling the world so they can put it back together with new features.
They tinker and fix things that aren't broken.
Geeks abandon the world around them because they are busy soldering together a new one.
For someone who cares about the history of science and technology and the preservation and interpretation the cultural record of science and technology it is neat to see this kind of back and forth happening on the web. With that said, it is unbelievably exciting to see what happens when that kind of geeky-ness can be turned into a firehose of funding to support historic preservation.
How is this so amazingly successful?
As cultural heritage organizations get into the crowdfunding world it makes a lot of sense to study what about this is working so well. While one might not have the kind of audience Inman has, part of why he has that audience is that he's a funny guy and he knows how to create something that people want to talk about all over the web. Even the name of the project,Let's Build a Goddamn Tesla Museum, is funny. It is also participatory in the name alone. He is asking us to be a part of something. He is asking us to help make this happen.
Shortly after going up there were posts about this on a range of major blogs. It's a great story and Inman is already a big deal on the web. Most importantly, Inman's fans are the kind of people that can get really excited about supporting this particular cause. Aside from that, he publicly called out a series of different organizations that might get involved as sponsors. At least one of which was excited to sign on personally. Aside from getting the folks who were interested to just give money, he also asked them to reach out to the organizations. It just so happened that someone who has both Inman's email address and the head of Tesla moters was thrileld to have the ouppertunity to connect the dots and help make this thing happen. The project not only mobilizes supporters, it mobilizes people to mobilize supporters and in so doing lets everybody be a part of the story of making this thing happen.
Is this just a one off thing?
So Inman has been able to turn his web celebratory into a huge boon for a particular cultural heritage site. The next question in my mind is, is this a one time thing? I think there is a good reason to belive that this is actualy replicable in a lot of instances.
First off, Inman's love for science and his audiance's love for science isn't an oddity. The web is full of science and tech fans and other web celebratories who might be game for doing this kind of thing to connect with fans and help support worthy causes.
Off the top of my head, here are three people I think could and very likely would, be up for this sort of thing for other projects related to scientists and engineers.
Jonathan Coulton
I would hazzard to guess that Jonathan Coulton fans would be thrilled to support at some archive to accession and digitize and make avaliable parts of Benoit Mandelbrot's personal papers. Not sure exactly who has those papers but I am sure they are awesome, and I would hazzard to guess that the man who wrote an ode to the Mandelbrot Set and the fans who love it would come out in droves to support preserving his legacy.
If you haven't heard Coulton sing the song take a minute and listen to it.
When you get to the end, you find the kind of sincerity about the possibility of science making our world a better place.
You can change the world in a tiny way
And you're just in time to save the day
Sweeping all our fears away
You can change the world in a tiny way
Go on, change the world in a tiny way
Come on, change the world in a tiny way
We can change the world in a tiny way, and that is a message that Coulton's fans want to hear. It's really the same message for Inman's geeks who are taking apart and rebuilding the world with new features.
Randall Munroe
I would similarly hazzard to guess that XKCD fans would follow Randall in any given campaign he wanted to start around a scientist or a technologist. You can see the same enthusiasm for science and technology in a lot of the XKCD comics. Here are a few of my favorites. For a sense of what people will do based on XKCD comics I would suggest reading the section on "Inspired Activities" on XKCD's Wikipedia article.
For starters, there is the ever popular "Science: It Works" comic.
For a specific example of actual scientists check out this Zombie Curie comic.
Kate Beaton
Kate Beaton makes funny, clever, and rather nice looking historical comics. Many of those comics, like the comic about Rosalind Franklin below, are about scientists. I would hazard to guess that her fans would follow her to support these kinds of projects as well.
So these were just a few examples of other folks that I think could potentially pull this kind of thing off. I could also imagine all three being up for this sort of thing. In all three cases, you have geeks who have been able to do their long tail thing and find the other folks that geek out about the same kinds of things.
As a result, I think we could be looking at something that has the makings of a model for libraries, archives and museums to think about. Who has an audience and the idealism to help champion your cause? The web is full of people who care about science. Just take a look at what happened when someone remixed Carl Sagan's cosmos into a song. There are some amazing people out there making a go of a career by targeting geeky niches on the web. If they are up for helping, I think they have a lot to offer. I'm curious to hear folks thoughts about how these kinds of partnerships might be brokered. What can we do to help connect these dots?


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For immediate release
The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 1 percent.
The Committee continues to believe that an accommodative stance of monetary policy, coupled with robust underlying growth in productivity, is providing important ongoing support to economic activity. The evidence accumulated over the intermeeting period indicates that output is continuing to expand at a solid rate and hiring appears to have picked up. Although incoming inflation data have moved somewhat higher, long-term inflation expectations appear to have remained well contained.
The Committee perceives the upside and downside risks to the attainment of sustainable growth for the next few quarters are roughly equal. Similarly, the risks to the goal of price stability have moved into balance. At this juncture, with inflation low and resource use slack, the Committee believes that policy accommodation can be removed at a pace that is likely to be measured.
Voting for the FOMC monetary policy actions were: Alan Greenspan, Chairman;
Timothy F. Geithner, Vice Chairman; Ben S. Bernanke; Susan S. Bies; Roger
W. Ferguson, Jr.; Edward M. Gramlich; Thomas M. Hoenig; Donald L. Kohn;
Cathy E. Minehan; Mark W. Olson; Sandra Pianalto; and William Poole.
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United Grand Lodge of England yearbook, 2006-2007
From WikiLeaks
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- Was first publicly revealed by WikiLeaks working with our source.
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- Release date
- November 24, 2008
Further information
1. just released as part of my freemasonry exposed pages at www.public-interest.co.uk/masons/
2. Home Affairs select committee decided on exposure of Freemasons in public office but this was blocked, mainly by the Association Of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
3. Likely audience is Government Standards officials, investigative journalists and anti-Secret Society/accountability campaigners.
4. Complete PDF of what is now a confidential book leaked - in genuine format - looks genuine!
5. Because someone with access to the PDF wants it published on the net.6. No, but echos the recent BNP leak.