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Guest Critics Front PageTHE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEXDOUBTTHE DEPARTEDJUNOHAIRSPRAYRAGTIMESWEENEY TODDHOUNDDOGTHE COUNTERFEITERSMOOLAADÉSILVER CITYTHE TWILIGHT SAGATHE VISITOR
Martin Scorsese at the 79th Academy Awards
Photo credit: Nikki Nelson/WENN/NewsCom
from a
Point of View
Special to FILMS FOR TWO®
by Kris Berggren
There is a difference between practicing Catholicism and being Catholic. If you grew up steeped in the faith—as director Martin Scorsese did, even entering the seminary for a time—but you stop practicing, as he did, you're still likely to be Catholic. It's in your thoughts, words, and deeds. It's simply in your blood. You think about good and evil a lot.
Scorsese's 2006 Oscar winner
THE DEPARTED, set in gritty Irish Catholic Boston, is full of Catholic tropes. There the "good" Catholics, like Martin Sheen's Detective Captain Oliver Queenan, send their kids to Notre Dame, stay married to their wives and swear a lot less than everyone else.
But the Irish ghetto also produces fallen angels: Jack Nicholson's wily and ambitious Frank Costello conveys a satanic guile and bloodthirsty aplomb that haven't exactly mellowed with age. I've never been a big Nicholson fan, but he's got a knack for gleefully finding the dark side.
What I enjoyed most about the film is how Leonardo DiCaprio's Billy Costigan, the police mole infiltrating Costello's crime enterprise, melds the yin and the yang of serving two father figures (his police boss and the top mobster). Costigan's "lace curtain" mother raised him to be intellectual and upright; his working class father, who earned both respect and contempt for his independence from the Irish Mafia, claimed the boy's deeper loyalty but couldn't protect him from the neighborhood's criminal element.
Matt Damon turns in a credible performance as Costigan's doppelganger Colin Sullivan A former altar boy, he rejects his frayed ties to church and the police life to become a double agent of sorts. He is on Costello's payroll as a Boston detective who subversively sidetracks efforts to squash Costello's ring.
Never mind that the rival Italian "Guineas" out of Providence are Catholic too; their bad blood is a fact of life. In a memorable scene, DiCaprio, still trying to win Costello's trust, beats a pair of goons who've been sent into Irish territory to extract payment from a corner store owner. They're later shot point-blank, and the murder is pinned on an innocent man.
Speaking of blood, the Sacred Heart of Jesus—that iconic image of a beatific Christ whose visible heart sheds drops of the Precious Blood—is displayed everywhere: on Queenan's wall along with family photos and brandished by Billy Costigan, who smashes a framed, glassed version of it over the head of a guy who taunts him.
As with Scorcese's earlier GOODFELLAS (and especially
DEPARTED could easily be just another macho ensemble mob movie where violence reigns, warmth is a rare commodity, and women are relegated to limited, stifled roles. Those tiresome themes are transcended by the performances of DiCaprio (who manages to make Costigan a true tragic hero), Mark Wahlberg (as the relentless Staff Sergeant Dignam), and others.
He could be describing the Catholic Church as its critics see it today. Indeed, Costello rejects the church because it "wants you in your place: kneel, stand, kneel, stand. You have to take it." He'd rather consolidate his own power empire, build an organization on loyal allies who will subsume their own personalities to his will, and use women as handmaids or whores. His crime organization has even got the church in thrall. "In this archdiocese God don't run bingo," he snarls at a table of priests and a nun whom he's just embarrassed and emasculated. Wait, was that The Joker, Jack Torrance, or Frank Costello?
The conflicting loyalties exacted by Irish Catholicism, cop culture, and gang life construct a haunted house of mirrors and shadows—and it's hard to know which way is out. And mirrors shatter.
"Could I do murder?" Costigan asks as he negotiates Costello's unraveling trust.
"Give 'em up to the Almighty," responds Costello, with little irony
I loved the performances of Winstone as French, David O'Hara as Fitzy, and Mark Rolston as Delahunt: dead-on, head-bashing acolytes to Costello's high priest of extortion and murder. Sheen's Queenan is a sentimental favorite; the actor is a practicing Catholic who attends Mass regularly, carries a rosary, and, motivated by his religious values, attends frequent anti-militarization protests As Queenan he provides a rare moment of respite when he offers the increasingly troubled Costigan some fatherly tenderness and the leftover dinner his wife has placed in the refrigerator. I needed that glimpse of goodness to mitigate the bleak, descending darkness visited on the ensemble.
Scorsese's film underscores the thin barrier between our souls and the violence in our hearts and in our culture, as even the relatively placid Queenan is martyred in the line of duty, triggering a bloodbath worthy of a Shakespearean history play
How I like the movie depends on how I contextualize it: As an action film, I find the name-brand violence unsettling and even indulgent, in a world where headlines shout blinding casualties of scarcity, genocide, and war.
But ultimately the film works as a slice-of-life portrayal of the tough, morally conflicted breed who fill the ranks of cops and criminals. They are struggling to know what's right and wrong in the world they inhabit--not just the one they're taught to idolize by their church. They share a sense of oppression, shaped by both street realism and Catholic idealism--each of which, in its own way, fosters the understanding that sacrifice and sticking with your people is the way to transcend life's pain. Then one day, you die, hoping that, as the holy card attached to a gravesite floral arrangement sent by Costello to Costigan's mother reads: "Heaven holds the Faithful Departed."
© Kris Berggren (2/6/08)
Editor's note:
A fascinating corollary to THE
DEPARTED is the outstanding Hong Kong film from which it was adapted: INFERNAL AFFAIRS. The level of violence, the treatment of women and the number and identities of characters left standing at the end of each picture is dramatically different. (The Hong Kong pic continues the story via two interesting sequels also directed by the brilliant Andrew Lau:
INFERNAL AFFAIRS II and INFERNAL AFFAIRS III.)


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Regular Article
Dynamical complexity of short and noisy time series
Compression-Complexity vs. Shannon entropy
1 Consciousness Studies Programme, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru 560 012, India
2 Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita University, Coimbatore, India
a e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
b e-mail: email@example.com
Received: 30 August 2016
Revised: 20 November 2016
Published online: 31 January 2017
Shannon entropy has been extensively used for characterizing complexity of time series arising from chaotic dynamical systems and stochastic processes such as Markov chains. However, for short and noisy time series, Shannon entropy performs poorly. Complexity measures which are based on lossless compression algorithms are a good substitute in such scenarios. We evaluate the performance of two such Compression-Complexity Measures namely Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZ) and Effort-To-Compress (ETC) on short time series from chaotic dynamical systems in the presence of noise. Both LZ and ETC outperform Shannon entropy (H) in accurately characterizing the dynamical complexity of such systems. For very short binary sequences (which arise in neuroscience applications), ETC has higher number of distinct complexity values than LZ and H, thus enabling a finer resolution. For two-state ergodic Markov chains, we empirically show that ETC converges to a steady state value faster than LZ. Compression-Complexity measures are promising for applications which involve short and noisy time series.
© EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag, 2017

subset: commoncrawl


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I missed the theater run and waited patiently. I watched other movies and read other books. I let it seemingly fade from my mind, but always I was waiting. Finally, streaming via Netflix I, Frankenstein. When I had first heard of the movie I asked many questions about the creature and his story. Would it adhere […]
Tag Archives | the undead
The Luck of the Unlucky
By Sarah Jessica on May 30, 2012 in Brooding Brontes
For a poor, parentless orphan, Jane Slayre had the remarkable good fortune to be quite lucky.
Don't Feed the Zombies
By Sarah Jessica on May 11, 2012 in Brooding Brontes
A cold day, sickness consuming the poor charity school girls. Well, almost all of girls. As the girls die, they come back as zombies.


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American company Continental Airlines announced that it has received tentative approval from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to operate daily year-round service between its Houston hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and through flight service between New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro beginning summer 2009, pending final government approvals.
"Continental is delighted to receive tentative authority for this route, which links two important energy markets," said Jeff Smisek, Continental's president and chief operating officer. "We thank our co-workers and our corporate and agency clients, as well as the many federal, state and local officials who wrote letters in support of the application.Â
"We also are grateful to the City of Houston and Houston Airport System and the City of New Orleans and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, which filed exhibits in support of Continental's route proposal."
Continental plans to operate the daily service using a Boeing 767-200 aircraft, with 25 seats in BusinessFirst and 149 seats in economy. The proposed nonstop flight will be timed to offer convenient flight connections at Continental's Houston hub to cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
The airline currently operates daily nonstop service between Continental's New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport and between Houston and São Paulo, with continuing service to Rio de Janeiro.
Continental Airlines, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is the world's fifth largest airline. Together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, the company has more than 2,800 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 135 domestic and 132 international destinations.
Gol Gets Capital Increase
Brazilian airline Gol has approved a capital increase of the Company in the amount of 203,531,031.60 reais and the issuance of 26,093,722 shares, comprising 6,606,366 common shares and 19,487,356 preferred shares.
The issuance price to common and preferred shares is fixed in 7.80 reais per share, according to the quotation of the shares in the São Paulo Stock Exchange on March 20, 2009, verified after the closing of the trading session.
The issuance price is equivalent to 90.9% of the average closing price of the preferred shares during the last 30 trading sessions, which was 8.58 reais, and to 83.2% of the average closing price during the last 60 trading sessions, which was 9.37 reais.
Gol offers nearly 800 daily flights to 49 destinations connecting the most important cities in Brazil and ten major destinations in South America. The Company operates a fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.


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Last week Samsung started issuing out an update to the Samsung Galaxy S4 that would allow users to save apps to the SD card and free up some of the internal 16GB of memory that has been causing a load of issues.
Samsung's Galaxy S4 has been subject to a lot of scrutiny from the British and European press when it was discovered that just over half of the Samsung Galaxy S4's inbuilt 16GB of memory was used up for the phone's software features. Additionally, this internal memory was eaten away by the fact users could not save new apps to an inserted memory card.
After the update's release last week in Germany, reports are coming in that the update is now landing on UK versions of the smartphone. These reports have not been confirmed by Samsung though, so no official comment has been made.
When the update does land it may also be subject to network changes so it may be delayed further if you have a branded S4. Those with SIM-free phones will likely get the update first.
We will keep you posted when it becomes official.
Samsung has announced a new software update for the Galaxy S4 that will see some of the major issues that Samsung has recently been experiencing with its flagship handset fixed, including the internal storage fiasco which hit the headlines in recent months.
First up, the update will allow users to install apps to their microSD card, which was previously not possible and thus left users of the handset with only 8.5GB of useable space out of of the advertised 16GB internal memory, which of course soon fills up when you install apps.
The update will also increase this available space to 9.2GB, which along with the ability to install apps on a microSD card should help with limited storage issues a lot. A few other tweaks will also be introduced, such as the ability to record high dynamic range (HDR) video, new camera firmware, a toggle for the Smart Pause feature and interface tweaks such as a semi-transparent status bar and some new icons in Settings.
Samsung got a bit of a public beat down after it was revealed that around half of the advertised 16GB memory was usable, with the BBC's Watchdog show exposing the problem on prime time TV.
A full list of the changes brought about by the update is as follows;
- New Camera firmware
- Smearing issue has been fixed (Purple effect while scrolling)
- Smart Pause Toggle
- Move Apps to SD Card
- HDR Video (Can record HDR video)
- Semi-transparent status bar
- New Icons in Settings
- Secure boot status (About Phone)
- Increase legibility (Display) (New feature)
The update is 365.67 MB in size and will be downloadable via the Samsung Kies PC and Mac software or via the FOTA system (Firmware-Over-The-Air) setups when it's released. It will be rolled out today in Germany with other countries following in the coming weeks.


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Sunday, November 13, 2011
The title "pastor" comes from the Latin word for shepherd. Jesus, Peter, and Paul all use the word shepherd to capture what it means to lead the church. Spiritual shepherding involves leading a flock, feeding them with God's truth, protecting them from spiritual attack, and seeking them if they go astray.
Sometimes I'm asked why I would devote my time to being a pastor. The short answer is that I believe God has called me to serve in this way. But how do I know I am called?
My call to pastoral ministry began with a desire. Paul says in 1 Timothy 3:1, "It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do." The New Testament uses the terms pastor, overseer, and elder interchangeably.
Throughout high school I was planning to become a career military officer, so I entered my freshman year at the University of Southern California on an Air Force scholarship. I had only been a Christian for two years, but I began to realize that my real passion was to be involved in ministry. I felt that I wouldn't be content doing anything else. So this desire started me toward ministry. I gave up my scholarship and made plans to transfer to a Christian college to study the Bible. But desire alone isn't enough to confirm a call to pastoral ministry.
A call to ministry must also be affirmed by other church leaders. Paul guided his coworkers Timothy and Titus in identifying church leaders by giving them a list of essential character qualifications (see 1 Tim 3:2-7 and Titus 1:5-9). He cautioned Timothy, "Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others" (1 Tim 5:22). When a group of elders laid hands on someone it was a way of recognizing and affirming their call, and as this verse indicates it was a very serious action.
To really know someone's convictions and character takes time. In my case, there were times when this process of affirmation seemed excruciatingly long. After I completed three more years of college and another four years in seminary, the Lord graciously provided me and my family with the opportunity to move to Michigan and serve on the pastoral staff at Calvary Bible Church. My ministry there afforded me the opportunity to grow and develop relationships with other leaders so that they could really know me. After five years, Calvary's elders formally affirmed my call to ministry.
When Paul addressed elders from the city of Ephesus, he said, "…the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). I'm grateful for the way the Spirit has worked in my life and continues to work to give me the desire to serve, to teach me to understand and explain Scripture, and to keep forming my character.
It was five years ago this month that I began preaching every Sunday morning at this location that we now call Calvary Bible Church East. I count it an incredible privilege to devote my time to serving God here, and I'm blessed to see the great church family that God continues to build.
– Bryan Craddock


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Friday, January 26, 2018
It's all about how you use it: on NSFWare, by Pierre Corbinais
This post is SFW-ish (somewhat Safe For Work, depending on your workplace)
Pierre Corbinais has a long history of making short poignant games about relationships and intimacy. (Before I had played this game, my personal favorite had been Tiny Soccer Manager Stories.) His choice of tool, Adventure Game Studio, is especially interesting -- this tool is very much not designed for Corbinais' abstract staging and gestural interfaces, but he makes it work anyway.
NSFWare, then, is a joyous and colorful collection of simple reflex-based games in an engine that is constantly trying to destabilize it. (When you press ESC, the quit menu confesses that it doesn't know whether the game is broken or not.) Corbinais' use of low-res neon pixel art is extremely effective here for several reasons: the bright nonrealistic color choices help soften the politics of porn, limited use of animation helps draw your attention to specific sex acts no matter how "small", and the chunkiness also helps mask how the engine wasn't designed for animated sequences like this at all.
Combined with the catchy minimalist beats and the retro-style rotoscoped animation handpainted in the Paint of Persia tool from diverse footage at Pornhub, this game makes a strong case for sex as craftsmanship: it's not how impressive or advanced your tool is, it's more about how you use it.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Watch and/or Read "GDC 2015: Level Design Histories and Futures"
GDC finally uploaded my talk from 2015 on level design history and futures... and already, the conservative gamer-gestapo is whining about how I have the gall to talk mention racism and sexism in a design history talk.
This prompted me to review my slides and notes from 2015, and I was surprised -- usually I hate whatever I write, but this time I was surprised by how the material mostly holds up. (I was also surprised by how much I anticipated the whiners' critiques and put disclaimers everywhere.) Really, the only thing I have to work on is, um, the frequency that I say "um", but you know, I'm working on it.
Personally, I dislike watching videos and vastly prefer reading talks, so for your convenience I've also uploaded my complete slides in a double-length PDF. The first half of the PDF has the talk slides, and the second half of the PDF has my speaking notes as well... here's also one last reminder, that I've edited / condensed this stuff into a shorter talk called "local level design."
Friday, January 19, 2018
On wikipedia-ing games culture and history
January 10, 2018The other day, someone wrote to me but confessed they didn't know much about me, and that they had only played my games Intimate, Infinite and The Tearoom.
This felt like a really strange pairing of games to me. The Tearoom is a recent game that got a lot of press coverage, while Intimate Infinite is a much older, somewhat obscure game of mine that's mostly remembered only by some literary art game folks. What the heck is going on?
My suspicions were confirmed when I found out that I had a Wikipedia page as of July 2017, and that this page highlighted those two games with their own subsections. It made me realize that (a) people google me, and that (b) Wikipedia might be their first or second impressions of me. And yet, that page is still missing so much information about me; my dabbling in level design, my love of sandwiches, and so on.
When I whined on Twitter about having a Wikipedia page, boy genius game designer Michael Brough confessed his envy. I was shocked. How can Michael "Broughlike" Brough not have a Wikipedia page? I immediately sought to correct this injustice, and began writing a Wikipedia entry for Mr. Brough.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
CFP: Queerness and Games Conference 2018 at Concordia University in Montréal
|photo of Tanya DePass speaking at QGCon 2017
The Queerness and Games Conference is now accepting submissions for presentations at its fifth annual conference, which will be held on September 29-30, 2018 at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada! Proposals for conference talks and other sessions are due March 1st, 2018 (details and instructions below).
QGCon is an annual event that brings together developers, academics, educators, and activists to explore the intersection of LGBTQ issues and video games. Proposals for talks, pre-constituted panels, workshops, roundtables, and post mortems are welcome. Speakers from all backgrounds are encouraged to submit. Because QGCon is a community-oriented event that seeks to foster dialogue across areas of expertise, we especially value sessions that engage a broad and diverse audience. Please note that, since QGCon attendees come from across academia, industry, and beyond, different speakers may bring different ideas about what constitutes a "talk" or a "panel." QGCon values these differences and kindly requests that, as per the submission guidelines below, prospective speakers describe the approach they hope to take to their proposed session.
Monday, January 15, 2018
LEVEL WITH ME, Winter / Spring 2018 schedule: Tuesdays 2 PM EST
I've completed my winter hibernation and I'm gearing up for a new season of Level With Me, my livestream show where I play video games and talk about what I think the level design is doing.
Since I work as a teacher and I get a different schedule each semester, I have to change my broadcasting schedule every few months. Now for this first half of 2018, the new time will be Tuesdays, at around 1 or 2 PM EST (GMT-5). (Sometimes I start late.)
If you can't make it for the live broadcasts, then you can always check out the YouTube archive over here.
Before the hiatus last year, we were a few hours into BioShock 1. In the game, we had just gotten a shiny new camera, and we were taking fun photos of bloodthirsty monsters. My current plans are to try to get as far as Fort Frolic at least, and then re-assess my interest in continuing. See you soon!
Thursday, January 11, 2018
"Coast Guide" for PC Gamer UK 0310
|cover of PCGUK 310
At the top of this post, you can see the "blank" overview map of Half-Life 2's d2_coast03. That's basically what I submitted to them for publication, along with some accompanying box-out text and images for their layout artists to use. Stylistically, it's similar to what I previously did for a PC Gamer UK retrospective on Half-Life 1, when I diagrammed the Black Mesa Inbound chapter and the "shark cage" setpiece in the Apprehension chapter.
But for this new illustration, I wanted to be more accurate and import the actual level geometry as a base. It ended up being rather time consuming to do all the test renders in Maya and iterate to that finished state, especially since I'm not used to working in a pre-rendered mode. I also didn't really know what kind of look I wanted? I knew I was partial to a sort of digital papercraft look, but I also struggled with keeping everything readable.
In print, the whole thing looked a little bit like this:
Monday, January 8, 2018
Resolutions, 2018
In keeping with tradition, here's some resolutions that I resolve to uphold for this new year...
- Keep blogging for 2018, at about the same rate as 2017?
- Don't die from all the travelling I'll be doing in 2018.
- Finish and release three projects: Radiator 3, MachoCam, and Medusa.
- Update some of my technical dev skills: get proficient with Unreal Engine 4, learn about compute shaders
- Update some of my game art skills: do some more sculpting, get better with Substance Painter and Substance Designer
Sure, the new year is an arbitrary passage of time that has no real significance -- but that doesn't mean it's not fun to re-assess and wonder about where you're at.
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(Tom Hawke) (Profile #1 - Squad era)
At the beginning of the 1990s, there was a major boom on the comic book market. This drew in new publishers, who wanted to compete with Marvel, DC or brand new star Image.
One interesting project was the Ultraverse, which launched in June of 1993. Malibu Comics had been around for some years, but a financial windfall led to their big, big Ultraverse project.
A whole new super-hero universe was scripted out and documented by senior comic book writers and Larry Niven . It would be more coherent than its predecessors, and make use of some more modern themes. The money also allowed for extravaganzas such as big ad campaigns, video games, live-action short movies, etc.
In late 1994, the Ultraverse was sold to Marvel Comics. Marvel promptly started burying it – and then the comic book speculative bubble exploded. The party was over, and the Ultraverse was essentially gone.
Hardcase himself
Hardcase was one of the major characters in the setting, and would come to lead Ultraforce (an equivalent of the Avengers or JLA). Written by James Hudnall, he was part of the core titles launches at the creation of the Ultraverse and popped up in a number of crossovers.
His main hook was that he was a D-list, self-absorbed actor chasing fame and money. But as fate hammered him hard and his power drew various sorts of unwelcome attention, he was forced to grow and evolve as a man to become an actual hero and eventually a capable leader.
Our chronological series goes :
- Real Name: Tow Hawke.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: The Squad.
- Base Of Operations: Los Angeles. The Squad eventually opened a large headquarters in Century City.
- Height: 6'3" Weight: 240 lbs.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond
Powers and Abilities
The Squad members seemed to have just one power. Hardcase's seemed to be super-strength, with proportional durability making him bulletproof. The actual properties of his powers only surfaced much later.
One of Hardcase's most impressive abilities is to make gigantic jumps, thanks to the massive strength of his legs. He trained a lot, and could jump and land with excellent accuracy even early on.
Tom Hawke was one of those actor wannabes who populate L.A. and Hollywood. He made ends meet with jobs such as pizza delivery, and attended every audition he learned of. It was during one such audition that he was suddenly struck by a form of blue energy. It turned him into a tall, ripped and handsome ultra-human.
Hawke was thought by almost everyone, including himself, to be the first ultra to ever appear. That was not true : the appearance of ultras is cyclical in nature. Those cycles were created by an alien artefact on the Moon.
Meanwhile, on the Moon…
This machine had been desperately attempting to return to its home dimension for centuries. It was sending bursts of energies Earthward in an attempt to create something that could reach it on the Moon and help it return home.
During the early 1990s, those waves of energy would grow much more frequent and far more intense. The first big one created Hardcase and others.
The reason why most people thought Hardcase was the only superhuman was, sadly, simple. All other ultras were either very well hidden or very much dead. That was the policy of an ancient entity, apparently the first ultra-human, going by Rex Mundi.
Whenever a lunar wave of energy would hit Earth, Mundi would have every emerging ultra hunted down and killed. His favourite weapon was a robot named NM-E. It killed hundreds over the years. NM-E was again unleashed after the wave that created Hardcase, but this time it would take months. That wave had created far more ultras than ever before.
The Squad
Meanwhile, the newly superhuman Tom Hawke immediately monetised his abilities by starring in car commercials. But Hawke reasoned he was probably not alone in having received super-powers, and had a plan. By carefully reading the press, he located and met three other persons in the L.A. area who had also been hit by the blue energy.
His idea was that they should band together in order to better manage media coverage, contracts and revenues. Hawke got the idea after looking at super-heroes comic books. But what he mostly wanted was to maximise the income from his 15 minutes of fame. The others agreed, and the Squad was born, under the management of Hawke's agent.
Squad member Jamal Blass (aka DJ Blast) got into trouble with a local gang. But the Squad members had been training with their powers in the desert outside of L.A., growing more confident. As a result, DJ Blast and Forsa (Carlos Jiminez) convinced Hardcase and Starburst (Linda Warren) to confront the gang. Warren made the others swear they'd never hurt or maim a human being.
The confrontation was successful despite the gang taking hostages, and ended without anybody dead or excessive force.
A deal with Los Angeles
The Squad members were arrested. But a deal was struck and they contracted out to the City of Los Angeles as super-heroes of a sort. Though they mostly did PR work, they also violently clashed with more street gangs. They were generally successful in the latter, though they also knew some failures.
The Squad occasionally intervened in difficult situations such as hostage crises and raids on fortified crack houses. But that always was under heavy LAPD supervision. Even the LAPD, though, came to appreciate the usefulness of the Squad in arresting armed suspects without casualties. The bulletproof Hardcase was a fantastic point man.
Hardcase and Starburst fell very much in love early during the Squad's career. They soon started a relationship with an unusually strong chemistry.
Their true test came in 1992, during the massive riots that followed the acquittal of the police officers who had beaten Rodney King . Though the municipality would have preferred them to stay put, the Squad took to the streets to minimise injuries and looting as they could.
I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly
The Squad was then at the height of its success. It was highly popular, especially among youths. They had received extensive media coverage ever since the deal with the City of L.A., and were household names. Correspondingly, tabloids started running highly lurid stories about them. These included outrageous lies from Starburst's ex.
The Squad considered moving up and dropping the contract with the City of L.A.. While most members did not want to work with the Federal government, there was a sense that they should take a stronger stance and help more people.
DJ Blast and Forsa being wary of government agencies, the Squad turned down an offer from special law enforcement agency Aladdin. But days later the Squad proved their mettle by stopping terrorists holding schoolchildren hostages. Not a single person was shot.
The death of the Squad
However, NM-E was closing in. The Squad were still popularly thought to be the only ultra-humans around at that point. But the cops found the butchered corpses of other ultra-humans, and pieced their stories together. The police warned the Squad that there was some sort of serial killer of ultra-humans around.
When NM-E attacked, the foursome where attending a housewarming party thrown by Squad member Forsa. The house was packed. NM-E's attack was a massacre, killing 15 before the Squad could react. Nobody was prepared for this, and NM-E performed admirably. It clobbered Hardcase, put Starburst into a permanent coma, cleft Forsa in two and gutted DJ Blast with chaingun fire.
Fatally wounded, DJ Blast told Hardcase to grab Starburst and jump away. He then dragged himself to NM-E's feet and turned his power inward, detonating himself. The explosion was monumental, and blew even the near-indestructible NM-E to bits.
The Squad had stopped NM-E. This ensured that for the first time in millennia, a new generation of ultras could emerge without being quickly slaughtered by Rex Mundi.
Giving up
Hardcase, shellshocked by the carnage, retired his nascent career as a super-hero. He decided to resume being just an actor.
The costume in the illustrations was Hardcase's first. He wore it for his entire Squad career.
Tom Hawke is at this stage a normal, everyday guy. But he has an altruistic, dynamic streak. Yes, he might be a bit mediocre, not cut for deadly crises, and chiefly interested in money and fame. But he still wishes to do something for his fellow man.
To him, his powers are not just a way toward fame and fortune. They are *mostly* that, but also an actual chance to do something good.
Hardcase is, at this point, still naïve and inexperienced. He wants to sound like a super-hero, but it usually comes across as forced and awkward. His training as an actor doesn't help that much. Though he means well (as long as he gets money and his face on TV) he's certainly not a natural.
During the career of the Squad, Hawke was exposed to a lot of misery. For instance he read letters sent by people begging for the Squad's help, which often described awful situations. This in turn started pushing him toward being a super-hero. Yet he was unsure of how well that worked in complex situations, such as a man beating his wife and children.
Hardcase was genuinely in love with Starburst. Her permanent coma was one of the great tragedies of his life, and he spent years working through his crushing grief.
(Pitching his ideas to the future Squad) "I have people offering me deals, too. But they could fall through or turn out to be short-term. We need to milk this for all it's worth. Who knows how long it'll last ? […] Think of what *four* people with ultra-powers can accomplish. If we saved a few lives here and there… we'd be heroes in the public's eyes… kids would want toys of us…"
"Are you going to drop your guns now or are we going to have to get serious ?"
(During the L.A. riots) "I'm trying to prevent innocent people from being hurt by this madness ! You're hurting small business owners by stealing their merchandise ! By vandalizing their stores ! You know many of these merchants aren't your race, so by attacking them as a symbol of their race, you're being racist !"
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Hardcase (early)
|Dex: 05
|Str: 12
|Bod: 12
|Motivation: Uphold good
|Int: 04
|Wil: 05
|Min: 04
|Occupation: Actor and hero
|Inf: 04
|Aur: 04
|Spi: 04
|Resources {or Wealth}: 006
|Init: 013
Jumping: 08
Artist (Actor): 03, Vehicles (Land): 04
Hollywood (Low), LAPD (Low), Squad (High).
Limelight, Public ID, Unluck.
Game Stats — DC Adventures RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Hardcase (early) — Averaged PL 9.2
|2 (12)
|2 (12)
Super Strength ● 75 points ● Descriptor: Ultra
– Super Athletic — Leaping 9, Enhanced Dodge 6, Enhanced Parry 5, Enhanced Close Combat: Unarmed 5.
– Powerful — Enhanced Strength 10, Enhanced Stamina 10, Impervious Toughness 10, Enhanced Advantages (All-out Attack, Power Attack).
Combat Advantages
All-out Attack, Power Attack.
Other Advantages
Feature 2 (Popularity).
Close Combat: Unarmed 0 (+8), Deception 3 (+4), Expertise: Acting 2 (+4), Insight 3 (+4), Perception 4 (+5), Persuasion 1 (+2), Vehicles 4 (+5, Limited to land vehicles, -2).
|Initiative +2
|Unarmed +8, Close, Damage 12
* Without Defensive Roll
- Doing Good Hardcase helps others in need and wants to make the world a better place.
- Limelight As the first public ultra, Hardcase's every move is scrutinized. His desire for success and fame make him susceptible to this attention.
- Identity Hardcase's civilian identity of Tom Hawke is public knowledge.
- Hard Luck Hardcase is especially prone to bad runs of luck. The GM should feel free to introduce a Complication from time to time when things seem to be doing too well.
- Relationship Starburst.
Powers Levels
- Trade-off areas. Attack/Effect PL 10, Dodge/Toughness PL 10, Parry/Toughness PL 10, Fort/Will PL 8.
- Points total 115 . Abilities 28, Defences 3, Skills 7, Powers 75, Devices 0, Advantages 2. Equiv. PL 8.
Source of Character: Ultraverse.
Helper(s): Darci, Capita_Senyera. DCH stats by Pawsplay.


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Jérémie Margueritat, iLM, UMR5306 UCBL-CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
Acoustic vibrations of nano-objects for sensing applications.
Jeudi 27/10/16 à 14h salle pierre coton.
Abstract :
One of the technological challenges of these last years is the development highly efficient nano-sensing device, to determine for example the size, the mass, or even the presence or not of a given molecule. An interesting route to develop such sensors is to use the mechanical properties of mechanical nano-resonators, whose high frequencies of vibration (GHz to THz) are ideal to develop nano-clocks or nano-balances. The simplest nano-resonator, and maybe the easiest to produce, is the nanoparticle in which the vibration frequency is directly proportional to its reciprocal dimensions (inverse diameter for a sphere, inverse length for a wire, or inverse thickness for a nanoplatelet).
After a short presentation of the origin of the acoustic vibration of a nano-object, I will present two specific cases, to show that these simple nano-objects have promising potential to develop nano-sensing devices.
The first system studied is a dimer of gold nanoparticles whose ultra low frequency vibration modes (<5GHz 0.15 cm-1) arising from the hybridization of the individual vibration modes of each nanoparticle, is highly sensitive to the elastic properties of the surrounding medium.1
The second system consists of nano-platelets of semi-conductor whose thicknesses can be controlled from 2 to 14 monolayers. Detecting the resonant breathing frequency across the thickness of the nano-platelets reveals a significant sensitivity to mass loads attached to the free surfaces of the nano-platelets.2
1. Girard, A. et al. Mechanical coupling in gold nanoparticles super-molecules
revealed by plasmon-enhanced ultra low frequency Raman spectroscopy. Nano
Lett. 34, acs.nanolett.6b01314 (2016).
2. Girard, A. et al. Mass load effect on the resonant acoustic frequencies of colloidal
semiconductor nanoplatelets. to be published in Nanoscale


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More than 80 percent of eligible Jewish voters participate in American presidential elections, yet less than 1 percent voted in the recent nationwide election among American Jews. For a community that takes American democracy so seriously, U.S. Jews showed surprisingly little interest in the democratic race that was recently held in their own ranks.
Just 56,737 voters participated in the elections for delegates to the World Zionist Congress, even though they had three months in which to vote (January 30-April 30) and were able to cast their ballots without ever leaving the comfort of their living rooms.
The number of voters represents a sharp drop from those who took part in previous American Jewish elections to the Zionist Congress—75,686 in 2006, 88,753 in 2002, and 107,832 in 1997. Yet even those higher numbers still represented a minuscule fraction of the American Jewish community.
There are a number of reasons for the abysmally low voter turnout in the Zionist Congress elections.
One reason is that an American presidential election actually affects the lives of the voters, whereas the Zionist Congress election involves expressing a more abstract preference that does not have many practical consequences for the people who are voting.
Another reason is that when Israel's existence is not in immediate danger, there is less of a sense of urgency among American Jews. (Which also is why the membership levels of American Zionist organizations declined steeply after 1948.)
But an important and often-overlooked additional reason is the lack of a serious democratic tradition in contemporary Jewish communal life. The only other nationwide American Jewish elections took place in 1917, for the founding assembly of the American Jewish Congress, and 1943, for a short-lived umbrella group called the American Jewish Conference. For most of the current generation of American Jews, the idea of a Jewish communal election is a foreign concept.
Some of today's American Jewish and Zionist organizations do not hold any elections for their leadership positions, or stage elections in which incumbents run unopposed. Wealth or political connections too often become the major criteria for leadership positions. That diminishes the likelihood of younger leaders emerging, since they are much less likely to have accumulated wealth or connections on the level of their elders.
One way to discourage excess and encourage change is through term limits. Troubled by "the love of power and the love of money," Benjamin Franklin warned that without term limits, politicians would view elected office as "a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it." Thomas Jefferson likewise vociferously advocated term limits to curb what he called "office-hunters."
In addition to the constitutionally mandated term limit on presidents, 36 U.S. states today have term limits for governors, and 15 state legislatures as well as numerous local municipalities also have them. Term limits could play a valuable role in Jewish organizational life, just as they do in American political life, acting as a restraint on self-interested politicians and opening the door for new leaders.
Greater democracy and term limits not only would be healthy for the Jewish community in general, but would be a boon to Jewish organizations themselves. Many Jewish groups have had difficulty attracting members of the next generation. As younger men and women enter the Jewish leadership, they will bring with them the technological skills and social media savvy needed to compete in today's world.
Perhaps the shockingly low turnout for the Zionist Congress elections will serve as a reminder to entrenched Jewish leaders that support for their organizations is likely to remain at embarrassingly low levels unless remedial steps are taken—including the cherished American remedy of genuine democracy.
Reprinted with author's permission from JNS.org


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|5,0 / 5 - 36 Stimmen
Datei Größe: 9.84MB
Entwickler: Multimedia
MP3 Converter is a streamlined program that allows you to convert files between several different formats and at varying levels of quality. This makes it possible for you to play your files on different types of devices with different programs.
Clean interface: This app presents a streamlined interface, with clear options for adding files, selecting output format and quality, and then beginning the conversion process. Files to be converted are listed in the middle of the window, so you can see what you've completed already, at a glance.
No conversion status: Once you click convert, you have no way of knowing the status of the conversion. While most of these are completed quickly, it would be nice if there was some way to see where in the process each file was.
Not many options: Compared to other file conversion programs, this one offers relatively few options for file output types. The only ones available are WAV, OGG, M4A, WMA, and AAC.
Failed conversions: Some of the conversions we attempted failed without any explanation from the app. The files just weren't converted and didn't save.
MP3 Converter can be useful if you need to convert files between MP3 format and one of the others supported in the app. It's also free, so there's not much harm in trying it out for a bit to see if it will work for you. But there are other programs out there that offer nicer features and more conversion options. So it may be worth looking into some others, as well, especially if you do a lot of conversions and want to be able to monitor their progress.
From Multimedia: MP3 Converter is audio/video converting tool that can convert between the following formats MP3, WAV, OCG, AAC, WMA, M4A, FLV, AVI, MPG, MP4,FLAC files. Convert your file fast and easy using our free software. MP3 Converter Currently Supports The Following Formats: MP3, WAV, OGG, AAC, WMA, M4A, FLV, AVI, MPG, MP4. MP3 Converter supports single file conversions, batch conversions, importing from zip files, and the ability to add all files from a single folder all at once. If you have a zip file that contains audio/video files that need to be converted. You can import the files from the zip without even extracting it with our software. Simply select "File" then select "Add Zip" then find your zip file. After you do that the conversion tool will add the supported files from the zip into its file conversion queue automatically. There is also a custom bitrate option, so if you don't prefer to pick the High, Med, Low options and want to be more specific with the quality of your files, you can always do that as well. Just click the "Bitrate options" button to do this and you can set your custom bitrate levels easily. We also have a audio tag editor within the conversion software. This way you can pick a file and edit the audio tag if needed before the conversions. Like always, Conversions are always the fastest, and the outputted Multimedia files are always of the highest quality. We are constantly adding new features and would love to hear your feedback. Don't hesitate to leave a report and let us know if you run into any problems or difficulties while using the MP3 Converter Software. The Current Supported File types. MP3, WAV, OGG, AAC, WMA, M4A, FLV, AVI, MPG, MP4. If you'd like another file type added to the software, please request it in the comments and we'll try to add it in ASAP.
Diese Seite zeigt Reviews von populärer Software. Die Software finden Sie bei den offiziellen Publisher Webseiten, im Google Playstore oder Apples Appstore.
Klick hier um den Link zu kopieren!


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New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin may not have gotten a shot with the Knicks if it wasn't for the one player who critics say will interfere with the Knicks' upward trajectory: small forward Carmelo Anthony.
While appearing Thursday afternoon on ESPN New York 1050's "The Michael Kay Show," Lin confirmed that Anthony told coach Mike D'Antoni to put him in the Knicks' Feb. 4 game against the New Jersey Nets, which was Lin's breakout performance. He scored 25 points and had seven assists off the bench, before being named a starter two days later against the Utah Jazz.
On whether Lin appreciated Anthony's gesture, the second-year player said, "Of course! ... I didn't hear about that until after the game."
Based on what Anthony did for his career, Lin finds it all the more surprising that people talk about the Knicks' superstar not jelling with the team's new and improved point guard-focused system. Lin said Anthony wants to feed off of the Knicks' current success.
"That's why I think it's funny right now," Lin said. "Some people are talking about, 'Oh, can Melo adjust into the system?' I mean, Melo wants to adjust to the system, and he doesn't want to shoot 30 shots a game. The fact that he vouched for me shows a lot about him."
On the radio show, Lin raved about Anthony's scoring and playmaking, and said he'll benefit from the Knicks' upgraded pick-and-roll play. Lin said Anthony can either come off the pick-and-roll or take advantage of screen-and-dish opportunities.
"You can pretty much give him the ball in any situation, in any circumstance, and he'll make something good happen," Lin said. "I think that's the beauty of having him on the team. ... He's going to add a different dimension. There will be times where we'll have to figure it out and adjust, but we're definitely going to do that and we're going to make the most of it and become an even better offensive team."
Reflecting on his sudden rise, Lin admits now there was "a lot of frustration" this season over not being able to showcase his talents, after he felt like he stepped up his game during the summer.
He struggled with the fact that when he first signed with the Houston Rockets in December 2011, he was the sixth point guard on the depth chart. Then, in New York, he felt the pressure that any one performance could make or break his time.
Now, he's glad Anthony, and eventually D'Antoni, gave him the opportunity.
"It was worth the wait," Lin said.
Jared Zwerling is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.


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Navy rescues five fishermen off the coasttext_fields
Kochi: Five fishermen were rescued by an Indian Naval ship from a sinking fishing vessel off the north Kerala coast Monday, a Defence spokesman said here.
INS Sharda, based at Kochi, rescued the five fishermen who were found floating in the sea after their fishing vessel FV Omkaram sank, some 35 km North West of Azhikal port, he said in a release here.
A lookout on the naval vessel, which was on patrol in the area this morning, spotted the fishermen in the waters at around 9.30 AM following which the ship altered course, lowered the life boats and rescued them.
Two of the fishermen had sustained minor injuries and were administered first aid by the medical team, after which the ship headed for Kochi, the release said The fishermen said they had cast off from Cheruvathur in Kasargod at 4.00 AM on Monday. Sometime later water started entering their 13 foot boat, which they were unable to control and the heavy flooding caused the boat to sink.
The fishermen remained afloat without any life saving devices from 6.30 AM till they were rescued. They were out of mobile range and were unable to swim or to seek help from other boats, the release said.
All the survivors, including the boat owner, hail from Kanjanghad in Kasargod.
Efforts were on to inform their next of kin, as well as the local coastal police station at Trikkaripur, it said.
INS Sharda is an offshore patrol vessel of the Indian Navy and presently is in its 26th year of commission.
It was actively deployed for coastal surveillance and patrolling off the Kerala and Lakshadweep islands and has also undertaken regular anti-piracy deployments in the Gulf of Aden.
The ship was earlier involved in the rescue of 21 fishermen during Cyclone Ockhi and was also used to distribute relief material during Op Madad, launched by the Southern Naval Command at the time of the Kerala floods, the release said.


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At SKF Decor Pvt. Ltd. Ahmednagar, we offer a wide range of stylish and comfortable Corner Sofas that are perfect for any modern living space. As one of the leading Corner Sofa Manufacturers in Ahmednagar, we pride ourselves on offering a diverse range of high-quality products that cater to your individual needs and preferences. Our Corner Sofas in Ahmednagar are designed to provide maximum comfort while utilizing minimal floor space.
Our team of experts in Ahmednagar is always on hand to assist you in selecting the perfect Corner Sofa for your home or office, ensuring that you get the best value for your money. As one of the most trusted Corner Sofa Suppliers in Ahmednagar, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best possible products and services. We offer a range of customization options in Ahmednagar.
Whether you are a retailer or a business owner in Ahmednagar, our wholesale options make it easy for you to purchase our products in bulk, at unbeatable prices. As one of the leading Corner Sofa Wholesale Suppliers in Ahmednagar, we offer competitive pricing on all of our products, without compromising on quality.
Explore Our Products


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Stay Cozy With Heatpal Heater
The only friend you need this winter is the HeatPal Heater. Start saving big money when you get rid of your central heating system and switch to this portable and effective heater. Once you receive your order of a HeatPal Heater, you will be so thankful for this excellent gift of tech. You do not have to suffer this winter in the freezing cold which is your house anymore once you have this special gadget. You can keep any room at a comfortable temperature of 70 degrees in a matter of minutes. The heat will not fade the moment you shut it off. The HeatPal provides heating that will last the entire night. Choose comfort and affordability this winter because you now can with this portable heater. Buy a Heatpal Heater today if you want to be keep warm for months to come Click on any of the images on the screen to claim your Heatpal Heater today!
Heatpal Heater Advantages
Rated as the #1 heater so far this year, the Heatpal is the most efficient, personal heater the country has ever seen! To save on central heating costs, this is the best option for you and your budget. Easily, you can move this heater to any room or even use it in your car on the way to work. If you want to enjoy warmth and save extra money this year, then do not wait a moment longer to try the Heatpal Heater! Aesthetic and effective, this heater can warm up a room faster than your typical central heating system inside your home that you pay heaps of money to maintain and update each winter. A single purchase of a Heatpal Heater will eliminate many costs of a central heating system. The Heatpal Heater is reported to heat up a room fasted than the central heating system! Your purchase will lighten the load of your bills for the entirety of the winter season. We guarantee, that with the Heatpal Heater, you will enjoy cozy warmth in a matter of minutes!
Why You Need The Heatpal Heater
While winter is coming for some areas in the country, in some states, winter is already here! Do not get caught in the middle of winter without adequate heating. If you do not want to spend extra money on an ineffective central heating system, you should consider trying the Heatpal Heater. People are rushing to buy new furnaces or repair old ones that use gas to fuel. Instead of doing the same thing as everyone else and of paying hundreds of dollars in electricity bills, you can be warm and satisfied with the Heatpal Heater. The Heatpal Heater does not use harmful gas as fuel, so you won't have to worry about pollutants poisoning you and your loved ones. Those who are sensitive to certain air qualities no longer have to worry about asthma attacks or allergies. The quick transition from summer to fall can leave some people struggling to find adequate heating. If you're looking to reduce heating costs without losing heating itself, get your own Heatpal Heater today! Do not be frozen inside your home this winter without effective heating!
Heatpal Heater Reviews
To show you how satisfied people are with this spectacular heater, we have found some reviews about the Heatpal Heater to share with you! People all across the country love this affordable heater to solve their chilly problems! You can trust that you will enjoy maximum satisfaction once you get your own Heatpal!
Rena Y.
"I could not afford my heating bills last year so I needed to find an alternative. Looking online, I stumbled across so many reviews about the HeatPal Heater. I decided to give it a shot because it was so affordable. When it arrived, I was surprised by the quality of the heater. It warmed up an entire room in just a couple minutes! Works as advertised, great quality."
Scott W.
"Super portable, super easy to set up. Comes with a safety feature as well, so I am not afraid of my property catching fire."
Be Cozy And Happy This Winter!
You do not have to dread winter this year when you have a HeatPal Heater! When you feel how quickly this little heater works, you won't believe it! Cut down on costs during the holiday season and say goodbye to your ineffective and expensive central heating. Purchasing this amazing, portable heater will save you a lot of money! If you want to enjoy comfort inside your home this year, we suggest you take advantage of the special offer happening right now by clicking on any of the images on this screen to claim the best Heatpal Heater Price!


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Selling unique iPhone apps
If you want to start selling iPhone apps or selling Android apps then you need to come up with an application that has never been thought of before. This can be a daunting task because the industry is no longer new and has breathtakingly matured at a very rapid pace. So, does this mean that any individual wanting to enter the Android and iPhone apps industry has to steel himself for dealing with a lot of competition?
Fortunately, this is not the case. Despite the fact that selling iPhone apps and selling Android apps is no longer as easy as it was only a couple of years ago, it is still possible for an online entrepreneur or apps designer to compete and, indeed, prosper in this competitive iPhone and Android apps environment. Consider the following:
Spinning to Sell iPhone Apps and Android Apps
Unless you are sitting on a revolutionary idea that you expect will get you lots of riches, your best chance would be to sell iPhone apps or sell Android apps that have an interesting spin on them. Using the existing concepts and then turning them on their heads can result in something innovative as well as something that people are already used to. For example, taking the weather app concept and creating a visual version of the same can be quite effective.
Repeated Emphasis on Innovation
The key to successfully selling iPhone apps or selling Android apps is to keep iterating and reiterating the unique aspect of the application. This means that you have to focus on this aspect from the beginning i.e. conceptualization of the app, to the end i.e. the marketing and advertising of it. If you keep the emphasis of making it different from what already exists in the market, then you would not have to cope with all the competition and the uniqueness of your apps would pull it through to success.
Combing Multiple Concepts
If you are looking to sell iPhone apps then you can also try to make your creation different by taking multiple concepts and combining them to create a single solution for many people. For example, there are many people selling iPhone apps that provide cocktail ingredients and there are also other people who are selling apps that provide the locations of bars in a region. You can sell iPhone apps that combine cocktail ingredients and bar GPS apps to provide end to end solutions for people who like to drink.
Going the Opposite Direction
In effect, if you want to sell iPhone apps in the market then your aim should be to go in the opposite direction of the market leader. This would keep the paths of your competitor and you from crossing, giving you greater freedom to sell iPhone apps and Android apps.


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With the world figure skating championships canceled last year due to the start of the pandemic, this year's contest in Stockholm (March 24-28) was long anticipated. "Russia" did not disappoint, winning gold in three categories out of four and sweeping the entire medal podium in the ladies' event. This has only happened one other time: American ladies Kristi Yamaguchi, Tonya Harding, and Nancy Kerrigan swept the podium in that order in 1991. Russia won six medals out of twelve in all events in 2021, with the U.S. coming in a far second with two medals.
Because of doping charges against Russia, the whole bunch of winners actually represented the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FSFR) rather than Russia itself. They wore Bosco's signature Team Russia jackets, this time in white and red, but the name of the country was nowhere to be found. In lieu of the Russian national anthem, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B♭ Minor, Op. 23, was played three times over the course of the championship week, and the nondescript blue flags pictured above were raised instead of the Russian Federation tricolor. (We are almost certain that you have heard Tchaikovsky's concerto but that you have no idea what it is called; click here and listen to the "Allegro," or first, movement.)
In the ladies' event, Anna Shcherbakova took gold, Yelizaveta Tuktamysheva earned silver, and Alexandra Trusova took bronze. Russians Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Galliamov were the winning pair. Another Russian pair, Alexandra Boikova and Dmitry Kozlovsky, took bronze. In paired ice dancing, Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov won gold medals. Only the men's category was disappointing for Russia this year: three-time Russian national champion Mikhail Kolyada placed fifth at worlds, and his closest Russian teammate, Evgeni Semenenko, ended up in eighth place. American Nathan Chen won gold.
As if to put a final point on the indignity of the removal of "Russia" and its flag from the official record, the middle "FSFR" flag in honor of gold medalist Shcherbakova fell during the medal ceremony. It was still attached but hanging on one end instead of two. Shcherbakova laughed at "her" goofy flag as Tchaikovsky's concerto played on. She celebrated her seventeenth birthday on March 28, and Nathan Chen brought a cake onto the ice at the end of her exhibition performance on that day.
Mishina and Galliamov are the first pair since 1986 to win their debut world championship competition. In 1986, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov – considered by many to be the best pair in history and who later married – also won their debut entry at worlds.
For those who are not quite sure why ice dancing is part of figure skating, consider that the choreography in figure skating often only loosely fits the music. Jumps take precedence over rhythm as skaters glide in preparation for a jump with no regard for what is happening musically. Landings rarely hit the downbeat. Ice dancing corrects this oversight by focusing on rhythm, artistry, and the synchronicity of the partners in the absence of jumps.
One of Russia's ice dancing pairs, Tiffani Zagorski (sometimes Zahorski) and Jonathan Guerreiro, danced to the music of the 2017 movie-musical about the life of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman. Guerreiro is half Russian and grew up in Australia before moving to Russia at age fourteen. Zagorski is a British-French citizen with distant relatives in Russia. An unlikely team that might have competed for any country, Zagorski and Guerreiro placed tenth in ice dancing.
Among the top figure skaters in the world at the moment are many people with evidently Russian or former Soviet heritage competing for other countries. Just scan the International Skating Union (ISU) list of currently registered skaters and see how many Russian names you can find not on Team Russia (or "Russia").
ISU rules state that competitors must be at least fifteen years old for the world championships. The skaters thus range from fifteen all the way up to the late thirties. Despite the youth of some of the skaters, sexy black lace costumes seemed to be very popular this year, with many sultry songs and performances on display.
Most of the competitors wore gloves this year, including men wearing what appeared to be nylon gloves matching their skin color coming out from underneath their sleeves. It is unclear if this was a COVID-19 intervention or not. None of the skaters competed in masks as they had the ice to themselves, but they all donned masks as soon as they left the ice and joined their coaches in the "kiss and cry area" to hear their scores.
Speaking of COVID, the virus ran rampant among Team Russia all season, worrying others who knew they would be in close proximity to Russians in Stockholm. But everyone tested negative beforehand – which makes sense since ten out of seventeen Russian competitors at the world championships had already built up immunity.
One Belarusian skater, Victoria Safonova, tested positive upon arrival in Stockholm and was removed from the competition before entering the "bubble." A French-Canadian male ice dancer competing for Armenia, Simon Proulx-Sénécal, tested positive once he was already inside the bubble, but the competition went on without him and his partner, and Proulx-Sénécal suspected it was a false positive.
Although the event was hosted in Sweden, the exhibition show after the competition began with a song by famous Russian pop singer Polina Gagarina. She was the runner-up of Eurovision 2015 and sang a duet, "Circles and Squares," in Stockholm with the winner of that Eurovision contest, Måns Zelmerlöw of Sweden.
When the winningest team arrived home in Moscow with its medals on Monday, March 29, there were lots of real Russian flags waving. Winners got to hear their real national anthem, acapella, filling the airport.
The next Winter Olympic Games are theoretically less than a year away, in February 2022 in Beijing, as long as COVID does not get in the way. The biggest questions for Russia are whether quad-jumping Alexandra Trusova can skate more cleanly without landing with her hand and whether her coach, Evgeni Plushenko, has what it takes to be a coach; whether the three female medal winners can repeat; and whether Mikhail Kolyada can step up his performance in the men's event.
Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.
Russian Life
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Montpelier VT 05601-0567
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The last few months have seen a massive surge in the use of the identity verification service run by Gov.uk.
For those lucky enough not to have to use this system in order to use key Government services you have to set up an identity verification account.
Over the last few months usage of the system has soared mostly driven by claims for Universal Credit and redundancy payments during the Covid crisis. There were plans to use the Government verification service for booking Covid tests, however the NHS withdrew from the scheme due to concerns about security. At it's peak it was dealing with 10,000 identification checks a day.
The identity verification system is run by a series of private sector companies, to whom you have to give your personal data. Over the years Verizon, Experian, Digidentity, The Post Office, Royal Mail, Mydex CIC, Barclays, GB Group, Morpho and SecureIdentity have all held contracts. Over the years some providers like Verizon were dropped from the programe, while others have ended their involvement. At the moment I understand that the only companies left involved are Experian and SecureIdentity.
The Government has been using private sector identity verification companies like Experian for a very long time. Back in the days of the last Labour Government I ran one of the largest Experian contracts in the UK on behalf of the Child Support Agency. We triangulated data from the CSA's own records, with Experian and HMRC to locate people who weren't keen on making their maintenance payments.
As the Government rolled out more on line services it became more reliant on ID verification services from the private sector. The use of private sector ID companies had obvious issues of privacy and data use, and as a consequence the then Labour Government decided to bring the whole system in house. In 2006 the Identity Cards Act was passed which created the National Identity Register, the Government's in house ID verification system, along with the National ID card.
The then Conservative Opposition attacked the proposals as part of David Cameron's attempt to re-brand himself as a "liberal conservative".
When the coalition Government came in they repealed the Act and destroyed the database, with the support of Labour MPs like Jeremy Corbyn.
This of course didn't stop the Governments need for an identify verification system, it just reversed the process of bringing the work in house. The effect of the 2010 vote was simply to outsource the function back to the private sector. Straight after the 2010 vote I was re-letting contracts to Experian.
The Cabinet Office took over responsibility for co-ordinating this function, and the current, privatised, system started formal development in 2011.
It was due to go live in 2012, but problems with the system meant that it didn't actually go live until 2016. Even now if fails to validate more than half of the individuals who use it.
In 2018 the The Infrastructure and Projects Authority recommended that the project should be scrapped, and the £130m spent so far should be written off. Like lots of bad ideas it staggered on.
This years Cabinet Office annual report identified serious risks with the operation of the programme, and indicated that further commercial support was required.
It's a massive mess, all of which goes back to a politically opportunistic decision in 2010. We had a national database that had all of these functions, but we deleted it ten years ago, due to crap politics.
Despite this Dominic Cummings is now briefing friendly journalists that he is planning to resurrect the ID verification system abandoned by the Tories in 2010. A wasted decade.
I have no doubt however that this work will be kept in the private sector despite the overwhelming technical and ethical reasons why this is something that the state should never be outsourcing.
Something about the combination of Dominic Cummings and private data worries me.
An awful lot.


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How to Write a 500 Word Essay
What do you know about writing an essay?
It has been said by sages that wit has its soul in brevity. When you are writing an essay of any type, you should be concise and consistent, and usually a word count of 500 is sufficient. Although you should convey your thoughts in as comprehensive a way as possible, it is important to keep your custom essays short. For this reason, most experienced writers get to grips first with a five hundred word essay.
Here, we will try and explain what an essay is all about and, based on experience, we will try and explain how you should write unique essays of 500 words. Take care reading this and feel free to seek assistance online if you need further information or want to buy a paper.
Some basic truths about writing an essay
In its most basic form, an essay is a written piece where the writer tries to convey their thoughts and express a specific viewpoint. Essay assignments are frequently allocated to students with a view to establishing how good their writing skills are and how well they can express their thoughts.
The general structure to apply when writing an essay
Most essays follow a similar structure, which is:
- An introductory paragraph;
- A few body paragraphs;
- A conclusion paragraph.
The introductory paragraph is normally a lead-in to the overall paper and sets out the main points:
- Why is your work significant?
- What was your reason for choosing the particular subject you are writing about?
- What points are you going to make, disagree with, or prove with evidence?
- If you have any expectations or opinions, what are they?
The body paragraphs should be used to unveil all your information or plot. Bit by bit, you should reveal what your paper is about.
The conclusion to your paper should summarize its purpose and the main points you have written about.
How to be concise when writing an essay
When you have been given a 500 word essay assignment to complete, you may wonder how to go about the task. At first glance it may seem easy enough, but when you begin you may realize it is more difficult than you first thought. Then you might wonder, 'can anyone help essay writers like me?' While it is a good idea, you shouldn't rush into getting someone else to write your essay. Certainly, there are many places online where you can find an essay to buy very quickly, but you should remain calm and not rush your decision.
Some tips to ensure your writing is concise:
- Try to focus and get an overall picture of your essay topic before beginning to write;
- Establish a writing plan and make a note of some keywords/phrases;
- Try and draft a few phrases that reflect what you are thinking;
- Write a rough draft of your essay;
- Read it, or proofread it, a few times and try and imagine some parts in a different light;
- Consider what you can leave out or add and what is unnecessary (usually there are a few sentences that can be rewritten in a better manner).
- Do bear in mind that writing a 500 word essay can be something of a nightmare if you are required to adhere strictly to the exact word count. If you are one word over, what should you do?
Very frequently, the 500 word requirement is a rough one. You are unlikely to be penalized if you go over the 500 words by a little bit. However, you should speak to your tutor if you are worried or contact a professional creative writing essays service where you can buy any papers you need for a price that is, hopefully, affordably cheap.
We trust the tips provided above have given you enough clarification on how a 500 word essay should be written. You are welcome to contact our writing service to buy any essays you need if you still have problems.


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Camp Community Arts
Walnut Creek
Infuse your child's spring break with ART! Ages 3-14 are invited to explore a range of visual and performing arts under the direction of our experienced teaching artists. Half-day, full-day, morning care, and afternoon care available. New this year: Digital Media Intensive for 11-14 year-olds! Learn more and register at communityarts.org.
Ages 3-14
Galaxy Kids Code Club
312 Oak St, Brentwood
Coding classes and camps for kids. Offering after-school coding classes, classes for homeschoolers, and school break camps including summer, spring, fall, and other school breaks.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Ages 4-13
Spring Break Camps
Pleasant Hill
Thanksgiving ZooCamp
Oakland Zoo
Join us for one, two, or all three days of fun and adventure. See a sampling of what ZooCamp offers.
Grades K-5
Winter Break ZooCamp
Oakland Zoo
See a sampling of what ZooCamp offers.
Grades K-5
List your camp here! We will list any camp for free, with a link back to your landing page.
Email your information to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Existential America
Existentialism was the most widely espoused and influential philosophy of the 20th century, and its impact on American culture was profound. Yet Europe's leading existential thinkers--Sartre, Beauvoir and Camus--all felt that Americans were too self-confident to accept their philosophy. In Existential America, historian George Cotkin argues that the existential approach to life, marked by vexing despair and dauntless commitment in the face of uncertainty, has deep American roots. Cotkin examines America's long "pre-existentialist" tradition, explains how formal existentialism first arrived in America in the 1930s and 1940s, and traces the evolution of existentialism in America through the works of Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Norman Mailer and Betty Friedan, as well as its looming presence in popular culture, particularly in Hollywood films. This engaging and original work is the only full-length study of existentialism in America. (December, 368 pages, $39.95)


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HCM City – Vietnamese OTT application for mobile devices Zalo has reached initial success in Myanmar with 2 million users only after fourmonths of operation.
This is the first time a Vietnamese OTT application has expanded its market internationally.
To start business in Myanmar, an emerging market with 52 million residents, Zalo engineers had to travel very often between Việt Nam and Myanmar to find out local consumer habits as well as invest in infrastructure.
In Myanmar, technology has been developing but infrastructure has not been able to meet demand because of poor internet coverage and cheap, weak smartphones.
To cope with the situation, Zalo has located its servers in Myanmar and maximised its product so that it can run well in popular mobile devices.
Zalo has started to become popular thanks to its quick connection, stability and local language support.
"We are not sure about our success in one new international market because it has been such a short time but based on our success in Việt Nam, we will try our best," Vương Quang Khải, VNG deputy director who founded Zalo, was quoted as saying in the Đầu Tư (Việt Nam Investment Review) newspaper.
Khải revealed four factors that are Zalo's advantages to survive and develop strong international technology. They are: good human resources; Vietnamese intelligence to reach a world-class level; the internet has continuously changed and Zalo staff have refreshed themselves very often with new ideas and must be ready to learn different aspects; and most of Zalo staff are young people, a strength to develop in the internet market.
Zalo was unveiled in late 2012 as an OTT application on mobile devices and by September 2016, it has had 60 million users with 32 million of them frequent users. It has changed from an OTT application for connection through internet to services.
At present, Zalo is assessed by financial experts to be worth US$900 million. — VNS


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Here Is #1 Powerful Trick To Make a Man Want You + Leave Him Craving For More
Video Summary
Carlos Cavallo of DatingAdviceGuru.com dishes out the one trick that can make a guy want you in this video.
Say for instance you're at a party with your guy. Another woman enters the room and your guy looks at her. How would you react? Are you the type to make some catty remarks to bring down the other woman? Or do you act like you didn't even see her?
Men are always going to look
Single or not, men are always going to look. Any red-blooded male has this built in radar that picks out women within his field of vision. It's part of the psychological make-up that has helped our species survive – the constant search for potential mating partners.
When a man looks at another woman, it doesn't mean he's not capable of being faithful or he doesn't love his partner. Of course, it's a different story altogether when he oggles other women, in which case you should call him out. But simply looking should not pose a threat to the relationship. It's how you react that could be threatening the relationship.
Play it cool
Guys also have a built-in radar for insecurity – they can smell it a mile away and would rather be as far away from it as possible. This is why you're not going to win points with him when you try to bring down another woman with your snide comments. As far as he's concerned, it's yourself you're bringing down a notch with such remarks.
If you want to show your man you're a confident person, you can't act threatened by another woman. Conversely, if you act like him looking is no big deal will actually make him want you even more.
When he's done looking
Let him look. Don't lose your composure over the fact that the other woman had 15 seconds of his attention. And when he's done looking? He'll be impressed that you remained unfazed by some random stranger where other women would have kicked up a fuss.
When you ignore the other woman's existence, it may seem like a small thing but it reflects your self-assurance. It tells him you are pretty confident with what you've got.
A needy person would want her partner to assure her that she's prettier when another woman is around. She can't help but have her insecurities on full display. When such a small thing can make her jealous, what does that say of her? It's a huge turn off for him.
So if you want him to make him really want you, don't be that needy, insecure girlfriend. Act confident, and be confident. Know, too, that external beauty doesn't really hold a guy's attention for long term. Ideal relationships are instead built on emotional connections that goes beyond looks.
About Carlos Cavallo
Carlos Cavallo is a dating and attraction adviser, as well as a black belt instructor and motivational life coach. He's the author of Forever Yours – The Secret Password To His Heart, The Connection Code, and too many other programs to mention.
Carlos brings to the table a variety of life experiences, including a background in relationship skills, life-coaching, motivational psychology, sales, management, Martial Arts, teaching and instruction, energy work, Eastern philosophy, the psychology of achievement, and music.
Carlos Cavallo's programs teach the essence of attraction between the sexes. By understanding the successful traits of an attractive single, you can attract the right man, achieve more success with your personal and social world, and experience a more rewarding life.


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David Brown
"My brain fog and anxiety have disappeared – I finally have my life back"
- For years, Company Director David Brown struggled with lethargy, forgetfulness, anxiety and depression.
- After discovering yorktest, he found out that he had an intolerance to egg white and egg yolk.
- Since eliminating them from his diet, his symptoms have disappeared and he says he feels 'reborn'.
- The drop in anxiety levels gave him the confidence to start dating and he is now "very much in love" with girlfriend, Michelle.
- David volunteered to be one of the yorktest customers who shared their stories in our 2018 television advert.
So dramatic was the change in David Brown, after following a yorkTest Food Sensitivity Test, he jumped at the chance to appear in the company's 2018 television advert.
"Not knowing why you are unwell is at least half the battle and causes more anxiety. I was therefore very keen to tell my story in the hope that people may recognize those symptoms in themselves and know where to turn to get help."
"Filming the advert was a lot of fun and it was very interesting to learn how these things are done and see behind the scenes".
David began his yorktest journey in October 2016 and within just three weeks of eliminating his trigger food (eggs), his symptoms had gone. A year and a half later, he is still in great health and feeling very optimistic about the future.
"Now I'm more focused and as the fog has lifted I'm able to see a clear path for the future. Not just where I want to take things but how to do it."
The significant drop in his anxiety levels gave David the confidence and desire to get back on the dating scene and within two months of making his dietary changes, he met and started dating Michelle.
"Fourteen months on we are living together and planning for the future, we're very much in love and couldn't be happier. Prior to my diagnosis and change in diet I doubt I would have been able to form such a relationship. I also doubt that Michelle would have been willing to date me."
In some cases it is possible for trigger foods to be reintroduced into the diet but David has had no such luck. Fortunately, Michelle is there to support him with his egg-free diet.
"I have tried several times to reintroduce eggs (sometimes intentionally and sometimes by being careless) but the symptoms quickly return so I am continuing to give eggs a wide berth. Michelle makes a mean egg free lasagna and while I miss poached eggs on toast, avoiding them isn't causing me any great hardship."
18 months before
Happy, energized and full of enthusiasm for the future, it's hard to believe that things were looking very different for David just 18 months before. Working long hours was taking its toll on his health; he felt constantly tired and lethargic and complained of a 'brain fog' that made it difficult to focus and think clearly, which was jeopardizing his expansion plans.
David recalls, "I noticed my fatigue, irritability, confusion, lack of focus and motivation becoming a problem around the same time I employed my first driver in March 2014. Looking back, this must have been a coincidence, but I went from driving ten to 12 hours a day without any problems, to becoming very tired and unmotivated since becoming office based and spending my days staring at a computer screen. This also had an impact on relationships as I was always angry and irritable. On top of this, I often felt anxious and depressed."
David tried to eat healthily and exercise regularly to banish his lethargy and tiredness – a struggle after his working day. During workouts at the gym, lifting weights brought on dizziness, even if it wasn't a particularly strenuous workout.
"I visited the doctors on several occasions and my blood was tested for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as diabetes, and I also had my eyes tested to see if that was the cause of my fatigue as I was staring at a computer screen all day. A minor issue was found and since then I've worn reading glasses, but unfortunately this made no difference."
Dave cannot pinpoint when his symptoms began – he recalls suffering bouts of mild depression since the age of 18, but simply ignored it, even telling himself to 'get over it'. Then in 2004, he suffered a serious head injury, the result of an unprovoked assault while walking home one night. This attack resulted in short-term memory and hearing problems.
"Luckily, I recovered and got on with my life. There was an increase in my anxiety after this event, but I figured it was to be expected after what I'd experienced, so I dismissed it. I was treating the anxiety and depression as one issue and separate from any other problems, such as the fatigue and brain fog."
He found the doctors sympathetic and keen to help, but now concludes that he wasn't explaining his symptoms properly. "Even when I searched the internet for answers, I was always using the words 'fatigued' and 'lethargic'."
Looking for support
Having tried everything he could think of to help the mental health issues, including hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, he heard about yorkTest food sensitivity testing through his mother who had a positive experience.
The process, which involves sending a finger prick blood sample to the company's laboratory to test reactions to up to 208 foods, revealed that he was intolerant to egg white and egg yolk, with a borderline reaction to millet.
After receiving his results, he also booked a consultation with one of our qualified nutritional therapists, who advised him on how to eliminate trigger foods from his diet, seek healthy alternatives and stick to his new regime. However, David admits it was difficult.
Dietary changes
"Beginning an egg-free diet wasn't easy as I had no idea just how many foods contain it! My previous attempt to eat well had consisted of eating lots of eggs, so unknown to me, I was sabotaging my efforts. When I started to explain my symptoms to the nutritionist, she used the phrase 'brain fog' which immediately resonated with me. I thought, yes, that's exactly what it is, like my brain is immersed in fog." He looked it up later and it was as if the symptoms were written for him. "It was a huge relief to have a diagnosis and to realize I wasn't alone and there were ways to tackle it."
Despite his new-found awareness of his issues, David admits that at first he didn't commit wholeheartedly to an elimination diet, although he stopped eating eggs and mayonnaise. But as he carried out more research, became more knowledgeable and discovered handy mobile apps to help him avoid his trigger ingredients, he resolved to have the willpower to stick to it.
"Funnily enough, I haven't found it as hard as I thought to make the changes. Shopping and preparing meals isn't too tough, but I am more concerned about convenience than taste and variety! I am sure that with a little more imagination, my diet could be more varied. I tend to have porridge for breakfast, sandwiches with egg-free salad cream for lunch and tea is chicken breast with steamed vegetables or steak and chips, or sometimes a carefully selected microwave meal. I keep an eye out for millet when reading ingredients, but haven't found it in the things I buy – I avoid seeded bread just in case though."
It didn't take long before David noticed the difference in his symptoms. "After about three weeks of being 100 per cent egg free, not only was the brain fog lifting, but my anxiety and depression also seemed to fade. This was a revelation for me, as I never in a million years expected such a complete and total change in my health. I honestly felt reborn, like my brain had been taken out, thoroughly cleaned and serviced, then popped back in!
Looking to the future
"I am sharper, more motivated, focused and can think so clearly. I no longer get flustered or confused when things are getting stressful and most unexpected of all, my anxiety has gone. I can watch the news without becoming convinced that it's the end of the world as we know it, I can be in a room full of people and not feel uncomfortable and finally enjoy deep conversations and debates with friends or family without becoming tongue-tied and flustered. Most importantly of all, I'm happy. All this from not eating eggs – I never would have believed it unless I'd experienced it. It is hard to put into words – I am a different person and the brain fog, anxiety and depression have now disappeared. I feel reborn and finally have my life back."
yorktest advise that you consult with your doctor first if you are experiencing the types of symptoms mentioned in this testimonial.
Our Premium Product
Premium Food Sensitivity Test
Accurate Home Allergy Test
Food Allergy Test
Food Sensitivity & Allergy Test
Food Sensitivity & Allergy Test
For Kids!
Junior Food Sensitivity Test
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For both you and your child
Parent and Child Food Sensitivity Test
Related Case Studies
Charlotte Earle
"I'm so grateful I took the test, I was concerned about avoiding so many key foods but I feel hugely better now, it's all worth it."
- IBS / Digestive Problems
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Toby Forrest-Charde
" Toby has been much more comfortable and happy now that he can play with friends and not worry about eating triggering issues. 100% worth the money, would recommend to all my friends and family"
- IBS / Digestive Problems
Kate Ferguson
"I had tried everything from supplements to acupuncture, to diet plans to hypnotherapy. This test has helped me to gain back control of my body."
- IBS / Digestive Problems
Steve Bartlett
"Relieved that I not have the ammunition to tackle the issues which could lead to serious health issues further on."
- IBS / Digestive Problems
- Tiredness / Fatigue
- Weight Management


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Announcing Sesame Data Browser
At the occasion of MIX10, which is currently taking place in Las Vegas, I'd like to announce Sesame Data Browser.
Sesame will be a suite of tools for dealing with data, and Sesame Data Browser will be the first tool from that suite.
Hex Dump using LINQ (in 7 lines of code)
Eric White has posted an interesting LINQ query on his blog that shows how to create a Hex Dump in something like 7 lines of code.


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How to add fonts/typefaces?
I'd like to add a font/typeface to use in Prototyper Pro but can't seem to figure out how. Help!
Starting in version 8.3, you can use and embed custom fonts in your prototypes. When sharing your prototype with other Justinmind users, or exporting your prototype to HTML, you can embed font code snippets within your Justinmind prototype and store them in your online account.
First you need to make sure you have the right to distribute the font legally. Most of the fonts out there have clear restrictions about this. If you can distribute the font file then just send it to your reviewers by email. You could also make a first screen in your prototype with a link to let the reviewer download and install the font before starting the prototype.
Another option, which is kind of a hassle, but definitely a workaround if you don't want to have to distribute fonts, is to make your text elements in Illustrator (or similar) and then export them as .png files. Doesn't work for dynamic text, but you can at least make your headings and major important text look like you want them to.
Just a tip to make your workaround better: You can turn any text element into an image file by selecting the element, then right click (or ctrl+click if you are in a Mac) and select 'save as image'. Then just insert that new image file into your prototype.
I'm pretty sick of being referred to this topic. There either needs to be a legit way to include typefaces into the project, or just tell users that this isn't possible. Don't try to bandaid the very-talked-about problem with an in-scalable solution.
+1 TypeKit support
JIT why not collaborate with a Company like Adobe or Fonts.com? I do not believe they will say No as a new font means the users will have to buy them. The discussion regarding legal aspect is simply stupid and JIT could leave this to us to be properly licensed.
Today we use Firefox and change the standard font to make this work but this workaround is not what I prefer.
Best Anders
I want to buy a font from a type foundry and use it in the prototype. Want to present on a device. Is it not possible or do I get it wrong?? A newbie...
Just for the record. YES we have the right to distribute and use the fonts we need to implement into our prototypes. I dont Think anyone would use a font without license and sell that applicatio to market. And finally why is this even a concern of JIM? The need to use my own fonts from in my case Fonts.com are really urgent. I have several companies that has their own fonts that they expect to be in the demos we do. Today I do a workaround using firefox as browser and change the default font to the one I want to see. Kind of irritating in the long run as sometimes I forget to change back the font.
Can you install a custom font? I have created a font myself but I can't use it right now because there seems to be no way to install fonts in Justinmind. It would be rather riduculous to not let people use their own fonts in their own prototypes.
After contacting support, no, you cannot use a custom font. You have two options:
1) Install the Font on each device you use the prototype
2) Use a standard font or add a Google font within JustInMind
PS: I think custom Web Fonts should be implemented.
Starting in version 8.3, you can use and embed custom fonts in your prototypes. When sharing your prototype with other Justinmind users, or exporting your prototype to HTML, you can embed font code snippets within your Justinmind prototype and store them in your online account.
FWIW, a fixed size GIF is really difficult to read, restart or pause...


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By Leighleigh
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
mystery plant any ideas GoYers?? :-)
- 20 Jun, 2012
The colouring is like my Pieris, but the leaves are not quite the same. Hope you get an ID because it is very pretty!
20 Jun, 2012
Cant see leaf detail too well. does it have thorns?
first thought was one of the spireas then 2nd berberis and 3rd leucanthoe.
not that brilliant with shrubs really.
20 Jun, 2012
there were a few there which have been mentioned on my blog where i originally put this pic. no i dont think it has thorns SBG its only tiny about 30cm across.
ilo try and get a better pic and look and get some more detail thank you two :)
20 Jun, 2012
I would think Photinia 'Red Robin'.
20 Jun, 2012
hi resi, i actually have a big photinia right behind this, the one pictured is really low on the ground compared to the photinia-its more like a tree than a shrub! :-)
21 Jun, 2012
Could it be Azalea indica?, Derek.
21 Jun, 2012
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Video: America's Next Top 'Fag Hater'
From a recent episode of "The Tyra Banks Show," here is Shirley Phelps-Roper being...well, being Shirley Phelps-Roper:
And from our extensive email archives, here is how Shirley PRed the appearance to us back in August:
Though personally we don't think Tyra's gay-friednliness is an example of her pandering to her audience, but rather Ms. Banks pandering to her desire for acceptance, equality, and makeup and hair that doesn't make her look like a beat up mess. But whatever -- we're glad you had fun, Shirl! Perhaps on the next cycle of "Top Model," you can replace Twiggy as judge:
TYRA: Brittany, I think you have amazing bone structure, but you just aren't producing a great picture.
NIGEL: Yea, it's just not working for me
MISS JAY: Girl, that shot is all kinds of busted up!
SHIRLEY: YOU'RE A FAG-ENABLING, HELL-BOUND WHORE! Oh, and I don't like the way you're looking into the camera; it really weakens your photo.
interview part 4 [YouTube]
tyra banks interview part 5 [YouTube]
(Hat tip: Queerty)
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The Loring team is headed out on the road! Join us at these trade shows to meet the team behind the roasters and check out what's new this year. We've got some exciting things in the works that we're looking forward to sharing with you.
|Coffee Fest Nashville
|3/17 – 3/19
|Nashville, TN
|HotelEx (at the Shanghai Fortunecaffe booth)
|3/28 – 3/31
|Shanghai, China
|Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE)
|3/30 – 4/1
|Melbourne, Australia
|London Coffee Festival
|Cupping & Roasting Area
|4/6 – 4/9
|London, UK
|Global Specialty Coffee Expo (formerly SCAA)
|4/20 – 4/23
|Seattle, WA
|ThaiFex (at the K2 booth)
|5/31 – 6/4
|Bangkok, Thailand
|CoffeeFest Chicago
|6/9 – 6/11
|Chicago, IL
|SCAE – World of Coffee
|6/13 – 6/15
|Budapest, Hungary
|Canadian Coffee & Tea Show
|9/24 – 9/25
|Toronto, Canada
|CoffeeFest Portland
|10/13 – 10/15
|Portland, OR
Special Trade Show Events
CoffeeFest Nashville
- A Bid For Hope Silent Auction
Place your bids on incredible gifts at this year's auction, taking place during the CoffeeFest Nashville show. Proceeds go to the Café Feminino Foundation, which works to enhance the lives of families in coffee-producing communities throughout the world.
For more information, visit: http://coffeecan.org/events
Global Specialty Coffee Expo (SCAA)
- Production roasting classes
This is the first year we're bringing our 1.5 kilo demo roaster to SCAA! Take it for a spin in the Roasting Pathways section of the SCAA show. This is a great opportunity to see this one-of-a-kind, custom roaster and take classes with roasting experts.
For more information visit: http://coffeeexpo.org/pathway-class-offerings
- Live Demos at Kuma Coffee
Get the full Loring experience during live roasting demos with Loring Certified Roastmasters. Demos are complimentary and transportation will be provided to and from the trade show.
Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23
10am – 12pm
RSVPs required. To RSVP, contact Duncan Elcombe at email@example.com.