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Dear lesfic fan,
Here are this week's new ebook and audio releases, sales, and announcements.
Authors: Want to see your new releases in the newsletter? Click here for details. Or if you're having a sale, please email me and let me know: email@example.com. Include "Sale for IHL Newsletter" in the subject line.
Anyone with lesfic news, give me a shout at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Happy reading and listening,
by Giselle Fox
Available in Kindle Unlimited
A perfect year begins with a perfect kiss…
It's New Year's Eve and single artist Sasha is ready to celebrate, but 2018 isn't quite done with her yet. A last-minute shock at her day job sends her reeling, and it looks like the new year will get off to a rocky start. With some help from her kilt-wearing brother in law, Rob, she makes three little wishes for a happier New Year.
PhD student Naomi isn't doing much better, the holiday season brought her a scandalous surprise. And without a special lady to celebrate with, she winds up with her parent's at their friend's New Year's bash. Unaware that her night is about to get complicated, she confides in someone that controls her fate.
When Naomi's and Sasha's worlds suddenly collide, New Year's Eve takes a magical turn. But just when they both thought they'd found someone special, their two paths are unwillingly torn apart. Will Sasha have to search all of Boston to find her? Will Naomi ever see Sasha again?
Year of the Kiss is a steamy New Year's eve novella to help you welcome in 2019.
Homecomings Book 1
by JA Armstrong
Available in Kindle Unlimited
It's Christmastime, and Dr. Mick Mulligan has just arrived back at her childhood home after a five-year absence. She's determined to help her mother, Leona, care for the house she grew up in and resolved to adjust to life back in Connecticut. After the childhood loss of her father, Mick proclaimed herself a "humbug." Mick is happier in an operating room than gathering around a Christmas tree. Holidays conjure painful memories for the doctor. The problem is, Leona Mulligan thinks she's Mrs. Claus.
Ruby Pope has lived next door to Leona Mulligan for five years. Ruby's become Leona's family, and Leona has been dubbed "Grandma Lee," by Ruby's six-year-old son, Logan. Logan and Ruby are about to challenge everything Mick had convinced herself to be true.
Loss has played a significant role in both Mick and Ruby's lives. Both spend their days tending to sick people in the hospital; Mick as a vascular surgeon and Ruby as an ICU nurse. Neither could save the person they loved most. Mick has made it her mission to make a difference for families like hers. One day she might save the life of a little girl's father at Christmas. Ruby has learned that life and death are inevitable parts of the other. She views life through Logan's eyes with a sense of possibility and wonderment. Can Ruby and Logan help Mick rediscover the wonder of Christmas? What will Mick do when she's forced to live in her mother's version of the North Pole?
Humbug's Holiday Homecoming is a story about finding the strength to love despite the inevitability of loss. It's a journey of discovery, of letting go, and of learning to hold on again. What could be more magical than falling in love?
by Ellie Spark
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Recovering from a recent break-up, pilot, Kim Miller, has left San Francisco for the bright lights of New York. Putting distance between herself and her ex, Kim, who prioritizes honesty above all else, is wary of new relationships and the potential for further heartbreak.
Angela Brady has learned to be evasive about her unusual occupation. Dealing with dead people all day doesn't make for great first date conversation. Her evasiveness extends at times to lying. Convincing herself that her lies protect those she loves is easy, but can she convince the one person who really matters?
When these two women in their thirties meet there are immediate sparks. But, is there any future for their relationship or is it doomed from the start?
by Catherine Lane
Parker Sherbourne has a talent for sports and seduction—and the body to prove it. When the High Rollers, the professional football team from Las Vegas, chase after her to be their point-after specialist, she jumps at the chance. Sure, the position is only a publicity stunt, but she has always been able to turn any situation to her advantage. Carly Bartlett joins the Rollers as the newest athletic trainer and the only other female on the payroll. This dream job could bring the financial security her family desperately needs. The head trainer has only one warning: don't get involved with a player. Not a problem. She doesn't go for guys. When Parker reaches out to Carly for treatment, sparks fly. Will Carly fall for Parker's charms and put her own desires ahead of her family's? Has Parker finally found the woman who'll make her slow down and stop playing the angles?With the macho world of football against them, can they beat the odds in this lesbian sports romance?
Irresistibly Bound Book 2
by Anna Stone
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Everything is falling apart for April. Her latest relationship has self-destructed, and she's been unexpectedly promoted to director of the library she works at, only to find that the building has been sold to a ruthless corporation that plans to tear it down and replace it with luxury apartments.
While brooding at a bar, April attracts the attention of Vicki Blake. Vicki is confident, captivating, and has looks to die for. Although April can see right through the woman's seductive smile, she decides to go home with Vicki to forget about her problems. When Vicki gives April a glimpse of her dark desires, it leaves April wanting more.
However, April soon discovers that the woman she shared an unforgettable night with is the vice president of the company that wants to demolish her library. Vicki intends to see the project through. April is determined to stop it.
Locked in a fierce battle of wills, April and Vicki are helpless to keep the tension between them from heating up. Every time they collide, neither can resist temptation. Will their volatile love-hate relationship cause everything both of them have worked for to go up in flames?
Her Surrender is the second book in the Irresistibly Bound series, following the bestselling Being Hers. Each book in the series can be read alone.
British Royals Book 4
by Q. Kelly
The future for Britain's Princess Margaret represents a marked change from her past. For example, Margaret will not be heir to the throne much longer due to the impending birth of her nephew, and her memory, while sometimes still resembling Swiss cheese, is better than ever. However, there is one memory in particular she wants to erase. It haunts her, sometimes crowding out her other thoughts and rendering her breathless.
Tessa Donovan, a detective in New York City, is the one person Margaret thinks can help, but Tessa doesn't want to get involved. Margaret refuses to take no for an answer. She travels to Manhattan, seeks out Tessa and ushers in a future that neither of them could have envisioned.
Can Margaret get a happy ending like her sisters did?
by Kim Hartfield
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Twelve years ago, Poppy and Leah vowed to get married if they were both single at thirty. After losing touch, the unlikely pair reconnects just in time to meet the deadline. A lot has happened in the meantime… like both of them coming out of the closet. Now the popular girl marrying the science geek is an actual possibility. The contract was only a joke, though – wasn't it?
by Ana McKenzie
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Best-selling author Lily Hammond writing contemporary romance as Ana McKenzie!
Merren Hardy is delighted when her thirst for new experiences turns into a holiday job for an attractive older woman. She's more than happy to be muse, model, assistant, and lover – especially lover – for brilliant and successful Bianca Graves. After all, Merren's smart with a big-picture view of the world and a practical streak wide enough to deal with Bianca's difficulties. She's a problem-solver. Except there's one problem Merren's never had to solve before – what happens when you fall in love with a woman who can't see you properly?
Bianca's an artist losing her sight, desperate to find a way to continue painting and keep her career and sense of identity. She needs more than a muse, more than a young woman to model for her. She needs someone to reach out and touch her when everything's going dark – and help her find the way back to her life. Which surely means Merren's too young, too different, worlds apart in experience. Bianca knows a summer fling at such a difficult time is one thing – but it can't go any further.
As it turns out, however – there's more than one way to be blind.
A LadyLuck Startups Romance Book 1
by Monica McCallan
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Avery Simmons' life is in a rut. As the co-founder and creator of a lesbian dating app meant to help people find love, or at least a fun fling, the irony isn't lost on her. Her girlfriend broke up with her, she can't fit into her favorite jeans, and to top it off, she's getting a new roommate who will be privy to her depressing pity party.
Personal trainer Charlie Grant wants nothing more than a clean slate and a fresh start from her old life in New York City. One of her oldest friends offers an extra room in her San Francisco duplex, but Charlie quickly finds out that it comes at an unforeseen cost. A sullen, misanthropic storm cloud of a woman already lives there, and Charlie has to wonder if cheap rent is worth her sanity.
Avery wants to hide from her feelings, and Charlie wants to run from hers. Can they both survive living together? But more than that, can they finally help one another break down their walls along the way?
This is the first book in the LadyLuck Startups Romance series but also acts as a standalone novel.
by Harley Slate
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Emily's mom taught her love was just another con game. Now Emily has a plan to nab a billionaire of her own.
Jessica's a cynical club owner. Hookups are no-risk thrills because insta-love isn't a thing in Vegas.
Or at least it isn't before Emily and Jessica collide…
This 162-page lesbian romance novel includes brief on-screen violence, extended steamy encounters, and a splash of champagne. No cheating, no cliffhangers. Complete with the happily ever after you deserve.
by Tessa Vidal
Small-town sweethearts Caro and Shell were torn apart eleven years ago.
Movie star Caro has reinvented herself as Hollywood royalty. Every inch a polished princess, she keeps her humble past a deep, dark secret.
Down-to-earth Shell refuses to hide who she is or where she came from. Her practical approach makes her the most in-demand dog behaviorist in Los Angeles.
When a fluffy dog brings them back together, the old sparks blaze again– even though they're now complete opposites. Is it really possible for an A-list movie star to share more than a few nights with a regular girl from their old hometown? Or have they missed their chance forever?
Jade's Erotic Adventures Book 13
by Victoria Rush
Available in Kindle Unlimited
When recent divorcée Jade searches online for a distraction one night, she uncovers a lesbian chat room where naked women have private conversations using webcams. Eventually she meets a young college girl who confides that she's attracted to her straight roommate.
They strike up a conversation, and before long the two women are sharing an intimate exchange. But just as things begin to get interesting, their conversation is interrupted when her roommate returns earlier than expected to their dorm.
The next night, they pick up where they left off, but this time her roommate catches them at the height of their passion. Instead of leaving the two women to their own devices, she decides to join in the fun. For the rest of the evening, the three women share an intense and increasingly steamy online encounter…
A Jamie Bravo Mystery
by Layce Gardner & Saxon Bennett
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Jamie Bravo is new to the Private Detective business. Armed with ten thousand business cards, a fedora and trench coat, the world's ugliest dog, a parrot who impersonates movie stars, and a gay roommate, Jamie is ready for anything. That is, until she has to go undercover at the state fair's butter sculpting competition.
The world-renowned butter sculpter, Lehane Noster, is missing. Did somebody kill him? Where's the body? Is it hard to sculpt butter? Should Jamie sleep with London Wells (again)? And who is the mystery red-haired woman her ex wants her to follow?
Find the answer to these questions (and more) in For Butter or Worse, the third book in the Jamie Bravo cozy mystery series.
by Natalie Debrabandere
Available in Kindle Unlimited
July 2020 – Planet Earth. Freelance news photographer Sky McKenna is in New York, investigating dark rumours about the murder of US kids by the military. Urban legends? Insane lies? Children are dying, and no one knows. Meanwhile, President Trump is on track for re-election. A series of lethal asteroids recently narrowly missed the earth, and a new planet is visible in the sky. Religious zealots and end-times aficionados are whipping an already stressed-out population into even worse frenzy. As fear and violent riots increase, a state of emergency is declared across the land. These are dangerous times indeed, and yet Sky has no idea of the magnitude of the personal challenge that she is about to face. By summer's end, she will have been transformed forever… The fate of all Humankind will be in her hands.
by Lucy J. Madison
narrated by Tegan Ashton Cohan
Alex McKenzie is settled into a comfortable life in her beloved hometown of Stockbridge, MA. Everything Alex thought she knew about life and about herself changes the moment Cate Conrad blows into town. Alex falls head over heels in love with the free-spirited artist and sailor but Cate's complicated past makes it impossible for her to commit. Devastated, Alex tries to heal her heart by hiking the famed Appalachian Trail while Cate takes to the water. Can Alex and Cate find their way back to each other?
by Lise Gold
narrated by Stevie Zimmerman
Senior purser Mia Donoghue is always on the go, leaving her little time for herself. She doesn't mind being busy; it provides distraction from painful memories and her daily struggle to stay sober.
Captain Ava Alfarsi has just been promoted, carrying more responsibility than she's ever had before. As a single, young, and attractive captain, Ava has no problem meeting women, but her control issues and fear of people finding out she's far from perfect stand in the way of connecting with others on a deeper level.
When the two become aware of each other's deepest secrets, they find comfort in the knowledge they're not alone. The attraction is undeniable as they embark on a healing journey together.
Can Ava learn to let go, and can Mia somehow make peace with her past?
Both searching for strength to fight their demons, they never expected to find strength in each other. But is passion enough to keep the fire burning?
UNLEASHED: Case of the Great Danish
by Erik Schubach
narrated by Claire Buchignani
Finnegan May has had an eventful time in Manhattan since she first moved to New York City. Her unique profession and quirky, bubbly personality endear her to everyone who meets her.
Finnegan can't seem to help herself from getting embroiled in trouble. It just seems to follow her around. On a simple visit to a bakery to get her jerk cop a danish, she lands herself in the middle of dognapping and death.
It is up to Detective Jane McLeary to find Finnegan as she flees through a blizzard in the middle of New York City with a huge Great Dane before her relentless pursuer catches her.
by Clare Lydon
$7.99 (limited time only)
Once bitten, twice shy?
When her first love walks back into her life, Harriet Locke is thrown – because Sally McCall still looks as gorgeous as ever. The trouble is, Sally doesn't trust Harriet, and with good reason: she hasn't forgotten the past.
Will Harriet and Sally be lucky enough to find love twice in a lifetime?
Intertwined Soul Series
Eva & Zoe Book 2
by Mary D. Brooks
$3.99 (limited time only)
Eva Muller and Zoe Lambros flee to Australia seeking refuge from World War II ravaged Greece. They struggle in an intolerant society whilst dealing with their haunted war-time memories and hiding their forbidden love.
With the horrors of the war behind them, Eva and Zoe forge a new life together. The war is over but the shadows from their past emerge to shatter their peace and endanger their lives.
They are about to find out the hard way that moving thousands of miles away does not protect them from those that wish them harm.
Do you have a reading goal for 2019?
Check out Maggie's Lesbian Book Bingo Facebook group and click on the image above to download your bingo card.
Prices may change without notice, so make sure to check the price listed by the retailer before making the purchase.
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Ordnance Notes -- by Bob Stoner GMCM (SW) Ret.
Colt XM177 5.56mm Submachine Gun
The Colt AR-15 (military designation M16) was introduced to combat in Viet Nam under "Project AGILE" in 1961. These early M16 rifles were used by special operations forces and were an unwelcome surprise to the Viet Cong guerillas and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops. The M16 was light weight, fast firing, and had little recoil. reports back from the field were glowing to the point that Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and his Pentagon "whiz kids" took notice. The M16 was on its way to augmenting, and then replacing, the 7.62mm M14 rifle in American service.
Back in Hartford, CT, Colt's Firearms, who was doing production of the rifle for Armalite, was basking in the adulation that the new M16 rifle was earning in the combat zone. In response to requests from Special Forces operators in the Republic of Viet Nam and a request for a survival rifle based on the M16 for the USAF, Colt's undertook the development of a short carbine in 1964.
The first attempt by Colt's resulted in a smart-looking carbine that took the standard 39-inch long rifle and shortened the 20-inch barrel by 10 inches, shortened the triangular hand guards to take the 10-inch barrel, and the took 3 inches off the butt stock. The butt stock itself was designed to telescope closed for a more compact package and extend for shooting. The flash suppressor remained the same as the standard 3-prong M16 rifle. Colt's promoted the carbine as the prefect weapon for helicopter and armor crews or Special Forces operators. Colt's called this carbine the CAR-15 "Commando" submachine gun (SMG).
Note: Submachine gun (SMG) is Colt's terminology. Technically, the true SMG uses pistol ammunition, but marketing jargon has tended to blur this distinction. The XM177 series (and its M4 successor) are actually short rifles that shoot rifle ammunition. They are carbines, but the former was officially listed as a submachine gun and the latter is listed as a carbine.
The CAR-15 Survival Rifle for the USAF was similar to the CAR-15 "Commando" but had additional modifications. The cut-down triangular hand guards of the original CAR-15 "Commando" were made round (and thereby eliminated the right/left hand guard problem); the pistol grip was shortened by approximately 1.5 inches; the barrel remained at 10 inches; the 3-prong flash suppressor was replaced with a cone-shaped one; and the butt stock became a fixed, tubular metal type. The overall length of the USAF version was 29 inches and it weighed 5.4 pounds with a loaded 20-round magazine.
The original CAR-15 "Commando" telescoping stock was a good idea, but the design was found to be weak and prone to breakage. The shortened triangular hand guards were likewise prone to breakage, and the 3-prong flash suppressor was totally worthless. In bright sunshine, the muzzle flash from the 10-inch barrel was a fireball about three feet in diameter. At night, the muzzle flash was so bad that it not only pin-pointed the shooter but any other troops near him! The USAF decided not to buy the CAR-15 Survival Rifle, and so Colt's went back to the drawing board and received DoD approval for an initial buy of 2,815 guns for the USAF and US Army on June 28, 1966. September 1966 trials at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland resulted in the requirement for development of a new "sound and flash" suppressor to replace the 3-prong unit then used on the M16 rifle.
In January 1967, the "Commando" was type-classified as XM177 (USAF) and XM177E1 (US Army). The XM177 used the round hand guards of the USAF Survival Rifle and retained the 10-inch barrel. Colt's developed a 4.5-inch "sound and flash" suppressor to reduce the muzzle flash of the short barrel. The specialized suppressor had six longitudinal slots cut in the end (similar to the enclosed "bird cage" flash suppressor that had replaced the 3-prong unit on the M16 rifle). The specialized suppressor had an inner and outer shell; the inner shell had holes drilled for the muzzle flash to enter the space formed between the inner and outer walls of the shells. The new noise and flash suppressor reduced the blast signature (sound decibel level) to below that of the M16A1 rifle. However, the new suppressor did have fouling problems that were never fully solved. The XM177 also introduced a sliding aluminum butt stock and the bayonet lug was ground off the bottom of the sight base.
The US Army was adamant about the forward assist (bolt closure) feature of the XM16E1. This rifle was designated XM177E1. The XM177E1 retained the 10-inch barrel of its predecessor with the forward assist feature. Continued muzzle flash and fouling problems remained with the XM177E1. By mid-1968, the definitive SMG of the XM177 series was fielded -- the XM177E2. The XM177E2 had all the characteristics of the previous XM177 and XM177E1 SMGs except that the barrel was lengthened to 11.5 inches. A spacer was added behind the special noise and flash suppressor to permit firing of rifle grenades (although it is doubtful that this use was ever made). The XM177 series SMGs were much sought after by users in Viet Nam, but they were always in short supply. Navy SEALs used them, but they remained supplements to the basic M16A1 rifle.
After American involvement in Viet Nam ended, the XM177-series continued to soldier on with the Navy's SEAL Teams. By the early 1980s they were well worn or worn-out. The XM177 series was replaced by the M4 5.56mm NATO Carbine. The M4 uses the action of the M16A2 rifle; uses a modified version of the XM177E2 telescoping butt stock; uses the round hand guards of the XM177 series; and has a 14.5-inch barrel that uses the combination flash suppressor and compensator of the M16A2 rifle. Like the 20-inch barrel of the M16A2 rifle, the M4's barrel is cut to accept the standard M203 40mm grenade launcher. The M4 Carbine is current issue to Navy SEAL Teams and other special operations units.
of the XM177E2 5.56mm SMG:
© 2005 Bob Stoner R4

subset: commoncrawl


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Friday, February 26, 2016
New Whiskey Labels: Booker's Rye, Stitzel-Weller, Macallan and More
This week's most interesting new labels from the federal TTB database:
Diageo cleared a label for Blade & Bow Single Barrel, a 24 year old bourbon distilled at Stitzel-Weller.
Beam Suntory cleared a label for Knob Creek 2001, a limited edition Knob Creek distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2016. Of course, since it doesn't include an age statement, we can't be sure how many years it actually spent in the barrel.
Beam also released a label for Booker's Rye. Label details can change, but the label they cleared has the rye at 7 years old and 127.1 proof.
High West released a label for a 14 year old light whiskey from MGP. According to the label, it's a corn based whiskey (likely a bourbon mash) distilled between 1999 and 2001 and aged in used barrels.
Edrington cleared a label for Macallan 12 year old Double Cask, aged in both European sherry and American oak.
Note: The fact that a label appears on the TTB database does not necessarily mean it will be produced. In addition, some details on the label, such as proof, can change in the final product.
8 comments:
I can't even imagine the list price, let alone the secondary market price of the B&B SB 24-year SW. I'm sure some (a great many?) will go goofy trying to get some. I, on the other hand, will contentedly sip from any number of bottles I will have obtained for the cost of just one of these. ...And, will enjoy most/all of those sips immensely. ...Just sayin'...
- February 26, 2016 at 4:46 AM
- Unknown said...
Did anyone notice the B&B 24 is claimed to have been one barrel from a single day in 1991. So one Barrel is the entire release? Can't be. I think I'm most excited for the Bookers Rye release. A non MGPI Cask stregnth rye released with an age statement. Yes..yes please!
- February 26, 2016 at 11:19 AM
Did someone say Stitzel-Weller??? WHERE??? ;)
- February 26, 2016 at 11:25 AM
- Unknown said...
Did anyone notice the B&B 24 is claimed to have been one barrel from a single day in 1991. So one Barrel is the entire release? Can't be. I think I'm most excited for the Bookers Rye release. A non MGPI Cask stregnth rye released with an age statement. Yes..yes please!
- February 26, 2016 at 12:08 PM
- sku said...
Joe, the label doesn't necessarily mean that there is only one barrel, just that each bottle comes from a single barrel.
- February 26, 2016 at 12:56 PM
- Curt said...
Sure are many examples of "barrel finding" lately. How does that happen, exactly? Is it like stumbling across a lost city in the jungle or coming home and finding an unexpected container of Chinese food in the refrigerator?
- February 26, 2016 at 11:23 PM
- Joshua said...
I was just at Jim Beam on Friday to select a barrel of Knob Creek. I was talking with the rep about the new Booker's Rye. I told him I was excited. Then, he proceeded to squash my joy in one simple phrase: $300!. No, not $300 a case. $300 a bottle. You heard that right. $300 a freakin' bottle! Plus, highly allocated. I guess I'll stick with RRSBR or Pikesville. Crazy!
- March 1, 2016 at 2:46 PM
- Unknown said...
$300 a bottle is crazy, it I might sell faster at $300 then it would for less money. I joke, but the truth in today's market is it will sell out even at that mountain of a price.
- March 10, 2016 at 2:33 PM


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The Whorely Virgin
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Thursday, February 25, 2021
WTF Wednesdays: The Weeknd's Super Bowl I Feel It Coming dance choreo, but better? Breaking Bad 341
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Listing 1 movie.
Order By title - Order By category - Order By release date
Category: Mini clips
Description: "Awesome claymation project by three French people we'd certainly like to know more about. Apparently they were students at the Epitech university at some... (show full description) point. Let us know if you're familiar with the nicknames they use in this community."
Creation date: Year 2004
WormTube release: 17 January, 2008
Commented: 14 times


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Director/Screenplay/Producer – Robert Altman, Photography – Chuck Rosher, Music – Gerald Busby, Photographic Effects – Modern Film Effects, Art Direction – James D. Vance. Production Company – Lion's Gate Films.
Shelley Duvall (Millie Lammoreaux), Sissy Spacek (Pinky Rose), Robert Fortier (Edgar Hart), Janice Rule (Willie Hart), Ruth Nelson (Mrs Rose), John Cromwell (Mr Rose), Sierra Pecheur (Vivian Bunweil), Craig Richard Nelson (Dr Graham Maas), Maysie Hoy (Doris), Leslie Ann Hudson (Polly), Patricia Ann Hudson (Peggy), Beverly Ross (Deidre), Belita Moreno (Alcira)
Having just moved to California from Texas, Pinky Rose gets a job as an attendant at a health spa. Millie Lammoreaux is assigned to show her the ropes and the two become friends. When Millie places up an ad looking for a roommate, Pinky answers it and moves in. After the two argue over Millie bringing a man home, Pinky falls (maybe jumps?) into the apartment swimming pool and goes into a coma. She regains consciousness but her personality has changed and become more assured and confident. She no longer recognises her parents and insists that her name is not Pinky but Millie. At the same time, the other Millie finds aspects of her own life disappearing.
The late Robert Altman (1925-2006) was one of the most individualistic, irascible and at times downright eccentric directors working within American cinema. Altman came to attention with the hit success of his fourth film, the original M.A.S.H. (1970) and throughout the 1970s built a considerable name with works like McCabe and Mrs Miller (1971), The Long Goodbye (1973), Thieves Like Us (1974) and the Academy Award nominated Nashville (1975). Altman received multiple Academy Award nominations as both director and screenwriter, although the only he actually received was an honorary Oscar in 2006.
Altman's films often featured large ensemble casts and multiple narratives. He favoured a directorial style that was elliptical, where he ran lines of dialogue over the top of each other or had pieces of mise-en-scene happening in the background of a scene. Altman frequently veered off to conduct films as cryptic and bizarre experiments that left audiences scratching their heads – this especially appeared to be the case whenever he touched genre material (see below for Altman's other genre films).
Altman's critical acclaim of the early 1970s started to flounder by the end of the decade and into the 1980s with poorly-received films like A Wedding (1978), A Perfect Couple (1979), Quintet (1979), Health (1980), Popeye (1980) and O.C. and Stiggs (1987). Nevertheless, in the 1990s and up until his death in 2006, Altman regained his ground with the brilliant Hollywood satire The Player (1992), followed by other well-received works like Short Cuts (1993), Pret-a-Porter (1994), Kansas City (1995), Gosford Park (2001), The Company (2003) and A Prairie Home Companion (2006).
It is often reported that 3 Women was made without a script. This is not completely true but Altman did apparently get the go-ahead to make the film from 20th Century Fox by simply making a pitch based on a dream he had had the night before. A 60-page script was subsequently written but this was more of a treatment outline than an actual script. It should be pointed out that Altman disparaged the notion of story in his films. He was more interested in observing human nature and encouraged his actors to improvise. As such, a good percentage of 3 Women was improvised by Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek on set. Altman likened his directorial style to a cocktail party or a street scene where what one saw on screen consisted of visual and aural chaos where the drama was often drowned out by inconsequential and peripheral happenings.
3 Women is not an easy film to get a grasp on. Or even decide to include here for that matter. I first saw it mentioned in Peter Nicholls' Fantastic Cinema (1983), a book that has much influence on this site, which made me want to check it out. However, when I first viewed the film I didn't think there was enough material to consider it worthy of being considered as a work of fantasy. A second viewing some years later still makes the case ambiguous – without the final scene, I may have decided against inclusion.
Much of the film is mundane in nature. I don't mean mundane in the non-fantastic sense but in that it centres around the dull, uninteresting stuff of life – Sissy Spacek learning the ropes of the job at the health spa; moving in to Shelley Duvall's apartment; they going to visit a bar in the desert; Shelley planning a dinner party. These scenes strain patience as the plot seems to meander and never gives any indication it is going anywhere. Certainly in watching these scenes, Shelley Duvall gives a piercingly on the ball performance as a disliked nobody who seems to have no thought in her head that she is not constantly nattering about and seems uncommonly controlling in her relationship with mousy Sissy Spacek.
The middle of the film offers a change about as Sissy Spacek emerges from her coma and seems to 'become' Shelley Duvall's character. She does not recognise her parents; insists on no longer being referred to as Pinky but as Millicent; Shelley Duvall even finds that Sissy has used her driver's license and details to register for the job and that she is now no longer recognised by her employers. Furthermore, Sissy Spacek's performance becomes more outgoing and assured, while Shelley Duvall's seems to fade away. Similarly, Sissy seems to take control of the apartment and continues on in Shelley's affair with Robert Fortier (who is also the husband of Janice Rule, the only peripherally seen third woman of the title).
Up to this point, 3 Women seems to be heading in the direction of an Identity Exchange film. You could point to Ingmar Bergman's Persona (1966), which Altman says had some influence over him, and other works such as Roman Polanski's The Tenant (1976), David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Dr. (2001), Takashi Miike's Gozu (2003), Lemming (2004) and Don't Look Back (2009). In comparison, all of these are much more straightforward about what is happening – even Altman's earlier identity exchange film Images (1972) is more clearcut.
By contrast, everything here is frustratingly vague. Even when you are willing to accept 3 Women as an identity exchange film, Altman seems to go back on this – in the scene where Shelley Duvall has to deliver Janice Rule's baby, she becomes the one in charge again, ordering around Sissy Spacek who is suddenly no longer confident and assured but confused. It is entirely possible to argue that Sissy Spacek is just suffering from some type of fugue state following her concussion.
The fadeout of the film is of the three women at the bar and adjoining house in the desert. Again, the roles seem to have shifted. A patron comes in. A very teenage-seeming Sissy Spacek is at the bar and says she will go and get her mother. This turns out to be Shelley Duvall who is painting the murals in the abandoned swimming pool, something that Janice Rule was doing whenever she was seen throughout the rest of the film. The two head to the house in the background where it would appear that Janice is now acting as the grandmother. The sense you get is that the roles have changed and Sissy is a teenage girl, Shelley is her mom and Janice the grandmother. The final shot of the film is of the pile of abandoned tires between the two buildings, which is supposed to be the hiding place of no-good Robert Fortier that all three women shared.
This is a film that is so vague it is open to interpretation. Some have read it as an allegory in which all three women are facets of one personality, others as a mundane piece about a psychological fugue state, possibly even split personality. For that matter, much of the film is not even about 'three women' but about only two of the women, Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall, while Janice Rule is a figure always seen painting in the background but never gets any scenes in closeup. Some have called 3 Women a classic – Roger Ebert included it in The Great Movies III (2002), for instance – but it is also frustrating film in its vagueness, lack of explanations, or anything that is easy to pin down.
Robert Altman's other films of genre interest are:– Countdown (1967) about a Moon landing mission; the completely gonzo Brewster McCloud (1971) about a young man who is invoked to build a set of wings by an angel; Images (1972), a surrealist film about identity blurring; Quintet (1979), an enigmatic film set in a frozen future; Popeye (1980) adapted from the famous comic-strip; and A Prairie Home Companion (2006), an ensemble film based on the famous radio show, which features a visiting angel of death.
Trailer here


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Architecture is about making an impact on the future of our cities. Aeron believes that all architects are an integral part of that, whether they're working on buildings, infrastructure, public art, or even social policy—each is intricately connected. It's worth it to try and see the big picture.
Recently, Aeron worked on Troy Boston, a 380-unit apartment building in downtown Boston. The goal? Deliver sustainable urban living solutions through design. It was a project that let her engage in the challenge of architecture—solving a lot of different problems with an open mind.
One problem that she's set her sights on recently is the question of living small in urban spaces. With the WHAT'S IN housing research initiative, Aeron and her team are researching and testing new models for urban housing—as small as 450SF a home. When she's not working, you can find her teaching at Roger Williams University where she's been a design studio professor for the past two years.


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Write to us and tell us about the wedding you have in mind. We will take care of everything from start to end. This includes design, development, location scouting and preparation, decor, catering, transport and adding those little touches that will help transform your special day into the ethereal. Our services are open to traditional weddings, gay and lesbian weddings, quaint or quirky.
It's so much fun on the paradise island
From personal and intimate to
corporate functions and conventions.
Engagements and commitment ceremonies
If you are seeking something a little low key or something memorable, just let us know. We will come up with the right plan in the right destination so that the function will be true, to your heart's content.
Honeymoon Packages
Your inquiry will be followed by a chat that will enable us to get a better understanding of the two of you, your interests and personalities. The honeymoon package we will then develop will be something you both can revel in. We have a host of intimate locations and value additions to make your days in love all the more magical and spicy. We also offer special lesbian honeymoon packages as well as gay honeymoon packages.


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The Google Science Fair is an online science competition sponsored by Google, Lego, CERN, National Geographic and Scientific American.
The Google Science Fair is an online science competition open to students ages 13 – 18 from around the globe.
Google say their aim is 'to champion young scientific talent and give students across the world an opportunity to showcase ambitious ideas.'
The 2013 Google Science Fair started accepting entires on January 30th, 2013. The deadline for all applications is April 30.
To get started, all you'll need is a Google account.
Find out more on the Google Science Fair website https://www.googlesciencefair.com


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Matt's Maker Space @ MLPL
In 2018, Matt's Maker Space funded a Year of Making at the library. This funding allowed the library to provide collaborative programming with local organizations such as; Pittsburgh Center for the Arts/Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Heinz History Center, the Carnegie Science Center and the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.
These programs explored the components of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) for children in grades K-8. Middle School children had the chance to create digital animation, design apps, build raku-fired pottery, develop film from pinhole cameras, and participate in a 10-day artist-in-residency program in metalsmithing. Elementary-age children explored robotics, learned the fundamentals of drawing and painting, had fun with math and chemistry, and learned how to code.
Programs ranged from multi-part workshops to one-time events. They took place after school, on in-service days, on weekends, and in the summer. For our Matt's Maker Space programs that required registration, we served: 121 Kindergarten - 2nd Graders 154 3rd-5th graders 46 6th-8th graders These numbers are only for registration events and do not include the non-registration programs, which included the Preschoolers CAN Code program (anywhere from 50-100 preschoolers), the Summer Reading Kickoff Artbots station (several hundred kids), and the Matt's Maker Kickoff event (several hundred kids).
Patron feedback was extremely positive about these programs and many asked if we would be able to have more in 2019. The branding was very successful and patrons regularly ask for the programs by the name "Matt's Maker."
Thanks to the generosity of the organization, we kicked off another Year of Making with Matt's Maker Space on January 22nd, 2019. In 2019 Matt's Maker Space programming has been expanded to include middle school teens. To find out about our 2019 programs for children and teens look out for our Matt's Maker Space @ MLPL logo in our event calendar or add Matt's Maker to our Eventkeeper calendar search box.
For more information about Matt's Maker Space please visit:
The Matt's Maker Space Official Website


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Rubicon Project、中東最大のメディアの1つであるDigital Media Services (DMS)と提携
Rubicon Project (NYSE: RUBI) today announced a partnership with Digital Media Services (DMS), which serves as the digital arm of the Middle East's largest media representation house – Choueiri Group.
DMS represents top bracket market-leading international and regional publishers, along with handpicked high-potential small-to-medium sized publishers and start-ups. The company's portfolio currently reflects on a global reach of over 120 million unique browsers, covering the largest audiences across key verticals. Embracing the vital driving pillars of creativity, state-of-the-art advertising technology and data-driven knowledge, DMS has positioned itself as a leader in digital media trading both regionally and internationally.
Rubicon Project's leading technology and programmatic marketplace will deliver mobile, display and video inventory for advertisers throughout MENA (Middle East and North Africa). Today's announcement marks an important evolution for advertising automation in the MENA region and confirms the fast adoption of a technology that is revolutionizing and disrupting media buying and selling.
"We are thrilled to help bring the power and scale of automation to help connect world-class brands and advertisers to tens of millions of consumers across the premium inventory portfolio of DMS," said Rubicon Project Managing Director for Southern Europe and MENA, Julien Gardès. "DMS brings advertisers access to rich content spanning three continents and our partnership is a clear indication of the potential for growth of digital advertising throughout the region as media owners and advertisers continue to embrace automation and capitalize on the benefits it brings to their businesses."
DMS' Chief Operating Officer, Michel Malkoun added: "Our commitment to our clients and our industry has always compelled us to seek out and leverage the best technology platforms in the world, and Rubicon Project's proven track record of delivering leading innovations for publishers globally makes them the ideal partner for DMS. As the MENA region's largest programmatic marketplace we greatly look forward to this partnership with Rubicon Project as we continue to create exceptional value and efficiencies for our portfolio of leading desktop, mobile and video offerings."


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|PKI stands for Public Key Infrastructure. PKI is IT infrastructure that enables users of a basically unsecure public network (such as the Internet) to securely and privately exchange data through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted authority. PKI is not only software or hardware. It is an infrastructure. So, PKI is a combination of products, services, facilities, policies, procedures, agreements, and people. All of these elements work together to provide for secure interactions on the Internet and other open networks. PKI is not a single monolithic entity, but a distributed system. The component elements may include multiple organization-specific public key infrastructures that are interoperable and interconnected.
An attachment to an electronic message used for security purposes. The most common use of a digital certificate is to verify that a user sending a message is who he or she claims to be, and to provide the receiver with the means to encode a reply.
An individual wishing to send an encrypted message applies for a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA). The CA issues an encrypted digital certificate containing the applicant's public key and a variety of other identification information. The CA makes its own public key readily available through print publicity or perhaps on the Internet.
The recipient of an encrypted message uses the CA's public key to decode the digital certificate attached to the message, verifies it as issued by the CA and then obtains the sender's public key and identification information held within the certificate. With this information, the recipient can send an encrypted reply.
The most widely used standard for digital certificates is X.509.
|A trusted third-party organization or company that issues digital certificates used to create digital signatures and public-private key pairs. The role of the CA in this process is to guarantee that the individual granted the unique certificate is, in fact, who he or she claims to be. Usually, this means that the CA has an arrangement with a financial institution, such as a credit card company, which provides it with information to confirm an individual's claimed identity. CAs are a critical component in data security and electronic commerce because they guarantee that the two parties exchanging information are really who they claim to be.
A cryptographic system that uses two keys -- a public key known to everyone and a private or secret key known only to the recipient of the message. When John wants to send a secure message to Jane, he uses Jane's public key to encrypt the message. Jane then uses her private key to decrypt it.
An important element to the public key system is that the public and private keys are related in such a way that only the public key can be used to encrypt messages and only the corresponding private key can be used to decrypt them. Moreover, it is virtually impossible to deduce the private key if you know the public key.
|S/MIME (Secure Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions) is a secure method of sending e-mail that uses the RSA encryption system. S/MIME is included in the latest versions of the Web browsers from Microsoft and Netscape and has also been endorsed by other vendors that make messaging products. RSA has proposed S/MIME as a standard to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
|RSA is an Internet encryption and authentication system that uses an algorithm developed in 1977 by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman. The RSA algorithm is the most commonly used encryption and authentication algorithm and is included as part of the Web browsers from Microsoft and Netscape. It's also part of Lotus Notes, Intuit's Quicken, and many other products. The encryption system was owned by RSA Security, but a recent patent expiration placed it into the public domain. The technologies are part of existing or proposed Web, Internet, and computing standards.
|A root certificate is like a MASTER digital certificate. You must install a certificate authority's root certificate before you can trust other certificates issued by that same certificate authority. Root certificates are used to "sign" other certificates. A signature by a root certificate is somewhat analogous to "notarizing" a document in the physical world. When you install a root certificate on your computer, you are saying you "trust" that certification authority and all certificates it signs.
|A digital code that can be attached to an electronically transmitted message that uniquely identifies the sender. Like a written signature, the purpose of a digital signature is to guarantee that the individual sending the message really is who he or she claims to be. Digital certificates inherently provide digital signature capability to most S/MIME enable e-mail clients. Digitally signing an e-mail usually provides the recipient the with the sender's public key, so the recipient may then send encrypted e-mail back to the sender.
|The most widely used standard for defining digital certificates. X.509 is actually an ITU Recommendation, which means that has not yet been officially defined or approved. As a result, companies have implemented the standard in different ways. For example, both Netscape and Microsoft use X.509 certificates to implement SSL in their web servers and browsers. But an X.509 certificate generated by Netscape may not be readable by Microsoft products, and vice versa.
|PEM is a widely used standard for storing digital certificates. A PEM encoded file can contain all of private keys, public keys, and (x.509) certificates. It is the default format for OpenSSL. It stores data in Base64 encoded format, surrounded by ascii headers, so it is suitable for text mode transfers between systems. PEM files usually end with a .PEM extension.
|DER is a widely used standard for storing digital certificates. A DER encoded file can contain all of private keys, public keys, and (x.509) certificates. DER is a binary encoded headerless format. DER files usually end with a .CRT or .CER extension.
|PKCS #12 (a.k.a. Personal Information Exchange Standard) is a standard for storing private keys and certificates securely (well sort of). It is used in (among other things) Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer with their import and export options. PKCS12 files usually end with a .PFX extension.


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Gov. Phil Bryant is shooting back at opponents of House Bill 1523, calling claims about what the law would do "exaggerated" and "false."
In a new brief filed Friday with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, attorneys for Bryant sought to temper arguments that HB 1523 — a "religious freedom" law that has been ensnared in legal battles since its passage last year — would give Mississippians carte blanche to deny services to gay, lesbian and transgender citizens.
"The individual accusations in the (Campaign for Southern Equality) plaintiffs' parade of horribles are too numerous and too far-fetched for us spend time refuting at the retail level," attorneys for the governor wrote in the brief.
"Suffice it to say that the appellants will not, under any circumstance, interpret HB 1523 to shield restaurateurs that refuse to seat homosexual couples; foster parents who inflict child abuse; counselors who fail to take appropriate steps to prevent suicides; boisterous or disruptive state employees; county clerks who fail to recuse themselves in the manner specified by (the law); or jewelers who refuse to sell engagement rings to cohabiting couples."
Attorneys for the original plaintiffs have used these examples in their earlier briefs.
HB 1523, which Bryant signed into law in April, singles out three "sincerely held" religious beliefs as worthy of protection: that marriage is between one man and one woman; that people should not have sex outside such marriages; and that a person's gender is set at birth.
The law would protect from litigation anyone who refuses marriage-related services because of these beliefs. Opponents of the law say doing so unfairly targets gay, lesbian and transgender individuals for discrimination.
In June 2016, two lawsuits — Barber v. Bryant and Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant — challenged the law in federal court, saying it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. These prohibit government from favoring one religion over another and one group of citizens over another, respectively.
Minutes before the law was set to take effect on July 1, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves issued a thorough ruling detailing the reasons he said the law "does not honor that tradition of religion freedom, nor does it respect the equal dignity of all of Mississippi's citizens."
One week later, Bryant filed his appeal with the 5th Circuit in New Orleans. Attorney General Jim Hood, who had defended the law, declined to defend it further, saying in a statement shortly after Reeves handed down his decision that "the churchgoing public was duped into believing that HB 1523 protected religious freedoms."
Outside counsel quickly signed on to Bryant's appeal pro-bono. Attorneys for the governor's appeal include Jonathan F. Mitchell, a St. Louis-based attorney, and Kevin Theriot of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a coalition of Christian organizations including Tupelo-based American Family Association and Colorado-based Focus on the Family, among others.
Friday's response brief, penned by these new attorneys, forcefully pushes back against many mainstream beliefs about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, calling out anyone who sees these groups as a protected minority class. Instead, they argue, they are a minority with with unprecedented political muscle.
"Homosexuals cannot qualify as a "suspect class" because homosexuals are not politically powerless, and sexual orientation is not an "immutable" trait akin to race. Homosexuals have enormous political clout, especially in the Democratic Party, and their political power has been growing and continues to grow," according to Friday's brief.
The brief cites the "conniptions invoked" when then-governor of Indiana Mike Pence signed a bill similar to HB 1523 into law in his state.
Attorneys for the governor also challenge the idea, mentioned in previous briefs, that sexual orientation is a protected class, like race, because sexual orientation, like race, is not a choice.
"Lack of "choice" over one's sexual orientation is not evidence of "immutability"; sexual orientation can be fluid or malleable even if one is not consciously directing or choosing those changes, and even if one feels that they have little or no choice over the changes that are occurring," attorneys for Gov. Bryant wrote in their brief.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs of the case declined to comment.


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Popular Culture
This Vintage T-Shirt Totally Stinks
Every so often we feature an interesting vintage tee that's currently on the eBay auction block. Please feel free to link us if you create or discover an auction we might like.
Description:vintage 1975 SMELLS LIKE PIZZA t-shirt
Sold by: shirtswithballs
Measurements: 16″ pit to pit x 27″ length
What the Seller Says: We're not even kidding, the print SMELLS LIKE A PIZZA. Look up the company Smell It Like It Is, this guy Jim/James Gall sold several million shirts back in the 70s that smelled like different kinds of food.
What I Say: In honor of April fools I trolled eBay for the best possible novelty shirt I could find. Leave it up to the characters over at Shirts With Balls to deliver the goods. The best part is that the shirt will arrive at your door in under 30 minutes or it's free.


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Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by Optimus Matt, May 27, 2009.
i just got them for $3.00.
Where did you find such a wonderful thing???!!????
I hate you so very very much right now.
Yeah, please share where you found them.
there are at a walmart in st. catherines onterio next to bestbuy. i though this were out for a whil be now, and they are only $3 usuly legends are like 6. they had the orange car and i think some other one too.
Good deal, Cosmos looks neat.
Of course you found them in Canada. Every freaking Canadian that wants them can find them. I wonder if that's why we have none in the states, because they all ended up in Canada.
This really concerns me. I can't find the last 2 waves ANYWHERE!
I hope Hasbro just releases them all in a boxed set for ease of getting them all in one shot.
I mean really, where the hell are these guys?!? They're the only Universe toys I want! *Argh!*
usualy the states gets more stuff. like they didnt have any uss enterprises at walmart or alot the the t4 figs.
I got Cosmos at the local Rite Aid drug store, but have never seen the other three anywhere. The only other one I really hate not finding is Warpath.
The wave before it was plentiful around here, though.
Someone needs to ask about these guys and their availability at Botcon. I got fed up with looking for them here (only 2-3 sightings of them that I know of) so I sprung for the bbts set. Totally worth it. I may sell Rodimus though (even though he was suprisingly one of the coolest of the wave)
Someone needs to ask what happened with the whole Universe Legends line full stop.
All we ever got over here was the initial repaint wave. I think they fucked it up by encouraging stores to bulk buy repaints. This is the big mistake of the Universe line. When a store builds up a massive stock of repaints they can't sell, they aren't going to reorder later waves with new molds that they probably could sell. See Universe Inferno.
It's a huge shame, because most of the Universe Legends were fantastic. They're the kind of toys that are great ambassadors for the brand.
I've had these two for a while, but I never found Brawn and Beacomber. Really wanted Brawn.
I got tired of searching for these guys and wheelie and hot rod so I just ordered the Henkei set from Tfsource and then the Hasbro set off BBTS when they had a few sets in stock.
Yea, none of the stores around me even sell Legends anymore.... I got Beachcomber, Brawn, and "G1" Bumblebee, and pretty much never saw a Legend Class figure ever again.
i found all 4 once, bought them all, never saw them again.
i think BBTS has one
I don't believe you have them. Got any huge pics to prove it?
They're fantastic, had mine for a couple months now, love 'em.
I cam't find them anywhere. And I could use legends Hotrod for my comic!
Separate names with a comma.


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Matthew E. White stuffed his debut album, last year's Big Inner, with lavish arrangements: Strings, horns, choir vocals, and guitar all melded together to form a sophisticated, jazz-indebted whole. Now, the singer-songwriter is piling more material onto his first full-length. On October 22, Domino Records will release Big Inner: Outer Face Edition, an expanded version of the record that comes with a new five-track EP called, naturally, Outer Face.
White recorded the fresh tunes at his home base in Richmond, Virginia, setting certain limitations for himself: Outer Face doesn't feature guitar, horns, or piano. Instead, the Virginia Commonwealth music major emphasizes percussion and bass, along with strings and a backing choir.
According to an official announcement, White "furthered the record's soulful minimalism with explorations in tape manipulation, a bit of editing a la Teo Macero, and dub-inspired effects." In a statement, White described the bonus EP as "a monument to love, to non-love, to the confusion of feelings, to the last half century of recorded music, to dub, to minimalism, to pure orchestration, to the human voice, to birds in the sky, to home."
To tease the upcoming re-release, White has shared "Hot Hot Hot," a shuffling exercise in his newly adopted minimalism. Stream the eight-minute epic below, and scroll down to watch a video teaser for Big Inner: Outer Face Edition. Track list and tour dates can be found at the bottom.
Big Inner: Outer Face Edition track list:
Big Inner:
1. "One of These Days"
2. "Big Love"
3. "Will You Love Me"
4. "Gone Away"
5. "Steady Pace"
6. "Hot Toddies"
7. "Brazos"
Outer Face:
1. "Eyes Like the Rest"
2. "Signature Move"
3. "Human Style"
4. "In the Valley"
5. "Hot Hot Hot"
Matthew E. White tour dates:
October 18 – El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls *
October 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
October 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern *
October 24 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
October 25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox *
October 26 – Vancouver, BC @ Richshaw Theatre *
October 28 – Spokane, WA @ The Knitting Factory *
October 29 – Bozeman, MT @ The Filling Station *
October 31 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium *
November 1 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave *
November 2 – Chicago, IL @ Metro *
December 4 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
December 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
December 6 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
December 7 – Washington, D.C. @ The Rock 'N Roll Hotel
* = with Okkervil River


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Making strategic, responsible use of credit is a skill that most adults do well to master. Unfortunately, some people inevitably run into problems with credit cards and loans that can be difficult to recover from.
Obtaining Credit Counseling in Melbourne FL often makes it much easier to get back on track after such troubles have set in. Experts in the field always have helpful advice to offer that will make it simpler to overcome even the most serious credit-related difficulties.
Credit Counseling Pays Off for Many Locals
When it becomes impossible to keep up with monthly payments on loans, credit cards, and the like, many people succumb to feelings of helplessness. The passivity that so often follows, though, almost always makes the situation worse compared to taking any type of positive action.
Arranging for credit counseling in Melbourne FL as soon as possible after problems arise will make successful, satisfying resolutions a lot more likely. Informed professionals are able to help their clients by providing advice regarding important issues including:
- Budgeting.
- In many cases, simply putting existing funds to better use will make it possible to reduce the stress associated with credit problems. Finding ways to pare back recurring expenses even a little bit can allow for a more empowered and effective take on credit management. While it will often be necessary to make some sacrifices, most will find that the progress that can be enabled will easily repay any such downsides.
- Consolidation.
- Many credit cards today carry interest rates of fifteen percent or more. Trying to pay down a number of balances with such rates of interest can easily become almost impossible. In some cases, taking out a single personal loan to be used to pay off several credit cards at once will end up making life a lot easier.
Many More Ways to Get Back on Track With Credit
Browse our website and it will be seen that there are plenty of other ways experts can help locals who are having trouble with credit. Seeking out assistance and counseling when credit problems crop up will always be preferable to simply hoping they resolve themselves on their own.


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A MacAdam ellipsis is a region on a chromaticity diagram which contains all colors which are indistinguishable to the average human eye from the color at the center of the ellipse. The contours of the ellipse represent the just noticeable differences of chromaticity. MacAdam ellipses help to show differences of chromaticity between two light sources and their thresholds can be used to determine chromaticity tolerance of the light emitted by lamps.
by Jerzy Pietrzykowski and Miko Przybyła
Chromaticity of light emitted by light sources is usually defined by chromaticity coordinates, which express the ratio of each of the tristimulus values to their sum. In CIE 1931 XYZ colour space, x, y chromaticity coordinates are calculated as follows:
x = X / (X + Y + Z)
y = Y / (X + Y + Z)
where: X, Y, Z – tristimulus values of a colour stimulus.
The values of chromaticity coordinates can be represented on a plane – we get a flat chart called chromaticity diagram where the points defined by chromaticity coordinates represent the chromaticity of colour stimuli.
|Fig. 1. Chromaticity diagram x,y CIE 1931 (provided by GL Optic).
In many colorimetry applications determination of the chromaticity of a colour stimulus is not sufficient. It is necessary to determine the difference of chromaticity between the stimuli. Initially, there is a temptation to use the distance between the points of comparable colours to evaluate the difference of chromaticity between the stimuli. However, it turns out that the distance between points on the x, y chromaticity diagram is not the equivalent of the impression of chromaticity difference. This is reflected in the statement that a flat chromaticity diagram does not have the properties of a plane in Euclidean geometry and therefore the distance between the points which represent colour stimuli is not the invariable of the plane. This was confirmed by experiments conducted by MacAdam [1, 2], who proved that the places of geometric points on the chromaticity diagram lying at the threshold distance from a given point represent closed ellipsis shaped curves.
|Fig. 2. MacAdam ellipses on the chromaticity diagram x, y CIE 1931 magnified ten times (provided by GL Optic).
It can be easily noticed that representation on a flat chromaticity diagram is not uniform. The same threshold values of chromaticity difference correspond to different distances from the central point, dependant on the direction in which we are moving, and on the part of the chromaticity diagram which is analyzed.
Different attempts were made to transform the x, y chromaticity diagram into a uniform chromaticity diagram, i.e. into a two dimensional diagram in which the coordinates are defined in such a way that equal distances represent most accurately equal degrees of chromaticity differentiation for the colour stimuli with the same luminance on the entire diagram. On a diagram like this MacAdam ellipses would be transformed into circles with the same radius r.
|Fig. 3. Uniform chromaticity diagram u', v' CIE 1976 (provided by GL Optic).
Presently, u', v' CIE 1976 uniform chromaticity diagram is the best transformation [3]. u', v' coordinates of the CIE 1976 chromaticity diagram are calculated from x, y chromaticity coordinates, using the formula:
u' = 4x / (-2x + 12y + 3)
v' = 9y / (-2x + 12y + 3)
The differences in the dimensions of MacAdam ellipses on the uniform chromaticity diagram are smaller and in some areas, e.g. next to the blackbody curve, they are almost like circles with almost the same radius. MacAdam ellipses can be used to determine the tolerance and difference of chromaticity. Assuming the threshold distance as the difference unit, which corresponds to the just noticeable differences of chromaticity, we can define the size of permitted changes of chromaticity. Six five-threshold MacAdam ellipses are used in PN-EN 60081:2002/A4:2010 [4] to define chromaticity tolerance of the light of tube fluorescent lamps.
Table 1. Correlated colour temperature Tc and chromaticity coordinates u¢, v¢ and chromaticity coordinates x, y of six five-step MacAdam ellipses used in EN 60081.
|Tc [K]
|Fig. 4. MacAdam ellipses on the uniform chromaticity diagram u' v' CIE 1976, magnified ten times (provided by GL Optic).
An alternative method, equivalent to the method using MacAdam ellipses, was developed at CIE [5]. In this method u', v' CIE 1976 uniform chromaticity diagram is used, in which MacAdam ellipses assume a circle like shape and the radii of the circles close to the blackbody curve are practically the same.
As can be seen in Fig. 5, figures looking like circles are obtained after transformation, and their radius r is equal to 0.0055.
Table 2. Categories of tolerance of rated values of chromaticity coordinates recommended in standards IEC 62717:2014 and IEC 62722-2-1:2014.
Size of MacAdam ellipsis
|Category of chromaticity change
|> 7-step
|7 +
|7 +
Fig. 5. Transformation of five-step MacAdam ellipses adopted in EN 60081 to the uniform chromaticity diagram u', v' (provided by GL Optic). [5]
The equation of a circle with center uc', vc' and radius r can be described with equation: (u'– uc')2 + (v' – vc')2 = r2. Since the radii of the circles obtained from five-threshold ellipses are equal to 0.0055, the radius of a one-threshold circle is equal to 0.0011 and, generally, the radius of an n-threshold circle is equal to 0.0011n.
The equation of an n-threshold circle can be described as:
(u' – uc')2 + (v' – vc')2 = (0,0011n)2
An extremely rapid development of while light emitting LED lamps often precedes work on the methods used to evaluate their functional characteristics. Two international standards, i.e. IEC 62717:2014 [6] and 62722-2-1:20154 [7], were published at the end of 2014. They will also be adopted as European standards. The standards assume application of four categories of tolerance for rated values of chromaticity coordinates to evaluate LED lamps and LED luminaries. The tolerances are defined using MacAdam ellipses with a specified threshold (see Table 2). However, the standards do not explain whether the same MacAdam ellipses which are used in standard PN-EN 60081:2002 should be applied to LED lamps.
More information is given in standard EN 62612(EN 62612:2013) [8], which will soon be published. There is a clear reference there to standard [4] and an indication that MacAdam ellipses adopted for double-capped fluorescent lamps should also be used to determine chromaticity tolerance of LED lamps and LED luminaries.
[1] MacAdam D.L.: Visual sensitivities to colour differences in daylight. J. Opt. Soc. Am., vol. 32, 247 (1942).
[2] MacAdam D.L.: Specification of small chromaticity differences. J. Opt. Soc. Am., vol. 33, 18-26 (1943).
[3] ISO/CIE 11664-5:2015 Colorimetry. Part 5: CIE 1976 L*u*v* colour space and u', v' uniform chromaticity scale diagram.
[4] PN-EN 60081:2002/A4:2010 Świetlówki dwutrzonkowe. Wymagania funkcjonalne.
[5] CIE TN 001:2014 Technical Note: Chromaticity difference specification for light sources.
[6] IEC 62717:2014 LED modules for general lighting. Performance requirements.
[7] IEC 62722-2-1:2014 Luminaire performance. Part 2-1: Particular requirements for LED luminaires.
[8] PN-EN 62612:2015 Lampy samostatecznikowe LED do ogólnych celów oświetleniowych na napięcie zasilające > 50 V. Wymagania funkcjonalne.
Light for colour evaluation in printing and graphic arts industries


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For the first time in U.S. box-office history, two movies with Asian-led casts recently finished in the top-five of the weekend box-office. Crazy Rich Asians, the first movie since 1993's Joy Luck Club with a predominantly Asian-descent cast is a bona fide phenomenon, reigning supreme with a haul of more than $28 million in its third weekend of release. However, the considerable shadow cast by Crazy Rich Asians, may cause one to miss the notable success of Searching, in its first weekend of wide release. In Searching, a thriller shot entirely from the point of view of smartphones and laptop screens, John Cho (of Harold and Kumar fame) plays a father whose 16-year old daughter goes missing. While Searching finished with a weekend total of $6 Million, its success coupled with Crazy Rich Asians is all the more noteworthy when one calculates the per-theater averages for films with wide release i.e., movies shown in more than 600 theaters. Crazy Rich Asians and Searching finished first and second in box-office performance respectively, with averages of $7,325/theater and $6,338/theater.
The success of these two films with multiple Asian-descent actors in the principal cast underscores the box-office potential of diversity. While much needed attention has been garnered for the under-representation of Black actors in Hollywood, the same issue of under-representation for Asian actors has received relatively less attention. The success of Crazy Rich Asians and Searching this past weekend is indicative of a pent-up demand for Asian representation on movie screens and it would serve producers well to recognize the box-office potential in casting Asian actors in prominent roles.
My research with co-author Peter Younkin of the University of Oregon examines the impact of cast diversity on box-office performance and shows that movies with multiple black actors in the principal cast significantly outperform movies with all-white principal casts. While our analysis did not reveal a performance premium from casting Asian actors – likely due to few films with multiple Asian actors in our sample – it is important to note that we found no evidence of a long-presumed performance penalty from casting Asian actors. Furthermore, our analysis of box-office performance across the United States found that in cities with populations that are predominantly white, movies with diverse casts performed just as well as those with all-white casts. Moreover, in the case of cities with significant minority populations (Hispanic, Black, Asian), movies with diverse casts (particularly multiple black actors) performed significantly better than those with less diverse casts. Diverse casting on the screen is profitable.
The performance of Searching indicates that the success of Crazy Rich Asians is no accident. While casting token Asian stars to broaden appeal in international markets, such as India and China, has become more common in the past few years (e.g., Deepika Padukone in 2017's xXx: Return of Xander Cage), Hollywood executives would be well served to recognize the box-office potential of diverse casts domestically – otherwise, money is simply being left on the table.


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WSBK Report
The Yoshimura Suzuki Team from Japan will make its World Superbike wildcard debut at Monza this coming weekend, but not with scheduled rider Yukio Kagayama, who was hurt in a British Superbike (BSB) race at Oulton Park racetrack on Monday.
Kagayama was the victim of a race 1 incident that left him unable to take part in the second British SBK motorcycle race. After the crash, he was reported to have a small crack in his back and suffering some pain.
Yukio's replacement will be Daisaku Sakai, who is also down to ride in two other World SBK races this year, and who has been flown over directly from Japan.
2010 Yoshimura | Statement of Race Plans
Yoshimura was to have made its debut in WSB at Assen last time out, but the volcanic dust cloud that caused air travel chaos over Europe stopped their bikes and parts arriving, and they rescheduled for the Monza round.Team Yoshimura has determined the race schedule in 2010 with the aim of technical improvement and challenge in the world stage with Suzuki GSX-R1000 as follows.
1. WSBK wild card entrant for 3 events
We will participate in the race at Monza round in May with Yukio Kagayama as first race to enter the WSBK, and also the final round in Magny-Cours in October also with Kagayama. His experiences in these courses and WSBK will show the high performance.
Then we enter the race at Imola in September with Daisaku Sakai. It is going to be his first race at WSBK, however his experiences of Suzuka 8H and Suzuka GP250 wild card entrant should help him.
2. Suzuka 300km endurance race
In the team Yoshimura, Kagayama and Sakai will pair up this pre event of Suzuka 8H and set up the best machine while aiming the victory.
3. Suzuka 8H World endurance race
As a defending champion, we enter the race for the victory. The riders are going to be again Kagayama and Sakai from above races, and also Nobuatsu Aoki who is Suzuki GSV-R test rider is going to join us.
All 3 of them have won the Suzuka 8H with Yoshimura, and they are all high potential riders to win the very tough "sprint-endurance" race.


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In Zagat's recently published "neighborhood smackdown," Jamaica Plain took home the title for the "most underrated dining scene" in Boston.
According to the folks at Zagat:
Some folks act like you need a passport to find your way to JP — but news flash: It's right on the Orange Line, so there's no excuse not to explore this arty 'hood. Newer restaurants cover every taste, from stellar hole-in-the-wall Mexican at Chilacates to Southern Lowcountry cuisine at The Frogmore and Scottish eats at The Haven. Tres Gatos is a homey haunt for top-notch tapas (plus there's a cool used record shop in back), Casa Verde gets creative with tacos and the Grass Fed burger bars offer excellent patties. And one of the city's best-kept secrets is Brassica Kitchen + Cafe, where 30 Under 30 honorees Jeremy Kean and Philip Kruta focus on clever farm-to-table fare from breakfast through dinner.
We're obviously pleased with the props, and perhaps even more tickled that there are so, so many other restaurants that contribute to JP's diverse, delectable dining scene. We're thinking of everything from the buttery pastries at Blue Frog to the delicately spiced Ethiopian cuisine at Blue Nile to the flavorful Cuban fare at El Oriental de Cuba to the reliably fresh sushi at JP Seafood to popular brunch spots such as Centre Street Cafe, Vee Vee, Sorella's and Robinwood Cafe -- and still, we're only scratching the surface.
What's your favorite "underrated" restaurant in JP?


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C. Filote, D. Amarandei, C. Ciufudean, A. Graur, and L. Mandici (Romania)
Induction motor, speed control, flux observer.
The paper presents the simulation of a high-performance
control for induction machines with robust-adaptive rotor
flux observer. Starting from a mathematical model and
using simulation this paper analyses the performances of a
robust-adaptive rotor flux observer. The solution is tested
by numerical simulation of the closed-loop vector control
system (control algorithms, induction motor, rotor flux
vector control observer).
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Update: The cyclist was identified as Dylan Mitchell, of Clayton, and was 21 years old, the San Francisco Medical Examiner's office said. The garbage truck and cyclist were traveling east on 16th Street toward South Van Ness. The truck driver made a right-hand turn onto South Van Ness, colliding with the cyclist. The cyclist was traveling at "a high rate of speed," police said.
Police reported that at about 6:45 a.m. on Thursday, a male bicyclist collided with a garbage truck near 16th and South Van Ness Streets and died at the scene.
The truck driver stayed in the area and cooperated with law enforcement. Police said they do not suspect that alcohol or drugs were involved in the incident.
The driver of the truck did not realize at first that the rear of the vehicle had struck the cyclist, police said. The truck dragged the bike between 16th and 17th Streets.
Police are currently investigating the incident.


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In 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a comprehensive attack on U.S. sovereignty by attempting to shape the outcome of our presidential election. Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his investigative team should be commended for providing amazing details about some aspects of this Russian intervention.
But Mueller's accounting should not be confused with the 9/11 Commission report that was issued after the terrorist attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Mueller and his team had a specific task, not a comprehensive mandate. They did not analyze all aspects of the Russian interference campaign, which extended beyond social media strategies and computer-intrusion operations. They did not assess how the Obama administration, social media companies and media organizations responded to Russian meddling. They did not evaluate the appropriateness of a number of interactions between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Most importantly, they did not propose policies for preventing future attacks. The Mueller report is an important first step, but only a first step.
Volume I of Mueller's report focuses principally on the two operations conducted by the Internet Research Agency (IRA) and the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency. This scope is reasonable, since they probably had the biggest impact. As the Mueller report reveals in fantastic detail, the IRA deployed multiple methods to influence U.S. electoral preferences and political views – primarily in the virtual world, on social media platforms, but also, at times, in the physical one. The GRU stole private property from the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as well as from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, and then published this data to try to damage candidate Hillary Clinton and help candidate Donald Trump.
Yet the Russian government and its proxies ran several other plays only partially discussed in the Mueller report. Russian media companies, including primarily RT and Sputnik, sought to influence American voter attitudes. Most audaciously and frighteningly, cyber operatives closely tied to the Russian government probed the U.S. electoral infrastructure in 21 states in 2016. And we still have little transparency about the economic ties between Russian actors and U.S. candidates and their campaign officials involved in the 2016 elections. The U.S. national interest would be well served by Mueller-size reports on these other Russian activities as well.
We also need in-depth studies of how policymakers (and others) responded or failed to respond effectively to these Russian efforts. The bipartisan commission established after 9/11 investigated thoroughly what measures the George W. Bush administration did and did not take to prevent that attack. There has been no such accounting of President Barack Obama's administration and congressional efforts. Should the FBI have moved more quickly to communicate with the campaigns under attack or with the social media platforms being exploited by the IRA? Should the White House have spoken more forcefully and more often about these attacks? What did Congress do right and wrong? We need to learn from past mistakes to avoid them in the future.
The actions of social media companies and traditional media organizations require similar scrutiny. How could Russian actors so easily broadcast partisan and false information on social media platforms? Why did the "sweeping and systematic" Russian attacks (to use Mueller's words) get so little attention from the broadcast and print media in 2016? Why did some journalists and commentators wrongly label this attack on our country a "hoax"? Were government officials, including those in charge of the investigation at the time, deliberately misleading the media, or could more have been done to dig deeper into this story before November 2016? What is the proper use of stolen data in future reporting?
We also need a more thorough and precise assessment of the intentions behind contacts between campaigns and foreign governments, companies or individuals to develop policy prescriptions — be they norms or laws — for future elections. (If these assessments are in the classified parts of the Mueller report, they should be published.) Mueller decided that these contacts were not criminal, but they were, in my view, wrong. They should not be repeated.
Candidates should not be in direct contact with foreigners to obtain compromising material on their opponents. They should not encourage foreign governments to steal property from their opponents and then promote the widespread dissemination of that illicit material. And they should not engage in business deals with foreign partners in ways that could be construed as conflicts of interest. At minimum, all candidates should disclose their business interests in foreign companies; publishing one's tax returns would be an easy way to provide this necessary transparency. And foreign companies, organizations and consultants (e.g., Orbis Business Intelligence, Cambridge Analytica, WikiLeaks) should not be allowed to work on U.S. campaigns.
The report appears to clear Trump and his campaign team of the crime of conspiring with the Russians. That means that the president and his associates should feel free to acknowledge and criticize forcefully what the Russians did to us in 2016. The Trump administration should seize this chance to work with Congress, the media and election officials to protect our elections from the malign influence of foreign forces. Some policy prescriptions are obvious and ripe for implementation. Other issues, however, will require more analysis and more creative solutions.
The Mueller report is good start. But it is only a start.
McFaul is director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Hoover fellow at Stanford University and a contributing columnist to The Post. He is the author of "From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia."
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NFL roundup: Dolphins flirt with scoring record in 70-20 victory over Broncos
New England Patriots
Patriots hold off Jets in slogfest, 15-10
Photos: Beth's Place makes recovery the priority in Lewiston
Photos: Beth's Place makes recovery the priority in Lewiston
Freeport holds anti-hate rally after recent racist, antisemitic vandalism


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Turkey's "State of Emergency Regime" declared after the last year's failed coup attempt generated a humanitarian crisis. With 26 decrees issued since 15th July 2016, 145K people were dismissed from public posts, 3520 entities were shut down, 68 mayors from Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) were unseated.
Under the state of emergency rule, 168K people detained, 57K were arrested, 1 CHP and 13 Kurdish deputies including co-chairs of HDP were arrested.
Despite there are those who calls the ongoing situation in Turkey as genocide, I think humanitarian crisis is more proper to define the situation. Yes the situation in Turkey that continues since 15th July can be defined as "humanitarian crisis." Humanitarian Crisis is series of events that threaten in terms of health, safety or well being of a community or large group of people.
Pursuant to article 5 of European Convention of Human Rights "Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person."
According to Ministry of Justice Bekir Bozdag, 168K people are being prosecuted, 57K people got arrested (51K are still under arrest), 48K people are under probation, 8K people are wanted within the scope of post coup investigations.
This large scale numbers indicate that Turkey's Humanitarian Crisis threatens "the right to liberty and security" of all dissidents who are probably %48 of population.
Also there is a wide spread torture and ill-treatment reported by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The direr fact is that law enforcement officers have impunity for all type of offences under The Emergency Decree 667.
Another threat against right to liberty and security is enforced disappearance incidents. According to Stockholm Center for Freedom's report (Enforce Disappearances in Turkey, dated June / 2017) "There has been a new campaign of enforced disappearance in Turkey since 2016 that specifically targets members of the civic Gülen movement. SCF has documented at least 11 (rised to 13) cases of enforced disappearance so far." And Hugh Williamson from HRW says "There are credible grounds to believe that government agents forcibly disappeared the missing men.."
Another threat – that is, for foreigners visiting Turkey – is being held captive to exchange with people sought by the Turkish government.
So, arbitrary arrest, torture, enforced disappearance, to be hold as captive for exchange are imminent danger that threats the large group of people.
Erdogan Regime,
a) dismissed 148K public servants,
b) shut down 3520 entities including universities, private schools, associations, foundations, trade and workers unions, hospitals etc and confiscated their all assets,
c) seized or appointed an administrator to a total of 879 companies worth 40.3 billion lira ($11.32 billion)
d) shut down 195 media outlets,
e) replaced 68 elected mayor with appointed trustees,
f) revoked more than 100K passports,
with emergency decrees (with accusation of having membership of or an affiliation, link or connection with terrorist organisations or structures.)
When we think of that the dismissed 148K public servants also lost their "health insurance, pensionary rights, the rights to work & travel & education."
Emre Turkut who is doctor of law in University of Ghent says "…the emergency measures undertaken by the Turkish authorities to date do indeed suggest that the post-coup measures have reached an unprecedented level, targeting a wide swathe of economic, social and cultural rights, and civil and political rights."
The decrees issued under state of emergency rule threatens and permanently violate the fundamental social, economic, cultural and civil and political rights of large group of people. So, We can say without hesitation that along with the right to liberty and security, there is active threat (against large group of people) in the terms of health & human wellbeing too.
As a conclusion, there is humanitarian crisis in Turkey; if it is not treated in democratic and judicial means next phase might be genocide or civil conflict. So far, ECtHR, Council of Europe and European Union fail to compete with this crisis..
To be continued with European Union, Council of Europe and ECtHR's attitude on Turkey's Humanitarian Crisis.
Categories: Turkey Human Rights Blog


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Thursday, May 6, 2010
Pushing it Down
The point is that setting need not be a case of the all-knowing designer dictating to the masses how to run their games. Not my will but thy will be done. You, the group who is going to play this game, are the only ones that matter. Luckily, I enjoy making tools, and I enjoy hearing what creative uses people put those tools to. I'm pushing it all down to you, the group, to play with however you want. Go for it!
5 comments:
- AnonymousMay 6, 2010 at 4:58 PM
Hi again Clash,ReplyDelete
I think this is cool. I would just put in a plea for examples of how the system can be used to create something cool to help those of us more creatively challenged...
I suppose people can still fall back on setting supplements like Far Shore. How about an Official StarCluster supplement setting out the original Cluster in all its glory?
There will be lots of examples, but I don't want anything to become canon. I will be selling setting supplements, and SC 2E will remain on free DL for the original Cluster setting.ReplyDelete
I love the idea of this but I do wonder if it makes the system a little more difficult to pick up? A GM with little time on their hands might not want to spend hours inventing clever plots and places for their players. Perhaps a default setting to show everything together might be handy?ReplyDelete
Icar has always been heavy on setting and make that easy to pick up has been a lot of work.
Hi Rob!ReplyDelete
I have always been worried about making too detailed a setting - even SC2E's setting is mostly stat blocks - because it encourages setting nazis like Traveller canonistas. What was once the most open and customizable of settings became the subject of feuds over minutia. I want to encourage diversity and openness of setting, and the more a setting is the property of *my* imagination, the less it is the product of *your* imagination.
What I am aiming for is easy to use tools to spur everyone's creativity. If you roll randomly on the tables, you will create a settign that has the feel of StarCluster - which is very different from the feel of Traveller, or the feel of Icar - without it being in any way canon, and with a healthy helping of your own imagination. :D
I think tools and examples are good. Show how you did it but have bits of ready made "examples" that can be drawn on..when needed.ReplyDelete


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Loredana Ivan, is Associate Professor of the College of Communication and Public Relations, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), where she teaches courses on Interpersonal Communication and Research Methods at BA and MA level. Since 2013 she is associate researcher at IN3 – Open University of Catalonia, Spain on projects related to elders and ICT. In 2007, she defended her PhD in Sociology at the University of Bucharest, where she also was post-doctoral researcher in Sociology (October 2011- March 2013). Loredana Ivan published books in the area of interpersonal communication: The Most important 20 seconds. Nonverbal Competence, 2009; Nonverbal Communication: Gestures and Posture, 2008, co-author; Nonverbal Communication and Social Construction, co-editor, 2011; Social Psychology: The Human Interaction, 2013, co-author.
Professional experience and membership in associations
Loredana Ivan is co-founder of the Research Group in Social Psychology at the Romanian Sociologists Association and a co-founder of the Social Cognition and Communication of Emotion Lab (http://csce.centrucomunicare.ro/EN/home.html).The laboratory is a division of Center for Research in Communication at SNSPA. In 2003-2004 she was Marie Curie Scholar at the Interuniversity Center for Methodology (ICS), University of Groningen, The Netherlands, where she acquired experience in combining various research methods. Between October 2011 and March 2012, Loredana Ivan was a visiting scholar at the Laboratory of Physiology of Emotions, Institute of Psychology, Humboldt University, Berlin.
Relevant publications
- Ivan, L. (2012). Elders and the use of mobile phones in Romania: First results of semi-structured interviews. This work was presented at the 2nd Open Workshop A-C-M BCN at the Interdisciplinary Internet Institute (IN3) Open University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain, 17-18 October 2012;
- Fernández-Ardèvol, M. & Ivan, L. (2013). Older people and mobile communication in two European contexts. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 15(3), 83-101;
- Ivan, L. & Fernández-Ardèvol, M. (2013). Seniors, risks and mobile communication: comparison between two European contexts. Proceedings for the Regional Conference ICA/ACOP/AE-IC/UMA. This research paper was presented at ICA regional conference;
- In 2010, Loredana Ivan coordinated a research team at SNSPA responsible for the methodology adaptation and data collection (both qualitative and quantitative) for ERA-NET – European project: FENCO: Scrutinizing the Impact of CCS Communication on the General and Local Public,in The Netherlands, UK, Germany, Norway, Romania and Greece. The results of this research project have been published in three high ranked journals. See: Mors, E., Terwel, B. W., Daamen, D. D., Reiner, D. M., Schumann, Ivan L. et al. (2013). A comparison of techniques used to collect informed public opinions about CCS: Opinion quality after focus group discussions versus information-choice questionnaires. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 18, 256-263;
- She was responsible for data collection and methodology adaptation (http://cf.whittier.edu/chill/irr/) of an inter-cultural project leaded by Charles Hill, Whittier College CA. The results of this project are described in Hill, C, Ivan, L., et al. (2012).Similarities in correlates of relationship commitment across gender, sexual orientation, and cultures. Gender, International Journal of Psychology, 47: sup1, 384-401.
Research Keywords: ageism, media studies