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Final Thoughts
It took me longer than expected to sit down and write the recap of our experience at Salone in Milan this year. I instead moved on quickly to the bright shiny objects that shuffle before me on any given day back in "the real world." My marketing group has badgered me one too many days for me to continue to ignore them, so here I sit looking back at our time in Milan.
And I must admit, it's nice to revisit.
It's been 7 weeks since we broke down our installation, shipping crates back to our San Francisco studio – among them some 30,000 cards of questions, written by the tens of thousands of visitors in multiple languages, all asking questions of the larger whole.
More on that later.
Rapt has been developing strategy and design solutions for workplace, retail and hospitality projects, the world over, for incredible clients throughout the years. Through North America, Europe, and Asia we focus on the same overarching challenges:
- How to tell a compelling story in a world where there are too many competing voices vying for attention
- How to have a deeper, more meaningful conversation in a world built on sound bites and catch phrases
- How to build meaningful connections in an increasingly disconnected, connected world (if that even makes sense)
As you may know, this was our first outing at Salone.
Our decision to be an official participant in Milan Design Week this year, instead of just being an observer, was part storytelling and part research. By that I mean that we originally decided to design an installation to tell a story – initially around a client partner's messaging but ultimately settling comfortably on telling our own story: what do WE believe to be true? Why do we do what we do? Why?
We knew that we wanted to do something that challenged people to engage. We also knew that we wanted to do something that brought people together. We wanted to not just show something, but we wanted to facilitate a larger conversation and hopefully come home having learned something…. We knew those things.
What we didn't know is if it would work. Could we make people slow down, drop their phones to their side and question their beliefs, talk to a stranger, be a player in the event instead of an audience member? We also wondered what questions people would ask if they could ask anything. To anyone.
As research, our premise that people really did want to "belong," and that spatial construct can assist in forging those connections, was proven out. It seemed that people did want to connect – that the glimpse into another person's queries, comparing them to your own and aligning with others around issues of the day, was a bonding experience. It seemed that people really were engaging… leaving with a sense of a larger whole. It is much the same as purchasing a luxury car – you are a BMW person or an Audi person… you are part of a tribe, a club….
While the initial interaction was akin to a hug you might give to a great aunt who doesn't wash as often as she should, there was often a deeper leaning-in to the experience that followed. People entered in groups and while the curtains were scaled to the individual, often two or three people gathered, backpacks protruding from the soft boundaries. The questions were more often than not deeper than expected, focusing on universal issues – happiness, contentment, and sex.
What we were a bit surprised by was the level of resonance. Salone is a week during which you are bombarded with beautiful. Intense and non-stop visual stimulation is the norm and after a day or so, it is hard to be truly engaged. Yet, as the week progressed, the lines for entry continued to grow, with people spending more and more time within the lounge area as the week wore on and as the questions dangling from the vault became more plentiful.
I was proud to be among others that were testing the limits of space (scale, light, color, materiality) to foster emotional connection – Google showed up in a big way with their "Space for Being," looking to prove that design decisions can directly affect people's health. At Rapt Studio, we have always believed in the power of a story well told – shared histories, the power of feeling a part of something larger than yourself – and in Milan this year, we were able to bring that to life and frankly watching it play out was great fun.
AND while Rapt Studio took top billing, as with many things it takes a village.
In this case, we were lucky enough to build a village of talented and generous people and the brands they created to bring "Tell Me More" to life. We couldn't have done it without them and frankly had we, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun! I would like to personally thank:
- RBW for their generous donation of all of the lighting throughout – the lounge's attitude was built solidly on the foundation of the VITIS chandelier, for sure – and to Charles and Alex for hanging out with us for the week.
- ERIK BRUCE for the gorgeous bespoke drapery and for being an incredible human whom I am so excited to have gotten to spend time with (looking forward to doing more of that).
- BLÅ STATION and SANCAL for setting the stage with incredibly comfortable and expressive seating and tables.
- CONCRETE COLLABORATIVE for the amazing hand finished terrazzo piers and platforms and to Kate and Anne Cecile for hanging with us and definitely upping the style quotient.
- MOOOI CARPETS and Mae Engelgeer for the beautiful area rugs – the first time shown anywhere.
- THE BRADLEY COLLECTION for the beautiful bespoke drapery hardware.
- BART HALPERN, CARNEGIE AND CREATION BAUMANN for incredible, luscious fabrics.
I would also like to send a huge Thank You to Studio Grassi Design and specifically to Matteo for being our construction partner – we could not have done this without you! And of course to the unbelievably talented and committed Raptors who worked tirelessly to pull this off – you know who you are and I am humbled to be able to work with each of you every day.
Lastly, I said above that there would be more on the cards… the questions posed by strangers…. We are busy compiling the best, the like-minded, the outrageous, and the profound and are planning on publishing a book letting you in on the questions of our time. So stay tuned. It'll take a while to get pulled together, but it should be good….
So, that's a wrap on Salone del Mobile 2019. We have already begun discussions on how we would like to engage with this important gathering in 2020, after a bit of rest, so see you next year for sure.
Days 3 & 4: April 12 & 13, 2019
Day Three and Four in Milan were a blur. So much so that I didn't get a chance to sit down and write a post. The thing about Design Week is that there is so much stimulation, between installations, exhibits, events and dinners, that it is hard to fit more than a few hours of sleep in each night.
Our installation is going strong, having more than 12,000 visitors participate, so far. The space has totally transformed since Monday, and looking back at the photos taken that day it seems that it was a half completed project, with the thousands of questions written in a wide array of languages completing the vision.
Our various team members have taken some time off from manning the Rapt space to see what Design Week has to offer, and there were definitely a few highlights. Our visit to the Armani Silos was a showstopper. The incredible space features designs from the Armani Collection, and during Design Week it's hosting "The Challenge," an exhibition of the works of Tadao Ando. The incomparable fashion on display somehow makes perfect sense as a lead-in to the timeless work of Ando, both exploring simplicity of materials and form. Stunning from start to finish.
This year, there is a larger than normal array of technology, automotive, and electronics companies hosting exhibits. Google's "A Place for Being" presents "scientific proof that design is important" in a exhibit that equips the visitor with a wrist band that measures your physiological reaction to different room settings — utilizing color, sound, smell and various design principles to offer different "neuroaesthetic" options. Having experienced each space, you are given a customized read-out identifying the space in which you felt most at ease and comfortable in.
Lexus offered a slightly less serious take on design, presenting "Lead with Light," a sort of dancing robot light show — compelling and engaging.
A longer than expected trip to Rosanna Orlandi Galleries had us weaving through the gallery's incredible mix of objects, furniture, lighting and textiles. The upstairs space houses an incredible array of art and design objects, with more items than can be imagined stored neatly in the shelving that surrounds the space. Within the compound was an Eileen Fisher installation of fabric panels (modern-day tapestries) made from returned, used clothing that were simply gorgeous — subtle, textured and unique, it was a beautiful display of making art from items deemed beyond their useful life.
There were lots of other sites and sounds to report on, but I ended Friday with a short interview on Monocle 24 Radio, talking about the experience of putting up an installation during Design Week and moving from an observer to a participant. After all, that is where life gets interesting, no?
Heading home tomorrow, but will revisit some lessons and reflections from our week here in Milan early next week. Ciao.
Day 2: April 11, 2019
Day Two of Milan Design Week brought large crowds to our installation welcoming nearly 3,000 visitors today. It has been interesting to see the space morph as more and more questions are hung. The exhibit in some ways is becoming less and less Rapt's and more and more the product of the participants' making. More on that in the days that come.
Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to visit other exhibits around the city, finding inspiration among others' creative output. I spent the morning at McKinsey's "The Business Value of Design" panel discussion, which was built around the McKinsey Report finding significant correlation between successful businesses and the degree to which they embrace design.
The discussion was thought-provoking, but for me it just offered credible metrics to prove something we already know. See the report here.
A short visit to the Hem showroom and Moooi filled my midday, before I settled in at the Vitra Design Museum's Politics of Design Conference. The discussion centered on design — Post-Industry, Post-Government, Post-Nature — and centered on the designer's role in solving larger societal problems. It has always been my belief that design is the creation of elegant solutions to complex problems — so, again, I was at home with the conversation.
I've experienced Milan Design Week differently this year. Perhaps it's because I'm on the other side of an installation. Perhaps it's because I just see things differently, having lived through the last six months of planning (although the heavy lifting was clearly handled by others — more on that later in the week as well). But I think that I'm more fully focused on the responsibility of design, the incredible joy of celebrating it, and the power of design to bring people together.
The other element of Design Week is the food and drink — and to that end, I'm late for cocktails. More tomorrow.
Day 1: April 10, 2019
Today we opened our doors at 10 a.m. to a long line of trade professionals, eager to start their week and see as much design as humanly possible. For those of you who have been to Milan for Salone Del Mobile, you know to what I'm referring. For those of you who haven't, I can only say that this week is a marathon, not a sprint. With the entire city giving over to design, there is much to see across the city; the inspiration is exhilarating (and exhausting).
So at 10 a.m. on Day One we were met with excitement that manifested itself at a more frenetic pace than we'd anticipated. I will say that we half-expected people to arrive ready to move through quickly, take the required Instagram post, and run off to the next thing. I'll also say that I secretly hoped that people would arrive with this mentality and — when greeted with a more human, potentially thought-provoking experience — would take a breath, sit down, and talk.
Both scenarios happened.
I realized that far more of us than I thought are programmed to move through life behind phones, camera at the ready, recording and observing the events unfurling before them, perhaps missing the experience while looking for the perfect shot to share with their followers in search of likes.
I also realized that there's an equal number of people who did, in fact, slow down and dig deep for a meaningful question; who stayed a bit longer, lingered to sit, talk, and search through questions; who actually committed to making this an experience. Perhaps this is my mind filling in the blanks with my hope for humanity, but I seemed to notice a sense of belonging for those particular visitors — a slight slowing to the "Design Week March." Perhaps it was just an illusion, but by afternoon, while the line never diminished in numbers, the pace slowed and instead of walking through and merely viewing the lounge on display, a larger proportion of visitors sat and lingered.
Tomorrow is another day, and as the volume of questions dangling from the vaulted ceiling multiplies so do my hopes for people relearning to interact naturally, to connect with those around them, and to broaden their experience — and for design to be fully understood as a tool for societal change.
Those are my thoughts for the day. Tomorrow I venture out and will report back on some favorites of the day. Ciao!
Press Preview: April 9, 2019
Yesterday we hosted the press preview for our Milan Design Week installation. As you may have gathered from our social feeds, we have been working for quite some time on our installation for Milan Design Week called Tell Me More. The installation examines the power of space to support and foster human interaction and meaningful emotional connections.
It is our first time out in Milan for what has become one of the most important design festivals in the world. During this week, all of Milan opens its doors and hearts to design, hosting talents from around the world and highlighting the power of design through new product introductions and experiential installations across the city.
Our installation, located within Ventura Centrale, takes an abandoned train shed and examines the connection between spatial construct and emotional connection, as well as psychological safety and human interaction.
Working for the last nine months to bring this installation to life has been a labor of love, and as with all things of this nature, it took our team's hard work and determination. Opening to trade professionals on Tuesday and to the public on Thursday, the installation runs through Sunday. But yesterday was about introducing the concept to the press and seeing the first reactions.
Upon entry to the space, the cool glow emanating from drapery-clad volumes gives a glimmer of what is within — enough to require a peek inside. When guests entered and were met with a question posed by the person before them, they took the card and left another with a similar query. The internal illumination of the space allowed for activity outside to drop away, and a sense of privacy encouraged a deeper dive for a question of real meaning. "When were you the happiest?" or "What has been your most poignant dream?"
When done, guests made the short meander into the lounge, which brings a change of mood. A warmer, comfortable tone, elevated seating areas, and a sea above of glimmering lights and the burning questions of the day… Here you are met with groups of people deep in conversation, posing questions and offering answers. And in a world that has disappeared behind its phones, this is a place that people stop being observers and put themselves center stage to engage.
The day was a great success, and the response was extremely positive. We hosted press from around the world, with questions posed in multiple languages. Today we open in earnest and will continue to collect questions and connect people — showing the real power of design to make you feel part of something greater.
We'd like to thank our partners in this endeavor, including Erik Bruce, Rich Brilliant Willing, Moooi Carpets by Mae Engelgeer, Concrete Collaborative, DZINE, Sancal, Bart Halpern, Blå Station, The Bradley Collection, Carnegie, and Création Baumann.


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You asked, they answered! The Conan community has been outraged over the duplication glitch interfering with the game's servers. After careful consideration, Funcom finally has a resolution for Conan Exiles players – a server wipe.
Before You Abandon All Hope…
Funcom have decided to wipe the servers clean. This is the only way to offer players a fresh start and restore balance to the servers. However, players don't have to rage over losing their game data because there is a silver lining. The server wipe is planned to be included in the upcoming patch at the end of the week. All worlds will be made empty and your bases will be erased. Unfortunately, players' inventories will be deleted as well. However, the developers confirm your character level will remain intact.
The wipe is going to bring some backlash because players will be forced to rebuild everything and start their games from scratch. This is a huge setback, but you no longer have to worry about players duplicating high quantities of valuable items in the game. There was no perfect solution to end the bug and we have no right to expect such a thing from the developers. Funcom has dedicated a lot of time to find a way to please their fans. It's not fair to give them flack about it, so let's just cut them some slack and remain supportive.
Conan Exiles' game director, Joel Bylos has announced that there will be new content and features for players in the patch. Among the things in the update are new weapons and slave animations.

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If you too are a new player in PUBG Mobile and are looking for better settings straight away without the hassle of understanding the settings of the game then you are at the right place. Here we are giving you information about the best settings of PUBG Mobile.
It has been more than two years since PUBG Mobile was launched and to date, millions of people have joined this game. PUBG Mobile is one of the best and extremely popular Battle Royale games with a 60 million player base. New players are being added on the day of the game, and if you have just started playing PUBG Mobile, then you must have known that the settings from graphics to controls are very important in this game. Although the default settings in the game are also good, by changing them according to you, you can make the game better. We have looked at all the settings in PUBG Mobile and have brought some tips for you so that you do not have to waste your time on these settings.
PUBG Mobile Tips & Tricks
Performing well in PUBG Mobile or having a chicken dinner depends on your playing skills, but yes you can improve your game to some extent by changing the game's settings, there are no opinions. So if you too are a new player of PUBG Mobile and are looking for better settings straight away without the hassle of understanding the settings of the game then you are right. Here we are giving you information about the best settings of PUBG Mobile.
Set graphics settings by phone
When the PUBG Mobile is first opened on the phone, the game sets the graphics settings according to the smartphone, but changing the graphics at times also gives a good effect on the gameplay. New mid-range smartphones coming today also have the ability to run PUBG Mobile at high graphics settings, but still if you feel that the game sometimes lag or the phone gets hot after playing for a while, You can reduce the graphics on the game's settings.
For this you go to the 'Settings' of your game and the 'Graphics' on the right side thereTap on Here you will find many options. If you are running a mobile phone with good hardware and a high-speed stable internet connection, you can make these settings at high and if your phone is a bit old or a budget smartphone, you can switch the settings to mid or low tomorrow. Many times, on a budget phone, the graphics are low and the frame rate is increased even if the fun of playing the game increases. These settings depend on the user's phone and internet connection, so we would advise you to try them out according to your game.
PUBG Mobile Tips – Change visual style
You will also see some visual options in 'Graphics' inside the 'Settings' of Pajabi Mobile . Here Classic , Colorful , Realistic or Soft options are available. This changes the color tone in the game. While this only makes the game different in terms of appearance, some players claim that Colorful Mode helps them spot enemies easily. However these are only claims and we do not confirm them. PUBG mobiles have a lot of colorful outfits, and this may be the reason why players will see these outfits more colorful in colorful mode, which makes them look like players hiding in the grass.
Although our team has different opinions on this, most people like the classic mode. In such a situation, we suggest that you check all these options by yourself and find out which option suits you according to your phone.
PUBG Mobile tips – Set controls
Not only the new players, but the masters of PUBG Mobile are also often looking for control settings. In this game, players have countless options to set their controls. In the game, the player can set the buttons anywhere in the screen according to his own. In such a situation, many players keep searching for the best pubg control settings on the Internet. You can change your controls by tapping on the 'Controls' option on the right side inside the 'Settings' of the game. Here you will find many pre-set settings. The player also has 3 layouts inside these three presets. You can save three types of settings here. You can save three types of settings in each layout according to you.
If you use a trigger, you can set one layout according to the trigger settings and set the other two to clo grip settings or normal settings. Many players set these layouts according to the different button sizes.
Set the controls of the car too
Like the player, you can also set the controls of the car. The game comes with three pre-set options. It completely depends on you which option you choose. We would advise you to play some games with these three settings and see what settings you are able to drive well. For this, you go to the 'Settings' of the game and choose the tab 'Vocal' in the fourth number.
Turn on aim assist
If you are a new player then this Aim Assist will be of great use to you. Aim Assist makes it easier to hit the enemy. Turning it on will automatically put an Aim on the enemy in the game, but remember that it is not accurate, but if you are a new player, it would be good for you to start with Aim Assist, but we will give you this after a while. I would recommend turning off the option. You can also see 'Am Assist' at the top of the Basic tab inside the game's settings .
Turn on peak and fire
This option is turned off by default in the game. You may have seen many players peeping through the building windows, doors, or behind trees and stones in the game. It is awesome for peak and fire. With Peak & Fire, you can peek out behind a cover just by taking your head out and shooting enemies. This hides your body inside the cover and makes you less likely to be shot. If you master this feature, you can save yourself and reach the chicken dinner easily. You can see Peek & Fire under the 'Basic ' tab on the right side inside the game's settings. Also, an option Peek & Open Scope
Also happens. In the peak and open scope option, the scope opens automatically as soon as you press the peak button. We would advise you to enable this option as well. You can see this option next to Peak and Fire.
Set automatic loot limit
In PUBG Mobile, your character automatically picks up the loot, but you can also choose the limit of the loot from yourself. The game has a limit for each category, in which it is pre-determined how many bullets or gunpowder your character will pick up. You can change it by yourself. We would advise you to reduce the number of bullets slightly and increase the number of health and grenades slightly. You can also set amo according to the guns in it. For this option go to 'Settings' of the game and open the sixth tab ' Pick Up' on the right. Here you can make your own setting.
Change sensitivity
According to the new player the sensitivity in the game is reduced, but even then changing it can make your game better. Sensitivity means how sensitive your touch is. Sliding your thumb or finger across the screen allows you to change how fast the player turns or your gun. If you reduce the sensitivity of the game, then sliding the finger or thumb on your screen, the player slowly turns and if you have opened the scope of the gun, your gun moves slowly. If you increase the sensitivity then this work is done faster. If you are a new player, we would advise you to keep the sensitivity at 'low' or 'medium' .
With this, you can easily move your player around and it will also be easy for you to open the score and aim. You can also set different sensitivity for different scores, but we would advise you to keep with the 'Low' and 'Medium' settings already set in the beginning. You can change this setting by going to the fifth tab 'Sensitivity' under the 'Settings' of the game.
Change the color of the crosshairs
Crosshairs speak of the gunshot aim coming into your game, which looks like a ' + '. The game also has many color options. You can change its color according to you. We would advise you to apply the color that you can comfortably see in the grass. You can set different colors on the crosshairs of different scopes. For this you have to go to the settings of the game and select the seventh tab 'Scope' on the right.
Turn off mic and speaker
Every new player of PUBG Mobile is often heard shouting at other players or sometimes because of your not playing well. In such a situation, new players are unable to focus on their game due to anger. Let me tell you here that now PUBG Mobile has given many options for mic and speaker. In the game you can turn off your mic. If you are upset with the other players of your team, you can turn off the sound of the entire team through the speaker icon on the right side of the screen. You also have this option if you want to reduce or stop the voice of one player in the team. For this, you have to tap on the speaker and slide the volume bar named after the player. This will allow you to focus better on your game.
Sahil Shah is B.E passed out. He loves to write and do experiments with online tools, software, and games. He is an expert tech writer for 10+ years. He is a part-time scientist as well. Eating, and being online at night is what he usually does.


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Monday, March 2, 2009
Pulp Fantasy Library: Saga of Old City
Perhaps I'm just seeing a method in the madness where there is none, but, even if I'm wrong, can there be any question that Saga of Old City is a literary atavism? The novel tells the story of the childhood and youth of an orphaned boy named Gord who escapes his cruel foster mother to undertake a life of adventure that begins when the Beggars Guild, of which Gord has become a very talented member, runs afoul of the Thieves Guild, leading to a turf war between the two criminal enterprises. To avoid his demise, Gord flees the City of Greyhawk and wanders the surrounding regions of the Flanaess, becoming involved in a variety of events that hone his skills and pave the way for his eventual triumphant return to the city.
There's no question that, as a novelist, Gygax possessed many deficiencies, particularly when it came to dialog. Nevertheless, the picture he paints of Gord's early life and his youthful adventures is a compelling one -- a pulp fantasy pastiche that answers the question, "What if Oliver Twist had been written by Fritz Leiber?" More importantly, it provides many insights into how one of D&D's creators saw the game. Reading through Saga of Old City, it becomes readily apparent that, for Gygax, fantasy adventures didn't have to be epic to be entertaining and fantasy protagonists didn't have to be pivotal figures in the world to be worthy of our attention. What we get is a picaresque tale that feels like a throwback to earlier fantasy literature than anything that was being written in 1985.
Ironically, as the series continued (particularly after Gary left TSR), the original focus of the books shifted considerably, with Gord becoming ever more significant, not just on Oerth but in the wider multiverse. Again, I detect another thumbing of the nose at the company from which he was ousted, with the later books being Gygax's attempt to sabotage the continued viability of the Greyhawk setting, but there are other possible interpretations. Still, I have a great soft spot for Saga of Old City, for in it we saw Gygax bring his home campaign setting to life in a way he never did in any of his other writings. It's only partially successful as novel, I think, but there can be no question that, as a window into the mind of D&D's co-creator, it's well worth reading.
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I think Saga and its successor Artifact of Evil are both fun reads. Post-TSR Sea of Death has some good stuff, but there's a definite decline. Come Endless Darkness wasn't very good, and feels petty in its "Greyhawk is dead! Everyone come to Aerth now!" finale.ReplyDelete
I haven't read Gygax yet, too much on my plate. This book cover is notable because one of my players used this image of Gord as his charcater portrait.ReplyDelete
S'mon pretty much sums up the quality (and apparent motivation) of the series pretty well.ReplyDelete
I loved SoOC. In fact, I read it until the covers fell off (still have my old copy), and it was the principle reason I became interested in Greyhawk as a setting. It has a lot more in common with the short stories of Conan, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, etc. than it does with the BIG EPIC FANTASY QUINTILLOGY that dominated the shelves at the time--and I think that's where its charm lies and why I didn't enjoy Artifact of Evil as much.
Gary was not cut out to be an epic novelist, but he was pretty good at the old pulp short story--and when you get down to it, SoOC is better thought of as a collection of short stories than a single novel.
Not to nitpick, but what constitutes 'late' Gygax works? "Infernal Sorceress" was first published in 2008. 1985 would seem to be more 'mid' than late by comparison.ReplyDelete
>>on a side note, word verification for this comment is: coment
/no lie!
I mean "late" in reference to his TSR days. I'm thinking of things like Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, Isle of the Ape, and so forth.
I will say this for Gygax: He was a much better novelist than Ed Greenwood. Of course, not having a disturbing fixation on kinky sex helps there. :)ReplyDelete
I've always enjoyed the visceral grubbiness of the version of Greyhawk that Gord inhabits. Gary found ways to bring the setting alive that are excellent models for DMs wanting to add just the right amount of detail as spice to their games: the foods in Stoink, the various roadways and byways, the relationships between lords and vassals, etc.ReplyDelete
Good fun stuff!
- AnonymousMarch 4, 2009 at 2:33 PM
For me Greyhawk and the first two novels are inseparable. I had been gaming in Greyhawk since the time of the Folio's first release...patching together those scattered references in different modules and unable to come with a solid image of what the world was like. Then Gary delivers it to me. Boy, was I thrilled and not just by the illustrations of the babes that dotted almost every chapter.ReplyDelete
I was greatly upset by the New Infinities releases, as it seemed like these were therapies in anger management for Gary and only wish he had been given the world that he created...therefore, not to carry all that bitterness into his writing. His profanity was out of place as the whole thing unravelled into: "I don't give a f*ck, anymore."
I was greatly upset by the New Infinities releases, as it seemed like these were therapies in anger management for Gary and only wish he had been given the world that he created...therefore, not to carry all that bitterness into his writing. His profanity was out of place as the whole thing unravelled into: "I don't give a f*ck, anymore."ReplyDelete
I agree. The later Gord books are very "angry." I felt that then and I feel that even more strongly now. It's a pity, because the earlier books were a lot of fun.
"That is, I've come to think that Gygax was, if not thumbing his nose at the direction of TSR and D&D in the years prior to his return from his California exile, offering a counterpoint to that direction."ReplyDelete
I remember Gary once saying—in one of the Q&A threads—that he intended for the novel to reflect the feel of the game. Which suggests to me that your interpretation is correct.
I really loved Night Arrant...a collection of nine shorter tales. This is an awesome collection and the stories are very varied in their approach and subject matter...a must have!!ReplyDelete


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On Tuesday, May 17 at the Chamber's 32nd Annual Awards luncheon Amy Spens will be receiving a Community Award for Environmental Excellence from the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce. The award, which is normally given to an adult, recognizes her work for and commitment to the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.
So how does a high school senior win such an award? It is probably best to let Amy tell you in her own words. "Most of my outdoor volunteer work has happened with the Mountains to Sound Greenway. When I was little I was one of those kids you can't keep clean. I'd ruin one pair of jeans in the dirt, then change into a fresh pair and roll into a mud puddle. Needless to say my mom was not pleased (and now I understand why!)"
"Nowadays, I still love playing in the dirt, and volunteering with the Greenway gives me plenty of opportunities to work with my hands, teach others, and yes, get dirty. After almost 3 years I've accumulated over 400 volunteer hours, led multiple Summer Camps for kids from 11-18, and spoken in front of the director of the National Forest Service to convince him of the Greenway's importance as a National Heritage site (the speech was also for the "America's Great Outdoors Act".)"
"Additionally, I just found out that I've been chosen from almost 800 applicants to receive a Teens in Public Service internship for the summer. Teens in Public Service partners with local non-profits to provide students ages 13 to 19 with minimum-wage summer jobs in a variety of categories: seniors homes, conservation groups, and summer-school tutoring programs; all receive TIPS interns to work 20-30 hours a week, for 6-8 weeks. I'll be working with the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society on grounds maintenance, plant collection/documentation/mapping, volunteer event coordination, and public event organization. I'm very excited to be working outside in the sunshine all summer!"
And just in case you were wondering, yes, this is the same Amy Spens who is a National Merit Finalist this year.
Guess getting dirty pays off.


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Routers & Wall Chasers
Routers are used in many applications such as cabinetry for hollowing out particularly hard materials.
Wall chasers are used for cutting trenches in surfaces to allow for things like cables to be laid and then covered over again.
Hire and Supplies can supply htese from great brands such as Makita, Dewalt and SIP.
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Today's history class, as many times before, started with defining certain words from our source reading, for those who are still kind of suffering with the German language.
Today's word was Weihe, meaning consecration or benediction, according to the online English dictionary I am using. That was not much of a unordinary word, since the text we were reading was a speech by a theology student from the 1800s but somehow my professor got to speak about an East German tradition for teens, that includes the same word, consecration.
So today, embraced by the feeling of nostalgia while remembering my own experience with this event, I decided to tell you guys about this ceremony that is still around among East Germans, which is called Jugendweihe and is completed by 15-16 year olds. Jugend meaning youth.
The Jugendweihe is a non-religious version, because as we know during the Cold War East Germany was a secular state, of the Christian Communion or Jewish Bat Mitzvah. The general purpose of this event is to welcome the youth into adulthood.
But instead of going to catechism class, or learning to read the Torah, all you have to do to complete your integration into adulthood, is to participate in the activities that are offered to you by the organization.
I remember receiving a catalogue with many different activities to choose from, that included many different areas of interest like sports, history and society, jobs and career etc. I remember choosing to do a historical bus tour through Berlin, going to a presentation about life in East Germany during the Cold War and going to see a show at the Friedrichstadt Palast, the most famous revue show palace in Berlin. Meanwhile there are even trips to Paris offered.
The best thing about participating in these activities is that one gets the chance to do them and experience culture and different workshops for cheaper in connection with one's "youth ceremony" than if one was to do them separately just like that. I remember paying only € 20 for my visit to the Friedrichstadt Palast. Compared to the usual minimum price of € 50 per ticket, that was quite an offer.
After having done all the chosen activities, there is a set date, usually during early summer or late spring, when the teens have their official ceremony. For youngsters with East German parents who hold on a lot to the traditions from the past, this event is almost as important as prom or anything of that sort. Girls get themselves pretty dresses and shoes on deadly high heels and get their long hair done into an expensive French pleat.
My ceremony, back in 2009 or 2010, took place in a movie theater in East Berlin. We watched as singers and comedians performed on stage, before some others held their speeches to welcome us into society as adults.
After the speeches and songs were over, each one of us was called up on stage and given our certificate of completion along with a single flower I believe. I will never forget how the anchorman of the event tried to get everyone's (last) names correctly, backstage before we were about to start.
Giving each one of us a quote, mine was by Mark Twain, we were welcomed as members of the adult society and sent off to our relatives and friends, who were waiting for us to finally get us our long anticipated "youth ceremony gifts" that can have just as much value as a birthday gift.
That may all sound a little bit cheesy but was actually a really nice way to show that daily life can consist of more than sitting in front of the computer all day especially since so many things to do were offered to do at a decent price, and that learning about one's history could lead to interesting conclusions.


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Neuer is in Germany World Cup squad, Sane left out
Berlin: Germany have included 2014 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in their final squad for the 2018 tournament, even though he has only just returned from a long-term absence through injury.
But coach Joachim Loew omitted Manchester City striker Leroy Sane from his 23-player list despite a strong season with the Premier League champions.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Neuer made his first appearance since September in the 2-1 defeat by Austria in a friendly on Saturday.
The 32-year-old who is considered key to Germany's hopes of retaining the title had been sidelined for eight months after fracturing a metatarsal in his left foot last September in a recurrence of the same injury he suffered earlier in 2017.
Sane was cut from the squad with Timo Werner and the veteran Mario Gomez included as just two out-and-out strikers.
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona/ESP), Kevin Trapp (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA)
Defenders: Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Matthias Ginter (Moenchengladbach), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Niklas Suele (Bayern Munich), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea/ENG), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders: Sami Khedira (Juventus/ITA), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/ESP), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/ENG), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City/ENG), Leon Goretzka (Schalke 04), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
Forwards: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart)


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Developing a selection of menus for your catering business can be challenging. To a certain extent you can question the client as to their preferences but from there you are on your own. You will have to come up with your own menu creations that also fit in with the client's requirements. Some clients may not know what they want at all and you may have to show them a variety of menu options. Chilternscatering.com.au cater Sydney with all manner of events from cocktails parties and dinners to brunches, picnics, and receptions.
Here are some catering menu ideas for you to consider as you proceed to put your own menus together.
Type of Event
Think about the people who will be attending, the kind of food they might like and what kind of volume they may consume. Things that you may have to think about here include age, gender, culture and socio-economic background. Will the event be formal or casual?
Timing of an Event
This is an obvious one really. Whether you serve dishes suitable to a breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, morning tea or afternoon snacks will depend on what time of day a catering event is scheduled.
Clients may have a theme in mind for an event and want you to work in with it. Even if they don't it is quite a marketable concept to have menus in themes that tie in with table decorations and server uniforms. Regional themes work best for food such as an Italian or Asian theme.
The Client's Budget
This is going to have a large impact on what is possible in terms of a menu and your catering services. The budget will determine the ingredients that you can use, what dishes you can serve and in what volumes you can serve them.
Number of Guests Attending
Working out an average amount that you expect the guests to eat will help you to plan a menu. You have to make sure that you prepare appropriate servings that give everyone enough to be satisfied without having too much left over food that may go to waste.
Some catering companies have rough guidelines for the amount of food required per head. For example, caterers may estimate that the average adult will eat 180 grams of meat, chicken or fish, 180 grams of carbohydrates (potatoes, rice or pasta), 160 grams of vegetables and 80 grams of salad. Every catering business owner has a different opinion here so adjustments can be made once you know what you are doing.
Where will you be Preparing the Food?
This will determine what equipment you have access to and thus what dishes you will be able to create. If you are preparing the food onsite then you won't have the hassle of transporting it to the venue. If you are preparing it from your own commercial kitchen then you may be able to do more much more than if you are using facilities that you are not familiar with.
Good Menu Combinations
Foods should go together on serving trays or plates in a way that they will compliment each other with regards to taste and visual appeal. Menus for an event should also be planned out in the right combinations so that the overall menu has the right balance of meats, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates and fats and oils.
Wherever possible you should give people variety. Let them add their own salad dressings, sauces or condiments.
Catering to Dietary Requirements
When consulting with a client you should ask them if they would like you to include dishes in the menu that cater to specific dietary requirements. You might include some vegetarian or vegan dishes and others that may be specifically for people with food allergies.
Having certain dishes that you can say are low fat or low in carbohydrates is a good idea for catering to those who may be on diets.
Contemporary Food Trends
People expect something special from a catering business these days and you have to give people new and exciting dishes. Depending on the client and the guests the best way is usually to balance some modern cooking styles with classic dishes.
What Foods Make Good Business Sense?
It is great if you can work out which dishes and food items allow your catering business to make the most profit? You need to understand a lot about the current market prices for all commonly used ingredients. Some foods are seasonal and are therefore usually only profitable when they are in season.
When presenting a client with a variety of menus that your catering business offers give them the chance to upgrade to more expensive options involving more expensive ingredients.
The Number of Courses
The more courses you include, the more service staff you will need and the more dishes and cutlery you will need to bring. Remember that some ingredients should feature only once in a multi-course menu. You wouldn't want to have a chicken soup on the menu if you also had roast chicken as part of the main course for example.
Study Menus at Restaurants
Whenever you are eating out at a restaurant or at a catered event, seek inspiration from menus that have been put together by other people. More importantly, judge the reaction of the people who are being served and eating the dishes in question.
Over time you can improve your menus by taking note of which dishes were popular and which were hardly touched. Drop the losers and go with the most popular dishes while testing new dishes from time to time.
You will also notice that once you get started you will get numerous new catering menu ideas popping into your head and through customer feedback.
Planning your first set of catering business menus doesn't have to be a nightmare if you go about it in an organized manner. Just pretend that you are having 120 guests over for a dinner party!
For articles on preparing a catering business plan as well as many other topics visit –
Starting a Catering Business
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Robert_Sutherland/306680
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4119807


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Apple says he'll compete for Wood's seat
The field of candidates is growing in the race to replace retiring Democratic state Rep. Alex Wood.
Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple confirmed this week that he will compete for Wood's seat representing the 3rd Legislative District, the most reliably Democratic district in eastern Washington.
Wood, a former radio newscaster, announced in December that he would not seek an eighth term. Apple is in his second term on the City Council.
Also running for Wood's position are Andy Billig, president of the Spokane Indians Baseball Club, and Louise Chadez, a longtime social worker in Spokane who ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 2002. David K. Smith, a teacher and debate coach at University High School, filed for candidacy with the state Public Disclosure Commission, but has decided not to run, said Amy Biviano, chairwoman of the Spokane County Democratic Party.
No Republican has given notice with the state that they intend to compete for the seat. Read more about the race in Thursday's Spokesman-Review.
(Photo is of Apple watching election returns the night he won a seat on the City Council in 2003.)


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IBC's Top 10 tips for a fun, safe Halloween
28 Oct, 2015, 14:38 ET
28 Oct, 2015, 14:38 ET
EDMONTON, Oct. 28, 2015 /CNW/ - With the excitement of trick-or-treating, little ones can forget their safety rules. Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) offers its Top 10 tips to help keep Halloween safe for everyone.
"On Saturday evening, streets across Western Canada will be bustling with activity so it's important to take extra precautions," said Bill Adams, Vice-President, Western and Pacific, IBC. "We are reminding parents and motorists to take some important safety measures to keep everyone safe on Halloween night."
IBC's Top 10 tips for a fun, safe Halloween are:
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industy association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up 90% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC has worked with governments across the country to help make affordable home, auto and business insurance available for all Canadians. IBC supports the vision of consumers and governments trusting, valuing and supporting the private P&C insurance industry. It champions key issues and helps educate consumers on how best to protect their homes, cars, businesses and properties.
P&C insurance touches the lives of nearly every Canadian and plays a critical role in keeping businesses safe and the Canadian economy strong. It employs more than 118,000 Canadians, pays $6.7 billion in taxes and has a total premium base of $48 billion.
For media releases and more information, visit IBC's Media Centre at www.ibc.ca. Follow IBC on Twitter @InsuranceBureau and @IBC_West or like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC.
If you require more information, IBC spokespeople are available to discuss the details in this media release.
SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada
Image with caption: "IBC Top 10: Tips for a fun and safe Halloween (CNW Group/Insurance Bureau of Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151028_C8877_PHOTO_EN_531531.jpg
For further information: To schedule an interview, please contact: Celyeste Power, Manager, Media Relations, 416-362-2031 ext. 4312 (office), 647-384-9872 (after hours), [email protected]
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC...


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Latest Sports News:
The surging Buffalo Bills (8-3) travel to AT&T Stadium to play the Dallas Cowboys (6-5) at 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday as the second game during Thanksgiving action. We analyze the Bills-Cowboys odds and betting lines, while providing sports betting picks and tips.
Latest Sports News: Buffalo at Dallas: Week 13 preview, betting trends and notes
- The total has hit the under is six of Buffalo's last seven road games.
- The total has hit the over in five of the Cowboys last seven games.
- Buffalo is 9-3-1 against the spread in its last 13 games and 7-3-1 this season.
- Dallas is 7-4 against the spread this season.
- Buffalo is third in the league in points allowed per game (15.7), while Dallas is seventh, allowing 19.1 points per game.
- The Cowboys are 0-4 against teams they played who had a winning record at the time. They're 6-1 in games against teams that had losing records.
Latest Sports News: BetMGM BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL
BET $1, WIN $250 in free bets if ANY NFL team scores a touchdown Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. Bet now and win!
Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.
Latest Sports News: Buffalo at Dallas: Key injuries
For Dallas, LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck) and DT Antwaun Woods (knee) have been ruled out.
Latest Sports News: Buffalo at Dallas: Odds, betting lines and prediction
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:35 a.m. ET.
Dallas 20, Buffalo 16
Moneyline (?)
The Cowboys (-286) are a prohibitive favorite despite their recent struggles. Buffalo (+230) is getting a nice return on investment, so, if you are to bet this at all a small bet on Buffalo and looking for an upset in what looks to be a tight, defense-dominated game would be the call, even though we'll avoid it because we think Dallas will win and 1:3 return is just too low.
Against the Spread (?)
For a team who hasn't beaten a team with a winning record, Dallas is still the betting favorite laying 6.5 points (-115), while Buffalo is -105 getting +6.5. The Cowboys have the weapons to blow the game out, but Bills QB Josh Allen can make enough plays to get Buffalo in scoring position often enough to keep the game close. Take BUFFALO (+6.5, -105).
Over/Under (?)
The total is 44.5 points and Dallas has a trend of hitting the over at home this year. While Buffalo hasn't faced a very tough schedule, it does have a history of playing the good teams tight. The projection is about right for the kind of game we're expecting, so the UNDER (+110) in a Zeke Elliott-dominated game plan is the bet to make as both teams struggle to find the end zone with regularity.
Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you're looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.


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Club CITGO puts convenience in the palm of your hand. This is your app for getting deals, earning rewards, and winning prizes at CITGO Gas Stations.
Deals – Get instant mobile coupons and everyday deals at stores in your area
Places – View details, amenities and find the closest CITGO location near you.
Products – View details on products and find deals and rewards for your favorites.
Rewards – You could earn mobile rewards for checking-in and sharing on Facebook and Twitter. Plus track your Club CITGO Loyalty Program (coming soon).
But this app offers more than savings and free stuff. It'll help you discover your next favorite restaurant or hotel. Or that roadside attraction the kids will always remember. Or that cup of late-night coffee just off the highway. We've made it easy to search, map, and learn—as well as save—all in the same app.
We think you'll enjoy it so much you'll want to tell your friends—so we made it easy to share info on deals and rewards through Facebook, Twitter, and email. And every time you do, you just might win a prize!
Sweepstakes Details:
- One lucky person will win gas for a year in the form of $2,500 in CITGO Gift Cards
- One person will win $100 CITGO Gift Card each week
- Gain initial entry to the sweepstakes by downloading and registering the Club CITGO app
- Gain up to 5 entries per day by checking-in and sharing Club CITGO rewards and deals
Download the free Club CITGO app and take advantage of great deals and specials every day. Plus, get chances to win prizes including gasoline for a year and $100 in gasoline each week. You can even increase your chances by sharing and checking-in often.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Microsoft's fix for web graphics going AWOL? Disable your antivirus
Or stop using Internet Explorer 11, of course
If Internet Explorer 11 users exist, they may have noticed missing graphics in web apps. Now Microsoft has some free, helpful advice that might restore them: disable your antivirus.
Microsoft's Browser Support team noted today that there are three special scenarios where Internet Explorer 11 web graphics elements are missing in web apps running "highly used" web HTML font icons, including Font Awesome, @font-face, graphic shell-icons and GDI fonts. To get an idea of their use, font-awesome was included in about 36,411 Drupal content management system websites the week of August 20.
Font Awesome's Github page has a report of the issue dating back to March 2016.
It affects IE11 users on Windows 10, as apparently missing icons do not plague those on Redmond's Edge browser.
One scenario that could cause the missing graphics would be if "Untrusted Font Blocking" (slated for the axe in later Windows 10 releases) is enabled. Another is certain policy rules around font downloads.
But "if the above scenarios do not assist in resolving the missing icon issue," Microsoft noted, "please make sure you disable your antivirus application that have also known to prevent the Fonts Icon from displaying in the IE11 browser." ®


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Thursday, December 19, 2013
Lemonade Time! -- Hubert's Lemonade Review
13 comments:
I love lemonade. And I can already tell I would love this one! Thanks for the review :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 22, 2013 at 4:41 PM
Its seem like that lemonade taste good, I would love to try it, I love lemonade,great postReplyDelete
Yum, just how I like my lemonade - tart and sweet at the same time! It sounds very delicious and refreshing.ReplyDelete
I love lemonade, but I have never heard of this brand before. My little guy LOVES lemonade, too. We will have to look out for it.ReplyDelete
Now that seems to be a yummy lemonade treat! I sure love to have a taste of that tooReplyDelete
I have never had Hubert's but the perfect combination of sweet and tart sounds good to me!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 22, 2013 at 8:14 PM
My boys are such big lemonade fans, they would love to try this I am sure. I will go see what stores it is available in.ReplyDelete
My mother has always been a big fan of lemonade since we were kids. I'm sure that she would love to taste this brand.ReplyDelete
That looks good! There are only a few lemonaides I'll drink. I might have to try this.ReplyDelete
These look so fun! I love lemonade so much and these look tasty!ReplyDelete
Lemonade is such a nice drink all year round. This looks like a good brand.ReplyDelete
I'm not a fan of lemonade, but I may relay this to my lemonade addict friend :)ReplyDelete
Yum! You made it sound so delicious. I need to try some of this.ReplyDelete


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When I was really young, my dad went to work in South Dakota for a year. So he bought a camera while he was away to take pictures of all the pretty landscapes up there (ha ha!) But when he came back I wore that big Canon SLR around my neck as if it were my favorite necklace. I took lots of photos. And wasn't it great that you had to buy film and pay to have it developed back then?
Later on in middle school he got me a little Canon point and shoot. I used it a lot. Wore it out. But when I was in high school I decided I wanted to step up w/ the big boys. So the summer after my sophomore year in high school I mowed yards and pulled weeds for a lawn care service. I saved most all of my money and bought myself a camera just as school started. Had to use my grandmother's credit card for it and everything!
I started taking pictures for the school yearbook and the local newspaper. I did almost all of my schools sporting events. And I loved doing it. Even got to learn darkroom techniques. I became known as the "Picture Man." I'd take photos on Friday nights at football games, then develop them first part of the week. And then I'd bring them to school and watch people ohh and ahh over them. Made me feel good. I knew that was my creation from start to finish.
But life moved on. I used it a little more while working in Amory. But everything w/ newspapers was moving Digital and I didn't have that. But now I want back in the game!
We just bought a P&S on Christmas Eve because our old Fuji didn't flash anymore. It's a Canon SD600. Great little camera. And so handy to have in your pocket and be able to pull out and snap a good pic. But I'm looking at some w/ some more muscle and punch.
Last fall during Addie's soccer season someone took a few shots of her game. We bought them and I was wishing I wasn't having to buy someone else's but could be taking my own. So the wheels started turning. And turning and turning. I'd like to be able to document some of my family's life as we grow. Catch the girls and their personalities at different points. And do some soccer games. Maybe do some high school stuff as well!
Had a few people recommend the Nikon D40. Said they love it. Can't find a "bad" thing said about it. But saw that it might not be well equipped for sports photography. Had the Canon's recommended and have now gotten torn between the Nikon D80 and the Canon 20D and 30D.
So now in the next couple of months I hope to purchase a new camera. I should jump into life w/a new eye and share with you all by way of Flickr or something. We'll see.
But does anyone have any specific suggestions?
[tags]photography, dslr, nikon, canon, D80, 20D, 30D, EOS, digital photography[/tags]


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Aerial surveillance
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) regularly runs surveillance flights over trawl vessels to ensure that vessels were complying with their seabird management plans (SMP's). In May 2012 two vessels were ordered back to port. The Association fully supports seabird management plans and will continue to work with member and non-member vessels to ensure they understand their responsibilities.


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University of Cambridge > Talks.cam > Chaucer Club > Single neuron evidence of model-based and model-free reinforcement learning
Single neuron evidence of model-based and model-free reinforcement learning
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If you have a question about this talk, please contact Deborah McSkimming.
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This talk is part of the Chaucer Club series.
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Other listsBirational geometry seminar DPMMS Pure Maths Seminar Making more from your research – Impact & value Cambridge Climate Lecture Series 2018 (#CCLS2018) Type the title of a new list here Beyond Profit Launch Event with Guest Speaker, John Bird, the Founder of The Big Issue
Other talksParacelsus' Chickens - Strange Tales from the History of Chemistry The cardinal points and the structure of geographical knowledge in the early twelfth century Aspects of adaptive Galerkin FE for stochastic direct and inverse problems A compositional approach to scalable statistical modelling and computation How could education systems research prompt a change to how DFIS works on education


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Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)
When a Phase I ESA identifies a recognized environmental condition, most clients request to evaluate the potential impact by performing Phase II ESA. The purpose of Phase II work is to determine the presence, or absence of, identified recognized environmental conditions.
The scope of work focuses on the areas of the site most likely to exhibit detectable contaminants based on knowledge of property use and history. Soil Solutions can provide a full complement of field services including soil, groundwater and sub-slab soil gas sampling. Geophysical surveys are often employed to identify potential underground storage tanks, drywells, drain lines, disturbed soil or buried debris.
If no significant contamination is detected in the Phase II, often there is no further work required. If contamination is found at levels of concern, additional site characterization to delineate the extent of impacts and assess the level of risk may be completed to determine if cleanup is necessary.
Commercial Project Inquiries


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Auxiliary/VolunteerBoth men and women may join in sharing their time and talents for the betterment of the health community in our area.
All volunteers are required to attend a yearly orientation, fire safety training,and have a TB skin test.
Hill Hospital volunteers can be found throughout the hospital performing a variety of duties.


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On April 18, 2016, the Quality Assurance Advisory Committee issued a report assessing the 2014 written work product of the Office of Inspector General ("OIG") and Office of the Independent Polict Monitor ("OIPM"). See 2016-04-18 ERB Quality Assurance Review Advisory Committee Report for 2014. The committee conducted a review of public letters and investigations, audits and reviews, follow-up reports, and inspections and evaluations. As to the OIG, the committee concluded:
Overall, our Committee believes the reports of the OIG provided a valuable service to the City of New Orleans. The written work we have reviewed meets high standards of quality. These reports have also opened up important areas for reform and debate for the citizens of New Orleans.
As to the OIPM, the committee "reached both positive and negative conclusions." See id.


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You are here: SMS4Smile » Friendship SMS » Memories echoing on and on
Memories echoing on and on
A stone dropped in
water in a moments
its gone
there'll b 1000 ripples
circling on & on
2day im here
2morow im gone
there'll b 1000
memories echoing on & on
Related SMS
- Difference b/w promises & memories
- Memories of our friendship
- Memories we shared
- Golden memories of tomorrow
- Memories give us faith to go on
- Special Memories Brighten Your New Year
- Wake up with ur sweet memories
- Memories play a confusing role.
- A festival full of sweet childhood memories
- 1000 words I could say,
- Every new day
- Happy Navratri
- Friendship is like a mark on a stone
- my policy is one day one fool.....!
- Girl falling from 80th floor
- If Ever There Is A 2morow
- Hurting someone is as easy as ...
- U r in my heart
- Best wishes for holi
- Its not an achievement to make 1000's friends in a year
- Dolphin tears and waters
- Happy Moments - PRAISE ALLAH
- How much we miss our freinds nobody knows
- Funny Forgotton Laws of Newton
- 8 best moments in life
- Hidden happiness within you
- Nothing to you, everything to me
- I dropped a Tear in the ocean
- Don't drink unboiled water
- Don't drink unboiled water
- A lovely star dropped on earth one night.
- Truth is like oil in water
- Life is like a piano.
Best diference between PROMISES and MEMORIES... PROMISE: we break them.. . . . MEMORIES: they break us.
A daily thought A silent tear A Constant wish that u r near... Words are few but thoughts r deep... Memories of our friendship i will always keep
You can crop me out of the pictures we took together, But You can never crop me out of the memories we shared
May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow Wish you lots of love joy and happiness Happy New Year
Sometimes, no matter how much faith we have, we lose people. But we never forget them. And sometimes, it's those memories that give us the faith to go on!
Another Day, Another Month, Another Year. Another Smile, Another Tear, Another Winter, A Summer Too, But There Will Never Be Another You! May Lovely, Happy Times Decorate This Time Of The Season. May Warm, Special Memories Brighten Your New Year.
"MORNING" is a good time to "REMEMBER all the sweet things & all sweet persons in your "LIFE so wake up with your "SWEET MEMORIES" !GOOD MORNING!
Memories play a confusing role. They make u laugh when u remember da time u cried 2gether. But make u cry when u remember the time u laughed 2gethr
A festival full of sweet childhood memories, sky full of fireworks, mouth full of sweets, house full of diyas and heart full of joy. Wishing you all a very happy Diwali!
1000 words I could say, 1000 wishes I could pray, 1000 miles legs could walk, 1000 sounds a mouth could talk, 1000 times ill b true, 1000 ways 2 say i love you!
Every new day Is a new chapter of life Bringing new topics New moments 4 life I wish 2day all the good Moments approach Why to make your day joyful Good A.M :)
Memories of moments celebrated together Moments that have been attached in my heart forever Make me Miss You even more this Navratri. Hope this Navratri brings in Good Fortune And Long lasting happiness for you! Happy Navratri
Friendship is like a mark on a stone.. "which can never b erased".. But when sum1 tries 2 rub a stone & erase it. The fire produced can burn anyone.
2day i have not sent Sms 2 anybody Except U. 2day i have not thought about anybody Except U. Because my policy is? one day one fool.....!
A girl Fell Down from 80th floor, A boy caught her on 65th floor and asked her... will u hug me...? She replied.., offcourse not... he dropped her. ........... she was caught on 30th floor by another boy.... He asked her, will u kiss me..? no not at all, she replied he dropped her too.. […]
If Ever There Is A 2morow When We Were Not 2gether There Is Something You Must Always Remember Even If I Were Apart I'll Always Be With You ...
"Hurting Someone Who Really Cares For You Is As Easy As Throwing Stone In The Lake But You Don't Know How Deep That Stone Goes...!!"
Fish said to water : you wont see my tears, because I am in the water. Water replied: But, I can feel your tears because you are in my heart. That's FRIENSHIP
Best wishes to you for a Holi filled with sweet moments and memories to cherish for long. Happy Holi!
Its not an achievement to make 1000's friends in a year, but an achievement is when you make a friend for 1000's years.
Dolphin said To Water: U Can't See My Tears Bcoz I Am in The Water. Water Reply: But I Can Feel Ur Tears Bcoz U R in My Heart. That is feeling of FRIENDSHIP.
Happy Moments - PRAISE ALLAH Difficult Moments- SEEK ALLAH Quiet Moments - WORSHIP ALLAH Painful Moments - TRUST ALLAH Moment By Moment - THANK ALLAH
Gate of memories will never close, How much we miss our freinds nobody knows, will pass like years,days And we will remeber those memories like silent tears.
Laws Which Newton Forgot To State LAW OF QUEUE: If you change ur queue, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now. LAW OF TELEPHONE: When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one. LAW OF MECHANICAL REPAIR: After your hands become coated […]
8 best moments in life 1> Giving the 1st salary to ur parents. 2> Thinking your love with tears. 3> Looking old photos & smiling. 4> A sweet & emotional chat with friends 5> Holding hands with your loved ones for a walk. 6> Getting a hug from one who cares you. 7> 1st kiss […]
A Man Asked A Sculptorist: "How Do You Make Such Beautiful Idols From Stone?" He Replied: "Idols & Images Are Already Hidden There... I Remove Unwanted Stone 0nly..!" Moral: Your HAPPINESS Is HIDDEN Within You, Just Remove Your W0RRIES!
Its Not When I Look Back, At All The Memories & Good Times We Had, Makes Me Sad, Its When U Consider Those, Memories As Nothing To you, When They Meant, Everything To Me.
I dropped a Tear in the ocean while Thinking of You. And I Promised to be Your friend Till I find it.... Now did you know how long i need your friendship.? ...
Attention plz...! Don't drink unboiled water.. Because.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fish live in water without pampers.. Seriously..!
Attention plz...! Don't drink unboiled water.. Because.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fish live in water without pampers.. Seriously..!
A lovely star dropped on earth one night. Asked me u want a million dollar or a good friend? I choosen to have million dollars. . . . Because I already have you :)
Truth Is Always Like Oil In Water; No Matter How Much Of Water You Add, It Always Floats On Top..!"
Life is like a piano. White keys are happy moments & Black keys are sad moments. But remember both keys r played together 2 give sweet music.


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The war of politics and finance
There is talk of upping the euro bailout fund:
European Central Bank council member Axel Weber said governments can increase the size of the European Union-led bailout fund if necessary to restore confidence in the euro.
"Seven hundred and fifty billion should be enough to assure the markets," Weber said at the German embassy in Paris late yesterday. "If not, it will have to be increased."
The Spanish approach the same issues with another tone:
Spain has warned financial traders betting against its debt that they will lose money, in a defiant challenge to the markets which are driving Madrid's cost of borrowing sharply higher.
José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero, Spanish prime minister, on Friday ruled out any rescue package for the country even as the premiums demanded by investors to hold Spanish sovereign debt over that of Germany's rose to euro-era highs.
You can find more detail at ElPais.com; most significantly it is a much bigger headline in the FT than in the Spanish paper.
In a nutshell, we're watching the most pitched, highest-stakes, most determined battle between politics and finance which has been staged. I am expecting finance to win. It's not just about PIGS and the future of the eurozone, it's settling a very general question about the relative power of politics and finance. Either way, it is an event of momentous importance.


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Using the File Outbound Adapter
This chapter describes how to use the file outbound adapter (EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab). It contains the following sections:
Ensemble also provides specialized business service classes that use this adapter, and one of those might be suitable for your needs. If so, no programming would be needed. See the section "Connectivity Options" in Introducing Ensemble.
Overall Behavior
Within a production, an outbound adapter is associated with a business operation that you create and configure. The business operation receives a message from within the production, looks up the message type, and executes the appropriate method. This method usually executes methods of the associated adapter.
Creating a Business Operation to Use the Adapter
To create a business operation to use EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab, you create a new business operation class. Later, add it to your production and configure it.
You must also create appropriate message classes, if none yet exist. See "Defining Ensemble Messages" in Developing Ensemble Productions.
The following list describes the basic requirements of the business operation class:
Your business operation class should extend Ens.BusinessOperationOpens in a new tab.
In your class, the ADAPTER parameter should equal EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab.
In your class, the INVOCATION parameter should specify the invocation style you want to use, which must be one of the following.
Queue means the message is created within one background job and placed on a queue, at which time the original job is released. Later, when the message is processed, a different background job is allocated for the task. This is the most common setting.
InProc means the message will be formulated, sent, and delivered in the same job in which it was created. The job will not be released to the sender's pool until the message is delivered to the target. This is only suitable for special cases.
Your class should define a message map that includes at least one entry. A message map is an XData block entry that has the following structure:
XData MessageMap { <MapItems> <MapItem MessageType="messageclass"> <Method>methodname</Method> </MapItem> ... </MapItems> }
Your class should define all the methods named in the message map. These methods are known as message handlers. Each message handler should have the following signature:
Method Sample(pReq As RequestClass, Output pResp As ResponseClass) As %Status
Here Sample is the name of the method, RequestClass is the name of an Ensemble request message class, and ResponseClass is the name of an Ensemble response message class. In general, the method code will refer to properties and methods of the Adapter property of your business operation.
For information on defining message classes, see "Defining Ensemble Messages" in Developing Ensemble Productions.
For information on defining the message handler methods, see "Creating Message Handler Methods," later in this chapter.
For other options and general information, see "Defining a Business Operation Class" in Developing Ensemble Productions.
The following example shows the general structure that you need:
Class EHTP.NewOperation1 Extends Ens.BusinessOperation
Parameter ADAPTER = "EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapter";
Parameter INVOCATION = "Queue";
Method Sample(pReq As RequestClass, Output pResp As ResponseClass) As %Status
Quit $$$ERROR($$$NotImplemented)
XData MessageMap
<MapItem MessageType="RequestClass">
Studio provides a wizard that you can use to create a business operation stub similar to the preceding. To access this wizard, click File > New, and then click the Production tab. Then click Business Operation and click OK.
Creating Message Handler Methods
When you create a business operation class for use with EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab, typically your biggest task is writing message handlers for use with this adapter, that is, methods that receive Ensemble messages and then write files.
Each message handler method should have the following signature:
Method Sample(pReq As RequestClass, Output pResp As ResponseClass) As %Status
Here Sample is the name of the method, RequestClass is the name of an Ensemble request message class, and ResponseClass is the name of an Ensemble response message class.
In general, the method should do the following:
Examine the inbound request message.
Using the information from the inbound request, call a method of the Adapter property of your business operation. The following example calls the EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab method PutString():
/// Send an approval to the output file Method FileSendReply(pRequest As Demo.Loan.Msg.SendReply, Output pResponse As Ens.Response) As %Status { $$$TRACE("write to file "_pRequest.Destination) Set tSC=..Adapter.PutString(pRequest.Destination, pRequest.Text) Quit tSC }
You can use similar syntax to call any of the EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab methods described in "Calling Adapter Methods from the Business Operation."
Make sure that you set the output argument (pOutput). Typically you set this equal to the response message. This step is required.
Return an appropriate status. This step is required.
Calling Adapter Methods from the Business Operation
Your business operation class can use the following instance methods of EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab.
ClassMethod CreateTimestamp(pFilename As %String = "",
pSpec As %String = "_%C") As %String
Using the pFilename string as a starting point, incorporate the time stamp specifier provided in pSpec and return the resulting string. The default time stamp specifier is _%C which provides the full date and time down to the millisecond.
For full details about time stamp conventions, see "Time Stamp Specifications for Filenames" in Configuring Ensemble Productions.
Method Delete(pFilename As %String) As %Status
Deletes the file.
Method Exists(pFilename As %String) As %Boolean
Returns 1 (True) if the file exists, 0 (False) if it does not.
Method GetStream(pFilename As %String,
ByRef pStream As %AbstractStream = {$$$NULLOREF})
As %Status
Gets a stream from the file.
Method NameList(Output pFileList As %ListOfDataTypes,
pWildcards As %String = "*",
pIncludeDirs As %Boolean = 0) As %Status
Get a list of files in the directory specified by the FilePath setting. The filenames are returned in a %ListOfDataTypesOpens in a new tab object. Each entry in the list is a semicolon-separated string containing:
Method PutLine(pFilename As %String, pLine As %String) As %Status
Writes a string to the file and appends to the string the characters specified in the LineTerminator property. By default, the LineTerminator is a carriage return followed by a line feed (ASCII 13, ASCII 10).
If your operating system requires a different value for the LineTerminator property, set the value in the OnInit() method of the business operation. For example:
Method OnInit() As %Status
Set ..Adapter.LineTerminator="$C(10)"
Quit $$$OK
You can also make the property value to be dependent on the operating system:
Set ..Adapter.LineTerminator="$Select($$$isUNIX:$C(10),1:$C(13,10))"
Method PutString(pFilename As %String, pData As %String) As %Status
Writes a string to the file.
Method PutStream(pFilename As %String,
pStream As %Stream,
ByRef pLen As %Integer = -1) As %Status
Writes a stream to the file.
Method Rename(pFilename As %String,
pNewFilename As %String,
pNewPath As %String = "") As %Status
Renames the file in the current path or moves it to the path specified by pNewPath.
Example Business Operation Class
The following code example shows a business operation class that references the EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapterOpens in a new tab. This class can perform two operations: If it receives valid patient data, it files patient information based on patient status. If it receives invalid patient data, it logs this information separately.
Class training.healthcare.operation.OpeFilePatient Extends Ens.BusinessOperation
Parameter ADAPTER = "EnsLib.File.OutboundAdapter";
Parameter INVOCATION = "Queue";
/* write on log file wrong patient records */
Method writeHL7Message(
pRequest As EnsLib.HL7.Message,
Output pResponse As Ens.StringResponse)
As %Status
$$$LOGINFO("called HL7 Writer")
set ..Adapter.FilePath="C:\InterSystems\ensemble\test\ftp"
set st=..Adapter.PutLine("patient.log",message)
Quit $$$OK
/* write on log file wrong patient records */
Method logWrongPatient(
pRequest As training.healthcare.message.MsgPatient,
Output pResponse As Ens.StringResponse)
As %Status
$$$LOGINFO("called OpeFilePatient")
set ..Adapter.FilePath="C:\InterSystems\ensemble\test\errorparh"
set message="some information are missing from record: " _
pRequest.sso _ ", " _
pRequest.name _ ", " _
set st=..Adapter.PutLine("patient.log",message)
Quit $$$OK
/* write in xml format the list of active/inactive/requested patients */
Method writeSSOList(
pRequest As Ens.StringRequest,
Output pResponse As Ens.StringResponse)
As %Status
set ..Adapter.FilePath="C:\InterSystems\ensemble\test\ftp"
set status=pRequest.StringValue
if status="ACTIVE" set fileName="ActiveSSO.xml"
if status="INACTIVE" set fileName="InactiveSSO.xml"
if status="REQUESTED" set fileName="RequestedSSO.xml"
set st=..Adapter.PutLine(fileName,"<patients>")
set rs=
while rs.Next(){
set st=..Adapter.PutLine(fileName,"<patient>")
for i=1:1:rs.GetColumnCount() {
set st=..Adapter.PutLine(fileName,
"<"_ rs.GetColumnName(i)_">" _
rs.GetData(i)_"</"_ rs.GetColumnName(i)_">")
set st=..Adapter.PutLine(fileName,"<patient>")
set st=..Adapter.PutLine(fileName,"<patients>")
set pResponse=##class(Ens.StringResponse).%New()
set pResponse.StringValue="done"
quit $$$OK
XData MessageMap
<MapItem MessageType="training.healthcare.message.MsgPatient">
<MapItem MessageType="Ens.StringRequest">
Adding and Configuring the Business Operation
To add your business operation to an Ensemble production, use the Management Portal to do the following:
Add an instance of your business operation class to the Ensemble production.
Configure the business operation. For information on the settings, see "Reference for Settings."
Enable the business operation.
Run the production.


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Today an interesting survey was published by American Express that looks at consumer holiday spending and saving data.
We might have thought that the best of the holiday spending would have started and ended with Black Friday, but maybe there's still some hope for the remainder of the year. One of the best parts of this survey is how current the data is which gives a slightly different indication on market performance than other metrics.
Take a look at this article, I think you'll find it interesting.


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Samsung has beaten Apple to the foldable smartphone, and it could have a sneaky trick up its sleeve to prevent the iPhone-maker from catching up quickly.
Analysts expect Samsung to hold off on selling its Infinity Flex displays to delay a foldable iPhone. It's unlikely Apple would be able to source flexible OLED displays elsewhere.


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In a highly contradictory move, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is telling California that only the federal government has the authority to regulate internet service, while at the same time maintaining that it cannot (will not?) regulate it either. We speak to Ernesto Falcon, legal counsel of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Story Transcript
GREG WILPERT: It's The Real News Network and I'm Greg Wilpert, coming to you from Baltimore.
Right after California's Governor Jerry Brown signed a law to guarantee net neutrality in his state last Sunday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California to stop the law. According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, California's net neutrality bill is unconstitutional because Internet traffic involves interstate commerce. And according to the Constitution, the federal government regulates interstate commerce.
Also, representatives from the Internet Service Provider industry argue that they cannot possibly be expected to adhere to 50 different Internet traffic regulations. Thirty states across the U.S. are already considering bills that would guarantee net neutrality. Joining me now to make sense of what is going on with net neutrality is Ernesto Falcon. He is the Legislative Counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a membership-supported digital liberties organization that was founded in 1990.
GREG WILPERT: Thanks for joining us today, Ernesto.
ERNESTO FALCON: Thank you for having me.
GREG WILPERT: So what's going to happen now? California's net neutrality law is supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2019. But will the court stop the law, and what do you expect to happen with this?
ERNESTO FALCON: So right now, what's happening is the Department of Justice has filed a preliminary injunction against the state of California. Preceding this case and this litigation, about 22 state attorney generals and a number of different companies have sued the FCC to strike down the Restoring Internet Freedom order, which is the original decision to repeal net neutrality. So you have two litigations that are kind of moving in parallel, and the judiciary will have to kind of decide how to sort that out.
It's notable that the DOJ, the Department of Justice, really central to their argument is that the California state has to be on pause until the federal litigation resolves, rather than arguing that the states outright can't do this. I think it's wrong for the opponents of net neutrality to argue that there is some sort of categorical bar to state action in this place. I don't think that's true. There's lots of places the states regulated or issued protections that address the ISP industry historically, and this is just a new frontier.
GREG WILPERT: Actually, that's something I wanted to dig in a little bit deeper. I mean, Jeff Sessions argues that the federal government regulates interstate commerce and that the Internet is a form of Internet commerce and they cannot regulate it. So tell us about why is it something that should be regulated by the states, or should be allowed to be regulated?
ERNESTO FALCON: Well, the outcome or the ultimate objective of everyone who's fighting for net neutrality is to restore the uniform federal rules we had as of 2015. The problem is; AT&T, Comcast, Verizon went the FCC asked the agency to get rid of all of that. And so, they're the reason why we have all these states fighting, because they are the ones that got the federal government to say, "We're no longer regulating or have any authority over these broadband cable and telephone companies."
So a major contradiction for the attorney general is stating that the Congress and the federal government is regulating this space. The opposite has happened. The FCC says, "We have no authority here, we will no longer regulate, and we cannot do anything really to discipline these actors." And if the situation is there's a complete absence of federal regulation rules in this place, the state's ability to react in that space is actually empowered.
GREG WILPERT: So basically, what you're saying is that there's a contradiction there, that they're trying to have their cake and eat it too. In other words, saying that the states cannot regulate it, but the federal government isn't going to regulate either. Is that right?
ERNESTO FALCON: I mean, that's the main argument that state attorney generals have filed against the FCC in regard to their effort to block state laws in its place, what's called a preemption of state laws. The state attorney general's laws a number of legal experts have filed to the D.C. Circuit, saying, "You cannot possibly state you have no authority to issue rules or conserve protections over the ISP industries, yet have great authority to block states from doing that in your place." They both have to exist at the same time, the authority to regulate and the authority to preempt states.
GREG WILPERT: So looking a bit further ahead, couldn't the Department of Justice's decision to file a suit against California backfire, and this whole process? That is, if they and others file suit, like you said, against states and organizations such as yours, and other states filed suit against the FCC, there would be so much regulatory uncertainty created that the ISPs will eventually perhaps say, "Hey, we'd rather have a national law favoring net neutrality instead of this regulatory chaos." What do you think?
ERNESTO FALCON: I think that's really a big part of the fight here. The states are not the final solution to all of this. I think everyone from all the nonprofits and the small businesses and activists across the board all want to see the restoration of the federal rules we had in 2015. So the ISPs are the ones that are at the disadvantage here. AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have to decide, despite the fact that they only have about 15 percent support, are they going to continue to push the minority of legislators and policy makers they have in D.C. to retain the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, the decision from the FCC to repeal net neutrality?
Or, are they going to give that up? Are they going to surrender to the fact that they are completely outnumbered by public? And whether they do it willfully or we're going to have to go through them at the end of the day, that remains. That's your choice. We remain committed to fighting until we finally have a full restoration of net neutrality and full restoration of the 2015 Open Internet Order, and to ensure that the Internet remains a free and open platform as a matter of federal law.
GREG WILPERT: Well, we're certainly going to continue to watch this very interesting fight. I was speaking to Ernesto Falcon, Legislative Counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Thanks again, Ernesto, for having joined us today.
ERNESTO FALCON: Thank you for having me.
GREG WILPERT: And thank you for joining The Real News Network.


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The second annual Duke Global Health Film Festival (DGHFF) kicked off on February 17, with "Yawar Mallku (Blood of the Condor)," by Bolivian filmmaker Jorge Sanjinés, and will continue from February 27 to March 5. The films—some documentary, some fictional—all center around women's health throughout the Americas, focusing on topics ranging from Zika to migrant health.
The festival will screen nine films from seven countries. Many of the film screenings will also feature talks by the filmmakers, panel discussions and receptions. The festival will also include a competition of short films by students from Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The new Health Humanities Lab, one of the event sponsors, will also be celebrating its official opening with a reception on February 27 from 4:30 to 6pm in Trent Hall 037A.
Inspiration for Starting the Film Festival
In 2016, associate professor of global health Kearsley Stewart and global health student Jamal Edwards '16, spearheaded the launch of the inaugural DGHFF.
Stewart and Edwards were inspired to bring this concept to Duke after attending the Global Health Film Festival initiated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Lancet, the Royal Society of Medicine and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. DGHFF started with a grant from the Duke Africa Initiative and quickly gained support from the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI), the Franklin Humanities Institute and many others.
"Global health is now moving to work with humanities in pursuing new ways to look at problems from not only academic dimensions, but also from the lived experiences of people," said Miguel Rojas-Sotelo, special events coordinator with the Consortium for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and one of the event's organizers. "Multidisciplinary collaboration is key in global health, and films can provide unique insight through the windows of the people involved, creating a bridge between stories and academia."
Festival Theme Centers on Women's Health
This year, the program explores Zika, traditional medical practices, public health and human rights, and the impact of migration on health, specifically focusing on women's lives in the Americas and the United States.
"We started the conversation with Zika not only because it's a tropical infectious disease that has the potential to travel across continents, but because it directly affects women," said Rojas-Sotelo. "This theme will not only touch on topics surrounding public health and women's health, but also on women's rights issues."
"Community health in developing countries tends to affect women most, because often women are the ones who are really holding families together," said Rojas-Sotelo. "This year's film festival looks at how these women are impacted, and women's health through a different perspective of film."
The festival is divided into six sub-themes:
- Health Visions and the Americas
- Zika and Infectious Diseases
- Indigenous and Environmental Health
- Social Action
- Student Films and Gender Rights
- Women's Health
A Take-Home Message: Let's Redefine Health
Both Rojas-Sotelo and DGHI affiliate and event co-organizer Bethzaida Fernandez hope that festival participants walk away realizing that health is not just a medical intervention, but a much more complicated interplay of the ways people relate to each other and the environment in which they live.
"I'm excited to introduce different films that represent the way in which health is viewed in other parts of the world, and get the audience and students familiar with other perspectives from which to discuss and to embrace issues of women's health," said Fernandez.
"It's very important to realize that health goes beyond a medical diagnosis, and that we need to take a look at the determinants of health and the person as a whole," she added. "I think this festival will inspire people to revisit our definition of health and what it means to be healthy."
Kearsley Stewart added, "Films are a key component of global health—as an effective form of public health information for populations and practitioners alike, but also as a powerful witness to the conditions that shape the everyday life of people around the world struggling for well-being."
Along with Rojas-Sotelo and Fernandez, the DGHFF leadership team includes Stewart, Duke Health Humanities Lab program manager Thomas Johnson and global health student John Bollinger.
This event is made possible through funding from:
- Health Humanities Lab at FHI
- Duke Global Health Institute
- Franklin Humanities Institute
- Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
- And other Duke and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sponsors
Learn more:
- Visit the film festival website for event details
- Watch the film festival trailer