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The other week, I went through the steps I took in making a painting with no source material. Using random marks and composition, I allowed my intuition and previous painting experience to guide whatever happened next. In a similar manner I have made another example to share with you here.
I started with paper, two tubes of acrylic paint, and I think just one smallish brush. I hit the paper with some random marks in black.
I decided to go grisaille at this point. Grisaille is the method of painting in black and white… and greys. You can then glaze colours on top if you so choose. I will show this process next week.
I lightened everything up again by brushing in a bit of white. This added some subtlety to the greys.
Then I took my black paint and worked in some darks again. I started to see something…
Using some more watery-black, I painted in some stems, some shadows in petals. The painting was becoming flowers.
I worked in another floral shape on the right, and then watered my paint down much more. I painted in a background. This added weight to the bottom of the composition, and complexity, as well as the suggestion of other things happening.
However, as part of the process, I opted to white-out a lot of that background. More subtlety needed!
Once again, I mixed up a grey and added it in, bits and pieces.
Again, I worked in dark paint to suggest weight and some sort of background. By painting in the negative-space I also emphasized the objects. Note the fine edges of white here and there: those are not painted in, rather, those were left behind when I painted in the background.
Finally, I painted in some more white/light grey. Again, note the dark edge I left here and there, that was the previous step's background being left to show through.
I plan to glaze some colour into this composition, as I feel there is still something rough about it. Colour can help cure problems within a painting. So next week… see you then!
Natasha Henderson, Montreal
Related articles
- How To Paint A… random composition (part one) (fleurbain.com)


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Chewy Pumpkin Ginger Cookies
|3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar + extra for rolling
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
|1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whip softened butter and 1 cup sugar together with a whisk (or an electric mixer) until light and fluffy.
- Add the pumpkin puree and molasses and mix until well-combined. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together.
- Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until combined. Do not over mix.
- Sprinkle a hefty layer of sugar on a large plate.
- With a 1.5″ cookie scoop, scoop dough onto sugar and roll into a ball, completely covering the dough with sugar.
- Place cookies on a greased baking sheet about two inches apart. Don't press cookies to flatten.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cracks form on top of the cookies.
- Cookies will be very soft, so let them cool for a few minutes on the sheet before placing on cooling rack.
*Recipe makes approximately 30-40 cookies.

subset: commoncrawl


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UPDATED 5/1/2017 Bird Rookery Swamp Trails are OPEN. Please be advised there may be smoke on some sections of the trail due to a nearby mulch fire.
Due to the mulch fire on Jones Mining Road, Bird Rookery Swamp trails are closed.
We will announce updates on our Facebook pages (CREW Land & Water Trust and Bird Rookery Swamp).
Our other two trail systems, CREW Marsh Trails and Cypress Dome Trails, are open and we hope you will visit the trails while we wait for Bird Rookery Swamp to open again.


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Late spring will soon become summer; a whole new season of warm-weather has arrived! As we transition to the sports we enjoy during the temperate months ahead, it's easy to forget that different sports require different sets of muscles, altered postures, and clothing and gear we're not yet accustomed to. Serious athletes and amateurs of every age will be more vulnerable to injuries until they get re-acclimated to their favorite fair-weather sports.
When starting a new physical activity or work out, specialists recommend starting slowly, and increasing distance by no more than 10 percent per week. Specifically when starting up running, you need to make sure to rest adequately in between runs to prevent injury. Wearing supportive athletic shoes is especially important.
Don't let foot pain and discomfort get in the way of your warm weather activities!
Come in to see us and we will get you back to enjoying your spring and summer as soon as we can!


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There's nothing about Quesadillas we don't love – they're quick and easy to prepare, filling, and delicious. Make these quesadillas for lunch, dinner, or even as a snack! We recommend to enjoy with a side of veggies.
In a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add 2 teaspoons of oil and cook chicken breasts and onions until chicken has lost its pink colour and is browned. Internal temperature of chicken should read 165˚F (74˚C) on an instant read thermometer when finished.
Add peppers, spices, and salsa. Cook for a few minutes until peppers are softened. Adjust seasoning with salt and lime juice.
Reserve chicken and pepper mixture and clean the frying pan. Heat over medium heat with 1 teaspoon oil.
Place 2 tortillas in the pan, folded in half, so that only one half of the tortilla is on the frying pan.
Add ¼ cup of shredded cheese to the bottom half of each tortilla, followed by chicken and pepper mixture. Top with another ¼ cup of cheese.
Once the bottom of tortilla is golden brown, carefully flip over and continue cooking on the other side until golden. Repeat with remaining tortillas
Cut each tortilla into 3 pieces and serve with salsa, guacamole, and a salad or vegetables on the side.


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Interview with Craig Hurley author of "27 And All Washed Up"
Craig is best known for his television roles in 'Nasty Boys,' 'Life Goes On,' 'Beverly Hills: 90210,' and 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. He is now an Independent Producer and is the president of ScrappyCo Productions. Craig spent the past seven years writing "27 and All Washed Up" with Zak Wilson. Because of the book Craig was able to rekindle a romance with his soul mate Katie Barberi! You can purchase "27 and All Washed Up" on Amazon here, and read our interview with Craig below!
Had you planned on writing a book before you met Zak?
"No. Zak is really the reason why I did the book. There were a couple other people that were bugging me to write my story. Zak actually bugged me for the entire run of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. During one of the rehearsals he was like "look Craig I want to interview you. We can tape it and then make it into a book." I told him no. I really didn't want to write a book. I knew the commitment writing a book would take. Zak said if we didn't do the interview there wouldn't be a book, and without the book there would be no book tour. I finally gave in. We sat down and wrote "27 and All Washed Up" together. Now seven years later the book is out and I'm doing interviews for the book!"
Did you only want to release a book that was in interview format? Or had you thought of publishing a book that was more of a story?
"I actually didn't know how I wanted to tell my story. I didn't really want to write an autobiography. While Zak and I were doing the interview I was transcribing what he recorded. Zak would ask a question and then I'd give an answer. His next question would follow what I had just answered. It rolled out that way. I felt like it was a Rolling Stone type interview. I decided there didn't need to be chapters we could just go from job to job. When I was transcribing the interview it really formatted itself. That's how "27 and All Washed Up" came to be.
I keep thinking of things that I want to add to "27 and All Washed Up". I added a section of "Shit I Forgot" that will be included in the book when it's available on Amazon."
Was there an overall story or theme you wanted to convey with "27 and All Washed Up"?
"It became like a textbook for people in the entertainment industry. They can see what part of the ladder or pathway they are really on."
Were you ever star struck as a child?
"No. I've never been star struck actually. I've worked with a lot of stars, but I've never felt that way. I don't actually know why that is, but that's the way I am."
What was your favorite set you worked on?
"That's a cool question. I really liked 'Freddy's Nightmares'. I had a lot of fun working on that set. My girlfriend Katie Barberi and I met on that set and now it is 27 years later and we're together. She was 17 on that set, while I was 19. We dated after filming 'Freddy's Nightmares', but then we broke up. We actually recently got back together after I wrote "27 and All Washed Up". She purchased a copy and then got a hold of me via Facebook. Our rekindled romance is a movie in itself. A lot of friends have told me to write a script based on Katie and mine's relationship."
Are you still recognized on the street?
"For a long time I was. People would follow me through grocery stores. Right now, not so much. Katie is though! She is the number one Telenovela star in the world basically. She gets mobbed in Walgreens. I've kind of adopted the role of her security guard. I don't have to look out for my own celebritiness anymore, now I'm just looking out for Katie."
Was rekindling your romance with Katie the best thing that's happened to you since writing "27 and All Washed Up"?
"If nothing ever happens with this book, if I never even sell one copy, getting Katie, my soul mate back in my life, has been the greatest gift."
Did you have trouble naming the book?
"When I was 27 I remember joking with different family members that I was 27 and all washed up. I knew I had to shift gears, and shift paths in the entertainment business if I wanted to be successful. I didn't know I'd use it as title for my book in 20 years, but I think it fits my book perfectly."
Some of the people you included in "27 and All Washed Up" have passed on. Was it difficult including them?
"I filmed an independent film with Steven H. Hansen and included him in the book. I am actually still editing that film. It is really difficult for me. Steve died of brain cancer right after we finished filming the movie. As a producer and director, it's difficult because I have nobody to do any voice over work or reshoots. I have to use the raw footage I have. As Steve's friend editing this movie has been extremely emotional too. It's been depressing watching Steve. He gave an absolutely brilliant performance, but now he's gone. I want to have this movie be the best it can be, because it's Steve's last piece of art."
What do you think of entertainment business now? How do you think people in the industry can relate to "27 and All Washed Up"?
"Without Penny Marshall there would be no entertainment business. She's an icon, but she can't work right now. People won't higher her because she is not insurable due to cancer. She shifted gears from being a brilliant actress to being a brilliant director. So many actors, myself included, took that same leap because of her work. She is this business! She should be able to work. Same goes for Robby Benson. They won't hire him either. Robby was a teen idol. Who doesn't love The Beast? Fans and audiences need to support their favorite actors, producers, directors, etc. The fans can ensure that their favorites continue to work and thrive in this industry. I hate the way the media treats us. It's like they don't expect us to change at all, but everyone physically changes, that's just the way it is. The Emmy's still haven't mentioned Jeff Conaway died! They bashed him for years before he died, and couldn't show him the respect of the including him in the Memoriam. The media blows my mind."
What are your plans for releasing "27 and All Washed Up" to the masses?
"I worked on an online edit/digital copy of "27 and All Washed Up" I've had to reformat the entire book. Kindle won't process it the correct way on its own. It has been difficult. It is now available on Amazon.com"


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Just when a companion or relative fails terribly, people regularly go to a Cortner Chapel funeral home. These associations, which are also subordinated to burials, are involved in the management of funeral activities. Undertakers offer a range of services for the deceased, much like the family and friends who want to show their respect. Every Cortner Chapel funeral home is unprecedented. The type of services offered may vary, which affects the organizational idea and the overall cost.
Created by the Cortner Chapel funeral director and his associates begins with the hidden social occasion. This is the point where all premonition and indispensable administration are granted to the denied. Undertakers are equally responsible for conducting leadership roles and strategies. This addresses all the licenses and endorsements needed to transport and cover the body. The undertaker is equally responsible for drawing up the plans for the cemetery, the crematorium or other related social events.
Basic services include setting up the panel for the survey. This consolidates the saving, the cosmetology, the planning and the dressing of the body. Depending on the group and the services offered, a coffin can be removed in a similar way and included in the fee.
Another organization offered involves setting up a district for the poll and creating the look and feel. This should be conceivable in the funeral home itself or in another zone. The warmth and the staff required at this stage will also be considered. After waking up, the body is passed on to its last resting point. Also a Cortner Chapel funeral vehicle, an organization vehicle and a Bloom Truck are put away.
Preparing a funeral can be costly if people do not think about the hidden costs. There are costs that are usually expected as part of the fee, but often not. One of these expenses concerns the interned garments. Undertakers can charge a few bucks for complete outfits that join the shoes and dress for the chipped ones. A few cortege keepers similarly offer the organization to have the tribute transmitted to neighborhood newspapers. The cost of this type of organization may vary by more than a few hundred dollars, depending on the proportion of the tribute and the type of distribution. Mock statements can cost the denied start from $ 11 for each additional copy.
Securing the services of a Cortner Chapel funeral home company makes it less complicated for families and relatives to get into this troublesome time. There are parts that need to be reviewed in a particular region to provide a better selection of services that are as close as possible and necessary.


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Edited by W Noel Sainsbury and J W Fortescue. Covers the whole period 1677-1680.
Calendar of State Papers, Colonial, America and West Indies. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1896.
This free content was digitised by double rekeying and sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. All rights reserved.


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You are at the right place if you are here searching for a chart creator plugin to create responsive, customizable, beautiful charts for your WordPress website.
We introduce Ninja Charts for you as a data visualizer solution for your websites. It has amazing features that will help you create unlimited online charts & graphs on your web pages.
Ninja Charts is a powerful and lightweight chart generator that allows you to create and use numerous types of charts in WordPress. Its JavaScript-based chart rendering engine makes the chart creation process easier than ever.
Ninja Charts Features
- Deep integration with [Ninja Tables](https://wordpress.org/plugins/ninja-tables/)
- Easy-to-use interface
- Design and Layout customization
- Responsive, mobile-friendly WordPress chart plugin
- Simple and handy steps to get started
- SEO-friendly charts
- Shortcodes to embed
- Live preview on admin
- Multiple chart types available
- Multiple data sources
- Versatile rendering engines
- Special formatting and preview option
- Amazing, dedicated support facility
How Does It Work?
It's the easiest chart-maker solution for your websites. You just need to specify the titles and the chart type, then you will find the option to put a value manually, or you can retrieve data from Ninja Tables plugin directly.
After completing the above-mentioned process, the plugin will automatically generate a short code for a single chart, which you can embed on any page or post to show the respective data.
Currently, the plugin offers different styles of charts that you can adjust with your required data in a visual representation.
- Line charts
- Pie charts
- Bar charts
- Bubble charts
- Doughnut charts
- Radar charts
- Polar charts
- Scatter charts
- Area charts
- Combo charts
- Horizontal bar charts
Ninja Tables Integration With Ninja Charts
One of the most prominent features of Ninja Charts is its ability to retrieve data from popular data table builder: Ninja Tables and show them in the form of different charts.
When it is packed with Ninja Tables, it is one of WordPress's most eligible chart-maker plugins.
With this WordPress charts plugin, you can create charts retrieving the data from the Ninja Tables. To create charts from Ninja Tables, take a look at the simple steps as follows-
Step 1: After installing the Ninja Charts, click on the Add New button
Step 2: Put your chart name in the title ➟ select chart render engine ➟ choose your preferred chart type from the dashboard ➟ and click on the Next button
Step 3: From the Data Source, select Ninja Tables ➟ Click on the Next button [In this step, you will also have an option for manual chart creation.]
Step 4: Now, choose the expected table that you want to create a chart. [For manual chart creation, you'll get an option to define it manually]
Step 5: Then, you'll get the option to drag & drop the desired columns and click on the Next button.
Step 6: Next, here you will get the prepared chart with customization options in the Formatting & preview. Once you're done with the necessary customization, click on the Next button.
Step 7: Once you click on the Next button, you're done with the process, and you will see a short-code-based chart has been created.
The steps are easy-going and save you tons of time.
Unlimited Customization
Ninja Charts allows you to customize your data chart in the best possible way. While creating the chart, in the Formatting and preview step, you will get a bunch of advanced options to customize your online chart
. Here, you can customize-
– Chart width
– Responsive chart width
– Chart height
– Background color
– Border width
– Border color
– Border radius
– Font size
– Font style
– Font color
Moreover, you'll get more options like AXES, TITLE, TOOLTIP, and LEGEND to make your online chart more personalized.
Awesome Support
We care about your needs and would like to serve your purposes in the best possible way. Our dedicated support team and developers are always ready to cooperate with your queries.
If you have any queries, feel free to open a ticket. We would love to get back to you shortly.
This plugin provides 1 block.
- Ninja Charts
This section describes how to install Ninja Charts and get it working.
Install using one of these options:
Method 1:Install directly from the WordPress Admin panel: go to Plugins -> Add New -> Search for "Ninja Charts," and click the Install button.
Method 2:Download the ZIP manually from WordPress' plugins repository and upload it through the WordPress Admin panel: go to Plugins -> Add New -> Upload Plugin, browse to the downloaded Zip and upload it.
Method 3:Download the ZIP, extract it and manually upload the extracted folder through FTP to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory of your WordPress installation.
Contributors & Developers
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Translate "Ninja Charts- WordPress Charts and Graphs Plugin" into your language.
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3.2.0 (Date: Nov 30, 2022)
- Added frontend preview option
- Added skeleton loader
- Added warning message for an empty column of ninja-tables
- Updated UI design
- Fixes text input duplicate column issue for manual data source
- Fixes data source delete issue for ninja-tables & fluentforms
- Fixes specific table column delete issue
3.1.2 (Date: Aug 30, 2022)
- Added discrete line chart option from empty value
- Fixes data update issue for manual input
- Fixes empty cell values on chart
- Fixes form validation warning
- Fixes pie, polar & donut chart series colour changing issue
- Fixes data sanitization and esc_* functions issue
3.1.1 (Date: Dec 21, 2021)
- Added google pie type charts font size
- Added google charts pie, donut font color option
- Improves email@example.com support
- Fixes short-code rendering issue from another plugins
- Fixes google charts title show/hide issue in frontend
- Fixes render chart in oxygen page builder
- Fixes character length issue for large chart name
- Fixes csv import issue column data type not found
- Fixes google charts legend issue in frontend
3.1.0 (Date: Jan 27, 2021)
- Adds google charts
- Adds chart.js new chart type "Combo Chart"
- Adds 10 types of google charts
- Adds data order ascending or descending
- Improved backend code structure
- Optimizes code for faster rendering
- Fixes fluent form range-picker data render issue
3.0.0 (Date: Dec 2, 2020)
- Adds new Fluent Forms fields i.e. Radio, Checkbox,
Dropdown, Select, Multi-Select, Country (Select),
Country(from address), Net Promoter, Ratings,
GDPR checkbox, Range slider, Payment Quantity and Phone
- Adds new Ninja Tables fields Select-field, Remote Google Sheets table
- Adds percentage label for specific charts
- Adds points customization for line/area chart
- Adds line chart thickness customization
- Adds chart render animation
- Improves UI/UX
- Improves backend query
- Optimizes code for faster rendering
- Fixes large scale datasets issue (tested up to 50k)
- Fixes Bubble chart hover issue
- Fixes Chart Series bug
- Fixes render time with loader
2.0 (Date: Sep 12, 2020)
- Adds new data source "Fluent Forms"
- Adds New chart type "Horizontal Bar"
- Adds classic editor support
- Adds Gutenberg editor support
- Adds data range picker (i.e. items, date)
- Adds Rest API
- Adds customization for the Manual Chart
- Adds chart customization with various chart.js features (i.e. shared tooltip, fill area etc.)
- Improved "Ninja Tables" integration
- Optimized code with clean UI
- Fixed various bugs and overall improves performance
1.0 (Date: Jul 08, 2020)
- Init first version


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The Non-Exempt Staff Council (NSC) and Exempt Staff Council (ESC) give Trinity employees an opportunity to have a more involved role in the college.
Trinity employees may also consult the Ombudspersons with workplace questions and issues.
The faculty have a number of committees to address different aspects related to faculty concerns.


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Compassionate Solutions is a group of educational and counseling therapy associates who are located in Santa Clarita, California. Each of our associates is fully credentialed and has many years of experience working in their respective field. In addition to expertise, our therapists share qualities that elicit a sense of trust and hope in their clients. Honesty, empathy, understanding, and sincere concern provide the foundation for a warm professional relationship that allows our clients to develop and practice new skills within the supportive environment of the therapeutic relationship.
Ready to Get Started?
We will be happy to talk with you by phone to determine if we can serve your needs and to discuss all potential services that you are interested in.
Ready to Get Started?
We will be happy to talk with you by phone to determine if we can serve your needs and to discuss all potential services that you are interested in.
How We Can Help
Providing a comfortable and supportive environment and utilizing a cognitive behavioral approach to help attain the personal growth you're striving for.
Educational Psychology
Marriage & Family Therapy
Individual Therapy
Educational Tutoring
Compassionate Solutions Team
Individual, Family Therapy, Educational Testing, Psychotherapy and Tutoring
Help, Heal and Hope for a better tomorrow.
Laurie Adachi
Director of Compassionate Solution
Educational Psychologist
Dr. Courtney Jacobs
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Ann Hausman
Educational Psychologist
Marriage & Family Therapy
Shauna Hoffman
Marriage & Family Therapist
Michelle Schmitt
Educational Tutor
Marysabel Sánchez-Moore
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Steve Steinberg
Executive Functioning Specialist
Brenda Cervantes
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Diane Aguinaldo
Educational Tutor
Sandy Allen
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Erin Wiseman
Educational Tutor and Consultant
Dina Atmali
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Shelley Ramirez
Educational Therapist


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The use of the Belun Sleep Platform (BSP) wearable ring technology has shown promise for the detection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and can potentially be incorporated into clinical practices for identification of the disorder. Results of the analysis were published in the journal PLoS One.
The current study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03997916) examined the value of BSP, a novel neural network-based home sleep apnea testing system that uses a wearable ring device, for detecting OSA. Investigators theorized that BSP can reliably recognize moderate to severe OSA in a sleep laboratory population, including those who are taking heart rate–affecting medications and those with nonarrhythmic comorbidities.
A total of 78 participants who had passed the 2-step ring size optimization protocol and had a recording time of at least 4 hours were enrolled in the present study. All patients underwent BSP testing, along with simultaneous overnight polysomnography (PSG). The sleep studies were manually scored with use of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Scoring Manual, with 4% desaturation hypopnea criteria. Study inclusion criteria were age 18 to 80 years, providing informed consent, and completion of the STOP-Bang questionnaire, an OSA assessment tool that includes demographic and anthropometric patient characteristics.
The prevalence of OSA was defined by an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of at least 5 events per hour. Among the 78 participants, 45% had an AHI of less than 5, 18% had an AHI of 5 to 15, 19% had an AHI of 15 to 30, and 18% had an AHI of 30 or above. Results of the study showed that the Belun apnea-hypopnea index (bAHI) correlated well with the PSG-AHI (P <.001). Further, the Belun total sleep time (bTST) and PSG-TST both exhibited a high correlation coefficient (P <.001).
Overall performance of the BSP in categorizing AHI of 15 and above with respect to accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity was 0.808 (95% CI, 0.703-0.888); 0.931 (95% CI, 0.772 to 0.992); and 0.735 (95% CI, 0.589 to 0.850), respectively. Beta-blocker or calcium-receptor antagonist use and comorbidities did not negatively impact the sensitivity of BSP in detecting OSA. An algorithm for diagnosing moderate to severe OSA that combined a STOP-Bang cutoff of 5 and a bAHI cutoff of 15 events per hour revealed an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.938 (95% CI, 0.828-0.987), 0.944 (95% CI, 0.727-0.999), and 0.933 (95% CI, 0.779-0.992), respectively.
The current study is the first analysis of the combination of a sleep questionnaire and a medical-grade wearable technology that uses a neural network algorithm to identify the presence of OSA. The investigators concluded that additional research on the diagnosis and screening of moderate to severe OSA using BSP with or without STOP-Bang is warranted.
Disclosure: Some of the study authors have declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors' disclosures.
Yeh E, Wong E, Tsai C-W, et al. Detection of obstructive sleep apnea using Belun Sleep Platform wearable with neural network-based algorithm and its combined use with STOP-Bang questionnaire. PLoS One. 2021;16(10):e0258040. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258040


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Michael has been a speaker at Search Engine Strategies, PubCon, SEOClass and SMX. He is also moderator at Sphinn and Webmaster World. Michael is President of Atlas Web Service, located in Long Island, New York.
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We have all seen the commercials, filled with cute animations explaining that there is an imbalance in your brain chemicals that is causing anxiety or depression. Shockingly, there is very little to support that entire notion.
Scientists have called into question the widespread use of antidepressants after a major review found "no clear evidence" that low serotonin levels are responsible for depression.
Prescriptions for antidepressants have risen dramatically since the 1990s, with one in six adults and 2% of teenagers in England now being prescribed them. Millions more people around the world regularly use antidepressants.
"Many people take antidepressants because they have been led to believe their depression has a biochemical cause, but this new research suggests this belief is not grounded in evidence," said the study's lead author, Joanna Moncrieff, a professor of psychiatry at University College London and consultant psychiatrist at North East London NHS foundation trust.
"It is always difficult to prove a negative, but I think we can safely say that after a vast amount of research conducted over several decades, there is no convincing evidence that depression is caused by serotonin abnormalities, particularly by lower levels or reduced activity of serotonin.
"Thousands of people suffer from side-effects of antidepressants, including the severe withdrawal effects that can occur when people try to stop them, yet prescription rates continue to rise. We believe this situation has been driven partly by the false belief that depression is due to a chemical imbalance. It is high time to inform the public that this belief is not grounded in science."
The new review of existing studies found that depression is not likely to be caused by a chemical imbalance and said people should be made aware of other options for treating it.
However, other experts, including from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, questioned the findings and urged people not to stop taking their medication in light of the study, arguing that antidepressants remained effective.
In the new analysis, researchers said 85% to 90% of the public believed depression was caused by low serotonin or a chemical imbalance.
Most antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), originally said to work by correcting abnormally low serotonin levels.
The review, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, looked at studies examining serotonin and depression involving tens of thousands of people. One of the findings was that research comparing levels of serotonin and its breakdown products in the blood or brain fluids did not discover any difference between people diagnosed with depression and healthy people.
The authors also looked at studies where serotonin levels were artificially lowered in hundreds of people and concluded that lowering serotonin in this way did not produce depression in hundreds of healthy volunteers.
Other studies looked at the effects of stressful life events and found that the more stressful life events a person had experienced, the more likely they were to be depressed, showing the importance of external events.
According to the research, there is also evidence from other studies that antidepressants may actually induce low serotonin in the long term.
"Our view is that patients should not be told that depression is caused by low serotonin or by a chemical imbalance, and they should not be led to believe that antidepressants work by targeting these unproven abnormalities," said Moncrieff.
"We do not understand what antidepressants are doing to the brain exactly, and giving people this sort of misinformation prevents them from making an informed decision about whether to take antidepressants or not."
A spokesperson for the Royal College of Psychiatrists said: "Antidepressants are an effective, Nice-recommended treatment for depression that can also be prescribed for a range of physical and mental health conditions. We would not recommend for anyone to stop taking their antidepressants based on this review, and encourage anyone with concerns about their medication to contact their GP."
Dr Michael Bloomfield, a consultant psychiatrist and principal clinical research fellow at University College London, who was not involved in the study, said: "Many of us know that taking paracetamol can be helpful for headaches, and I don't think anyone believes that headaches are caused by not enough paracetamol in the brain. The same logic applies to depression and medicines used to treat depression.
"There is consistent evidence that antidepressant medicines can be helpful in the treatment of depression and can be life-saving."


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By Dr. Laurie Hess
Universal Uclick
"I've never had to bring him to the vet before, because he's never been sick …"
At the animal hospital, I hear this same declaration every day from pet owners about their sick pets, regardless of the species they own. And here's the catch-22: If these folks had brought in their pets before they were sick, instead of waiting until after they showed signs of illness, their pets might not have become ill in the first place.
This is especially true of ferrets, those masked mischief-makers who make wonderful companions but have become so popular as pets that their domestication and inbreeding have made them susceptible to a handful of common — often preventable — illnesses. Among the top preventable health problems in ferrets are:
?Foreign object ingestion: Just as human children put everything in their mouths, so do young ferrets. Shoes, parts of the couch, toys — you name it; they'll eat it. And then they develop intestinal obstructions, which are marked by diarrhea, bloating and sometimes vomiting. This requires lifesaving intestinal surgery to resolve. So if you ferret-proof your crazy critter's environment by removing all small objects from the floor and never leaving him out of his cage unsupervised, you can avoid a costly trip to the emergency room.
? Hairball ingestion: Just as young ferrets eat foreign objects, middle- to older-age ferrets ingest hair, and can develop intestinal obstructions due to hairballs. These furry friends often groom excessively, consuming large amounts of hair that stick together with mucus in their saliva to form cigar-shaped mats that plug up their narrow intestines, leading to diarrhea, lack of appetite, lethargy and occasional vomiting. Sometimes a laxative treatment will help these hairballs pass, but more often, complicated intestinal surgery is required to unplug these tiny creatures. With brushing and a couple of oral doses of a petroleum-based cat hairball laxative each week, you can avoid this situation.
? Urinary-tract obstruction: The most common cause of urinary-tract obstruction in male ferrets is prostate gland enlargement, which compresses the urethra (outflow tract of the bladder), preventing urination. Prostate gland enlargement in ferrets is most often a result of an adrenal gland tumor that produces hormones that cause the prostate to swell. Both males and females can develop these tumors, but because females don't have prostates, they don't develop urinary-tract obstructions. While the cause of adrenal disease in ferrets is not completely understood, and we cannot prevent it, we can recognize its telltale signs — hair loss and itchy skin — and treat it with hormones and sometimes surgery when it first occurs, before urinary obstruction develops. So if your ferret starts scratching and showing patchy baldness, it's time for a visit to the vet.
? Dental disease: Can you imagine eating every day and never brushing your teeth? That's what most pets do, but at least most cat and dog owners take their pets for regular dental cleaning. On the other hand, most ferret owners never do. In fact, most ferret owners are not even aware that their naughty nibblers need dental cleaning. Ferrets, like dogs and cats, should have an annual dental scaling and cleaning, and ferret owners should brush their pets' teeth weekly to help keep tartar buildup down. There are tiny toothbrushes that fit on a human finger that are used with poultry-flavored toothpaste especially designed for ferret fangs. Regular tooth care in ferrets reduces gingivitis, tooth root infection and tooth loss that commonly occurs in ferrets as they age.
So if you own a ferret and he has never visited a vet, it's time for a checkup — even if he isn't ill. Remember, an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure.
Dr. Laurie Hess cares for birds and other exotic pets, such as rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, smaller rodents and reptiles at the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics in Bedford Hills, N.Y. Dr. Hess previously served as head of the Avian & Exotic Pet Service at the renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City.


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Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail
Trailhead Welcome Center: 110 East Main Street (U.S. Hwy #9)
Mailing Address: PO Box 116
Riceville IA 50466
"As you ride this trail, you are in the neighborhood of Pretty Boy Floyd's hideout, the ghost town of Acme where railroad gangs competed to finish the rail line, and the ghost town of Bailey set deep in the woods near a stage coach stop.
In today's landscape near the Minnesota/Iowa border, huge wind turbines dominate over the rural Amish windmills. This is rustic Iowa countryside with mostly level grades and enjoyable nooks and crannies to explore. Lake Hendricks at Riceville is a beautiful retreat for campers and has amenities of showers and electricity. The trail also winds through Pinicon Alders Woods, a 240 acre upland timber that is home to an abundant trout stream.
This area is our home. This is our trail. We can't wait to share it with you!"
– The volunteers of the Wapsi-Great Western Line Committee
Rental of the Welcome Center and Butterfly Garden Gazebo ("Little White Church along the Trail") by arrangement with the WGWL Committee Management Team. Call (641)985-2485. Deposit and signature of responsible party required. Rules for proper care and maintenance apply for each location.
There are two levels at the Welcome Center. Each rents for $75. The lower level includes the north patio garden area.
If the even is a wedding, past experience shows that request is made for the upper level. However, experience shows the wedding party does not confine itself to just the upper level. Therefore, the charge has to be for the full building at $150.
For any event, the following rules apply.
1. There is a rental fee. Lower level $75. Upper level $75 Small weddings on the main level plus pre area 2nd level. $150. Both levels.
2. Additionally, there is a security/maintenance deposit $75. If the facility is left clean and as it was, this check is not cashed, but returned.
3. Please observe the following. Do no move the pews, furniture or artifacts. If there is a special need for picture taking or ceremony, please state it on the application. Application prior to the rental along with fees are required. Call 641-985-2485 to request application forms or come to the Welcome Center when open.
Use of facilities without prior arrangement will result in a $250 fine. The entire rental policy is located at the following link: WGWLTrailWelcomeCtrReservationPolicy.
Please click here to submit a reservation request form.
Nonprofits are eligible for advertising on the digital sign at the WGWL Trailhead. Cost is $10 per ad for a two week run or less. Fee covers cost of electricity and programming. A hardcopy of the Digital Sign Form with signature and payment must be turned in prior to programming. Forms can be mailed two weeks in advance to WGWL Trail P.O. Box 116 Riceville IA 50466 or hand delivered to a WGWL Committee Member. Click to view a complete list of DigitalSignRules.
To complete the Grace Harken Memorial Application, please download the form. The completed form must be postmarked no later than April 15th to WGWL Trail Association, PO Box 116, Riceville IA 50466.


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Trending! Sweet Heat for Your Sweetheart
Move over, sweet and salty; hello, sweet heat. This flavor combo that gives a subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) burn to sweet foods has been steadily gaining traction. And it's moving far beyond chile chocolate and jalapeno margaritas. This Valentine's Day, check out some of the latest offerings to sport the sweet-hot flavor combo.
- Noosa's Blackberry Serrano yogurt marries sweet-tart blackberries and spicy serrano chiles for an addictive and decadent yogurt.
- This complex take on spicy chocolate is blowing our minds: Equal Exchange's Organic Lemon Ginger Chocolate with Black Pepper dark chocolate bar.
- You don't need calories to get on this flavor bandwagon. Just brew a pot of this Ginger Pepper Orange Rooibos tea.
- These five beers are showcasing the sweet heat trend. One is even called Sweet Heat!
- They might be out of season, but we were pretty excited to see Sriracha candy canes.
- BBQ might be the inventor of the sweet-hot explosion, and interesting combinations are now flavoring more than just meat. Check out these Habanero BBQ almonds.
Other things to look out for in 2016? More specific varieties of peppers, from ají amarillo and ancho to guajillo and ghost pepper, as well as chefs showcasing traditionally sweet-hot ethnic foods, including harissa, jerk, Korean BBQ, and foods from Asian and Indian cuisines. We read in Food Business News that we should be on the lookout for these flavor combinations:
- Wasabi and maple
- Ginger, black peppercorn and pistachio
- Chinese 5-spice and almond caramels
- Watermelon and black peppercorn
- Aleppo, pomegranate molasses and vanilla
- Ají panca, toasted sesame and dark chocolate
- Pineapple jalapeno upside-down cake
Kerri-Ann is a registered dietitian who writes on food and health trends. Find more of her work at kerriannjennings.com or follow her on Twitter @kerriannrd or Facebook.


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The Internet has buried companies under a mudslide of unstructured data. One of the most pressing problems facing IT is how to turn all that data that won't fit into rows and columns into useful information. And while the amount of unstructured data is growing exponentially, the tools for dealing with it haven't kept pace.
The magnitude of the deluge is staggering. Approximately 85 per cent of all digital business information exists only as unstructured data, according to research by Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. Most of that comes from the increasing use of the Web as an internal and external business channel.
The majority of unstructured data consists of text documents. Some of those, such as memos, letters, marketing materials and research documentation, have presented a storage and retrieval problem in business since before there was digital media. And now, in addition to those documents, there are e-mail messages, customer queries and responses from sales and support representatives generated by CRM applications, user group postings and chat messages, as well as images, movies and Web pages with their hyperlinked information.
E-mail alone has burgeoned. Market research firm IDC predicts that there will be more than 60 billion messages sent annually by 2006. And besides the business imperative to take control of the organization's knowledge base, federal regulatory initiatives increase the pressure on companies to both archive e-mail and develop a way to research the content of the messages.
The other 15 per cent of all business information — the structured data that generally resides neatly in spreadsheets and databases — is being sliced, diced, massaged and squeezed for every bit of business intelligence it will yield. Technologies to address unstructured data can't match the functionality of these real-time analytics for structured data, and users have been slow to adopt them.
What do companies lose by not having the means to use unstructured data? Employees' time for one thing. Recent studies indicate that information workers spend as much as a quarter of their time just finding and gathering job-related information. Nuanced information about trends and customer attitudes for another.
Vendors recognize both the challenge and the opportunity presented by unstructured data. When recently asked what the next big thing in business intelligence and data warehousing would be, Don Hatcher, vice-president of technology strategy at SAS, answered emphatically: "unstructured [data], without a doubt. We're working on it, and I'm sure the other [competing] companies are, too."
SAS will try to make unstructured data a part of its customers' "predictive process," Hatcher said. The company is also "engaging thought leaders in the space" as it maps its route into the unstructured market.
Of course, SAS and the other business-intelligence and analytics vendors haven't exactly discovered a new frontier. Search has been the traditional way to manage and mine unstructured data, especially text-based documents.
Search technology companies are refining their products by adding natural-language search capability; stemming, which removes common suffixes; and spelling correction. They're also using metadata fields to narrow and focus searches by adding context to individual queries.
Vendors such as Verity, Autonomy, Stratify and Inxight offer software that automates the classification process and maintains taxonomies, as well as discovery systems that generate metadata from documents and allow users to dig through the hierarchical layers. The big content management vendors are making the direct link to business intelligence when they describe their search and classification offerings as "content intelligence."
The big surprise, given the volume of unstructured data piling up in every modern company, is corporate IT's lack of urgent interest in the problem. Data warehousing and business-intelligence projects are generally surviving the lousy economy more successfully than most technology initiatives. That's because companies have been won over to the notion that the more they can learn from the data in their various databases and other structured repositories, the better off they'll be in good times and in bad.
But those companies have yet to be convinced that they have the same need to exploit unstructured data. Some foot-dragging is understandable. Resources are in short supply. Catchphrases like content intelligence stir memories of the knowledge management hype that fizzled so miserably.
But the problem is only getting bigger, and the technologies that help us manage unstructured data and turn it into information are going to become increasingly important. If you don't believe it, go check your e-mail in-box.


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Katie Weatherall (British Underground): Mentor
Mentor Sessions offer 15 minutes of one-on-one interactions with industry leaders and professionals from all aspects across the film, interactive, and music areas.
Advanced signup will be required, more information on the RSVP system will be available as at a later time.
Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in live events, touring, non-profits, streaming & programming, and international markets (European and African).
Katie Weatherall is Programme Manager at British Underground, producing music showcases and artist development projects that focus on international success for UK artists. We work with artists outside the mainstream who are selected to perform at industry facing showcases such as SXSW, Folk Alliance International and WOMEX. We also run special projects like Jazz re:freshed's Outernational programme. She also manages the music programme at British Council for the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
You can see Katie's full bio on her speaker page.
Registrants who sign up online must check-in 30 minutes before their mentor time slot to guarantee their spot. Limited on-site sign up is also available for a small number of Mentor Sessions spots and will begin 30 minutes before the first time slot of each session.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.


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Long before we had high-performance computing, we had high-performance computing centers. In spring 1904—almost half a century before the advent of the electronic computer—astronomer Simon Newcomb proposed a "Center for the Exact Sciences." This center would do a variety of things to support scientific research, but one of its central roles was to provide computing services to scientific research. As he wrote, such a center should support "the development of mathematical methods and their application to a great mass of existing observations."
A full century after Newcomb, high-performance computing centers have become common. They are often centerpieces of computing, occupy gleaming new buildings, and display their computing machines with pride. But in some ways, the concept of high-performance computing is fairly new. The term came into common use during the 1980s when the IEEE and the ACM jointly founded a conference on the subject. Before the 1980s, we had built fast computers, but we hadn't always considered them to be a special subdivision of computing technology. So, if we really want to understand the nature of high-performance computing, we need to start by understanding the origin of the computing center, for these centers have defined the nature of high-performance computing and how it interacts with the world.
A high-performance computing center has three basic divisions. First, it has a unit that can do calculations. Second, it has a programming division that can prepare calculations for the computing unit. Finally, it has a management division that runs the entire organization, raises funds, and chooses the calculations that will be handled by the computing division.
Traditionally, we have identified these centers with their first division, the computing division. We determine how many calculations that division can do, the number of floating-point operations that can be completed in a single second. We then rank the computing centers based on that speed. Yet, the other two divisions are equally important because they maintain a body of knowledge about computing and determine how the public perceives high-performance computing.
Does Insurance Have a Future in Governing Cybersecurity?
Human Behavior Aware Energy Management in Residential Cyber-Physical Systems
Machine Learning Systems and Intelligent Applications
Developing Children's Regulation of Learning in Problem-Solving With a Serious Game
We can appreciate why we need to understand all the elements of a computing center by looking at one of the earliest such centers, Vannevar Bush's Center of Analysis. The Center of Analysis was part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It provided computing services to the electrical industry, the electronic industry, and the US military. It helped the electrical utilities design large-scale transmission networks, and helped electronic component manufacturers model vacuum tubes. During the Second World War, it did ballistics calculations for the US Army. In fact, it was the most powerful computing center in operation during the war and did many of the calculations that we usually associate with the ENIAC computer, a machine that was not operational before the end of the war.
The Center of Analysis vanished during the 1950s. Most commentators claim that it closed because it failed to embrace the new digital computing technology. In fact, such a claim is shortsighted. Although the Center of Analysis used an analog computing machine called the Differential Analyzer, it ceased operations long before digital computation became common. On closer examination, the Center of Analysis failed not only because it clung to analog technology, but also because its other two divisions, the programming division and the management division, failed to adopt to the demands of the 1950s.
The programming division of the Center of Analysis consisted primarily of students in MIT's departments of electrical and mechanical engineering. In all, this group produced nearly 50 papers that utilized the Differential Analyzer. To them, the Differential Analyzer was a machine that could model certain kinds of differential equations. Hence, they developed the skill of taking abstract mathematical calculations and mapping them onto machines, onto the motions of gears, disks, and shafts. They did nothing to organize or develop the field of numerical analysis, the field that became central to scientific work during the 1950s. Hence, as universities started acquiring digital computers, they had no need to turn to the Center of Analysis for assistance with numerical problems.
Equally, the management division of the Center of Analysis quickly fell out of steps with the times. Initially, it raised funds from charitable groups such as the Rockefeller Foundation. It also described its organization as an institution that served industry. However, by the late 1940s, both of these ideas were out-of-date. The primary source of funds for computation was the US government, and the principal clients for computing services were military organizations: the Army, the Navy, and the Atomic Energy Commission.
A quick look at the Computing Center of the University of Illinois shows how these centers developed during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. During this period, the centers focused on high-speed electronics, developed programming skills in numerical analysis, and connected their work to National Defense. The University of Illinois built four high-speed computers between 1950 and 1975: the ILLIAC I (1952), the ILLIAC II (1958), the ILLIAC III (1966), and the ILLIAC IV (1970). All were supported by the military or the Atomic Energy Commission. All were applied to military problems. The programming division of the school first developed skill in numerical analysis. However, beginning with the ILLIAC III, it started developing skill in parallel programming. To increase its speed, the ILLIAC III did some operations in parallel. The ILLIAC IV expanded the concept of parallelism and explored many ideas that are now common on massively parallel high-performance computers. Indeed, the school became a center for the study of parallelism.
The field of high-performance computing shifted in the mid-1980s. In 1984, the American Congress created four high-performance computing centers. Unlike earlier computing projects, such as those at the University of Illinois, these centers were not intended to be solely for military use. Congress required that each of these centers provide services to local researchers and local industry. Furthermore, each would have to raise its own operating funds.
The four centers, chosen through a competitive process, were located in Ithaca, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; and San Diego, California. They began operation in 1985 and started to build the identity that has marked high-performance computing to this day. These centers had the three basic elements of a high-performance computing organization. First, they had a computing division with a high-performance computer massively parallel computer, a machine that could not be purchased by a single company or university. The return on investment was simply too low for any private organization to afford.
Second, to support the computing division, they would have a planning office that developed an expertise in parallelism and other programming techniques for high-performance machines. They would not have to worry about programming or numerical analysis skills, because these could be commonly found. However, they had to develop and teach the skills of using the machine efficiently, as few people would know them.
Finally, all these centers had management divisions that were concerned with providing services not only to government offices but also to local businesses and researchers. This office represented the most innovative change in high-performance computing during this time. High-performance computing centers had to turn their attention to local organizations. They had to find organizations that could use their services and help finance operations. They could no longer simply rely on the military or national organizations for funds.
Shortly after these four centers began operations, the IEEE and ACM created a high-performance computing conference called "SC," for Supercomputing Conference. The conference supports the high-performance computing industry and maintains the current identity of high-performance computing, an identity that is based on a complex and expensive high-performance machine; a planning unit that has an expertise in parallelism and the techniques for programming high-performance computing; and a management office that looks to global concerns, national security issues, and local industry needs.
In many ways, our current sense of high-performance computing grew out of the competition between the US and Japan. In the early 1980s, each country was trying to build the world's fastest computers. The 1983 book, Fifth Generation, by Stanford professor Ed Feigenbaum, described the state of the competition and suggested that Japan had the stronger program. However, instead of creating a permanent competition between the two countries, it shifted the nature of high-performance computing from the global to the local, from supporting military and national security projects to the work of sustaining local research and industry. That is the lesson that we learn from studying supercomputer centers.
About David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier is a writer and scholar on computing technologies and was President of the IEEE Computer Society in 2013. He writes for Computer magazine. You can find videos of his writings at video.dagrier.net. He has served as editor in chief of IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, as chair of the Magazine Operations Committee and as an editorial board member of Computer. Grier formerly wrote the monthly column "The Known World." He is an associate professor of science and technology policy at George Washington University in Washington, DC, with a particular interest in policy regarding digital technology and professional societies. He can be reached at email@example.com.


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Callaway Base Hitting Net – 8' x 10'
Product Information
Enjoy some extra practice swings with the Callaway® Base Hitting Net before heading out to the course. This premium net is 8 ft. tall and 10 ft. wide with a target in the middle to help you work on your aim. The base is designed with sturdy stainless steel and comes with ground stakes to anchor in. You'll be able to improve your swing before you even play a round with the Callaway® Base Hitting Net.
- Premium netting with hanging target designed for up to 190 mph ball speed
- Extra sturdy stainless steel base with reinforced frame
- Easy set-up and take down
- Includes carry case and ground stakes
- Size: 10'W x 8'H x 3.5'D
- Brand : Callaway
- Web ID: 19CWYUBSHTTNGNTXXTRN


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On Wednesday, the International Business Times published a report revealing that HBO's upcoming streaming service will be called HBO Now and will cost $15 a month. HBO is working with its partners to have the service ready to launch in early April, before the premiere of the fifth season of Game of Thrones on April 12th.
FROM EARLIER: Video: Watch the third trailer for 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' right now
The report also claims that Apple is working with HBO to make
HBO Now has sounded like a no-brainer for years, but there have been several hurdles to overcome to make it a reality. One of the challenges that the IBTimes says HBO has to face is the potential confusion between HBO GO and HBO Now. Each service will have a separate app and a separate log-in, but HBO has to make sure to explain to potential subscribers that only one service offers an a la carte selection of its programming.
The price and launch date for the service have not yet been finalized, as HBO wants to ensure that the problems that plagued HBO GO during the busy season last year won't befall its new service as well. Regardless, we expect to hear much more about the service in the weeks ahead.


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Standard & Poor's affirm the Club's A (stable) rating
Standard & Poor's ("S&P") today affirmed the Club's A (stable) rating after completing its full annual review of the Club. The S&P review considers a wide range of factors including the Club's capital adequacy, industry and competitive position, risk profile and, importantly, risk management. This S&P rating therefore provides a much wider view of the Club's financial health than the more generic measures such as free reserves per ton.
In reaffirming the A (stable) rating, S&P have improved their assessment of the Club's Enterprise Risk Management ("ERM") which forms one of the building blocks upon which the overall rating rests. This reassessment endorses the Club's approach to risk selection and risk management over the past seven years and recognises that the Club has improved the quality of its book due to robust entry criteria, which focus on safety and quality. The Club has grown over recent years, but growth has not been achieved at the expense of maintaining membership standards. The Clubs conservative approach to growth and enhanced risk culture have all led to the revised assessment of the Club's enterprise risk management to adequate with strong risk controls.
The Club's stable outlook reflects S&P's expectation that the Club's capital adequacy will remain at the current "AAA" confidence level in their risk-based model over the two-year rating horizon and that the Club's focus on capital efficiency and disciplined underwriting provides strong evidence that future results will remain stable.
S&P continue to assess the Club's financial flexibility as inadequate. In making this assessment S&P are tied to a formula that considers interest cover in respect of the hybrid coupon (i.e. to what extent does the Club's overall surplus exceed interest payments). This formula rates the Club as inadequate since the Club's target of breakeven underwriting means that the forecast surplus is not consistently 400% of the Hybrid interest. S&P recognise this is just a technical issue and that financial flexibility in the Club world is not driven by debt issue but by the right to make supplementary calls. The S&P report will make a comment to draw attention to this point.
In the attached press release, S&P comment that in their view "the club has improved management of the volatility inherent in the marine P&I sector while maintaining its market share. The club's membership has been refined, reinsurance protection further strengthened, and the expense base controlled" and that the "underlying profitability has improved due to the loss of members with poor claims records. The club has refused to quote on a significant proportion of business (20%-25% of quotes by gross tonnage over the past seven years, owing to its stricter underwriting criteria. Hence, the club's average combined ratio for the previous seven years was around 100% (excluding premium discount effect), and no individual year exceeded 105%. We consider this to be strong evidence that future returns will move within a narrower band than they have in the past. Increasing capital efficiency and disciplined underwriting has allowed the club to grow capital as well as return some $25 million to mutual members through premium discounts in three of the last five years.


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A bear! It's a bear Irene!
Bob McKeown, from Scotland, didn't anticipate seeing a bear in front of his California vacation home in Pasadena. But their close encounter with the remarkably calm brown bear was caught on CCTV camera.
At one point the bear seemed to wait and watch for the McKeowns to lock their door and looked at them for seconds while just a bear length away.
It was only out of the camera range that the McKeown and his wife Irene noticed how close the bear was to them. McKeown told Irene to stay in the car and he and the bear got into a tussle. McKeown had minor injuries on his leg.
"I never had so much excitement."
The same bear has been spotted around the Pasadena neighbourhood and while it looks relatively harmless, neighbours are concerned. There is a growing call for the bear to be captured and tranquilized.
h/t: Reuters, Guardian
Photo credit: New York Daily News


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On Monday, we took a rest day from paragliding and went to the Santa Barbara Zoo, which is regularly ranked as one of the best small zoos in North America. Andrew posted his fabulous photos and provided some tips about taking photos at the zoo.
In addition to seeing all the animals, one of the things I love about zoos and aquariums is their focus on education about the the health and safety of all living creatures and sustainability of our environment.
Here's just a few things the zoo is doing, along with similar suggestions about what we all can do.
Each of the displays have a sign with information about the animals as well as information on what you can do to help protect those animals in their natural environments. Here are just a few examples.
"Jeans for Giraffes" is an interesting initiative where you can donate your old denim jeans. The denim is recycled (turned into insulation) and the money received goes to support giraffe research and protection in Africa.


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WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday issued a national terrorism bulletin warning of potential lingering violence by domestic, violent extremists including those who might be emboldened by the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
The department did not explicitly say there were any credible threats but said that it remains concerned and will continue to take precautions to protect Americans and infrastructures across the U.S. DHS said it consulted with law enforcement and intelligence agencies before issuing the alert about the potential for homegrown violent extremism.
The bulletin states that throughout 2020 extremists have had opposing views to a wide range of issues in the U.S. including COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results and "First Amendment-protected, non-violent protest activity."
It also mentions racial and ethnic tensions that lead to the 2019 El Paso, Texas, mass shooting that killed 23 people.
The bulletin highlights other stressors like the U.S. Capitol riot at the beginning of the month, concerns over the recent inauguration of President Joe Biden and the police use of force protests over the past year.
"DHS is concerned these same drivers to violence will remain through early 2021 and some DVEs may be emboldened by the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. to target elected officials and government facilities," the bulletin reads. "DHS encourages state, local, tribal, and territorial homeland security partners to continue prioritizing physical security measures, particularly around government facilities, to protect people and critical infrastructure."
The DHS asks the public to report any suspicious activity and threats of violence, even ones posted online, to law enforcement. It encourages individuals to avoid large crowds and protests as a safety precaution.
The alert is expected to expire on April 20, 2021.
Read the full terrorism alert bulletin below.


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Our health insurance system is a mess. Navigating the private health insurance market is confusing and expensive. Even if you have insurance, getting them to cover healthcare expenses can be a tedious maze of referrals, appeals, and surprise bills. Our system isn't working. The US spends more on healthcare and receives worse care compared to other countries who provide universal coverage.
In this town hall we will discuss the different health insurance options and how to navigate them. We think if you look at our current options, you'll see that the only way forward is Medicare for All.
Come out to share your healthcare story and learn more how we can work together to build a better future.
Following the town hall, there will be a power mapping training for the New York Health Act. We hope you will stick around if you want to learn more about campaign planning.
7114 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11209
United States
Google map and directions


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We Could All Use a Little Help SometimesExtend the skillset and knowledge of your team with Advantage Support.
Gain access to the entire Navantis bench of professionals for all of your Microsoft technology support needs.
The Navantis Advantage
A flexible program for 24/7 IT support.
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Advantage Foundation
Provides peace of mind, minimizing your support burden and maximizing resource efficiencies.
Operational maturity assessment
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Advantage Standard
Provides a seamless support experience designed to deliver both reactive and proactive services.
Advantage Foundation Features
24/7/365 Support coverage
Designated Service Account Manager
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800 Support Hours
Advantage Enterprise
Maintain full control & insight into day-to-day support operations, freeing your time and resources.
Advantage Standard Features
Access to Microsoft support
Dedicated Services Team
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1600+ Support Hours
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Moving You to the Cloud on Your Own Terms
Managed Support is a part of our five pillar Cloud strategy.
OnCloud Data Centre
Your Microsoft technology runs best on a Microsoft platform, and in the hands of Microsoft Application Experts.
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Managed Applications
Consume the applications vital to your business without the daily challenges of managing and supporting these applications and the infrastructure they run on.
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We'll keep you up to date with the latest technology and versions across all devices.
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We'll take ownership of the performance and availability of any server or application in your environment.
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NBC Learn
"Navantis has completed our service offering by providing a seamless experience for our community, becoming a trusted member of our team. They treat our clients with patience and respect, ensuring that no problem goes unsolved."
Michael Levin, Director of Sales and Technical Operations, NBC Learn


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I grew up a middle class kid from Lakewood, with a strong desire to serve my community, my state, and my country. Like my wife and young children, I am the product of public education. To help pay for college, I earned a U.S. Army ROTC scholarship and took it to the University of Colorado-Boulder, where I received a degree in Economics and Political Science, and eventually, a law degree from CU.
I am the elected District Attorney representing the 18th Judicial District, which includes 1 million Coloradans in Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. It is a jurisdiction larger than the state of Connecticut and forty-five percent more populous than Denver. Since taking office in 2013, I have created one of the most transparent and fiscally responsible public offices in the state.
As a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, I have been mobilized to active duty twice since 9/11 and most recently served as the Chief of Military Justice for Fort Carson, and ultimately, for the U.S. Division-North, 4th Infantry Division in Tikrit, Iraq. I am a Colonel in the Colorado Army National Guard serving as a legal advisor for NORAD/NORTHCOM.
My wife, Marcia, and I reside in Parker with our four kids. Marcia has been an entrepreneur and successful local business owner for more than seventeen years.


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|A 40-bar jig for 4½ couples in a longwise set
(the ½ stands at the top of the set as the "Umbrella" with a small part-filled
laundry basket )
1 – 4 1st with 2nd couple and 3rd with 4th couple advance and retire diagonally, touching
right hands with a pushing or punching motion in the middle.
5 – 8 1st and 4th couples advance and retire to partners twice, touching right hands in a
similar manner to previously, while 2nd and 3rd couples dance four hands once round
to the left.
9 – 12 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th couples dance half reels of four on the sides; instead of completing
the left shoulder pass at the end, 3rd with 2nd men and 3rd with 2nd women finish
when side by side giving left hands, 2nd couple facing down and 3rd couple up, in a line
across the dance.
13 – 16 4th and 1st couples turn partner once round with the right hand, while 3rd with 2nd
men, and 3rd with 2nd women, turn three quarters round with the left hand. Finish in
order 4,2,3,1 with 2nd man facing up.
17 – 24 all stand chatting to all and sundry, while 4th and 2nd men change places with both
hands and two pas de basque on bars 17–18, then 3rd and 1st women on bars 19–20,
3rd and 1st men on bars 21–22 and 4th and 2nd women on bars 23–24. Order is now
25 – 32 2nd and 3rd couples chase clockwise right round the outside of the set while 4th and 1st
couples turn right about on the spot with two pas de basque then chase anticlockwise
once round inside the set in six bars. On the last bar, as he arrives at the top, 2nd man
is given the laundry basket by the "Umbrella".
33 – 40 The laundry basket is passed, one bar for each pass, from 2nd man to 4th man, to 1st
man, to 3rd man, to 3rd woman, then to 1st woman, to 4th woman, to 2nd woman, then
back to the "Umbrella".
Repeat from new positions.
At the end of the fourth time through the "Umbrella", carrying a raised umbrella,
dances round the inside of the set sheltering the laundry basket as it is moved round,
then dances off followed by the top woman who retains the basket then the other women
and the men in clockwise order round the set.
Devised by Angus Henry at very short notice as a ceilidh item, to represent a technically trying but
socially stimulating New Year's Day working in the residents' laundry at a NZ Summer School, and
inspired by people coming and going, looking for a chance to use the single washing machine and
dryer, wrestling with attempts to get the coin/token slots to work and to interpret their
dysfunctional warning lights, joking about sharing washing, and suggesting this dance to
commemorate the occasion, before getting their washing safely home in the rain. 1 January 2012.


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LPE Equipment for II-VI Compound Semiconductors – The ESY–10/S Concept was developed for the special Requirements of LPE-Growth of II-VI Compound Semiconductors such as MCT Epitaxy. Its high Capacity of 200 cm² per Epitaxial Process combined with its unique Crucible material and Design for Melt Homogenization are the leading Features of this LPE Reactor. It is operating successfully worldwide.
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Economical Production of GaP-Wafers for Yellow-Green LEDs – The SOF Optoelectronics ESY–8 Equipment is especially designed for economical Production of GaP-Wafers for YG-LEDs. With a Capacity of 90 Wafers per Run, not only the Throughput is high, but also the Quality and Homogeneity of the Products are excellent.
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52249 Eschweiler
Phone +49 (0) 2403-508966
Fax +49 (0) 2403-508968


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611 S 1st Ave
Arcadia, CA 91006
Arcadia area Invisalign® dentist Savithri Ravindran, D.D.S. is happy to provide your new clear braces. At Savithri P. Ravindran, D.D.S, we want you to have the straight teeth and beautiful smile you desire.
We're happy to assess your needs create your individual treatment plan for braces. You may be able to have your new Invisalign® aligners sooner than you think!
Distinguished Arcadia area mini dental implants dentist Savithri Ravindran, D.D.S. can provide you with the highest quality results. At Savithri P. Ravindran, D.D.S, we use state-of-the-art materials and techniques that make them less invasive and more affordable.
You deserve the best treatment available to replace missing teeth. Whether you're missing a single tooth or experiencing pain from slipping dentures, mini dental implants can be a faster way to regain your beautiful smile.
For many people with crowded or crooked teeth in the Arcadia area, braces can help keep their teeth cleaner, their gums healthier and provide relief from jaw pain. You deserve a lifetime of better oral health.
The straight teeth, bright smile and life-long oral health you envision really can be yours. Savithri P. Ravindran, D.D.S will help you plan the proper orthodontics treatment to create your healthier new life.
Dr. Savithri Ravindran is a popular Arcadia area children's dentist known for her easy going and friendly approach. Our caring team is dedicated to your child's dental health.
We're happy to answer all of your questions. We want you and your children to feel comfortable, whether we're treating your toddler's baby teeth or your teenager's permanent teeth.
Savithri P. Ravindran, D.D.S is a trusted Arcadia area dental implants practice providing natural-looking, comfortable tooth replacement. We make it our mission to use a gentle touch during the process.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards to replace missing teeth and provide you with natural-looking results. Our goal is to restore your confidence and your bright, healthy smile.
300 N. Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
2701 W. Alameda Avenue, Suite 606
Burbank, CA 91505
If you are missing one or more teeth, you'll want to talk with Burbank area dental implant dentist Dr. Alexandre Tavitian about replacements that look and feel as natural as your own teeth. If dentures are causing you problems, you may consider dental implants. Unlike dentures, which can be removed, Dr. Tavitian offers dental implants that are permanently anchored into the jaw itself.
Secure, removable overdentures in the Burbank area are available from Dr. Tavitian. The extra stability that comes from using implants means that your new dentures won't slip around.
You'll feel more comfortable compared to regular dentures. You'll feel more confident when talking, eating and smiling.
Burbank area dentist, Dr. Alexandre Tavitian has extensive experience providing dental phobia treatments that help patients ease their dental anxiety. If fear of the dentist is keeping you from getting the quality dental care you need, we can help. You're not alone. Our trained team works with all kinds of anxiety and stress. We'll help you get the dental treatment you need in a way that makes you feel comfortable.
Alexandre Tavitian, D.D.S. is proud to be a trusted Burbank area Zoom!® teeth whitening dentist. Our patients love the short amount of time the tooth whitening treatment takes as much as they love the results.
You'll be able to relax in our comfortable surroundings. In just about an hour, you'll have a sparkling white smile!
Yean, Ying Chung D.D.S.
633 N Central Ave # 303
Glendale, CA, 91203-1824
Conroy, Barton W D.D.S.
2101 Broadview Dr
Glendale, CA, 91208-1313
Lalabekyan, Alexander D.D.S.
457 W Colorado St # 201
Glendale, CA, 91204-4844
Nishan Odabashian Inc
1138 N Brand Blvd # B
Glendale, CA, 91202-3757
When you decide to have crowns done, especially if they involve your front teeth, you will want to be able to give your input regarding how the final crowns will look. One way to do this is with temporary dental crowns. When your teeth are prepared for crowns, the dentist will place temporary dental crowns for you to wear while the final crowns are being made.
There are some differences between temporary dental crowns and final crowns that you should be aware of. Temporary dental crowns are made of a different material, usually some sort of a plastic or acrylic. Since these materials are not as strong as your own teeth, you will have to be careful of what you eat. You should avoid hard foods such as nuts, and tough foods such as bagels or French bread.
Another difference is that temporary dental crowns are cemented on with a dental cement. The reason for this is that the cosmetic dentist will need to be able to remove the temporary dental crowns when it is time to cement the permanent ones. Since the cement is not as strong, sticky foods may cause them to come loose.
If your temporary dental crowns come off or are loose, you should call your dentist so that they can be re-cemented. It is important not to wait, as the tooth may be sensitive, it may move, or, if a long enough period of time passes, the tooth may get decay. As far as home care, your temporary dental crowns should be cleaned with a toothbrush, just like your own teeth. When flossing, though, it is important to floss towards the gums and then slide the floss out by one end rather than lifting it back up through the teeth. This will help ensure that your temporary dental crowns do not come off while flossing.
By Greggory Kinzer, DDS, MSD
The appearance of your teeth is heavily impacted by the position of the surrounding gum tissue. In a normal situation, two teeth that are side by side in your mouth have contact with each other. Below this contact, the area is filled in with gum tissue in the shape of a triangle. This triangular-shaped gum tissue is called the papilla. It is not uncommon to have an empty space in the area where the papilla is supposed to be. If this occurs, the result is perceived as a black space.
They are caused by a loss of the gum tissue itself or by the shape and/or position of the teeth. For any black space that is present, the first thing that needs to be done is to diagnose what caused it to occur. Once this is done, the restorative dentistry treatment choice can be made. The best decision will be the most conservative treatment that corrects the black space.
One of the most common causes of loss of gum tissue is due to the gum disease known as periodontitis. This gum disease acts on the supporting bone around the teeth, causing a loss of bone. This loss of bony support causes the papilla to slump and flatten, creating a black space between the teeth. The first step in treating the resulting black space in this situation is to treat the cause. Once the gum disease is under control, the black spaces can then be addressed with restorative dentistry.
To remove the black spaces, the teeth need to have restorations placed that will change the shape of the teeth and fill in this space. The type of restorative dentistry can vary depending on whether or not there are any other problems with the teeth. The simplest and most conservative restoration is composite, a tooth-colored filling material. It can be bonded directly on the tooth in the area of the black space. Since it is placed only in the affected area, the situation where this is used requires that the overall appearance of the tooth is acceptable and does not need to be changed.
If the overall appearance of the tooth needs to be altered, then a different type of restorative dentistry needs to be used. The choice is either a dental veneer or a dental crown. The choice between the two depends on both the appearance and the structural changes that need to be done. Usually, to correct a black space, both teeth on either side need to be restored. In doing this, the symmetry between the teeth will remain the same. If you restored just one tooth, you would end up with one tooth being wider than the other. The advantage of using restorative dentistry to correct black spaces is that it usually results in a shorter treatment time.
Another cause of the black space is due to the position of the teeth themselves. One example is teeth that are tilted towards each other. When this occurs, the area for your gum tissue to fill becomes too large for the amount of tissue you have. This same concept may occur with certain types of tooth shapes. In these instances, the restorative dentistry treatment of choice is to use orthodontics (braces) to align the teeth. The advantage of doing this is that the black space will disappear without having to do any restorations on the teeth.
By Greggory Kinzer, DDS, MSD


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After all my gushing about Mega Man Legends last week I decided to fire up the game and revisit some of its better moments. This was when I made a shocking discovery! That shiny new PlayStation 3 backward-compatibility update? It has issues. I could deal with the crashing FMV in Vagrant Story, because that wasn't really part of the game. But the fact that audio streams in MML don't sync up with the in-game cinematics? This aggression will not stand, man.
Half the charm of Legends was that it actually had in-game cinematics rendered with the same models as the gameplay, complete with animated facial expressions, back in a period where such things were frankly unheard of. Capcom USA even found good voice actors and made sure to time the sound properly to the lip-flaps, such as they were. It was a tiny marvel in its day, and something is rather lost when all of that goes away. Nice work, Sony.
So since I couldn't spend time with Mega Man Trigger, I figured I'd do the next best thing and get reacquainted with gaming's other great trigger, the Chrono one. Actually, I'm lying. The name thing is just a coincidence. But wow, Chrono Trigger. What a freaking great game, even after all this time.
Revisiting Trigger 1: The Queen Is Missing!
Square did something truly exceptional in Chrono Trigger, something I wish they'd made an effort to repeat in their future games: they created a streamlined and extremely accessible role-playing game that nevertheless offered a great deal of openness, freedom, content and variety. Generally speaking, RPGs either become bogged down in detailed, arcane systems (FFXII gets a free pass in my heart, but it was guilty of this), or else they strip away everything and basically turn the entire experience into a rote march from one plot point to the next (see: every Shadow Hearts). Chrono Trigger struck a perfect balance from the very first moments of the game.
The game is broken into chapters of sorts and begins with The Millennial Fair — a celebration of the establishment of the Kingdom of Guardia, 1,000 years prior.
Truth be told, I used to hate the Millennial Fair; it kept me from jumping right into the meat of the game. That is, running around fighting things. In hindsight, I appreciate what it accomplished much more. It is, in essence, a tutorial — but a wonderfully subtle one. Rather than taking time to tell you "Here is how you play the game (hint: choose "fight" a lot)," the Millennial Fair is seamlessly integrated into the story. You can skip almost all of it and head straight to the action, or you can explore and deepen your experience.
Talking to people and participating in events at the festival gives you a safe hands-on battle experience, establishes the backstory of the game, gives you a chance to perform actions that will affect the trial sequence a few hours down the road, and even lets you buff up your character. It's possible, should you be so determined, to net Crono some gear that will last him quite a ways into the game. You can do this by earning silver points to exchange for cash within the fairgrounds, or you can break out of the story path to wander around the countryside, fighting monsters in the north forest and venturing south to Porre to buy better armor. From the beginning, the player sets the pace, the tone and the difficulty of the game. But it's all very quietly woven into the fabric of the game.
Every RPG needs to do this sort of thing.
Anyway, once you start exploring the fair you meet Marle, a burbly blonde who turns out to be vastly more trouble than she's worth. Don't fall for her wiles, Crono! Lucca may look like Velma from an Akira Toriyama remake of Scooby Doo, but she's a genius and wears a pith helmet! That's way more awesome than some airhead who gets her fashion sense from the girl in Secret of Mana.
So yeah, Marle screws up one of Lucca's inventions and falls into a hole in space; Crono bravely follows along and ends up 400 years in the past where he eventually comes to realize (presumably, anyway, since he never actually speaks, so maybe he's actually a complete idiot randomly bumbling from fight to fight) that letting Marle fall into the past was a really dumb idea since she looks exactly like her ancestor, Queen Leene of Guardia. Improbable, you say? Not really. Royal bloodlines don't usually enjoy a lot of fresh DNA. Her appearance in AD 600 means that a kingdom-wide search for the recently-abducted queen is canceled since, hey, look, we found Leene. She's looking younger than ever, and demanding "eye scream." Ah, hilarity! Until a temporal paradox rips Marle apart from the inside out, anyway.
This begins the adventure in earnest, since you actually to go and fight monsters, ultimately leading up to the first boss fight. The way is made easier thanks to Lucca's timely arrival and the even timelier arrival of a giant mutant frog-guy named, uh, Frog. He's a masterful swordsman with a dark secret and, sorry to say it Internet, the most annoyingly strident and bombastic theme music ever. With Frog's appearance, the game's combat system really falls into place, but I think I'll will write about that next time, when the game really picks up steam.
Even in the slow-ish opening parts, though, replaying Chrono Trigger instantly reminds me just how great this game was, and how frustrating it is that so few developers have drawn upon its best elements — accessibility, pacing, gameplay. There's a reason I still cling loyally to the J-RPG genre despite its utter stagnation and creative bankruptcy, and that reason is simple: Because when they do it right, they come up with games like Chrono Trigger, games visceral enough to reach across genre boundaries and appeal to everyone.
Everyone, I said. If you don't love this game, you are not worth counting. Harsh but true!
Next time: Beyond the Ruins


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Story highlights
1,800 protesters were arrested in New York during 2004 Republican National Convention
A joint settlement is resolved between the city and protesters after nine years in litigation
The average payout per plaintiff is about $6,400
New York City agreed on Wednesday to pay nearly $18 million to settle the civil rights claims of thousands of people arrested during the 2004 Republican National Convention that nominated George W. Bush for a second presidential term.
New York police engaged in mass arrests of more than 1,800 protesters, bystanders, legal observers and journalists during the event.
Michael Schiller, a documentary maker working for HBO, said he was caught in police netting and arrested while attempting to film protesters from a sidewalk in Lower Manhattan.
"Police rolled out orange nets and I was caught in one of those nets and I ended up spending 28 hours in a temporary jail they created on the West Side Highway in an old bus depot," Schiller said, adding that he was detained in overcrowded and dirty conditions.
"The ground was covered in oil and stuff that comes out of buses," Schiller said, "There wasn't enough seating. Men and women were separated in different pens. Everyone was covered in this filthy black. People had abrasions and lesions from their skin touching the oil."
The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the City of New York in October 2004 on behalf of Schiller and others, claiming their constitutional rights had been violated.
Schiller represents one of more than 430 people who brought lawsuits against the city and the police. Another 1,200 were included in a class-action lawsuit.
According to the city law department, New York and the New York City Police Department defended itself against the lawsuits, maintaining that the conduct of the police had been constitutional and that its goal was keep order and prevent the protests from spiraling.
In October 2012, a federal District Court ruled that the Fulton Street mass arrests were unconstitutional and urged for a settlement of the remaining cases. The result was Wednesday's agreement.
Approved by U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan, the settlement includes $10.3 million for all individuals arrested during the RNC, and $7.6 million for attorneys' fees, costs and expenses, according to a press release by the Law Department.
Christopher Dunn, NYCLU associate legal director and Schiller's lawyer, said there is a substantial range of individual settlement rewards.
"They vary depending on how long people were in detention, the conditions they were in, and the outcome of their criminal cases," Dunn said.
Schiller did not comment when asked about his personal settlement.
The average payout per plaintiff is about $6,400, according to a news release by the Law Department.
"The quantity of money that the city has spent on this is outrageous in the sense that this is money that could go to New York City public schools or New York City hospitals that are closing left and right and New York City fire departments," Schiller said.
Schiller produced a documentary, "The After Party," about his case.
"I think that in some ways it really is a victory for democracy and freedom of speech and freedom of the press," Schiller said.


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iriver's Dicple D35 and D31 remind us of just how much we'll never understand
For a company that pretty much just makes PMPs, iriver manages to pull off an incredible quantity of surprising product moves and design choices. Its new Dicple D35 and D31, for instance, square off any of the sexiness and sleekitude of previous iterations, like 2007's D5. The devices seem to be getting inexplicably thicker, the screen bezel has become more prominent, and iriver just doesn't seem to care. However, the software has certainly come a long way from those electronic dictionary days, with widgets, advanced multimedia features (like DMB and radio recording), handwriting recognition and PIM functions -- all of which we have little idea as to the functionality, since the spec list is in Korean, and we don't imagine iriver plans on shipping this sort of stuff to the States any time soon. Still, we can dream.
[Thanks, Alex]
Read - iriver D31
Read - iriver D35