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A. Gianotto
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Helter Shelter - A Grim Tale of the Needle And Damage Done
I don't know if this has been posted before or not.... its pretty powerful.
Helter Shelter - A Grim Tale of the Needle And The Damage Done
August 5, 2006 : 12:00 AM
By Ty Phillips
Modesto Bee
It is early morning at the Stanislaus County Animal Shelter. And for you, the animal care specialist, the day opens in minor chords. You walk to the computer and print out the list of dogs that fill dozens of the agency's kennels. You sit there with your coffee, highlighting in yellow marker the ones that have been here for five days. They've all got a story.
Someone stopped loving him. No one ever loved her. He got too big. She started chewing on sprinklers. He bit a child. Her owner is out of town, and the house sitter noticed the dog got out but didn't bother to call the shelter. Whatever happened, it doesn't matter now: Their time is up.
You move to the first noisy cage. As you open the door, a few dogs try to escape, while others cram themselves into the far corners to avoid you. Everyone on the outside says the animals have no idea what's coming, but you've seen too much proof to the contrary. Yes, on some sad level, they know.
You squeeze into the cage and slip your leash, your noose, around the neck of one. You lead him back to the gate and open it just enough for you to squeeze through. You pull his head closer to the gate, and get ready. Then you jerk him out quickly and slam the door so the others don't get out. He's scared and whimpering, looking around frantically, but he does what he's told and follows you, faithfully, to the end of the line.
The killing room is a large, cold place with a small row of metal cages along one of the concrete walls. There's a large, stainless-steel table in one corner, holding syringes, needles and bottles of tranquilizer and Fatal Plus, a solution of sodium pentobarbital that usually kills within seconds.
As a co-worker readies the syringe, you're kneeling, holding the dog still, cuffing one leg with your hand. Sometimes you have to fight them. Sometimes the battle is so fierce, you resort to forcing them between a gate hinged on a wall, immobilizing them long enough so you can get the needle in.
But not this time. This one's calm. He trusts you. He even gives you his paw: He's obviously someone's pet. So you stroke his head softly as the co-worker finds a vein. Then, just like that, he melts in your arms. You grab his paw again and drag his limp body to a corner.
One by one, you lay them out on the cement floor. One by one. Though county records show roughly 15,000 animals are killed each year at the shelter, it's a number, like eternity, that defies comprehension. But when one considers the solitary act of each animal death, and the people who do the dirty work, the number 15,000 comes into better focus. One death is a tragedy; anything more than that is just a statistic.
On this morning, and every morning, there will be about 15 to 20 of these canine executions, not counting the ones that come in throughout the day that are injured or unadoptable. As you walk to the cages to retrieve another, the anger swells inside you. Because you know most of this daily ritual easily could be avoided. Spay and neuter, people, you say to yourself.
Spay and neuter!
Time runs out on a mother pit bull and her puppies. When she showed up here last week, your only hope was that she wouldn't give birth before her five days were up. But she did.
You hardly could stand to watch her care for her pups, licking them, dragging them around to protect them. Finally, you gave in and fed her treats, telling her, "That's a good girl."
Because, sadly, you knew all her efforts were in vain. This day always comes. Once you've got them all gathered in the room, you put her down first. Because you've learned the babies cry when they're injected, and that only adds stress to the mother.
One by one. One after another. You stack the singles into piles. You load the piles into 55-gallon barrels. You push the barrels into the walk-in freezer, where rows and rows of barrels fill completely about twice a week. The barrels are emptied into trucks. It's like a factory here. And they call this a shelter?
The stench of death permanently haunts the air: It's a dull fragrance you won't forget the rest of your life. Someday years from now, you'll be served food at a restaurant, and something will trigger the memory of that awful smell. Just like that, the meal will be over. You wash your hands incessantly; trouble is, what you're trying to clean doesn't go away with soap and water. That would take a psychologist, better than the one you have.
An hour into it, you're nearing the last of the morning's kill. Next up is an adorable pop-eyed Chihuahua you had thought someone might claim. Or adopt. You start for her, but then you make a grave mistake: You look into her eyes. In a flash, your mind acknowledges that this is a living, breathing thing. --darn-- dog, now she's under your skin.
Suddenly, you can't bring yourself to do it. Not this one. Your back yard already brims with the dogs and cats you've personally spared over the years, and there's simply no more room. So, you sneak her off the list and move her to another kennel. Your day off is tomorrow, and you just put it out of your mind. That's all you can do.
Now, through the bars, you spot the big mongrel. You squeeze into the cage, and he moves away. He's scared and hungry; he's not the alpha male in this lot, so he hasn't eaten in five days. And who knows what he went through before he ended up here? So you kneel and call to him in a pleasant voice. Now he's wagging his tail because he thinks you're going to rescue him from this awful place.
You get him outside and pet him to try to keep him calm. But he's excited, jumping up and down, because you helped him out of the chaos. You're his friend now; he'll follow you anywhere. So you lead him toward the room and he trots along happily.
But halfway there, something shifts in him. You figure he's starting to smell that stench coming from the freezer. Yes, on some level, they know. He starts jerking his neck back, using his front legs to try to pull you back. The more you fight him, the more he realizes he should fight. So you drag him the rest of the way.
Once you get him into the room, he's still fighting pretty hard. Your arms are getting tired. To get him to the table, you both trip over piles of dead dogs that now cover the floor. Finally, you get him stopped. The soft talk helps a little, and you're able to hold him still enough for the co-worker to find a vein. Once it's in, you let go. He moves away, woozy. They don't always die immediately. He wanders over to the corpse of another dog, and sniffs it a little before collapsing onto the floor.
Spay and neuter, people!
Leaving the room, you remember something you wanted to tell a co-worker. She's working alone in the cat room, putting down several dozen to start her day. You open the door, but the scene makes you forget what you wanted to say.
There she is, sitting in a corner, crying, surrounded by dozens of dead cats that litter the floor. You make eye contact and get ready to say something, but she waves you off. It's a quick shake of the head that says, "I'm fine; just leave me alone." So you do.
For those who do this for a living, it's mostly business as usual, life goes on. But there are occasional meltdowns. Not to mention divorce, denial, alcoholism, nightmares, antidepressants and all sorts of other ugly side effects.
Walking away from the cat room, a simple question forms in your head, one that plagues you often throughout your days here: Does anybody care about animals? Anyone at all? Inside, you know there are thousands of people, just like you, who cherish their pets and treat them like family. Or even royalty. Working here, you rarely see those folks. They take care of their animals.
Instead, you get the people who before business hours drop off a cardboard box of mangled kittens that were used to train pit bulls to fight dirty. Usually, they just toss the dead alongside the road somewhere, but for some reason, someone brought these in. You open the box to discover all but one are dead, and the only one alive is using its front legs to crawl toward you because its back legs are crushed.
Or you get the people whose hobby is trapping feral cats and bringing them to the shelter. Once you asked about strange lines etched into the stick they use to hold the trap shut, hoping you were wrong. But, yes, like notches in a gun, that's how they track how many cats they've captured. It's a game to them.
Or you get the man who brings in three kittens in an ice chest he placed in his trunk. In the middle of summer. When you open the lid, most of the horror has played out. You look up and scold him, asking him what he was thinking. And he shrugs. Not like it matters, he says, they didn't belong to anyone.
Or you get the people who pull up in a moving van to drop off their family pet, saying that they can't take the dog with them and that they were unable to find the animal a home. They drive away, conscious clear, leaving the dirty work for you. Like you're some kind of sin-eater.
And to think, you took this job because you wanted to save animals. Standing there at the kennels, lost in the flashbacks, you ask yourself again: Does anybody care? Anyone at all?
A friendly face pops into your mind. Yes, there is one, you finally remember, trying to cheer yourself up. That poor young woman from the west side, the one who's been coming by twice a week for the last six months, looking for her beloved red Doberman pinscher. She keeps asking you, "How long should I keep looking?" And you keep telling her, "As long as your heart needs to." Who are you to take away hope?
And now, come to think of it, you did notice a nice-looking Doberman in the back kennels this morning. Nah, couldn't be, you think. He disappeared six months ago. But, needing a miracle, you go and check anyway. You look him over for a while. There is some red in his coat, but you're not certain.
Cautiously, you have someone call the woman. Be sure to tell her we're not sure, you say, but let her know we might have her dog. An hour later, the woman is scurrying through the hall toward the back kennels. You can barely keep up with her.
I think I hear him, she keeps saying excitedly. She keeps calling out his name. All you hear is what you always hear: the deafening din of scores of barking dogs. When you get to the back kennels, a lowered metal guillotine door is keeping everything outside. So you raise the door, and 80 pounds of frenetic dog come bounding inside, wildly running around the cage. You think to yourself, how would he even know she was coming? Yes, on some level, they always know.
Just like that, this huge dog plasters itself against the chain-link fence, licking the fingers of a woman who's pressing herself against the fence, too. The scene is reminiscent of lovers on a beach. It's him, it's him, she keeps saying. All the while, this enormous dog is emitting the strangest high-pitched yipping you've ever heard, almost like a puppy.
Overcome with emotion, the woman sinks to the cement gutter and starts sobbing into her hands. You sit next to her to offer some comfort. Then, before you know it, you're right beside her, bawling uncontrollably. She's crying because her life is complete again. And you're crying because, after working this job, your life never will be the same. Because for every animal that leaves with its owner, half a dozen are hauled off in garbage trucks.
No, you think, wiping away the tears, this is no place for an animal lover.
Bee staff writer Ty Phillips can be reached at
or 874-5716
Original URL:
-- A. Gianotto
R.I.P. Susan Caskey AKA "Critterfuz": April 1970 - Dec 2007.
R.I.P. Keegan Merrick AKA "RichmondACO": July 1977 - Jan 2009.
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Shelter Survivor
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Posts: 484
I think this is a safe time to tell this story, hopefully you all have one just like it you can post after me...
This reminded me of a shelter I used to work for before becoming an ACO. I had to "pick" dogs one day with a coworker, and we landed our decision based on time stayed and health.
One particular dog, a shepherd mix whom me named "Marlow" 2 weeks prior, now had kennel cough and was becoming depressed. No one even did one visitation with this dog, no one wanted him
This dog would get so excited every time we took him out. So this day we took him out of his kennel and his whole ass was into that tail wagging thing they do sometimes, he was just so pleased he thought he was going for a walk. We pranced down the hallway....
Everything was fine until we reached "that door." Then he just slammed on his little pads. Wouldnt budge an inch. SO we had to drag him all the way into this room, and he litterally stuck his feet out to the sides to keep us from pulling him in. We had to scoot his legs in and we pulled him through, closing the door behind him.
We got him on the table, and he just shook so bad that the whole table was rattling. Now, tell me dogs dont know... Believe me,
they know....
Well, we actually started crying because honestly, dogs dont USUALLY behave like this, sure they seem nervous but this dog was just going nuts....
We looked at eachother and thought, you know, it wouldnt kill us to give him one more day on the adoption floor. What's ONE kennel.
So, we lifted him off the table and he broke free from his lead (aka noose) and bolted to the closed door.
We put his lead back on him and walked him back out.
Boom. He was his old self, again. Happy go lucky with a "thank god" attitude.
And then what happened????
Procrastination is not always a bad thing
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Field Operative
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Utah
Posts: 295
That is a wonderful story!!! Its those days that make it okay to look forward to the next.
13. Some days you\'re the bug, some days you\'re the windshield.
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sack of Rotten Tomatos, California
Posts: 183
That story could be our shelter. It's not but a mirror image of what a day is like in our shelter. We have become fortunate though that we don't stick to to number of days rule. As long as a dog is adoptable (behavorially, and health wise) we keep them up for as long as we can. The ones that fail we try to find a rescue that will take them, the ones who are adoptable and have been with us for a long time the SPCA will come and get, maybe a fresh face at the SPCA will help it get adopted. The dogs tend to be the lucker ones. The cats not as much. With the health issues (upper resp. and stress), and the feral population. Well, we know what happens, that news article says it all.
I can relate and it brought tears to my eyes.
"give it one more day,give it a one more adoptable day."
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Field Operative
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 246
The feral death sentence
Originally Posted by
The dogs tend to be the lucker ones. The cats not as much. With the health issues (upper resp. and stress), and the feral population. Well, we know what happens, that news article says it all.
I can relate and it brought tears to my eyes.
"give it one more day,give it a one more adoptable day."
It makes me cry too.
This week, we heard about an ear-tipped cat that got a miraculous (no other word!) reprieve at our local pound. I heard about it because someone thought to find out whether it was "one of ours" meaning, one of the cats that have been through the Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program in our area. Without information on what area it was impounded we have little to go on to figure out except the visual description -- and as probably is true everywhere, there are lots of individuals and lots of organizations of all kinds doing TNR but not necessarily keeping track of individual cats. So, we may never know who took the time to neuter this guy.
Unfortunately, he really was a miracle, because there is no feral cat program here officially. So the feral cats keep pouring in from some places (where the TNR programs haven't been able to reach out to people), and keep being killed for no particular reason but that they were born outside and were trusting enough to go into a trap.
You could hope that someone, somewhere, here, would have the sense, and the professionalism, to say, this isn't right, we have to find some better way. But so far, nobody's done that, here.
I'm glad every single time that I hear of an animal that gets a little bit of a good break!
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I don't think I've ever come across an article about our work that was better written or more expressive ... what a great piece.
It's not what we have in our life, but who we have in our life that counts. (J.M. Lawrence)
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text:
Cardigan, Macy's | Top, Old Navy | Necklace, LucyMint | Shorts, Forever 21 | Boots, Tommy Hilfiger
The transition to spring semester hasn't been nearly as smooth as the ombre on my cardigan, but I like to think I'm beginning to settle in. Class enrollment caps and my lack of seniority have sent me hunting for a final course during add/drop week, and of course, my indecisiveness has proved a barrier to finalizing my schedule. At least I can apply what I've recently learned in intro econ. Time to analyze opportunity costs and strive to maximize utility.
Anyways, this outfit was shot at home over break, and was one of my favorite work ensembles--nothing like subtle coordination and eclectic combinations. Now that I'm back at school, I've found it much more difficult to stay as polished since the perpetual snow and slush-blanketed paths force me to tailor outfits to my lone pair of black, riding-style snowboots. But of course, I welcome and gladly tackle challenges of all forms.
Hopefully talk to you all soon for a more in-depth update.


text:
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat unveiled songs from her upcoming album Friday night during a packed performance at Pacific Amphitheatre, launching the Costa Mesa venue's annual summer run alongside the OC Fair.
Caillat turned in a 17-song set in roughly 80 minutes, showcasing the folk-pop star's new material as well as older hits and lesser-known songs. But although the 28-year-old "Bubbly" singer managed to deliver impeccable vocals on every tune, her lackluster stage presence was bubble-bursting.
The concert got off to slow start at 8:30 but Caillat eventually picked up the pace, the daughter of noted Fleetwood Mac co-producer Ken Caillat opening up to the audience as she recounted her rise to fame and inspiration for various pieces.
She certainly approached each song with ease and professionalism, her rich, mellow tone and ethereal falsetto sweet like honey. Yet Caillat was unable to fully command the midsize amphitheatre. When stripped of her guitar, she paced mechanically across the stage with little facial expression or energy. Perhaps this performer who considers herself "really shy" is better suited to more intimate venues.
Regardless of her subdued demeanor, Caillat expressed excitement at being back after a two-month hiatus from the road to record her fifth album, due in November.
"I'm sure you guys all know Paul Simon," she said. "I mean, I heard his record a long time ago, Graceland, but I heard it recently and I also heard "Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkel, and I just loved the vibe. It just made me want to move and dance. And so that's what inspired the writing and production for this record."
Concert-goers got a sneak preview of two cuts from her coming album, which will be a hodgepodge of up-tempo and mellow acoustic tunes, the Malibu-born singer-songwriter said.
"Crusin'," arguably one of her best moments this night, featured a catchy hook about cruising on island time. The song also brought Caillat's six-piece backing band to the forefront in an unplugged setting that featured standout work from drummer Donald Barrett, bassist Darwin Johnson and guitarist Dory Lobel.
"We had been writing a bunch of songs, and this was the end of our trip and we were observing these really cute naked babies," Caillat said of the inspiration for that number. "And we were really jealous because, come on, it's way more comfortable to be naked. You don't get tan lines. So we were just kind of making a joke song and started singing these funny lyrics. And we just thought we'd keep it and put it on the record."
"Like Tomorrow Never Comes," the second fresh offering, was upbeat and danceable but the chord progression sounded too much like Caillat's pitter-patter hit "Brighter Than the Sun." Indeed, several songs all came across similarly, which made the show feel flat, though she attempted to break up the monotony with arrangements that channeled her reggae and R&B influences, chiefly Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley.
Caillat was unable to perform her Grammy-winning smash "Lucky" with her original duet partner, Jason Mraz, so she asked guitarist Justin Young, her ex-boyfriend, to take his place. Young, who toured with Caillat for several years, seduced female admirers with buttery vocals and magnetic charisma.
They broke off their relationship a year ago, yet the pair's chemistry here was still electric. Sparks flew throughout their flirtatious performance as they ironically sang the line "lucky I'm in love with my best friend."
Other highlights this night included "Realize," a Motownesque version of "I Never Told You," "Magic," plus an expected finish with "Bubbly" and "Brighter Than the Sun," both of which led the audience to sing and dance along.
Earlier, Caillat had asked the crowd to participate in the music-making when she performed last year's single "Favorite Song," featuring hip-hop mainstay Common on the studio track. "On the chorus, just one time after I sing 'la la la la,' I'm going to point to you guys, and I want you to put your arms up and say 'ey,'" she instructed.
As the concert ended, Caillat continued to interact with fans, staying out to high-five those who rushed to the foot of the stage. One thing is for sure: Seven years on, after awards and double-platinum hits, the former MySpace sensation hasn't lost sight of what matters most – the people who propelled her to stardom.
Set list: Colbie Caillat at Pacific Amphitheatre
Fallin' for You / The Little Things / Begin Again / I Do / Realize / Oxygen / I Never Told You / Magic / Make It Rain / Crusin / Shadow / I Won't / Favorite Song / Lucky / Like Tomorrow Never Comes / Bubbly / Brighter Than the Sun
Photo: Kelly A. Swift, for the Register


text:
Agreed...For the past 80 years the army has continually stifled progress within the country.StevePIraq wrote:Thailand has a problem with it's government system not just educational system
A couple of years of real government, then a takeover by an institution that should be reserved for defence.
Start/stop....start/stop....start/stop....and so on.
So here we are 80 years on with essentially little progress.
An army is a blunt instrument, that should never be anywhere near the offices of government.
There's a cavernous gap between 'Great Britain' and 'Thailand'.......the word 'Great'....which under present/past circumstances, Thailand will NEVER be.


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Toyota Beats Self to Set New Quarterly Profit Record
Toyota Motor outdid itself with its latest quarterly earnings results--literally.
The world's biggest auto maker said Friday it earned a net profit of ¥562.2 billion ($5.63) in the three months through June. It was the biggest profit ever by a Japanese non-financial firm in a single quarter, breaking the company's own record set in 2007, according to Nomura Securities Co. It should be noted however, that such records only go back to 2003, until which Japanese companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange weren't required to disclose quarterly financial results.
Toyota, in large part, can thank the weaker yen for its new record. The currency's steep fall accounted for about 40% of the company's ¥663.3 billion operating profit. The yen traded at an average ¥99 to the dollar in the quarter, compared with ¥80 in the same period a year earlier, when it was blamed for dragging operating profit down by about ¥40 billion.
But Toyota was eager to point out the weaker yen wasn't the only factor behind the impressive results. The latest figure bested the company's previous high of ¥491.54 billion set in 2007, when the yen was even more favorable, and when Toyota was on its way to a record annual net profit. In the three months through June 2007, the U.S. dollar averaged ¥121, about ¥22 higher than in the latest quarter.
"This should be a reminder that Toyota's earnings power is greatly enhanced by internal efforts and better products," wrote Deutsche Securities auto analyst Kurt Sanger in a note after the earnings release Friday. "With a global auto market over 25% larger than when earnings last peaked, it appears Toyota is far from finished."
Follow Yoree Koh on Twitter @yoreekoh


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Emmy predictions 2016: 'Veep,' 'Game of Thrones,' 'House of Cards,' 'black-ish,' 'O.J.' and other likely contenders
Sound the trumpets and release the hounds, it's Emmy time again.
Nominations for the 68th annual Emmy Awards, showcasing the best in television, will be announced this Thursday morning, presented by Anthony Anderson and Lauren Graham. Then the actual awards ceremony takes place Sept. 18, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting.
So what might happen in the major categories come Thursday?
Most likely nominees: Veep; Modern Family; Transparent; black-ish; Master of None; Silicon Valley; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Could be in the mix: The Big Bang Theory; Girls; Mozart in the Jungle; Broad City; The Last Man on Earth; Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
My thoughts: Veep, vying for back-to-back victories, is so far ahead of the pack that it renders everything else moot. In my mind, anyway. I don't really see a true challenger here.
Most likely nominees: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep; Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer; Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie; Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish; Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Could be in the mix: Melissa McCarthy, Mike and Molly; Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie; Constance Wu, Fresh off the Boat; Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin; Rashida Jones, Angie Tribeca.
My thoughts: I understand why some people might be sick of Louis-Dreyfus, who has won four years in a row. But no one should have to apologize for being the best.
Most likely nominees: Anthony Anderson, black-ish; Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent; Aziz Ansari, Master of None; Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory; William H. Macy, Shameless; Don Cheadle. House of Lies.
Could be in the mix: Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth; Rob Lowe, The Grinder; Zach Galifianakis, Baskets; Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle; Patrick Stewart, Blunt Talk.
My thoughts: Tambor won last year, so he's the betting choice again. Anderson has a shot. And I like Ansari as well, but his show probably is too new for Emmy voters.
Most likely nominees: Game of Thrones; House of Cards; Mr. Robot; Downton Abbey; Better Call Saul; Orange is the New Black; The Good Wife.
Could be in the mix: The Americans; Homeland; Billions; Outlander; Narcos; UnREAL.
My thoughts: Mr. Robot tops my list, but the better bets are a repeat win for Game of Thrones, or possibly a breakthrough win for House of Cards.
Most likely nominees: Robin Wright, House of Cards; Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife; Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder; Taraji P. Henson, Empire; Claire Danes, Homeland; Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black.
Could be in the mix: Keri Russell, The Americans; Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey; Carrie Coon, The Leftovers; Shiri Appleby, UnREAL; Caitriona Balfe, Outlander.
My thoughts: Sentiment for Margulies notwithstanding, this finally could be the year for Wright. She has been nominated three years in a row, but never has won.
Most likely nominees: Kevin Spacey, House of Cards; Rami Malek, Mr. Robot; Paul Giamatti, Billions; Kyle Chandler, Bloodline; Aaron Paul, The Path; Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul.
Could be in the mix: Justin Theroux, The Leftovers; Matthew Rhys, The Americans; Wagner Moura, Narcos; Damian Lewis, Billions; Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan.
My thoughts: Just like his House of Cards cast-mate Wright, despite three straight nominations, Spacey never has won an Emmy.
The limited-series-or-movie categories should be dominated by The People vs. O.J. Simpson and its cast. Honestly, though, I wish the Emmys would just throw all the dramas together. If it has more than one episode, then it's a series, dammit. No more tinkering and manipulation … There are too many nominees in each Emmy category already (seven each for comedy series and drama series, six in other categories), and some people are arguing for more. I know there's a lot of good TV out there. But the Oscars already have proven that having as many as 10 nominees in the best-picture category actually works against public recognition of a film as an "Academy Award nominee," rather than helping it. So please, if we're past the point of cutting back, at least let's not make things worse … I don't think she really deserves a nomination – she did fine given the limited range of emotions she was asked to play – but will the Emmys be able to resist giving a nod to Lady Gaga for her role in American Horror Story: Hotel?
Twitter: @billharris_tv


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And thus the footy year ends. Well, not really: we still have the finals. But the tipping competitions are over.
The final week brought no big surprises, except maybe for Adelaide beating West Coast (but that seemed somewhat likely given the results of the last few weeks). The lack of surprises brought a good number of hits (seven for money, six for ladder) but not good financial results (low odds on most matches).
The numbers for this week:
So, the big question: can you make money with these strategies? The answer seems to be "yes" for the "home" strategy (that is, tipping always the home team), but let's look at a graph first:
The graph shows the cumulative net result of each strategy over the year. "Ladder" did very well in the first seven weeks, then went straight downhill; remarkably, that's exactly the opposite of what I'd expect. The reason for this might be that, after a few weeks, the teams at the top of the ladder starting being the favourites and paying less. This would explain the series of coincidences between "ladder" and "money" in the final weeks.
"Money", on the other hand, went straight down and remained there. It did stabilise after a while, but never really recovered. Very strange, to be honest.
"Random" was very random. Except for a big jump upwards in rounds 6 to 9, the rest looks like Brownian motion to me, with a slight tendency downwards.
Finally, "home" is pretty much stable most of the time, with a few jumps (rounds 4, 17, 18 and 21) providing all of the net gain. It looks to me like it only made money because of a few unpredictable results here and there, but it could easily have gone the other way.
One important point, which I noticed during the year, is that you can tip with two different goals in mind, and your strategy will need to be different depending on your goal. If you are part of a tipping competition, you need to tip on every match and the only interesting data point is the number of results you get right. For this, the "money" strategy can be useful, and in fact it may be enough to get you to win in small competitions (in your office or school, for example), but not in the large, public ones (the winner of the Channel 10 competition finished with 127 points; "money" would have finished around position #700).
If, however, you are looking to make money, you don't need to tip on every match (and, in fact, you probably shouldn't): part of the strategy must be to select which results to tip and which to ignore. None of these strategies are useful for that, although I believe it is possible to develop an automated method that can reliably make money. This is something to think about over summer…


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Fred Parsons, executive director of the Exploits River Management Association (ERMA), remembers it all as if it was the recent past.
"I came here in May of 1985 and I signed a three-month employment contract," Parsons said.
Thirty-three years later Parsons is retiring, and this past summer Randy Edison was hired to take his place and learn the ropes.
The history Edison is learning plays a big part in plans going forward.
ERMA was created when closures in the mill led to some early retirements and job losses. The chamber of commerce kicked in to help, with a mandate to develop the economy in central Newfoundland using natural resources as the base.
"They didn't know where this would take them," Parsons said. "The plans in 1985 wasn't to build an interpretation centre and an RV park.
"I often say are we an environmental group with business overtones, or are we a business group with environmental overtones. I really don't know," Parsons said.
When Parsons began with the group, there wasn't a big run of salmon on the Exploits River. Building massive fish ways was one of ERMA's first initiatives, building $2- and $3-million projects in-house.
"At the same time, we built a massive hatchery that we used to stock the river," Parsons said. "The Exploits wasn't a salmon river. It's a person-made river."
In the late 1970s, there were 1,500 fish in the river, Parsons said – a number ERMA has brought to close to 50,000.
In 1992 the group built the Salmonid Interpretation Centre, and the following year added a restaurant.
"It only seems like yesterday," Parsons said.
ERMA's biological division is also an important entity.
"We do contact work for Nalcor, Newfoundland Power, the federal government – we have done work for Teck, all this is in fresh water biology," said Parsons.
The self-contained, self-financed group is also involved in habitat improvement. ERMA is in partnerships with Memorial University and is assisting in re-establishing Atlantic salmon in Rennies River in St. John's by sending salmon eggs to put into the streams.
Tourism continues to be important, Edison added. With 22,000 people visiting the interpretation centre this year, ERMA is still sticking to its mandate for economic development. Forty-two people are employed with ERMA, and a lot of them have been coming back for more than 20 years.
The future
"The first thing is we want is to continue what we got going here, to keep these people employed," Parsons said. "We figure Randy is the person who is going to lead the next 10 years."
Edison said the organization's stability is reflected in the staffing, and with the infrastructure in place and the right people having bought into it, ERMA can look to the future.
Edison will soon be reporting to a 10-person volunteer board of directors that provides governance, who Parsons called a "fine bunch of consultants" who contribute their time and expertise.
"That is the kind of dedication we've had over the years," Parsons said. "We've been blessed on both sides, from having the excellent board of directors to volunteer and such a loyal and dedicated staff."
Salmon decline
The decline in Atlantic salmon population may send ERMA in its next direction, utilizing skills from their past.
"Our past may very well be our future," Parsons said. "If these numbers keep going down, there is going to be work to be done."
Salmon numbers have been up and down over the years, but there has been concern over the last two years. Last year numbers were down 30 per cent from the five-year average. This year they are down 55-60 per cent from last year.
"To put it in perspective, seven years ago we would have counted 45,000 fish through Bishop's Falls," Parsons said. "This year we counted 15,000. Those numbers are reflected right across the whole stock. Newfoundland and Labrador really is one of the last havens for the Atlantic salmon."
Parsons said Newfoundland and Labrador has approximately 60-70 per cent of all the Atlantic salmon in the world.
"We are leaders in that field because we've done it," Edison said. "I consider us leaders now in the tourism field because we've done it. Now it's about taking the best practices of what we did and making it even better and growing it."
Talking tourism
Celebrating ERMA's history and accomplishments on the river in partnership with industry is one of the ideas Parsons and Edison have discussed.
"The success story of what got done here in the Exploits region can be celebrated now and sent out to the world," Edison said.
One of the main planks of success is partnerships, which Edison said won't change.
Another idea Edison has started investigating with Adventure Central and other tourism and marketing associations is called a "signature experience," where international travellers come to engage in a tourism experience.
"Not just to come and see beautiful sunsets, sunrises, lighthouses and museums, because they are in every corner of Newfoundland and Labrador," Edison said. "The experience of coming here, seeing the salmon, seeing those story boards that talk about the habitat reclamation, the partnerships – there is a whole set of people who want to travel for that kind of experience.
ERMA has established a firm foundation and a tremendous product, but must reach more people, Edison said.
"It's not that our energy is going to go into building more, but reaching a bigger audience to get them engaged to tell a really cool story," Edison said. "That's the legacy of the work, how the river was kept from becoming just another river.
"It has become, as the chamber of commerce wanted it to be, a real catalyst of economic generation for this area."
Speaking of the future of ERMA is bittersweet for Parsons.
"This has been a life for me," Parsons said. "I think it goes without saying that my interest that this thing continues to be successful and continue to move ahead will still always be there."


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The Antiplatelet and Immune Response Trial
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01846559
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : May 3, 2013
Last Update Posted : June 30, 2014
|Tracking Information
|First Submitted Date ICMJE
|May 1, 2013
|First Posted Date ICMJE
|May 3, 2013
|Last Update Posted Date
|June 30, 2014
|Study Start Date ICMJE
|April 2013
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|January 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Area under the curve of graph of C-reactive protein over time over 24 hours following administration of endotoxin [ Time Frame: 24 hours ]
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Same as current
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT01846559 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|The Antiplatelet and Immune Response Trial
|Official Title ICMJE
|Study of the Effect of Ticagrelor and Clopidogrel on the Immune Response of Healthy Volunteers
|Brief Summary
Platelets are the main type of blood cell involved in the formation of blood clots that cause heart attacks. The investigators give antiplatelet drugs (aspirin, for example) to reduce the risk of another clot forming in the future and causing another heart attack. Platelets are known to have a role in inflammation and infection as well as clotting. In a recent large clinical trial, known as the PLATO study, it was also shown that patients treated with a new antiplatelet medication (ticagrelor) developed fewer lung infections, as well as fewer heart attacks, compared to the current standard treatment (clopidogrel). The investigators would therefore like to investigate the reasons behind this and look at the effect of these medications on immune response. This may help us develop new drugs that have a better effect on immune response. The investigators are planning a clinical trial that investigates the effect of these medications on the immune response of healthy volunteers aged 18 to 65.
Only volunteers with no significant past medical history and not taking any medications will be included.
Thirty volunteers will receive either a normal dose of ticagrelor or clopidogrel or no antiplatelet medication for 1 week.
They will then attend the Sheffield Clinical Research Facility where their immune response will be stimulated using a safe, well established method. The investigators will do this with an injection of a low dose of endotoxin, which is part of the surface coating of some bacteria and has been used extensively in similar studies, in over a thousand volunteers over the past 20 years to investigate immune response. It is known to cause temporary flu-like symptoms that last approximately 68 hours. The investigators will take measurements of inflammatory markers, white blood cell function and platelet function and compare the effect of ticagrelor and clopidogrel on this immune response.
|Detailed Description
|Not Provided
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase
|Phase 4
|Study Design ICMJE
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
|Condition ICMJE
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms
|Publications *
|Thomas MR, Outteridge SN, Ajjan RA, Phoenix F, Sangha GK, Faulkner RE, Ecob R, Judge HM, Khan H, West LE, Dockrell DH, Sabroe I, Storey RF. Platelet P2Y12 Inhibitors Reduce Systemic Inflammation and Its Prothrombotic Effects in an Experimental Human Model. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2015 Dec;35(12):2562-70. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.115.306528. Epub 2015 Oct 29.
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Actual Enrollment ICMJE
|Original Estimated Enrollment ICMJE
|Same as current
|Actual Study Completion Date
|January 2014
|Actual Primary Completion Date
|January 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
|18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|United Kingdom
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|IPD Sharing Statement
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
|Verification Date
|January 2013
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


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Sarah Palin, Mark Wahlberg: The lampooned meet the lampooners
If Woody Allen was right that "eighty percent of success is showing up," then Saturday night was a good night for Sarah Palin.
In showing up three times on "Saturday Night Live"—during the opening, on "Weekend Update" and for the final wave goodbye—she expertly played the role of Good Sport.
So did Mark Wahlberg, who had been publicly complaining about cast member Andy Samberg's impression of him in a sketch two weeks ago called "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals." Wahlberg had said he thought the bit—in which Samberg pretended to be him chatting up farm animals and telling them, "Say hi to your mother for me"—wasn't funny, and on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" he promised, "When I see that kid, I'm going to crack that big [expletive] nose of his.'"
By playing the Bad Sport so dramatically, Wahlberg raised expectations that he actually was pre-hyping a "surprise" appearance on "Saturday Night Live" in which he'd show he's actually a Good Sport. That he did Saturday night, interrupting his threatening confrontation with Samberg to say to a passing donkey, "Hey donkey. How's it going? You live in a barn, right? I'm in 'Max Payne.' Say hi to your mother for me."
Continue reading "Sarah Palin, Mark Wahlberg: The lampooned meet the lampooners" »


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What is the experience running programs written in an audio synthesis/analysis language such as ChucK, Pure Data, Csound, Supercollider, etc. in an embedded device such as an Arduino Mega, Beagle Board or a custom board with a microprocessor or DSP chip?
I would like to know which language and hardware you chose and why. What were the obstacles, etc.? My objective is to run programs that can be easily programmed by musicians/producers in a board that is not too expensive.
I received input from someone who is successfully running ChucK programs in a Beagle Board (Ubuntu Linux on a Beagle Board running ChucK), but his choice of language and hardware was made very lightly, his setup is not using the DSP in the Beagle Board and it seems like overkill to run a whole Linux install to process audio signals.
Any input is appreciated!
Update: I found Zengarden which is a Pd runtime implementation (as a standalone C++ library) and runs well on ARM based devices. For now, I'll go with the BeagleBoard and Zengarden but in a later stage of the project, I'll need to replace the BeagleBoard with something that costs less.
I'd love to hear more input from the community.


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I believe in… Serving Others
My calves ached, but he said it was only a little farther. My body
felt as if it had been in a torture chamber for the last two hours. It must have had something to do with the 40 pounds hanging off of two straps on my shoulders. Or maybe it was the sweltering heat making my skin sizzle. Or maybe that I had never bothered to train for a ten mile hike down to Havasupai when the extent of my daily exercise was usually walking from my house to my car. Whatever the reason was, all I could think about was getting to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Once I reached the bottom my one thought was how in the world I was ever going to make it back out two days later. Maybe I could call my parents and beg for money to ride on a helicopter ride back to the top. Maybe I would just have to stay down there for the rest of my life. It seemed impossible.
I was exhausted, so I was kind of annoyed when I found out that we were going straight to a preschool to help take care of some toddlers instead of our campsite to get some sleep. I had done service for other people before, but I had never had to hike ten miles in the heat to get to the people I wanted to help.
We had to walk a mile just to get there. Their preschool was rundown and looked like it had never received any maintenance. It only had one window and it was broken. Tiles had fallen off the roof. It must have leaked when it rained. I walked through the screechy screen door and saw twelve little two and three year-olds sitting quietly at a table. Anyone who has ever been in close proximity with a two or three year olds knows that this is extremely unusual. We had to do something to cheer them up. We made puppets out of paper plates with them and performed a little puppet show.
They loved it.
Their faces lit up like it was Christmas. They laughed and hugged us and wouldn't let us leave. We stayed a little bit longer and made necklaces with them. When we left, they were excited and bouncing off the walls just like normal toddlers. We were only there for a little while and it didn't take much time, but it was my favorite part of the trip.
The next thing I knew the weight of my backpack was on me again and my calves were aching. But this time, something was different. It wasn't just about me anymore. I knew that it was going to be hard to hike out, but I knew that it had been worth it to come. Giving service to those sweet little children made it all worth it. Just seeing the effect that I had on those little kids helped strengthen my belief in serving others because now I know that I can make a difference.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc.


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TMRE 7155 Catholic Higher Education Administration & Leadership (Summer: 3 )
Course Description
This course explores contemporary issues, organizational and governance structures and distinct characteristics of successful Mission leadership for administrators at Catholic Colleges and Universities focusing on effective campus policy development, strategic planning, and assessment. Students will engage research, historical literature, Church documents, lectures and group exercises. A unique component to this course is participation in the Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education (IACHE) - a four-day seminar for senior administrators and leaders in Catholic higher education where internationally recognized scholars and practitioners address the challenges and opportunities that Catholic higher education faces on a daily basis.
Schedule: Periodically
Instructor(s): Michael James
Prerequisites: None
Cross listed with:
Comments: Please see website for more information on the Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education: http://www.bc.edu/schools/lsoe/cce/highered/iache.html
Last Updated: 24-Jun-17


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The Department of Labor and Industries says 51 workers died on the job last year.
While even one death is a tragedy for the worker and family members left behind, businesses and the state have worked hard on improving safety. Thankfully, worker safety is better.
|Photo credit: Hazard_general
A total of 51 deaths is far less than the historical average of 80 to 90 work-related deaths per year. It's much better than even the previous low of 65 worker deaths, back in 2009.
The most dangerous jobs are typically those in farming, forestry, fishing, manufacturing and construction.
Want more? You can read the full Labor and Industry report here, via the series of tubes.
To read this story in Spanish, please click here.


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DEVAUDEN, KILGWRRWG, GAER-LWYD and WENTWOOD
NEWCHURCH EAST and NEWCHURCH WEST together form a parish anciently known as "Eglwys-newydd-ar-y-Cefn" and now include the chapelry of Devauden, in the Southern division of the county, upper division of the hundred of Caldicot, petty sessional division and union of Chepstow, rural deanery of Chepstow, archdeaconry of Monmouth, and diocese of Llandaff.
Newchurch East is in the county court district of Chepstow and Newchurch West in that of Usk. The parish, which is intersected by the road from Chepstow to Usk, is 6˝ miles north-west from the, Chepstow and 7˝ south-east from Usk station, on the Great Western railway.
The church, occupying a bleak elevation on the northern side of the parish, is a building of stone, repaired in 1865 ; it is in the Early English style, and consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a western tower containing 1 bell; the Decorated east window is stained; the church has been thoroughly modernized, but presents no features of interest; there are 100 sittings. The register of baptisms and burials dates from the year 17I0; marriages, I755.
The living is a vicarage, net yearly value Ł111 wvitli two acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Duke of Beaufort, and held since 1895 by the Rev. Charles Matthew Perkins, jun.
The chapel of ease in Devauden is a plain building with a belfry containing 1 bell and has an endowment of Ł32 yearly, which is in the gift of and is at present held by the vicar of Newchurch.
There are chapels for Wesleyan Methodists at Pen-y-cae-mawr, at the Glyn, at :Devauden and for Welsh Methodists at Gaerlwydd.
Devauden, anciently Ddefawdon, two miles north-east from the parish church, is said to have been the place where the Britons were overwhelmed and utterly defeated by the combined forces of the Saxon monarchs, Ethelbald of Mercia and Cuthred of Wessex, in 743. Various Roman coins of Antoninus and others were found at Devauden green in 1840. There is a fine cromlech at Gaer-lwydd.
In this parish there is a very extensive British camp, known as Gaer-fawr - "the great fortification" - occupying a position of great natural strength upon the spur of a hill; this camp has an outer and inner vallum of stones and earth and extends over nearly twenty acres.
Chepstow Park, a wood of about. 3,000 acres, is near here, in which is a reservoir for the Chepstow waterworks. A considerable portion of the extensive wooded district, all that now remains of the ancient forest of Wentwood, is in Newchurch West, and here are the ruins of the Castle of Troggy, or Cas Troggy, so called from the rivulet of that name, which has its source near the castle. The ascription of the name of Strigul by Camden and some other writers to this castle has doubtless arisen from a corruption of the name of Cas Troggy or Stroggy, and has given rise to much confusion between this place and the real Strigul or Chepstow. Troggy Castle is said to have been built in the reign of Edward I. by Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk.
The Duke of Beaufort, who is lord of the manor and impropriator, and C. R. Crompton Roberts esq. are the principal landowners. The soil is loam and sand; subsoil, gravel and sandstone grit. The chief crops are grain and roots. The area is, Newchurch East, 3,396 acres of land and 3 of water; rateable value, Ł1,711, and a population in 1891 of 393; Newchurch West, 2,098 acres ; rateable value, Ł753, population in 1891 was 139.
Post Office, Devauden - John Thomas, sub-postmaster. Letters through Chepstow, arrive at 7.45 a.m.; dispatched 6.55 p.m. week days only. Postal orders issued, but not paid. St. Arvans is the nearest money order & telegraph Office, 3 miles distant. Wall Letter Box at Newchurch West, cleared at 4.25 p.m. week days only
A School Board of 5 members was formed 11 Dec. 1874 for the United districts of East and West Newchurch, Kilgwrrwg & Wolves Newton;
Board School, Devauden Green, rebuilt with house for master in 1879, at a cost of about Ł500, for 100 children; average attendance, 42; Edward Ellis Peters, master.
Board School, Newchurch West, opened in 1890, for 90 children; average attendance, 25 ; Miss Nora Warlt, mistress.
The endowment of the former schools is now applied to purposes connected with the present schools; both the chapel & former endowed school were first established mainly through the exertions of James Davies, the village schoolmaster, the story of whose untiring zeal in the cause of religion & education has been more than once published.
Perkins Rev. Charles Matthew, jun., Vicarage, Devauden
Birden John, farmer, Priory farm


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Flowers of Shanghai (1998)
Review #1,290
Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Cast: Tony Leung, Michiko Hada, Michelle Reis, Carina Lau, Jack Kao, Annie Shizuka Inoh
Plot: In Shanghai in the 1880s, there are four elegant brothels: each has a madam, a courtesan in her prime, older servants, and maturing girls in training. The men gather around tables of food, playing drinking games and smoking opium.
Genre: Drama
Awards: Nom. for Palme d'Or (Cannes).
Runtime: 125min
Rating: PG for some mature themes.
International Sales: Shochiku
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: NO)
Screened in 35mm as part of the 'Also Like Life: The Films of Hou Hsiao-Hsien' retrospective at the National Museum of Singapore.
When I saw Flowers of Shanghai for the first time, I can't help but draw similarities to The Assassin (2015), Hou Hsiao-Hsien's new martial arts film. They are both formally exquisite, elliptical in its approach to narrative (if there is any at all), and gorgeous to behold.
When I saw Flowers of Shanghai for the first time, I can't help but draw similarities to The Assassin (2015), Hou Hsiao-Hsien's new martial arts film. They are both formally exquisite, elliptical in its approach to narrative (if there is any at all), and gorgeous to behold.
In Hou's filmography, I would like to think that they are companion pieces, each finding a rhythm of their own in their self-contained world. There is a strong emphasis on cinematography, particularly of precise compositions that are largely long takes. Some will find them slow, repetitive, and bereft of action, but the beauty is in its form.
Flowers of Shanghai, shot in natural lighting by Lee Ping Bin, is a series of luminous long takes centering on four brothels and their respective inhabitants – owners, mistresses, flower girls, servants, customers and many more. The narrative is loose, and doesn't take the film forward, but the complex relationships do. They bring us into a hidden world of intimate power plays, at once hypnotic and sensuous, but also revealing of a microcosm of society at the crossroads of history as Shanghai begins to profit from foreign dollars.
Set in the late 19th century, Hou's work is as much about pleasure (sex and addiction to opium) as it is about transaction. Young girls are groomed and commodified, with foreign dollars sparking a new boon for the business. The flower girls speak of pain and punishment when they disobey orders, but Hou cannot bear to show us their physical suffering, only their emotional fragility.
In the opening sequence, we see a gathering of drunk, opium-smoking men in the company of subservient women as they play drinking games. We see such sequences again through the course of the film, but every time Hou adds a different diegetic musical element – e.g. a pipa player is hired to perform music onscreen, or a flute and percussion duo performs, but are positioned off-screen. It is this subtle change in the mise en scène that makes the film fascinating to behold.
Like an opium fever dream, Yoshihiro Hanno's effectively quiet original score also repeats endlessly, providing a calming and meditative accompaniment to the visuals. Like The Assassin, Flowers of Shanghai becomes more treasured when you remember it. Both films may prove elusive during the act of viewing, but as the screen experience translates into fading memory, one begins to absorb their haunting essence.
Verdict: Like The Assassin, this is one of Hou's most formally exquisite works – a gorgeous and sensuous take on the period costume drama.
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Like 'The Assassin', this is one of Hou's most formally exquisite works - a gorgeous and sensuous take on the period costume drama ~ A- [ Dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien | 1998 | Taiwan | Drama | 125 mins | PG ] FLOWERS OF SHANGHAI / © Shochiku #flowersofshanghai #houhsiaohsien #shanghai #periodpiece #cannesfilmfestival #tonyleung #taiwanesecinema


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Confederation of Cities
Corland – town built into base of mountains, ruled by a Prince elected by land-owners. Fairly prosperous town, acting as a trade hub around the mountains. Small standing military, relying mainly on fortifications. Hires mercenaries when power is needed.
Summerhill – town bordering on the Forest. Mostly elven population, ruled by a town council of elders.
Greengrass – village between Corland and Summerhill
Foxwynne – fortified town bordering the Blasted North


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Intimates are not eligible for returns or refunds unless the products arrive damaged. If returned, they must be in completely new, unworn condition. Please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com with any specific questions. Please have your order number ready and we will try our best to make sure you are smiling.
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If you notify us within 12 hours with your correct shipping info you should be good. The sooner the better as we try to get your orders processed as quickly as possible. For packed already shipped with incorrect/incomplete addresses where the package is undeliverable or "Returned to Sender", we reserve the right to charge you for additional shipping costs that may occur. Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Airlines that fly out of Richmond, Virginia are American, Delta, Jet Blue, Southwest and United, as of 2015. US Airways and Allegiant also fly out of Richmond International Airport. Several cargo airlines also use the airport, including DHL Express, FedEx Express, Flight Express and UPS Airlines. The vacation airline Interjet also offers seasonal charter flights to Cancun.
As of 2015, the airport offers 20 non-stop destinations and connecting flights to international destinations. American Airlines services Dallas/Fort Worth, while American Eagle flies to Chicago-O'Hare, Miami and New York's LaGuardia airport. JetBlue airlines flies to Boston, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. US Airways Express flies to Charlotte, New York-LaGuardia and Philadelphia. Allegiant airlines services St. Petersburg/Clearwater.
In 1994, the airport approached Gresham, Smith & Partners for a long-term expansion and renovation program. The project included concourse expansion, new and expanded parking structures, a new terminal roadway, widening of security checkpoints and the construction of a central utility plant.
The airport features two concourses with a variety of shopping and dining options as well as news and bookshops. Outside of security, there is a Caribou coffee and two Applebee's. Once inside security, there are several other options, including Sam Adams Celebrates Richmond, Vito's Market and Club Level Grill, as well as Hudson News and Hudson Booksellers.


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Creating the Future of Family Medicine with 4-year Residency at OHSU
The OHSU Department of Family Medicine has launched a four-year residency program aimed at expanding curriculum through the development of additional competencies.
In July, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education notified the department that it was one of 12 residency programs selected to participate in the organization's 4-year Length of Training pilot.
"Residency education in family medicine has been fairly static since the establishment of our specialty," said Roger Garvin, MD, Residency Director. "We're re-envisioning what our curriculum should look like and, as a part of that, extending our curriculum into a fourth year.
The Affordable Care Act, and the increase in the emphasis on primary care, calls for new residency graduates who can lead and adapt to change.That adaptability is just one area the four-year curriculum is focused on.
"The health-reform process in our country will require family physicians who have new and expanded skill sets," said John Saultz, MD, Department Chair."This is particularly true in Oregon where the reform process is ahead of much of the rest of the country.To prepare family physicians to practice in this environment, a new model of residency program is required.We are trying to create that model here in Family Medicine, and we are partnering with other programs around the country to study which changes are associated with better educational outcomes."
Implementation of the 4-year Family Medicine Residency Program included the development of additional competencies:
·Change management
·Information Management
·Population Health Management
Residents will be expected to complete a minimum of 3000 patient visits during their four-year residency.Goals/outcomes of the program include residents' demonstration of proficiency in Quality Improvement Skills, capacity to use leadership skills and styles, assessment of the quality of evidence used in family medicine and efficiency of practice to the level of a junior faculty in first year practice.
This fall's interns, the Class of 2016, will be the first to complete the four-year residency.Interns said the extra year of training will give them a broader perspective and more time to pursue interests.
"I knew I would need more than three years to be able to explore my areas of interest in-depth," said Emily Waterman, MD. "I am also excited that this expanded program includes an emphasis in relevant areas such as leadership and the Patient-centered Primary Care Home, since these will be very pertinent to my career once I leave residency."
Lindsay Braun, MD, also said the additional year would provide opportunities to explore specific interests.
"Family medicine is a broad field and the prospect of being in the first group to undergo and shape changes in the curriculum is an exciting one," she added.
Family medicine physicians of the future will be expected to take on a leadership role in both patient management and health care public policy, said Jason Kroening-Roché, MD, MPH.
"At a time when health policy and primary care have never been more exciting, an extra year of training will give us the broad perspective and skills to be leaders in family medicine going forward," he said.
Kira Paisley, MD, also cited leadership training as an important component of the four-year curriculum.
"Family medicine has a very broad scope of practice and an extra year of training will hopefully make me more comfortable in my skill set," Paisley agreed. "I'm excited about the ability to tailor my training to my interests and get elective time for concentrated experiences."


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November 06, 2008 -- Toronto, Canada – Optech Incorporated, the leading manufacturer of advanced lidar survey instruments, announced today that it has appointed OPT Technologies, Tokyo, to represent the ALTM airborne laser terrain mapper line of products in Japan.
For the past year, Optech has been represented by OPT Technologies for the ILRIS-3D line of terrestrial scanners. As a result of OPT's ongoing initiative and success, this representation has been expanded to include the ALTM airborne products. The 3100EA, Gemini and Orion models of these airborne laser terrain mappers are internationally recognized as the most advanced in the market.
"We are proud to be recognized by Optech as a valued business partner," stated Terry Morita, President of OPT Technologies. "Our focus remains to best serve existing Optech customers while increasing brand recognition and market penetration."
Brent Gelhar, Optech's Vice President, Sales and Product Strategy, said, "We have had very successful growth even during a difficult time in Japan's economy. This has shown Terry and his team's dedication and resolve to succeed."
Optech clients in Japan have been operating ALTM airborne mappers, SHOALS bathymeters, ILRIS-3D terrestrial scanners, and CMS cavity monitoring systems for over 10 years.
About Optech
Optech is the world leader in the development, manufacture and support of advanced laser-based survey instruments. We offer client-driven lidar solutions in airborne terrestrial mapping, airborne laser bathymetry, laser imaging, mine cavity monitoring, industrial process control, and space-qualified sensors for orbital operations and planetary exploration.
About OPT Technologies
OPT Technologies is headed by Mr. Terry Morita, a 10-year industry veteran who established Mensi in Japan for terrestrial 3D laser scanner products. OPT Technologies has already been successful in securing new ILRIS-3D customers, with more pending. OPT Technologies will also pursue opportunities for Optech's next generation of LYNX Mobile MappersTM in Japan, as the market will grow from static surveying to mobile surveying in years to come.
For further information, please contact:
Wayne Szameitat
Optech Incorporated
300 Interchange Way
Vaughan, Ontario
Canada L4K 5Z8
Tel: (905)660-0808
Email Contact
Terry Morita
OPT Technologies Co. Ltd
2 chome 12-3, Light Bldg 4F
Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo
104-0061 Japan
Email Contact