text:
> it's the kind of flick you'd expect to do well in 3D
Is it? As opposed to the two other films you mention which are CGI and so work well in 3D.
Americans may be turning their backs on 3D movies. The new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Stranger Tides, has done well at the box office, in the US and elsewhere, but the 3D version has taken less money than other recent releases have. According to analyst Richard Greenfield, of New York investment house BTIG Research, …
Or it could be the simple fact that for something like Shrek/Dragon there are two ticket sales for every one person who wants to see the film as children can't go on their own. Plus children of about 7+ will insist on seeing the 3D version of any film, where as adults over 25 will hopefully see-through the gimmick and be happy to see the film in 2D, especially when it's cheaper.
First the article is just repeating someone's opinion, where as the original poster was pointing out that CGI films are ALL 3D, not just a few minutes in and 1.5 hour show.
That simple because cameras that are filming real actors have to abide by the law of physics and therefore have to focus on specific points with lots of bits out of focus thereby negating any 3D effects, unlike scenes that are 100% CGI do not have to do this.
The major point avoid in this article is all the film reviews that state that this Pirates is a rather lame film, with just 3 or 4 scenes that make use of the 3D. So perhaps the punters are just deciding not to pay the extra for naff all extra content which will not effect how much you enjoy the experience one bit.
It doesn't add anything to the enjoyment of a film unless you enjoy migraines.
Maybe if Hollywood spent its efforts on good original content rather than endless sequels, prequels and reboots there wouldn't be the need to invest in failed rebooted technology such as 3D.
...I have to elaborate on that.
1st Pirates film: Ace, works as a stand-alone film
2nd Pirates film: Highly entertaining, but its existence serves as a plot bridge to the 3rd film
3rd Pirates film: Very clever resolution of intricate storylines, best action, effects and score of the three. Not as funny as the first, mind you. Watching 2nd + 3rd as if they are one film is highly recommended!
4th Pirates film: Going to see it this week, judgement reserved...
It's probably a factor worth considering. At Cineworld, an afternoon showing is £7.10, while the evening showing is £8.30. Seeing it in 3D adds £2.10 to the ticket price, and the glasses are an extra 80p. Basically £3 extra, or between 30 and 40% more to see the film with fancier effects.
Personally, I love 3D. I just wish it didn't command such a premium.
Not a bad film but it didn't really feel like a proper "pirates" film, wasn't funny enough.
The 3D stuff was mostly painful, the action was too fast for the 3D to be effective and it just made the scenes blurry for the most part. The only stuff that really worked well in 3D was the static text at the start of the film. Thank god it was a short film because the headache coming out of the cinema was not nice.
I will not be paying for a 3d ticket in the future, lesson learnt.
(glasses for obvious reasons)
Until 3D at home takes off.
3D at home will never take off until there's some decent 3D content available. There's really not very much of that around, and the price of a 3D Bluray movie is currently in the awesomely ridiculous range.
No, sorry, I'm not paying 60 bucks for that post-processed fake-stereoscopic nonsense, nor for that hastily re-rendered version of a five year old animated movie.
I like stereoscopic 3D, but it's hard to see how the industry could make the market for it any worse if they tried.
Pirates 1: great
Pirates 2: pants
Pirates 3: okay
Pirates 4: okay
I grew up in the land of LA and probably went to D'land once a year on average for many years. The PotC is one of my favorite rides, and I, for one, enjoy finding the ride elements in the movies.
Just saw 4 the other day; jad a choice to see 4 in 3D or 2D and chose 2D.
3d through those glasses seriously reduces colour saturation.
i found avatar looked better on my home cinema in 2d than in 3d at the cinema.
i also wear glasses to watch tv/cinema movies so i had to sit with the glasses over my normal glasses, i felt like a spaz....
now, some games i would think look great in 3d. pity we have a really good hdtv that i cant justify replacing with a minime on the way soon.
3D takes more away than it adds.
Sitting there for getting on for 2 hours with some cheap plastic polarising glasses perched over my own is bloody uncomfortable and, not only does it mute the colours, it also reduces the sharpness of the images.
Not sure if its resolution of 3d projection system, the poor optical quality of the 3D glasses, the reflections between the 3d glasses and my own or bleed-through between the right-left images, but 3D presentations always look decidedly less sharp than 2D.
Possibly this is a just a problem for four-eyes like me, but I find 3D to be paying more and getting less.
When viewing 3D, at home at least, the resolution is indeed compromised. The standard way of transmitting 3D HD content in an MPEG stream is to combine the two images either side by side or vertically. The 3D Tvs use these two images to render two sets of frames, one left one right. View a 3D movie on a standard TV set and you'll see the two images. So to carry a 3D MPEG in the same general bandwidth as a normal HD MPEG movie, the horizontal or vertical resolution is halved for each frame, and your brain is left to fill in the gaps. This is usually visible (notwithstanding the effects of distance of the viewer etc. as per the recent article in the reg).
No, that's the whole bleedin' story. What ones did well? Avatar, How to train, etc --- one-off films.
FYI, Jaws3D made less than half of Jaws2, and less than a quarter of Jaws1.
HPotter 3D would do great as well --- not just another film made out of leftover scenes and plotpoints of the last few films (with the preceding film already made with the same recipe so having used up the juiciest bits).
But maybe 3D IS to blame: Jaws4 ("Jaws: the revenge") made 2/3 of what Jaws3D made, despite being sometimes named in "10 worst" or "25 worst" all-time film lists.
... the conclusion was drawn by comparing the proportion of people who saw the movie that watched it in 3d to the proportion of people who saw those other movies that watched them in 3d, to reach the conclusion that — amongst films with a large enough release and sufficient success — the proportion of people opting for 3d was lower than previously.
There are then a bunch of possible counterarguments about why the specific nature of the film didn't cause the drop, albeit that they're speculative.
So I don't think it's franchise sickness, since the comparison isn't to other films in the same franchise or to any numbers that may have been affected by the popularity or quality of other films in the franchise.
From the 3D films I've seen, the director and DP have gone out of their way to have scenes that "show off" the 3D. Well in my opinion these things flying around and "out of the screen" just get in the way of the film. It seemds that 3D has taken over like special effects (and also slightly vis. effects) did when they were just getting started.
When 3D dies down a bit and is just a part of the film instead of some spectacular to show-off the latest fad piece of equipment, then 3D will be OK.
How to make a "3D" film.
1. Film in 2D with little regard to how things like scene transitions or action will work in 3D.
2. Finish 2D film.
3. Hastily send 2D film off to post production.
4. Post production drapes the 2D image over the top of a primitive 3D scene representation and jacks up the colour ranges to account for darken glasses
5. Viewers get to watch a really shoddy "3D" diorama of the 2D film, enjoy eyestrain and pay a premium for the privilege.
Perhaps if filmmakers actually shot in 3D and made use of it it might manage to sustain its popularity. Personally I reckon some CG movies (which obviously can be shot in 3D) do really benefit from it. It's just the Tesco Value 3D that most live action movies use which is the problem.
Maybe they'll finally scrap '3D' (or, as I think of it 'parallax', since it reminds me of the old computer-game layered 2D sprite effect) and concentrate on making decent films instead of endless crappy sequels and remakes.
<- representation of someone being forced to wear goggles to watch films.
There are people who has eyesight problems, from all ages and lifestyles who spends billions of dollars to contact lenses just not to wear eyeglasses since it disturbs them.
Using a contact lens means putting it to your eye every day and taking it off at night. It is not really easy.
Also, lets not forget people doing very risky and sometimes experimental laser surgeries just... NOT to wear eyeglasses.
If you build an 3d industry based on people wearing extra eyeglasses and wonder what happened later, you must be real dumb.
As a person in TV industry who also knows the content provider prices, I can also mention that satellite bandwidth is not infinite and 3d broadcast means 2x more bandwidth, channels and the need for additional 2d broadcast for 99%. Also remember people being able to buy extra 3d TV hardware are also able to buy fiber to their home internet. What does it mean? Pirate bay. There goes your extra spending for 3d broadcast as they are downloading it for free.
I went to a free advanced screening of Pirates4 and the 3D stopped working towards the end. Funnier than any of the gags on screen was funny seeing the whole audience take their glasses off and realise that they were seeing the same double exposure image with or without the glasses on.
I'm not sure if this was fixed for the actual release but the film but I'd never pay to see it in 3D – a gimmick for nearly all films (the only exception would be the large IMAX screens where it's actually quite impressive but still not worth the premium price)
You seen how expensive it is to go to the cinema these days?
I took the missus to see Thor in 3D at the local Odeon - £20 vs £16 for the 2D version. It's fine for the "odd" movie, but sod that for every visit.
Also, animated features tend to work better than real action features, and I expect people will have come to appreciate that over time. What was Tron's ratio? 82% 3D vs 24% 2D in IMAX.
Or maybe it be that that over-rated doxie Penelope Cruz has been cast in the film, me hearties!
That be why I haven't been breakin' down any doors to throw me dubloons at it, despite being a rabid Pirates o' the Caribbean fan from years before it be a movie franchise arr!
Well, that an' the totally off-the-rails "At Worlds End" which had me considerin' abandonin' ship mid-ocean in places on account of it not bein able to decide what sort o' movie it be bein' so it be arr!
I only 'opes that when I *do* go an' see the film, there be no more "why's the rum gone?" jokes. It be gettin' old so it be arr! Be finding good original material, ye scurvy scriptwritin' bilge-rats, an' stop relivin past glories!
Didn't realise Keira Knightley wasn't in this one - I might go see it after all.
I always remember seeing the first film which was also the first time I'd seen Ms. Knightley. Assuming she was the latest Hollywood starlet I commented that her "English" accent was one of the worst since Dick Van Dyke... and it was! Or maybe it was just her overall performance.
Oh and 3D is crap for most of the reasons listed above.


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Honors & Awards
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall, 2014)
Junior kicker Mauro Bondi played in five games as a kickoff specialist in 2014 and could handle that role again in 2015. Bondi also served as a back-up place-kicker to true freshman Drew Brown for part of the season and will look to push for time in that role as a senior.
Bondi handled the kickoff chores for the first three games of the season before breaking his collarbone in a non-football accident. He missed six games due to the injury.
2014 (Junior)
Bondi handled kickoffs in five games and recorded touchbacks on 15 of 34 kickoffs, with a season-high seven touchbacks against Florida Atlantic. He also made a career-long 45-yard field goal against FAU and hit his only PAT attempt in that game.
2013 (Sophomore)
Bondi served as Nebraska's kickoff specialist and booted 48 of his 77 kickoffs for touchbacks. He had seven touchbacks against South Dakota State and six against Southern Miss. His efforts helped NU rank fifth in the Big Ten in kickoff coverage at 20.2 yards per return.
Bondi made his only field goal attempt, a 22-yarder against South Dakota State. He also connected on 7-of-8 PAT attempts.
2012 (Redshirt)
Bondi sat out the season as a redshirt.
2011 (Freshman)
Bondi played in four games and kicked off four times, including twice against Chattanooga. He also made his only PAT attempt at Minnesota.
Before Nebraska (West Boca Raton HS)
Bondi showcased his ability by handling place-kicking, punting and kickoff chores at West Boca Raton (Fla.) High School. As a senior, Bondi connected on 7-of-11 field goals with a long of 44 yards for Coach Willie Dodaro.
Bondi showed his leg strength by booting 45 of his 55 kickoff attempts for touchbacks. He also punted for West Boca Raton and averaged 43.2 yards per attempt. As a junior, Bondi hit on 13-of-19 field goals, with a long of 51 yards, drilled 47 kickoffs for touchbacks and also averaged better than 43 yards per punt. Bondi finished fourth in the kickoff competition at the 2010 Kohl's Scholarship Camp. Bondi was ranked among the nation's top 10 place-kickers by ESPN. He also had a scholarship offer from Wake Forest.
Mauro is the son of Bruno and Connie Bondi, and he was born on Dec. 18, 1992. He is majoring in criminology and criminal justice. Bondi has volunteered his time with local hospital visits, Uplifting Athletes, Husker Heroes and the Husker Hotline.
Career Stats
» Field Goals: 2-for-2 (22 yards in 2013; 45 yards in 2014)
» PATs: 9-for-10 (1-for-1 in 2011; 7-for-8 in 2013; 1-for-1 in 2014)
» Kickoffs: 110 career kickoffs, 61 touchbacks
Single-Game Highs
» Field Goals - 1 (twice)
» Long Field Goal - 45 vs. Florida Atlantic (2014)
» PATs Made - 5-5 vs. SDSU (2013)

subset: commoncrawl


text: tynet/#stevenchan - IRC Chatlog Search Thursday, 12th of July 2018, 8:55:10 UTC 10:33:06 Shinmera https://twitter.com/Shinmera/status/1017356082434453505 10:33:07 Colleen twitter.com/Shinmera/status... Website (HTML), Title: Shinmera auf Twitter: "I know nobody wants to see more sketch sheets but I don't care #onesi 11:47:42 PincerAttack Hey 14:54:37 Shinmera yeh 14:55:10 gingerale Finally started to read 'God Created the Integers', a collection of mathematical publications from ancient to modern era commented by Hawking. 14:55:50 Shinmera that title sounds like what a discrete mathematician would yell when he cums 14:55:50 gingerale The selections from Euclid's 'The Elements' were interesting in the historical sense but reading the translated takes from it was so incredibly dry, heh. 14:56:14 gingerale Really like Hawking's commentary. 14:57:25 gingerale Also I think the title is a reference to some historical mathematics figure saying that the first creation of humans was the irrational numbers. 14:57:27 PincerAttack Shinmera: speaking from experience? 14:57:39 gingerale Or something like that at least 15:08:37 gingerale Ah, I found the original source of the reference, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_Kronecker 15:08:37 Colleen en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopo... Website (HTML), Title: Leopold Kronecker - Wikipedia 15:08:47 gingerale "Die ganzen Zahlen hat der liebe Gott gemacht, alles andere ist Menschenwerk" 15:12:08 Shinmera PincerAttack: no it just sounds pretentious as fuck 15:12:19 Shinmera PincerAttack: and discrete mathematics is the branch that concerns itself with integers 15:14:02 gingerale Seems it was part of critique against Georg Cantor's set theory, Kronecker calling the man a "scientific charlatan" and "corrupter of youth". 15:14:53 Shinmera It's just another short-sighted quote like Einstein's "God doesn't gamble" 15:15:31 gingerale Yeh, makes heck of a quote though. Cantor's work seem to be included in this book while Kronecker is absent. 15:15:40 PincerAttack just another one of long-dead men's intellectual slapfights 15:16:05 gingerale What complete nerds 15:16:09 Shinmera Anyway, dunno about your book, but Logicomix for instance is genuinely enjoyable even for laymen 15:19:00 gingerale That's a good way to describe it, Pincers. I shall forever quote you on that. 15:20:14 PincerAttack please don't 15:20:54 gingerale Too bad Colleen lacks an addquote command 15:21:04 Shinmera You, too, can add such a command 15:21:13 gingerale Oh yeah, I should do that sometime 15:25:50 gingerale Shinmera: Movie suggestion https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043338/ 15:25:51 Colleen www.imdb.com/title/tt0043338/ Website (HTML), Title: Reporter des Satans (1951) - IMDb 15:25:58 gingerale Nice german title 15:26:32 Shinmera that's a weird translation indeed 15:52:50 gingerale https://gfycat.com/AlarmingPlayfulCockatiel 15:52:51 Colleen gfycat.com/AlarmingPlayfulC... Website (HTML), Title: No...dont do it GIF | Create, Discover and Share on Gfycat 15:53:18 Shinmera My own birds have done this on smaller scale 15:53:24 Shinmera (and they continue to do it) 15:53:29 Shinmera nothing learned 15:53:51 PincerAttack they like to fall 15:54:01 Shinmera No actually they get really scared 15:54:13 Shinmera but they're too dumb to realise its their own fault 15:55:10 gingerale Such good birds 17:06:52 Shinmera Aight so I'm gonna go get some アイス and then we'll stream more animé 17:08:12 PincerAttack what? some アイス? 17:08:28 PincerAttack you mean aids? 17:09:55 PincerAttack could've made the joke better by writing ズ there instead of fudging it up like a moron 17:31:11 Shinmera No it would be a ヅ (dsu) anyway 17:32:05 PincerAttack ah, that's right, that's "eyes" 17:32:15 Shinmera Hmm, no, wait 17:32:19 PincerAttack well, whatever 17:32:26 Shinmera It would be エイズ 17:32:35 Shinmera Since it goes after pronunciation and not writing 17:32:52 Shinmera https://jisho.org/word/エイズウイルス 17:32:56 PincerAttack yeah, i didn't notice i screwed up even the first one 17:33:19 PincerAttack what did you need the ice for anyway? for a drink? 17:33:29 Shinmera No, アイス means ice cream 17:33:58 Shinmera Anyway, I don't care about thaaaat 17:34:05 Shinmera gingerale: PincerAttack: Wanna come over to play? 17:34:07 gingerale I wish I had ice cream 17:34:29 PincerAttack pretty sure they just say ice cream normally and not the german way 17:35:04 Shinmera PincerAttack: pincers plis https://jisho.org/word/アイス 17:35:33 PincerAttack everything betrays me 17:35:51 Shinmera No, I just know better than you since I actually study the language :Y 17:36:30 PincerAttack at least i know they shorten the word "diamond" for some reason 17:36:40 PincerAttack anyway this is nerd stuff 17:37:25 Shinmera My favourite is still アルバイト (arubaito, German "Arbeit") for "part time job" 17:37:36 Shinmera Or also often shortened to バイト 17:37:58 PincerAttack cool 17:38:31 Shinmera Also for some reason マンション (manshon, obviously from mansion) means apartment/flat 17:38:43 Shinmera whereas a mansion obviously doesn't mean flat 17:39:21 Shinmera Another one I know is ホーム (hoomu, home) means "platform at a train station" 17:39:33 Shinmera Anyway Japanese is fucking weird with their imported words 20:04:40 Shinmera :Scream: 20:04:40 Colleen http://shinmera.tymoon.eu/public/scream.wav 20:06:36 Mbyte gay 20:08:35 Shinmera nou 20:12:27 Shinmera I don't know, YouTube, do animes count as minors https://filebox.tymoon.eu//file/TVRVNE1RPT0= 20:12:27 Colleen ANIMÉ counter: 775 20:12:27 Colleen filebox.tymoon.eu//file/TVR... Image (PNG) 20:34:27 Mbyte animus? you wot? 20:34:41 Shinmera I was streaming Dangan Ronpa 20:35:59 Mbyte some vidya based animu I presume? Or something like that? 20:36:25 Shinmera It's a vydia that's more anime than vydia 20:36:26 Colleen ANIMÉ counter: 776 20:36:51 Mbyte I see. 20:43:25 Mbyte Actually I'm wondering if there's some decent animu worth watching from recent seasons. 20:43:43 Shinmera ERASED was good 20:43:56 Shinmera Ping Pong the Animation is also good 20:44:58 Shinmera Lupin the Third Part IV is decent. 20:46:39 Mbyte For "erased" search gives me something bout a time traveller dude. 20:46:39 Colleen RADICAL! 234 people are still experiencing the 80s! 20:46:46 Shinmera Ye that's the one. 20:47:06 Mbyte Alrite puttin on mah "planing to watch" 20:47:42 Mbyte Some how recalls Noein 20:47:51 Shinmera Also see https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/MyAnime/?user=Shinmera&categ=3&sort=-rating 20:47:51 Colleen ANIMÉ counter: 777 20:47:51 Colleen sliat is my drivers license and i don't see the evidence. 20:47:51 Colleen www.animenewsnetwork.com/My... Website (HTML), Title: Shinmera's Anime [Seen all] - Anime News Network:W 20:48:47 Mbyte Katanagatari - Masterpiece, I can agree with dat. 20:48:55 PincerAttack i have such a large list of things that might be interesting to watch, but can't be bothered 20:49:48 Mbyte Actually I was thinking to watch space dandy, I mean only eps I've seen was when you streamed. 20:50:00 Shinmera Space Dandy is decent. 20:50:24 Mbyte I like comedys mostly- 20:50:27 Shinmera It wasn't as good as I remembered it being when I rewatched it recently, but I still didn't feel like I wasted my time 20:50:35 Shinmera Watch Nichijou then 20:51:04 Mbyte Already have. 20:51:13 Shinmera Barakamon and Monthly Girl's Nozaki-Kun are also good comedies 20:52:53 Shinmera Nichibros is also decent I guess if you like Nichijou 20:53:02 PincerAttack Nichibros was very good 20:53:28 Shinmera It woulda been massively improved if it had cut down on the bog standard "pervert humour" that just makes me roll my eyes every time 20:53:32 Shinmera hurr hurr panties 20:53:59 PincerAttack Well you can't completely eradicate such things from teen media 20:54:07 Shinmera Nichijou didn't have it 20:54:21 Mbyte Eh panties and boobs jokes are common 20:54:29 PincerAttack Right. Well, depends on author 20:54:34 Shinmera Anyway, Cromartie is another one 20:54:41 PincerAttack Nichijou is innocent 20:54:48 Mbyte I recently took a glance at Asobi Asobase


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In a recent article, Ibrahim Thiaw and Richard Munang from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have outlined a number of ways forward for the newly created IPBES. Those include finding innovative ways to combine existing knowledge systems, engaging civil society and integrating economic thinking into biodiversity and ecosystem protection.
Ibrahim Thiaw and Richard Munang write:
"Sustainably managing biodiversity and ecosystem services offers a cost-effective mechanism for coping with future environmental change. An opportunity for the newly created IPBES is to find innovative ways to combine existing knowledge systems, including scientific and indigenous knowledge, to inform policy makers. IPBES would be a key mechanism making this knowledge rapidly deployable, giving immediate positive effects. An essential component should be the need for training, education and information sharing, where "learning by doing" could provide an important process of building capacity, while at the same time conducting assessments and generating knowledge.
The establishment of a transparent process that secures the participation of relevant knowledge holders in the assessment process would be of key importance, since it is a prerequisite to generate credible and legitimate outcomes. It will also be essential to establish open access to all results as well as to all scientific documents, data used, and methods applied.
Decisions for better managing and protecting biodiversity and ecosystem services should be based on good independent science and an understanding of the full biodiversity-economic trade-offs.
At a global scale, decisions need to be made within the context of an underpinning rationale where biodiversity protection takes precedence. This requires a fundamental shift in the structure of the world's current economic models, where resource consumption is the primary driver.
Instead, there is a need to develop economic models, informed by IPBES and related processes, that reverse the market failures of the existing models by fully valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services. IPBES could incorporate methodological know-how from the TEEB process which achieved partial mainstreaming of biodiversity by increasing accounting of the economic benefits of biodiversity in national planning.
New models must be able to balance the capacity of the world's ecosystems to provide essential services with the basic needs of all sections of human society in an equitable way. Such models need to foster greater individual and global collective responsibility and facilitate a shared equity of resource use.
The synergies between objectives need to be better recognized by governments, who must facilitate change by supporting both top-down and bottom-up initiatives. Similarly, businesses and communities need to take advantage of the economic benefits that biodiversity and ecosystems service will bring.
Integrating biodiversity in daily decision-making at all levels would benefit from the support and participation of civil society, including media, NGOs and the general public. Only by collectively addressing the multiple issues of biodiversity loss in an integrative way will synergistic solutions be developed."
Read the full article Establishment of IPBES: Implications for Global, Regional and National Policy written by Ibrahim Thiaw and Richard Munang on IISD Biodiversity Policy & Practice knowledgebase.


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Halong Bay is known for it's Pearl Oyster FarmsThose "thingies" appear to be oyster cage floats.
Looks like a "there are 6 billion oyster cage floats in this lake but only 10 have clues attached" kind of thing. BTW, what's with the crap CBS website this time around? No route map? And Chip's Michelin man costume on the racers' blog is interesting too.
Lost their oars? That would be a new level of incompetence.ETA: If they're hung up on a reef, maybe Terry could get out of the boat and help.Thanks for the map link, Puddin -- I miss the animated lines connecting each location, like on the CBS site.
it seems like the medical attention is for tom and terry
fwiw heres a picture of Sarah enlarged from CBS ..rappelling ? she looks happy .
I really think Sarah will excell at this task because it is all based on upper body strength. She's got that. Much better than most of the other racers. I even have to dig to think who might be better off than her in terms of upper body strength. Tyler, James, Erwin, Godwin, that's about it.Think Colin vs. Bowling Mom
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There are many places you can call to get help or groups you can join for support in the Grand Rapids Area. Counselors at the Counseling and Career Center can help you make the initial contact if you don't feel comfortable taking the first step on your own. Personal counseling is also available to Grand Rapids Community College students. Please call (616) 234-3900 for an appointment to receive assistance.
- Local Agencies and Services
- Help Lines
- Support Groups
- Hotlines
Local Agencies and Services
There are many services that can help you during a challenge. Whether you need shelter, free legal aid, adoption counseling or seek an educational enrichment program, the services are right here in Grand Rapids. If you are uncertain which agency would best meet your needs, contact the United Way First Call for Help - 211 hotline for a referral.
Also, the Family Resource Guide provides individuals a convenient source of information regarding services and programs to support children and their families in the Kent County area.
These listings are not an endorsement by the Grand Rapids Community College Counseling and Career Center and are offered as a resource only.
Alpha Women's Center (616) 459-9955 services include free pregnancy testing, confidential counseling, and information about alternatives to abortion, STDs, and fetal development. Clothing and supplies for children 0-24 months, and maternity clothing are also available. Housing option: Omega Maternity Home - provides safe nurturing environment where women can stay while awaiting the arrival of their babies. Licensed counselor guides them as they make life-changing decisions.
Planned Parenthood (616) 459-3101 promotes and ensures reproductive health, responsibility and freedom.
Pregnancy Resource Center (616) 456-6873 or TEXT to (616) 284-1545 provides information on pregnancy, abortion, adoption, medical care referrals, and social services. Services include free, walk-in pregnancy tests (results while you wait) and counseling, ultrasounds (with some restrictions), inexpensive HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing, treatment and counseling, as well as parenting classes.
Bethany Christian Services (616) 224-7610 multi-service agency providing adoption, foster care, refugee, and counseling services.
D.A. Blodget Services (616) 451-2021 non-profit child welfare agency serving over 2,200 disadvantaged and abused children per year throughout West Michigan through various foster care, adoption, counseling and mentoring services (Big Brothers/Big Sisters).
Arbor Circle Corporation (616) 456-7775 provides individual and family counseling, group intervention for adolescents, support and information for first time mothers, services to families with infants and children at risk of abandonment, counseling for families and individuals with life threatening illnesses, support for homeless youth (16-20), in-home early intervention program for infant and toddlers, parenting support groups, temporary shelter for youth (10-17), and many other programs.
Wedgwood Christian Services (616) 942-2110 a non-profit agency offering residential treatment to boys and girls, ages 8-17, dealing with neglect/abuse, delinquency, adoption and mental health issues.
Family Services
ACCESS (616) 774-2175 provides listing of all key food pantry site locations in the Grand Rapids area. Also provides information on clothing pantries.
Department of Human Services Kent County (616) 247-6000 helps individuals and families meet financial, medical, and social needs; assists people to become self-sufficient; and helps protect children and adults from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
In the Image (616) 456-6150 links gently used clothing, housewares, furniture and appliances with families in need in a manner that enhances dignity, embraces choice, encourages participation and builds a community of diversity.
Ronald McDonald House of West Michigan (616) 776-1300 provides a community supported facility and complimentary services whose dedicated staff and volunteers are committed to providing a safe, clean, and caring HOME AWAY FROM HOME for the families of pediatric patients.
Senior Citizens
Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan (616) 456-5664 provides wide range of home and community-based supportive and nutrition services.
Hospice of Greater Grand Rapids (616) 454-1426 provides comprehensive, compassionate comfort care to people with acute chronic illness and support to their loved ones.
Senior Discounts provides the most complete and accurate listing of all senior-related discounts for goods and services throughout the U.S.
Senior Meals on Wheels (616) 459-3111 helps seniors and family members connect with local meal resources.
Health Care
Dental Clinics several clinics have been identified to help low-income individuals and families with their dental needs. The GRCC Dental Clinic also provides services at a low cost; call GRCC at (616) 234-4237 for details.
Health Department of Kent County (616) 336-3030 offers 8 locations throughout the county. Provides routine childhood, adult, TB testing, and travel immunizations, public health clinics, and women-infant-children (WIC) nutrition program.
Kent Health Plan A (616) 248-1000 provides a community based health improvement program for qualifying Kent County residents who do not have access to health care services. Specific enrollment periods apply.
Oasis of Hope Center (OHC) (616) 451-8868 provides low-cost/free medical care to the uninsured and economically disadvantaged on the West Side of Grand Rapids.
Vision Services Cherry Street Health Clinic — (616) 776-2120 for the uninsured in Grand Rapids, MI. Services include comprehensive eye examinations, dilated eye exams, dispensing of eye glasses and diagnosis and treatment of eye disease. Michigan College of Optometry faculty and students provides these services at no charge to CSHS or the patient. To cover administrative costs, CSHS requires a minimum payment of $15.00 at the time services are provided. In addition, eligibility for sliding fee services is based on income and family size
Adult and Community Education (Grand Rapids Public School) (616) 819-2119 provides GED preparation, ESL program, non-credit Enrichment classes, Skill Preparation Program, High School completion and more.
Educational Connections (Grand Valley State University) (616) 331-7110 program provides information and services to people interested in continuing or resuming their education.
GED Program information contact (616) 819-2734
Godwin Learning Center (616) 252-2040 deliver educational opportunities and services. Offers courses in Business, Computers, English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and English as a Second Language (ESL).
Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, Inc.(616) 532-4200 or (800) 294-4742 assists people with disabilities or other barriers to realize their full employment potential and to be self-reliant, self-supporting and contributing members of our society.
Grand Rapids Help Wanted offers free online resume posting, allows you to search for jobs, and receive automatic emails with job ads matching your credentials. If you are a recruiter you can also post jobs for a fee.
Hispanic Center of Western Michigan (616) 233-0566 a non-profit organization primarily serving the needs of the Hispanic/Latino Community. Provides employment assistance, community outreach, information and referrals.
West Michigan Works! The Michigan Works! System is a customer-driven workforce development system that serves employers and job seekers to ensure that employers have the skilled workers they need and workers have good jobs that provide economic self-sufficiency.
Women's Resource Center (616) 458-5443 serves women looking to advance in their careers, make a career change, resume a career after taking time off and more.
Legal Assistance
Farmworker Legal Services (800) 968-4046 provides free legal assistance and referrals to migrant and seasonal farm workers.
Legal Assistance Center (616) 632-6014 helps the public solve legal problems and provides guidance and assistance throughout the process.
Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project, Inc. (616) 454-5055 provides quality legal services to indigent migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families, regardless of immigration status.
West Michigan Legal Services (800) 442-2777 or (616) 774-0672 provides free legal assistance to low-income persons encountering a civil (non-criminal) legal problem including divorce, spousal or child abuse, public assistance, consumer rights or tenants' rights.
Mental Health/Counseling
Network 180 Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (616) 336-3535 or toll free (800) 749-7720 provides immediate assessment, referral, and support for any kind of mental health or substance abuse problem, including depression, anxiety, stress reactions, family conflicts, suicidal thoughts, mental illness. Services available regardless of age, race, disability or income level.
Fountain Hill Center (616) 456-1178 offers services to couples, families, individuals, and children in a variety of capacities. Committed to understanding individuals' unique concerns and to guide them towards a more gratifying life experience.
Forest View Hospital (800) 949-8439 or (616) 942-9610 provides individualized treatment for a broad range of psychiatric disorders. Services include: 24 hour assessment and referral, adult services, child and adolescent services, general psychiatric inpatient, partial hospitalization, trauma, eating disorders, and detox/dual diagnosis.
Our Hope Association (616) 451-2039 the mission is to provide a rehabilitative program for recovering female alcoholics, including those who may be involved with other drug dependencies, in a residential or outpatient setting, regardless of ability to pay.
Pine Rest (616) 455-5000 or (616) 455-9200 offers Inpatient Hospitalization, Partial Hospitalization, Outpatient Counseling through our Clinic Network, Residential Services, Home Health Care, and Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and Psychology.
Western Michigan University - Grand Rapids Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (616) 771-4171 provides provides practical training opportunities for graduate students by offering low cost mental health services to residents of southwestern Michigan. Individual counseling for persons experiencing personal, educational, or vocational concerns is the primary service. Other services include marital/family therapy, group counseling, and psychological assessment.
YWCA Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Programs (616) 459-4681 or 24 hours at (616) 451-2744 provides 24 hour crisis intervention and forensic medical examinations for survivors of rape. Also offers individual counseling, support groups, short-term respite for survivors unable to return to their homes or who are homeless.
God's Kitchen (616) 454-4110 a non-profit organization that feeds hundreds of homeless, homebound and working poor.
Guiding Light Mission (616) 451-0236 a nonprofit Christian organization which ministers to the needs of the homeless and disadvantaged through spiritual, educational, and vocational services in the Grand Rapids area.
Habitat for Humanity of Kent County (616) 774-2431 mission is to strengthen families and neighborhoods through partnership house building and affordable homeownership.
Homeless Assistance Program - Salvation Army (616) 454-5840
Homeless Youth Services (616) 451-3001 provides services to youth ages 16 to 20 in the Kent County area who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.
Home Repair Services of Kent County (616) 241-2601 offers resources for low income homeowners. These include critical repairs, the construction of home access ramps, a tool library, a source of affordable building materials, home maintenance classes and foreclosure prevention counseling.
(HUD) Department of Housing and Urban Development (616) 456-2100 the federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that address America's housing needs.
Mel Trotter Ministries (616) 682-4663 provides outreach ministry to the poor and homeless population and homeless population of Grand Rapids. Services include support groups, education classes, worship, and some emergency food and clothing.
American Red Cross of West Michigan (616) 456-8661or (800) 482-2411 provides support to prevent, prepare and manage individual, family, local, regional and national emergencies and disasters.
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (616) 458-1187 provides support to advance the independence of people who are visually impaired and to promote the prevention of blindness.
The Gay and Lesbian Community Network of West Michigan (616) 458-3511 Serving the LGBT communities of Western Michigan through networking, referrals, and resources. Also, LGBTQ Student Resources & Support
Kent County Literacy Council (616) 459-5151 the mission of the Kent County Literacy Council is to help people reach their individual goals by improving their reading and language skills and to increase community awareness of the benefits of literacy.
Internet Essentials 1-855-8-INTERNET (1-855-846-8376) Home Internet service and a low cost computer for $9.95+tax if your child receives free or reduced price lunches, you may qualify. Contact Comcast for more information and qualification details.
Wherever God Wills (616) 452-2683 provides a free computer to low income students in Grand Rapids in exchange for community service.
Help Lines
Network 180 (Counseling referral)
24 hours
(616) 336-3535 (helpline)
(800) 749-7720
Pregnancy Resource Center
24 Hours
(616) 456-6873 or
Heart of West Michigan United Way
First Call for Help Hotline, dial 2-1-1
Parent HELPline
(800) 942-4357
No Abuse (Domestic Violence)
(800) 996-6228
YMCA Domestic Crisis Center
24 hours
(616) 776-7273
No Means No (sexual assault)
(877) 666-3267
YWCA Sexual Assault Program
24-hour hotline:
(616) 459-4652
Support Groups
(young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers)
(616) 257-8089
Alcoholics Anonymous
24-hour hotline:
(616) 913-9149
(for family members of alcoholics)
(616) 257-8089
Narcotics Anonymous
see list for contact information
(Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
(616) 399-2161 Holland
Women for Sobriety
(616) 457-0791
LGC Network of West Michigan
(for lesbian, gay and bi-sexual youth ages 13-22)
(616) 458-3511
Adult Abuse
(800) 996-6228
Child Abuse
(800) 942-4357
Child Locator Tip Line
(800) 729-0026
Client Complaints
(517) 373-0707
Emergency Shelter
(616) 451-2744
Heart of West Michigan United Way
First Call for Help Hotline, dial 2-1-1
Home Heating (Energy Assistance)
(800) 292-5650
(800) 274-3583
Medicaid Helpline (Clients)
(800) 642-3195
Parent Helpline
(800) 942-4357
Runaway Assistance
(800) 292-4517
Welfare Fraud (Client)
(800) 222-8558


text:
Welcome to Central Baptist
Located in the heart of beautiful New England, Central Baptist Church is recognized both locally and nationally as a thriving ministry. New England once led our country in religious matters, but through the years it has been lost due to compromise and change so that it has become a mission field in need of the gospel. Central Baptist Church has become a leader in re-establishing our godly heritage through evangelism and church planting.
Upon visiting, you will be pleasantly surprised to see how this exciting, caring ministry is thriving. Central Baptist Church is a great place to grow and serve the Lord. Please call or visit to see firsthand how God is blessing our church.
With a Heart for God,
Pastor Jim Townsley
Please take a moment to learn about our other ministries.
- The McKeever Project - Church Planting Revival
- New England Baptist Press


text:
After submitting your quiz, you will receive an email with your results. You need to achieve a score of 80% (4 out of 5 questions correct) to pass the quiz and receive your certificate. If you do not pass the quiz, you may take it again.
If you have any questions you can contact firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Uzbekistan Population: 29,473,6141 VISITOR FROM HERE!
« Previous Country | Next Country » Back to Flag Counter Overview
|Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991 upon the dissolution of the USSR, the country has gradually lessened its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. Uzbekistan's first president, Islom KARIMOV, led Uzbekistan for 25 years until his death in August 2016. The political transition to his successor, then-Prime Minister Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV was peaceful, but sidelined the constitutional process where the chairman of the Senate would have served as the acting president. MIRZIYOYEV, who won the presidential election in December 2016, has sought to improve relations with Uzbekistan's neighbors and proposed wide-ranging economic and judicial reforms.
Along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world
|Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of Kazakhstan
|Geographic coordinates:
| total: 447,400 sq km
land: 425,400 sq km
water: 22,000 sq km
Size comparison: about four times the size of Virginia; slightly larger than California
|Land Boundaries:
|total: 6,893 km border countries (5): Afghanistan 144 km, Kazakhstan 2,330 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,314 km, Tajikistan 1,312 km, Turkmenistan 1,793 km
|0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline
|Maritime claims:
|none (doubly landlocked)
|mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
|mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west
|Elevation extremes:
|Natural resources:
|natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum
|Land use:
| agricultural land: 62.6% arable land 10.1%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 51.7% forest: 7.7%
other: 29.7% (2011 est.)
|Irrigated land:
|42,150 sq km (2012)
|Natural hazards:
|Current Environment Issues:
|shrinkage of the Aral Sea has resulted in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification and respiratory health problems; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT
|International Environment Agreements:
| party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|^Back to Top
| noun: Uzbekistani
adjective: Uzbekistani
|Ethnic groups:
|Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)
|Uzbek (official) 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1% note: in the Karakalpakstan Republic, both the Karakalpak language and Uzbek have official status
|Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
|29,473,614 (July 2016 est.)
|Age structure:
| 0-14 years: 24.22% (male 3,658,960/female 3,480,659)
15-24 years: 19.22% (male 2,874,982/female 2,790,128)
25-54 years: 43.95% (male 6,444,288/female 6,510,741)
55-64 years: 7.54% (male 1,049,876/female 1,171,369)
65 years and over: 5.06% (male 637,408/female 855,203) (2016 est.)
|Dependency ratios:
| total dependency ratio: 49.7%
youth dependency ratio: 42.7%
elderly dependency ratio: 7%
potential support ratio: 14.3% (2015 est.)
|Median age:
| total: 28.1 years
male: 27.6 years
female: 28.7 years (2016 est.)
|Population growth rate:
|0.93% (2016 est.)
|Birth rate:
|16.9 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
|Death rate:
|5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
|Net migration rate:
|-2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
| urban population: 36.4% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 1.45% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
|Major urban areas - population:
|TASHKENT (capital) 2.251 million (2015)
|Sex ratio:
| at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
|Mother's mean age at first birth:
|23.4 (2013 est.)
|Maternal mortality rate:
|36 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
|Infant mortality rate:
| total: 18.6 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
|Life expectancy at birth:
| total population: 73.8 years male: 70.7 years
female: 77 years (2016 est.)
|Total fertility rate:
|1.78 children born/woman (2016 est.)
|Contraceptive prevalence rate:
|64.9% (2006)
|Health expenditures:
|5.8% of GDP (2014)
|Physicians density:
|2.53 physicians/1,000 population (2013)
|Hospital bed density:
|4.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)
|Drinking water source:
| improved:
urban: 98.5% of population
rural: 80.9% of population
total: 87.3% of population
urban: 1.5% of population
rural: 19.1% of population
total: 12.7% of population (2012 est.)
|Sanitation facility access:
| improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
|HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|0.15% (2015 est.)
|HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|32,700 (2015 est.)
|HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|2,600 (2015 est.)
|Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
|14.3% (2014)
|Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
|4.4% (2006)
|Education expenditures:
| definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.5% (2015 est.)
|School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
| total: 12 years male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2011)
|^Back to Top
|Country name:
| conventional long form: Republic of Uzbekistan
conventional short form: Uzbekistan
local long form: O'zbekiston Respublikasi
local short form: O'zbekiston
former: Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic
etymology: a combination of the Turkic words "uz" (self) and "bek" (master) with the Persian suffix "-stan" (country) to give the meaning "Land of the free"
|Government type:
|presidential republic; highly authoritarian
| name: Tashkent (Toshkent)
geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 69 15 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
|Administrative divisions:
| 12 provinces (viloyatlar, singular - viloyat), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonom respublikasi), and 1 city** (shahar); Andijon Viloyati, Buxoro Viloyati, Farg'ona Viloyati, Jizzax Viloyati, Namangan Viloyati, Navoiy Viloyati, Qashqadaryo Viloyati (Qarshi), Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasi [Karakalpakstan Republic]* (Nukus), Samarqand Viloyati, Sirdaryo Viloyati (Guliston), Surxondaryo Viloyati (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri [Tashkent City]**, Toshkent Viloyati [Tashkent province], Xorazm Viloyati (Urganch)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
|1 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
|National holiday:
|Independence Day, 1 September (1991)
|several previous; latest adopted 8 December 1992; amended several times, last in 2014 (2016)
|Legal system:
|civil law system
|18 years of age; universal
|Executive branch:
| chief of state: President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (interim president from 8 September 2016; formally elected president on 4 December 2016 to succeed longtime President Islom KARIMOV, who died on 2 September 2016)
head of government: Prime Minister Abdulla ARIPOV (since 13 December 2016); First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam AZIMOV (since 2 January 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president with approval of both chambers of the Supreme Assembly (Oliy Majlis) elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term; previously a 5-year term, extended by a 2002 constitutional amendment to 7 years, and reverted to 5 years in 2011); election last held on 4 December 2016; prime minister nominated by majority party in legislature since 2011, but appointed along with the ministers and deputy ministers by the president
election results: Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV elected president; percent of vote - Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV (LDPU) 88.6%, Khatamjon KETMONOV (NDP) 3.7%, Narimon UMAROV (Adolat) 3.5%, Sarvar OTAMURADOV 2.4%, other 1.8%
|Legislative branch:
| description: bicameral Supreme Assembly or Oliy Majlis consists of the Senate (100 seats; 84 members indirectly elected by regional governing councils and 16 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) and the Legislative Chamber or Qonunchilik Palatasi (150 seats; 135 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed and 15 indirectly elected by the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan; members serve 5-year terms) note: all parties in the Supreme Assembly support President Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV
elections: last held on 21 December 2014 and 4 January 2015 (next to be held in December 2019)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Legislative Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDPU 52, National Rebirth Party 36, NDP 27, Adolat 20, Ecological Movement 15
|Judicial branch:
| highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 34 judges organized in civil, criminal, and military sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); Higher Economic Court (consists of 19 judges) judge selection and term of office: judges of the 3 highest courts nominated by the president and confirmed by the Oliy Majlis; judges appointed for 5-year terms subject to reappointment
subordinate courts: regional, district, city, and town courts
|Political parties and leaders:
|Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Ekologik Harakati) [Boriy ALIKHANOV] Justice (Adolat) Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan [Narimon UMAROV] Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Liberal-Demokratik Partiyasi) or LDPU [Shavkat MIRZIYOYEV] National Revival Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (O'zbekiston Milliy Tiklanish Demokratik Partiyasi) [Sarvar OTAMURATOV] People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (Xalq Demokratik Partiyas) or NDP [Hotamjon KETMONOV] (formerly Communist Party)
|Political pressure groups and leaders:
|no significant opposition political parties or pressure groups in Uzbekistan
|International organization participation:
|ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
|National symbol(s):
|khumo (mythical bird); national colors: blue, white, red, green
|National anthem:
| name: "O'zbekiston Respublikasining Davlat Madhiyasi" (National Anthem of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
lyrics/music: Abdulla ARIPOV/Mutal BURHANOV
note: adopted 1992; after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan kept the music of the anthem from its time as a Soviet Republic but adopted new lyrics
|Diplomatic representation in the US:
| chief of mission: Ambassador Baxtiyor GULOMOV (since 18 July 2013)
chancery: 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 887-5300
consulate(s) general: New York
|Diplomatic representation from the US:
| chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela L. SPRATLEN (since 21 January 2015)
embassy: 3 Moyqo'rq'on, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent 100093
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [998] (71) 120-5450
|^Back to Top
Uzbekistan is a landlocked country with more than 60% of the population living in densely populated rural communities. Since its independence in September 1991, the government maintained its Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify crops, Uzbekistani agriculture remains largely centered on cotton; Uzbekistan is the world's fifth largest cotton exporter and sixth largest producer. Uzbekistan's growth has been driven primarily by state-led investments, and export of natural gas, gold, and cotton provides a significant share of foreign exchange earnings. In 2015, Russia's Gazprom announced it would reduce its natural gas imports from Uzbekistan but Tashkent continues to export natural gas to China and Chinese investments in the country have substantially increased. While aware of the need to improve the investment climate, the government continues to intervene in the business sector and has not addressed the impediments to foreign investment in the country. In the past, Uzbekistani authorities have accused US and other foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating Uzbekistani laws and have frozen and seized their assets. At the same time, the Uzbekistani Government has actively courted several major US and international corporations, offering financing and tax advantages. In 2003, the government accepted Article VIII obligations under the IMF, providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of convertibility and have also led to some shortages that have further stifled economic activity. Recently, lower global commodity prices and economic slowdown in neighboring Russia and China have been hurting Uzbekistan's trade and investment and worsening its problem of currency shortage.
|GDP (purchasing power parity):
| GDP (purchasing power parity): $202.3 billion (2016 est.) $190.8 billion (2015 est.) $176.7 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
|GDP (official exchange rate):
|GDP (official exchange rate): $66.8 billion (2015 est.)
|GDP - real growth rate:
|6% (2016 est.) 8% (2015 est.) 8.1% (2014 est.)
|GDP - per capita (PPP):
| GDP - per capita (PPP): $6,500 (2016 est.) $6,200 (2015 est.) $5,800 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
|Gross national saving:
|30.9% of GDP (2016 est.) 31% of GDP (2015 est.) 31.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
|GDP - composition, by end use:
| household consumption: 55.3%
government consumption: 17.2%
investment in fixed capital: 24.4%
investment in inventories: 3%
exports of goods and services: 28.6%
imports of goods and services: -28.5% (2016 est.)
|GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
| household consumption: 55.3%
government consumption: 17.2%
investment in fixed capital: 24.4%
investment in inventories: 3%
exports of goods and services: 28.6%
imports of goods and services: -28.5% (2016 est.)
|Agriculture - products:
|cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock
|textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, mining, hydrocarbon extraction, chemicals
|Industrial production growth rate:
|4.5% (2016 est.)
|Labor force:
|17.8 million (2016 est.)
|Labor force - by occupation:
| agriculture: 25.9%
industry: 13.2%
services: 60.9% (2012 est.)
|Unemployment rate:
|4.9% (2016 est.) 5% (2015 est.) note: official data; another 20% are underemployed
|Population below poverty line:
|17% (2011 est.)
|Household income or consumption by percentage share:
| lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 29.6% (2003)
|Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|36.8 (2003) 44.7 (1998)
| revenues: $21.09 billion
expenditures: $21.23 billion (2016 est.)
|Taxes and other revenues:
|31.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
|Public debt:
|8.3% of GDP (2015 est.) 7.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
|Fiscal year:
|calendar year
|Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.5% (2016 est.) 10% (2015 est.) note: official data; based on independent analysis of consumer prices, inflation reached 22% in 2012
|Current account balance:
|$64 million (2016 est.) $93 million (2015 est.)
|$11.11 billion (2016 est.) $11.35 billion (2015 est.)
|Exports - commodities:
|energy products, cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous metals, textiles, foodstuffs, machinery, automobiles
|Exports - partners:
|Switzerland 25.8%, China 17.6%, Kazakhstan 14.2%, Turkey 9.9%, Russia 8.4%, Bangladesh 6.9% (2015)
|$11.61 billion (2016 est.) $11.81 billion (2015 est.)
|Imports - commodities:
|machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, ferrous and nonferrous metals
|Imports - partners:
|China 20.8%, Russia 20.8%, South Korea 12%, Kazakhstan 10.8%, Turkey 4.6%, Germany 4.4% (2015)
|Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|$14.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $15 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
|Debt - external:
|$15.75 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $13.92 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
|Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
|Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|Market value of publicly traded shares:
|$NA (31 December 2012) $715.3 million (31 December 2006)
|Exchange rates:
|Uzbekistani soum (UZS) per US dollar - 2,963.7 (2016 est.) 2,569.6 (2015 est.) 2,569.6 (2014 est.) 2,311.4 (2013 est.) 1,890.1 (2012 est.)
|^Back to Top
|Electricity - production:
|53 billion kWh (2014 est.)
|Electricity - consumption:
|48 billion kWh (2014 est.)
|Electricity - exports:
|13 billion kWh (2014 est.)
|Electricity - imports:
|13 billion kWh (2014 est.)
|Electricity - installed generating capacity:
|13 million kW (2014 est.)
|Electricity - from fossil fuels:
|86.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
|0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
|13.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Electricity - from other renewable sources:
|0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
|Crude oil - production:
|60,130 bbl/day (2015 est.)
|Crude oil - exports:
|27,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Crude oil - imports:
|360 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Crude oil - proved reserves:
|600 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)
|Refined petroleum products - production:
|67,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Refined petroleum products - consumption:
|64,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
|Refined petroleum products - exports:
|4,367 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Refined petroleum products - imports:
|0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
|Natural gas - production:
|61.74 billion cu m (2014 est.)
|Natural gas - consumption:
|47.04 billion cu m (2014 est.)
|Natural gas - exports:
|14.7 billion cu m (2014 est.)
|Natural gas - imports:
|0 cu m (2013 est.)
|Natural gas - proved reserves:
|1.841 trillion cu m (1 January 2016 es)
|Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
|109 million Mt (2013 est.)
|^Back to Top
|Cellular Phones in use:
|total: 21.783 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 75 (July 2015 est.)
|Telephone system:
| general assessment: digital exchanges in large cities and in rural areas
domestic: the state-owned telecommunications company, Uzbektelecom, owner of the fixed-line telecommunications system, has used loans from the Japanese government and the China Development Bank to upgrade fixed-line services including conversion to digital exchange
international: country code - 998; linked by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; the country also has a link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic (2015)
|Broadcast media:
|government controls media; 14 state-owned broadcasters - 10 TV and 4 radio - provide service to virtually the entire country; about 20 privately owned TV stations, overseen by local officials, broadcast to local markets; privately owned TV stations are re
|Internet country code:
|Internet users:
|total: 12.498 million percent of population: 42.8% (July 2015 est.)
|^Back to Top
|53 (2013)
|Airports (paved runways):
| total 33
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2013)
|Airports (unpaved runways):
| total 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
under 914 m: 18 (2013)
|gas 10,401 km; oil 944 km (2013)
| total 3,645 km
broad gauge: 3,645 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2014)
| total 86,496 km
paved: 75,511 km
unpaved: 10,985 km (2000)
|1,100 km (2012)
|Ports and terminals:
river port(s): Termiz (Amu Darya)
|^Back to Top
|Military branches:
|Armed Forces: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces (2016)
|Military service age and obligation:
|18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-month or 1-year conscript service obligation for males; moving toward a professional military, but conscription in some form will continue; the military cannot accommodate everyone who wishes to enlist, and competition for entrance into the military is similar to the competition for admission to universities; note - widely considered to have one of the strongest militaries in Central Asia, although it is untested (2016)
|^Back to Top
|Transnational Issues
|Disputes - International:
|prolonged drought and cotton monoculture in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan created water-sharing difficulties for Amu Darya river states; field demarcation of the boundaries with Kazakhstan commenced in 2004; border delimitation of 130 km of border with Kyrgyzstan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas
|Refugees and internally displaced persons:
stateless persons: 86,703 (2015)
|Illicit drugs:
|transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and, to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and small amounts of opium poppy for domestic consumption; poppy cultivation almost wiped out by government crop eradication program; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan
|^Back to Top
« Previous Country | Next Country » Back to Flag Counter Overview
Source: CIA - The World Factbook


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Hello Beautiful People, in this post you will find all the Antiquity in olden times crossword clue solutions and answers. Majority of the answers are very easy to guess but as you will progress they will become a bit difficult. If you need a quick help then we have shared Crosswords Clues Daily 2019 answers in this post to help you out.
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Antiquity in olden times
Already solved Antiquity in olden times? Click here to go back to the main post and find other answers Crossword Champ Daily July 12 2019 Answers.


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Registration is now open for the NGS 2013 Family History Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference will take place 8–11 May 2013 at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. For additional information and to register online, go to http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/
The hotel and conference center are under one roof. The LVH is ten minutes from McCarran International Airport and is convenient to I-15 and I-515. Visit http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/
cs/accommodations for detailed information about the hotel.
The conference will include programs for all skill levels of research experience and will feature tracks on DNA, ethnic research, the law, migration, methodology, the West, women, and more. More than seventy-five nationally recognized speakers will provide over one hundred and fifty lectures on a wide variety of topics. The conference registration brochure, with complete details, is online as a pdf file (http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/
cs/attendee_registration) and the lecture schedule is available on the NGS website in a searchable format (http://members.ngsgenealogy. org/Conferences/Program2013. cfm).
This year the NGS Family History Conference will feature an extra-large lecture hall, Thursday morning breakfast gatherings, and an Internet café.
An exhibit area with more than one hundred exhibitors will be open Wednesday through Saturday and will feature the latest in genealogical software, online research providers, and DNA testing services.
Tours and meals have limited seating, so register early!
We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas.
NGS Staff and Board


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The NHS's troubled relationship with technology
When you think how technology has reshaped everything from the way we shop to how we communicate with friends, the lack of progress made by the NHS is astonishing.
While booking holidays and doing the weekly shop online has become routine for many, making appointments to see a GP in such as way has not.
And in an era when companies hold a host of personal information, the fact remains an ambulance can still respond to an emergency call, ferry a patient to hospital but doctors will still have little knowledge of their medical history.
Since the 1990s report after report has called for more innovation.
But time and time again the NHS has failed to live up to expectations - at least in the way the health service interacts with patients and shares information (a much stronger case can be made for its use of technology in areas of medicine, such as robotic surgery).
The £12bn NHS IT project is a case in point. Launched in 2002, it was meant to revolutionise the way technology was used in the health service by paving the way for electronic records, digital scanning and integrated IT systems across hospitals and community care.
But more than a decade on it the national programme has effectively been disbanded with many of its ambitions yet to be realised.
Local parts of the health service - hospitals and the new GP-led groups - have now been asked to push ahead with the changes and the speech by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Wednesday is an attempt chivvy that along.
Some progress
Admittedly, progress is being made in some areas.
Telehealth and telecare, which covers everything from specialist equipment to help a patient monitor their condition to sensors in the home to detect falls, has been piloted quite successfully in several areas.
But the number of people benefiting is still limited to the tens of thousands.
Meanwhile, online appointment booking is at least two years away and some of the most innovative ideas deployed in other countries are but a distant dream.
For example, in the US electronic bracelets are in use that can be scanned by doctors enabling them immediate and easy access to the patient's medical history.
And as the NHS plays catch up, other sectors continue to push the boundaries of what is possible.
It poses the question: Why?
Julia Manning, chief executive of the 2020health think-tank, says the lack of success in embracing technology is "crazy".
She believes the barriers are related to culture more than anything else.
Indeed, the private sector has often complained that the commissioning and purchasing systems in the NHS have proved too complex to encourage innovation.
The NHS IT project was the government's attempt to apply some central control.
But after that struggled the NHS is back to devolving responsibility down to a local level.
Everyone will be hoping the health service is more successful from now on.


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Taking a strong swipe at luvvie stereotypes, the cast of five spend the first half of the play brainstorming, workshopping, facilitating, ad libbing and eventually agreeing to stage Little Red Riding Hood. In the second half they rehearse and finally perform the première of their new show. But amongst the sweat and angst, each character has a demon.
- Writer/director/producer/wardrobe mistress Patrick (played by Conor Grimes) is a recovering alcoholic (in the West Wing Leo McGarry sense that alcoholics are never fully cured) with an eye for a pretty young girl.
- His old friend Johnny (Alan McKee) is a low-ranking celebrity actor no longer about to get TV parts playing doctors and with a massive fear of going back on-stage.
- Dex (Ciaran Nolan) may be the show's composer, but he's got more sense of direction than musicality – and he gets lost every fifteen minutes throughout the show – and a magic mushroom addition that the St George's Farmers' Market won't be able to help.
- Jackie (Doireann McKenna) is straight out of drama school, new to the trade and how good looks make her vulnerable to lecherous men.
- While Siobhan (Maria Connolly) is Patrick's ex-wife and has fallen from glam weathergirl to spandex nutcase.
Whether acting as the hypnotised producer – regressed back to his seven year old self and unable to return – sitting on a stool at the side of the stage holding his blue helium balloon, or loosing his temper with the cast, or under the influence of the devil's buttermilk, Grimes got the best lines and laughs playing Patrick in the second half.
While the Elmwood Hall may not be a "proper theatre", the show made great use of every door in the building as well as the simple but effective set. It was a shame that at times the background music and effects drowned out the on-stage unamplified dialogue.
The play is well constructed, and even without children present the adult audience threw themselves into the pantomime chanting. Shergar the magical unicorn made an appearance. Like much of the show, the ending was unpredictable and unexpected. The final song – "Rockin' around the woodcutter's corpse" – was brilliant.
There's a dangerous line delivered by Little Red Riding Hood's fictional writer and director Patrick J Masterson (Grimes). He breaks down at the end of the appalling dress rehearsal, exclaiming:
"I think it's complete and utter unmitigated sh**e from beginning to end."It would be cheap and terribly unfair to say that the same line sums up Howl! But it is clearly a million miles away from the quality and humour of the only other stage show I've seen Conor and Grimes in – their classic collaboration with Martin Lynch The History of the Troubles (Accordin' to My Da).
I went in expecting to be left rolling in the aisle with laughter and my sides to be hurting: but it didn't come to pass. Howl!'s 6pm show on Saturday night played to an audience of a hundred or so and it took a while for them to warm up. Most people's second drink at the interval seemed to do no harm in generating much looser laughter for the funnier material towards the end. I suspect the fuller 9pm show will have had a better atmosphere and been better received.
It's not great theatre and I suspect it will be quickly forgotten, but it outclasses the locally written and produced town pantomimes I remember sitting through in the local technical college.
As an adult play, the bad language isn't gratuitous, but the sexual innuendo and lewdness is repetitive rather than clever and might make it an uncomfortable night out for the Mothers' Union. Joe Nawaz sums it up well in his up-beat and far too enthusiastic review over on Culture Northern Ireland:
"They may have their de-tractors (see what I did there?) but Grimes and McKee know exactly what they're about – delivering a heady seasonal brew of smut, innuendo and farce with the fourth wall so irretrievably broken by the end you'd need planning permission to re-erect it. This is adult panto in extremis, and the adult audience, glutted on a year of existential melodrama at the Lyric, are happy enough to loosen up, sit back and be entertained."If you're looking for a few laughs over the coming weeks without bus loads of kids screeching in your ears, head over to the Lyric's booking site and pick up a ticket. But if you're looking for a family night out or some serious theatre, I'd suggest you give Howl! a miss. (You can also check out Jane Coyle's review over on The Stage.)
If you've been to see it and appreciated it more – or less – than I did, please do leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
(Disclosure: I attended the show on a free ticket. Photos from Lyric Theatre.)


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This dish was almost a "three strikes, you're out" dish. Despite my lack of frying experience, I was determined that I wasn't going to be defeated ... mostly because my husband was so hyped about eating this dish and each time it failed, you could tell he was totally disappointed.
Let me give you a break down:
Attempt 1: Was missing an egg because I broke the only one that I had on the floor. Tried to improvise and pan fry - enough said.
Attempt 2: Oil was smoking hot and completely burned the outside breading (note to self - test first!)
Attempt 3: Success!
In the end, it was worth all of the "tries" - so yummy! However, if you don't fry often, it might be a little troublesome. Make sure you use a thermometer, or test the oil by dropping some breading in.
Shrimp are my seafood of choice, and this mix between sweet, spicy, and savory is perfect!
Best dishes and yummy dreams!
|Because everything's better in a cocktail glass! ;) But seriously, isn't this an adorable idea for a margarita glass??


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While I haven't had any issues running id Software's Rage on my high-end computer, it seems that there are a number of issues plaguing folks checking out the game on their rigs this morning.
Issues brought up on the Rage support thread in Steam include not being able to set custom settings for video cards, no Vsync options, full game crashes and some issues with certain graphics cards not working.
The top solution seems to be to ensure you have the latest drivers for your video cards, including the RAGE AMD drivers. I captured the video above using Fraps running on a Windows 7 64-bit computer with an Intel Core i7-2600K CPU at 3.4GHz with 8GB of memory, and a GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards with the latest drivers. (Yes I play on an old, OOOOOLD non 16:9 ratio monitor.)
Your experience will vary depending on your rig. Have you run into any issues? Better still, have you found any solutions?
[SUPPORT] Rage Issues, Bugs And Fixes Thread [Steam — Thanks Earthserpent89!]


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Jane reveals that a list of fake Red John suspects he planted was stolen, and the team realizes these men are in danger, on THE MENTALIST, at a special time, Sunday, Oct. 20 (10:30-11:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Kevin Corrigan as Robert Kirkland.
Photo: Darren Michaels/Warner Bros. © 2013 Warner Bros. Television. All Rights Reserved.


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28 May 2012 at 9.34am | 1 Comment
Royal Opera House Collections has loaned a selection of prints to Tate Britain as part of the gallery's Picasso & Modern British Art exhibition.
The exhibition explores Picasso's connections to Britain and his influence on British art, in part focusing on the artist's work creating theatrical scenery and designing costumes for the stage.
Francesca Franchi, Head of Collections, explained:
"Picasso only made two visits to Britain and the first was in 1919 when he was designing the costumes and set for Leonid Massine's ballet Le Tricorne [The Three Cornered Hat], first performed at The Alhambra Theatre by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company."
The exhibition includes stencilled colour prints of the costume and set designs created by Picasso, as well as a selection of costumes including the shirt and waistcoat worn by Massine in the 1949 production of Le Tricorne at Sadler's Wells.
The costume collection at the Royal Opera House is one of the largest collections of historic theatre costumes. It includes not only costumes but also an array of accessories, wigs, and facial hair.
The exhibition runs at Tate Britain until 15 July 2012 before travelling to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, in time for this year's Edinburgh Festival.


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Pocket as many pool balls as you can before the time runs out!
Get ready, shoot, score and WIN: Bouncy Dunk will make your excitement grow! Test your skills by winning all the challenges and unlock special basketballs to grow your power and style! Become a Bouncy Champion NOW!Help
There are no awards for this game!


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Mission Statement
The safety and well being of students, faculty, staff, and guests have always been of paramount importance at Barnard. Located on Morningside Heights in Manhattan, we are a community within our neighboring communities: Columbia University and New York City. Separate from them in some ways, but very much a part of them, we have many mutual interests, including that of crime prevention.
Crime Prevention Efforts
The College annually distributes, in the Barnard Student Handbook and other publications, detailed descriptions of crime prevention techniques relating to personal safety and protection of property both on- and off-campus. From time to time, the Public Safety Department and other College offices issue advisories and tips. For example, each December, a special notice goes out to all employees and students with advice on how to guard against pickpocketing and burglaries at holiday time.
The Departments of Public Safety, Residential Life, and Student Health Services conduct informational sessions, workshops, and training programs on crime prevention, sexual assault, and drug and alcohol abuse. These begin at Orientation for entering students and continue during the school term for all students. These sessions, as well as the materials distributed by the College, stress not only the role played by the College, but the fundamental responsibility of every member of the community for his or her own security and the security of others.
Students who present college I.D.'s may ride on a Columbia University evening shuttle bus that makes stops between 108th and 125th Streets. The bus runs from 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., seven days a week. Call x42796 for schedule information.
Barnard College provides motorized transportation by a uniformed Public Safety Officer between 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m., seven days a week. The service operates between the main gate of the College and the off-campus residence halls, including Cathedral Gardens and College Residence at 110th Street. The Barnard College Shuttle Service is seen by students as an important Public Safety program. Call Public Safety at x43362 for Schedule information.
Columbia University's Walking Escort Service operates in the Columbia area from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. every night when classes are in session. Trained students respond to requests for an escort between locations in the area. Call x4-SAFE (47233).
The Facilities Department maintains the College's buildings and grounds with consideration for safety and security. Public Safety Officers, when patrolling the grounds and buildings, report potential safety and security hazards, such as broken windows and locks. The Facilities Department is located in Barnard Hall and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during weekdays may be reached by calling the Service Response Center at x48990. At night and on weekends and holidays, reports may be made to the Public Safety dispatcher at x43362 who will then contact appropriate facilities personnel.


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Ever since my annual check-up this past summer, I've been looking for ways to incorporate more iron into my diet. Fortunately, Chinese beef stir-fries are pretty healthy as far as red meat dishes go, because the meat is usually paired with vegetables and the sauces are flavorful yet light. (That is, if you make them at home instead of ordering from the local take-out.)
And of course, beef with broccoli is probably the most popular and beloved takeout dishes in this country. I mean, if you're a red meat eater, how can it not sound good? Succulent, tender strips of beef mixed with tender-crisp broccoli? I'd crave it any time. It's an easy one-dish entree (with rice on the side, of course) from which you can get a ton of nutrients.
So here's a pumped-up take on the classic dish that includes fragrant sesame oil, a bit of Worcestershire sauce, and optional chili sauce for a little kick. (A note on Worcestershire sauce, since some of you have asked: yes, it is a common ingredient used in Chinese cooking, especially Cantonese. We've been using it for well over a century, since the British colonial days in Hong Kong, to enhance the meatiness in stir-fries and noodle dishes.) Try it out anytime you'd like to get something fast, healthy, and delicious on the table!
Sesame Beef and Broccoli
Serves 4
- 1 pound flank, skirt, hangar, or flatiron steak, cut against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger
- 2 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon white rice vinegar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chili sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Marinate the beef: In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the beef and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, optional chili sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and set aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the beef and spread it around the wok in a single layer. Allow the beef to sear undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes so it gets a nice browning on the surface. Stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes, just until the beef is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Swirl the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into the wok. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallots to the wok and cook for about 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for another 1 minute. Pour in the sauce mixture. Continue to cook while stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the broccoli is tender-crisp.
- Return the beef to the wok. Stir to coat the beef with the sauce. Season to taste with black pepper. Transfer everything to a large plate, sprinkle sesame seeds on top, and serve.


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Science Friday® is produced by the Science Friday Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Science Friday® and SciFri® are registered service marks of Science Friday, Inc. Site design by Pentagram; engineering by Mediapolis.
|In this segment, we turn to you for help: what tattoo should listener Josh Scott get next? Mr. Scott has several tattoos already -- a solar system on his arm, and the Saturn V rocket on his leg. He wants to get a sleeve of tattoos celebrating the history of space exploration. Which missions should he include, and why?


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US: Shoe Manufacturer Latest Casualty to Free Trade
Sneaker maker Converse Inc., best known for its basketball and "Chuck Taylor" brand shoes, is closing three North American production plants and shifting production to Asia as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The 93-year-old company said Monday it plans to close its plants in Lumberton, N.C., Mission, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico, by March 31. The three plants employ about 1,000 people.
Converse said it plans to become exclusively a licensor of Converse brand products - a model it has already adopted for overseas sales.
"One could perhaps criticize us for holding on longer than most," chairman and chief executive Glenn Rupp said in a telephone interview Monday. "If you look at our major competitors, with rare exceptions, all of their products are
manufactured in the Far East."
The North Reading-based company said it has enough financing to continue operations during the restructuring. Converse has filed a motion with the bankruptcy court in Delaware seeking approval of an agreement to make Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Global Brand Marketing Inc. the licensee for Converse -brand footwear in the U.S.
A Charlotte, N.C., distribution facility may also be affected by the company's previously announced restructuring plan, depending on how Converse's new licensing arrangements develop.
The company, which was facing a Jan. 31 deadline to satisfy its creditors, missed a $ 25 million interest payment in June. On Sept. 30, it listed assets of $ 202.1 million and debts of $ 226.2 million.
Converse reported a net loss of $ 6.3 million, or 36 cents per share, for the third quarter ending Sept. 30, 2000.
Rupp insisted the Converse brand and sales are strong, but the company is simply too overwhelmed by debt dating back to its 1995 acquisition of apparel-maker ApexOne.
Converse sued ApexOne for fraud and deception after the acquisition, and received a $ 13.7 million jury award, which Rupp said was far less than the actual damages.
- 110 Trade Justice


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Delightful Dede Recipe
Marzipan gives this cocktail from Suzanne Miller of Clock Bar in San Francisco a sweet, nutty flavor.
Mix up another. Get more winter cocktail recipes from Clock Bar.
- Yield:1
- Active time: 10 minutes
- Total time:10 minutes
- For Almond Meal Rim:
- 1 tablespoon almond meal
- 1 tablespoon tubinado sugar
- For the cocktail
- 4-5 brandied cherries
- 1/2 ounce marizpan, diced
- 2 ounces dark rum such as Ron Anejo Pampero Aniversario
- 1/2 ounce Combier
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- Ice
In a small bowl, whisk together almond meal and sugar. Moisten rim of a coupe glass with orange juice. Place rim of glass in sugar mixture to coat.
Muddle cherries in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add marzipan, rum, Combier, and orange juice. Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 1 minute.
Strain cocktail into prepared coupe glass.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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1. He is 21, grew up in Berkeley and attends Bard College and the Bard College Conservatory of Music in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., where he is majoring in music composition and classics. His teachers include composers George Tsontakis, Joan Tower and Kyle Gann.
2. At Bard, he co-directs the ensemble Contemporaneous, which recorded the 2012 CD "Stream of Stars: Music of Dylan Mattingly."
3. Since age 16, he has been mentored by composer John Adams, a Pulitzer Prize winner and resident of Berkeley. Mattingly's "I Was a Stranger" was commissioned by the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz (where the piece premiered last summer) and sponsored by Adams and photographer Deborah O'Grady.
4. Mattingly's works also include commissions for the Berkeley Symphony, pianist Sarah Cahill and the Del Sol String Quartet.
5. Mattingly pitched for the varsity baseball team at Berkeley High, from which he graduated in 2009. He also played guitar and bass in Berkeley High's jazz band and was co-principal cello in the Young People's Symphony Orchestra.
For more information, see www.dylanmattingly.com.
Contact Richard Scheinin at 408-920-5069, read his stories and reviews at www.mercurynews.com/richard-scheinin and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/richardscheinin


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Jose Donoso, president of national wind association Asociacion Empresarial EOlica (AEE), presented the figure before the multi-party parliamentary energy review committee, which, in December, took evidence from electricity sector leaders as a first step towards establishing a long-term energy strategy for 2015 to 2030.
Donoso says the estimate, which would provide around 40% of all Spain's annual electricity consumption by 2030, is based on the assumption of ongoing political support for wind. This would keep average growth at a steady 2.1GW of new installed capacity annually to 2030, on top of the 18GW of existing installed capacity.
Up to 10GW of the cumulative total to 2030 could be installed offshore, pending the outcome of a series of ongoing R&D projects that are seeking to overcome obstacles to that technology posed by Spain's extremely deep coastal waters. But Donoso adds: "Most new investments beyond 2020 will go into repowering and extending existing wind plants using improved technologies and know-how."
Part of AEE's forecast is based on the International Energy Agency's outlook for the next 20 years, during which time it expects energy demand to have shot up 40% against present levels, mainly due to the energy thirst of the booming Indian and Chinese economies.
That will lead to upward pressure on energy prices and geopolitical moves to control energy resources, "making wind power Spain's main indigenous source of energy even more attractive," says Donoso.
"Meeting the target implies a massive effort towards further integrating wind into the electricity system," admits Donoso. "But we've already made huge strides in that field." He points to the extent to which wind power penetration is currently soaring beyond levels conceived as possible less than a decade ago.
"And Spain's got more hydroelectric pump storage planned, together with improved interconnection with France, and the push for electric vehicles is fast gathering pace." For Donoso, these advances will all help balance the ups and downs of wind generation. "The 60GW target is within our grasp," he says. "Our job now is to stay on track by continuing to provide solutions to increased penetration and to keep society on our side."