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With just under a year to go before Sochi hosts the XXIInd Winter Games — or are the they Ist Spring Games? — the summer resort city between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains still is a hyperactive hard-hat zone filled with cranes, scaffolding, trucks, cement mixers, earth movers, jackhammers, and 70,000 laborers as Russia prepares to stage the most expensive Games ever.
The grand scale of the undertaking, which President Vladimir Putin's spokesman likened to the reconstruction of the nation's cities after World War II, is unprecedented in Olympic history. As opposed to rebuilding Stalingrad out of rubble, putting on the Winter Games in the first subtropical setting has meant transforming a down-at-the-heels Soviet summer getaway where Stalin came for sun, sand, and salt water into a winter playground tucked between unstable regions of the country.
The cost — $51 billion and counting, quadruple the original estimate — is staggering. Beijing spent $42 billion on the lavish 2008 Summer Olympics and Vancouver only $6 billion on the Winter Games three years ago.
The Sochi price tag, though, includes not only more than a dozen venues in separate coastal and mountain complexes but also 20,000 new hotel rooms plus new roads, bridges, and tunnels, a renovated airport, expanded and improved railways, and a new light metro as well as modernized energy and sewage-treatment systems and an updated and expanded telecommunications network for the region.
Sochi, marked in red on the eastern short of the Black Sea, is near Russia's border with Georgia.
Sochi, marked in red on the eastern short of the Black Sea, is near Russia's border with Georgia.
"You cannot just take the cost of this tunnel and the train and the road into the cost of the Games," reckoned International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge. "Because this tunnel and the train and the road are not meant for two weeks of competition. They are meant for generations to last."
The government — essentially meaning Putin — envisions Sochi as a magnet for everything from Formula 1 auto racing to a training center for the national soccer team to the G8 summit, which will be held there next year.
"There is no doubt that the Games will put Sochi on the map," predicted organizing chief Dmitry Chernyshenko.
They also would refute what skeptics dismissed as a Putinesque pipe dream six years ago when he went to Guatemala City and sweet-talked a majority of International Olympic Committee members into envisioning ice castles and beach umbrellas in the same five-ringed fantasy.
While Pyeongchang, the South Korean resort that narrowly lost the 2010 bid to Vancouver and will host in 2018, was the clear favorite, Sochi had two things going for it. The country most synonymous with ice and snow and frostbite never had hosted the Winter Games. And Putin, whose strongman side wasn't nearly as obvious then as it would become, personally guaranteed that he would print as many rubles as necessary to get everything from massive five-star hotels to the planet's longest bobsled track up and running.
"Putin being here was very important," IOC member Jean-Claude Killy, the former Olympic skiing champion, said after Sochi had outpolled Pyeongchang, 51-47, on the second ballot. "He worked very hard at it. He was nice. He spoke French — he never speaks French. He spoke English — he never speaks English. The Putin charisma can explain four votes."
It was the Soviet Union, little more than a decade from disintegration, that staged the Moscow Games in 1980 that were diminished by the US-led boycott and deprived of the party atmosphere that the Kremlin bosses hoped would erase their country's gray and repressive image.
Russia may not yet be recognizable as a democracy and its preparations have been marked by several holdovers from the socialist days: soaring costs, cronyism, incompetence, heavy security, and alleged exploitation of labor. After interviewing dozens of migrant workers from former Soviet republics like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia, Human Rights Watch this month charged that they had been forced to work long hours on construction sites with few if any days off and had been cheated out of their wages.
Even so, the construction costs have risen so much that a disgusted Putin recently dismissed Olympic committee vice president Akhmed Bilalov after finding that the ski jumps still were unfinished two years after the target date.
"The main thing is that no one steals anything so there are no unexplained increases in costs," Putin observed wryly.
Half of the cash is coming from public coffers and half from state-run firms run by "kapitalist" tycoons who owe their jobs to the president, who has put his personal imprint on these Olympics like no other head of state.
"This really is his Games," said Chernyshenko, "because he recognized the power of these Games, the greatest-ever catalyst to accelerate positive change."
What the organizers have found, though, is that Mother Nature tends to be whimsical in a region where less than 30 miles separate the sea from the mountains.
Last year's World Cup event for the Alpine skiers had to be truncated amid what the international federation called "an assortment of weather offerings, all with a coastal character." The first day of downhill training was so warm that only a few competitors bothered. The second day was canceled after 8 inches of snow fell. The race itself was held in fog so thick that the last 10 starters didn't get to compete. After an additional 3 inches of snow gave the surface the consistency of sand, the subsequent super combined had to canceled.
This month's World Cup snowboard slopestyle event was scrubbed for lack of snow. Then for Saturday's World Cup freestyle halfpipe, heavy rain in the morning turned to heavy snow in the afternoon. After Vancouver's often-slurpy conditions at a higher latitude, few observers expected better from a site where the average daytime winter temperature is 52 degrees.
"The weather in the mountains is always unpredictable," Rogge said this month. "There can be too much snow or too little snow; we have seen it in the previous Games. But, you know, if there is such a circumstance, then the organizers will react with the Plan B."
One way or another, the organizers are guaranteeing snow for the Games, from the mini-mountains of white stuff they'll be stockpiling beneath insulated coverings or will be making with 400 machines drawing water from two reservoirs near the Rosa Khutor venue.
Until then, they will be obsessed with getting everything finished and functional. While the closeness of the ski slopes to the city presents climatological challenges, it makes for a decidedly more convenient commute than was presented by Vancouver or by Turin in 2006, with media and spectators able to cover the distance by light rail.
"The site is very compact, it's high-quality and is situated in beautiful surroundings," observed Rogge.
The Olympic Village, the 40,000-seat stadium, and all of the ice venues in the circular coastal park, including both hockey arenas (the 12,000-seat Bolshoi Ice Dome and 7,000-seat Shayba Arena), the 12,000-seat Iceberg Skating Palace, the 8,000-seat Adler speedskating oval, and the 3,000-seat Ice Cube curling center, are within walking distance.
In some cases, though, the organizers had to scramble to get venues ready for their dress rehearsal. Just a few days before this weekend's World Cup finale in bobsledding and skeleton, the track was all but unusable.
"There's actual concrete in the outrun," said US sledder Noelle Pikus-Pace. "It just isn't ready for us to slide. The track is a mess."
The track was ready in time, though, and Pikus-Pace and teammate Katie Uhlaender finished 1-2.
The organizers are taking the traditional "skoro budet" ("soon it will be)" attitude. There's still nearly a year to go before the flame has to be lit down by the seashore, and there will be no shortage of rubles available to finish things up. These are Putin's Games, after all.
John Powers can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
Congress established the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 4, 1980, in the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979). Under this law, ED's mission is to:
Strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;
Supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;
Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs;
Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;
Improve the coordination of Federal education programs;
Improve the management of Federal education activities; and
Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.

subset: commoncrawl


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I was asked by a former Nook DT, Tanya if I am interested to apply for the Nook. She mentioned that they are looking for card makers. I was ecstatic to receive such email from her. I felt so encouraged! So I decided to jump in the wagon & check the Nook forum out in January 2011. To be honest, I never really liked to mingle in a forum but Nook really changed my mind. The fellow Nookers are so friendly and beginning to feel at home. Since then, I checked the forum everyday and applied for the DT call. At the same time, a crop was going on. Lo & behold I won one of the card challenge that was organized by the talented Zarah. I was so happy!
Not long after, I was chosen to be Nook's DT in Feb 2011 and it was my first international club kit stint. It was a HUGE deal for me to be in a team with talented scrappers & card makers. The group of DTs was awesome. No drama mamas/divas! We shared our sorrows and joy together. It was a close-knitted group. With all my heart, they are a bunch of very fun, crazy, supportive & caring people. I thank God for them!
I still remember my first kit and it was the March kit: Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe collection. It was stunning! Here are some of my creations with the kit...
This layout was also published in Scrapbook Trends : Families in 2011.
Since then, I had the opportunity to create with a lot of wonderful scrapbook kits each month. I begun to apply for manufacturer DTs too. Lo & behold, in the same year I got to be DTs for 3 manufacturers. If it wasn't because of Nook, I will never have such opportunity.
I have to thank Leah & Pam for this amazing opportunity. Most importantly to give a chance to a scrapbooker like me from a lil country in Asia to be part of this wonderful journey. Yes, I am gonna miss all the Nookers but thank God for the advance technology that we can still keep in touch via FB, Instagram & blog!
Wish ALL of you the best & thank you for all your support and encouragement thus far!
Xoxo Jessy


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Wait begins after huge turnout in Venezuela vote
A huge voter turnout swamped polling sites across Venezuela on Sunday as a united, well-organized opposition candidate gave President Hugo Chavez the race of his life.
Tensions rose in the bitterly divided country while an undetermined number of voting stations remained open after the official 6 p.m. closing time, with not a single result announced nearly three hours later.
Chavez, a socialist who has ruled for nearly 14 years, called on Venezuelans to await results patiently, speaking briefly Sunday night by phone during a news conference held by his campaign chief.
Electoral officials gave no indication of when they might begin releasing first returns. Exit polling is forbidden in Venezuela.
The electoral council's president, Tibisay Lucena, said any stations where voters had not cast ballots would remain open. Meanwhile, bands of red-shirted pro-Chavez motorcyclists, honking horns, roved central Caracas ensuring that such stations stayed open.
While not accusing the government of an intentional delay, challenger Henrique Capriles complained via Twitter that most voting stations lacked lines and that the government should get on with the vote-counting.
Capriles spokesman Armando Briquet demanded that all motorcycle traffic be banned. In the past, gangs of red-shirted motorcyclists chanting pro-Chavez slogans have intimidated people.
Chavez's campaign manager, Jorge Rodriguez, told reporters there were no such plans. "This country has freedom of circulation," he said at a news conference.
Capriles has united the opposition in a contest between two sides that distrust each other so deeply that some expressed concerns whether a close election result would be respected.
If Chavez wins, he gets a free hand to push for an even bigger state role in the economy, further limit dissent and continue to befriend rivals of the United States.
With a Capriles win, an abrupt foreign policy shift can be expected, including halting preferential oil deals with allies such as Cuba, along with a loosening of state economic controls and an increase in private investment. A tense transition would likely follow until the January inauguration because Chavez's political machine thoroughly controls the wheels of government.
"We will recognize the results, whatever they are," Chavez told reporters after casting his vote in Caracas. He said he was pleased by the "massive turnout."
The stakes in the country with the world's largest known oil reserves couldn't be higher.
Just as polls closed, one of several dozen young red-shirted Chavistas on motorcycles said they were ready to begin celebrating.
"Let them accept defeat," one of them, Kleiver Gutierrez, said of the opposition.
One pro-Chavez voter, private bodyguard Carlos Julio Silva, said that whatever his faults, Chavez deserves to win for spreading the nation's oil wealth to the poor with free medical care, public housing and other government largess..
"There is corruption, there's plenty of bureaucracy, but the people have never had a leader who cared about this country," Silva said after voting for Chavez at a school in the Caracas slum of Petare. "That's why the people are going to re-elect Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias."
At many polling places, voters started lining up hours before polls opened at dawn, some snaking blocks in the baking Caribbean sun. Some shaded themselves with umbrellas. Vendors grilled meat and some people drank beer.
Maria Leonis was selling CDs of Chavez's campaign theme music on a sidewalk next to a polling center. "Today I've sold about 100 CDs, just Chavez's song," Leonis said, adding that she supported Chavez because "I want to keep seeing change."
Chavez's critics said the president has inflamed divisions by labeling his opponents "fascists," "Yankees" and "neo-Nazis," while Chavez's loyalists alleged Capriles would halt generous government programs that assist the poor.
"I'm really tired of all this polarization," said Lissette Garcia, a 39-year-old clothes seller and Capriles supporter who voted in the affluent Caracas district of Las Mercedes. "I want to reconnect with all my friends who are `Chavistas.'"
Violence flared sporadically during the campaign, including shootings and rock-throwing during rallies and political caravans. Two Capriles supporters were shot to death in the western state of Barinas last weekend.
Troops guarded thousands of voting centers across the country.
Defense Minister Henry Rangel Silva said as he voted that all had been calm and he hoped that would continue. He said if any groups try to "disturb order, they should know there is an armed force prepared and equipped and trained ... to put down any attempt at disturbances."
He didn't identify the groups to which he was referring.
Chavez's opponents mounted a noisy protest in Caracas and other major cities Saturday night, beating pots and pans from the windows of their homes to show displeasure with the president - and also their hopes for change. Drivers on downtown streets honked horns, joining the din.
The 40-year-old Capriles, a wiry former governor affectionately called "Skinny" by supporters, infused the opposition with new optimism, and opinion polls pointed to him giving Chavez his closest election.
Some recent polls gave Chavez a lead of about 10 percentage points, while others put the two candidates about even.
Chavez spoke little during the campaign about his fight with cancer, which since June 2011 has included surgery to remove tumors from his pelvic region as well as chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He has said his most recent tests showed no sign of illness.
"Chavez is going to fight until his last breath. He doesn't know how to do anything else," said Antonio Padron, a bank employee backing the president. Padron expressed optimism that the 58-year-old Chavez would win but predicted a close finish: "It's a tough fight. The opposition has never been this strong."
Chavez won the last presidential vote in 2006 with 63 percent of the vote.
A former army paratroop commander first elected in 1999, Chavez has presided over an oil boom and has spent billions of dollars on social programs ranging from cash benefits for single mothers to free education.
But he has suffered declining support due to one of the world's highest murder rates, 18 percent inflation, a deteriorating electrical grid and a bloated government accused of endemic corruption and mismanagement.
While his support has slipped at home, Chavez has also seen his international influence ebb since he emerged in the mid-2000s as leader of a like-minded club of newly elected Latin American leftist presidents.
Chavez accumulated near-absolute power over the past decade thanks to his control of the National Assembly, pliant institutions such as the Central Bank and friendly judges.
Capriles said Chavez has stirred up hatred, hobbled the economy by expropriating private businesses and squandered oil wealth. He criticized Chavez's preferential deals supplying oil to allies, including one that lets Cuba pay with the services of Cuban doctors.
At one voting center in western Zulia state, in the municipality of Santa Rita, voters said some people had actually formed two separate lines - one with Chavez supporters and the other with Capriles supporters. Elsa Gutierrez, a housewife and Capriles supporter, said it was wrong to have two lines and feared it could lead to conflicts.
"This situation can't be permitted," Gutierrez said, adding that she voted for Capriles "because I want this division in my country to end."
Political analyst Ricardo Sucre said he expected the election to show "two halves, more or less even." Regardless of the result, he said, Venezuelans are likely to remain deeply divided by politics for years to come.
Associated Press writers Fabiola Sanchez, Christopher Toothaker, Jorge Rueda and Vivian Sequera contributed to this report.
Ian James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianjamesap
Frank Bajak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fbajak


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Five-year results from raltegravir registrational studies
1 August 2012. Related: Conference reports, Antiretrovirals, World AIDS 19 Washington 2012.
Simon Collins, HIV i-Base
Two posters at IAS included five-year results from the phase 3 registrational studies of raltegravir.
A late breaker poster detailed the final five year results of the phase 3 placebo-controlled registrational study comparing raltegravir to efavirenz, that reported non-inferiority at primary and secondary endpoints of 48 and 96 weeks and superiority at week 192, largely driven by high side-effect related discontinuations in the efavirenz arm. [1]
The STARTMRK study randomised 566 treatment-naïve patients to either raltegravir to efavirenz, both plus tenofovir/FTC. Virological efficacy was measured as percentage of patients with viral load <50 copies/mL counting non-completers as failures. After initial non-inferiority, subsequent tests for superiority adjusted for previous analyses, although no formal hypotheses were formulated for week 240.
At five years, raltegravir continued to show superiority with 71% vs 61% suppressed to <50 copies/mL (difference +9.5; 95%CI +1.7 to +17.3), p<0.001). Numerically greater CD4 increases were also reported in the raltegravir arm: +374 vs +312 cells/mm3 (difference +62; 95%CI: 22, 192).
Discontinuations were reported in 25% of patients in the raltegravir (71/281) compared to 35% (98/282) in the efavirenz arm.
Virological failure occurred in 19.6% vs 20.9% of the raltegravir vs efavirenz arms, with non-response higher with efavirenz (3.6% vs 8.5%) but viral rebound higher with raltegravir (16.0% vs 12.4%).
Discontinuations due to clinical adverse events occurred in 5% (n=14) vs 9% (n=28), respectively. Drug-related side effects occurred less frequently with raltegravir: 52% (n=146) vs 80% (n=226), p< 0.001. Time to discontinuation was significantly earlier in the efavirenz group (observed = failure; log rank p-value = 0.023). However, fewer patients in the raltegravir group were using lipid-lowering drugs (9% vs 15%) and fewer patients initiated new lipid treatment (n=13 vs n =34).
Although the raltegravir arm reported significant benefits in fasting lipids (lower TC, LDL, non-LDL, all p<0.001 and TG, p=0.004) the higher increase in HDL with efavrienz meant that there was no significant difference in TC:HDL (-0.22 vs -0.08; difference -0.11; 95%CI -0.36 to +0.14, p=0.375).
Superiority with raltegravir is driven by fewer CNS side effects (dizziness/headache/drowsiness: 18% vs 50% and abnormal dreams/nightmare: 18% vs 31%) though discontinuations due to serious side effects (3.9% vs 3.5%) and numbers of deaths (1.8%, n=5 in each arm) were similar. Fatigue, GI-related side effects and rash also occurred more frequently with efavirenz.
A second poster presented five-year results from the BENCHMRK study that randomised 703 triple-class resistant, treatment experienced patients (2:1) to raltegravir or placebo, both with optimised background regimens. All patients had the option to switch to open-label raltegravir after three years. For the safety analyses different exposure rates were adjusted with results presented as event rates/100 patient years. Virological analyses at five years were also analysed based on responses at week 48. [2]
Patients randomised to raltegravir continued to have better virological response rates throughout five-years and this was not balanced by later access to raltegravir: 42% vs 16% for <50 copies/mL and 45% vs 17% using <400 copies/mL (non-completer=failure).
Exposure-adjusted rates of clinical adverse events were 20 vs 37 per 100 patient years of follow-up in the raltegravir vs placebo arm respectively.
As a note to patient commitment, blinding was maintained for five years in STARTMRK and participants continued on a 6 pills a day, twice-daily combination, despite easier combinations if switched to open-label drugs. Tenofovir/FTC was taken in the morning with food, raltegravir (or matching placebo) was taken every 12 hours without regard to food, and efavirenz (or matching placebo) was taken at night without food.
Perhaps new drugs need longer or larger studies to be sufficiently powered to differentiate differences to similar comparitor arms, especially when a composite efficacy and tolerability endpoint is likely to show differences compared to efavirenz.
- Rockstroh J et al. Long-term safety and efficacy of raltegravir (RAL)-based versus efavirenz (EFV)-based combination therapy in treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected patients: final 5-year double-blind results from STARTMRK. 19th International AIDS Conference. 22-27 July 2012, Washington. Poster abstract LBPE19.
- Eron J et al. Final five-year results of the BENCHMRK studies: sustained antiretroviral effect of raltegravir and exploratory analysis of late outcomes based on early virologic response. 19th International AIDS Conference. 22-27 July 2012, Washington. Poster abstract TUPE025.


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Friday, April 9, 2010
Gap Brings The Heat
19 comments:
I'm definitely looking forward to checking this out at the mall later... Thanks for credit, Lawrence!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 9, 2010 at 5:12 PM
Only problem is it'll hang off me like I'm playing dress up in my dad's closet at age 8.ReplyDelete
Fix your sizing, Gap!
That said: for anyone who isn't of the very narrowly built variety, this shit is awesome.
blackandtannedny- Is the sizing really that enlarged? I havent actually tried on a GAP shirt in a while, but I am not a very big guy. Maybe they got their shit together on this item?ReplyDelete
Keaton - true story. I'm around 6'3" and 170 pounds and I'm still swimming in the size SMALL western shirt I bought from them two weeks ago.ReplyDelete
- Dave J.April 9, 2010 at 5:35 PM
I haven't had any problems with their sizing. I'm 5'9, 155, and bought a S plaid shirt from them earlier this spring, and it fits exactly right.ReplyDelete
I, myself, am 5'11, 160 and have no issues rocking a medium...ReplyDelete
I'm the exact same size as LAS and their medium sized indigo chambrary fits me great. Maybe they're cut for guys our size.ReplyDelete
hrm, their smalls are too small and their mediums are too big on me.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 9, 2010 at 7:09 PM
I'm 5'9 and around 118lbs.ReplyDelete
I can only wear their shirts that are labelled slim-fit, and those only in an XS. They are reasonably roomy, apart from the neck which is round about right.
I'm used to that shit though, and this is a workshirt, it's not supposed to fit overly tight is it?
Look great, but I'm saving for other things.ReplyDelete
also, I'm 6'1", 200 lbs. and a large fitted/trim shirt fits me great.
- The BossApril 9, 2010 at 7:49 PM
The best part about this shirt is that it's epaulet free.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 9, 2010 at 9:04 PM
@The Boss: Amen to epaulet free!ReplyDelete
I have one recent Gap shirt that is their "fitted" silhouette and it's bigger than my shirts from J. Crew or Lands End Canvas. It's definitely not fitted. I'm 5' 10" and 172 with more of an "ab" than "abs".
- AnonymousApril 9, 2010 at 10:21 PM
How would you wear that? With blue jeans? Layered with something? I like it but I am too new to see a vision for how to make it work. Thanks.ReplyDelete
5'9", 118?!ReplyDelete
Fantastic! Thanks for the heads up.ReplyDelete
I'm going to cop one when it hits the sale rack in 2 months! The J.Crew chambray's in Size S are too roomy for a 5'7" 145 lbs guy like me. This one fits much better.ReplyDelete
Anon @10:21- This would look ill with some raw denim and white sneaks.ReplyDelete
Nice to see a better-priced option (vs. $100 @ J. Crew). I like the angled line of the pockets and flaps.ReplyDelete
Question to those of you who like to wear your shirts very close to the body: how do you avoid pulling at the buttons? I frequently have to size up to avoid this, and end up with dangling sleeves.
- AnonymousMay 19, 2010 at 11:10 AM
I have this and can attest that the fit is awful. Boxy for one, and the arm holes themselves seem very tight, yet the sleeves are baggy. Not to mention the material is very uncomfortable for some reason...I'm hoping to have this shirt tailored down a bit to an acceptable fit...but even still...the material feels uncomfortable on the body...Im hoping this will break in a little more with wash/wear...ReplyDelete


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Reich #3
Elijah Brubaker is a cartoonist from Portland, Oregon. He has published his work in various zines and anthologies. He is the author of 'Reich', a long form comic biography of Wilhelm Reich, published by Sparkplug Comics. A collection of his earlier work was collected in the mini comic 'Blue Moon'.


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In the current climate of rampant digital effects, ultra-real prosthetics and virtual 3-D cinematography, audiences are being spoiled. Special effects have become commonplace and of such a high standard that jaws are no longer dropping. This wasn't always so. Special effects have come a long way since the invention of cinema and the path they have walked is fascinating.
Arguably, the first film ever made was called Fred Ott's Sneeze and was made, funnily enough, by Fred Ott and Thomas Edison in 1893 (I actually met Tom Edison back in 1910 when I played Charles Ogle's body double in the creation scene in Frankenstein (1910).
I didn't find out until after I signed the contract that Frankenstein's monster would be 'born-into-fire'. My screams of agony and arm-waving was all but ignored by Mr. Edison, who just said "Keep rolling!" but that's another story for another time).
The first special effect appeared three years later in 1895 with The Execution Of Mary Queen Of Scots (1895) – consisting of the camera being stopped and the actress being replaced by a dummy which was then beheaded – closely followed by The Sausage Machine (1895) – in which dogs and cats are fed in at one end of the machine and come out at the other as linked sausages. This is a far cry from modern special effects, but they're the earliest recorded instances of the camera being used to film anything other than undiluted reality.
Then came Georges Méliès. Méliès was a magician, actor and theatre designer, and in 1896 opened the first film studio in Paris, called Montreuil-sous-Bois. The next year he released his first picture L'Auberge Ensorcelee (1897), in which a man (Méliès himself) is frightened when his clothes disappear, his boots walk unaided and his furniture collapses.
Achieved with trick photography, this film was the beginning of a long string of Méliès special effects extravaganzas culminating La Voyage Dans La Lune aka A Trip To The Moon (1902). A huge turning point in the history of cinema, the narrative followed a group of 'wise men' (the word 'scientist' was still relatively new and unknown) who decide to fly to the moon, as the title suggests. Once there, they encounter Selenites, fairies and various other creatures before falling back to earth. The effects accomplished in the film consisted of trick photography, double-exposure and superimposed images. Not only was this film the real beginning of the use of special effects, but it is also responsible for introducing the traditional narrative structure. Before then, most films were just a few scenes without any real story.
For years, demand was high for the special effects films that Méliès created. While cinema was growing everywhere, Méliès films were much copied, yet no one was doing the kind of films that Melies could. The first animated film, Gertie The Dinosaur (1919), was created by Winsor McCay but it made no real impact other than being the first of it's kind. Méliès became bankrupt in 1913, after refusing to evolve his style to suit new audience needs, yet his innovations remained in practice for decades. Cinema was moving away from the fantasies Melies was famous for, and dramas such as the Italian Quo Vadis? (1912) also marked the birth of the Historical Epic genre.
The first world war came and went and D.W. Griffiths released The Birth Of A Nation (1915). In the history of cinema this is an extremely important film due to its subject matter, length and it's unnerving recreation of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. However, as far as special effects go, the only real innovation it marked was the introduction of colour. The images themselves were not in colour as such, but Griffiths washed entire scenes in different colours to represent mood.
Cinema was coming along in leaps and bounds. The old school special effects were being perfected and used masterfully by many of the greats. As films became more grandiose, directors like Griffiths and Cecil B. De Mille made their mark. More and more money was being spent on film-making as the audience demand became extraordinary. De Mille was given large sums of money to build giant sets in favour of using special effects. Audiences wanted more realistic cinema. Films were now big business and the Hollywood system was firmly in place. However, progress in the field of special effects had hit a plateau.
Speaking of plateaus, The Lost World (1925) introduced the world to the process of stop-motion animation and the remarkable work of artist Willis O'Brien. The Lost World is a direct ancestor of Jurassic Park (1993) and follows the story of Professor Challenger who sets out to prove that dinosaurs actually survived extinction and were living on an inaccessible plateau. It also features the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex/Triceratops fight that has since been referenced in countless films. For those of you too young to remember, stop-motion animation is a process whereby a metal skeleton encased in rubber (in this case a dinosaur) is created and then photographed one frame at a time with small adjustments made to the model between each frame to simulate movement.
1926 saw the introduction of rear screen projection in Buster Keaton's The General (1926). Rear screen projection is mainly used to show the outside world moving fast while the actor sits in a motionless vehicle. This special effect requires a pre-recorded background plate to be projected onto a screen and then filmed again with the actor performing in front of it.
Just as filmmakers were beginning to learn how to manipulate and move the camera, The Jazz Singer (1927) was released, marking the introduction of sound in cinema (also known as 'talkies') and movies became static again in order to satisfy the requirements of sound recording.
While this was a huge event, a far more important film was released that marked a leap forward in special effects. In Germany the very same year, Fritz Lang released Metropolis (1927) which was re-mastered again recently with a new soundtrack by Australian Benjamin Speed. This was a remarkable achievement and created effects such as the metamorphosis transition (from robot to woman) and various new camera tricks. More importantly, it paved the way for almost every science fiction film to follow.
James Whale's adaptation of Frankenstein (1931) is probably the first American film to use the glass matte painting effect. A glass matte involves an artist painting a realistic background onto a sheet of glass, leaving a space blank where the action will take place. When re-photographed it can look flawless, depending on the talents involved. Whale's primitive use of the matte in Frankenstein was later perfected and taken to new levels in Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977).
King Kong (1933) re-introduced the world to the stop-motion work of Willis O'Brien, regarded by many as the greatest pre-digital special effects expert. In the climax of King Kong he used rear screen projection, models on wires and stop-motion animation to create the famous scene of the giant ape swatting at circling biplanes while atop the Empire State Building. The background was rear screen projection footage of real planes and the actual New York skyline. Placed in front of this was the model of the peak of the Empire State Building and the King Kong figure. In the foreground were biplanes on wires. Using stop-motion photography, O'Brien animated the entire shot, flawlessly blending the separate elements, the work involved being far more complex than I have room for here. O'Brien's later films include the rushed Son Of Kong (1933), The Last Days Of Pompeii (1935), Mighty Joe Young (1949), Animal World (1955), The Black Scorpion (1957), The Giant Behemoth (1958) and finally the climax of It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), but King Kong is still regarded as the crowning achievement of his career.
The thirties was a rich period in film history, full of great scripts and wonderful actors to perform them. The films of this era were groundbreaking, not in the type of effects used but more in the way they were used. The established processes were constantly being perfected and refined. The move toward realism had been slowed and the world of monsters was on the downturn. Subject matter had also diversified. While dramas were still very popular, the romance, gangster, western and epic genres were also being explored with effects being adapted to suit. This was a time when most of the physical effects like weather, fire, explosions, breakaway props and candied glass were being introduced. But there is one film innovation that must be mentioned: Technicolor.
As Judy Garland stepped out of the farmhouse in The Wizard Of Oz (1939), audiences were bombarded with Technicolor. Deliberately garish and over-the-top, the colour was used as an effect in its own right. The first portion of the movie was filmed in a sepia tone to represent reality. Once Dorothy fell into Oz, Technicolor was used to show her dream world. Released the same year, Gone With The Wind (1939) used the unique properties of Technicolor to simulate the intense flames of the Atlanta inferno and the incredible beauty of its famous purple sunset.
The period between 1893 and 1939 was an explosive time for cinema. In less than half a century the medium moved from Fred Ott's Sneeze to Gone With The Wind.
Even more remarkable is what was to come, as film audiences demanded more realism in their action and violence, coming to a crescendo in the late sixties and seventies with the graphic gore of Herschell Gordon Lewis and Tom Savini, not to mention the amazing prosthetics of Dick Smith, Rick Baker and Rob Bottin. But that's another story for another time. So please join me next week when I have the opportunity to present you with more unthinkable realities and unbelievable factoids of the darkest days of cinema, exposing the most daring shriek-and-shudder shock sensations to ever be found in the steaming cesspit known as…Horror News! Toodles!


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Product Info | Screenshots | Reviews - From the Press | Customer Reviews | News | Downloads | Links | Opponents
Posted: 7 OCT 2013
When a new week starts, the same does a new Deal!
Posted: 15 JUN 2012
Matrix Games, Slitherine (www.slitherine.com) and 2x2 Games are happy to announce the release of the 1.3 update for the critically-acclaimed World War 2 operational strategy game Unity of Command. The update addresses a small amount of fixes such as the "negative prestige" issue and a crash fix.
Posted: 21 MAY 2012
Matrix Games, Slitherine (www.slitherine.com) and 2x2 Games (www.unityofcommand.net) are excited to announce the release of the 1.2 patch for the wildly-popular and successful wargame Unity of Command, along with the introduction of a demo. The patch includes multiple improvements and fixes for both the PC and the Mac versions of the wargame.
Posted: 15 NOV 2011
This easy-to-play hard-to-master WWII strategy game is now out
Matrix Games, Slitherine (www.slitherine.com), and 2x2 Games are excited to announce the release of Unity of Command, the accessible WWII operational strategy game that will have you rolling across the Russian steppes in minutes! If you haven't already, check out the new trailer showing off some of the features and details for Unity of Command.
Posted: 19 OCT 2011
Plus a kick-off trailer to display this elegant and engaging new game system in all its glory!
Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com), Slitherine (www.slitherine.com), and 2x2 Games are thrilled to announce that they have reached a publishing agreement for the highly anticipated WWII strategy game, Unity of Command. Now gamers can test their mettle against the intense strategic and operational challenges facing the German and Soviet armies during the Second World War.
Release Date: 15 NOV 2011
Language: English
Genre: Operational
Turns: Turn-Based IGOUGO
Complexity: Basic
Period: World War II
2x2 Games
Usenet's Wargame of the Year Awards - Bronze
Release Date: 20 MAY 2009
Commander Europe at War is the first in a series of high level turn based strategy games. The first game spans WW2, allowing players to control the axis or allied forces through the entire war in the European Theatre. Can Germanys rise be stopped or will the jackboots of the SS march through London?


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Demystifying the Modern Rain Shell
By: Goatman
Autumn hiking: the trees blazing from inside out, the air purified by chilled winds, the campfire smelling like it should. Autumn seems a beautiful time to spend your time wandering around the woods. And then the rains come. Unlike a nice, refreshing summer shower, the rains of fall don't play nice. They bite and they seep into your bones and set teeth to clacking around. Getting caught in the wrong storm this time of year can be dangerous. Enter the rain shell, an autumn hiker's best friend. Not to disparage the storms of other seasons, of course.
Much like the shell of our turtle friends from whom we take much advice, a rain shell means protection from harm. Whether it be rain, snow, wind, or cold, modern shells are designed to keep you alive, dry, and moving. There are times when staying in the tent, playing cards, and drinking hot cocoa sounds marvelous. The reality of the situation is that hikers don't often have that sort of luxury. Hikers gonna hike and, more often than not, moving through a storm means moving to safety. So we throw on a rain shell and move, down the ridge, away from the menacing black clouds and the lightning on the balds.
When you hike (or bike or kayak or whatever you're doing out in the wild) you sweat. So what's the use of keeping the rain off if you're just going to swim in your own slop? So, waterproof, yes, but breathability is also a major issue when choosing a rain shell. The purpose of this blog post is to help you find the right shell for the right purpose. This process can be confusing for a few reasons:
1: "Waterproof" does not mean waterproof. Confused? Good. A little confusion is good for the brain. Makes for good learning. A truly waterproof shell would be a terrible choice for the trail. To be truly waterproof, the material would have to be impermeable, meaning that no water can get in, but no water escapes either. That's no good. That's a sweaty plastic sack. So what we're looking for is more accurately called "highly water resistant" but "waterproof" sounds shorter and sweeter so that's what they call it. And there are levels to this, of course. To be called waterproof, a material must meet certain criteria. The measure of waterproofing is called Hydrostatic Head, which is fancy talk for how much water they can stack on top of a material before it starts to leak. 1,000 mm = "waterproof". Will a 1,000 mm rain shell keep me dry if Zeus decides to unleash his fury on poor Goatman for looking crossways at a thunderhead? No. Serious weather rain shells rate more along the lines of 10,000 to 20,000 mm (that impermeable sack we spoke of earlier would be 40,000+). That's about as technical as this article is going to get. I'll throw some links down at the bottom for those who want to delve deeper into the science behind it all. What I'm getting at here is that a tag that says "waterproof" on a jacket can mean a variety of different things. Gore-tex vs eVent vs Pertex Shield+ vs H2NO? Here at RRT, we can tell you the difference in waterproofing between our styles of rain shells. Come in and ask. I dare you.
2: But can we tell you about breathability? If you liked the slightly complicated nature of waterproofing, you're going to love the absurdly complicated nature of breathability! At least in this case, breathable means just that: allowing the passage of air and moisture. You hike, you sweat. Best case scenario, your sweat evaporates and, water vapor being smaller than raindrops, escapes from your rain shell through the tiny holes in the "waterproof" fabric. So there must be some way to test how much water vapor escapes from the material. Of course there is. There are a few ways actually and not one standardized test across the industry. Different companies, different materials, different tests. Do different tests test the same thing? Sort of. They all tell you how much water vapor passes through material. Do any of them simulate wilderness conditions in which you are bouncing off of trees and rubbing bellies with granite and sweating at different rates, in different humidity, on a different mountain, in a different country? No. Nature isn't a controlled laboratory (thank goodness). So we leave the lab and go out in it and let our skin do the testing. And the companies would agree. They all have their labs but they also have their athletes out in the bush, getting it done.
As I mentioned before, we carry a variety of rain shells at RRT. Below, I will break down the differences, similarities, and various uses of each shell. Remember: these are words on the Internet. If you really want to experience the thing itself, come in and talk to one of us, try on a couple of styles, and see what is going to work for what you want to do.
Company: Rab Style: Latok Alpine
Waterproofing: eVent Layers: 3 Weight: 18 oz.
We'll start with the big boy: Rab's Latok Alpine, store favorite for keeping you dry in the worst conditions. Designed, as the name suggests, for protecting you on exposed alpine climbs, the Latok Alpine is serious protection. It boasts the highest breathability and is rugged to boot. Going on a mountain-climbing trek where you're guaranteed to get dumped on for days and want a shell that won't give out on you, no matter how much punishment you put it through? This is it. At 18 oz., this is also the heaviest shell we carry. Perhaps overkill for an afternoon hike with 50% chance of rain.
Waterproofing: Pertex Shield + Layers: 3 Weight: 15 oz.
We go lighter from there with Rab's Xiom. Great jacket to throw in your pack on a long backpacking trip. It's still Rab and still 3 layers, so the durability is there, but at less than a pound the Xiom won't weigh down your pack when the sun comes out. Added pit zips make this a highly waterproof and breathable design. Pertex Shield + is Pertex's highest end fabric for weight and performance.
Waterproofing: eVent Layers: 3 Weight: 19.6 oz.
Think of the Bergen as the Latok Alpine's big brother. It weighs more because it's bigger and more roomy for more fully fleshed out individuals. If you find the athletic cut of modern rain shells restrictive, fear not! The Bergen is here. All of the advantages of breathability and waterproofing of the eVent liner are still apparent in this jacket. For a couple of ounces more, you simply have more room to be comfortable.
Company: Arc'teryx Style: Zeta LT
Waterproofing: Gore-tex Layers: 3 Weight: 11.8 oz.
Arc'teryx doesn't mess around. A three layer shell at less than 12 ounces, cut to fit the body in motion, with heavy duty Gore-tex lining. Arc-teryx construction is unmatched in the business and, despite its low weight, this shell can take a beating. Though not as breathable as eVent or Pertex Shield, this shell is still a contender for lightweight backpacking in any condition you can throw at it. If you've never tried on an Arc'teryx piece, do yourself a favor. These guys know exactly what they're doing and they do it very well.
Company: Outdoor Research Style: Foray
Waterproofing: Gore-tex Layers: 2.5 Weight: 16.3 oz.
OR makes some great gear and the Foray is no exception. Gore-tex is big papa when it comes to waterproofing. They were there first and they still do it like they mean it. Sheds water as well as the Latok Alpine and, while losing a bit of breathability, also loses a few ounces. Any advantages to that? Sure. A bit warmer of a jacket can be a good thing in the cold. This is another shell meant to handle whatever you throw at it. They add two way pit zips to compensate for the loss in fabric breathability.
Company: Outdoor Research Style: Aspire
Waterproofing: Gore-tex Layers: 2.5 Weight: 13.7
The Aspire is the women's specific OR shell that is much like the Foray for men, but fit specifically to a women's curves. Gore-tex knows not gender, so you're still getting a heavy-duty severe weather jacket with the Aspire.
Company: Outdoor Research Style: Helium HD
Waterproofing: Pertex Shield + Layers: 2.5 Weight: 9.1 oz.
We are dropping ounces here. The Helium series from OR, much like the noble gas for which it is named, floats compared to the beefy shells we've been learning about. This is a long-distance backpackers' jacket, truly: extremely breathable, lightweight, and immensely packable. Able to shrug off all but the most extreme rains, this is the sort of jacket you throw on when you're in for the long-haul, need to keep moving rain or shine, but can then forget about on the nice days. While not the jacket I would choose for alpine excursions or deep winter treks.
Company: Outdoor Research Style: Helium II
Waterproofing: Pertex Shield + Layers: 2.5 Weight: 6.4 oz.
I have eaten candy bars that weigh more than the Helium II. A stripped down little brother in the Helium series, this is a minimalists dream. Ultra-light, ultra-breathable, ultra-packable. If you're the type of backpacker that cuts your toothbrush in half, removes your zipper pulls, and doesn't bother cooking food on the trail, here you go. Also a great shell for trail-running, mountain biking, or any other high-intensity outdoor activity where you might run into unwelcome rain.
Company: Patagonia Style: Torrentshell
Waterproofing: H2NO Layers: 2.5 Weight: 12.2 oz.
The stylish choice, Patagonia's Torrentshell is not as waterproof as eVent or Gore-tex and not as breathable as Pertex Shield +, this one lands right in the middle on every scale. Great for everyday wear, in town or on the trail, the Torrentshell will keep you dry as you go about your business. Not an alpinists shell and a bit heavier than our lightweight options, this one is a good all-around jacket with Patagonia backing it up, so you know it is greener than grass (in the environmental sense).
Company: Mountain Hardwear Style: Finder Jacket
Waterproofing: Dry Q Core Layers: 2 Weight: 14.3 oz.
The most affordable jacket in our line up, Mountain Hardwear's Finder Jacket is a great starter shell. Though a bit heavier than our lightweight options, this jacket will breathe better than some of the sturdier Gore-tex options, though will not take quite the soaking. Great jacket for layering or to shrug off quick storm, not as useful in serious weather when staying dry is crucial. For the price, however, the Finder is a good all-around jacket.
Helpful, technical links for your perusal:
Links to the companies mentioned above:
Technology Links:
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RRT's Live Inventory of Outdoor Gear


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Preschool/Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) Teacher
- Employer
- Alexandria City Public Schools
- Location
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Posted
- Jun 07, 2023
- Closes
- Sep 13, 2023
- Ref
- 3076
- Function
- Childcare, School and Teaching, Teacher
- Industry
- Education
- Career Level
- Experienced (Non-Manager)
- Hours
- Full Time
Job Description:
The Pre-school Teacher supervises and teaches pre-school students; ensures compliance with program requirements; assists with parent education programs; and coordinates communications with parents. This job reports to the Principal.
Essential Functions:
Public Health Compliance
Primary Location:
Early Childhood Center
Salary Range:
Teachers and Other Licensed Staff Salary Scale (http://www.acps.k12.va.us/hr/compensation/)
Shift Type:
The Pre-school Teacher supervises and teaches pre-school students; ensures compliance with program requirements; assists with parent education programs; and coordinates communications with parents. This job reports to the Principal.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in job related area.
- Certificates & Licenses: Valid Virginia Department of Education license required with an endorsement in Early Education, PreK-3 or PreK-6, or eligibility to obtain one. Dual certification in Early Childhood Special Education preferred.
- Experience: Job related within specialized field with increasing levels of responsibility desired.
Essential Functions:
- Adapts classroom work to provide students with instructional materials that address individualized learning plans within established lesson plans.
- Administers developmental testing programs, subject specific assessments, etc. to assess student competency levels and/or developing individual learning plans.
- Advises parents and/or legal guardians of student progress to communicate expectations; student's achievements; develop methods for improvement and/or reinforcing classroom goals in the home environment.
- Assesses student progress towards objectives, expectations, and/or goals to provide feedback to students, parents and administration.
- Collaborates with instructional staff, other school personnel, parents and a variety of community resources to improve the overall quality of student outcomes and achieve established classroom objectives in support of the school improvement plan.
- Counsels students on performance improvement, health status, problem solving techniques and a variety of personal issues.
- Demonstrates methods required to perform classroom and/or subject specific assignments to provide an effective program that addresses individual student requirements.
- Directs assistant teachers, student teachers, instructional assistants, volunteers and/or student workers to provide an effective classroom program and address the needs of individual students.
- Instructs students to improve their success in academic, interpersonal and daily living skills through a defined course of study.
- Manages student behavior to provide a safe and optimal learning environment.
- Monitors students in a variety of educational environments (e.g. classroom, playground, field trips, nap times, etc.) to ensure a safe and positive learning environment.
- Participates in a variety of meetings to convey and/or gather information required to perform functions.
- Prepares a variety of written materials (e.g. grades, attendance, anecdotal records, etc.) to document student progress and meet mandated requirements.
- Reports incidents (e.g. fights, suspected child abuse, suspected substance abuse, etc.) to maintain personal safety of students, provide a positive learning environment and adhere to Education Code and school policies.
- Performs other related duties, as assigned, to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.
- Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance.
- Tuberculosis Skin Test.
Public Health Compliance
- Proof of COVID vaccination. Exemptions for religious/medical will be reviewed.
- Must follow safety and health protocols.
Primary Location:
Early Childhood Center
Salary Range:
Teachers and Other Licensed Staff Salary Scale (http://www.acps.k12.va.us/hr/compensation/)
Shift Type:


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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Brooklyn is getting a new bridge — but this one is just for pedestrians.
The nearly 400-foot footbridge, opening later this month, will stretch from Squibb Park near the north end of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to Brooklyn Bridge Park, winding among massive oak trees and in between buildings.
A walk on the city's new $4.9 million bridge will provide sweeping views of the Lower Manhattan skyline — and also a bit of a thrill as the span drops 40 feet from Brooklyn Heights to the waterfront.
"The Squibb Park Bridge is not only a remarkably beautiful amenity but a key connector between Brooklyn Bridge Park and the adjacent communities," Regina Myer, president of Brooklyn Bridge Park, said in a statement.
Designed by Ted Zoli of the HNTB Corporation, Squibb Park Bridge was created with an eye toward the environment and seeks to mimic the look and feel of the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Zoli's bridge will be constructed almost entirely of rot-resistant black locust wood, and its stainless steel cables are a nod to the industrial past of the park below.
"The overall idea was to create a bridge that draws from the language of Brooklyn Bridge Park," Zoli told Popular Mechanics. "I was very taken by the idea of the Robinia fence posts and the wire range fencing [in Brooklyn Bridge Park], and re-imagining these components as part of the footbridge."
The project was funded by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and City Councilman Stephen Levin.
The bridge will be assembled starting Dec. 15 and is expected to open before New Year's Eve.


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Ouchless for fine to normal hair - $14.99 - Comfort Gel - Snagless styling for comfortable detangling - this one was my pick! Of course it's pink which is important but it also has this cool gel handle that is so easy to hold and doesn't go flying out of my hand when I am trying to use a hairdryer and hairbrush at the same time. And since I do have fine hair which does get tangled, this seemed like the perfect choice.
- Lisamarie -


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Tuesday 26 September 2023
Letter by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of France, Switzerland, Uruguay, Philippines & Canada
Prot N. 54/92-19631
As you know, this Congregation published a Notification in 1995 on the writings of Mrs. Vassula Rydén. Afterwards, and at her request, a thorough dialogue followed. At the conclusion of this dialogue, a letter of Mrs. Rydén dated 4 April 2002 was subsequently published in the latest volume of "True Life in God", in which Mrs. Rydén supplies useful clarifications regarding her marital situation, as well as some difficulties which in the aforesaid Notification were suggested towards her writings and her participation in the sacraments (cf. Attachment).
Since the aforementioned writings have enjoyed a certain diffusion in your country, this Congregation has deemed it useful to inform you of the above. Concerning the participation in the ecumenical prayer groups organised by Mrs. Rydén, the Catholic faithful should be called to follow the dispositions of the Diocesan Bishops.
In communicating to you the above, I use the occasion to assure you of my lasting and profound esteem.
Yours Emminence's/Excellency's
Most Devout
Joseph Card. Ratzinger
Copy of the original letter:
Articles of the same Topic :
2. Video-interview of Vassula who explains the dialogue process with the C.D.F. after the publication of the Notification
4. Commentary on the Notification
5. CDF: content of the dialogue with Vassula


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- Publishers
- Drawn&Quarterly
- series: Hicksville
Comic book series : Hicksville
One of the best graphic novels of the past decade, back in print.
�Dylan Horrocks is clever, funny, and very, very good at making comic books. His characters grab you and haunt you and even make you worry for them. Buy this guy�s comics. He knows what he�s doing.� �Frank Miller (Dark Knight Returns)
�[Hicksville] is at once a celebration of the richness of the comics artform� - Detroit Metro Times
�A languid, Borgesian tale of love and theft that treats comics -- and an unabashed love of the medium's folksy energy and rhythms -- with poetic weight. [Hicksville] is a classic.��Austin American Statesman
One of the first contemporary graphic novels is now back in print with a new cover and introduction. Considered to be a classic by many, Hicksville was named a �Book of the Year� by The Comics Journal and received nominations for two Ignatz Awards, a Harvey Award and two Alph�Art Awards (Best Album and the Critics� Prize).
World-famous cartoonist Dick Burger has earned millions and become the most powerful man in the comics industry. However, behind his rapid rise to success, there lies a dark and terrible secret, as biographer Leonard Batts discovers when he visits Burger�s hometown of Hicksville in remote New Zealand. Hicksville is where the locals treasure comics and the library stocks Action Comics #1.


text: Home / Valve Repair Parts / GVH Series Valves / GVH Style Plug Pressure Relief Device (PRD) CG1; Copper Disc; 7250 PSI Zoom Note: Image may not exactly match SKU and is only for representation. GVH Style Plug Pressure Relief Device (PRD) CG1; Copper Disc; 7250 PSI Be the first to review this product SKU: P625-19C9H-65 Spare Parts & Accessories - GVH PARTS with 7250 PSI Pressure Relief Device Request for Quote Brand See other products by Sherwood Valve LLC WARNING: This product contains one or more chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling. Email to a Friend Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare Product Description Additional Information Product's Review Product Description Details GVH Style Plug Pressure Relief Device (PRD); CG1; Copper Disc Additional Information Additional Information Call for price Yes Product's Review Write Your Own Review Only registered users can write reviews. Please, log in or register CMS tab


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Superlift Suspension Systems Lift Kits now available in Superlift Shocks OR Bilstein Shocks OR Fox® Shocks:
This is the Superlift 4" suspension lift kit is for the 2011-2016 Ford F-250 | F-350 Super Duty 4WD – Diesel Engine
OEM CAD models and the latest 3D software were used to precision engineer a suspension system that includes a set of massive, high-clearance tubular radius arms designed to bolt right into the factory mounts. These heavy-duty radius arms use the giant press fit OEM Cleveite® bushing to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). They feature a "True Flat" jack plate surface, include alignment cam bolts and are offset to the inside allowing maximum turning radius and tire clearance.
Track bar relocation bracket, front sway bar correction, bump stop extension brackets, brake hose relocation brackets, rear lift and all the necessary hardware is included to make certain this package is complete with everything you need to the job right. Shock options: Superlift Shocks or Bilstein Shocks or Fox® Shocks
- Replacement Front coil springs improve ride quality while rear blocks maintain load capacity
- High Clearance Replacement Radius Arms with Cleveite® OE Style rubber bushings
- Track bar relocation bracket prevents stud bind and steering wheel kick
- Front and Rear Shock options: Superlift Shocks OR Bilstein® 5100 Series Shocks OR Fox® Performance Series 2.0 IFP Shocks
- Backed by our limited lifetime warranty
- Retains OEM caster and camber alignment specifications
- Maintains ride quality and handling characteristics
- Designed using Original Equipment (OE) CAD data for accuracy.
- If equipped with a 2-piece rear drive shaft, a carrier bearing spacer is required. Part # 9649
- If equipped with factory top mount overload leaf springs, longer u-bolts are required. Part # 11724 will need to be purchased in addition to the lift kit. If truck equipped with 3.71 inch block and top mount overloads, part# 11734 is required.


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You are hereHome ›
Calendar of Events
Events for September 2, 2020
Sep 30
Join this workshop to learn everything you need to know to hit the road.
Sep 29
Join for a presentation covering all you need to know for biking in SF and the Bay Area. This is the perfect class for people interested in biking but intimidated by urban traffic, and anyone already riding to hone their skills.
Sep 26
Electrify your ride! Attend and receive priority placement for buying or leasing from preferred pricing campaign.
Sep 26 to Oct 5
National Drive Electric Week, Sep 26–Oct 4, 2020, is a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more. Are you considering going electric? Come talk to owners who have successfully done so!
Sep 25
The Urban Forestry Council is scheduled to meet on September 25, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. at the City Hall, Room 400, 1 Dr. Cartlton B. Goodlett Pl., San Francisco, CA 94102.
Sep 24
Learn how to grow your dream garden and manage pests in it, big and small, without chemicals!
Sep 22
The Commission on the Environment is scheduled to meet on September 22, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. in City Hall, Room 416, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Sep 18
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations are invited to respond to the San Francisco Green Business Program request for proposals. The Department expects to award up to three grants totaling $80,000 to nonprofit organizations that will support the City's long-term climate and resiliency goals. Attend the Pre-Application Conference to learn more and ask questions.
Sep 14
The Commission on the Environment Policy Committee is scheduled to meet on September 14, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. in City Hall, Room 421, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Sep 9
The Municipal Green Building Task Force is scheduled to meet on September 9, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. at 30 Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, BOA Conference Room, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Sep 9
From MUNI rides to Netflix binges, SFPUC powers your life in San Francisco, but where does the electricity come from? Learn how renewable energy works and where SFPUC sources the energy that electrifies your day
Sep 9
During this webinar, you will learn about the history of Recology, the innovative programs it has put in place with the city of San Francisco, how Recology is improving the sorting process for recycling while maintaining a focus on reducing and reusing.
Sep 5
Join the North County Climate Change Alliance for a limited access pre-release screening and panelist Q&A of the acclaimed new documentary "Public Trust".
Sep 3 to Sep 15
The Rose Foundation Film Fest brings you stories celebrating the power of grassroots activism and community resilience. Watch films the explore the themes of community, equity, and the environment.
Sep 3
The Landmark Tree Committee is scheduled to meet on September 3, 2020 at 4:15 p.m. via Webex.
Sep 3
Join Bay Nature for a talk about the important role that community science played in changing the range map for river otters in California.
Sep 2
Take a tour of the multi-billion-dollar Sewer System Improvement Program, a citywide investment in the future of our critical sewer system infrastructure that protects public health the environment 24/7/365.
Sep 1
The Urban Forestry Council Planning and Funding Committee is scheduled to meet on September 1, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at the Planning Department Offices, Room 400, 1650 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.
Sep 1 to Sep 30
Bike to Work Day is now Bike to Wherever Day! Throughout the month of September, and especially on September 24, join people across San Francisco in riding your bike to get to wherever you need to go – or just for fun!


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First Friday: Citywide Gallery Event
August 5, 2016 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every month that begins at 6:00pm on day 5 of the month, repeating until March 7, 2020


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Madness Explicitly Depicted in Black Swan
- Christian Hamaker Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 2010 3 Dec
DVD Release Date: March 29, 2011
Theatrical Release Date: December 3, 2010
Rating: R (for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use)
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 107 min.
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Actors: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder
Director Darren Aronofsky likes darkness. His films Pi, Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler all deal with dark, troubling themes. Although the characters in his films sometimes pursue hopeful outcomes—for instance, Mickey Rourke's character in The Wrestler desires reconciliation with his daughter—they usually meet bad ends.
Black Swan's Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is no different. She's the latest Aronofsky victim, a ballet dancer who lands the lead in Swan Lake. But the moment Nina wins the role, her problems start to overwhelm her. Her twisted mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), is living vicariously through her daughter, having given up her own dreams of being a dancer so she could give birth to Nina years earlier (Nina's dad is absent in Black Swan). When Nina tries to live her own life, Erica transforms into a demented stage mother, reminding Nina of the sacrifices she made and celebrating Nina's plum role by threatening to trash a commemorative cake.
The ballet company should be Nina's refuge, but her instructor, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), is pushing her to lose herself in the dual part. He knows she can perform the White Swan to perfection, but he wants to see another side of her—less controlled, less "perfect" and much more passionate—as the Black Swan. So he grabs her, kisses and fondles her, telling her she needs to seduce audiences the way he has seduced her. Later, he tells her to "live a little" by learning to "touch" herself.
Nina takes Thomas' advice to heart. She wants to make the most of her starring role and rise to fame, avoiding the pitfalls into which the company's former top star, Beth (Winona Ryder), has fallen. She also befriends one of the company's ambitious dancers, Lily (Mila Kunis), who may have ulterior motives in getting closer to Nina. Lily gets Nina away from Erica by taking her out for a night of drinking, drugs and flirting, and, in what may be the movie's most notorious scene, the two women end up having sex.
Aronofsky amps up the already heightened emotional mood of Black Swan as it approaches its finale—the premiere performance of the ballet starring Nina. The line between dreams and reality, already blurred, leaves audiences guessing as to what will become of Nina right up until the film's closing moments.
Black Swan's over-the-top tone and performances don't allow for fence-sitting; either you go with the film as it is or you don't. While the film is effective in showing one woman's descent into madness, it's also far too explicit in showing Nina's state of mind. It takes the best elements of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1948 adaptation on Hans Christian Anderson's The Red Shoes—the cost of giving one's all to something you love, and the role a driven mentor can play in that process, for good or ill—and adds graphic details allowed by today's "R"-rated films. For all the talk of the power of Portman's performance here (she's generating serious Oscar buzz as Best Actress), it's the rather shocking scenes of sexual ecstasy and awakening that are bound to be talked about.
These moments of Black Swan are excessive, yet during the course of the movie, Portman achieves the transformation called for by her role. Her porcelain-doll looks are a fine match for the delicate Nina and makes her conversion into the Black Swan late in the film a moment of immense cinematic power. Kunis, known mainly for her work on the sitcom That '70s Show, surprises as the ambitious Lily, while Hershey's Erica joins the pantheon of crazed, controlling cinema moms. She—and Vincent Cassel's obsessive, demanding Thomas—more than match the crazy, overheated tone of Black Swan.
The story of Black Swan isn't anything new: we've seen its backstage story, with deposed former stars, hungry rivals and pushy authority figures before. It gives Portman a chance to stretch as an actress, but the real showman, for better or worse, is director Aronofsky. His handheld camera footage and taste for extreme situations dominate the film, which is anything but subtle—or tasteful. It's certainly memorable, but in a mostly disturbing way.
Language/Profanity: "Jesus Christ"; "my God"; several "f" words; "whore" written on a mirror; "a-s"; crude terms for male and female sex organs; "d-mn"; "holy s-it."
Alcohol/Drugs: Drinking and smoking; drugs mixed in alcohol.
Sex/Nudity: Dancers are shown backstage in their bras; a man suddenly and forcibly kisses a woman and she bites his lip; a dancer removes her panties; Thomas tells Nina to go home and "touch yourself"; masturbation scenes; Nina's instructor grabs her crotch and feels her breasts; Nina takes a bath, but only her stomach is shown; man on a subway makes lascivious gestures; lesbian love scene with several seconds of oral sex depicted.
Violence/Crime: A dancer trashes her dressing room, and another dancer steals things from the dressing room; vomiting; limbs snap and fingernails/toenails are cracked and bleeding; skin is peeled back; a scratch appears on Nina's shoulder; fingernail clippers cut Nina; leg wounds shown on a hospital patient; drops of blood; a woman stabs herself in the face; door slammed on a hand; a character is thrown against a mirror; a woman is stabbed with a piece of broken glass.
Questions? Comments? Contact the writer at email@example.com.


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WASHINGTON — Key coronavirus updates for Sunday, March 22:
- New York City's mayor says hospitals are running short on equipment.
- The Canadian Olympic Committee says it won't send a team to the Olympics unless the games are postponed by a year. Australia is telling its athletes to expect the Games to happen in 2021.
- The IOC will consider postponing the Tokyo Olympics during four weeks of talks.
- Kentucky Republican Rand Paul is first U.S. senator to test positive for COVID-19.
- The DOD announced that a Washington, D.C.-area contractor has died after testing positive for COVID-19.
- Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the latest U.S. cities to issue a stay-at-home order.
- Sunday is Mother's Day in Britain, and the government has a stark message for millions of citizens: A visit to your mother could be life-threatening.
- Russia is preparing to send medical personnel and supplies to Italy.
- Japan has issued a travel warning for its nationals, urging not to make unessential trips to the United States.
- Iran's supreme leader is refusing U.S. assistance to fight the new coronavirus.
- Colombia reported its first death from the new coronavirus.
- Hawaii's governor has instituted a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine starting Thursday of all people traveling to the state.
- North Korea says President Trump has sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seeking to maintain good relations.
The new coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 307,100 people and killed more than 13,000. The COVID-19 illness causes mild or moderate symptoms in most people, but severe symptoms are more likely in the elderly or those with existing health problems. More than 92,300 people have recovered so far, mostly in China.
Australia tells athletes to prepare for 2021 Olympics
The Australian Olympic Committee is telling its athletes to prepare for the Tokyo Games to be postponed until the summer of 2021. While it did not threaten an outright boycott, the AOC said it could not field a team given the current global circumstances.
The news came hours after Canada became the first country to formally declare it would not send a team to the Games unless they are postponed. The Olympics begin July 24.
The International Olympic Committee said Sunday it would look at the possibility of postponing the Games to later this year or next year, with a decision expected within the next four weeks. But it said canceling the Olympics is not an option.
Mayor says New York hospitals need equipment
New York City hospitals are just 10 days from running out of "really basic supplies," Mayor Bill de Blasio said late Sunday.
"If we don't get the equipment, we're literally going to lose lives," de Blasio told CNN.
De Blasio has called upon the federal government to boost the city's quickly dwindling supply of protective equipment. The city also faces a potentially deadly dearth of ventilators to treat those infected by the coronavirus.
Health care workers also warned of the worsening shortages, saying they were being asked to reuse and ration disposable masks and gloves.
New York City hospitals scrambled Sunday to accommodate a new swell of patients, dedicating new COVID-19 wings in their facilities. "A number of hospitals have reported that they are becoming overwhelmed," said Jonah Allon, a spokeswoman for Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
Canada won't send team to Tokyo Olympics unless games postponed
The Canadian Olympic Committee says it will not send a team to Tokyo Olympics this summer unless the games are postponed by one year.
The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees said in a statement Sunday that they're refusing to send athletes to Japan if the games set to start in late July aren't suspended.
That makes them the first country to threaten such a move in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. The committees' statement saying they're was willing to help the IOC search for alternatives, but that it would not be safe for athletes to compete in Tokyo in July. The move came on the heels of an IOC announcement that it would take up to four weeks to consider its options. That includes postponing the games, but the committee doesn't know what the new date would be.
Japan prime minister: Delay an option if Olympics can't be held fully
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says a postponement of the Tokyo Olympics would be unavoidable if the games cannot be held in a complete way because of the coronavirus pandemic. Abe was commenting on the International Olympic Committee's plan to examine the situation over the next few weeks and make a decision, which could include an postponement option.
Abe, speaking at a parliamentary session, ruled out a possibility of a cancellation.
Senate doesn't advance COVID-19 rescue package
The Senate has refused to advance the coronavirus rescue package in a procedural vote with Democrats, rejecting a draft from Republicans and pushing for more aid for workers. Negotiations are expected to continue into the evening Sunday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged senators to "signal to the public that we're ready to get this job done." He wants passage by Monday. But Democrats have resisted, arguing the nearly $1.4 trillion measure needs to bolster aid and put limits on how businesses can use the emergency dollars.
More voting is possible.
Trump activates emergency resources for Washington, California, New York
President Donald Trump says he's ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ship mobile hospital centers to the hard-hit states of Washington, California and New York amid the coronavirus pandemic. For New York, that would mean another 1,000 hospital beds.
Trump is also revealing for the first time the number of respirators and other personal protective equipment sent to the hard-hit states by the federal government. It comes as state and local leaders have appealed on the federal government to provide far more, and as Trump has held off on using his full authorities under the Defense Production Act to marshal the private sector's capabilities.
Burkina Faso ambassador most senior US diplomat known to test positive
The U.S. Ambassador to the west African nation of Burkina Faso has become the most senior American diplomat known to have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Ambassador Andrew Young announced his status on his Twitter account on Sunday, saying he had "received a positive test for COVID-19," which was later confirmed by the State Department in Washington. Young said the embassy had taken steps to quarantine "affected community members."
Officials and diplomats in Burkina Faso has been hard hit by the virus with several government ministers testing positive, including the minister of mining, the minister of interior and education. The Italian ambassador has also contracted the virus. Several other U.S. diplomats and State Department employees have also tested positive for the virus. Numerous others in other locations have gone into self-isolation after being exposed to people who have tested positive.
Utah Senators Romney, Lee self-quarantining over colleague Paul's positive test
U.S. Sens. from Utah Mike Lee and Mitt Romney are both now self-quarantining as a result of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's coronavirus diagnosis.
Romney tweeted a statement from his office Sunday saying he had sat next to Paul recently, and now the doctor has told him not to vote on the Senate floor. Romney has no symptoms but will bet tested.
Lee tweeted that he also will not travel or vote. He says he doesn't have symptoms, but will not be tested for coronavirus.
Utah reported its first death related to COVID-19 on Sunday -- a man over the age of 60 who had underlying health problems.
Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo tests positive
Plácido Domingo announced Sunday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The 79-year-old opera singer's illness comes after his own glittering career had recently been stained by sexual misconduct revelations.
The Spaniard said in a post on his personal Facebook account that "I feel it is my moral duty to announce to you that I have tested positive."
IOC holding 4 weeks of talks on if to postpone Tokyo Olympics
The International Olympic Committee will look at postponing the Tokyo Olympics during four weeks of talks amid mounting criticism by athletes and sports officials during the coronavirus pandemic. Consultation with Japanese public authorities and global sports officials will deal with "scenario planning" for the July 24-Aug. 9 games, the International Olympic Committee said. The change in strategy followed IOC president Thomas Bach leading a conference call with executive board members.
Senator Rand Paul tests positive for COVID-19
In a tweet, Sen. Paul's office announced that he is "feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events." Sen. Rand Paul's office says he is not aware of being in contact with anyone who tested positive for the virus. He is expected to be back in the Senate after the quarantine period is over.
Sen. Paul's Senate staff began working remotely ten days ago and say "virtually no staff has had contact with Senator Rand Paul."
As NBC reports, Paul is the first senator known to have tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Department of Defense contractor dies after testing positive for COVID-19
The DOD announced Sunday that a contractor based in Crystal City, Virginia and working with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency passed away Saturday March 21. According to the DOD, "the individual had tested positive for COVID-19 and had been under medical treatment at a local hospital."
Nashville issues stay-home order
Nashville Mayor John Cooper has issued a stay-at-home order as cities across the U.S. work to battle the coronavirus pandemic and contain the spread. Sunday Mayor Cooper tweeted, "I've announced a 14-day Safer at Home Order. I'm asking you to please stay in your home, except to go out for essential needs."
As NBC reports, around 80 milliion Americans have been asked to stay out of public spaces and mind social distancing guidelines. This new order by the Mayor of Nashville will add to the growing list of American cities, including Washington, D.C., being asked to abide by stronger social distancing guidelines.
As Tennessee has experienced more confirmed cases of the virus, cities like Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga have limited restaurants to take-out orders, drive-thru service, curbside pickup, and delivery service. Most have ordered gyms to close.
UPS reassures public about its operations
In a statement to customers Sunday, the United Parcel Service said, "we'd like to reassure you that UPS operations" and UPS store locations "have been designated by the Governors' offices in all 50 states as critical infrastructure." With this, UPS says it will continue to deliver and retrieve your packages "even in restricted areas."
Amazon says it will double overtime at its warehouses
According to a statement obtained and reported by CNBC, Amazon said, "All hourly associates working in the U.S. Ops network will receive double their regular hourly rate for every overtime hour worked in a workweek." Demand for package delivery continues to grow as local governments continue with stay-at-home orders. In the statement obtained by CNBC, Amazon said, "this temporary increased overtime pay is effective March 15, 2020, and will continue through May 9, 2020."
AT&T to wave some fees for customers across the United States
AT&T has announced that it will not be charging overage fees on "wireless voice and data" for its customers "nationwide." AT&T said in a statement, "these fees will be retroactively waived, dating back to March 13th and customers do not need to take any action in order to receive this support."
Spain records 3,600 coronavirus cases overnight
Health authorities in Spain say confirmed coronavirus infections have risen by over 3,600 in one day.
The jump in cases from Saturday to Sunday is down from nearly 5,000 the day before.
Spain is Europe's hardest-hit country behind Italy and has 28,572 infections and 1,720 deaths.
Spain is completing its first week of lockdown measures to keep people at home. Non-essential stores have been closed.
UK: No visits to Mom on Mother's Day
Sunday is Mother's Day in Britain, and the government has a stark message for millions of citizens: A visit to your mother could be life-threatening.
In a message to the nation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson implored Britons to forego family visits and Sunday lunches. He said "we cannot disguise or sugar coat the threat" that "if your mother is elderly or vulnerable, then I am afraid all the statistics show that she is much more likely to die from coronavirus."
On Friday, Johnson said that he hoped to see his 77-year-old mother on Mother's Day. His office later said that he would speak to her on Skype.
The U.K. government is scrambling to toughen its response to the coronavirus outbreak amid criticism it did not act quickly enough to close schools, pubs and restaurants.
Britain has 5,018 confirmed cases of the virus, including 233 deaths. The government says Britain will be facing a crisis on the scale of Italy's in two weeks if people do not heed instructions to stay home and avoid contact with others.
Russia sending medical aid to Italy
Nine hulking Il-76 cargo planes are being loaded at the Chkalovsky military airport in Moscow as Russia prepares to send medical personnel and supplies to Italy to help the country's efforts against the coronavirus.
The mission is to begin Sunday, one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the aid in a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country has confirmed more than 53,000 coronavirus cases and over 4,800 deaths.
The mission will include eight mobile medical teams along with medical equipment and aerosol disinfection trucks.
Apple and other companies asked to help in virus battle
Apple is one of multiple companies asked to help in the fight to contain the coronavirus in the U.S.
CEO Tim Cook of Apple tweeted Saturday that the company has "been working to help source supplies for healthcare providers fighting COVID-19."
Japan urges against nonessential travel to US
Japan has issued a travel warning for its nationals, urging not to make unessential trips to the United States because of the rapidly expanding coronavirus outbreak in that country, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Japan has taken similar steps to most European countries and banned trips to China, South Korea as well as Iceland, San Marino and parts of Italy, Switzerland and Spain.
As of Saturday, the U.S. had 15,219 confirmed cases and 201 deaths, the ministry said, citing the U.S. Center for Disease Control.
The foreign ministry also said the decision came after the U.S. raised travel caution to Japan and four countries to level three, urging Americans not to make nonessential trips to Japan and requiring a 14-day self-imposed quarantine for Japanese nationals entering the U.S.
Iran leader refuses US help, citing virus conspiracy theory
Iran's supreme leader is refusing U.S. assistance to fight the new coronavirus, citing an unfounded conspiracy theory that the virus could be man-made by America. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the comments in a speech in Tehran broadcast live Sunday across Iran marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
He had called off his usual speech at Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad over the virus outbreak. He relied on the conspiracy theory to refuse assistance.
Iran says new coronavirus has killed another 129 people, raising death toll to 1,685 amid 21,638 confirmed cases.
Singapore to close borders after first 2 deaths
Singapore says it will fully shut its borders starting Tuesday after recording its first two deaths.
The city-state has banned visitors from several countries and requires all short-term visitors to observe a 14-day home quarantine. But the government says all short-term visitors beginning Tuesday will be barred from entering or transiting through the country.
It said in a statement Sunday that this will reduce the risk of imported cases and free up resources to focus on its citizens. It said Singapore citizens, permanent residents and foreigners with a long-term work pass can return but must undergo a 14-day self-quarantine.
The city-state of nearly 6 million people has recorded 432 cases so far. On Saturday, it reported that a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and an Indonesian visitor, 64, have succumbed to the virus.
Colombia reports its first coronavirus death
Colombia is reporting its first death from the new coronavirus.
Officials said Saturday that he was a 58-year-old taxi driver who had driven tourists from Italy, which is one the countries worst hit by the virus.
Colombia's Ministry of Health says the man had previous health issues, including untreated diabetes.
President Iván Duque has prohibited all non-resident foreigners from entering the country and has decreed a mandatory quarantine starting Tuesday.
Colombia has confirmed 210 cases of the coronavirus.
Sri Lanka police detain 291
violators of curfew
Sri Lanka police say they have detained 291 people for breaching a three-day curfew which has been imposed as part of strict measures designed to contain the spreading of the coronavirus in the Indian Ocean island nation.
Police said Sunday the detentions were made by police during patrols to ensure that people stay in their homes. The curfew was imposed on Friday and will end on Tuesday.
Some of them were arrested for boozing at a playground while some were loitering on streets during the curfew.
The government is urging people to stay at homes as the number of positive cases have risen to 77.
Hawaii to quarantine all arrivals to the state for 14 days
Hawaii's governor has instituted a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine starting Thursday of all people traveling to the state as part of efforts to fight the spread of coronavirus.
The order applies to returning residents as well as visitors. It applies to all arrivals at Hawaii airports from the continental U.S. and international destinations and extends to other private and commercial aircraft.
"With the majority of Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 cases linked to travel, it is critical that we further mitigate the spread of the virus by both residents and visitors who are coming from out-of-state," Gov. David Ige said in a statement. "This plan was developed in collaboration with our county mayors and Hawaiʻi's business, community and visitor industry leaders."
Returning residents must quarantine themselves at home, the governor's office said. Visitors must quarantine themselves in their hotel room or rented lodging.
People under quarantine may only leave their homes for medical emergencies or to seek medical care, the governor's office said. They cannot visit public spaces such as pools, fitness centers or restaurants.
N Korea says Trump's letter offers anti-virus cooperation
North Korea says President Donald Trump has sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seeking to maintain good relations and offering cooperation in fighting the viral pandemic.
Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, praised Trump for sending the letter at a time when "big difficulties and challenges lie ahead" in the way of developing ties. But she said it's not a good idea to "make hasty conclusion or be optimistic about" the prospect for better ties.
The latest correspondence comes as Kim observed the firing of tactical guided weapons over the weekend, drawing criticism from South Korea, as the nuclear talks remain deadlocked.