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Welcome to the Tiger Tennis Camp located on the campus of Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. Our camp is for boys and girls ages 4-17 years for all levels of play: the White Camp for beginner to intermediate players, the Orange Camp for intermediate to advanced players, the Orange Crush Camp for the tournament player and the Top Tiger Camp for the college bound scholarship player (ages 13-17). The Purple Camp for Tiger Cubs (Ages 4-8) will not be offered this year but will resume in 2019. Whether you are just learning the game or a top nationally ranked junior, Tiger Tennis Camp at Clemson University is for you. If you are looking for an exciting, fun filled, challenging camp, we hope you will choose Tiger Tennis Camp. Our professional and experienced staff will help you create lifetime memories while you learn the great sport of tennis. Please take a few minutes to review our camp information and we look forward to seeing you at camp.
- All levels of competition
- A comprehensive insight to the rules and strategy of the game
- An experience that you wont find at any other camp from a championship coach

subset: commoncrawl


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Plies Gets Hit With A Cup During A Concert! (Says He Going To Air The Spot Out) "I Swear To God Bruh Bruh.. Ima Shoot Up This Bxtch Right Now"
s/o to Bry
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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An enveloping solo theme in the genre of cinematic music played with an FM electric piano to provide a mystifying background for diverse multimedia projects, corporate video presentations, TV shows, and film suggestive of doubt, angst, existential concern and insecurity. 2 versions of the track (105 BPM0 are included: full-length (0:28) and seamless looping (0:18).
For more choice in the same music genre or application, please, see these public collections:
- Intros & Logos: Electric Piano Solos
- All music packs by Garsų menė
- All public collections by Garsų menė


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Missoula Representative Unresponsive to Student Emails Regarding Missoula College [AUDIO] [DOCUMENT]
ASUM President Zach Moore issued a news release Monday afternoon stating that Missoula Representative David "Doc" Moore is not responding to numerous emails from students and others requesting that he drop his proposed amendment to the JOBS bill that would strip funding for the Missoula College.
Below, find Brown's news release.
March 25, 2013
Representative Moore Silent as Students
Ask to Halt His JOBS Bill Amendments
Missoula, MT – State Rep. David "Doc" Moore of Missoula has remained silent as students and parents flood the Missoula legislator with emails asking him to reconsider his proposal to remove Missoula College from the JOBS bill.
The Jobs and Opportunity by Building Schools (JOBS) bill is the title for House Bill 14, a bonding bill that provides funding for a variety of education related construction projects around the state.
Although the Montana Board of Regents has identified the construction of a new Missoula College building as its top priority, Moore indicates he will offer an amendment during the House floor debate this week that will remove all funding for the Missoula College project.
When rumors of the proposed amendment emerged at the end of February, Associated Students of The University of Montana (ASUM) in conjunction with the Missoula College Honors Society, Phi Theta Kappa, began an email campaign asking Moore to reconsider his stance. Moore received a barrage of emails from students and parents but in just a few days the emails began bouncing back, apparently blocked.
"Missoula students and parents were very eager to let Rep. Moore know that his proposed amendment completely neglected and opposed their interests," ASUM Student Political Action Director Aaron Curtis said in response to the high number of emails.
"We're not exactly sure whether Representative Moore blocked our emails outright or if the high volume overloaded his inbox in some way," Curtis said. "All we know is that dozens of Missoula College students had their emails bounce back."
In an effort to ensure student opinions were still considered by Moore, ASUM student lobbyist Asa Hohman presented him with printed copies of all the emails following the student rally at the Capitol in March.
Even with significant push-back from University students and parents, Moore has remained silent and has stated he still will introduce his amendment during the House debate as planned.
"We respect Rep. Moore as an elected official, but he needs to be held accountable for his attempts to strip funding from a project that would stand to benefit thousands of Missoula residents seeking job skills through vocational training," ASUM President Zach Brown said. "Our city's economy can't afford to become less competitive than it already is, and failing to update the Missoula College facility during this Legislative session will move this community's economy backwards."
KGVO News interviewed Brown on Monday. That audio is below.
ASUM President Zach Brown


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May 14, 2006
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara softball team will make its second-ever postseason appearance after receiving a bid into the Evanston Regional of this year's NCAA Tournament, it was announced Sunday. The Gauchos (24-20 overall) will travel to Evanston, Ill., to face the University of Notre Dame (38-19) in the first round Friday, May 19.
UCSB, one of only three teams in the 2006 field with fewer than 30 wins, and Notre Dame will be joined by fourth-seeded Northwestern (42-12) and Southern Illinois (34-11) in Evanston.
Game times have not yet been announced.
The Gauchos enter the postseason with an overall record of 24-20 and finished Big West Conference play with an 8-10 mark. UCSB's non-conference schedule featured a number of nationally-ranked opponents, including top-seeded UCLA, seventh-seeded Oregon State and tenth-seeded Cal. The Gauchos also defeated then fifth-ranked Stanford, a 12 seed in this year's tournament, 2-0 on March 4. Winners of five of its last seven games, the Santa Barbara posted conference victories over NCAA Tournament participants Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State.
In all, three Big West schools were selected to take part in this year's tourney. Representing the conference alongside UCSB will be Long Beach State and Big West Champion Cal State Fullerton.
Santa Barbara is led by fifth year head coach Kristy Schroeder. Schroeder earned Big West Coach of the Years honors her first season at UCSB in 2002 and has guided the Gauchos to four-straight seasons over the .500 mark for the first time in a program history.
Under Schroeder, UCSB was selected to its first NCAA Tournament in 2004 after finishing 32-31 overall and 14-7 in the Big West. The Gauchos lost to Northwestern and Temple in NCAA Region I in Tucson, Arizona.


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Histology is one way scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Research (FWRI) learn how fish function. This article describes the work done by the FWRI histology and finfish biology departments including techniques, methods and illustrative examples.
Histology is the science of producing stained sections of preserved tissue on glass slides that can be examined under a microscope. Parasites, bacteria, and fungi, as well as pathological processes and abnormalities can be detected in these preserved tissues. The techniques used in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's (FWRI) histology laboratory are similar to those used in hospitals where medical doctors and pathologists examine tissue. Histology is an important research tool for numerous research projects at FWRI, including Fish Biology, Aquatic Health, Endangered and Threatened Species, and Shellfish Biology. The FWRI Histology Lab has processed tissue samples from dozens of plant and animal species (see list, PDF file, 16KB). Our tissue slides are used to better understand fisheries reproductive dynamics, the overall health of marine species that are important to Florida, and for the evaluation of pathologies and parasites. The FWRI histology lab applied new techniques in the 1980s using plastic to embed fish tissue rather than the traditionally used paraffin. One major advantage of using plastic instead of paraffin is that the tissue can be cut thinner. Thinner tissue has greater clarity, lower distortion, and higher information content, thus enhancing our diagnostic capabilities. A disadvantage of embedding tissue in plastic is that it takes more time and costs more than embedding tissue in paraffin. These added costs are more than offset by higher quality results.
Figure 1: A crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) with muscle removed and stained muscle sections on slides as a final product
At FWRI, small pieces of animal or plant tissue (less than 1 cm²) are first preserved in a fixative (preservative) solution (typically formalin). The tissue is embedded in a glycolmethacrylate resin (a type of hard plastic) and the plastic block with the tissue is then cut on a microtome. The microtome knife is made of glass, which cuts tissue at a thickness of 4 microns (less than 1/1000 of an inch). The thin tissue sections are mounted on a microscope slide and dyed with a variety of stains designed to highlight specific cell types or cell products such as glycogen or proteins.
Fixation/handling of samples for FWRI microscopic analysis
Proper handling and preparation of tissue specimens from the time of collection in the field to the time of staining in the histology lab is a critical step in obtaining good histological slides. Without proper preservation (fixation) the cells of living things undergo a process of autolysis, or autolyze ( see definition), beginning at the moment of death. This post-mortem degeneration can be confused with atresia, which is the living organism's process of resorbing cells. From the time specimens are received from the field, the following steps are followed by the FWRI histology lab to improve the chances for good results:
Specimen preparation:
1. Obtain needed materials/solutions before proceeding.
2. Prepare samples as follows:
IF LARGE (e.g., ripe fish gonads 6-10+ cm. in length and 4+ cm. in diameter or whole bivalves):
- harden in appropriate fixative (see #4) on ice for 1-2 hrs before slicing (see #3); - submit a section no larger than 3 cm. in any dimension.
IF AVERAGE (e.g., 1-3 cm. diameter x 3-5 cm. length)
- submit entire gonad (preferably both lobes joined intact), or - select a portion of the gonad and slice it (see #3) no smaller than 1 x 1 x 1 cm.
IF SMALL (e.g., "stringy," thread-like, or less than 1 cm. in longest dimension)
- submit entire gonad intact.
3. To slice a sample prior to fixation, use a sharp, single-edge razor blade and a smooth slashing motion. Do not use a scalpel (will not cut straight) or a back-&-forth sawing action (tears up tissue).
Tissue fixation: (Fix on ice or in the refrigerator, as lower temperatures retard autolysis during penetration of the fixative.)
4. Fix the samples immediately in one of the following:
- Standard FWRI fixative is 5% PFMA (Paraformaldehyde) in 0.1M Phosphate Buffer, pH 7.4 - 10% formalin (prepared from 37% Formaldehyde) in 0.1M Phosphate Buffer, pH 7.4 - 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin purchased commercially - Other fixative as agreed upon
If immediate fixation is not possible, pack the samples thoroughly and completely ON ICE to retard autolysis. Make certain that the tissues are NOT in direct contact with the ice!
Ratio of fixative to tissue: 10:1 v/v (volume of fixative to tissue volume) is a MUST MINIMUM... 20:1 v/v is OPTIMUM.
Use a sample jar large enough to accommodate the volume of fixative required for the size of the sample!
5. Duration of fixation:
- large samples (ripe gonads or bivalves) = 3-5 days; - average gonad samples = 24-48 hours; - biopsies = 4-6 hrs.
6. After fixation, rinse each sample with four 15 minute tap water changes. For large samples, the rinsing time should be extended to four 30 minute tap water changes. Place the samples on a rotator if possible or gently swirl the samples in the rinse water periodically. The purpose of the water rinses is to remove excess fixative and buffer salts from the tissue. The buffer salts (and sea water) are generally incompatible with subsequent ethanol treatments, and insoluble crystals or precipitates may form within the tissue, preventing or hindering histological sectioning of paraffin or glycol methacrylate blocks.
7. Replace the final tap water rinse with 70% Ethanol (EtOH). The FWRI Histology Lab uses recycled 70% ethanol which has been tinted pink to distinguish it from other solutions (such as formalin and to prevent the re-use of recycled 70% EtOH) for economic savings. If recycled EtOH is not available, use 70% Ethanol prepared by diluting 95% Ethanol with distilled water.
The Stains
When we stain our clothes, we usually rush to do whatever is needed to remove the stain. With tissue samples the histology lab does just the opposite. Histologists do everything possible to ensure stains infiltrate every nook and cranny of a sample. Why do we stain the tissue samples? Because different stains and combinations of stains have been proven to color structures within individual cells, or microstructures, in predictable ways (Table 1). For example, the stain known as hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) colors the nuclei of cells a deep violet-blue whereas cytoplasm will be stained varying shades of pink and orange. This is because hematoxylin binds to acidic components of the tissue and eosin binds to the basic components of a tissue. This is helpful to scientists who need to identify particular tissue types or developmental stages. The stains most commonly used at FWRI are named below. Select a stain to view a PDF explaining its use and effects in greater detail.
Table 1 - Different stains color cellular microstructures in different ways. Select a stain to view a PDF file explaining its use and effects.
Stain name
Cellular structure
H & E (Hematoxylin- Eosin)
PAS/MY (Periodic acid - Schiff's reagent - Metalin yellow)
Nucleus (non-ovarian)
Deep blue-violet
Deep blue-violet
Deep blue with distinct chromatin
Nucleolus (non-ovarian)
Orange-pink to red-violet depending on cell type
Blue-grey to yellow-grey
Chromatin (non-ovarian)
Deep blue
Cytoplasm (non-ovarian)
Varying shades of pink and orange
Shades of yellow or yellow-tan
Light blue
Pale pink
Deep pink
Bright yellow
Nuclei of primary oocytes
Deep blue-violet
Pale yellow-grey
Chromatin of primary oocytes
Pale yellow-grey
Cytoplasm of pre-vitellogenic oocytes
Varying shades of pink and orange
Deep blue-violet
Erythrocytes (red blood cells)
Red-purple to violet
Cartilage matrix
Red-purple to violet
Mast cell granules
Deep violet
Stain name
Cellular structure
H & E (Hematoxylin- Eosin)
PAS/MY (Periodic acid - Schiff's reagent - Metalin yellow)
Deep blue-violet
Cytoplasm of pre-vitellogenic oocytes
Varying shades of pink and orange
Histology applied
One important way histology is commonly used in fisheries is the study of fish reproductive tissue. Although macroscopic evaluation of gonads can provide important information, the ability to examine reproductive tissue at the microscopic, or cellular, level gives biologists a powerful tool to understand the details of fish reproduction. Histology of ovarian tissue is commonly used to better understand: (1) size/age at maturity; (2) daily and seasonal pattern of spawning; (3) spawning location; and, (4) fecundity (see definition). Histological analysis is often used to determine whether the pattern of oogenesis, or egg growth is asynchronous (see definition) or synchronous (see definition). Determining this is critical because it will indicate both the spawning pattern of a fish (i.e., total spawners or batch spawners (see definitions) and what types of methods are necessary to estimate annual fecundity. With batch spawning fishes there is an additional need to determine whether they have determinate fecundity (see definition) or indeterminate fecundity (see definition). For batch spawners with indeterminate fecundity it is necessary to determine both batch fecundity (number of eggs spawned at any one time) and spawning frequency (or how many times any one fish will spawn in a season). As the use of histology to evaluate reproductive condition in fishes has grown, so too have the number of histological classification schemes and the terminology used with them. Although there are several terms which are frequently used, the same term can often mean different things to different scientists. In addition, developmental stages are often referred to by number, but these numbers signify different classes depending on the classification scheme being used. In an effort to allow better communication and comparison of different species' reproductive strategies, a group of scientists from the United States and Europe have been working together to develop a conceptual model of the reproductive cycle which can be applied to all fish species. This conceptual model was presented as a poster at the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) and American Fisheries Society (AFS) 2007 national conventions. The working group is currently developing a manuscript. Because of the interest at these meetings, we are posting here both the abstract (PDF file, 1 KB) from the poster and the handout (PDF file, 1 KB) that was available outlining the phases in the model and their criteria.
Histological analysis of many fish over time paired with other fisheries information such as time and place of capture, age, and size of the fish allows fishery managers to have a measure of the reproductive health of a stock and to develop management strategies to protect spawning populations.
Table 2 - Histological techniques allow side-by-side comparison of cellular micro-structures of fish from different species at the same stage of development. Select a thumbnail for a larger view of the photo (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Histological criteria
Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)
Mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis)
Yellowtail snapper (Ocyuris chrysurus)
Primary growth - Immature
Primary growth - Mature
Cortical alveoli
Final oocyte maturation
See Figure 4
Figure 4 - The ovulatory stage in a spotted seatrout. Because this stage is so short in duration, it is rarely observed and photographed histologically. We are pursuing photographs of this stage for the other species. ( return to table)
Table 2 - Histological techniques allow side-by-side comparison of cellular micro-structures of fish from different species at the same stage of development. Select a thumbnail for a larger view of the photo (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Histological criteria
Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)
Mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis)
Yellowtail snapper (Ocyuris chrysurus)
Primary growth - Immature
Primary growth - Mature
Cortical alveoli
Final oocyte maturation
See Figure 4
Figure 4 - The ovulatory stage in a spotted seatrout. Because this stage is so short in duration, it is rarely observed and photographed histologically. We are pursuing photographs of this stage for the other species. ( return to table)
Autolysis - Autolysis means the destruction of a cell after its death by the action of its own enzymes, which break down its structural molecules. With tissue samples intended for histological study, this process must be delayed with the use of icing, freezing and/or chemical preservation. Fecundity - The total reproductive output of an organism or population. In fish, this is expressed as total number of eggs in a spawning season. Fecundity, determinate - The number of eggs is fixed because all eggs are produced prior to the spawning season. Total egg production can be estimated by counting the number of developed oocytes in an ovary prior to the spawning season. This is demonstrated when oocyte size is plotted on a graph and a distinct gap is seen between the most developed and least developed oocytes. Fecundity, indeterminate - The number of eggs is not fixed prior to the spawning season because eggs continue to be produced to replace those that have been spawned throughout the spawning season. Oocyte - A female germ cell in the process of development. It is the precursor of an egg. Oogenesis - The formation, development, and maturation of an ovum. The formation, development and maturation of oocytes. Oogenesis, asynchronous - Oocytes are continually developed. Oogenesis, synchronous - All oocytes in an ovary are developed on the same schedule. Batch spawner - A fish species that releases eggs multiple times throughout the spawning season. Total spawner - A fish species that releases eggs only one time per spawning season.
FWC Facts:Larger, older striped bass can produce more than a million eggs at one time.
Learn More at AskFWC
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From "absolution" to "zeal," Quotable Wesley is a treasury of quotations taken from Wesley's letters, sermons, tracts, and journal entries on a variety of wide-ranging topics. Here is an essential resource for teachers, Christian leaders, pastors, and laypeople fascinated by the insights of this remarkable founder of the Methodist movement.
Useful for sermon preparation, teaching, and individual reflection, this book is designed to supplement the library of anyone interested in Wesley and his work.


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Foreign Policy / Global Security
- 1 Military Activity
- 2 US Foreign Aid and its Impacts
- 3 Trade Issues that Could Result in Loss of American Jobs
- 4 Possible Nuclear Threats
- 5 Regional Instability that Could Possibly Cause Wars
- 6 Alliances and Organizations at Risk (NATO/UN)
- 7 Changing Roles of the State Department and National Security Council (NSC)
- 8 Global Health
Military Activity
The Trump Administration has increased the number of ground troops in action, given the CIA permission to conduct drone strikes, increased military airstrikes, and is seeking a $54B increase in military spending. While planning to cut health, climate change, foreign aid, and domestic programs, Trump will use taxpayer money to further build up U.S. tools of war.
Following an increase in troops to Syria to help retake Raqqa from the Islamic State, the U.S. is likely to send up to 1,000 additional ground troops to the country.[1] During the Obama administration, Obama and his Joint Chiefs avoided putting ground troops into action against ISIS/ISIL if other less dangerous options were available. The most common role for U.S. troops was limited to isolated raids or providing training and support for "proxy forces"—armies within countries that were better able to take on fights themselves, with US air support.[2] Furthermore, The Trump Administration has conducted 40 airstrikes in Yemen over a 5 day timeframe, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 civilians.[3] This is more airstrikes than the Obama administration conducted in any single year of civil war in Yemen.[4] Trump has also authorized the CIA to carry out drone strikes, rather than following the Obama policy of leaving that authority to the Pentagon.[5] CIA drone strikes allow the U.S. government to kill people secretly, and will limit the ability of Congress and the public to document and monitor civilian casualties and strike targets.
Impacts of increased or aggressive military spending/activity include:
- Greater risk to American troops deployed overseas, and a likelihood of increased casualties;
- A reduction of support for other federal services including environmental protection, education, health and housing;
- Increased civilian casualties abroad as the result of more aggressive military tactics;
- Wastes U.S. money by further growing a military budget that far outweighs that of any other nation in the world.
US Foreign Aid and its Impacts
In the budget proposed by Trump, the discretionary spending in the area of State & other development programs takes the second largest overall hit, from the 2017 baseline of 38 billion, down to 27.1 billion in the proposed budget. This is a 29% reduction, which largely targets the United Nations (U.N.). Any climate change initiatives at the U.N. lose all US funding, as well as the proposed budget stating that the US would contribute no more than 25% of the cost of U.N. peacekeeping attempts. The proposed budget makes no deductions or increases to Israel's 3.1 billion dollars of annual military aid. One reason that the United States has had such a positive reputation throughout the world is through its commitment to human rights, democracy, and the health and well-being of our allies. One of the ways that the U.S. supports these fundamental values throughout the world is by providing (or strategically withholding) foreign aid. Foreign aid may be used to support peace and democracy by providing military funding, help developing countries and trade partners advance economically, build education or health infrastructure, serve humanitarian causes, or fight against hunger and disease. Decreasing this aid may lead our allies to form bonds with less humanitarian nations (such as China or Russia), and further destabilize the governments in the Middle East that are fighting against the Islamic State/ISIS/ISIL. The cuts in Foreign Aid also come alongside a decreased presence of the US in the United Nations and NATO, which could harm the perception of the Unites States on an international level.
Some primary examples of U.S. foreign aid include:[6][7]
- Military aid to Israel and Egypt to secure and defend our allies in Africa and the Middle East;
- USAID to developing nations in Africa to promote democracy, reduce HIV/AIDS and malaria, increase food security, and build industry and infrastructure;
- USAID to many nations to support health, education, and freedom and equality for women and girls;
- Military aid to Afghanistan and Iraq to help build democracy and prevent the rise of ISIS/ISIL forces from taking power.
Trade Issues that Could Result in Loss of American Jobs
The Trump Administration has talked about changing the way that the U.S. does business with other countries, and has suggested renogiating trade deals and putting high tariffs (or a "border tax") on goods produced in other countries. In the world economy, the U.S. benefits from exporting its products to other countries, and also from importing cheap products into the U.S. This practice allows the U.S. economy to profit when other countries buy our goods, and also lets consumers see savings when goods are produced cheaply in other countries.
The difference between how much we spend for another country's goods and how much that country spends for our goods is known as the trade balance. Trump has taken an aggressive stand towards countries where we have an uneven trade balance, such as Mexico and China, and has suggested adding tariffs to tip that balance in our direction. A tariff, or a "border tax", is a tax that is paid on goods from another country. Putting tariffs on goods makes them more expensive to U.S. consumers. This added cost reduces the incentive for companies to use cheap labor overseas. Under pressure, companies may decide to produce goods in the U.S. instead, creating more manufacturing jobs. Since U.S. labor costs more than cheaper international labor, this new system may (also) make products more expensive. Whether low-cost goods are produced overseas or within the U.S., high tariffs make products more expensive to consumers. Placing large tariffs on other countries could also result in trade wars, where countries respond to U.S. tariffs by putting their own tariffs on U.S. goods, increasing the cost of U.S. products in their own country and making them harder to afford. This can result in a net loss of U.S. jobs, recession, and a slowing of the economy.
Trump has been highly critical of trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and has argued that the signing of NAFTA in 1994 resulted in a large loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs to Mexico. These agreements set up the framework for free-er and multilateral trade between the countries signing the agreement. These agreements also create strong long-term economic bonds between the countries involved. Trump has withdrawn from TPP and is looking to renegotiate NAFTA. While withdrawing from trade deals may bring back U.S. manufacturing jobs, it could also raise the price of goods, hurt trade relationships with strong trade partners, and push economic allies to more stable relationships with other economies.
- Since the US currently imports many goods from Mexico, any major disruptions to trade policy could significantly raise prices on consumer goods.[8][9]
- Damaged trade relations with Mexico could hurt the Mexican economy and lead to rises in crime, drug cartels and drug trafficking.[10]
- Trump's plan of implementing tariffs on Chinese goods could create a trade war and seriously hurt US corporations and consumers.[11][12]
- U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) may push crucial allies such as Japan, Vietnam and South Korea into long-term economic ties with China instead of the United States.[13]
- Trump's focus on bringing back U.S. manufacturing jobs could be short-circuited by coming automation in industrial work, and could deflect resources from more sustainable practices like education and retraining.[14]
Updates on trade issues
Possible Nuclear Threats
Some reports have suggested that Trump has an unusual interest in the nuclear capabilities of the United States: he reportedly asked about weapon readiness during the transition period, has spoken about revitalizing and even growing U.S. nuclear capabilities, and spoke to Russian President Putin about reversing non-proliferation treaties. Despite Trump's interest in U.S. nuclear capabilities, and an expressed concern about nuclear war, the President has been reckless in his handling of nuclear proliferation throughout the world.
Although nuclear weapons have only been used twice in the history of the world, their destructive power at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was devastating. During the Cold War between the U.S. and Russia following WWII, scientists were able to develop even more powerful nuclear weapons, some of which have the power to destroy huge populations and pollute land and water for years to come. Trump's lack of interest in disarmament could have big consequences in a global environment where more anti-American countries have nuclear capabilities than ever before. Of the 9 countries that have nuclear capabilities, three have alliances or interests that could easily conflict with those of the United States: China, Russia, North Korea. (Pakistan also has nuclear capabilities, but is currently considered to be a U.S. ally.)
The US began deploying a missile defense system in South Korea in response to North Korean missile launches. This defense system, known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, is capable of disarming enemy missiles while in the air, essentially "shooting a bullet with another bullet." The THAAD system also has powerful radar capabilities that could detect missiles launched in the entire region. The system would not be effective against a rapid-fire missile attack, or missiles deployed underwater via submarines. The deployment of this system was originally promised to South Korea by the Obama administration, but the Trump admin moved up the deployment from July to March in response to North Korean missile tests.[15]
Regional Instability that Could Possibly Cause Wars
The Trump Administration has weakened the State Department, fired career diplomats with expertise on foreign governments, and repeatedly insulted foreign leaders. These behaviors would be problematic in peaceful times, but some regions of the world are showing instabilities that could lead to war. The Trump Administration's aggressive and inconsistent attitudes toward unstable nations could lead to war, causing military casualties, high costs to taxpayers, and global conflict.
North Korea
- Since Trump took office, North Korea has carried out a series of missile tests and has made aggressive gestures towards Japan and South Korea. While these weapons tests and aggressions were also standard during the Obama administration, weapons capabilities in these tests have suggested that North Korea is getting closer to being a nuclear power, which would threaten U.S. allies.
- Following post-missile test tensions, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley quickly suggested that the U.S. would not open diplomatic talks with the North Korean government.
- In addition to tensions with the U.S., North Korea has also had a diplomatic crisis with Malaysia, further adding instability in the region.
- Trump has stated that he thinks North Korea is the biggest threat facing the U.S. and has already deployed anti-missile defense shields in South Korea.
Implications: War with North Korea could be devastating to crucial U.S. allies in the Asia/Pacific region, and could even escalate to a nuclear conflict.
- China has been building and claiming small islands in the South and East China seas, many in international waters or territories of other countries such as Japan. Defense Secretary Mattis, Secretary of State Tillerson and Trump have already repeatedly pledged to protect these territories, upsetting China's diplomats and state press.
- Trump began his presidency by questioning the One China policy, a move that angered the Chinese goverment. One China is a policy that has been traditionally respected by the U.S. government. This policy suggests that China and Taiwan are part of "One China," in spite of the fact that Taiwan has its own democratically elected government. The U.S. has had trade relations with Taiwan for years, but has deferred to China's preference for the One China policy, until Trump quickly destroyed it by taking a diplomatic call from the Prime Minister of Taiwan after his inauguration.
Implications: War between the United States and China would be a massive and well-funded war, would draw our allies into hardship, and would have significant long-term impacts on the future of U.S. GDP.
- Trump and Tillerson's rhetoric on Chinese development in the South China Sea could lead to armed conflict between the US and China.[16][17]
- In a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested that he had no clear preference for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, a view that falls to the right of even Netanyahu's government in Israel. This marks a significant change in U.S. policy.
- Trump's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has suggested moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, which would inflame tensions with Palestine and the Muslim world and limit the possibility of a two-state solution, which Friedman has said will not happen under a Trump administration.[18]
- Friedman's hard line on Israeli aggressions in the West Bank—he believes that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, prohibited by treaty, are legal—breaks with US precedent, and could lead to a rise in aggression in the region.[19][20]
Implications: Conflict between Israel and Palestine, or even Domestic unrest within Israel, would harm the United States' most prominent ally in the Middle East and would set back the prospect of a peace agreement in the middle east. A war between Israel and Palestine could also renew and heighten religious tensions in the region.
Updates on regional instabilities that could possibly cause wars:
- 3/8/2017: The U.S. and South Korea declined Chinese suggestions to diffuse tensions with North Korea via talks. In response, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said "We have to see some sort of positive action by North Korea before we can take them seriously." Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi stated, "The two sides are like two accelerating trains coming toward each other, and neither side is willing to give way. The question is: Are both sides really prepared for a head-on collision?"[21]
- 3/7/2017: In the wake of Kim Jong Nam's alleged assassination in Malaysia, North Korea and Malaysia have both announced that nationals of the opposing countries will not be allowed to cross borders and return to their countries of origin. This follows the recent ejection of top North Korean diplomats from Malaysia and Malaysian diplomats from North Korea. This recent lockdown is in opposition to the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[22]
Alliances and Organizations at Risk (NATO/UN)
Members of the Trump Administration, including President Trump, have threatened to diminish the U.S. role in NATO and the U.N., or withdraw from these alliances completely. The global power of the United States is not just a result of its strong economy or the strength of its military. The ability of the U.S. to promote humanitarianism worldwide is also a result of its military and peacekeeping alliances, and the country has far less global influence acting alone than when acting with the backing of its many allies throughout the world. Our alliances are important not only because of their military or aid-based actions, but also because of the perception of their strength and unbreakability. The Trump Administration's negative talk towards global alliances has already weakened the perception of these organizations, and has already empowered enemies of the alliances. The Trump Administration has taken more transactional approach to these organizations, describing them as a waste of money with no clear financial benefit, and has argued against having to reach a consensus with our allies when making deals with other countries. In 2015, U.N. contributions represented .0007% of the U.S. budget, and NATO common expense contributions represented .0001% of the U.S. budget.[23]
United Nations (U.N.)
The United Nations (U.N.) is the largest and most effective peacekeeping organization in the world. Its missions include protecting human rights, providing humanitarian aid, upholding international law, promoting sustainable development, and maintaining peace and security.[24] The UN has 193 member states, but 5 of those hold outsized power on the organization: China, France, UK, Russian Federation and the United States. Of these 5, the U.S. is general seen as the most powerful player (and the U.N. is even located in New York), though Russia and China often invoke veto powers when trying to stop major initiatives led by the U.S. and its close allies. The U.N.'s Security Council is a highly effective body for diplomatically solving crises that could lead to war. The U.N.'s humanitarian outreach programs include UNICEF, the World Food Program, and the U.N. refugee agency. The U.N. also plays a role in enforcing key treaties, and calling attention to (or even prosecuting) human rights violations. The U.N. is funded through dues and voluntary contributions, and in 2015 the U.S. made the maximum possible contribution, 22% of the total U.N. regular budget. The next largest contributor in 2015 was Japan, at approximately 10%, followed by Germany (~7%) and France (~6%). The Trump Administration has threatened to severely cut U.S. funding of the U.N. general fund as well as voluntary aid projects, and has signaled negativity towards the bureaucracy and multilateralism of the organization.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (or NATO), a 28-member military alliance built after WWII, is the most powerful military alliance in the world. This organization plays a strong role in tying together the U.S., Canada and Europe. For the first phase of its existence, NATO focused on fighting against Cold War Russian aggression. After 9/11, NATO invoked its "mutual defense" clause for the first time, and U.S. allies immediately came to the aid of the U.S. in the fight against terrorist organizations in Afghanistan. NATO alliance troops continue to be the backbone of the fight against ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Contributions to NATO are mostly made through each nations commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. The Trump Administration has threatened to withdraw from NATO if other countries do not quickly meet their defense spending commitments.
Changing Roles of the State Department and National Security Council (NSC)
The Trump Administration has reorganized foreign policy responsibilities in ways that give more power to the President and his inner circle and less power to experienced diplomats. The Trump presidency has broken with all modern precedents by not taking advantage of the huge amount of foreign policy experience in the State Department. The State Department is one of the oldest departments within the Executive branch of government, and has been responsible for carrying out the President's foreign policy around the world. Much of this department is made up of career employees, who spend years making relationships within their assigned countries, and building up knowledge about how the U.S. can best achieve its goals in those regions.
Trump has mostly chosen to work without the advice of the State Department and has proposed cutting the State Department budget by 29%. Trump has failed to fill the vast majority of appointed positions open in the State Department and has signaled that he may not fill many of these positions at all. Long-term State Department employees have reported little to no contact with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Tillerson himself has been excluded from important meetings with leaders of other countries. Meanwhile, many of Trump's meetings with foreign leaders have been attended mostly by his personal staff, including son-in-law Jared Kushner, daughter Ivanka Trump and ex-Breitbart CEO Steven Bannon. Ivanka Trump, Kushner, and Bannon have no government or foreign policy experience prior to January 20th, 2017. Since much diplomacy is based on tradition and consistency, the inexperience of Trump's foreign policy team could lead to uncertainty and instability in our long-term global relationships.
The National Security Council (NSC) is the President's closest group of advisors on issues of national security, which includes both military security and trade policy. The National Security Council is led by the National Security Advisor, which is one of the most sensitive roles within the government. Trump has already experienced one scandal in the NSC when his National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was forced to resign after lying about speaking to Russian agents during the presidential campaign. Flynn later revealed that he had also been working as a foreign agent for the Turkish Government while receiving security briefings. Trump created another NSC scandal by inadvertently appointing Chief Strategiet and ex-Breitbart CEO/radio host/movie producer Steven Bannon to the NSC. Bannon is known for being a white supremacist and conspiracy theorist who wants to ""destroy the state"--a goal which is directly at odds with the goals of the National Security Council. Under President Trump, the National Security Council has already been infiltrated by at least one foreign agent and is regularly attended by advisors who have publicly discussed working against the government's interests.
Global Health
By proposing cuts to foreign aid and failing to quickly appoint many essential government positions, the Trump administration is in danger of making the U.S. and its allies more vulnerable to global health threats. The US plays a major role in global health funding and the U.S. government's support is essential in the fight against diseases such as Malaria and HIV.[25] U.S. aid accounts for 75% of all spending on disease research[26] and the U.S. is the largest annual donor[27] to global health efforts. The U.S. provides these donations through bilateral initiatives (donations made directly from the U.S. to another country), multilateral arrangements (treaties and agreements between multiple countries), and through organizations such as the U.N.. These investments have achieved impressive results worldwide[28][29] They have helped the US build diplomatic and economic partnerships, reduce instability, promote development, and strengthen trade, and are among the best examples of U.S. moral leadership.
The proposed budget put forward by the Administration could impact global health. The budget calls for a 5.8 billion budget cut(about 1/5 of the current contribution) to the National Institutes of Health, who mostly do research, including on the impact of climate change on health.[30]Theproposed budget maintains current commitments to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria (albeit without mentioning numbers), stating the fight against HIV as a priority. However, projected cuts to the State Department, USAID and the United Nations (possibly including the World Health Organization), key players in global health, would affect the fight against HIV and diseases in general as well. [31] The budget also calls for an elimination of the Fogarty International Center, which builds partnerships between U.S and foreign health research institutions.[ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-presidential-budget-2018-proposal/?utm_term=.8fbbfc4d41e9]
The Trump Administration has also suggested changes in the policy and politics of foreign aid. The reinstated "global gag rule" bars funding to all organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals worldwide, even if they do so with their own funds. This could make it harder for health workers around the world to continue to work effectively in women's health. For example, in the fight against HIV, women and girls are among the most impacted populations, and this rule could restrict access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.[32] [33][34] By reinstating the "global gag rule" the Trump administration has demonstrated that its wars against women's health and reproductive rights go beyond a domestic agenda.


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Italian Pea Soup
This hearty tomato based split pea soup is chock full of plenty of vegetables and beans. Pasta and Parmesan add a great finishing touch.
1 1⁄2 cups USA Split Peas, yellow or green
1⁄2 cup dry navy beans
3 cups tomato juice
1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
1⁄2 cup celery, sliced
1 cup zucchini, cubed
2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 cup turnip, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 oz. radiatore, or other dry pasta
8 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
- Soak beans in 3 1⁄2 cups water overnight. Add 8 1⁄2 cups more water. Add peas, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 min. until peas and beans are tender.
- Add remaining ingredients except pasta and cheese. Cook until vegetables are tender, add pasta and cook an additional 8-10 min.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.


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"Hell no, we won't go!"
60s anti-war slogan
It's nice to have a birthday in the summer – guaranteed good weather (almost). My early parties were well attended (everybody home from vacation) and outdoors. But I know why seniors tend to disregard birthdays: as the number of enjoyed August 9ths gets more numerous, so does the number of anticipated August 9ths shrink.
As a speechwriter, I learned such obscure facts as my shared birthdate with Francis Scott Key and David Steinberg (whom I once saw live at Second City, back in the day). Nixon gave me the gift of resigning on Aug. 9, 1974. And in the mists of history, a battle was fought at Adrianople, a battle that helped decide the future of the Roman Empire, on August 9, 378. More recently, the sadly-departed little Cayley Anthony was born on August 9.
The worst
By far the most important August 9 was in 1945, when Nagasaki was obliterated, the second Japanese city to undergo such an unspeakable fate (but I agreed with Truman: it avoided millions of Allied casualties – more on that later). It was my second birthday; I didn't notice.
The Japanese had been ravaging much of Asia for a decade, with their racist imperialism and their god-emperor. This mental disease made them fight like demons. It also excused their atrocites (see below)
The fight-to-the-death mentality was key. In pitched battle, the side that's more ferocious and determined usually wins. One side starts thinking, They're too tough, too many for us. Then come the losses, humiliations, and retreats. Holy shit, we're dying like flies, let's get the hell out of here alive. Young men, in a situation they never should have been in, killing and being killed by total strangers for no reason except that the Fuehrer or Emperor (or his proxies) says they must.
Triumph and Tragedy
The Japanese won again and again, and to prove their racial superiority, they indulged in atrocities like Nanking (mass rapes; competitions in chopping off Chinese heads) and the Bataan Death March. They did their share of hideous medical experiments, too.
But their arrogance slipped loose from reality. They attacked the US of A. It didn't matter how many banzai charges they carried out on behalf of the Emperor in their mass psychosis. America could manufacture military firepower and marshal its own obedient mass of flesh — and replace losses much faster than the Japanese could.
America also had the brains and resources to develop a weapon of mass destruction. It was clear, perhaps from the Battle of Midway, that the Imperial Fleet was kaput, but against all reason, the Japanese fought on. They would have defended their homeland with the usual ferocity.
Only two gigantic explosive fireballs, two deafening, retina-searing conflagrations, two flesh- and concrete-vaporizing, radiation-burning, mushroom clouds could make them see reason. And even more incredible, they were hit with a weapon that afflicts generations to come, with cancers and genetic mutations!
The importance of long-held orthodoxy about the bomb has been challenged by new scholarship that convincingly argues that it was the fear of the USSR, not the bomb alone, that forced the surrender to the US. Even under this scenario, the inhumanity and insanity of the Japanese leaders and people are on proud display. The leaders weren't overly concerned by the destruction of population centers - several dozen had already been demolished. Indeed, if al Qaeda took out NY or LA, we wouldn't surrender. We would just become more determined. The Allied bombers should have pinpointed the Axis powers' war making infrastructure. Literally destroy their ability to make war.
But back to Japan: the A-bomb destruction was no worse than the fire bombings they'd already endured, so the leadership didn't give a shit. They were ready to tell the survivors to greet the invasion force of 700,000 — several times larger than D-Day — with sharpened bamboo sticks.
Then Japanese hopes of an alliance were dashed as the USSR attacked them. They were fucked. Rather than be split in half like Korea and Germany, they decided to surrender to us, to save the asses of the military bastards who ordered up all the horror, misery, and death. The Russians would have hanged them all and gang-raped their women.
Cui bono?
And all of it…for what? Could the Japanese not have achieved an even greater prosperity – which they proceeded to do in the last half of the 20th century – by peaceful means? Sure, they'd still be deceitful gaijin-hating racists, but at least their aggression would be peaceful.
For what? Because the emperor was god, and it was noble to die for him? It's a stretch of the imagination, but I can see how an entire isolated society, genetically homogeneous and docile by culture, could be enlisted in such a mad pursuit. Centuries of honor warfare, the bushido code, preceded the aggression of the 30's and 40s. Centuries of people slicing people up…over nothing.
Kill em!
The centuries roll on, and dictatorships, failed states, and totalitarian regimes persist. America maintains its pretensions to world empire, as the costs in blood and treasure continue to mount. Strangers kill total strangers because some priest or politician told them it was the right thing to do. Is not war the ultimate mass consensual act? Yes, you and countless others must go kill those people who've done you no harm because they're different, they're the Others, they're a threat.
Just before I wrote this, 22 Navy SEALS died in Afghanistan when their copter was shot down. What a waste: the training of these fine young warriors to endure physical discomfort of every kind, all the martial and survival skills they were taught, all the missions they trained for…and all of it blown away by one illiterate with a shoulder mounted grenade-launcher. With RPGs, IEDs, AK-47s, and other innovations, the individual can marshal the firepower of a whole World War II platoon (just guessing). Asymmetric warfare is thus successfully perpetuated, and America will never "win" in Afghanistan, just as there was no winning in Vietnam or Korea. Those powerful, well-trained SEAL bodies can be blown to bits (otherwise known as "remains") as easily as you or I.
I heard that during a Christmas break in World War I (my #1 choice for Pointless Wars Started by Politicians; a whole generation was slaughtered), Brits and Germans played soccer and even exchanged gifts. What if that sentiment had spread to whole armies? Hey, there's no reason for us to be here except for some fucking general who wants to prove his virility to some other general. I'm outta here.
I long for the day when words like "military courage" and "valor" are no longer corrupted and used to mean "died because some politician thought this war was the right thing." Time and again, protestors and resisters to each war expressed themselves. THAT took courage and valor.
Many suffered, many became exiles (I was ready to go to Canada over Viet Nam), because patriotism, like religion, is cocaine for the soul, arousing great passion, and war-lovers have no room for doubt.
Brilliant stroke
The volunteer army, with its cash incentives, was a brilliant stroke for war-loving politicians. The professionalism of militarism as a career (conveniently jibing with the complexity of modern warfare; it's no longer just load, aim, and fire) has, as many have noted, separated the citizen population from the country's military mercenaries. Unbridled militarism and war without end are a real possibility, especially since America doesn't do pay-as-you-fight wars anymore (WWII was funded by temporary tax increases and war bonds) – it charges them to the next generation.
War without end. The military-industrial complex supplies an ever-expanding array of deadly hardware, to be placed in the hands of brainwashed adolescents who rationalize their risk-addiction under the guise of patriotism, whereas a moment's thought could tell them that the nation's fate is by no means at stake — or even involved.
They just make up these fucking wars! No WMD's in Iraq? Who gives a shit? That's so 90s. But American blood and treasure continue to be squandered there, and contrary to what Obama says, costs in Iraq will go up. There is no exit point or plan, and no justification for just leaving these mediaeval idiots alone, except that they have oil.
War without end. Trib columnist Steve Chapman notes that we've spent more on Iraq and Afghanistan than on ALL previous wars combined, adjusted for inflation. Total costs could exceed $7 trillion. Money out of your pocket. Money that won't be used to balance the budget or rebuild bridges or provide needed services (see, I'm not a totally cold-hearted libtertarian). Money that will come out of your kids' paychecks.
War without end. Military historian Edward Luttwak notes that the lesson of history is, sadly, that wars must be allowed to proceed to a conclusion, with a clear winner and loser. Intervention of a more powerful third party ensures endless strife, as each side thinks it can still win. Sound familiar?
As America continues its illegal, unconstitutional (only Congress has the power to declare war) worldwide military presence and interventions, and one nation after another acquires nuclear weapons (remember Tom Lehrer's wry, prescient Who's Next?), another 8/9/45 seems inevitable. But this one may take place in the USA.
Views: 157
PS to bobh: yes, military overreach has bankrupted and destroyed societies who love war too much. And America seeems to be one of them. I didn't realize the Battle of Adrianople was so devastating financially to the Empire.
Thanks to Lillie! Hope to be around for a while.
bobh: Politicians can now fight wars on the cheap, on the sly, and most recently, at a distance, with drones. America pays more for "defense" than the next 10 countries combined. What are we afraid of? The military has a blank check ($1.5 trillion/year, including the wars). But a volunteer military - that was the key!
Happy Birthday, Alan. Have a great one and many, many more.
very well said. I remember in 2003-2007 various websites were displaying the numbers which indicated how much the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan were costing U.S. taxpayers. I dont remember any outcry from members of the american public, except for a few anti war groups, concerning the costs of the war and how it was(not) being paid for. The attitude was"costs dont matter."It took the eltction a half black president to get the right wingers all of a sudden concerned about debt and spending. And of course they want to cut foodstamps and Social Security, not the cost of the $150 hammers that the private sector sells to the Pentagon.
The Roman Empire went bankrupt starting around Aug 9 378 ad and maybe the U.S. will do the same. The U.S. has millions of people who love war and militarism and the costs be damned.
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|Jean's signature dish: 'sausage surprise'
Bianca's kids didn't like Ray's fresh home-cooked food: "We prefer chicken nuggets". "Now I know how Jamie Oliver feels", sighed Ray.
|Bianca reacts to a pot of oregano
|Jean's signature dish: 'sausage surprise'
|Bianca reacts to a pot of oregano
A really interesting post! I think sometimes British people can be quite disconnected with cooking and ingredients. Especially young people and certainly not enough is done in schools to teach them how to budget for and cook cheap, nourishing meals.
Nor do I think British lifestyle lends itself well to thinking about cooking, unlike other European cultures there can be a real emphasis on working overtime in British offices, meaning that office workers coming in at 8pm, who have not been taught properly about cooking and ingredients find it easier to microwave something for five minutes, rather then spend 20 minutes making some soup, or pasta or salad.
Case in point, recently my friend saw me make spaghetti bolognese and was bewildered to find I had made the sauce from scratch not from a jar! x
I think Ray's interest in food is really important, it could influence people if Eastenders started to talk about food.
I know what you mean about making quite simple stuff from scratch. Once I was in Florida and I made a Margerita cocktail. I noticed all my mum's Florida friends were looking curiously, then I heard one of them say "Did ya see that? She's actually making Margeritas and not from a mix!"
This is a really interesting question. It's hard to know whether soap writers are reflecting reality or what they think is happening. And is it their role to reflect reality, educate or just provide some entertainment?
I used to be complete 'Stenders addict, but haven't watched for years, but it doesn't sound like much has changed in the food department! Although it sounds like Ray is supposed to represent the 'food revolution'. It would be nice if it was the majority of characters who took a real interest in proper food, rather than the token Jamie Oliver fan. It'll be interesting to see how it develops. I find soap stories do normally have a bit of a moral, so I'd bet Bianca and the kids get converted!
Unfortunately Bianca is now in jail so she's a lost cause on the food front.
It would have been good to see some kind of food journey from junk to good food on Eastenders tho.
I would love to hear what you think of this post! I try to reply to every comment (if there is a delay, I am probably away from an internet connection or abroad)


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Early Saturday morning, April twenty-fifth, scores of artists and volunteers took to the streets of NYC armed with rollers and five gallon buckets of white paint. By the mid afternoon, this group had whitewashed over 120 outdoor advertising spaces. These spaces were then left teeming with myriad art-stuffs by nightfall. In a deft move of mass motivation, this "Anti-Ad Campaign" was masterminded by one Jordan Seiler. The cause, to raise awareness to the illegality of these outdoor advertising spaces, to give the public a moments respite to the non-stop inundation caused by ads and to exact a little revenge. I must say, after seeing almost 18,000 square feet of blight washed white, the city certainly felt a bit breezier. ---DICKCHICKEN
volunteer whitewashes billboard; photo by Will Sherman
that's teamwork!; photo by Clint Spaulding
stop buying sh*t...DICKCHICKEN.; photo by Clint Spaulding
unknown artist
More info:
Have you noticed a heck of a lot more street art this morning on the billboards where ads used to be?... That's because dozens of volunteers fanned out across lower Manhattan Saturday morning to white-wash 120 illegal billboards, as part of Jordan Seilder's "New York Street Advertising Takeover." There was remarkably only one arrest, as the volunteers - the majority of them artists - painted over billboards not registered with the city and later "transform[ed] the newly created public canvasses into works of art." -Read on
View additional photos from Rebecca Fuller
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Denzel Washington Urges Actress Daughter To Be Like Viola Davis
Denzel Washington has urged his daughter to follow Doubt star Viola Davis' path as she embarks on an acting career.
Washington's daughter Olivia is studying the craft at New York University, and he has offered her little advice - except to work hard and be multi-talented.
He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I say, 'You're black, you're a woman, and you're dark-skinned at that, so you have to be a triple/quadruple threat.'
"I said, 'You gotta learn how to act. You gotta learn how to dance, sing, move onstage...' I said, 'Look at Viola Davis. That's who you want to be. Forget about the little pretty girls; if you're relying on that, when you hit 40, you're out the door. You better have some chops.'
source, full THR roundtable


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Lacrimo wrote:1) Nobody has conclusive evidence as to whether there was a beginning at all.
except that matter can be destroyed and if matter was infinite that wouldn't be so
Lacrimo wrote:2) Evolution being proven false would not justify intelligent design per se.
if we did not evolve then we were created
what other option is there?
Lacrimo wrote:3) Quantum Mechanics allows a particle and anti-particle to pop into existence in relatively empty space. Something can be made from nothing, so long as you make some anti-something in equal quantity. This is the driving force behind Hawking Radiation.
in my box analogy there is nothing no anti-particle and no particle
besides how could these particles and anti-particles pop into existance with out anyone or any GOD guiding them
Lacrimo wrote:4) Your box analogy leads to ad infintum reasoning. If you can't make something from nothing, where did this creator come from? You either need to make an infinite number of creators to justify the next one, or you need to say that your creator is eternal. If you say the creator is eternal, Occam's Razor forces you to save a step and say that the Universe is eternal.
my argument is not that the universe was created but the matter in that universe
the universe as in the space of the universe may be eternal
but the matter/light/heat/energy/waves/etc. was created
Lacrimo wrote:5) If intelligent design is true, why do humans have tailbones? There are many examples of body parts not at all needed in creatures. This is explained in evolution, not at all in ID.
it is the end of the spine whether or not it is called a tailbone
animals with tails just have extended spines that are called tail
Lacrimo wrote:6) Evolution has been observed in certain fly species that make a new generation every 24hrs or so. They have seen the change in DNA that came about through evolutionary processes.
DNA is like a smart program or slice of code that adapts.
think about it this way if you were God would you create a fly that could adapt to the environment or
not be able adapt and then die off
Lacrimo wrote:7) Do you think your simplistic logic hadn't occurred to all the Ph.d physicists out there? You think others haven't asked those questions of them? You either believe that you know more than the collective knowledge of every physicist out there, or that there is a conspiracy to hide ID for some reason.
well if you were average and sinned all the time would you allow
a little logic to make you feel guilty?


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Nash's Africa-Inspired Nursery
Name: Nash
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I've traveled, worked in, and fell in love with Africa. I also collected a lot of artwork and made a quilt from pieces of Kanga material. All of this inspired the design for my son's nursery.
Putting it all together took time, searching high and low, and lots of love. We wanted something he could grow into and not be so babyish. Girl or boy, this great room was going to be it! It's our favorite room in the house.
Thanks, Jana!
(Images: Jana G)


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Denver Museum of Nature & Science Bids Farewell to
Chief Curator at Sold-Out Event; Limited Overflow Tickets
Kirk Johnson will become the Director of the National Museum
of Natural History at the Smithsonian
Denver-September 26, 2012-Dr. Kirk Johnson will
present a farewell lecture at the Denver Museum of Nature &
Science on Monday, October 1. This sold-out event will open with
remarks from Governor John Hickenlooper and be followed by a
celebratory reception for Johnson. He begins his new job as
Director of the National Museum of Natural History at the
Smithsonian on October 29.
For the past six years, Johnson has been the Museum's chief
curator and vice president of research and collections. During his
21-year tenure at the Museum, he has been deeply committed to
engaging the public in science and education. The paleobotanist has
traveled to seven continents and explored more than 1,400 fossil
sites. From excavating a fossil tropical rain forest in Castle
Rock, to leading a dozen trips to the Amazon, to searching for the
K-T boundary in remote China, India, and New Zealand, and leading
the Museum's largest excavation in its history at the Ice Age site
in Snowmass Village, the world has been Johnson's
Johnson has shared his life of science and discovery by
delivering hundreds of lectures, writing popular books about
paleontology, collaborating with artists to tell science stories,
leading research projects for citizen scientists, and touring many
schoolchildren through the collections-all with contagious energy.
He has been among the lead developers of the new Rocky Mountain
Science Collections Center (RMSCC), now under construction and
slated to open in 2014. The facility has long been a dream of
Johnson's, where the Museum's 1.4 million treasures could be
preserved, accessed, and studied in state-of-the-art
Dr. Johnson Goes to Washington - Live
Monday, October 1, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember,
Reception with cash bar
Seating in the Phipps IMAX Theater is sold out. Overflow
seating has been added for this event in Ricketson Auditorium where
you can watch a live broadcast, and then attend the cash bar
reception celebration with Kirk.
Enjoy a farewell lecture from Kirk Johnson before he heads to
Washington, D.C., to become director of the National Museum of
Natural History at the Smithsonian. During his 21 years at this
Museum, Johnson traveled to seven continents and explored more than
1,400 fossil sites. He excavated a fossil tropical rain forest in
Castle Rock, drilled a 2,200-foot-deep core in Kiowa to examine the
geological history of the Denver Basin, led multiple trips on the
Amazon, delved into the vast fossil landscape of Patagonia,
searched for the K-T boundary in remote China, and directed the
Museum's largest excavation in its history, at the Ice Age site in
Snowmass Village. Celebrate with us as Johnson highlights 21 years
of science adventures and discoveries, in his own indelible style.
A reception with Johnson follows the lecture.
For more information and to purchase tickets,
click here.
About the Denver Museum of Nature &
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain
Region's leading resource for informal science education. A variety
of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum
visitors celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado,
Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado
Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. To learn more about the Museum,
check www.dmns.org, or call 303-370-6000. Many of
the Museum's educational programs and exhibits are made possible in
part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the
Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.


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Pookie's LSAT advice
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the sugar cane is back!
Pookie's LSAT advice
November 28, 2004, 12:15:13 PM »
someone asked me for advice for the december LSAT today, and i started typing out what i feel like i've typed out 20 times before. i made this one really comprehensive, and then decided to save it in a word document so i'd never have to type it from scratch again. anyway, thought i'd post it here since it's less than a week before the december LSAT.
my LSAT advice
first, some day before advice: relax, do something fun. and tiring, so you can fall asleep the night of. my sister took me out for a day of girl stuff (got manicures/pedicures, went shopping for hours for graduation dresses, etc.)
NOT the day of: take a ziploc bag and put all your materials in it - pencils, erasers, one or two pens, your admission ticket, your ID (drivers license or passport; check your admission ticket for what other forms are acceptable), your timer, extra batteries for your timer, kleenex, your headache medicine of choice (i recommend excedrin tension headache for those headaches caused by stress), some little snacks (like candy bars and tic tacs). set aside a bottle of water too; my proctors said we could drink water as long as they didn't see us drinking it. dress in layers so you're prepared for any room temperature. i wore drawstring pants since it can get uncomfy sitting in jeans for a long period of time. if you're a girl, take whatever products might be required at that time of the month, along with some midol.
if you're not familiar with the test site, do a practice drive over there the day before.
all this week, get in the habit of waking up at whatever time you need to wake up on saturday, and go to sleep early. i require 8-9 hours of sleep, so that's how much i slept for about two weeks leading up to the test. also get in the habit of eating at breakfast, if you don't already.
allow enough time on saturday morning to eat breakfast and get ready and everything without rushing. i would get to the test center SUPER early (like, an hour early) and sit in the car while you're waiting and do some practice questions (more on this in the next paragraph) and then just relax.
practice questions: i found that when i took a test first thing in the morning, my first section was the worst because i was still warming up my brain. so then i started doing a page or so of practice LR questions just to warm up, and my score instantly shot up to what it was when i took evening practice tests. the day of the real test, i took a games section at home before leaving. games were my best and favorite section, and i did the one from the blind diagnostic. i got a perfect score, so it pumped up my confidence. i drove to the test site and did some LR questions in the car, ones that i had already seen but i covered up the answer choice letters and ran through reasoning in my head.
what i wish i had done: one or two reading comp passages. since i hadn't done reading comp in two days at that point, it would have helped me pace better. what i suggest: do one or two reading comp passages that you haven't already done, BUT don't look at the correct answers afterwards. if you get some wrong, you might get frustrated and go in with lower confidence. and you probably won't learn anything new at that point. just get your mind back in the 8:45 reading comp track. if i had done that, i think my score could have been 1 or 2 points higher. my first section was reading comp, and part of my problem was that i didn't pace myself well and finished just in time, whereas i had usually been finishing with several minutes to spare, which i used to review my answers once more.
when you leave your car to go into the room, leave your materials behind. your prep is over, you've done all that you can do. take a deep breath and walk in with confidence. and kick LSAT ass!
best of luck!!
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #1 on:
November 28, 2004, 12:25:06 PM »
thanks for the advice (: very helpful!!
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #2 on:
November 28, 2004, 12:36:03 PM »
This is really good advice -- thanks! You mentioned that you did really well on the Games section. It's my worst section, so I'm interested if perhaps you've developed, on your own, any unique and specific strategies (rather than those found in, e.g., LG Bible or PR) that you might be able to share. My biggest problem is running out of time, so I wonder if you have any advice on that. Thanks!
the sugar cane is back!
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #3 on:
November 28, 2004, 12:43:26 PM »
please note that i modified my post after someone pointed out that i forgot to put ID on the list of things that belong in your baggie.
i'm the worst person to ask for games advice. i've done logic games for fun since 3rd grade, so it came really easily to me. sorry! browse this sub-board for topics about the games section and see what other people have done to improve on games. if that doesn't help, start a new topic asking for advice.
good luck!
The Name's Dali
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #4 on:
November 28, 2004, 07:32:27 PM »
That is some good advice Pookie! You are the big boss of this site now?? It's been awhile since I've been on here as you can tell
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #5 on:
November 28, 2004, 07:33:32 PM »
pookie, publish a book, or maybe there can be an LSD LSAT tips compilation or something.
the sugar cane is back!
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #6 on:
November 28, 2004, 07:38:40 PM »
i don't know about a whole book; i really don't have *that* much good advice, and there are people with higher LSAT scores whose advice would carry more weight. i'll live out the dreams of being published with my original post here, though.
dustin, welcome back! i'm andrew's right-hand-man-of-sorts. without being a man, of course.
andrew's still the big boss as administrator, but i'm trying to help moderate after we had an influx of trolling activity.
The Name's Dali
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #7 on:
November 28, 2004, 08:15:12 PM »
Thanks Pookie! What do you mean by "an influx of trolling activity"?
the sugar cane is back!
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #8 on:
November 28, 2004, 08:24:11 PM »
a bunch of troll accounts popped up and started posting hateful messages. check out the hate board. i've tried to move all of it over there.
Casper, the friendly Ghost.
Re: Pookie's LSAT advice
Reply #9 on:
November 29, 2004, 10:01:24 PM »
1. Present the Admission Ticket and one current form of acceptable, personal
identification which bears both your signature and current photo. No one will be
admitted without acceptable identification.
2. Report no later than the Reporting Time indicated on your LSAT Admission Ticket.
3. Those registered at a foreign test center should note the exact test date, day, and
reporting time printed on the ticket.
4. The reporting time noted on the ticket is not necessarily the starting time. The
starting time may vary by test center or testing room depending upon the number of
test registrants at an individual test site.
5. No one will be admitted after the test has begun.
6. Pencils will not be supplied. Bring a mechanical pencil with soft lead and a good
eraser, or 3 or 4 sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers. Test takers at Canadian
centers should bring several H.B.pencils.
7. The admission ticket will be collected at the test center.
8. Be sure to read and sign the ticket before arriving at the test center.
9. Thumbprints are required and will be taken on the day of the test at the test
10. If you have any questions about test procedures, please call LSAC at
215.968.1001. Candidate Service Representatives are available from 8:30 a.m. until
7:00 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday from September through March, and 8:30
a.m. until 4:45 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday from April through August.
Our automated Voice Response System is available at all times except 6:00 a.m. to
8:00 a.m. (ET) Sundays.
11. Any problems encountered during the administration must be reported in
writing and received within 9 calendar days after the administration. Send problem
reports to: LSAC, 661 Penn Street, Box 2000-T, Newtown, PA 18940-0995 or fax
215.968.1277. Be aware that the availability of your LSAT score may be delayed
pending the review of your complaint.
12. Do not bring into the testing center prohibited devices which include, but are
not limited to: cellular phones, recording or photographic devices, pagers
headsets/walkmen and/or other electronic devices.
The staff at each test center observes certain common procedures to ensure that
every examinee has equal testing time and that the operation of the center meets
LSACs criteria for standardized testing. The success of the administration depends
on your cooperation with these procedures.
-Do not telephone test center supervisors in advance. They have neither the
authority nor the information necessary to admit anyone until the day and time of
the test.
-Under no circumstances will supervisors allow a change in schedule.
-The supervisor will tell you when to start and stop work on each separately
timed section. When time is called you MUST put down your pencil.
-If you find it necessary to leave the room during the rest period or during the test,
you must obtain permission from the supervisor. You will not be permitted to make
up any time.
-Smoking is not permitted in the testing room unless a separate testing room for
smokers is made available.
-Dress in a manner that enables you to adapt to any room temperature.
-Eating and drinking are not permitted in the testing room. A break, usually 10 - 15
minutes, is given after Section 3.
-Visitors are not permitted, though LSAC authorized observers may be present.
-Only a No. 2 or H.B. pencil can be used to record answers on the answer sheet.
-All answers must be recorded on the answer sheet. Answers must be recorded only
during the authorized 35-minute time limit for each separately timed test section.
Answers recorded in the test book will not be scored.
-Only a No 2 or H.B. pencil or highlighter pen may be used to underline passages in
the test book. Ink or ballpoint pens are not permitted.
-Due to pre- and post-test administration activities, the overall length of the test is
long up to 7 hours. The actual starting time of the test may vary at different
centers due to preadministration procedures.
-You may take a noiseless watch (without a beeper or alarm) to the test center.
However, the official time is kept by the test center supervisor.
-Scratch paper will be provided for the writing sample portion of the test only.
Scratch paper is not allowed for any other portion of the test. Computations or notes
are permitted in the test book.
-If you engage in any misconduct or irregularity during the test such as creating a
disturbance; giving or receiving help; working on or reading the test during a time
not authorized by the supervisor, removing test materials or notes from the testing
room; taking part in an act of impersonation or other forms of cheating; failing to
follow the directions of test center staff; or using books, calculators, personal digital
assistants (PDAs), ear plugs, head sets, rulers, listening devices, paging devices
(beepers), cellular phones, recording or photographic devices, papers of any kind, or
other aids you may be dismissed from the test center and/or may be subjected to
an investigation under the Law School Admission Council Rules Governing
Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process.
-The LSAT is confidential. All test materials, including test books and answer
sheets, are the property of the Law School Admission Council and must be returned
to the test center supervisor at the conclusion of the test for return to LSAC after
every administration.
Pages: [
Law School Discussion
LSAT Preparation
Studying for the LSAT
Pookie's LSAT advice


text:
December 30, 2013
2013 was a huge year for Basho Technologies and before we dive into 2014, we thought we'd take a moment to reflect on how far we've come.
Case Studies
2013 was the year of the Riak User. We love hearing about all the amazing ways companies across various industries are using Riak. This year, we were able to share dozens of exciting case studies. These include:
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- Enstratius (acquired by Dell)
- Best Buy
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- Viggle (through OmniTI)
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- Boundary
- Qeep
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- Rovio
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- Praekelt Foundation
- ooVoo
- Moz
- National Health Service
- Temetra
- Kivra
- City Maps
- The Weather Company
- Tapjoy
For even more Riak Users, check out the Users Page.
We released Riak 1.3, Riak 1.4, and the Technical Preview of Riak 2.0 this year. These releases added such features as Active Anti-Entropy, revamped Riak Control, queryability improvements, Riak Data Types, and much more. Be on the lookout for the general release of Riak 2.0 early next year.
This year we also open sourced Riak CS with the 1.3 release and released Riak CS 1.4. These releases added multi-part upload, Riak CS Control, and integration with OpenStack.
This year, we expanded RICON, Basho's distributed systems conference, to both RICON East and RICON West. These were both sold out conferences that featured speakers from bitly, Comcast, Google, Netflix, Salesforce, The Weather Company, Turner Broadcasting, Twitter, and many more.
We drastically increased the number of Basho partners in 2013. For a full list of partners, check out the Partnerships Page. Some key ones to note include Tokyo Electron Device, SoftLayer, and Seagate.
Our amazing community team hosted over 200 meetups around the world this year. On top of that, they also attended dozens of industry events to spread the word about Basho. Keep an eye on the Events Page to see where we'll be in 2014.
2013 was a busy year but, with some exciting announcements coming, we look forward to an even busier 2014. Happy New Year!


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|2012-09-21, 04:51
|Link #4901
Join Date: May 2012
Now contrast Trowa's arch to Relena's arch. Relena went from a girl hot with vengeful anger to the point of wanting to burn down a whole building full of people to the head of a Pacifist nation and school....o.O Uh, say what now? Seriously! They leave her off with her contemplating arson, we don't see her again until Antartica and even then that doesn't give us any reason how and why she's let go of her anger to become a freaking pacifist all of a sudden. There's no progression: forget going from A to C, she goes from A to W w/ zero reasoning. The writers didn't think that her sudden transformation needed any explanation? @_@
I love your analysis of Duo too! How he never seems to hold a grudge against Trowa inspite of everything he put him through, so therefore he's just not the type to hold grudges. I like that interpretation very much!
|2012-09-21, 10:31
|Link #4902
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Brazil
for those who do not know
Blind target cd novel
|2012-09-21, 10:42
|Link #4903
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Brazil
oh and quatre and doroty ......
just thinking about it gives me goosebumps
ok the series showed that she is really very kind and stuff... but i don't know she's a little sadic i can't imagine she and quatre because she will torture him with her comments and psico looks ...... they will not be happy at last if quatre is a masochist
|2012-09-21, 11:18
|Link #4904
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: who knows?
They are the same thing, Quatre is more calm while Dorothy is the Action Girl, both suffered from their past traumas mainly because they lost their parents for the war, but Quatre didn't go mad like Dorothy who became obcessed with War and Grimdark, She buried her fellings, and Quatre along with trowa managed to bring them back(FoTNS prot detected Inquisitor).
Re-Watch the last 5 episodes susyia, you will see that.
Last edited by DuoRanger; 2012-09-21 at 11:48.
|2012-09-21, 11:43
|Link #4905
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Unicorn is basically a sequel to Char's Counterattack. It follows up on it and ties into all of early UC with Minerva, Marida, the MS used, Bright, Kai, Beltochika, The Axis Shock and the whole plot of Laplace Box. Unicorn is nowhere near a standalone thing. If you knew the ending you would know that. It is basically the key to all of UC.
Wufei has always been a loner. Even more so than Heero but he is working with the others so he isn't really isolated. Kathy is always around him.
Quatre and Trowa were building the suits but lately Quatre been a bit out of wack because of his sister stealing one of his suits and running off. His "Space Heart" stuff is used more in this. She has it too. Quate passed out after he defeated Prometheus because of the strain he had from fighting his sister.
|2012-09-21, 12:14
|Link #4906
Join Date: Feb 2012
|2012-09-21, 13:29
|Link #4907
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Frozen Teardrop is in no way worse than Destiny at anything comparable.
|2012-09-21, 15:35
|Link #4909
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Brazil
well in FT he's a 40 old year man so drink is not a big deal..... but he was complaing about life is hard and stuf.... he choose to close himself not marry not happy not love anyone beacuse he don't deserve
well dorothy could fix that ....yeah maybe they make a good couple....
I personally would kik his ass because it has been for over 30 years... guilty is guilty but hey come on he could do his best to compensate the past and why do he have 29 sisters if they do not interfere in his life and not let it be this type of person
|2012-09-21, 16:20
|Link #4910
Supreme Grocer
|2012-09-21, 17:10
|Link #4911
Shall we?
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Europe
Anyway, in FT Katrina is Relena's grandmother and Sabrina is her grandaunt. Or maybe it's the other way around... In any case, there's a Katrina in Relena's grandmother's generation. The series' novelization claims that Katrina was the name of Relena's mother though. So we have either a retcon or more Catherines.
The rest is right. As for writing "Quatrine" or "Katherine," it has nothing to do with Arabian spelling, seeing as "quatre" is not Arabian but French for "four," but with theme naming and keeping all the Catherines apart. In the English translation of Episode Zero Quatre's mother's name was given as "Quatrine." Correct me if I'm wrong but I think in FT it said that Quatre's younger sister was named after her. That and she's Quatre's clone, so it would make sense to spell her name as "Quatrine." Hope that answers your questions.
Personally, I don't mind that it happened but why it happened. And I don't mean the explanation in the novel itself but the author's decision. So far the only sound reason I can come up with why Sumizawa chose to freeze Relena and Heero, thus basically skip their development, was because he wanted to talk about everyone's kids (or sisters or random hobo look-alikes) without having to resolve Heero's and Relena's stories yet. Or rather, he wanted to save them for this new story with new characters. In theory that sounds fine.
But sadly, Sumizawa's insistence to have essentially the old Gundam team assembled again, substantiated by the presence of visual clones of the other pilots, is getting in the way, and as such, the idea comes off as cheap to me. If FT looked less like GW on Mars, I wouldn't even bother mentioning it. Alas, it doesn't and the "Relena, I'll kill you" plot isn't helping shake the notion of a rehash either.
As for the virtual piano playing, well, this is a simple matter of differing opinions. I'm sorry but I find it ridiculous. Both because it reminds me of card games on motorbikes (though I'm sure it could be made to look awesome if animated), and because it doesn't fit into GW. The "craziest" way we saw controlling a robot in GW were by Dorothy and Zechs, who had a battle system help them do it with their minds, since the system works by feeding data directly into the pilot's brain yadda yadda. The way it was explained made sense. And yes, there were no outlandish mind powers or songs or whatever involved.
But referring to other series, just because they're of the same genre, doesn't make much sense in this case, does it? Besides, their ideas aren't strange within their own shows. To take the examples you listed, UC may have had people controlling robots with their minds but the concept of Newtypes wasn't sprung on the audience in a sequel but existed from the start of the series. And G Gundam's mobile trace system made sense. What didn't make sense was a man defeating a giant robot with a scarf.
See, if it had been done like in Soul Eater, where listening to music helps a fighter focus, I would've been okay with it. But this poor excuse for incorporating more classical pieces is making me laugh because I don't see how actually playing a piece during a battle translates as controlling robots. I mean, what? Do Gundam pilots take music lessons now when they train?
I'm sorry, the way it's delivered is silly compared to everything that was used previously in GW. But again, I mean no offense, it's just my own opinion.
The same goes for the names. It doesn't matter if Char is called Quatro Bagina or Full Frontal; he's not in Wing. I'm pretty sure Sumizawa never had anything to do with him. What I'm judging FT by is its prequel and that is solely Gundam Wing. And when we go from names like "Deathscythe" and "Heavyarms" to "Snow White" and "Merciless Fairies" ...I believe it's legitimate to voice one's disapproval.
So yes, I concede, compared to other series out there, FT is pretty tame. But compared to Wing, it's full of goofy ideas.
I would also like to inquire what makes you dislike Destiny so immensely. Aside from killing its characters, I don't see how its story (aside from the last part) could warrant this much distaste. But seeing as this might not be the right place, perhaps a PM would be in order?
Lastly, I would like to apologize that my statement upset you. I realize now that my choice of words can be taken as deprecating toward people's preferences and that I'm out of line demeaning a novel without being asked for my opinion in the same thread provided to its fans to discuss it. I shall watch my words more carefully from now on. Sorry.
|2012-09-21, 17:11
|Link #4912
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Basically the conversation led to Quatre explaining the new suits but in a very Quatre way using alcohol. It was a great scene to me.
|2012-09-21, 17:36
|Link #4913
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Newtypes in UC weren't crazy with hax until Zeta. Amuro himself didn't start having newtype flashes and things until later in the series. Char never exhibited strong newtype powers. Lalah was the closest to a strong newtype in early UC and she didn't do anything but control her bits really. It wasn't until Zeta when Kamille was summoning ghosts, creating mile long swords and crap that newtypes became haxy individuals. You couldn't tell Amuro and Kamille were the same evolution based on the things they did in their series unless you were told.
Gundam Wing was never a series known for having amazing names. Nearly everyone important was named after a number and the OZ suits were named after the Zodiac. Not that difficult to come up with. Alex and Mueller were named Blue Angel and Red Cancer. Snow White while weird isn't that much of a jump. Giving it 7 dwarfs was logical but face palm worthy though.
Destiny is easily the worst thing to come out of Gundam. The whole final battle was basically stock footage. No characters developed, Shinn had his show stolen from him, Cagalli cried all series, Kira was a robot, Lacus was a plot device, Athrun couldn't think for himself, Lunamaria hooked up with the guy who killed her sister, Rey randomly was a clone and evil, Durandal was forced into the villain roll, the EA were basically written out of the story, Neo was Mwu and didn't even care about the Extended, the Extended were underdeveloped, the final battle ended in flawless victory, Yzak and Dearka randomly decided to follow Terminal in the final battle, Meer was a pointless underdeveloped character, Heine died after 2 episodes when he should have mentored the Minerva crew etc etc etc etc etc
|2012-09-21, 21:26
|Link #4917
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
|2012-09-21, 21:53
|Link #4918
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Didn't we already make out Snow White's feet in one of the pictures (Colored standing side by side with Warlock?) in which we could make out it's foot color? For some reason I rememeber thinking the only thing we had confirmed was a whitish face and red feet.
I will go ahead and double check all the FT's released so far to see if I see any color on it's feet.
Nope all the colored pics in the Novels have the feet covered.
Granted I still doubt it would happen, but damn I would love it if they used it. I will be really sad if we have just the normal Gundam Color scheme or even worse Zero's reused.
|2012-09-22, 15:16
|Link #4920
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Brazil
i found some parts FT cd novel
|frozen teardrop, glory of the losers, gundam wing
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