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So I think I mentioned my story "Navigators" was published in Hobart 12. It's a story that focuses on a fictional video game called Legend of Silence; Matt Bell was kind enough to write a close reading here that will give you a good sense of it. Here is the first paragraph:
There's a lot of detail in these, and you can tell that Dave paid close attention to his sources -- both my story and the games on which he based his sprites. Here is the first he posted:
After they found the metal boots but before the dirt clod, Joshua's father bought graph paper at Wal-Mart. Unfurled and pinned up on the wall where his mother's family pictures had once hung, it stood six feet tall by seven feet wide. The paper was hung in three rows, each printed with thousands of small gray squares. If Joshua crossed his eyes the squares seemed to rise from the page. "It's time we started a map," said his father. "Or we'll never finish this game."Having read the story, Dave Wells (friend of Tim Dicks, twitterpal of mine, artist) took an interest in the story. Some time later, he made some Legend of Silence art -- a total of four pieces. The first three were screenshots. You can go to Dave's DeviantArt account to see more of his art; recently he's been doing a 30 Days of Creativity project, which was part of the impetus for his Legend of Silence screenshots.
There's a lot of detail in these, and you can tell that Dave paid close attention to his sources -- both my story and the games on which he based his sprites. Here is the first he posted:
Dave's description: "The beginning of Legend of Silence, when you must relinquish your crown and begin your quest. Press B to drop your crown."
The relevant bit of the story:
"We'll use sixty-four squares for every screen," said his father. "That's eight by eight. Starting here, in the middle. Here." Using a red marker and a number-two mechanical he sketched the first room of the labyrinth; its gold-and-velvet throne, its many crystal chandeliers, its candelabras. At the right edge of the chamber he drew a purple pillow on a white pedestal where the heroine would lay her crown to rest if you pressed the B button. This opened the exit, which led to the next room. Joshua's father drew this from memory because they could never see it again without restarting their game. Once you left the throne room, the guards wouldn't let you come back. They did not recognize their queen without her crown.
"If we map the whole world," said his father, "we can stop getting lost. Then we'll really get cooking. We'll be through in a month." There were, his father had said, maps you could buy. But this would defeat the point, which was the journey.Dave represents Alicia with only one piece of equipment: her golden crown. It's so cool to see the throne there, and I really like Dave's approach to the chandeliers.
Here's the second image:
Here is Dave's description: "Scaling Lament Tower to get the Lead Boots. What do the boots do? Avoid the plague bats to find out!"
Here is the relevant text from the story:
Alicia was not only a queen in the beginning but also a bird girl. She had large brown wings speckled with flecks of silver and white. After her crown and throne room, these were the next thing she gave up. She flew to the top of a very tall room (eight squares by fifty-four on the map) and found a door leading to a smaller room, a single screen, housing the metal boots and otherwise empty. These boots sat on a white pedestal like the one they had given their crown. At this point in the game father and son did not properly understand its principles – they thought the throne room was an interesting fluke. Joshua's father had made Alicia step into the boots. They couldn't tell what the metal boots were supposed to do. Joshua's father led Alicia out of the room, and he made her jump out into the emptiness of the very tall room. She fell to the floor, flapping her wings without effect. The weight of her boots was too much. Her wings bent and warped from effort as she fell through seven screens. Then she crumpled on the floor, half-dead, and enemies nosed her body, gnawed, and further drained her life points. Her wings would slowly atrophy from disuse, shrinking, curling inward, dropping feathers in clots for the rest of the game, until there was nothing left. These feathers being pixels, of course – two each, twisting and angling this way and so on such that the viewer could see what they were meant to be. Then father and son understood the game. Joshua's father said, "This is a REAL game."
I really like the bats Dave drew here, and Alicia's expanded wings, and the gun as well. When I wrote this story I was generally thinking of Metroid, and in this scene I was thinking of the experience of climbing the endless vertical rooms that were so often so very frustrating. You just know, looking at this screen, that if one of the bats touches Alicia, she'll fall, probably all the way to the bottom, probably blinking rapidly the whole way. Then she'll have to start again. Very sadistic. Very NES.
Dave doesn't list it as a source, but the way the shades of purple in the background relate to each other reminds me of Kirby's Adventure, especially the classic Butter Building levels.
Here's the third image:
Dave's description: "Legend of Silence, part 3! The lower-right area of the map is Hadesmouth, layer of the dreaded and kleptomaniac Lindworm! Some speak of a treasure behind it fit for King Arthur... but beware the Molemen territories!
I have enjoyed doing these NES mockups. I have a lot of respect for the olden day sprite makers of the 8-bit era. So much damn detail and experimentation to do this sort of thing. To them, a hearty salute."
The relevant text from the story:
Once they were up until two in the morning exploring the dark caves in the bottom right corner of the map, which were riddled with hungry purple mole-men and waxy stalactites dripping fat drops of poisonous water. The boss of this area was a worm with sticky skin, which collected various enemies and hazards – spikes, mole-men. Joshua could not kill the worm because without Alicia's wings it was difficult to leap over the many differently-shaped obstacles that clung to it. Joshua's father pulled him into his lap, took the controller from his hands, and finished the fight with her sword. In the next room there was only darkness and a large blue stone. They thought they would have to leave their sword there, a gift for King Arthur. When Joshua's father pressed B, Alicia struck the stone instead, which shattered the sword, leaving only a small length of blade, and the hilt. The exploded fragments hung twisting in the air like stars or a junkyard mobile.
The mole-men in this shot are really funny to me because they're probably the closest of anything in these screenshots to matching what I pictured. I mean, truly dead-end again a very NES detail, the sort of monster you don't see in games anymore. It's entirely possible that these dudes are the toughest bad guys in the whole game.
We can also see Alicia's wings have indeed withered, that her equipment includes the metal boots (as well as many other exotic items). Her sword has been shattered and shortened, as described elsewhere in the story. Things are getting desperate.
Dave's fourth piece was not a screenshot, but box-art:
Dave's comments: "The coup de gras of the Legend of Silence pieces. I couldn't let a box art slip by! I do enjoy the fact that some NES games got a weird spin on things. For example, Phalanx. The box art has nothing to do with the game. I went with that this time."
It's worth clicking this one to see the big version and read Dave's advertising copy on the back. Both the art and the copy are clear examples of a marketing department straining against what they've been given to work with. Legend of Silence as described in "Navigators" would probably stop being fun after the first couple hours, but the box has to convince us otherwise, and its efforts to distort the truth are admirable.
It's hard to say much else because I am perhaps comically overwhelmed with gratitude for this, which is the first fanart I've seen for a literary short story (though I'm sure there have been others). The art is so convincing, both successfully imitative and engaging in its own right, that it makes me feel as if the game I wrote about is a real one. Now I sort of want to play it, even though, as I say, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be very much fun at all.


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The Role of the #Lean #Team in a Lean #Transformation
Article written by David Brunt
At the annual Summit in November 2014, Terry O'Donoghue shared the remarkable Lean transformation story happening at the Halfway Group in South Africa.
By starting with customer purpose (and then business purpose) Terry explains how the leadership team is simultaneously improving the value creating work whilst developing the people at the same time. You will hear Terry explain that his primary role as COO is to develop all 1424 people in the organization into problem solvers (1067 people when he started in the role.) To ensure that this capability is developed each manager is responsible for developing his/her team. In this Lean transformation, team member development and improvement are line management responsibilities. Problems are highlighted directly from each site's strategy with the aim that everyone is then aligned to work on the vital few issues with countermeasures being part of the daily work, embedded into the management system.
In both a public sector organization and a couple of multi-national manufacturing firms Lean implementation has been very much project based – a Lean team has been trained (unfortunately most of the training I observe is still classroom based with a six sigma focus) with certificates and belts given for attendance and the completion of projects. This approach has resulted in the Lean teams having tens of improvement projects work in progress and therefore long implementation lead times from start to finish.
"Any improvement activity only starts after a lengthy "define and measure" phase or after a project team is set up that meets weekly (often away from the work) to discuss improvement with interim work being done by Lean team personnel."
In cases like these senior managers and members of the Lean team tell that sustainability is challenging. They recognize the need for a couple of fundamental changes in approach. Firstly, for their Lean activity to be based upon solving the fundamental problems faced by the organization rather than improvement projects focused only on one dimension (often only cost saving.) Secondly, for their Lean team to move from being the expert problem solver – often doing Lean to people rather than with people to a role educating, coaching and supporting the line management to be able to lead and develop Lean capability themselves.

subset: commoncrawl


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You may have seen this before, but IT IS WORTH WATCHING IT AGAIN – particularly THE COMMENT ABOUT kneeling. If you enjoyed – PLEASE SHARE.
—–Forwarded Message—–
From: J&R Martens < firstname.lastname@example.com>
Sent: Nov 12, 2017 12:50 PM
To: Ann < firstname.lastname@example.com>
Subject: Fwd: Robin Williams as the American FlagSubject: Fwd: Robin Williams as the American FlagThe man was a genius. He was 31 when he made this video… it is about 3 minutes long, but I guarantee you will never see anything as creative as this again. His comment at the end is germane today.Click below:
Facebook Comments


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New Beach Bus starts service in Collier Friday
Friday, the Collier Area Transit will kick off free rides to and from the beach.
Last year, a similar service ran for 16 weeks during peak season. But only 321 people rode the trolley.
The county said the new beach bus would be very different than last year's service. It will have a shorter route, and much more frequent stops - every 15 minutes.
The county wants to use it as a way to alleviate traffic and parking issues at the beaches in North Naples, including Vanderbilt Beach.
Getting to the beach proves less than relaxing for some.
Paul Cornell lives right along Vanderbilt Beach. He says, "It's crazy, especially on the weekends, and the full season."
The traffic getting to the beach is bad, but parking can be even worse.
"The parking garage is usually full by 10 a.m., and the sheriff's deputies are directing traffic to go by," said Cornell. "So people are getting very frustrated."
That's why Collier County wanted to give a new "Beach Bus" service a try.
The route will stop at Conner Park, Delnor-Wiggins Pass Park, Vanderbilt Beach, and Mercato.
The bus is free to ride, but not free to run.
Collier County received a three-year grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to cover 50 percent of the cost.
So, the county is left paying over $45,000 a year for the service.
Cornell said he thinks it's absolutely worth it.
"It's the least we can do for the community, all these people who live here aren't able to use and enjoy the beach."
Starting Friday, you can catch the bus from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and then from 4:30 p.m. until 7:10 p.m. Friday through Monday.
You can even flag it down if you see it on its route.


text: I am looking for set up a new deer rifle. Would like it to be something I am comfortable with out to 800 yrds. Just looking for some input on what everyones thoughts are on these two calibers? I would probably be starting with a remington rifle and go from there. Thanks, Cody


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Posts Tagged by texas
Left Still Trying To Explain What Happened In Texas
|August 2, 2012
|Posted by steveparkhurst under 2012 election
The Left, this time via the Houston Chronicle, is still struggling to understand what happened in Texas on Tuesday, where Ted Cruz won the Republican nomination for the US Senate race being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison. more
Ted Cruz Gets Front Page Mention On WSJ After Victory
|August 1, 2012
|Posted by steveparkhurst under 2012 election
From the front of today's Wall Street Journal. more
Governor Perry's In State Tuition: Creating New Taxpayers
|October 5, 2011
|Posted by steveparkhurst under 2012, 2012 election
This piece appeared at Texas GOP Vote recently, and in the midst of the current Republican Presidential primary debate, I felt this was worth posting here, in its entirety. I have corrected a few mistakes I caught in the original version. By Linda Vega As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You […] more
"Apply Six-Sigma to Government" says Texas State Rep Raul Torres
|April 29, 2011
|Posted by admin under Uncategorized
An interesting interview with Texas State Rep Raul Torres appeared over at Texas GOP Vote. By Adryana Boyne The following interview with Texas State Representative Raul Torres is one of a series of interviews conducted by VOCES Action and TexasGOPVote with members of the Hispanic Republican Conference in the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature. Rep. Torres represents District 33 which encompasses […] more
Texas Republicans Know Exactly Who is to Blame for Immigration Mess
|April 14, 2011
|Posted by admin under Uncategorized
This column originally appeared over at Texas GOP Vote. By Artmeio Muniz April 15, 2011 While other American states and municipalities are scrambling in dealing with a porous border and a federal government that appears to care more for NCAA Brackets and Brazil's energy development, Texas Republicans again cut through the confusion and fog of […] more
Is gambling really a good bet for Texas?
|March 28, 2011
|Posted by admin under Uncategorized
Texas State Representative Raul Torres penned this piece for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. The original column can be found here. State Rep. Raul Torres Sunday, March 27, 2011 CORPUS CHRISTI — As Texas looks for solutions to this legislative session's $27 billion shortfall, I am often told: "We need gambling in Texas." Representing you means I […] more


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Convertible Productions & The House Cafe Present
Extra Life Fundraiser
Michael Mic Check, Stone The Unknown, Slum Chandler, Cookie, NeverclearX, Happy, Orinoco, Jay Leigh, ViZionary Music Productions, Super Neutral, Pathogen
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 6:30 pm (event ends at 11:55 pm)The House - DeKalb
This event is all ageshttp://www.thcdekalb.com/event/1727925/
A self-proclaimed "no-named rapper" from Sycamore, IL, NeverclearX started Krazy Boy Productions from nothing and went to headlining shows. He opened up for Mod Sun in December of 2012, and has also performed at many local shows, centering around the House Cafe. It's hard to tell what's next for the young rapper, cause the future is never clear; get it?
Venue Information:
The House - DeKalb
263 E Lincoln Hwy
DeKalb, IL, 60115
The House - DeKalb
263 E Lincoln Hwy
DeKalb, IL, 60115


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Chani recently blogged about How to Not be a Rockstar. It's excellent, give it a look. And her piece got me thinking about how we are always being tempted, by social pressure, by advertising, by the oppressive side of our culture, to worry about the surface of reality, instead of engaging with actual life.
Often, parents have taught us to be obedient and pleasant, rather than capable and independent. That's easy to understand; they get kudos for having obedient and pleasant children, and disapproval for raising kids who rock the boat, are messy, creative, loud or otherwise 'out of the norm.' Also, obedient and pleasant children are easier! So most of us have that early training to overcome. There is nothing wrong with being pleasant, but knowing how to do stuff, and not being afraid to do it, are what is needed to build a life.
In school, most of us have teachers who carry on with that program, and try to help us get good grades, and pass tests. How many of us are lucky enough to have teachers who challenge us to learn, who whet our curiosity, and then teach us how to find our own answers? Of course schools are established to enculturate children, and to pass along the basic canons of knowledge. Should the good school, the excellent teachers stop there, or use that as the foundation for life-long learning? I have nothing against good grades, and passing tests, but those are merely the appearance of learning. What good does it do to have good grades, if you haven't really mastered the material? If you've only been exposed to what's on the test; and don't know or don't take the time to learn more?
What is taught in home and school is only part of the problem facing children and teenagers. School social systems are often so toxic to kids that they learn to hide their true selves, rather than learning who they are, what they want, and what sort of people suit them as friends, lovers and collaborators. Aren't these the keys to a happy, successful life? Or do we really want to produce cogs which fit into society's machine, producing the same old stuff?
I think this weakness, this worship of the shallow in our culture is what has fueled the growth of both art and FOSS communities. We humans long to produce work that improves the world, and collaborate with people who share our values. In FOSS communities there are a multitude of ways to create cool stuff, whether we love coding or art, design or making great UI, writing or making websites. I think everyone who contributes is not only 'scratching their itch,' but also making the world a better place, and changing our culture for the better at the same time.


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Sperm Count Tests on Your Smartphone
The smartphone is no doubt one of the most used products of science and technology now. This is because there are many things that you can do with a smartphone. The most basic thing that you can do with it is to communicate with someone by texting or calling that person. But because the phone is now called smart there are many more things that can be done with it other than the basics of calling and texting.
These things that can be done in the smartphone can be seen in the apps. There are many kinds of apps that you can find for smartphones nowadays. There are apps that come for free. This means that you do not need to pay anything in order to be able to use it. All you have to do is download it online in order for you to use it. There are other apps that come at a cost. This means that you need to pay a certain fee first in order for you to be able to download it. For more details about sperm count test, check out
Apps are lumped into categories. For example there is
Zoon App
for social media. There are also apps that are used for educational purposes. Then there are the apps for the health. These help with our health. One such app that is related to health is the sperm count app. Yes reading that may surprise you but there is an app like that. This app helps men know when their sperm count is the greatest. This may be t time when it is best for them to have a baby with their wife for example.
Where do you find these
sperm test at home
apps? Well you can find these apps online. You can look at the different reviews of the different people who have used the app. You may also read from their reviews the accuracy of the app and how they find it. You may compare different sperm count app that are available on the market. You will find that some may have features that cannot be found on other apps. What you choose will depend on your preference and what you will use the app for. That is why it is highly recommended that you do your research first before choosing the app that you will download and use. That way you will make an informed choice about the app that you will use.


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1 /*2 * Copyright 2002 by3 * Coridan4 * firstname.lastname@example.com5 *6 * The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version7 * 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the8 * License. You may obtain a copy of the License at9 * http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/10 *11 * Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,12 * WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License13 * for the specific language governing rights and limitations under the14 * License.15 *16 * The Original Code is "MantaRay" (TM).17 *18 * The Initial Developer of the Original Code is Shirley Sasson.19 * Portions created by the Initial Developer are Copyright (C) 200620 * Coridan Inc. All Rights Reserved.21 *22 * Contributor(s): all the names of the contributors are added in the source23 * code where applicable.24 *25 * Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of the26 * LGPL license (the "GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE"), in which case the27 * provisions of LGPL are applicable instead of those above. If you wish to28 * allow use of your version of this file only under the terms of the LGPL29 * License and not to allow others to use your version of this file under30 * the MPL, indicate your decision by deleting the provisions above and31 * replace them with the notice and other provisions required by the LGPL.32 * If you do not delete the provisions above, a recipient may use your version33 * of this file under either the MPL or the GNU LESSER GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE.34 35 *36 * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it37 * under the terms of the MPL as stated above or under the terms of the GNU38 * Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation;39 * either version 2.1 of the License, or any later version.40 *41 * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT42 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or43 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public44 * License for more details.45 */46 47 package org.mr.kernel.security.authorization.actions;48 49 import org.mr.kernel.security.MantaSecurityException;50 51 import java.util.List ;52 53 /**54 * This interface represents a secured action that may be performed by55 * an authorized client. Each implementing class will have its own knowledge56 * about which permissions are required in order for the action to be authorized.57 *58 * This interface has one method {@link #getPermissionSearchList(Object)} that is used59 * by each implementing class to define the list of permissions it requires in order for60 * the action to be authorized.61 *62 * @version 1.063 * @since May 9, 200664 * @author Shirley Sasson65 *66 */67 public interface MantaAction {68 /**69 * This method is used by each implementing class to define the list of permissions it70 * requires in order for the action to be authorized.71 * The permissions in the list are checked according to the order of the list, and once72 * a permission is found, the action is authorized, and the other permissions that appear73 * after it in the list, are not checked. If all permissions were checked and not found,74 * the action is not authorized.75 *76 * @param param77 * parameter that is relevant for the permissions search. For example topic name for78 * an "create producer for queue" action.79 * @return a list of permissions to be searched80 * @throws MantaSecurityException if an error occured81 */82 public List getPermissionSearchList(Object param) throws MantaSecurityException;83 }84
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Dear Readers,
Here's my pick of the best dressed from the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
I've tried to keep the list a bit broad covering international stars, the young and old, the famous and not so famous.
1. Eva Longoria' s Statement Feather train mermaid dress
|Eva Longoria in a Marchesa gown
2. Diane Kruger's Liquid metallic gold number by Vivienne Westwood's Gold Label.
and her glam Greek goddess look in a pale green Giambattista Valli gown.
3. Najwa's White Lace with Nude Lining Number by fellow Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad and jewellery by Mouawad. She has recently become the first Arab Ambassador for L'Oréal Paris in the Middle East
4. Jane Fonda defying her age and dazzling in metallics
|Jane Fonda in Atelier Versace
|Jane Fonda in Roberto Cavalli
5. Ash rocking her post-pregancy curves in Elie Saab
6. Nina Dobrev shimmering in Elie Saab
|Nina Dobrec wore an Elie Saab dress, Bulgari jewels, and silver Jimmy Choo 'Lance' sandals.
7. Berenice Bejo stunning in red Louis Vuitton gown and Chopard jewellery at the 65th Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony
8.Bérénice Marlohe in Emilio Pucci
9.Naomi Watts in another statement Marchesa gown
10. Salma Hayek looking regal in Gucci
To stay up to date with more Hollywood fashion updates follow by RSS, or email or follow me on Facebook


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Contact Us:02038287353
Because London has a lot of terraced neighbourhoods the conversions have managed their acceptance partially. With areas just like London's East End having several streets of terraced houses, in place of being forced to move out of a place you could possibly understand and love in the search for space, you can only turn to expand your property's present space, Loft Conversion Company in Richmond.
This may generally involve steel beams between loadbearing walls for the flooring joists that are fresh to hang on as well as the rafter segment to become reinforced on ' together with a steel order at the ridge's insertion. This extra insight that was architectural involves expertise, knowledge and equipment that could control range so far as DIY is concerned ' plus a far larger cash expenditure. It's advisable to seek advice from specialist firms in cases like this, Loft Conversion Company in Richmond.
Using a normal loft conversion costing as little as around?25,000, increasingly more people, occasionally reconciled towards the proven fact that they can't manage to go and upscale are embracing the wonder of a loft conversion. From loft conversions that are Victorian, to much more and mansard conversions, your choices for that added level for the residence move.
Many fix work is excluded with replacement windows' conditions, from the Building Rules, underpinning and rewiring, Loft Conversion Company in Richmond. However, with the Building Regulations, brand new building work, including alterations, must comply besides particular new structures such as sheds, outbuildings and a few conservatories.
This, you could possibly request why it is in the top ten?but?a because in the end, we all enjoy the outdoors great architecture designer will require under consideration the environment and integrate it to the pitch! Structure is accented naturally if you possess a view put it to use, or even generate one within your yard. When demonstrating your expansion to friends and family you may not wish a tired-looking yard or can you fairly showcase your house as a whole and be pleased to contact everything yours?
As individuals so do our belongings and expand it becomes apparent more place is needed by us! The price of transferring into a bigger home is substantial and out-of many of our budgets. Here is the explanation many people are going for to give their houses instead. Double storey extensions are a great way of advancing your property at a much lesser cost than moving-house. Double storey extensions suggest not simply are you able to prolong the downstairs and also have an open-plan living space, or a few extra areas for a child ?s playroom or workplace, however the upstairs is expanded also. Adding a master bedroom using an en suite probably. Without getting too much of the terrain whatever your good reasons for needing the excess place, double storey extensions generates this space, you've. It'll also include your home and importance together, making advancing your house an incredible expense.
the back of the house could be boarded making the others of the home habitable although the length of the construct depends on the extent of the project and also the design. Building an extension supplies the opportunity to get trapped without function and the expenditure needed when developing a complete household into an project. Intended, if designed and created appropriately you are able to acquire space and incorporate value to your residence having an extension, while making your personal factor to London ?s new change, Loft Conversion Company in Richmond.
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Cameroon: These Fake Representatives
Cameroonians are very creative. Unfortunately, some of their ingenuity is in the negative direction with principal objective to dupe others. The most recent of such wayward smartness has been spotted in a group of young people. Their target: fans of Prophet T.B. Joshua; the miracle-working Nigerian prophet who is today a household name.
The guys are claiming to be the Prophet's representative in Cameroon. They tell whoever cares to listen how they are preparing for their master's arrival in the country. Very few persons can resist writing their names on that precious list of privileged few who will be received by the great master. But the trouble is that you don't just write your name like that. You have to register. And that is how the guys are eating fat from the naivety of fanatics.
Yesterday, a lady almost ate her head when she realised she had been duped. The guys had asked for FCFA 100,000 from the lady because she insisted that she wanted to be among the first to be received by the Prophet when he arrives in Cameroon. Imagine their take home if they succeed to convince just three to five of such "mbouts" each day! Good business. What do you think?


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SDSS Subscription Server FAQ
1. Why is it called SDSS?
2. Doesn't SDSS compete with Open Market's Transact Scenario?
3. Where did you get this idea? What happened with SDSS v.1? I've never heard of this before.
4. We have customized Softpages. What is the process for incorporating them into SDSS?
5. Does SDSS take up additional siteDirector "Client IDs"?
6. OK, let's say we buy the notion that your solution is cheaper and easier. That doesn't necessarily mean it is better. What specific benefits does SDSS offer?
7. What about LivePublish?
8. Why all the legal mumbo-jumbo about use of your source code? Any Internet development firm can do what you've done, right?
9. Your marketing blurbs all talk about how "simple" and "easy" SDSS is. However, I just downloaded the help file and it is full of configuration options. What's the deal?
10. Hey, wait a minute! As I understand SDSS, my siteDirector server must contact it in order to serve up the Softpages to the end-user. Isn't that going to take a long time?
11. How can I test the performance of SDSS with my system? Is there a demo?
12. Why do you charge such a high percentage to use your merchant account for transactions?
13. When do I create a SubProduct Record?
14. Why do you have a Product Code and a SubProduct Code? What's the difference?
15. Do I need a SubProduct Code for Infobase or File Download Subscriptions?
16. What's the difference between a File Download Subscription and a File Download Purchase?
17. What are the browser requirements for my end users?
18. Why do you use numbers in your date fields instead of dates?
19. Why doesn't my company logo appear on the subscription order page?
1. Why is it called "SDSS"?
This service was originally called the "siteDirector Security Server" (SDSS) because it was initially designed to handle Folio Views Infobases. Since that time, several years ago, we have evolved to handle other content management packages. The service still has the same goal: to provide a complete subscription management system for electronically published information.
We are not trying to compete with E-Store application providers such as Yahoo and Excite -- or even Open Market. We designed SDSS to cater to the needs of Electronic Publishers, specifically Folio Infobase Publishers. We want to use SDSS as a vehicle to move Folio and other Publishers towards e-commerce. Some of them may want to publish their infobases over the web. We think content management packages like siteDirector, LivePublish, NXT3, dtSearch, and others are the best mechanism for that. In our experience, we have seen that other Publishers may want to offer their Infobase CDs online, or the ability to download updates to their existing infobase subscriptions, or just simply sell subscriptions online which are delivered offline. We want SDSS to be able to handle all of these possibilities. While most e-commerce systems are designed for brick and mortar establishments who now want to sell their inventory online, SDSS was designed for information publishers, specifically Folio Publishers. This is our niche.
2. Doesn't SDSS compete with Open Market's Transact Scenario?
We don't believe so. SDSS was designed as an easy, inexpensive, low-end and entry-level entrée to e-commerce enabling Folio Infobases. It requires no programming, no plug-ins, no additional software (beyond siteDirector) at your site. It is basically a software product which runs on our servers, but is totally configurable by you via your browser. It is a 100% Internet E-Commerce solution: That is, it runs totally on the Internet, you administrate it via the Internet, and it enables you to sell information products and services to your customers over the Internet. We think this makes it a totally unique option for siteDirector Publishing.
3. Where did you get this idea? What happened with SDSS v.1? I've never heard of this before.
Actually, we give Open Market credit for part of the idea. We developed the first siteDirector Security Server two years ago, as a solution to e-commerce enabling Folio Infobases over the web. This development was borne of our frustration in trying to find an OM CSP (Commerce Service Provider) we could work with to make e-commerce a reality for "low-end" Folio publishers (you know, the regular guys). We used it primarily for our siteDirector hosting clients and other in-house e-commerce applications which involved Folio products. Earlier this year, it finally dawned on us that the scenario we had developed would work with any siteDirector server on the Internet.
On Open Market's website (http://www.openmarket.com),
there is a link to "Keenan
Report:Winning the Merchant Wars" leading to a report titled "The e-Merchant Opportunity of 1999". In "Part 1: The e-Merchant Stack" of this article, Mr. Keenan writes:
"To handle the onslaught of new customers e-merchant service providers will need
to package together technology and services to create a simple set of services that
makes any small business into an e-merchant will little effort. Whoever can make it
simple and financially viable to make the move online will be best able to line up an
array of e-merchants in their stable that will cater the diversifying needs of online
Further along, it continues:
"For e-merchants, ease of use and low cost define the value propositions that
e-commerce apps need to deliver. E-merchants also need to completely control the
operation of their e-commerce apps with a simple web browser, avoiding
client-server or other specialized applications employed by high-end e-commerce
site operators."
We agreed with these statements, and endeavored to turn our SDSS into just such an E-Commerce Application for siteDirector Infobase Publishers. Hence, SDSS Version 2. We hope we have succeeded in that effort.
Please visit Keenan's website and read the entire report. We also highly recommend that you visit Open Market's site to understand their siteDirector E-Commerce options as you evaluate SDSS.
4. We have customized Softpages. What is the process for incorporating them into SDSS?
From our Help file we have the following statement: "If you don't understand anything else about this process, please understand this: Every sD Frame Softpage that can be used to access your infobase in an intelligible way MUST point to an SDSS Softpage." Any Frame level Softpage you are using must be replaced by an SDSS Softpage. If you are using customized pages, and wish to continue using these same pages, then SDSS must be updated to accommodate them. We will need you to send us copies of the pages in question, and we will send you SDSS Softpages to replace them as "Softpage Aliases". We charge $25 per Softpage for this service. The only Softpages which need to be customized are those which are equivalents to these default sD pages:
5. Does SDSS take up additional siteDirector "Client IDs"?
Yes. It takes one additional client because our host makes some calls back to your server. Mostly, however, your end-user makes the requests to your siteDirector server. However, since our host is the same IP, the client ID should not change. We simply prevent the page from being displayed until the user is logged in. However, there are some issues with the whole sD client ID setup which are beyond us -- like why an additional client is sometimes added when a user refreshes. Bottom line: the more client IDs you are registered for, the better.
6. OK, let's say we buy the notion that your solution is cheaper and easier. That doesn't necessarily mean it is better. What specific benefits does SDSS offer?
The SDSS subscription process for end-users requires no intervention on your part. It takes end-users through the signup process, and expires them, automatically. Once the subscriptions are set up, SDSS handles everything from there, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You receive automatic e-mail notifications on all new signups/purchases/subscriptions. SDSS also sends out automatic renewal notices to your end-users. SDSS offers you COMPLETE control over your service options by browser. SDSS records, and lets you retrieve, the most complete information available on who is accessing your infobases, when, and to what degree. We actually allow you to make direct SQL queries to our database to retrieve any information you desire (well, almost any information -- we can't let you see *everything*).
Let's put it this way: SDSS was designed by people who have been publishing Folio Infobases since the mid-80's, and hosting Infobases over the Internet since *before* Version 1 of the original Folio WebServer. SDSS was originally developed by us for us, so you can imagine all the features we put in to make our jobs easier. Now, imagine all the features put in to make *your* job easier as well. It was designed by publishers for publishers. That, in our humble opinion, is a compelling reason to at least check out SDSS.
7. What about LivePublish?
We believe that LivePublish is a great product. We do intend to incorporate it into the SDSS system in the long term. However, right now, in OUR opinion, the best e-commerce solution for infobases is with siteDirector. It has a track record, an installed customer base, and a proven ability to publish Folio 3.x and 4.x infobase over the web. Of course, we could be wrong. You, the market, will certainly let us know in short order.
8. Why all the legal mumbo-jumbo about use of your source code? Any Internet development firm can do what you've done, right?
Right. We, as you, believe in the free and unfettered flow of information. But look at it this way: You are a Folio Publisher. You publish the State Code of Montana. Any competent Folio Publisher can do this. He/She can even study your infobase for ideas on how to put it together. But, is it OK for them to steal your Flat File, run it through a parser to change the look and feel, then begin selling their version of the State Code of Montana against yours? We didn't think so. We just want to give notice that if you steal our stuff, we're gonna come after you. I mean, it's not like we are trying to patent the term "Internet Commerce" or anything like that.
9. Your marketing blurbs all talk about how "simple" and "easy" SDSS is. However, I just downloaded the help file and it is full of configuration options. What's the deal?
Can you spell "c-o-m-p-r-e-h-e-n-s-i-v-e"? If we could decide the name of your subscription, the amounts to charge, the duration of the subscriptions and so on, it would only take 5 minutes to get your infobase secured and e-commerce enabled. Unfortunately, you may have some ideas of your own. Once you obtain an SDSS Client Source Code and username/password, you only need to define the subscription and the infobase(s) which are a part of the subscription. For infobase subscriptions, that's it. When the SDSS Softpages are installed at your end, you are ready to rock and roll.
10. Hey, wait a minute! As I understand SDSS, my siteDirector server must contact it in order to serve up the Softpages to the end-user. Isn't that going to take a long time?
It could. Just like several factors can cause your sD server to respond at different rates (time of day, traffic, server utilization, etc...). However, we generally estimate that the time increase to deliver a SDSS page as opposed to a straight siteDirector page will be between 30% and 75%. You are right, your sD server has to contact SDSS, but we have a Java multi-threaded application running at our end which can serve the page several times faster than your sD server does. It can do this because, unlike sD, it doesn't require the httpd service processes. The major time impacts will be with the connection between your sD and our SDSS, and the time between our SDSS and the end-user. Our feeling is that with at least T1 connections on both sides of the connection, the sD to SDSS to sD connect should be fairly instantaneous. And remember that your sD server is no longer actually sending the main page to be displayed, SDSS is. Also, with more users gravitating to DSL, Cable and other high speed connections, whatever appreciable time delay there is will soon disappear.
Please note that not *every* page requires a contact to our server. The most frequently used pages are called directly from your server. Only the less frequently updated frame and search pages require calls to our server.
Finally, if normal SDSS performance is simply unacceptable at your site, and we agree with that determination, we do have a version of the SDSS program which can be run locally on your sD Server or network. Because it is written in Java, it is platform independant and can be installed under NT, Unix, Linux, Windows 95/98,. etc... However, all other SDSS requirements remain the same and the SDSS database also remains on our server. The only difference will be that your SDSS Softpages will point to your SDSS server instead of ours, thus slightly reducing the amount of time it takes to communicate between your sD server and SDSS. This scenario, if necessary, will require the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and JDBC installed at your site as well as an OpenLink Multi-Tiered ODBC Driver and license.
11. How can I test the performance of SDSS with my system? Is there a demo?
There is no demo. SDSS works. Period. It is a 100% Internet-based service. If you are on the Internet, you can get to SDSS and it can get to you. The real question is: how fast? As stated above, there really is no guaranteed response time because there are too many variables. Someone who's decision to use SDSS boils down to whether it takes 1 second or 2 seconds to connect is probably someone who needs to look at another solution. We feel the benefits are so great that you are either going to commit to SDSS or not.
The one scenario where SDSS may have a problem is when an end-user logs on from a proxy server that is changing the IP address announced in his browser. This is rare, but it does happen. This is an issue to be resolved between the end-user, his ISP, and his browser. SDSS, while using cookies, relies primarily on session IP addresses to identify end-users. This is, in our opinion, the best method for providing HTTPD access.
There is, however, a tool you can use to at least get some feel for the connect time. You can drop down to DOS on your NT server and enter "ping host2.scbbs.com". Try pinging other sites as well such as Yahoo, Netscape, CompuServe, etc... Record the results. Do this a few times over a few days. This will give you an idea of how long it takes your server to connect to the SDSS server.
There is also a test sD server running at: http://126.96.36.199/cgi-bin/om_isadll?infobase=test.nfo&softpage=Browse_Frame_Pg42
This sD server is not on our network and has to travel across the Internet, as yours would, to connect to SDSS.
Finally, if performance is a real issue at your site, we do have an alternate solution. See the end of Number 10.
12. Why do you charge such a high percentage to use your merchant account for transactions?
Because, quite honestly, we do NOT want to be the Merchant of Record (MOR) for your credit card transactions (which is what we are so long as you use our merchant account). SDSS is designed to get you set up to do e-commerce in a few minutes. However, if you are going to really be an E-Merchant, you should have an E-Merchant Account. We want to get you online as quick as possible, but we also want to discourage you from relying on our merchant account to sell your stuff.
13. When do I create a SubProduct Record?
Only when you have an item you wish to make available via the SDSS Shopping Cart. This would be either a file download or shipped product. A SubProduct Record is not required for infobase or file download subscriptions.
14. Why do you have a Product Code and a SubProduct Code? What's the difference?
The Product Code identifies a general class of product. The SubProduct Code identifies individual items which can be purchased. Each SubProduct must have a main Product Code. In other words, the Product Code is the father, the SubProduct Code the child.
15. Do I need a SubProduct Code for Infobase or File Download Subscriptions?
No. Each new Subscription Record is allocated a unique code. This code, along with the pricing you enter when you create the record, is automatically used as a SubProduct Record, under the main Product Code "O".
16. What's the difference between a File Download Subscription and a File Download Purchase?
A File Download Subscription gives end-users access to a file over a period of time. It is intended as a mechanism for delivering updates to infobase or other software products on an on-going basis. A File Download Purchase via the shopping cart is intended as a one-time purchase of the file in question.
17. What are the browser requirements for my end users?
We have tested SDSS with Internet Explorer 4.01 and 5.0, Netscape Navigator 4.04 and 4.5. We know it will NOT work with IE 3.0. You can access our demo "test.nfo" to see how it may react in your browser. Use the username "demo", password "demo".
18. Why do you use numbers in your date fields instead of dates?
19. Why doesn't my company logo appear on the subscription order page?
The order page is a secured page, which means all elements in it must come from a secure server. Your logo comes from the URL you entered into the Logo URL field of your Source Record. For it to be secure, and appear on the order page, your logo needs to be on our server. Please contact your SDSS System Administrator in order to upload your logo to him. Once uploaded, you should change your Logo URL to:
https://dns.scbbs.com/images/<your logo filename>
(Please don't forget that this is "https", not "http").


text:
This is positively adorable! With only three ingredients, blue kool aid - sherbert - ginger ale, it is so simple to make! The sherbert and ginger ale mixing make it look like bath water. This is … [Read more...]
Ducky Baby Shower Punch
Homemade Coconut Salt Scrub
It's no secret that coconut oil is so wonderful in numerous ways. We found this awesome tutorial on how to make your own coconut salt scrub! Go ahead and make this for yourself for a nice … [Read more...]


text:
We have asked Tom Harris, the ex-Transport Minister and Labour MP, to review our delivery against our People Value for the last three years. A summary from Tom is included to the right. It is a demonstration of our seriousness to our People Value and doing all we can to deliver on it for our staff, that we open ourselves up to independent critique in this manner. Tom's three reports can also be found on our Group website.
We have led the industry in a number of aspects of our People Value. Our Master Driver Programme goes from strength to strength, recognising the driving achievements of our staff and serving as an excellent engagement programme. Master Driver provides a framework to measure the performance of drivers and recognise and reward those with impeccable safety and customer service records as well as excellent driving skills. Across the Group, we now have 728 Master Drivers and 903 Advanced Drivers. We have also recently created a similar programme for engineers and technicians and will be rolling this out in 2018.
Our commitment to the higher Living Wage Foundation Living Wage is long-standing and growing. Our UK coach business will shortly target accreditation by the Living Wage Foundation. The UK bus business continues to pay the higher Living Wage and receive the Living Wage Foundation accreditation. Our policy remains the same across the Group as a whole: where widely recognised and understood national Living Wages are not in place, we commit to pay at least 10% above the prevailing national minimum wage.
We have a number of policies in place to protect the rights of our employees. Our Workplace Rights Policy and Human Rights Policy have been in place for a number of years and are published on our website. We investigate and take appropriate action to deal with any alleged breaches of these policies. Wherever our employees choose to be represented by unions, we actively seek to maintain relationships based on mutual respect and transparency.
We recognise the importance of the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act, which came into effect in 2015. The Group has a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking and remains committed to strengthening its practices to uphold that approach. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls which ensure slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in our business or supply chains.
One example of this is our implementation of a new Modern Slavery Policy which is published on our Group website. Our first Modern Slavery Statement, which set out all steps taken by the Group to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in our business or supply chains, is available on our website. We review the effectiveness of the steps we have taken each year and report on these in subsequent statements each year. Accordingly, we will be publishing a signed copy of the Group's second Modern Slavery Statement on our website during the year.
It is our policy to conduct all of our business in an honest and ethical manner. As a Group we do not tolerate bribery and corruption and are committed to acting professionally, fairly and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships wherever we operate, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems to counter bribery and corruption. We have a Group anti-bribery policy which is available on our website and last year we implemented a refresh programme, which included an e-training module, to remind employees how to prevent, detect and report suspicions of bribery through our whistleblowing hotline. During the course of this year, we have also developed and implemented a revised gifts and hospitality policy to give further guidance to employees.
Employee, senior management and director numbers by gender at end of 2017
|Senior Managers
|All employees


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Editor's note: Aaron Sagers is a New York-based entertainment writer and nationally syndicated pop-culture columnist. He has specialty knowledge in "paranormal pop culture," has lectured at conventions nationwide on the topic and is a media pundit on supernatural entertainment. He covers pop culture daily at ParanormalPopCulture.com and can be found on Twitter @aaronsagers.
It was the best of cons, it was the worst of cons, it was the age of fan celebration, it was the age of crass commercialism, it was the epoch of true believers, it was the epoch of sell outs, it was the season of the nerd, it was the season of Hollywood.
Never before had I felt such a sense of belonging accompanied by one that I was out of place.
San Diego Comic-Con 2011: After a day of conducting press interviews and covering panels, I hit The Con floor to pick up some swag before booths closed. There were more than 130,000 attendees and I think I bumped into every single one of them. My eyes were in constant danger from too-close interactions with passing wings, lightsabers, claws and more than a few Dalek protrusions – and I had no Nick Fury patch to cover any resulting eye loss.
Despite the threat, and claustrophobia, I felt I was with my people.
With a newly acquired foam Sword of Omens from "ThunderCats" and an Oscorp Industries ID badge from Sony's "The Amazing Spider-Man" display, I headed to the Hard Rock Hotel across the street from the convention center in pursuit of a Her Universe "Sharktopus" tee from the Syfy shop.
People lined up outside a Hard Rock club, and my finely-tuned instinct to pursue free food and booze (when not pursuing swag) kicked in. An SUV limo pulled up, the very important posse of a very important person filed into the club, and the nerds outside were left with a snapshot of a celeb and an encounter with the superhero of the Con's party circuit – the Velvet Rope Guardian.
The message is clear: This is not for you, you don't belong, return to the your area. FULL POST
After hearing so much about San Diego Comic-Con, you may be considering attending next year. If so, here are a few helpful pointers:
Start planning early - like, now:
No trip to Comic-Con can be spur of the moment. Tickets go on sale months ahead of time–and usually sell out instantaneously. Once you have those tickets, you will want to lay out your plan of attack for the time you're there, not to mention figure out your accommodations, a separate battle.
Lines, lines, everywhere a line:
The lines at Comic-Con, especially for Hall H, make theme park lines seem like a breeze. This year, the line-to-line-up for Hall H serpentined past the convention center and around the back of the gigantic hotel next door - at 6 a.m. People sleep out there. Unless you have no interest in any major panels, you will wait in line seemingly endlessly. See this as a chance to get to know your fellow Con-goers.
Bring along a Con-veteran:
It can be a tremendous help if you have a friend with you who has been there and done that. It can get difficult flying blind. Especially with rumors of crowds pushing the 200,000 mark, if you don't know where you're going you may have no choice about where you end up.
Plan your day wisely:
"Never do anything before 11," said Geek and Sundry's Felicia Day. "And make sure you have dinner with the people you really want to catch up with. You can go from thing to thing and be so frenzied about it. Make your Con about things you really love, because there's so much to distract you."
Stake out specific panels:
The nichiest of niche panels exist at Comic-Con, such as the "Ball Jointed Doll Collectors Group" or "The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics 'Zombies' Panel." Look hard enough and you may find one for you, with a much shorter line to get in.
Prepare to geek out:
"You get to meet your heroes. It doesn't matter if you're here or if you're Peter Jackson," remarked "Doctor Who" star Matt Smith. "I bet Peter Jackson saw someone and said, 'Wow, you're here, too. Cool.' "
Whether it's going to a panel for something you like or finding a toy or comic book you've been looking for, prepare to squee.
See you at Comic-Con 2013!
"Mythbuster" Adam Savage has a true appreciation for costuming.
"I have several different suits and pieces of armor," he said as he prepped his Comic-Con 2012 costume, "and I've never seen anything like this quality."
"You could go to battle in this," he said.
Every year, Savage combines his love of costuming and Comic-Con with a special opportunity for "Mythbusters" fans. He calls it #adamincognito. Fans follow his Twitter to get clues about his costume and once Savage hits the exhibition floor, they try to find him out in person.
This year's #adamincognito costume was a Ringwraith from "Lord of the Rings." The armor was hand-made by Scott Maple from Kropserkle in Canada.
Once decked out in full Nazgul regalia, Savage had to get all seven feet of his costume into the convention center from his room in the adjacent Marriott Marquis hotel. His assistant carried his Comic-Con badge so it wouldn't be obvious who was in the costume.
Savage was able to walk from the far end of the exhibit floor until, rather appropriately, the Weta Workshop and "Hobbit" booths before being found out. The winners of the challenge got passes to see the "Mythbusters" panel.
Fans oohed, aahed, screamed and at times cried on Saturday afternoon in San Diego Comic-Con's famed Hall H.
It wasn't a swoon-worthy "Twilight" panel causing all the ruckus though.
The long-awaited "Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was one of several upcoming movies being teased with appearances by cast and crew. Hall H lived up to its reputation as a place where nerd dreams come true, if the reaction of the crowd - many of whom had been in line for hours - was any indication. Both Sir Ian McKellen and surprise guest Elijah Wood received standing ovations.
In the case of the J.R.R. Tolkien classic, the fans' reactions - and dogged faithfulness to the characters - often go back to their early years.
"I've been a huge fan of 'The Hobbit' since I was 5 or 6, when my dad read it to me," said Antonio Cazzato of Santa Cruz, California.
"I love 'The Hobbit,'" said comic book artist Holly Golightly. "I remember reading in our class. … It changed my life. Those books are the reason that I'm a comic book artist. To see a glimpse of something that might inspire me and give me a lift - I think 'The Hobbit' (film) is going to be one of them."
George R. R. Martin, author of the "Game of Thrones" book series, was similarly inspired by Tolkien.
"I'm a huge fan of Peter Jackson. I love the 'Lord of the Rings' movies," he said. "I love what I've seen of 'The Hobbit' so far, so I'm looking forward to that one enormously." FULL POST
Fighting through the throngs of revelers at San Diego's packed convention center during Comic-Con can be a harrowing experience - an overwhelming crush of sharp elbows and gigantic swag bags.
It's worth the hassle for plenty of pop culture fans. But lately, some pass-holders are happy to escape the panel lines and exhibition hall (which is as humid as any Florida afternoon) even though they likely spent $175 on admission.
Welcome to the party across the street - and even down the block. There's a slew of scheduled events and multi-day hangouts outside the venue that celebrate comic books and nerdery. FULL POST


text: Rebekah suffered severe burns after falling into a cooking fire. When she was bought into the hospital doctors at Haydom considered her lucky to be alive. Dr Akwesso operated and after surgery Rebekah made a strong recovery. Rebekah's mum couldn't afford the cost of the surgery but thanks to Hermes, who ran the Edinburgh Marathon to raise the money, the bill has now been paid.


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Pharaoh, in his detailed description of his dream, tells Joseph,
"I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; and lo, seven ears, withered, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears…" (Gen.41:22-24)
What's peculiar about Pharaoh's dreams is the fact that, both with the seven cows in the first dream, and then with the seven ears in the second, that which is rich and healthy is swallowed up by that which comes after. There is nothing left.
This is reminiscent of debt servicing. It can be extremely discouraging to find oneself in a position in which throwing a huge amount of money at a debt makes a nearly imperceptible dent in the overall principle. In extreme cases, the debt increases so rapidly that income cannot keep up with the interest. In such situations, bankruptcy is around the corner.
In the case of famine, when hunger exceeds the ability of the food source to meet the need, starvation and death are imminent.
The strategy of Joseph deals effectively with the problem that this dream presents. What can we learn from this story that speaks to our own faith journey?
The word withered in this verse has an interesting root in the Hebrew, "tzunema", which comes from Aramaic, and means "rock" (Rashi).
In it's usage in this verse in the Torah, it would be defined as hard or dry, like hard soil, hard as rock.
This same word is found in the Talmud in Bava Metzia. In the discussion in the Gemara where it is found, the "tzunema", or rock, creates a barrier under the ground below a boundary fence which prevents the roots of a tree from spreading into a neighbor's field.
"With what are we dealing here? We are dealing with a case where a hard rock (tzunema) interrupts between two fields, preventing the roots from passing through to the other field." (Talmud, Bava Metzia 18a, Koren Steinsaltz edition)
Note that the rock forms the point at which the roots "wither", and the roots cannot establish themselves beyond it.
So the ears of grain in our verse above have become tzunema: rock. Their characteristic is hardness, and an inability to absorb moisture. This means that, just as in the dream, no matter how many nutrients, or how much water, is given to it, it cannot absorb any of it, and it remains dry and empty.
This hints at an extremely subtle but important spiritual truth. By combining the strategy of Joseph to mitigate the effects of the coming famine with the teachings of the Master, we will see something which might rescue our faith from shipwreck.
"Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Matt.13:3-9)
This passage is usually understood as the response to the gospel, and this is the primary interpretation. But there is also something that is very important to see in it for those on the journey of faith.
There are going to be seasons in our life in which we will be in a "famine"; times in which we are so dry and hard that we cannot even absorb the spiritual nutrients that others bring to us.
During these times of spiritual dryness, our condition won't improve no matter how much water is poured on us. Like the elements of Pharaoh's dream, the times of leanness will be so severe, it will seem to us as though we've never even believed in God to begin with. Our hearts will be like tzunema; rock, and we will feel shallow, fragile. What this portion teaches us is that these seasons are going to come into our life no matter how spiritual we are. It's a season.
It's a season that can't be avoided, but it can be prepared for. That is the second thing we learn in this portion; these seasons of dryness have the potential to kill us spiritually, if we don't apply wisdom and prepare ourselves during times of growth.
If we are diligent to store up spiritual provision for ourselves during times of fruitfulness, we will have the ability to draw from the storehouse during the famine, and we will survive the hard times.
How do we "store up" provision for ourselves? We are commonly taught that God's provision is like "manna", and we only have what we need for that day. This is true of course, but the Master also teaches us to "store up" treasure for ourselves. This spiritual "treasure" is merit to us.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt.6:19-21)
Great. So what can we do to "capture" a portion of our spiritual abundance and store it for a future time of need?
By obedience. By diligent study. By performing mitzvot (obeying commandments). In short, by performing righteousness. Our righteous acts are a treasure. They bless others. They bless God. The scripture tells us that they credit righteousness for us on our behalf. And practically speaking, the discipline of serving others and obeying God builds up spiritual "muscles" and endurance, and will enable us to press on when times are hard.
"It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Rev.19:8)
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph.2:10)
We will not experience this if we are "consumers" of our faith. If all we do is close our eyes and "soak up" the experience of spiritual abundance, as though we are sitting on the beach during vacation, we will be unpleasantly surprised when the leanness comes. When our faith experience is all about ourselves, we are doing fine…until we reach a place of famine. Then, the selfish, self-absorbed believer does not have the strength to survive. They will starve to death. It will be a crises. On the outside, others may not see it. But you will know it. You are drying up.
There is a sentiment within evangelicalism, particularly among the more charismatic elements of the movement, that falsely thinks that all one needs is the Spirit of God. If we "walk in the power of the Spirit", the thinking goes, we will never experience a spiritual famine. But this just isn't so. Our own personal experience in life should tell us otherwise.
"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Jn.3:8)
Like the dream of Pharaoh, there is nothing you can do to stop it from happening. You can only prepare for it.
We do this by deliberately adding to our faith those things that will help us be strong.
"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge" (2 Pet.1:5).
Many people talk about working out and getting in shape. God wants you to be in shape. You know it's His will for you. But you also know that the Holy Spirit is not going to get you in shape. The weights aren't going to lift themselves. The stair-climber won't climb by itself. You must put in the work. The effort. The sweat. The preparation. You can say no to the cheesecake. (I'll have your slice. Thanks.)
But, the good part of this sobering message is that, when you have done so, and you have prepared, you will not only survive the famine yourself, you will shine a light for others also. And this an important aspect of the Kingdom of God.
Finally, the portion teaches us one final lesson that all of us should know:
The storehouse of provision is a picture of the Messianic Era that is yet to come.
Sometimes tzunema is a good thing, such as when we trust in the "rock" that is Messiah, and like our Talmud passage, in which the rock provides benefit for the property owners. But sometimes, tzunema is not a good thing, such as when our hearts have become hard and unable to receive the life-giving nourishment of God's instruction and His Presence.
Fear not.
There is one who has gone before us who already knew that we would find ourselves far from home, exposed to the elements, without the provision needed to make it. There is a promise that we will not be forsaken.
"Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." (Matt.14:16)
That's right, the Master told his disciples that they were responsible to feed the flock. But how?
From where did the Master draw this food to feed the 5 thousand who were there? From the storehouse.


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Vyacheslav Nikonov: Russia Is Better than Its Image in the West/ Главная / Russkiy Mir Foundation / Publications / Vyacheslav Nikonov: Russia Is Better than Its Image in the West
Vyacheslav Nikonov: Russia Is Better than Its Image in the West
In an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russkiy Mir Foundation Director Vyacheslav Nikonov talks about the role and objectives of Russkiy Mir in the formation of Russia's image and the development of national culture.
– To what extent is Russkiy Mir concerned about the image of our country?
– The task of forming and correcting the country's image is a task for the entire state and a large number of organizations. We do not have a special focus on PR.
The Foundation was created four years ago as a nongovernmental center for the popularization of the Russian language and support of programs for its study abroad. Following global trends, we have already acquired our own and in many ways unique experience in humanitarian cooperation.
Over these years we have noticed a increased interest in Russian culture. There are countries which are telling us they have a deficit in Russian teachers. The Foundation provides grants in support of teaches of Russian language and literature, for the creation of new textbooks, publication of books, supplementary materials and monographs. All of this is for Russian schools, courses and university departments abroad. In four years we have provided grant support to more than 800 humanitarian projects all across the world.
Another important focus of the Foundation is the creation of Russian Centers in partnership with the largest universities and libraries in the world. There are already around 80. And each of them receives from us textbooks, study guides, encyclopedias and dictionaries. Not to mention books, video equipment and multimedia programs for independent study of the Russian language and Russia itself. If such work can be qualified as helping improve the country's image, then I agree.
– One gets the impression that you don't really have very many problems.
– To the contrary. I am convinced that our work entails a slew of problems.
One of them is changing stereotypes which impede an adequate perception of our country as it is in reality.
We should keep in mind that Russia has not just one but rather a multitude of images. We are working on all the continents and thus we see how wide and contradictory this spectrum of impressions of our country is. Attitudes can be starkly different: starting from great respect and ending with not so much hate as sincere pity.
What they write and say about us in the well-known Western European and American media is a small but very important segment. Our image in these countries hasn't changed for centuries.
Take England – a hundred years ago they were writing the same thing that they are now. And Berezovsky or Zakaev – don't they feel just as at home in London as the socialist-revolutionary bombers were welcome there in the early 20th century. Russian is often presented in the eyes of the West as an empire and dictatorship.
This might seem strange, but I will have to agree with one of my colleagues from Canada: this attitude toward us stems from, among other things, the fact that we are white. That is, Europe and America expect us to follow the behavioral model of the Western white man. And they are strongly disappointed when our reaction differs.
They believe that we must constantly demonstrate to them our European image. However, throughout its entire history Russia has been a self-sufficient civilization. That is why we insist not that they love us but rather that they understand this point. Russia, even with all the deficiencies we know it has, is better than its image in the West.
If we speak of warm feelings of the West toward Russia, then such emotional outbursts have only occurred several times: from February to May 1917 and from August to December 1991, i.e., when Russia was collapsing. We can also recall a more positive tone from our allies in the anti-Hitler coalition during World War II, but even then it was not so straightforward.
The rest of the time, in their eyes we are an unpredictable, dictatorial power.
– But the West is not the entire world.
– Of course, but in other corners of the world are not problem free either. Take Africa for example. There Russians are perceived, or course, as white people. But more decent that Europeans or Americans, as we did not colonize Africa. If you take the 1.3 billion Chinese, then we are for them a country that was great in the past that fell apart for some reasons incomprehensible to them. And thus Russia is a clear example of how not to do things.
Further we have India. Here it is easier: Russia is a good parent and kind friend of India.
In Southeast Asia, the ASEAN countries (where 570 million live), they have heard something about Russia. The exceptions are Cambodia and Vietnam, where they remain thankful for the assistance of the Soviet Union in their development and in the war with America. The rest of the countries perceive Russia as some big, far-off country where the residents are not quite like they are.
For Latin America we are a rather interesting partner with whom one can and should do business.
As far as Australia is concerned, it is a place where globe often have Antarctica on the top, and Russia simply isn't visible.
– Such a 'love and hate map' probably makes it necessary to maneuver substantially and think about the effective means for influencing stereotypes, prejudices and lack of knowledge?
– Of course. Each continent has its own peculiarity. But there are certain general difficulties. For example, it is a rare thing for a state to consider the study of a foreign language and foreign culture a pressing necessity. Perhaps the learning of English as a global means of communication is today considered a requirement. But it's not common that you hear the say about the Russian language.
Furthermore, there are countries where issues related to cultural cooperation are decided on the state level. For example in North Korea or even China. There are state which thanks to their elevated national concerns see almost no need for strengthening the development of cultural diversity. For example, France, where the Russian language is not likely to be seen as something essential, just as English and German.
There are other countries with a very wide variety of problems. For example, Kyrgyzstan, where our main problem is that many people would like to study our language but they do not have enough textbooks, Russian literature and most importantly teachers and funds to support such education.
At the same time you have the United States, where there's no money issue and Russian language libraries can be larger than even some of ours. There are countries with center and traditions of studying the Russian language, and here cooperation with the Foundation occurs on one level. And then you have some where there is nothing at all! For example, Guatemala of Hong Kong, until recently. Or Nicaragua, which you could call our ally, having recognized South Ossetia.
In places like that you have to start from scratch. Help them and create groups, centers, university department and find teachers. In Guatemala a group has appeared that is studying Russia. For now it is based on just on Orthodox orphanage.
– Do Russian diasporas have an influence on this process?
– Yes. In places where these diasporas are large in number, they try to raise the issue of the teaching of the Russian language to the state level. The situation is already quite different when the language is included in education programs, even if only as an elective. In Germany this is already starting to be the case in certain regions and in the Baltic states as well.
According to my estimates in EU countries the Russian-speaking population is about 10 million people. And that means that there is a great potential for teaching various disciplines and subjects in the Russian language, and a number of countries this approach is finding support.
The Russian language residents of the United States represent a large diaspora. Russian has become an official language of the State of New York.
Together with American colleagues we studied the state of affairs and discovered that Russian is taught in 3000 schools. And the largest number are found in Texas.
– That's interesting. Why?
– There are two reasons: space and oil.
– Let's say that an American journalist was sitting here, don't you think he might ask: "Why do you Russian need to have people studying your language everywhere?"
– We need above all else for our language to live. After all, a language is a nation. It's not blood, as the nationalists would have you believe. Language and culture – those are the basis of a nation, its genetic code. If we want to preserve ourselves as a nation, then naturally we must be attentive to the life and difficulties of our language; we must help it.
Do you know how many languages there are in the world? From five to six thousand. But each month two languages die while not a single one is born. That's 24 languages a year.
We need to preserve our historic code. The Russian language today has been scattered across the entire planet.
According to my estimates, there are more Russian speakers outside Russia than within. And, secondly, over the last 20 years the number of Russian speakers on the earth dropped by 50 million people. And that's at a minimum. No other language has disappeared so fast and so dramatically…
– I don't know what it is like in other countries, but nongovernmental organizations are seen as quite suspicious by our authorities. Do other states have problems with Russkiy Mir? Perhaps you are not teaching your language but rather entangling our trusting citizens in subversive activities or intelligence work?
– There's no doubt that nongovernmental organizations play an important role in promoting the interests of their countries. Interestingly, in the United States, for example, 15,000 NGOs work in the foreign policy niche. An how many Western organizations are present in Ukraine? Over a thousand. Russian organizations in Ukraine? Until recently there were only two. And in general we have only about a half a dozen teams working in the foreign policy niche.
I have heard accusations leveled at us: in Ukraine during Yushchenko's administration and in Estonia. In other countries they view humanitarian cooperation with understanding.
– Last week Vladimir Putin published an article in Nezavisimaya Gazeta titled Russia: the Ethnicity Issue. Along with a number of other critic issues, he mentioned that migrants coming to work in Russia should pass an exam on Russian language, literature and history. In your opinion, how should such objectives be accomplished and could they have an impact on the work of the Russkiy Mir Foundation?
– This can be seen as a condition for providing citizenship, as in many other countries. It's desirable for working on construction sites, but not mandatory. By the way, we have organized Russian language courses in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan especially for those who want to work in our country. But in terms of introducing a Russian language exam as a qualifier for work, it would be a good thing to introduce such a thing for Russian civil servants.
Yuri Solomonov,
Nezavisimaya Gazeta


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CHICAGO- On Friday night the Illinois-Chicago Flames (17-13, 12-5 Horizon League) hosted the Northern Kentucky Norse (21-8, 15-3 HL) in a crucial game with Horizon League regular season championship implications. A win by the Flames would increase their chances of winning a share of the title, unfortunately the Norse would have other plans.
The start of the game was a back and forth affair for both teams. Heading into the first break at the 14 minute mark both teams were tied at 9. Unfortunately UIC would miss their next seven shots over the following eight minutes and found themselves trailing 27-16. NKU would finish the first half on a 14-10 run to take a 41-26 halftime lead.
The Flames only made 8-of-25 shots in the first 20 minutes. They started the second half on a 10-2 run, forcing the Norse to call a timeout with 16:42 left in regulation. After that timeout, the Flames would get back-to-back baskets by sophomore forward Jordan Blount and sophomore guard Marcus Ottey which cut the NKU lead to 43-40. Then with six minutes left to play, Ottey along with senior forward Tai Odiase, and sophomore guard Dominique Matthews led the Flames back by collectively scoring 14 points to tie the game at 61.
Unfortunately UIC couldn't take advantage as the Norse took the game back by finishing on a 17-11 run and walked out of the UIC Pavilion with a 79-72 win.
"We dug a hole, we fought back hard, and we just couldn't come up with the play when we needed to," said UIC head coach Steve McClain in his post-game press conference.
Illinois-Chicago allowed Northern Kentucky to score 38 points in the paint, as well as 13 second chance points, and were outscored in bench points by the Norse 21-19. The Norse took full advantage of the Flames miscues on defense.
"We made immature decisions, we missed block outs on free throws…. We just did some things that at some point we just got to grow up on the court. They made shots and we didn't," said McClain.
Norse guard Lavone Holland led all scorers with 25 points. The Flames were led by the aforementioned Odiase, junior forward Dikembe Dixson, and sophomore guard Tarkus Ferguson who scored 14, 12 and 11 points respectively.
At the same time however UIC only made 40-percent of their field goals (25-of-62), 28-percent of their three-point attempts (6-of-21), and missed seven free throws (finished 16-of-23). As a result the Flames are no longer eligible to win the Horizon League crown, the last time UIC won their conference's regular season trophy was back in 1998.
Despite the loss however, the turnaround under McClain is evident. The Flames went from just five wins two seasons ago, to just their fourth double-digit win season since 2013, and their first winning season since that same year when they played in the College Insider Tournament. The Flames this year could be the NIT tournament when all is said and done.
"I think this team is fun to watch, I think they're fun to be a part of. And as you build a program, that's what you're trying to create," McClain added.
The silver lining in all of this is that UIC will have a top-three seed in next week's Horizon League Tournament in Detroit.