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Cocoa, Florida
Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida. The population was 17,140 at the 2010 United States Census.[2] It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Cocoa, Florida
|City of Cocoa
Top row: Cocoa Welcome sign; Bottom row: Cocoa City Hall
Location in Brevard County and the state of Florida
|Coordinates: 28°22′10″N 80°44′38″W
|• Type
|• Mayor
|Henry U. Parrish, III
|• City Manager
|John Titkanich, Jr.
|• Total
|15.41 sq mi (39.91 km2)
|• Land
|13.34 sq mi (34.55 km2)
|• Water
|2.07 sq mi (5.36 km2)
|36 ft (11 m)
|• Total
| • Estimate
|• Density
|1,395.83/sq mi (538.92/km2)
|Time zone
|UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
|• Summer (DST)
|Area code(s)
|FIPS code
|GNIS feature ID
Several stories circulate among Cocoa old timers as to how the town got its name. One story says that the mail used to come by river boat and was placed in an empty tin box labeled Baker's Cocoa. The box was nailed to a piling in the river next to downtown. Additionally, an early hotel in the area, located on the Indian River lagoon, was named Cocoa House.[6]
In 1885, the S. F. Travis Hardware store opened. It is still in business in 2014.[7] Cocoa's business district was mostly destroyed by fire in 1890. But soon, significant development was stimulated by the extension of the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Indian River Railway to Cocoa.
The city was chartered on October 1, 1895.[8][9] In the winter of 1894–1895, Cocoa had an economic setback when the "Great Freeze" destroyed the citrus crop and forced many citrus workers to seek new jobs. According to one source, by 1903, the population of Cocoa had dropped to 382.
During the second decade of the 20th century, population growth and economic development in Cocoa accelerated. The state business directory of 1911–1912 set the population at 550. By 1925, the population was estimated at 1,800. During the Great Depression, the local economy declined and the two local banks failed. Still, by 1930, the population had risen to 2,200.
The population rose dramatically following the development of the space industry, quadrupling from 3,098 in 1940 to 12,244 in 1960. Cocoa and the surrounding area also became integrated with the tourist industry for the first time, as thousands visited the area to witness the launches from Cape Canaveral. By 1980, the population had grown to 16,096.[10]
Education was segregated until the 1960s, at which time Monroe High School and elementary schools for black students were closed.[11]
In 1964, the Cocoa Expo Sports Center (Cocoa Stadium) was built for the Colt 45s spring baseball training and Grapefruit League games. The team later became the Houston Astros.[12] In the early 1980s, the city attempted to upgrade the stadium by asking the Astros to pay for needed repairs. In 1985, the team responded by moving its training to Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. As a result, it was decided that future negotiations with major league teams would be done by the county government.
Clearlake Middle School was closed in 2013. Students were moved to Cocoa High School, which was converted to a junior and senior high school.[13]
In 2018, Cocoa was listed as the 11th most dangerous city in America by the National Council for Home Safety and Security.
Cocoa is located at 28°22′10″N 80°44′38″W.[14]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km2). 13.3 square miles (34.5 km2) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) of it (13.46%) is water.[15] Cocoa is home to the highest point in Brevard County, listed by the USGS as being 83 feet (25 m) above sea level at its apex.[16]
The Cocoa Bird Count has annually counted species of birds in or near Cocoa since 1950. In 2010, it counted 150 species. There was an annual "Christmas Bird Count" before this, starting in 1900.[17]
Cocoa first approved the Council-Manager form of government in 1959, and subsequent changes to the state statutes mirrored the City of Cocoa's Council-Manager Plan. The City Council serves as the Board of Directors for the City, with the Mayor as Chairman. The City Manager serves as the Chief Executive. The City Council for the City of Cocoa is made up of five members; the Mayor is elected at large and the four council members are elected by each of their districts.[8]
- Mayor - Henry U. Parrish, III
- Councilman, District 1 - Michael Blake
- Councilwoman, District 2 - Brenda Warner
- Councilman, District 3 - Don Boisvert
- Councilman, District 4 - Tyler Furbish
- City Manager (appointed) - John Titkanich, Jr.[18]
Downtown, now called "Cocoa Village", has been revitalized by funding for public infrastructure through the Cocoa Redevelopment Agency, City and private investment.
In 2007, the city had a taxable real estate base of $1.18 billion.[19]
Cocoa has its own fire department with three stations. There is a county fire department within the city limits.[20]
In 2015 there were 69 police officers and 44 firemen.
|Historical population
|Est. 2018
|U.S. Decennial Census[21]
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 16,412 people, 6,939 households, and 4,232 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.3 inhabitants per square mile (849.4/km2). There were 8,064 housing units at an average density of 1,081.1 per square mile (417.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.47% White, 32.28% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.58% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.93% of the population.
There were 6,939 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples living together, 19.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city, the population was distributed as follow: 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
Personal income
According to the 2013 American Community Survey:
- Median household income = $32,162
- Median family income = $40,252
- Median income for males = $45,274
- Median income for females = $28,779
- Per capita income = $20,350
- Below the poverty line:
- Population = 27.1%
Construction and retail trade are the two largest industries by employment in Cocoa as of 2017.[8] In 2008, Kel-Tec CNC Industries, located in Cocoa, was the third-largest manufacturer of pistols in the United States.[22][23] Cocoa has 1,381 registered businesses that include light manufacturing and industrial, retail and office businesses as of 2017.[8] Cocoa hosts one of the facilities building SpaceX Starship.[24]
In 2017, 9,633 persons were employed, with 84% having a high school education or higher.[8]
Tourism is high in the downtown historic business district. Cruise passenger tourists come from Port Canaveral on excursions or day trips. In addition, tourists are attracted to the historic sites and local attractions such as the Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science, the Eastern Florida State College Planetarium and Observatory, Historic Cocoa Village, the Florida Historical Society, Indian River Queen (excursion boat), Indian River Drive scenic by-pass, the Aladdin Theater, Historic Porcher House, and Riverfront Park. Historic Cocoa Village has shopping and two Golden Spoon award-winning restaurants, and boutiques. The city sponsors more than 50 special events each year.[8]
The city area has the following educational institutions:
Higher education:
- Eastern Florida State College - Cocoa Campus[25]
- University of Central Florida, Cocoa Campus[26]
Public school system:
- Cocoa High School[27]
- Cambridge Elementary School[28]
- Saturn Elementary School[29]
- Endeavor Elementary Magnet School[30]
Private schools:
Major roads
All are at least four-lane roads, unless otherwise designated.[8]
U.S. 1 Interstate 95 SR 520. 25,000 vehicles/day drive through downtown Cocoa.[33] SR 524 SR 528
The Florida East Coast Railway runs through Cocoa. A planned Virgin Trains USA higher speed rail expansion is designed to connect Orlando to Miami making a turn in Cocoa (designated the "Cocoa Curve").
Space Coast Area Transit operates a public bus service in Cocoa and vicinity.[34][35]
Since 1957, Cocoa has supplied the communities of central Brevard County with potable water. Cocoa made major investments in the water supply and treatment facilities needed to produce a sub-regional water system.
In 2017, Cocoa provided an average of 23,000,000 US gallons (87,000,000 l; 19,000,000 imp gal) of water daily to over 80,000 customers (250,000 people)[36][8] in Cocoa, Rockledge, Port St. John, Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Suntree/Viera, Patrick Air Force Base, Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral.
Cocoa's water system includes the wellfield and raw water collection system, Wewahootee Water Treatment Plant, transmission mains, and the Dyal Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Cocoa's drinking water sources include the Floridian Aquifer, Intermediate Aquifer, Taylor Creek Reservoir, and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells. All of these facilities are located in east Orange County. A distribution system and storage pumping facilities are located in Brevard County.
The Dyal WTP processes about nine billion gallons per year, with peak flows reaching 38 million gallons per day (mgd) during the summer. Daily flows average 25 mgd. The Dyal WTP is unusual for Central Florida because it is capable of treating both ground and surface water.
The flag was originally painted on the water tower free of charge by a Greek immigrant. He wanted to decorate the tower in time for the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976.[37] In 2014, the City re-furbished and re-painted the tower with the iconic American Flags.
Television station
- WUCF-TV 68, a PBS member station operated by a consortium of the University of Central Florida and Eastern Florida State College.
Points of interest
- Florida Solar Energy Center
- Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
- Alma Clyde Field Library of Florida History[38]
Historic sites
The Houston Astros held spring training in Cocoa from 1964 through 1984, and the Florida Marlins trained in Cocoa in 1993. Cocoa Stadium was also the long-time home of the Florida State League Cocoa Astros.
In 2009, the Space Coast Surge, a member of the Florida Winter Baseball League, had Cocoa Stadium as its home stadium.[39] The league suspended operations in November 2009.[40]
Cocoa High School has numerous state champion athletic teams. In 2015, the Cocoa High School football team was ranked 13th in the State of Florida and 1st in the county and had a 35-game winning streak against other Brevard County schools.
Notable people
- Jumaine Jones, professional basketball player [41]
- Tarean Folston, football player at the University of Notre Dame [42]
- Emory L. Bennett, United States Army soldier during the Korean War and Medal of Honor recipient.[43] A statue of him is in Cocoa Riverfront Park.
- Chip Skowron, hedge fund portfolio manager convicted of insider trading
Sister city
Beit Shemesh, State of Israel. On October 7, 2007, the city became a sister city with Beit Shemesh.[44] Eastern Florida State College announced that it would participate by exchanging students.
- "2018 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jul 19, 2019.
- "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Cocoa city, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- Mike Miller (2016). "Cocoa Florida from the Civil War to the Space Age". Florida Backroads Travel. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- "History". The S.F. Travis Company. 2014-02-26.
- "2017 Annual Economic Development Update". Cocoa Economic Development. 2018. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- "History". cocoafl.org. 2010-01-17. Archived from the original on November 2, 2010.
- History Archived 2010-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Cocoa, Fla. Official Website. Accessed on 2009-06-24.
- Basu, Rebecca (14 March 2010). "Cocoa's class of 1950 shares life stories at reunion". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1D.
- "Houston Astros Spring Training". Spring Training Online. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- "School Board Votes To Shutter Three Schools". Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Cocoa city, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- USGS, USGS (April 19, 2007). "High Point Height". USGS. Archived from the original on October 24, 2004. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
- Winston, Keith (25 December 2010). "Brevard Naturally:Citizen scientists collect vital information". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 4D.
- Berman, David (November 27, 2011). "Cocoa pays manager $115,000". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 1B.
- Dean, James (April 26, 2008). More taxes or fewer services. Florida Today.
- "The Fact Book". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. March 26, 2011. p. 29.
- "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
- retrieved August 24, 2008 Archived May 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- Amy Thompson (June 24, 2019). "SpaceX's 'Starship' Prototype Coming Together in Florida". Space.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- Eastern Florida State College
- Cocoa Campus
- Cocoa High School
- "Cambridge Elementary School". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- "Saturn Elementary School". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- "Endeavour Elementary Magnet". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- "Emma Jewel Charter Academy". Edline. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- "stmarksacademy". stmarksacademy. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- Rick Neale (2010-09-15). "'State of the System' identifies Brevard County's busiest roads". Florida Today. Florida Today. Missing or empty
- Space Coast Area Transit official website Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
- "Interactive System Map". Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- Waymer, Jim (October 22, 2017). "How the system came undone". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. pp. 8A. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- David Salisbury (1986-05-18). "What's The Answer?". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
- "Libraries and Collections | Florida Journalism History Project". Uflib.ufl.edu. 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
- "車査定". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- "Leesburg Daily Commercial article, November 19, 2009". Archived from the original on 2009-11-22. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
- "Jumaine Lanard Jones". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "Tarean Folston". UND.com. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- "Emory Bennett - Recipient - Military Times Hall Of Valor". militarytimes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- Schaefer, Gayla. "Communities create ties: Cocoa, Israeli town become sister cities with ceremony", Florida Today, September 28, 2007. Accessed October 7, 2007. "As of Sunday, Oct. 7, the city of Cocoa and the city of Beit Shemesh, Israel will become sisters."
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cocoa, Florida.


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Nuustak / Newsbranch
Stal and 3 Way have decided to go drinking in Grahamstown. During the National Arts Festival. While they're at it, they may see some theatre too.
Take a gander. But put it back.
What we wrote about your mother
Tag Archives: Harry Potter
By 3 Way Stop Owls can turn their heads around like a gazillion degrees to see everywhere, that's why they're spooky. And they have big glow-in-the-dark eyes. And they chow mice and hang out with witches and Harry Potter. Briony … Continue reading
Posted in Theatre Reviews Tagged 3Way Stop, Briony Horwitz, Brydon Bolton, Cape Town, Cape Town Edge, Deus Ex Machina, Fiona Du Plooy, Harry Potter, Hogwarts, Intimate Theatre, Jon Keevy, Kalk Bay, Kalk Bay Theatre, National Arts FEstival, Overberg, Owl, Stal Gayheart, Terrence Howard, witches 1 Comment

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, August 13
4 comments:
The Salvation Army loading dock? No better venue for a showdown over soccer shoes, I say!
Still adoring your comic daily ... What's this about mugs and the like?
--Melissa of tealeaf5
- August 13, 2008 at 9:26 PM
- Unknown said...
I dig the way the undead figure in the drama--zombie shopper, vampire snarl. Vampires always rule zombies, so the outcome of that confrontation was a foregone conclusion, but who wins the duel at the end? Of course no resolution is provided, because no one can win in a contest like that. I give it five stars.
- August 14, 2008 at 6:21 AM
- Unknown said...
That's five stars from Daniel, just so you know who merlin40 is. It's merlin4012 on youtube, should you ever care to enter the mind-numbing world of me on video.
- August 14, 2008 at 6:27 AM
- sally said...
In response to Melissa, the mugs, t-shirts, magnet and button are available on cafepress -- there's a link on the right side of the blog under the heading Ms Br4z1l's Sky Mall called Cheesy Kelphorn Products. Here's the link: http://www.cafepress.com/kelphorns
- August 14, 2008 at 6:30 AM


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Items where Author is "Kachur, Oksana"
|Up a level
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Jump to: Article | Conference/Workshop Item | MRP
Number of items: 3.
Schleicher, Dennis and Jones, Peter and Kachur, Oksana (2010) Bodystorming as embodied designing. interactions, 17 (6). p. 47. ISSN 10725520
Conference/Workshop Item
Kachur, Oksana and Sellen, Kate and Rodin, Gary and Rutgers, Job (2012) Challenging contexts: Hearing the voice of residents and families in hospice care design research. In: CHI'12, 5–10 May 2012, Austin, USA..
Kachur, Oksana (2012) Understanding Sensory Experiences in Palliative Care. [MRP]


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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Joe Woods, vice president, state government relations for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), today issued the following statement regarding House Bill 1001, which prohibits possession of open containers of alcohol in vehicles to make more in line with federal guidelines.
"As the number of crashes continue to rise in Arkansas, it is important to keep a focus on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. There is no reason for someone to have an open container of alcohol in the car.
"We commend the legislature and Governor Asa Hutchinson for enacting the law on open containers and ensuring that it complied with the federal law. Safety is a main concern for insurers and this type of legislation is a critical step in making sure the person behind the wheel is not driving under the influence of alcohol, which can severely limit someone's reaction time and ability to think clearly."


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Football season in the High Country is the highlight of the fall season! The local community continuously supports and backs the Mountaineers. Most individuals participate in tailgating before the Appalachian State University football games. The most famous tailgating locations are Raley and the stadium lot. The Raley lot is located right below the Walker College of Business building.
The Monday before the game, students will enter the lottery via their App Portal to get their free tailgating spot. Students that attend Appalachian get free admission to the game via their App Card. Additionally, students are allowed to purchase two guest tickets for friends and/or family. Each of these tickets can be purchased on the online portal and are $25 per ticket.
This ticket option is great for students and parents! My parents have attended many of these games at an affordable price! Go 'Neers!
Taylor Foulk
Senior, marketing


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on November 4, 2013
Dr. Harvey's Pet Food expands with ingredients, facilities and technology
With 30 years of business under its belt, this family-run and -operated natural brand continues to innovate and grow.
"It has been incredibly rewarding to see the trends in the pet industry come around to embracing our philosophy about animal health and nutrition. We are growing because the trends caught up to Dr. Harvey's," says Wendy Shankin-Cohen, president and CEO of Dr. Harvey's Pet Food and wife of the…


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Consent Clinic is a specialst software that revolutionises the consent process for medical specialities. Whether you are a cosmetic doctor, physiotherapist or beautician, our unique software makes it easy for you to digitally sign, securely store and easily access your consent forms from your desktop, smartphone or tablet at any time and from anywhere in the world.
Its subscription based and you pay a monthly direct debit. The more users licenses required the less it costs per user per month. Its very cost effective and the most you would pay for a 1 user license is £29 + vat per month.
No its a month to month contract and you can cancel at any time.
Absolutely, you can upgrade to more users at any time and our integrated payment system will align your new lower rate per user on the next payment cycle.
You bet; all your clients details will be stored in consent clinic for you to acccess from your desktop, smartphone or tablet at any time and from anywhere in the world.
Yes, you simply add all your locations into your account and they are then available in the menu each time you create a consent form.
Yes you can upload your business logo to all of your salons/businesses in your account.
Yes we use state of the art Amazon servers with the same robust security features you would find using your online baniking.
No you can have an unlimited amount of forms in your account.
Yes we have a database of over 100 forms across multiple sectors that continues to grow. As part of your subscription you have full access to these. You can import them into your account and you can also edit them so add or remove questions and terms & conditions.
Yes you can simply sign up from our homepage for a free 30 day trail of Consent Clinic.
Yes it is, please contact us to enquire about our whitelabel solution


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Park, wood, lake and cliff all feature in this pleasant walk through and around the Rame Peninsula's rolling Mount Edgcumbe estate.
Tag: walk-of-the-week
This route makes the craggy landscape more accessible for the amateur, while still showcasing its dramatic views.
This circular walk explores a landscape that has attracted football stars and Impressionist painters alike.
Explore one of England's 'Walkers are Welcome' towns on this delightful 2½-mile circular route.


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A selection of the top 20 reggae singles that pass thru MzansiReggae and provided the soundtrack for 2016. Its a good look for reggae in Mzansi as we are gearing for Top 50 Reggae Singles, and that should be realised in the not so distant future. For now, take a listen to the sounds coming out of South Africa that has come to be known as Mzansi Reggae.
Top 20 Reggae Singles 2016


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#Now OrNever
#BJPpromiseIn2013Election Manifesto
I saw Anubha Bhonsle's programme "CRUX" in which Swaraj Thapa says that Gorkhaland is not a possibility before 2019 because BJP or NDA do not have majority in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament). Thereafter many people have taken that as a gospel truth. And I even read in few of the posts that Bimal Gurung has come out of the hiding after that statement by Swaraj Thapa.
Why did Swaraj Thapa make that statement which has sown the seeds of doubts in the mind of many people, I am not aware. But let's have our numbers right in the Raajya Sabha before we can make any analysis whether it will be possible for the BJP to bifurcate West Bengal to carve out Gorkhaland or whatever name the state may have.
BJP has clear majority in lok Sabha. So passing any bill therein is no problem. UPA still has majority in Rajya Sabha therefore BJP/NDA have had problem in getting their bills passed such as GST and Land Reform Bills. Let us look at the position of NDA, and other parties in Rajya Sabha as of now.
Rajya Sabha has 243 seats and half way mark to pass any bill will be 123. NDA has 77 seats (56 of BJP). UPA has 84 seats (59 of Cong). And other parties have 82 seats mainly among them being; SP – 18, AIDMK – 13, TMC – 11, CPM & BJD – 8 each and total of various other parties with lesser number of seats is 24.
But there will be significant change in number of seats of various parties in Rajya Sabha in Apr/May 2018 due to retirement and reelection. Huge assembly victories in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur in Mar this year will have impact in Rajya Sabha representation.
Let us now look at the position that will be in Rajya Sabha in Apr/May 2018 after the reelection.
NDA will have 95 seats (69 of BJP). UPA will have 66 (44 of Cong & 8 seats of JD(U)). And other parties will have 84; SP – 14, TMC – 12, AIDMK – 12, CPM – 8, BSP – 5, BJD – 7, TRS –5, and other smaller parties 21. This will be the scenario in Rajya Sabha in May 2018.
NDA needs the support of other parties to reach the magic figure of 123 to have any bills passed in the Rajya Sabha. So let us see how it can be worked.
Let us analyze which all parties can support the demand of a separate state. SP – NO. TMC – NO. CPM – NO. NCP – NO with 4 seats.
Those who can support (keeping in mind the recent support for the BJP Presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind and those who support smaller states) are - AIDMK – 12 (Supports Presidential candidate), BSP – 5 (Mayawati supported the smaller states within UP during her tenure as a Chief minister of UP). BJD – 7 (Supports Presidential candidate). TRS – 5 (Supports Presidential candidate). Besides JD(U) is likely to support (8 seats) though part of UPA as it now supports the Presential candidate. That makes 132 seats in favour – 9 more than the required to pass the bill.
All depends on how our leaders of Darjeeling hills can play their cards in lobbying for separate state of Gorkhaland. Here one needs to be proactive in approaching the various parties for support rather than waiting for BJP to garner support for them.
If it happens it will be win-win situation for the BJP. BJP at present has 2 seats in Parliament from West Bengal. After creation of Gorkhaland, it should have 4 seats for sure; one each from Darjeeling, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Bihar. 100% jump from the present 2 seats.
Therefore I said it is "Now Or Never".
Who knows what will be BJP tally in Lok Sabha in 2019 election? Will they have majority? Your guess is as good as mine. We must strike the iron when it is hot. It is right moment now. Let the momentum build up to summer of 2018. And by then BJP will have gotten in the mode of election 2019 – new election, new manifesto, balance sheet of old manifesto etc.
PS: I had given links to my blog of 2008 yesterday to see what is in the name. And why not demand UT (Union Territory) instead of a separate state and encompass whole of North Bengal.
It may be wiser to settle for a different name than Gorkhaland. RSS had hinted it recently. I had said in 2008. Links to my blog are here.


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"This was the best incentive I have ever been on in a truly amazing destination. FSE did another excellent job of hosting the trip! Softcat, Team Leader
"By far one of the best incentive trips I've been on. First time to Africa and on safari and there's no better way to do it. The organisation, activities and hosting were fantastic. The itinerary was spot on and FSE were brilliant hosts. Can't fault. "
"Kenya was 100% the best incentive I've ever been on. FSE, as usual, was very involved with the group and made sure that everyone was having a fantastic time! Thank you so much Freshly Squeezed."


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Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Congress for years, moving controversial policy decisions into the executive and judicial branches of government.
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You are hereJanuary 21, 2019 | Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Epigenetic Control of Bone Formation by Ash1l: A New Target for the Treatment of Bone Disorders?
Review of "Epigenetic Control of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Fate Decision via Histone Methyltransferase Ash1l" from STEM CELLS by Stuart P. Atkinson
Deciphering the mechanisms that control the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may provide a means to improve therapies employed to treat and/or prevent several common bone disorders. Studies have demonstrated the deposition of trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 4 (H3K4me3), considered a permissive chromatin modification, at the promoter sequences of several important osteogenic genes during MSC differentiation [1-3]. The Absent, small, or homeotic disc1 like (Ash1l) Trithorax family member can activate gene expression through inherent H3K4 methyltransferase activity, and several studies have linked this enzyme to the regulation of bone formation. These include reports of Ash1l mutant mice displaying reduced growth [4] and of the reduction of Ash1l levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model mice leading to more severe cartilage and bone destruction [5].
Now, a STEM CELLS study from the lab of Ling Ye (Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China) delineates the epigenetic control of bone formation through Ash1l with the hope that the discovery of this regulatory mechanism will aid in the development of new and improved therapies for common bone disorders [6].
Initial analyses of osteoporotic mouse bones revealed low Ash1l expression (both mRNA and protein) and low levels of the H3K4me3 permissive histone modification when compared to healthy bone, therefore suggesting a positive correlation between Ash1l expression levels, H3K4me3 levels, and bone mass. To explore the relevance of Ash1l in bone formation, Yin et al. employed gene silencing and overexpression studies in mouse MSCs. The authors established that while Ash1l silencing inhibited osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation but stimulated adipogenesis in MSCs, the overexpression of only those Ash1l proteins with histone methyltransferase activity enhanced osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation while inhibiting adipogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, the authors demonstrated that Ash1l bound to the promoters of crucial osteogenic and chondrogenic transcription factors (e.g., Osx, Runx2, Hoxa10, and Sox9) and adipogenic repressors (e.g., Creb) in MSCs where it deposits of H3K4me3, thereby promoting gene expression via the establishment of a permissive chromatin landscape.
Overall, the authors highlight the importance of Ash1l-mediated epigenetic control of bone formation and highlight Ash1l as a target for therapeutic strategies to promote osteogenesis.
For more on the epigenetic regulation of mesenchymal stem cells and novel therapeutic approaches for bone disorders, stay tuned to the Stem Cells Portal!
- Jin Y, Elalaf H, Watanabe M, et al., Mutant IDH1 Dysregulates the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Association with Gene-Specific Histone Modifications to Cartilage- and Bone-Related Genes. PLoS One 2015;10:e0131998.
- Hakelien AM, Bryne JC, Harstad KG, et al., The regulatory landscape of osteogenic differentiation. STEM CELLS 2014;32:2780-93.
- Zhang YX, Sun HL, Liang H, et al., Dynamic and distinct histone modifications of osteogenic genes during osteogenic differentiation. Journal of Biochemistry 2015;158:445-57.
- Brinkmeier ML, Geister KA, Jones M, et al., The Histone Methyltransferase Gene Absent, Small, or Homeotic Discs-1 Like Is Required for Normal Hox Gene Expression and Fertility in Mice. Biology of Reproduction 2015;93:121.
- Xia M, Liu J, Wu X, et al., Histone methyltransferase Ash1l suppresses interleukin-6 production and inflammatory autoimmune diseases by inducing the ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20. Immunity 2013;39:470-81.
- Yin B, Yu F, Wang C, et al., Epigenetic Control of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Fate Decision via Histone Methyltransferase Ash1l. STEM CELLS 2019;37:115-127.


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The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is changing the way you and I think… whether you like it or not! As much as you may choose to distance yourself from the PRC, it doesn't change the fact that their communist regime and associated social values and work ethic are directly changing you and your social values and the way you choose to work. The PRC is changing YOU!
"What a load of rubbish" you may say… "They're over there and I'm over here, how can they possibly have any influence over me?"
The PRC exports everything to everybody, there's not a country on earth that doesn't buy something from China. There are things we used to make ourselves but China makes them quicker and cheaper so in a free market economy (as most of the world is)… we all end up buying from China. So straight off the bat '… they're taking all our jobs…' and this obviously DIRECTLY affects you and me.
But that's only the tip of the iceberg. Thanks to the Chinese, the whole concept of 'cheaper and faster' is becoming the norm!
Take a look at the airlines and the Low Cost Carriers (LCC's) versus the traditional National Carriers. Once upon a time we all flew with the National Carriers but along came the LCC's with their budget fares and no frills approach. It wasn't long before the big giants had to bow to the economic pressures caused by the LCC's and now we can hardly tell the difference between the two segments. In essence, the National Carriers had to make their services cheaper and with less frills to stay competitive.
Obviously I'm not saying the Chinese are to blame for the decline in service offered by National Carriers BUT what I am saying is the model is the same.
Take Power Tools for example – nowadays you cannot buy a good branded power tool and expect it to last. Thanks to the PRC, power tools are cheap and disposable. Washing machines, TV's… and the list goes on.
In fact across the board, where once we associated value with longevity and were prepared to pay extra to get a product that would last, we have substituted value with ease of disposal.
In our ever insatiable demand for 'cheaper and faster' we are directly supporting the PRC and in turn they, by for-fulling our needs and supplying the goods are directly influencing the way we think and behave. China is changing the way you and I think!


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Welcome to Oaklandon Wednesday, August 12 2020 @ 01:38 PM EDT
A nice look back on the wooden structures of the good old
Oaklandon Play Park of days gone by...
By: Parkour Reviews
"My first parkour review, i hope you like it."
I was performing a Yahoo search of the web using the keywords "Oaklandon" and "History" and several pages deep into the results I was rewarded with a link to "American Dirt" a blog maintained by Eric McAfee and purporting to offer "Observations of Contemporary Landscapes - An Amature Lens and a Semi-Professional Eye."
The particular article of interest is titled "MONTAGE: Small town in the big city." In this piece Eric M. turns his lens toward several of the more obscure "historic rural enclaves in Marion County" wherein he explores Mars Hill, Maywood, Mickleyville, Lynhurst, Bridgeport, Flackville, Snacks, University Heights, Oaklandon and Julietta. Posted to the internet on December 31, 2009 many of the Oaklandon photos presented are already of historical significance and the pertanant section of the story is readily embraced by this website and is reproduced below with the very gracious permission of the author.
As far northeast as you can get and still be in Marion County, the community of Oaklandon retains a considerable number of old commercial buildings, at the intersection of Pendleton Pike and Oaklandon Road. Most of the heart of the community focuses on its intersection of Oaklandon Road with an old Conrail line. It is one of the less obscure rural enclaves, and its surrounded by suburbia to the north, east, and west.
The majority of this community appears very well-maintained and preservedparticularly remarkable considering it sacrificed any political autonomy it might have had, after 1970s Unigov.
Bad weather and the encroaching dusk prevented me from taking more lingering photos.
The community organized itself enough to dedicate and build a pocket park at the foot of the old water tower.
This blurry Unitarian Universalist church is one of several in the area that reference Oaklandon in its name.
The small-town character dissolves rapidly into suburbia on the north side of the railroad tracks, though the heavily-skylighted structure in the background clearly dates from Oaklandons origins as an old rail stop.
Indianapolis News,Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 April 1886
Germantown, Indiana
Germantown, Indiana, was founded in 1834 in what is now Geist Reservoir. It was actually built on the old north bank of the old Fall Creek. Residents, primarily of German heritage, from nearby Oaklandon founded the town following a disagreement over the murder of an Algonquin in Oaklandon. With just one general store, a shoemaker, a one-room schoolhouse and a mill, Germantown was very small. The town had about 20 residential properties in total.
The Start of Geist Reservoir
In the 1900s, water deficits in the Indianapolis area appeared to be impending issue. One man, Clarence Geist, a former owner of the Indianapolis Water Company, drew up plans for the creation of Geist Reservoir. The plan called for the damming of Fall Creek, which would, consequentially, flood the small town of Germantown. The obvious fate of the town did not stop the damming of Fall Creek. In 1943, the creek was dammed and began to flood the surrounding area, creating Geist Reservoir. Most of old Germantown no longer exists today. However, nearby Log Cabin Animal Hospital now occupies the oldest remaining Germantown structure.
Excerpt from:
FindingHomesIndy.com's "Geist Reservior" by Lisa Witsken-Gearhart


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You may be a generalist, you may be a CIO, you may even be the Deputy Minister. Regardless, you're always in search of strategic templates to keep the ship of state afloat in your shop – or at least a few odds and sods to help you build one.
And if you're even remotely grappling with e-government and such, there's a pretty fair collection of those odds and sods freely available on the Internet (at www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=509938). It's courtesy of Andrea Di Maio, a Deep Thinking vice-president at the research behemoth Gartner Inc., and it affords a useful perspective on the much abused notion of transformation.
You're doubtless familiar with the notion of transformation in this context. Its evangels have been preaching the word for the better part of 15 years, ever since a few farsighted folk at Industry Canada laid SchoolNet on a nation that was just barely equipped to appreciate what it was getting.
SchoolNet was followed by an explosion of departmental and agency websites at all levels of government. Some were good, some weren't, but all – even the aggressively interactive, like the Canada Revenue Agency – were in some sense a cyber version of traditional paperwork-and-office operations. Or, put another way, they were perfect expressions of Web 1.0.
Now, though, Web 2.0 is upon us, and the likes of Andrea Di Maio have a lot to say about it. Like:
· The one-stop shop that has been the notional goal of electronic service delivery in the public sector is actually a transitory phase, sitting between simple information websites and a brave new world in which government "collaborates" with "specialized intermediaries." Those intermediaries could be banks, or search engines, or community centres, or retail monsters like eBay, or – anywhere that people go on the web. The point is to connect with them where they live, defining them in the first instance not as citizens but, right, as people.
· The collaborative side of Web 2.0 means reinforcements for, by way of example, government caseworkers, who suddenly have access to a larger "community of problem solvers." Ditto, on the technology side, for IT organizations and application developers.
· Web 2.0 has enormous potential to free the policy process from the silo-driven discipline of departments and agencies. Internal wikis can involve more thinkers, from more perspectives, more quickly than the most adventurous exercises in traditional, desk-bound, interdepartmental collaboration.
All that (and much more) being said, Di Maio is skeptical about some aspects of Web 2.0. He sees little potential in, for example, its "public-facing" side; blogs, wikis, Facebook and other staples of 2.0 are enormously useful, but mostly internally, as a means of getting the best work out of the most public servants.
He acknowledges the potential value of Web 2.0 tools in public consultation – a dimension that continues to attract those with interests on the digital democracy side of e-government. But, he ruefully adds in a podcast accompanying his presentation, "you never know what you're going to get out of a given consultation." That's a clear reference to the disposition of assorted cranks who hijack legitimate consultation projects, a problem which shows no signs of early resolution.
Di Maio also wants public sector managers to understand the implications of Web 2.0 in terms of architecture. They're enormous, he says; 2.0 will often mean open source software, and in any event will sometimes depend on the creative use of mashups with enterprises located outside government.
Then there are the "social and business threats" of 2.0, including but not restricted to:
· Revenue loss. How do you tax virtual wealth? What about cross-border taxation in borderless cyberspace?
· Legal issues. Who's responsible for a given instance of identity theft? What about criminal avatars? Privacy infringement?
· Relevance. How do you keep them down on the farm after they've seen peer-to-peer? What do you do with government sites dogged by consistently low ratings?
Speaking of which, Di Maio happily borrows from the private sector with a plea for ratings systems on public sector websites. Amazon does it, he says, and so does eBay. Why can't government?
Not a question for the ages, perhaps. But for the age of 2.0 – bang on.


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Asset Acquisition or Disposal Transaction
A transaction that a listed company or its subsidiary acquires or disposes of tangible or intangible assets entered into with an individual or juristic person or an "Asset Acquisition or Disposal Transaction" with a considerable value may affect the company as a whole. Accordingly, in order to enter into this type of transaction, the following criteria are required:
● The directors and executives must comply with the relevant criteria in good faith, with fiduciary duty;
● The investors are allowed to access to sufficient information with respect to the investment in the transaction; and
● The shareholders participate in the business decision-making.
● Nature of an acquisition or disposal transaction:
● 4 criteria used in the calculation of transaction value:
§ Tangible Assets = Total Assets less intangible assets, e.g., goodwill, deferred costs
§ The calculation is based on the information in the consolidated financial statement.
Duties of a listed company according to the transaction value
** The disclosure shall be made in the "Opinions of the Board of Directors on the Entering into of the Transaction"
Summary of Important Issues:
1. A transaction which significantly causes an impact on the company (transaction value of ≥ 50%) requires an approval from the shareholders' meeting.
2. The transaction value will be a total amount accumulated from all transactions of a similar type occurred during the six-month period prior to the date of the transaction.
3. The value of the transaction shall be considered separately between the acquisition transaction and the disposal transaction.
4. If the transaction value can be calculated based on different basis, the basis that yields a highest value shall be applied.
Related Rules and Regulations
Corporate Finance Department 1-3


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Fondazione Bisazza
At the Fondazione Bisazza in Montecchio, near Vicenza, Nobuyoshi Araki a solo exhibit of one of the most internationally acclaimed photographers and contemporary artists. Araki is curated by Filippo Maggia and on show until December 3; it explores the world of the Japanese master photographer; from female nudes and almost sensual floral compositions, to urban still lifes and Tokyo skyscapes, portrayed in an explosion of light. The exhibit showcases seventy photographs, encouraging visitors to reflect on the poignant topics of femininity, Eros and death.
Courtesy of Fondazione Bisazza
Tokyo 21 02 2009
The exhibited works belong to several of Araki's famous photographic series, including Sentimental Journey, Painting Flowers, Suicide in Tokyo, Hana Kinbaku, Erotos, Bondages, 67 Shooting Back, offering a curated retrospective of key experiences of his life over the years.
Piero and Rossella Bisazza
Tokyo, 21.02.2009
Kinbaku, the ancient Japanese art of bondage, is a provocative theme that has often recurred in his works. Scenes of nude women bound in ropes come to mind, evoking a sense of pleasure and pain simultaneously. By portraying the beauty of the body that reacts to the rope, Araki escorts the observer through a unique, intense emotional experience.
Carla Bianchi Michiel and Giulio Gianturco
Antonella and Joseph Rossi
The ability to translate kinbaku art into photography can also be seen in the advertising campaign, created by Araki for Bisazza in 2009. Thirteen previously unpublished prints belonging to that series demonstrate Araki's talent for balancing art, tradition, design and the mysterious allure of Japanese culture.
Maruzza Bianchi Michiel and Carolina Cubria
Francesco Cecchini and Carlo Dal Bianco
The exhibition also includes the artist's most recent works from the "Love on the Left Eye" collection: the printed photographs – all deliberately obscured on the right side of the image - reflect Araki's loss of vision in the right eye.
Stefania and Filippo Rota
Gaia Carretta, Patrizia Carta and Ilaria Carretta
Rossella Menegazzo and Yuki Seli
Copyright - Nobuyoshi Araki - Courtesy Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena
Nobuyoshi Araki
Flowers Series


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For an easier working life
Did you know that Meejo can negotiate a subsidised commuter ticket on your behalf with your employer? Now you do.
Commuting has never been this simple. With Meejo, employers can support their employees' bus commutes by paying a part of their single and/or season tickets. Pretty great, right?
Taking the bus to and from work benefits the employee, employer and nature. Not only does public transport benefit the environment, it also gives the employee a chance to exercise every day and provides an important breather in the day. Taking the bus to work is often significantly cheaper than taking your own car.
By taking the bus to work, you save money, your nerves and nature.
Supporting ecological commuting benefits the employer as well. In addition to strengthening the employer image, money is saved as fewer parking spaces are needed at the place of work.
Note! Employers can deduct the acquisition costs of commuter tickets in taxation.
You can let your employer know about Meejo, or have us do it for you. If you want us to contact your employer on your behalf, contact us: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Ford Mustang Leather Jacket
A classic with a trendy twist: This genuine leather jacket from the Ford Mustang collection sports an eye-catching embroidered pony galloping on the Mustang tricolour at chest height. The three-colour banner extends over the whole length of the jacket from shoulder to seam like a sash a truly arresting sight! And even the inside is striking: the bright red lining is racy and yet lends the jacket a cool nonchalance. All seams were produced in used look.
Material: 100 % genuine leather
incl. 16 % VAT excl. shipping costs
Item number: 35900101
Weight: 0,38 KG
Order your required amounts for each size


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I'm sure there is a simple explanation but I don't remember!
I am trying to set up a stable workflow with V7 (due to client pressures), we're working with either XM or V8i and using V7 work mode.
The client works with two different file types .lay and .ach, these have different level names and colour prefs, etc. I have set up two interface selections to define the appropriate level names for each file type but don't understand why the colour, weight, style associations will not update when opening in V7 work mode? - I have to either import levels from a seed or dgnlib file or select all levels and update before they appear, this is needed on every file opened and only works for the current session. Was there another way of bringing these level options in with V7 or were they always set by element? - I understand a dgnlib is not feasible in V7 so only use it as a source for importing.
I hope someone can explain how I can get around this issue, thanks in advance.
Level names were never really ever handled well in V7, only level numbers. We always used barmenus etc and had the level number and attributes set by clicking on a menu to set beams, columns etc. The level name we never bothered with, just too much hassle. Never bothered trying to maintain it all in V7 mode.


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Who would want to live like Schiavo?
Have Terri's parents and siblings tried to imagine whether they would want to live, as she does, in a persistent vegetative state, kept alive by means of a feeding tube and unable to perform any ordinary tasks of life?
Keeping Terri Schiavo alive in her current state is a cruel punishment to inflict on a woman who was once a beautiful and vital individual.
That she has lived this way for so many years is a sad commentary on her family's inability to accept the fact that no one, if given a choice, would want to live as she does.
The pain that Terri's parents must feel goes without saying. And yet, in many ways, they have already lost the daughter they once had. Perhaps if they look into their hearts and ask themselves whether it is really better for Terri to live in a state of complete dependency, they will somehow realize that it is their own selfishness that is keeping Terri here.
It would be more humane to say goodbye and to finally let Terri go.


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|main menu | standard categories | authors | new stories | search | links | settings | author tools
|Brackentree (standard:drama, 2820 words)
|Author: Ian Hobson
|Added: Apr 19 2004
|Views/Reads: 2777/1543
|Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
|A family rent a holiday home in Scotland, thinking that theyll have the place to themselves
Brackentree ©2003 Ian Hobson Overlooking Lock Trool in the heart of the Galloway hills, Brackentree House provides comfortable accommodation in a peaceful and beautiful setting. Five miles from the nearest town, Brackentree is entirely independent of the outside world and will appeal to those wishing to get away from it all. Brackentree has full central heating, a fully fitted kitchen, two bathrooms, and sleeps up to eight people. Well-behaved pets welcome. *** Mack wandered into the master bedroom and looked out of the window in gloomy anticipation. He hated visitors; they upset his routine and disturbed the peace and quiet. At least for these past few months, and even during Christmas for once, he had had the place to himself. Apart from when the cleaner, Mrs. Donald, had come to disturb him, with her scrubbing and polishing and hoovering. Though he had to admit, she was good at her job; quick, but thorough. And because he liked the place to be clean and tidy, he always kept well out of her way; usually in the attic. She never came up there; even when she did the two-day spring clean, which she had just finished the day before. The gardener had been, as well. He was less thorough. Mack turned his head to watch as a small flock of sparrows alighted on the newly cut front lawn, pecking at it and playing aerial leapfrog with each other. He turned his attention back to the driveway. Saturday afternoon. Now it would surely start. Visitors. Mack hated them. Especially the large family groups with children. Poking about in every nook and cranny. Hiding and then jumping out at each other, pretending to be ghosts. Mack had never believed in ghosts. Never understood why perfectly ordinary folk would start to ramble on about ghosts and hauntings, just because they happened to be staying in a beautiful old house. Mack had lived at Brackentree for more years than he could remember. Ever since his wife, Beatrice, had inherited it from her uncle, back in the fifties. 'Why ever did she leave me?' Mack asked himself, and not for the first time. 'She only had a bad cold. People shouldn't die of bad colds.' 'And why did she will Brackentree to Gerald?' might have been Mack's next question, but he had learned to stop asking himself that one. It upset him to think that his wife could have betrayed him so; leaving the house, lock, stock and barrel, to their money-grabbing son. But then, before she died, she had become very odd. Hardly ever talking to him and never listening properly to what he had to say. It wouldn't have been so bad if Gerald had come back to live at Brackentree. But no, without even consulting his father he had turned the place over to letting agents; after first installing central heating, and new plumbing, and new kitchen cupboards, and all manner of shiny white machines that hummed, gurgled, whined and vibrated as though about to explode. Just as Mack stepped back from the window, a vehicle pulled into the driveway. To Mack, it looked like a cross between a car and a minibus. He remembered that a family the previous year had had one just like it; a Renault-something-or-other. He couldn't remember. The sound of rubber tyres on gravel startled the sparrows and they flew off into the trees. The vehicle ground to a halt in front of the house, but just far enough away from it for Mack to watch without stepping back over to the window. As the doors were flung open, a young couple climbed out, soon followed by three children; two girls and a boy. No dogs, Mack noticed. Good. Dogs were a bloody nuisance. The man stretched and rubbed his back, looking the house over as though he was trying to estimate its value. The woman came and stood beside him. 'It's big, isn't it,' she said. Her accent was English. Northern, but well below the Borders, Mack decided. 'Well, it sleeps eight,' the man replied. Another northern English accent. 'Where did they say the key was?' Click here to read the rest of this story (256 more lines)
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How Much Free Will Do I Actually Have?
I found the following quote from actor Morgan Freeman quite intriguing:
"I knew at an early age I wanted to act. Acting was always easy for me. I don't believe in predestination, but I do believe that once you get where ever it is you are going, that is where you were going to be. Was I always going to be here? No, I was not. I was going to be homeless at one time, a taxi driver, truck driver, or any kind of job that would get me a crust of bread. You never know what's going to happen."
Is Morgan Freeman right? He did play "God" in the movie, Bruce Almighty. Do we never know what is going to happen? Or is it all set into motion at the very beginning of the story, and we are just players in the cast?
The biblical story of Joseph contains one of the most compelling occasions of a seemingly predestined event, and we even see Joseph share his opinion that the ups and downs of his life were beshert. In this week's Torah portion, Vayeishev, we meet Joseph for the first time, and, immediately, it is clear that he is immature, arrogant, and more than a little annoying to his brothers.
His father, Jacob, has already made it clear that, though Joseph is the eleventh youngest of his sons, he is the favorite. And Joseph keeps having these dreams – In one, he witnesses eleven sheaves of corn bowing down to his own sheaf, And he tells his brothers all about this! The corns that bow represent his brothers! And they were bowing to him, the second to the youngest! What a way to make friends.
And, then, he has another dream! The sun, moon, and stars are bowing down to his star – meaning his parents will be bowing down before him one day, too! Yeah, his brothers are not too happy about this. What do the brothers do? They decide to kill him, but, instead, just throw him into a pit, sell him to Egyptian slave-traders, and convince Jacob that his beloved Joseph has been killed.
So, putting ourselves into the shoes of the various characters, how would we feel if we were Joseph? How would he feel towards his brothers?
Towards the end of the Joseph narrative, we have the dramatic self-disclosure of Joseph, in which he finally reveals his true identity to his brothers. In a remarkable scene, perhaps one of the most dramatic in the Tanach, Joseph, now the top adviser to Pharaoh, reassures his brothers that there is no need for them to be feel regretful because they had abandoned him and sold him to foreign slavetraders.
It was, he added, God's omniscient act that brought him to Egypt for a lifesaving purpose: "It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you" (Genesis 45:5). Because Joseph was able to correctly interpret Pharaoh's dreams about seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, Egypt and its surroundings were able to survive an extended food shortage. However, the theological assumption behind Joseph's statement raises questions for us. In the Joseph narrative, as in many other parts of the Bible, we see that the hand of God is present not only in miraculous interventions, but also in everyday life. The brothers may have had a certain plan in mind regarding Joseph, whom they resented and despised, but God has a different preordained plan for them. In truth, Joseph is only a tool in God's hands; he is to become a lifesaver.
For the modern liberal Jew, this raises the issue of free will: if God knows what we will do and, in fact, controls our actions, how can we be free and, therefore, responsible? Whether we like it or not, the Tanach does not deal with this issue uniformly. On the one hand it states in Deuteronomy, "I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity" (Deuteronomy 30:15), but on the other hand, it maintains that "many designs are in a man's mind, but it is the Eternal's plan that is accomplished" (Proverbs 19:21).
As one might imagine, this became a matter of great concern for the early Rabbis and Jewish philosophers later on. Some chose to recognize the dilemma but left it unsolved. For example, Rabbi Akiba taught, in Pirkei Avot, "All is foreseen, yet [free] choice is given" (Pirkei Avot 3:15)
In medieval times some Jewish philosophers attempted to provide an answer. 14th century Jewish philosopher, Chasdai Crescas (1340−1410), argued that God has total foreknowledge and consequently humans are not free. Hence all of a person's actions are pre-determined by the moment of their birth, and thus their judgment in the eyes of God, as good or evil, is effectively pre-ordained, which nullifies any concept of repentance or change. As you might guess, Crescas's views on this topic were rejected by Judaism at large.
Then we have the opinion of 13th century theologian, Gersonides (Levi ben Gershon, 1288−1344), who maintained that we have some freedom because God has foresight only of things in general.
Maimonides compromised by saying that everything has a cause, and therefore, God is ultimately responsible for our actions. Thus when we think we are doing something freely, we act without realizing the workings of divine providence, which are unknowable to the human mind.
With whom do you agree? Whose answer resonates with you the most?
Perhaps Maimonides is the easiest to accept. We do not understand fully how the world operates; we act with the assumption that we have some free will. Yet, in reality, we may have much less control than we think we do. Generally speaking, Reform Judaism has no strong doctrine of predestination. The idea that God is omnipotent and omniscient didn't formally exist in Judaism during the Biblical era, but rather was a later development due to the influence of neo-Platonic and neo-Aristotelian philosophy. Many modern Jewish thinkers in the 20th century, such as Rabbi Harold Kushner, have resolved the tension by holding that God is simply not omnipotent, in the commonly used sense of that word. These thinkers are primarily liberal Jewish scholars and rabbis.
Orthodox Jewish rabbis, however, generally affirm that God must be viewed as omnipotent, but, interestingly, they have varying definitions of what the word omnipotent means. One finds that some Modern Orthodox theologians have views that are essentially the same as more progressive theologians, but they use different terminology. In recent centuries, Hasdai Crescas' view that there is no free will has been independently developed among some in the Lubavitch Chabad sect of Hasidic Judaism. Many individuals within Chabad take this view seriously, and hence effectively deny the existence of free will.
And yet, I return to Rabbi Akiba's statement in Pirke Avot: "All is foreseen, yet [free] choice is given" Many other Jewish thinkers affirm that since free-will exists, then by definition one's fate is not preordained. It is held as a tenet of faith that whether God is omniscient or not, nothing interferes with humanity's freedom.
I also know that there are moments in my life that seem like they might just be preordained, That seem to have a higher intelligence behind them, That seem meant to be. And I know that there are some events that I never want to accept as "meant to be."
For instance, some of you may know that I was in a serious car accident about 14 years ago. For me, there were years of hardship and pain, Which then led to very successful spinal surgery 11 years ago.
Now, I would never say that my accident was meant to be – For me, that would be a very disturbing conclusion to make. Yet, even if not meant to be, I think there are lessons I was meant to learn. I have learned a deeper sense of compassion for those around me who are suffering, I have learned how important self-care can be, I have learned how to properly prioritize my life, And I have learned about chronic pain. I know that these lessons have made my life much richer and more meaningful, And I hope that my rabbinate is likewise enhanced.
Was my accident meant to happen, so that I would learn these lessons? I had always been a perfectionist, an overachiever, and put everyone else first, much to my own detriment. Now, post-accident, I haven't had have much of a choice, and I must take my own needs into consideration so that I can be fully present for my work with others. And I can now share my insights about health, healing, and self.
Joseph says, "It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you to the land of Egypt."
Joseph views his suffering, his challenges, his roller-coaster narrative as a gift from God, and his arrival in Egypt not only allows the Egyptians to survive the famine, but also allows for the continuation of the Jewish story. Whether or not you believe that your life is already predetermined, no matter what you think about free will, we can still choose to view events in our lives as teaching moments for ourselves, as inspiration for moving forward and allowing our own stories to continue to develop.
May we all look at our stories as through a lens of learning and growth. May we constantly strive for self-knowledge and insight. May we share our lessons with others, so that the stories of our lives, the lives of our friends and family, and the story of the Jewish people continues to move forward into the future. And may we find ourselves using our freedom for kindness, for healing of brokenness, and for good.


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Brewers aim for 5th road win in 6 tries
The Milwaukee Brewers send Zack Greinke to the mound tonight looking to take three of four in Arizona. Milwaukee has won four of its last five games on the road, reversing their losing trend when away from Miller Park. Here is Ron Roenicke's lineup for the ballgame tonight, which resembles something that you might see in game 1 of a playoff series should the Brewers' win the National League Central.
1. Corey Hart – rf
2. Nyjer Morgan – cf
3. Ryan Braun – lf
4. Prince Fielder – 1b
5. Rickie Weeks – 2b
6. Casey McGehee – 3b
7. Yuniesky Betancourt – ss
8. Jonathan Lucroy – c
9. Zack Greinke – rhp
The Diamondbacks send their best pitcher to the hill in Ian Kennedy, a ten game winner with a 3.39 earned run average and 113 strikeouts in 135.1 innings.


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President Donald Trump sent his condolences to the victims of the shooting in Colorado on Sunday morning.
At least one deputy died and four others were injured in the incident near Denver, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
A suspect opened fire on deputies responding to a domestic disturbance, according to the office.
My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement – God Bless them all! #LESM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017
"My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement – God Bless them all! #LESM," Trump tweeted.
Douglas County Sheriff Joe Pelle's son, Jeff, was among those who were injured in the incident. The sheriff said that his son "in good spirits considering the gravity and severity of what occurred earlier this morning."
Statement from Sheriff Pelle (Part 1 of 4):
"Earlier this morning, our son, Douglas County sheriff's deputy, Jeff Pelle, was shot during the Copper Canyon shooting. Jeff underwent surgery as a result of his injuries, and is recovering. #CopperCanyonOIS
— Cmdr Mike Wagner (@CmdrMikeWagner) December 31, 2017
The killed deputy wasn't identified.
**Copper Canyon OIS Update**- Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance resulting in shots fired. 5 deputies shot by suspect. 1 deputy confirmed deceased. 2 civilians also shot by suspect. Suspect shot & believed to be dead & no longer a threat. #CopperCanyonOIS
— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) December 31, 2017
The deputies responded to a call of shots fired at the Copper Canyon Apartment Homes in Douglas County, about 16 miles south of Denver, around 6 a.m. local time, said Jason Blanchard, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, Reuters reported.
Littleton Adventist Hospital was treating three victims, according to Alyssa Parker, a hospital spokeswoman, who declined to describe their conditions.
One unidentified deputy sheriff was pronounced dead at the hospital, where other law enforcement soon after formed a large memorial procession heading to the county coroner's office.
Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree received three patients with non-life threatening injuries, according to Linda Watson, a hospital spokeswoman, adding they would be discharged later Sunday.
The suspect was also not identified.
.@FBIDenver has been monitoring the events that occurred this morning and have offered our full support to @dcsheriff. Our thoughts and prayers are with our law enforcement partners and all those impacted by today's senseless act of violence.
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) December 31, 2017
Earlier in the day, the sheriff's office said that "citizens in the affected area are instructed to shelter in place, avoid windows and stay away from exterior walls."
Reuters contributed to this report.


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Another Short Zone For USOIL
FX:USOIL Rohöl CFD's (WTI)
4226 views
Pay attention for the green zone, may have chance to re short again
Kommentar: active on ceiling 49.90, lowest hit 49.22
Kommentar: Lowest hit 48.85, from 49.90 short, Good one!
Kommentar: Hit 47.88, take half profit.short from49.90
Kommentar: Anyone hold the short to 44.7 last week?
Ähnliche Ideen
Pullback then short
USOIL Trade within Triangle
You've been spot on your oil targets. Looks like it's ready for a yellow zone short term long trade.
LeoYao QuantitativeExhaustion
Yes my Friend. I have longed last Friday. See how it goes
I shorted from 48.5 (when i saw the post) and TP @ 45.8 (the day low) ... then I went long on @45.8 on the second day and it broke below to 44.8 :(
LeoYao shero
oh...u should check my another latest oil analysis which says short all the way. My student group followed me doing well.
Monday 4 June 2016 Please review the Gold and Oil...
Hi Leo, in your opinin which are the 3 better way to short OIL? ETF, index, struc. product? I have the same view but the huge range of possibility scare me ;)
LeoYao Annette
Hi etf is ok one. But actually different Brokers have different symbols
Taken profits now, the question is do we expect another attempt on 50 before a further retrace? RSI 7 is showing oversold
Nice! I follow you and is in profit now~ Thanks, Leo
What's your first target profit Leo, nice move btw.


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Finally had a chance to update the IndoLinks page. I cleaned up the page and added some new links to Desi Hits and other sites.
Looking for some input from my readers on new sites.
Coming soon a few days on Bharatbeat is a complete redesign which includes:
- Site of the Day
- Blog of the day
Bharatbeat is the heart and soul of the global Indian.


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Recent Posts
Recent Comments
tuathaa on Yarny deliveries Silky, turqoise Pral… on Triple-cardigan Challenge (#tr… Silky, turqoise Pral… on Denim Emelie in the French… Silky, turqoise Pral… on My gradient Hifotude polwygle on Yarny deliveries
Tag Archives: cardigan
Silky, turqoise Praline
This seems like the never-ending project. I've been working on this cardigan for MONTHS. Not because it was in any way difficult to knit. Somewhere along the line, it just seemed too small. And that put me off. It sort … Continue reading
Posted in finished object, knitting Tagged cardigan, finished object, gudrun johnston, knitting, praline, sandnes garn Leave a comment
Denim Emelie in the French vineyards
This cardigan has been lying in the "almost finished" pile for far too long. And then it spent even longer in the "actively wearing, but haven't gotten around to snapping photos" -pile. Vacationing in France (more on that in my … Continue reading
Posted in finished object, knitting Tagged cardigan, finished object, knitting 1 Comment
Winter is coming – baby edition
Winter is coming. And my youngest, who has finally learned to enjoy sitting in his stroller, needs some proper wooly outfits. So I've been working on that. I'm not really a fast knitter nowadays. Noah has this thing where if he … Continue reading
Posted in finished object, knitting Tagged baby, cardigan, finished object, knitting, mittens, socks 4 Comments
Eliahs Steggie
So I've finally finished Eliahs Steggie. It was a really fast knit, despite having to adjust and do some math to get the gauge right for a thinner yarn. The Alpaca Sport from Viking of Norway is quite nice to … Continue reading
My gradient Hifotude
I started knitting this cardigan while hospitalized with HELLP syndrome. I was quite bored, once I started getting a bit better, I got tired of the baby outfit I was knitting which was quite basic to knit without much happening. … Continue reading
Posted in finished object, knitting Tagged cardigan, finished object, hifotude, knitting 2 Comments
How to seam set in sleeve
For a long time I've had issues seaming in sleeves. It's such a drag when you've spent so much time knitting something, and then the finishing is crap. In Swedish we have a saying – "snubbla på mållinjen", which translated … Continue reading
Posted in knitting Tagged cardigan, knitting Leave a comment


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Paris Hilton is focusing on putting together an exhibition of her artwork following her split from fiance Chris Zylka.
The socialite confirmed in November (18) that she had parted ways with The Leftovers actor after being engaged for less than a year. During their relationship, the former couple were regular fixtures at the annual Art Basel show in Miami Beach, Florida and had previously revealed plans to host a joint exhibition of their artwork, but as Paris appeared solo at Art Basel on Wednesday (05Dec18), she told New York Post's Page Six that she was going to exhibit her own pieces.
"I'm putting my art exhibit (together) now," she said. "My art is very futuristic and pop, with neon lights and crystals and collages and painting. I draw animals. It's really inspired by pop culture, it's really different."
In May 2017, before they were engaged, Paris and Chris told Architectural Digest that they were both making their own art and they had been talking to galleries about hosting a joint exhibition of their work.
"He's amazing at oil painting, drawing, all of that. I love drawing, painting, collages, LED lights, and diamond dust. So yeah – we're having a lot of fun just doing art nights at our house and inviting a lot of other amazing artists over to have fun and play," she said. "Together we just have so much fun because we go to Art Basel and to all these amazing things… So I'm excited for everyone to see all the things we have come up with."
Chris, who opened his own art exhibit in Ibiza, Spain in August, proposed to Paris at the end of 2017 after a year of dating. She confirmed the split on U.S. show The Talk in November and said she was doing well.
"I thought it was going to be my happy ending and I just realised after time that it wasn't the right decision," she explained.


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I recently travelled to Sicily for almost three weeks. Returning home it took less than 24 hours to miss what I had left behind. That's not to say I don't appreciate my own country, far from it. Britain has a tremendous amount to offer and I would never want to be anything other than British. However, there are a few things Sicily offers that make me want to go back there… often.
Here are some of the essentially Sicilian things I miss
The intensity of the flavours
Food grown in the soils of Sicily seem to take on an intensity of flavours that few places can match. This is particularly noticeable in citrus fruits such as lemons and blood oranges, garlic and onions and of course the ubiquitous pomadoro or tomato. Sicilian lemons are well-known in culinary circles for their intensity of flavour and are used in every Sicilian kitchen be it a humble home or a Michelin star restaurant.
Simple honest cuisine
It is perhaps the intensity of the flavours that has encouraged Sicilians to cook simply and let the flavours do their job. Tomatoes, basil a little olive oil and spaghetti never tasted so good as when I ate the simple honest cuisine at Fontes Episcopi in Aragona or a little trattoria I discovered in Corleone.
Waking up to a warm Nutella filled croissant
In Sicily I discovered the delights of a pastry and espresso for breakfast. Especially delightful when the croissant is warm and filled with Nutella (an Italian invention). If Nutella is not to your taste then a pastry filled with custard cream or apricot conserve is just as good.
While on the subject of sweet foods the Sicilians are particularly good at producing the most wonderful pastries. Whether it is for breakfast or mid-morning or the afternoon they are a delight to the taste buds. Arab invaders introduced almonds, pistachio and sugar to the island which were then combined with the ingredients the Sicilians were already using.
Breakfast usually features pastries accompanied by an espresso. Every bar has pastries to eat with their coffee and every town has its pasticerie or pastry shop.
Coffee Granite
Granite was another Sicilian/Arab invention. Ice from Etna's slopes was combined with fruit and perhaps a little sugar to us the flavoured ice shavings known as granite. Mostly it is fruit flavours but the coffee granite, served with lashings of cream is among my favourites on a hot sunny afternoon.
This brings us nicely to gelato. Some say this is Italian ice-cream but I maintain it is in a class of its own as it uses eggs to produce that creamy texture that so delights us. The Sicilians claim they invented gelato by the simple expedient of substituting the fruit syrups used in granite with milk and cream. Other places in Italy also lay claim to inventing it but there is no definitive evidence to support anyone's claim. Sicilians in my opinion do make the best gelato in Italy.
There are so many different flavours from the ubiquitous mandorla (almonds), pistachio, and chocolate through fruits in season to more unusual flavours. Sicilians take gelato seriously; there is a high percentage (55%+) of gelaterie serving gelato artigianale (hand-crafted) than those serving massed produced gelato. Many Sicilians will eat their gelato in a brioche but you can have it in a cone or a cup.
Sicilian style pizza
In Sicily, rather than the flat thin base we commonly associate with pizza, the same topping is served on a base more like bread or focaccia. Using the fresh flavours of garlic, tomato, oregano, onion and shavings of parmesan or pecorino as the starting point they will add the likes of anchovies or cold meats.
So far the things I miss are all food related. That's no surprise as the food of Sicily is influenced by its many invaders and the Sicilians have kept the best of each and made it their own. There are plenty more foods that I could add to the list but that will have to wait for another post. Here then, are the non-culinary things that I miss.
Exploring narrow streets
Those who follow my Twitter (@lethers) or Instagram (@travelunpacked) accounts will know I ended up unintentionally driving down the narrow streets of a Sicilian town and discovering why Italians make small cars very well. Normally I am on foot when I explore the narrow streets of Sicilian towns. In tourist centres like Cefalu I will leave the main tourist drag and explore the narrow side streets. There are so many little gems hidden in the narrow lanes and squares and you never know what is around the next corner; a little trattoria perhaps, a diminutive church maybe or a tiny piazza with a bar that has yet to be discovered.
Dramatic scenery
Away from the towns and inland there is dramatic scenery to take your breath away. If you can stomach the twisting breathtaking roads head into the central regions of Sicily where the mountains soar over pleasant valleys. Alternatively you can enjoy some dramatic coastlines with quiet little coves such as those in Reserva del Zingara or Scopello.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
There is a plethora of ancient archaeological sites in Sicily from Roman ruins in Syracuse to ancient Greek temples along Sicily's southern coast. You don't have to travel far to find a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I have not yet visited all of them but currently my favourite is the Valley of Temples at Agrigento. It is exactly what it says it is, a valley full of Greek temples.
The warm Mediterranean Sea lapping on beautiful beaches
Sicily has some delightful little coves with beaches to be discovered. These can be sand covered or pebbles but are almost always secluded. There are also sweeping bays of sand like those at Cefalu and San Vito lo Capo where the warm Mediterranean laps on the gently shelving sand.
I know that Sicily will be a place I will return to to discover and rediscover, to experience as yet undiscovered culinary experiences and revisit the places that I I only brushed the surface of.
Have you travelled to Sicily? What experiences do you miss? Use the comments section below to let us know.


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Starring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble. Created by J.J. Abrams.
The best way to understand "Fringe" is to take it as "Lost" creator/"Star Trek" helmer J. J. Abrams doing his version of "The X-Files." Since he seems to have a firmer grasp on storytelling than Chris Carter, it's off to a good start with the promise of even better times ahead. "X-Files" had many great episodes but fell apart as it kept teasing its "mythology" (its internal and unfolding mystery) without ever getting to a real payoff. Abrams seems to have learned from Carter's mistake.
In the pilot, we meet FBI agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), a young, beautiful and no-nonsense professional who finds herself involved investigating weird and possibly supernatural occurrences. The first case we see has to do with a plane flying into Boston where all the passengers and crew have died from their bodies melting. Quickly, three story lines emerge for the series. First is the arc story about who or what is responsible for many of the weird things encountered week-by-week. This is not fully resolved at season's end, but we do know it is related to a mysterious corporation where executive Nina Sharp (Blair Brown) promises cooperation but is obviously being less than forthcoming. In the season-ending cliffhanger, we find this company may be more powerful than can be possibly be imagined when Olivia demands a showdown with Nina's boss William Bell (Leonard Nimoy). The final image – not to be spoiled here – raises more questions than it answers.
Another story is more or less resolved. Olivia has been having an affair with fellow agent John Scott (Mark Valley) who is killed, but keeps reappearing to Olivia, with hints that his agenda went beyond his role of FBI agent. This is played out over much of the first season but eventually Olivia discovers why John is haunting her and the story seems to come to a conclusion.
The third story is essentially the running plotline of the series. As Olivia encounters weird science week after week, it's clear that she's in over her head. Her boss (Lance Reddick) tries to protect her from outside interference but sometimes has to restrict her pursuit of the truth. He seems to be a good guy but one operating under constraints. Fellow agent Charlie Francis (Kirk Acevedo) starts out as a minor supporting character but develops over the course of the first season. We see he's committed to doing what's right and supporting Olivia, even if he doesn't completely have access to the bigger picture.
Instead she is forced to rely on Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble), a scientist who – conveniently – knows some of the players and worked on some of the experiments that Olivia is now encountering, but who went mad as a hatter and ended up institutionalized. He's out now, but still not fully connected to reality. He'll be visiting a gruesome crime scene and start musing on a favorite dessert. Walter, though, has the knowledge and scientific insights Olivia needs, so she also needs the help of Walter's estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson) who helps her keep Walter focused and on track.
The first season showed a great deal of imagination with John Noble a standout as the wacky Walter. Abrams and company resist the urge to make this a show centering on him, so that when he does show up he's a welcome presence.
Anna Torv will be an acquired taste for some and she may seem a bit young for the responsibilities handed her character, but over the course of the season Olivia's character is developed and Torv seems to be more comfortable playing her as a conflicted agent rather than a pretty, young heroine. Joshua Jackson may have it easiest, getting to play the outsider commenting on the action, with only hints at a possible romantic entanglement with Olivia or, perhaps, someone close to her.
"Fringe" had a good first season, setting up its premises, and having some truly eerie episodes like "Inner Child," about a weird hairless boy found living by himself, or "Ability" where victims find their facial orifices sealing up leaving them faceless corpses. The trick for Abrams and company now will be to tell us a story that's going somewhere, instead of simply being another series spinning its wheels.•••
DVD Special Features Include:
* Evolution: The Genesis of "Fringe" featurette – The creators of the show discuss how the series unfolded and the qualities that make it so unique
* Behind the Real Science of "Fringe" featurette – From teleportation to re-animation, Fringe incorporates recent discoveries in science. Consulting experts and scientists who are the authorities in their field address the areas of science which are the inspiration for the show.
* A Massive Undertaking: The Making of "Fringe" (on select episodes) – An in-depth exploration of how select episodes came to be made: from the frozen far reaches of shooting the pilot in Toronto, to the weekly challenges of bringing episodes to air
* The Casting of "Fringe" – The story, as told by producers and cast, of how Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble and others came to be cast in the series.
* "Fringe" Visual Effects featurette – Goes deep into the creation of the shared dream state with some of the biggest VFX shots of the show.
* Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes
* Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel
* Deciphering the Scene
* Roberto Orci Production Diary
* Gene the Cow montage
* Three Full-Length Commentaries from writers/producers, including J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtman, J.R. Orci, David Goodman, Bryan Burk, Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner
Additional Blu-Ray Bonus Features:
* "Fringe" Pattern Analysis – Take a closer look at 6 select scenes from Season 1 with experts who dissect each scene with notes, photos, and diagrams.
* BD-Live enabled features include Media Center, My Commentary, and commentary on Season 1 finale episode.
Season Two of "Fringe" premieres on FOX Thursday, Sept. 17.
Daniel M. Kimmel is a veteran movie critic and author of a host of film-related books, the most recent being I'll Have What She's Having: Behind The Scenes Of The Great Romantic Comedies. He teaches film at Suffolk University and lives in Brookline.