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Today's Linkedin Discussion Thread: Enterprise Data Quality April 28, 2009Posted by Peter Benza in Data Analysis, Data Elements, Data Governance, Data Optimization, Data Processes, Data Profiling, Data Quality, Data Sources, Data Standardization, Data Synchronization, Data Tools, Data Verification.
Tags: Data Quality, EnterpriseDataQuality
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Here is my most recent question I just added to my Linkedin discussion group = Enterprise Data Quality.
QUESTION: What master data or existing "traditional" data management processes (or differentiators) have you identified to be useful across the enterprise regarding data quality?
MY INSIGHTS: Recently, I was able to demonstrate (and quantify) the impact of using an NCOA updated address for match/merge accuracy purposes when two or more customer "names and addresses" from three disparate source systems were present. The ultimate test approach warrants consideration especially when talking about the volume of customer records for big companies today number "hundreds" of millions of records. It is ideal to apply this test to the entire file not just a sample set. But, we all know today its about: money, time, value, resources, etc.
For testing purposes, I advised all individual customer address attributes were replaced (where information was available) with NCOA updated addresses and then loaded and processed through the "customer hub" technology. If you are not testing a piece of technology, then constructing your own match key or visually checking sample sets of customer records before and after is an alternative. Either way, inventory matches and non-matches from the two different runs – once with addresses (as-is) and once with addresses that leverage the NCOA information.
My goal was to establish a business process that focused on "pre-processing customer records" using a reliable third party source (in this case NCOA) instead of becoming completely dependent on a current or future piece of technology that may offer the same results, especially when the methodology (matching algorithms) are probalistic. My approach reduces your dependency, as well, and you can focus on "lift" the technology may offer – if your are comparing two or more products.
Where as, inside a deterministic-based matching utility (or off-the-shelf solution) adding extra space or columns of data to the end of your input file to store the NCOA addresses will allow you to accomplish the same results. But, for test purposes, the easier way may be to replace addresses where an NCOA record is available.
Remember, based on the volume of records your client may be dealing with, a pre-process (business process) may be ideal, rather than loading all the customer names and addresses into the third party customer hub technology and processing it. Caution: This all depends on how the business is required (i.e. compliance) to store information from cradle to grave. But, the rule of thumb of the MDM customer hub is to store the "best/master" (single customer view record) with the exception of users with extended search requirements. The data warehouse (vs. MDM solutions) now becomes the next challenge… what to keep where and how much. But, that is another discussion.
The percentage realized in using the updated customer address was substantial (over 10%) on the average based on all the sources factored into the analysis. This means several 10's of millions of customer records will match/merge more effectively (and efficiently) followed by the incremental lift – based on what the "customer hub" technology enables using its proprietary tools and techniques. This becomes the real differentiator!
MDM Accelerator® by Zoomix January 9, 2008Posted by Peter Benza in Data Accuracy, Data Aggregates, Data Analysis, Data Assessment, Data Consolidation, Data Dictionary, Data Formats, Data Governance, Data Hygiene, Data Integration, Data Management, Data Metrics, Data Processes, Data Profiling, Data Quality, Data References, Data Sources, Data Standardization, Data Stewardship, Data Synchronization, Data Templates, Data Tools.
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To learn more about or post your comments about MDM Accelerator®
by Zoomix.
What are some examples of how a data system can become unstable? August 17, 2007Posted by Peter Benza in Data Errors, Data Governance, Data Management, Data Processes, Data Synchronization.
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Be first to author an article on this subject?
What is a good approach to start measuring data currency as it relates to my organization? August 13, 2007Posted by Peter Benza in Data Currency, Data Governance, Data Metrics, Data Sources, Data Synchronization.
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Frequency is a good start. Compile the lag time between updates representing all the different "content" (data) that accompanies each software application across your organization both internally generated and externally supplied by third parties.
Compare this to your overall file build process, make adjustments, and update your data synchronization standards to reflect any new data sources. Warning: Be sure to consider the impact these changes may have on other departments, especially marketing.


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Make Money from Home as a Mock JurorJuly 18, 2019
These days many people are looking for work from home opportunity and the good news is its quite possible to make money from home. But with so much information available online sometimes its difficult to figure out the legit options. That's why I 've got a list of 5 legit companies that pay you to work from home as a mock juror. (more…)

subset: commoncrawl


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Alpina Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuum cleaners are among the large household appliances. It should be noted that these appliances have always had a demand, since they eliminate our house from dust and harmful micro-particles contained in the air and on different surfaces. Dust is the source of many human diseases: asthma, lung disease, allergies, and chronic diseases. All this is a reality that must be reconciled. Therefore, whether we like it or not, it is necessary to use a vacuum cleaner every day, in order to protect themselves and to protect their families and their immunity.
Alpina vacuum cleaners do an excellent job with this problem and have many additional features that distinguish each model. Typically, each vacuum Alpina is on the front side of the panel that controls the suction of dust and the intensity of work. Vacuum cleaners come in floor, cleaning, usually with a dust bag.
Every vacuum cleaner Alpina has its own design and ergonomics, they fit almost any decor. Vacuum cleaners have different power, on average, somewhere 2000W, and they feed from the usual outlets. Which to choose a vacuum cleaner – it's up to you: if you need an ordinary cleaning, we can restrict the conventional vacuum cleaner with cyclone filter, however, if it is necessary to protect children from allergies, it is better to buy a vacuum cleaner that can do wet cleaning. Each vacuum cleaner Alpina offers some additional tips to help do the cleaning in a variety of places.
Thus, vacuum cleaners Alpina are perfect in any home, they are able to remove dust from all surfaces and reliably protect you and your family from the harmful effects of fine dust. Alpina SF-2205 normal cleaning: dry, without a dust bag (cyclone), 2000 W, the power controller on the housing Alpina SF-2206 normal cleaning: dry, without a dust bag (cyclone), power 1400 W, the suction power of 250 W, 4-stage filtration system, turboschotka complete, weight 8.2 kg ... Alpina SF-2209 normal cleaning: dry, with dustbag, power 600 W Alpina SF-2208 regular cleaning: dry, without dust bag (cyclone) Alpina SF-2207 regular cleaning: dry, without dust bag (cyclone) Alpina SF-2210 normal cleaning: dry, with dustbag, power 800 W, the power controller on the housing, the 5-stage filtration system Alpina SF-2217 usual cleaning: dry, without a dust bag (cyclone), power 1400 W, turboschotka bundled Alpina PNP-1300 normal cleaning: dry, power 1500 W, the suction power of 240 W, the power controller on the housing, a 9-stage filtration system, weight 6.9 kg Alpina PNP-1500 normal cleaning: dry, with dustbag, power 1500 W, 240 W input power, power regulator on the body weight of 7.5 kg


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A recent study by Javelin indicates the overall rate of identity theft declined significantly year-over-year between 2009 and 2009, with a twenty-eight percent dip in the number of reported events; that's the good news.
The bad news is that the cost of remediating an identity theft event increased by sixty-three percent over the same time period, and the incidence of "friendly fraud" - identity theft by an acquaintance of the victim - rose seven percent.
Younger people and the elderly remain particularly vulnerable to identity theft, and the crime remains the number one reported consumer complaint the FTC receives, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC).
The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department offers the following twelve identity theft prevention tips:
1. Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personal identifying information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information.
2. Check your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus every year.
3. Open your credit card bills and bank statements right away. Review your statements and close unused accounts. Be aware if bills don't arrive on time. It may mean that someone has changed contact information to hide fraudulent charges.
4. Don't carry your Social Security card or PIN numbers in your purse or wallet because of what can happen if they fall into the wrong hands.
5. Avoid giving any personal information over the phone, mail, or Internet unless you know who you are dealing with. Give it to them in person instead.
6. Criminals pretend they are collecting money for victims of a natural disaster. Sometimes they claim to be police officers and ask for donations.
7. Elderly people are frequently targeted in money scams. Keep a helpful eye for elderly family members and vulnerable neighbors.
8. Make sure that you disconnect your laptop from a broadband or a shared connection when you are not using it.
9. Avoid offers and pop-ups that sound too good to be true. They want you to enter your information so they can access all of your personal information.
10. Remove your name from mailing lists for pre-approved credit offers. Pre-approved credit card offers are a target for identity thieves who steal your mail. Have your name removed from credit
bureau marketing lists. Call toll-free 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688).
11. Only enter personal information on secure Web pages that encrypt your data in transit. You can often tell if a page is secure if "https" is in URL or if there is a padlock icon on the browser window.
12. If you're going to use a mail box, do so during or close to the posted pick up hours. Better yet, drop your mail off at your local post office. Retrieve mail promptly and discontinue delivery while out of town.
Visit the LASD website for more information on identity theft.
Source: http://sanmarino.patch.com/articles/identity-theft-prevention-12-tips


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Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Here's my story. What is yours?
The whole effort took less than five minutes.
How about you? What is your November 4th story?
6 comments:
I work at a school, so I have to be at work 7:40 each morning. I woke up at the usual 6 AM, and let my dogs out. I then got showered and around about 15 minutes earlier than I usually do so I could go vote, which is usually ample time. Well, being in Indiana (which is a battleground state for the first time in almost 4 decades) I got to my polling area and the line was already out the door at 6:45! Needless to say I'm waiting to vote until I get out of school at 3:20, where I'm sure I will have to wait at least 30-45 minutes.
My vote counted. I was prepared to wait in line to make sure my vote counted. However, to my surprise, I was also in and out in less then 5 minutes. I made it to the polls by 830 AM after dropping the kids off at school.
- Soren said...
Voted at the American Legion post in Leo. Several folks were lined up (it was shortly before 8am), but the entire process took about 20 minutes.
They say it's all up to Indiana and Virginia. I did my part!
My wife & I arose this morning and went for our daily walk in Fenner Nature Center at 7:30 A.M.
Came home at 8:15, ate breakfast, read our daily chapter of Proverbs, showered and made it to the polls at Forest View Elementary School by 9:15. We had to wait in line about 45-50 minutes, but the weather was beautiful and people were very civil. There was one instance regarding the fact that the voting officials had not addressed. Usually, everyone goes in the same entry way to vote. This year however, knowing that there was going to be such a high turnout of voters, the officials did the right thing by making two entrances available, one for each of the two precints of the ward. However, they did not have enough proper signage posted to direct people at the entry drive, to let them know which line to enter to vote. If someone made it all the way through the line and found themselves in the wrong precint voting area, the officials were kind enough to let them into the front of the proper line.
Other than that, everything went smoothly, and I am continuing to pray for our nation and that God's will be done.
- Caleb said...
We had a little school election this morning. All the computers were setup in the library. 35 laptops plus the lab in the library. Basically just a way to see what the rest of the school thought. 75% of the school participated. It turned out that winners of the school election were Carlos Levin, Mark Schaur, Obama/Biden, and both proposals passed. Dad you know what and who I voted for and if you don't ill tell you when you get home. All in all pretty cool experience.
see you tonight
- Unknown said...
I left work 2 hours early. I made it to Hope Middle School in Holt by 3:20 pm. I was walking out by 3:40 pm. I never wait at any one station for more than five minutes. The longest wait I had was for the machine that sucks away the ballot. Nice and easy, this was the best presidential election I have voted in yet.


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Wang Dongling is one of China's most highly regarded ink artists. Trained in classical calligraphy, he studied at the progressive Zhejiang Academy and became increasingly involved in China's avant-garde movement in the mid-1980s. While continuing to work in traditional styles, he also explores the abstract potential of calligraphy in freely brushed works that can be compared with Western gestural abstraction. His latest Chaos Script series is considered a breakthrough in contemporary Chinese calligraphy, and he has been asked to perform this unique style of writing in a large scale format at institutions around the globe.
His work has been collected by numerous institutions including the British Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Courtesy of Chambers Fine Art
Works Available for Purchase
- Price
- Medium
- Size


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map of all Therapists & Counselors
Dr. Caroline Curlin, PhD, HSPP
Dr. Bryce Taylor, PhD, HSPP
2205 N. Wheeling Ave.
Muncie, IN 47304
(765) 287-1922
Center for Psychological Development takes insurance and cash, checks and major credit cards. Her rates are listed on her website.
Are you familiar with WPATH Standards of Care version 7?: Yes
Have you provided referral letters for hormone therapy?: Yes
Have you provided referral letters for surgeries?: No
Experience working with trans-identified persons? Assigned male at birth or Assigned female at birth?:
I have worked with approximately 6 – 8 children, teens and adults identified as gender fluid in some way. Most of them have been assigned female at birth, but two have been assigned male at birth.
Experience working with Trans Children or Youth:
I have worked with a pre-pubertal child who is gender fluid and several teens working through the transitioning process.
Since 1998, the Center for Psychological Development has been providing professional counseling to help people in the East Central Indiana area get their lives back on track. We are housed in a renovated home, promoting a familiar and warm atmosphere. We have comfortable counseling rooms and a large room specifically designed for play therapy. The clinicians at the Center for Psychological Development can help you:
- Relieve anxiety, stress, and depression
- Solve interpersonal problems and conflict
- Overcome the pain of loss and divorce
- Improve parent-child interactions
- Enrich your relationships
- Help children meet the developmental challenges of friendships, family, and school


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Queen Bee
You have just moved to a new school, and you're ready to take your place place as queen of the classroom!
Mouse to interact
Click on students to use social media.
Enemy: Top left
You: Bottom Right
Friends: Labeled in Green
Enemies: Labeled in Red
Neutral: Labeled in Blue
Perform actions each turn to make everyone like you more and like her less. You can only use your friends' actions.
To use a move: click on your friend then either use power or pick target, based on their move type.
Send commands to your friends over social media to gather favor among the other students. Isolate her from all of her friends to win! But if you make your friends do too much for you, they'll feel used, and stop being your friend! At the start of a round, your closest friends will gather around you. Make sure not to alienate too many of them!
Different friends have different abilities! Some can pull pranks on other students, some can win you favor with other students, some can pressure other students into doing your bidding!
HANG OUT: Increases friendship by 10
INTRODUCTION: Increases friendship by 15
TALK ME UP: increases friendship with class by 3
TRASH TALK: Lower one of her friendships by 5
SKIP SCHOOL: Give someone immunity for the next turn
MOTIVATE: Double the effect of a move
STUDY: Increase friendship by 7 with all neighbors
PEER PRESSURE: Allows you to command a neutral student
PRANK: Stop a student from acting on her turn
LIQUID COURAGE: Randomly affects your friendship with someone
|gamedev, highschool, Ludum Dare, Ludum Dare 32, queen, queenbee


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Canada NewsWire
LAVAL, QC, Feb. 24, 2016
LAVAL, QC, Feb. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - BELLUS Health Inc. (TSX: BLU) (BELLUS Health or the Company), a drug development company focused on rare diseases, today reported its financial and operating results for the year ended December 31, 2015.
2015 and Early 2016 Highlights
"The KIACTA™ Phase 3 Confirmatory Study is the most comprehensive study ever conducted in AA amyloidosis patients and we look forward to sharing the top line data with patients, physicians and the investment community in the second quarter of 2016," said Roberto Bellini, President and Chief Executive Officer of BELLUS Health. "We also continue advancing the other rare disease pipeline programs to continue building value for BELLUS Health's shareholders."
KIACTA™ for AA amyloidosis
On January 21, 2016, BELLUS Health and Auven Therapeutics announced the completion of the KIACTA™ Phase 3 Confirmatory Study for the treatment of AA amyloidosis. The Phase 3 study completed enrollment in January 2015 with a total of 261 patients participating in the study. In January 2016, the event-driven study met its completion target of 120 patient events linked to the deterioration of kidney function. Top-line results are expected in the second quarter of 2016.
The Phase 3 study is designed to confirm the safety and efficacy of KIACTA™ in preventing renal function decline in patients diagnosed with AA amyloidosis. KIACTA™'s safety and efficacy were demonstrated in a previous Phase 2/3 study. The Phase 3 Confirmatory Study is the last key step before applications for regulatory approval for KIACTA™ can be filed.
No major safety concerns have been raised by the Data Safety Monitoring Board, which independently assessed the safety of KIACTA™ throughout the study and most recently met in July 2015.
BELLUS Health is partnered with global private equity firm Auven Therapeutics for the development of KIACTA™. Auven Therapeutics acquired the KIACTA™ rights from the Company in 2010, is conducting the KIACTA™ study and funding 100% of the development costs of KIACTA™, including the Phase 3 Confirmatory Study and other related activities, which total costs are currently estimated to be in excess of US$60 million. Overall proceeds from potential future revenue of KIACTA™ will be shared between Auven Therapeutics and BELLUS Health based on a pre-agreed formula, and assuming that total divestiture transaction proceeds reach a pre-determined threshold, the parties will share aggregate proceeds equally.
Auven Therapeutics has engaged Lazard as a financial advisor for the sale of KIACTA™.
KIACTA™ for Sarcoidosis
BELLUS Health's partner, Auven Therapeutics, is currently developing a clinical Phase 2/3 study protocol to evaluate the safety and efficacy of KIACTA™ for the treatment of patients suffering from chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis. An investigational new drug application (IND) for this clinical Phase 2/3 study is expected to be filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the first half of 2016.
All costs in relation to the development of KIACTA™ in sarcoidosis will be borne by Auven Therapeutics. Proceeds from potential future revenue of KIACTA™, including the rights to KIACTA™ for sarcoidosis, are subject to the proceeds sharing agreement between Auven Therapeutics and BELLUS Health.
Chronic sarcoidosis is a rare, potentially fatal inflammatory condition that affects the lungs. There is no cure for sarcoidosis, and treatment options are limited and can have serious adverse effects.
Shigamab™ for sHUS
A clinical Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept study protocol is currently being designed for the assessment of the efficacy of Shigamab™ in the treatment of the Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (sHUS), a rare disease primarily affecting the kidneys of children. The Company intends to meet with regulatory authorities in 2016 to present its clinical development plan for Shigamab™.
In September 2015, the Company presented data from clinical and pre-clinical studies evaluating Shigamab™ in the treatment of sHUS at the VTEC Conference in Boston. During the conference, BELLUS Health held its first Shigamab™ Scientific Advisory Board meeting.
In parallel with the preparation of the clinical Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept study, BELLUS Health also plans to perform an additional pre-clinical study in a sHUS baboon model to help establish the optimal effective treatment window for Shigamab™ in sHUS patients.
Shigamab™ is a monoclonal antibody therapy being developed for the treatment of sHUS, a rare disease which principally affects the kidneys and often leads to acute dialysis, and in certain cases chronic kidney disease and death, primarily in children.
AL Amyloidosis Research Project
The Company also has a research-stage project for AL amyloidosis, a rare disease in which amyloid protein builds up and causes dysfunction in various parts of the body, including the kidneys, heart, liver and peripheral nerves.
In February 2015, the agreement entered into by BELLUS Health with AmorChem Holdings Inc. in 2013 for the development of drug candidates for the treatment of AL amyloidosis was terminated. As a result of the termination, BELLUS Health regained exclusive rights to its AL amyloidosis program and related compounds.
Settlement of Convertible Notes
As scheduled, on January 1, 2016, BELLUS Health issued 7,286,828 common shares from treasury in settlement of convertible notes. The convertible notes' notional amount was approximately $10.9 million and terms of the conversion were determined as part of BELLUS Health's capital reorganization in 2012. The settlement further simplified the Company's capital structure.
Summary of Financial Results
All currency figures reported in this press release are in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise specified.
Year Ended December
Year Ended December
(in thousands of dollars, except per share data)
Research and development expenses, net
General and administrative expenses
Net finance income
Deferred tax recovery
Net income (loss) for the year
Net income (loss) attributable to
Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share
The Company's full consolidated financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2015 will be available shortly on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.bellushealth.com.
As at December 31, 2015, the Company had available cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totalling $9,702,000, compared to $12,307,000 as at December 31, 2014.
About AA Amyloidosis
AA amyloidosis is a deadly condition that progresses from chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The disease causes a protein called amyloid A to accumulate in major organs, particularly the kidneys, which leads to organ dysfunction, failure, and eventually death.
There is currently no available treatment for AA amyloidosis. A recent commercial assessment study conducted by Navigant Consulting on behalf of Auven Therapeutics and BELLUS Health identified between 10,000 and 15,000 KIACTA™ eligible patients with AA amyloidosis in the United States and Europe.
KIACTA™ has been granted Orphan Drug designation or its equivalent for the treatment of AA amyloidosis in the United States, Europe and Japan, which provide for market exclusivity for a period of seven to ten years once the drug is approved, as well as a reduction in application and review fees.
About BELLUS Health (www.bellushealth.com)
BELLUS Health is a drug development company focused on rare diseases. Its pipeline of rare disease projects includes KIACTA™ in Phase 3 for AA amyloidosis, KIACTA™ for sarcoidosis, clinical stage Shigamab™ for sHUS and a research-stage project for AL amyloidosis. The lead program KIACTA™ is currently in a Phase 3 Confirmatory Study for the treatment of AA amyloidosis, an orphan indication resulting in renal dysfunction that often leads to dialysis and death. BELLUS Health is partnered with global private equity firm Auven Therapeutics for the development of KIACTA™.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release, other than statements of fact that are independently verifiable at the date hereof, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and regulations. Such statements, based as they are on the current expectations of management, inherently involve numerous important risks, uncertainties and assumptions, known and unknown, many of which are beyond BELLUS Health Inc.'s control. Such risks factors include but are not limited to: the ability to obtain financing, the impact of general economic conditions, general conditions in the pharmaceutical industry, changes in the regulatory environment in the jurisdictions in which the BELLUS Health Inc. does business, stock market volatility, fluctuations in costs, changes to the competitive environment due to consolidation, achievement of forecasted burn rate, potential payments/outcomes in relation to indemnity agreements and contingent value rights, achievement of forecasted pre-clinical and clinical trial milestones, dependence on Auven Therapeutics for the completion of the KIACTA™ Phase 3 Confirmatory Study and that actual results may vary once the final and quality-controlled verification of data and analyses has been completed. In addition, the length of the KIACTA™ Phase 3 Confirmatory Study and the sharing of proceeds between Auven Therapeutics and BELLUS Health Inc. from potential future revenue of KIACTA™ are dependent upon a number of factors, including the quantum of proceeds. Consequently, actual future results and events may differ materially from the anticipated results and events expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Company believes that expectations represented by forward-looking statements are reasonable, yet there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The reader should not place undue reliance, if any, on any forward-looking statements included in this news release. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and BELLUS Health Inc. is under no obligation and disavows any intention to update publicly or revise such statements as a result of any new information, future event, circumstances or otherwise, unless required by applicable legislation or regulation. Please see BELLUS Health Inc.'s public filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Annual Information Form, for further risk factors that might affect BELLUS Health Inc. and its business.
SOURCE BELLUS Health Inc.


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Masterpiece Transformers MP-1 Convoy Booklet Translations
Front Cover | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12-13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Back Cover
Convoy concept sketch by Don Figueroa (larger version)
All translations below by Doug Dlin
[Page One]
MP-1 Cybertron Commander CONVOY
"Masterpiece" Convoy makes its debut almost twenty years after the birth of the Transformers. It has been designed based on the cartoon version, the greatest common factor among the images of Convoy embraced by the users.
There have been other Convoy items based on the cartoon version, but this Masterpiece version is the first to make realistic proportions compatible with transforming mechanisms to change the figure into truck mode. Naturally, there were unexpected barriers to making this a reality; in order to recreate the characteristic torso and waist area of the cartoon version, the abdomen is packed with intricate transformation systems. You can also form the robot mode without separately having to insert the fists. Even as we solved this without compromising the image of Convoy seen in the cartoon and comics, we reinforced its sense of realism by adding modern-level detail to the joints and such. There's generous use of zinc alloy in the chest and legs, producing a sense of massiveness which is also captivating. We also hope you note the numerous optional items and gimmicks in Convoy's armament, as typified by the laser rifle. To users around the world we present Masterpiece Convoy, a suitably supreme commemorative item to celebrate the Transformers' 20th birthday.
[Page Two]
This is the proof of office for Cybertron Supreme Commanders that Convoy protected for ages. In the 2010 cartoon episode "The Resurrection of Convoy, Part 2" ["The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"] (see picture), it is opened to save the galaxy from danger.
Item--ENERGY AXE Used only once, in the first-series episode "Mystery of the Ruby Crystals" ["More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"]. (See picture.) He deploys it to take on his arch-enemy Megatron in a fierce battle atop a dam. Many Transformers can change their hands into weapons or tools.
Item--LASER RIFLE Convoy's favorite gun. He prides himself on being highly accurate with it, even when firing one-handed. In episodes like the first series' "Operation: Space Bridge" ["Transport to Oblivion"], he shows how he regulates its output by operating the barrel.
Item--MEGATRON GUN Occasionally, Convoy fights alongside his enemy, Megatron, the Emperor of Destruction. Convoy used Megatron's gun mode in the original-series episodes "The Plan to Destroy Earth" ["Countdown to Extinction"] and "The Insectron Syndrome" ["The Insecticon Syndrome"]. (See picture.)
Function--COMMUNICATOR Convoy is equipped with communicators in both arms. The triangular marks on his arms are energy gauges, by the way, and in the first-series episode "Capture the Negavator!" ["Auto Berserk"], they both light up at once, urgently warning him that he needs to replenish himself.
Function--SUSPENSION Convoy's ability to travel the distance through the many valleys of America's bad roads (image is from the first-series episode "Operation: Survival" ["Quest for Survival"]) is a result of the high-performance suspension set up around his wheels.
Function--SUSPENSION Convoy's solid legs support his body. Even in TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (see picture), he attacks the Destrons while landing from a high-altitude jump, all without losing his balance.
[Page Three]
The world of the Transformers was created by Japan's Takara and North America's Hasbro. In this section, we'll review the various forms in which the original Convoy has appeared over the history of the Transformers. (Match the content with that of the "All-Convoy Lineup" section at the end of this booklet.)
The Transformers are super robot lifeforms born on the planet Seibertron. The peace-loving types among them are known as Cybertrons, and Convoy (known as Optimus Prime in the West) has governed their warriors for ages. The transforming robot Battle Convoy derived from the Diaclone line (see sidebar on pg. 8) still lives on as the Transformer (hereafter, TF) Convoy. Also, note that there are points of difference between the Western and Japanese histories of both Convoy and the TFs in general. Here we will proceed by focusing on the development of the Japanese version of things. First, Convoy debuted in the first series of toys. This was in 1984 for the U.S. and the U.K., 1985 for Japan. From the way Convoy was depicted particularly large for the first series, even in the key visuals on the back of the toy packaging, one can gather how importantly he was regarded. The first time in the history of TF imagery that Convoy is seen in motion is the animated portion of the toy commercial broadcast in America in the Spring of 1984.* Although this was taken from a pilot film at the time, which is why his look here differs some from that of the subsequent TV cartoon series, his overall balance had already been perfected. In short, one could say the original source material for Masterpiece Convoy, which is based on the cartoon-version design, was inherited from this commercial (pilot film). Later, in the TV series FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TRANSFORMERS (original title: THE TRANSFORMERS), which began airing in the West in September of that same year and in July of 1995** in Japan, Convoy would achieve his genuine animated debut. His first words in the TV show's first episode are, "Any good news?" By shifting their activity location to various story media from the TV show on, Convoy and the other Transformers became ennobled into characters who showed firm personalities. One could say that their original versions were in the images spun in the cartoon version. Some 90 Transformers appeared in the first TV series, but no single episode has them all present at once. Convoy ranks among the top in rate of appearance, being absent from no more than three episodes out of all 65 (and the SCRAMBLE CITY: ACTIVATION video) in the Japanese version of the show, not counting clip show episodes. One could say this fact is also a foundation for increasing his recognition among fans.
Though loved by fans worldwide, Convoy would come upon a major turning point in 1986: the shocking development of his death. This story was presented through the full-length theatrical film TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE, which was released that year in the West, and the non-Japanese comics. Meanwhile, in Japan, they announced that Convoy had fallen in battle and they ventured to carry out measures to bridge the gap to the next series, which would be set after his death. In the plot of THE MOVIE, Convoy loses his life from an exchange of blows with his archenemy, the Destron Emperor of Destruction, Megatron, and thus departs from the world of TFs. However, this was not, in fact, the end of him. Convoy would leave and return several times later on in TF history. First, he made a guest appearance in the second, post-movie TV series, FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TRANSFORMERS 2010 (original title: THE TRANSFORMERS), then he attained a miraculous resurrection at the very end of that series. After that, in the third Japanese cartoon series, TRANSFORMERS: THE HEADMASTERS (1987), Convoy is wounded in battle and enters the long sleep. Convoy only appears in three episodes of THE HEADMASTERS, but we should also note that in the latter half of the series, Blanker [Pointblank], one of the new Cybertron warriors, mentions his name. Moving on, in the fourth Japanese cartoon series, TRANSFORMERS: SUPER-GOD MASTERFORCE (1988), there appears a Cybertron warrior named Jinrai (Super Jinrai) who bears a strong resemblance to Convoy. Later backstory reveals that this is because Jinrai's body was supposed to become a new Convoy (Super Convoy). Then, in the fifth Japanese cartoon series, FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TRANSFORMERS V (VICTORY) (1989), Convoy appears--though only once--in an image scene in one act of an event compilation episode. Finally, in the 1991 Japanese TF series TRANSFORMERS: THE BATTLESTARS, Convoy is officially brought back to life, reincarnated as Star Convoy. (See pg. 7)
During this time, the non-Japanese version was developing along a different path from the Japanese version. In America, where HEADMASTERS and subsequent Japanese TV series weren't being shown at the time, they broadcast the original TV cartoon "The Rebirth" in 1987. The Convoy appearing here was still alive when the show ended. Then, in 1988, Convoy achieved a rebirth in the West as a Powermaster, a living warrior combined with a human. Convoy also appeared as part of the non-transforming line of Action Masters (see pg. 7) in the 1990 toy series. After that, the original Convoy toy was re-released in the West first in 1991's Classics series, and then with some alterations in the Transformers: Generation 2 series that began in late 1993. Continuing on, in 1994 and 1995, a total of three new Convoys were announced, including two with new designs. The two new-design versions were released as part of the Japanese Transformers G-2 line in 1995 as Convoy Missile Trailer and Battle Convoy. (See pg. 7.) As you can see from the above, from a global point of view, Convoy existed in some form or another in the TF world almost every year up until Beast Wars began in 1995. This very thing is proof that his is the "face" that should represent TFs. On the next page, we bring you the best of the TV episodes which are essential for discussing about Convoy.
*I think this is wrong, as the first animation *I* ever saw of Prime was in the commercial for the Marvel comics mini-series, but it's possible Prime's commercial was broadcast first elsewhere in the country.
**The booklet text says 1987, but this is a typo. The show started broadcast in Japan in July 1985.
In 1996 in the West, then in 1997 in Japan, a new series called Beast Wars began. The Cybertron Supreme Commander appearing here was also called Convoy (Shown at right. Named Optimus Primal outside of Japan.), but he transformed into a gorilla and was a different warrior who had succeeded to the original Convoy's heroic name. In the plot of the CG-animated TV series BEAST WARS: SUPER LIFEFORM TRANSFORMERS (original title: BEAST WARS), the connection between the two is unclear at the beginning, but in the sequel series BEAST WARS METALS (original title: BEAST WARS), released in Japan in theaters and on TV, he co-stars in an unexpected way with the original Convoy. Metals Convoy (see Pg. 7) and the other Beast Warriors learn they are on Earth four million years in the past and achieve a dramatic encounter with the original Convoy, slumbering in his spaceship as he awaits the time of his reawakening.
[Page Four]
"Search for Alpha Trion" ["The Search for Alpha Trion"] FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TF Ep. 40 On planet Seibertron, a resistance force of female Cybertrons [lit. "woman Cybertrons"] opposes the Destron army. Among them is Elita One, Convoy's sweetheart. Learning she's in danger, Convoy heads for his home world, but.... This is the episode of this show that established there were feminine-form female Cybertrons among the Cybertron warriors. There's even a flashback scene depicting Convoy's tearful parting with Elita One when he journeyed from Seibertron four million years ago. This is also the first appearance of the Cybertron elder Alpha Trion, among the many highlights of which is his depiction as a mysterious being who knows the secrets of Convoy's creation.
Furthermore, in the Japanese broadcast, starting with this episode, the opening titles changed and commercial bumpers started to be inserted. Naturally, there was a Convoy version among the bumpers.
"Target: Convoy" ["Prime Target"] FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TF Ep. 50
Revised draft of "Target: Convoy" (FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TF Ep. 50):*** The disappearance of the Soviet Union's state-of-the-art fighter jet becomes an opportunity to raise U.S.-Soviet tension. The true culprit is the hunter Lord Chumleigh. The very embodiment of the desire to hunt, he has chosen his final prey, and that is Convoy...! In order to capture Convoy, Chumleigh traps one Cybertron warrior after another. Very few of the humans appearing in TRANSFORMERS are villains. Lord Chumleigh from this episode is one of those few; absorbed in hunting Convoy, he manages to twist other Cybertrons around his little finger. Of course, Convoy's not about to stay quiet, even if his opponent is an Earthling. Convoy's valor never fades as he proceeds alone into enemy territory to rescue his teammates, and the final scene revealing that Convoy's actions are responsible for averting a U.S.-Soviet war is one of the best closings of the series. You can also see a rare scene of Convoy flying in trailer mode in this episode.
"Caused War" ["War Dawn"] FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TF Ep. 59
Megatron plans to use a time machine to send the Cybertrons' Airbot team to before the creation of the universe. However, the Airbots arrive in the Golden Age of Seibertron, nine million years in the ancient past. There they meet a Transformer youth named Orion Pax...
This episode is the secret story of Convoy's birth. Heavily wounded and on the verge of death thanks to Megatron's scheme (of nine million years ago), Orion is reborn in a new form at the hands of Alpha Trion. Yes, Orion Pax was the previous form of Convoy. The Airbots debuted about midway through the first series, but the development of their connection with Convoy's creation is deeply interesting. Also appearing in this episode are Elita One's previous form, Ariel, and Orion's good friend Dyon. Nine million years ago was a momentously meaningful time in Seibertron's history.
"Convoy's Resurrection Pt. 1/Pt. 2" ["The Return of Optimus Prime"] FIGHT! SUPER ROBOT LIFEFORM TF 2010 Ep. 29/30
The Earthling Doctor Gregory and his daughter Jessica*-* discover Convoy's corpse in space. But from his anger toward Megatron, who once left Jessica half-paralyzed, Gregory has developed hatred toward all Transformers, and in cooperation with Dr. Morgan, Gregory plots revenge using Convoy and a space plague that induces brutality. Even as he falls into a crisis of galactic scale, the Cybertron Sky Lynx gains the help of the Transformers' evil creators, the Quintessons, and has them resurrect their last hope. The time of Convoy's rebirth has come! The event compilation in which Convoy is completely revived after dying in battle in THE MOVIE even uses a news flash made for this episode in America. The song "The Touch" from THE MOVIE is used in the scene in which Convoy eradicates the space plague by opening the Matrix. The final scene, in which Convoy's actions temporarily calm the war with the Destrons, was impressive.
***I'm not sure this bit is supposed to be here. It kinda fits, but it's still out of place compared to the rest of the synopses, and the way it's written is grammatically odd. It's as if this part was supposed to be deleted from the final draft of this booklet but wasn't.
*-*Whoops! Someone goofed their research! Gregory was Dr. Swofford's FIRST name, and Jessica was the daughter of his partner, Dr. Morgan.
[Page 14 & 15]
Here we'd like to get a commanding view of various info related to the original Convoy obtained from the world of Transformers. Where the name "Convoy" appears in this section, it basically indicates the same character as the original. We'll use "gorilla Convoy" and similar to distinguish when we refer to other characters of the same name, such as in Beast Wars.
Convoy's Physical Functions
You could say the design Convoy's trailer-truck alternate mode retains influences from the actual Swedish-made 16 turbo truck. This cab-plus-trailer arrangement would be inherited by many Convoys, from the second one, Rodimus Convoy, onward, with the exception of gorilla Convoy and the other Beast Warrior Convoys. Aside from the ability to transform, the first Convoy's functions were represented mainly by the special anti-aircraft cannon stored in his trailer and the small vehicle Roller, which could also be said to be a part of him.
As for data on Convoy's other functions, aside from those touched upon on page 2 of this booklet, let's pick up on several based on info gleaned from the first TV series. As an unexpected part of his function aspects, it states that he's equipped with repair systems. This is newly established in "Dinobot Showdown!! Part 2" ["Dinobot Island, Part 2"]. It is thanks to this function's action that he is able to deal with an attack by Megatron. Also, in "Steel City" ["City of Steel"], when his body is all disassembled, he pulls stunts like mentally controlling his arms from his separated head. His standardly equipped weapon is his laser rifle, but in "Bruticus Attacks" ["The Revenge of Bruticus"] he simultaneously uses a different type of gun. In that same episode, he also uses a machine gun in car mode. He also fires lasers from his eyes in "SOS Cybertron!" ["Divide and Conquer"] and from his fists in "The Laws of Seibertron" ["Heavy Metal War"].
Many Cybertron warriors in the first cartoon series were unable to fly, but in part 3 of the first miniseries, they introduced some optional flight functions, and Convoy was no exception to this. (In this third episode, "Escape Earth!" ["More than Meets the Eye, Part 3], Convoy borrows an atmospheric-escape jetpack from Lambor.) Although they basically went everywhere in car mode after this, whether over long or short ranges, we can confirm one scene in the aforementioned "Dinobot Showdown!! Part 2" in which Convoy and the others use flight jetpacks. Among the named parts comprising Convoy's body are the Cosmitron and his power filter. The former is destroyed in "SOS Cybertron!" when Convoy is attacked by Condor while under repair, and one act depicts Ironhide and friends returning to their home planet to get a spare. The same item is an essential part influencing Transformers' life-support functions, but Convoy's is the only one of these mechanisms that appears in the show. His power filter shows up in "Search for Alpha Trion." When Convoy's sweetheart the female Cybertron Elita One, is on the verge of death, Convoy pleads with the Cybertron elder Alpha Trion to repair her, and he is asked in return to offer a part he shares in common with her. The fact that only the one who built Convoy would know that both robots' parts were compatible becomes foreshadowing into the subsequent secret tale of Convoy's birth, "Caused War." We'd also like to note how "Bruticus Attacks" establishes that Convoy and Megatron share some parts (micro-snap plugs, etc.), and the existence of the emergency transistors the young girl Carly uses to repair Convoy in "Broadcast Blues" ["Blaster Blues"]. Digressing a bit, the autonomy functions of Cybertrons who are drained of energy decline considerably, and a scene in "Monacus, the Gambling World" ["The Gambler"] depicts Convoy and several other Cybertrons moving around unthinkingly.
How tall would you say Convoy is? The specs of giant robots and mechs appearing in Japanese robot anime are almost always established in detail, but in the case of TRANSFORMERS, nothing so strict was set up. In the character chart used when the first series was being produced, he was depicted as being about 6 m tall, which is about the height of a two-story residential home in Japan. In the TV cartoon, this was generally depicted as the norm, and from comparisons with Spike and others, it seems he was regarded as being about 6 m. However, some deeply interesting specs were announced in TRANSFORMERS INFO FILE NO. 1, a pamphlet from when the show was first brought over to Japan. Let's quote them, shall we?
- Position/ Supreme Commander
- Transformation/ Trailer Truck
- Height/ 36 m
- Weight/ 28 t
- Vision/ Capable of reading text in a dictionary at 10 km
- Hearing/ Able to detect a butterfly's wings flapping at 3 km
- Grasping Strength/ 0.5 t
- Weapons/ Laser Rifle, Anti-aircraft cannon in combat trailer
- Power/ Can smash even special alloys 2 m thick
- Abilities/ Can become three powerful machines
- Personality/ His greatest power is his intellect, and he makes it his mission to protect Humankind and Earth
Considering the aforementioned first TV series, a height of 36 m for Convoy seems somewhat excessive, though it seems he was depicted at about this size years in the BEAST WARS series made years later. Comparing the Beast Warriors to the prehistoric humans in the CG cartoon, if you think of them as about 3 m tall, then Convoy appears to be on a scale of some 30 m in proportion to Metals Convoy and Metals Megatron. If we say for now that Convoy is 6 m tall, that means the Masterpiece version is about 1/20 scale. If we agree he's 36 m tall, then it's about 1/120 scale.
Also, his speed in truck mode is never really stated, but judging from the scene in the first-series episode "Panic--The Kremzeek!" ["Kremzeek!"] in which Convoy chases after a Japanese bullet train in truck mode, he apparently can reach at least 300 km/h, more or less. Incidentally, the similarly large vehicle Super Fire Convoy from TRANSFORMERS: CAR ROBOTS is established as being able to go 354 km/h. If we take into account that Super Fire Convoy turns into a special-stock firetruck known as the Fire Enjin (engine), then it's astounding that the original Convoy, who turned into a regular truck, could display speeds of 300 km/h.
Now then, while it is sadly not recorded in this INFO FILE NO. 1, how strong do you think Convoy is? If we use images from the first TV series for reference, in "The Computer Rebellion" ["Day of the Machines"], we can see in one act where Prime worries as he is unable to wrench apart some molybdenum alloy, but from the way he picks up and throws a large tanker ship (while floating in the ocean) in "Mystery of the Insectrons" ["A Plague of Insecticons"], it's possible to infer the extent of his power. According to [tanker spec] documents officially released overseas, he'd have been lifting up four million pounds (about 1800 tons), but even if it was a small tanker, its load weight would still be no less than 10,000 tons, so even his minimum strength could be called extraordinary.
What's Convoy Like?
It's been some twenty years since the birth of the Transformers. At the same time, Convoy himself has accumulated just as much time. So, how do you think people have reacted to his personality?
"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
This is the motto established for the overseas version of Convoy. These days, the numerous Cybertron commanders who have inherited Convoy's name from the image of these words tend to have personalities based on stoicism, but we should note that, if anything, the original Convoy was ultimately no more than a single representative of the Cybertrons in the first TV series. It is a solid fact that the Convoy who speaks so gently to the stupefied boy Chip in "Defeat Devastar!" ["The Core"] is a 'bot of character. On the other hand, he gets angry at his subordinate when his strategy fails in "Escape Earth!" and jokes around right in the middle of serious situation in "Steel City," when his body has been disassembled by the enemy. In "Master Builders," he amuses himself with the Earthly game of basketball, keeping the ball with him even when he's alone. Convoy's charm is that his character combines nobility with an atmosphere of an everyday guy. Of course, we mustn't forget the powerfully reliable nature of the character evoked by Tessho Genda, his voice actor in the Japanese version.
Also, we should add that an aspect of pessimism was stressed in Convoy's personality in the non-Japanese comics, as opposed to the cartoon. In the comic published in the U.K., his suffering is depicted everywhere, from the early stories in which he is tormented by the fact that they brought their war between Transformers to the unrelated world of Earth, to his being overrun by feelings of self-condemnation because he has lost the Matrix.
[Page 16 & 17]
Here we'll try tracking down the likenesses of all the warriors for justice sold by Takara who bear the name of Convoy. You can get a full view of how, from 1995's G2 on, the history of TFs was also a historic site of Convoys. (There are also a number of limited-edition items and series goods like Choro-Q besides what's shown here.)
Convoy (Sold in 1985)
A glorious warrior who has been able to keep fighting for nine million years. His freedom- and peace-loving soul has been inherited by the Convoys of the future and of other worlds.
Transformers 2010
Rodimus Convoy (Sold in 1986)
In the midst of the Unicron War in 2005, a young knight named Hot Rodimus is reincarnated as the second Supreme Commander through the blessings of the Matrix.
The Battlestars
Star Convoy (Sold in 1991)
The original Convoy reborn through the super-energy Zodiac. Besides a trailer truck, he can also change into a large command base.
The Battlestars
Convoy (From 1991, not sold in Japan)
A transitional form shown by the original Convoy when he becomes Star Convoy. (Sold outside of Japan as an Action Master.)
Transformers G2
Convoy Missile Trailer (Sold in 1995)
When Megatron deserts the Seibertron Alliance, in which he was fighting alongside Convoy, Convoy must fight against him, so he is converted into this new body.
Transformers G2
Battle Convoy (Sold in 1995)
One form of Convoy, who is now able to convert into many bodies through the power of the Matrix. His weapon is a Seibertonium Sword.
Beast Wars
Convoy (Gorilla) (Sold in 1997)
When Convoy crash-lands on the planet Energois (ancient Earth), he is reformed into this animal form in order to adapt to the energy of this heavenly body.
Beast Wars
Convo-bat (Sold in 1997)
Convoy (gorilla) transforms into a bat mode to be suited for jungle combat. Because of his short stature, he can sneak up soundlessly on his enemies.
Beast Wars II
Lioconvoy (Sold in 1998)
Leader of a squadron sent to investigate the planet Gaia, he imitates the shape of a white lion who rescued him. There's a Liojunior character who would have to be called his son.
Beast Wars Neo
Big Convoy (Sold in 1999)
Originally a lone-wolf mercenary, he is given the duty of disciplining young Cybertrons. He trusts his life to his Big Cannon heavy artillery weapon.
Beast Wars Metals
Metals Convoy (Sold in 1999)
Convoy (gorilla) is evolved into this Transmetals form by a "Quantum Surge" energy wave. He glides around using hoverjets.
Beast Wars Metals
Powered Convoy (Sold in 1999)
Metals Convoy is enlarged by the influence of the spark (soul) of the original Convoy. He can transform into four modes, including the first-ever jet mode for a Convoy.
Car Robots
Super Fire Convoy (Sold in 2000)
The larger mode of Dimensional Patrol Team commander Fire Convoy. This hot-blooded warrior's creed is "For a fiery soul, nothing's impossible!"
Car Robots
God Fire Convoy (Sold in 2000)
The ultimate form of Fire Convoy and his sworn brother Ultra Magnus, achieved by super-giant fusion. His basic powers are quadruple what they were before.
Micron Legend
Convoy Super Mode (Sold in 2002)
Fighting to protect the race of Transformers known as Microns, Convoy combines with his trailer into this powerful form.
Micron Legend
Convoy (STD Convoy) (Sold in 2002)
The transformation of the cab portion of his trailer-truck mode. Though he's a pacifist, when the need arises, he won't shirk from using his power to hold down his enemies.
The picture at right is is an image visual of generations of Convoys from around the world, shown as a group. From the left, we have MICRON LEGEND's Convoy Super Mode, then below him is Powered Convoy from BEAST WARS METALS. Below him, equipped with the double-barreled cannon, is Metals Convoy from the same show, and the small one below Metals Convoy is Optimus Minor. Rising high at the top of the image is Super Jinrai from SUPER-GOD MASTERFORCE, midway down with the two warheads on his back is G-2's Convoy Missile Trailer, and below that, holding the scimitar, is Convoy (gorilla) from BEAST WARS. Right in the center is Convoy (the original) from TRANSFORMERS, and between his legs can be seen the Machine Wars version. At the original Convoy's left shoulder is Beast Wars' Convo-bat, and to the right of that is Convoy (gorilla) as he appeared in BEAST MACHINES. Moving down from him, we find CAR ROBOTS' Super Fire Convoy, then G-2's Battle Convoy, then [G-2 GoBot] Optimus Prime. While some of these appeared or played active parts in Japan as separate characters, in the West, all of them were treated as Cybertron warriors designated "Optimus," a name equivalent to the highly honored "Convoy."
"Diaclone" is the name of an SF World series Takara developed between 1980-1985. Centered on 1/60-scale humans riding in transforming/combining robots, this series' entire set-up was changed with the announcement of the "Car Robots" line in 1982. Up until then, the Diaclone mecha had been developed with futuristic, fictional designs, but the "Car Robots" line freed itself completely from the brand's image to date, with designs based on modern sports cars or everyday vehicles. With its robots that turned into vehicles familiar from TV or everyday life, "Car Robots" set even bigger records sales-wise. The concept changed greatly after Diaclone; "Real & Robot" series--taking the "real" from the real-life machines and the "robot" from what they became--were announced one after another. Alongside the Microman "Microchange" (Chameleon Goods) series, which Takara developed at the same time as "Car Robots," the "Real & Robot" line, with its fusion of actual machines' realism and transforming robots, truly overflowed with "More than meets the eye!" appeal. One could say it led to the construction of the Transformers worldview as-is.
The No. 01-Supreme Commander Convoy commemorating the Transformers series anniversary is an item based on the No. 17-Battle Convoy from the "Car Robots" series. Up to then, there was little sense of interaction between items in the "Car Robots" line, but Battle Convoy's trailer, which could accommodate those other vehicles, was sold as a "Mobile Secret Base," greatly broadening the scope of the user's play scenes. In the initial stages, this same item was simply named "No. 17 Trailer Base," but we see once more that the "Convoy" name ultimately given to it has been striding through the world of Transformers for more than twenty years.


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"I hate my kitchen!" Beci Orpin replies when I hazard a guess as to the favourite room in her house, before qualifying, "I love what comes out of it, but the actual room is terrible." Beci's abode, which she shares with husband Raph Rashid (of Beatbox Kitchen and Taco Truck fame), sons Tyke and Ari and cats Miso and Tio, is the hot topic, with the release this week of the Melbourne-based illustrator-designer's second book, HOME. [fold] Following on from her 2012 release Find and Keep, HOME is a collection of 25 DIY craft projects with step-by-step instructions, accompanied by Orpin's humorous observations and candid photographs from around her own home and her creative friends'. "The main thing I wanted was for the book to feel approachable," says Orpin, citing Apartamento magazine as an aesthetic influence, "I think it's so much more interesting to see pictures of people's homes as they really are."
The projects contained within the 200-page hard-covered, round-cornered tome are split between different areas within the home – Living Space, Working Space and Sleeping Space. They're the kind of cool objects you might spot on Orpin's blog and wonder where she found them: wooden bead trivets, braided rag rugs, triangular box shelves and our favourite, a multi-coloured 'Chaos' tablecloth. "That's my favourite too!" says Orpin, explaining she discovered the technique when she accidentally spilt dye on her table while working on another project. "It came out looking awesome! Then we had to figure out how to do it on purpose."
Though the process of working on HOME has been "intense", Orpin enjoys the offline nature, explaining "it gets me away from the computer for a while, back to working with my hands." All the effort is worth it, too, when she holds the finished product in her hands and takes a first read through. "It's so nerve-racking but really exciting at the same time."
HOME by Beci Orpin is published by Hardie Grant, available now from all good booksellers.


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Where do I even begin? Creatively, things just haven't been blossoming for me. I don't have time to take crazy photos, make song covers, or even write anymore. I hate it, because those are the activities that make me the happiest.
I suppose I should go into details. Three people (two family members and one close neighbor) died recently and it's just drained everything from me. I physically cannot go to another funeral. Just yesterday, my uncle's body was found in a creek behind an abandoned factory. He had been missing since January in the worst winter I've ever experienced in Michigan. My family knew he was dead, but we couldn't be absolutely sure until his body was found. My mom had to go with my aunts to identify his body at the morgue. I feel so bad for her. I know I'm dark and have a fascination with morbid stuff, but this is repulsing and completely horrid.
My uncle had a rough life. But, it was his own doing. As a child, he began huffing gasoline, paint thinner, and anything else that would give him a high. Why anyone would do such a thing is beyond me. My mom has told me stories about my uncle huffing paint thinner-soaked rags in a crawl space underneath her childhood home and the horrendous smell of it when her family dragged him out. His wild eyes were burned into my mom's memory forever. From huffing gas, my uncle went on to become a criminal, the worst alcoholic I've ever seen, and in general a terrorist to his own family. My grandparents took him to psychiatric hospitals and specialists from all over to try and get help for him, but nothing worked. He ended up in jail more times than anyone could count and was homeless as well. I don't think he ever held a real job and made money in a unique way. He would ride his bike everyday to gas stations all throughout the community to collect soda bottles in dumpsters that he could return for cash to buy booze. He was a legitimate dumpster diver.
I'm sure I sound heartless and apathetic relating my uncle's life story, but that's because I never had a relationship with him. He rarely came to family functions. When he did, he was wasted and acting like a fool. I was really afraid of him. I'm tearing up now because I realize that I did love him. Everyone in the family had cut themselves off completely from feeling any emotion towards him for so long. I think we couldn't allow ourselves to get hurt anymore. Now that he's gone, we can finally be vulnerable again.
I can only remember one positive memory with my uncle. I was a kid and he showed up at our Christmas gathering with gifts for his nieces and nephews, which shocked us all. They were super cheap gifts from a drugstore, but I know he was proud that he was able to buy them. I recall having a long conversation with him which was rambling and confusing. I'm sure it was due to the brain damage he undoubtedly suffered from huffing. However, through the conversation I could tell that he was proud of me. He encouraged me to stay in school and praised my good grades. I don't think I ever spoke to him again after that. That conversation has always stayed with me, though.
In more recent times, there is only sadness surrounding thoughts of my uncle. My grandma (his mom) died a few years ago and he attempted to get clean for her funeral. A lot of people don't know that alcohol is the one drug that you cannot quit cold turkey. You have to medically detox from it because the withdrawal is so dangerous. In the past, when my uncle got hit by cars while drunkenly riding his bike (the man was hit by more cars than I can count) and ended up in the hospital, the nurses would give him a can of beer. This was so he wouldn't have a massive seizure due to the shock on his body from not drinking alcohol for an extended period of time. Alcoholics must be slowly weaned off of the drug. So, my uncle just stopped drinking completely a couple of days before the funeral and had a massive seizure, landing him unconscious. He was in intensive care in the hospital during my grandma's funeral. He tried to do the right thing, which I give him credit for. It really was unfortunate that he couldn't make it to his own mother's funeral.
There are a lot of mysteries surrounding my uncle's death. He left his house (where he lived with his evil girlfriend) in the middle of a huge snowstorm to get liquor, I believe. He was very disoriented and not in good health, having just been released from the hospital after he was found unconscious on the rat-infested basement floor of his house. His girlfriend and her family were supposed to be caring for him and obviously neglected him for days. He was barely alive when they found him, but my uncle could survive anything. My family knows that my uncle's girlfriend was stealing his Social Security checks and that's the only reason she wanted him to live with her. Her home was not a healthy environment for him, but I guess it was better than the streets.
Back to the day of my uncle's death…his girlfriend got a call from my uncle some time after he left out into the snow that day. He was frantic and incoherent. He was talking about the water…the water…and a yellow building in the distance. It's so eerie to imagine him dying. His girlfriend told him to call 911 for help, so he attempted, but he was still confused and they couldn't figure out where he was located. His cell phone was pinging off various towers around the area. A half-assed search ensued as my uncle lived in a high crime city with a lazy police force. They didn't care about finding him and it sickens me. It turns out that the water was a creek/river two feet deep behind a yellow abandoned steel factory five blocks long with a YELLOW fence encompassing it. And this location was only a few blocks from my uncle's house. Seriously. His body was found by a fisherman and was badly decomposed as he had been exposed to the elements for months. We don't know if he froze or drowned to death…or something more sinister. An autopsy is being conducted. So much is wrong with this whole situation. What an injustice!
My uncle's girlfriend and her family supposedly looked for my uncle every day he was missing. They allegedly hung up photos of him around town and searched everywhere. But, didn't think to look around the huge yellow factory right in their neighborhood. I detect major foul play, as the girlfriend continued to collect my uncle's government checks long after he went missing. All of this sounds like a movie, I know. I'm exhausted just writing it all down.
We have to plan a funeral for my uncle and I can't even think about it. I'm just hoping for better days ahead. I also wanted to mention that I had another uncle die recently from cancer, which was very sad. Attending his memorial held during a Greek Orthodox church service was quite an experience. And my sweet next door neighbor, who lived next to me my whole life, passed away from cancer earlier this month as well. She was always complaining, but had a huge heart and I miss her dearly. I spent a lot of time during the summers with her and her partner growing up. My house just isn't the same anymore.
So, that's what's been happening in my life. I don't want to bring anyone down with this post. I just have to get all of it out of my system to move on and get closure. This is my therapy. Summer will be here soon and that always makes me happy. I'm discussing moving out of my parent's house and looking at places of my own, which is exciting. I also got contacts! So, I can actually play with makeup more because I'll be able to see what I'm doing without wearing my glasses and not poke myself in the eye with an eyeliner pencil. I'm going to get back to recording songs and filming videos ;). Life will get better because it can't get worse.
Lots of love,


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Hope you had a happy Valentine's Day. When I was little, I think Valentine's Day was one of my favorite holidays. I loved to make the Valentine boxes for school and then hope whom ever I had a secret crush on would put a special Valentine in the box on my desk. But today Valentine's Day makes me a little sad because my son and daughter are not close enough for me to give them a big fat Valentine hug. Sonny bought me a really sweet card and I made him one. We decided not to go out to dinner and fight the crowds. Instead, we used a Groupon that we had for a meat store in Mooresville and bought a Porterhouse steak. Sonny grilled it outside and I made scalloped potatoes, salad, and mushrooms to go with the steak. It was yummy!!
I made Valentine sucker holders last weekend to send to my grandchildren. Since I had to buy a whole bag of heart suckers, I decided to make enough for my bridge group. I used the Scallop Envelope die to make them. I just love that die - it is so versatile!
I am finally going to be teaching the MDS class this weekend in Kernersville to my NC demo friends. I was scheduled to do it a few weeks ago when the weather did not cooperate. Friday is supposed to be ok but the cold weather is moving in on Saturday. It is supposed to be a high of 60 Friday and 42 on Saturday and Sunday!! Crazy but it is February!! We are doing a card swap in the afternoon after my class. The card I made for the swap was a Valentine's card but now I have changed it to an anniversary card!
I stamped Happy Anniversary and punched it out with the Label Punch and just glued it over the Happy Valentine's Day tag! I love this two tone ribbon from the Spring Mini - it is great for making bows! I like the mix of Pink Pirouette and Raspberry Ripple.


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Page One
Berkeley's Solar Calendar Rocks
It was a beautiful late October day, ideal weather for enjoying the sweeping panorama from atop the hills north of the Berkeley Marina. It was a lovely day for soaking up the sun and inhaling great gasps of fresh Bay breeze. And it was also a perfect day for grabbing pick-axes, shovels and a hundred small boulders to gussy up the perimeter surrounding the César Chávez Memorial Solar Calendar.
The Solar Calendar is a special site. Every Solstice and Equinox, it draws a crowd of students, environmentalists, activists, astronomers and Wiccans. In between, it draws curious stares from dog walkers and excited laughter from school children on field trips.
The Solar Calendar (Note: Don't call it a "sundial") sits in the center of a grass-fringed summit, encircled by a mini-Stonehenge of earth-backed berms and four clusters of signs detailing various aspects of the life of United Farm Workers' leader César Chávez. Each of the four points of the compass is marked by a stone bearing one of the cardinal virtues epitomized by Chávez' life of service and sacrifice — Hope, Determination, Courage and Tolerance.
In addition to providing one of the Bay Area's best scenic vantage points, the summit's celestial monument also puts visitors in the position of being at the virtual "helm of Spaceship Earth." Standing alongside the three-foot-tall stone gnomon as it casts a shadow across the face of the Meridian Calendar, visitors can mark the slow course of the planet as it moves eastward on its axis. Standing on this spot and watching the slow progress of the ever-moving shadow, visitors can feel as if they are "driving the planet" from this unique perch. (An illusion, of course, since none of us are Captains of this ship: we are all merely Passengers.)
Berm, Baby, Berm!
Santiago Casal, the visionary sociologist and designer who created the memorial — and who continues to nurture its ever-evolving transformations — was on hand to greet volunteers, which today included Karen Fox-Reynolds leading a delegation of students from the Marin School in Albany and nearly a dozen members of the East Bay Conservation Corps. "The Corps has been involved in the creation of the site since the very beginning," Casal says.
Casal looks over the 1.5-acre site and sighs. "The berms seem to have become ground squirrel hotels," he says, "Not sure what to do about that." But quickly turning back to the day's work, he explains that volunteers will be "resetting some of the stones on the berms to achieve a greater esthetic and we will be lengthening the tail of the Calendar to accentuate the southern orientation and aerial image of the site." And, he adds, "new signage is in the works."
By day's end, the eastern and southern berms will be enhanced with new stone walls with eight large boulders marking the site's coordinates. The smaller stones used to build the encircling berms were donated by American Soil and Stone while the soil used to back the new berms was donated by Brickyard Excavations.
Armed with picks, shovels and strong backs, the Conservation Corps crew swarms over the site while down the hill, an earthmover is busy rebuilding the path that leads uphill to the site. Wiping his brow, one of the young Corps workers pauses to laugh and exclaims: "Man! I'm exercising muscles I didn't even know I had!"
Overseeing the work is a beaming Bill Ritchie. A building coordinator with the City of Oakland, Richie works with members of the Neighborhood Service Department and has had a hand in the Chavez Memorial from the earliest days. Or, as Richie puts it: "When we were just piling dirt on top of dirt." Richie grew up cash-poor but in a resilient environment — his family home was small but there were chickens, goats and dogs in the backyard as well as a thriving food garden. These days, Richie admits he's concerned about social collapse. "We need to get back to the basics — back to the land," he says. He believes sites like this are part of the solution.
James LaFemina, the site's stonemason (who prefers to go by the name "JL") explains that we will be "dry-stacking" the stone walls. No mortar is being used, so the trick is to find the one stone that fits near-perfectly into the niche that's been created by all the other stones previously placed. This is a "special spatial" puzzle where the "solution" does not pre-exist but happens spontaneously at the moment you find the perfect stone to drop into place.
JL admits that he likes to finish his workdays by returning home, kicking back and filling out crossword puzzles. Finding the right word to complete a line or a block "is just as satisfying as placing the right stone," he smiles.
JL instructs his apprentice masons to take care to place the stones with their colorful, weathered sides facing outward. "It can take 100 years to grow one square inch of lichen," he notes. He also alerts us to "the five minute rule": if you can't find a fit in five minutes, move on to a different part of the wall. We roll and rotate each of the 10-20-pound rocks, checking their shapes and size. It takes more than one trip to the wall to find a stone that fits. And we do our best to honor the lichen.
A salute to some unsung heroes: The Solar Calendar's current crew of volunteer Stewards includes: Tory Brady, Kathy Churchill, Beck Cowles, Curtis Gray, Steve Haflich, Carlos Hill, Russell Nelson, Mojgan Saberi, Chuck Soper,Cathy Sponseller and Jim Shallenberger. For more information: http://solarcalendar.org


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Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka? Dream group to watch?
Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka? Dream group to watch?
Forever 63* at the SCG
Would be the most entertaining group to watch, surely...
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How exactly? Most of the exciting star names would be in the other group - KP, Flintoff, McGrath, Symonds, Ponting, Lara, Gayle, Tendulkar, Dhoni.and so on.Originally Posted by NZTailender
The hypothetical group B has a few Pakistan players and a couple of individuals from the rest (Murali and Bond). That's it.
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No. You would have four teams with an about equal chance of progressing.Originally Posted by Scaly piscine
The other group has a minnow in England, two hot-and-cold teams in India and Windies, and Australia who'll always qualify.
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Originally Posted by Pedro DelgadoOriginally Posted by Matt79
We're on about the most entertaining group to watch, not the most competitive.
Regardless for all anyone knows either group could be cut and dried after 2 games each, since there are two qualifiers any of the 8 could make it anyway. We don't know which games will be exciting either, the only known elements are the players which are decided more exciting in that hypothetical Group A.
You don't consider Jayasuriya, McCullum, Boucher, Gibbs, Nel, Kemp or Ntini exciting to watch?Originally Posted by Scaly piscine
The games being competitive doesn't make them entertaining?Originally Posted by Scaly piscine
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The point is we don't know which is going to most competitive til they're played out anyway.Originally Posted by Retox
Both groups once those sides play very well will be equally entertaining, you really cant seperate - (spelling check).
Compared to KP, Flintoff, McGrath, Symonds, Ponting, Lara, Gayle, Tendulkar, Dhoni?Originally Posted by _Ed_
No chance.
On the same token we don't know which players will be exciting to watch until the games are played either. McGrath, Tendulkar, Lara, and co. might just play rubbish.Originally Posted by Scaly piscine
The whole arguments pretty stupid really since whatever you or I consider entertaining is totally subjective.
Especially midget ***. I don't know how the heck you get off to that **** Scaly.
Fair enough but I wasn't comparing them to players in Group A, I was replying to your comment that Group B only has "a few Pakistan players and a couple of individuals from the rest (Murali and Bond). That's it."Originally Posted by Scaly piscine
You've got to have a cut-off point somewhere otherwise you would say every international cricketer was exciting. Mine is just a bit higher because it's OD cricket, McGrath v Tendulkar? Nice. Nel v McCullum... meh.
The difference there is that Tendulkar is an opening batsman, McCullum bats #7 or #8 for NZ!!! you can't really compare that match-up.
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CBS Outdoor unveils HD Poster Ad in Times Square
By TVTechnology
HD has gone underground, but in a good way. In what could be a telling moment for both the medium of HD and the future of outdoor advertising, CBS Outdoor on Monday (June 14) launched the first HD "video poster" in America.
To see it, you've got to go underground in the Times Square subway station in NYC.
The "Video Two-Sheet," as CBS Outdoor calls it, is a self-powered digital OOH (out of home advertising) format that was unveiled to passers-by as part of HBO's marketing campaign for its "True Blood" vampire series. As its third season gets underway, its second season recently was released on Blu-ray and DVD.
Subway riders enroute to and from the station platform are catching brief previews of the new season within the ads — thanks to thin 10-inch LCD screens (with audio) embedded in seemingly traditional "two-sheet" sized posters. Thus, the ads are mixing print, video and audio media together to convey the message.
The Video Two-Sheets are the result of a collaboration between firms Engagement Media and Standout Graphics, as well as CBS Outdoor.
Future US's leading brands bring the most important, up-to-date information right to your inbox


text: "When a person has maintained their face with anti-aging treatments but has ignored their hands, the discrepancy between their young face and old hands becomes quite noticeable," Dr. Monica Bonakdar, a dermatologist in Orange Count Californa, said. "Your hands are a dead giveaway to your age, but they don't have to be."According to Dr. Bonakdar, the filler restores volume to the tissue within the hand by stimulating natural collagen production.Radiesse is the only filler FDA-approved for hand augmentation & rejuvenation. Radiesse works by restoring volume in the hands. "Radiesse provides an immediate volumizing effect and can help to reduce the prominence of tendons and veins in the hands, delivering smooth, natural-looking results that can last up to 1 year," said Merz North America, the manufacturer, in a statement last year. Related Topics: RadiesseOrange County Radiesse Providers


text: Now is the time to travel abroad and save big. Zhao Xing, China. iStock By Amanda Gokee April 7, 2017 The past year or so has brought great news for American travelers, as the U.S. dollar has surged in value against other currencies. That means it's cheaper for Americans to travel overseas. We took a look at some countries where the exchange rate is notably improved from 2014, when the U.S. dollar was considerably weaker. These five destinations are particularly attractive now.See Also on Kiplinger: 20 Best Travel Sites to Save You Money Shanghai, China iStock 1. China Sponsored Content If you've had your eye on China for a while, now is a good time to book a trip. The dollar is currently strong in comparison with the yuan, which was devalued by 6.6 percent in 2016. The U.S. dollar is now 14 percent stronger against the yuan than it was in 2014, meaning travel there for Americans should be about that much cheaper. There is plenty for the adventurous traveler to see in this vast country, with some of the most famous tourist sites, including portions of the Great Wall of China, situated in or near Beijing. A tour of the wall and the imperial palace known as the Forbidden City costs around 240 yuan. At $35, that's about $5 cheaper than it would have been in 2014, thanks to the exchange rate. Everything from hotels to internal flights should be cheaper, too. Advertisement Near Davos, Switzerland. iStock 2. Switzerland According to the World Economic Forum's biennial Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, Switzerland ranked last in "price competitiveness" in 2015, making it the most expensive country to travel to. But the strengthening dollar is making it a little more affordable. The local currency is the Swiss franc, which, at the time of writing, was worth about one U.S. dollar. That's 13 percent less than the franc's high point in 2014. According to Lonely Planet, it costs the average midrange traveler around 200–300 Swiss francs a day to travel in Switzerland. With the current 13 percent savings on the exchange rate, you could save $26–$39 a day when compared to the same trip in 2014. Switzerland is a stunning country, where imposing castles from the Middle Ages dot the mountainous landscape. No trip to Switzerland would be complete without a trip to the Swiss Alps, which have long attracted visitors for hiking and skiing. Advertisement Switzerland's cities, such as its capital, Geneva, are clean and home to some of the most important international organizations, such as the World Health Organization. Smaller villages such as the town of Gruyeres have a fairy-tale charm. The town is famous for the Gruyere cheese that is produced there, and offers authentic fondue and tours of the cheese factory where you can learn how the cheese is made. Smogen, Sweden. iStock 3. Sweden Although Sweden has a reputation for being an expensive country for travel, the Swedish krona has dropped 42 percent against the U.S. dollar since 2014, making now the perfect time for a visit. The exchange rate at the time of writing was about $1 to 9 krona. According to Lonely Planet, the average midrange traveler spends about 1,000–2,000 Swedish krona a day. That translates to $111–$222, a whopping $92 cheaper per day than it would've been in 2014. Advertisement See Also on Kiplinger: The Travel Tipping Quiz With its many coastal islands and inland lakes, Sweden's geography has long made it a destination for those looking to spend time on the water, engaging in activities such as kayaking. If you enjoy winter sports, Sweden is also an amazing cross-country skiing and dog-sledding destination. You may even be able to catch a glimpse of the ethereal northern lights in the northern region of Lapland — in particular, the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko National Park. Even for city dwellers, water is an integral part of life. The Swedish capital, Stockholm, is built across 14 islands connected by 57 bridges. Stockholm is an elegant city, with lively music, art, and fashion scenes. Other cities, such as Visby, contain medieval ruins amid charming cobblestone streets. Near Ronda, in southern Spain. iStock 4. Spain With the euro falling in value against the U.S. dollar (down 24 percent since 2014), travel has become more favorable to the 19 countries that make up the eurozone. You could consider a traditionally more expensive destination such as France or Italy, and watch your dollars go further than they have in years. Or you could head to more affordable Spain, where a beer in some parts of the country will cost you just a little over a dollar. Advertisement Spain is a diverse country, made up of 50 provinces and five languages, including the official Castilian Spanish, as well as Basque and Catalan. The Pyrenees mountains offer wonderful recreation opportunities, including winter skiing and hiking along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes. The coast features good diving in the Mediterranean Sea. If a buzzing night life is more your scene, head for the tourist-heavy but beautiful islands of Ibiza and Mallorca. San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. iStock 5. Mexico The dollar-to-Mexican-peso exchange rate is extremely advantageous at the moment, with one dollar worth about 20 pesos. This rate is 54 percent better than it was in 2014. Since this destination is in North America, you won't have to worry about expensive airfare either. Mexico is a fascinating country to explore, with beautiful colonial architecture in towns such as Campeche, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas, which have put significant effort into conserving historic buildings. The Pacific coast is a great destination for surfing and lazing on pristine, white beaches, and it's often overlooked by tourists heading to the Caribbean meccas of Cancun and Playa del Carmen (which offer their own charm, to be sure). Living in Mexico City, I will admit to a bit of a bias for this cosmopolitan capital, which offers a vast art scene, delicious cuisine, and no shortage of music and entertainment options to visitors from all over the world. See Also on Kiplinger: Travel Insurance to Protect Your Vacation Regardless of where you choose to go, one thing for sure is that 2017 is shaping up to be the year of the American traveler. Take advantage of a strong dollar and see how far you can go. This article is from Amanda Gokee of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. More From Wise Bread 5 International Destinations Anyone Can Afford 9 of the Craziest, Coolest Airbnb Listings 15 Ways to Save the Most During a Hawaii Vacation 25 Ways to Have the Best, Cheapest Summer Vacation 5 Cities Where Airbnb Is Way Cheaper Than a Hotel This article is from Wise Bread, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. Advertisement Check Out Kiplinger's Latest Online Broker Rankings Advertisement More From Kiplinger Most Popular Most Shared 31 Cheapest U.S. Cities for Early Retirement - Slide Show 15 Things Retirees Should Buy at Costco - Slide Show Best States to Retire 2018: All 50 States Ranked for Retirement - Slide Show 20 Dividend Stocks to Fund 20 Years of Retirement - Slide Show Most Popular Most Shared The Best Vanguard Funds for 401(k) Retirement Savers - Slide Show How to Calculate the Break-Even Age for Taking Social Security - Article 4 Important Tax Items Every Retiree Should Know About - Article 20 Dividend Stocks to Fund 20 Years of Retirement - Slide Show


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watch 01:51
The Loop (TV)
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|This article is about a/an comparison of characters in the Super Sentai and Power Rangers franchises.
This page highlights the differences between Satoru Akashi and Mack Hartford.
|Bouken Red
|Red Overdrive Ranger
|Was born human.
|Was an android built by Andrew Hartford and later became human.
|Usually referred to by his last name when he was not called "chief".
|Went by "Mack," a shortened version of his real name, when on and off the battlefield. Real name is Mackenzie.
|Father appeared in a movie only, and was not a hugely significant addition to the plot beyond it.
|Father was in every episode, and served as a mentor to the entire team. Played a much bigger role in the storyline.
|Teamed up with Gekirangers in Juken Sentai Gekiranger vs. Boukenger.
|Has not teamed up with Jungle Fury Rangers.
|Returned in Gokaiger Goseiger Super Sentai 199 Hero Great Battle & later in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger for tribute episode .
|Did not return in Power Rangers Super Megaforce as part of a cameo for the final episode except in costume.
|Calm and composed as a leader.
|Outgoing and enthusiastic as a leader.
|He used the D-Magnums (DekaRed's weapon) in a movie.
|He used the Delta Blasters (S.P.D. Red Ranger's weapon) in a special episode.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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ETEAL and Applied Learning for Students
What is Applied Learning?
You may not be familiar with the term, but Applied Learning is something you've probably already done in a few of your classes. At UNCW, when we talk about Applied Learning we're talking about courses or projects that give you the opportunity to directly apply the things you've learned to real world problems and in situations that you might encounter in your future career. Studying abroad, working with nonprofits in the community, learning newly developed lab techniques, and even archival research can all be Applied Learning experiences and they can all help you transform the theories you know into the skills you need.
What's different about an ETEAL course?
All ETEAL courses are applied learning courses, which means that you'll often be involved in more hands-on applications of classroom concepts and theories than in other sections. You'll spend less time sitting all class for a lecture and more time applying what you've been studying and learning throughout the course. Applied Learning takes place all across the UNCW Campus though and there are many courses that let you take part in applied learning that aren't ETEAL Courses. Here's what makes an ETEAL course different from other sections:
- ETEAL Courses are all Applied Learning Courses: Every ETEAL course is an Applied Learning course and you'll be actively engaged in your learning.
- ETEAL Support: ETEAL Courses receive additional resources and other forms of support, allowing both instructors and students to take part in activities they might not otherwise be able to.
- New and Innovative Techniques: ETEAL seeks out and provides its support to new, innovative teaching techniques and course designs, making every ETEAL course an experience unlike any course you've ever had before. You might be doing things like measuring geological data in the field with iPads, taking samples and examining water quality first-hand, consulting for international businesses, or mapping poverty and residential needs in Eastern NC.
- ETEAL's Impact: Critical Reflection is a part of every ETEAL course. When students and instructors critically examine what they've learned, how they've applied it, what it means for their field, and where it can take them in the future, they understand the information better and it sticks with them for far longer than if they had just gone through a traditional lecture-style course section. This doesn't just help your academic career, it also strengthens your professional skills and your resume.
How can I get involved in Applied Learning at UNCW?
Every semester, there are dozens of Applied Learning courses available to students at all stages of their academic careers. Whether you're just coming into UNCW in your first year or you're planning to graduate at the end of this semester, there are Applied Learning opportunities for you all across the university. To get you started, here's a list of all the ETEAL Courses and Experiences coming up in the next semester:
ETEAL Courses and Experiences in Fall 2016 (PDF)
Explorations beyond the classroom
Beyond ETEAL courses, there are also Explorations Beyond the Classroom courses that serve as Applied Learning Experiences. The Explorations Beyond the Classroom components of the University Studies program were designed, with best practices in mind, to require students to engage in experiential or applied learning options that take place beyond the traditional classroom. Many of these types of experiences have long been hallmarks of a UNCW education and they are increasingly being recognized as powerful facilitators of student learning. Common components include: Discovery, Application, Regional Engagement, and Explorations Abroad.
If you'd like more information about Explorations beyond the Classroom, read the EBC entry in our undergraduate catalog
Resources for Current and Prospective Students:
What is Applied Learning? What does it mean for me?
How can I get involved in Applied Learning?
- UNCW Honors Scholars Program
- Office of International Programs
- Center for Support of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CSURF)
Awards, Grants, and Funding for Students
- CSURF Grant Opportunities
- Summer Undergraduate Research and Creativity Awards - Coming Soon!
What can Applied Learning do for me?
- AACU Report 2007: How Should Colleges Prepare Students To Succeed In Today's Global Economy? (PDF)