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Review by Terry Gaisin
Nope, the 'good' is not a Stephen Harper descriptive article- for clarity the title would be more meaningful if written "…for our Country's good (or benefit!)". Wertenbaker's play based on the Thomas Keneally (Schindler's List) novel retells an incident in the early days of the down under British development as a penal colony to be peopled by England's undesirables. As a premature psychological experiment, the gaolers permit the inmates to learn; then perform, a contemporary comedic play. Thus, a play within a play and Theatre Erindale has scored a triumph with both.
Director Patrick Young presents the story as connected scene vignettes that look at the experience from three different aspects…George IV's Royal marines; the harshly treated draconically sentenced criminals; and the aboriginal community. Most of the cast perform in two or more of these diverse categories; and perform they do – superlatively. Photo courtesy of Jim Smagata; Erindale
Young's ingeniously creative staging utilizes oversized rigid backdrops as screens; tents; sky/ and mists, that instantly convert locals or situations. His artistic eye enables the audience to feel the mood, even the ambiance of the different lives each of the protagonists faced as pioneers in the hostile environment that was late 18th & early 19th century Australia and New South Wales. The story retells about an actual incident that occurred in 1789 at the penal camp in Sydney Cove. The utilization of PowerPoint™ segment titling assists the audience in following the rapid progress of the performance, as well as preparing us for the section to follow.
Captain Tench; Black Caesar and a composite Aborigine are all Julio Ospina and he is a powerhouse in all three personas. To be so credible in such diverse guises is a credit to UTM's training. Four other such thespian talents are in multi-role challenges are Jonathan Walls (Governor/Inmate) and Heather Dennis (Lt. Faddy/ tough whore) who are credible portrayers in each personage. Major Ross & James Freeman are both Brandon Gillespie whose physical stature even appears to change with his portrayals. Michael Esposito II epitomizes both of his characters and still manages to be credible hang-ees. To be able to put ones' self so realistically into such non-complementary roles boggles this writer.
The pivotal roles of 'Mary' & 'Duckling' are played by Alison Blair & Brittany Kay with empathy and innate understanding of their subject's psyches and emotional baggage. The fortitude exhibited by Jessica Allen as 'Liz Morden' epitomizes the moral of this play & the writer's intention.
There are still more performers whose work contributes to the success of 'GOOD'. Lighting and costumes are intrinsic endorsers of the overall success of this unusually challenging undertaking. I live with a Capital Punishment advocate (almost non-existent recidivism rate), but even he will probably change opinion after having seen this performance! Just one more rationale to visit ERINDALE before February 19th


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Passing your driving test these days involves more tests than ever, so it pays to study as much as you can before the big day.
A full copy of Highway Code is included in this package, along with a 152-page workbook of test questions for practising your Theory test.
Handy software tools are also included for both the Hazard Perception and Theory tests, and all questions can be transferred to your MP3 player for working on the move.
A driving test simulator is also included, but is more of a gimmick than a replacement for real time behind the wheel. A final touch is a driving licence application form and a set of L plates to get you up and running.
With such a wealth of material at an affordable price, this is a perfect package for anyone getting ready for a life on the road.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Published: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 08:37 AM
EAST ALTON – Community leaders, business officials and economic experts from across downstate Illinois testified during a Senate hearing Monday regarding historic pockets of unemployment plaguing the region and how the state can better address the lingering need for jobs.
"Illinois is home to some of the most successful businesses in the world, but at the same time there are communities throughout our state that have seen nearly a decade of high unemployment," said Senator Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat who's organized similar hearings across the state. "We need an economic development strategy that not only enhances our successes, but also targets areas in need of assistance."
Local and regional economic development boards and associations are often spokespersons for the state when businesses look to expand or relocate to Illinois. Monica Bristow, President of the RiverBend Growth Association, echoed the need for a state-wide economic development plan stating, "It would help from a marketing standpoint if we could present a state-wide plan or strategy to businesses interested in expanding or moving to Illinois," Bristow said. "We need a uniform plan that we can point to."
The East Alton hearing was the third in a serious scheduled in recent months by Manar. Previous hearings were in Decatur and Naperville. The goal of the hearings is for state business and community leaders to provide feedback about what the state's doing right to encourage economic growth and where it can improve and produce better results.
"The communities we've visited are unique, but time and again we've heard similar stories about the lack of a state economic strategy or plan," Manar said. "We have to do a better job of marketing the state to businesses locally and globally. I know we can do better."


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By: Greg Miller, Senior Analyst
Completely against his intentions, President Obama has proven to be the greatest gun salesman in American history.
Throughout his presidency, the fear of more gun control regulations has sent gun sales soaring on several occasions.
In turn, shares of gun manufacturers and gun-related stocks have risen sharply, too.
In early January, Obama announced an executive order aimed at tightening gun regulations, following a spate of mass shootings – an announcement that triggered a price spike in the likes of Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC).
However, his ability to unilaterally impose gun control regulations is highly limited. He has virtually no chance of getting gun laws through a Second Amendment-friendly Congress.
But the recent death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia offers a chance to shift the terms of the debate significantly.
Will Scalia's Death Boost Gun Sales?
It's no secret that Scalia was a passionate and persuasive defender of the Constitution – including the Second Amendment.
In the famous Heller case, he declared, "The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home."
Never before had the Supreme Court spoken with such clarity about the Second Amendment.
Now, with Scalia gone, it's all but certain that his replacement will be a less ardent defender of Scalia's reading of the Second Amendment.
The uncertainty in the meantime has proven bullish for gun-related stocks. Since Scalia's death, shares in these stocks are up between 9% and 13.5%.
But is this a classic case of "buy on the rumor, sell on the news"?
Four Stocks to Play the Rising Gun Industry Trend
While gun stocks have performed extremely well during the Obama administration, they've tended to trade off the peaks that they hit shortly after politically-inspired spikes. Dealers ordered too much stock and then struggled to sell their bloated inventories.
But with Obama's term coming to an end, the great inadvertent gun salesman is retiring.
Of the presidential candidates, all of the Republicans are pretty gun-friendly, as is Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side. Hillary Clinton is less gun-friendly, but the kind of hysteria that accompanied the Obama administration is unlikely to continue in a Clinton presidency.
But there are other secular trends that are helping the gun industry.
For example, millennials are embracing shooting sports. Colleges and even high schools are instituting gun clubs, with students attracted to the sport's inclusiveness and its safety, relative to contact sports.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the number of sports shooters in the United States increased from 34.4 million in 2009 to 51.2 million in 2014.
So how is all of this affecting gun-related stocks? Let's look briefly at the four shown on the chart above:
~ Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (SWHC)
Smith and Wesson is obviously a renowned name in the gun industry, but did you know that the company nearly went bankrupt after a disastrous deal with the Clinton administration in the 1990s triggered a consumer boycott?
Today, though, Smith & Wesson has enjoyed 9% annual revenue growth over the past five years, even after a 15% decline last year because of its excess inventory. It's a pure-play gun stock – it sells only guns, ammunition, and related enforcement accessories such as handcuffs and training academies for police departments.
Since sports shooting guns tend to be more expensive than those for hunting and home defense, the company will benefit from the demand for higher-end guns. But it doesn't manufacture ammunition, nor does it have a line of shotguns, both of which are key beneficiaries of the increase in sports shooting.
~ Sturm, Ruger & Co. (RGR)
Another pure-play, Sturm, Ruger & Co. sells only firearms and only under the Ruger name. Like Smith & Wesson, handguns dominate the company's sales and it lacks an ammunition division or a shotgun offering.
While both of these companies offer good potential for investors, Smith & Wesson has handily outperformed Sturm, Ruger & Co. over the last five years… and still only trades at half of Sturm's valuation.
If you're looking for pure-play exposure to the firearms market, separate from the growth in shooting sports, Smith & Wesson is the stock to choose. But I think you can do better with more diversified plays…
~ Vista Outdoors Inc. (VSTO)
Vista is the new player in the firearms market. Spun off from Alliant Techsystems early last year, Vista makes Federal Premium and other lines of ammunition, plus Savage Arms long guns.
Firearms and ammunition represent only 50% of its sales, though – and that percentage is likely to decline, as the company has been busy acquiring other outdoor-related companies such as Bushnell optical products, Bell recreational helmets, and CamelBak water storage.
~ Olin Corp. (OLN)
Olin Corp. makes Winchester ammunition under license. However, the company has invested heavily in its other businesses, primarily chlorine-related chemical products, so only 12% of the company's sales are firearms-related.
The chlorine business is in big trouble right now, so a turnaround there could bring good rewards to chemical investors. But if you're looking for more of a play on firearms, you're better off with one of the other three companies.
And the Winner Is…
Ultimately, I believe Vista is the best firearms play – for two reasons:
- Shooting Sports: These activities are more ammunition-intensive than hunting and self-defense applications. The company's firearms are more focused on this area than Smith & Wesson or Sturm. In particular, Vista has a line of high-end shotguns tailored to clay, skeet, and trap shooting.
- Diversification: Vista's acquisition of other outdoor-related businesses give it better strategic relations with "big box" outdoor retailers such as Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops – both of which are increasing their share of the outdoor products business, including firearms. While Vista's firearms business makes up only half of its sales, that business is already larger than Smith & Wesson's and Sturm's combined. So it makes plenty of sense for Vista to use the cash generated by its firearms business during good years to expand its non-firearms offerings. Riding on the coattails of Cabela's and Bass is even smarter, too. Rather than chasing fear of gun regulations, the company takes a longer-term view of outdoor sports in general.
Keep in mind that the overall firearms market isn't particularly large. Plus, it's cyclical and fairly highly fragmented.
If you do want to play on gun owners' fears, the time to do so is when those fears subside a little, taking share prices down with them. There's always likely to be another cause for concern among gun owners in the not-too-distant future.
To living and investing in the future,
Greg Miller
Greg Miller has spent over 20 years in the financial industry, working up from analyst, to portfolio manager, and eventually to an institutional investor, where he managed over $400-million worth of assets in mutual funds and private accounts. He's helped finance some of America's biggest and most successful companies, such as Qwest Communications (now CenturyLink), plus some of the largest LBOs of all time, like Energy Future Holdings and First Data. His high-level positions also gave him a front-row seat to some of the greatest meltdowns in financial history – Enron, WorldCom, and General Motors. And his rich background has given him incredible insights into the inner workings of "the Street" – and how to identify the movers and shakers within it.


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211 Dresher Woods Drive
Dresher, PA 19025
211 Dresher Woods Drive, Upper Dublin Twp
Priced at $229,000
Welcome to this perfectly maintained condo in the coveted Dresher Woods. Walk in to gorgeous cherry wood flrs that run thru-out, neutral paint tones, high ceilings & lots of great light. To your L is a very nice LR w/gas FP ready to warm your souls on cool nights. This room flows into a formal DR & continues on to an Eat-in Kit w/gorgeous granite, semi island w/bar stool seating, tasteful glass backsplash, rich wood cabs, matching SS appls, & a 5-top gas cooktop & convection oven. Cont on & find an updated hall BA, & 2 nice size BRs including a MBR suite w/slider to a secluded patio for outdoor fun/relaxation, walk-in closet w/built-ins & recently updated MBA. This condo is complemented w/Lg laundry & utility rm & plenty of closets. Honorable mentions: fresh neutral paint, upgraded blinds, renovated BAs, efficient gas heat & hot H2O. Condo assoc covers exterior maintenance, lawn care, snow removal, & trash removal. A stroll from parks, shops, eateries, hospitals, & public trans.
2 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
1,248 Sq.Ft.
acre lot
Montgomery County
Single Family Home
built in 1998
mls number 576003


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ESA to track China's second Moon probe
The Chinese Chang'E-2 satellite is scheduled to be launched on 1 October from the Chinese Xichang Satellite Launch Center. ESA will provide tracking services.
Chang'E-2 will be China's second lunar orbiter. The first, Chang'E-1, was launched on 24 October 2007 and entered lunar orbit on 5 November that year. Its mission lasted until 1 March 2009. Chang'E-2 will conduct research from 100 km above the Moon, twice as close as its predecessor.
As for Chang'E-1, the 15-m European Space Tracking (ESTRACK) station at Kourou, French Guiana, will be used to track Chang'E-2. Engineers at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), in Darmstadt, Germany, will be in vocal communication with Chinese mission controllers at the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center (BACC).
ESOC support will start during the cruise phase to the Moon, continuing through lunar orbital insertion and two manoeuvres to lower the spacecraft into its operational orbit. This is foreseen to last until 10 October.
Engineers and ground control experts from ESOC have spent months preparing to support the mission. A series of simulations has been performed between ESOC, Kourou and BACC.
"There has been a lot of preparation on the ESTRACK side and now we're ready to go," said John Reynolds, Operations Manager for ESTRACK in support of Chang'E-2.
ESA's tracking services for China first began with the Double Star mission, which conducted studies of the Sun's effects on Earth's magnetic environment jointly with ESA's Cluster quartet. Recently the International Academy of Astronautics awarded the 2010 Laurels for Team Achievement to ESA's Cluster and China's Double Star. Now the support continues with this latest series of lunar missions.
"I am pleased that the ESA's ESTRACK network is a resource that benefits not only the Agency but also all space science through such international cooperation," said Erik Soerensen, Head of the Ground Facilities External Services Section at ESOC.
Erik Soerensen
Head of the Ground Facilities External Services Section


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Well, it's official.
"Psycho-acoustic simulation" is not an acceptable defense for digital music piracy in the state of California. A judge in Los Angeles issued a temporary restraining order Thursday enjoining music site BlueBeat.com from selling and streaming Beatles songs. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter was not swayed by the Santa Cruz-based BlueBeat's argument that it created "new" recordings by altering the songs through what it called "psycho-acoustic simulation." But as of 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Thursday, Beatles songs remained up for sale on BlueBeat.com.
"They can't ignore it," copyright lawyer Ben Sheffner told DailyFinance, referring to the site. "If they do they will be held in contempt. I bet it will be down — or at least all the EMI stuff — within a few hours."
The judge slapped the site with a restraining order effective immediately.
"By offering below-the-market-value downloads of Plaintiffs' Recordings, as well as free digital streaming transmissions of Plaintiffs' Recordings, Defendants' actions can cause irreparable damage to the perceived value of Plaintiffs' music and to Plaintiffs' digital distribution strategies and relationships," Judge Walter wrote.
EMI had filed a lawsuit against BlueBeat, a previously obscure music website, claiming it was illegally selling and streaming Beatles songs. The label has accused BlueBeat of "shocking," "willful" and "overtly defiant" conduct. BlueBeat has denied the charge by saying it is protected by its "psycho-acoustic simulation."
Walter was not buying that argument, saying the defendants "do not submit any declarations or reliable evidence in support of their claim that they 'independently developed their own original sounds.'"
The judge goes on to reject BlueBeat's claim that "because they do not transmit digital audio performances, but 'audio visual performances with related sounds' pursuant to their copyrights, they cannot be liable for copyright infringement of Defendants' digital audio performances."
No dice, ruled Walter, citing previous case law, which has held that one "cannot invalidate the copyright of an independent and preexisting sound recording, simply by incorporating that sound recording into an audiovisual work. He found a likelihood of irreparable harm.
Sheffner decribed BlueBeat's defense as "absurd."
"One cannot copy a sound recording and then avoid an infringement claim by adding pictures," he said.
In the lawsuit, EMI had charged that BlueBeat "engaged in music piracy of the most blatant and harmful kind." The suit names Hank Risan, of Santa Cruz, Calif., as the head of the BlueBeat, which claims that it sells "an entirely different sound recording than that copyrighted by Plaintiffs." The website says it "independently developed [its] own original sounds" that consist of "entirely different sound recording[s]" through a technical process called "psycho-acoustic simulation."
In the lawsuit, EMI says it is "entitled" to $150,000 "for each copyright infringed."
Sheffner explained that if EMI "opts for statutory damages, it does NOT matter how many copies BlueBeat sold. Statutory damages are awarded per work — not per infringement. So If they get statutory damages for infringement of 'Love Me Do,' the jury can award from $750 to $150,000, whether they actually sold 1 copy or a million."


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The Nebraska State Legislature will consider a plan to reform the state's guardianship system.
The bill (LB 920) advanced by the Judiciary Committee would budget around $1 million to create a new office of guardianship under the supervision of the state Supreme Court.
While Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has yet to weigh in, there appears to be little resistance in the state Legislature to the idea of overhauling the system. Currently Nebraska is the only state in the nation that does not provide such a service for elderly, disabled or children unable to manage their own finances or make critical life choices.
In most cases a family member or acquaintance will be appointed by a county court judge to assist. However, the pool of volunteers to help has nearly disappeared according to judges across the state, leaving them little choice but to appoint sometimes unwilling and in some cases unscrupulous guardians.
State Senator Colby Coash listens during testimony on guardianship reform. (Photo by Bill Kelly, NET News)
The bill sponsored by Coash would create an entirely new office employing 20 trained caseworkers available to be appointed as guardians when a court has no other option. A review of current court cases by a state commission dealing with the issue estimated there are currently around 400 people in need of the service.
Coash has been emphasizing Nebraska is the only state in the union that has no central office for guardianship. "What my bill does is mirror what is done in 49 other states," he said.
Recently Nebraska state senators on the Judiciary Committee took testimony from people with first-hand, and in some cases disturbing, experiences with guardians.
Judge Curtis Evans recently retired as a county court judge after more than 36 years on the bench. Before retiring he became a driving force in reforming what he saw as a broken guardianship system.
Douglas County Court Judge Susan Bazis, co-chair of the state's Guardianship Commission, agreed choosing guardians out of desperation served no one's best interest. "It really seems inconsistent to the best interest of a vulnerable person to appoint someone a guardian conservator that either doesn't want to accept these responsibilities or can't perform those duties and that is what we are forced to do today," she told the committee. Judge Bazis added "the need is statewide. It is not an urban or rural issue."
Sometimes judges have suspicions about the family member's motives or question whether they are working in the best interest of the ward. Judge Curtis spoke of his frustration of having to reluctantly retain an unqualified family member on as guardian. "If there is no discretion, then the judge can do nothing," Judge Curtis testified. "You have to give a judge the discretion to protect these people and that is what this bill is about."
Judge Curtis was one of several county court judges who had a role in the highly publicized case of one guardian given responsibility over hundreds of individuals during the past ten years.
Judith Widener of Bayard, Neb. was charged with felony theft for misdirecting state aid money designated for the disabled and blind into her own bank accounts. While no charges specify that she stole directly from her wards' personal bank accounts, the Scotts Bluff County attorney continues to review her records, a process which could stretch on for weeks.
Widener was selected as a guardian by Judge Curtis even while he had suspicions about her conduct. "I didn't like that, but I didn't have a choice," he told the committee.
"When she would receive somebody she would take everything from those people. Everything. All their magazine subscriptions, everything was canceled. Period. They had nothing," Judge Curtis said.
Widener was appointed by a Lancaster County judge even though she lived 400 miles away from Vogt. "Judy was not my choice of guardian, but I had no friends or family that could or who wanted to fill this job for me," Vogt testified. "I was stuck with a woman with a woman who lived across the state and did not personally know or care about me."
Vogt never spoke with Widener directly and the first time her client laid eyes on her was when the guardian's mug shot appeared in the newspaper after she was charged with theft. There is no suspicion Widener stole from Vogt, but the Lincoln woman said she learned not to trust her guardian after, as Vogt testified, "She made me a promise she didn't keep." Vogt told the committee Widener promised she would take responsibility for helping her ward move belongings from one care facility to another. "She never did move my things and I lost a lot of personal items," Vogt claimed.
The Judiciary Committee advanced the bill, giving the full Legislature the chance to debate the proposal.
Guardianship "scam" prompts calls for reform
The Administrative Office of the Courts says Widener no longer has oversight of any wards and all have been assigned new guardians by the courts in the counties in which they live.


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|The much remixed, remade and remodelled "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)"
Last week, we saw the debut of Euphoria's "Love You Right" and this week one of the biggest dance records of not only 1991 but the entire decade made its presence felt on the top 50. And it's a song we're still hearing in 2016, with it having been covered twice in recent months.
|ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart - week ending December 8, 1991
Another song that was making its presence felt this week in 1991 was Michael Jackson's "Black Or White", which spent a second comfortable week at number 1.
Off The Chart
Number 74 "Street Of Dreams" by Nia Peeples
Peak: number 74
The most successful single by former Fame and future Pretty Little Liars actress Nia Peeples did considerably better in the US, where it reached number 12.
"Vibeology" by Paula Abdul
Peak: number 63
Like "Street Of Dreams", this latest single from the Spellbound album made my personal year-end top 100 but performed disappointingly on the ARIA chart. In fact, it became Paula's first all-new single (i.e. not including the remix of "Straight Up") to miss the top 50 since 1989's "Cold Hearted". Locally, the funky "Vibeology" was chosen as the album's third single instead of ballad "Blowing Kisses In The Wind". Even though "Vibeology" didn't do so well, it was probably the right choice, since "Blowing..." didn't even make the top 100 when it ended up being released in early 1992.
In the US, "Vibeology" was the fourth single (after "Blowing...") and the bad news continued on the Billboard Hot 100, with the track becoming her first single to miss the top 10 since the initial release of "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me" in 1988. That didn't stop a fifth single being lifted from Spellbound - and we'll see that reach the Australian chart in mid-1992. Could it turn things around for Paula?
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Farmhouse
Peak: number 58
Last week, it was one of three songs given Single Of The Week status and now this cover version of the Nancy Sinatra classic registered as a breaker. So who were Farmhouse? Five pretty well known Channel 7 identities, actually - Georgie Parker, who was then a star of A Country Practice; Home And Away's Emily Symons; her Video Smash Hits co-host, Michael Horrocks; and Julie McGregor and Christopher Truswell from Hey Dad..!
Thing was, they didn't sing together. "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" featured just Georgie, while the Farmhouse album was comprised of a couple of solo efforts from each of the five TV personalities - all cover versions updated for a modern audience. In this case, a watered down take on Snap!'s "The Power" was used on "These Boots...". Thankfully, the Australian public mostly showed good taste and declined to turn this into a hit.
New Entries
Number 49 "2 Legit 2 Quit" by Hammer
Peak: number 43
Oh, MC Hammer - sorry, Hammer (the MC was a thing of the past) - this is the problem with massive success. It makes artists think people want a 15-minute music video from them, so they spend an inordinate amount of money on an overblown, self-indulgent clip packed with celebrity cameos and a bizarre storyline involving James Brown. In reality, all we want is another good song - and for me, repetitive C+C Music Factory rip-off "2 Legit 2 Quit" didn't hit the mark. The lead single from the Too Legit To Quit album was a top 10 hit in the US and the UK, but Australia once again demonstrated impeccable judgement.
Number 46 "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" by Rozalla
Peak: number 11
The timing couldn't have been more perfect for this dance anthem to be released in Australia. With the festive season among us, the breakthrough hit for Zambian-born, London-based singer Rozalla Miller became inescapable all summer. Edgy enough to be a club favourite, commercial enough to be a pop hit, "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" is the ultimate party-starter, with its uplifting lyrics and euphoric piano house production. Like so many massive worldwide hits, Rozalla would find it impossible to better the track, even though she had some decent follow-ups like "Faith (In The Power Of Love)" and "Are You Ready To Fly".
As well as coming with a couple of different music videos at the time, including this alternate clip and the one below, "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" would receive multiple makeovers in the years to follow. A year later, its use in a Coke commercial prompted a re-release and a second visit to the top 50. Remixes followed in 1996 and every few years thereafter, and the track has been covered by artists as diverse as Quindon Tarver (for the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack) and Kylie Minogue. In fact, it was the version by Austrian dance duo Global Deejays, using Rozalla's vocals, that gave the song its highest chart position - number 7 - in Australia in 2009 following its use in ads for So You Think You Can Dance. That's some legacy.
Number 44 "Spending My Time" by Roxette
Peak: number 16
Their last single, "The Big L", had become their first to miss the top 10 - and only barely made the top 20. And so, Roxette pulled out another one of their epic ballads for the fourth release from Joyride. Smart move, since "Spending My Time" bucked the usual trend for singles released this late in an album's shelf-life and actually peaked higher than "The Big L". For me, "Spending My Time" is Roxette's final classic single. They released some good songs in the years to come, but none up to the standard of their early run of hits.
Number 38 Caught In My Shadow: Australian Tour Souvenir EP by The Wonder Stuff
Peak: number 28
The excellent "The Size Of A Cow" spent two frustrating weeks at number 51, but it's amazing what a local tour and a special release of follow-up single "Caught In My Shadow" could do. The band, who shot the music video for the EP's bouncy lead track outside Birmingham Cathedral, suddenly found themselves in the ARIA top 30. That was good, but things were about to get even better for the band, who'd recently topped the UK chart with a cover version that'd give them their biggest hit here in Australia as well early in 1992.
Number 33 "See Right Through / Everything Will Be Alright" by Kate Ceberano
Peak: number 33
For Kate Ceberano, there was good news and bad news this week in 1991. The good news: her latest single from Satisfied took her back into the top 50 after the disappointing performance of the title track. The bad news: even with two excellent tunes combined as a double A-side, "See Right Through / Everything With Be Alright" could only manage to get to number 33. For me, both this single and Satisfied's first release, "Every Little Thing", ended up in my personal top 40 for the year - but the lacklustre reception both received resulted in Kate pursuing different musical avenues in the years to come and never again venturing into the dance/pop terrain of Brave and Satisfied.
Listen to this week's new entries on my Spotify playlist of all the top 50 hits from 1991:
Next week: two hits by second generation music acts debut on the chart - one which would slowly work its way up to number 1. Plus, another instant top 5 from the biggest band in the world. And, the chart gets a slight face-lift in time for Christmas.
Back to: Dec 1, 1991 <<<<<<<<<<<<< GO >>>>>>>>>>>>> Forward to: Dec 15, 1991


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I'd been turning over the Thanksgiving-vegetarian thing in my mind for a couple of years before I finally hit on a good way to do it. The biggest problem to substituting something else for the turkey comes not from figuring out something that could substitute as the food, but also — and perhaps more importantly — something that would fit into with the holiday spirit and be festive, fun and something that non-vegetarian family and friends will enjoy, too.
Finally, two years ago I had an epiphany: what gives the Thanksgiving meal and holiday its vibe isn't the elaborate meal with a large main dish: it's the festive atmosphere. The idea I hit upon was to have a cook-out for Thanksgiving. One of the advantages of a cookout is that it automatically has a festive atmosphere. Cookouts are parties. They are sublimely social.
A cookout has a lot of overlap with Thanksgiving's vibe. Cookouts are often, like traditional Thanksgivings, "potluck" in that everyone brings something to the feast and is involved to some extent in the preparation of the meal, (in this case, including tending the grill). It's a communal meal. There's always too much food and everyone tends to overeat. Thanksgiving & cookouts share a casual party vibe. I think the whole cookout idea should work out pretty well for those of you who live in a climate warm enough to do some of the cooking outdoors. If you think cooking out is an odd way to celebrate Thanksgiving, consider this: for people attending football games on Thanksgiving, tailgate parties are basically a Thanksgiving cookout. Ditto for those who fry their turkeys, which is also an outdoor activity. Lots of people do al fresco Thanksgiving cooking…we're just taking it a step further by making it meatless.
Thanksgiving has always been about community from the very first Thanksgiving (or our idealized version of it). It is also about family, so unless you have a non-vegetarian family who is inflexible about holiday traditions, non-vegetarian family members can be comfortably included in a vegetarian Thanksgiving cookout. People who balk at Tofurkey, will probably not have that reaction to a huge succulent portobella mushroom burger, which will likely be devoured without a murmur. 😉
If not…then the carnivores of the clan can bring their own burgers and use the grill after the vegetarian food has been cooked. Obviously that's not an option if the very idea of meat freaks you out, but as mixed vegetarian and non-vegetarian Thanksgiving options go this is better than vegetarians eating their tofurkey while sitting in front of a Big Dead Bird which everyone else is eating. Encourage everyone to have the mushrooms and veggie burgers, but don't pitch a fit if someone brings their own food for the grill. It's bad for digestion…and there's going to be a lot of delicious things to digest!
The first year we did this I experimented with making spicy bean burgers…which fell apart on the grill. 😯 By Thanksgiving last year I had discovered LightLife's vegetarian burgers, which I love. They make three different burgers: the regular veggie burger, a portabello burger which has mushrooms incorporated in the patty, and the Backyard Grillin' Burgers. Of the three, the latter is the best and most savory, though the portabello patties are really excellent, too. Their regular veggie burgers taste good, but once you've had one of the others, you'll never look back! Of course, anytime we grill I have to throw some whole portabello mushrooms on the grill, so there's no escaping the 'shrooms in my household!
Here's some cookout recipes that I've made for our Thanksgiving cookout.
Cookout (portabella burgers)
Potato Salad
BBQ Baked Beans
…and, of course, LightLife's Backyard Grillin' Burgers
I'll have my recipe for pumpkin pie on the blog later in the month, but last year, knowing how utterly stuffed we were on food the year before, I made Ginger Bread for dessert. I swear, there's more food every year and with others bringing dessert, too, pie would've been overkill.
I think a cookout is a good Thanksgiving option for a mixed group of people: vegetarians won't have to face a Big Dead Bird and non-vegetarians won't have to face tofurkey. A cookout should keep everyone in their comfort zone — and Thanksgiving should be fun, not stressful or conflicted.
If you want an indoor vegan Thanksgiving, nancis posted a wonderful account of her Vegan Thanksgiving recently. I'll be posting some family recipes for some traditional Thanksgiving fare: candied yams, cornbread dressing, and pumpkin pie, throughout the month.


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A rock, some burnt wood – a Masterpiece
Lauren Klenow's delicate visual sensibility translates into a world of wonder in her assemblages and sculptures. She finds rocks, scraps, uses wax and other items, at times re-purposes her old sculptures to make new treasures and shows us the simplicity of beauty that the artist's eye can see. While installing her show for Gallery 40, curated by Todd Jannausch, in my backyard, I got a sneak peek of her exhibit that goes up at PrintZero studios tonight.
One of my favorite works is this little truck. She found the rock and the wood with nails as two separate pieces on the beach one day. Her eye saw them, her brain put them together, her vision shared the magic. Check out her stuff tonight! One Night Only! August 14 – Art Attack.


text: Rescuers are giving up hope of finding more survivors days after a massive earthquake triggered a tsunami that ravaged Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, killing at least 200 people acrosss the islands. As families bury their loved ones, Erin Croyle gives survivors' accounts of how the tsunami struck. SOURCE: Al Jazeera Environment Humanitarian crises Asia Pacific


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Regarde les en ligne au www.exoshop.com
Finally the full ine of NIKE SB is at EXO. After a few years of convincing the folks who represent the swoosh that EXO is legit skate shop that's been around for over 20 years... they are finally here. I know there are a lot of you out there that are really stoked about this, we are too. So as of today you can support SB and EXO at the same time! You can check out the collection by stopping at the store or checking them out online.


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By DAVID WOODING
CURBS on newspapers in the wake of the phone hacking scandal pose a massive threat to freedom of speech, Fleet Street legend Trevor Kavanagh has warned.
In an impassioned address at the opening of the Leveson inquiry on Press standards, The Sun's top political commentator suggested the proceedings would be "hostile" to tabloid papers bought by millions of readers each day.
My former boss and colleague challenged "disparaging" remarks made by the probe's assessor George Jones and admitted he was gloomy about the outcome. Like the immaculate copy he produces in his weekly column, his words were powerful and direct.
Mr Kavanagh (pictured) said: "Now, in what can only be interpreted as a further cloud over freedom of speech, we have this inquiry by Lord Leveson to examine the 'culture, practices and ethics of the Press'. It is difficult to avoid the fear that this will conclude without further limits on freedom of speech.
"It is hard to escape the impression that it is out to 'get' the tabloids, implicitly seen as uncultured, malpractised and unethical.
"In the debate to follow, one question worth considering why nobody with tabloid experience, representing the overwhelming majority of readers and sales, is on this panel? Could it be that at least some of those scrutinising our activities are covertly, if not overtly, hostile to everything we stand for?
"Am I paranoid in wondering if I was invited as an acceptable face of a form of journalism which is otherwise concealed in the pale pink pages of the Financial Times, or worse from our commercial perspective, borrowed from someone else to keep up with the news millions pay to read?"
Mr Kavanagh revealed how sanctimonious broadsheet editor's often plant clues about "juicy" stories in their diary columns, knowing tabloids will seize on it – and they can then write about the story themselves.
He said: "The popular Press ventures where unpopular newspapers sometimes fear to tread. We don't always play by THEIR rules.
"So, for instance one particularly high minded newspaper might plant a juicy clue in a diary item, knowing we would follow it up and do the job properly.
"Once we had checked it out and published the full story they were too timid to run, they condemned us while simultaneously reproducing every salacious word."
He said tabloids must accept responsibility for the "shocking" practices which led to the closure of a great paper, the News of the World. But he claimed some politicians were using it as an excuse to neuter the Press, already facing the toughest libel laws in the world and increasing use of gagging orders by the courts.
Mr Kavanagh added: "The great sin of the popular Press is to be … popular. Our lighter, brighter papers are commercially successful. We have 20 million readers – perhaps 10 times as many as the heavies.
"To their irritation, they have been obliged to imitate our lively style in order to keep in the game.
"Our headlines are part of the vernacular. During last week's heatwave, even the BBC Today programme was using 'What a Scorcher'.
"We have been condemned for cheque-book journalism. Yet I understand the best story in recent years – MPs' expenses – was bought and paid for by the Daily Telegraph, not by a tabloid.
"Would Human Rights judges have stopped it being published if MPs had got wind of it early enough? And would that have been in the public interest?"
Mr Kavanagh hailed the great campaigns run by tabloid papers, including Books for Schools to boost literacy and Help for Heroes.
He added: "I say all this not just to blow the tabloid trumpet, but to paint a picture of a vibrant and dynamic industry which despite all its flaws is a force for good."
Follow me on Twitter: @davidwooding


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Highly effective, resourceful revenue management executive with 23+ years' expertise leading teams and customers to success in the hospitality industry, casino gaming industry, and technology industry. Julie Beas is a senior executive with a passion for transforming business through technology, leadership, strategic planning, and her natural passion to deliver results.
Augustin leads customer success out of the London office and is passionate about proving the power of pricing with technology. Prior to Duetto, he was Cluster Director of Revenue for Concorde Hotels and Resorts (Starwood Capital) in Paris. He also held revenue management positions with Principal Hayley Hotels and The Set Hotels.
Digital is speeding up the changes in society, people, customers and our business environment. Agility is more important than size. Innovation is the motor and an 'outside in' customer centric culture provides the fuel to survive. Customer centricity is a mindset. Innovation is a mindset. Agility is a mindset. And those mindsets are all about people. People need to be outside in, they need to feel, taste, hear and smell the environment. We are in a world driven by data and automation. Collecting data is key but we need to look beyond the 'relevant data' because that only confirms what we already know. We need new data that forces us to adapt; to be fast and agile. Companies and people need to be passionately curious. Curiosity did not kill the cat. It helped the cat to survive.
Rik Vera, Founding Partner Nexxworks
Hotels need to not only digitize their offering they need to develop a business fit for the digitized world. Hear from experienced hoteliers how they are leading change in their operations and how that is streamlining operations and maximizing profit.
Moderator: Rik Vera, Founding Partner, Nexxworks
Panelists: Jutta Moore, Managing Director, Moore Hotel Consulting
Jonathon Liu, Director of Revenue Management, glh Hotels
Wilhelm Weber, VP of Global Revenue & Digital Strategy, Kempinski Hotels
The UK's first Hard Rock Hotel opened in London in June. We discover what makes the Hard Rock brand so unique, how that translates from the Hard Rock Cafes into hotels, and the revenue opportunities that come with such a prominent brand.
Ian Fletcher, General Manager, Hard Rock Hotel London
In Conversation with Patrick Bosworth, Executive Chairman, Duetto
What KPIs are essential to optimizing profit? In our Technology Focus we deep-dive into what data can improve overall profitability, what metrics you need to pay close attention to, and the role automation can play in streamlining the process.
Michael Grove, Director of Hotel Intelligence and Customer Solutions, EMEA HotStats
What data is key to building a Revenue Strategy? How do you collect and analyze it? And do you trust? Our panelists discuss what metrics they believe are most vital to driving bottom line profit.
Moderator: Michael Grove, Director of Hotel Intelligence and Customer Solutions, EMEA HotStats
Panelists: Neetu Mistry, Commercial Director, Cycas Hospitality
Felix Kraemer, Director Business Analysis, H-Hotels
Joe Pettigrew, Director of Revenue Maximization, Starwood Capital Group


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4 Kanal Exceptional Six Bedroom House In Eighteen Islamabad, Pakistan
- Location:
Islamabad, Pakistan
- Bedrooms:
- Property Type:
10,000 Sq Ft
- RERA No.:
- Plot Size:
17,625 Sq Ft
- Ref No.:
- View:
Skyline View
Property Description
Exceptional six-bedroom villa in Eighteen, a luxurious residential development in Islamabad themed around a championship golf course.
Nestled in wondrous green surroundings that emphasize Pakistan's natural beauty, this 9,600 sq ft villa has a pristine white facade contrasted with dark marble elements, along with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. A beautiful open plan layout ties the living room, dining room and kitchen together, along with a secondary living room. Yet another living area is located by the back of the property, plus an en suite guest bedroom. Two family rooms and five more en suite bedrooms are on the first floor, and the master bedroom includes a private balcony. The basement level offers space for a recreation room, while the rooftop can be used as an outdoor entertaining area.
The exterior space of the property contains a lovely pool deck, an outdoor dining area and outdoor kitchen, all of which are encircled by beautiful landscaping and exceptional views of the community. A covered parking space for three cars completes this wonderful offering.
Designed to be a self-sustaining community in Islamabad, Eighteen offers plentiful amenities, including schools, healthcare facilities, commercial spaces, recreational facilities, retail outlets and dining options. This secure gated community is not far from downtown Islamabad and the New Islamabad Airport.
This villa would be a perfect primary or secondary residence in Pakistan for the discerning buyer.
Features & Amenities
- Patio
- Lounge
- Terrace
- Basement
- Golf club
- Golf Course
- Tennis court
- Swimming Pool
- Covered Parking
- Landscaped Garden


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It has been an epic two week journey abroad travelling to the depths of possibility and seeing things with fresh eyes. This is what I love about visiting other countries – taking in the culture, the food and being able to accept the hospitality of the people who have opened their homes to me, especially on this trip. It makes you look at life differently. It was my first time in India and I couldn't think of a better place to go than Kerala. It has so much to offer and is such a magical place to be if you open your heart to her.
When I first arrived I must admit I didn't feel this way for many reasons. I knew India would not be a holiday of total relaxation. The streets are so busy. They are filled with the worst traffic I have ever seen and full of people wherever you go to the point you can hardly move as you navigate through the crowds. Then you have the sweltering heat to contend with. It is the hottest of heats and I couldn't go outside most afternoons because of it. With all of that and adjusting to a new time zone, India was very confronting to me and I have never been to a place quite like it.
India is filled with so much spirituality and yet you are faced with total duality all at the same time. You would see beautiful buildings that took your breath away then come outside and see rubbish on the floor at every street corner. It broke my heart to see Mother Earth in this way and I thought to myself would I ever get it and connect to India. There was so much that didn't make sense to me. I was pushed beyond my limits, observing my shadows and seeing my triggers come out in full force. It made me wonder if I had evolved at all. It really showed me that no matter where you are in the world, unless you know yourself and see your truth and beauty on the inside, you can travel to the most exotic extravagant places and never be fulfilled, not truly. Everything you seek is always inside yourself.
There was so much about Kerala that I loved. The food was absolutely fantastic. That was the best part of the trip as a total foodie. There was so much variety and different flavours it would awaken your senses in every way. The effort, time and love gone into the cooking could be felt with every bite. I would be in heaven every time I ate something and was in total appreciation of what I was experiencing. I never thought I could feel this way after recovering from an illness only four years ago. That changed my life forever and previously left me for a long time unable to eat many foods. Then there I was in Kerala eating everything and more. It was a total dream! The food represented all that is good and coming alive in a big way. Living takes complete courage and faith in oneself. When you allow yourself the time and space to heal, anything is possible and enjoying the food in Kerala was living proof of this.
What I loved even more were the connections I made. Life is so much better when you walk it with others and I feel so blessed with the people in my life; my friends on this trip and the family and friends I have at home. This makes it all worthwhile. When you have special experiences inside the every day with beautiful souls you can laugh, cry, love and be completely yourself around, this to me is what it means to be rich. The ability to be loving, kind and giving when you are triggered is richer still.
As I left Kerala in exactly the same way as I found it, in the hustle and bustle and extreme heat, I couldn't help but smile. My heart was filled with so much love and gratitude and I could see the Divine everywhere around me. I am grateful to Kerala for the gift it has given me, to reveal what was evidently there all along.


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I first saw Noah Lubin's work at the Allston Artists' Studio a few weeks ago; my husband saw Hebrew characters in one of his paintings and suggested I talk to him about being in the column. I'm glad he did, because Noah's art combines Jewish themes with a modernist sensibility. I asked Noah about his influences — Jewish and otherwise — and how he came to painting as his full-time career.
I see so many different artists in your work, including Basquiat and Picasso. Who inspires you?
The truth is I love all of art history and try to learn from many painters. That being said, I feel particularly drawn to more free, intuitive art like Basquiat, late Picasso, Jean Debuffet, Karel Appel, and de Kooning. I believe that personality precedes philosophy and that the philosophies we choose are often self-serving in a large respect, at least with art, though I think this is true for much of life as well. I am someone who strives for freedom and emotional expression in all of life; I am terrible at faking or lying. The art of those mentioned is raw, intuitive, free association-based, child-like, and very individualistic. Their imaginations are larger than the eye can see. I consider them all masters in this realm. Though I have a ways to go, I feel that we are torn from the same cloth.
How does your religion manifest itself in your work?
At this point in my life, I cannot separate Torah and ritualistic life from my perception and interpretation of the world around me. At the same time, I cannot ignore that I grew up secular or went to college or read history and philosophy. And so I try to integrate the entirety of my life into an honest whole. This is a magical balancing act that we all must do quite often if we are reflective and honest.
Art for me is a mirror of life; if it sits on the side and comments, it is a failure. It must be face to face with us. And so I am continually attempting to capture, in painting, my interpretive imagination and how it filters experience for me. I am continually trying to develop the skills to do this most effectively. I wish to show what I call an urban, contemporary Judaica, which is radical in some ways within traditional Jewish art and most true to who I am. I am not interested in folklore and dancing Chassidim with violins. In fact, I've never seen one. My art would be untrue.
You were a school teacher before this? How did you come into this line of work?
I am still a school teacher. I will always be one, even if I'm not teaching. I am someone interested in the classroom environment as a primary or essential space for discourse and exchange. As a reflective person, this is of the highest value to me.
My mother was a school teacher. Though she thought I would be well-loved by students and would make an important educator if I found the right space, she was worried that I was too free and wouldn't fit the bill, so to say. She felt that I would be misunderstood and that schools didn't really want creative types like me. In their minds, they did, but they would be uncomfortable with aspects of my personality that I cannot hide. She wanted me to be an artist. Let's just say she was right. She was an artist as well.
What's your favorite color?
Like a parent, I love all my children. It brings me nachas to see them get along.
Explore more Arts and Culture on JewishBoston.com.
Four Questions is a weekly interview column featuring interesting people connected with the Greater Boston Jewish community. Find past columns here. Have an idea of someone we should interview? Email Molly!
This post has been contributed by a third party. The opinions, facts and any media content are presented solely by the author, and JewishBoston assumes no responsibility for them. Want to add your voice to the conversation? Publish your own post here.


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A fun and beautiful engagement session on the backroads of Northern Wisconsin
Meet the Wayerski Family!
Meet the Titus Family!
This mini studio session was a blast!
These boys are the complete opposite and it shows in almost every single photograph. There is the more quiet
This fun little studio session is a special one.
Meet beautiful Mia Rene. She is a happy little 6 month old and the daughter of two of my best
Brian + Becca | Hayward, Wisconsin Fall Wedding
Welcome to our new web-home!
© 2020 Emenee Studios|ProPhoto theme Design by Northfolk & Co.


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Greg, Karen and big brother Nolan Lapham are happy to announce the birth of Katherine Elizabeth.
She was born on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, at 8:59 p.m. weighing 4 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 17.5 inches.
Proud Grandparents are Ira and Pauline Lapham and Glenn and Lana Grigar, all of Sealy. Great-grandmothers are June Grigar of Orchard, Texas, and Delores Leinen of La Porte, Texas.


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Retinoblastoma Protein(pRb)
The retinoblastoma protein, also known as pRb or p105[5], is a tumour suppressor protein, and is one of many proteins that has an important role in the regulation of the cell cycle. The Rb protein was first discovered in 1986[1] through studies of an inheritable children's eye cancer called retinoblastoma, as its name suggests, which was found to have a lack of retinoblastoma gene (Rb or Rb1), the gene which encodes pRb[3]. This loss of the Rb gene and hence loss of the Rb protein within retinoblastoma proposed pRb had functional qualities associated with the inhibition of growth and division of cells, and this hallmark initiated research into the retinoblastoma protein[4].
The main function of pRb is the inhibition of the cell cycle at the restriction point at the late G1 phase, temporarily preventing the cells progression into the S phase.
Towards the end of G1 phase hypophosphorylated pRb, as well as two related proteins p107 and p130, bind and inhibit transcriptional factors of E2F, a gene regulatory protein, blocking the pathway of DNA transcription required for S phase entry[4,6]. Here pRb specifically interacts with histone deacetylase complexes of the E2F family[6].
pRb becomes inactive when it is phosphorylated by protein cyclin-dependent kinases Cdk4 and Cdk6 in mid G1 phase, and Cdk2 in late G1 phase, reducing its attraction to E2F, and thus unblocking and allowing the cell to pass the restriction point in order to progress from the G1 phase into the S phase of the cell cycle[Purves,6]. This dissociation of pRb from E2F allows E2F to carry out its usual functional role in the activation of S phase gene expression[4]. Prior to this crutial step pRb phosphorylation, the activation of three different types of Cdks must occur through the synthesis and binding of cyclin D to Cdk4 and Cdk6, and cyclin E to Cdk2, which form cyclin-cdk complexes Cdk4-cyclin D, Cdk6-cyclin D and Cdk2-cyclin E, respectively[Purves,6]. This intracellular cascade is activated by extracellular signals which stimulate the initial phosphrylation of pRb[4].
Importance of pRb
"previous studies indicate that the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B), forms a complex with the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRb), targeting it for degradation, activating E2F-responsive promoters, and stimulating cellular proliferation....the abundance of pRb is strongly downregulated, and its normal nuclear localization altered to include a major cytoplasmic component..."
- "pRb" Entrez all databases
Structure-function analysis of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein – is the whole a sum of its parts?
Human papillomavirus immortalization and transformation functions


text: Starting with Firefox 63 (scheduled for release in October 2018), Mozilla will provide protection against cryptomining websites by default, which is quite awesome. It will perform this by enabling tracking protection, blocking cross-site tracking cookies from gathering data on users. Right now, if you want to stay away from cryptomining websites, you need to install a third party anti miner add-on (it works the same way as an adblocker), or add the mining websites inside your adblocker, so th...More


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Stacy's Story, Part One
Stacy is a survivor of domestic violence. She suffered abuse as a child, so she never knew that her adult relationships could be different. Sam's * abuse propelled Stacy and her six children into La Casa, a domestic violence shelter in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Her stay helped her to rebuild her life and learn what domestic violence is. Stacy graduated from New Mexico State University's School of Social Work program with her Bachelor's degree in Social Work just over one month ago, on May 13, 2007. She completed her internship at La Casa, where she and her children were temporary residents.
Domestic violence is any kind of physical, emotional, mental or sexual attack that one partner in an intimate relationship commits upon the other partner in order to gain or keep control.
Stacy agreed to talk with me last September (2006) and tell me about her own experiences with a violent partner. She talked about one very frightening and painful event, which led to the loss of an unborn child. This was only one of the many violent episodes that marked her relationship with Sam. It would not be the episode that caused Stacy to escape her relationship, although it led to the deterioration of the relationship.
"We were living in Houston at the time. We lived across the apartment complex from some friends. I was six months pregnant with my fourth child. While we were at our friends' house, we were discussing basketball. My team is the Phoenix Suns, and I said something. Sam gave me 'the look' and I shut up.
"We went home. He beat me bad. I was on the floor; he was kicking me on the head, in the stomach, on my back and legs. He pulled me by my hair from the living room to our bedroom. Afher a couple of hours of this, he passed out.
"The next day, while I was picking up my daughter at the bus stop, I started bleeding badly. I thought I was losing the baby." She pauses and bites her lip.
Stacy seemed to need time to come back to the present, even though she said she was okay talking about her experiences with domestic violence.
"I kept bleeding and passing clots. I saved the clots, 'cause I didn't know what the baby would look like at that stage. Sam took me to the hospital, and the doctor told me that I was far enough along that, if I started to lose the baby, I would have contractions. I went home and stayed in bed.
"Sam went to work the day after I went to the hospital. I got up and braided his hair, which was long back then, and I went back to bed because I was having more contractions. The contractions stopped. I got up and went to the bathroom. I lost the baby in the toilet. I called Sam. I put the baby in a Ziploc bag. Same came home and put his head on my knees, crying and saying he was sorry. I told him it wasn't his fault."
*Not Stacy's former partner's real name
I will complete Stacy's story at a later time. I want to give you time to digest what happened to this young woman; I also want to give you time to regain your emotional equilibrium, because this is a very upsetting, graphic story.
Please be assured that Stacy is a very real, very strong woman, and has managed to raise all six of her children, while keeping them safe. She has taught them what she has learned.


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Afaik, I have awarded and answer to every question and would expect a 100% accept rate.
However, there have been some questions which were so esoteric that they got no replies or where I figured it out for myself before an answer was posted.
Could it be that the accept rate is calculated by # questions asked (ignoring deletions) and # answers awarded?
If so, should it be that way? (I'm not too concerned about my rate in asking how it should be, just genuinely interested in the reasoning)


text: This is a beautiful, decorative, hand turned bowl of Ambrosia Maple with an irregular edge following the contour of the tree. It is approximately 12" x 13" across and 4.5" high. It's depth varies from 2" to 3". The scalloped three pronged base is 8" across by 1.5" deep at its largest points of measurement. Artist Credit: Ken Minyard - 2016


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Classical components models; stochastic processes; stationarity; ARIMA processes, GARCH models; specification, estimation and
validation of models; forecasting; unit root tests; multivariate extensions: VAR processes, causality and impulse response analysis,
cointegrated processes. In the tutorials the time series methods are applied to empirical data.
Hamilton, D.J. (1994). Time Series Analysis, Princeton University Press.
Lütkepohl, H. (2005). New Introduction to Multiple Time Series Analysis, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg
Written exam (90 min; 3/4 of final grade) and assignments (1/4 of final grade)


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Posts Tagged furnace
Winter Indoor Air Quality.
Posted by chapfichera in General Information, Home Inspections, IAQ, Mold on January 4, 2014
All the windows are closed and the doors are shut. We are in the midst of winter and trying to get the most out of our heating systems since to date, no one I know is giving away heating oil. For those of us with wood or coal stoves our problems can run from layers of dust to dry skin, not to mention that we are maintaining a fire in our homes! For homes with boilers, as long as the system was checked you should be in good shape. However, most of the homes I inspect have furnaces and constant air movement can cause its own set of circumstances.
If the air quality in your home is questionable, recirculating air through a furnace can perpetuate a host of issues. Molds and allergens, if present will not just go away unless you take steps to keep them at bay. While high humidity usually isn't a problem, improperly vented clothes dryers and bathroom fans can add high levels of moisture. Maintaining humidity levels below 50% can help here. Some furnaces have humidifiers that add moisture to the air as it leaves the furnace. These are often neglected and if there is fungus in the unit or in the ductwork, what you are doing is moving those spores through the home. The same holds true for Heat Pumps which are even more neglected. The same ductwork for the air conditioning is used for heat and since there are usually no service contracts for Heat Pumps they are often left alone until they need repair.
Air filters need to be changes frequently. If allowed to accumulate dirt, not only does your furnace have to work harder but you are potentially forcing dirt, dust and lint along with spores and allergens through the building over and over. Invariably many people get sicker during the winter months. Add more people and you add more issues. You can of course, tell everyone to not visit during the holidays but most of us enjoy hosting friends and family.
High humidity not only is a prerequisite for mold growth it can also foster an environment for dust mites. The flip side is not enough humidity. Again, allergy issues in a too dry environment can cause sore throats, sniffles, dry skin and poor sleep. We have to strike a balance for better health.
Until we can once again open our windows and allow fresh air back in, we need to be aware that our homes can kill us. Change your filters, maintain humidity between 30% and 50% and vacuum often. If your air quality is poor or someone is suffering continually, get you home checked!


text: Music Video - Last night Worldwide spotlight got a chance to watch the explosive performance by Katy Perry and Migos on SLN. Katy Perry started off the performance laying on top of the table surrounded by Migos and friends wearing a gorgeous white sparkly outfit. Worldwide Spotlight notice that Katy Perry's dance moves looked a little bit off and when she was dabbing it looked kind of stupid. Overall the performance was very entertaining and spectacular especially because they preformed their new smash hit Bon Appétit which has over 63 million views on YouTube already.


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NEW YORK - Disgraced ex-NBA official Tim Donaghy admitted that he'd brought shame on his profession Tuesday as a federal judge sentenced him to 15 months behind bars for a gambling scandal that still has the league on the defensive.
U.S. District Judge Carol Amon sentenced Donaghy to prison time plus three years of supervised release, saying he'd let the sport down by taking thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on games - including ones he refereed.
"The NBA, the players and the fans relied on him to perform his job in an honest manner," Amon said. Donaghy listened with his arms folded but showed no emotion.
He told the judge that "I've brought shame on myself, my family and the profession."
Defense attorney John Lauro asked Amon to give his 41-year-old client probation, saying the ex-official was a gambling addict who destroyed "the career he loved" and needed treatment, not incarceration.
Donaghy also had sought to make amends by revealing "the good, the bad and the ugly" about the league's officiating, the attorney added.
During the NBA finals, Donaghy said in a court filing that the league routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results, while discouraging them from calling technical fouls on star players.
In the end, Amon refused Donaghy's plea to stay out of prison, though she imposed a penalty that was not as tough as the 33 months he could have received.
Donaghy must surrender to prison on Sept. 23.
Case closed for him. For the NBA, the damage lingers.
Commissioner David Stern has made several moves to quell doubts about the integrity of the NBA's officiating, with more developments to come.
Former Army Gen. Ron Johnson has been hired as senior vice president of referee operations, Bernie Fryer and Joe Borgia were promoted to new management positions and the league reassigned Ronnie Nunn, who had been the director of officials for five years.
Still pending is a league-commissioned review of officiating by former federal prosecutor Lawrence Pedowitz.


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"How do we as artists in today's world find inspiration, or respond to a degraded landscape?"
Growing up in a rural area and completely surrounded by nature practically my entire life I didn't understand how much it had been altered until much later. Knowing how much the land has been used and mined of it's natural resources, how can I respond to that in my work? What do I want to say? Countless questions—not a lot of answers.
Researching and contemplating water, rivers, landscape, experience, materials and what the environment means in my work, this project has developed through questioning my role as an artist in relationship to the environment and material. Honestly, in the beginning I thought this was going to be a photographic project. However, the photographs that I was taking led me to the material I'm now using.
The work that will be in my thesis show is somewhat ethereal and unearthly, but the material comes from the earth. I take somewhat of a caretaker roll in the process of creating these leaves. I gather, sort, boil, rinse, scrap, bleach, rinse, rinse again and then lay them out to dry. I have basically cleaned the leaves. It's an accelerated decomposition process refined to my expectations of what I want the material to look like. What is left is a skeleton, a copy, a remnant of what once was. A shadow of the degraded landscape. It's something that cannot be returned to its original state and is forever altered.
Leaves are the engine of an ecosystem. They contain the carbon base of the food chain by providing the smallest of micro organisms what is needed to sustain life. I've placed them in this space to create a quiet and curious experience.
Last fall I began this project from an observational and scientific place, researching environmental issues, reading books by Bill Mckibben and listening to everything political concerning the current politics surrounding various environmental issues. The work has moved into a more contemplative installation, that is chasing something experiential.


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Transition Lab is a place for people who want to figure out how to use their gifts to lead fuller lives and build a more beautiful world. We are an educational program that teaches skills in the five areas of food production, affordable housing, community engagement, entrepreneurship, and knowledge of self. As we study the first four areas, we are given opportunities to reveal and discover our own unique gifts. By revealing the gifts that we possess in our hearts, students get the opportunity to start using their gifts to meet basic needs as well as create beauty and healing in our world.


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We're nerds here at at Poop Culture, so when the opportunity came to interview Chris Waffle of Megathruster fame we hopped at the chance. Chris was a great sport, so without further adieu:
1) What are you currently up to? Plug your shit.
I'm up to my neck in getting ready for my album to drop on 4/26/16! Check out www.megathruster.com or on twitter at @megathrustergo or on instagram at @megathruster or on tumblr….you get the idea.
Also, we'll be performing later this year in Chicago at Fump Fest (www.fumpfest.com) and plan a bunch of shows in between and beyond! We're making music videos for the album – one stars Real Life Superhero Guardian Shield, and another music video will come out in conjunction with the album for "Other People Playing Minecraft."
2) Minecraft: Survival mode or exploration mode or Twitch?
Creative mode for sure. Much like when I'm in a dive bar, it's hard to get anything done when there's creepers around.
3) Are you primed for the Battletoads remake?
Absolutely! But only as long as they make it impossible to get past level 2!
4) Nerd Rock: Why?
Great question! They say, write what you know and there's nothing I know more about than being a nerd and trying to rock. When I was younger, I attempted serious emo rock. One verse was about seeing the face of a girl on a milk carton. It was awful. Let's just say I'm better off writing about Star Wars and Bruce Campbell.
5) Where is the geographic location of Fuck Mountain?
Somewhere in the heart and loins of everyone.
6) Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Trek on the streets, Star Wars in the sheets.
7) Waffles or Pancakes?
Pancakes. I'm not really a fan of Waffles.
8) Rate these cartoons on a scale of 1-10
GI Joe: 6 due to shoddy animation and COBRA couldn't shoot a damn thing. They were worse than Stormtroopers!
Transformers: 7 but only because the animated movie killed off characters and had Weird Al.
Smurfs – 3
Gummy Bears – 5 because of a catchy theme song
Duck Tales – 8 great show!
The Real Ghostbusters – 8 I wanted to be a Ghostbuster when I grew up
Masters of the Universe – 9 I learned every life lesson I know from the end of every episode
Thundercats – 7 the voice acting was weird on that show but I liked it
Captain Planet – 2 What a lame super hero. It's obvious no one can save the environment.
9) Best movie you've seen this year?
DEADPOOL! But if I were answering this in a couple of weeks it would be Captain America: Civil War
10) Worst comic book, cartoon, pop culture movie adaptation and why?
Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin is very high up there for me but I think it might be Masters of the Universe. I remember seeing it in the theater opening night and it was so far from what I was hoping for and when Dolph Lungren yelled "I HAVE THE POWER!" everyone in the audience just laughed. It was a sad time for young Chris Waffle.
11) Are you open to an African American He-Man?
Totally! Also, I think it would be great to have a Samoan He-Man. The Rock could pull off Prince Adam.
12) PC or MAC? If MAC why are you so douchy?
I was PC until I moved to the Portland area. Now I'm MAC. Blame Portland.
13) Pick a band:
Megathdeth vs. Metallica: Megadeth
Adele vs. Ariana Grande: Adele
Led Zeppelin vs. the Black people who wrote their songs: Black people who wrote their songs
Elvis vs. Johnny Cash: Johnny Cash
Motley Crue vs. Duran Duran: Motley Crue
14) Do you currently engage in any tabletop RPGs?
It's hard with my busy schedule to be dedicated to a RPG campaign right now. But I am always down for one-shot RPG play during a game night.
15) Have you ever actually completed the Oregon Trail?
Only once when I played with my wife as a team. The key to winning, much like in real life, is starting out as the banker and just buying all the supplies with your amassed wealth.
16) Could it be possible that Carmen Sandiego is hiding out in Fuck Mountain?
I'll tell you when I get there. My bags are packed, but I'm still on the hunt for a guy much uglier than me.
17) If you could only have one dice for the rest of your life is it six, 10, 12, or 20 sided?
20 Sided! It could be used in any situation. And if I needed a six sided die I could just say, well 1 through 3 is a one, 4-6 is a two..etc.
18) What level is your World of Warcraft character?
I once had a level 12 Tauren that I decided to play as a businessman who just cared about amassing wealth and being distinguished. It didn't work out too well.
19) Xbox or Playstation?
XBOX! I have an Xbox one and a couple of 360s. But will anything ever surpass the heyday of the PS2? I don't think so.
20) When do you think you will lose your virginity?
Undoubtedly as soon as this is posted on your site.
21) Why was the Hobbit split into so many movies?
There ya have it! find more on Megathruster at:
web: www.megathruster.com


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Manny Pacquiao. Have you people ever heard of him? I have. And certainly, I have had way too much. I've been sick of his eternal media omnipresence since ever and I don't even know why he's that popular. He's not Paris Hilton. He's not a rockstar (and please, rockstars don't deserve all the attention they're getting either). Maybe that's because he's a boxing champ.
Should a boxing champ be popular?
I don't think so. At least, not as popular as he is. Since his last triumph against some foreign boxer, he's been endorsing different products here and there, from fastfood by the Golden Arches to ice cream to instant karaoke microphones. Does he deserve any of that? No. He's not good looking. He's not model-material. Heck, he's not even buff. He's an ectomorph for sobbing out loud. So, show me the justice in this:
Seeing this, I wouldn't be surprised if, in the very immediate future, everyone starts calling him International Jock or whatever.
The Malacañan Palace awarded him an Order of Lakandula and dubbed him Champion For Life. I wonder why he should be called champion outside of the boxing arena. He did not do anything beneficial for this country. He did not risk his neck going to war and fighting for whatever cause towards which the Philippines moves. He did not found any charitable institutions helping the homeless and the hopeless. He did not adopt an orphan from the African continent like Madonna did. Maybe if he wins his next match we'll see this being circulated by the BSP:
So what is this? Apparently, Filipinos worship him not just because he is an excellent athlete. If that were the case, all sports would be in the limelight everytime the national athletic team won something. They worship him because he is good at boxing. After all, the barbaric sport (and I cringe at the fact that I just called it a sport) only involves punches, jabs, and uppercuts. Game planning is absent and all that matters is pure savage. You knock down your opponent and you win. Whoopie. No sweat. Filipinos love that because they won't have to think either when engaging in boxing themselves or when spectating.
Point to make: Brute force is always preferred to intelligence, and yet Filipinos hate it when foreigners brand them as idiots. Maybe if they did something to raise their literacy levels instead of celebrating when some monkey on TV knocked down his opponent and informing everyone they knew about it even when some people couldn't care less, it (foreigners calling Filipinos idiots) won't happen that often anymore.


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Can i expect imagemagick to support Multi layer EXR files conversion?
I wish to be able to read All channel/Layers presents in an EXR file. I can already do this when i read TIF files...
And i wish to be able to write layers in an EXR file, the same way i can already do this with imagemagick, in a PSD File...
Such features are they on the road map?
Multi layer EXR files conversion
Questions and postings pertaining to the development of ImageMagick, feature enhancements, and ImageMagick internals. ImageMagick source code and algorithms are discussed here. Usage questions which are too arcane for the normal user list should also be posted here.
3 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: Multi layer EXR files conversion
No answers?!
- fmw42
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Re: Multi layer EXR files conversion
Does OpenEXR support that? ImageMagick uses OpenEXR to read and write those files. If OpenEXR supports it, have you tried to read a multi-layer EXR file? Currently, I believe ImageMagick only supports "half" format (16-bit) EXR files. But I do not know if it supports multi-layer half formats.
3 posts • Page 1 of 1


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The 'American Idol' champ greets fans in the Inland Empire. Photo: Drew A. Kelley, for the Register
Halfway through a sold-out show at Citizens Business Bank Arena, Carrie Underwood soared above the crowd for a multisong segment. That high-flying stage served as an apt metaphor for her upward career trajectory since winning "American Idol" in 2005.
The most successful singer to emerge from that show, Underwood has won loads of music awards (last month's Grammys added another to the total), notched more than a dozen Top 10 country singles as well as pop and adult contemporary chart crossovers, and she has seen all four of her studio albums reach platinum-plus status. She's even ventured into film and television acting.
Her ongoing tour supporting last May's Blown Away ranks among 2012's top-grossing treks. But beyond all that is a memorable voice that can wail with the best of 'em – and that was in fine form Sunday night in Ontario, where Underwood was the first CBBA music performer when the venue opened in 2008.
As screens projected images of a tornado while a large windmill spun onstage, her eight-piece band provided an ominous sonic introduction. Then Underwood emerged from the doors of a "cellar" to launch the 95-minute set with the energetic stomper "Good Girl."
The Oklahoma native (who turns 30 on Sunday) looked resplendent as ever; her initial outfit included a metallic studded bracelet and lacy pumps. Her selections mirrored the rundown at Staples Center in October, albeit with a few tweaks. A good chunk of Blown Away was played live, with 2007's Carnival Ride comprising much of the remainder.
During a rare song introduction, Underwood briefly recalled wearing out "my sister's cassette tape of this man's song" as a kid before delivering a subtle take on Randy Travis' "I Told You So." An early highlight, it was leavened by weepy pedal-steel accents and light brushstroke drum work.
Fans cheered wildly at the opening dramatic strains of her latest single, "Two Black Cadillacs," and the star's hair was strategically blown back as she reached an impressively sustained note. Soon after, she half-chuckled to herself (as if thinking: "OK, here we go") before attempting another belted bit amid a snatch of the gospel classic "How Great Thou Art," which she appended to "Jesus Take the Wheel."
Three musicians and Underwood – now casually dressed in cutoff shorts, a John Fogerty concert T-shirt and fringe vest – were hoisted across the arena for the floating-stage section of the show. Equally laid-back were the choices here, notably standouts "All-American Girl" (boasting soulful vocal flourishes) and a whistling, reggae take on "One Way Ticket," something that would fit right in at a Kenny Chesney gig. (Underwood tossed out Hawaiian leis while jumbo beach balls bounced atop folks in floor seats.)
Toward night's end, the fiddle-laden "Flat on the Floor" proved a great showcase for her sassy singing, and the frenzied "Cupid's Got a Shotgun" was a fun country hoedown. Come encore time, the sad ballad "I Know You Won't" found Underwood emoting while sitting on a bed. Finally, her current title track was a full-fledged finale complete with confetti and fan-triggered LED bracelets (à la Coldplay's last tour) that had been distributed upon entrance.
Hunter Hayes and his four-member group turned in a 40-minute, eight-song opening set that seemed to gain steam just as they had to quit. The young country sensation, a recent Grammy nominee for best new artist, is a hot property right now since his smash "Wanted" recently topped two of Billboard's country singles charts, and his solid 2011 major-label bow has been certified gold. A little more playing time wouldn't have hurt.
Still, Hayes was an engaging presence in Ontario, comfortably displaying his musical prowess on both electric guitar (especially during the John Mayer-esque ending licks on "Somebody's Heartbreak") and piano (as with the crowd sing-along "Wanted" and a poignant "Where We Left Off," from the Act of Valor soundtrack). His lyrics-festooned instruments also were a cool touch. But the hands-down highlight was his feisty closer, "Storm Warning," during which Hayes leapt around the stage.


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It is that time again, Dear Readers. We are close to the end of the year, and I am ready to crown my best and worst communicators of 2009. There was an abundance of candidates for the Rocchi Award for Worst Communicator, while it was harder to find effective communication. So, for good or for ill, here are my choices, as voted upon by my panel of experts. (Okay, I am the panel, but hey, I spend a lot of time studying communication, so I'm as qualified as any group of people!)
WORST COMMUNICATOR – Dishonorable Mention
My goodness, but the poor and ill-advised communication from a wide array of politicians was stunning this year. Here is a sampling of ne'er-say-wells:
- President Barack Obama, last year's best communicator, relinquishing his title through his inability to articulate the case for healthcare reform, allowing his opponents to highjack the discussion.
- Sarah Palin, last year's runner-up for worst communicator, with her ham-handed explanation of why she was resigning as governor of Alaska. She couldn't blame that one on Katie Couric.
- Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, resurrecting long-discarded Hispanic stereotypes by saying to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation hearings, "You'll have lots of 'splainin' to do." Shades of Ricky Ricardo! With that phrase (combined with a condescending tone), he played right into the worst stereotypes of the Republican Party as an exclusive country club.
WORST COMMUNICATOR – Runner-up
Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California, was roundly criticized for speaking against gay marriage in the question-and-answer portion of the Miss USA beauty contest. Personally, I thought she should have been able to say whatever she believed in that situation and inject some honesty in that otherwise faux and homogenized event. But she quickly overstayed her welcome and became a tempest in a D-cup. This self-described Christian complained incessantly about the attempts to silence her as she appeared ad nauseum in the same "mainstream media" she sought to denounce. If she was so persecuted, why did we see so much of her?
Speaking of seeing so much of her… (segue to the sarcasm…)
It became hard to reconcile her squeaky clean, church-going image with the nude photos that surfaced, which was later followed by a video of her "pleasuring" herself. Miss Prejean, remember the Biblical injunction against those who would cast the first stone? No, didn't think you did. Watch your step next time as you ascend that soapbox.
WORST COMMUNICATORS -- Winners
Remember how Spider-Man was advised "With great power comes great responsibility?" Well, NBC, the National Broadcasting Company, officially abdicated its responsibility as a broadcaster by eliminating quality from their lineup. Slowly but surely, the network has become a purveyor of pap by concentrating on weight loss competitions, one-time events and other inferior programs. However, their greatest crime was to give up five hours of quality programming every week, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. and turning it over to Jay Leno and his pale imitation of the Tonight Show. I am not a Leno basher by any means (I met the man in person once, and he was an absolute prince), but it was unconscionable to give up prime-time real estate to his un-entertaining variety show while a cable network is picking up NBC's discards like "Southland."
Even Jay looks guilty and weary on his show. He probably is aware of the crime for which he is an accomplice. NBC is creating a template for the demise of the once-great networks. Maybe Comcast will treat this jewel with more respect if the FCC approves the acquisition.
BEST COMMUNICATOR -- Runner-up
I wrote earlier in 2009 – in the same post criticizing Senator Tom Coburn — that "Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was a model for his party, and perhaps all citizens, in his decorum (during the Sotomayor hearings). He clearly had issues with Sotomayor, but he was able to express them in a courtly and respectful manner, calling to mind a level of discourse that we once had in this country until we Rush-ed in another direction. And as a former Judge Advocate General (JAG, like the TV show), he was well-qualified to question Sotomayor on legal issues."
Joe Klein of Time magazine, in his own year-end review, also gave Graham kudos: "He faced down his home-state party on climate change and the need for civility in politics."
In a year marked by knee-jerk partisanship, Graham used high-minded language to rise above the fray.
BEST COMMUNICATOR -- Winner
Let me compare two scenarios:
- A certain leading golfer is revealed to be having a number of extramarital affairs, and he loses his standing with the public as well as a number of lucrative endorsements.
- A famous TV star is threatened with the disclosure of several relationships with staff members. Said star meets with the extortionist, has him arrested and, in turn, shoots up to number one in his time slot.
David Letterman, along with his press advisors and his lawyers gave us a masterpiece in press relations this year. Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Letterman has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to preempt the scandal by getting ahead of it, both by using his sincere mea culpas and by poking fun at his predicament." Indeed, Letterman controlled the situation rather than letting it control him. As a result, he and his show are leading in key audience demographics for the first time in years.
Tiger Woods is not the only person who could have learned from this approach. Presidents Nixon and Clinton could have benefited from it, too.
I wish the good had outweighed the bad in 2009, but let's hope for better in 2010. Let's all do what we can to improve communication in the second decade of the 21st Century.


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something similar to UV mapping but not quite- an
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Posted: 19.Oct.2018 at 13:00
Hello all
I have a question that i don't really know where to direct and i am fairly a beginner and just getting the hang of things. I understand UV mapping is intended to layout a 3d object flat to allow for texturing. I am also looking into converting a 3d object into a 2d object but not for the same purpose and I doubt it would use the same technology. lets say I have a 3d object that is solid ( with a thickness to it). Something curved liked the letter C and I want to flatten that C to a line (2d ) but still retain the thickness that was in the C shape so I end up with a line with variable amount of thickness that correspond to the original shape "dangling" from that line. I am not sure how to explain this better, but I hope you pros get it. In other words, I want to "unwind" a curved 3d shape to a linear shape whilst retaining its thickness. Essentially for the purpose of folding that shape back into the 3d shape physically after manufacturing that "linear" shape".
Thanks guy and I would be grateful for any help.
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Pathways: A Levels
The A level Pathway is a natural choice for you if you have enjoyed and been successful on your GCSE courses. A levels off er you the chance to focus your attention on a smaller number of subjects, building your knowledge and understanding in the areas in which you have proven strengths and strong interest.
You will normally choose 4 subjects from a wide range of available courses and any combination should be possible. Over 50 courses are available - our course advisors will help you choose the ideal combination.
To succeed on an A level programme you will need to achieve A*-C grades in at least 5 subjects at GCSE. Most A level students have several A*/A/B grades, especially in the subjects they want to study at A level.
With changing specifications in many subjects, some A Levels will now be taught as a full 2 year course and some will remain as an AS course followed by an A2 course, completing the full A Level.
Most A levels involve a combination of examinations and coursework and all exams will be held during the summer term at the VI Form Campus.
Pathways: Level 3 / Vocational Courses
The Advanced Vocational Pathway is a natural choice for you if you have done well at GCSE but now wish to move on to a course related to your career plans. Some Advanced Vocational courses, for instance BTEC level 3 Diplomas, can be combined with an A level course. Vocational courses are usually assessed through assignment work rather than exams. These courses will really suit you if your coursework grades are always better than your examination marks. You will have an idea of your grades as you work through the course and will have an opportunity to re-submit any work that is not up to standard.
For more information on how you as a parent, or a member of the public, can find out more about the curriculum we are following, please contact Carole via either our contact form or details on our Contact Page.


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Much has been said in recent years about business and the need for transparency. Government regulations have become more stringent, based on "bad behavior" in the business world. Still, some companies seem surprised when their confidential documents surface on subjects ranging from safety to valuing profits over customers to financial indiscretions.
The ensuing negative press and loss of consumer and investor trust significantly impacts the company's reputation, in some cases quickly destroying a brand that has taken years to build. The aftermath requires apologies, corrective actions, risk management issues, and a number of other measures, if the organization is going to tread the road to recovery and attempt to re-capture its goodwill and good standing.
There will always be an organization that encounters a situation of which it is not proud and believes this information can be kept secret. And maybe it can, for a little while. But, the recent news of the U.S. diplomatic cables made available to the New York Times and several other news organizations is proof that even the federal government is unable to entirely protect confidential documents.
While the current situation of a quarter-million confidential cables becoming public may not reflect a company's day-to-day operation, there is a related lesson.
Recognizing you probably have firewalls to protect your electronic data and employee signatures on confidentiality agreements, you still must be prepared to deal with the "what if" situations. For example, if you are facing a possible recall, staring at an announcement of a potential data security breach or dealing with a safety hazard, do you have a plan that will enable you to manage the situation in an ethically responsible and transparent manner, and permit you to retain the trust of your employees, customers, investors and vendors because of your honesty?
If not, use the federal cable debacle as your wake-up call to review your crisis plan, assess procedures and check it against your public commitment to transparency, remembering there are no secrets.