Benefits.

Secondhand goods can benefit the purchaser as the price paid is lower than that of the same items bought new. If the reduction in price more than compensates for the possibly shorter remaining lifetime, lack of warranty, and so on, there is a net benefit.  Selling unwanted goods secondhand instead of discarding them obviously benefits the seller.  Recycling goods through the secondhand market reduces use of resources in manufacturing new goods, and diminishes waste which must be disposed of, both of which are significant environmental benefits. However, manufacturers who profit from sales of new goods lose corresponding sales. Scientific research shows that buying used goods reduces carbon footprint and CO2 emissions significantly compared to the complete product life cycle, because of less production, raw material sourcing and logistics. Often the relative carbon footprint of production, raw material sourcing and the supply chain is unknown. A scientific methodology has been made to analyze how much CO2 emissions are reduced when buying used goods like secondhand hardware versus new hardware.  Quality secondhand goods can be more durable than equivalent new goods.

Risks.

Secondhand goods may have faults which are not apparent even if examined; purchasing sight unseen, for example, from an Internet auction site, has further unknowns. Goods may cause problems beyond their value; for example, furniture may have not easily seen bedbugs, which may cause an infestation which is difficult and expensive to eradicate. Faulty electrical and mechanical goods can be hazardous and dangerous. This is especially a big issue if sold to countries that do not have recycling facilities for these devices, which has led to an issue with electronic waste.

Types of transfers.

Many items that are considered obsolete and worthless in developed countries, such as decade-old hand tools and clothes, are useful and valuable in impoverished communities in the country or in developing countries. Underdeveloped countries like Zambia are extremely welcoming to donated secondhand clothing. At a time when the country's economy was in severe decline, the used goods provided jobs by keeping "many others busy with repairs and alterations". It has created a type of spin-off economy at a time when many Zambians were out of work. The used garments and materials that were donated to the country also allowed for the production of "a wide range of fabrics" whose imports had been previously restricted. The trade is essentially executed by women who operate their small business based on local associations and networks. Not only does this provide self-employment, but it also increases household income and enhances the economy. But while many countries would be welcoming of secondhand goods, it is also true that there are countries in need who refuse donated items. Countries like Poland, Philippines and Pakistan have been known to reject secondhand items for "fear of venereal disease and risk to personal hygiene". Similar to these countries, India also refuses the import of secondhand clothing but will accept the import of wool fibers, including "mutilated hosiery" which is a term meaning "woollen garments shredded by machine in the West prior to export". Through the production of "shoddy" (recycled wool), most of which is produced in Northern India today, unused clothing can be recycled into fibres that are spun into yarn for reuse in 'new' used goods.  United States taxpayers can deduct donations of used goods to charitable organizations. Both Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army websites have lists of items with their estimated range of values. Another way that people transfer used goods is by giving them to friends or relatives. When a person gives an item of some value that they have used to someone else, such as a used car or a winter coat, it is sometimes referred to as a "hand-me-down".  Used items can often be found for sale in thrift stores and pawnshops, auctions, garage sales, and in more recent times online auctions. Some stores sell both new and used goods (e.g. car dealerships), while others only sell new goods but may take used items in exchange for credit toward the purchase of newer goods. For example, some musical instrument stores and high-end audio stores only sell new gear, but they will accept good quality used items as trade ins towards the purchase of new items; after the store purchases the used items, they then sell them using online auctions or other services.  When an item is no longer of use to a person they may sell or "pawn" it, especially when they are in need of money. Items can also be sold (or taken away free of cost) as scrap (e.g. a broken-down old car will be towed away for free for its scrap metal value). Owners may sell the good themselves or to a dealer who then sells it on for a profit. They may also choose to give it away to another person this is often referred to as freecycling. However, because the process takes some effort on part of the owner they may simply keep possession of it or dump it at a landfill instead of going to the trouble of selling it. It has been common to buy secondhand or used good on markets or bazaars for long time. When the web became popular, it became common with websites such as eBay and Yahoo! Classifieds.

Purchases.

The strategy of buying used items is employed by some to save money, as they are typically worth less than the equivalent new items. Purchasing used items for reuse prevents them from becoming waste and saves costly production of equivalent new goods. Motivations for purchase include conserving natural resources and protecting the environment, and may form part of a simple living plan.

Types.

Cars.

Used cars are especially notable for depreciating in value much faster than many other items. Used cars may have been bought or leased by their previous user, and may be purchased directly from the previous owner or through a dealer. George Akerlof published a paper entitled "The Market for Lemons", examining the effects of information asymmetry on the used car market. Used cars may require more maintenance or have fewer features than later equivalent models.

Books.

Used books are often re-sold through a used bookstore. They may also be given away, perhaps as part of a program such as the Little Free Library's programs. Used bookstores may also sell secondhand music recordings or videos.

Used clothing.

In developed countries, unwanted used clothing is often donated to charities that sort and sell it. Some of these distribute some of the clothing to people on low incomes for free or a very low price. Others sell all of the collected clothing in bulk to a commercial used clothing redistributor, and then use the raised funds to finance their activities. In the U.S., almost 5 billion pounds of clothing is donated to charity shops each year. Only about 10% of it can be re-sold by the charity shops. About a third of the donated clothing is bought, usually in bulk and at a heavy discount, by commercial dealers and fabric recyclers, who export it to other countries. Some of the used clothes are also smuggled into Mexico. Used clothing unsuitable for sale in an affluent market may still find a buyer or end-user in another market, such as a student market or a less affluent region of a developing country. In developing countries, such as Zambia, secondhand clothing is sorted, recycled and sometimes redistributed to other nations. Some of the scraps are kept and used to create unique fashions which enable the locals to construct identity. Not only does the trade represent a great source of employment for women as well as men, it also supports other facets of the economy: the merchants buy timber and other materials for their stands, metal hangers to display clothing, and food and drinks for customers. Carriers also find work as they transport the garments from factories to various locations. The secondhand clothing trade is central to the lives of many citizens dwelling in such countries. A dress agent will often deal with a buyer and seller directly, taking unwanted clothes that still have value, and reselling them in a shop. Importation of used clothing is sometimes opposed by the textile industry in developing countries. They are concerned that fewer people will buy the new clothes that they make when it is cheaper to buy imported used clothing. Nearly all the clothes made in Mexico are intended for export, and the Mexican textile industry opposes the importation of used clothes.

Other items.

The Sierra Club, an environmental organization, argues that secondhand purchasing of furniture is the "greenest" way of furnishing a home.  Vintage guitars also became increasingly desired objects among musicians and collectors during the nineties and afterwards. Some music stores specialize in selling used musical instruments, used copies of printed music, and related paraphernalia.  Used Mobile Phones – A Large and Growing Business

A secondhand or used good is a piece of personal property that is being purchased by or otherwise transferred to a second or later end user. A "used" good can also simply mean it is no longer in the same condition as it was when transferred to the current owner. When the term "used" means that an item has expended its purpose (such as a used diaper), it is typically called garbage, instead.


Early life and family.

Kerr was born in Washington, D.C., to mother Jean Kerr and father Walter Kerr shortly before their relocation to Larchmont, New York. He was one of six siblings, the oldest being Christopher, his twin Colin, and younger Gilbert, Gregory, and Kitty. Raised in a house of writers, his family was the subject of humorous articles written by his mother that would be collected into the volume "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" (1957).

Education, visiting scholar.

After a degree in political science from Harvard University, Kerr entered graduate school in psychology at New York University. Although not completing his doctorate, his learning in the field enabled him to fill the position of visiting scholar at Cornell University, Harvard, the Austen Riggs psychiatric treatment center in Stockbridge, Mass., and the William Alanson White Institute, which trains psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, located in New York City.

Work as editor.

At Cornell he met Paul E. Stepansky, a medical historian. He offered Kerr the position of associate editor at the Analytic Press, which published books for an audience primarily of psychotherapists. Accordingly, the company "through the 1980s and 1990s functioned as part incubator, part finishing school for books written by therapists". Stepansky described Kerr then: “He was a dazzling intellect.... I would give him manuscripts to review, and the reviews were these wide-ranging meditations, stylistic gems, with commentary that was often more illuminating than the manuscript itself.”  In 1990 in Toronto, a conference entitled "Freud and the History of Psychoanalysis" was held by the Hannah Institute for the History of Medicine. The subsequent book of essays was edited by Toby Gelfand and John Kerr. Kerr's essay "Epilogue. History and the clinician" concluded the volume. There Kerr commented on the lack of enthusiasm by the practical minded clinical community to recent advances in the study of the origins and early development of psychoanalysis. Kerr stated that by training he himself was more the clinician than historian.

"A Most Dangerous Method".

Book.

"A Most Dangerous Method" is the result of an eight-year examination of the relationship between Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Sabina Spielrein, and creates a new narrative of the birth of psychoanalysis. John Kerr not only gives Spielrein her proper recognition for contributions to analytic theory, but gives fresh perspective on the Freud-Jung stalemate that resulted in the two parting ways.  Random House published "A Most Dangerous Method" in 1993, to the outrage of the psychoanalytical community. A few months later, by November, the critic and academic Frederick Crews had finished his article "The Unknown Freud", which was published in "The New York Review of Books". In it he used his review, of Kerr's and other books on Freud, as a platform to attack Freud's methods and practices. The essay would result in the largest influx of letters to the editor in the history of "The New York Review of Books".

Stage, film.

Soon after publication, talks were opened with production companies to adapt the book to film. Christopher Hampton was brought in as screenwriter. When talks stalled, Hampton adapted the work for stage. Entitled "The Talking Cure", it opened in London in 2003.  Hampton subsequently wrote the screenplay for the 2011 David Cronenberg film "A Dangerous Method".

Later life and death.

After a long stint in Brooklyn, Kerr relocated to Maine, in 1998. He resided in Portland's West End.  On July 18, 2016, he died at Maine Medical Center in Portland from complications of lung cancer, while surrounded by friends.

John Michael Kerr (January 31, 1950 – July 18, 2016) was an American editor, psychologist, and author raised in New York City. He was best known for his 1993 nonfiction book "A Most Dangerous Method", which explored an episode in the history of psychoanalysis. It examined the relationship between Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Sabina Spielrein.


History.

ChemSec was founded in 2002 by the Swedish offices of the World Wide Fund for Nature and Friends of the Earth, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and Nature and Youth. ChemSec is funded by governments and private grant-making trusts and foundations.  ChemSec argued in favour of tighter controls on chemicals in Europe under REACH, publishing analyses which contradicted industry estimates of the economic impact of the legislation. Since REACH entered into force ChemSec has continued to press for stricter chemicals regulation in the EU, arguing in favour of increasing the number of chemicals restricted under the RoHS Directive and in 2008 publishing the first version of the SIN List, a campaign tool to accelerate implementation of REACH and to help businesses identify hazardous substances.  Between 2005 and 2007 ChemSec worked with Eastern European NGOs on strengthening chemicals management and legislation in those countries. From 2006-2008, ChemSec worked with African and Asian NGOs on poverty and human rights issues relating to chemicals. In 2010 ChemSec was commissioned to produce a research report on flow of information in the electronics supply chain for the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) programme within the United Nations Environment Program.

Guiding principles.

ChemSec’s stated objectives are to “bridge the gap between decision-makers, industry, NGOs and scientists and offer expertise and guidance on chemical management policies in order to get progressive chemicals legislation.” ChemSec also works with companies to secure their support for progressive chemicals legislation and reduce their use of hazardous chemicals by substituting harmful substances for safer ones. ChemSec’s interpretation of “progressive” chemicals policy incorporates the principles of precaution, substitution, polluter pays and right-to-know.

European chemicals regulation.

REACH.

Influencing REACH was a priority for ChemSec until the regulation was passed in 2006. ChemSec argued in favour of stricter controls on chemical use on the basis of commercial advantages and scientific evidence of benefits to human and environmental health.  ChemSec’s research with the Global Development and Environmental Institute at Tufts University, Boston, into the costs of implementing REACH formed the basis of a 2004 Nordic Council of Ministers study, which concluded that the chemicals industry was overestimating the costs of changes to the new chemicals regulation in Europe.  In 2006, the European Parliament commissioned ChemSec to produce a further report on the implications of REACH for developing countries. The report concluded that concerns about the potential for REACH to interfere with trade patterns were largely unfounded.

RoHS.

In 2010, ChemSec secured support from some manufacturers for their proposals to restrict the use of brominated flame retardants and PVC in electronic goods under the RoHS Directive. Although the EU rejected immediate restriction of specific substances, new measures to restrict substances likely to produce hazardous pollutants were included in the recast of the legislation.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals.

In 2011, ChemSec proposed a set of chemicals whose use should be legally restricted for their potential to disrupt hormone signalling. The move, via ChemSec’s SIN List initiative, coincides with EU plans over 2011-2012 to develop accepted regulatory criteria for endocrine disruptors (EDCs) and further restrict their use.

Substitution of hazardous chemicals.

SIN List.

The SIN (Substitute It Now!) List is a list of chemicals evaluated by ChemSec as meeting EU criteria for being Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) under article 57 of REACH and whose use in future is therefore likely to be legally restricted. There is evidence from meetings in the European Parliament that the SIN List, in particular the addition of EDCs in 2011, is influencing which substances are being prioritised for the REACH process.

Socially responsible investment.

The potential for legal restrictions on chemical use increasing costs associated with reformulating products and modifying processes has resulted in SIN List data being used by investment analysis firms concerned with Socially Responsible Investment, to aid in calculating financial risk posed by companies’ sustainability profiles. In 2012 ChemSec presented a criteria catalogue to enable financial investors to evaluate the performance of the chemical industry., and in 2013 ChemSec published a list of the European companies producing SIN List chemicals.

SUBSPORT.

To address the challenge of replacing hazardous substances with chemicals which have a genuine pedigree of safety, ChemSec is involved in the SUBSPORT project, an internet portal collating legal information and case studies on substitution, and databases of hazardous substances and their alternatives.

Business relations.

In 2004, ChemSec established its business group as a forum for multinational corporations to discuss chemicals management, develop initiatives for reducing the use of hazardous substances and advocate for progressive chemicals policy in Europe. In 2011 the group had the following members:  ChemSec has published reports presenting arguments from companies in favour of stricter chemicals regulation under REACH and tougher restrictions on halogenated compounds under the RoHS Directive, as described in a number of business position statements.

International networks and development.

In 2006, ChemSec surveyed and advocated for improved chemicals management and handling in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. In 2008, ChemSec and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation administered a small-grant funding programme in Africa and Asia to support NGO projects to reduce harm from toxic chemicals and promote safer chemicals management.  In 2011, ChemSec published a United Nations Environment Programme Study on Information on Chemicals in Products (CiP), part of data for developing recommendations to the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM), the decision-making body of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).  ChemSec is a member of the International POPs Elimination Network, working on the Stockholm Convention, and a member of Health Care Without Harm and the European Environmental Bureau.

The International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec) is a governmental funded organisation founded in Sweden in 2002 to advocate in favour of stricter regulatory controls on potentially hazardous chemicals and to work with businesses on reducing the production and use of hazardous substances in their products and supply chains. ChemSec disclosed a profit of 1.56 Mio SEK for the financial year 2018. ChemSec maintains the SIN List, identifying hazardous substances likely to be restricted under EU REACH regulation.


Geography.

The northern parts of the municipality up the Trenta Valley to the peaks of Mts. Mangart, Jalovec, and Triglav is located within Triglav National Park, but not Bovec itself. Two of the most important mountain passes in the Julian Alps are located in the Municipality of Bovec: the Predil Pass on the border between Slovenia and Italy in the northwest, and the Vršič Pass in the northeast, which connects the Soča Valley to Kranjska Gora in the neighbouring Slovenian region of Upper Carniola. In the southwest the Učja (Uccea) Pass connects Bovec with the Resia Valley in Italy.

Settlements.

In addition to the municipal seat of Bovec, the municipality also includes the following settlements:

Politics.

The Municipality of Bovec is governed by a mayor, elected every 4 years by popular vote, and a municipal council of 12 members. In national elections, Bovec has strongly favored conservative candidates, and it is considered one of the most loyal strongholds of the Slovenian Democratic Party in the whole country. In the local elections, however, the vote is usually more dispersed, although mayors of the Slovenian Democratic Party have governed the municipality since 1998.

Tourism.

Several natural sights are included in the Municipality of Bovec, such as the source of the Soča River, the Boka Falls, the Kanin ski resort, and the Trenta Valley, connected to Bovec by a hiking trail. The municipality has a well-developed tourist industry, centered in the town of Bovec itself, with numerous hotels, and an airfield (LJBO).

The Municipality of Bovec ( or ; ) is a municipality in northwestern Slovenia. Its center is the town of Bovec., its mayor is Valter Mlekuž.


Album details.

Work on the album began after the band reunited for a one-off gig in front of 50,000 people at a V8 Supercars event in Sydney in 2009. Singer Jimmy Barnes explained: "Even before the show, in the rehearsal period we all had a really great time and we thought maybe we should carry it on a bit. So we went into my studio at my house and did some writing and recording, without having any plans of doing anything with it."  With the death of Prestwich in January 2011, Charley Drayton became Cold Chisel's new drummer, with the band saying they wanted to continue with the plans they had made with Prestwich.  The album's closing song, "I Got Things To Do", was written by Prestwich and presented to the band in the early sessions for Barnes to sing. Barnes said: "I think somewhere in the demo process Steve put down his own version for his own benefit or archives, or it was to show me the melodies or something like that and we didn't think about it." The masters of the recordings were given to producer Kevin Shirley to mix in the United States and he produced a version with Prestwich performing lead vocals. "Don (Walker)'s listening to this mix and it sounded really good and he thought, 'Oh yeah, Jimmy will start singing in a second', and the sound of Steve's voice came out and it was one of those hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck standing up moments and we all got very emotional," Barnes said. "We thought, `Well, that's the version we should put out'."  The album's cover art, by Sydney photographer Steve Baccon, is a homage to expatriate Australian landscape artist Jeffrey Smart.

Critical reception.

Reviewed at the time of release, TheMusic said, "the opener shows they are still a vital rock'n'roll band, while first single "Everybody" follows with a far more laidback gait, but is powerful in its own way; Barnes' vocal tackling Don Walker's biting lyrics with the right amount of venom. Of course it can't be long before a classy Chisel love song and "All For You" is no slouch in that department."  "The Australian" claimed, "the album's first notes consist of a Barnes vocal intro of such serrated intensity that the listener is left in no doubt, as Walker drily observed, that it's a new record by that band." Walker's song-writing that, "evokes so much with such apparent economy," was particularly praised.  The "Sydney Morning Herald" also noted the opening, "with Barnes screaming about smoking cigarettes and being a primate," but said, "However, it is musically that "No Plans" really excels. Cold Chisel plays direct, hard blues with a surprising amount of groove."

Track listing.

All songs written by Don Walker, except as noted.

No Plans is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. It was released on 6 April 2012 and was the band's first studio album in 14 years. It features the final recorded performances by drummer Steve Prestwich, who died of a brain tumour in January 2011. The album peaked at number 2 on the Australian charts.


Preparation.

Sodium dithionate is produced by the oxidation of sodium bisulfite by manganese dioxide:  Alternatively, it can be prepared by the oxidation of sodium sulfite by the silver(I) cation:  Another method is via oxidation of sodium thiosulfate with chlorine:  And another method to produce sodium dithionate is treating sodium thiosulfate with sodium hypochlorite solution.

Structure.

The dithionate ion represents sulfur that is oxidized relative to elemental sulfur, but not totally oxidized. Sulfur can be reduced to sulfide or totally oxidized to sulfate, with numerous intermediate oxidation states in inorganic moieties, as well as organosulfur compounds. Example inorganic ions include sulfite and thiosulfate.  Sodium dithionate crystallize as orthorhombic crystals of the dihydrate (). The water of crystallization is lost when heated to 90 °C, and the structure becomes hexagonal.  Large single crystals of () have been grown and studied for pulsed lasing purposes (pico second spectroscopy) with great success by E. Haussühl and cols.

Properties.

Sodium dithionate is a very stable compound which is not oxidized by permanganate, dichromate or bromine. It can be oxidized to sulfate under strongly oxidizing conditions: these include boiling for one hour with 5 M sulfuric acid with an excess of potassium dichromate, or treating with an excess of hydrogen peroxide then boiling with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The Gibbs free energy change for the oxidation to sulfate is about −300 kJ/mol. In addition, the () anion is not a good reducing group. Therefore, it has been used to form single crystals of large cation complexes in high oxidation states without reduction of the metallic complex.

Sodium dithionate NaSO is an important compound for inorganic chemistry. It is also known under names disodium dithionate, sodium hyposulfate, and sodium metabisulfate. The sulfur can be considered to be in its +5 oxidation state.


Biography.

Born in the historic village of Bartonsville in Frederick County, Maryland, Bowie grew up in St Louis, Missouri. At the age of five he started studying the trumpet with his father, a professional musician. He played with blues musicians such as Little Milton and Albert King, and rhythm and blues stars such as Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, and Rufus Thomas. In 1965, he became Fontella Bass's musical director and husband. He was a co-founder of Black Artists Group (BAG) in St Louis.  In 1966, he moved to Chicago, where he worked as a studio musician, and met Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell and became a member of the AACM. In 1968, he founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago with Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, and Malachi Favors. He remained a member of this group for the rest of his life, and was also a member of Jack DeJohnette's New Directions quartet. He lived and worked in Jamaica and Africa, and played and recorded with Fela Kuti. Bowie's onstage appearance, in a white lab coat, with his goatee waxed into two points, was an important part of the Art Ensemble's stage show.  In 1984, he formed Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, a brass nonet in which Bowie demonstrated jazz's links to other forms of popular music, a decidedly more populist approach than that of the Art Ensemble. With this group he recorded songs previously associated with Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Manson, along with other material. His New York Organ Ensemble featured James Carter and Amina Claudine Myers. In the mid 1980s he was also part of the jazz supergroup The Leaders. Featuring tenor saxophonist Chico Freeman, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, drummer Famoudou Don Moye, pianist Kirk Lightsey, and bassist Cecil McBee. At this time, he was also playing the opening theme music for "The Cosby Show".  Although seen as part of the avant-garde, Bowie embraced techniques from the whole history of jazz trumpet, filling his music with humorous smears, blats, growls, half-valve effects, and so on. His affinity for reggae and ska is exemplified by his composition "Ska Reggae Hi-Bop", which he performed with the Skatalites on their 1994 "Hi-Bop Ska", and also with James Carter on "Conversin' with the Elders". He also appeared on the 1994 Red Hot Organization's compilation album, "". The album to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African-American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by "Time".  In 1993, he played on the David Bowie album "Black Tie White Noise", including the song "Looking for Lester", which was named after him. (Lester and David Bowie were not related - David Bowie's birth name was David Jones.)  Bowie took an adventurous and humorous approach to music and criticized Wynton Marsalis for his conservative approach to jazz tradition.  Lester Bowie died of liver cancer in 1999 at his Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York house he shared with second wife Deborah for 20 years. The following year he was inducted into the "Down Beat" Jazz Hall of Fame. In 2001, the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded "Tribute to Lester".

Discography.

As sideman.

With David Bowie With James Carter With Jack DeJohnette With Brigitte Fontaine With Melvin Jackson With Fela Kuti With Frank Lowe With Jimmy Lyons With Roscoe Mitchell With David Murray With Sunny Murray With Charles Bobo Shaw With Archie Shepp With Alan Silva With Wadada Leo Smith With others

Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.


Recording.

Recorded in his hometown of Belfast, the album was described as containing ten new original songs although "Close Enough for Jazz" had featured as an instrumental on his 1993 release "Too Long In Exile". The album was recorded live at the studio and features a six piece band of musicians, with Morrison on vocals, piano, guitar and alto-saxophone.

Composition.

One of the album's themes and some of the songs reflect on the current worldwide financial crisis. Morrison has spoken out that he felt the need to comment on what he perceives as "the worldwide preoccupation with money, materialism, income equality, and the greed that has poisoned society" while further remarking: "I’m not proselytizing, it’s not some kind of manifesto. Songs are just ideas, concepts, and you just put the mic there and go."

Single.

Single "Open the Door (To Your Heart)" was released by EMI on 24 September 2012. It featured as the Record of the Week on BBC Radio 2 during the week commencing 25 August 2012.  The "Daily Nebraskan" described the song as beginning "the album with a jaunty rhythm of bass, oscillating tones of an organ and an electric guitar accentuating the off-beats. The tempo is much slower but for those fans more intimately familiar with Morrison’s catalog of songs, it feels oddly similar to “Wild Night,” which appeared on his 1971 album “Tupelo Honey.” Casting off the wildness of youth, this easy-paced speed more fully exposes the intricate dialog between the instruments; not only on this song but throughout the album."

Pre release.

Blue Note's president Don Was, who oversaw the release, argued that the album features "great, really incisive songwriting. It's a cool record." Was commented that Blue Note Records was "incredibly honored" that Morrison had chosen the label, referring to him as "one of the greatest singer/songwriter/musicians of all time".  In an interview with John Bennett in the "Belfast Telegraph", Morrison described his meaning of the title as: "Well it’s all about doing what you’re meant to do and no frills, like Mose Allison said about me, if you want to look it up, ‘There's no smoke or mirrors, there’s no lights. It is what you get.' That’s basically what you get. I’m not a tap dancing act. It’s just singing."

Critical reception.

David Fricke with "Rolling Stone" gave the album four out of five stars calling it a "vividly irritated, vocally compelling record". Fricke concluded: "At 67, on his 35th studio album, Morrison feels like an endangered species, surrounded by jive and crooks, with nothing to fall back on but his sinuous growl – like gravel rolling through velvet – and scatting hallelujahs."  A four out of five star review by Thom Jurek with Allmusic described the music: "Employing his trademark Celtic soul, the album also showcases incursions into jazz and blues and sometimes all three within the same tune."  Stephen Graham with Jazzwise gave the album four out of five stars and wrote: "On this, his first studio album since "Keep it Simple", this time recorded unusually in his home town of Belfast, Morrison has come up with the goods once again after the commercial and critical success of "Keep It Simple" and the huge interest shown when he followed it by releasing a live album based on his great 1960s masterpiece, "Astral Weeks"." Previously in August 2012, journalist Mike Flynn wrote an early review of the unreleased album in "Jazzwise" commenting that "initial listens suggest it’s his strongest album for some time" and that the album "finds Morrison emphatically moving back into jazz territory, and has resulted in a wonderfully laconic, live-in-the-studio atmosphere. Yet the laidback feel is counterbalanced with some of his most acerbic, politically charged and socially conscious lyrics to date."  A reviewer in the "Belfast Telegraph" rated the album with four out of five stars and called it "effortless, cool and classy" and commented that "when Plan A is this good, there's no reason to look any further".  "The Guardian"'s Dave Simpson reviewed the album and gave it four out of five stars. In his review of the album he wrote: "His 35th solo studio album is his jazziest: the warm brass and catchy, sweet melodies recall 1970's "Moondance". But the music's velvet glove delivers some of his hardest-hitting lyrics." A review in "The Observer" again rated the album four out of five stars and found "Morrison's voice remains peerless. A keeper, a goodie."  The album received a four star rating in musicOMH and reviewer John Murphy commented on the band being "particularly wonderful, with a muted trumpet and double bass making for memorable solos." He concluded that the album "will probably be an acquired taste for some (the jazzy backing may put some off, as may Morrison's tendency to incessantly repeat lines and start scatting every so often), but it's yet another example of his sometimes erratic genius." Another four star rating was given the album by "The Independent"'s reviewer Andy Gill who called it "Van Morrison's best album in some while" and "a set of songs that, despite the relaxed tone of their jazz-blues settings, foam with indignation about the venality of capitalist adventurism." The album was also reviewed with a four star rating in "The New Zealand Herald" where it was referred to as "Another worthwhile late-career high from Van" by reviewer Graham Reid.  Jason Heller with "The A.V. Club" gave the album a C+ rating noting "His voice remains in sturdy form, all rumble and husk, and his once sinuous cadence feels wizened, not weakened, by the occasional arthritic crick" and that ending songs of the album, one of which the critic found "cynical" and another "exhausted R&B", but wrote it was salvaged by "solid, serviceable, latter-day Morrison material." Uncut gave the album 7 out 10 stars with reviewer, Graeme Thomson concluding that the album "remains a vibrant and timely reaffirmation of Morrison’s talents. It is not the transcendent album some may have read in the runes, but it contains several hints that such greatness may, finally, be within his grasp once more."  Tony Clayton with "Irish Times" gave the new album three out of five stars commenting that "While lyrically he ruminates on financial crises and (once again) the pressures of being Van the Man, musically it’s all jazzy breezes (Going Down to Monte Carlo) and leisurely blues (Pagan Heart). Nothing new then, but the same-old same-old somehow sounds fresher. Life in the old dog yet." Brandon Stewart with 612 ABC Brisbane praised the album and commented: "The sound is warm and immediately familiar, as Van and his road band swing through the freshest set of songs we’ve heard from Morrison in some years."  Colm O Hare of "Hot Press" writes that the new album "is chock-full of that newfound energy, lyrically and musically..." and that it "harks back to his ‘70s heyday". He concludes with "With superb accompaniment from a stellar band, the performances and arrangements on Born To Sing: Plan B are close to perfection. His best album since 1995’s Days Like This."

Born to Sing: No Plan B is the 34th studio album recorded by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 2 October 2012 on Blue Note Records. Produced by Van Morrison, it marked his first studio album of original songs since 2008's "Keep It Simple".


Therapy.

Asthenopic (eye strain) symptoms in the eye are responsible for much of the severity in CVS. Proper rest to the eye and its muscles is recommended to relieve the associated eye strain. Observations from persons experiencing chronic eye strain have shown that most people who claim to be getting enough sleep are actually not. This, unaware to them, causes the eye strain to build up over a period of time, when if they had obtained seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, their eye muscles would have recovered during the sleep and the strain would not have built up.  Computer workers are often advised to take breaks and look at distant objects. A routinely recommended approach is to consciously blink the eyes every now and then (this helps replenish the tear film) and to look out the window to a distant object or to the sky—doing so provides rest to the ciliary muscles. One of the catch phrases is the "20–20–20 rule": every 20 minutes, focus the eyes on an object 20 feet (6 meters) away for 20 seconds. This basically gives a convenient distance and timeframe for a person to follow the advice from the optometrist and ophthalmologist. Otherwise, the patient is advised to close their eyes (which has a similar effect) and relax the face and neck muscles for two minutes, at least every half-hour.  A number of computer and smartphone applications, such as f.lux, redshift and Night Shift adjust the computer video color temperature, reducing the amount of blue light emitted by the screen, particularly at night.  Dry eye is a symptom that is targeted in the therapy of CVS. The use of over-the-counter artificial-tear solutions can reduce the effects of dry eye in CVS. Prior to using artificial tear solutions, it is necessary to check if dry eye is the actual cause of the problem (measured by a tear meniscus test) or whether there are no actual symptoms of dry eye at all. Dry eyes because of CVS can also be treated using moisture chamber glasses or humidifier machines. Office spaces with artificially dry air can worsen CVS syndromes, in which case, a desktop or a room humidifier can help the eyes keep a healthy moisture level.  At night, CVS can become worse. It is recommended to use a dark user interface while working at night on the computer. Several browser and OS add-ons exist to darken the user interface.  When working on computer screens people tend to blink less which leads to the eyes drying out faster. Reminding people to blink or do blinking exercises is achieved via static reminders (such as eyeleo).  Real-time feedback based blink reminders (such as VisionProtect) actively measure the blinking rate of the user and notify the user via visual/audial alert. The effectiveness of real-time feedback based blink reminder systems is proven in a study by Osamu Fukushima and Masao Saito.  A 2017 randomized controlled trial evaluated macular carotenoid supplements (lutein, zeaxanthin, and mesozeaxanthin) in people with high screen time usage. The supplement group had statistically significant reduction in self-reported headache, eye strain, eye fatigue and sleep complaints, but no reduction in neck strain or blurry vision.

Eyeglasses.

Decreased focusing capability is mitigated by wearing a small plus-powered (+1.00 to +1.50) over-the-counter pair of eyeglasses. Wearing these eyeglasses helps such patients regain their ability to focus on near objects. People who are engaged in other occupations—such as tailors engaged in embroidery—can experience similar symptoms and can be helped by these glasses.  A Pacific University research study of 36 participants found significant differences in irritation or burning of the eyes, tearing, or watery eyes, dry eyes, and tired eyes, that were each improved by amber colored lenses versus placebo lenses, but in a follow-up study in 2008, the same team was not able to reproduce the results of the first study.  Competing research has shown blue light-filtering lenses decrease specific aspects of light emissions. Theoretical reductions in phototoxicity were 10.6% to 23.6%. Additionally, melatonin suppression was reduced by 5.8% to 15.0% and scotopic sensitivity by 2.4% to 9.6%. Over 70% of the participants in this testing were unable to detect these changes. The expansion of technology has led to more individuals utilizing computers and televisions which increase the overall exposure to blue light. This has opened up opportunities for companies such as Gunnar Optiks and Razer Inc. to create glasses focused on reducing the exposure to blue light.  Amber-tinted lenses have been shown to affect the circadian rhythm and treat delayed sleep phase disorder.

Prevalence.

According to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, computer vision syndrome affects about 90% of the people who spend three hours or more a day at a computer. There has been much debate as to whether blue light is in fact dangerous and causes computer vision syndrome but accredited medical doctors including Dr Shelby Temple believe that blue light can in fact be more dangerous than ultraviolet light to the back of the eye.  Another study in Malaysia was conducted on 795 university students aged between 18 and 25. The students experienced headaches along with eyestrain, with 89.9% of the students surveyed feeling any type of symptom of CVS. Americans spend an average of 8 hours a day in front of a screen, whether that be a television screen, phone/tablet, or a computer screen. This has increased the prevalence of individuals affected by computer vision syndrome.

Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer or other display device for protracted, uninterrupted periods of time and the eye's muscles being unable to recover from the constant tension required to maintain focus on a close object. Some symptoms of CVS include headaches, blurred vision, neck pain, fatigue, eye strain, dry eyes, irritated eyes, double vision, vertigo/dizziness, polyopia, and difficulty refocusing the eyes. These symptoms can be further aggravated by improper lighting conditions (i.e. glare, strong blue-spectrum backlights, or bright overhead lighting) or air moving past the eyes (e.g. overhead vents, direct air from a fan).


Personal life.

Wilmore was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, but was raised in Mount Juliet by his mother Faye and father Eugene. Wilmore has one sibling, a brother named Jack Wilmore, who resides in Franklin, Tennessee. He is married to the former Miss Deanna Newport of Helenwood, Tennessee. He also has two daughters, Daryn Wilmore and Logan Wilmore. Wilmore currently lives in Houston, Texas with his family.

Education.

Wilmore graduated from Mt. Juliet High School in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Wilmore has received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree from the Tennessee Technological University in electrical engineering, and a Master of Science in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee. Mr. Wilmore was a member, letterman and team captain of the Tennessee Technological University football team.

Military experience.

Wilmore has over 6,200 hours of flight time and 663 carrier landings, all in tactical jet aircraft, and is a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS).  During Wilmore's tenure as a fleet Naval officer and pilot, Wilmore completed four operational deployments, flying the A-7E and F/A-18 aircraft from the decks of the aircraft carriers,, and. He has flown missions in support of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Southern Watch over the skies of Iraq, as well as missions over Bosnia in support of U.S. and NATO interests. Wilmore successfully completed 21 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm while operating from USS "John F. Kennedy". Wilmore's most recent operational deployment was aboard USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower" with the "Blue Blasters" of Strike Fighter Squadron 34 (VFA-34), a F/A-18 squadron based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.  As a Navy test pilot Wilmore participated in all aspects of the initial development of the T-45 jet trainer to include initial carrier landing certification and high angle of attack flight tests. His test tour also included a stint at USNTPS as a systems and fixed wing "Flight Test" instructor. Prior to his selection to NASA, Wilmore was on exchange to the Air Force as a "Flight Test" instructor at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

NASA experience.

Wilmore was selected as a pilot by NASA in July 2000, and reported for training that August. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, Wilmore was assigned technical duties representing the Astronaut Office on all propulsion systems issues including the Space Shuttle Main Engines, solid rocket motor, external tank, and also served on the astronaut support team that traveled to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in support of launch and landing operations. He flew to the International Space Station in September 2014 on Soyuz TMA-14M as a member of Expedition 41/42.

STS-129.

Wilmore piloted the for the STS-129 mission to the International Space Station.

STS-135.

Wilmore served as CAPCOM during the ascent and landing of on STS-135, the historic final flight of NASA's 30-year Shuttle program.

Expedition 41/42.

Wilmore returned to space in September 2014 as a member of the Soyuz TMA-14M long duration International Space Station crew. During this mission, humans manufactured off world for the very first time. The International Space Station's 3-D printer, designed and built by Made In Space, Inc., was used for to print a tool with a design file transmitted from the ground to the printer. The tool was a ratchet wrench needed by Wilmore, who would have had to wait for the tool to be delivered on the next supply mission from Earth. The wrench was later returned to the ground for analysis and testing, along with the other parts printed in space.

Boeing Starliner.

Barry E. Wilmore will serve as backup for both the test flight Boe-CFT and first mission CTS-1 crews for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner.

Awards and honors.

Barry Wilmore has received numerous medals, awards and honors. These include the Navy Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal (5), 3 with the Combat "V" designation, the Navy Commendation Medal (6), 3 of which also hold the Combat "V" designation, the Navy Achievement Medal (2), and numerous Unit decorations. He has also received the Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) "Distinguished Naval Graduate" award. He is also on the Initial Naval Flight Training "Commodore's List With Distinction". He has also won the U.S. Atlantic Fleet "Light Attack Wing One – Pilot Of The Year" (1991) and U.S. Atlantic Fleet "Strike Fighter Aviator of the Year" (1999). Wilmore is the recipient of the Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic "Scott Speicher Award" for Weapons Employment Excellence (1998). In 2003 Barry Wilmore was inducted to the Tennessee Technological University "Sports Hall of Fame".  In March 2015, the satirical website ClickHole published a humorous article featuring a fictitious quote from Barry Wilmore.

Barry Eugene "Butch" Wilmore (born December 29, 1962) is a NASA astronaut and United States Navy test pilot. He has had two spaceflights, the first of which was an 11-day Space Shuttle mission in November 2009, to the International Space Station. Wilmore was designated as pilot with five other crew members on Space Shuttle "Atlantis" for the mission STS-129. He most recently served as part of Expedition 41 to the International Space Station.


Career.

Baillie and his partner Etienne Stott won two bronze medals in the C2 team event at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships (2009, 2011). They also won a bronze medal in the C2 event at the 2009 European Championships at the Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre, Nottingham, England and came in fourth place at the 2009 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in La Seu d'Urgell. They won another silver and a bronze in the C2 team event at the European Championships alongside the other UK boats of David Florence/Richard Hounslow and Daniel Goddard/Colin Radmore. In 2012 they were a part of the British team that won gold at the European Championships in Augsburg in the C2 team event. They are British Premier Division Champions and British Open Champions.  At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Baillie and partner Etienne Stott qualified through the heats for the C2 event on 30 July, and subsequently progressed to the semi-final. The semi-final consisted of one run each, with the six best competitors qualifying for the final. Baillie and Stott finished in sixth place, taking the final spot and consequently qualifying for the final. As a result of their sixth-place finish, the slowest qualifying time out of the six remaining competitors, Baillie and Stott ran first in the final, securing a time of 106.41. The time was not beaten, with Baillie and Stott winning the gold medal in front of a 12,000 strong home crowd at the Lee Valley White Water Centre on 2 August. Fellow British boat of David Florence and Richard Hounslow finished second with a time of 106.77. Baillie and Stott's success was described as "unexpected" and a "surprise", with the pair describing winning gold as "mad".

Personal life.

He attended Westhill Academy, before studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nottingham.  He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to canoeing.  He is married to Canadian slalom canoeist Sarah Boudens.

Timothy Mark Baillie MBE (born 11 May 1979 in Aberdeen) is a Scottish slalom canoeist who represented Britain. From Westhill in Aberdeenshire, he started competing at the international level in 1996, initially in the K1 category, but switching to C2 in 2003. He retired from the sport in 2013. He is the Olympic Champion in the C2 event from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.


Personal life.

His father, Steve Johnson Sr. (died in his sleep 11 May 2017 aged 58), was a tennis coach at the Rancho San Clemente Tennis and Fitness Club, and his mother, Michelle, is a math professor. His older sister, Alison, is a graduate of Sonoma State University. Johnson has credited his father with his success in tennis: "He taught me pretty much everything I know. Since I can remember, it's always been me and him out there hitting balls, having a blast. It's really been amazing. I wouldn't change anything." Growing up, he idolised Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. At USC, Johnson was coached by Peter Smith and majored in Human Performance, but left when he was three classes short of attaining his degree. Johnson hopes to complete his degree after his tennis career.  In July 2012, Johnson signed a clothing deal with Asics America and he is represented by Sam Duvall at Lagardere Unlimited. He currently trains at the USTA Player Development Center West in Carson, California. Johnson is currently working with the USTA and travels with a few other young-ish Americans, while his personal coach is Craig Boynton, who is a USTA national coach for men's tennis. The team of Dustin Taylor and Rodney Marshall also help Steve hone his skills at the development center.  Away from tennis, he is a fan of the Anaheim Ducks.  Steve Johnson married Kendall Bateman at Maravilla Gardens in Southern California on April 21, 2018. Kendall is a former Trojan volleyball player.

Junior tennis.

In his early career Steve's dad served as his coach. Stevie won four consecutive 18-under national team titles, becoming the first player in tournament history to be a member of four championship teams. Johnson contributed to a 6–1 victory over Texas in the 2005 final, a 6–1 triumph over Southern in 2006 and clinched Southern California's 4–3 win the next year over Southern. Some of Steve's junior accomplishments include being the 2008 Kalamazoo Doubles finalist and winning the 2008 Southern California Sectional Boys 18 championship in straight sets over J.T Sundling. This marked his fourth Sectionals title and near a clean sweep of all age divisions having won the 12s, 14s and 16s. He also has the distinction of being the only player to win the Triple Crown, singles and two doubles—twice. He also won nine Gold Balls. He was ranked the third-rated California senior tennis recruit (7th overall) in the country, according to TennisRecruiting.net. Lastly, he clinched the title for Southern California at the 2007 Junior Davis Cup.

High school tennis.

Johnson is a 2008 graduate of Orange High School in Orange, California and was coached by Pete Tavoularis. Johnson won CIF singles championships in 2006 and 2007 and was named the Orange County and Los Angeles Player of the Year in both seasons. He is the only Southern Section tennis champion in the school's history. Johnson also made it a priority to play in as many team matches as possible. He missed just two because of junior tennis events and did not lose a set in team competition on his way to winning his second consecutive Golden West League title. Johnson beat future Stanford Cardinal Ryan Thacher of Harvard-Westlake High to win the Southern Section Individual Tournament when both were high school sophomores in 2006. His only high school loss of 2006 was a three-set defeat in the semifinals of Ojai to eventual champion Jason Jung of West Torrance. He then defended his title by beating future UCLA Bruin Alex Brigham of Pacifica Christian High. The victories made Johnson the first back-to-back singles winner since Tom Leonard of Arcadia in 1965 and 1966. He also became the eighth player to repeat as champion and the fourth to win the title after losing the first set at love (Leonard in 1965, Barry Buss in 1982, and Phil Sheng in 1999 each won titles after losing the first set at love). Johnson was the Orange County boys tennis player of the year as a sophomore and junior at Orange, but, like so many top players do, opted to not play high school tennis his senior year.

College tennis.

Johnson chose to play college tennis for the University of Southern California. Johnson on his decision," I chose USC because I felt like I had a great relationship with Peter Smith, USC Tennis Coach, and I got along with the team really well." As a sophomore, he was selected to represent the United States in the fourth annual Master'U BNP Paribas, an intercollegiate competition in which eight countries from around the world will play for the title. As a junior he captured the 2010–11 NCAA Singles Championship, defeating Rhyne Williams in the final. In his senior season, he captured the 2011–2012 NCAA Singles Championship, defeating Kentucky's Eric Quigley in the final, overcoming a strained abdomen and shin splints and a bout of food poisoning to retain his title. As a freshman, Johnson was selected to All-Pac-10 First Team, as well as being named the Pac-10 Doubles Team of the Year with Robert Farah. He also reached the final of the Pac-10 singles championship match and he won the ITA Regionals Doubles Championship with Farah. As a sophomore, he was also selected to the All-Pac-10 First Team and was the named the Pac-10 Doubles Team of the Year with Farah once again as well as winning the ITA Southwest Regionals doubles championship with Farah. Furthermore, as a sophomore he won the ITA National Indoor championship. As a junior, he also won the 2011 Pac-10 Singles and Doubles Title with Raymond Sarmiento. In addition, he was selected as the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and to the NCAA All-Tournament Team for singles. His exploits saw Johnson named as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Player of the Year for the 2010–11 and 2011–2012 seasons, as well as the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 Pac-12 Men's Player of the Year. In his college career, he became a seven-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American, two-time NCAA Singles Champion, and he captured the team title for the Trojans in all four of his years there. Furthermore, he ended his college career with an unprecedented 72 match win streak. "The biggest thing that I have learned from college tennis is to play aggressive while playing within myself and to never give up because every dual match could end up being decided on your court." These exploits led to Johnson's becoming the most decorated college player of all time.

ITF Futures Circuit.

Stevie has competed in 12 Futures tournaments in his career for singles, all of them being in the United States. He has been in 3 finals, winning two of them. He lost the 2011 Sacramento Futures tournament to Daniel Kosakowski in 3 sets. However, later in 2011, Stevie won consecutive tournaments in the Claremont and Costa Mesa futures tournaments respectively beating Darian King and Artem Sitak in straight sets. Stevie has competed in various Futures tournaments since 2006 as a high schooler, and he won his first match and earned his first point the following year. Stevie has compiled an overall record of 23 wins and 10 losses on the Futures Tour as well as winning Despite a good outing in singles on the Futures Tour, Stevie is 2–6 in doubles on the Futures Tour earning a mere Stevie no longer competes on the Futures Tour as he competes mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour as well as the ATP World Tour.

ATP Challenger Tour.

Stevie has competed in 27 Challenger tournaments in his career for singles in the United States, Turkey, Canada, and France. He won his first challenger tournament in the Comerica Bank Challenger played in Aptos, California. He won it in the summer of 2012, before the 2012 U.S. Open. In the finals, he defeated Robert Farah in straight sets, 6–3, 6–3, gaining 100 points, as well as Farah is his good friend and former Trojan teammate where they played doubles together and won 2 NCAA Championships for USC. A month after his win in Aptos, Stevie competed in 2 challenger tournaments in Turkey and France. In Izmir, Turkey, Stevie reached the semifinals and won three matches to get there. In Orléans, France, Stevie reached the second round and lost to the no.2 seed David Goffin of Belgium. However, the match was tightly contested as Goffin squeezed out a win and won 7–5, 6–4. A couple of weeks later in the 2012 Tiburon Challenger, Stevie was ousted in the semifinals by Jack Sock 4–6, 6–7(4). Next, Johnson competed in the 2012 Charlottesville Challenger but fell to Rhyne Williams in the Round of 16. Johnson planned on playing in the Knoxville Challenger as well as the JSM Challenger of Champaign–Urbana to finish the year, but a shoulder injury forced him to pull out. The shoulder injury also forced him to miss the Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs. Stevie has compiled an overall record of 32 wins and 18 losses on the Challenger Tour and has earned In doubles, Stevie has had equal success on the Challenger Tour compiling an overall record of 13 wins and 8 losses including a title in Knoxville, Tennessee with Austin Krajicek in 2011. He also made it to the finals in the 2011 Tiburon challenger partnered with Sam Querrey, but they lost 6–10 in the 3rd set super tie-breaker. In 2012, Stevie reached the semifinals in Tiburon partnered with Robert Farah, as the #1 seeds. Johnson played doubles in the 2013 Maui Challenger being seeded no.2 and reached the semifinals as his partner was Alex Bogomolov, Jr. Johnson played singles and doubles in the 2013 Sarasota Open. In singles, he lost in the quarter-finals to the eventual champion, Alex Kuznetsov, 2–6, 6–3, 1–6. In doubles, he partnered with Bradley Klahn, and they won three matches to reach the finals but lost 7–6(5), 6–7(3), 9–11. Johnson played three more clay challengers before the French Open and lost in the first round in each. After a successful French Open, Johnson won his second career challenger at the Aegon Nottingham Challenge defeating Ruben Bemelmans in the finals. Winning this tournament, helped grant him a wild-card into Wimbledon. Johnson did not finish the year strong on the Challenger Tour as he went 1-5 to finish the season. In his second challenger event of the season, Johnson won the 2014 Challenger of Dallas only dropping one set throughout the tournament. He defeated fellow American Ryan Harrison along the way, and he defeated Tunisian Malek Jaziri in the finals. After the match, he stated,"I was struggling with confidence a little before the start to this year and to come out and win the tournament here makes it more special." One month later in the 2014 Irving Tennis Classic, Johnson beat three top-100 players along the way to reach the finals, where he lost to Lukáš Rosol. A win at the 2014 Open Guadeloupe Challenger Tour tournament boosted Johnson's singles ranking to a career-high 69, and gave him his fourth career challenger title. After taking a month off from competing in tournaments, Johnson's next challenger tournament was the BNP Paribas Primrose Bordeaux where he was the number two seed. He lost in the finals to number one seed Julien Benneteau. Johnson kicked off his grass court season as the number two seed in the 2014 Aegon Trophy where fell in the quarterfinals to Gilles Müller.

ATP World Tour.

2011.

Johnson started the year in Indian Wells where he lost in the first round of qualifying in three tight sets to Frank Dancevic. Shortly after his college season, Johnson received a wild card into the 2011 Farmers Classic where he lost in the first round to Gilles Müller in three sets. Johnson then competed in qualifying of the 2011 Western & Southern Open. After scoring his first win over a top 100 player in the first round, Jérémy Chardy, he lost in the following round to Édouard Roger-Vasselin. Winning the 2011 individual NCAA championships, Johnson received a wild card to the main draw of the 2011 US Open. He played his first career grand slam match against Alex Bogomolov, Jr. and lost in five tight sets where he had a two sets to love lead.  In the 2011 Western & Southern Open, Johnson reached the quarterfinals partnered with Alex Bogomolov, Jr., and along the way defeated the no. 2 doubles team of Mirnyi/Nestor subsequently gaining 180 points. At the 2011 US Open, Johnson partnered with Denis Kudla but they lost badly in straight sets to Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares. In the 2012 Farmers Classic, Johnson partnered up with Sam Querrey, and they reached the semifinals. Next, in the 2012 Citi Open, Johnson reached the semifinals once again, partnered with Drew Courtney.

2012.

Johnson received a wild card into the 2012 SAP Open but lost in two tie-breakers to Steve Darcis. Johnson registered his first ATP win in a main draw against Donald Young in the 2012 BB&T Atlanta Open before losing to Jack Sock in the second round. Johnson received a wild card into the 2012 Farmers Classic, but lost to Igor Sijsling in straight sets. Johnson received another wild card into the 2012 Citi Open, but lost to Benjamin Becker in straight sets. Johnson reached the third round of the 2012 US Open, where he had received a wild card for winning the individual NCAA championships once again. In the first round, Johnson beat Rajeev Ram and in the second round, Johnson advanced by defeating Ernests Gulbis. In the third round, Johnson lost to 13th seeded Richard Gasquet.  In the 2012 Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, Johnson partnered with Denis Kudla, but they lost in the first round. Competing in the 2012 BB&T Atlanta Open, Johnson partnered with fellow American Jack Sock, but they lost in a super tie-breaker in the first round. In the 2012 Farmers Classic, Johnson partnered up with Sam Querrey, and they reached the semifinals. Next, in the 2012 Citi Open, Johnson reached the semifinals once again, partnered with Drew Courtney. In the 2012 US Open, Johnson received a wild card to the main draw and partnered with Jack Sock. In the first round they defeated the no. 1 doubles team of Mirnyi/Nestor, 1–6, 7–6, 6–2. However they lost in the second round to František Čermák and Michal Mertiňák, 4–6, 5–7.

2013.

In the 2013 Australian Open, Johnson won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw. In the first round of the main draw, he took tenth seed Nicolás Almagro the distance, but lost 5–7, 7–6, 2–6, 7–6, 2–6. Next, in the 2013 SAP Open, Johnson received a wild card to the main draw. In the first round, he defeated former top-20 player Ivo Karlović, 6–7, 6–4, 7–6. In the second round, Johnson defeated Tim Smyczek, reaching his first quarterfinal. However, in the quarterfinals, Johnson lost to eventual finalist Tommy Haas, 4–6, 2–6. Overall, Johnson compiled a 5–13 record in singles. In doubles, Johnson attained a career-high ranking of no. 126.  Johnson partnered with Jack Sock in the 2013 SAP Open, but they lost to the no. 1 doubles team of Mike and Bob Bryan, 6–7, 6–7. Johnson once again partnered with Sock in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, and they reached the round of 16.  Johnson went to the 2013 French Open, qualifying for the first time and made it through to the main draw before losing in the first round to Albert Montañés, who had just won Nice the previous week. Receiving a wildcard into the maindraw of Wimbledon, Johnson lost a tight first round match to fellow American Bobby Reynolds 6–1, 6–7(4), 3–6, 7–6(4), 4–6. In the 2013 Citi Open, Johnson lost in the first round to Radek Štěpánek in straight sets. In the 2013 Winston-Salem Open, Johnson won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw and have a rematch with Bobby Reynolds. In the 2013 US Open, Johnson lost in the first round to German Tobias Kamke, failing to reach the third round as he had the previous year. Johnson and fellow American Michael Russell received a wild card in doubles, but fell in the first round.

2014.

Steve kicked off the 2014 season with a bang as he reached the main draw of the 2014 Heineken Open as a lucky loser and beat former Australian Open runner up Marcos Baghdatis, and also defeated #4 seed Kevin Anderson to reach his second quarterfinal on tour. By winning the Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs a few weeks back, Johnson received a wildcard into the main draw of 2014 Australian Open. However, he lost in the first round to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in five sets. In the 2014 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships Johnson qualified for the main draw and beat Mikhail Kukushkin, #1 seed Tommy Haas in a third-set tie-breaker, and #6 seed Feliciano López to reach his first semi-finals. After he beat Haas, Johnson said that "Tommy is an unbelievable player and this is a win I won't forget." Haas later said, "I hate to lose, but I'm happy for him. He served well and competed hard." South African Kevin Anderson got revenge on Johnson in the semi-finals as he beat him in straight sets to reach the finals. Johnson received a wildcard into the maindraw of the 2014 BNP Paribas Open, but fell to the red-hot Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut in straight sets, who knocked out #4 seed Tomáš Berdych in the next round. Johnson got a rematch with Agut just a couple weeks later in the 2014 Sony Open Tennis, this time falling in three sets.  In his first clay court tournament of the year, Johnson received a wild card into the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships where he reached the second round and lost to eventual champion Fernando Verdasco. Johnson then competed in the Open de Nice Côte d'Azur where he fell in the first round to youngster Dominic Thiem. Johnson lost in three sets, while failing to convert a match point as he was trying to serve out the match at 6-5 in the second set. Johnson next competed in the 2014 French Open where he won his first ever ATP match on clay, and advanced to the second round. In his first round match against Frenchman Laurent Lokoli, Johnson came back from a two sets to love deficit, and saved two match points along the way for a dramatic five set victory. In his second round match, Johnson lost in straight sets to fellow American Jack Sock. Johnson registered his first grass court ATP win at the 2014 Gerry Weber Open when he defeated Frenchman Albano Olivetti. Johnson's second round opponent withdrew giving Johnson a walkover to the quarterfinals where he lost to the number four seed Kei Nishikori. The following week, Johnson competed in the 2014 Topshelf Open and reached the second round before falling to the number seven seed Nicolas Mahut. Johnson then competed in the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. Unfortunately, Johnson fell in the first round in four sets to twenty-seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut. Returning to the U.S., Johnson competed in the 2014 Hall of Fame Tennis Championships where he lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Lleyton Hewitt. As the sixth seed in this tournament, this was Johnson's first ATP tournament where he was seeded. Johnson then kicked off his US Open Series in Atlanta where he lost in the first round to his good friend and countryman Sam Querrey.

2016: Olympic medal and first Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

Johnson reached the third round of the 2016 Australian Open as the 31st seed but lost to David Ferrer in 3 comfortable sets. Johnson lost in the 1st round of the 2016 French Open as the 33rd seed. Johnson won his first ATP Tour level title at the 2016 Aegon Open in Nottingham, UK, defeating Pablo Cuevas in the final. Johnson reached the fourth round of 2016 Wimbledon Championships being defeated by Roger Federer in straight sets. In the 2016 Western & Southern Open he defeated Federico Delbonis in the 1st round, in the 2nd round he beat Julien Benneteau and in the 3rd round he beat 7th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all this set up a tie with Grigor Dimitrov in the Quarter-final, which he lost in straight sets. Johnson defeated Evgeny Donskoy in the first round of the US Open after losing the first 2 sets. His run was ended in the second round by Juan Martín del Potro in straight sets, however. Johnson would lose in the first round of the 2016 China Open to Dimitrov and in the 2016 Shanghai Masters to Andy Murray. After two more consecutive losses, he would end his season with a second-round loss in the 2016 Paris Masters to Richard Gasquet.

2017: Second career title.

Johnson began the 2017 season with a first-round loss to Dimitrov at the Brisbane International. He would dispatch John Isner to reach the semis of the Auckland Open, but lost to Jack Sock. He then lost to Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open second round. After reaching three straight quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, Johnson lost to Roger Federer at Indian Wells and had a disappointing second-round loss at Miami to Nicolas Mahut. However, he would rebound by capturing his second career singles title (and first on clay) at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas, beating Sock in the semis and Thomaz Bellucci in a thrilling final, where Johnson overcame severe cramps and being down a break to win in a final-set tiebreak.

2018: Third and fourth titles.

Johnson made the semifinals in Delray Beach, where he lost to young German Peter Gojowczyk.  In Miami, Johnson made it to the third round, where he was defeated by Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta.  Johnson won his third title in Houston on clay courts after defeating five Americans: Ernesto Escobedo, Frances Tiafoe, John Isner, Taylor Fritz, and Tennys Sandgren.  In May, he reached the final in Geneva, only to fall to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in three sets.  In July, Johnson won the grass-court Hall of Fame championship in Newport, Rhode Island, defeating Indian Ramkumar Ramanathan in the final in three sets.  Johnson reached the final again in Winston-Salem in August, where he was defeated by young Russian Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

2019.

Johnson reached the quarterfinals at Delray Beach in February, where he lost to Romanian Radu Albot.  In March, Johnson beat Taylor Fritz in the first round of Indian Wells, but fell to young Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the second.  At Wimbledon, Johnson beat Albert Ramos-Viñolas in the first round and young Aussie Alex de Minaur in the second, only to be defeated by Kei Nishikori in the third round in straight sets.  At the US Open, Johnson lost in the first round to Nick Kyrgios.

World Team Tennis.

Steve Johnson was selected fifth overall in the Mylan World TeamTennis Roster Draft by the Orange County Breakers. Johnson was joined by his father, who was an assistant coach on the team. Despite ultimately placing third in the Western Conference, Johnson was the No. 2 men's singles player in the league, amassing a 62–47 record for the season. He was equally successful in men's doubles, pairing with doubles specialist Treat Huey to go 64–53. In the middle of the season, Johnson helped lead the Breakers to four consecutive victories. During the season, Johnson had victories over Andy Roddick in singles and doubles, as well as doubles victories over the Bryan Brothers, and tennis legend John McEnroe. On July 20, Johnson landed himself in the no. 4 spot on the top plays of SportsCenter that evening against Alex Bogomolov, Jr. of the Texas Wild with an amazing rally that ended with Johnson slipping and sliding for a volley winner. Steve made a successful debut with the Breakers in his first season, leading him to be named the Mylan WTT Male Rookie of the Year.

Performance timelines.

Singles.

"Current through the 2020 Australian Open."

ATP career finals.

Singles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-up).

!Result!class="unsortable"|W–L!Date!Tournament!Tier!Surface!Opponent!class="unsortable"|Score

Steve "Stevie" Johnson Jr. (born December 24, 1989) is an American professional tennis player. For one week in August 2016 he was the top-ranked American in men's singles. He has a career-high ranking of world No. 21. He has won four ATP Challenger Tour titles and four ATP Tour 250 titles, one at Nottingham on grass, twice at Houston on clay and most recently at Newport on grass. He won a bronze medal in men's doubles at the 2016 Olympics with Jack Sock.


Background.

In 1980, Jon Bon Jovi (born: John Francis Bongiovi) began work at Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin, Tony Bongiovi, was a co-owner. Jon made several demos and sent them out to record companies, but failed to make an impact.  In 1982, Jon went to local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple". DJ Chip Hobart listened to the demos and loved "Runaway", deciding to include it on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" were known as The All Star Review. They were: guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, bass guitarist Hugh McDonald, and additional singers David Grahmme and Mick Seeley (Seeley also composed the distinctive keyboard riff that opens the song). McDonald would later replace Alec John Such as Bon Jovi's bass guitarist.  The song began to get airplay around New York. Jon signed to Mercury Records, part of the PolyGram company. He wanted a band name and the A&R staff at PolyGram came up with Bon Jovi.  In March 1983, Bon Jovi called David Bryan (then known as Rashbaum), who in turn called bass guitarist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres. At that time Bon Jovi's lead guitarist was Dave Sabo, who later formed the band Skid Row. Sabo was soon replaced by Richie Sambora.  "We weren't a good band", Bon Jovi said in 2007. "We didn't become a good band until the third record, but we had a drummer who could keep time, which you should never take for granted. But I did okay for a 22-year-old. I'd only been in a studio for three years total prior to that record and I didn't know anything about comping a vocal – where you take a word or a line from one track and piece it together. I was thinking, My god, I'm so bad that they have to put my vocals together for me. The engineer was saying, Don't fret, Jon: even Freddie Mercury and the greats have to comp a vocal."

Release and reception.

AllMusic has retrospectively rated "Bon Jovi" three-and-a-half out of five stars. Leslie Mathew, who reviewed the album, said: "The songs may be simple and the writing prone to all clichés of the form, but the album boasts a pretty consistent hard rock attack, passionate playing, and a keen sense of melody."

Personnel.

Bon Jovi  Additional musicians  Engineers  Album Design-Spencer Drate, Judith Salavetz  Photography-Geoffrey Hargrave Thomas

Bon Jovi is the self-titled debut studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on January 21, 1984. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, it is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album in which a song ("She Don't Know Me") appears that was not written or co-written by a member of the band. The album charted at No. 43 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200.


Background.

Recorded in six weeks between January and March 1985, at the Warehouse Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the album marked the final collaboration between Bon Jovi and producer Lance Quinn. It is the only Bon Jovi album to feature songwriting by four of the band members; "Secret Dreams" is the only Bon Jovi song to date for which drummer Tico Torres receives a writing credit.  Despite being a fan favorite, the band was unsatisfied with the sound of the album and essentially disowned it once they had solidified their status as worldwide superstars with "Slippery When Wet" and "New Jersey". It is the least represented album in their setlists over the course of the career: nothing from "7800° Fahrenheit" was performed after the New Jersey Syndicate Tour, but a few performances of “Tokyo Road” in Japan during the 1990s, a few performances of “Only Lonely” during The Circle Tour in 2010, and one performance of “Tokyo Road” in Hawaii, also during The Circle Tour.  "I always overlook the second album," noted Jon Bon Jovi in 2007. "Always have, always will. We had no time to make it and we didn't know who we were... We did whatever producer Lance Quinn said. He was a brilliant guitarist and had made with Talking Heads, so you listened."  "All of us were going through tough times on a personal level," he explained at the time of "Slippery When Wet"'s release. "And the strain told on the music we produced. It wasn't a pleasant experience... Lance Quinn wasn't the man for us, and that added to the feeling that we were going about it badly. None of us want to live in that mental state ever again. We've put the record behind us, and moved on."

7800° Fahrenheit is the second studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on March 27, 1985, through Mercury Records. The album's title was a reference to the supposed melting point of rock, equivalent to 4313° Celsius; as the Fahrenheit scale is mainly used only in the United States, "7800° Fahrenheit" thus suggested "American hot rock."


Integrins.

Integrins function as the major cell receptor for extracellular matrix protein. These receptors comprise an α and β transmembrane subunit, which are noncovalently bound. Collagen binding is primarily provided by integrins α1β1, α2β1, α10β1 and α11β1. Integrin α1β1 binds to collagen via the MIDAS motif in the α subunit I domain. It preferentially binds collagens IV, VI and type XIII collagen, but also fibril-forming collagens. Specific binding sites in collagen I and IV have been identified. This receptor is situated mainly on mesenchymal cells. Functions include: fibroblast proliferation; regulation of collagen synthesis and MMP expression; response to renal injury. Integrin α2β1 preferentially binds fibril-forming collagens. Specific binding sites in collagen I and III have been identified. Integrin α2β1 is expressed mainly on epithelial cells and platelets. Functions include: platelet adhesion - the most abundant receptor for collagen in platelets; branching morphogenesis; mast cell activation; keratinocyte adhesion and it is the main regulator of cell migration.  Integrin α10β1 preferentially binds collagens IV and VI, but also collagen II. It is expressed on chondrocytes and cardiac muscle. Involved in growth plate morphogenesis and function. Integrin α11β1 is expressed by mesenchymal cells in some parts of embryo during its development and also in muscles in adults: it preferably binds fibrillar collagen. Integrin receptors capable of collagen binding could, according to results of (Garnotel R et al. 2000), include integrin α10β2, which is situated on monocytes and binds type I collagen.

Discoidin domain receptors.

Discoidin domain receptors form a subgroup of receptor tyrosine kinases. Receptor activation happens when collagen binds into preformed DDR dimers on cell membrane, when collagen is bound, a conformational change probably occurs, which causes cytosolic kinases to rotate to face each other, and their autophospohorylation. The exact way of receptor activation is unknown so far. Unlike other tyrosine-kinase receptors, maximal activation of receptors occurs 18 hours after collagen stimulation. They function as receptors for different collagen types, they recognize many fibrillar collagens and they are capable of binding some nonfibrillar collagens as well. Nevertheless, the native conformation of collagen is a requirement for receptor binding, denatured collagen is not bound. DDRs are expressed widely already during development and level of expression is high in adults as well.  DDR1 is a homodimer. Its ectodomain consists of a collagen-binding discoidin domain followed by ~200 residues of unknown structure. It binds fibril-forming collagens and primarily type IV collagen, but also collagen of types I, VI, VIII. It is expressed mainly in epithelial cells and leukocytes and expression rate changes due to cell cycle phase. Functions include: mammary gland development; arterial wound repair; regulation of cell proliferation, cell adhesion and MMP expression; kidney function, differentiation and function of leukocytes.  DDR2 structure as above. Binds fibril-forming collagens, collagen of types I, II, III and X. A specific binding site in collagen II has been identified. It is specific for mesenchymal cells. Functions include: Chondrocyte proliferation and bone growth; regulation of cell proliferation, cell adhesion and induction of MMP expression.

Immunoglobulin-like receptors.

Glycoprotein VI Receptor GPVI belongs to immunoglobulin family of glycoproteins. It consists of two extramembrane immunoglobulin domains, which are associated with extracellular glycosylated mucine and together they form a stalk. Another part of the receptor consists of transmembrane helix with a short cytosolic domain. A FcRγ chain with ITAM (immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif) domain is associated with the transmembrane domain. The short cytosolic domain interacts with calmodulin and Src kinases Lyn and Fyn. These Src kinases phosphorylate tyrosine in ITAM domain and activate a signalling cascade. Glycoprotein VI belongs to collagen receptors that are primarily expressed on platelets surface. Together with integrin receptor α2β1 they provide coagulation cascade activation when a blood-vessel is damaged. When damage occurs, endotelial collagen is uncovered and is bound by GPVI receptor on platelets. This interaction activates signalling cascades leading to coagulation factors release. Mainly fibrillar collagens type I and III serve as ligands. Functions include: Platelet adhesion and activation - the most important platelet collagen receptor in terms of signaling. LAIR1(Leukocyte-associated IG-like receptor) works as inhibition signal for different immune cells. Lair-1 consists of Ig domain, transmembrane helix and a short cytosolic domain, which includes two inhibition motifs (ITIMs), which can block tyrosine domain when activated. A ligand of Lair-1 receptor is type XVII transmembrane collagen, it binds type I and III collagen as well. Collagen binding inhibits Lair-1 function.

Mannose receptors.

Mannose receptor provide reception of extracellular ligands. To the family of mannose receptors belong: mannose receptor, M-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R), Dec-205, Endo180/uPARAP. They share and extracellular domain, which contains N-terminal domain rich in cystein, F2 fibronectin type II domain and several C-lectin domains. From this mannose family, collagen is specifically bound by mannose receptor, M-phospholipase A2 receptor and Endo180 receptor. Binding of collagen or denatured collagen (gelatin) is provided by F2 domain and partly by C-terminal domain (aa 1000-1453), which binds type I collagen triple helix. Inability to internalize collagen and reduced ability of adhesion and related increased migration in collagen matrix was observed in fibroblast population with nonfunctional Endo180 receptor. The exact principal of collagen binding to mannose receptor is not known so far. Endo180 receptor is expressed on fibroblasts, endotelial cells and macrophages.

References.

Vogel, W.F., 2001. Collagen-receptor signaling in health and disease. European Journal of Dermatology 11, 506-514.  White, D.J., Puranen, S., Johnson, M.S., Heino, J., 2004. The collagen receptor subfamily of the integrins. International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology 36, 1405-1410.

Collagen receptors are membrane proteins that bind the extracellular matrix protein collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals. They control mainly cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, coagulation cascade activation and they affect ECM structure by regulation of MMP (matrix metalloproteinases).


Plot.

Fry, Leela, and Bender hand their resignations to Professor Farnsworth after narrowly escaping another delivery with their lives, but reconsider when he announces that the Planet Express team will take a cruise on the maiden voyage of the largest space cruise ship ever built: the "Titanic". As they board they are stopped by Zapp Brannigan, the ship's honorary captain. Attempting to avoid Brannigan's advances, Leela claims she is engaged to Fry. Bender meets the robot Countess de la Roca. Brannigan deviates from the ship's course, opting to fly through a swarm of comets. Amy unexpectedly runs into her parents who attempt to set Amy up with a date. To redirect her parents' attention, Amy claims Fry is her boyfriend, making Leela jealous.  Bender meets the Countess again and pretends to be rich. At first he is only after her money, but he soon realizes he loves her. She learns Bender is a broke felon when he attempts to steal drinks from the bar. She tells him that she is not interested in his wealth; she loves him for his personality. Hermes is urged to participate in a limbo competition, but declines, as he was still recovering from guilt over an incident that occurred at the 2980 Olympics where a child trying to emulate him fatally broke his spine. Brannigan declares Leela the winner of the competition, despite her not being a contestant. She and Fry are invited to dinner at the captain's table. At dinner, both Brannigan and Amy's parents are present; they demand that Fry kiss his date. Before the fake relationships are exposed, Kif calls Brannigan to the bridge; the new course has endangered the ship.  Brannigan attempts to correct the problem by piloting the ship too close to a black hole. Realizing the danger he has put them in, Brannigan promotes Kif to Captain before fleeing the ship. Outside, Fry and Leela nearly kiss before they are interrupted by the ship breaking in half. Bender heads off to save the Countess while the rest of the crew head for the escape pods. An airlock door closes, blocking the crew's escape. Zoidberg holds it open a few inches, but the door release is on the other side. Hermes resurrects his old limbo skills to squeeze under the door. Arriving at the escape pods, they meet Amy's parents, who have found Amy a new boyfriend: "Captain" Kif. After waiting as long as they can for Bender, the crew launches the escape pod. Bender leaps from the "Titanic", Countess in tow. He grabs the escape pod, but they are overweight. The Countess sacrifices herself so the others may escape, upsetting Bender. Entering the pod, a heartbroken Bender says he will have her diamond bracelet to remind him of her. Bender then immediately asks Hermes what it's worth, who then examines it and tells Bender that it is not real, causing Bender to break down and cry.

Production.

This episodes features the beginning of the relationship between Kif Kroker and Amy Wong. The relationship was originally meant to be a one–off joke; however, the writers found it to be convenient and used it in later episodes. Recurring characters Leo and Inez Wong, and LaBarbara Conrad were first introduced in the episode.

Reception.

Zack Handlen of "The A.V. Club" gave the episode a B+, stating, "...Enough of these jokes land to keep the storyline moving (the Love Boat riff was a nice touch), and the advantage of an episode like this one, which has so much going on at once, is that nothing really overstays its welcome. That also means that there’s no time to dig deep into any single story, but given the general, genial shallowness of all this, that’s probably for the best."

"A Flight to Remember" is episode ten in the first season of "Futurama". It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 26, 1999. This episode was written by Eric Horsted and directed by Peter Avanzino. Dawnn Lewis guest stars in this episode as LaBarbara Conrad. The episode is a direct parody of the 1997 film "Titanic", while the title is a reference to Walter Lord's non-fiction book about the Titanic disaster "A Night to Remember".