History.

AFORD began as an underground political movement under Banda's dictatorship under the leadership of trade unionist and political activist Chakufwa Chihana. He led an underground political movement that aimed at democratic multi-party rule. He was the first person to openly challenge the system. Therefore, he is known as the 'father of Malawian democracy' for his role in ushering in multi-party rule in Malawi. Many would argue that AFORD was officially registered and active "...21.07.93." The AFORD or Alliance for Democracy is now a political party whose mission under the leadership of Chihana was to reconstruct the economy, attract investors, and improve Malawi's infrastructure. The AFORD was opposed to furthering the reign of the autocratic leader Banda and sought rather to promote the idea of true democracy. Under Chakufwa Chihana's influence, the AFORD political party began initially as a pressure group because political parties were illegal for some time under the dictatorial reign of Hastings Banda. Though Malawi is located in the southeastern portion of Africa, a majority of the AFORD's power is concentrated in the northernmost regions of Malawi. AFORD's support is concentrated in the northernmost parts of Malawi for many reasons, including the fact that trade union leader Chakufwa Chihana was born in the Mhuju village. The combination of the MCP attacking the national credibility of AFORD by branding Chihana as a regional advocator and the momentary restriction of Chihana to Rumphi also contributed to why AFORD ‘s political strength lay almost singularly in northern Malawi One of the problems AFORD encountered in an attempt to expand its 33 constituencies in 1933 was its inability to collect enough signatures for its parliamentary candidates nor did there seem to be any “...suitable and credible candidates to run its platform outside the northern region...”. Multiparty general elections began in 1993. After the legislative elections concluded in the years 1993-1994, multiparty elections likely occurred in Malawi during the month of May in the year 1994 after Muluzi's United Democratic Front prevailed against Banda's Malawi Congress Party. Chihana was able to secure roughly 18.9 percent of the vote for multi-party elections and roughly 36 seats, arguably the entire northern region, for the parliamentary elections. AFORD has not won any of the presidential elections that took place after the 1993 referendum. The AFORD party suffered a unilateral split when Chakufwa Chihana loss faith in Malawi's government after accusing it of corruption during his vice presidency in 2003-2004. Gowa Nyasula took up the role as AFORD's president in the 2004 race for the election which led to him shouldering the bulk of the funding for the party. Gowa Nyasula resigned his role as president of the AFORD which led to Godfrey Shawa being appointed by the party's politburo in 2013 Ultimately Mweinfumbo decided after the year 2014 to accept the request to contest Enoch Chihana for the role of party president in the elective national convention on December 17, 2018 in order to run in 2019 general elections as AFORD's candidate

Internal politics.

AFORD as a political party began to decline due to internal politics within the party. AFORD's influence slowly became increasingly isolated to the Northern Region.

Results of Elections 1994 - Present.

Of the 3,775,256 registered voters in Malawi, 562,862 votes were in favor of the AFORD party's candidate, Chakufwa Chihana (TRIPOD). AFORD managed to rank 3rd with 18.89 percent of the votes in the 1994 presidential election.  Of the 5,071,822 registered voters in Malawi, 2,106,790 votes were in favor of the AFORD party's candidate, Gwanda Chakuamba (TRIPOD). Gwanda Chakuamba represented the alliance between AFORD and the MCP political parties during the 1999 general elections (commonwealth). AFORD managed to rank 2nd with 45.17 percent of the votes, losing to Muluzi who won 52.38 percent of the votes in the 1999 presidential election  The AFORD party did not have any representation in the 2004 presidential election considering Chihana was led to pull out of the alliance established in 1997 between AFORD and the MCP in the year 2002. However, Chihana was permitted to be second vice-president of the Republic, while his colleagues were given ministerial positions ultimately leading to a split within the party in 2003. Some AFORD members branched off to begin the Movement for Genuine Democracy. During the general election of 2004, Chihana signed a coalition agreement on behalf of the AFORD party with the UDF political party of Malawi The number of seats won by the AFORD political party in Parliament also decreased substantially over time with 36 seats won in 1994, 29 seats won in 1999, and 6 seats won in 2004.  Of the 5,871,819 registered voters in Malawi, 20,150 votes were in favor of the AFORD party's candidate, Dindi Gowa Nyasula. AFORD managed to rank last losing to the DPP's candidate, Bingu wa Mutharika, in the 2009 presidential election by acquiring.45 percent of the votes in 2009. With the death of Chihana in 2006 and the results of the 2009 election, Joyce Banda is the 2009 vice president.  In the year of 2014 Malawi's first tripartite elections were held making it the first time Malawians were able to vote for their local governments, members of parliament and president in a single election (commonwealth). The AFORD's political support is divided between Enoch Chihana, the son of AFORD's founder Chakufwa Chihana, and Frank Mwenefumbo. Of the 7 470 806 registered voters in Malawi, the DPP's presidential candidate Bingu wa Mathrika won with little to no opposition from the AFORD party. Secretary-General Gridezer Jeffrey argued that AFORD has lacked political representation in the 2014 election and possibly the upcoming 2019 election because AFORD can be described as an outdated party whose political support is concentrated in the small northern population of Malawi. The AFORD political party has garnered more support in the years following the 2014 elections in the north specifically with Mwenifumbo as the head of the political party. Mwenifumbo's decision to join AFORD as opposed to the ruling party, DPP, was because “...he wanted to suffer together with Malawians...” led to a vow in 2017 to continue defending the welfare of Malawians in relation to the constitution  At the last general elections, 20 May 2004, the party won 6 out of 194 seats.

The Alliance for Democracy is a political party in Malawi that marked its history as laying the foundation for multi-party rule in Malawi. It began as an underground political movement during the Kamuzu Banda era and later evolved to a political party during the multi-party era under the leadership of trade union activist, Chakufwa Chihana. AFORD has a stronghold in the northern region. The president is Godfrey Shawa.


Background and release.

Jessica originally signed with SM Entertainment in 2000. In 2007, she was chosen as a member of the group Girls' Generation. On September 30, 2014, Jessica announced on her personal Weibo account that she was "forced out" of the group, which was later confirmed by the record label itself. Jessica's final song with Girls' Generation is "Divine", which was released as a part of the repackaged version of their first Japanese greatest hits album, "The Best". On August 6, 2015, S.M. Entertainment released an official statement stating that Jessica had officially parted ways with the company.  In February 2016, Jessica announced that her first solo album would be released under her new agency, Coridel Entertainment. In April 2016, representatives announced that Jung would release her first album the following month in May. On April 30, Coridel Entertainment released the track list which included the title track "Fly" featuring American rapper Fabolous. Jung wrote and composed four out of the six tracks. The name of the extended play/mini album was revealed to be With Love, J.

Promotion.

The music video for the debut single, "Fly," was released on May 17, 2016. The music video for "Fly" amassed over 2 million views within 24 hours of its release. A video for the second single, "Love Me The Same," was released the following day on May 18, 2016.  The album was made available for pre-ordering by Coridel Entertainment via various online music services. The first 60,000 copies of the album had been sold out one day prior to the release date on May 16, 2016, leading the label to produce additional copies.

Reception.

Chester Chin from "The Star" rated the album 6/10. "The Straits Times" rated the album 2.5/5.

Track listing.

Note: The English version of the EP does not feature track 6 "Dear Diary".

With Love, J is the debut extended play by South Korea-based American singer Jessica. The Korean-language edition consisting of six songs was released worldwide by Coridel Entertainment on May 16, 2016, while an English-language version featuring five songs (with the exclusion of "Dear Diary") was released on May 27, 2016. The EP was Jessica's first music release following her departure from South Korean girl group Girls' Generation in September 2014. The songs "Fly" and "Love Me the Same" were released as the album's singles on May 16 and 18, 2016, respectively.


Birth and education.

James Frederick Sangala was born around 1900 at Naisi, near the town of Zomba in the highlands of what is now southern Malawi. Zomba was the residence of the colonial governor and the administrative center of the British Central Africa Protectorate, renamed Nyasaland in 1907. Sangala was a Mang'anja. His mother was a herbalist who specialized in treatment of trichomonas. Sangala was educated at Zomba Mission primary school and then at Blantyre Mission substation at Domasi. He qualified as a teacher in 1923 and taught primary school until 1927.

Working career.

In search of higher wages, Sangala obtained work with Limbe Trading Company in 1927, then as a cotton buyer with the British Cotton Growing Association (BGGA) and next as a bookkeeper for M.G. Dharap, an Indian businessman in Limbe. In March 1928 he started work for the African Lakes Corporation, and in May 1929 returned to the BGGA as an office manager.  Dissatisfied with the working conditions for Africans in businesses, Sangala joined the civil service in April 1930 as a clerk in the office of the Provincial Commissioner in Blantyre. He then worked for the Blantyre District Commissioner and the Blantyre District Medical Office until July 1942. His work involved typing and other forms of assistance to the commissioner. In July 1942, Sangala transferred to the Judicial Department of the civil service in Blantyre as an interpreter. He was moved to the Dedza District Office in 1944, in his view because of his political activities. In 1947 he returned to the Blantyre District Office, but retired in the early 1950s so he could spend more time on politics, receiving a small government pension and running a brick manufacturing business as his main source of income.

Native Associations.

The North Nyasa Native Association was formed in 1912, and was followed by several other such associations in the early part of the century, typically composed of the educated elite: teachers, church leaders and civil servants. The Native Associations sought to gain a voice in administrative, economic and other issues. They met some resistance from tribal leaders, but on the whole were encouraged by the colonial administrations. Their emphasis was regional or national rather than tribal. Meetings were often attended by representatives of other associations, helping them exchange views on issues and approaches. James Frederick Sangala in Blantyre and Levi Mumba in the rest of the country became leaders of the Native Association movement in Nyasaland during the 1930s. Sangala and Mumba both believed in the importance of Nyasa unity and in the virtues of democratic civil society.  During the 1930s, the white colonists of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) were pushing for unification, and wanted to include Nyasaland in the union, seeing Nyasaland as a useful source of labor that might otherwise be drawn to South Africa. Nyasas resisted this move since they regarded the Rhodesias as "White Man" territory, and preferred the trusteeship arrangement in Nyasaland under which they had greater rights. As early as 1935, the Blantyre Native Association led by Sangala called a meeting of leaders in the area where they were invited to sign a petition opposing amalgamation. When the colonial administration asked the chiefs for views on unification in 1938, the formal statement in reply was in fact composed by Mumba.

Nyasaland African Congress 1943 – 1953.

The Nyasaland Educated African Council emerged in 1943 from the leaders of the Native Associations, calling for a rapid movement towards self-government. A few months later the Council renamed itself the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) at the urging of Sangala, who felt the movement should not be restricted to the educated elite. Sangala was acting secretary at the meeting in May 1944 at which the Congress was announced. He was unable to attend the formal inaugural meeting of the Congress in October 1944, at which Levi Zililo Mumba was elected President-General, since he had been transferred to Dedza in the Central province, but he was elected to the central committee. Sangala, Mumba and their associates had a vision of the NAC becoming "the mouthpiece of the Africans", cooperating with the government and other colonial bodies "in any matters necessary to speed up the progress of Nyasaland".  Sangala encouraged the Congress to "Fight for Freedom", although he was careful to explain to the colonial powers that he did not mean armed conflict by that phrase. Sangala explained to the District Commissioner, Eric Barnes, that he advocated peaceful protests against practices such as curfews and pass laws which treated Africans as a subordinate race. Sangala was not always consistent. In 1949 he accepted a position as a member of the protectorate's Boy Scouts Council. Although in theory open to all races, in practice this organization segregated European, Indian and African boys.  The NAC was intended to be an umbrella organization that would coordinate the Native Associations and other local organizations of indigenous people in the protectorate of Nyasaland. Sangala ensured that each of these groups would have a seat on the executive committee of the NAC. However, the organization was weak. When a special committee including Sangala recommended acceptance of Dr. Hastings Banda's proposal that the NAC should have a full-time paid secretary, the proposal was rejected overwhelmingly, perhaps due to suspicion of Banda's motives.  By 1950, the NAC had fallen into disarray, forcing the President Charles Matinga to resign for misusing Congress funds. Sangala threw his efforts into reviving the organization, leading to an important meeting in August 1950 in Mzimba where James Chinyama was elected president, with Sangala Vice-President. Until the early 1950s, Sangala and other leaders such as Doctor Hastings Banda assumed that Nyasaland should evolve towards self-government while remaining under the authority of the British Colonial Office. However, in 1953 the Colonial Office established the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in which Europeans would retain a position of leadership, abandoning the earlier principles of partnership between the races. The NAC leaders saw this as a betrayal. Uncoordinated protests followed, which were forcefully suppressed, with an official death toll of eleven Africans. Sangala was arrested in September 1953, but was released the next month when the magistrate dismissed the charges.

Nyasaland African Congress President 1954 – 1956.

In January 1954 Sangala was elected President of the Congress. Although he continued to advocate civil disobedience, he also accepted the decision of two NAC members to run for election for the two seats reserved for Nyasas in the Federal Parliament. This ambiguous position was rejected by some members of the party, who were against any participation in the government. Some resigned or were dismissed. Others who remained in the party attempted a coup towards the end of 1955, calling for resignation of the two MPs and for the NAC to work for immediate secession from the federation and self-rule. Although the leaders of a coup attempt were forced to resign, they remained politically influential.  Sangala was conscientious in attending committee meetings, but was handicapped by the need to attend to his own business affairs, often unavailable to provide leadership or advice. In March 1956, Sangala announced that due to health reasons he would not run again for President of Congress. Sangala continued to press London to accept the principle of democratic elections to the Legislative Council, or Legco. Sangala asserted his right of freedom of movement and was arrested. He made sure this was reported in England. In May 1956, Sangala stood trial at the High Court for sedition. He was charged with having advised Thamar Dillon Thomas Banda, the secretary-general of the Congress, to hand a seditious publication to the editor of the Nyasaland Times. The charge was the subject of a question in the British House of Commons.  In January 1957, Sangala was persuaded to resign from his position as Nyasaland African Congress President, and was replaced by Thamar Dillon Thomas Banda. The NAC was banned by the colonial authorities in 1959, and was succeeded by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), led from prison by Dr. Hastings Banda. The British came to accept that independence was inevitable. Hastings Banda was released in 1960 and allowed to return to prepare for elections. By then, Sangala and other members of the old guard of the Congress had faded into oblivion and were rarely heard of again. In 1961 the MCP overwhelmingly won the first elections held under universal suffrage, and in 1963 the country gained self governance followed by independence the next year with the new name of Malawi.  Sangala's grandson, Aaron Sangala, was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs and Public Security in the Cabinet of Malawi in May 2009.

Character.

Sangala was described by W.L. Jennings, the High Court Registrar in Blantyre, as a "peculiar" but "charming" man whose motto was "to struggle for the freedom and peace of all". Some critics said he was autocratic, but others thought he was too mild. He was not interested in publicity, and avoided conflict, preferring to work behind the scenes in organizing the party. But in a crisis, he was willing to stand forward. In an interview in August 1961 he said "My first duty was to do such things [that would]... cause people to be happy. Due to this aim I do not fear to speak to any person provided it is the truth and this always does not please my friends who suggest that I am a difficult person". Sangala was a strong believer in the virtues of dignity, and refused to accept common views within colonial society that the "natives" were in any way inferior to Whites.

References.

Sources

James Frederick Sangala was a founding member of the Nyasaland African Congress during the period of British colonial rule. Sangala was given the nickname "Pyagusi", which means "one who perseveres".


Career.

Amateur.

Scribner attended Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. In 2012, he briefly played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Houston Astros.

He was signed by the Houston Astros as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He spent three seasons in the Astros organization, getting as high as Double-A with the Corpus Christi Hooks in 2014.

Los Angeles Angels.

Prior to the 2016 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations. Scribner started 2016 with the Arkansas Travelers, and was called up to the Salt Lake Bees on July 30. He started 2017 with the Bees, and was called up to the Angels on July 29, making his major league debut the same day. In his debut, Scribner pitched three innings in relief, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two. Thanks to an Angels rally following his final inning of work, Scribner also was the winning pitcher for his debut game. For the season, Scribner appeared in 10 games, 4 starts for the Angels. He was 2–1 with a strikeout to walk ratio of 18/10.  Scribner was designated for assignment on April 3, 2018.

Arizona Diamondbacks.

He was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 6. He was called up on May 12th for a start against the Washington Nationals. He walked 6 batters in under 4 innings, ending with a no decision. After the game, he was sent down to AAA. He was released by the Diamondbacks on July 2, 2018. On July 13, 2018, Scribner resigned a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was released on May 7, 2019.

Sugar Land Skeeters.

On May 17, 2019, Scribner signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He became a free agent following the season.

Personal life.

His brother, Evan Scribner, played in the Majors, mainly for the Oakland Athletics.

Troy Alex Scribner (born July 2, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks.


Production.

FOX renewed the show for a second production cycle consisting of thirteen episodes on April 7, 2011, and picked up the back nine on October 31, 2011, bringing the cycle to a total of 22 episodes. Only nine of the episodes aired during the second season, with the remaining 13 episodes being held for the third season of the show.  Like the previous season, the second season aired in the competitive timeslot at 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. The season premiere, "The Belchies", obtained 4.04 million viewers in the United States. The season finale, "Beefsquatch", obtained 3.57 million viewers in the United States, slightly down from the season premiere. All of these ratings are measured by Nielsen ratings.  "Bob's Burgers" ended its second season with a per episode average of 4.18 million total viewers and a 2.3 ratings share in the 18–49 demographic. The season was generally well received by television critics. Most agreed that the second season was a considerable improvement over the first season of the series, particularly "Moody Foodie", "Burgerboss", and "Bob Day Afternoon". Rowan Kaiser of "The A.V. Club" claimed that "after an uneven start, "Bob's Burgers" is becoming one of television’s best comedies!"  On May 7, 2013, Amazon.com released the season for purchase on "Burn-On-Demand DVD-R. The sole bonus feature is a table read of the season 3 episode An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal.

Broadcast and reception.

Ratings.

The second season of "Bob's Burgers" originally premiered on March 11, 2012 in the United States on the Fox network between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., with "The Belchies", and obtained 4.04 million viewers in the United States. They are all of episodes which are part of Fox's "Animation Domination" television block. It was preceded by "The Simpsons" at 8:00 p.m., and was followed by "Family Guy" at 9:00 p.m. Most of the episodes that are part of this season are rated TV-14 on television in the United States. The season finale, "Beefsquatch", obtained 3.57 million viewers in the United States.  Despite its middling ratings, "Bob's Burgers" was renewed for a third season, on May 14, 2012, alongside the cancellation of "Napoleon Dynamite".

Critical response.

The second season of "Bob's Burgers" was well received by television critics, particularly "Moody Foodie", "Burgerboss", and "Bob Day Afternoon". It received a "78 out of 100" on aggregate site Metacritic. Rowan Kaiser of "The A.V. Club" claimed that "after an uneven start, "Bob's Burgers" is becoming one of television's best comedies!". Alan Sepinwall of "HitFix" claimed that "the season's first two episodes aren't as consistently funny as last spring's best outings, but they do a good job of showcasing both the style of "Bob's Burgers" and the deep roster of characters the show has already assembled". Sepinwall claimed that it was "strange, and I often like strange in my comedy, but at least initially, I didn't find it funny. But it was compelling in its weirdness — one early episode had the family becoming obsessed with the cow a protest filmmaker had parked outside their restaurant — and that kept me watching until the rest of the show clicked for me". Maureen Ryan of "The Huffington Post" stated that "an animated comedy that is propelled by a very strong voice cast and by its own daffy comedic momentum", and compared it to "Breaking In". Chris Cabin of The "Slant Magazine" called the season "improbably poignant". Cabin also claimed that it "possesses an unmistakable love for underdogs and odd ducks". Clark Collis of "Entertainment Weekly" noted that "While the show's attempt to please different generations is sometimes more jarring than jocular, this episode does feature the best non sequitur gag you're ever likely to hear about the Parliament song "Aqua Boogie"".

International broadcast.

The season was first broadcast on the Global Television Network in Canada on March 11, 2012, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., as part of the "Animation Rules" comedy television block. It has the same schedule as the Fox network for the season. In the United Kingdom, the season premiered on May 1, 2012, at 10:30 p.m., on E4, (it is shown after the other FOX animated series, "The Cleveland Show").

Episodes.

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The second season of the animated sitcom "Bob's Burgers" began airing on Fox in the United States on, and concluded on. The season was produced by Wilo Productions and Buck & Millie Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television, and is distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, along with its other seasons. Actors H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal reprised their roles as Bob Belcher, Linda Belcher, Tina Belcher, Gene Belcher and Louise Belcher. These characters are all a part of the Belcher family, a nuclear family that runs a hamburger restaurant titled Bob's Burgers.


Biography.

Early Years.

His father, Prince Rostislav Mstislavovich of Smolensk, died in 1240. Since his birth, Theodore was a Duke of Mozhaysk. In 1260 Theodore married Maria Vasilievna (born between 1243-1249), the daughter of Prince Basil of Yaroslavl. Contemporary research indicates, that her actual name was Anastasia, and only after the 16-17th centuries changed in fasti by mistake. Through marriage Theodore became prince of Yaroslavl, however, the actual power was concentrated in hands of Princess Xenia of Yaroslavl, Maria's mother. With this wife Theodore had two daughters and a son, Michael.

The Golden Horde.

Bored with his status, around 1266 Theodore left his family and on his own initiative went to Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde. He became a loyal servant and military commander of Khan Mengu-Timur. Theodore the Black took part in Mungu-Timur invasion in Ossetia, in 1277-78 he headed the punitive campaign in the Volga Bulgaria. According to the historical documents, his troops sacked 40 cities and 600 villages with the peculiar ferocity.  Upon the successful campaign Mengu-Timur promoted Theodore to his butler and offered to marry one of his daughters. The fasti state, that Theodore rejected this offer, because he still had a wife in Yaroslavl. Three years later he received a message about Maria's death and came back to Yaroslavl, trying to regain the power. However, Xenia and the boyars refused to let enter the city, so he came back to the Horde.  Later Theodore married the daughter of the Nogai Khan, who was baptized and received the Christian name Anna. With the marriage Theodore received a huge dowry (according to the fasti, 36 towns) and rose to prominence in the Horde. He and Anna had two sons, David and Constantine. In 1290 Michael Theodorovich died in Yaroslavl, so Theodore the Black with his Jarlig from the Mongols returned in the city to rule.

The Prince of Yaroslavl.

Upon death of his brothers in 1278—1279, Theodore inherited the Principality of Smolensk. Presumably, in 1279—1281 he resided in Smolensk, then again moved to the Horde. Later he took part in the war between the sons of Alexander Nevsky, that ended with the destruction of many Russian towns by both the Mongols and the Russians.  In 1293 Theodore took part in Khan Dyuden war against the North-East Rus', in which 14 important towns were sacked by the Mongols.

Last Years.

In his last years Theodore the Black became a monk and died in Yaroslavl in 1299. He was canonized due to the depth of deathbed repentance.

Duke Theodore Rostislavich nicknamed Theodore the Black (b. in about 1230s – d. 1298), Феодор Ростиславич Чёрный (Чёрмный) or Fyodor the Black in Russian (Fyodor or Fedor being the Russian version of Theodore), is a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church and was a ruler of Smolensk and Yaroslavl. The alternative interpretation of his nickname is Theodore the Beautiful.


Plot.

The scene opens with Wile E Coyote saying, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wile E. Coyote. Uh, I am a genius by trade." Wile E. then explains that he is hunting for the common western rabbit. Right next to Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole, Wile E. sets out a picnic blanket with cutlery and dishes, in an attempt to lure Bugs. Bugs does come out, sits across from Wile E. and, from the thermos the coyote has brought, pours some coffee into a cup, dips a carrot into it and proceeds to eat. When Bugs asks Wile E., "What's cookin'?", Wile E. responds, "Why, you are!" and succeeds in capturing Bugs by wrapping him up in the picnic blanket.  Next, Wile E. prepares to dip the sack (presumably with Bugs inside) into a cauldron. However, Bugs is hiding behind a rock and pretends to cry out in agony. Wile E. shortly realizes he's been tricked and goes to the rock to confront Bugs. Bugs kisses him and says, "Daddy! You're back from Peru! Oh Papa, we thought you'd been run over by an elevator!" Wile E. spits away the kisses and while sad violin music is playing, Bugs laments, "Boo-hoo! Oh boo-the-hoo! I've been rejected by my onliest father!" Wile E. tries to grab Bugs, but only succeeds in flying headfirst into the cauldron, causing Bugs to remark, "Oh, Father! You're stewed again!"  The next scene shows Wile E. reclining against a rock, talking to himself about how he's going to kill Bugs. Bugs sneaks over, reclines on the opposite side of the rock and joins in the conversation, rejecting the first two ideas (which involve either a rock-crusher or a Burmese tiger trap). Soon, Wile E. is actually discussing his plans with Bugs (not realizing it is him). When he mentions putting dynamite into a carrot, Bugs lets out a huge yell and Wile E. sails into the sky, landing on his head when he comes back down. "That'd "hurt"", Bugs tells him.  An attempt to shoot Bugs with a rifle fails as Bugs keeps turning the barrel in different directions and then replaces the end-sight so that Wile E. ends up (repeatedly) shooting himself. Wile E's final effort (involving a hand grenade being thrown down Bugs' hole) likewise ends up with him getting the worst of it, so that he finally says to Bugs, "How do you do? I am a vegetarian; my name is Mud," and then asks the audience, "Is there a doctor in the house?"  Bugs ends the cartoon declaring, "Well, like the man says: "'Don't take life too seriously- you'll never get out of it alive" '!"

Rabbit's Feat is an animated 1960 Warner Bros. "Looney Tunes" cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on June 4, 1960, and stars Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote. As Maltese had left for Hanna-Barbera, his name was removed from the credits (although his name remained on the credits for "The Mouse on 57th Street" a year later).


Early life.

James Wallace Fields was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in September 1958. Fields was educated in the Omaha public schools. Starting in his childhood, Fields took an intense interest in film. An early photograph that appears in "Saving The Indian Hills" depicts Fields at age 16, standing in front of the "Indian Hills Theater", which housed the largest indoor movie screen ever constructed. Designed by the architect "Richard L. Crowther", the "Cinerama" theater was considered his greatest achievement. Its unique curved screen provided a 3-D effect that caused moviegoers to feel themselves immersed in the film—especially wide screen movies such as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Dr. Zhivago" and "Star Wars".

Early career.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Fields wrote the play "Little Red" about the 'Bugeaters', a 1915 University of Nebraska football team that went on to become the Cornhuskers. Fields himself produced and directed "Little Red" in Omaha. The success of his first play led Fields to write, produce and direct "Scarlett Fever", a dramatic play about a 76-year-old woman who wakes up one day and believes she is Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind". The success of "Scarlett Fever" led Fields to acquire his first digital video equipment which he used to produce and direct his first feature film: "Plain Living".

"Saving The Indian Hills".

In 2001 Fields found himself swept up in a brewing controversy in Omaha. The aforementioned "Indian Hills Theater" was sold to Methodist Health Systems, which announced its intention to demolish the theater for a parking lot. A group of Omaha activists formed to save the "Indian Hills Theater" and Fields was on hand, filming. The preservation fight became a cause célébre, resulting in letters from Hollywood legends pleading for the theater. Such legends included "Kirk Douglas", "Leonard Maltin", "Charlton Heston", "Janet Leigh", "Ray Bradbury" and "Patricia Neal". Despite these pleas and a recommendation for the theater as a city landmark by the City of Omaha's Landmarks Preservation Commission, Methodist Health Systems began demolition of the theater shortly after the theater had been declared a landmark.

"416".

The movie "416" is named after Initiative 416, Nebraska's referendum banning same-sex marriage. Fields takes a balanced approach to the issue as he plays the initiative's backers against Nebraskans who oppose the measure, which passed with support from 71% of Nebraska voters. "416" purported to give an objective view of the issue but most reviewers suggested the film was highly critical of the religious right.

"Preserve Me A Seat".

Although the activists did not succeed in saving the theater, Fields captured their tumultuous efforts on film and this resulted in two films: "Saving The Indian Hills" and footage that later became the core of "Preserve Me A Seat". The later film enlarges the focus of "Saving The Indian Hills" to the entire United States. It presents the story of the "Indian Hills Theater Preservation Society", the Omaha group that formed to save the theater, in context with the companion stories of similar groups that formed in other cities with the intention of saving their own theater palaces from the wrecking ball. Because of the controversy surrounding its "Indian Hills Theater" elements, the film's premier faced long delays while litigation got resolved. The world premiere occurred in Grand Island, NE Nebraska. After the feature a lively panel discussion occurred featuring the film-makers and theater developer, Paul Warshauer. The common thread of the theater preservation efforts within "Preserve Me A Seat" is their lack of success. This film has seen wide distribution at film festivals across the country.

"Bugeaters".

Fields' latest work is a documentary film about the 1890 University of Nebraska football team, entitled "Bugeaters".

Work as a producer.

As is common with independent producer/directors, Fields has produced all of his works.

Themes.

Much of Fields' oeuvre presents the struggle of the common man against entrenched power. His movies portray ordinary people engaged in extraordinary battles in which their lack of power does not equate with a lack of passion.

Awards.

Fields' film "416" was chosen as Best Feature in the Central Nebraska Film Festival.

James Wallace Fields (born September 1958) is an American film director, producer, playwright and actor. Fields wrote, produced and directed the movies "416", "Saving The Indian Hills", "Preserve Me A Seat", "Plain Living" and, most recently "Bugeaters", currently in production. Prior to his film work, Fields wrote and directed the musical comedy "Little Red" and the play "Scarlett Fever".


Early history.

Mucking was "a particularly extensive Anglo-Saxon settlement, of at least 100+ people, commanding an important strategic position in the Lower Thames region; it may have functioned as a meeting place and mart for surrounding areas on both sides of the Thames". Its name is of Saxon origin and indicates human settlement here for well over a millennium. The meaning is usually given as 'the family (or followers) of Mucca' (Mucca most likely being a local chieftain). However, Margaret Gelling has suggested alternative interpretations - 'Mucca's place' or 'Mucca's stream'. Mucking's geographical location on flat marshland at the very mouth of the River Thames indicates that settlement in the area by Germanic invaders from the continent probably occurred at a relatively early date; indeed, an outline of a now abandoned nearby Saxon village, West Mucking, was discovered from aerial photographs in the 20th century. Mucking was host to a small iron smelting industry because of its workable deposits of iron ore. Spongy iron blooms were produced and had their impurities worked out by a process known as 'Mucking'. It is not known if this process is connected to the village name or a coincidence.

Modern Mucking.

Although the population of the hamlet is now less than one hundred, it thrived in Victorian times, boasting small shops, a large rectory and the mediaeval church of St John the Baptist (both of the latter buildings have now been converted to private houses, with access to the church graveyard possible only with prior written permission). The hamlet also gives its name to Mucking Flats, the mudflat on the estuary to the east of the village, one of Essex's Sites of Special Scientific Interest and once the site of a small lighthouse.

Archaeological excavation.

Mucking was the location for a major archaeological dig ahead of excavation from the gravel quarry that swallowed it up. The site was discovered by crop marks in the soil photographed by Dr St Joseph in 1959. The excavation was directed by Margaret Jones and lasted from 1965 to 1978. In addition to major finds from the Saxon period, other artefacts from the site span the period from the Stone Age through to the medieval period.  The Saxon settlement excavated at Mucking was extensive with more than 230 buildings. The site contained two cemeteries. Many of the buildings were sunken huts although there were timber halls which were possibly occupied by the higher status families. The settlement gradually moved north over the course of two hundred years after its establishment in the 4th century.

Parish church.

The parish church was dedicated to St John the Baptist. It was largely demolished and rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century. It is now redundant and used as private dwelling.

Mucking is a hamlet and former Church of England parish adjoining the Thames Estuary in southern Essex, England. It is located approximately south of the town of Stanford-le-Hope in what is now Thurrock unitary authority.


Gameplay.

Players take on the role of a postknight, a postal worker that must fight their way past enemies such as wolves and bandits. During missions players control the postknight via three buttons that allow them to charge enemies, block their attacks, or heal wounds. After performing an action, players must wait a certain amount of time, typically only a few seconds, before they can perform that action again until the end of the mission. For each successful mission, players receive rewards which can be used to upgrade armor, weapons, and potions. Players can level up the postknight characters in 4 areas: strength (increases damage), agility (increases chances of dodging and landing critical hits), intelligence (increases magic defense and experience gain rate) and vitality (increases maximum health)  Another interesting game mechanic is relationship, wherein players can give gifts to certain female NPCs in the game and raise their heart meter with them, which will in turn result in the characters gifting items to the player if certain levels are reached. However, if player gift wrong/unwanted gifts to the female NPC or do not talk to them for a while, the heart meter will drop.

Reception.

Gamezebo gave "Postknight" four out of five stars, stating that the game's pacing allowed for little downtime and near constant gameplay while also criticizing it for its repetitive nature. Common Sense Media rated the game at three stars, criticizing its repetitive gameplay and freemium options, while also stating that it was perfect for playing for small periods of time. "TouchArcade" also reviewed the app, naming it its "Game of the Week" during the app's first week of release.  "Postknight" was nominated and won the Grand Prix of the SEA International Mobile Gaming Awards 2017, making it the first ever winner of the SEA Grand Prix. By the end of the year, "Postknight" received Google Play's recognition as 'Google Play's Best Games of 2017'.

Postknight is a RPG mobile app that was created by Kurechii, a Malaysian game developing team. It released for iOS and Android on February 9, 2017, after its beta testing period ended.


Early life.

Susan Benjamin grew up in Freeport, New York, on Long Island, a self-described "nice Jewish girl".  During her first year at Tufts University, she renamed herself after the Greek mythological character Medea and joined the Students for a Democratic Society. She then dropped out of school and hitchhiked through Europe and Africa, teaching English classes to earn money. She later returned to the United States and received master's degrees in public health from Columbia University and in economics from The New School. Benjamin worked for ten years as an economist and nutritionist in Latin America and Africa for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the Swedish International Development Agency, and the Institute for Food and Development Policy.  From 1979 to 1983, Benjamin lived and worked in Cuba, and married the coach of the Cuban national basketball team. She worked for a communist newspaper, initially describing the nation as "heaven". However, after writing a piece about censorship in Cuba, Benjamin was deported. After returning to the US, she met Kevin Danaher, with whom she was married for many years.

Career.

Organizations.

In 1988, with her husband, Kevin Danaher, and Kirsten Moller, Benjamin co-founded the San Francisco-based Global Exchange, which advocates fair trade alternatives to what she describes as corporate globalization. In 2002, she co-founded the feminist anti-war group, which advocated an end to the Iraq War, the prevention of future wars, and social justice. Benjamin has also been involved with the anti-war organization United for Peace and Justice.  She later created the Occupation Watch Center in Baghdad (IOWC) to monitor the United States military, and the war's effect on civilian populations. Through this center, she brought U.S. military family members to see the conditions under which enlisted personnel served, and to speak out against the war, in Congress and at the United Nations, in 2003.

Politics.

In 2000, Benjamin ran for the United States Senate on the Green Party ticket. She advocated a living wage, universal healthcare and delaying genetically engineered foods. Such was leading position of the Democrat incumbent Dianne Feinstein, Benjamin and her Republican rival Tom Campbell chose to participate in joint events, including a press conference, during the campaign. Benjamin garnered 99,716 votes, 74%, in the primary, and 326,828 votes, 3.08% of the general election total ballots. Since then she has remained active in the Green Party and has also supported efforts by the Progressive Democrats of America. She is a member of the Liberty Tree Board of Directors.  As of April 2015, she serves on the Green Shadow Cabinet of the United States as "Secretary of State".

Protest actions.

From 2002 to 2009, Benjamin engaged in numerous protests involving members of the Bush administration (Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; President George W. Bush; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice); Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and others. Benjamin engaged in protest actions at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the 2004 Republican National Convention. On December 4, 2007, she was arrested by plainclothes police in Lahore, Pakistan, detained by the ISI for eight hours, and deported after protesting the house arrest of lawyers (including Aitzaz Ahsan). In 2009, Benjamin joined the steering committee for the Gaza Freedom March. In February 2012, Benjamin was arrested and deported for illegal entry to Bahrain and her participation in an illegal protest.  During 2005–2010, she worked to oppose United States threats of a possible impending war with Iran, including lobbying Congress, taking peace delegations to Iran, and bringing Iranian youth to Congress.  Benjamin repeatedly interrupted a major speech by President Barack Obama regarding United States policy in the War on Terror at the National Defense University on May 23, 2013. After Benjamin was removed for her actions, President Obama then went off script. "The voice of that woman is worth paying attention to," he said. "Obviously I do not agree with much of what she said. And obviously she wasn't listening to me and much of what I said. But these are tough issues. And the suggestion that we can gloss over them is wrong."  "If he had indeed made significant policy changes, I wasn't going to say anything," Benjamin told "The Daily Beast" later. "I would have preferred that option, but given that he didn't make those kind of changes I was looking for, I was glad to be given the opportunity to speak out."  On July 21, 2016, Benjamin disrupted Donald Trump's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention with a sign that read "Build bridges not walls".

Organization efforts.

Labor rights and corporate responsibility.

During the 1990s, Benjamin focused on countering what she believed was unfair trade as promoted by the World Trade Organization. She participated in an anti-sweatshop movement, initiating campaigns against Nike and clothing companies such as the GAP. In 1999, Benjamin helped expose the problem of indentured servitude among garment workers in the United States territory of Saipan (the Marianas Islands), which led to a billion-dollar lawsuit against 17 United States retailers. In 1999, she produced the documentary "Sweating for a T-Shirt" about the sweatshop industry.  During the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle in December 1999, Benjamin's organization, Global Exchange, helped organize the 1999 Seattle WTO protests.  In 2000, she helped a campaign to pressure Starbucks to carry fair trade coffee in all their cafes. In October 2000, Starbucks introduced whole bean Fair Trade Certified coffee at over 2,300 stores.  For 2001, Benjamin focused on California's energy crisis, assisting low-income ratepayers and small businesses. She headed a coalition of consumer, environmental, union and business leaders working for clean and affordable power under public control.  In September 2003, Benjamin was in Cancún, Mexico challenging the policies of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in November, she was in Miami protesting the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) while trying to bring attention to global peace and economic justice movements.  After several fact-finding visits to China, Benjamin co-sponsored with the International Labor Rights Fund an initiative to improve the labor and environmental practices of United States multinationals in China. The ensuring Human Rights Principles for US Businesses in China have been endorsed by major companies such as Cisco, Intel, Reebok, Levi Strauss and Mattel.

Israel/Palestine.

In 2006, Benjamin organized humanitarian aid for war refugees in Lebanon and spoke out against Israeli bombing. In 2008 during the Operation Cast Lead Israeli invasion of Gaza, she organized a daily protest at the hotel where President-elect Barack Obama was staying, and then visited Gaza to see the immediate effects of the bombing. She brought humanitarian aid and helped put together six other delegations to Gaza. She was one of the lead organizers of the Gaza Freedom March, where 1,350 people from dozens of countries came together in Cairo to try to march to Gaza. Benjamin criticized the United States government for passing legislation to send Israel $3 billion in aid, lobbied Congress and sailed on the U.S. Flotilla to Gaza in November 2011. Days after Israel launched its Pillar of Defense operation targeting sites in Gaza during November 2012, Benjamin led a delegation to deliver medical supplies to the Shifa hospital and the Palestinian Red Crescent in Gaza. She also helped to organize a yearly gathering in Washington, D.C., with the objective of exposing the "negative influence" of the United States lobby group American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).  In January 2018, it was announced that activists from 20 American groups, including Code Pink, were banned from entering Israel because of their support for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). "The Algemeiner" reported in April 2014 that Benjamin's charitable foundation, which is worth $12 million, has shareholdings in Caterpillar, a company targeted by the BDS movement, as well as the Chevron oil company and the tobacco conglomerate Phillip Morris.

Iraq.

After the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, she created the Occupation Watch Center in Baghdad to monitor the United States military and the war's effect on civilian populations. Through this center she brought Iraqi women to the United States to speak about the occupation, organized delegations of U.S. military family members to see the conditions of their children serving in Iraq, and documented United States abuses, including at Abu Ghraib prison long before the scandal involving it broke in the United States media. She also organized medical aid delegations to Iraq to civilians harmed by the United States military.  She testified in Congress and the United Nations against the Iraq War.  In 2005, she focused on the abuses of United States military contractors such as Halliburton, the goal of which was to expose the awarding of corrupt no-bid contracts to corporations with close ties to the Bush administrations. Along with this, Benjamin also exposed Blackwater Worldwide's illegal activities, including protests at the headquarters of the International Association of War Contractors.  In opposition to indefinite detention in Guantanamo, in 2007, Benjamin organized a delegation of prisoners' family members to Guantanamo Naval Base prison camp in Cuba, demanding its closing. In 2007 as well, she continued to protest weekly outside the Justice Department concerning water boarding and indefinite detention, and called for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. She was arrested many times for protests in Congressional hearings.  On October 31, 2009, Benjamin led a group of Code Pink protestors at a protest aimed at military families queued up for a White House Halloween Party hosted by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The event raised controversy when a Reuters News photo showing the protesters (dressed as wounded soldiers), including one identified as Benjamin, were described as "taunting" the children.

Drones.

In 2009, Benjamin began her efforts to bring attention to the effects of drone warfare, participating in demonstrations at United States bases where drones are piloted and at headquarters of drone manufacturers. On April 28, 2012 in Washington, D.C., she was responsible for organizing the first ever International Drone Summit with lawyers, scientists, academics, and activists to kick off an international campaign to rein in the use of drones in the U.S. and abroad.  On April 30, 2012, Benjamin bemoaned the "innocent civilians murdered" by drone strikes in Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, by interrupting a speech on United States counterterrorism strategy given by John Brennan at the Woodrow Wilson Center.  In October 2012, she organized a 34-person delegation to Pakistan to protest U.S. drone warfare. While in Pakistan she allegedly met with drone victims, family members, lawyers, academics, women's groups, and Pakistani leaders, as well as the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan. The delegation made international headlines when they joined a caravan to Waziristan organized by prominent political leader and former Pakistani cricket captain Imran Khan, a staunch opponent of American involvement in Pakistan. (See CNN video, "The New York Times", "The Washington Post", Al Jazeera, the BBC, and over 100 major news outlet, 09/28 – October 14, 2012). She also organized a public fast in Islamabad in sympathy with alleged drone victims.  In 2012, she authored "Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control", published by OR Books, and toured the country speaking out against drone warfare.

Other campaigns.

As part of Code Pink's mission, Benjamin helped organize many International Women's Day Marches and Mother's Day Calls for Peace, the latter to bring back the original intent of Mother's Day as women mobilizing against war. These included bringing women from war torn countries such as Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan to the U.S. to speak about their experiences. Between 2003 and 2010, Benjamin helped organized anti-war mass mobilizations in Washington, D.C., New York City and San Francisco.  Benjamin organized the campaign Bring Our War Dollars Home, which fought to divert money from the Pentagon into social programs at home.

WTO protest violence.

During the anti-globalization movement World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity in Seattle some alleged Benjamin said that anarchists who engaged in property destruction should have been arrested by the police. Benjamin said that the quote was "distorted" and "taken out of context" and said she did not support the tactics of that group of anarchists.

Anybody But Bush.

Benjamin has been criticized by some Greens for her support for "Anybody But Bush" in 2004. Explaining why she supported this movement, she said that "maybe it's time for the people who voted for Bush in 2000, the people who didn't vote at all in 2000, and yes, people like myself who voted for Ralph Nader in 2000, to admit our mistakes. I'll say mine — I had no idea that George Bush would be such a disastrous president. Had I known then what I know now, and had I lived in a swing state, I would have voted for Gore instead of Ralph Nader.  Todd Chretien, a leading member of the International Socialist Organization, responded:

Views on United States involvement in Middle East.

Benjamin writes in "The Huffington Post" that the U.S. needs to end military interventionism and that the "U.S. military should close all foreign military bases and use our soldiers to protect us here at home."  Benjamin also writes in "The Huffington Post" that the United States never had any "justification for invading Iraq", that there is no "justification for continuing the war in Afghanistan", and that in Pakistan, the United States "drone attacks are only fueling the violence and creating more Osama Bin Ladens". Regarding the killing of bin Laden, she says "Let us not sink into a false sense of triumphalism in the wake of Bin Laden's passing."

Arrest In Egypt.

On March 3, 2014, Benjamin was arrested in Egypt. She had flown there en route to participating in a women's conference in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Upon her arrival at Cairo International Airport, Benjamin was detained by airport police and held overnight, during which time she said she was assaulted by police officers, resulting in a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder. She was later deported to Turkey. Questions arose regarding the role of the United States Embassy in her detention, as embassy spokesman Mofid Deak said that Benjamin left the country following assistance from the embassy, while Code Pink's Alli McCracken said the embassy did not help Benjamin.

Venezuela.

In January 2019, in a "Democracy Now!" interview, Benjamin said she was against "US intervention in Venezuela" which had the potential to "create a civil war leading to tremendous violence".  In April and May 2019 Benjamin was part of an "Embassy Protection Collective" (formed by groups that include Code Pink, ANSWER Coalition, and Popular Resistance) which occupied the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington. Benjamin said the group had the permission of the Maduro government to stay in the embassy.

Awards and accolades.

In 2010, she received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize from the Fellowship of Reconciliation. In 2012, she won the Marjorie Kellogg National Peacemaker Award and the Thomas Merton Center Peace Award. Also in 2012, she was awarded the US Peace Prize "in recognition of her creative leadership on the front lines of the antiwar movement." In 2014, she received the Gandhi Peace Award from Promoting Enduring Peace "to honor her for her unyielding advocacy for social justice of more than 30 years".  In 2003, the "Los Angeles Times" described her as "one of the high profile leaders" of the peace movement.

Personal life.

Benjamin has one daughter, Arlen, from her first marriage in Cuba and another daughter, Maya, from her marriage with activist Kevin Danaher. Her daughter Arlen is named after Sandinista revolutionary Arlen Siu, with her daughter once writing "I grew up believing that protest lines and teach-ins were normal family outings... I was born in Cuba to an Afro-Cuban father and Jewish-American mother, and the fact that I was named for the first woman to die fighting for the Nicaraguan [Sandinista] Revolution gives you an idea of my politically oriented upbringing".  Benjamin lives in Washington, DC.

Medea Benjamin (born Susan Benjamin; September 10, 1952) is an American political activist who co-founded Code Pink and, along with activist and author Kevin Danaher, the fair trade advocacy group Global Exchange. Benjamin was the Green Party candidate in California in 2000 for the United States Senate, receiving the highest raw vote total of any Green Party U.S. Senate candidate. She currently contributes to "OpEdNews" and "The Huffington Post".


Gameplay.

"Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance" is a lane based strategy game, where the players must place 5 buildings on their side of the map, in order to produce resources and to produce units (called 'cards'). The player must then capture 3 enemy lanes, by killing enemy units and destroying the enemy buildings at the end of each lane. Between levels, the player has the option to upgrade units, giving units access to new weapons and abilities - however, by upgrading units, their costs also increase. Both the Dark Angels and the Bad Moons have their own campaigns and are playable in skirmish and multiplayer matches.  Each faction has 2 resources. The Dark Angels have their redemption resource and resolve resource. The redemption resource is used to produce basic units, such as; Tactical Space Marines, Assault Marines and Devastators. Whilst resolve is used to produce; Dreadnaughts and Ravenwings, it is also used to use unique in-battle abilities. Whilst the Orks produce teef, the standard resource for all ork units and the Ork faction also makes use of the 'warp' resource, which is used to grant special abilities from the Weirdboy Tower.

Setting.

The game is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, a dystopian vision of the future. Humanity has forged a galaxy-spanning empire, The Imperium, with the Immortal Emperor as humanity's leader and a living god. The Imperium is in a state of constant war with the Orks along with other alien races (often referred to as xenos) and their arch enemy, the forces of Chaos. Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance takes place on Piscina IV as Grand Master Belial and Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka fight for control of the planet.

Reception.

"Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance" received generally negative reviews from critics on the "Microsoft Windows" version, picking up on poor AI, repetitive gameplay and its similarity to Eutechnyx's previous title "Ninja Cats vs Samurai Dogs". The mobile versions received slightly more favorable reviews.  Eurogamer described the Microsoft Windows version as having a "complete lack of AI" as units are "compelled to keep moving forwards, even if that means walking right past an enemy in a shuffling conga line" and that the game is really "about watching construction bars fill up and health bars go down, over and over again". Eurogamer summarized by saying Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a "small and fussy" game that "takes its gameplay pretty much wholesale from Eutechnyx's own 2013 iOS game Ninja Cats vs Samurai Dogs".  AppSpy stated that "Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance" was "repetitive, but engaging enough tower defence game, that makes fair use of its 40K licence", praising the game for its "huge range of technology trees" however said that "some long winded tutorials in place to ensure you are never unaware of a unit’s abilities". The review summarises saying that the game has "intuitive controls may be undermined on small screens, but complexity and flexibility they allow make it a fair compromise" however goes on to say "there's no ignoring the fact that this is a reskin of the developer's previous game".  Pocket Gamer starts by stating if the reader is "expecting an accurate digital conversion or even a loving tribute" to the Warhammer 40,000 franchise then "you're out of luck" and if "you're not bothered about the franchise and are just after a satisfyingly meaty strategy game" then "you're out of luck as well". The reviewer picks up on the variation in gameplay with abilities such as "the commander abilities that help inspire surrounding troops, or the melee class's ability to rocket over to another lane" however states that gameplay is still "somewhat constrained by the compact nature of the battles". Ultimately, Pocket Gamer summarised saying that Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a game "that's a bit of a grind to play for more than an hour or so".

Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Eutechnyx. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Android and iOS. "Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance" was set in the "Warhammer 40,000" universe, it follows the Dark Angels, commanded by Grand Master Belial, and the Bad Moons, commanded by Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka on the planet Piscina IV. "Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance" was released on 3 April 2014 (Steam), 23 April 2014 (Google Play) and 1 May 2014 (iOS).


Background.

Saudi Arabia contains the largest known oil reserve. This generates an abundance of wealth for the country and places it as the number one oil exporter in the world. Oil extraction is a priority over environmental policy. While oil is not environmentally sustainable, Saudi Arabia has made some contributions to fighting climate change. The kingdom implemented its first environmental law in 1992, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environmental Protection Act. This measure was enacted to encourage environmental awareness and sustainable law creation. Moreover, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations are working together to create a series of international environmental contracts. Saudi Arabia alone has signed eighteen pacts and ratified thirty-nine environmental agreements. Saudi Arabia's environmental performance index (EPI) is 55.3. The EPI is an internationally standardized scale, with 1 as the lowest environmental performance and 100 as the highest. The scale measures both environmental health and ecosystem viability. Out of Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia ranks 9th on the EPI.

Environmental challenges.

Pollution.

Oil pollution.

As the largest oil exporter in OPEC, Saudi Arabia contributes to the immense environmental impacts associated with oil drilling. This includes hydraulic fracturing, oil spills, and air pollution. Saudi Arabia contributed to the world's most severe spill, the 1991 Gulf War Oil Spill. The environmental impacts from oil spills are long lasting and often irreversible. The Gulf War spill directly affected the Saudi Arabian shoreline. While initial research found minuscule long-term impacts, recent studies show oil persistence in ocean habitats. Oil persistence affects ecosystem relationships and the livelihood of all marine animals. The Gulf Coast spill increased the toxicity of Saudi Arabia's coastline. During the initial aftermath, only visible oil was removed from the Gulf. The rest of the spill has remained in the ocean for the past 25 years and contributes to high-risk amounts of hydrocarbons in the environment. Saudi Arabia's salt marshes have had a hard time recovering from past spills. Thick oil coverage permanently changed the biodiversity and chemical compositions of many ocean related habitats. This environmental damage will take decades to reverse.  An abundance of oil resources promotes wasteful energy practices throughout Saudi Arabia. The government encourages energy use through subsidies. Currently, these subsidies are higher than any other regime at a total of 43 billon US dollars a year. Inexpensive energy supports excessive energy use, contributing to high rates of domestic oil consumption. The hot, arid climate of the Middle East causes widespread use of air conditioning for climate control. Power consumption and carbon dioxide emissions increase each year.

Urban pollution.

Urbanization causes ground, water, and air pollution. Increasingly urban areas call for more desalinated water and a growing water sector. Desalinization plants use greenhouse gasses and are highly inefficient. The process of oil extraction also contributes to air pollution by emitting high rates of carbon dioxide. Excess greenhouse gas emissions deplete the ozone and raise global temperatures.  Marine life and ocean ecosystems are threatened by urbanization as well. Coastline construction from residential and tourism projects increase the amount of untreated sewage released into the ocean and excess trash in cities. Construction and human activities lead to coastal reef damage and high ocean acidity. Urban and agricultural runoff frequently contaminate waters by releasing untreated waste. Ground pollution results from both oil drilling and urbanization. The city of Jeddah and other urban areas face problems of heavy traffic that leads to roadside contamination and high carbon emissions. Saudi Arabia's high standard of living encourages fossil fuel based transportation. Saudi Arabia has yet to develop a concrete public transport sector. Therefore, private transportation is a major contributor to air pollution. Moreover, car usage and city life contribute to dangerous degrees of heavy metals in urban soils. These metals are harmful for both humans and plants, as soil contamination inhibits plant growth and are poisonous when ingested.

Deforestation and desertification.

Urbanization, expansion of agriculture, and energy consumption contribute to deforestation. Wood is the primary natural resource used in local communities. Studies show that wood is often used inefficiently by people living in rural, traditional housing. Saudi Arabia's growing population increases food insecurity. In turn, forests are cleared at higher rates to make more area for agriculture. Deforestation occurs both legally and illegally. Research on woodland conservation shows that there are few initiatives taking place to slow deforestation.  Increasing global temperatures are projected to accelerate desertification within Saudi Arabia. Desertification will have a variety of impacts on the country's population. Desertification limits residential expansion and prevents small scale farmers from gaining access to lands. The growing industrial agriculture sector contributes to desertification. Mass monoculture disrupts soil processes and depletes the fertile soils on nutrients. The expansion of industrial agriculture misuses the scarce water resources available to Saudi Arabian farmers. This practice depletes naturally fertile land of water, leading to desertification as well.

Environmental action.

Renewable energy.

Currently, there are no programs encouraging reduced fossil fuel use. Although the government provides subsidies for oil consumption, record breaking oil use has pushed policy towards renewable energy. Peak load, where high energy use creates power outages, is a common fear among the citizens of Saudi Arabia. This anxiety creates further urgency for alternate energy plans to support the population. Mass oil consumption is not sustainable. This realization recently created a new market for renewable energies and further research for cleaner initiatives. Scholars are developing plans to help Saudi Arabia make a transition towards renewable energy. Thus, Saudi Arabia is ranked the 6th worldwide in solar energy potential.  As opposed to overall energy reduction, the government organization Saudi Aramco wishes to create a solar energy sector. Saudi Arabia has a goal to create 41 GW of renewable energy plants, which would place the country as a leading solar energy exporter. Currently, the country is at 17 MW of solar energy and as a ways to go before reaching the goal. Hydroelectric and water based powers are also being discussed as alternatives to carbon emitting energies. Recently, and particularly in 2019, Saudi Arabia signed a number of agreements to implement mega wind projects as part of its plan to incorporate 5 gigawatt of wind power into its grid.  Concerns of inefficiency and expense are holding Saudi Arabia back from converting to renewable energy. Long term costs for environmentally friendly practices are low. However, developers often ignore environmental restrictions during oil expansion. It is possible for Saudi Arabia to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and encourage renewable energy use. Preoccupation on energy security strengthen the movement towards renewable energies. The current wealth from oil abundance and pressure from international organizations could encourage the energy sector to move towards sustainable policy. Natural resources are finite. The transition from voluntary sustainability to mandatory environmental regulation can push Saudi Arabia towards environmentally friendly practices. In the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is opt to increase its renewable energy supply by 30%. This is planned to be achieved by partnering Shanghai Electric.  The First Saudi Environment Week  The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture organized in 2019 the first Saudi Environment Week. The motto of the event was “protecting our environment for our society’s well-being”. The event was organized in 13 Saudi provinces where around 230,715 wild trees were planted.

Environmental policy and programs.

The General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, or PME, is the Saudi Arabian environmental protection agency that handles all environmental policy. Due to a lack of natural Gulf Coast restoration, the Kingdom is implementing a plan to restore the coast from oil pollution. A scientific evaluation of the coastline's toxicity is underway in hopes to rebuild the coastal environment. The government recently created the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), an institute dedicated towards efficient, environmentally friendly energy use. The organization is working towards a city model that only uses nuclear and renewable energies.  The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) is a government sector created for endangered animal preservation. The Saudi government works towards creating designated areas for wildlife protection and natural resource conservation. The parks limit hunting and human development to preserve unique plant and animal species. The goal of the NCWCD is to revive destroyed areas and maintain biodiversity while increasing public environmental education research. Specifically, the NCWCD strives to protect the lava field in Harrat Al-Harrah and the sand sea and cuesta in Uruq Bani Mu'arid.  In hope to increase environmental awareness to schoolchildren the government has partnered with the United States to create the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. The goal of the program is to increase international environmental awareness through education and technology. The courses implement environmental issues and solutions into every subject. GLOBE trains teachers and supplies them with instruction materials in both Saudi Arabia and the United States. Students are exposed to the complexity of international environmental issues and the environmental problems stemming from globalization.  In order to boost organic agriculture, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture allocated an amount of $431,000 to help many farmers go organic.  In the 2019th G20 meeting in Japan, Saudi Arabia addressed the issue of climate change by introducing the Saudi efforts to produce and increase the production of renewable energy.

Future Prospects.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia started to take serious steps to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels as a source of electricity. Thus, Saudi Arabia planned to build the largest wind farm in the middle east. The farm is planned to be constructed in Dumat Al-Jandal, Al Jawf region, Saudi Arabia. An amount of $500 million is allocated to construct the wind farm with a capacity of 400 megawatts (MW). This power is expected to supply 70,000 homes in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, carbon emission is expected to be reduced by 880,000 tons every year.

The desert-covered Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the geographically largest country in the Middle East. Moreover, it accounts for 65% of the overall population of the GCC countries and 42% of its GDP. Saudi Arabia does not have a strong history in environmentalism. Thus, as the number of population increases and the industrial activity grows, environmental issues pose a real challenge to the country. Lack of environmental policy can be linked to an enormous reliance on oil. Due to intense fossil fuel usage, Saudi Arabia has generated a number of environmental issues. Urbanization and high standards of living contribute to ground, water, and air pollution. Agriculture and overconsumption of natural resources cause deforestation and desertification. Likewise, Saudi Arabia’s oil industry subsidizes energy use and magnifies carbon dioxide emissions. These environmental issues cause a variety of health problems including asthma and cancer. Some environmental action is taking place such as the construction of a renewable energy industry. Policies and programs are also being developed to ensure environmental sustainability.


Bulk elasticity.

When depositing a droplet on a solid surface with contact angle θ, horizontal force balance was described by Young's equation. However, there is a vertical force balance which often ignored can be written as: formula_1  Where  formula_2 is the force per unit length in the vertical direction  formula_3 is the surface tension of a liquid  formula_4 is the Young's modulus of a substrate  formula_5 is deformation of the substrate  This gives length scale formula_6 δ~ γ/E sinθ for the deformation of bulk materials caused by the surface tension force.  For example, if a water (formula_3 ~ 72 mN/m) droplet is deposited on the glass (formula_4 ~ 700 GPa), this gives formula_9 ~10m which is typically negligible. However, if a water is deposited on the PDMS (formula_10 ~ 300 kPa), this caused the deformation to be formula_9 ~10m, which is in micron scale, this can have great impact on the micro/nanotechnology applications where length scale is comparable and "soft" photoresists were used.

Elastocapillary length.

The elasto-capillary length of an elastic material is defined as:  formula_12  where  B is the bending modulus of an elastic material  γ is the surface tension of a liquid  This provides a comparison between bending stiffness (elasticity) and surface tension (capillarity). An elastic structure will be significantly deformed once its length is larger than the elasto-capillary length, which can be explained when gain of surface energy of a material is larger than stored elastic energy while bending.

Capillary rise between parallel plates.

In the case of capillary rise between two parallel plates, height of capillary rise can be predicted as Jurin's height if plates are rigid. Longer the plates, more flexible they become, consequently plates coalesce as a result of deformation induced by capillary force. As observed, length of capillary rise L between elastic plates increases linearly with total length of plates L, sets length of dry L=L-L nearly a constant. By balancing gain of surface energy by capillary force and loss of elastic energy by banding a flexible sheet and minimizing with respect to L, dry length was found to be:  formula_13  Where  formula_12 is the elastocapillary length of sheets  w is the distance between two parallel sheets  This L sets the minimum length for parallel sheets to collapse, sheets spontaneously coalesce if they are longer than L.  Above result can be generalized to multiple parallel plates when N elastic plates were used. By assuming these N sheets is N times more rigid than single sheet, such system can be treated as two bundles of N/2 sheets with a distance Nw/2. Thus the dry length can be written as:  formula_15

Capillary origami.

Unlike normal origami, capillary origami is the phenomenon where folding of an elastic sheet is done by capillary force. This phenomenon can only be seen as characteristic length of an elastic sheet is longer than elasto-capillary length and can be used in the application of self-assembly in micro and nano applications. In some cases, high voltage was used to actuate a folded structure by using electrostatic energies.

Young-Laplace Equation.

The capillary pressure developed within a liquid droplet/film can be calculated using the Young–Laplace equation (e.g.):  where:  If the liquid wets the contacting surfaces then this pressure difference is negative i.e. the pressure inside liquid is less than the ambient pressure, and if the liquid doesn't wet the contacting surfaces then the pressure difference is positive and liquid pressure is higher than the ambient pressure.

Examples of elastocapillarity.

The coalescence happens in a brush after removing it from water is an example of elastocapillarity. Elastocapillary wrapping driven by drop impact is another example.  Most of the small scale devices such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), magnetic head-disk interface (HDI), and the tip of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for which liquids are present in confined regions during fabrication or during operation can experience elastocapillary phenomena. In these devices, where the spacing between solid structures is small, intermolecular interactions become significant. The liquid can exist in these small scale devices due to contamination, condensation or lubrication. The liquid present in these devices can increase the adhesive forces drastically and cause device failure.

Elastocapillarity in contact between rough surfaces.

Every surface though appears smooth at macro scale has roughness in micro scales which can be measured by a profilometer. The wetting liquid between contacting rough surfaces develops a sub-ambient pressure inside itself, which forces the surfaces toward more intimate contact. Since the pressure drop across the liquid is proportional to the curvature at the free surface and this curvature, in turn, is approximately inversely proportional to the local spacing, the thinner the liquid bridge, the greater is the pull effect.  where:  These tensile stresses put the two surfaces into more contact while the compressive stresses due to the elastic deformation of the surfaces tend to resist them. Two scenarios could happen in this case: 1. The tensile and compressive stresses come into balance which in this case the gap between the two surfaces is in the order of Surface roughness|roughness of the surfaces, or, 2. The tensile stresses overcome the compressive stresses and the two surfaces come into near complete contact in which gap between surfaces is a small fraction of the Surface roughness|surface roughness. The latter case is the reason for failure of most microscale devices. An estimate of the tensile stresses exerted by the capillary film can be obtained by dividing the adhesion force, formula_24, between two surfaces to the area wetted by the liquid film, formula_25. Because for relative smooth surfaces, the magnitude of the capillary pressure is predicted to be large, it is anticipated that the capillary pressures will be of large magnitude. A lot of works have been done to ascertain whether there may be some practical limit to the development of such negative pressures (e.g. ).

Elasto-capillarity is the ability of capillary force to deform an elastic material. From the viewpoint of mechanics, elastocapillarity phenomena essentially involve competition between the elastic strain energy in the bulk and the energy on the surfaces/interfaces. In the modeling of these phenomena, some challenging issues are, among others, the exact characterization of energies at the micro scale, the solution of strongly nonlinear problems of structures with large deformation and moving boundary conditions, and instability of either solid structures or droplets/films.The capillary forces are generally negligible in the analysis of macroscopic structures but often play a significant role in many phenomena at small scales.


Life.

Birgitte was born in 1610 to the nobleman Christen Thott and Sophie Below in Turebygård. She was the sister of Henrik Thott (1606–1676). Thott lost her father at only 6 years old. Her mother was a learned woman and educated her in language and literature. Being educated by learned parents was the only real way for young girls to receive any sort of education in Denmark at the time.  Thott married Otto Giøe in 1632 at the age of twenty two, but he died ten years later due to illness surrounding a gunshot wound. The two did not have any children. Despite not having any biological children of her own, Birgitte Thott was responsible for fostering two children that we know of: Elisabeth and Sophie.

Career.

She is most famous for her translation of moral philosopher Seneca’s Philologus in 1658 from Latin to Danish. The enormous undertaking of the Seneca translation ended up being 1,000 pages. This translation was the first of its kind, and introduced a new cultural and religious conversation to the Danish audience. The translation also introduced new words into the Danish language.  Though being proficient in Latin, Birgitte Thott did not write any Latin of her own, rather, she focused on translating. "Contemporary sources report that she before her death mastered Danish, German, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, of which her knowledge of German, English, French and Latin can be confirmed through preserved translations from her hand."  She resumed and recommitted to her studies after her husband's death. In 1660, Birgitte Thott was given permission by the King to receive an annual grant from the Soro Academy to pursue her studies, expand her library, and research language. This was achieved with the assistance of Jørgen Rosenkrantz.  Thott was part of a rather small European network of approximately 100–150 learned women including Christina Queen of Sweden, Marie le Jars du Gournay (in France), Bathsua Makin (in England) and Dorothea Moore (in Ireland), and Anna Maria van Schurman. She became a well respected woman in the Danish scholarly community, despite not having a public "profession". She was one of the first defenders of women's rights in Scandinavia.

Tributes.

Feminist artist Judy Chicago completed an installation art piece called The Dinner Party in 1979, currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum. There are 39 place settings around a table for 39 significant mythological and historical women. The procelain tile floor; the Heritage floor, is inscribed in gold with 999 additionally notable women. Birgitte Thott is included among these women under the name Bridget Thott.  In translating Seneca, Thott praised the Romans for asserting that women, as well as men, should be honored and praised for their life accomplishments in funeral orations. In this vein, Professor Jørgen Rosenkrantz wrote Birgitte Thott a funeral address which has been preserved. It tells of her life and many achievements.  Quote from Rozenkrantz’ funeral orations:So, at thirty-one years of age, guided by eminent teachers, she embarked upon learning the Latin language, which today is studied far and wide by scholars, and the result was so good that she could very soon express whatsoever thought she so wished in that language. In order to acquire the innermost meaning of the Holy Scripture she later worked – not without yield and exceptional progress – with the Hebrew language, which is the language employed by God to impart His Word to the patriarchs and the prophets, and in which the canonical writings of the Old Testament were originally rendered. She was perfectly aware that water has one taste at its source and another down the river.Anna Maria van Shurman wrote one of twelve introductory poems for Thott’s translation of Seneca’s "Philologus" in which she referred to Birgitte as the tenth muse, which was a praise-worthy term for learned women at the time.

Unpublished achievements.

Birgitte Thott also wrote a personal manuscript or "treatise" of two hundred pages titled Om et lyksaligt liv (On a Happy Life). In this, she asserts that even if women are not exposed to learning other languages, they should have access to literary works from other cultures via translation. This was the driving force behind her life's work.  Quotes from "On a Happy Life":  On young girls not being encouraged to have an education: No one whets their appetite to the sweetness found there. No one tells them what delicious food there is for the soul, what effective remedy against all their frailties it is to have a little understanding of bad and good. There are many, and this I have heard often, who would rather impress upon young maidens that poring over books will make them objects of derision.On education for young boys:But young male children are treated completely differently. They are enticed into study by the reward and honour they are told they can thereby attain; [...] they are impelled to attend school by their parents or guardians whether they like it or not. There are so many learned men who sweat and toil to educate and teach them [...] neither exertion nor expense is spared at the institutions of education [...] in order to lead the students onwards.

Birgitte (Bridget) Thott (17 June 1610 – 8 April 1662) was a Danish writer, scholar and feminist, known for her learning. She was fluent and literate in Latin (her main area of study) along with many other languages. She is most notable for her many translations of published works to Danish, particularly her 1,000-page translation of Latin moral philosopher Seneca.


Biography.

Lawrence was born in either Alexandria, Virginia or Alexander, West Virginia but moved to San Francisco at the age of two. She made her stage debut there as a 13-year-old girl as a chess piece in the operetta "The Royal Middy". Following that, she sang opera for the California Theatre for three years. At age 20, she joined a touring company, followed by a role in "The Two Orphans". Afterwards, she joined a repertory theatre in Oakland.  In 1882 at the age of 14, she gave birth to her daughter Ethel, but Lawrence remained unmarried.  In 1892, she moved to New York City and then back to Dayton, Ohio the next year. She then won the lead role in a production of "The Two Orphans" with Kate Claxton. Lawrence returned to New York, followed by a position with the National Theatre Stock Company in Washington, D.C., then had Shakespearean roles with Thomas W. Keene.  In 1897, she joined the Castle Square Stock Company, another repertory theatre. As stock theatres often put on new plays on a weekly basis, by summer 1897, she had taken on over 300 operatic and 500 dramatic roles over the course of her career. She spent six years with the company and was known as the company's "Leading Lady". Her popularity was such that when she temporarily left the group in 1901 on a 16-month sabbatical, she received a rousing ovation and tribute.  Lawrence returned to San Francisco in 1904, joining the repertory at the Alcazar Theatre and becoming immediately popular. After a short period in Portland, Oregon, she returned to the East Coast with the Orpheum Dramatic Stock Theatre at the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, and the Harry Davis Stock Players at the Grand Theatre in Pittsburgh. She also returned to Boston to play with John Craig Stock Company at the Globe Theatre, Boston, made special appearances with the Castle Square Company, and appeared in Broadway plays as well.  She joined Ethel in Los Angeles in 1919 and appeared in both films and theatre while there. Lawrence died of heart disease in 1926 at her daughter's home in Beverly Hills. Her ashes are interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Lillian Lawrence (February 17, 1868 – May 7, 1926) was an American theatre and silent film actress. Her daughter Ethel Grey Terry was also an actress.


Format.

The format of the Qualifying Competition remains similar to the previous season. As before, two places in the next year's Challenge Cup will be available for teams in the Continental Shield. Clubs from six countries will compete in the 2017/18 Continental Shield.  Four representatives from the Italian Eccellenza – Pataro Rugby Calvisano, Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo, Rugby Petrarca and Rugby Viadana – will be joined by Romania's Timișoara Saracens, RC Batumi from Georgia, Heidelberger RK of Germany and Portugal's Centro Desportivo Universitario de Lisboa (CDUL Rugby) competing in two pools of four.  Following the pool stage matches, the winner of Pool A will play the runner-up in Pool B, and the winner of Pool B will play the runner-up in Pool A on a home and away basis.  The two clubs which advance will then play each other home and away with the winner securing a place in the Continental Shield final in Bilbao next May and also qualifying for the 2018/19 Challenge Cup.  The other Continental Shield finalist will be decided by a home and away play-off between Russia's Enisei-STM and Krasny Yar who have both received a bye into the knockout stage of the competition due to their participation in this season's Challenge Cup and to their success in last season's Continental Shield.  The winner of the Enisei-STM v Krasny Yar play-offs will go through to the Continental Shield final in Bilbao and will also qualify for the 2018/19 Challenge Cup.  The aim of the Continental Shield is to widen the footprint of club rugby across Europe and to give both emerging and established clubs in different territories the opportunity to qualify for the Challenge Cup.

Pool Play-offs.

"Timișoara Saracens won 32–18 on aggregate." "Heidelberger RK won 51–42 on aggregate."

Qualifying Play-offs.

"Enisey-STM won 74–48 on aggregate." "Heidelberger RK won 47–41 on aggregate."

The 2017–18 European Rugby Continental Shield is a rugby union competition, organised by European Professional Club Rugby, Rugby Europe and the Federazione Italiana Rugby, for entry into the European Rugby Challenge Cup.