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"We'll be fine handling fame. We're already massive rock stars in our heads. Only our circumstances will change and we can afford to go out more often." Luke Spiller
Finally! After too many years of waiting, a rock & roll band have arrived with the flamboyance, the style and, yes, the strut to match their unstoppable tunes. When was the last time a band wanted to be this glamorous, and insistent that only the stadiums will do for their music?
In Luke Spiller The Struts are blessed with a frontman who, to quote his own neat summary: "I was born to do this. And I'll die doing it." Not for Luke the prissy "If anyone else likes it, it's a bonus" talk of a generation of cautious bands who have second-guessed rock & roll into the margins.
"Too many bands are afraid," reasons Luke. "They're looking over their shoulder, too concerned with thinking 'Can I get away with this?' and caught up with what's currently cool. You need a good level of songwriting, of course, but you need a level of performance and style too. You need flamboyance."
Of course, such fighting words would be nothing without the swaggering songs to back them up. Luckily for us all, The Struts are kindly giving us I Just Know – a stomper of a track – sounding like a revitalised Axl Rose penning a new Brown Sugar. "It's our most insistently addictive and repetitive song," explains Luke. "If you like that, you'll love our other songs."
They include Put Your Money On Me, the underdog anthem Noel Gallagher is now far too rich to get away with and She Makes Me Feel Like, an absurd and absurdly catchy boogie that realises the secret to pop is knowing when a well-timed "Woah woah woah" is the perfect lyric.
"I've always known what I wanted," says Luke. "Rock & roll with a contemporary twist, pushing it forwards again at last. From day one, that's come naturally to this band. The world is ready for us, because it's been 12 years since The Libertines, who were the last band to do something truly new. I don't think bands are bothered about chart success right now. It doesn't sound like they truly want it, anyway.
But at least there's starting to be a fightback – The Strypes and Temples have a great look too."
If Luke sounds evangelical about music, it's partly because of his background. He's the son of born-again Christians and went to church in Bristol every Sunday until he was 16. "When I could stop going, it gave me an extra day to myself," he explains. And, lo, that day was filled with rock. He guzzled up the greats, from Led Zeppelin to Queen via Leonard Cohen and AC/DC, and hasn't stopped inhaling since.
"Because my parents didn't have any music to offer me, it felt like I was the only person who'd ever listened to this stuff," he states. "The last thing you should do is regurgitate what you've been brought up on. You want to get into what feels like it's cutting-edge."
Luke may have been starved of rock, but discovered a love of performing when, aged seven, he acted a lead roll in a school play – "Something clicked, and I knew it was my calling to perform."
But, just when Luke's first band were getting somewhere, "university got in the way". He worked as a cleaner at the time, "mopping up piss and shit every day", and was debating how much to dilute his dream when a friend recommended guitarist Adam Slack. He may have been three years younger and living in Derby, but Luke uprooted himself on the spot.
The pair spent a year writing songs before feeling they were ready, recruiting bassist Jed Elliott and drummer Gethin Davies via mutual friends. "We're perfectly balanced," grins Luke. "Some are more sensitive, or socially outgoing or more organised than others. Everyone has found their own place. That was the hard part, staying good with each other."
The other missing part was finding the right producers, who also came from opposite ends of the spectrum – new Bournemouth production team Red Triangle, and unlikely pop svengali Ray Hedges, veteran of No 1 productions for Take That, B*Witched and Gareth Gates. "It was ages since Ray had been in with a band," Luke explains. "So he was really excited, going 'This is so refreshing'. We were both out of our comfort zone."
It was Ray's idea to utilise the synth used by The Sweet on '70s classics like Fox On The Run, adding a timeless feel to the likes of It Could Have Been Me.
Soon, songs like Kiss This were added, written after Luke's then-girlfriend cheated on him with his then-best mate. "I wrote it three weeks later," says Luke, now 24. "I know they've both heard it. I don't know what they think, but I'm getting them back – and that song will be around forever.
"I find it easy to write songs that connect with people, by making them personal. That's one of the reasons rock & roll has been fizzling out, that lack of connection with everyone. I've known what it's like to seethe with frustration and put your dreams to one side, to think 'I'm on my own and there's bills coming in.' But you can't let your dreams die."
Dreaming big is writ large in The Struts' name. Having toyed with alternatives including Dynamo Hum and Baby Strange, The Struts was suggested by their manager "after seeing me strut about in rehearsals". It was perfect and, as Luke notes, "I can't believe no-one else has thought of it before."
Showing the moves, Luke has led The Struts through many gigs that have already had critics racking up the superlatives.
"I come off stage unable to remember what's happened," he ponders. "It's so natural, I go into autopilot. Some character within me takes over and I'm looking in from the outside. It really is like an out of body experience. I don't know where it comes from, I just draw it from the ether and it flows through me.
"I've worn some pretty ridiculous things on stage before, but my look gets more defined each day. I can't get away from the days when art, style and music were being pushed to their limits: Queen's early moody, gothy look, or Keith Richards during Exile On Main Street. He just looked so cool."
Luke is so convinced of his destiny that even his parents now accept he's doing the right thing. "Dad is a gospel singer, so I connect with him on a musical level – and mum is quite stylish," Luke enthuses. "And before they became born-again, it turns out they used to like rock & roll too."
They were convinced Luke's fame was written in the stars anyway. When Luke was five, he had a reading done at his local church which his mother presented to him at the start of this year.
"It was two paragraphs, which said that I'd be a leader with a voice heard by hundreds of thousands of people," he boggles. "They thought that meant I'd be a preacher, maybe a journalist. But it seems a lot clearer now…"
Official Website
The Struts use


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Coroner identifies man found dead
PEORIA — The man who was found dead in downtown Peoria on Saturday night was identified as 47-year-old Kevin M. West.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said preliminary autopsy results were inconclusive and cause of death is unknown. West was found slumped over and bleeding from the head in the parking lot at the corner of Liberty and Southwest Adams streets at about 7:40 p.m. He was not responsive when paramedics from Advanced Medical Transport and the Peoria Fire Department arrived, Peoria police spokeswoman Amy Dotson said.
First responders said it appeared West had been sitting on the curb and fell forward onto the left side of his head, which caused the bleeding. He was not breathing. Paramedics tried to resuscitate West, but they were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 8:27 p.m. West's last known address was The Salvation Army Safety Net Homeless Shelter, 414 NE Jefferson Ave. Harwood said he had no signs of trauma and the coroner's office is waiting for the results of toxicology testing.
Knife attack occurs over donated pizza
PEORIA — A 45-year-old man cut another man with his knife Saturday afternoon after a disagreement about the right to eat pizza.
The suspect was eating a donated pizza at The Salvation Army Safety Net Homeless Shelter, 414 NE Jefferson Ave., when the victim approached him. The victim had stated that the suspect "can't be eating that pizza" because he had already eaten at the First United Methodist Church earlier that day, according to the report. The suspect then responded that it was fine for him to eat the pizza, to which the victim threatened to "take (the) pizza and throw it on the floor" and the fight began. The Salvation Army staff broke it up, but the skirmish later moved outside.
The suspect cut the victim in an act of claimed self-defense. Police arrived on the scene just after the altercation ended. An officer arrested the suspect. The report did not indicate the severity of the victim's injuries.
Western Illinois Museum launches bicentennial exhibit
MACOMB — The Western Illinois Museum is celebrating the state bicentennial this year with a new exhibit displaying moments in the lives of area residents who experienced the state's founding.
The new exhibit, "200 Years, 200 people," will be open for the entire bicentennial year with new additions going up at the museum each month.
Significant moments in the lives of ordinary people from the region are made real through almost 200 photographs, medals, land grants, clothing and a bicycle in the museum's collection, which were donated by private collectors and surviving family members.

subset: commoncrawl


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We've been feeling a lot of international love lately – from Switzerland to Germany to India and now we're happy to share our latest interview, this time from Shanghai Weekly in China. This might be a tough one to get your hands on and read in person, so we're sharing an English version of the interview. Keep reading to see what questions Shanghai Weekly had to ask…
When did you start your career as a photographer? Do you remember your first camera? When did you start to consider making photography your livelihood?
I was first captivated by photography early on in my college career. My first camera was a Canon AE-1. Halfway through my time there, I transitioned away from pre-med and decided that I wanted to make my living taking pictures.
Where does the inspiration for your photos come from, especially the more creative images?
Inspiration comes from a ton of different places. For a start, I have a running list of concepts (almost 100 long) that I am continually adding to and working from. In a lot of ways, I draw inspiration from the world and around me – I am often inspired by the places and spaces that we visit and shoot in. There are also situations where I can be inspired by a subject, and let their personality and energy drive the photoshoot.
What kind of photography do you enjoy most (for example, portraits, landscape, photojournalism or artistic images) and why?
The very first photos I took were landscape images, and as my career developed, I moved into environmental portraiture, and lifestyle photography. I most enjoy creating pictures that allow me to blend all of these together, capturing unique moments in captivating spaces. Those photos are the most accurate realization of my vision as a photographer.
(Photos thanks to Cara Anderson)
What does photography mean to you?
Photography is my way of interpreting and translating the world around me. I try to always make captivating, honest, and noble pictures. Visually and conceptually, these three ideas can be found in all aspects of my work.
Have you started planning any new work recently?
One of our goals for this year has been to make at least one deeply developed, layered, complex conceptual image per month. We're a little off track because of the volume of commissions this year, but there are still five months left and we're hopeful we can catch up.
What preparation and follow-up work is required for an outstanding photo? Could you give us an example?
Every beautiful, inspiring, and successful photo requires way more than just the click of the shutter. In terms of preparation, days if not weeks or months can go into finding the right location, casting and booking the right models, testing the light, and finally traveling to and shooting the photos. After the picture is taken, the editing process of choosing, toning, and retouching can take just as long.
Thinking back over your entire career, what is the most impressive photo subject you've ever shot? How did you come to shoot it?
The most memorable subject to have ever been in front of my lens was Jane Goodall. Not only a truly wonderful woman and beautiful model, she had an amazing and inexplicable aura about her that I have never felt before. The shoot itself was the result of months of trying to track her down and fit a photo-session into her busy schedule. We had to travel to Vancouver, British Columbia to track her down, but once we finally did, the resulting images were magic.
Who is your favorite photographer? How would you like your own legacy to be remembered?
There are too many great photographers out there to choose just one. With every shoot, I am striving to make the best photos possible. I don't think often about my legacy, but I hope I'm remembered for never tiring of making the best pictures I can.
What kinds of cameras or lenses are you using at present?
I shoot with both Canon and Hasselblad camera systems. The Hasselblad is a H system body with a 39 megapixel P45+ phase one back, but my favorite camera currently is the new Canon 5D mk III, paired with the 24-70mm L lens.
If you could live any way you wished, what would you choose? Is this reflected in your photos?
There is not a day that goes by where I'm not either making photos, thinking about photography, or somehow working towards my vision. Since I spend time every day connected with photography, I can't see living any other way. Through photography and because of photography I am able to live my best life possible.
If the world was about to come to an end, what would the last scene you want to see?
This question has a simple answer – my beautiful wife, smiling back at me.
Any readers out there in China? Have any questions that went unanswered? Want to find out more? Leave us a note in the comments or let us know @crismanphoto or @robertluessen!


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Bergen – a city with a thousand year legacy Established almost 1000 years ago, Bergen is a beautiful city surrounded by open views of nature and looking into United Kingdom's Brae Island. The city is located in southwest of the country and is surrounded by many national parks. Bergen once held the role of the capital city of Norway but later Oslo acquired the title and it has been like that since. Historically Bergen has always been a very important city for Norway and even Europe. During the 13th century…Read More
Capital in a fjord Norway capital that is located in the fjord and goes by the name of Oslo. The city lies in the far south of the huge country and in its long and rich history has changed many names, but for a very long time it was called Christiania. The city was once called Oslo, but only in 1925 has regained its former name again. Despite the fact that Norway, just like Sweden is a very Scandinavian country and that Baltic Sea, which hugs the country on the…Read More


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Our Hand Crafted
Micro-Brewed Kombucha
We are excited to offer our living kombucha brew both on tap and in RE-USED glass bottles. Our glass is cleaned and sanitized right here in Missoula by our local Bayern Brewery. You can enjoy a beverage that comes in a washable package. Together we can keep a valuable resource out of the landfill and lighten our personal impact on the environment. This is how our organization is rooted.
Learn more about the
Glass Program here!
As you may have noticed from our label of Yerba Mate flavor, we want to teach everyone how to brew kombucha by growing their very own mother. Sound like a bad business model? We are more interested in sharing all the wonderful things kombucha has to offer.
Our first line of flavors are brewed with Yerba Montana's Yerba Mate! They are a local Missoula made company. They work with importers that have their employees in mind. Employees enjoy safe working environments, health insurance, and education for their families. From farmers to exporters, they all enjoy wages that provide a living income. It's up to us to follow the chain of production, ensuring our consumption isn't harming others on the planet! We are one Family!
All our cardboard comes out of the waste Stream! Thanks to Mark Miller and Kayle, all our cardboard gets pulled from the waste stream and reused for a 2nd time before being recycled! Many times we forget that reusing comes before recycling on the triangle of waste management. We are all about it!


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Dessau-Wörlitz Commission
In the eighteenth century, the principality of Anhalt-Dessau was the stage of a reform movement which encompassed all aspects of life. Among other manifestations, the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz stood as a model of "practical Enlightenment", and is since 2000 a World Cultural Heritage site of the UNESCO.
The Dessau-Wörlitz Commission for the study and maintenance of the Dessau-Wörlitz cultural site was founded in 1967 at the Martin-Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, under the auspices of the rector as well as of the mayor of Dessau-Roßlau, and is located at the IZEA since 2000. Its members are affiliates of the Dessau-Wörlitz cultural foundation, representatives of the public, as well as numerous scholars from very varied disciplines. The commission works towards the scholarly study of all the cultural aspects of Dessau-Wörlitz at the time of the Enlightenment and their inclusion in interdisciplinary research discussions.
The annual conferences, with varying themes, are organised in various venues and are intended for researchers of the Enlightenment and the Garden as well as for the public.


text: Hello everyone! I'm new to this site, so apologies if this isn't in the right location. TLDR with picture at the bottom! I've had my lizard, Hagrid, for about a year now without any difficulty. He currently resides in a 33 gallon tank that is temporarily split in half to house another lizard on the opposing side - so he has just over 15 gallons of space. There is no visual contact between these two, and they are non-aggressive towards one another. The other lizard is a female emerald swift that was a rescue and we don't have the space to expand for about another month when we move. The exact cage is the Exo Terra Large Low Terrarium (36 x 18 x 12). Due to the cramped situation, his overhead lighting consists of a Zoo Med Naturalistic Terrarium Hood which has a 60W Exo-Terra Daytime Heat Lamp and a 13W 10.0 UVB ReptiSun. This leaves his temperature at a good 65 - 75 degrees, based on the heat of the house as well. To satisfy humidity requirements I mist his bedding once in the morning, and once at night and in between if able (I work 12 hour shifts), and I have a humidifier in the room. I generally target 65%, but it can occasionally get as low as 50% or as high as 75%. Bedding uses is Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Substrate mixed with Zoo Med Premium ReptiBark and Zoo Med's New Zealand Sphagnum Moss. The substrate is about 1.5 inches deep to allow for burrowing. There is a shallow water dish that he can drink from and take a dip in if he wants. It's washed and water is replaced every other day or sooner if need be. Diet consists of primarily mealworms (occasional crickets) that are gut-loaded, and dusted. He's a good eater and eats about 10-15 mealworms every other day, but if he's giving me the side eye, he gets a treat of 5 mealsworms on his off days. He is 16 grams, or .55 oz in weight and has been around this size for the past year. Previous medical history, he has escaped once when my friend was watching him. He jumped and fell about 3 feet but had no injuries and was returned within 15 minutes. 6 months ago there appeared to be small white mites that were congregated around the waterbowl. The entire cage was cleaned and disinfected. New bedding was purchased, toys and perches were cleaned, waterbowl was replaced, food source was replaced, and lizards were given a bath and inspected. No issues since. Hagrid lost his tail when my fiance was trying to pick him up (we were cleaning everyone's cages that day) and he went to go under his belly but grabbed the tail and - pop! Tail has since grown back, fiance now apologizes to Hagrid everytime he sees him and says they have a tail bond lol! Hagrid is not regularly handled, but he does get weekly inspections. He does well with handling and doesn't bite, but he does try to squirm if held too long. So! Root of the issue. About a week ago (5-6 days) I noticed that Hagrid's eye appeared crusty and he seemed like it was occluding his vision. Day 2 rolled around with no improvement, so I gave him a bath (he was finishing a shed) which helped him finish his shed faster, but no change to the eye. Day three I gently rinsed his afflicted eye out with saline and attempted to gently rub the area with a q-tip. He wasn't struggling, so I'm assuming it wasn't too tender to the touch. Still no improvement. I'm wondering if there's anything I could to to help remedy this, as the vets here haven't been too comfortable with him. His current perch gets pretty close to the heat source, so I've been worried that this is partially to blame? Disclaimer: I am, by no means, an expert on these reptiles and simply try to do my best with their care. Any advice will be gladly taken - but please be polite! Thank you! TLDR : Lizard's eye appears crusted with no improvement with saline rinses or baths. What can I do? Normal References: Problem Reference - Taken 4/23/18 [Today] -Kat


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14 August 2014
Following the acquisition of the PropertyFinder Group from News International, Zoopla.co.uk – the UK's fastest growing property portal – is set to integrate all of its websites onto a single technology platform.
The company said that the move
UKPropertyShop.co.uk, the leading online agent directory, also owned by Zoopla would remain separate for the time being but members would continue to enjoy enhanced exposure in the directory as part of their membership, the firm said.
The combined platform will offer huge advantages for agent members and an unrivalled set of features. By uniting the third and fourth most visited property businesses in the UK, agents will benefit from greatly enhanced exposure for their listings and their brands.
The Zoopla group will also power property partnerships with leading UK websites including MSN, Yahoo!, Guardian, Tiscali, UpMyStreet and Virgin.
There will be no change to fees for existing members but the combined group will now offer a unique dual pricing structure, giving agents the flexibility to choose between paying a fixed monthly fee for "unlimited" leads or paying on a "pay-per-lead" basis.
Agent members will also soon be offered a whole range of new features exclusive to Zoopla.co.uk including appraisal leads from potential vendors and a variety of premium placement opportunities to enable the agent's brand and listings to be featured more prominently.
Zoopla CEO Alex Chesterman said: "The driving force behind our recent acquisitions was a desire to combine the expertise in the businesses and to create a unique, market-leading proposition for our member agents and the millions of home-movers using our websites every month.
"We plan to continue to transform the online property landscape in the UK and partner with our member agents to deliver more leads, more viewings, more services and help them to win more instructions and business. It is our intent to be the most efficient marketing partner for UK estate agents and provide them the widest possible exposure and best value online marketing services."


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Landscape pavers are a very popular building supply in Australia. They are durable, functional and can be utilised so many different ways. Whether you want to put the finishing touches on a renovation project or newly built home, pavers are an easy solution. The following tips will help you find more ways to create the perfect garden with pavers!
Know Your Landscape Paver Options
Builders have many style options when choosing the right paver for homes and offices. Make sure you explore all your options before you settle on a specific colour, shape, and size. Some products feature a classic brick layout and texture, like Paradise colour pavers by Austral Bricks. Others include unique shapes with subtle detail, like the Millstone collection by National Masonry. Browse different paver brands to find the right building supply for the job.
Create Negative Space for Dramatic Effect
When most people think about pavers, they picture them close together in a row, column or along a path. You can come up with new, creative ways to use this material by spacing each tile further apart and filling in the empty area with ground cover materials like:
- Pea gravel
- Pebbles
- Mulch
- Plants
Add more colours and textures to your outdoor space by employing this landscaping method. ABC Brick Sales also carries gravel, mulch and pebbles along with a huge selection of pavers so you can supply your entire landscaping project in one visit.
Landscaping Cloth is a Paver's Best Friend
Landscaping cloth makes a practical companion for pavers. This material can be placed on the ground on top of old earth to create a barrier that stops weeds from growing between blocks, tiles and other features. The property owner will love their new patio or pathway even more when they see how low maintenance it is thanks to this simple garden fabric!
Always Account for Drainage When Using Pavers
Moisture can wreak havoc on manmade structures. Erosion can cause the ground to shift, potentially ruining the layout of your pavers. Prevent damage and wear on building materials by having a plan for drainage. A slight slope away from the foundation of the home should be added to allow water to flow off the paver to a place where it won't pool or become a problem.
Save a Few Pavers for Later
It's always a great idea to keep some spare pavers on hand after landscaping. They can be stored in case a repair is necessary should a block crack over time. It helps to know a good building supply company who can provide materials when making repairs or landscaping. Visit our mates at Bricks Blocks Pavers Online to find high-quality pavers that will put the finishing touches on your landscape project!


text: Nicholas Jerry "Nick" Jonas is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor and multi-instrumentalist, best known as one of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band he formed with his brothers Joe and Kevin. The Jonas Brothers originally started as an attempted solo singing career for Nick, but the record producer liked the sound when his brothers sang backup for him. Nick previously starred in the Disney Channel original series JONAS L.A. as Nick Lucas, alongside his brothers. He also starred in the Disney Channel original movie Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.


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It's for a Just Cause
October 3, 2010 1 Comment
A lot of games like to boast at a world of freedom. Titles from Bethesda and Rockstar Games are all about trying to sell you on this point of a "sandbox world" that you can explore at any time you like while also going on and doing what ever the hell you want. Hey, even Ubisoft got in on the craze with the Far Cry series. They might boast worlds as big as maybe 16 square miles, 30 square miles—the sorts of world sizes only some MMOs can dream to achieve in size. When it comes to Avalanche Studios and Eidos Interactive's Just Cause 2, however, it takes a giant dump on the rest by boasting a 400 square mile playground. And that's just for starters.
Another day in paradise
The game kicks off with CIA agent Rico Rodriguez, a bad cross between Antonio Banderas and Al Pacino, in a helicopter over the island-chain nation known as Panau in Southeast Asia. Rico is briefed by Agent No-Name, who assigns Rico with the task to find his old mentor, Tom Sheldon, and assassinate him as part of the "bigger picture," which is that Panau, a long-time ally of the US, is now under dictatorship control by "Baby" Panay. Tom Sheldon, who was first assigned to make an attempt to overthrow the government, has since gone rogue and is suspected to be now playing for the other team. Before much of anything else can be learned, the game starts out like a typical movie with the black door gunner and Rico getting knocked out of the helicopter. Since the black dude is dead, Rico sky drives to his body and takes his parachute, safely landing outside a military facility.
By about this time you're already getting a feeling for Just Cause 2—that is, the story is absolute shit. Of course, unlike some other games, Just Cause 2 is painfully aware of its conundrum, and instead of trying to make it any more painful, it simply runs with it to a comedic point, throwing in the most stereotypical characters known to mankind. Eventually the game leads you to find out that if you're going to be making any leeway to overthrow the government, you'll need to be working for the three main gang factions on the island. You have the revolutionary army known as the Reapers, an obvious play to communism; then we have the Ular Boys, a religious-druggy group that claims the island as its birthright; and lastly we have your typical gangster group with a wonderful faction name as the Roaches, with a Malaysian Godfather leading the pack.
All three factions agree to help you look for Sheldon in trade for doing their dirty work. This includes what ever you may think it may mean, including assassinating military officers, killing witnesses that can harm the factions, and even helping them with their drug runs on the island of Panau. Eventually you are led to Sheldon, whom you find out is the mythic being known as the "White Tiger," a self-proclaimed revolutionary. Sheldon informs you that he's been working deep undercover because he's uncovered something of great importance, and to fit the pieces into the puzzle, Rico will need to collect the Agency asset native to the island, the Sucky-Sucky-Five-Dolla girl.
At this point it's also becoming pretty clear that the characters are so forgettable in this game that you find yourself quickly forgetting the fact that they have names (I think). Sheldon, who was working as your black market contact known as the "Sloth Demon," complete with creepy voice-over warnings to Rico, turns out to be your extremely stereotypical American—if this were still the 1980s. Sheldon wears Hawaiian t-shirts, likes to say "yeehaw!" a lot, is always found cooking a pot roast, and never misses a chance to utter the phrase "commie basterds" with every chance he gets. This I only remember because he's the only supporting character in the game that shows up often enough to be memorable.
Eventually the gameplay ties into the story, which is a nice way of saying Avalance and Eidos just stopped trying to fool people with it and wants you to go around the island blowing shit up to cause "chaos" so as to drive Baby Panay out from hiding. The game hits its points by throwing in a cartoony-showdown with other nation agents who have come to stake their claim in Panau, including Japan, China, and Russia as the three that all respectively are backing one of the island's factions as the new leaders after the government is overthrown. After fighting a fat Chinese man that likes to throw explosives, a Two Face Russian in an APC, and a Japanese colonel with his own rocket-launching low-orbit satellite. After you bump these three off you eventually scare Baby Panay into a military hideout.
What follows is a straight run-and-gun through a snake level before finally confronting Baby Panay. Before you can do much, however, a character that was first introduced to you in the beginning of the game but then leaves to never be seen again shows up and holds a grenade to Panay over some sort of revenge. I'm not sure really. I think he was Sucky-Sucky-Five-Dolla's pimp or something and he thought she was dead. Anyway, you apparently find out that the reason everyone is so adamant about wanting to stick their finger in the Panau pie is that off the coast of Panau resides the world's largest oil reserves ("It's always about the oil" Rico adds for good measure, just in case you didn't get the heavily-placed political message). Your orders after that are to get in a helicopter and fend off supertankers from China, Russia, and Japan, who are all apparently making a mad dash to the oil reserve to get their own, so that the American military can get their in time to take claim of it all.
Before that can happen, however, a nuclear sub pops up from the water and shoots Rico's helicopter down, forcing Rico to romp around on the sub, only to find out that Baby Panay was able to survive a grenade to the face and is now intending to launch four nukes at the four respective countries trying to take their claim of Panau's liquid gold. Just as he pushes the doomsday button, Panay self-proclaims that he is immortal, and that he will somehow be able to rule the world with his tiny nation island because he has large oil reserves. While on this tirade, however, his shirt gets caught on a nuke, which leads with Rico latching onto another into what can only be described as the best nod to Dr. Strangelove as it can get. Rico is able to disable three of the nukes and instead traps Panay on the fourth while rerouting the targeting computer to lock onto the Panauan oil reserves. He gently parachutes away and lands on a barge out on sea where Sheldon, Agent No-Name, and Sucky-Sucky-Five-Dolla are having a barbecue. The nuke goes off in the backdrop, radioactive ashes fall from the sky, and Rico feels justified in his actions as now America, China, Japan, and Russia have no reason to seek military action against each other and to spare the Panauan people from another oppressive occupation.
To recap: Rico, a CIA agent, apparently gives two-shits about the well-being of Panauan citizens after spending the entire game causing government infrastructure damage, including blowing up gas stations, water towers, and transformer boxes, all the while behind the reasoning that it was for a "just cause." A cause which originally was supposed to be about overthrowing the dictator of the island but was really about oil, and instead the CIA still plans to put an American-friendly figurehead at the head of the state. This is, of course, ignoring the fact that the nuclear fallout would probably kill off the entire island's population anyway. Mission Accomplished, buddy!
But wait, there's more!
After my recap of the game's story, you're probably saying, "Right, so shit game? Avoid?" To which I surprisingly have to say no, not at all. In fact, Just Cause 2's saving grace relies heavily on the gameplay, which makes up for the God-awful story that you can actually choose to completely avoid and never bother to do if you want, as it makes no different to the REAL fun of the game. No, my children, this is perhaps the rare time where I will actually say that the gameplay makes up for the absolute garbage storyline.
It's difficult to start at one specific part of Just Cause 2's gameplay, as it's all so goddamn fun. Aside from the setting being on a gigantic, beautiful tropical island that even includes mythical biospheres for snow and desert levels, the game includes a slew of locations for the player to explore and cause havoc in. 300-something odd locations, to be exact. No, I am not shitting you. No, they are all not carbon copies of each other. Each location is actually beautifully placed within Panau's scenic scope, making it a truly fun experience as you will find yourself weeks into the game and still coming across parts of the game you have yet to explore.
Locations vary in what purpose they serve as well. You have a couple of major cities in Panau, but you've got tons of villages to explore, as well as military bases, harbors, communication outposts, and even oil rigs. The best part of all of this? A lot of infrastructure can be destroyed, and, in fact, you are encouraged to do just that (the more chaos you cause, the more weapons and vehicles you are offered to buy from your black market contact). Most villages contain civic targets, such as water towers, transformer boxes, etc. The sort of thing that would cause civilian unrest. Other things include influence over the people directly, such as statues of Baby Panay or propaganda trailers. It's the military bases that offer the juicer targets, however. We're talking about generators, radio towers, satellite dishes, satellite relay devices, propane tanks, chimney stacks, silos, guard towers, SAM sites, and even giant radio towers. All serve the purpose to cause gigantic explosions and double as well to effect specific things in the game. For instance, if you complete all the objectives in a military location, then that location is "abandoned" with nothing but a couple of guards kept as post. Destroying airfields increases the enemy helicopter response time and destroying oil rigs (yes, you can destroy oil rigs) decreases the number of enemy vehicles that spawn. In the entire game world. Sandbox worlds of GTA and Oblivion be damned—what you do in Just Cause 2 has repercussions that are felt throughout the entire game world.
Other large world games usually have trouble when it comes to the travel aspect of getting to one place to the other. Oblivion played it straight with simply adding a fast travel system, whereas modern games with avionics can allow for "real time" travel as well. Just Cause 2 throws in both sorts of travel opportunities, allowing you to call in your black market contact to "extract" you over a location and drop you off, or you can simply hijack a car or a motorcycle or a boat or helicopter or a plane…well, you get the picture. The last truly wonderful bit of transportation, however, centers around what probably makes the entire game of Just Cause 2 an absolute blast: the grappling hook and parachute.
The grappling hook is Just Cause 2's crowning achievement. Forget your damn automatic weapons and rocket launchers—this damn thing can do just about everything. Not only can you scale walls and what not with it, but you can also latch onto people and throw them off balance, or you can even latch them onto another object or person. I do mean anything, by the way. This ranges from a hanging pole so they're suspended in the air to latching them onto a car speeding by, where you then get to enjoy the fact that they are being dragged off at some 80MPH. The damn thing acts as a tether cord to just about anything, which essentially means you can even tether other vehicles to each other, or a speeding vehicle to the ground (which causes it to pull pack and flip). My personal favorite? Tethering a helicopter to a jet.
You will not believe the wild stunts you can pull off with this simple tool and the work of your imagination. This, right here, is what makes Just Cause 2 a game that you can pick up at any time and simply find a new experience to cause such ridiculous scenarios that would make Sir Issac Newton shit his pants because the laws of physics are imaginary in Just Cause 2. And strangely, despite the fact that you can do some pretty wildly-impossible things, you will be perfectly content with it because you will be overcome by a feeling of awesome that you immediately forget what you were bitching about and laugh at the crazy shit you can do in this game.
But right, coupled with the parachute, and the grappling hook even doubles as a mode of transportation. Once you latch onto an object of some sort, you are able to open your parachute and catch an updraft to start flying around in your parachute. Gravity still works for the most part in Just Cause 2, however, and you'll float back to the ground, but if you continue to latch your grappling hook to other objects, you'll be able to keep yourself airborne. You will quickly learn that this mode of transportation quickly becomes the easiest way to ditch the heat on the island and to enjoy the beautiful sights.
The second part of what makes Just Cause 2 so awesome that you forget how much the story sucks is what is called "stunt jumping." Again, Just Cause 2 throws up a big middle finger to gravity when it comes to stunt jumping, which is an action that allows you to jump onto the top of a moving vehicle and remain stationary on top of it while being able to shoot your weapons and what not. Beyond that, however, through directional positioning, your character can jump to the front of the hood to hide for cover or to the back. This proves beyond James Bondish when you find yourself on top of military vehicles, jumping to the front of the hood, and shooting the driver in the face before parachuting off from the momentum to only have the car veer off in the jungle, hit a tree, and explode. Before anyone asks, stunt jumping even works for helicopters, allowing you to latch onto enemy choppers, swing yourself to the bubble canopy, and then take out passenger and pilot that way (or simply hijack the damn thing if you want).
Stunt jumping, the parachute, the grappling hook—it all combines to be the ultimate experience for the extreme thrill seeker in all of us, stuff that would even make Evel Knievel look like child's play. Just simply try to imagine every inconceivable thing you could possibly try to do and find out you can do it on Just Cause 2. Stunt jump onto the back of a jet, hijack a jet in mid-flight, tether one object to another to act as a wrecking ball, stunt jump from one moving vehicle to another—it's all possible in Just Cause 2, which is exactly why each time you play the game a new fun play session awaits.
Some men just want to watch the world burn
Grand Theft Auto has nothing on this, neither does its spin-off clones. Just Cause 2 is in a league of its own when it comes to scope and fun and it simply knocks those absolutely wonderful features out of the park to the point where it completely takes your mind off the fact that the story is a joke—a joke that even the developers get in on when they throw in some ridiculous curve balls like fighting 100-year-old Japanese Imperial Army soldiers or even destroying the island's "Cape Carnival" space program. Because of the innovative features of the extensive use of the grappling hook, Just Cause 2 will ensure that your experience in this game will provide you with countless hours of entertainment. If you can avoid the fact that the story is garbage and a 400 square mile playground of endless rampage sounds like your cup of tea, then I give a definite recommend to check out this gem of a game.
Trackback: Slightly Relevant


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"An incredibly bright lawyer who has the capacity to very quickly master the most complicated set of circumstances and business environments"Chambers USA 2019
"An incredibly bright lawyer who has the capacity to very quickly master the most complicated set of circumstances and business environments"
BJ Trach, a partner in Latham's Litigation & Trial Department and a member of the firm's Executive Committee, represents companies and individuals facing a variety of complex commercial matters, as well as white collar defense and government investigations.
Mr. Trach has successfully defended organizations across a range of industries, including healthcare, life sciences, technology, and retail, against high-stakes claims brought by shareholders, customers, and community stakeholders. He also represents companies and individuals regarding criminal and civil investigations, brought by various government entities, such as the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and state attorneys general.
He regularly advises clients on:
Numerous legal publications and organizations have recognized Mr. Trach for his distinctive achievements in the legal field. His honors include being selected among the Power 50 by Boston Business Journal, Future Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 40 Under 40 Nation's Best Advocates by the National Bar Association, and as a Boston Rising Star by the National Law Journal.
Mr. Trach draws on his experience as a former Assistant US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts to help clients navigate their highest-profile investigations and enforcement proceedings. During his tenure, he conducted more than a dozen separate investigations, resulting in the indictment of more than 30 defendants on charges including drug-trafficking conspiracy, money laundering, and identity theft. Mr. Trach successfully tried numerous cases, including securing the conviction of a defendant charged with attempting to hire a hit man to murder several witnesses against him in a separate federal fraud case.
Mr. Trach also previously served as a member of the Massachusetts Ethics Commission (to which he was appointed by Governor Patrick), as a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the District of Massachusetts, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, and as Global Chair of Latham's Diversity Leadership Committee.
Mr. Trach's experience includes representing:


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We leave the Cunard house and arrive at 3581 Division St. in Mount Washington. I have already been warned that this house is not going to be a good fit for us. How does the Field Agent know after showing us just one house?
We arrive and everything seems okay. I was excited and didn't take a real picture of the outside. But I should have seen it coming as soon as we enter the tiny studio on the bottom floor. Bars are over the windows on the bottom floor. My only guess is this is a theme that others are trying to match as most of the surrounding houses do not have bars. And why only put bars on part of the frontage of the house? I doubt I will ever have this explained to me what the purpose is. So we enter into a small studio space with an unpermitted bathroom addition. I can't stand these and from the pictures you can see why. Sewer pipes exposed on the floor. Maybe this can be touted as the next best thing in a bathroom. Forget exposed pipes, let's start putting the exposed pipes on the floor, even easier when there is a clog. Perfect for the DIY'er.
So we move onto the main floor which is a story above the street. Now this is why I am being told this is not something that I will want. There is just something wrong with the layout. And why, why, why are there bars on the bathroom window, which faces to the back of the house? Is there a bear problem, where the bears will travel down the hillside to only gain access through the bathroom window? Maybe there is some new species that only likes little houses with bathrooms facing the rear yard. Whatever it is, there aren't bars on the windows that someone could actually just break and enter through.
On the way to the outside this has the ugliset redone kitchen I have ever seen. So bad in fact I couldn't take a picture. What the listing show and what is happening in real life are two different things. I don't know why someone would spend any money to renovate a kitchen to look ugly, but here we have it.
The back room before getting to the backyard appears to be an addition. Something is off about this room, and the way you step down into this room from the kitchen area screams addition to me. The big problem with doing this, is that the rear yard is basically a huge slope, draining water towards the house. Want to guess why the house is stepped up from the backyard? For some reason the backroom isn't stepped and seems like this would flood in a bad rain storm.
So to the outside which sticks out like a sore thumb. I am immediately told about the old retaining wall issues as I stair at the current "fixed" retaining wall. There is a new block "retaining wall" built in front of the existing one. It's hard to tell if this was permitted, but I can't imagine it was as there is no drainage to direct water away from the new wall. Also after closer inspection from the top, the new wall is not holding anything up. It's just there for the sake of looks. The back yard is basically unusable land with some paths that lead up. But other than walking on a path, there isn't much else to do.
Knowing there is a failing retaining wall and someone decided to construct a new wall is scary. Whoever built this should have just stamped Mickey Mouse on the new wall to give the buyer a heads up. Know what a real retaining wall with permits will cost before making an offer on this house is all I could think of for the poor sole who will buy this.
It's on to the next house, which I am most excited about.


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Ex-Aide to Senator Ensign Indicted for Corruption
(CN) – A lobbyist and former congressional staffer who made headlines by accusing his wife of sleeping with his boss in the U.S. Senate will be arraigned next week for violating federal conflict of interest laws.
Douglas Hampton was indicted Thursday on seven counts of violations of congressional rules that prohibit Senate employees from lobbying a year after they leave public service.
Congress passed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act in 2007 to slow the revolving door between Capitol Hill and cushy lobbyist work.
In May 2008, after spending a year and a half as the administrative assistant to Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), Hampton began doing lobbyist work for a budget airline based in Las Vegas and for "the largest energy provider in Nevada."
Though the names of the companies are not disclosed in the indictment, the aforementioned descriptions fit the mold of Allegiant Air and NV Energy. Ensign is also not named in the indictment, which notes that the position of administrative assistant was one of the most senior positions on the senator's staff.
In June 2008, Allegiant Air was apparently unhappy that the Department of Transportation had plans to penalize it for charging "convenience fees" in violation of full-fare advertising requirements for airlines, according to the indictment.
Hampton asked Ensign and the politician's legislative aide, who is not named in the indictment, to convince the Transportation Department to delay or withdraw the enforcement action, which would carry a "substantial" fine, against the airline. He also tried to use Ensign and the senator's chief of staff, John Lopez, to arrange a meeting between the transportation secretary and an airline company executive, according to the indictment.
Lopez is not named in the indictment. The senator's longtime aide resigned in July 2009.
Prosecutors say Hampton also asked Ensign and Lopez to hound the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management in December 2008 about an environmental impact statement that NV Energy needed to begin building a new coal-fired plant.
By 2009, Hampton's relationship with the senator had soured. He wrote a letter to Fox News in June 2009 claiming his wife Cynthia was having an affair with Ensign.
"I need justice, help and restitution for what Senator Ensign has done to me and my family," Hampton wrote in the letter to Fox anchorwoman Megyn Kelly. "Regardless of technicalities, regardless of position, regardless of power this cannot and should not be tolerated in our country from our trusted leaders. Will you help?"
Hampton's wife had also worked for Ensign as treasurer of his reelection campaign and for his conservative political action committee, Battle Born PAC. Like her husband, Cynthia left the senator's staff in early 2008.
Sen. Ensign admitted to the affair on the day that the letter was made public, and is now the subject of an Ethics Committee investigation. He announced that he will not seek reelection in 2012.
If convicted, Hampton faces a maximum of five years in prison for each of the seven counts. This case is being prosecuted by trial attorneys Deborah Sue Mayer and Edward T. Kang.


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An atlas of Hubble Space Telescope spectra and images of nearby spiral galaxies
Hughes, M.A.
Alonso-Herrero, A.
Axon, D.J.
Scarlata, C.
Atkinson, J.
Batcheldor, D.
Binney, J.
Capetti, A.
Carollo, C.M.
Dressel, L.
Gerssen, J.
Macchetto, F.D.
Maciejewski, W.
Marconi, A.
Merrifield, M.
Ruiz, M.
Sparks, W.
Stiavelli, M.
Tsvetanov, Z.
van der Marel, R.
We have observed 54 nearby spiral galaxies with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain optical long-slit spectra of nuclear gas disks and STIS optical ( R band) images of the central 500 500 of the galaxies. These spectra are being used to determine the velocity field of nuclear disks and hence to detect the presence of central massive black holes. Here we present the spectra for the successful observations. Dust obscuration can be significant at optical wavelengths, and so we also combine the STIS images with archival Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer H-band images to produce color maps to investigate the morphology of gas and dust in the central regions. We find a great variety in the different morphologies, from smooth distributions towell-defined nuclear spirals and dust lanes.


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4C Controls (OTC:FOUR)
Who gets them first SEC or IRS?
As much as Citron has been attempting to avoid OTC Stocks, occasionally one comes along that is so absurd that we can not help commenting on it. Enter 4C Controls. This $400 million company has spun a tale that leaves us with the daunting question:
What is worse about this company: "The Tale or the Truth" ?
The Tale
4C Controls would like Wall Street to believe that they are a "Leading international security and surveillance group". Based in prestigious Rockefeller Center, their website shows that they offer a host of products including but not limited to:
- High resolution satellites for earths observation
- High Perfromance radar for intrusion protection
- Other proprietary security security products.
These products can be used for airport security and border control.
The company is majority owned by Rudana Investment Group. Rudana is a secretive business entity operating out of a Swiss bank that is controlled, as stated to Citron by a company representative by "secretive European and Middle Eastern investors".
Furthermore, the company's funding is apparently coming from another entity called Arimathea, which is another secretive company based out of the Isle of Man.
Just yesterday, investors were informed that the company allegedly completed its first round of private financing – a $20 million tranche. We say alleged because the details of the PR mince words carefully – it states it has received "commitment subscriptions" and is "in process" of receiving the funds. One wonders what is the hurry? This funding is coming from Arimathea . In FOUR's last 10-K they mention that Arimathea has agreed to fund up to $70 million, in alignment with yesterday's release.
So, what the company would like us to believe is that there is a major security and satellite company who is using the NASDAQ to validate themselves and raise funds. They are owned by secretive Middle Eastern investors who are funded by Swiss Bank Accounts and unknown entities from the Isle of Man……not a real comforting tale.
Now Lets Us Look at the truth on 4C Controls
- As of last filing 4C Controls has $25K in the bank
- Company revenues are 0
- New York City address is nothing more than a mail drop
- The company currently has 0 operating products
- Rudana has 3 operating shells (including 4C) that all have this mysterious funding from Arimathea.
The lack of any real business or revenues reveals that their entire website has been designed to deceive potential investors. But we have not yet begun to expose the players.
CEO Olivier De Vergnies?
De Vergnies became the CEO of FOUR on July 1, 2008. His prior employment was a Vice President at Dexia Private Bank, Switzerland. This bank was recently implicated in the outing of a big client list of Julius Baer. That is the famous whistleblower case where the IRS went after UBS. It is the opinion of Citron that De Vergenies expertise in privacy laws was more crucial to this job than his expertise in security products.
The Canadian Stock Promoter with cheap stock.
2,259,470 shares at .23 cents
For those of who you follow the world of OTC stocks, it should be as no surprise that one Canadian stock promoter is sitting on a mountain of cheap stock.
According to an SEC form 13D filed by FOUR on 7/28/08, we see the following:
"Black Sea Trading acquired 2,259,470 shares of the Company's common stock on July 2, 2008 in consideration of $505,000. The shares were acquired through the open market."
Robert Jarva, President, Black Sea Trading, Inc.
This is fraudulent. FOUR did not trade 2,259,470 shares on July 2, it traded 65,500 shares. In fact, it did not trade 2 million shares in all of July 2008. There is only a single day in its entire trading history that FOUR's stock (actually it was predecessor ticker AMEC) printed that many shares. It was Oct 22, 2007 at 23c. When asked about this transaction, the company representative responded about Black Sea: "They are a long time and long term investor who has bought at market price over the course of time."
This is not true. The filing said they bought on one day and the company states that he has acquired over time. Either way, Mr. Jarva owns this stock at .23 cents. And either way, his entity Black Sea Trading, is based in the Marshall Islands, which sits in Micronesia. The US Department of the Treasury doesn't need the geography lesson.
It appears that much like Amirathea, Jarva is also in the other stocks controlled by Rudana. By running Jarva's name through an SEC database, here is a history of the other stocks this promoter has been involved with and where they are currently trading.
|Recent Price
Has anyone ever heard of the Patriot Act, let alone Securities disclosure laws? So we have secret Middle-Eastern investors organizing a company to put up spy satellites, using the public trading facilities of the Nasdaq to raise money from the public? $70 million in investments from S-8 offshore stock sales propping up a company with a purported $400 million market cap, sloshing through tax havens in the Marshall Islands, the Isle of Man, and Swiss Bank accounts, courtesy of the NASDAQ? Is this even remotely OK ? Fortunately, Citron believes the risk of real security satellites ever being launched by this company is low, but this stock is just as dangerous to any investor who buys into the story.
Cautious investing to all.


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2018 N A T I O N A L C O O P E R A T I V E H I G H W A Y R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 855 An Expanded Functional Classification System for Highways and Streets Nikiforos Stamatiadis Department of Civil engineering University of KentUCKy Lexington, KY Adam Kirk Don Hartman Jeff Jasper Samantha Wright KentUCKy transportation Center University of KentUCKy Lexington, KY Michael King nelson\nygaarD New York, NY Rick Chellman tnD engineering Portsmouth, NH Subscriber Categories Design ⢠Pedestrians and Bicyclists ⢠Planning and Forecasting Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing highway administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation results in increasingly complex problems of wide inter- est to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 ini- tiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniquesâthe National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRBâs recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive com- mittee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, univer- sities, and industry; TRBâs relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of special- ists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the Federal Highway Administration. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&Iâs recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Direc- tors and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Academies and TRB. The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs. Published research reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet by going to http://www.national-academies.org and then searching for TRB Printed in the United States of America NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 855 Project 15-52 ISSN 2572-3766 (Print) ISSN 2572-3774 (Online) ISBN 978-0-309-39038-5 Library of Congress Control Number 2018945508 © 2018 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FRA, FTA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, PHMSA, or TDC endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturersâ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non- governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.national-academies.org. The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to increase the benefits that transportation contributes to society by providing leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. The Boardâs varied committees, task forces, and panels annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.
C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 15-52 by the Kentucky Transpor- tation Center at the University of Kentucky and Nelson\Nygaard. The University of Kentucky was the contractor for this study, and Dr. Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Professor of Civil Engineering, was the principal investigator. The other contributing authors of this report are Adam Kirk, Don Hartman, Jeff Jasper, Samantha Wright, Michael King, and Rick Chellman. The members of the Working Advisory Group have also provided continued input and assisted the team in refining the proposed classification scheme. The team expresses its gratitude to Mr. Scott Bradley, Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT); Mr. Pasco Bakotich, Washington State DOT; Mr. Robert Koehler, OhioâKentuckyâIndiana (OKI) Regional Council of Governments; and Mr. John Moore, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, for their reviews and guidance. The authors would also like to acknowledge all members who participated in the survey. We would also like to thank the members of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Geometric Design and its Chair, Mr. Jeff Jones, for their input in this process. Finally, the contribution and guidance of the NCHRP Project 15-52 panel should be mentioned. With- out their hard work and diligence in providing comments, this work would not have been successfully completed. CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 855 Christopher J. Hedges, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Lori L. Sundstrom, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs B. Ray Derr, Senior Program Officer Charlotte Thomas, Senior Program Assistant Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Natalie Barnes, Associate Director of Publications NCHRP PROJECT 15-52 PANEL Field of DesignâArea of General Design Frederick C. Dock, City of Pasadena DOT, Pasadena, CA (Chair) Stanley W. Wood, Massachusetts State DOT (retired), Ipswich, MA Leigh Blackmon Lane, Louis Berger Group, Raleigh, NC Anthony J. Buczek, METRO, Portland, OR John P. Donahue, Washington State DOT, Olympia, WA Daniel M. Dulaski, Northeastern University, Boston, MA R. Marshall Elizer, Jr., Washington State DOT, Olympia, WA Mubeen S. Quadri, Ohio DOT, Columbus, OH Brooke Struve, FHWA Liaison Stephen F. Maher, TRB Liaison
This report presents an expanded functional classification system for highways and streets that builds upon the current system to provide a better basis for the preliminary engineering of a design project, including developing the purpose and need. In particular, it provides additional contexts beyond urban and rural, facilitates accommodation of modes other than personal vehicles, and adds overlays for transit and freight. Two case studies illustrating application of the expanded system to actual projects are included. The report will be useful to planners and designers and could be useful when developing preliminary designs. A care- ful agency review is recommended to ensure that the system is well suited to the agencyâs particular circumstances. Since 1984, the AASHTO âGreen Bookâ (A Policy on the Geometric Design of Highways and Streets) and other roadway design criteria have been based on a functional classification system of a hierarchical network composed of arterials, collector roads, and local roads. This classification is further broken out by an urban or rural designation. This system is described in Highway Functional Classification Concepts, Criteria and Procedures (FHWA-PL-13-026). This system of highway classification has been under increasing scrutiny and discussion because of some incompatibilities with context-sensitive design, practical design, and other innovative approaches. The following are some concerns: ⢠Designation as urban or rural is insufficient to adequately account for the range of con- texts for a highway or street. ⢠The current system is focused on the needs of vehicle drivers and does not help in serving the needs of other types of users (e.g., transit riders, pedestrians, bicyclists). In particular, it does not help with design decisions that must balance benefits for one mode against disbenefits for another (e.g., narrower lanes that benefit pedestrians but make it harder for trucks to use the road). ⢠Classification leads to recommended or limited design choices that may not be optimal for the particular facility. These restrictions promote âdesigning to standardsâ rather than a careful consideration of the safety, operational, and other impacts of design decisions. ⢠The public often questions the use of these classifications as the basis for design decisions. In NCHRP Project 15-52, the University of Kentucky and Nelson\Nygaard reviewed the current functional classification system as well as alternative systems that have been used by transportation agencies internationally. Strengths and weaknesses were assessed to inform the development of a composite system that better meets the needs of planners and designers. Lastly, possible impacts on other uses of the current functional classification system were assessed (e.g., project funding, federal reporting) to prevent unintended consequences. F O R E W O R D By B. Ray Derr Staff Officer Transportation Research Board
For more information on the research performed, please see NCHRP Web-Only Docu- ment 230: Developing an Expanded Functional Classification System for More Flexibility in Geometric Design. Readers of this report will also be interested in the results of the following NCHRP proj- ects that complement this report: ⢠NCHRP 15-47, available as NCHRP Research Report 839: A Performance-Based Highway Geometric Design Process (http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/175375.aspx) ⢠NCHRP 15-50, to be published as NCHRP Research Report 876: Guidelines for Integrating Safety and Cost-Effectiveness into Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (3R) Projects
1 Introduction 2 Relationship to Other Guides 2 Expanded FCS Overview 8 Context Settings 8 Overview 9 Determining Context: Factors and Process 10 Rural 12 Rural Town 13 Suburban 14 Urban 15 Urban Core 17 Transportation Networks 17 Automobile, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Networks 22 Overlays 23 Network Overlay Application 26 Modal Considerations and Accommodation 26 Driver Accommodation 29 Bicyclist Accommodation 33 Pedestrian Accommodation 36 Expanded FCS Matrix 36 Transit Rider Accommodation as an Overlay 38 Freight Accommodation as an Overlay 39 Application of the Expanded Functional Classification System 39 Application Overview 40 Single-Context Application 41 Corridor Concepts 45 Conclusion 46 References 47 Case Study 1 US 25/US 421/KY 418; Richmond Road (10.5 miles), Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky 66 Case Study 2 US 150; W. Broadway Avenue (0.73 mile), Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky 75 Case Studies Lessons Learned C O N T E N T S


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automatically scan our existing data base and identify all possible duplicate entries. Once identified we can then select the records that are matched and merge them into one record
The new Duplicates Button and New Customer Screen definitely help, but my database is huge with lots of duplicates.
I agree - we need to be able to view all the possibilities at once. So if we could find name or address or phone or email that all match each category, instead of sorting on Name AND phone AND email all having to match, because they don't! I wind up having to go and look in other categories - Because James bought 5 years ago but is now in as a new lead under Jim - but the email matches the past instance of him, or the address, or the phone number. We need to be able to be fed ALL OF THE POSSIBILITIES so we can select which ones go with this instance and merge them together. Thank you!
We are considering how to implement this request.
In 2018, we focused on reducing the number of duplicate records being created in your ProMax system. We have seen duplicate record reduction due to the new Customer Entry screen. Similar to Customer Entry, we've added a "Check for Duplicates" button in the upper right of the Customer Workscreen. If you suspect there may be a duplicate record in your system, you can can perform and quick search with this feature; quickly merging any duplicate records found.
Our next planned step is to add a report that will automatically search for duplicate records by log date. Any potential duplicate records could be compared and merged.


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How do Jesus' authority and power relate to his purpose?
There's alot going on in Luke 4:31-44. Luke highlights the BIG IDEA that the power of Jesus is linked to the identity of Jesus, and that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He demonstrates this by Jesus' ability to cast demons out of people and to heal people from sickness. But before he gets to these power stories, note what how this section starts:
And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. (Luke 4:31-32)
The thing that made the teaching of Jesus unique was its authority. Mark adds this clarification: 'for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.'. The scribes would only recount what other, earlier, famous scribes had said about scripture. But Jesus would teach with 'But I say to you'.
In teaching the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament, as the Word incarnate, Jesus was teaching with authority the Word He had spoken. So more than the ideas of others, Jesus was giving the definitive interpretation of the word.
The idea of Jesus' authority is important. His power is encouraging, because He is stronger than darkness and sickness. But his authority is what gives him the right to do what he does.
In short, power is the might to do something, authority is the right to do something. And anything Jesus did, he did it with both - power and authority.
Another way of thinking about this is that Jesus appropriated the Godness of God in his ministry. And that's appropriate, because He is God. When I say that he appropriated God's God-ness, I mean that Jesus appropriately defined truth and right and wrong. His teaching - or defining of truth - was appropriate because - it's God's prerogative to define truth. Jesus unasashamedly and authoritatively defined reality.
The common Christian confession of the early church is that Jesus is Lord. This means he is the Sovereign Master who is in control. It also means he has the authority in our lives to tell us what to believe, how to live, what is true, and what is right and wrong.
The bad news is that we can deviate from what Jesus wants in two ways. First, we can deny his Lordship, and resist the idea that He has the authority to be God in our lives. And it is God's prerogative to define truth, morality, and what He expects from us. Second, we can acknowledge his Lordship in principle, but find a clever way to disagree with what he actually wants. That is, humans are geniuses at finding ways of calling bad good and ascribing it to God's endorsement.
The good news is that Jesus is Lord, and He is a good shepherd. If we submit to him, we can trust that He will bring us to a good place. We may not be completely comfortable with the place. But if it is the place of his choosing - whether related to our situation in life, what we believe, how we live, what we think is right or wrong - then we can embrace it as reflective of God's Godness.
The first order principle of all reality is that God is God, and there is no other. An intrinsic component of God's Godness is his authority. So even though we may not like the word authority - it tends to rub our permissive and relativistic society the wrong way - it's important, for in lies our salvation.
In short, God can save us becase He has both the authority and the power to save us. That means our salvation is effective (it works, because God is powerful), and it is right - because God has the authority to do it. God's purpose of bringing us to himself is accomplished through his authority and power.
More in Centrepoint Blog
October 18, 2020Great Faith for New Vision
October 11, 2020Great Faith for New Provision
October 4, 2020Touchstones of Remembrance


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Mercedes-Benz C 111-II turns half a century. Mercedes received blank cheques for it
It was meant as an experimental car with the quadruple-rotor Wankel engine. But its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, in March 1970, sparked …Read More
This is what Mercedes-Benz is showing at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show
Mercedes-Benz will be putting on a grand show at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show next month. The highly-anticipated Mercedes-AMG A45 will be there and …Read More
LIVE FROM GENEVA – A Mercedes-Benz car for every need
The Mercedes-Benz stand has opened its doors to the media in Geneva, at the 88th edition of the Swiss Motor Show. The EQ electric …Read More
LIVE FROM GENEVA: Watch Mercedes-Benz presenting the company's brand-new cars right here!
Mercedes-Benz will display 34 automobiles in Geneva starting today. The car looking for the summer, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, the somptuously impressive Mercedes-Maybach G 650 …Read More
The E-Class family almost complete – Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet teased
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is the sweetheart of the Geneva Motor Show at the beginning of spring. The convertible will join the army of …Read More
In the spotlight in Geneva: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet and Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet
What is set to be the world's most expensive and exclusive off-roader, the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet will be the star of the Geneva …Read More
The ace up Mansory's sleeve – the 730 HP Mercedes-AMG GT
An extreme Mercedes-AMG GT is the ace up Mansory's sleeve in Geneva. At the 2016 Motor Show in Switzerland, the tuning house is displaying …Read More
Special delivery: Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard arrived in Geneva
Be careful, don't scratch it, don't drop it, don't slam it! But it all right to shoot at it! The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard …Read More
It's the final countdown – Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet shows taillight from under wraps
The game is on again! The Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet is posted on the internet once more, but this time, it is all wrapped up …Read More
The Brabus Pagoda – Turning back the clock
And all this time we all thought the newest cars have the best grip on the audience in any motor show there is… But …Read More
The new smart fortwo Brabus spied with almost no camouflage
After Brabus surprised the public a few months back with the lifestyle upgrade applied on the new smart fortwo, here comes a batch of …Read More


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Does Aunt Jem need a brand update? Yes.
UPDATE TO CLARIFY: By "brand update" do I actually mean change the name and remove the image? Yes.
If all you care about is making sure "I get it" then move on, nothing to see here.
However, if you think it's possible that I'm NOT a myopic simpleton, then you may find the following to be of some interest.
Last Tuesday, twitter had…more than a few…tweets about Aunt Jemima being a symbol of racism.
On Wednesday, Quaker Oats announced they are "retiring" the brand.
Aunt Jem is CANCELLED.
accused of perpetuating a racist stereotype.
Even the experts agree.
Riché Richardson, associate professor of African American literature at Cornell University on TODAY Wednesday:
"It is urgent to expunge our public spaces of a lot of these symbols that for some people are triggering and represent terror and abuse."
Daina Ramey Berry, a professor of history at The University of Texas:
"Aunt Jemima kept Black woman in the space of domestic service associating them with serving food under a "plantation mentality."
and "it would be misguided to lament the change by Quaker as a loss of representation for Black women."
This particular "representation for Black women" was based on a real person, Nancy Green.
"Born a slave in Kentucky in 1834, Green lived in Mount Sterling throughout the Civil War and relocated to Chicago when the conflict ended. There, she became a cook for Judge Charles Walker, who recommended she represent R.T. Davis Milling Company's pancake mix, according to Marilyn Kern-Foxworth's book, "Blacks in Advertising, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." Her fame grew after appearing at Chicago's World's Fair in 1893 before she died in 1923." according to Courier-Journal.com
According to African American Registry:
"Mrs. Green was one of the first black corporate models in the United States…she became the advertising world's first living trademark."
She "Green was a hit, friendly, a good storyteller, and a good cook…"
"Her exhibition booth drew so many people that special policemen were assigned to keep the crowds moving. The Davis Milling Company received over 50,000 orders, and Fair officials awarded Nancy Green a medal and certificate for her showmanship.
She was proclaimed "Pancake Queen." She was signed to a lifetime contract and traveled on promotional tours all over the country. Flour sales were up all year and pancakes were no longer considered exclusively for breakfast."
She started at 56 years old. A woman. A Black woman. In 1893.
Nancy Green was Aunt Jemima.
and she BUILT that brand.
And now it's been cancelled.
and Nancy Green's achievements are not to be admired or celebrated.
Because, as Berry said, it is "misguided to lament" her "loss of representation for Black women."
Because, as Richardson said, she is the "kind of stereotype that is premised on this idea of Black inferiority and otherness."
She is not a positive representation for Black women?
She represents Black inferiority?
I may take some heat for this, but…
I don't understand how Nancy Green's origin as a slave and her physical appearance eclipses her achievements and their historical significance as a Black woman from 1893 until her death in 1923.
As I was writing this post, I found myself thinking of a quote from the following video:
"…race and ethnicity are closely connected to culture and in my experience, most people are proud of their culture. Refusing to acknowledge race is being insensitive the vast cultural differences across the world."
Kristin Kroepfl, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Quaker Foods North America, said in a statement to NBC News. "While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough."
I may take some heat for this, but…
Nancy Green's legacy is part of American history. I hope Quaker's rebrand of Aunt Jem finds its way to recognizing and honoring her.
Assuming the Twitterverse will allow it.


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'She has more energy than the rest of us': 100-year-old Kath celebrates her big day with family
PUBLISHED: 16:00 05 January 2019
A number of significant historical events took place in 1919 but for one Suffolk family none was more important than the birth of Kath Cook.
Mrs Cook, who lives in Campsea Ashe, celebrated her 100th birthday this week surrounded by her sons and daughters at The Ship pub in Blaxhall. Mrs Cook left school at the age of 14 and immediately went into service working in hotels and other establishments. For around 40 years she was married to her husband Arthur with whom she had 10 children.
Mrs Cook spent 60 years living in the family home in Carlton before moving to a home in Campsea Ashe, three years ago.
Despite her large family Mrs Cook managed to balance her work to ensure that she was always there for her family as they grew up.
"When she had her children she did field work and cooking," said her daughter Lynda Eagle.
"She worked tirelessly and was always home when we came back from school," said Mrs Eagle.
"She basically looked after us one handed, she did everything for each one of us."
Her family have described her as a straight lady, who says what she is thinking.
"What mum says goes," said Mrs Eagle.
"We all take after her for that. She's an absolutely fantastic mum."
At the meal Mrs Cook gave a speech to her family thanking them all for coming to her special meal.
One of the highlights of Mrs Cook's birthday was receiving her letter from the Queen.
"My brother had to go through so many hoops," said Mrs Eagle, " but it was all worth it.
"She was really wanting to get to 100 to get that."
After a last minute venue change Mrs Eagle said she was incredibly grateful to staff at The Ship for helping to make her mother's birthday such a success.
"The pub were absolutely fantastic. They could not have done better," said Mrs Eagle.
After having the meal with her family Mrs Cook spent the rest of the day celebrating with her ever expanding family of grandchildren, great grandchildren and even great great grandchildren at the home where she now lives.
"It was a fabulous day," said Mrs Eagle.
"She had more energy than the rest of us."
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the East Anglian Daily Times. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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Living Arrows is about celebrating childhood. The project originally took it's name from a poem by Kahlil Gibran, "You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth"
Lucas and I met up with one of my friends on Friday. We have always lived near to eachother but became close when we were pregnant, going to pre natal yoga together. Lucas was born the February after S was born in the November.
It's always lovely when we get chance to meet up as Lucas and S immediately run up to eachother. After they both finished their cake and drinks, they set to work on reorganising cushions on the cafe sofas, a bit of colouring and a lot of taking sugar sachets in and out of the bowl.
S is such a loving girl. Lucas isn't big on kissing, if someone wants a kiss, he will offer his forehead. Even if D and I want a kiss, we get the forehead, it is very rare that we get a kiss on the lips or even cheek.
S doesn't take this though, she roughly cuddles him (looks a bit like strangling) so they end up falling on the floor but Lucas isn't bothered, he smiles and gets back up. As for a kiss goodbye, she wasn't going to accept the forehead, she went for a smacker on the lips and Lucas didn't protest x
7 Comments on Living Arrows #4
Oh so cute – did he protest at the smacker on the lips??
Oh it's so sweet when they have their first little 'girlfriends'. #livingarrows
I love coffee dates with friends like this – they look like awesome chums. I love the rearranging of the cushions too! x
How sweet that he lets her cover him with hugs and kisses! Sounds like you all had a really lovely time. x #LivingArrows
That's a lovely photo of friendship. I love how Lucas offered his forehead but that wasn't enough!
How lovely this must be to watch, it's so cute watching toddlers build friendships isn't it? #LivingArrows
It's so lovely getting the chance to catch up with friends no matter how long its been since you last saw each other.


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With the first total eclipse of the sun in the United States since 1979 on Aug. 21, Gadsden Public Library Librarian Craig Scott only has one problem: getting enough viewing glasses for everyone.
"You could apply for 200 or a thousand, and I applied for 200, thinking just for our purposes here at the library," said Scott. "They sent a thousand, and I'm glad they did."
The glasses — cardboard pairs like you'd get at an old, 3-D movie, but with black lenses — allow direct viewing of the sun for a few minutes at a time during an eclipse. Scott received his thousand pairs from STAR_Net, a branch of the Space Science Institute, and set aside 300 for the library's viewing event, which starts at noon in the Lena Martin room before heading to the park across the street until 3 p.m. The library is located at 254 College St., Gadsden.
The rest of the glasses were claimed quickly, he said, taken in 20- and 30-pair increments for local classrooms. STAR_Net agreed to send an extra 500 pairs, but according to Scott, the requests on his waiting list far exceed that. He hopes people will share glasses if the viewing party's attendance breaks 300.
The event opens with a presentation from Justin Tinker, Jacksonville State University student and vice-president of the school's newly formed Astronomy Club, who will explain how a solar eclipse works, the different kinds of eclipses, what factors determine the best viewing location and how to safely view the event. Cookies and lemonade will be available throughout the event, which lasts until 3 p.m.
Anyone who doesn't attend the library's viewing party will, naturally, still have a clear view of the eclipse; about 1:30 p.m. the moon will cross directly in front of the sun, but Alabama's viewing angle will be slightly off-center. In Tennessee, directly in the "path of totality," the moon will cover the sun, with a corona effect spreading out behind the moon's silhouette. Locations a little north or south of there, like Gadsden, will have 95 percent totality, which means a sliver of the sun will still be visible around the moon.
The important thing to remember when viewing from home, Tinker said, is to only look at the eclipse through safe, ISO-certified glasses — they'll have an ISO logo and a notice that they conform to the transmission requirements of ISO 12312-2, a sunlight filter rating.
"You can buy some cheaply made ones, or make them yourself, but they don't work as well and create a risk to your well-being," said Tinker. "I know people hate buying name brands of things, but this is one of those cases where it's best."
Glasses can be bought from online retailers, though the American Astronomical Society issued a warning that demand for the glasses is so high that unsafe knockoffs are being produced and sold online. Some of them don't offer adequate protection from looking directly at the sun, even during an eclipse.
Visit eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters to get information about reputable sellers, and instructions to build optical projectors that use lenses and mirrors to project an image of the eclipse onto a white surface.


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Anna's delicious, fruity, nutty treat to give you an energy boost while outdoors on the trail. Easy to make and even easier to eat and share with your hiking friends!
- ½ cup glace cherries
- ½ glace pineapple
- ¾ cup dates
- 1 ¾ cup pecans
- ¾ shredded coconut
- 1 tblsp SR flour
- 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- Chop fruit and nuts
- Mix in coconut, milk and flour
- Squash into a lined loaf tin
- Bake for 1 hour in a slow oven
See our other hiking food recipes: Homemade Muesli Bars and Peach Tea Fruit Cake.