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Monthly Archives: May 2017
Cognitive Services with U-SQL (Reference Guide)
This post is a reference guide to support an event talk or webinar. The content is intended to assist the audience only. Thank you.
Microsoft's Cognitive Services are basically the best thing since sliced bread, especially for anybody working with data. Artificial intelligence just got packaged and made available for the masses to download. In this short talk, I'll take you on a whirl wind tour of how to use these massively powerful libraries directly in Azure Data Lake with that offspring of T-SQL and C# … U-SQL. How do you get hold of the DLL's and how can you wire them up for yourself?… Everything will be revealed as well as the chance to see what the machines make of the audience!
- Paul on Twitter
- Microsoft Cognitive Services
- Stack Overflow Cognitive
- Azure Data Lake
- U-SQL Language Reference
- Mike Rys
- Get Started with the Cognitive Capabilities in U-SQL
- Azure Portal
Helpful Bits
Why U-SQL?
- U for unified. Unifying T-SQL and C#.
- U is the next letter after T. T-SQL > U-SQL.
- U for U-Boat, because Mike Rys dives into his Data Lake with a U-Boat 🙂
Installing the U-SQL samples and extension files in your Data Lake Storage.
The executed code.
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USE [CognitiveServices]; REFERENCE ASSEMBLY ImageCommon; REFERENCE ASSEMBLY FaceSdk; REFERENCE ASSEMBLY ImageEmotion; REFERENCE ASSEMBLY ImageTagging; REFERENCE ASSEMBLY ImageOcr; --Extract the number of objects on each image and tag them @imgs = EXTRACT FileName string, [ImgData] byte[] FROM @"/Images/{FileName}.jpg" USING NEW Cognition.Vision.ImageExtractor(); @imgTags = PROCESS @imgs PRODUCE [FileName], [NumObjects] INT, [Tags] string READONLY [FileName] USING NEW Cognition.Vision.ImageTagger(); OUTPUT @imgTags TO "/output/ImageTags.csv" USING Outputters.Csv(quoting : TRUE, outputHeader : TRUE);
Recursive U-SQL With PowerShell (U-SQL Looping)
In its natural form U-SQL does not support recursive operations and for good reason. This is a big data, scale out, declarative language where the inclusion of procedural, iterative code would be very unnatural. That said, if you must pervert things PowerShell can assist with the looping and dare I say the possibility for dynamic U-SQL.
A couple of caveats…
- From the outset, I accept this abstraction with PowerShell to achieve some iterative process in U-SQL is a bit of a hack and very inefficient, certainly in the below example.
- The scenario here is not perfect and created using a simple situation for the purposes of explanation only. I know the same data results could be achieved just by extending the aggregate grouping!
Hopefully that sets the scene. As I'm writing, I'm wondering if this blog post will be hated by the purists out there. Or loved by the abstraction hackers. I think I'm both 🙂
As with most of my U-SQL blog posts I'm going to start with the Visual Studio project available as part of the data lake tools extension called 'U-SQL Sample Application'. This gives us all the basic start up code and sample data to get going.
Input: within the solution (Samples > Data > Ambulance Data) we have some CSV files for vehicles. These are separated into 16 sources datasets covering 4 different vehicle ID's across 4 days.
Output: let's say we have a requirement to find out the average speed of each vehicle per day. Easily enough with a U-SQL wildcard on the extractor. But we also want to output a single file for each day of data. Not so easy, unless we write 1 query for each day of data. Fine with samples only covering 4 days, not so fine with 2 years of records split by vehicle.
Scenario set, lets look at how we might do this.
The U-SQL
To produce the required daily outputs I'm going to use a U-SQL query in isolation to return a distinct list of dates across the 16 input datasets, plus a parameterised U-SQL stored procedure to do the aggregation and output a single day of data.
First getting the dates. The below simply returns a text file containing a distinct list of all the dates in our source data.
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DECLARE @InputPath string = "/Samples/Data/AmbulanceData/{filename}"; @DATA = EXTRACT [vehicle_id] INT, [entry_id] long, [event_date] DateTime, [latitude] FLOAT, [longitude] FLOAT, [speed] INT, [direction] string, [trip_id] INT?, [filename] string FROM @InputPath USING Extractors.Csv(); @DateList = SELECT DISTINCT [event_date].ToString("yyyyMMdd") AS EventDateList FROM @DATA; OUTPUT @DateList TO "/output/AmbulanceDataDateList.txt" USING Outputters.Csv(quoting : FALSE, outputHeader : FALSE);
Next, the below stored procedure. This uses the same input files, but does the required aggregation and outputs a daily file matching the parameter passed giving us a sinlge output.
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CREATE PROCEDURE IF NOT EXISTS [dbo].[usp_OutputDailyAvgSpeed] ( @OutputDate string ) AS BEGIN //DECLARE @OutputDate string = "20140914"; //FOR dev DECLARE @InputPath string = "/Samples/Data/AmbulanceData/{filename}"; DECLARE @OutputPath string = "/output/DailyRecords/VehicleAvgSpeed_" + @OutputDate + ".csv"; @DATA = EXTRACT [vehicle_id] INT, [entry_id] long, [event_date] DateTime, [latitude] FLOAT, [longitude] FLOAT, [speed] INT, [direction] string, [trip_id] INT?, [filename] string FROM @InputPath USING Extractors.Csv(); @VAvgSpeed = SELECT DISTINCT [vehicle_id], AVG([speed]) AS AverageSpeed FROM @DATA WHERE [event_date].ToString("yyyyMMdd") == @OutputDate GROUP BY [vehicle_id]; OUTPUT @VAvgSpeed TO @OutputPath USING Outputters.Csv(quoting : TRUE, outputHeader : TRUE); END;
At this point, we could just execute the stored procedures with each required date, manually crafted from the text file. Like this:
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[dbo].[usp_OutputDailyAvgSpeed]("20140914"); [dbo].[usp_OutputDailyAvgSpeed]("20140915"); [dbo].[usp_OutputDailyAvgSpeed]("20140916"); [dbo].[usp_OutputDailyAvgSpeed]("20140917");
Fine, for small amounts of data, but we can do better for larger datasets.
Enter PowerShell and some looping.
The PowerShell
As with all things Microsoft PowerShell is our friend and the supporting cmdlets for the Azure Data Lake services are no exception. I recommend these links if you haven't yet written some PowerShell to control ADL Analytics jobs or upload files to ADL Storage.
- Get started with Azure Data Lake Store using Azure PowerShell
- Get started with Azure Data Lake Analytics using Azure PowerShell
Moving on. How can PowerShell help us script our data output requirements? Well, here's the answer, in my PowerShell script below I've done the following.
- Authenticate against my Azure subscription (optionally create yourself a PSCredential to do this).
- Submit the first U-SQL query as a file to return the distinct list of dates.
- Wait for the ADL Analytics job to complete.
- Download the output text file from ADL storage.
- Read the contents of the text file.
- Iterate over each dates listed in the text file.
- Submit a U-SQL job for each stored procedure with the date passed from the list.
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#Params... $WhereAmI = $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path.Replace($MyInvocation.MyCommand.Name,"") $DLAnalyticsName = "myfirstdatalakeanalysis" $DLAnalyticsDoP = 10 $DLStoreName = "myfirstdatalakestore01" #Create Azure Connection Login-AzureRmAccount | Out-Null $USQLFile = $WhereAmI + "RecursiveOutputPrep.usql" $PrepOutput = $WhereAmI + "AmbulanceDataDateList.txt" #Summit Job $job = Submit-AzureRmDataLakeAnalyticsJob ` -Name "GetDateList" ` -AccountName $DLAnalyticsName ` –ScriptPath $USQLFile ` -DegreeOfParallelism $DLAnalyticsDoP Write-Host "Submitted USQL prep job." #Wait for job to complete Wait-AdlJob -Account $DLAnalyticsName -JobId $job.JobId | Out-Null Write-Host "Downloading USQL output file." #Download date list Export-AzureRmDataLakeStoreItem ` -AccountName $DLStoreName ` -Path $myrootdir\output\AmbulanceDataDateList.csv ` -Destination $PrepOutput | Out-Null Write-Host "Downloaded USQL output file." #Read dates $Dates = Get-Content $PrepOutput Write-Host "Read date list." #Loop over dates with proc call for each ForEach ($Date in $Dates) { $USQLProcCall = '[dbo].[usp_OutputDailyAvgSpeed]("' + $Date + '");' $JobName = 'Output daily avg dataset for ' + $Date Write-Host $USQLProcCall $job = Submit-AzureRmDataLakeAnalyticsJob ` -Name $JobName ` -AccountName $DLAnalyticsName ` –Script $USQLProcCall ` -DegreeOfParallelism $DLAnalyticsDoP Write-Host "Job submitted for " $Date } Write-Host "Script complete. USQL jobs running."
At this point I think its worth reminding you of my caveats above 🙂
I would like to point out the flexibility in the PowerShell cmdlet Submit-AzureRmDataLakeAnalyticsJob. Allowing us to pass a U-SQL file (step 2) or build up a U-SQL string dynamically within the PowerShell script and pass that as the execution code (step 7), very handy. Switches: -Script or -ScriptPath.
If all goes well you should have jobs being prepared and shortly after running to produce the daily output files.
I used 10 AU's for my jobs because I wanted to burn up some old Azure credits, but you can change this in the PowerShell variable $DLAnalyticsDoP.
It's possible to archive looping behaviour with U-SQL when we want to produce multiple output files, but only when we abstract the iterative behaviour away to our friend PowerShell.
Comments welcome on this approach.
Many thanks for reading.
Ps. To make life a little easier. I've stuck all of the above code and sample data into a GitHub repostiory to save you copy and pasting things from the code windows above.


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San Jose Sharks coach Bob Boughner was a rough-and-tumble defenseman willing to take on all comers over the course of his 10-year NHL career.
Before that, though, Boughner played close to 300 games in the minor leagues — riding busses and honing his craft. He was almost 25 years old when he got called up by the Buffalo Sabres in 1996 and he made it stick, never playing in the minors again.
Perhaps then there's a bit of a kinship between Boughner and Jake Middleton, who could be starting a similar journey.
Middleton, 25, played 228 games with the Barracuda from 2016 to 2021 but is now starting to establish himself as an every-game player with the Sharks. He's played all 16 of his games this season alongside Erik Karlsson on the Sharks' second defense pair, earning Boughner's trust by averaging over 17 minutes of ice time per night.
"Some guys take longer than others," Boughner said. "Jake's a guy that's paid his dues and put his time in. He's having the time of his life."
"He's a guy that proved that you can do it," Middleton said of Boughner. "He spent that time in the minors — around the same as me, five or six years. It's one of those things where when you look at (hockeydb.com) and realize it's a possibility and if you just stay passionate and keep grinding away at things, hopefully, good things work out in your favor."
Middleton plays a simple, steady style, and like Boughner's playing days, hasn't hesitated to stick up for teammates when needed with five fights so far this season.
Middleton set the tone in the Sharks' first game Oct. 16 against Winnipeg. After Rudolfs Balcers was drilled into the boards from behind by Adam Lowry, Middleton emerged from a scrum with Logan Stanley and more than held his own against the 6-foot-7 Jets defenseman.
"He's a great teammate," Boughner said of Middleton, who is 6-3. "Guys love him, and he's helped with this team identity we've tried to create. He's a big part of that."
Middleton had played 14 NHL games before this season. But with the Sharks' three defense pairs all coming back, Middleton, prior to training camp, was perhaps viewed as someone who could fill a seventh defenseman role with the team or return to being a heavy-minute player with the Barracuda.
Then Nikolai Knyzhov, Karlsson's defense partner for the majority of last season, missed the start of camp with what was later revealed to be a lower-body injury. Knyzhov had surgery shortly after the season began and is likely going to be unavailable for at least the next few weeks.
That opened the door for Middleton to play a bigger role on the back end.
"There's been scenarios like that in just about every training camp I've been to for six years." Middleton said "So I didn't put too much pressure on myself. I knew I could play the game and I knew where the numbers stood. But I didn't expect anything in myself other than to give it my all in training camp and in those preseason games."
Middleton won the competition to be Karlsson's defense partner in camp and hasn't looked back.
"Playing with (Karlsson). they sort of feed off each other and they enjoy playing together," Boughner said. "(Karlsson) keeps the game fairly simple for (Middleton), but Jake does a lot of the dirty work back there and is really had some patience with the puck, is making good plays and providing sandpaper for us."
Middleton scored his second career NHL goal in Tuesday's 5-2 Sharks win over the New Jersey Devils. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defenseman isn't known for his scoring touch, but he picked the top corner on Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood for his first goal on a manned net. His other was an empty-netter against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 24.
"Honestly I when I get into those situations, I just kind of try to keep my head up and shoot where it looks open," said Middleton, who made a nice play to break up a Devils 2-on-1 right after his goal. "If you ask (Karlsson), I've had about 30 grade-A chances in the past 20 games, so he'll be happy that I put one of those in finally."
The Sharks might have a decision to make when Knyzhov, the Sharks' top rookie last season, is healthy and ready to play again. They also have Santeri Hatakka waiting for his chance to get back into the lineup after he's been a healthy scratch for the last five games. Hatakka was reassigned to the Barracuda on Thursday.
"It's the National Hockey League," Middleton said. "You've got the best players in the world on every team and if a guy like myself were to get complacent or comfortable, it's kind of a recipe for disaster for someone in my shoes.
"I go in with the same mindset in every game. Play hard, give it my all, do things the right way and be a good teammate, and hopefully, we can keep going on a run here."
NOTE: The NHL officially that the New York Islanders' season will be resuming and that their game with the Sharks will be played Thursday as scheduled. The league shut down all Islanders activities on Saturday after forward Casey Cizikas became the eighth player to test positive for COVID-19. Also testing positive were forwards Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Ross Johnston, and Kieffer Bellows and defensemen Adam Pelech, Andy Greene, and Zdeno Chara.
Islanders coach Barry Trotz said Wednesday that Lee, Bailey, Pelech, Greene and Johnston were out of protocol and that he expects up to four of those five to play against the Sharks.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Prince Harry hasn't had much luck with technology this week.
First, he goes to Vegas, invites a few girls to his suite for a royal game of strip pool, and one of them whips out her cell phone and becomes a cesspool photographer.
While one wonders whether his security detail had a full grasp of the details of security, the prince is, apparently, not taking any more technological chances.
For a report in the Sun today suggests that he has shut down his Facebook account.
You might have not been aware that the prince had his own personal Facebook page.
Yes, he does have a fan page, as any modern royal should. It is, though, highly unofficial.
The Sun, indeed, reports that his real Facebook page was under the name "Spike Wells." However, his private secretary reportedly suggested that he remove it and it has now gone.
You might think that this is just an invented tale of princely woe. However, if you go to the Spike Wells Tumblr feed, you will discover a spirited debate about the prince, his friends, and their Facebook accounts.
It's not as if the prince would have been the first person to have a Facebook page under a pseudonym. It is rumored that many famous people -- Google's Larry Page, for example -- have availed themselves of Facebook pages under names only known to their nearest and dearest.
It is hard for famous people whose very youth and dynamism demands that they post details of their lives in Facebook.
Who would not imagine that the prince will soon return to Facebook under a new guise: Harry Poolhall, perhaps?


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Transportation TIP List: Week of November 4th, 2018
Posted - November 7, 2018
This past Sunday, daylight saving time ended and the clocks "fell back" to give us an extra hour of sleep and sunlight. And we hope that you use those extra couple of minutes to take a look at this week's TIP List and catch up on some timely industry trends. Highlights include how the right technology can provide a holistic supply chain view and news about the recent jump in employment numbers. Fall into all of the articles below!
- 250,000 Jobs Added; Pay Growth Fastest Since 2009: The final major economic report before the Nov. 6 congressional elections showed that U.S. employers added a stellar 250,000 jobs in October and raised average pay by the most in nearly a decade.
- Shippers Turn to Technology for Sharper Supply Chain Vision: Speakers at the recent JOC Logistics Technology Conference said that shippers need to take a "holistic" approach to supply chain visibility – with the help of integrating technology that can provide a detailed view of freight activity with financial systems, sales and other operations.
- UPS to Wind Down Freight Pickups with Strike Looming: UPS Inc. will stop accepting overnight freight pickups after today, November 7, because of a potential strike in less than two weeks by about 11,000 union workers. Workers will vote on what the union called a "final offer," with results set for November 11.
- IANA – Intermodal Volumes Up 4.7% in Q3: Total intermodal volumes increased by 4.7% to 4.8 million units in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, according to IANA. International intermodal volume rose 4.4% year over year to 2.5 million containers; domestic containers climbed 3.9% to 2 million units; and trailers jumped 12.1% to 359,850 units.
- Trucking Regulation Update: Winds of Change?: Carriers say Washington is now listening to the transportation industry, and they believe the winds of regulatory change are finally blowing in favor of trucking. However, balancing industry needs with safety reforms remains an ongoing challenge.
What supply chain trends are you following this fall?


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The players are playing for it.Pete Stauber, R-Minn., a co-sponsor of the House bill, said the movie will teach lawmakers and their staffs that O'Ree deserves to be recognized.While the 2019 campaign is still in its infancy, Detroit is ready to play with urgency to snap out of its skid and return to form – especially, if they want to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.What's more, one of the first ingredients on the food's label is monosodium glutamate , an additive that's been known to increase appetite, and make foods taste more appetizing, according to a study in .GC: It's an honor, man, being in camp with AJ.
And this works because we have a community that adopts it, volunteers who get involved, public safety to help move traffic along.Several teams that need a right-handed hitter, and particularly one that can play the outfield, should get Puig's agent on the phone, and it likely won't be difficult for him to find a new home.Prediction: Arizona Diamondbacks, two years $21 million At this point in his career Wainwright's name carries more than his actual performance on the mound, but he's still capable of bringing a strong veteran presence to the back of a big league rotation.
So we talk about that a lot.
To search for players who were born on a certain date, for example all players born on December 25, choose the month, day and year with the drop down boxes and then choose the 'Full Date Search' option.Greek yogurt itself will give you a solid protein boost, and it has a thicker and creamier consistency, so if you add some fruit and ginger syrup, you'll definitely satisfy that cheesecake craving.While in Haiti, Murray was told about a boy in a nearby village who, while suffering a seizure, fell into a fire.When I make your own jersey to Orlando, they just liked my game.In 2019, when they went offense with Michael Conforto or Brandon Nimmo, it cost defensively – the Mets ranked 26th in the majors in center field defense by Fangraphs' measurements.
He blew up the highest paid guard last week.If you just sat in the stands, you didn't know there was a girl on the ice, Clarke said.There were three cameras set up and one had the red light, Ferraro explained.2 Alabama is the same one it had to answer during the Bowl Championship Series in 2011.
Related slideshow: Best of the 2019 MLB postseason.India captain Kohli commended the all-rounder and recalled difficulties he wrestled with alone while he struggled for runs during India's tour of England five years ago.


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This past week has been something else. As much as I've tried to stay out of the news arena it's just hard not to see things that you don't like, especially when it comes to politics. I then made a minor mistake by writing one line on Facebook, kind of an opinion thing where I also said that I didn't want to talk about it, and that was my first mistake.
This guy I was connected to (he left) came back in disagreement with me and posted a news link in my thread. He led with the line "how can you say that". I wrote back that it was my profile and I could say whatever I wanted and left it at that. He countered with "I expected more than that from you".
What the heck? Who did this guy think he was, saying he expected more from me on a topic I didn't want to talk about? I got angry and responded, and man did I respond. I wrote the equivalent of 4 paragraphs in one (you know how Facebook is in its comments area) and told him if he really wanted to have this discussion I could come to his page and bury him in information (it's an area in which I have lots of expertise). Seems he didn't like that either and said some more thing, so I buried him in more, adding some facts and some passion (but never bad words; I never use bad words) and, well, never heard from him again.
The funny thing is that the next day another friend decided to pony in a comment that had nothing to do with the original comment, and I decided to ignore that. I found that intriguing in that I didn't respond to her because one, I wasn't mad anymore, and two, because it was off-topic and, well, she had a good point but it was one I really didn't want to discuss either. lol
I've thought about this particular situation all week and I find that interesting in a way. Yes, I do think about things for a long time because I ask myself how I could have handled things better, even when I handle things in the correct way. The one question I ask myself is how I'd have responded to it if I'd made my original statement on the blog, followed up by a lot of information in its own right.
Well, I know one thing for sure. If someone responds and puts a link in the comment it automatically goes into the spam filter, so there wouldn't be any worries there. That's kind of a cop-out but it's nice having legitimate reasons, so to speak, for not addressing certain things. I do the same with my comment policy, though I've noticed that no one who's ever ended up in the spam filter because of a comment that's somewhat dodgy has ever come back and mentioned it, and that would probably happen more often than not.
However, that doesn't quite answer the question of if any of us knows when to ignore stuff we don't like or when to respond to it does it? Do you have any criteria set for it? I actually do, and I'm going to share it, because it's important for all bloggers to have some kind of standards to follow in their own space.
The first is if someone disagrees with you on your point of view but stays on topic. If you can't back up your point of view on your own blog then you shouldn't have said anything to begin with. Of course you have the right to expect a certain type of decorum when being responded to, but if someone gives you a cogent response I feel that you now have an obligation to respond.
The second is if someone else is being attacked in your space. I've done that often enough here over the years because this isn't the place for personal attacks. I'm especially protective of my online and real life friends; heck, I go to bat for them on their blogs if someone behaves badly so you know I'm protecting them here as well.
Those are the only two times when you should feel obligated to say something to someone else. After that, if it continues just block them and move on with life; it's not worth it anymore.
What if it's a personal attack against you? Well, that's somewhat different isn't it? Truthfully, I've allowed it twice against me here, and the first time I battled with the person and she left, never coming back again, and the second time I never responded, left her comment there, and she came back some time later, apologized, and we moved on from there. In both of those posts the article was fairly broad and didn't go after anyone specific, but for some reason it touched a nerve for each of them. However, the first person wanted to justify her bad behavior; nope, wasn't having that.
Still, no one deserves to be bullied in their own space if they didn't deserve it. If they did deserve it (and yes, sometimes people actually do deserve it), that's another tale, but my warning to all bloggers is to never deserve it; you know better than that. 🙂
So I'll ask this question: how do you decide when to ignore or react to negative feedback, and how do you do it? Let us know.


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Gosh, is there anybody still here that I know? Hi again. I have been on and off this forum since my first surgery in 2000. Long story short, I have had saggital imbalance since after my second surgery, it was not adequately fixed in the third and fourth surgeries, and has been getting progressively worse with extremely poor prognosis.
Last June I saw Dr. Lenke in St. Louis and I was SO impressed with him. I'm scheduled for two-stage surgery in March. I will be one week in hospital and one week in rehab. Having been through surgeries before, I kind of know what to expect, but being out of town for the surgery for two weeks is what's worrying me right now. The two people who have been my primary caregivers cannot go to St. Louis with me. I have a sister and a brother who may be able to be with me for part of the time. Neither one of them is a very experienced traveler (or caregiver) so right now I'm trying to figure out all the logistics for them. I will have them stay at the Parkway Hotel because it's so convenient.
Having been through so many surgeries, among other things the thought of traveling home just two weeks after surgery is daunting to me. The flight is about 1.5 hours, and I'm worried about how someone will be able to manage me in a wheelchair, the luggage, and the airport hassles.
There's quite a few of you who have had recent surgeries with Dr. Lenke. My pre-op is in 2.5 weeks and I'm allowing extra time to search everything out while I'm there. I would appreciate any tips or suggestions you may have. I want to organize the trip for my caregivers so I can concentrate on my surgery and not worry about them. We can correspond on the forum or via private email if you prefer. Thanks for any advice you can offer.
P.S. Dr. Lenke is using me for a video tutorial because my case will be "interesting." I figure he will be extra careful that way, no "oops" allowed on video!


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Uber has reached a settlement with 5,000 drivers who argue they were misclassified as independent contractors. The drivers were not covered by an arbitration agreement, though most drivers are now required to sign such an agreement before driving for the company. The agreement will pay $1.3 million to the drivers, or about $150 per driver on average after subtracting attorneys' fees and costs.
Senator Bernie Sanders continued his public attacks on Amazon, this time alleging it has interfered with efforts of Whole Foods employees to unionize. Senator Sanders was joined by Senator Elizabeth Warren in writing a letter to the company demanding an explanation for a leaked video that appeared to show managers making anti-union threats to Whole Foods employees.
The Labor Department's regulatory agenda for the next few months includes attempts to roll back the joint employer rule and changes to overtime pay. Franchise businesses like McDonald's have been pushing to overturn the Obama-era joint employer rule, which holds the parent corporation liable for the labor violations of the franchisee. However, Labor Department attempts to turn back the rule have been complicated by conflicts of interest at the NLRB.


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Search Results for: simeq
11 Outubro, 2018 by (Edit)
At FIL (Feira International Lisboa) the first fair exclusively dedicated to construction equipment took place on 15-06-2007. We were present at this fair and supported the organizers. Although, it was a new event , the outcome was very positive, because it was visited mainly by professionals in the construction sector. Our products with new design were very appreciated.


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A silent warrior stood alone
Waiting for what the night would show.
Glory of battle was fire in his head,
Love and sadness lived in his bed.
This lonesome warrior, none would know…
His death in battle, a glorious feat
And into Valhalla, he sits ´fore high seat.
Odin, and Thor, and Tyr too
Would sing with him until the night´s through.
And then into battle again he would go,
This lonesome warrior none would know.
(Andrea (Knicole) Seacris)


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Last weekend, my daughters and I had an early Father's day weekend and headed off to a local game convention called KublaCon. The only computers in sight were some older Apple PowerBook G3's that people were using to register for role-playing game sessions and a couple of other laptops here and there that some gamers were using as aids to the main game.
KublaCon is a pen-and-paper game convention. On hand were RPGs (such as Dungeons and Dragons, the Buffy RPG, Call of Cthulhu), card games (including collectible card games, like Magic: The Gathering), large-scale miniatures games and board games. I've been to this and similar events in the past, and usually spent a good part of the time playing with my daughters. This time, though, they both disappeared into several all-day RPGs, so I was left to my own devices. Here are a few photos of events I witnessed:
In the past several years, board games in particular have made a resurgence. Like PC and console games, the pen-and-paper games business goes through cycles. A few years ago, collectible card games were all the rage. More recently, collectible miniatures games like Mage Knight seemed to overrun the industry.
In the past couple of years, board games have captured a lot of attention, because of highly creative designs coming out of Europe, particularly Germany. The first game to really capture widespread appeal was Settlers of Catan by Klaus Teuber, But other games by Teuber, Richard Borg (Memoir 44), Alan Moon (Ticket to Ride), Reiner Knizia (Tigris and Euphrates) and others have garnered a wide audience.
These Eurogames, as they've been collectively called, sport very simple game mechanics, but often require in-depth strategic thinking. And while some are competitive, others require a degree of cooperation between players. The mechanics often seem highly abstract, and some old-school gamers have complained that they're just pure game mechanics wrapped up in pretty pain. My response: So what?
The Eurogame ethic has spread to more-complex titles as well, including remakes of old classics. (Who says that remakes are only for movies?) One example is , a remake of an old game with some updated mechanics. The most interesting part of Arkham Horror is that the point of the game is for the players to co-operate. While they do compete to complete events like closing otherworldly gates, if they don't work together, the world will end.
Interestingly, some board games are PC game conversions, like Age of Mythology, Doom, and Railroad Tycoon. This sort of completes a full circle.
Read more Opinion on ExtremeTech
I grew up on board games, particularly the Avalon Hill games of the seventies. Many of the early PC game designers came out of board games and pen-and-paper RPGs, and you can see that reflected in the nature of early computer games. But as the industry grew, in many cases electronic gaming diverged considerably from the board game ethic. Even as the controls may become simpler in most console games, the actual gameplay is often arduous, making it difficult for non-hard core gamers to pick up a game pad or mouse and "get into the game."
Maybe it's time the PC and console gamers pick up a few board games, like Settlers of Catan, Arkham Horror, Tigris and Euphrates and Caylus. It's surprising what can be learned from a few hours with a game that has simple mechanics, yet deep gameplay.
This Week on ExtremeTech
Summer is close at hand, and we've got lots of content for you as the weather warms up. This week, Jason Cross takes a look at a new way of doing SLI, while Loyd once again pursues his dream of getting high-fidelity music from his PC to his home theater system. Meanwhile, Victor Loh takes on four DVD burners. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will be pricey on the PC for some time to come, so most people will still be using DVD recordable drives for a while as the optical drive of choice for personal computers. And Jeremy Atkinson reviews yet another unique game controller.
Be sure to check out the and don't forget to watch the latest video from DL.TV with Patrick Norton and Robert Heron.


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That cheese-ball slinging, peculiar craft stitchin', hot fruit slurpin' superstar is coming to Dallas and tickets are officially on sale as of now.
Whether you adore her for her role as the underbite that launched a thousand detentions in Strangers With Candy or you pore over her freaky craft books (Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People and I Like You), you sense that there's something magical about that crazy woman. It's the kind of energy that we all want in our lives, and as of today you can scoot a little closer to it when you buy a ticket for her April 19 speaking engagement at the Kessler. Prices range from $25 for standing room only, to $500 VIP packages. Amy doesn't care where you sit, just as long as you like talking about squirrels, cheese and how to make a stuffed snake out of dryer lint.
Books will be available for purchase at the event, which is co-sponsored by Half Price Books and WordSpace.


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Friday, October 16, 2009
Carine Roitfeld
I did this polaroid of Carine Roitfeld at the show from Isabel Marant. She is always so nice and I was so happy that she posed for my picture!
Isabel Marant's collection was great! Fresh and sexy!
You can't imagine how many chocolate samples I ate today at the Salon du Chocolat. It was delicious!!!
I had the chance to see the finals of the World Chocolate Masters and admire the chocolate sculptures done by the winners! The theme was "Haute Couture" and I was amazed with the artwork!
The japonese chef Shigeo Hirai is the winner of 2009 and his sculpture is fabulous!!! (I wouldn't have corage to eat it! It is perfect!)
22 comments:
omg! fantastic!ReplyDelete
- Iryna StefanenkoOctober 17, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Aaaa!!! I want chocolate too!!! Did you get some for me?ReplyDelete
Carine looks great, very stylish and elegant! Cool shot!
Carine is AMAZING!!!! Vogue Paris is my favorite....their editorials trump American Vogue ANY day.ReplyDelete
OY! I love her SO MUCH.. sighReplyDelete
She looks fantastic!ReplyDelete
Carine Roitfeld AND chocolate?! What more do you need?! Fantastic shot, I heart this blog!ReplyDelete
wow, lucky you! what a glamour-filled day! love the polaroids!ReplyDelete
Carine's always great! As always, great picture!ReplyDelete
198, Butterfly: Design, Fashion, Art and Architecture:
French Vogue just always seems a bit more daring, a bit more adventurous than the American and English versions and I put it down to Carine! Could we please also have a picture of the chocolate sculpture!ReplyDelete
ohh i just adore that woman!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 18, 2009 at 7:18 AM
Chocolate & Carine R. :ReplyDelete
perfect combo to spend a day !
- AnonymousOctober 18, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Love her style.ReplyDelete
cool blog!!! :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 18, 2009 at 11:41 AM
CARINE is the greatest editor of the 21st century!love her.ReplyDelete
She looks amazing! I love to hear that she's nice cause i admire her so much!ReplyDelete
Ps thank you soooo much for your step by step guide to resolving my photo issue, i think you just may have solved my problem :)
she is so fantastic, i dont get sick of looking at her ever.ReplyDelete
Great picture! She looks from another world....ReplyDelete
Carine is so cool! Great one.ReplyDelete
Good and cool blog nice post thanks for share.ReplyDelete
love this photo! I cant believe she is leaving French Vogue! Devastating!ReplyDelete


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"A Secret Library"
Find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, or her website.
Anita Gadzińska, formerly known online as 'Mistrel,' is an artist, illustrator, and storyteller living in Holland. Most of her work is watercolor with Copic marker and gouache added and she favors a distinctly storybook-esque feel in her work that is the very definition of whimsical.
The best example of this whimsy would be her "Hamster's Adventures" series, which, as you can guess, follows a tiny hamster on a ton of adorable escapades through nature. It's precious and simple and clever, seeing the world through the hamster's eyes. It is a throwback to childhood when anything could be doll furniture and it just makes me happy.
There is fantasy in her pieces, often mixed into the everyday routines we take for granted; normal things become magical and magic fits in quite normally.
There are glimpses into secret worlds, silly and clever takes on everyday occurrences, and charming watercolor worlds to sweep us away. Her technique is perfect for a child's storybook, but artistic and relatable enough for anyone. (Disclaimer: I've got nothing against children's book illustrations and many of the artists I've featured here do them. I think they should all be relatable, but maybe some people are grumpier than I am.)


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This past Saturday, I ran in my first race in nearly a year. (Technically I participated a Turkey Trot with my family last Thanksgiving, but I didn't race it.)
Five friends signed up for the Hamptons Half Marathon and I registered for the accompanying 5K. Two lovely ladies joined us for the weekend and came out to cheer, so our group made eight in East Hampton.
When I signed up months ago, I was nervous I wouldn't make it to the starting line. I registered for so many races that I had to opt out of because of injury. It was a victory just to get to run and I felt elated to be there.
We got to the race early so that four of the half marathoners could run extra miles before the starting line in order to create 18-mile and 20-mile long training runs in prep for NYC Marathon. The weather was perfect, low 60s with lots of sunshine.
At 8am, after finishing the pre-runs, the half marathoners were off and I meandered toward the starting line for the 8:15am 5K gun time. I've been running a few times a week (usually 2 or 3) for a little over a month and the excitement of an actual, real race totally electrified me.
A comedic old man served as the race announcer. He made it clear that the 5K runners were the ugly step children of a race day that featured a Marathon, Half Marathon and a 5k. "There will only be gun time for this race. There will be no net time. Use your phone or something to calculate it. Look guys, there aren't so many of you. Just run there and come back."
I found his narration charming, and since I planned on using Strava anyway it made no difference to me. I was in such good mood as I waited to run 3.1 miles. The clock ticked toward 8:15am and I put on my headphones and cued up some Fetty Wap. I say it as a point of pride and embarrassment that I know every single word to "Trap Queen." I did a little dance to keep warm at the starting line.
When the gun went off, I started out too fast. I'm typically good at starting out slow and building momentum, but I was so excited for this first race, and plus Fetty had pumped me up. I hadn't run a 5K for time in a long time and wasn't sure how slow to start to get negative splits.
I don't typically talk about pace here but I think in this instance it helps tell the story. The first .5 mile I was running sub-8s. That is very, very fast for me. I wrestled internally about how long I could hold it for. The answer? Basically about the length of Trap Queen, twice. I continued on, still faster than expected but a more sustainable pace until I approached the turnaround.
I hadn't looked at the course map at all. My friend Katy ran the 5K last year and said it was flat, so I didn't bother to investigate further. I didn't know it was an out and back race until I saw a few speedsters running past me in the other direction as I approached the turnaround.
I still felt good, though I don't know how to switch directions without slowing down. Is it possible? Can someone explain?
On the way back, I saw a few runners a head of me and kept thinking, you don't need to pass them, keep doing what you're doing but before I knew it they were behind me.
I guess the speed caught up to me. At mile 2.7 I felt a gnarly stitch in my side. This used to happen a lot when I first started to run, but hadn't happened in recent years. Usually the pain comes when I start out too fast. I tried to keep going but I started to feel my legs stiffen. I slowed down for a second to a walk and then I stood still and stretched my hands over my head for a moment, but not more. I was so close and really wanted to power through. I couldn't go as fast as before but with such a short distance left, I tried not to slow too much.
Eventually I made the final turn to the finishing line – with my fastest 5K time yet. Then I keeled over and my stomach pain finally went away.
I met up with my spectating friends and we went out to cheer for the half marathoners. All in all a fantastic race day experience!


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Call of Duty WWII update 1.03 is now rolling out on PS4. The Call of Duty WWII version 1.03 size is around 70MB. The game is now playable for those with early copies.
Recently, big update 1.02 was also released on consoles. However, there is no official word on these updates.
For those who have the game pre-ordered and pre-loaded digitally, the game is still locked until midnight local time on November 3. The Call of Duty WW 2 game will launch on November 3 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.


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Trading Conditions Adjustment Towards Brexit Vote on December 11th 2018
FXOptimax will raise the margin requirement for all GBP pairs by 10 times, anticipating any possible market volatility on Brexit vote on December 11th 2018.
This measurement will be commenced prior to the vote. Please monitor your trading account and take any necessary adjustment to ensure you have enough margin for your trades.
If you have any question, please feel free to contact us. Please also monitor the news section in our website for further updates.
Category: FXOptimax News EN


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Bella Thorne Says She's Nothing Like Her 'Famous In Love' Character
Ever wonder what it feels like to become famous overnight? That's what happens to college student Paige Townsen (Bella Thorne) in Freeform's Famous In Love after she is cast in a young adult movie adaptation and becomes an overnight Hollywood sensation.
The drama—based on its own YA series by Rebecca Serle—is executive produced by Pretty Little Liars' mastermind I. Marlene King. And while there likely won't be as much blood-soaked drama on this series, we're looking forward to seeing Paige juggle her career, school work, friends and multiple love interests. The series premieres on April 18 (right after the return of PLL) and will air weekly, but beginning Tuesday, all 10 episodes of the series will be available to binge on Freeform.com, the Freeform app, On Demand and Hulu.
TV Insider spoke to Thorne about taking center stage as Paige and what's to come.
How did this show come about?
I read the book, and I loved the book. I was only like 14 or 15—I was still on Shake It Up—and I was like, 'Hey, let's make this into a show.' So my manager—Ashley Benson is one of his clients—and he knew Marlene would be perfect for this, so he asked through her. And then like three years later—boom—we have a show.
How was it working with King?
Marlene's amazing. I'm so excited that she wrote the show. She's such an inspiration to work with. She connects things that you didn't even think were possible.
What's your character Paige like?
Paige is warm-hearted, very put-together and doesn't want to make any mistakes. She really worries about what her parents think of her and wants to finish school. She's an econ major. She's basically your typical good girl.
7 Disney Channel Child Stars Who Are Still Dominating TV
Do you relate to her at all, especially considering your own rise to fame?
I don't really relate to her all that much, to be honest. We're just very different. There are some parts, of course, that we've both experienced when going through the rise in fame. People thinking that she is something that she's not, or if she's photographed with somebody and it gets turned into this big scandal.
What are the biggest differences between you and Paige?
Oh god, like everything! Literally everything. I've never played a character that I've been more different from, besides my character in Midnight Sun [Thorne's upcoming film, coming out this August.] and she has this real, one-in-a-million disease where you can't go out in the sun or you'll die.
What's Paige up against in terms of love interests? There seems to be quite a few.
Well, obviously you have Carter Jenkins, Charlie DePew and Keith Powers [playing film star Rainer Devon, Paige's pal Jake Salt and Devon's rival Jordan Wilder], and basically Paige has to choose—mainly between Jake and Rainer. Rainer sweeps her off her feet. He's the wine-and-dine kind of guy who treats her like a princess. On the other side though, Jake is her best friend who has been with her her whole life, so it's a really hard choice for Paige.
What was your favorite thing about shooting this season?
My favorite I would say is when you start see Paige and Rainer get closer. Every second when they're on screen together, you're kind of just waiting for them to make out. Carter and I have a lot of chemistry. When we're together in a scene, sparks fly. So, it's really cool in that way when you're watching it like, 'Oh my god, can you guys just get together already?'
Also, Keith has a really cool storyline as Jordan. His is the more f–ked up storyline on the show, I would say. The more you uncover it, the more you're just like, 'Woah, are you serious right now?'
5 Young Adult Novels That Would Make Great TV Shows
Did you always intend on playing Paige? Or were there any other female characters you were interested in?
No, it was always Paige for me, but we have some lovely characters, obviously. Niki [Koss], her role as Alexis, she gets to do so much fun sh-t and gets to be super funny on the show. Of course, when you're the lead character you can't really step outside the comfort zone because people will maybe not like the character as much, and so you have to be very clean and proper with your character. That kind of sucks a little bit because I like playing characters that shock people.
What do you think about the way the episodes are being rolled out?
I think it's great because I love to binge watch, but I don't think it's great in the way that it'll bring down our viewer ratings. If everybody's going to be bingeing it, not a lot of people will be watching it live. That worries me a little bit. I want it to do well. I want people to really like the show, of course. For the most part, being binge-able is awesome. That's what people do now. That's what I do. I don't watch shows every week. So, it's much better in my opinion, if you're into that.
What are you bingeing right now that you're obsessed with?
We just started binge watching 13 Reasons Why! It's really good.
Famous In Love, Series Premiere Tuesday, April 18, 9/8c on Freeform


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Business Directory
Exploration Kids Therapy
Health Services
- 234 N. Main Street Suite 1-A Gunnison CO 81230
- (970) 641-2908
- (970) 639-4480
- Send Email
- Visit Website
Mon - Wed, 9 AM - 7 PM.
Thurs, 8 AM - 6 PM.
About Us
We partner with families, medical professionals, and educators to unlock the full potential of every child! At Exploration Kids Therapy, we evaluate and treat for many things including language, balance, feeding, motor skills, developmental delays, learning disabilities, sensory processing, speech issues, autism spectrum, ADD/ADHD and more. Our speech and occupational therapists are specialty trained in the field of Pediatric Therapy. Their expertise, education, and experience makes them particularly equipped to meet the specific needs of your child.


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An Accurate Forecast
Freely download the report, including charts, by clicking here.
Our prediction of more frequent recessions in developed economies has come to pass, with major economies experiencing additional recessionary downswings since the global financial crisis.
Over five and a half years ago, before the Lehman Brothers failure, we argued that U.S. trend growth had been stair-stepping down in successive expansions since the 1970s. A key implication is that cyclical downturns in growth would have more chance of becoming recessions.
We now have confirmation that this has already happened, and there is little reason to believe it is over. ECRI's April 2014 International Cyclical Outlook included a "focus" section describing how more frequent recessions in the developed economies are already a reality.


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Map of the local innovation industry.
Meet some of the best and newest startups based in New York.
Data as a service.
Simple, custom web scraping tools for researchers, growth hackers, marketing & sales teams.
Air-miles for Restaurants
Tabtrack is a mobile app that rewards you for eating at restaurants. Users earn 5% back on any meal, and can use points earned to get free food anywhere in the Tabtrack network of restaurants. Restaurants can also blast out live, geo-targeted "blackboard" specials ...
Bonuses that Actually Work
Bonusly enables companies to leverage the wisdom of the crowd to recognize, reward, and retain their employees. In addition to facilitating peer-to-peer bonuses, Bonusly leverages the data created by employees to generate useful and actionable insights about ...
The referral community
Invitation App is a social network where people post their referral codes and collect rewards on autopilot.


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Specialty Areas
Kidney Transplantation
Education and Experience
BA: Capital University, 1982; MD: Ohio State University, 1986; Intern: University of North Carolina, 1986-7; Resident: University of North Carolina, 1987-9; Chief Resident: University of North Carolina, 1989-90; Nephrology Fellow: University of North Carolina, 1990-2; Clinical Instructor in Internal Medicine: University of North Carolina,1989-90; Director, Transplant Nephrology: East Carolina University, 1995-2002; Program Director, Nephrology Fellowship Program: East Carolina University, 1995-2002; Professor of Medicine: University of North Carolina, 2002-Present; Director: University of North Carolina Transplant Nephrology Program 2004-present.
Clinical and Research Interests
Dr. Detwiler's interests include all clinical aspects of kidney transplantation with particular emphasis on BK virus nephropathy, transplant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and promotion of kidney donation. His research efforts are directed toward the study of these clinical topics as well as investigation of the mechanisms involved in acute and chronic renal transplant injury and possible prevention and treatment strategies to minimize this process.
Selected Bibliography
Detwiler, RK, Hogan S, Falk RJ, Jennette JC: Collapsing glomerulopathy: A clinically and pathologically distinct variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Kidney Intern 45:1416-1424, 1994.
Watterson MK, Detwiler, RK, Bolin P: Clinical response to prolonged corticosteroids in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus associated nephrology. Am J Kidney Dis 29(4):626-629, 1997.
Detwiler RK, Singh HK, Bolin P, Jennette JC: Cytomegalovirus-induced necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis in renal transplant patient. Am J Kidney Dis 32(5):820-824, 1998.
Detwiler RK, Hogan SL, Falk RJ, Jennette JC: Collapsing glomerulopathy: a distinctive clincal and pathologic entity. JASN 3(3):310, 1992.
Jennette JC, Detwiler RK, Hogan SL, Falk RJ: Collapsing glomerulopathy: a malignant form of focal glomerular sclerosis in native and allograft kidneys. Lab Invest 68(1):117A, 1993.
Detwiler RK, Hogan SL, Falk RJ, Jennette JC: Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) in renal transplant patients: recurrence and do novo occurrence. JASN 7(9):1331, 1996


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Do you need cash for a much-needed holiday? Or funds to tie you over in emergency situations? In life, there'll be times when we find ourselves needing to apply for personal loans for various reasons – an intimidating proposition for those who have never done it before. But whilst the process of obtaining a loan from bank might seem complicated, it is, in fact, surprisingly simple. Here are a few easy steps to guide you through the process:
Making a Decision to Obtain a Personal Loan
Before you apply for your loan, you should probably assess your personal financial situation. First, calculate exactly how much you need to borrow, then work out the total repayment amount by adding the principle loan amount to the interest. When you're done, divide the total repayment amount by the loan period to get an estimated monthly repayment amount. And finally, compare this figure against your monthly income to see if you could afford to borrow the money for that amount, at such a rate and for that number of months.
Researching the Options
Once you've ascertained that you could afford the loan, conduct research on the various options that are available. If you have a particular bank in mind, visit its website for details. Alternatively, comparison websites are an easy option to finding a variety of lenders and all the details pertaining to the loans that they offer. Sometimes, comparison websites even have reviews and tips for the different banks.
Getting the Required Documents Ready
Before you proceed to apply for a personal loan, make sure you have all the necessary documents ready. If you are a salaried employee, the bank will usually require the following, along with the application form:
● A copy of your government issued identity document or permanent resident documentation
● A copy of your current payslip. If you do not receive payslips, a copy of your bank statement indicating your salary deposit or Form BE indicating tax receipt of payment, or EA / EPF statement.
If you are self-employed, the bank will usually request the following documents, along with the application form:
● A copy of your government issued identity document or permanent resident documentation
● Copies of your business registration documents or certificates
● A copy of your most recent Form BE indicating tax receipt of payment.
This is simply a list of the basic documentation that may be required. The bank may require further documents from you prior to the approval of the loan.
Completing the Application
Now that you are ready to apply for your loan, proceed to visit a bank or undertake an online application if the bank offers such facilities. Time for loan approval will vary from bank to bank and is dependent on a number of factors. Generally, you'll attain approval quicker if you already have an account with the bank and have a solid credit history.
Prior to the signing of the loan agreement, do read the terms and conditions to ascertain the amount, the loan period, the monthly repayment amount, the agreed interest rate, and any other administration charges that may apply. Also, you'll want to take note of the monthly repayment date. Throughout the entire loan period, you'll need to make sure you have sufficient funds in your bank account on that date every month.
This article is brought to you by iMoney.my - Malaysia's best money comparison site, offering you free and independent comparisons for financial products such as personal loans, credit cards, house loans and car loans.


text: What's a summer festival without buttery popcorn, delicious hot dogs, piled high ice cream cones and more? This year we're expecting 5,000 people to indulge in these classic treats and specialty fare to satisfy their appetites and wet their whistle while enjoying a fun day in the sun. Vendors, it's time to get your food and beverage business out there at the Oasis Fun Fest! You don't want to miss this summer event in Florida's capitol city. Business will be booming! Click here to apply to become an official Fun Fest vendor.


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Ashley On The Cover Of 17 MagazineMay 20th, 2010 | By Krystal | Category: Featured Articles, Movie News
Ashley Green is the cover girl of the June/July issue of Seventeen Magazine! You can head on over to their site for more pics and quotes from the upcoming article. Below is a behind-the-scenes video of Ashley's photo shoot!
"In Twilight and New Moon, Alice acts so human it's easy to forget she's a vampire. By Eclipse, she begins to show a darker side because — regardless of her demeanor — she's still an animal, and she'll do absolutely anything to protect her family."


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The surviving members of the most recent lineup of legendary US metal pioneers RIOT are back and are set to release a brand new studio album, 'Unleash The Fire', on Steamhammer / SPV on October 27th. The album will be unleashed as a digipak CD with one bonus track, a double gatefold coloured blue vinyl version, also with one bonus track (and the CD in a cardboard sleeve), plus as a standard jewel case CD and download.
'Unleash The Fire', the follow up to 2011's reunion record 'Immortal Soul', is the first release from the band without the late great founding guitarist Mark Reale, who finally lost his life long battle with Crohns disease in 2012. The band were encouraged at the request of Mark and the Reale estate to forge ahead in his honour, to keep the music and spirit of RIOT alive, and have dedicated this new offering to him.
'Unleash The Fire' promises to please fans of the 'Thundersteel' era of RIOT, as main song writer and long-time Reale music collaborator Don Van Stavern does much of the writing - as he did on 'Thundersteel' and 'The Privilege of Power'. Don is joined by long time RIOT band mate, song writer and Reale's guitar partner of over 20 years Mike Flyntz, to create what they feel is something they are proud to call a RIOT record, with which Reale would have readily concurred.
RIOT V's lineup also features new vocalist Todd Michael Hall (Burning Starr, Reverence), RIOT's Army Of One drummer Frank Gilchriest (Virgin Steele, Liege Lord), plus virtuoso guitarist Nick Lee, a former Mike Flyntz guitar student. The continuing members decided to alter the name to RIOT V to mark the fifth chapter of the band's long history, as well as Todd Michael Hall being the group's fifth singer.
Bursting out of New York City at the end of the Seventies with three ground-breaking albums in succession, 'Rock City' (Capital), 'Narita' (Capital) and 'Fire Down Under' (Elektra), featuring vocalist Guy Sperenza, and then another iconic period with 'Restless Breed' (Elektra) and 'Born In America', featuring vocalist Rhett Forrester, RIOT quickly became one of the biggest cult metal bands in the world. Stunning performances in the UK at the first ever Castle Donington Festival in 1980 with Rainbow & Scorpions, and Port Vale supporting Ozzy Osbourne the following year, plus support slots with the likes of Sammy Hagar, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Rush and Kiss cemented their reputation as the hottest ticket to see.
With the Eighties developing into a metal-fest, a new-look new-sound RIOT bounced back, transforming from an edgy hard rock band into a power metal assault. Guitarist
Mark Reale recruited metal bassist Don Van Stavern (S.A. Slayer) and collaborated
on songs for the widely-acclaimed release 'Thundersteel' (1988). Reale and Van Stavern joined vocalist Tony Moore, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and Mark's guitar cohort, Mike Flyntz who completed the twin axe attack. RIOT was reborn, and followed 'Thundersteel' two years later with the jaw-dropping conceptual album 'The Privilege Of Power' featuring an elite list of guest performers.
With the departure of Van Stavern and Moore, Reale shifted gears with a new look RIOT featuring vocalist Mike Dimeo, bassist Pete Perez and drummer Frank Gilchriest. This line up released RIOT's "Army Of One" album and toured regularly, but eventually, following many industry, media and fan requests for the reformation of the legendary 'Thundersteel' and 'Privilege of Power' power metal line-up, Reale contacted former members and the plan was put into action!
RIOT's classic 'Thundersteel' line-up reformed for a limited reunion in 2009 and delivered another ground breaking disc 'Immortal Soul', released on Steamhammer / SPV in November 2011. Classic Rock Society reviewed the album in their Jan / Feb 2012 issue, stating that "This is classic Riot and as good as anything they did back in their glory years such is their enthusiasm and energy. This is no mere cash in on an established trademark but a continuation and extension of a glorious career and shows that they have much to offer for many years to come. Aspiring new bands should listen to 'Immortal Soul' and set their yardstick against it and if they can get even half way as good then they will be special indeed."
Already in 2014, this new onslaught of RIOT V have already headlined sold out shows in Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain, headlined the Headbangers Open Air, Metal Assault and Metal Apocalypse festivals, plus played special guest slots at the Bang Your Head festival with Twisted Sister & Anthrax, and Metal Days festival with Megadeth & Volbeat.
RIOT have had a tumultuous history of member, label and management changes throughout the band's 30 plus year career, but one thing's for sure; a band's longevity is through good music, and if this new record is any proof, they will be around for many more years to come.
Legendary US metal outfit Riot have signed to SPV/Steamhammer to release their brand new studio album "Immortal Soul" on November 14th. 'Immortal Soul' sees TONY MOORE, MARK REALE, DON VAN STAVERN and BOBBY JARZOMBEK – the line-up responsible for the band's hugely acclaimed 'Thundersteel' (1988) and 'The Privilege Of Power' (1990) albums – re-united once more, together with MIKE FLYNTZ who as the additional live guitarist helped bring these two acclaimed albums to life on stage.
Few bands deserve to be talked about in such revered terms as RIOT. Bursting through from New York City at the end of the Seventies with three ground-breaking albums on the trot ('Rock City', 'Narita' and 'Fire Down Under') RIOT quickly became one of the biggest cult metal bands in the world. Stunning performances in the UK at the first ever Castle Donington Festival in 1980 and Port Vale the following year, and support slots with SAMMY HAGAR in Europe and AC/DC in the United States cemented their reputation as the hottest ticket to see. With line-up changes knocking their momentum and the Eighties developing into a Thrashfest a new-look RIOT bounced back in 1988 with the widely-acclaimed 'Thundersteel'. Although the faces might have looked unfamiliar, with only guitarist MARK REALE now left from the band's formative years, the aggression and musicianship remained unrivalled and unchallengeable. With TONY MOORE's distinctive vocals, the muscle and might of bassist DON VAN STAVERN and drummer BOBBY JARZOMBEK powering the songs along, and Reale's precision playing RIOT were reborn, and followed 'Thundersteel' two years later with the jaw-dropping 'The Privilege Of Power', an inspiring and at times truly epic album. However, by this time the music world was turning into a very different place, and RIOT found themselves struggling against a tide of apathy. Reale continued to guide the ship through the next two decades, delivering albums of consistent, quality metal, culminating in 2006's 'Army Of One' – a true statement of intent, as if one were needed.
But now the army of one is an army of five once more as RIOT's classic 'Thundersteel' and 'Privilege…' line-up has re-united, adding guitarist MIKE FLYNTZ who played in the live band at that time. RIOT are justifiably proud of their upcoming release. As bassist DON VAN STAVERN says: "'Immortal Soul' picks up where 'Thundersteel' left off, 20 years later! It has the same intensity, creativeness and passion that we put into our music. It's another ball buster and I can't wait to unleash it on the masses." Guitarist MIKE FLYNTZ is equally as enthusiastic. "I have been performing the songs from the 'Thundersteel' era for over 21 years. It has been an honour to write and record 'Immortal Soul' with Tony, Don, Bobby, and Mark. I am very proud of my contribution to this record and also very proud to play along with such inspirational musicians. I hope everyone enjoys this album as much as I do." For drummer BOBBY JARZOMBEK, "'Immortal Soul' is a special record for me because in all the years that I've been playing and recording various projects, I've never been completely involved in any other CD from the very first day of writing, to the very last day of mixing. I'm really looking forward to the live shows, and including some new 'Immortal Soul' songs into the set along with the Riot classics!" Founding member and guitarist MARK REALE, who has been RIOT's guiding force since the band released 'Rock City' over thirty years ago, is quick to pay tribute to vocalist TONY MOORE's input. "To me, the close collaboration with each of our vocalists has always been the decisive aspect in any RIOT release. That's why it was absolutely inspiring for me at the studio that Tony directly took up many of my ideas and translated them brilliantly, or contributed his own suggestions from which our songs benefited greatly. He is simply the perfect RIOT frontman!" And as TONY MOORE himself points out, "It's been nearly a quarter of a century since the five of us assembled in New York to create 'Thundersteel' and 'The Privilege Of Power', and the music world couldn't be more different. The internet led us not only to discover that those albums had taken a special place in the history of metal, but also put us back in touch – and the result is 'Immortal Soul', an album that is100% true to the legacy of those 1980s recordings. It's also packed with evidence of how we've all grown and changed as artists. It was recorded in five studios, in three different cities, and it's absolutely a product of the most important changes in the recording industry over the last 20 years. We're looking forard to sharing the details with our fans and friends around the world, along with the music. Enjoy!"


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Ages Appropriate for ages 1 1/2 - 4
Purpose Supporting and understanding child led play, 'tuning in' to what your child does with different, everyday items; being present; watch and wonder…
In this activity, once your child is engaged it's valuable to simply be there, to watch and allow your child to lead the play and conversation.
We'd love to see your creations and home based play! Share with us on Facebook at @yrfamilies #YarraRangesPlay
You can contact the YRC Family & Children's Services team on 1300 368 333 or by email at email@example.com
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text: Sven Feldmann is currently Associate Professor of Economics at Melbourne Business School, and visiting research professor at INSEAD. He teaches in the MBA, Executive MBA and Senior Executive MBA programs at MBS and the MBA program at INSEAD. His research focuses on microeconomics, game theory, political economics, industrial economics, market design, public management, decision making. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard and Masters in economics from the University of Zurich.


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It's admittedly the smallest of trades that will almost certainly have zero impact on the Montreal Canadiens roster this upcoming season. Still, the trade that saw the Habs acquire Hunter Shinkaruk for Kerby Rychel could represent more of a far-reaching shift in philosophy for the better within the organization. Emphasis on the "could."
Shinkaruk vs. Rychel
To be clear, Shinkaruk isn't so much an upgrade over Rychel as the trade-and-sign is a lateral move. Technically, with Rychel having been selected five picks earlier in the first round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, it might even be a downgrade. Regardless, the move itself is inconsequential. It's the bigger picture at which you may want to look.
Both players are waiver-eligible and fringe NHLers. Rychel, who had yet to re-sign with the Habs, would have been hard-pressed to make the Habs out of training camp. It would have meant him earning a roster spot at the expense of the likes of Matthew Peca or Nikita Scherbak, which wasn't going to happen. The same is true of Shinkaruk.
Considering the size and reported grit discrepancy between the two (Rychel is listed at 6-foot-1, 207 pounds; Shinkaruk at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds), Rychel may have even had more of a shot than Shinkaruk does to earn a bottom-six role. That's all that would have been left.
That may even be true of a top-six spot, however unlikely it is either of them end up earning one from here on out. Rychel has 14 points in 41 NHL games, including two in four games with the Habs last year after having been acquired in the Tomas Plekanec trade. Shinkaruk has just four in 15 up to this point in his career.
If it's any consolation to concerned Habs fans, Shinkaruk has earned the better American Hockey League season between the two, scoring 51 points in 62 games in 2015-16. No need to worry though, as Rychel is about to join his fourth NHL team already. The Habs will be Shinkaruk's third. Obviously, neither has established themselves as an NHL regular. It's unlikely they will, hence the air of mystery surrounding the move.
Bigger Isn't Necessarily Better
Giving up a bigger player with better numbers is a curious decision by Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin. If one were to overanalyze and look deeper, it could signify an end of an era within the organization, where size no longer dictates the inherent value of a player…
…That or the Habs simply wanted more organizational depth down the middle, with Shinkaruk listed as being able to play each of the three forward positions, while Rychel is a left-winger. That's probably the most logical explanation for the move.
It still doesn't take away from the fact that, without a gun to their heads, the Habs are giving up the bigger forward, with more NHL success, however slight, to his name. At the end of the day, it's far from a seismic shift in philosophy. That's especially true as the Habs were last significantly impacted by said philosophy when they picked Michael McCarron over fellow-right-winger Ryan Hartman, coincidentally at the same 2013 draft.
It is nonetheless a move in the right direction for the new NHL, where speed and mobility is emphasized to a larger degree. That isn't to say size is bad, but given a choice between big and fast, all else being equal, you choose fast. And all else is pretty much equal in this trade.
As such, it amounts to little more than a baby step in that right direction, considering both are 23-year-olds who may never even make the NHL on a permanent basis. It's nevertheless clear the Habs need a Shinkaruk more than a Rychel in this day and age, even if it's not this particular one.
After 10 years of writing hockey, Ryan decided it was as good a time as any to actually join The Hockey Writers for the 2014-15 season. Having appeared as a guest on such programs as CBC Radio One's Daybreak, Ryan has also written for the Montreal Gazette and Bleacher Report and worked for the NHL itself and his hometown Montreal Canadiens. He currently writes about all things Habs for THW, with it being a career highlight for him to have covered the 2021 Stanley Cup Final as a credentialed member of the press.


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"Primary Colours" © Johanne Morin
Name: Johanne Morin
Bio: Johanne Morin was born and grew up in Quebec, Canada, dedicating herself to sports before opting for a more reliable future. She studied Computer Science, and has a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Ottawa.
In the year 2000, Johanne moved with her husband to Texas in search of a warmer climate. The move kick-started a change in direction as she rediscovered her long-lost love of art. (Something of a late starter, as she puts it - she finished her first painting a few months short of her 40th birthday.) She has taken classes and workshops with local and internationally recognised artists. Johanne has worked with pastels, wood burning and wood sculpture and has won awards in each medium, including 1st place awards in both Still Life and in Landscape for her pastels. She paints from life as much as possible working mostly alla prima.
Johanne now lives in Mahopac, New York. In 2012 she joined the Lower Hudson Valley Plein Air Painting (LHVPAP) group.
Medium: Pastel; oil
Subjects: Landscape ; still life; figurative.
Style: Representational to impressionistic. Johanne says that she enjoys exploring two different approaches in her artwork. The "left-brain" approach is careful and analytical. The "right brain" approach, on the other hand, sometimes takes her by surprise. Her ultimate goal is to be able to combine the two approaches: right-brain adventurous creativity informed by left-brain knowledge of form and execution.
Navigation: Main menu remains available at all times at top and bottom of page.
Gallery: Paintings: Pastels; Oil. Archive Pastels; Oil.
Image View: Thumbnails are labelled, and enlarge on mouseover. They can be saved, if you hold down the left mouse button and drag the thumbnail over to the enlarged image – it will then not shut down once the mouse is moved off it, and you can right click on the enlarged image to save it.
Blog: Yes – but it is an oil painting blog so far, mostly plein air, not pastel
Demo: No


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Bob Bain
Big Historian
"New Orleans, Louisiana montage" by Infrogmation (talk). Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
Have you ever found yourself explaining your passions and enthusiasms to other people? Well, I have.
Indeed, over the last five years I have explained my excitement about big history and the Big History Project to different audiences in multiple venues, literally across the globe. I have talked to teachers, administrators, parents, students, historians, scientists, and the public at large at conferences and workshops, in classrooms and offices, on the radio, the internet and over the phone, and through newspaper articles and publications.
I'm about to give another talk at the National Council for the Social Studies on Friday November 13, and thought I could take a few minutes to rehearse with you, my fellow BHP friends.
So why big history?
In 1991 David Christian explained that "big history" was "the exploration of the past on all these different scales, up to the scale of the universe itself." Thirteen years later he explained this intellectual journey "persuaded us that beneath the awesome diversity and complexity of modern knowledge, there is an underlying unity and coherence . . . an astonishing power to any story that attempts to grasp reality whole."
In those few sentences, David both explains what makes his history "big" and why it is an important and necessary intellectual project. Certainly the almost six million viewers of David's TED talk offers evidence for the "astonishing power" of this story.
As a teacher in public schools for over forty years, twenty-six of them in a public high school, I think big history's effort to help students make meaning of the fragments and pieces of the "stuff" they encounter in their schools and daily lives is critical. David's compelling origin story is generative since it can help students make connections among and between other stories vying for their attention.
However, despite its elegance and coherence, or likely because of its elegance and coherence, for students and teachers this story alone is not enough. If it were, then David's TED talk or his video lectures would be sufficient for our students.
What makes the Big History Project so important is the value it has added to make big history so accessible and effective for students in so many different schools.
So, why the Big History Project?
Teachers understand that no story, even a story well told, is automatically accessible to students. Nor can a story, even a compelling one, automatically help students deepen their thinking, enhance their reading and writing skills, challenge their misconceptions, entice them to become active learners, help them build connections across content, or develop their capacity to become critical consumers of knowledge. Nor can any story automatically support teachers in achieving such goals for their students.
BHP was created to grapple with these instructional questions. And BHP's design partners—teachers actively teaching, refining and sharing their teaching—have made a self-improving curriculum to effectively manage each of those challenges.
Simply put, BHP goes beyond helping students learn a big history narrative. It provides students the opportunities to actually do big history. It invites them to join into the intellectual work of asking big and important questions, seeking out evidence to analyze and evaluate, and then apply historical and scientific concepts to develop their own narratives, arguments and explanations. And BHP, through its active community of teachers and scholars, provides teachers with the resources, activities, and support needed to fit the curriculum to their specific context.
Over a very short time, BHP has demonstrated its ability to help enhance adolescent literacy, keep learners engaged, support under-resourced schools, and provide effective, just-in-time professional development. I do not have enough space to list all the ways BHP has accomplished this, though the investigations, lexile-leveled texts, consistent instructional routines, and a vibrant and dynamic community of teachers focused on student learning are among the most important.
The main reason I am so enthusiastic about BHP is the improvements we are seeing in students' writing and the praise and criticism we are getting from teachers—criticism that enables BHP to continue to improve.
And, why now?
As a historian, I have some ideas to explain why at this moment in time large scale projects like big history and BHP are becoming so popular but you will have to wait for another blog post.
Or, come to my session at NCSS 2015 in New Orleans, Why Big History? Why Now? The Case for Adding a "Big" Picture and Literacy Practices to History, Friday November 13 at 3:20 p.m. in the Ernest N. Memorial Convention Center Room 211.
Also look for the Big History Project team, fellow teachers, free posters and more at Booth 805 in the exhibit hall. Can't make it? Keep your eye on blog.bighistoryproject.com and follow us on Twitter (@BigHistoryPro) for live posts from the conference.


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Your Treatment - Your Choice
The patient is the most important part of any treatment plan. We listen. Only the patient knows how their condition is affecting them. Then, after a comprehensive clinical evaluation we use our specialist experience to evaluate all of the available options and create a treatment plan.
In doing so, we make sure that all patients understand the underlying problem and the implications and nature of the operation, if required. By being part of the decision making about whether an operation is needed, the patient becomes part of the team, making informed choices for themselves at every stage.
Being Referred to Mr Smith
There are a variety of ways you can obtain treatment:
- Patients can make direct contact with Sue Misir, Evert Smith's medical secretary.
- Patients can obtain a referral from a general practitioner (GP) or a specialist colleague.
- Upon receipt of a referral, Sue Misir would then make direct contact with the patient.
Appointment and Clinic Locations
Appointments are arranged at the most convenient clinic for the patient at one of the following locations:
- Spire Bristol Hospital, Redland, Bristol
- The Lister Hospital, London SW1W
Patients will receive written confirmation of an appointment and the location, along with information about Evert Smith, including fees. Maps and directions are also available, if required.
What Happens at Consultation?
The consultation is the time when the surgeon finds out as much detail as possible about the patient's problems. Allergies, medications and relevant past medical history are taken before a thorough examination is performed. Radiographs are then taken to confirm the findings of the clinical evaluation. Further investigations, such as an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan, may be required prior to creating a management plan.
Your Treatment Plan
A treatment plan is drawn up with the patient, based on the clinical evaluation. Once a management plan has been formulated, whether non operative or operative, the strategy is explained in full.
Consequences and complications of orthopaedic care are always discussed in detail. Any questions or concerns that the patient may have about treatment, rehabilitation, different implants, hospital stay, recovery, returning home, work and recreational activities are fully discussed.
At every stage patients are given as much information as possible about their treatment and this continues throughout the duration of care.
Different Types of Hip Surgery
Total hip arthroplasty or total hip replacement remains the cornerstone for treatment of arthritis. The following provide detailed information on all types of hip surgery:
- Primary hip replacement - including hip surgery in the young patient
- Resurfacing hip replacement
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Complex and revision hip surgery


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Title: Syberia 2
Available on: PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows Mobile, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, OS X
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Microïds
Publisher: Microïds
Genre: Graphic Adventure, Puzzle
Official Site: https://www.syberia.microids.com/EN/collection/syberia-2
Release Date: (for the Switch) November 30, 2017
Where to Buy it: Nintendo eShop, Steam, Google Play, App Store
Taking place right where Syberia left off, Syberia 2 follows the lawyer turned explorer, Kate Walker, on her voyage after she deserted her normal life waiting for her in New York City and joined the strange elderly man, Hans Volarberg, in pursuit of his life-long dream. Finding the ancient land of Syberia has been in Hans' mind ever since he fell down and went into a coma as a little boy, resulting in a rather odd obsession with Mammoths. Kate and Oscar–Hans' Automaton–are tasked with helping the man fulfill his dream, whatever the cost.
Exactly like the first Syberia, the second installment is a graphic adventure, puzzle game. You're required to solve a variety of different puzzles, ranging from relatively easy to hard. The problem is: the puzzles that you find yourself struggling with are usually grounded in experiences, places, texts, or people you previously encountered. This wouldn't be a problem normally, as it forces you to pay close attention to your surroundings. The first Syberia was successful in this area. Unfortunately, Syberia 2 isn't. For example, the last puzzle requires you to find information on the ark, except the canvas that displays this information can be missed easily if you don't search high and wide for it. Thinking I already looked at everything important from the ark, I continued on my way, resulting in me running back and forth for a frustrating amount of time before stumbling upon the canvas. That brings me to another point: some pieces of a puzzle are awkwardly placed for you to find, in areas where it would've made more sense to be somewhere else. I'm just glad that hints like these (as badly placed as they are) are readily available for you to find, while others aren't.
Where hints are readily available in Syberia, there is an instance in Syberia 2 where you'll find that there's literally no way of solving the puzzle unless you guess it right (e.g. the mechanical horse puzzle). That is not how a puzzle should be designed. You shouldn't have to twiddle with a bunch of tubes and dials until you solve the riddle (there are a lot of possible combinations!) because it ends up ruining the whole experience that a puzzle game should be focused on: presenting hints in a way that makes sense, and having you–the player–use those hints to solve the enigma. The whole process ends up becoming a frustrating mess when the game presents no logical solution.
The story, like Syberia, is a delightful treat that I enjoyed thoroughly as I traversed the wild terrain of the ancient land of Syberia. New characters, challenges, and environments press you forward as you and your companions get closer and closer to your destination. The graphics, especially for the time the game was made, help bring this story to life. The script for Syberia 2 feels off at some points, though, but I wasn't expecting it to be extraordinary after my experience with the first installment's writing. It's improved, I'll give it that. Story matters in a game like this, but how one presents this story is just as important.
One aspect of the story that bothers me is the final conflict with Ivan, the little creep who kidnaps Hans and Oscar. Kate finds out that Ivan survived the Yukol Village incident and somehow stows himself away on the ark without her or Hans noticing. Besides him stowing away without being caught being unrealistic, I don't think Ivan reappearing makes sense in regards to the overall narrative. The area you reach when you're forced overboard by Ivan is cool to look at and play through–with all the penguins and such–but doesn't make any sense. What's the point? You're only there for like five minutes. Ivan is already dead in your mind at that point in the game, so your final encounter with him doesn't elicit a significant enough response to merit it being included in the first place.
A lot of reviews bash on the Syberia series for how short the games are and how they lack replayability. The length of the game presents only one issue in my mind: if it were longer, then the side plot revolving around Kate's law firm trying to find her could've made more sense. As it is, this aspect of the game does nothing to progress the game or the characters in any way. Like the final encounter with Ivan, it feels more like filler than anything else. Expanding on this building conflict, instead of abandoning it, could've helped the game shine a little bit brighter. Syberia 2 not being replayable is self-explanatory: by the time you're finished with the game, you know the solutions to all the easy and frustrating puzzles alike. By the second playthrough, there's no reward in it for you.
Verdict: If you're a fan of the Syberia series, and you have a Nintendo Switch, then I recommend sticking with the first installment instead of the second. Syberia 2, like its predecessor, works perfectly with the Nintendo Switch and has an excellent story propelled by well-developed graphics (especially for when it was originally released); but neither of these positive elements can save the game from a deteriorating script and frustrating puzzles. Certain scenes will feel more like filler than anything else because of the game's length, while playing through the title again to figure out if you missed what's so important about these sections will be an even shorter and less engaging experience due to the knowledge you possess about the riddles dispersed around you.
Syberia 2 Review
- Improved script compared to first game
- Intriguing story
- Graphics for when it was released
- Awkwardly placed hints
- Puzzle depending on luck
- Filler scenes
- Final encounter with Ivan
- Short and not replayable


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Opie collection of children's games & songs
Opie, Iona (2 of 6) Cathy Courtney Oral History Collection
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Opie, Iona 1947- (speaker, male)
Wright, Elizabeth (speaker, female)
Part 2: Schools. IO and Peter Opie (PO) bad at going to parties. Both unfitted to anything except what they did. Letter to Runcie re ordination of women. IO's schooling. IO joined up aged 17, Second World War. Early boyfriends. Sex education. Childhood cinema. Cliffs at Bournemouth. Childrens' Hour, radio. Childhood activities. Arthur Mee encyclopedia. Attitude to further education, career and to marriage. Father's profession; feelings for him. Academic career and expectations. PO's childhood; family credo adopted by PO and IO. PO's independence. PO and IO's work regime. PO's perfectionism. PO's childhood. PO wrote first autobiography aged 18. Death of PO's father.
Life story interview with Iona Opie (1923-2017), folklorist.
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Many teens, and some a bit older, will be spending this Halloween visiting a creepy, ghoul-filled haunted house, or watching a gory, horror flick. They'll say they love to shiver in fear and scream in terror.
Or do they? Researchers say it's actually the adrenaline rush — and the wave of relief once the fright is over — that makes being scared so much fun.
Glenn Sparks, a Purdue University professor, said the euphoria people feel when the credits roll or they finally leave a house of horrors is what keeps them coming back — even if they absolutely hated the experience.
"People come away from these movies oftentimes feeling really happy and relieved that the horror is over," said Sparks, who studies people's attraction to the macabre. "They remember that they felt good and so they say, 'Oh yeah, I like scary movies.' But it's not that they really like being scared. They just felt good afterward."
Sparks said that natural, adrenaline-induced high often lingers long enough to supplant moviegoers' memories of cringing in their seats with a favorable recollection of the experience.
Haunted houses and horror movies
Indianapolis eighth-grader Ross Dougherty says he likes haunted houses, especially when a ghoul "pops out of the dark and freaks you out."
But it's horror films that are the 13-year-old's passion.
"They're cool because they have gore and fighting and surprises. You know something's going to happen," Dougherty said.
He recently treated himself to the "Dawn of the Dead" remake and was delighted as the zombielike dead rose from their graves to dine on a group of people barricaded in a shopping mall.
Dougherty says he's never had nightmares from these movies, but admits to being a bit rattled by eerie scenes in the film "Sleepy Hollow."
Sense of conquest
Sparks says that for men and boys, in particular, the attraction of horror movies, haunted houses and other unsettling experiences is the ability to conquer something that seems threatening, even though it poses no real harm.
In surveys he's done over the years with Purdue students shown horror films such as "The Exorcist," the students split into one of three camps when questioned afterward.
A third of the students say they enjoyed the film and wanted more; a third said they'd be willing to see more, depending on the film's nature; and the remaining third said they detested it and had seen enough.
For that last group, Sparks said the celluloid horror truly threatened them.
"Fear is really the emotion that comes about when you end up concluding that your own well-being is threatened. That's what fear is," he said. "People place themselves in the situation that the characters are in the film — they think about the possibility that something like this could happen to them."
How much fright can you stand?
Sparks said he considers Stanley Kubrick's version of "The Shining" — about a man driven to madness and murder while serving as a caretaker of a snowbound hotel — the most frightening film he's seen.
He said the idea of being marooned in a sprawling mountaintop hotel — albeit one filled with ghostly figures — taps into a primal fear of isolation.
Jerome Kagan, a Harvard University professor of psychology who has studied fear, emotions and phobias, said people's tolerance of frightening situations varies widely according to their experiences. For some, scary images on the silver screen are enough, but others need more, such as parachuting or bungee-jumping.
"People like novelty. They like to experience different things. And some people need more 'different' than you and I," he said. "I play tennis for a natural high, which is much less risky."


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1. The passion of our fans cannot be beaten.
2. The U.S. National Team is the hottest team in the world right now.
3. An American superstar has returned after dominating in Europe.
4. We are scoring awesome goals.
5. We now have players who can dance circles around their opponents.
6. But we also have players who are fine with just dancing.
7. In this country, soccer is a game for everyone.
8. Our best players were made in the USA.
9. And now these players are international stars.
10. This is what the national anthem sounds like in Portland.
11. We now have the best modern rivalry in sports. Welcome to Seattle vs. Portland.
This interstate rivalry is a bitter feud, with each side having a dedicated fan base in the "Emerald City Supporters" and the "Timbers Army."
12. Landon Donovan is still dominating.
Donovan is the all-time leader in scoring and assists, and has the most caps of all active national team players. He continues to impress with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
13. Awesome soccer stadiums keep sprouting up all over the country.
13 new MLS soccer-only stadiums have opened in the last 13 years and more are coming in San Jose, DC and New York. This means new expansion teams are coming to more cities everywhere, including a second team in New York with NYC FC (owned by Manchester City and the Yankees). Whose side will you be on?