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By Malaki-LEGEND.sys,
July 24, 2009 in Community
just doin' my job.
Native Jovian 68 posts
Gollgagh 96 posts
EC2151 66 posts
relyanCe 77 posts
HalcyonSpirit
Since I've been given the go-ahead by a few of you, I'm back with a write-up for a visual novel by itself. I've done partial reviews of visual novels in this thread before (specifically, Kanon and Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two), but both with the accompanying anime adaptation. This one has no such adaptation, and frankly... I hope it stays that way. For good reasons, mind you.
I should note that it's actually two visual novels; the original and the prequel that came after. Both were released for FREE and the pack containing the english translations of both can be found here: http://www.neechin.net/narcissu/. There's also a third visual novel, composed of several stories in the same world and tone of the first two but unrelated to the story written in them, but it is an actual commercial venture and so is NOT free. Since those stories are not directly connected with the first two, I'm not going to worry about putting them into this write-up (that, and I've not read them yet; don't even know if they've been translated at this point).
Anyway, here we go.
Narcissu is the product of the doujin group stage-nana. It is the story of two young adults that have found themselves at a dead-end: both are terminally ill and have been transferred into a hospice to live out their remaining time. The story opens with narration from Setsumi, one of the protagonists, beginning in 1996 and continuing on for "many seasons." Then we get some background information from the never named second protagonist, henceforth referred to as "Unnamed," starting in 2004 and continuing to January of 2005, when he is admitted to the hospice and meets Setsumi. It is there that the real story begins and we get to know the life they have to look forward to. However, they come to decide that their choice of where to die, either at home or in the hospice, is not good enough. They take the third option and leave for someplace, any place, that isn't those two choices. The rest of the story is the journey of these two hospice escapees.
This visual novel leans deeply into the minimalist side of storytelling. The readers follow the story largely through the perspective of Unnamed, with some interludes told from the perspective of Setsumi at an unspecified time in the past. Few details are given; we aren't shown or told much at all about either of the protagonists, especially Setsumi. We aren't told what their illnesses are, just that they are terminal and that both have undergone chest surgery of some sort. In addition, the visual aspect of the visual novel is largely shots of the environment they find themselves in. We never see Unnamed, and the very few images of Setsumi we do get are often shown quickly before disappearing. Aside from a few shots, the images are all very wide and narrow, giving it a cinematic feel. The music is the only aspect that isn't explicitly minimalist, but it still errs to that side much of the time. Even so, the music is very beautiful and does its part very well in helping to carry the story. Finally, Narcissu is intentionally given to you with two versions: and unvoiced version and a voiced version, with the narrative within each tweaked to best fit the chosen style. As I recall, only Setsumi is voiced in the voiced version. The author of the story intended the readers to read the story both ways, because according to him, the focus of the story changes just from the inclusion or exclusion of voices. I have to agree with this assertion and his recommendation of reading it both ways.
Because of the minimalist style Narcissu takes, the presentation quality rides almost entirely on the journey the story takes us on. It is a relatively short journey; as far as visual novels go, this one is fairly short. It's entirely possible to knock it out in a single night. But in that short time we're treated to a very well-done, concise journey. Nothing ever seems irrelevant, and at no point are we lost. The music always suits the tone of the scenes, and even though we hardly ever see the characters (or rather, Setsumi), the images we do see do just as well at setting the tone. Perhaps better, even, given the writing style.
There are, of course, flaws. Every work has them. But the flaws here are hardly noticeable and truly nitpicky. There are areas where I felt it was good be could be improved, mostly in the transitions between scenes and some aspects of the characterization. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel as though these areas shouldn't be perfect. It is a minimalist style, after all, and since we're not privvy to many thoughts of the characters, it's hard to really pin down what type of people they even are.
Indeed, we're not given deep looks into the characters' thoughts or feelings, just glimpses of them as they continue moving. We as readers are not made to be participants in their emotional struggles, but are merely silent observers nearby. I got the sense, even, that the author specifically crafted the story so that we would not empathize well with the characters. "How are we, as 'healthy' people, supposed to connect with those condemned to death?" is perhaps the question the author asks. It isn't answered, either. We're merely given a window into which we watch and form our own conclusions about them. At most, we're told of a parallel between their story and that of another that partially gives Narcissu its name, and we're left to ponder on that point.
I won't spoil the ending, but I do have to mention that the way it was presented initially jarred me. It was sudden, almost matter-of-fact; something you might not expect given the subject matter. And yet, I quickly came to feel that it just fit. It fit the story told, the tone of the narrative, and the characters involved. I didn't expect it to happen, even though I should have; perhaps I actually did, but refused to acknowledge it until I saw it. Either way, it was powerful. It was powerful, but not in the tear-jerking way. It wasn't written to be that way, even though some may still react as such. Without explicitly saying so, with very few words, it tears right into you and asks of you a very fundamental question. It's a question that's personal to each reader with its own answer.
Narcissu presents the story, it presents the reality, and that's about it. It isn't even a philosophical story, in a sense, yet it manages to evoke such questions and feelings. It is a visual novel that is told in a way I hadn't yet encountered until now. It isn't a romance, mystery, or an adventure. It just is. That's the feeling I get from it, and it works.
Not everyone will get the same thing out of it. Some may not get anything out of it. That's the nature of Narcissu. I won't give it a rating for that reason; it's too dependant on the reader and where they come at it from, and giving it a rating feels out of place for a work like this. That said...
More than anything I've reviewed previous, this comes with my highest recommendation for reading. I've enjoyed many other stories more than I did Narcissu, but this one is simply different in the way it impacts you and really should be experienced at least once.
Narcissu -Side 2nd-
Narcissu -Side 2nd- (henceforth Narcissu 2) is the second story in the series. It is really a continuation of the first story, except that it is a prequel. It is another tale of two people, this time told from the perspective of a younger Setsumi, and in this tale, though she is ill, she has not yet progressed to terminal illness. During a visit to the hospital, she meets a woman named Himeko, a terminally ill yet energetic and cheerful resident of the hospice. Seemingly reluctant at first, Setsumi comes to befriend Himeko and continues to visit her at the hospice quite often during the summer months while grappling with the life issues she faces at home. She and Himeko must also face the future that is sure to come. The story forms the basis for the character of Setsumi in the original Narcissu.
Narcissu 2 is a much larger body of work compared to the original. Whereas the original could be read in a single night if one so chose, Narcissu 2 requires several more hours of reading to complete. It is closer to the length of the average visual novel, and brings with it a larger team producing content. It even has an opening animation, something the original lacked and is somewhat standard in visual novels. In fact, those of you familiar with some of Key's work, such as Clannad, will likely recognize the singer for the main theme played in the opening video: the group Eufonius, and their vocalist Riya, provided the main theme for this visual novel, just as they did for Clannad. Several more people lended their voices for the voiced version of the story in their spare time, as well. In short, Narcissu 2 feels more like a complete commercial visual novel than the original, despite it still being released for free.
The story is presented in much the same way as the original. The artwork continues to largely avoid showing any of the characters, the music continues to be beautiful, there are voiced and unvoiced versions of the story, and the story continues to follow the trend of not providing very many details. It is more refined though, what with the larger team producing the content. More characters have voices in this story; I can only remember one character that did not have a voice, and that character only had one or two lines. This contributes to expanding the cinematic feel that the original had a bit of, and that is brought even further by the fact that the story has an auto-advance function so that the readers don't have to do anything other than read and listen.
Much like the original, Narcissu 2 seems to attempt to do its best at preventing the reader from empathizing too much with any of the characters. However, this is hampered a bit by the fact that the story runs for much longer and more glimpses of their thoughts and feelings are provided to the reader. Because of this, Narcissu 2 ends up being a much more emotional story by the end, though it still is very muted compared to what it could have been if it had been in the hands of a producer such as, say, Key. The emotions are not the point of the story. The story is the point of the story, and in this case, unlike the original, the characters also end up being the point. Intentionally or not.
Setsumi's journey from the girl she is here to the girl she is in the original is played very well. At a glance, one might not realize that she's ever different from what she will be; the difference's are a bit subtle. However, they're magnified as the story advances and tie-ins to the original are brought into the mix. There are some inconsistencies between the stories, which I hear are fixed in the subsequent releases of the original, but despite this, the story does well to tie everything together.
Himeko's part of the story is different from Setsumi's. While Setsumi is at this point merely sick, Himeko is terminally ill. Despite this, she's cheerful and energetic. We're presented with a more traditional storyline with her in that we get to learn about Himeko just as Setsumi does. The choices she makes and has made, why she acts as she does, learning about these and more are what her story comprises of.
Characters beyond the main two are also given much more prominence in this story. In particular are Setsumi's mother and Himeko's sister. Having them interacting with the main characters gives them a much more filled out personality, one that is easier to empathize with. There is a third character that plays an important role, but I will not name that character for reasons of spoilers, despite it being pretty obvious early on.
Many of the themes present in Narcissu also show up in Narcissu 2, including making parallels between their stories and another, though the story given as a parallel is different this time. The connection is also made much more strongly and explicity, so we're left understanding it much more clearly. It is one of the central themes that is brought up over and over: we as people only have three choices of who we'll be. Some of us can choose who we want to be; some won't get that choice.
In the end, like the original, the ending is abrupt and to the point. In a way, it's even more impactful here than it was in the original, simply because we can connect with the characters here more, so having their stories end so quickly and without detail really drives the point home that the story is a statement of reality. Questions are asked again, and again, no real answers are given. It's where the ultimate power of this visual novel comes from. There aren't any frills given to you, so you have to make of it as you will.
Even with the greater length, the more complete character personalities, the more traditional storytelling, Narcissu 2 still feels like the original Narcissu. The tone remains muted and the narrative still feels intentionally somewhat impersonal. It still asks questions of the reader without actually asking anything. It's a worthy addition to the story of the original in that regard, and the fact that it corrects many of the minor flaws of the original simply makes it that much better. Both should be read, and you can even choose what order to read them in. I read the original and then Narcissu 2, but according to the author, he intends for Narcissu 2 to be read first and then the original after, now that both are out. That would significantly change the tone of both, knowing what the other contains and what the characters end up being or had been beforehand. The way both can cut into the reader would be significantly different, too. Reading them in one order or another has their advantages and disadvantages, but neither is the better way.
Narcissu 2 has a "better" story being told in the traditional storytelling sense, but that isn't nearly as important as the fact that both are an experience. Narcissu 2 impacts the reader just like the original. As such, I again give my highest recommendation for reading to this visual novel. You may not get anything out of it, or you could be impacted greatly by the messages it sends, but it should be experienced at least once regardless.
So apparently this is going to be a new anime at some point in the future. Don't know when, but it's on its way.
Any thoughts on the premise? I don't know if it's going to end up good or bad or what, but it's now on my radar, at least.
In other news, by now you'd have expected another anime review from me, perhaps, and I also expected that. Alas, despite having acquired several recently, I haven't actually watched anything new since reading Narcissu because I've put a self-imposed restriction on myself: I have to make actual goddamn progress on my goddamn novel before I'm allowed to watch any more anime. I've been in a writing rut recently, so yeah.
BUT... there's no such restriction on my for visual novels, since reading them is helpful for my writing. I've recently gotten a hold of Planetarian, so you may or may not see a review of that in the near future.
It's slated to air this Fall. It seems pretty interesting given that the entire premise is based around parodying the console war between Sega and Nintendo.
So for the fun part, how many of these parodies can you identify? Bear in mind only the top row is Sega and the rest are Nintendo.
Flash Strife
First and third top row are Sonic and Nights? 2nd row is Mario, Luigi, Link, Kirby and a Fire Emblem character? 3rd row is an Earthbound hero, Samus, Pikachu and someone else? That first row is the hardest to get. =/
ad.mixx
Any anime you guys looking forward to this Fall?
I'm super looking forward to the Madoka Magica movies if I'm right in that they're airing this Fall (it might just be in theaters, though).
Hopefully Little Busters will be good too. J.C. Staff, at least lately, has only been making somewhat decent to just plain horrible stuff, and I don't expect that to really change just because they're animating a notable Key novel.
Robotic;Notes is probably the coolest thing on the list in terms of series, though. I love Steins;Gate so far.
Here's a chart for those curious, though I'm not sure of how good this one is seeing as I don't use Crunchyroll for anything at all.
http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/08/07/preliminary-fall-2012-anime-chart
I hardly ever watch anime as they come out*, so I'm always at least a season behind. So for me, the question is more like "any anime you're looking forward to this past summer season?" Of course, I've got such a backlog that regardless of my answer, it's gonna be a while until I actually get to any of them.
That said, while I won't be watching it until I get around to reading the VN, I swear to all that you consider holy, if they fuck up Little Busters!... Death. Just death. For all involved.
* Only exception so far being FMA:B
This summer was pretty meh in terms of shows anyways, so don't fret if you don't get to them. Kokoro Connect and Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita were the most notable things IMO. I heard Tari Tari was pretty good too.
Sword Art Online is the most popular thing right now, but I kind of feel like it's a sort of so bad it's good thing. I don't believe people actually like that show. Unless they're just watching it for the MMO nostalgia or whatever. It's still bad.
And if you ever got around to Yuru Yuri season 1, don't don't watch S2 for your own sake because you will probably risk having a heart attack on about 20 different occasions.
But if you're willing to take the risk, the show is actually really good. Super funny too. S2 beats S1 by a long shot. I'll go as far to say it's a better show than K-ON! in terms of slice of life (But I'm a big fan of yuri humor, too..)
Oh yeah, and don't expect too much from the Little Busters anime lol. I mean, there's a chance for it too be super good just because the source, but knowing J.C. Staff it'll end up being "decent" and no more. I don't trust them.
Edited September 4, 2012 by urdailywater
Evangelion! Finally!
Looked at the upcoming chart, and saw the redesigns for the Cyborg 009 characters.
Ugggggh...
Trailer for that movie.
A world of shit.
I hate it when you're right.
At least the Haruhi movie was decent. Although I could have done without the entirely self-centered, melodramatic decision-making scene. Puke.
relyanCe
it looks great what are you talking about
I don't know if you're joking or not, but it's a bad thing when a series with such an iconic, Tezuka-inspired look:
And turn the designs into generic, 2000s uninspired barbie dolls:
One of these groups has personality. Can you tell which one?
I mean fucking lol, I didn't even know the blond guy was jet until 3/4 through the trailer.
It doesn't help that the animation in the trailer is ugly CG non-animation, making everything look like some cutscene from a Persona game.
I bring again a visual novel write up, this time covering another of Key's works.
Planetarian ~The Reverie of a Little Planet~
planetarian ~ちいさなほしのゆめ~, Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume
"What do you think about the planetarium? That beautiful twinkling of eternity that will never fade, no matter when. All the stars in all the sky are waiting for you."
Planetarian is Key's fourth visual novel and is branded as a kinetic novel, a type of visual novel in which there are no choices for the reader to make. It is also Key's shortest work thus far; a reader can comfortably read through the entire story in under five hours.
Planetarian is set in a post-apocalyptic world where, because of overpopulation and loss of natural resources, humanity has nearly wiped itself out with biological and nuclear warfare. Thirty years after the war broke out, automated war machines continue to defend territory and cities for governments and organizations that no longer exist from threats long forgotten, and humanity struggles to survive in a world draped in darkness and plagued by constant rain poisoned by nuclear fallout.
The story follows the viewpoint of a nameless man who, while searching for supplies in a ruined city, a 'sarcophagus city', stumbles upon a functional female android operating within a department store's old rooftop planetarium, which still has power even after 30 years. The android, Hoshino Yumemi ("Reverie Planetarian" in the translation), has continued to serve out her duties since the onset of the war, apparently oblivious to what has happened due to errors in her system and being unable to connect to her external databases. She has an innocent and talkative personality and does not understand things the protagonist tells her unless it is related to her duties as a planetarian. The story plays out within the planetarium for the first half of the tale, and then in the second half the two characters venture into the ruined city in which the planetarium resides.
The artwork for this VN was done in a slightly different style than what you may be familiar with from Key. It still retains many of their typical aspects for character designs, such as very large eyes and small mouths, but these are not as exaggerated as they are in other Key releases. In addition, the background art and CGs (pictures typically for special/significant scenes, for those of you unfamiliar with visual novels) are done with an air significantly different from the standard artwork in previous releases. This is largely due to the setting of the story requiring a darker/more melancholic feel, but it is also used to subtly emphasize the situation the protagonist finds himself in. He's stumbled upon a functioning android in a planetarium that somehow still has power thirty years after civilization was essentially destroyed. He's stepped into a world marked by those thirty years but not completely taken over by them. The artwork reflects this otherworldly feeling with the artwork of the planetarium; it has subtle glow practically everywhere, so it doesn't seem quite 'real' to the eye.
Planetarian also hits on that note through its music. Many of the themes have an otherworldly aspect to it in at least one of the instruments. These themes are used when interacting with Yumemi, emphasizing the fact that she is not human. The music also emphasizes her personality with light, high notes and airy instruments. The two combined help create the gentle atmosphere for the feelings in much of the story.
It's also worth noting that this otherworldly feeling in both the artwork and the music has a more obvious association, too; that is, the involvement of a planetarium, a place dedicated to worlds other than our own, as a central aspect of the setting early on.
Unlike Key's previous releases (Kanon, Air, and Clannad), Planetarian does not have any romantic elements to it. It is a relatively straightforward story that develops primarily through the characterization of Yumemi in contrast to the protagonist. While he is a human, jaded and hardened by the trials of his life, Yumemi is an innocent character, never having experienced or even knowledge of such hardships. She fulfills something like an airhead role, but her reality regarding personality and intelligence is a nice play on the typical representation. From their interactions, it appears that artificial intelligence developed prior to the war could not completely replicate human consciousness, or at least was not implemented for androids of Yumemi's type. As such, her character seems to be a result of having noticeable limitations as to what she can actually comprehend due to her programming.
This is played further by showing just how similar her emotions seem to be compared to a human's. It's this contrast between the limitations of her programming and how human she can seem at times that provides the hook for the story. We see glimpses of humanity in her as time passes, leaving us not quite sure what, exactly, she is consciously capable of. It also provides the necessary empathetic connection to her for the readers to really draw us into this world we're seeing. The protagonist's character develops a little over the course of the story as well, becoming less rough, but it is Yumemi's character that binds that story together.
If you're familiar with how Key tends to operate, you'll have a pretty good idea of what's going to ultimately happen by the end of the story. The story does try to throw you off a little at times, perhaps making you doubt that idea, but make no mistake, this is classic Key storytelling. It's made to get you emotional by the end, and as is the norm with their stories, it does so through a growing sense of foreshadowing and foreboding before delivering the final emotional blow. One might not expect to get emotional from a story focused on a robot that doesn't have a fully human personality and intelligence, but the story plays its cards well. It is a thoroughly satisfying story overall that can, at times, defy your expectations about what you may think about such a situation and the characters involved. It carries itself very well, though you may not realize it until after you've finished the entire tale and have had a chance to reflect on it.
If there are any complaints to be made about Planetarian, they're largely about issues that do not really impact the overall story and feel. Some aspects of Yumemi's character could have been played up more or less, depending on preference, but there's nothing really wrong with how she is portrayed here. There aren't too many backgrounds and scenes shown, leaving me wishing there were a few more in there just so I could get a better feel for certain themes and feelings at times. The music is relatively simple and uses mostly synths; none of it really stands out as noteworthy, yet it is still used quite suitably through the story. It could have used real instruments to add more emotion, subtlety or nuance to the music, but then again, the simplicity is a benefit in itself. Finally, there's nothing truly unique about the story itself or the background to it. It's the crafting of the story and the characterization of Yumemi that pulls it all together and makes it work, not the uniqueness.
All in all, Planetarian is a very good, short visual novel. It doesn't do anything extraordinary. It doesn't break any new ground. It's just solid storytelling with two solid characters acting as contrasts to each other. The emotional aspect is played well, and the story ends on a note that could perhaps be described as bittersweet. It doesn't do anything explicitly wrong, and what it does right shines in such a way that it isn't really obvious until after you've finished and reflected on just how well it handled itself.
Planetarian is an excellent addition to Key's release lineup. It is definitely worth checking out, even for those that don't typically like how Key crafts its stories; it carries a very different feel to it than their more romance-based visual novels such as Kanon and Clannad. It is highly unlikely to disappoint, and for a time investment of just a few hours, it's more than worth the effort of reading.
Story - 8.5
Characters - 9
Artwork - 8.5
Sound - 8
Overall - 8.5
As a final, personal comment, while Planetarian does not have an anime adaptation, I believe I would enjoy an animated movie adaptation. The kinetic novel format is close enough to an animated medium from a storytelling standpoint, minus that actual animation, and the story is short enough that I think it could be comfortably told in the span of something like an hour and a half or two hours. There would be obstacles to overcome to be sure, particularly how to handle the nameless protagonist, but I think it's something that would work really well.
Planetarian is Key's fourth visual novel and is branded as a kinetic novel, a type of visual novel in which there are no choices for the reader to make.
you mean a manga
Yeah, with voice acting, music, animated portions, etc... aka, a kinetic novel.
Yeah, with voice acting, music, animated portions, etc...
so like, an anime
Yeah, but without everything animated (or even anything at all), with still pictures being the main artwork, with the option of only reading instead without losing any content, and typically distributed in the form of a computer program.
On a different subject, now that I've read and reviewed Planetarian, I'm not sure what to read/watch next. Still waiting for a couple of visual novels to finish up their translations, but until then...
Edited September 9, 2012 by HalcyonSpirit
Well... this one was interesting. It's another visual novel, but it's not like the previous ones.
Hopefully next time I'll be back with an actual anime write-up. Since, y'know, it's an anime thread, and this will be the third VN in a row from me. At least I'm maybe bringing a little extra exposure to the visual novel market with these; they're definitely worth checking out.
Saya no Uta
Song of Saya
CAUTION: Adult Content
Saya no Uta is a visual novel with horror elements made by Nitro+. It tells the tale of one Sakisaka Fuminori, a medical school student who, after a brain surgery to save his life from injuries in a car accident, must deal with a sense of reality greatly warped from what it actually is. All of his senses portray the world as a grotesque, fleshy nightmare, and other people as horrid monsters. The horrors of this new "reality" cause him to contemplate suicide as he recovers from the accident and surgery in the hospital, but he is then is visited by an unexpected person: a girl who, unlike everyone and everything else, appears normal. Her name is Saya. Her visits during the night are what keep him from committing suicide, and after his release from the hospital, he asks her to come live with him in exchange for helping her find her father, whom she had been searching for at the hospital. Fuminori attempts to continue his life as normal despite the warped reality he perceives, clinging to Saya as the only beautiful thing in his world despite not knowing who she is, but as time passes, Fuminori slips further away from the world around him.
This visual novel is definitely something different. I'm not overly familiar with the genre, but I would probably classify this as a sort of Lovecraftian horror story, though it isn't so much horror as it is just plain creepy and disturbing. Many of the themes of Lovecraftian horror are present in some form or another, though again, I feel they're played more for creepiness than horror. Things like a world turned on its head, the fragility of sanity, feelings of helplessness, and so on are given ample time to be developed over the course of the narrative. One final theme, that of love, is also played with during the narrative, and it plays both an insignificant and a significant role in how it all plays out.
Going into a story, the very first scene often sets the tone for the rest of it, and Saya no Uta is no different. We're treated with incomprehensible dialogue, grotesque imagery and pictures, and harsh music right from the start, made even more potent once we're told that this scene should be rather ordinary; a normal lunch among friends in medical school. Instantly, we're given everything we need to know about what Fuminori is going through, but it continues on. Shortly after, we're given another scene, a scene with him and Saya at home, presenting the stark contrast between what he experiences in the outside world and what he can experience when he stays home. This contrast gives reason for him to live, to remain with Saya, to isolate himself, which only sets himself up for trouble later. These contrasts occur throughout the story, right down to what the reality is compared to what Fuminori is able to perceive as his own reality, and it is usually what hammers home the creepiness.
Much of that contrast is effective solely because the story is told from multiple perspectives; or, rather, from two: Fuminori's and his friends'. This could have simply been a mindless, gore-filled horror story, but the addition of multiple perspectives allows us to keep one foot planted in reality. We are able to see both perspectives, and the way they are told to us allows Saya no Uta to ascend past mediocrity and into a much more meaningful position.
There is an absolute lack of a clear "hero" in the story. At first glance one would say it is Fuminori, but by the end, one could argue it could be either him or his old friend, Koji. Regardless, by the end, you're likely to sympathize with at least one of them, or even both, perhaps even Saya. It is difficult to pin down one perspective or another as "right"; both sides feel justified, feel as though their world is real, and to them, it really is. When the inevitable clash happens, we know why both sides feel the way they do. When it comes down to it, it's hard to argue that they're not doing the right thing for themselves. In all three endings to this visual novel, no one comes out unscathed. They all have bitterness in one manner or another, and what you perceive to be the "best" ending may reflect on what you value in your life. It's hard for a story to hit those notes in people, but this one does.
The images and music in the VN do their part as well to capture the moods and convey them. All the music is crafted specifically to invoke feelings of horror, discomfort, or even simply eerie calm. There isn't a single track that doesn't do this very well, and they're used especially well within the context of the story. Perhaps most impactful aren't the scenes with the grotesque imagery and harsh music, but the ones that surround you with such an environment yet present you with apparent beauty in such a world alongside music that is peaceful with a distinct tint of something perhaps being wrong. The music is beautiful, but not entirely comforting, exactly what is needed in a story of this type.
The scenes involving the horror pictures are certainly disgusting, but Saya no Uta does well in not overdoing it. These images are distorted somewhat, giving detail yet not allowing you to see the full picture of what you're looking at most of the time. More important is what the VN doesn't show you. In keeping with the Lovecraftian themes, the true forms of the monsters are kept in shadow, if they're even shown at all, and descriptions are spotty at best. The lack of detail here helps the reader to form their own mental image and create the fear within themselves, rather than have the VN attempt to force it on them. Aside from a few scenes, there's nothing really special about the artwork, but then again, that may be to its benefit. Between the lack of many details in Fuminori's world and the rather ordinary look of reality, the two sides are contrasted quite well without needing fantastic artwork. Where the artwork does shine is where it complements perfectly the mood being shown, and that occurs at several points in the story.
The characters are the most important part, of course, and Saya no Uta continues to hit the mark here. From innocence to mentally disturbed, the characters each have a unique personality that drives them to their ends, whatever they may be. Aside from the three main characters, the rest of the cast remain fairly static from their introduction to their exit, but their purpose is to drive the other three. Of the three main characters, the most interesting are definitely Fuminori and Saya, and they are the ones that change the most. I wouldn't say they grow as people; that would be a gross misuse of the concept. Without getting into spoilers, their transformation from beginning to end comments heavily on the nature of humans and people. What can a normal person take before he breaks? How does one adapt to a world completely foreign to them, one that threatens their sanity? How can someone form such a wide rift between the morality of society and the perceived morality of an individual? How does one judge between what is right and what is not when the two sides have completely incompatible priorities and morals? These types of questions popped into my mind when reading this story. Saya no Uta uses the characters and wraps them into a situation that presents no good options, and it is here that we see the limits of people and absolutist thinking. The characters almost become concepts which force you to reflect upon their actions, and it takes good writing to create characters that have such an effect.
Saya is the most interesting character of them all, but one might not realize it until after finishing the VN's three different endings. What seems to be a relatively simple character that doesn't play a large direct role in the story ends up showing the greatest contrast with both of the two other main characters. However, her details are best left to be experienced yourself.
In essence, Saya no Uta is a well-crafted story that pulls all the right strings in a relatively short amount of time. It plays with your perceptions just as Fuminori's perceptions are distorted. The characters play into their roles nicely, the artwork does what it needs to without going too far, and the music does a superb job of setting the mood. What you value in your life may play a role in what you see as the best ending, or even the "right" ending, yet there is also bitterness in every ending because nothing in this story comes without a price. And to top it all off, you are shown exactly who Saya is and what she represents compared to everyone else. This is where the story may make its biggest impact on us, the readers.
Overall - 8.25
This visual novel is definitely something different. I'm not overly familiar with the genre, but I would probably classify this as a sort of Lovecraftian horror story, though it isn't so much horror as it is just plain creepy and disturbing. ......
This type of genre is referred to as utsuge in japan, meaning it's usually depressing, and often, I hear, soul destroying.
Reading Saya no Uta's wiki page, I felt down just reading a summary of the whole thing. I imagine it's a whole lot more intense for those who play it..... and I hear there's a whole slew of games that are even worse!
(Worse not being a subjective term, but rather a positve in how it might be seen objectively)
The Derrit
yeah you're gonna have to get over your nostalgia. not having seen the original i think it looks great. if you don't like new things then go watch the old series again, i'm not against you having your opinion but don't act like there's no way anybody could enjoy the new cyborg 009 movie because it doesn't look the way you want it to
think for a second what the old art style would look like in that cg anime style
When talking about Saya no Uta you should probably mention Urobuchi Gen since he's the mind behind the plot. All of his works are somewhat similar in nature (Fate/Zero, Madoka Magica may be familiar) and he's doing PSYCHO-PASS this season. Unfortunately his writing is somewhat predictably melodramatic nowdays and it can be easy to get weary of since it's constantly the same cycle of overdramatics.
If you're interested in a detailed breakdown of most of what's airing next season.
Also the answer to the thing I posted last time that I completely forgot to post earlier.
Brushfire
That's still anime bro.
Yeah, sounds exactly like one of those picture drama thingies.


text:
Posted on 10 July, 2018 26 August, 2018 by Tricia Fort
Consultation Digest Issue 13. Parking – we are not amused, but some good news on segregated cycle lanes
We know that most of our members are concerned about the extent of on-road parking in the city, and this week we have two items on parking – see items 1.3 and 3.1. We have responded on a new Concordat between Glasgow City Council and the Third Sector (see item 1.1), and we hope that its implementation will bring changes to the current lack of early meaningful consultation, that all too often leaves us with objecting to a Traffic Regulation Order as our only option. For the good news on segregated routes, see our items on Connecting Woodside, the Argyle Street Avenue and Bunhouse Road.
Section 1: Current Consultations
Third Sector Concordat, closes this Friday 13 July
Argyle Street Avenue, closes 13 July
Woodside Parking and cycle access, closes 13 July
Connecting Woodside, closes 17 July
Bunhouse Road and Benalder Street, new cycle lanes, closes 27 July
Section 2: Forthcoming Consultations
Old Dumbarton Road, cycle lane (in connection with Bunhouse Road, 1.5)
Section 3: Consultation Feedback
Hyndland, Hughenden and Dowanhill West parking
Section 1: Current Consultations – in date order for responses
1.1 ** NEW** Glasgow Third Sector / City Council Concordat, closes 13 July
We heard about this from GoBike member Neil, who works at Dumbarton Road Corridor Environment Trust and De'ils On Wheels and whom many of you may know. We agree with him that there is potential for Glasgow City Council to improve their relationship with groups in the third, ie voluntary sector, which includes GoBike, so we have responded on-line with this: Third Sector Concordat GoBike response 040718
We are very concerned that frequently our only option is to object to a consultation when we would very much prefer to be involved earlier in the discussion, so that our views as a group campaigning for public statements on active travel to be put into practice, are taken into account.
Do please read the Concordat and respond, either as an individual or encourage the organisation/s you are involved with to respond.
This is the text from the GCVS newsletter:
"Glasgow Third Sector Interface (TSI) partners and Glasgow City Council have agreed to create a Concordat that sets out the principles which will underline a refreshed relationship between the Council and the third sector. A draft of the Concordat is now out for consultation. You can read it here.
The Consultation will be open until 13 July 2018 and can be completed online here.
The TSI believes that the new Concordat will offer greater engagement and new opportunities for partnership working between the Council and the third sector, and we are looking forward to the final Concordat being launched, and to working on the all-important Action Plan that will seek to put some of the principles in the Concordat into action.
A very busy event held at The Albany this month saw representatives from a wide range of third sector organisations come together to give their thoughts on the draft. As was to be expected, while people were generally happy to see progress being made, many are keen to see what the Action Plan will look like, and to find out how this new approach will be evaluated. The TSI will aim to ensure that people are kept informed as this work progresses."
1.2 Argyle Street Avenue, closes this Friday, 13 July
This was a new item in our last Digest 12 and we do encourage you to complete the short on-line consultation, see: https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=22919 Information on the Avenues is given here and you can see the visuals for Argyle Street here
We have now sent a short letter of support to the design team, see: GoBike Argyle Street comments 090718 This is just the sort of streetscape we wish to see in the city. By return we have been put on the mailing list for future Avenues consultations, so we will be able to keep you up-to-date.
1.3 Woodside Parking and cycle access, closes 13 July
We have mentioned this before, (Digest 11) and it's one that we support. Parking of the irresponsible nature shown in this photo needs to be stopped.
We are also pleased to see that, while North Woodside Road will be closed to traffic, cycles will be exempted. This is a move that ties in with all policies to promote active travel and it's good to see action of this type in the city. Here's our response to the Traffic Regulation Order: GoBike Woodside Parking support 090718
There's still time for you to add your support.
1.4 Connecting Woodside, on-line consultation closes 17 July
Details of this were in Digest 12 and there is an online consultation, which you can find at https://connectingwoodside.commonplace.is/ The consultation information is at https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=42014&p=0 We have sent in this short letter of support, with a couple of comments, to the proposals: GoBike Woodside comment 090718
1.5 Bunhouse Road and Benalder Street, Segregated cycle lanes, closes 27 July
Digest 12 gave information on this Traffic Regulation Order, which was issued further to moves by Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Community Council to improve conditions for walking and cycling in their area. We asked three questions of the City Council about these plans and we received the following replies:
The crossing from Bunhouse Road over Dumbarton Road/Argyle Street to Kelvingrove Park: "A full signalised junction with a diagonal crossing introduced for cyclists will replace the existing Toucan crossing. The cycle phase will operate in tandem with the pedestrian phase of existing crossing. Signage and screed will be introduced at the north side of the crossing to reduce potential cyclist / pedestrian conflict."
Will the cycle route on Benalder Street be segregated? "The cycle route will be segregated from other traffic along Ben Alder Street. The existing vehicle containment barrier will be retained."
Is a new 2-way cycle route shown on Ferry Road and Old Dumbarton Road? "A separate redetermination order will be promoted"
There's a bit more information on Ferry Road and Old Dumbarton Road in item 2.1 below. We got a prompt response to those question but have not yet heard back on two further questions, the first about the footway on Bunhouse Road, and the second about arrangements at the north end of Benalder Street, at the junction with Beith Street. This apart, we are generally supportive of these measures.
2.1 Ferry Road and Old Dumbarton Road, Glasgow, proposed new cycle lanes
We have heard about this through our queries on the drawing issued for Bunhouse Road, and the full reply to reply to our question about a new cycle route on these two streets is "There is an existing shared path along this footway from Bunhouse Road to Ferry Road. A separate redetermination order will be promoted to split the path between cyclists and pedestrians as well as extending the route to the existing crossing at Yorkhill Street. The existing path will be widened to a minimum of 5m (3m cycles, 2m pedestrians)." This, while it's not a major route in the city, is one we will support on the grounds that the local community is looking to improve active travel, and the existing shared route is of low quality.
3.1 Hyndland, Hughenden and Dowanhill West parking
In Digest 12 we published our comments on the proposed parking changes in this area, GoBike Hyndland Hughenden & Dowanhill West comments 250618 and we have now received this quite astonishing reply: H H & D GCC response to GoBike comments 040718 It includes the statement "residents have no alternative but to park on Clarence Drive overnight" prompting the question as to whether the City Council has a responsibility to provide residents with parking space for private vehicles. Reference is made to an objection GoBike submitted in 2014, Go Bike GCC Colleges Phase 2 Objection 290914 This was a very detailed letter in which we highlighted many areas where we considered the proposals brought forward at that time to "upgrade" the Colleges Cycle Route, needed considerable improvement and yet, instead of revisiting their design, the City Council used our objection as a reason to abandon any improvement. The fact that this objection has been brought up by them again with reference to this, highlights even further why we feel the need for a much needed overhaul and improvement of the council's consultation process.
We will be responding.
So that's it this fortnight but please e-mail us on consultations@gobike.org particularly if you know of any consultations from local authorities other than Glasgow, which we should be aware of.
CategoriesConsultation, GoBike Tagscar parking, consultation, Contraflow cycling, glasgow, infrastructure, routes
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
« Tax Dollars Funding Luxury Travel? | Main | Time: Selective Prosecution Down South »
More Secret & Illegal Maneuvering re: the Administration's Use of Torture
For years, the Bush Administration has said that it neither endorses nor practices torture but has refused to disclose which interrogation techniques are used. Recently, the Administration also refused to turn over a secret torture-related memo to the House Judiciary Committee (WaPo).
An article in yesterday's New York Times suggests that the Administration has secretly violated laws and treaties that ban torture, with help from government lawyers who apparently wanted to further their careers:
"When the Justice Department publicly declared torture 'abhorrent' in a legal opinion in December 2004, the Bush administration appeared to have abandoned its assertion of nearly unlimited presidential authority to order brutal interrogations.
But soon after Alberto R. Gonzales's arrival as attorney general in February 2005, the Justice Department issued another opinion, this one in secret. It was a very different document, according to officials briefed on it, an expansive endorsement of the harshest interrogation techniques ever used by the Central Intelligence Agency.
The new opinion, the officials said, for the first time provided explicit authorization to barrage terror suspects with a combination of painful physical and psychological tactics, including head-slapping, simulated drowning and frigid temperatures.
Wasn't use of frigid temperatures a Nazi interrogation technique? Unfortunately, there's more....
The Times continued:
"Mr. Gonzales approved the legal memorandum on 'combined effects' over the objections of James B. Comey, the deputy attorney general, who was leaving his job after bruising clashes with the White House. Disagreeing with what he viewed as the opinion's overreaching legal reasoning, Mr. Comey told colleagues at the department that they would all be 'ashamed' when the world eventually learned of it.
"Later that year, as Congress moved toward outlawing 'cruel, inhuman and degrading' treatment, the Justice Department issued another secret opinion, one most lawmakers did not know existed, current and former officials said. The Justice Department document declared that none of the C.I.A. interrogation methods violated that standard."
None of this is surprising, because the Bush Administration has habitually displayed a penchant for what strongly resembles secrecy, deception and outright law breaking (when such acts suited its agenda).
It's nice to know that I'm not alone in holding this opinion. Salon Columnist and former constitutional-law litigator Glenn Greenwald commented:
"As a country, we've known undeniably for almost two years now that we have a lawless government and a President who routinely orders our laws to be violated. His top officials have been repeatedly caught lying outright to Congress on the most critical questions we face. They have argued out in the open that the 'constitutional duty' to defend the country means that nothing -- including our 'laws' -- can limit what the President does."
I suspect that there may be enough legal wiggle-room (what, with all those government lawyers approving the Administration's preferred techniques) that no impeachment-grade smoking gun will surface. I hope I'm wrong.
Constitutional law Professor and former prosecutor Robert Sheridan also pointed out the potential wiggle-room, but he seems less pessimistic than I am:
"If Bush is ever prosecuted as a war criminal, his first defense is apt to be that he broke no U.S. law because, lookie here, the A-G [Attorney General] signed off on it. They should both be prosecuted as war criminals and we'll see whether that flies."
Conservative columnist Andrew Sullivan pulled no punches:
"The way in which conservative lawyers, and conservative intellectuals, and conservative journalists aided and abetted these war crimes; the way in which the president of the United States revealed so much contempt for the law that he put a candidate to run the Office of Legal Counsel on probation before he appointed him in order to keep the torture regime in place, the way in which Republicans and Democrats in the Congress pathetically refused to stand up to these violations of American honor and decency in any serious way (and, I'm sorry, Senator McCain, but in the end, you caved, as you always do lately): these will go down in history as some of the most shameful decisions these people ever made.
"Perhaps a sudden, panicked decision by the president to use torture after 9/11 is understandable if unforgivable. But the relentless, sustained attempt to make torture a permanent part of the war-powers of the president, even to the point of abusing the law beyond recognition, removes any benefit of the doubt from these people. And they did it all in secret - and lied about it when Abu Ghraib emerged. They upended two centuries of American humane detention and interrogation practices without even letting us know. And the decision to allow one man - the decider - to pre-empt and knowingly distort the rule of law in order to detain and torture anyone he wants - is a function not of conservatism, but of fascism....
"Never in history had the United States authorized such tactics.
"There is no doubt - no doubt at all - that these tactics are torture and subject to prosecution as war crimes. We know this because the law is very clear when you don't have war criminals like AEI's John Yoo rewriting it to give one man unchecked power. We know this because the very same techniques - hypothermia, long-time standing, beating - and even the very same term 'enhanced interrogation techniques' - 'verschaerfte Vernehmung' in the original German - were once prosecuted by American forces as war crimes. The perpetrators were the Gestapo. The penalty was death. You can verify the history here. [links in original]
"We have war criminals in the White House. What are we going to do about it?"
Won't it be interesting to see how this plays out?
Related BN-Politics' Posts:
* General Says Rumsfeld Misled Congress re: Abu Ghraib (June 17, 2007)
* Colin Powell Calls for Closing of Guantanamo (June 11, 2007)
* Senate Considers Closing CIA Secret Prisons (June 1, 2007)
* Boeing Faces Suit over CIA's Secret Abductions & torture (May 30, 2007)
* Aggressive Interrogation Tactics Part II (May 25, 2007)
* Aggressive Interrogation Tactics vs. The American Way (May 23, 2007)
Posted on October 05, 2007 at 12:29 AM | Permalink
Tags: 2004, 2005, abductions, Abu Ghraib, aggressive interrogation, Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General, Buck Naked Politics, Bush Administration, CIA, Department of Justice, Donald Rumsfeld, Gestapo, Guantanamo, House Judiciary Committee, James Comey, John Conyers, legal, memos, Nazis, New York Times, opinion, President George Bush, prisons, secret, tactics, techniques, torture, Washington Post
Excellent post, and I couldn't agree with you more... I would change the question though, to what can we do?
Posted by: Terra | October 05, 2007 at 12:56 AM
Terra,
A good suggestion. I just didn't want to repeat Sullivan's question (block quote). I will come up with a different last line, though.
Posted by: The Crux | October 05, 2007 at 12:06 PM


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text:
Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine
Glorious intelligence units
Outstanding intelligence officers
DI in the news
Russia's military aggression against Ukraine
Servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces who took part
in combat actions in Ukraine
The DIU "Oberih" songs
"The Wise Dominate the Stars"
August 30, 2017 / "Viisko Ukrainy" (The Army of Ukraine) magazine MORE »
Doctors removed 63 fragments from the body of warrant officer Pustovoit
August 9, 2017 / "People's Army" edition of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine MORE »
The school of "silent" war, or preparation of reconnaissance men in the training reconnaissance battalion in Lviv region
June 21, 2017 / "People's Army" publication of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine MORE »
"From Reconnaissance Man to Farmer"
May 29, 2017 / "The Army of Ukraine" magazine MORE »
A life with the taste of "Brauni": heart-melting story of former reconnaissance man
May 3, 2017 / On-line edition "Cenzor.NET" MORE »
"I feel that this is where the new Armed Forces of Ukraine are being established", – the 131st separate reconnaissance battalion (Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian People's Self-Defence) celebrates second anniversary in Luhansk region
April 3, 2017 / Online edition "Cenzor.NET" MORE »
"Guys, you are the best, I love you!" – Last battle of Yurii Butusov
February 16, 2017 / Online edition "Censor.NET" MORE »
I went to the frontline for the sake of my four children
February 9, 2017 / official web-site of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine MORE »
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Content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, unless otherwise specified.


text:
Where did it all go wrong for the Lib Dems?
by Tom Clarkson, Research Team Leader
2010 seems a long time ago. Particularly if you're a Liberal Democrat.
Five years ago this week, a ComRes poll revealed that Nick Clegg had stolen the show at the first televised leaders' debate in British history. Five years ago next week, after a meteoric rise in the party's poll ratings, the editorial of the Guardian boldly declared that "the liberal moment has come".
Wind the clock forward and the picture is far less rosy – the party's national poll ratings remain stubbornly low and, as our latest poll for ITV News shows, the Liberal Democrat vote has collapsed in the 14 constituencies in the South West of England currently held by the party where the Conservatives came second at the last election.
Regardless of stubbornly low national poll ratings in recent years, the party's chief election strategist Ryan Coetzee would have been holding out hope that, by activating strong local networks and campaigning on local issues (as in key Tory – Lib Dem marginal Cheltenham), the party could hold on to many seats. The reality appears to undermine that hope.
Wednesday's poll showed a 13 point swing from the Liberal Democrats to the Conservatives: if replicated in all 14 South West seats, the Liberal Democrats would lose all of them. However, don't be fooled - this obviously does not mean that the Liberal Democrats will lose all of them. Swing will not be uniform across the seats (some candidates will be more popular than others) and, given the margin of error on any poll, even if uniform swing were to prove stronger than expected, it is quite possible that the party is on course to cling on to some of its seats in the South West.
There are also still three weeks for the party's election machine to gain ground at a local level – historically, the Liberal Democrats have performed well during election campaigns despite the Tories and Labour trying to squeeze them out. Nonetheless, the overall picture is clear – the Liberal Democrat candidates in these seats face an extremely difficult fight. Losses are likely.
Despite this fall in support, perhaps the most surprising aspect of Wednesday's poll is that the Liberal Democrats' brand is not as tarnished as some might have expected – two thirds of voters in these seats (66%) say that the Liberal Democrats can be a force for good in British politics, and a similar proportion (63%) say that the party was right to go into Coalition with the Conservatives in 2010.
So what has gone wrong? Why have the Liberal Democrats lost so much support in the South West?
Theories commonly put forward are that the decline can be blamed on tuition fees or on Nick Clegg's personal reputation. But both of these explanations miss the key reason for their decline.
1. It's not just Nick
It is certainly true to say that Nick Clegg's personal reputation is nowhere near the levels he achieved after that famous first debate in 2010. Our research consistently shows him to be among the most unpopular of the main party leaders, with our most recent data showing that just 12% of the public have favourable impressions of Mr Clegg.
But Wednesday's South West poll shows that, while Mr Clegg's reputation is far from rehabilitated, it is not the cause of the Party's woes: only three in ten voters in these seats (29%) agree that Nick Clegg puts them off voting for the party.
2. Tuition fees are not the root of the problem
There is little doubt that tuition fees have been a major blot on the Liberal Democrats' copybook in the last five years, and that the decision to renege on their pledge to oppose an increase in tuition fees coincided with a period of decline in the party's poll ratings, as the graph below clearly shows.
But is it realistic to think that a single issue explains the party's poor poll ratings five years on? Or that tuition fees, which do not directly affect large swathes of the population, could be that issue?
It is probably more accurate to see tuition fees as a symptom of the Liberal Democrats' problems, rather than the cause.
For the underlying cause of the Liberal Democrats' decline in the polls is far more fundamental than broken promises on tuition fees. As the chart above shows, even before the tuition fees vote in December 2010 the Lib Dems were already on the way down. It looks more likely that what really did the damage was the decision to go into Coalition; everything else stems from that original injury.
Whether you see the decision to enter government positively or negatively, it is clear that this immediately negated several key factors driving Liberal Democrat vote choice in 2010 (and before).
The Liberal Democrats have historically benefited from being portrayed as the alternative to the "big two" of Labour and the Conservatives. This was demonstrated, for example, by the support the Party enjoyed as a result of Charles Kennedy's opposition to the Iraq War and their 22% vote share in 2005.
By being in Government, the Liberal Democrats have no longer been able to position themselves as the alternative option – this cost them votes and created space for parties like the Greens and UKIP to position themselves as the real outsiders.
The party's election campaign, with its "Look Left, Look Right, Then Cross" posters, clearly attempts to regain this ground. But as our focus group for Sunday Politics last week suggests, this is not winning voters over.
So while most voters in key seats such as those in the South West clearly do not hate the party, many of the reasons for voting for them in 2010 simply no longer apply.
In many ways this was predictable – in coalitions, as Angela Merkel once remarked to David Cameron, "the little party always gets smashed!" – and Nick Clegg was aware of this risk when he waltzed into the Rose Garden five years ago. He will just be hoping that his Party does not suffer the same fate as the party that the German Chancellor was referring to – the FDP, Germany's equivalent of the Liberal Democrats, went from being coalition partners between 2009 and 2013 to having no seats at all in the German Bundestag now.
Being in government forces parties to answer some uncomfortable questions. Are we committed to this policy? What are our core beliefs? Mr Clegg has generally been willing to give answers, but in doing so has disturbed the fragile equilibrium of the Liberal Democrat vote. Smaller parties have always needed to make bolder claims ahead of elections to attract attention. Most have their own equivalent of the tuition fee promise. Nick Clegg is unlikely to be the last leader to suffer this fate.
Retweet on TwitterSavanta ComRes Retweeted
RSPCA (England & Wales)@RSPCA_official·
We're absolutely over-the-moon, @SavantaComRes! Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us 💙 And huge congrats to our pals at @DogsTrust too 👏 https://twitter.com/SavantaComRes/status/1351552322363600901
Savanta ComRes@SavantaComRes
🐶Animal welfare
🥇 @DogsTrust
🥈 @RSPCA_official


text:
package org.apache.activemq.filter;

import java.util.Set;

import org.apache.activemq.SpringTestSupport;
import org.apache.activemq.command.ActiveMQTopic;
import org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;

/**
 *
 */
public class DummyPolicyTest extends SpringTestSupport {

   public void testPolicy() throws Exception {
      DummyPolicy policy = (DummyPolicy) getBean("policy");

      Set<?> set = policy.get(new ActiveMQTopic("FOO.BAR"));

      assertSetEquals("FOO.BAR set", new Object[]{"Edam", "Cheddar"}, set);
   }

   @Override
   protected AbstractApplicationContext createApplicationContext() {
      return new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("org/apache/activemq/filter/dummyPolicy.xml");
   }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Planning a Day at The Met in New York
Hilton Mom Voyage Team
Hilton Mom Voyage Team Writers
Children and museums don't always mix. But at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (known to most as "the Met"), hieroglyphs, medieval knights and impressionist paintings come alive for children.
Parents might wonder, Can you really experience the 2 million square foot main building of the Met with kids in one day? The answer of course is no. Especially if you want your children to enjoy it.
FIVE TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF A DAY AT THE MET WITH KIDS
The first trick to ensuring a successful day at the Met with kids is to pre-plan your trip. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a wealth of online resources and information for kids and families to research before you visit. Get your kids involved in planning an itinerary that interests them. They can view descriptions of the galleries and suggested itineraries on the website.
My daughter planned our day to start with Egyptian art, followed by the American Wing, Arms and Armor and the Chinese Garden Courtyard in the morning and the 19th and Early 20th Century European Paintings in the afternoon. While we did not see everything in those galleries, her planning kept her engaged and interested and excited to go back in the future to catch what we missed.
Children will love the Arms and Armor exhibit at the Met in New York City.
2. GET AN EARLY START
An early start at the museum, which opens at 10 am seven days a week, is a good way to make the most of young energy and allow for a break later in the day. Staying at New York Hilton Midtown, within walking distance of the Met, is a smart way to make the most of your time.
3. PICK UP INFORMATION FIRST
The first stop at the Met is the information desk. Be sure to pick up family activity guides and maps. Even though our daughter had researched her list of top five exhibits, the kid friendly map is a great way for kids to help navigate the many galleries throughout the day.
4. TAKE THE AUDIO TOUR FOR KIDS
Audio tours can be hit or miss for kids. But the Met's kid adapted audio tour was a hit! Instead of insisting that she read each informational plaque, my daughter listened to a narrative designed for elementary-aged children. The tour included of a mix of history, facts and legends that incorporated music and interviews. Plus, as a bonus, we could easily tell if she was listening to the audio tour by what she recounted to us about each work of art.
Explore Egyptian art and take the kid's audio tour at the Met.
5. HEAD OUTSIDE FOR LUNCH
Although the Met has several cafes, we needed fresh air to help break up the full day. Just a few blocks away from the museum is Le Pain Quotidien which offers a delicious and relatively healthy way to refuel for the rest of your museum explorations.
24 Hours in New York City's Legendary Times Square!
Must-See Timeless Locations in Hollywood


This very contemporary style Trophy Club project had a very small yard & wanted to incorporate the biggest pool they could in that space. Also, there was a slight slope in the backyard so the terrace farthest away from the deep end of the pool was raised 6" higher to accomodate the grade change in the backyard. The pool is 7' deep to accomodate the kids jumping off the raised platform at the deep end of the pool. We have precast coping on the pool with a pattern concrete deck. Out of the main focal point of the family room we incorporated a water wall. It was done in chipped slate which gives it a very tranquil sound as the water runs down the length of the pool in that area. The pool was also done in a black Onyx Pebblesheen to provide the contrast of the contemporary design style with the white coping. The pattern concrete was done in a light grey color. The patio was capped in pattern concrete as well to create a smooth transition for the deck area and make the space seem larger. Space was left along the property line fences for planting to help screen the fencing & soften the general setting of the backyard.


Buffalo Niagara International: manageable size, pretty floors in security, pleasant rocking chairs. Flight delayed due to inclement weather.
Los Angeles International: palm trees, nutritious food available for insane price, quirky bedsheet art, approximately 1300 extra km west of our destination.
… AND back to Buffalo.
Adorable flowered onesie. Comfy, yet flattering. Worn for two days straight because of flight delays without checked baggage – no complaints though. Hangin' with Auntie Em.
Green gingham onesie-dress with darts, bows, embroidered flowers (sister outfit to I Heart Butterflies). Hangin' with her beautiful great-grandma Wina.
Gussied up for the wedding in an A-line dress with matching bloomers.
Embroidered flowers, fooler camisole… and those frilly cap sleeves just kill me. Please also note monkey toes.
Sleeveless raspberry-striped mini-dress with side pockets and matching bloomers. Very relaxing.
There is so much more to tell about our epic trip. Please stay tuned.
Greyphobia: Why can't I just love my wrinkles?
I have certain products I put on my face daily. One is an antioxidant serum I use around my eyes to prevent wrinkles.
Back in our twenties, when my Hubbibi was wooing me with written correspondence, I remember one of his letters – which always contained social/political commentary (yes, that was part of what wooed me) – talking about how crazy it was that companies could charge so much for something like anti-wrinkle cream and people would still feel the need to buy it. At the time, part of me agreed with him… and yet, I already knew that such vanity existed in me, although I had no eye wrinkles at the time.
Now, here I am. I do spend money on skin products, including ones to "keep me young".
I know it's kinda dumb. It's not like I'm losing my eyesight or developing arthritis, both of which would actually hinder my ability to enjoy life. It's not like I'm a famous personality who gets lots of public attention and scrutiny. I'm not hoping for some kind of big break based on my youthful face. But I can't deny that when I see my wrinkles getting more pronounced, I sigh sadly. When I see an obvious grey hair, I pull it out.
Why do I do this? My "signs of aging" are the results of life being lived – the laughter and tears and sunshine and pregnancies and interrupted nights with my babies – and I wouldn't trade these things for youth… not even the tears. I am glad to be healthy and alive, knowing lots of people have had their lives cut shorter than this. To age is a privilege.
It's not that I think my life has already passed its peak and it's all downhill from here. On the contrary, I look forward to the next thirty-four years – and beyond, if I'm lucky – as more opportunities to do and be and witness great things.
So why can't I just own this aging thing? Be proud of my grey hairs? Love my wrinkles?
Frustratingly, this seems to be mostly a women's problem. Men apparently don't give a dirty diaper-full about going grey or getting wrinkles. Why do women get these neuroses?
Conveniently, I blame society. (Because society can be blamed for everything.) Especially advertising media.
It dawned on me when I saw the commercial for "Touch of Gray" (Just For Men).
For men, grey hair is an asset. It's distinguished, handsome, mature. It says "experience", for crap's sake.
You'll notice the woman doing the interview has NO "touch of gray" WHATSOEVER. No visible wrinkles either. Sheesh. Please excuse me while I gag on the double-standard.
Women get crow's feet. Men get "crinkly eyes".
Women are bombarded by anti-aging advertising, featuring models either airbrushed or well under forty (or both). These ads are designed to create anxiety about looking your actual age – aging skin can't possibly be "great skin". Have you EVER seen such an ad featuring a man?
Male actors – some of the biggest celebrities – can walk around with crinkles and grey on display, and still be considered hot… think George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Liam Neeson, Russell Crowe, John Slattery, Alec Baldwin, Richard Gere. Female actors don't get to show their grey unless the part actually calls for it; Helen Mirren, Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, and Meryl Streep almost never let their true colours show. (And don't get me started on plastic surgery.) How is that fair?
I asked my husband if he ever worries or even thinks about grey hair and wrinkles. He practically scoffed. "Are you kidding? I can't wait! I've always wanted to be an old man!" Of course, Sean is not a good person to ask about this; he has a perpetually young-looking face, and also an odd penchant for deliberately choosing accessories that are, shall we say, "elderly" (sweater-vests, flat caps, even the occasional walking stick or pocket watch).
But how and why does he get to want to be an old man? I think we're dealing not just with ads, but with a deeply ingrained societal idea.
Say the words "old man" to yourself. (Or Google it, if that's easier.) What images come to mind? Maybe it's just me, but I think of someone old and wise, gentlemanly, even venerable… like Winston Churchill, or Gandhi, or Obi-Wan Kenobi. After all, the iconic "Old Man and the Sea" was about an old Cuban fisherman with extraordinary strength, determination, and resourcefulness.
The words "old lady" just aren't the same; inexplicably, I picture someone hunched, shuffling, blue-haired, going a little bit dotty. Even "old woman" doesn't sound good – "old women" do things like invite hapless children into their gingerbread homes and roast them. They might live in a shoe, or swallow a fly for no good reason.
Why do I think this? It's ridiculous! All the old women I know are amazing, intelligent, lovely people, not at all how I describe. Why does societal perception trump my actual life experience?
It would be easier to reveal the evidence of our journeys toward old-womanhood if women, as a group, were allowed to age properly, naturally, graciously. How will we get permission to be free of a myth in which we participate?
I guess I should start by wearing my wrinkles and grey hairs proudly, like the badges of my personal history that they are… and then show young girls it's okay – by being super-awesome.
Remembering how my little boy is awesome.
I know that much of my blog has been devoted to my firstborn and his exploits, but it's been harder to concentrate on his awesomeness recently.
I feel bad, because it seems like we're constantly on his case – and I'm sure it seems that way to him, too. That would, I assume, be why he has taken to pounding on couch cushions (which we encourage as an expression of frustration), hitting Mummy or Daddy (which we discourage), and screaming "NOOOOOOO!!!" at the top of his lungs (which just gets him more shushing and usually removal from the room).
He's not like that every moment, of course – we have lots of good times, but even then, there are so many things to do that he doesn't get nearly as much undivided attention as I wish I could give him. In fact, "undivided" has pretty much fallen off the boat of possibilities, at least where Mummy is concerned.
Except when we've gone out. Yesterday and today I took him with me on short errands while A was napping and Daddy was home, and it was really fun. (Takes twice as long, of course, but whatever.) He was so good, and so cute – and when I'm out in the big world, without his relatively tiny sister along, I remember how little he still is, in the grand scheme of things.
Yesterday we went to get gifts for our midwives (discharge visit was today, *sniff*) at an eclectic international gift-type shop, and E was very well-behaved. He looked at all the stuff at his eye-level – a fascinating array of scarves, belly rings, and sculptures – and he carried his pony around and saw what it looked like atop the head of each Hindu god (Ganesh was definitely there, but I couldn't remember whether the other guy was Shiva or Vishnu – it's been a long time since my Hindu art and culture course). He noted which ones were happy and which were sad – and which had curly hair.
Today, we went to the drug store. Even though I had to tell him approximately seventeen times, "No, we're not buying that," it was still fun. Partly because he kept mistaking things for other things, and partly because he kept wanting to get presents for his sister.
This last one made me kinda proud. I explained to E that these were not carrots, but he rebutted with the information that they were round and orange, just like the carrots he eats. Can't deny he's right.
The best part was as I was checking out – we had to wait a few extra minutes for my photos to be printed, and I realized E was hanging around by the automatic exit door. I asked if he was okay, and he said, "Yeah. I'm the operator, opening the door." I watched him, and sure enough, he would step in front of the door to make it slide open each time someone approached. Such an enterprising chap.
Don't worry about stepping on that sensor. It's taken care of.
I am taking a page from Daddy Runs a Lot, who titles all his posts starting with "Where I…", because this way, I don't have to be pithy. Also, I am taking a page from my erstwhile blogself, who used to write about whatever came to mind without trying to organize or craft or incorporate glints of awesomeness. I'm too pregnant and too humid and too noodley to be truly coherent. Cohesive? One of those.
Back to one of the reasons I love blogging: bullet list.
I want to thank you, once again, for being wonderful. You make me wonder why on earth I was nervous about sharing my lullaby with you. You honoured me by listening. Merci.
On the same topic, I would like to say that artists can be super-lovely. I contacted all the living artists I could track down whose work I used (turned out to be all but one) to ask if it was okay that I used their art to accompany my song. I heard back from one only a few hours later – Yury Salko, of the Ukraine, currently living in Rome. He wrote me the most delightful email which I wish I could just copy for you here, so adorable was his English. It's full of exclamation points and quirky expressions. Not only did this kind man give me his blessing to use the image of his painting Lullaby (below – incidentally, it won the Golden Palm in Germany), he said, "Remarkably another event!" and went on to tell me that he had learned he'd become a grandfather only minutes before receiving my message, and that the name of his daughter-in-law who had just given birth… is Diana. Reason #378 that the internet ROCKS: random, fantastic human connections that could never exist without it.


Hi. I'm not getting the form data and should be. This is CRAZY. Same issue with other clients I've told they should be using JotForm.
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Our apologies. Our backend team is already aware of this case and I think they are looking into this already.
The Gmail address that you have mentioned is listed to our bounce list. I've fixed this already. It is also a rare case that a Gmail Address will end up to our bounce list. Some of the email logs show that the email was sent from "none" and you've selected noreply@formresponse.com in the form email settings when I checked it so I think you have never selected any before. Please confirm.
If you continue to experience this problem, let us know so we can submit it to our developers.


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Container, Lubricating Oil
From the Collection of Frankston RSL Sub Branch 183 Cranbourne Road Frankston Victoria
Container used for lubricating oil for 18 PDR and 25 PDR artillery pieces. Used during WW1 and WW2
120mm L x 88mm W x 175mm H
container, can, oil can, oiler, artillery, ww1, ww2, 18 pdr, 25 pdr,
Used for storing lubricating oil for artillery pieces, 18 PDR and 25 PDR, during WW1 and WW2.
Markings on base "DɅD" and serial number "CM 2404 "
14 Jun 2018 at 5:47PM
Recent additions by Frankston RSL Sub Branch View 615 other items
Framed Artwork - Sketch of Frankston RSL Clubrooms, Davey Street
Frankston RSL Sub Branch, Frankston
Framed artwork produced by artist Marie Minton, dated 1972. The artwork is an ink drawing with watercolour tonings and depicts the Frankston RSL Sub Branch clubrooms of the time. The artwork is mounted with a gold coloured wooden frame and glass front. Artist, Marie Minton was apparently the daughter of a member of the time, Laurie Minton. This scene is of a Frankston landmark building on the corner of Davey Street and Young Street, Frankston locally known as the 'Plowman Residence'. Prior to being the clubrooms of the Frankston RSL Sub Branch this building was the family home of Dr Sidney Plowman. In Dr Plowman's time the building was known as the 'The Lofts' and was his residence and operated as a private hospital, the building was constructed ca 1900. Dr Plowman died in May 1932.
Title 'Frankston RSL' and the artist's name 'Marie Minton '72' appear on the front lower area of the sketch. The rear has the following note inscribed "Sketch of RSL clubrooms Davey St. by Marie Minton daughter of member (Laurie)"
Munition, 2 PDR
Pair of 2 PDR cartridges of WW1 vintage, probably a version used by Naval weapons. These are an example of trench art. These used cartridges have been modified with the addition of three brass 'feet' which have been brazed onto the filled end to enable them to be used as a flower vase.
Souvenir, Ashtray
Example of trench art, an ashtray made from brass (possibly originally recovered from a used munition cartridge). The finished item has been engraved with the RAAF insignia and motto and the words "EGYPT 1941".
This small ashtray has been engraved with the RAAF insignia and motto and the words "EGYPT 1941".
cake serving set
Example of a trench art cake serving set consisting of a cake slice and a cake fork (could be for serving pies). These have been made with a handle which is a used 0.303 inch rifle ammunition round and have been chrome plated and finished with elaborate engraving.
A WW1 era Australian Light Horse pack saddle. The saddle has large panniers mounted on either side and metal fittings for attaching devices such as additional carriers or weapons, made of leather and is complete. The saddle is displayed on a steel frame.
A WW1 era Australian Light Horse riding saddle. The saddle is a 1915 pattern Officers riding saddle, made of leather and is complete. The saddle is displayed on a wooden frame.
This saddle formerly belonged to MAX ARMSTRONG a WW2 ex-serviceman and a Frankston RSL Sub Branch member. Max and other ex-service officers were members of a volunteer Light Horse Mounted Section who, for many years, rode at the head of the annual Melbourne ANZAC Day commemoration March, leading the marching troops. At the completion of the march the Light Horse Mounted Section would visit the Memorial Horse Trough near the north east corner of the Shrine of Remembrance for a brief service paying tribute to Australian war horses.
Scabbard
Bayonet holder without knife ,it is called a frog from 1916 , WW1. Bayonet holder which is known as a frog with two rivets in the material webbing.
From WW1
Has a 1916 marking on the back of bayonet holder
Embroidered Cloth
This is a square yellow silk cloth with pink fringing. It has an embroidered blue rising sun, under which are the words Australian Imperial Forces. On the lower edge of the cloth are the embroidered words 'From Sergeant Frank McDonald' It is also embellished with embroidered flowers.
Embroidered cloths like this were sent home as souvenirs. Individual names were embroidered on the cloth.
RSSAILA Event Programme collection - Festival of Empire and Remembrance 11 November 1944
Printed paper booklet and three (3) paper poppy leaves
Front cover has printed Title information and brief description of the event. Sixteen pages contain a Royal photograph and detailed description of organisation and programme of activities and instructions. Six original signatures of decorated servicemen appear on the front cover
Medal, Imperial German
A WW1 era Imperial German Iron Cross Second Class medal contained in a presentation case. The medal has a black and white striped ribbon threaded through a suspender ring. This medal was issued during WW1 to German Army personnel. refer to AWM item https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1176843
Mortar Bomb (Practice) 81mm, Vietnam era
Practice mortar round, 81mm, steel (black) with aluminium tailpiece
81mm practice mortar bomb, U S from Vietnam era
On aluminium tailpiece "DS" and underneath "22 M O 82 M 1 7 0 "
Case, Transit
A wooden, protective transit case to suit a plane table compass as used by surveyors and artillery crew. These compasses were used by artillery units of the Australian Military Forces during World War 2. Refer 00330 and 00330.1
Case, Leather
A purpose made protective transit case for the sight clinometer MK IV used in conjunction with the QF 25 PDR field gun. Standard equipment issued with the 25 PDR artillery piece. Refer to items 00111 and 00111.1
Compass, Plane Table
A plane table compass as used by surveyors and artillery crew complete with a protective wooden transit case. This compass is the type used by artillery units of the Australian Military Forces during World War 2. This compass was manufactured by J. W. Handley P/L of Melbourne in 1943. Refer 00330.1 and 00330.2
Sight clinometer MK IV used in conjunction with the QF 25 PDR field gun. This device was mounted on a fitting beside the gun barrel and used to accurately indicate the elevation of the gun barrel. The device is calibrated in degrees and minutes and is adjustable enabling the weapon to be accurately aimed. Standard equipment issued with the 25 PDR artillery piece. Refer to items 00111 and 00111.2
Hat, Felt
Standard Australian Department of Defence issue khaki fur felt slouch hat as worn by Army personnel. The hat brim has a bound edge finish and one side of the brim is folded against the hat crown. The folded brim is attached by a brass clip to the side of the crown. This hat has the normal seven fold puggaree.
MOUNTCASTLE PTY LTD MAY 2005 57 O/N 235032
Hat, RAN
Royal Australian Navy ratings cap worn by able seamen when in uniform, this white cap has a tally band and chinstrap in black material with the embroidered name "H.M.A.S. VOYAGER". This type of cap is a personal purchase for 'wearing out' and is known to sailor's as a "tiddly" hat. The hat has internal red (for Port) and green (for Starboard) lining bands and a blue sweat band.
Donated by Frank Verco service number R62418, who enlisted in the RAN as a young man. Frank was posted to the HMAS Voyager and was on board when the ship was involved in an accident which resulted in it's sinking in February 1964. Fortunately Frank was uninjured, he was in the bow area of the ship at the time of the accident Frank and went down with that section of the ship. Frank later served on the HMAS Sydney ferrying troops to Vietnam. Frank was in the RAN for three years, his rank was Ordinary Seaman/Electrical Mechanic.
The band is embroidered with the inscription: "H. M. A. S. VOYAGER" and the cap has the name "F. J. VERCO" written inside. The iside lining has the imprint "Manufactured Expressly for Sinbad Trading Company Melbourne Made in England"
Propellor, Desk Ornament
Munition, Cartridge
Pair of 2 PDR cartridges. These are an example of trench art.
Grenade, Mills
A WW2 Mills Grenade type M36 of Naval origin. This item has been sectioned to show internal parts of the Grenade. Presumaby originally modified for use as a training aid.
Send an email to Frankston RSL Sub Branch


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Sidney Crosby Nominated For 'Mark Messier Leadership Award'
By Jim Rixner Jun 2, 2010, 7:25pm EDT
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It's not exactly the most prestigious award that's given out (it has a sponsor, for crying out loud), but an honor is an honor. And Mark Messier announced that Sidney Crosby is one of three finalists, along with Phoenix's Shane Doan and Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller, for the leadership award that bears Messier's name.
"The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award presented by Bridgestone has been awarded since 2006-07 and is awarded 'to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season'," the league said in a statement.
It'll be interesting to see what they're looking for in awarding this. Given that Crosby lead his team to a Cup last season and scored the game winning gold medal goal in this Olympics, it seems like Sid ought to have as good a chance as any of the finalists.


According to data from IPIECA, electric motors account for more than 80% of electricity use at oil refineries, with 60% driving pumps, 15% powering air compressors and 9% running fans. With the oil industry very much reliant on the successful operation of electric motors, preventing their failure becomes an important priority.
Yet despite our best preventative efforts, electric motor failure does still occur. When it does strike, it can be difficult to know just what to do. As business downtime and losses mount, it's very easy to make a panicked decision over whether to rewind and repair or replace your motor.
When faced with such a conundrum, motor owners must carefully consider how they act. With new high-efficiency motors available, do they take the plunge and invest in a whole new motor altogether that promises higher efficiency levels but with significantly greater costs? Or, do they commit to a motor repair or rewind? While the cost is often lower, many are concerned about the potential inefficiencies that an electric motor rewind can bring — yet are these worries grounded in fiction?
The association of motor rewinds with inefficiencies can be attributed to a limited number of studies involving smaller motors. It is claimed that carrying out a rewind can drop efficiency by between 1% and 5% each time it is rewound. Considering the associated expense and sheer volume of energy these motors use, this is naturally concerning. However, more recent research has countered these findings.
EASA and AEMT, alongside Nottingham University, tested 22 new motors from 50 to 300 hp. Overall, the results found that when electric motors were rewound using good practice, there was no significant change in the efficiency of the motors. However, in some instances, efficiency actually increased. This clearly dispels the belief that a rewind is actually detrimental to a motor's performance.
As the above results suggest, you may not need to purchase an expensive new electric motor. Of course, in cases of catastrophic failure, this may be your only option. However, it's very important to fully evaluate your options to make sure you make the right choice in terms of operation, cost and efficiency. This can be done by asking a number of key questions, as explained by Houghton International.
How suitable for purpose is your electric motor?
As your operational needs shift, you may find that your existing electric motor is now unsuitable. Review the scale of the damage alongside the requirements for the motor's processes and duty cycles. If the motor is no longer suitable or too damaged, your option is to replace the motor.
Have you checked the condition of the stator core and rotor?
Where suitability isn't a concern, next check the stator core and rotor. If significant damage is present, it may be more beneficial to purchase a new motor, as depending on the extent of the damage, repairs can be costly.
Fully consider your options when buying a new motor. For example, if the lead times for the motor you need are long, you may to decide to repair rather than replace to minimise downtime.
Is there any other damage to mechanical parts?
In the event of motor failure, you may find that the shaft, frame, bearing housing and other mechanical parts are damaged. Examine the extent of the damage; you may be able to replace the affected parts at a lower cost than replacing the entire motor.
Do you have an EPAct or Nema Premium motor?
Many use motor failure as the excuse they need to upgrade to a more efficient model. If you are considering making the investment, make sure you fully understand the return you'll receive from doing so. Consider the energy savings you'll make alongside the expected life of the motor and its hours of operation. Always consider your overall budget too, to make sure the replacement aligns with your current financial position.
If you are happy with your existing motor efficiency, getting your electric motor repaired at a qualified service centre will not see a dramatic drop in this efficiency.
Before you can make the right choice between electric motor repairs, rewinds and replacements, you must first consider your operational needs, budget and timescale.