When we last saw Jillian, she got a surprising phone call while at her new assignment in Washington. Her new boyfriend, James, was investigating her ex-boyfriend, Paul. Jillian is just trying to get on with her life again after a string of losses at her last nursing assignment.
(The scene opens with Jillian laying on her bed. James is laying beside her and they are both staring up at the ceiling.)
“Do you ever wonder if alternate realities are a thing?” asks Jillian.
James laughs, “I honestly haven’t given it much thought. I guess you have, though.”
“Well, not obsessively, but sure. I mean, what if this isn’t even real life. Maybe I had a mental breakdown back in Georgia after everything that happened and I’m still there, insane. Everything that’s happening is just a figment of my imagination. It has to be. There is no way you’re real.”
(She looks over at him and touches the side of his cheek. He leans over and gives her a kiss.)
“That would be so much easier for you, wouldn’t it?” he says as he strokes her hair. “Must be a big change for you, having someone actually give a shit about you.”
She pulls out of the embrace and looks up at him. Her eyes well up with tears, “I mean, yeah, actually.”
Jillian sits up and pulls her knees to her chest. James sits up and puts his arm around her.
“After my dad called that workers comp lawyer, nothing was ever the same. He let the money go to his head. Nothing else mattered except his next fix…” she trailed off. “This is just all so new to me.”
“Well, get used to it babe, cuz I’m not going anywhere,” James says with a smile. He gets up and walks over to the kitchen. He pulls out two wine glasses, walks over to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of white wine. He pours them both a glass.
As he is doing this, Jillian picks up her phone and the audience sees a flashback of the call she received at the hospital on her first day in Washington. She puts her phone down and looks over at James as he walks back to the bed with their wine.
“Speaking of my dad,” Jillian says, “I feel like there is something I need to tell you about him…”


A daily morning ritual for balance and to celebrate and devote the day to the Gods.
Personalize this ritual to fit your strengths, challenges, and goals. The three 'gifts' for each element should be traits you need to work on and/or traits that you are strong in but still want to encourage.
Upon awakening, go to your altar. Light purifying incense, light a candle in the South, and make Holy Water. Take a few deep breaths, stretch, and begin the rite.
Turn to the East and say:
"East, winds of knowledge,
Thank you for the gifts of wit, honesty, and the mind."
Turn to the South and say:
"South, fire of creativity,
Thank you for the gifts of courage, passion, and the soul."
Turn to the West and say:
"West, waters of empathy,
Thank you for the gifts of kindness, intuition, and the heart."
Turn to the North and say:
"North, cornerstone of strength,
Thank you for the gifts of patience, endurance, and the body."
Kneel before the altar and say:
"Oh gracious Goddess, oh glorious God,
I greet You this morning and ask for Your aid.
I come to You to refresh my mind, soul, heart, and body
So that I may honor You with everything I do and say today.
Every step I take is a step in the Great Work.
I give thanks for the many blessings You have bestowed upon me."
Anoint with Holy Water your feet, knees, womb, breasts, and lips. While doing so, say:
"With this water,
I cleanse myself of all that is useless to me,
Of negativity and anger."
Draw a pentagram over your heart with the incense. While doing so, say:
"In place of these,
I charge myself to use the gifts of the Elements to their potential."
Stand before the altar and say:
"My sight beholds the beauty of the Goddess and God.
My blood is alive with the wisdom of the Ancestors.
The voices of nature resound in my soul.
I nurture my connection with life and the One."


So, it’s been forever. Sorry. My European adventure has long come to a close and I am settled back in at home, but I still have a few experiences to share from the final month.
The other day, a friend asked me what the highlight was of the entire trip. Picking one moment from six months worth of memories is no easy feat. What made my time as spectacular as it was were the people I met along the way. However, the one day that I will look back on and think, “life doesn’t get any better than this” was my last full day Spain. My boyfriend, the self-proclaimed “best guide in Granada”, had had a surprise planned for me for quite some time. He never fails to impress, so I knew I was in for a treat. As it turns out, he led me to the one spot I had been dying to visit: Los Cahorros.
Nestled in the arid southern Spanish landscape lies a lush, green paradise. Like something out of Indiana Jones, Los Cahorros is a maze of rope bridges and rocky trails. Sometimes we’d be clinging onto handholds on the rock face as we tiptoed along the narrow path, only to have to duck under massive boulders once we reached the end. The slightly treacherous terrain was full of surprises, the most breathtaking of which appeared at the end of one of the bridges: a waterfall. I had only ever seen them in Hawaii, so it was rather exciting. Some fellow hikers had stopped at the foot of the waterfall to have lunch and I asked Joaquín if we’d be doing the same, but he claimed to know an even better spot. Despite my wariness about his sense of direction, I trusted he knew what he was doing. This time, it paid off.
He led us to our very own secluded little cove with a miniature waterfall. Not a soul appeared the whole time we were there. (Tip: befriend locals, or date them, I guess. They know the best spots.) We waded in the chilly pools then dried off on the rocks, the sunshine finding its way to our bellies through the tree cover. It was absolute bliss to relax one last time with the person I love by my side before I embarked upon the final leg of my journey.


Global Status and Critical Developments in Ocean Energy – OES Implementing Agreement
The OES ExCo adopted a new 5-year Strategic Plan in February 2012, which has the vision that OES will become the “Authoritative International Voice for Ocean Energy”. This vision is being realized by documents, such as the “International Vision for Ocean Energy”, published in 2012 and the ongoing publication of Annual Reports. The ExCo is committed to a high standard of content and high production values in the production of these reports.
In May 2012 the ExCo decided that, with 5 years’ worth of invited articles, it would be valuable to collect these articles together into a single volume as a reference source, which documents the recent developments in ocean energy in OES countries. So this volume is intended as an authoritative reference on developments in ocean energy, as they occurred in a year-on-year progression.
CLICK HERE for PDF of document


I’ve been browsing through a few other Dream Casting blogs and I have to say I am NOT impressed. The two characters that I clearly visualized while reading Neil Gaiman’s American Gods were Shadow , who is the main character, and Wednesday, who is a very larger than life character. I think a lot of people are excited to see how this book turned into a TV series, I know I am ; however, I believe the casting that has been done reflects people’s favorite actors instead of the actors I believe would be best in their roles.
I will begin with Shadow, who is described in the book as other than white. It is speculated by other characters, that Shadow maybe mixed race including Hispanic or possibly black. Those shadow is in his 30’s, it is also stated by the narrator that he looks younger I would cast a mixed-race man in his late 20’s or early 30’s.
Jesse Williams - The Cabin in the Woods.
According to the International movie database, he is half Swedish and half African American. He was born in 1981 and is from Chicago Illinois.
Brendan Gleeson - 28 Days Later.
Wednesday is described in the book as a graying-red haired, middle-aged looking man about the height of Shadow.


HOW CAN YOU RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE?
ETERNAL LIFE IS A FREE GIFT
Eternal life can't be bought or earned by living a good life or doing good deeds.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.”
EVERYONE IS GUILTY OF OFFENDING GOD'S PERFECT HOLINESS.
No man or woman has lived a life of perfect obedience to God.
Romans 3:23 “...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Ecclesiastes 7:20 “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”
The consequences of offending God’s holiness are death and eternal separation from God. Man was created to enjoy God and have fellowship with him forever. But because of sin, we’re separated from God’s comfort forever.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”
Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for your sin. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man, lived a perfect life, was nailed to a cross and died, then rose from the dead 3 days later. He became the
perfect substitute sacrifice for his people, dying in their place. John 1:29 “ Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him (Christ) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” The only way to receive the gift of eternal life is through faith in Jesus Christ. God freely gives the incredible gift of eternal life to all who believe– that is, to all who trust in Christ alone for their eternity. Saving faith is more than intellectual acknowledgement; it is complete trust in Christ alone for salvation.
Acts 16:30-31 “He (the jailer) brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what
must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
will be saved…’ “
A PRAYER OF COMMITMENT
God, I realize that I have offended Your holiness and that I am separated from You by my sin. I ask you to forgive me for my wrongs on the basis of the payment Jesus Christ made for me on the cross.
I ask you to be the Lord of my life, and I want to live my life to please You. Guide me, direct me, and help me grow closer to You.
I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.


Bookaburra Storytime – Yarra Glen
Bookaburra Volunteer Storytellers run FREE interactive sessions including stories, rhymes and fun at community venues across Yarra Ranges every week (excluding school holidays). Bookaburra Storytime supports young children’s early literacy skills and fosters a love of reading. Reading to children from a young age can have a positive effect on their emotional, social and language development while also supporting their future ability to succeed at school and learning.
Wednesday, 05 December 2018 | 10:30AM to 11:15AM
Wednesday, 19 December 2018 | 10:30AM to 11:15AM
Yarra Glen Memorial Hall, Community Reading Room 45 Bell st, Yarra Glen


Global Warming and Human Settlements in Urban Areas – An ACH Review of the 2014 WGII AR5 Final Draft
Arizona HVAC Service Center, American Cooling and Heating, Presents a Review of the Risks, Vulnerabilities and Impact of Climate Change on People Who Live In An Urban Community
“To simplify the WGII AR5 final draft summary on global warming, think three categories of impact: 1) Resources, 2) Human Settlement and 3) Human Health. In this release of the American Cooling and Heating global warming series, we focus is on how climate change affects human settlements in urban environments,” ACH Phoenix data team.
For urban residents, global warming presents increasing risk factors associated with accumulated regional vulnerabilities and the economic conditions linked to those vulnerabilities. This release of the American Cooling and Heating global warming update highlights some of the problems, some of the possible solutions and some of the current effects that climate change has imposed and will continue to impose upon people who live in urban environments. For sake of a condensed presentation, all urban regions are grouped as one with no included adjustments for site size, characteristics or financially viable conditions
Preliminary Disclosure: The contents of the Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability report include the complete scientific and procedural evaluation of global warming data. Delivered in March of 2014 by the Working Group II global warming task force, the 2013 WGII AR5 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report is not yet approved in detail (1). However, the 38th Session of the IPCC has accepted the report along with the general statements of how global warming affects:
** Natural and managed world systems and world resources
** Matters of human health and human security
** AND Human settlements, including the industries and infrastructures within those settlements.
Urban Climate Adaptation Versus Urban Climate Change and the Associated Risks
Better than half of the world’s population resides, builds and works within urban communities (2). Global greenhouse gas emissions are an undesirable by-product of such tight-knit regions. Rapid growth in urban cities, especially in the low-to-middle income countries, generates an increase in vulnerable human settlements at risk of extreme weather change.
The situation can be somewhat controlled by effective governmental management of infrastructure, managed land-use and development of a strong ecosystem, but the risks factors continue to grow. Building reliable resilience while also enabling sustainable urban development demands leveraged support of climate change adaptation. A support that does not always deliver a resource-efficient solution to the growing problem of global warming and the associated climate changes hinders the resilience of the project.
The internal composition of most cities revolves around an inter-dependent system than can be managed but that can also be limited by medium confidence in limited submitted evidence. But when the evidence mounts and the management system delivers assurance of co-benefits, a powerful rise in support follows. The urban community suddenly realizes a resource-efficient method for addressing global warming and the associated climate changes.
As the risks associated with global warming increase, the negative impacts on human settlements, human health and local economies accumulate. Sea levels rise. Storms surge. Flooding, landslides and water scarcity are commonplace. Air pollution, drought and heat stress drive up the costs of air filtration, water supplies and even home air conditioning. Excessive energy consumption becomes the norm. According to the 2014 WGII AR5 Final Draft, by the year 2100 the cost of air conditioning will increase energy demands by up to 30-fold (2).
Changes in the climate impact almost every range of urban infrastructure, including sanitation and drainage, energy and water resources, transportation, and communication. Is the services arena, urban dwellers can expect a rise in risk factors associated with emergency services and personal health care response times. From economic stress factors to household well-being, the methods or managing urban communities will play a major role in future balance of the environmental and ecosystem services of the world.
For individuals, climate change affects multiple areas of life, including individual and family assets, personal health, and the methods of maintaining a decent livelihood. Yet in the human settlements that lack in essential services and infrastructure, provisions for adaptation are limited and the risks factors are explosive.
But all is not gloom and doom. Urban communities can adapt and it begins now. Every city can increment steps that lean toward a sustainable alignment with risk governance. From the private sector to the power of local and community governmental resources, the opportunities for immediate action is possible even if not currently realized in practice. It begins with a strong urban government that is capable of assessing and integrating a local regulatory framework that generates local support and confidence. It requires planning, design and allocation of resources and manpower. And it needs to be processed in incremental and transformative solutions that further increase the urban confidence in adaptation outcomes.
Next up: A look at global warming and climate change as associated with human settlements, industry and infrastructure in rural areas.
Series presented by American Cooling and Heating, Arizona HVAC Sales and Service for Trane, Amana, Goodman, Rheem, Carrier and all other major HVAC brands. For information on current ACH 2014 A/C product promotions, contact: http://www.americancoolingandheating.com
This article and its content do not constitute legal, financial, technical, or medical advice. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that this document is correct at the time of publication, the company and its employees and agents disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of anything or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done in reliance upon the whole or any part of this article and its content. All trademarks, logos, and associated content displayed are the property of their respective owners.
climate change, global warming, urban communities


Critical issue identification process
How do we approach critical issue identification?
We utilise research methods such as usability testing as well as heuristic review prioritise significant problems with the product or interface based on impact. Critical issues are those which inhibits users from completing core tasks and/or may impact core business objectives. Critical issues are then highlighted for immediate resolution to ensure optimal performance and user experience.
Why do we undertake critical issue identification?
Critical issue identification is crucial in ensuring optimal performance and user experience. By addressing significant problems early on, we prevent potential setbacks and ensure that the product or system operates at its best. This method provides a structured approach to prioritise pressing issues and allocate resources efficiently.
When do we undertake critical issue identification?
Critical issue identification is an ongoing aspect of product or system management. It is integrated at key stages to assess performance and user experience.


Hey all! I can't believe it is mid-August already. How does the summer fly by so fast, but the winter drags on and on? Oh well. I am headed out this morning with the kiddos for some swimming with friends. I love you sunny weather!
I created these genre-themed book marks as a PRIZE for our family challenge blog. My sister created this blog a month ago to create fun-filled family competition. It's a challenge blog of course! My sister has posted some really great challenges and will be posting more. We're all having so much fun at the Gross Family Challenge Blog.
I used A LOT of different Cricut carts on this project. That's why I love my Gypsy! I have access to all these awesome carts at the touch of my stylus. I kept the genres simple: Historical, Mystery, Romance, Humor, Political, and Travel.
I used all paper scraps from my stash. I love reusing tiny pieces of paper that otherwise would be thrown away. My detailing includes: Distress Ink, Glossy Accents, Crackle Accents, Stickles, and black/white pen.
Good luck to my family! Winning these bookmarks would be super sweet!


HCW Biologics Inc. Announces its Lead Product Candidate Shown to Augment Anti-Tumor Activity and Reduce Side Effects of Chemotherapy Regimens
Preclinical Data for HCW 9218 Included in Pivotal Scientific Paper Published in Molecular Therapy
MIRAMAR, Fla., Jan. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HCW Biologics Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HCWB), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel immunotherapies to lengthen health span by disrupting the link between chronic, low-grade inflammation and age-related diseases, today announced the publication of a scientific paper, authored by the Company’s scientific research team, in the peer-reviewed journal, Molecular Therapy. The paper is entitled, “Immunotherapeutic HCW9218 augments anti-tumor activity of chemotherapy via NK cell mediated reduction of therapy-induced senescent cells.” It highlights preclinical data from in vivo animal studies demonstrating the ability of the Company’s lead investigational candidate, HCW9218, to both enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of chemotherapy drugs and diminish their harmful side effects by reducing therapy-induced senescence (TIS).
Cellular senescence is an essential mechanism for tumor suppression. However, an increasing body of evidence has shown that chemotherapy and radiation, standard-of-care anti-cancer regimens, cause the accumulation of senescent cells both in tumor and normal tissue. Paradoxically, cellular senescence protects non-dividing cancer cells by limiting the effect of chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation and contributes to chemoresistance, radiation resistance, disease relapse, and systemic side effects. The Company’s data presented in this publication shows that HCW9218 activated immune response can significantly reduce cellular senescence induced by current chemotherapy to improve the anti-tumor efficacy and alleviate the unwanted side effects.
Dr. Hing C. Wong, the Founder and CEO of HCW Biologics, and the corresponding author of this published article, stated, “We believe our preclinical research findings are groundbreaking and among the very first studies that show our immunotherapeutic can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy. We are also interested in the collateral damage caused by chemotherapy treatment that has such a detrimental impact on health span and quality of life for millions of cancer patients.”
Dr. Wong continued, “We believe the findings reported in this paper could have broad implications in the future of chemotherapy. Multiple studies have revealed that increased cellular senescence in normal tissues can promote tumor progression, creating a link between aging and cancer. We have demonstrated with this data that targeting senescence cells with an immunotherapy could create an exciting clinical opportunity to maximize the anti-tumor efficacy of chemotherapies and minimize their negative side effects on normal tissues. In addition, we found that HCW9218 in combination chemotherapies can further augment the anti-cancer activities of therapeutic and immune-checkpoint antibodies against solid tumors. These encouraging preclinical results further support our decision to advance clinical development of HCW9218 for chemotherapy-refractory pancreatic cancer and other solid tumors.”
HCW9218 is a heterodimeric, bifunctional fusion protein complex engineered using the company’s proprietary TOBI™ platform technology. As detailed in the paper published today, data from in vivo animal studies demonstrated that HCW9218 improved the efficacy of the chemotherapy agent docetaxel against B16F10 melanoma, and anti-cancer agents gemcitabine combined with nab-paclitaxel against SW1990 pancreatic tumors by augmenting the metabolic and cytotoxic activities of immune cells and reducing TIS tumor cells that play a role in cancer recurrence, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation.
As demonstrated in the paper, HCW9218 treatment in animal models reduced the immunosuppressiveness of the tumor microenvironment and enhanced immune-cell infiltration and cytotoxicity in tumors to eliminate TIS cancer cells. Immunodepletion analysis suggested that natural killer (NK) cells activated by HCW9218 played a pivotal role in TIS cancer cell removal. HCW9218 treatment following docetaxel chemotherapy further enhanced the efficacy of tumor antigen-specific and anti-PD-L1 antibodies in B16F10 melanoma tumor-bearing mice. Data also demonstrated that tumor-bearing mice treated with chemotherapy and HCW9218 showed decreased TIS cells and proinflammatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors in off-target tissues. SASP factors are believed to contribute to chemoresistance, disease relapse, and chemotherapy’s negative side effects.
HCW Biologics received clearance in October 2021 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a first-in-human Phase 1b clinical trial to evaluate HCW9218 in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The Company is in discussions with several leading National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers as potential clinical trial sites. Discussions are simultaneously underway with a research facility to sponsor an IND for a second, investigator-initiated trial to evaluate HCW9218 in patients with breast, ovarian, prostate, colorectal and other solid tumors.
About the TOBI™ platform:
HCW Biologics has combined deep understanding of disease-related immunology with its expertise in advanced protein engineering to develop the TOBI™ discovery platform. The TOBI™ platform is a proprietary immunotherapeutic drug design and discovery platform. The Company has utilized this modular, tunable technology to generate a novel pipeline of immunotherapeutic candidates capable of activating and targeting desired immune responses while blocking unwanted immunosuppressive activities. The balancing of these two activities is believed to be the key to developing immunotherapeutic agents that will be safe, well tolerated and efficacious.
About HCW Biologics:
HCW Biologics is a transformative immunotherapy company that focuses on inflammaging, a state of unresolved inflammatory responses and chronic inflammation. The Company is developing novel immunotherapies designed to improve health span by disrupting the link between chronic, low-grade inflammation and age-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases. The Company uses its TOBI™ discovery platform to generate designer, novel multi-functional fusion molecules with immunotherapeutic properties for the treatment of inflammaging. The invention of HCW Biologics’ two lead molecules, HCW9218 and HCW9302, was made via the TOBI™ discovery platform. The FDA has cleared HCW Biologics to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1b clinical trial for HCW9218 in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The Company is also advancing IND-enabling studies for HCW9302 for an autoimmune indication.
Forward Looking Statements:
Statements in this press release contain “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” “forecast” or other similar words and include, without limitation, statements regarding immunotherapeutic candidates capable of activating and targeting desired immune responses while blocking unwanted immunosuppressive activities; the balancing of certain activities believed to be the key to developing immunotherapeutic agents that are expected to be safe, well tolerated and efficacious; the development of novel immunotherapies expected to improve health span by disrupting the link between chronic, low-grade inflammation and age-related diseases, and the Company’s intention to use TOBI™ technology to develop the next generation of cancer immunotherapeutics, the ability of HCW9218 to augment and enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of chemotherapy drugs and diminish their harmful side effects by reducing or eliminating TIS, the ability of HCW9218 to significantly reduce senescence, the potential clinical opportunity with chemotherapies and therapeutic and immune-checkpoint antibodies, the ability of HCW9218 to drive significant bifunctional antitumor activity and augment the metabolic and cytotoxic activities of immune cells, the ability of HCW9218 to reduce immunosuppressiveness of tumor microenvironment and enhanced immune-cell infiltration and cytotoxicity in tumors. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties that are described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus related to the Company’s initial public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 21, 2021. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
HCW Biologics Inc.
|Investor Relations Contact:|
Senior Vice President
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
|Media Relations Contact:|
Senior Vice President
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.


Panic hits me like a bucket of water. First there’s the shock of it—BAM! Right in the face! I’m just standin’ there drenched in panic and all these sheriffs are looking at me, and they know man, they can smell it. Sure as that fuckin’ dog can. They can smell it on me.


On your list of must haves Ibiza should not miss this book. MY IBIZA & Formentera Hjordis Fogelberg is a travel guide unlike any others. With original tips this book takes you off the beaten track and introduce you to the real Ibiza! And is not that what we all want?
Since our arrival in Ibiza this guide is my bible when it comes to nice places. I carry it with me always and at any spot on the island, he provides me with great tips. Markets to shops, from cafes to restaurants. And although I do not need them, there are also tipped hotels. The colorful illustrations and smooth writing style will make you want to visit each addresses.
The book is written in English and Spanish, So you can also further practice your language 🙂 This is a book that will surprise even regular visitors of Ibiza with new hotspots, fine terraces, good food and current information. Buy so if you love Ibiza!
Up to date information can be found on the Facebook MY IBIZA & Formentera, fun to follow!


John Young’s memoirs are finally being published. Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space will debut on September 30, 2012. Its publisher is the University Press of Florida. James Hansen, the author of Neil Armstrong’s biography First Man, is a co-writer.
I am very excited about…
I just hope it’s more than one page. “Well, I was born and then went to school, flew some planes and did some things in space. Now I’m writing this. THE END.”


复仇者第2季全集在线播放皇族彩票注册链接If the submission demanded be founded on justice—there is no appealing to a higher power—for God is justice itself. Let us then, as children of the same parent, if not bastardized by being the younger born, reason together, and learn to submit to the authority of reason when her voice is distinctly heard. But, if it be proved that this throne of prerogative only rests on a chaotic mass of prejudices, that have no inherent principle of order to keep them together, or on an elephant, tortoise, or even the mighty shoulders of a son of the earth, they may escape, who dare to brave the consequence without any breach of duty, without sinning against the order of things.视屏如果没有播放按钮请刷新网页
It was a merry party, and they had made a merry day of it, circling the bay from San Francisco around by San Jose and up to Oakland, having been thrice arrested for speeding, the third time, however, on the Haywards stretch, running away with their captor. Fearing that a telephone message to arrest them had been flashed ahead, they had turned into the back-road through the hills, and now, rushing in upon Oakland by a new route, were boisterously discussing what disposition they should make of the constable.复仇者第2季全集在线播放皇族彩票注册链接
复仇者第2季全集在线播放皇族彩票注册链接"Rats, now, Paul, you've never really what you could call whined. Sometimes--I'm always blowing to Myra and the kids about what a whale of a realtor I am, and yet sometimes I get a sneaking idea I'm not such a Pierpont Morgan as I let on to be. But if I ever do help by jollying you along, old Paulski, I guess maybe Saint Pete may let me in after all!"
The shop was shut. Both door and shutters were of a strong and sturdy kind, and they knocked without effect. But the impatient crowd raising a cry of ‘Set fire to the house!’ and torches being passed to the front, an upper window was thrown open, and the stout old locksmith stood before them.复仇者第2季全集在线播放皇族彩票注册链接
韩国李宗瑞 伦理 在线播放He saw through their schemes readily enough, and even marveled that such numbers of them could find sufficient prey to keep them going. Their rascality and general dubiousness was so transparent that he could not understand how any one could be taken in by them.视屏如果没有播放按钮请刷新网页
Vronsky, listening with one ear, moved his opera glass from the stalls and scanned the boxes. Near a lady in a turban and a bald old man, who seemed to wave angrily in the moving opera glass, Vronsky suddenly caught sight of Anna's head, proud, strikingly beautiful, and smiling in the frame of lace. She was in the fifth box, twenty paces from him. She was sitting in front, and slightly turning, was saying something to Yashvin. The setting of her head on her handsome, broad shoulders, and the restrained excitement and brilliance of her eyes and her whole face reminded him of her just as he had seen her at the ball in Moscow. But he felt utterly different towards her beauty now. In his feeling for her now there was no element of mystery, and so her beauty, though it attracted him even more intensely than before, gave him now a sense of injury. She was not looking in his direction, but Vronsky felt that she had seen him already.韩国李宗瑞 伦理 在线播放
韩国李宗瑞 伦理 在线播放Edward shook his head. "I was merely envying Miss Drewitt her possession of you," he said, carelessly, "and I was just about to remark that I wished you were my uncle too, when she came indoors. I suppose she wanted you to hear it."
Denis looked. He wasn't sure whether it was so very delightful after all. Why didn't they go and watch the sack races? The two old gentlemen were engaged at the moment in congratulating the winner of the race; it seemed an act of supererogatory graciousness; for, after all, she had only won a heat.韩国李宗瑞 伦理 在线播放
大陆理论片三级在线播放"I wish there had been a schoolmaster like that around when I was born, then. Oh, here we are at the bridge. I'm going to shut my eyes tight. I'm always afraid going over bridges. I can't help imagining that perhaps just as we get to the middle, they'll crumple up like a jack-knife and nip us. So I shut my eyes. But I always have to open them for all when I think we're getting near the middle. Because, you see, if the bridge DID crumple up I'd want to SEE it crumple. What a jolly rumble it makes! I always like the rumble part of it. Isn't it splendid there are so many things to like in this world? There we're over. Now I'll look back. Good night, dear Lake of Shining Waters. I always say good night to the things I love, just as I would to people. I think they like it. That water looks as if it was smiling at me."视屏如果没有播放按钮请刷新网页
"You see, I've come to you," said Nikolay in a thick voice, never for one second taking his eyes off his brother's face. "I've been meaning to a long while, but I've been unwell all the time. Now I'm ever so much better," he said, rubbing his beard with his big thin hands.大陆理论片三级在线播放
大陆理论片三级在线播放"The chances are small that your tale will be believed until after you have proven your trustworthiness and won friends among the higher nobles of the court. This you can most easily do through military service, as we are a warlike people on Barsoom," explained one of them, "and save our richest favors for the fighting man."
He spoke of secretarial work, but even there she would need to be able to do typing and shorthand. He made it more and more evident to her that her proper course was not to earn a salary but to accumulate equipment. "You see," he said, "you are like an inaccessible gold-mine in all this sort of matter. You're splendid stuff, you know, but you've got nothing ready to sell. That's the flat business situation."大陆理论片三级在线播放
手机3d在线播放版A third ring at the bell. A young doctor, in a pair of new black trousers, gold spectacles, and of course a white tie, walks in. He introduces himself. I beg him to be seated, and ask what I can do for him. Not without emotion, the young devotee of science begins telling me that he has passed his examination as a doctor of medicine, and that he has now only to write his dissertation. He would like to work with me under my guidance, and he would be greatly obliged to me if I would give him a subject for his dissertation.视屏如果没有播放按钮请刷新网页
The dinner done, Mrs. Bagnet, assisted by the younger branches (who polish their own cups and platters, knives and forks), makes all the dinner garniture shine as brightly as before and puts it all away, first sweeping the hearth, to the end that Mr. Bagnet and the visitor may not be retarded in the smoking of their pipes. These household cares involve much pattening and counter-pattening in the backyard and considerable use of a pail, which is finally so happy as to assist in the ablutions of Mrs. Bagnet herself. That old girl reappearing by and by, quite fresh, and sitting down to her needlework, then and only then--the greens being only then to be considered as entirely off her mind--Mr. Bagnet requests the trooper to state his case.手机3d在线播放版
手机3d在线播放版Arthur gave his horse to the groom at the rectory gate, and walked along the gravel towards the door which opened on the garden. He knew that the rector always breakfasted in his study, and the study lay on the left hand of this door, opposite the dining-room. It was a small low room, belonging to the old part of the house--dark with the sombre covers of the books that lined the walls; yet it looked very cheery this morning as Arthur reached the open window. For the morning sun fell aslant on the great glass globe with gold fish in it, which stood on a scagliola pillar in front of the ready-spread bachelor breakfast-table, and by the side of this breakfast-table was a group which would have made any room enticing. In the crimson damask easy-chair sat Mr. Irwine, with that radiant freshness which he always had when he came from his morning toilet; his finely formed plump white hand was playing along Juno's brown curly back; and close to Juno's tail, which was wagging with calm matronly pleasure, the two brown pups were rolling over each other in an ecstatic duet of worrying noises. On a cushion a little removed sat Pug, with the air of a maiden lady, who looked on these familiarities as animal weaknesses, which she made as little show as possible of observing. On the table, at Mr. Irwine's elbow, lay the first volume of the Foulis AEschylus, which Arthur knew well by sight; and the silver coffee-pot, which Carroll was bringing in, sent forth a fragrant steam which completed the delights of a bachelor breakfast.
With which cheerful remark Rosy closed that part of the conversation and returned to the delights of her new friend's garden. But from that day, among other changes which began about this time, the child's cup and plate were well filled, and the dread of adding to her own sufferings seemed to curb the dyspeptic's voracious appetite. "A cheild was amang them takin' notes," and every one involuntarily dreaded those clear eyes and that frank tongue, so innocently observing and criticising all that went on. Cicely had already been reminded of a neglected duty by Rosy's reading to Miss Penny, and tried to be more faithful in that, as in other services which she owed the old lady. So the little missionary was evidently getting on, though quite unconscious of her work at home, so absorbed was she in her foreign mission; for, like many another missionary, the savage over the way was more interesting than the selfish, slothful, or neglected souls at home.手机3d在线播放版
雪鹰电视剧百度云在线播放"Love for the future partner of your life, for your husband, ought to outweigh your love for your brother," he pronounced sententiously, "and in any case I cannot be put on the same level. . . . Although I said so emphatically that I would not speak openly in your brother's presence, nevertheless, I intend now to ask your honoured mother for a necessary explanation on a point of great importance closely affecting my dignity. Your son," he turned to Pulcheria Alexandrovna, "yesterday in the presence of Mr. Razsudkin (or . . . I think that's it? excuse me I have forgotten your surname," he bowed politely to Razumihin) "insulted me by misrepresenting the idea I expressed to you in a private conversation, drinking coffee, that is, that marriage with a poor girl who has had experience of trouble is more advantageous from the conjugal point of view than with one who has lived in luxury, since it is more profitable for the moral character. Your son intentionally exaggerated the significance of my words and made them ridiculous, accusing me of malicious intentions, and, as far as I could see, relied upon your correspondence with him. I shall consider myself happy, Pulcheria Alexandrovna, if it is possible for you to convince me of an opposite conclusion, and thereby considerately reassure me. Kindly let me know in what terms precisely you repeated my words in your letter to Rodion Romanovitch."视屏如果没有播放按钮请刷新网页
Darya Alexandrovna, in a dressing jacket, and with her now scanty, once luxuriant and beautiful hair fastened up with hairpins on the nape of her neck, with a sunken, thin face and large, startled eyes, which looked prominent from the thinness of her face, was standing among a litter of all sorts of things scattered all over the room, before an open bureau, from which she was taking something. Hearing her husband's steps, she stopped, looking towards the door, and trying assiduously to give her features a severe and contemptuous expression. She felt she was afraid of him, and afraid of the coming interview. She was just attempting to do what she had attempted to do ten times already in these last three days--to sort out the children's things and her own, so as to take them to her mother's--and again she could not bring herself to do this; but now again, as each time before, she kept saying to herself, "that things cannot go on like this, that she must take some step" to punish him, put him to shame, avenge on him some little part at least of the suffering he had caused her. She still continued to tell herself that she should leave him, but she was conscious that this was impossible; it was impossible because she could not get out of the habit of regarding him as her husband and loving him. Besides this, she realized that if even here in her own house she could hardly manage to look after her five children properly, they would be still worse off where she was going with them all. As it was, even in the course of these three days, the youngest was unwell from being given unwholesome soup, and the others had almost gone without their dinner the day before. She was conscious that it was impossible to go away; but, cheating herself, she went on all the same sorting out her things and pretending she was going.雪鹰电视剧百度云在线播放
雪鹰电视剧百度云在线播放As twilight came on, the open space was deserted. The Folk were seeking the safety of the caves. Lop-Ear led the way to bed. High up the bluff we climbed, higher than all the other caves, to a tiny crevice that could not be seen from the ground. Into this Lop-Ear squeezed. I followed with difficulty, so narrow was the entrance, and found myself in a small rock-chamber. It was very low--not more than a couple of feet in height, and possibly three feet by four in width and length. Here, cuddled together in each other's arms, we slept out the night.
‘There’ll be no murdering, my dear. Not a bit on it. I tell you what though, brother,’ said Dennis, cocking his hat for the convenience of scratching his head, and looking gravely at Hugh, ‘it’s worthy of notice, as a proof of the amazing equalness and dignity of our law, that it don’t make no distinction between men and women. I’ve heerd the judge say, sometimes, to a highwayman or housebreaker as had tied the ladies neck and heels—you’ll excuse me making mention of it, my darlings—and put ’em in a cellar, that he showed no consideration to women. Now, I say that there judge didn’t know his business, brother; and that if I had been that there highwayman or housebreaker, I should have made answer: “What are you a talking of, my lord? I showed the women as much consideration as the law does, and what more would you have me do?” If you was to count up in the newspapers the number of females as have been worked off in this here city alone, in the last ten year,’ said Mr Dennis thoughtfully, ‘you’d be surprised at the total—quite amazed, you would. There’s a dignified and equal thing; a beautiful thing! But we’ve no security for its lasting. Now that they’ve begun to favour these here Papists, I shouldn’t wonder if they went and altered even雪鹰电视剧百度云在线播放


CPA Arts Salt & Light Studio welcomed author Karen Kingsbury this week. Arts students attending Salt & Light Studio enjoyed Kingsbury’s insight into life as a New York Times best-selling novelist, with more than 25 million copies of her books printed.
Born in Virginia, Kingsbury started her career as a writer for the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News. Since then, she has authored more than 50 novels, including The Bridge and A Time to Dance developed into movies by The Hallmark Channel. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime next year.
Kingsbury shared with students her experiences as a Christian author, relating to her audiences as well as the entertainment industry at large. Her focus as an author is to produce “life-changing,” “complete” fiction that speaks to the human experience from a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual standpoint. Attendees were able to ask about her recent partnership with Hallmark, co-endeavors between authors and film producers, and the nature of 21st century media franchises.
With many aspiring writers, producers, and artists in the room, her encouragement and inspiration towards the creative process was well received.
"We were delighted to have Karen Kingsbury speak to our students and share her experiences as a Christian author, gracefully engaging culture in her works, collaborations, and negotiations," says Artistic Director Paula Flautt.
Established to bring students into relevant, engaging connections with professional arts culture-shapers, the Salt & Light Studio provides a forum to grow from others’ artistic and spiritual journeys, while finding encouragement to listen for God’s still, small voice. An important aspect of the Salt & Light Studio is to provide students with an opportunity to create and execute an event of their choosing topositively affect an aspect of culture at their school through their own creativity.
2323-A Old Hickory Blvd. / Nashville, TN 37215 / 615-373-9550
Christ Presbyterian Academy is a private, coeducational, college-preparatory school for grades preschool through 12. The Academy provides transformational education through a Christian worldview and offers extensive programs to develop the diverse potential of each student. CPA is a ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Nashville, Tennessee.


Our Memories is a mural project that we helped organize as part of Professor VanWynsberghe's Education for Sustainability program at UBC. The mural drew attention to stories from older Punjabi women living in Sunset neighbourhood through literature and public art. This project has involved community engagement and participation at every step of the way.
ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਯਾਦਾਂ :Our Memories
Celebrating Sunset Neighbourhood Stories Through Literature and Public Art
What is it?
ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਯਾਦਾਂ : Our Memories is a creative placemaking project that draws attention to stories from older Punjabi women living in Sunset neighbourhood through literature and public art. From conducting research, to facilitating a 20-week written and oral storytelling project, to developing public art with a Vancouver muralist, to publishing a literary anthology, this project has involved community engagement and participation at every step of the way.
Why is it needed?
Public art and park activations bring communities together through shared experiences and activities. Literature allows us to reflect and develop empathy for stories that we can both relate to and learn from. By centering the stories of older Punjabi women through literature and public art at Ross Park in Sunset neighbourhood, the local community benefits from a deeper understanding of the older generation living in the region. In the past, public space activations have typically by-passed this region of Vancouver, and this project addresses this disparity directly. The currently activated space now enhances opportunities for intergenerational learning, connection, play and contributes to the development of neighborhood identity and iconography.
Outcomes & Highlights:
To view the ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਯਾਦਾਂ : Our Memories public art, visit Ross Park located at 57th and Khalsa Diwan Road in Sunset neighbourhood.
To read the ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਯਾਦਾਂ : Our Memories literary anthology, scan this QR code:
EfS Graduate Students:
Alyssa Martens, Bryant Race, Danielle Tan, Brendan Chan
Vancouver Public Space Network
“When you understand all about the sun and all about the atmosphere and all about the rotation of the earth, you may still miss the radiance of the sunset.”
– Alfred North Whitehead, Science and the modern world (1926)


자꾸만 네가 떠올라, Sinking of you, Daehyun Kim, 2010
The Korean title translates into “i keep thinking of you,” but it literally means “you keep floating up”
and then the English title is “Sinking of you”
so when you think of another person, that mentally woven image will float up to the surface beyond your reach
while you are weighted down by your own obsession
CROSS LINGUISTIC METAPHORS, MAN, I AM HERE FOR THAT
the girl next door.
If someone did something like this though omg
I wish someone would do this to me
i wish i could have a guy talk to me firstI wish i had someone to talk to me
"I said to her I wanted a present I would always remember this year by: for you to be my wife."
do you ever start your period and think
"well that explains a lot"


I am interested in light and shadow and the effects that they can have on the objects and spaces that surround me. Shadow and light can transform something that is ordinary and familiar into something that is strange and unexpected.
I draw inspiration from objects such as my kettle and bathroom basin, through to terrace houses, bridges and trees. My work harks back to the fears that night time can bring in childhood (and sometimes adulthood) when darkness places a veil over the world around us. What is familiar can become strange, what is expected might not be found.
Serena Lumley 2014


Lovers Under The Moon
Lovers Under the Moon is another tribute of Vector Open Stock to love, the best thing humans can feel in this life. Happy Valentine’s Day to all lovers! Under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Enjoy life, vector, love and the amazing moon that decorate our sky all nights.


I’ll never forget sitting in the cinema, watching that infamous scene when Jack Nicholson accidentally walks in on Diane Keaton wearing nothing but her birthday suit. “Something’s Gotta Give” was, on the surface, a frivolous venture into the dilemma many women ‘After 50’ face with the alarming shortage of men their age who AREN’T looking for a younger squeeze to warm up to.
At first, I giggled with the rest of the audience. Who could keep a straight face as Nicholson literally covered his eyes and recoiled in horror at the sight of Keaton’s naked body parts, gently touched by time?
My husband laughed too and then, as we often do when we share an intimate joke, we caught each other’s eye and just for a second it seemed that he looked a lot like Jack Nicholson and before I could stop myself, I wondered if he felt the same way about walking in on me.
And why wouldn’t he?
50 shades of gray takes on new meaning as a woman ages. An older friend of mine once told me the hardest thing about passing her prime was that she felt like she’d literally faded away. I deeply regret now that I didn’t respond with more kindness then, because it’s a brutal blow when you wake up one morning, look back at your reflection and realize it’s true. It starts with our hair—in my case, even eyebrows need penciling in to mimic their once prominent definition. Before you know it, bits and pieces shift, lines deepen, skin pales, lips thin, the ability to wear killer heels, to rock shorter hemlines and to bare upper arms all becomes a contest between endless hours of self-inflicted diet and exercise, skid free precautions and tiring determination. For many of our battle weary sisters, it’s easier to slip into something a little more comfortable and embrace the shadows at the back of the room.
But all is not lost. For even in nature’s most challenging circumstances, come moments of unexpected revelation. Something really does ‘give’ because all the confidence, self-awareness, experience and wisdom one develops after decades of life will break through the clouds of doubt if we just take a deep breath and let them.
For one thing, women of a certain age understand their bodies and take pleasure and pride in being able to enjoy them. The allure of confidence witnessed as Keaton boldly flirted with Keanu Reeves on the movie screen is not as rare as Hollywood would have you think. We know exactly who we are and after years of wondering whether the other sex approves of our moves, many of us develop an attitude that simply doesn’t care whether old men want to waste their time on younger conquests. In fact, I honestly feel sorry for them—they have no idea what they’re missing.
Let me preface the next paragraphs with “I’m a happily married woman” BUT that’s no reason to shy away from the very best entertainment imaginable. And just because you’ve been playing reruns to the same sold out audience for a very long matinee, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, fresh and sexy.
Freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want without worrying about grossing out your teenagers, gets top billing on my marquis. When there’s only two of you left, home becomes a private sanctuary, filled with endless opportunity. Drawn curtains, candles, chocolate covered strawberries, massage oil—the comfort of familiar habits and the mystery of new ideas blend exquisitely with the best turn on of all—unlimited time.
I asked a few of my friends, what’s changed in their sex lives and this is what they said.
“It takes a little longer to pull myself together than it used to, but now, instead of worrying about what I’ll wear or what I’ll say, I put on a little music and sip some wine while I’m getting ready. I don’t bother trying on dozens of outfits, I just dab my favorite fragrance on my wrists and across my cleavage, take a mental reading of how I feel at that moment and find the dress or the jeans that compliment my mood. I’m a lot less stressed about life and dating and it seems to be working because my better half can’t stop smiling.”
“I no longer give a damn about how often I have sex—I just make sure it’s the best sex either of us can remember having and hope neither one of us forgets it too soon!”
“Why do our children and our grandchildren and everyone else under the age of 50, think we’re too old to have sex? We have better sex now than we ever did when the kids were sleeping on the other side of the wall.”
“Sometimes we just kiss and remember. Sometimes we laugh till we cry. But we always know we’re there for each other, no matter where life takes us. Then the Viagra kicks in.”
“I recommend small surprises. Just one tiny detail that’s different can drive him crazy! And when he asks, ‘Where did THAT come from?’ Just smile and keep him guessing.”
“There is nothing more appealing than a woman who oozes self-confidence and knows how to walk through a crowd. If I know anything, it’s that the gentle sway of well-developed hips floating through a room can suspend conversation and finger foods in mid-air.”
So I guess, in conclusion, that sex after 50 is a lot like a martini. The burst of flavor and the warm sensation it creates as it slides over your tongue—the way you add just the right garnish to satisfy your personal taste—and always enhanced to perfection by the way you choose to stir it.


Spring is a revelation of change, a season of growth.
pring energy expands from hidden roots. Ever so gently the earth befriends and gives forth new life. If we listen and watch, this annual rebirth can become our own renewal. We arrive, just like spring.
Renewal may involve exposure. Winter, the season of withdrawal and contraction, encouraged a return to our deepest resources. Life changes, fresh ideas and creative solutions may have been developing deep within us, unnoticed. Our life forces thrive deep within us.
Imagine the perennial far in the soil but with no evidence on the surface. When signs emerge, we are approaching unexpected beauty. As our expanding selves show again in a new season, we can embrace these changes by knowing that which is fertile has no choice but to come alive. New colors, new depths, individual splendors await us.
Let’s encourage our unique transformations by paying attention – by hearing and seeing the insights, the expressions, the uncovering. Let’s celebrate the great beauty of ourselves. Here is the joy that is our own spring, come again!
Meet Dr. Nancy Lardo, PhD, Psychologist, Director:
The Spirit of Receiving: The other side of giving is receiving - the healthy part of us that takes pleasure in acknowledgment, that is delighted when someone remembers, that is moved when someone celebrates us.
Email Contact Dr. Nancy Lardo
Copyright ©2011- The Center for Counseling Arts. All rights reserved.


Wideband Millimeter-wave Beamforming Receivers in SiliconJeyanandh Paramesh, Sandipan Kundu, Shadi Saberi
Carnegie Mellon University
How Much Frequency Can Be Reused in 5G Cellular Networks—A Matrix Graph Approach
Yaoqing Yang, Student Member, IEEE, Bo Bai, Member, IEEE, and Wei Chen, Senior Member, IEEE
Yaoqing Yang is with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232 USA e-mail:
Bo Bai and Wei Chen are with the Department of Electronic
Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China e-mail: eebobai,firstname.lastname@example.org.
In this paper we are focusing on the ultimate limit of frequency allocation in a 5G network.
To study this problem, we proposed a matrix graph model and constructed an analytical framework combining matrix graph coloring (MGC) and maximum weighted independent set (MWIS),
based on properties of large-scale small-cell networks.
Utilizing this model, we obtain an approximation algorithm that achieves a bounded gap to the optimal performance with a complexity growing linearly with the network size, despite the NP-completeness of the MGC problem.
Therefore, if we could build a proper matrix graph, we can find the nearly-optimal way to allocate resources like frequencies and time slots. Moreover, the proposed scheduling algorithm has lower computational complexity if cells are smaller and inter-cell interference are more complicated. Thus, we conclude that frequency allocation in high-interference smallcell networks can be carried out efficiently and the small-cell networks are indeed practical for the future 5G network
Simulation results support our theories.
Fundamentals of 5G Mobile Networks
John Wiley & Sons, Jun 22, 2015 - 334 pages
Fundamentals of 5G Mobile Networks provides an overview of the key features of the 5th Generation (5G) mobile networks, discussing the motivation for 5G and the main challenges in developing this new technology. This book provides an insight into the key areas of research that will define this new system technology paving the path towards future research and development. The book is multi-disciplinary in nature, and aims to cover a whole host of intertwined subjects that will predominantly influence the 5G landscape, including Future Internet, cloud computing, small cells and self-organizing networks (SONs), cooperative communications, dynamic spectrum management and cognitive radio, Broadcast-Broadband convergence, 5G security challenge, and green RF. The book aims to be the first of its kind towards painting a holistic perspective on 5G Mobile, allowing 5G stakeholders to capture key technology trends on different layering domains and to identify potential inter-disciplinary design aspects that need to be solved in order to deliver a 5G Mobile system that operates seamlessly as a piece of the 5G networking jigsaw.
• Addresses the fundamentals of 5G mobile networks serving as a useful study guide for mobile researchers and system engineers aiming to position their research in this fast evolving arena.
• Develops the Small cells story together with nextï¿1⁄2]generation SON (self-organizing networks) systems as solutions for addressing the unprecedented traffic demand and variations across cells.
• Elaborates Mobile Cloud technology and Services for future communication platforms, acting as a source of inspiration for corporations looking for new business models to harness the 5G wave.
• Discusses the open issues facing broadï¿1⁄2]scale commercial deployment of white space networks, including the potential for applications towards the future 5G standard.
• Provides a scientific assessment for broadcast and mobile broadband convergence coupled together with a ´win-win’ convergence solution to harmonize the broadcasting and mobile industry.
• Describes the key components, trends and challenges, as well as the system requirements for 5G transceivers to support multiï¿1⁄2]standard radio, a source of inspiration for RF engineers and vendors to tie down the requirements and potential solutions for next generation handsets.
Google Book Preview
Summary of Global 5G Initiatives
2014 Status paper


I’ve been pretty dormant blog-wise in recent months—not that anyone has
objected (sniff). Partly it's just the same old same old: expending most
of my energy burying my mother and staving off the tag team of depression
and alcohol-induced senility, and all that.
But I have been working on a new book, too. A sort of companion piece to my first memoir, How To Pick Up Japanese Chicks And Doom Your Immortal Soul, this tome tosses in all the stories related to the wonderful chicks of
N University (aka “Nangaku”) during my seventeen years on the faculty there,
mostly in the International Relations (IR) department.
Just as my previous post cannibalized the cult-of-personality website that I operated in my Nangaku
days, I’m now going to
weasel out of writing another post by tossing you one of the leftovers
from the new book—which is, itself, largely cobbled together of recycled
material from my own journals and my email exchanges with fabulous Nangaku
I’m reaching back eighteen years this time, to a crisp late-autumn evening a month after the release of my second album of novelty songs, on which several charming Nangaku chicks had sung back vocals. Alas, the opus—an operetta of sorts titled The Tragedy of Taro Nangaku (“boy meets girl, boy vomits on girl, boy gets back in girl’s good graces, boy vomits on her again”)—had garnered mostly negative reviews: “Too weird.” “Too much vomiting.” That sort of thing.
This bit below didn’t make the final cut of my book because the book is
supposed to be about elegant and super-competent Japanese university chicks,
and this is the story of an ugly, inept Japanese university boy.
It would require a festivity of monumental proportions—some
sort of pageant, or antic, or firework—to snap me out of this funk, and of
course the 1996 freshmen came through.
9th—a Monday, for heaven's sake—I attended the bonen-kai [year-end
party] for this year's hilariously
wonderful freshman class, organized by Ryo Yokohama (of Not-Yet-Castrated Boys
big, lovable doofus Hajime Mizoguchi who took on the Taro Nangaku role,
swilling beer, then changing to whiskey and causing me to flee to the far end
of the table. Down there, I ran into a group of freshman returnee dudes
coincidentally at the next table…
Hajime had moved on to saké, gleefully brandishing what looked like a flower
vase full of the stuff. I was negotiating an album sale with a couple of people
when he finally erupted on the table in front of himself…
To Hajime’s great credit, he did form a funnel with his
hands at the last second in an effort to mitigate the splatter, but you see,
there was just so very much of it. After the third retch he stared vaguely into
the middle distance for a moment like a desiccated shipwreck survivor scanning
the horizon for land before flopping forward in slow motion to land beak-first
in the beige pool of his own offal. His head then slowly twisted on his very
thick neck so that it came to rest on the fulcrum of his right cheek.
Hajime, and the table at large, fell silent. The wait staff
hustled over and created a makeshift system of dams around him with wet towels,
and eventually we just forgot about him. It was, after all, a “forget-the-year
As official party leader and friend of Hajime, Ryo grew
increasingly annoyed at this conspiracy of silence, so, to mollify him, I
stepped up to revive Hajime. His large head felt like a milk-jug full of wet
concrete, and had become sealed to the table by his own dried discharge to
boot, so that a sickening Velcro sound resulted when I tried to pull it
upright. I soon gave this up as the proverbial bad job.
“Hey, Muggins,” said a nearby classmate, who had brought his
guitar to the event. “I wrote a song,
too. Tell me what you think of it.” He proceeded to strum and pick his way
through some vaguely bluesy piece, with the butt of his guitar sometimes
nudging up against Hajime’s carcass. I focused on the rather derivative
composition with all my might in hopes that doing so would make me less aware
of the fresh vomit still trickling from the corner of Hajime’s mouth and
pooling by his forehead.
Four IR boys from the other table—sophisticated lads called
“returnees” by virtue of the fact that they had lived a year or more
overseas—concluded at this point that they could no longer abide the ineptitude
of our group’s drunk-friend-management stylings. They somehow dragged Hajime
upright and frog-marched him out the front door, then over to the
cinderblock-walled garbage area—just like
in my song, I found time to think.
Here, the alpha male of the repeater group rained sharp,
open-handed blows on Hajime’s cheeks, punctuated by questions, while two others
held him up.
“WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”
“WHERE DO YOU LIVE?”
“I have been this man’s teacher for nearly a full school
year, and I can assure you, he knows nothing,” I wanted to interject, but just
then Hajime began to respond.
A few more slaps extracted information about his apartment,
and I’m sure that this fellow could have gotten nuclear launch codes out of Hajime
in time, but I was starting to get bored.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I don’t mean to interrupt. My name is
“Yes, I know,” he answered calmly, offering his hand. “I’m Hiro
course you are, I thought. Of
course he would be “hero.”
“I just wanted to say that I think you’re the coolest guy
I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you,” he replied, “and I liked your album.”
Then he went back to pummeling and interrogating poor Hajime,
and I headed home, purring the phrase I’m
Hiro Hamano as if it were “Bond, James Bond” along the way.
Mrs. Muggins was visiting the city for
business reasons, so I had the pleasure of reconstructing the entire scenario
for her once I got back to the apartment. Then I fell into a deep sleep from
which a voice in my head roused me at three a.m.
“What if who’s
you dolt. What if he never made it home? What if he died right there in the
I saw a whirling newspaper like in a black-and-white movie
come veering toward me, slowing to reveal the thick black headline N.U.
FRESHMAN DIES OF ALCOHOL POISONING with the kicker Teacher Who Led Child to His Doom Flees the Scene!
“But I did my part! I tried to lift his head!”
isn’t that generous. They would expect you to behave like a responsible adult.
The next day at campus, I grabbed anyone who might know Hajime
to ask if they had seen him or had any news about him, but no one did. I was to
have him in class the following day but he failed to show at first, finally
shambling in late.
“Good God, are you all right?” I said. “I was so worried
“They had to take me to the hospital,” he said, with his usual
lopsided grin. He chuckled and added, “That was the third time!”


I cannot explain nor can I understand the cause of this tragedy. I can stand silently in support of those families, friends and fellow townspeople of the victims in Newtown, Connecticut; I can witness their suffering and honor their pain by taking some to my heart. Because I cannot imagine the depth of their sorrow, I doubt my desire to honor that pain will have much effect.
I feel the same today as I did on and in the days after another tragic day, September 11th, 2001.
I remember how many of us came together in peace and a recognition of our fragile humanity at that time. There was a spirit of honesty when the goodness that potentially resides within each one of us rose to the surface. A smile or an act of simple kindness meant so very, very much in easing our suffering.
And now this terrible thing happens. We are reminded how terribly cruel the world, the universe, and humans can be.
No matter your religion, you cannot help, I think, to be touched by the season of kindness, giving, and sharing of joy at this time of year. Maybe it is a deep-seated need embedded in our human culture, and not just the result of one religion’s celebration.
I think the best we can do to honor those who have lost their lives and those who suffer as a result is to reach down into that deep reserve of kindness and, yes, love, within our human selves. Truly, ’tis the season. Reach out to your fellow human and remember kindness and love. Do it not for the personal joy you will experience as a result; do it instead to honor this tragedy, to remember the depth of human suffering that exists in this cruel world everyday and for hope. Because hope in our human goodness is all that we really have left.


All art by Elana Iaciofano
Yes! A book. I recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund Zaza's Perfect Pie, story book, work book and cookbook in one, most suitable for children ages 6 - 11.
Unstoppable and inventive, Zaza loves three things: her dog, Pecorino, the bike she got for her birthday, and....PIZZA! Zaza loves pizza so much that she wants to eat it for every meal. She wants to be the World's Greatest Pizzaiola (that means "pizza maker" in Italian) and make The Perfect Pie.
You’ll learn her secrets as Zaza and Pecorino embark on a series of pizza-related adventures, experiments and art projects, all in the name of pizza.
When cooking is recommended as a fundamental basic life skill by many educational and parental guides. As a creative director for the food industry, I essentially tell stories with food, and I believe that every good meal has one. Zaza's story of determination and imagination invites participation, so that kids can act on that inspiration immediately in any number of ways:
Zaza’s Perfect Pie is meant to be written in, drawn on and even spilled on! The book is designed and written so that children can enjoy it alone or with their parents. It's a story kids will want to read over and over again, but it can also be used as a reference guide, as parents are sure to learn new things, too!
The book is expected to ship in November 2017. I'll put up a link to order when the book is all printed and ready to go. Sign up for Zaza's newsletter below to get alerted when the time is here!


WHERE: Ambler Theater, 108 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, Pa.
Edward Lear is best known for “The Owl and the Pussycat” and other nonsense poetry. But Lear was also a fine painter and an adventurous, worldwide traveler. Robert Peck will discuss the remarkable life and natural history paintings of this beloved children's writer, who mysteriously abandoned his scientific work.
COST: $15 to $20


Invincible House is an organisation that publish playful and exciting poetry, stories, novels, and zines, both digital and print. We believe literature can be our joy and strength. We may be fallible, but the ideas we share are invincible Alan Fyfe - Writer and poet Emily Sun - Writer, poet, and educator Sarah Yeung - Writer, researcher, and editor Gok-Lim Finch - Artist, arts worker, curator and researcher
Goolugatup's five heritage buildings accommodate dozens of professional artists, not-for-profits, and creative small businesses.
Goolugatup Heathcote is located on the shores of the Derbal Yerrigan, in the suburb of Applecross, just south of the centre of Boorloo Perth, WA. It is 10 minute drive from the CBD, the closest train station is Canning Bridge, and the closest bus route the 148.Accessibility and amenities
The Gallery is open 10-4 weekdays, 12-4 weekends, and closed public holidays. The grounds are open 24/7.


Why should you choose Bradley’s?
Bradley’s Book Outlet has been in business for 20 years selling discounted books, overstock items and best sellers.
Stop by our stores in Western Pennsylvania for your bestsellers and bargains. Visit our wholesale web site for even bigger savings.
Our friendly and helpful staff can help you find that bestsellers you’ve been searching for or our staff can suggest books for your vacation.
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Getting To The Point –
Rebel Health And Fitness Guide – Best Fitness Center Membership Overview For This Year
If you are like me, after that you absolutely like The Rebel Fitness Overview. I have actually always been a large fan of health and fitness magazines, workout video clips, etc. I really felt that right stuff they had in there was excellent, however nothing ever seemed to really obtain me motivated to exercise or do any exercises. Well, I was not happy with that said for a long period of time. Up until I found this book. If you are trying to find a fast and also basic exercise guide to aid you strengthen and also come to be healthier, then The Rebel Physical Fitness Guide is not for you. I have been with this book and also I can honestly say that it was a little disheartening at times. It does offer you all the info you will require to get fit in an easy to comprehend bundle, but, extra significantly, adequate nerdy references to keep you interested in the process! Seriously, the amount of physical fitness guides do you know that recommendation points like Star Wars, Yoda, as well as Matrix films? I can’t count the variety of references and proclaim there are in this book. Things I assumed most valuable about The Rebel Health And Fitness Overview was the areas on diet regimen as well as nutrition. This is where it really shines. It speaks about the very best foods for slimming down, obtaining fit, consuming healthy, and so on. Every little thing you require for a wonderful workout is described and backed by study as well as excellent facts. I believe this was a good concept and also a wonderful addition to a fitness overview. Currently, let’s talk about the supplements and regimens. There is a lots of info on both! The supplement section includes a lots of brand-new supplements. It talks about the most recent craze in fat loss, thermogenic supplements. I was really delighted to see that The Rebel Fitness Overview had such a variety of various supplements. There are a fat heater, muscle contractor, weight loss regimen, along with a sophisticated cardio routine for an optimum workout. Other than the brand-new supplements, this year’s version of The Rebel Health And Fitness Guide has the same details we have actually had in previous versions. It speaks about the relevance of a healthy and balanced diet plan as well as the importance of a proper exercise. It offers you the information you need for an efficient cardio routine. There is a tools needed area too that discuss everything from rowing machines to home bars and also more! Generally, I am extremely happy with this year’s version. I like the workouts and also the nutrition pointers. The supplement section was really useful and also I currently have my really own rowing maker! If you are trying to find a newbie’s fitness guide with lots of information, this is the one for you. The rate is wonderful also and if you get on a budget plan, you won’t be dissatisfied.


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The First Time We Tried To Escape
There were many times that my brother and I tried to escape from our guardian. But I still remember the first time quite vividly. I remember that I was about 6 and my brother was 10. One thing that we both knew was that I was very allergic to milk. I was so allergic that every time I drank milk it made me sick and I got terrible rashes on my body. I had never been to the doctor about it but there was no doubting my allergy to milk. That allergy became my daily torture as our guardian would always make me drink it anyway. She said I was too skinny and that milk would fatten me up. She didn't want the social worker to think that she wasn't feeding us. So, one morning she poured a tall glass of milk and stood over me with the strap. She said drink that or I am going to whip your ass. So, I drank it. As soon as I drank it my stomach rejected it and I threw up the milk and all the food I had eaten all over the table.
Then, she got angry and started beating me and told me to eat all the vomit. So I tried to scoop it up and eat it but I kept gagging and throwing it back up. Every time I did this she beat me some more and made me eat up the vomit. Finally, she got so mad that she made me strip out of all my clothes and stand in the bath tub while she ran the shower over the fresh bloody sores on my body. Then she took her leather belt and laid it in the water so the leather would draw up and she began to beat me with the belt while the water ran over my body. I know this sounds pretty bad but it was actually a welcome relief from eating the vomit. Then , after about a half an hour of getting beat in the tub with the water running on my bloody sores she took me to the other room, grabbed a rope and tied my hands and legs to the foot of the bed on the brass bed post. She then put a saucer of milk on the floor by the bed and then grabbed my brother and they left. I struggled and struggled to get free from the knot she had tied but it was way too tight . So I sat there with nothing but the saucer of milk for what seemed like hours and hours. It was as if I was an animal or something. As I sat there tied up I began to cry and I kept asking some unseen entity why this was happening to me.
When they returned home she untied me and made me go to bed. She went into the other room and that's when my brother eased up to me and told me that we were going to leave that place. He was crying and he said Toney, tonight I am going to get you out of this place. My big bro. was and still is to this day my hero! So, we waited until she fell asleep. It was about 10:00 PM when we quietly crept out of the house and began to run. I remember my brother kept saying come on Toney (what he always called me because he couldn't say his S's) you can keep up!. Suddenly we were out on a main street called Vermont Ave. It was so cold out there but we hadn't thought to bring coats. All we wanted to do was escape!
As we walked down this huge street in Los Angeles I asked my brother where we were going. He told me that we were going to the social workers office. You see my brother was very smart., He had paid very close attention to where the social services building was located the last time we had been there. So he knew how to get there but I don't think he realized how far it was from our house. It was actually about 15 miles away.
I remember that it was so cold out there and the traffic in the streets was confusing. All I could see was the city lights everywhere. Its amazing that people were driving by two tiny little boys walking the dangerous streets of L.A. and didn't even stop to see why were out there. I guess nobody really cared. Anyway, we walked and walk and walked and walked for hours. I remember my brother holding my hand so tightly and saying "Don't worry Toney, I'll take care of you" as we walked. By the time we finally arrived at the office it was about 5:00 in the morning. We were both totally exhausted. The doors to the place were locked but Glenn kept banging on the door until finally a security guard showed up. He opened the door and looked at us with this puzzled look on his face. He asked us what we were doing out in the streets alone. My brother told him that we had come to see our social worker and told him her name. My brother also told him that we had escaped from our guardian and asked him to call our social worker. He got the social worker on the phone and she gave him the number to our guardian. Its obvious to me now that the social worker didn't care about us. After all, we were just a couple of little Black kids that didn't have parents.
Anyway, about a half an hour later our guardian showed up and put on this big act about how worried she had been. She took our hands and led us out of there as we protested that we didn't want to go. Once we were in the car, the beatings began all over again.
Although we paid a heavy and painful price for what we had done, we also gained some satisfaction in knowing that we had made her get up out of bed late at night and come down there to get us. The social worker never came to find out why we had run away. Like I said, she didn't care. Nobody really cared. The teachers at school all saw the fresh bloody sores on our bodies everyday but they didn't report it. The school nurse once saw all the bloody scars on my Penis and testicles but she didn't do anything either. Nobody cared about us and what we were going through. It was like a nightmare that would never end. However, running away that night gave us hope. We now knew that we could get away. We just didn't know where to get away to.
I often think about that night with a sense of pride. We were just two little kids but we walked 15 miles in the dark on the streets of one of the meanest cities in California. I know that God was watching over us all the way. I also know that God was preparing us for many great things to come in our lives. My brother is now a film director. He also works at a shelter for abused and abandoned children. God is so good isn't he? He takes hardship and turns it to victory. He takes people with the deepest of scars and turns them into people of faith and hope. He made me a man of compassion when I had every reason to turn into a monster like the monster that raised me. God made me, looked at me and said I was good. Now, everyday of my life I strive to bring hope to the hopeless, love to the loveless and peace to those who are at war with themselves.
When my brother was twelve he ran away to juvenile hall. He went there and turned himself in. He refused to ever come back to live in that house. They tried everything to make him come back but he would not. My hero became my inspiration for my many escapes later in life. He always came back to check on me though. Sometimes he would stay a while and then leave again. His freedom was always the one thing that kept me sane. I kept saying some day I'm going to get big and strong enough to run away and never come back. That day did come but I will save that story for another time. In the meantime, if you are so inclined, please buy my CD as the sales of my music keeps me able to continue on my journey and my work for God.
Love You All, Stoneman


Well, here I am. I have been ‘planning’ to start a blog since, well, since I first heard about the things. A wannabe writer for many years, I use all the usual excuses for not actually doing any writing. I’m too busy, my kids, my partner, the gardening, the messy house, our health problems… The excuses are pointless, for other than myself, who cares whether I write or not?
I am always mulling over ideas, composing in my head as I drive the kids to school or cook yet another meal, but they never make it to the page. By the time I get to a quiet space in my day, I tend to switch my thoughts off instead of on. I recently realised I spend a minimum of an hour a day on Facebook, sometimes more. Mostly I use it to access support communities relating to the GAPS diet that our family is currently doing, but much of that time is wasted just toodling around, signing pointless petitions, admiring other peoples art or photography, chuckling at the latest satirical Tony Abbot cartoon. It’s a way to zone out, much the same as reading trashy magazines or watching commercial television. Switch off the brain and just let the banality wash over you.
Another excuse I use to not write is my need to have the perfect post, drafted and edited and tweaked.. which of course never happens, because I get so overwhelmed by the idea of writing, editing, polishing and posting my idea, that it never makes it out of my head.
I also suffer the usual aspiring writer’s fear of being read; ‘What if it’s too personal? How honest should I be? Should I write about the deep and dark things that sometimes preoccupy my mind? What will people think?’ Well, what people exactly? Who do I really expect to read this? Until I tell anyone about it, no-one will know it is here. There are a million blogs like it.. I’m not selling anything that anyone wants. No one knows who I am or that I am writing this.. people may come across it, and of course I write knowing that there is an audience, but it is as yet an imagined audience. So who cares about what the imaginary audience in my head thinks? Excuse vanquished.
The other problem I have had is a lack of focus.. ‘What will my blog be ABOUT?’ Feeling like I need to have a specific purpose or focus, yet unable to decide what that is, has been another procrastination excuse. Yet I have been wanting to write about Obelia and our experiences with her illness since she was first diagnosed with gastroschisis at 12 weeks gestation. My feelings about it, all the intensity, the joy and the horror, have been too intense for me to articulate. The longer I have left it, the bigger and more complex the story has become. Obelia will be 6 in a few weeks, so now I have a LOT to write about!
So, for the month of May I have set myself several challenges. Firstly, to have a Facebook detox, to which end I have deactivated my account this morning. They have made this even harder since last I tried, it took me 20 minutes to find the ‘deactivate’ button, then I had to fill in a questionnaire about why I was deactivating, and ignore the huge photos of my Facebook friends with ‘So-and-so will miss you!’ imploring me to stay.
Secondly, to post at least one blog post daily. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it doesn’t need to be long. Just get those words on the page!
Well, I’ve failed that one already. It’s the 14th May today, two weeks since I started this draft. In that time I’ve stuck to my Facebook detox, and this blog has been sitting open in a Safari tab, just waiting for me to finish it. I have found my eyes avoiding that area of the screen, ‘I don’t see you, I have too many other things to do’. It’s not true. This is the one thing that brings me the most pleasure, creatively. I love to write, and I don’t understand the part of me that pushes it away. So, my challenge to myself stands. Write, every day. Let it flow, let go of the fear and the perfectionism, shush that inner critic and just begin.
In the weeks and months to come, I hope to tell you some of the story of my daughter Obelia, and of our family, as we seek to heal her. I’m trying my hardest not to use the word ‘journey’, but what a journey it has been. I’ll talk about gastroschisis. About having a baby in hospital, about NICU. About extreme food intolerances, failure to thrive, inability to breastfeed. About everything turning out almost exactly the opposite of what you expected or imagined. And about GAPS, which has done so much to change our lives in just four months.
Okay, so now my life really is calling me, in the form of my almost three-year-old who has coated herself in baked pumpkin pudding and is threatening to climb into my lap.
Have a lovely day, my imaginary audience. If things go according to plan, I’ll see you soon.


Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Good Book
The John Hume Institute for Global Studies in UCD sponsors lectures for the public from time to time. I have attended a number of these. They are well worth the trouble and admission is free.
Their latest offering was A.C. Grayling who had recently published "The Good Book", subtitled "A Secular Bible".
I wasn't sure what to expect. Was this something in the Dawkins/Hitchins vein, or might it be something else.
Well, it was something else.
Anthony Grayling explained that the book had really been gestating over the last thirty years and drew on all of his knowledge and experience accumulated over that time. It was not anti-God, or anti-Bible, or anti-any-thing-else.
It was an attempt to draw on the thinking of philosophers over the ages to produce a book of secular ethics which did not rely on the supernatural. It was designed to make you think, as opposed to simply accepting handed down precepts.
It was not exclusivist: the reader was welcome to draw on other sources, including the conventional Bible. And it did not reference its quotations in order to avoid distracting the reader and to let the thoughts expressed stand on their own two feet, so to speak.
Its format is the same as that of the conventional Bible: chapter and verse. Grayling explained that his only reason for mimicking the Biblical format was that this format worked. That is why the Bible chose it and why he was doing the same.
I haven't dipped into the book yet. I have it on order from my local library. I am looking forward to sampling it and, all being well, I might actually buy a copy.
Mind you, the reviews on Amazon are, on balance, negative, so we'll see.


A note from Rebecca: Making good on my promise to publish posts from talented authors about the things they really love, I would like to introduce my very good friend James Hepplewhite, a much more elegant writer than myself, no matter the topic, to introduce you to the comics of Matt Fraction. If you want to write about something that drives you wild, please feel free to submit it to me. Without further ado, James.
Let me introduce you to the comics of Matt Fraction. Which is a misnomer, because comics, unless you're a one man band, is an intensely collaborative medium. They're not really "Matt Fraction comics," they're Matt "Fraction and Collaborators comics." With that in mind, I'll go through four of the comics that Fraction has his name on.
Two will sound vaguely familiar, two won't.
The four comics:
- Satellite Sam
- Sex Criminals
Satellite Samis a comic about television in the 50s, and also the period's prejudices. Gay characters abound, but only behind closed doors, mixed race parentage is a shocker and the story kicks off when a son discovers his father (a television space hero) had a predilection for bad women in garters, one of whom is almost certainly his father's killer.
Penciller Howard Chaykin overshadows Fraction here. In Chaykin's illustrious career, he is known for three things:
1) A legendary comics artist who invented many storytelling tricks used today.
2) Drawing women in garters.
3) A vulgar, lively wit. My favorite one so far, and one of the most tame. Also: Googling "Howard Chaykin interview" will provide at least 30 minutes of entertainment.
Fraction, being a long time fan of Chaykin, gives the man what he's known for. Satellite Sam is denser than uranium, openly salacious and devastating in its critiques. It is the only comic I can think of that made its own Tijuana Bible. Both are printed in a carnal, id-electrifying black and white.
If Mad Men was more brazen, it'd approach Satellite Sam.
Next, my adored Casanova.
Describing Casanova's plot is like solving a Rubik's cube on hallucinogens. Summarized barbarously: Timeline hopping bisexual super spy Casanova Quinn gets into real trouble. He disappoints his many fathers, chases the many instances of the Big Bad throughout the multiverse, and well, there's more surprises.
Casanova is berserk with ideas, and spits them at the reader at a clip almost too fast to handle. Some of that is due to the early limitations of the series (16 page issues) but most is Fraction's fear that it would be the only comic he'd ever get to write.
The people pencilling Casanova are as integral to the comic as Fraction, Gabriel Bá and Fabio Moon. Gabriel's work is pricklier and more lively, whereas Fabio Moon draws everyone gorgeous. Case in point: Sasa Lisi (an 8 1/2 reference, naturally) looks like the bewitching alien girlfriend of a million lesser sci-fi stories, but articulated as a full character by both writer and penciller.
And now, the hits. Hawkeye.
It's a story fundamentally about Clint Barton's (Hawkeye) stubbornness. He sees injustice, moves to correct it and then discovers he's in over his own head. His response is to dig further. In doing so, he discovers new allies and challenges, between fellow Hawkeye Kate Bishop and Mr. Barton's disreputable older brother.
It's Clint Barton as Jim Rockford, which plays to Mr. Barton's history, a felon who declared he deserved to be on the Avengers as Tim O'Neil put it, "based on nothing more than his facility with a bow and arrow and an absolutely enormous pair of brass balls." Clint Barton takes on malicious Eastern European landlords the same way.
There are other reasons, of course. The main one is that Matt Fraction and main penciller David Aja were born to work together. Whatever page Fraction turns in, Aja makes better. Whatever emotional beat Fraction puts down, Aja makes frictionless, even while slowing it down.
The other reason? Kate Bishop. The capable heroine is explicitly Mr. Barton's equal and never far from a felicitous quip. Combine with an early emphasis on single issue stories and Hawkeye is easy to understand and difficult to resist.
Sex Criminals is great for reasons so obvious, it's easy mode. Mainstream comics hasn't had a really good romantic comedy in a very long time. There are exceptions, but Sex Criminals is merely a well-executed romantic comedy. For a comic called Sex Criminals, it's a light, earnest R. It is hard to imagine anyone but the most clueless being concerned about a comic that includes an image called "the Dutch microwave."
Sex Criminals is about people who's ejaculation stops time. They put it to use to rob a bank, so they can raise money to keep a library open. (Awwwwwwww.) The first issue introduces Suzie and goes through her sexual awakening in painfully funny detail.
Zdarsky puts an indefensible amount of detail into the backgrounds. (See above.) There's never a page without a Sexual Gary poster, or a book title somewhere designed to get a laugh. Fraction feeds him with embarrassing moments from his own life, hurriedly veiled by a different character and lets the collaboration go. It is humane and kind.
Come back next time, true believers! (Is there going to be a next time? I legitimately don't know.) Maybe I'll write about ODY-C, a gender-swapped, psychedelic retelling of the Odyssey. Or perhaps Fraction's grueling Iron Man run that shipped two issues in a month for a year straight. Maybe I'll talk about his early work? The designs of the universe are unknown to me.