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dontlettheicecreammelt · 4 years ago

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Hello, Atlanta!

[Ok, so this is the FOURTH time that I've started this blog AND for some reason it doesn't save so that I can post it. I don't know what the deal is but since I've finally stopped cussing, I can now start typing again. B*tches and H*es! ]

The Smiths have landed in Atlanta. I feel like I've been through hell and back to come and get here. Things, of course, didn't go as planned and we just adjusted and kept it moving. We were supposed to leave Monday, Aug 16, but ended up leaving the next day instead. We spent 2 1/2 days on the road and arrived in McDonough Friday at 4:45 a.m. - our new home.

Now that I have been here an entire week, there are a few things that stick out:

1. IT'S EVERYTHING AND NOTHING THAT I EXPECTED.

Now don't get me wrong, from the moment I rolled into our area, I knew that this place would make my soul happy.

Our home is beautiful. Our subdivision is fairly new and there are still homes being built as we speak. After school hours, there are kids running around the neighborhood. Like actually outside playing blasketball and running around. It's a little strange and refreshing all at the same time.

We are on the corner of a cul-de-sac and there is a wooded area directly behind our house. While I haven't been down there yet, it appears lush and green. At night, you can hear the critters chirping (my OC is showing, I know. I don't know what it's called, but we'll just go with "chirping" ok). There are often times when you can hear a faint passing by train and all together it's actually quite relaxing and tranquil.

You have to come through country roads to get to our subdivision. During the day, the roads are surrounded by lots of greenery - bushes, trees, etc. At night, there are little to no street lights, so it's dark and since we're about 35 minutes from the city, there is no light pollution. It's dark, quiet and peaceful.

Ok this humidity tho...I knew what to expect. But it's waaay different when you have to be up in it in real life. Dear God! Never have I had to experience this with hot flashes in tow. No bueno, man. No bueno. Being schwetty is not sexy, no matter what you think.

2. DRIVING IN THE "A".

Ok, one thing I've noticed that is quite perplexing is the amount of cars on the shoulder of the highway. If any fellow Georgians can help me out, I would appreciate it. I swear that everytime I get on the highway there is a car on the shoulder. I might not have realized it had Waze not been a snitch. "Watch out! Vehicle on shoulder ahead!". Why? I recall one time there were 3 cars on the shoulder within a stretch of about a mile. Whyyyy!? I suspect that we don't have that much out in Cali because they are so quick to ticket and tow out there. But I really have no idea what's going on here. I'll let it remain one of history's mysteries - for now.

Speaking of driving, enter in the Georgia drivers on the highway. Now I should first preface it by saying that Atlanta is the transportation hub of the Southeast because they house one of the busiest airports, so the highways have a bazillion big rigs at all hours of the day. Add that to the common 2 to 4 lane highways that I get on, and you can understand how claustrophobic that can feel. Back to the drivers, there are two types of drivers here. You have those that are on the slow track 24/7 and are totally oblivious to the fact that there are other drivers even on the road and then you have the other extreme, usually in a Charger or a Mustang, thinking the highway is their private speedway and are weaving in and out of the lanes as such. There doesn't seem to be much in the middle (except for me, of course).

3. GAS STATIONS AND CHICKEN.

Ok, when I tell you that there's no shortage of gas stations, believe me. I feel like on every corner there's a couple of gas stations. (Ok, maybe not on every corner, but close.) Yes, I'm excited because the gas here is under $3.00, but most importantly, there is usually some chicken spot affiliated with the gas station. Fried, crispy, wings, bbq - you name it, they've got it. Independant from the gas stations, there's still a plethora of chicken places here. If there was ever a chicken shortage in the world, it may or may not be because of Georgia. I'm just saying.

I think in a nutshell, that is all that I can report for now. After all, it is my first week here. Overall, I love it - how green everything is, the fresh air outside, how much slower paced everything is and how that southern hospitality is present. Georgia has really started growing on me and so far, this place allows me to be happy in my own space. One day at a time.

#DontLetTheIceCreamMelt #JustLive

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aasiya-aasi · 5 years ago

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Love Your Parents

It’s understood without saying that parents are the most greatest blessing of Allah swt. And they are irreplaceable. There is nothing that can evaluate mothers love and fathers care. Kindness towards them is one of our major duty. Obedience must be discriminating. We obey our parents only in what is right and what is calculated to please Allah. But we should be kind to them in all situations.

Whenever I think of my parents, there is always a quote which strikes me “never let your parents down, because they brought you up”. Trust me it’s not an easy task to bring up a child with good morals and ethics. Life makes us experience all, and only when we become a parent we realise that parenting isn't a joke.

There are few simple things which we can do every day for the love of our parents and it’s only going to fetch you abundant rewards.

Smile – when you look at them just give them a smile. It will only work wonders. And most importantly smiling is sunnah.

Salam – we often forget to greet our parents when we leave from home or when we are back from school or office. Forgetting they were waiting or looking for us. Greeting with a smile marks a lot of importance

Surprise – who does not love surprises? And a surprise from kids means the world to parents. Be it just cooking a surprise meal for them or buying them something that they wanted. It will only add up immense joy and love in their life.

Speaking – in today’s busy world every individual has hectic schedules. Be it a school goer or a home maker. Everyone is busy in their life thus forgetting to speak with parents who would long for a good conversation. Even just inquiring about their heath shows so much of concern.

Making dua – make lots of dua for your parents health. We often forget to make dua for them forgetting that whatever we are today it is only because of our parents duas.

Share – we need to share our life with parents first rather than friends outside. Remember sharing is caring. Share all your dreams, your wishes, your way of thinking with them.

Start treasuring your parents; even if you have only one parent. Every parent has sacrificed something or other for their children. And there is nothing big in return than showing them love and affection.

There are a few hadees I would like to focus on :

Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: Goodness towards the parents is an indication of a person's excellent cognizance of Allah.This is because there is no worship that can take a person towards the happiness of Allah faster than exhibiting respect towards his Muslim parents for the sake of Allah. Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, pg.77

ALLAH swt says : Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him, and (that ye show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them to attain old age with thee, say not fight unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. (23) And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy, and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little. (Al-Isra 17:23-24).

Bukhari, Vol 8, Book 73. Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab). Hadith 002. Narrated By Abu Huraira: A man came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?” The Prophet said, “your mother.” The man said. “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “your mother.” The man further said, “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “your mother.” The man asked for the fourth time, “Who is next?” The Prophet said, “Your father.”

To sum it all in a nutshell – Allah's pleasure lies in the pleasure of one's parents and His anger also lies therein (Bukhari)

Rabbir Hamhuma Kama RabbaYani Sagira

Aameen 🌸

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tremendouskoalachild · 2 years ago

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Star Wars (1977) #06: Is This the Final Chapter?

Roy Thomas, Sep 13 1977

To answer the title question: no.

Listen I know that comic covers have to be sensational and all, but isn't this just false advertising? And what is Leia doing??

We are entering the part of the story that will be a relatively straight adaptation, with lines not even changing between different drafts of the script and the final product. Sadly that gives me less to talk about but whatever, I'll find something.

For example, I really like the pilots' introduction:

The colors are admittedly a bit confusing with them being the "Blue Squadron"... But they're distinct! Introducing them in the correct order is also a plus (why did the movie jumble the numbers? I get they wanted Luke to go last but you could have just given him the highest number, right?). The comic goes on to confirm that "Blue Squadron" has indeed 6 members only (the movie Red Squadron has Red Eleven and skips some numbers - pretty sure there are eight pilots reporting in plus their leader).

We get some dialogue from imperial grunts:

Hey why does this rando look like a shaved Fidel Castro? I don't recall the imperial uniforms looking like this.

Stop flirting, you two.

These next panels are appropriately dramatic:

this issue makes me want to reread the X-Wing novels so bad-

We check in with Darth Vader and see he's being kind of defeatist about this (or is more tactically aware, your pick). The fatal flaw specifically seems to be comic specific.

Though with him recognizing the station's flaw in now sort of looks as if he used the excuse of destroying the X-wings himself to abandon ship. (In the movie the walls only explode in the stormtroopers' faces, so that might have factored into his decision as well.) He even seems to go alone instead of drafting two pilots with him:

Meanwhile, Luke is thinking about his new friends!

The comic has retained the very short scene of the rebel monitoring of the battle switching to audio only (I also believe this is the first instance of text outside the panels in these comics):

So long, Blue Four! Sorry we don't learn your name in the film or comic (it's John D in the fourth draft of the script and in the novelization - pretty sure D was supposed to stand for a surname but you got a different one in 2006 anyway). Sorry your lines got cut from the movie so you just kinda exist to die. Sorry fans confuse you with Fake Wedge (not even the real Wedge). Oh and sorry you don't get a send-off.

... but someone else does!

Luke what do you mean you only know him as Blue Six. Even if you weren't introduced you just heard his name. It's cute that Biggs knows it even though the first name gets retconed to be his middle name later but I don't get the timeline at all. Has it been months since Biggs sought out the rebels? He wasn't with them at the beginning of the movie. Are we meant to understand that he and Porkins defected together? Did they fight against the rebels, then?

(Also sidenote irrelevant to this comic but I'm glad the "Piggy" nickname was retained as a badge of honor in the X-Wing novels.)

Darth Vader joins the battle in his little ship and yeah, he knows exactly what the rebels' plan is. If you knew about the vulnerability why didn't you bring it up before? Your coworkers all seem clueless in the film. This also looks like a comic-only characterization and I honestly kind of love it? It accidentally matches up with Anakin's tech enthusiasm, as well as the popular fanon that Vader was against the Death Star and was secretly glad it blew up. And again, turning his completely coincidental survival at the end of the film into a calculated contingency plan is amazing, even if totally unplanned - Star Wars in a nutshell.

I like how the comic utilizes Darth Vader's eye reflections. Like in Blue Leader's death:

So ominous.

Then Luke's targeting computer gets broken? Alright I guess.

Biggs gets blown up and Wedge has to get away, like in the finished film. Vader is about to do Luke in, when we get this fantastic panel:

Not sure why Vader isn't flying in the middle but whatever, the composition is better like this. Vader yelling what appears to be a religious curse is hilarious. I am always fascinated by what the Sith were assumed to be in the early years of Star Wars, too.

Like in the film, Vader spirals away and Luke makes the shot. The explosion is great:

M A J E S T I C.

Luke lands:

I guess my pet peeve of star wars writers misspelling the word "hangar" extends beyond fanfic then. Also is "technicos" a typo or what? Wookieepedia says it's a used term but doesn't distinguish between different words for technician. What is up with this.

Some of the banter gets a bit expanded too:

I also want to include this panel, not because of any important continuity/goofs/whatever, but because it returns Luke to his natural form: pretty boy.

In the ceremony scene we learn that many worlds are supporting the rebels (and this line is present verbatim in the novelization, though not in any script I've seen). I assume this support is covert in the "actual" Legends continuity - not sure that was the intent though. The early material, the comics especially, portray the struggle against the Empire as a lot less asymmetrical.

I love this next panel because the interpretation of the whole Chewie medal situation is so creative and cute.

It doesn't work quite as well when you remember they are standing on the stairs below Leia but shhhh.

And in the final panel Han looks as though he's about to shoot someone. I get it man, we all hate long official ceremonies. Fully in-character as far as I'm concerned.

#sw comics readthrough

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aravind-reddy-tarugu · 3 years ago

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Protect the Colors of the Wind

#ProtecttheColorsoftheWind

Synopsis:

"Protect the Colors of the Wind" Macaws are one of the most colorful birds in the world and represent grace and ease and are considered a messenger of the gods and ancestors. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “Red List” classified the Blue-throated Macaw as “Critically Endangered”

(https://www.iucnredlist.org/ja/species/22685542/196624397), the category of threatened species closest to going extinct. Armonia’s study estimates the total population of Blue-throated Macaws to be between 312-455 individuals, occupying a range of around 11,000 km2 (about 4250 square miles) (From—https://armoniabolivia.org).

Interesting Facts About Macaws

Macaws are monogamous, fall in love, and mate for life—Macaws reach breeding age at ~3-4 years old, pick a partner, and stay together for life. Macaw pairs spend much time together, sharing food, enjoying mutual grooming, and caring for their young macaw chicks. They also fly together–close to each other with their wings almost touching.

Macaws can live up to 100 years—Macaw’s average lifespan in the wild is around 60 years. The lifespan can even extend to 80 years or even up to 100 years. Macaws, kept as a pet, are often known to outlive their owners.

Macaws can mimic human speech—Macaws can’t precisely talk but can mimic human speech and other environmental sounds. Macaws are intelligent and highly social birds with a well-developed vocal learning center in their brain. Macaws are naturally gifted to make and respond to definite sounds made by their family and flock.

They Have Long Tail Feathers—Macaws contain variable bright color combinations, such as red and green and blue and gold, sporting beautiful long graceful tail feathers. They are built to fly through forest trees with an efficient body, tail shape, and wings that don’t flap intensely. During landing, macaws drop their tail and feet downward and their wings as brakes.

Macaws Have Gripping Toes—Macaws have long toes with sharp claws with their first and fourth toes pointing backward. With these gripping agile toes, they latch onto branches, grasp things, and examine items.

Macaws Eat Clay—Macaws mainly consume nuts, seeds, fruits, flowers, and leaves. Most Macaw species contain extremely powerful beaks with which they can open hard nutshells. Macaws congregate clay licks in the wild, particularly in the Amazon rainforest, and feed on clay. Research theories propose that Macaws obtain required minerals and vitamins and cleanse toxins consumed through their seed and fruit-filled diet.

I, Aravind Tarugu, sincerely request you to start a conversation; share the fun and exciting facts; engage as you like; volunteer, and, if interested, become a member of the organization you want

to help.

I just wanted to share my thought, no strings attached! Enjoy the Art, and feel free to use it as needed.

Thank you for visiting; stay tuned for more content.

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asianhappinesss · 4 years ago

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Hua Jai Sila (2019)

Summary

Tor is a love child of a mistress and a wealthy hi-so man. After his mother dies from neglect, Tor is forced to live with his father’s family. Abused by his stepmother and stepbrother, he turns to the girl-next-door, Mingta, who also suffers neglect at the hands of her so called mother and sister.

One night, while being chased by his stepmother, Tor jumps into a river and is presumed dead, though he survives. He is taken under the wing of another prostitute who knew his mother and takes on a new life under the alias, Sila. Years later, he returns as a notorious, rich pimp, with plans to avenge his mother and to get revenge for the torture and pain brought to him by his stepmother and stepbrother.

Sila's main goal is to hurt the people that hurt him as a child, but he never expected to see the only friend he ever had as a child, Mingta. As soon as they see each other, she realizes that he looks familiar to her. She notices a ring he wears around his neck, and immediately comes to the conclusion that he's Tor, her childhood best friend that supposedly died. But he denies it because of his revenge plan.

Review

Finally, I found a drama that suits me..I just knew that this drama is a remake but after 27 episodes, I really loved this version because of the amazing performances from the actors!!!Good job guys!!! 1. The best villain in Thai’s drama land .She never give up to do the bad things until the last moments..That is a good lesson for me!!Whatever we are, we should never give up and “NEVER SAY NEVER” in everything that we do.Whatever it is, I empathize for her.She is another wife that got cheated by their husband. The cause of this post-problem is the effect of her husband’s foolish act. He cheated on his wife and BANF .baby on the way!!If there is a woman can accept that behavior and the child, I think that woman is an angel.Our villain is one of the best villain that I watched in Thai’s drama but her weakness is her son..Isk..isk..If she had a better son, she is the unbeatable villian in this drama. 2. OUR MAIN LEAD..Please give a big clap for Tor Thanaphob. I knew about him because he always pop out in channel GMM25. However, he is amazing and I love how he acts. I’m falling in love once again.But, I just watched Sky Castle (Korean Drama) and I really regret it very much.He is soooooo similar with Chani sf9 and everytime he appears in the screen, my brain redirect my mind to Chani.It is a big spoil for me but don’t worry Tor, your acting is better than Chani. Anyway Chani sf9 (right) and Tor (right) .They quite seem different but when you watch this drama, Tor is like the older, mature, slimmer, taller and sexier version for our 19 years Chani. Along the drama, I wish Tor is Chani because I fall in love with Chani, 3 months earlier than our Tor…huhuhu..If Chani can perform or act like Tor, he will be popular like Im Si Wan..Now, I love both!!! 3. You reap what you sow..First, to all the foolish husbands that responsible to this extreme karma. I don’t want to write my opinion here because I am a WOMAN, so all the wives got my 100% support. Second, to our ML that lack of forgiveness. It is not easy to be a saint if similar circumstances happen to us. Third, Fourth and fifth….you should watch the drama and you’ll find yourself. 4. Beauty + brain .Good but when beauty that has brain but never use it = NO GOOD!!! either the woman or the man, use your brains if you have a brain because when you didn’t use it, the nerves will degenerate..Hahaha…However, to all writers: Can you create beauty + brains in you drama? and please including woman in the tagline. SECOND LEAD SYNDROME Of course…only one for me in this drama .Tor Thanaphob.His visual is best and his act make me his fangirl. His chemy with the FL is superb even her act is not as par as him. In the nutshell, this drama help Tor from a lead of idol drama to a lead of popular drama. He can start a pathway to stardom. About the drama.. I give 9/10 because in the it dragged in the middle of drama. It has all the ingredients of Thai’s drama and luckily the writer/director make it more interesting and refreshing plot. The romance is so sweet like candy and feels new because of casual act of ML. This drama is typical Thai’s drama but don’t worry because it is good for me. That is another reason that I stop here. Not many things to write but the creativity and magic of writer and director help me to finish this 27 episodes without SKIP.Thank you once again for pick Tor as ML and thank you again for recognize his talent. P/S: His popularity is skyrocketing in Thailand now !!!

#thai lakorn

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megacircuit9universe · 5 years ago

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Hyper

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970s, nobody talked about Nixon. My parents had voted for him, as, I’m sure, had all of my conservative Catholic school teachers, and the parents of many of my friends.

But even though the man resigned when I was in Kindergarten, none of these people ever so much as mentioned his name. I mean... I remember Ford being President, and nobody mentioned how he had come to be in that office.

Even on TV, not much talk about Nixon going on. The term, Watergate, popped up every once in a while, but only in passing. And in High school we did hear that Nixon had resigned, but it was mentioned like a trivia fact.

Did you know we once had a president who resigned? Weird, huh?

Reagan was crazy popular among the grown ups, but we didn’t really know why, and in the media, there was an almost cultlike nostalgia for Kennedy, and rehashing his assassination over and over.

I remember being confused for many years about when exactly Nixon was even president. Cuz, you know... you’d see him debating John F Kennedy in old black and white footage. I think I assumed Nixon was the incumbent and Kennedy defeated him or something... which didn’t square with the resignation, but I didn’t think too hard about it.

It wasn’t until the Clinton era that you started to see articles and documentaries about Nixon and watergate, but my parents and their peers still never ever talked about it. You felt like they had no real opinion about it, like it was just a thing that happened, but they were too busy raising you to even pay attention at the time.

They had passionate feelings about Nixon, in truth, but chose to bite their tonges forever about it, because... they’d lost that battle. Better to let it go, play it cool, and wait for the pendulum to swing back in their favor some day.

And it kinda did with Reagan... then again with W... and one more time with Trump... who got his ass impeached in one term and followed that by falling completely to peices with Covid19.

So what is my point here?

It’s that this time around... once Trump is booted out of office... these past four years we’ve all been through will not be forgotten, or swept under the rug, or become a taboo subject they can avoid while waiting on that pendulum to return.

Why? Because while Nixon was the closest thing we’ve ever had to Trump in modern times, Trump has a quality Nixon did not. A quality which will trigger, what I call, The Hitler Effect.

What is that? In a nutshell, it’s that ever since the day Hitler was defeated, we’ve been unable to stop talking about him.

There is even the famous, Godwin’s Law of internet discussions, which says that the longer one goes on, the probablility of a comparisson involving the Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.

On the one hand, the Hitler effect seems logical for Hitler, given how evil he was, but... Stalin was arguably as evil, or more evil than Hitler, yet Stalin isn’t even a distant second to Hitler, in terms of being our go-to reference for everything we despise in a world leader.

Why?

The difference is that Hitler... was hyper.

Animated, loud, obnoxious, desperate for constant attention and, in Adolph’s case, extremely aggressive.

And it was this hyper personality trait that hypnotized many Germans into following him without question... while also terrifying those Germans who opposed him into backing down, and going along with him.

He was hyper in the way he waged war too, and so it was his hyper nature that inspired the allies to defeat that overactive, egomaniacal motherfucker at any cost.

He seemed unstoppable. He threatened the whole planet. But in the end, he was soundly defeated... and when he was... he and his movement became irrelevant overnight.

Overnight, the Nazis were gone, and the world moved on to the issue of the cold war... but we never forgot what a fucking ass hole that guy was, and never stopped talking about it.

Okay, so... you get where I’m going here...

Trump is also hyper. In fact, Trump is arguably more hyper than even Hitler was!

Am I saying Trump as been as evil as Hitler, or is worse overall than Hitler? No... at least not so far. But in terms of just being hyper... Donald is right up there with Adolph.

The incessant tweets... the endless rallies... the incendiary rhetoric... the bald faced lies delivered with unflappable arrogance. The hair! The whole, fourth grade vocabulary and schoolyard bully dynamic. The mind numbingly low IQ.

These persoality traits, together with all of the horrifying thing’s he’s done, or refused to do... guarantee that from the moment he’s booted out of the White House... and for the next two hundred years... nobody will be able to shut up about what a fucking ass hole this guy was.

Where we used to say that the founders engineered the constitution to prevent another King George... they will now and forever after say, The founders anticipated Trump... thankfully.

Ammendments will be passed to prevent a future Trump... can’t run for president without scoring at least 100 on an IQ test, publishing your tax returns, and freezing your social media accounts.

A permanent firewall between the White House and the DOJ, with an Attorney General, and Inspector General who have to be approved by popular vote, after their Senate hearings.

Things like that.

Mid-term elections will, from this point forward, carry as much gravity as the general elections... because in the 21st century, two years already feel longer than four did in the 20th.

A single term President (four years) will feel like a two-term president did in days past, and the bar for reelection will be exceedingly high.

You may fear this means more Republicans getting into office more often, and more chaos in general as we switch between parties every four years, but it’s starting to become clear that... post Trump... what we now think of as the Democratic party will be Mitt Romney/ Bob Dole style conservatives, playing against a yet to be named (or officially formed) progressive party a’la Bernie Sanders/AOC.

What we now know as the Republican party will, post Trump, be a far right wing white supremacist party of hyperactive candidates who have zero access to power, flying menacing elephant flags, and occasionally blowing up train stations to get attention.

As for Trump himself...

He’s going to prison. He’s on the hook for several crimes by the SDNY that Biden (or any future president) can’t parden him for (Presidents can only pardon federal criminals). And, after Covid19, he will not be getting a pardon from the Governor of New York, no matter who that Governor is in the future.

People right now, in July of 2020 think that can’t happen because all his angry supporters will cry bloody murder and never let us hear the end of it... a US President in prison! How would we ever HEAL?

But... look, Trump is already going hyper racist in July, in response to BLM tearing down confederate statues and banning of the confederate flag as a symbol of hate. He’s reopening the wounds of the Civil War, and making it fairly obvious to all of us that... the Union went too easy on the South after that war!

So by 2021... after Trump has done his hyper damnest to restart that war, posing as the modern president of the Confederacy, and all the hatred and racism it stood for... he’s not gonna be afforded the luxury that Jefferson Davis was... of remaining free.

He’s going to prison... his supporters be damned.

Like with Hitler, Trump and his hyper diaper movement will become irrelevant overnight, and the world will move on to deal with Covid19, climate change, and all the other issues awaiting our attention in the 21st century.

That’s my take after work on a Saturday night in July.

And now it’s time for bed.

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gravitas-ai · 6 years ago

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Digital Tech Visions of AI for the Future Healthcare Industry

There’s no denying the fact that Artificial Intelligence has taken our world by storm with loads of incredible innovations. Standing right at the edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we are coming to terms with the very cursory steps made by AI and machines in re-designing the world where we reside in.

Although, many prolific thinkers worldwide have started criticizing the attempt of replacing human intelligence with technology and auto-learning machines, there is one sector where Artificial Intelligence is spelling benefits galore – the healthcare and medical industry.

The digital tech vision of Artificial Intelligence for healthcare industry is transforming almost every now and then. With technology undergoing some exponential advancements, AI is bucking up to sprout its wings for the healthcare industry, albeit, for all the good reasons.

Within the next few decades, the global health care industry is anticipated to thrive and excel with the following digital tech visions. Take a look:

A Dash of Improvement in Medical Imaging

The advanced machine learning algorithm is capable of processing truckloads of information in an instant. Compared to humans, these are a way more precise in identifying even the minuscule details in medical imaging reports that include CT scans, mimeographs, et al.

Some of the world’s top-tier companies have begun to rely on algorithm-based analysis of different medical imaging reports that can accurately identify the early signs of breast cancer, osteoporosis, aortic aneurysms et al.

Owing to such unlimited capacities of deep learning, it will be possible to sense the crawling presence of several other ailments that even the human experts may not be able to trace. The computer-based analysis holds manifold capacities to interpret images and data with utmost accuracy.

In the near future, Artificial Intelligence might even replace human assistance in some certain professions like pathologists, radiologists, etc.

EMRs are Expected to be Enhanced

Since the past few decades, the ongoing debates on the effects of Electronic Medical Records or EMRs on health information technology have gained momentum. As per a few medical studies, the EMRs can be the game changers in enhancing the healthcare industry.

Although many health care experts have found them extremely cumbersome and complex that prevents them from exploring technology to the utmost. However, a number of AI-driven software is on the horizon to rescue healthcare experts from the clunky EMRs.

The biggest drawback of this latest technology is that it compels clinicians to squander a way too much time in performing certain tasks repetitively. Being a rescuer, Artificial Intelligence can automate them with ease.

For instance, during a visit, speech recognition can record every minuscule detail when the physician interacts with a patient. Being the representation of data, charts can incorporate a lot great deal of information collated from different sources including, external sensors, wearable devices, etc. Artificial Intelligence can directly feed these data into the EMRs.

By understanding and extrapolating the collected data with deep learning algorithms, the quality of healthcare can be enhanced greatly. Besides improving a patient’s adherence to treatment, it can also guide the health care experts through predictive AI analytics and help them treat life-threatening conditions with utmost efficacy.

Better CDS are to be Made

An interesting fact about deep learning is that by enhancing the CDS or Clinical Decision Support tools, deep learning can enable machines to make more accurate decisions.

The CDS tools are generally built into EMR system for helping clinicians in their works by recommending them ideal treatment courses, warning them of potential dangers and analyzing every minuscule detail in the health record of a patient.

By bringing forward the augment, CDS can also enable machines to interact with each other in a better way. In particular, with the help of AI, different medical devices can be connected to the Internet like other IoT devices i.e. monitors, wearables, bedside sensors, and the likes.

Being operated by Artificial Intelligence, different EMR platforms will be capable of interacting with each other via the Internet, thus maximizing collaboration between various wards and healthcare facilities.

Development of New Drugs

It is indeed a costly affair to develop a new drug with a number of clinical trials. Most of the pharmaceuticals need several years of testing on different real-world subjects during the post-marketing period.

It’s not even an uncommon phenomenon to face a lot of dangerous side effects of medicine several years after it comes to the being. The good news is the cutting-edge supercomputer-assisted Artificial Intelligence can invent legions of medicines from a database of molecular structure, which no human could ever analyze.

One of the most relevant examples could be the Atomwise’s AI that predicted a couple of drugs, which could prevent and treat Ebola virus. This virtual search also found a few medications that could fight this deadly virus effectively.

They discovered a way to reach to a pandemic emergency by thoroughly scanning the drugs, which had already been promoted to the patients for several years.

The Future Anticipations

Even though, Artificial Intelligence has come a long way in developing the medical and healthcare industry, a few earth-shattering tech innovations are still on the horizon. Although they are not ready yet, their impacts are so fulfilling that they are still worth appreciating.

Precision medicine being one such highly-anticipated AI invention, could scan through a patient’s DNA via deep genomics algorithms to look for anomalies and mutations, which could be associated with different life-threatening diseases like Cancer, et al.

The world’s best of Human Genome Project experts are presently working on the latest computational technology, which can predict the impacts of a genetic alteration, paving ways for the early-detection and individualized treatments of several preventable ailments.

In a Nutshell

The endless possibilities that Artificial Intelligence has in store for healthcare and medical sectors are worth appreciating. However, AI too has its own share of limitations, and we must obtain a thorough understanding of them as well. The usage of AI in healthcare and medical fields is not devoid of challenges, although most of them are beatable.

#AI Healthcare

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punderfulowl · 8 years ago

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10 Anime Series That Could Pull Off a Live-Action Remake

What’s more shocking than me actually updating? Why, the fact that the live-action Ghost in the Shell adaptation wasn’t complete garbage! I mean, it wasn’t the greatest movie I watched, but it sure wasn’t the worst especially in terms of adapting from anime. Despite having so much against it, the film, overall, was fine. Simply fine. But because the bar has been set so low, “fine” is actually a positive step forward for adapting anime, which is kind of bittersweet because that’ll probably hurt the chances of anything original getting on the big screen, but it’s still a positive step for the anime community. After all, there’s a live-action Death Note series for Netflix on the horizon so there still must be demand for it. Of course, it wasn’t long after I saw the new GitS movie that got me thinking about what anime series could have a legitimate chance of having a live-action movie or show.

First off, these will not be in any particular order. Second, these are hypothetical movies based off of TV series only. Third, the series I mention must not have any prior adaptations already (which means I had to do some research, oh boy). Fourth, each of these ideas must be strong enough for a stand alone movie, so if I thought an adaptation could work with a couple of sequels, it’s not on this list. And finally, these are WESTERN adaptations with a Western audience in mind, so my ideas are going to come with some tweaks to certain details of the original source material.

With all that out of the way, here are my nerdy opinions movie and series pitches.

- Baccano

Remember when after the show LOST was over and everyone tried to make a show like that? You know, like, every trailer for these knock offs tried to make their shows out like they were SUPER important while trying to ride the wave of momentum LOST created? Those shows didn’t last long, did they? The problem was that they tried to do too much too soon. LOST didn’t start out like that, but as the show went on it played up to it’s mystery and deserved its important-sounding teasers for the next episode. Since then, there hasn’t been a lot of shows like that and it’s a shame when you think about how a mystery element can be quite a lot of fun if done right and “fun” is the keyword for a live-action Baccano.

Like I said, FUN is the key for a live-action series of Baccano and it would be what separates itself from those other shows that have tried and failed. As long as you have fun in the forefront, you already of a decent foundation to reel in and hold an audience.

Another key is to be faithful to the source material and that is obvious enough, you already know that, but it’s especially important to be faithful on the very first note of mystery. You see, where LOST slowly introduced you to the possibility of mystery or supernatural elements, Baccano didn’t mess around and showed you something to ponder within the first five to ten minutes.

Something else that Baccano shared with LOST is the times skips, but don’t worry, the former does a lot better job than the latter as it contains the events within three years. A cool thing Baccano did with skipping around was each period time had a different feel as well as using different lighting and color which would let the viewer know, visually, that this is sometime else. Not to mention that the story of Baccano takes place during the Prohibition period in New York which would help an American audience connect with what’s going on.

All in all Baccano is a great time with a cast of colorful characters and couple layers of mystery. As long as you keep its spirit, an adaptation could work wonders.

- Zoids

If you just put Zoids in a nutshell, it’s basically people piloting giant robots in the likeness of various animals fighting other people piloting giant robots in the likeness of various animals. Okay, it’s not exactly “complex,” but there’s enough to work with for a fun, live-action, summer blockbuster.

Now between Chaotic Century or Century Zero (I haven’t seen Genesis and I refuse to acknowledge Fuzors) I think Century Zero would work the best considering that giant animal robots fighting each other in a grand tournament would sell better than having a story about two factions using them as instruments of war. Because Century Zero revolves around a tournament, it gives characters a goal and a competitive setting gives the audience something to be excited about. All that doesn’t matter compared to how much merchandise this movie would sell, but I believe I’m getting ahead of myself.

The story for this adaptation is interesting because I can see it going one of two ways.

Option 1: Tell a new story with new characters while using the setting of Century Zero as a template.

Option 2: Take on the task of retelling the story of Century Zero while making a few tweaks to fit into a two hour movie.

Like I said, both are good options and if someone decides to make a live-action Zoids movie, it would be a huge draw for kids and adults alike. After all, who wouldn’t want to pilot a mechanical animal?

- Canaan

It’s a story about a hero that is fighting against a terrorist group that’s using deadly virus. Seems like a basic action/thriller that’s been done before, but this time the cast is mostly women. Not only that, the characters are actually taken seriously. No joke, Hollywood, if you make this with the intent of giving these characters the proper respect they had in the anime, you will not fail.

- Eden of the East

Imagine yourself coming into a large sum of money, let’s just say, 10 billion dollars in electric currency found on your phone, and with all that you’re tasked with “saving the country.” Not only that, there are eleven others (one of which is the mastermind of this whole thing) that have been given the same task as you and thus you have been thrown into a game of life or death.

There are two reasons why this could work really well as a live-action Netflix or HBO show. First, because it started as an anime, we learn about what a Japanese perspective on this situation would be, which then asks what a Western take would look like. Second, it was interesting to see the variety of characters. Each person involved in this game had a different background, social standing, personality. Given that a Western society like America is a melting pot, I can’t help but think of what different kinds of people would do with all that money to throw around. It’s a show I would definitely binge.

- Psycho-Pass

In my humble, honest opinion, this would be THE easiest anime to adapt. You don’t need to add anything, the narrative is fine by itself.

Anyway, Psycho-Pass takes place in the near future where a system dictates most things like what job you’re going to have via aptitude tests. It also keeps track of your mental well-being which then predicts the likelihood of you committing a crime. If your mental state reaches a certain level, you’re hauled off to jail till your level goes down. However, there’s a mysterious individual that has a rare mental state that bypasses the system no matter what heinous acts he commits. If his mental state can’t change, then this new system sees no reason to arrest him.

There are other pieces to the plot I’m leaving out, but go and see the anime for yourself, that way you can see why this would make a cool live-action sci-fi movie.

- Desert Punk

I’ve been pretty serious with these ideas, so why not include something a bit more silly?

Desert Punk is a show that follows the life of a bounty hunter named Kanta. His reputation may lead most to thinking he’s a man of a mercenary, but actuality, he’s quite the shrewd and skilled teenager with average teenager, um, “urges.” That last part doesn’t become known until he’s bested by another mercenary who just so happens to be a grown woman. Hijinks, as they say, ensues.

The anime is a action, comedy show with a raunchy side to it. Personally, this can work well as a movie that’s directed by someone like a Shane Black or Quentin Tarantino. This would most likely be a hard PG-13 to light R, but it would still be pretty entertaining.

- Mobile Suit Gundam

Despite me thinking this idea could work, this would be the hardest anime to adapt. Why? Because there are so many different Gundam series out there and I’ve only seen three or four of them! If you want a rundown of most Gundam series, here it is: War is happening with robots that involves young pilots controlling more special robots (for any big Gundam fans reading this, I’m sorry).

I always thought of the Gundam franchise as a property that floats idly by waiting for someone to make a live-action adaptation of it. Like, it’s just there, waiting! But alas, it has yet to happen. If I were to make a live-action Gundam movie, it would be similar to the Wing series, only because of the cool designs and weapons of the main Gundams, but I would make up a new story. I don’t know, other than that and having a guy wear a cool mask, I don’t have much, unfortunately.

- Yu Yu Hakusho

Except I would call it something else like “Spirit Detective,” just so we don’t have a title that would scare off possible viewers, but I digress (even though this is a new thought and didn’t stray away from anything).

Despite having to change the name of the show and even some of the character names, I would make this live-action series follow the adventures of a character named Yusuke Urameshi. I would make the slight tweak of Yusuke’s family being Japanese-American immigrants. The setting would still be American, but it would still be cool to have an action/adventure show led by an Asian actor.

I would make the first season be based on the first episode all the way to the Saint Beast arc. It would be mostly be beat for beat with the anime, but with the addition of Yusuke’s family moving to America and because he was an immigrant he got bullied in school which then started his delinquency that we all know.

This could be good, but it HAS to be a project of passion.

- Kino’s Journey

You know what I learned from projects like Stranger Things and Logan? Little girls can freakin’ act, man!

I would definitely make this a series that carries the same laid back atmosphere like the anime did. Each episode of the anime was basically Kino going through a town or city that acted as a parable of sorts and I think that’s pretty doable. Like I mentioned before, I’ve been wildly impressed by young acting talent (boys and girls alike) and I can see both young and old audiences appreciate the mood the storytelling comes with despite the age of the actors.

- Sword Art Online

Anyone that has followed for awhile knows that I have a few issues with SAO. I have had my fair share of criticisms and jokes toward SAO. But with all that aside, I can’t help but acknowledge that a live-action movie would actually be pretty decent. HOWEVER! However, some things need to be done to make this adaptation not only bearable, but BETTER than the anime.

To start things off, we need to keep run time in mind so in that case I would only focus on the movie being about the first story arc of the first season, cut out the episodes with Lizbeth and Silica, and you got yourself enough for a two hour movie. Even though the ending of that arc transitions into the next one, the ending was satisfying on its own.

Next, and it goes without saying, to understand the source material proper, you have to watch the show. After that, watch the abridged series by Something Witty Entertainment. Watch the original for the basic concept, but watch the parody for characterization. Combine the two, and you got yourself a movie with a really cool idea that’s not full of itself.

That’s all I got, what anime series can you come up with that could have a legitimate shot at live-action?

#anime #live-action #sword art online #kino's journey #yu yu hakusho #mobile suit gundam #desert punk #psycho-pass #eden of the east #canaan #zoids #baccano!

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flauntpage · 8 years ago

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A Discussion with NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz on His Union Past and Lacrosse Future

Nick Sakiewicz never left town, he just changed jobs.

The former Philadelphia Union executive resurfaced as National Lacrosse League Commissioner last January following 21 seasons in Major League Soccer.

That was three months after his split with Union majority owner and principal investor Jay Sugarman. The pair brought soccer to Philadelphia in 2008, but parted ways at the end of 2015 when their relationship became strained following years of on-field struggles and disagreement on how to move the franchise forward.

For some of that time, Sakiewicz was seen as public enemy number one in Chester, a CEO and Operating Partner who became the face of an underachieving club. In fairness, that was something he never really disputed.

“Someone has to answer and take the heat, I guess,” he told the Delco Times a few months back.

To that point, I viewed Nick as a person who covered for Sugarman’s shortcomings by repeatedly falling on the sword. There was never a doubt that Sakiewicz was a smart businessman, but a lack of resources stunted early Union gains and quickly brought an end to the club’s honeymoon period. Whether he helped his cause or not, most people realized that this was a thrifty franchise with a young coach, no scouting department, and no general manager.

But those days are long gone, and Sakiewicz is now building a new foundation for the NLL.

Attendance is up and expansion is underway. There seems to be stability and foresight for a league that has existed for quite a while now, but for most of that time just spinning its wheels. In many ways, Sakiewicz’s experiences with a rapidly growing MLS made him an ideal candidate to oversee the growth of another niche sport with similar upside.

I ran into Sakiewicz for the first time in two years at last Thursday’s NLL Philadelphia expansion announcement. He agreed to speak further about his lacrosse gig and Union departure, and we followed up on the phone this week.

Crossing Broad: Some big things are happening for the NLL right now. We saw you in South Philly for the expansion announcement last week. San Diego joins the league in 2019. What’s the big picture, macro outlook for the league?

Nick Sakiewicz: We’ve got a lot of momentum going, as you can probably tell. That was our second big expansion announcement in less than a month. We announced Joe Tsai, the co-founder of the Alibaba Group, as the owner of San Diego back in August. Comcast Spectacor will own our 11th franchise in Philadelphia. Those are two blue chip, five-star, whatever you want to call them owners. They’re really quality entities and two different ones. One is an individual and one is a big sports and entertainment company. I think, in a nutshell, that was really the culmination of about 12 to 18 months of planning and hard work, sort of ‘resetting’ the league after 30 years of stops and starts. The good thing is that the league has been around for 30 years. The bad news is that they hadn’t really grown or created any traction in a very competitive sports landscape. What you’re starting to see right now is a culmination of all of that planning and hard work and a great product to stand behind it, with the best lacrosse in the world. We have the best athletes in our sport playing in our league. There are more great things to come, for sure.

Welcome back to the #NLL, Philadelphia! #Philadelphia #PhillyLax #Philly #Lacrosse #Lax http://pic.twitter.com/0xaiFPxkYD

— NLL (@NLL) September 14, 2017

CB: What’s the best way to move forward? Is it expansion? Is it growing the fan base? Is looking more into digital broadcasting? Is it all of those things at the same time?

Sakiewicz: We created this ‘five pillar’ plan 18 months ago, one of them being expansion. Obviously we need a bigger footprint and we need more teams and more games. We need a better competitive landscape. Expansion is a very high priority. Digital marketing and broadcasting is another one. How do we get the games out? It’s fantastic content. There are great games to watch. Everyone knows I’m a hardcore soccer guy but I fell in love watching this sport. The problem is that we needed to get it out en masse. So we created NLL TV and a new digital streaming platform along with a new website and a new social media strategy. Digital marketing and broadcast was that second pillar.

The third pillar is commercial sales. The league never really had any commercial sponsorship sales. We hired a former NHL executive and someone I’ve known for a while (Kevin Morgan) and he’s a built a whole new commercial sales 2.0 platform and has really done a tremendous job attracting some big names in the sports business into our family of corporate sponsors.

The fourth pillar is team services. We created a department in-house that (ex-Union CRO) Dave Rowan leads up. I brought him over from the Union to help develop a team services function. That’s really about working with each of our teams to make them better with their business operations and, in some cases, their lacrosse operations, with helping their technical staff. The NBA and MLS have team services functions. That was a great success this year. We had a 12% attendance increase at the gate. We’re seeing some big things come out of it.

And the fifth and final pillar is grassroots. That’s a long-term strategy to develop programming across the U.S. and Canada to bring box lacrosse – and lacrosse in general – to inner cities, and to communities that might not be aware of the NLL, and working with existing teams in their own markets, developing small-sided games, tournaments, camps, clinics, referee development, and potentially more combine players. We have our annual combine in Toronto and we’d like to do more in the U.S. and Canada as part of that effort.

CB: You and I spoke about expansion last week at the Philly press conference. You said you’re not going to do it without solid ownership that shows commitment and has a feasible arena situation in the right market. That was the idea in Major League Soccer, but you would run into situations like New York City FC, which has rich owners in a great city, but they’re borrowing a baseball stadium. What did you learn from MLS expansion and how important was it to stick to your guns in having NLL candidates meet all of that criteria?

Sakiewicz: I really enjoyed my time in MLS – 21 years – and learned a lot, built a couple of stadiums, helped launch the league, ran a couple of teams and owned a piece of one at the end. What I learned most, first and foremost, is that it’s about a great owner. You have to have the right owners around the board table. They have to have the depth of wealth to be able to invest in infrastructure, in a front office, and in a competitive team to deliver for the fans what they deserve. It starts with the owner.

The second component is the venue they play in. It’s gotta be a great venue, and one that the owner can make a good business in. You have to own it, and if you don’t own it, you need to have a lease that is at least reasonable enough to turn a profit and run the team in a sustainable way.

The third one we talked about was market, whether it be a market with great sports fans that are willing to embrace the team, lacrosse fans or not. The beauty about our league is that we don’t depend on just the lacrosse community. 60% of the audience that sits in our arena is non-lacrosse fans. They come for the spectacle and the great athletes on the floor and to have a great time in the stands. Many of our teams market as, ‘come for the party, stay for the game,’ and do very well with that approach. Those are the three boxes to check. I learned in MLS that we’re not going to compromise on any of those three. If you miss one, you risk this not becoming a long-term strategy. No sports team should leave a market or suffer in a market. No owner should lose boatloads of money that way.

CB: Philadelphia expansion checks all of those boxes. When you took this job, how important was it to bring Philly back into the fold and did you know right away that you wanted to pursue it?

Sakiewicz: It was top of the list because the team existed in the league when it first started. It was around for 25 years. It was kind of sad at the time that ownership was put into a situation where they had to move the team to New England. That team now is the Black Wolves and they’re flourishing with the Mohegan Sun tribe along with (ex-Wings owner) Mike French and his group. But it was sad that they left Philly. So when I became commissioner, after doing all of the research and looking at attendance numbers and seeing all of the video of those great Philadelphia memories, it was, ‘we have to be back in Philadelphia again.’ That was a cornerstone of our expansion strategy. We got the right owner, in the right building, in the right marketplace.

CB: Why did you take this job in the first place? You had been involved with soccer for so many years. I imagine you could have stayed in the sport, but you chose to do something different.

Sakiewicz: I didn’t expect to, to be honest. I was looking at a lot of opportunities overseas. There wasn’t much more I could do in Major League Soccer. I’d done pretty much everything on the business side that could possibly be done. I wanted a new challenge and there really wasn’t anything that got me excited in those overseas soccer projects, so I decided to take a little time off.

During that time off, Mike French actually called me up to Allentown to watch a preseason game between the Buffalo Bandits and the Black Wolves, and there were 4,000 people there for a meaningless run around. I couldn’t believe my eyes. These were elite athletes playing a sport I had never seen before at an extremely high level. I had to watch some of the replays to really understand what Shawn Evans or Billy O’Brien were doing with a lacrosse stick. They’re phenomenal athletes. I looked at Mike and said, ‘this is the best kept secret in sports.’ I dug a little deeper and did about a month, two months of research and realized that this could potentially be huge. I decided to take the job. I met with a lot of the owners. They’re a great bunch with tons of resources between them. Three of them are NHL owners. They got really excited about the product, the ownership, the commitment to growing the game, and they gave me a lot of resources. I’m deploying those resources now and we’ve got a lot of wind in our sails. If you look at Major League Soccer as the fifth major sport, there’s no reason at all why the NLL can’t be the sixth. We have the best athletes in the world and we sell a lot of tickets to the games. When you can do that, you should be able to make a good business out of it.

CB: What were your emotions when you left the Union? Was there disappointment? Did you feel like you had unfinished business with the team or more to offer to MLS?

Sakiewicz: No, not at all. I have no regrets. I had to leave, the way I had to leave, for personal reasons mostly. I really enjoyed my time there. I was a little tired, to be honest with you. We had done a lot. I’m really proud of building that stadium and proud to bring soccer to Philadelphia. I worked in MLS for 21 years and it was time to move on. I’m very pleased with my exit from the Union and the rest is history. It’s time for something new. I’m a builder and I like to build stuff. This is another huge challenge and it’s exciting to be in the NLL.

CB: I’m not going to sit here and ask you to throw Jay Sugarman or the current Union staff under the bus, but you did a couple of interviews after leaving the team where you spoke about philosophical differences and alluded to budget issues. Spending more money would have obviously made a huge difference. Can you speak to that with regard to where you and Jay were during those later years?

Sakiewicz: I was pretty clear that I didn’t see things the same way that Jay and other members of ownership did. I’d say that was building for the last three years. I really wanted to bring in a Sporting Director of high quality. I tried to bring in Rene Meulensteen. I tried to bring in Rodolfo Borrell and Carlos Carvalhal. I tried to bring in Juan Carlos Osorio way, way before that, after Peter Nowak had left and, of course, that didn’t get done. I tried to bring in Octavio Zambrano to be the head of our youth development academy. Now he’s the Canadian national team coach. I tried to bring in Omid Namazi to be head coach at Bethlehem Steel. He would have been a great addition to the coaching staff. For a variety of reasons, I couldn’t get that done with ownership.

They were seeing things very differently on the soccer side than I was. That was a real clash of philosophy and vision. I thought after we launched the team in 2010 – we made the playoffs the second year – but after that, focus really needed to be on the team on the field and investing heavily, because the rest of MLS was investing heavily in the on-field product. I began to get frustrated because that investment just wasn’t there. We tried to make it work. We didn’t make it back to the playoffs but got to the U.S. Open Cup final twice (laughs). I guess we walked away with a couple of second-place medals, but who cares about second place? I’m proud we got there, but that team just was not good enough and needed investment on both the coaching side of things and player side of things.

Nick Sakiewicz teamed up with iStar Financial Chairman Jay Sugarman to bring MLS to Philadelphia in 2008 (Earl Gardner/Philly Soccer Page)

CB: Jay has come out a few times and said he’s not going to spend five million dollars on a Designated Player, and 10 million dollars on another one, and 15 million on a third. But other teams are; and you look at what a franchise like Toronto is doing, or Atlanta this year as an expansion club. Can the Union – or anyone really – be competitive in MLS right now if you’re focused primarily on youth development and the academy, or is it inevitable that you’re just going to have to spend more money?

Sakiewicz: I think it’s inevitable. I think that statement of not spending five million on a DP in 2010 or 2011 probably held true, but in 2017, when you look around, a lot has changed in MLS. It’s all for the better. I’ve got to hand it to the league and the owners and everyone in the league office. It’s come so far. Things have changed and evolved. You have to be able to change and evolve with it in order to stay relevant, stay competitive, and win. Today, in 2017, I think teams need to spend the money, not just on players, but on coaching.

One of the biggest reasons I wanted Meulensteen, or Borrell, or Carvalhal is because that was a huge investment in (Union head coach) Jim Curtin and his staff and the technical side, and also with what’s going on at the academy. Having that level of expertise – just look at Atlanta – they’re packing the house and playing great soccer. They’re an expansion team but Tata Martino is an amazing coach. He plays a brand of soccer that makes you want to watch. That team is only going to get better. Arthur Blank is an unbelievable owner and he’s always going to invest in that team and deliver. I mean, they had 70,000 people in that stadium the other day. MLS today is very different than it was in 2010 and 2011 when I brought the Union to Philly.

CB: I always found it interesting, that when I talk to old-school fans or those Sons of Ben originals, that they have a lot of respect for you and what you did bringing this team here. That runs counterproductive to the strained relationship you had with the rest of the fan base, and the media, during those later years. Is that your legacy, the founding of this team and those early days back in 2008 and 2009?

Sakiewicz: Yeah, I’m proud of that, but I don’t talk about legacy. Legacy is for someone else to determine. That’s something for other people to talk about. My legacy is my two boys and my family. But I’m very proud of what I created. I brought soccer to Philly with a band of awesome Sons of Ben, many of whom are still my friends to this day. When I had heard the news that Kenny Hanson passed away, I immediately texted his wife Amy and I was heartbroken. It was very sad.

You know, along with some of those original Sons of Ben, we got Major League Soccer to Philadelphia. I’m very proud of that, and for building that stadium through the teeth of a recession. That stadium could have failed a hundred times before the ribbon was cut. I’m proud that we were able to find a way to make that happen. If you want to call that a legacy, I guess you could, but I just call it a really cool project that I’m proud of. I worked with some great people, some of whom are still with me and helping me build lacrosse. I have no regrets whatsoever, it was a great project. The media and the fans, they don’t always know the truth of what’s going on behind the scenes, so I’ll just leave it at that. It really doesn’t matter at the end of the day.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads today. Nothing like being with my sons on a beautiful day in a stadium and team we built from scratch. http://pic.twitter.com/u9ySMrZCcm

— Nick Sakiewicz (@NLLcommish) June 18, 2017

A Discussion with NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz on His Union Past and Lacrosse Future published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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militaryspouse101 · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on Military Spouse

New Post has been published on http://militaryspouse.com/military-life/military-branches/coast-guard/happy-227-birthday-coast-guard/

Happy 227 Birthday, Coast Guard

President George Washington established the U.S. Coast Guard on Aug. 4, 1790, when he signed the Tariff Act that authorized the construction of 10 vessels, referred to as “cutters” to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling.

Referred to as the Revenue Cutter Service for more than a century, it was renamed the Coast Guard in 1915. In 1967, it was transferred to the Department of Transportation before being transferred to the Department of Homeland Security, where it resides today.

The Coast Guard serves dually as a federal law enforcement agency and military force, protecting the U.S. in peacetime and in war. It protects more than 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways, and safeguards an Exclusive Economic Zone comprising 4.5 million square miles. More than 56,000 Coasties operate a fleet of 243 cutters, 201 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and more than 1,600 boats.

On an average day, the Coast Guard:

Conducts 45 search and rescue cases

Saves 10 lives

Saves over $1.2 million in property

Seizes 874 pounds of cocaine and 214 pounds of marijuana

Conducts 57 waterborne patrols of critical maritime infrastructure

Interdicts 17 illegal migrants

Escorts 5 high-capacity passenger vessels

Conducts 24 security boardings in and around U.S. ports

Screens 360 merchant vessels for potential security threats prior to arrival in U.S. ports

Conducts 14 fisheries conservation boardings

Services 82 buoys and fixed aids to navigation

Investigates 35 pollution incidents

Completes 26 safety examinations on foreign vessels

Conducts 105 marine inspections

Investigates 14 marine casualties involving commercial vessels

Facilitates movement of $8.7 billion worth of goods and commodities through the nation’s Maritime Transportation System

Coast Guard Core Values

Honor. Respect. Devotion to Duty.

Read on to see what some Coast Guard spouses have been doing with their time!

Here’s what our Coast Guard Spouse of the Year community is up to:

I have continued to write a column about military family life for the Coast Guard every two weeks. I started writing it as a volunteer effort four years ago, and From the Homefront has been a great way to show how dynamic and resilient our families are. I’m also a member of the board of directors for the Military Family Advisory Network, where I have the chance to serve families of all branches of service and to make sure they get the support they need. I also volunteer my time as an Arlington Lady, making sure that no member of the Coast Guard family is buried alone.

Our family moved to the Washington, D.C., area a few years ago and, after struggling with unemployment at our previous station, I was able to find work teaching media law at The George Washington University and at the University of Florida.

My husband is stationed at Coast Guard headquarters, where he is the chief of aviation forces. Last year was the 100th anniversary of Coast Guard aviation, so it has been an exciting time to be here!

~Shelley Kimball, 2013 AFI U.S. Coast Guard Spouse of the Year

My husband, 12-year-old son and black lab PCSed from Rhode Island to Astoria, Ore., at the end of June. I am going into my third year working full time with Semper Fi Fund. I am a graphic designer/photographer and website administrator. This past year I was able to travel for many of our Team Semper Fi and Community Athlete events – Boston Marathon; Beat the Bridge, Jacksonville, N.C.; Tunnel to Towers, New York City; and the Marine Corps Marathon, Washington, D.C. Last year during Thanksgiving week, Semper Fi Fund was given a PSA in Times Square. Eleven of my images were chosen and displayed in bright lights during one of the busiest travel times in NYC – what an amazing feeling that was!

I have been a photographer for almost 18 years. My passion is photographing high school seniors, military families, service members and children. I finished up my fourth year volunteering with Military Spouses of Newport – the local all hands spouse club. I was the Hospitality Committee Chair from 2013-2015 and President from 2015-2017.

~Stacey Benson, 2015 AFI U.S. Coast Guard Spouse of the Year

While stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, I met with Senator Nelson, Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Ray (PACAREA Admiral’s wife) to discuss Kodiak work-life/family issues and with Superintendent MacDonald (Kodiak Island Borough School District) regarding Education Opportunities for Military Children. Our superintendent was asked to provide input for the entire state of Alaska.

I also participated in Mishap training with Air Station Kodiak. Essentially this was a drill to practice if one of our aircraft when down. We role-played our participation and brainstormed what if scenarios. It was the most important and beneficial training I ever participated in. It was also the most emotionally draining.

I worked with Safe Routes to School, a local organization to create the first Bike Rodeo on Base Kodiak. This free event provided bicycle helmets, bike tune ups, taught street safety and obstacle courses.

In 2016 we PCS’d from Kodiak to NAS Pensacola where my husband was promoted to CPO. He is in a very unique position as a composite instructor. In a nutshell, he is a Coastie working for the Air Force on a Navy base. It’s been an interesting year. Before leaving Kodiak I became an ombudsman trainer. While I am not able to be an ombudsman at this unit it is an invaluable resource that is near and dear to my heart.

Due to the unique nature of this assignment I decided to take this time for myself to focus on me. I finally put my big girl panties on and took the teaching certification exams for the state of Florida, earning my Special Education Teaching License, became a Registered Behavior Technician and will enroll in a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analysis) program to provide ABA therapy to children on the spectrum (a dream of mine).

Rob and I have three boys (Robert 13, Chris 11 and Paul 8). This summer we adopted the best dog ever — a black mouth cur named Bruno!

~Danielle Medolla, 2014 AFI U.S. Coast Guard Spouse of the Year

It was PCS season for us. We transferred over the summer and are settling into the same city where our oldest son is stationed. I am working diligently on starting up a multi-unit spouse club at our new duty station and assisting with doing the same at our old one. I’ve also continued my efforts to assist special needs families throughout the Coast Guard, starting with District 7. I recently traveled to Dubai for a Lifestyle Rewards vacation I earned from Jeunesse Global. While there I enjoyed a desert safari, which included an off-road sand dune excursion, a once-in-a-lifetime camelback ride, and an extravagant torch-lit dinner at a desert oasis with belly dancers for entertainment!

My husband and I recently dove in to a monthly fitness challenge presented by Cerno called #GiveASquat (spearheaded by Michelle Aikman, 2016 AFI Air Force SOY). We’ve rallied together active duty service members and spouses across the country, friends and fitness instructors from local YMCAs, and fellow Jeunesse Independent Distributors to donate their squats to assist with completing the challenge. In turn, the sponsor of the month makes a financial donation to the benefitting nonprofit of the month. Our team #Squattin8ers takes pride in our work with this program and intends to continue building awareness of the challenge! Be sure to check out gocerno.com/giveasquat or the Facebook Group “30-Day GiveASquat Fitness Challenge” for more details!

~Mary Nelson, 2017 AFI Coast Guard Spouse of the Year

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