#Allan Harding MacKay

[rabbitcruiser]

World War I: Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car in the forest of Compiègne on November 11, 1918.

[thesevenseraphs]

Bungie Weekly Update - 9/21/17

This week at Bungie, we are welcoming back some old friends.

First off, if you still haven’t finished the Destiny 2 campaign, there will be some SPOILERS in this blog post. If you haven’t learned the fate of the City, yet, you should definitely go play through it right now. We’ll still be here waiting for you. Seriously, go do it now!

Now that you’ve defeated Ghaul, we are ready for a special event called

Faction Rallies. Starting on September 26 at 2 AM Pacific, you will be able to volunteer your services in support of your favorite faction, or the one that holds the loot you most desire.

We spoke with Senior Designer Tim Williams to find out what Faction Rallies is and how players can join in on the fun.

Tim Williams: Each of the factions of the Tower is having a rally to collect resources for its cause. They’re recruiting Guardians to gather supplies for their faction and destroy enemy resources. They’ll offer a suite of rewards to help the Guardians rise up against any enemy threats. As an incentive, each faction has set aside a powerful weapon to entice players to choose their side. The faction whose Guardians collect the most faction packages will be declared the winner. The winning faction will offer the weapon to everyone, but all who pledged loyalty will receive it with a huge discount as repayment for their contributions to their faction’s cause.

Arach Jalaal from Dead Orbit, Lakshmi-2 from Future War Cult, and Executor Hideo of New Monarchy will return to the Tower to ask you to pledge your loyalty. Before you can make this choice, you must first reach Level 20 and gain access to the Tower. You will only be able to pledge to one faction per character

Once you have chosen your side, your mission will be to return to the wild and complete activities in support of your faction. You can do public events, explore Lost Sectors, complete strikes, clear the raid, or compete in the Crucible. As you complete these activities, you will be rewarded with faction tokens that you can turn in for packages full of loot.

Dead Orbit

Future War Cult 

New Monarchy

In addition to all of the gear on display above, each faction will be offering a special weapon as a reward to be sold if they emerge victorious. Everyone who pledged to the winning faction will be able to purchase it for 1,000 glimmer. Anyone who did not pledge can still get it, but will have to pay a higher price of 50,000 glimmer. Here’s what is up for grabs during this event.

Dead Orbit Scout Rifle

Future War Cult Pulse Rifle

New Monarchy Sidearm 

You can earn faction Tokens to turn into your faction of choice all the way up until 2 AM Pacific on October 3. We will declare a winner later that day at 10 AM Pacific. Good luck Guardians, and may the best faction win!

Destiny 2 Art Parade Bungie houses a roster of incredible artists. All of the gorgeous armor, weapons, characters, environments, and everything else your eyes get to admire in Destiny 2 is created by many, many talented people. Now that you’ve had a fair chance to experience their work (we did warn you to finish that campaign), we’ve invited them to pick some of their favorite pieces to share with you. If you click any of their names, you will be able to browse even more of their beautiful creations in their personal portfolios. This is just a small sample of artists from our Art team. Hopefully we can encourage more of them to share their work with you in the future. There are some SPOILERS below if you have Destiny 2 adventures that still await you. Rosa Lee, Aaron Wehrmeister, Mike Jensen

Allan Lee, Ken Osuna

Jared Trulock, Corinne Scrivens, Dima Goryainov

Tyler Bartley, MacKay Clark

Aaron de Leon, Joshua Morrison

Lee Hinds, Ryan Choi, Chelsea Velazquez

Roderick Weise, Alex Velazquez

Ethan Scheu, An-Tim Nguyen

Andrew Hackathorn, Brandon Campbell

Jeremy Baldwin

Madison Parker, Kevin Whitmeyer

Ryan Kamins, Tony Arechiga

Dorje Bellbrook, Joseph Biwald

Thad Steffen, Mike Stavrides

Guided Raids

Guided Games will become available for seekers seeking clans to show them the mysteries of the Leviathan on Tuesday, September 26, at 10 AM Pacific. It’s just over a week into the Guided Games Beta, and we want to update you on how things are going before we open it up for those brave enough to take on the Raid.

Senior Designer Steve Dolan

is on hand to give us a better idea of how Guided Games work.

How have Guided Games been going?

Steve: So far, over 100 ,000 seekers have been guided through the Nightfall strike. Throughout those games, over 90% of Nightfall attempts have resulted in completion.  Even when the activity is hard, Guardians fight it out to the end.  You’re an amazing community and we love hearing stories about players meeting their new clan through Guided Games.

Some players don’t have mics, or have trouble speaking. Do they have to be in a voice chat?

Steve: Even if you’re unable to speak over a mic, being able to listen in on chat can make a huge difference in your team’s success. Nightfalls and raids are pinnacle content, designed and tuned so that communication between players is essential to success. Guides and seekers are not forced to join the same chat channel after they land in the pre-game lobby, but are strongly encouraged to do so before the fireteam leader starts the guided game. If you use in-game chat you should already all be in a chat channel together. Guides, if you’re in a PSN or Xbox party, be sure to invite your seeker to chat.

Does finishing a Guided Game version of an activity advance milestones?

Steve: Yes, even though the UI tooltip doesn’t mention the milestone, it will advance when you finish the Guided Game version of the activity.

How does a clan get punished for being a jerk?

Steve: We review all reports on clan identity information and take action on objectionable clans.  If you come across a clan with an offensive name, mission statement, or motto, file a report and we’ll take a look. If you’re at the front of the queue for Guided Games, we’ll hold your spot in line until you’re done with your report.

If a clan doesn’t lead a good Guided Game, their Oathkeeper score will go down. To get credit for a good Guided Game it must either finish successfully, last as long as the activity or Guardian Oath, or end with an agreement to disband. When you get to the front of the guided game seeker queue, make sure to check out a clans Oathkeeper score before selecting them for the activity you’re about to start.

If players are being offensive to you during a gaming session, you should report that player via the in-game and console reporting functions.

What if the Oathkeeper score is blank?

Steve: We don’t give a Clan an Oathkeeper score until they’ve run at least four Guided Games of an activity. You can skip them or choose to trust a clan who has just begun to host Guided Games.

When players match with a clan, do they have to wait again if they reject that clan? What happens after they reject a clan?

Steve: We want you to be able to select a clan you want to play with. When a seeker gets to the front of the line, we show you a clan with which you have a good internet connection. If you say no to that clan, you’ll go right back to the front of the line where you will match with a new clan soon. Find one that looks good to you before clicking “accept”.

Sometimes life happens and players need to leave before they finish. How do they leave without getting an oath breaker penalty?

Steve: When you bring up your Ghost Nav Mode menu, there is an option to vote to abandon the activity.  During a Nightfall, if all three players vote to abandon the guided game, the Guardian oath buff will fade and players are free to leave without penalty. If you want to stick together to try the activity again outside of Guided Games, be sure to get everyone into a platform party so that you can invite everyone to the new fireteam.

In the Know

Community Management is about more than telling jokes on Twitter. Responding to issues we diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve is a team effort. The tip of that spear is Destiny Player Support.

This is their report.

Destiny 2 Update 1.0 .3: Server Maintenance and Downtime

Destiny 2 will be taken offline on Monday September 25 for server maintenance. Players will be required to download and install Destiny 2 Update 1.0.3 upon maintenance completion.6 AM PDT (2 PM UTC): Players will no longer be able to sign in to Destiny 2.7 AM PDT (3 PM UTC): All online players will be removed from Destiny12 PM PDT (10 PM UTC): Expected maintenance conclusion, Destiny 2 Update 1.0.3 available.For steps on how to install a Destiny 2 Update, please see the Installing and Updating Destiny Guide. Stay tuned to @BungieHelp for all announcements regarding upcoming server maintenance, status, and downtime.

Destiny 2 Known Issues:

The following issues have been confirmed, and are actively being investigated by appropriate teams:

Trials of the Nine was not disabled properly at this week’s ritual reset. Moving forward, players should expect this activity to be available each Friday at 10 AM PDT through Tuesday at 2 AM PDT.

The quest step “His Highness’s Seal” is not properly incrementing when players acquire Emperor Seals.

Occasionally, objects aren’t properly spawning within the Exodus Crash Nightfall strike. Players may need to relaunch the activity for objectives to properly spawn.

Public event completions are not properly granting Clan XP upon completion.

Clan Engrams are not being rewarded to some qualifying players. NOTE: If a player leaves a clan and joins a new clan mid-week, they will not be able to earn further Clan Engrams until the following weekly reset.

If a player creates a new character after an alternate character has earned a raid key on a given week, the key will be erroneously removed from character Inventory. NOTE: Raid keys are removed, by design, with each weekly ritual reset.

Eververse: Query Failed

We have recently identified and are working with our partners to address issues that are causing some players to encounter delays in receiving their purchased Silver due to “Silver Sync Pending” or “Query Failed” errors.If a Silver purchase has been made but has not yet appeared in-game, players may need to follow the below troubleshooting steps.

Fully close the Destiny game application

Clear the console cache

Relaunch Destiny

Select any character

Silver should be credited directly to your inventory.

[ellymackay]

Treating Sleep Apnea with Pills Instead of Machines

The following article Treating Sleep Apnea with Pills Instead of Machines was first published to Elly Mackay's Sleep Blog

The disorder has several different causes, researchers are learning. That finding opens the door for personalized therapies—and perhaps even effective drugs.

By Elie Dolgin, Knowable Magazine

Published by Knowable Magazine on 4.29.2020

My wife’s father, like many who suffer from restless sleep, was long in denial. For years he has slumbered in fits and starts, drifting off at all hours of the day and never getting a good night’s rest. Still, he refused to get tested for obstructive sleep apnea, in which interrupted breathing causes frequent waking.

In spite of persistent urging from his daughter, a physician, my father-in-law didn’t see the point because the only treatment proven to reverse the breathing problems responsible for sleep apnea is a ventilator called a CPAP machine — and he was adamantly opposed to strapping a mask to his face and wearing bulky headgear while he snoozed. “I won’t go to bed looking like Dracula,” he told me.

Soon he might not have to, if some of the latest research findings bear out. Sleep apnea, clinicians are learning, has not just one cause, but several — and drugs exist that can target most of them. With this new knowledge, there’s a real possibility that some of the billion or so people across the world who suffer from the sleep disorder may soon be able to take medications instead of having to rely on cumbersome devices.

It won’t be a one-size-fits-all cure, but it would be better than what’s currently available on the pharmacy shelf for apnea sufferers: drugs that do little more than boost alertness to overcome the grogginess that comes from not getting enough quality sleep. “If there was a pill for sleep apnea that was safe and effective, I think everybody would try it,” says Luigi Taranto Montemurro, a pulmonologist and sleep medicine doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

That remains a big “if.” Dozens of drugs have been tested for their ability to reduce airway obstruction. Nearly all have failed. As recently as 2019, Thomas Gaisl and his colleagues from the University of Zürich wrote in a systematic review of drug studies in the field: “There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend any pharmacotherapy” for sleep apnea.

That may be because trials have generally treated people with sleep apnea as a monolithic group. But now, with the emerging bespoke approach to disease management, experts say a new era of individualized drug therapy should dawn for people who rebuff CPAP and other wearable devices — which is to say, people like my father-in-law. He, in the face of sustained pestering to visit a sleep lab, finally relented and received an official diagnosis of mild apnea. Now he is waiting for researchers to prove that a drug can address the root causes of his particular breathing issues.

“It’s a story of personalized medicine,” says Jan Hedner, a sleep specialist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Divide and Conquer

Clinicians have long been aware that a variety of physiological disturbances can lead to sleep apnea, but it wasn’t until roughly a decade ago that they came up with a practical way to turn that knowledge into a clinically useful diagnostic. In 2011, Andrew Wellman and his coworkers at the Harvard Sleep Disordered Breathing Laboratory described a system for classifying the cause of an individual’s disease according to four factors that contribute, singly or in combination, to sleep apnea.

The first is the tendency of the airway in the throat to collapse during sleep, usually due to a narrowing of the passage. All people with sleep apnea show some degree of airway narrowing, but the severity varies widely between individuals. In 2013, Wellman and his colleague Danny Eckert, a sleep physiologist now at Flinders University in Australia, showed that airway collapsibility was the main trigger of apnea in approximately 45 percent of patients. For the remaining individuals, though, non-anatomical features — impaired muscle activity during sleep, a low threshold for waking or unstable breathing control — played a more important role.

Each of these physiological factors involves a different aspect of sleep or respiratory biology, notes Gaisl, so each will have a different drug target. “The disease is actually a conglomerate of many different disorders that have to be treated differently,” he says.

Although most patients show some combination of these factors, Wellman and his collaborators showed that they could grade individuals according to the severity of each defect and identify which factors were likely most important for each patient. This new understanding, they argued, helps explain why many earlier drug trials had failed. The medicines weren’t all bad — they had just been tested on all-comers with sleep apnea, rather than only in those people whose physiology suggested that they stood a chance of benefitting.

Take eszopiclone, a sedative sold under the brand name Lunesta and typically used to treat insomnia. An initial trial conducted in the mid-2000s found that the therapy was no better than a placebo at limiting apnea-related events. However, a follow-up study from the Harvard team demonstrated that the drug in fact had a beneficial effect; it just worked only for those patients with low arousal thresholds. That subset of patients stood to gain from being put into a deeper sleep, which prevented them from stirring at the slightest narrowing of the airways.

The researchers later came to a similar conclusion about a psychiatric drug called desipramine. The first-generation antidepressant had little effect on sleep apnea in the study population as a whole, but it did alleviate symptoms among patients with limited muscle function in their airways, presumably because the drug’s effects on nerve signaling led to enhanced activity of muscles in the tongue and throat.

In a literature review published late last year, Wellman and Taranto Montemurro — together with one of Eckert’s PhD students, Ludovico Messineo — hypothesized that other therapies now in clinical testing may similarly work only for subgroups of patients. Indeed, the latest drug trial that they led, involving two drugs that improve control of tongue muscles, provides some of the strongest evidence to date.

The study was small and short — just 20 participants, just two nights of sleep tracking — but the results were dramatic. On the night that participants took placebo pills, they endured an average of 28.5 airway blockages per hour. With the drug combo, the hourly average number of obstructive episodes dropped to 7.5. Fewer than five is considered normal — and one man who entered the trial with severe apnea, meaning he experienced more than 30 events per hour, saw his frequency of respiratory stoppages go to just two per hour on the therapy.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Taranto Montemurro says. “It was one of the best moments of my career when I saw people breathing normally.”

After-the-fact analyses on the study subjects — who had not been prescreened for particular drivers of sleep apnea — revealed that participants with stiffer airways, a sign of milder anatomical defects, responded best to the therapy, consistent with the researchers’ predictions. “With this phenotyping theory,” says Taranto Montemurro, “we can actually identify why some patients get better and some do not.”

Three years ago, he and Wellman teamed up with biotech entrepreneur Larry Miller and launched a new company, Apnimed, to advance the drug combination further. The startup has since completed a 140-person study, one of the largest ever for a sleep apnea therapeutic, involving the same two medicines given for up to nine nights in a row. (The company is also evaluating several other drug combinations in smaller ongoing exploratory trials.)

Miller declined to discuss full outcome data from the 140-person trial, but he says the results are “very encouraging”—and notably, there was an identifiable subset of patients with what he called “responsive airways” who experienced the greatest benefit from the drug therapy. By building upon and adapting the Harvard team’s model, “we have a good algorithm for identifying likely responders,” Miller says, adding: “We’re feeling pretty good about our prospects” for clinical success.

To definitively prove the value of their drug-personalization strategy, though, Wellman and Taranto Montemurro would need to assign patients ahead of time to drugs that match their type of apnea, something they have not yet done.

Hard Pill to Swallow?

Not everyone shares such a rosy view about the immediate prospects for drugs. Diane Lim, a sleep specialist at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, says that she is rooting for drug developers like Apnimed and that she is “more hopeful today” than ever that the research is on the right path. But, she points out, the quest for a pharmaceutical solution to sleep apnea is decades-old, “and we still haven’t seen an effective drug.”

In 2017, Lim wrote an article on current sleep apnea management in the Annual Review of Medicine. Like the Harvard team, she and coauthor Allan Pack, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology, argue for an individualized approach to diagnosis and treatment. But to them, that means better defining sleep apnea subtypes and then making the most of existing treatment options.

Beyond CPAP, available devices include mouth-guard–like instruments that open up the airways by moving the lower jaw forward and implantable nerve stimulators that jolt the tongue muscles to keep them from sagging into the throat. Weight loss also helps in many cases. “So, if you get a diagnosis of sleep apnea, it doesn’t mean that you are tied to the CPAP,” Lim says. “There are so many options these days.” And by learning more about how different apnea subtypes respond to different proven interventions, “we will be able to better tailor treatment for each individual,” she adds.

No other device may work as well for everybody as CPAP, but many patients prefer the convenience or comfort of the alternatives. And importantly, all devices on the market are backed by concrete clinical data showing they are safe and effective — whereas with drugs, despite some promising preliminary findings, “we’re not quite there now,” Lim says.

Still, as researchers continue their pursuit, personalized drug treatments might not be that far off. And they couldn’t come soon enough for some patients.

Jason, a Bostonian in his late 40s, had battled sleep apnea for more than 15 years, during which time he underwent surgery to remove tissue in his throat and tried various devices and sleeping pills, all to still feel exhausted each morning. Then, two years ago, he signed up to receive the Harvard team’s experimental drug combination as part of a pilot study evaluating the effects of a full week of treatment.

For seven days, he forwent the CPAP, set aside the mouth guard, swore off the Ambien and simply popped two experimental pills each night before going to bed. It worked. “I generally don’t get recuperative sleep,” says Jason, who requested his last name not be used. “But when I took this medicine and I woke up, I would feel a little more refreshed.” As an added bonus: His wife, in the bed next to him, slept better as well.

But after finishing the study, Jason no longer had access to the experimental drugs, and he was forced to start again with the mouth guard—a device he describes as painful, uncomfortable and only marginally beneficial. “And that’s sort of where I am,” Jason says. Like many people with sleep apnea, including my father-in-law, he can only wait and hope.

10.1146/knowable-042820-1

Elie Dolgin is a science journalist in Somerville, Massachusetts, and a noodge of a son-in-law.

This article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, an independent journalistic endeavor from Annual Reviews. Sign up for the newsletter.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/pharmaceuticals/emerging-compounds/treating-sleep-apnea-with-pills-instead-of-machines/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2020/05/04/treating-sleep-apnea-with-pills-instead-of-machines/

[torentialtribute]

SFA must stop repeating the same old failures, says Steven Pressley

Like the man who arrived downstairs at Cameron House one morning after a game to find captain and keeper who had a drinking session with him to breakfast, Steven Pressley has seen the Scottish national team in a pretty bad way

What alerts the former Scotland coach of the first team about the current state of decline is noticing how the SFA stumbles aimlessly through yet another was doomed with about as much willingness as Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor shuffling to their beds that fateful spring day 10 years ago

Two games to a qualifying campaign for the European Championship – one of them the 3-0 humiliation by Kazakhstan – and the manager and entire supervisors are fired.

Carlisle United manager Steven Pressley is concerned about the apparent lack of a SFA plan "

Carlisle United manager Steven Pressley worries about the apparent lack of a plan

Carlisle United manager Steven Pressley is worried about the apparent lack of a plan

Alex McLeish was shown the door as Gordon Strachan and Craig Levein for him because of the results deemed to be not enough.

Perhaps it is ambitious to say that another will follow soon.

And the prospect of an in-house designation of species becomes driven, one that introduces Malky Mackay and Scot Gemmill to the hotseat.Whatever the outcome, the worrying fear of Pressley is that the appointment of another manager hoping to cause a revolution at Euro 2020, not l succeed in tackling long-term problems.

I am worried because I look back and see the same theme. This is the same process all over again, & # 39; said Pressley, who won 32 caps for Scotland.

& # 39; I think the SFA should take a long, hard look at itself. I don't see what the clear plan is. & # 39;

Strachan got a second chance and a new contract after finishing fourth in the Euro 2016 qualifying group – and then let go after a hugely encouraging undefeated series of six matches that came close to being in keep the 2018 World Cup alive.

The then chief executive Stewart Regan embarked on his unsuccessful pursuit of Northern Ireland's Michael O & # 39; Neill. The second McLeish, ruled by Rod Petrie and Alan McRae, has now stalled after 14 months.

& # 39; I think it is a bad decision to now mark Alex McLeish & # 39; s tasks, & # 39; said Pressley. & # 39; If you are going to appoint him, if it is done with the necessary diligence, you must support and support your husband.

& # 39; For me, the SFA needs to be set up for someone who has the time and enormous support to start bringing in players and stabilizing the team. We must show strength as an organization and say that this is the person who will bring us forward and this is the plan. & # 39; The events in Kazakhstan, on the opening night of a new qualifying group, revealed the reality that McLeish was not the right man to help Scotland move forward. Ian Maxwell and the board that Scotland had a better chance if the 60-year-old McLeish was not at the check.

Pressley suspects Scotland

Pressley suspects Scotland

& I feel that Gordon, of whom I am a strong advocate, did many good things & # 39 ;, added Pressley, now leading Carlisle United & # 39; s bid for promotion to League One in England. & # 39; He received a lot from his team.

& # 39; Those two campaigns were considered unsuccessful. No experience. Don't build. Yes, everyone wants to come there. It could have taken six years under Gordon. It could have taken eight.

& # 39; It may not have been this tournament, but the continuity and the ability to bring a number of young players to the fore? With Gordon I felt that there was a man with the right profile for that job. Someone who was a very passionate guy about the development of young players.

I think we have made some crazy decisions. The only thing that happens in Scotland is: putting a manager in his place, getting bad results, firing him. The same process again. It has been that way for the past 20 years. There were opportunities to continue. Yet there seems to be none of that. "

<img id =" i-6443a7fc4d9467c0 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2PoqESr a-95_1555800577931.jpg "height =" 468 "width =" 634 "alt =" The SFA fired Alex McLeish as the national team boss after a bad start of Euro 2020 qualification "class =" blkBorder img-share

The SFA fired Alex McLeish the national team boss after a bad start of the Euro 2020 qualification SFA fired Alex McLeish as a national team boss after a bad start of the Euro 2020- qualification

Pressley takes an admiring look further south of his Cumbrian base on FA's work in building confidence in Gareth Southgate after

There is also jealousy for Pressley de Scotland -fan because England stumbled quite a bit about their sudden pursuit of stability.

The four-game audition for the role of head coach in England. appointment of the Under-21 coach who knew all about age, structure and possession a passion for player development came after a 67-day government of Sam Allardyce and a disastrous 2016 Roy Hodgson-led Euro Euro exit to Iceland

& # 39; England is now a success story because they seem to be behind the scenes and with the manager – have a real alignment in the way they want to help the teams move forward, & # 39; Pressley commented.

& # 39; There are projects with (director) Malky Mackay and I heard Craig Levein say a few weeks ago that we have a bit of patience.

& # 39; But that does not seem to be in line with the senior team's agreements. England now sees the fruits of their EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) and their investment in academies.

& # 39; Many people argued that for a long time. But they are patient with it and now it looks like they are bearing fruit. We must be like that.

& # 39; Should We & # 39; to find our Gareth Southgate & # 39; Possible. Someone with the right profile in terms of alignment with the organization, are strong points as an individual. Join him, support him and develop the team.

& # 39; That may not happen overnight. But the problem is if they (the SFA) do not respond to this, then they keep making mistakes. Okay, we might get a tournament and everyone will think it's solved. That is not the case.

Malky Mackay is in the race to temporarily become the next Scottish manager "

running to become the next Scottish manager on a temporary basis"

Malky Mackay is in the race to become the next Scottish manager on a temporary basis

& # 39; It can happen more often if we correct this. You must depend on your own young players. That is where our big clubs also have a responsibility. & # 39; With Celtic hell – inclined to get a historic 10-in-a-row and Rangers do everything to stop them, Scotland & # 39; s two best clubs will be even more busy than usual with the present in the coming year or two.

& # 39; The clubs must work together to help the national team & # 39 ;, Pressley said. & # 39; In Germany, all clubs come together to create and support. In our country everyone fights for their own interests.

& # 39; That will always be the case in Scotland. Celtic and Rangers are really going there now. Who's suffering? The national team

& # 39; When did we last produce top level No. 9? You should probably go back to Charlie Nicholas. None of our Rangers or Celtic teams produces one. We are developing some good players, but we have not developed enough special players that can change a game.

& Scott McKenna and John Souttar are players with a lot of potential. We have great left backs in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney. Those are encouraging signs.

& I have seen Billy Gilmour a number of times for youth teams in Scotland. Good work is being done, but there must be more. Unfortunately, it is always the manager who is the fall guy for all this. & # 39;

McLeish & # 39; s was ravaged by call-offs.

McLeish & # 39; s was ravaged by call-offs. It will be fascinating to see if those who manage & # 39; their bodies & # 39; – including Matt Ritchie, James McArthur, Robert Snodgrass, Tom Cairney and Allan McGregor – are considering returning under a new leader.

& # 39; The culture created is so important, & # 39; Pressley insisted. & # 39; That doesn't just come from the manager, it comes from everything about the organization where players feel they want to come. That is one of the things that Gordon could not level. His players showed up.

I see this in England. Behind Gareth they have this huge support mechanism. I do not see that support for the manager within the SFA. & # 39;

Source link

[mohammadalizafar]

Stations to receive artful make-overs

National Post 03/08/2008

The TTC is introducing art into its subway stations as part of an underground make-over that has public-art advocates cheering, even as preservationists fear the system’s visual identity is being lost.

“I think this is the best thing, this integration of art into the subway stops,” said Colette Laliberte, a professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). “Reinventing the subway line and incorporating art there, it’s like walking through a gallery on your way to work, it’s fantastic.”

This week, the TTC held an open house on its plans for the Pape station, the first station that will be revamped under the TTC’s $275-million station modernization program. It was launched last summer on the Bloor-Danforth line, and includes $25-million for “aesthetic changes” in the stations.

The $20.8-million Pape station revamp is anticipated to begin this fall, to be followed by the Dufferin station and then the Bloor-Yonge station, said Dave Grigg, project manager for the program.

“The intent is that basically the whole appearance needs to change,” Mr. Grigg said.

The program aims to improve finishings on the walls, floors and ceilings inside the subway stops, along with better lighting. On the outside, the focus will be on creating new station appearances and landscaping.

However, for Ms. Laliberte — who teaches a course on art in the public realm — more art on the subway line is most important. “When you think of the number of people who take the subway every day, some people are in there for hours going from Kipling to the other side of the city. So seeing the variety [of art] from one station to another is a moment of enrichment in your day to day life,” Ms. Laliberte said.

“We don’t have enough art in our life and this is bringing it to us in the subway,” she said. “It’s refreshing.”

After its renovation — set to be completed in 2010 — the Pape station will display approximately 80 digital photographs of the station by Kitchener artist Allan Harding MacKay.

Mr. MacKay said the $85,000 artwork will be displayed in a series of two-by four-foot photos, with the actual photo set alongside abstract versions.

“The images are first literal and then get made into a series where they get transformed, abstracted, swirled or highly textured. In other words, they move from being very recognizable images to more of an abstraction,” said Mr. MacKay, who also created the Veterans’ Memorial Wall at Queen’s Park.

Mr. MacKay said the works took six months to complete, and although the TTC commissioned the project, the idea behind the art was his own.

“I wanted to do something with the environment that stimulates the imagination of people, to let their own subjectivity develop meaning for them,” he said, adding he wanted passengers to view the Pape station and its surroundings through their own eyes.

The modernization program has raised some controversy with purists upset the subway line’s iconic visual identity — the system even has its own typeface — is being tampered with.

“There are a few stations that are in their original form and to renovate that you obviously lose some of that. The question is, is it significant or of value? Is that loss something that’s irreparable?” said Andrew Pruss, an architect with ERA Architects Inc.

City councillor Adam Vaughan, who is on the Toronto Preservation Board, said the TTC should take into consideration the historical value of the subway line before it tears it apart.

“The Bloor-Danforth line is a rhythm of colours that has a set pattern and it’s designed as a piece and it speaks to an era gone by,” Mr. Vaughan said.

“Before we start tampering with this and breaking it up, there’s some history there, and I think there needs to be a discussion held on how to preserve it and recognize it as heritage,” Mr. Vaughan added.

Mr. Grigg said heritage considerations ”are being reviewed,” and the TTC hopes it can renovate the stations without offending the preservationists. ”We plan to bring something on board,” he said.

Other stops to be renovated on the Bloor-Danforth line, which opened in 1966, include the Islington station, at a cost of $19.6-million, Kipling for $35.5-million and Victoria Park for $46.4-million. Construction is set to complete by 2010 and renovations on these stations will focus on restructuring, along with having easy accessibility.

Similar reconstructions along the University line, which opened in 1963, are a joint initiative between the TTC and Toronto Community Foundation.

In that initiative, St. Patrick and Osgoode stations will be renovated, each at a cost of $5-million. A date hasn’t been set as to when the construction will start.

An ongoing $5-million facelift for the Museum station will be completed on April 8.

[artisanalordnance]

Allan Harding MacKay destroying his work in protest.

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Ted Zuber - "Long Day at Doha"

[rabbitcruiser]

Remembrance Day

Honoring those who served with respect, gratitude, and ceremonies that pay tribute to their sacrifice and dedication.

Set aside as a time to honor those who served and lost their lives fighting in wars and national conflict, Remembrance Day also allows people to remember the devastation that comes out of war, encouraging them to try to live at peace with one another. 

History of Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day has a history that can be followed back to what was originally Armistice Day. A key part of the celebration is the fact that the formal end of World War I was scheduled to take place at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year in 1918.

So, the following year, this date was celebrated in honor of those who fought in the war, especially those who lost their lives, and reminding everyone about the brutality and hostility of war. The original Armistice Day was celebrated in November 1919, with events hosted by King George V and held at Buckingham Palace.

During World War II, the day changed its name. Armistice Day in the UK and other Commonwealth nations became Remembrance Day, while the United States changed the name to Veteran’s Day. Since then, other conflicts and wars have arisen in various nations, and Remembrance Day may be used to remember and honor all of the soldiers and veterans, whether recently or a century ago. 

In some countries, Remembrance Day is a public government holiday, where schools and many offices are closed, while other countries simply encourage people to pay their respects in their free time on Remembrance Day.

Take some time on this Remembrance Day to show some appreciation for those soldiers, sailors, airmen, officers and others who were committed to fighting for freedom.

How to Observe Remembrance Day

A wide range of opportunities are available for people to celebrate Remembrance Day on a very small scale or on a larger scale. Join in with millions of others to show respect for those who lost their lives or fought in a war, and also take some time to think on and remember how important it is to strive for peace in the world today. Consider some of these ideas for observing Remembrance Day:

Wear a Red Poppy

In the United Kingdom, the symbol that shows support for the armed forces is a red poppy flower. This originated from a poem written after World War I that described the poppies marking the graves of soldiers who were killed fighting for their country. The poem, named “In Flanders Fields” was written by a Canadian doctor after he had lost a friend in the war. In 1921, the emblem of the red poppy was chosen by the British Legion to honor those who had died and also encourage those still living.

All throughout the month of November, the red poppy is worn as a symbol of hope for the future and remembrance of the past. They are sold as fundraisers for charitable efforts that help veterans with housing, jobs or other assistance. Some of these poppies are sold along with the theme “Lest We Forget”. People who choose to get poppies can place them on their coat lapels or wear them in other places in support of Remembrance Day.

Take a Moment of Silence

At 11am on this day, many people stop what they are doing, at work, at school or in public spaces, to hold a moment of silence. This moment is meant to be a solemn remembrance of those who lost their lives as part of serving and defending their country. Some Remembrance Day events hold two minutes of silence and then will have a ceremony or other way for people to gather, listen, speak and remember.

Honor or Thank a Veteran

Those who have friends, family members, coworkers or other loved ones who are veterans may want to take some time on Remembrance Day to thank them for their service in protecting their country. And those who have special veterans who have already died may want to pay respect and honor them by sharing a photo of them on social media as a tribute to their memory.

Attend a Remembrance Day Event

Many cities, states and governments across the world host events related to Remembrance Day or Veteran’s Day. Find out what events or ceremonies are taking place in the local area, whether a memorial service, parade, dinner or some other way to mark the occasion. Community leaders who don’t already have events planned in their local area might be interested in starting one through their town, school, local chapter of a veteran’s support group, or some other foundation.

Learn About the History of Remembrance Day

One important way to observe a day that acts as a reminder of the horrors of war might be to learn more about its history. The catalyst of Remembrance Day was World War I, which took place more than 100 years ago now, and many modern people are not well educated on the details of this war. The internet has all kinds of different resources for people to grow in their knowledge of the world wars, and a local library would also be a great place to check out some history books for more information.

Support a Veterans’ Charity

Those who leave their homes and families to serve in the military often have to make very large sacrifices. And many times, when they come home after serving in a war or conflict, they have difficulty getting their lives back on track. From financial and personal hardship with finding a job or emotional distress from post-traumatic stress, many veterans need extra support.

In honor of Remembrance Day, some people might think it’s a good idea to make a donation to financially support a veterans charity. Or it might be a time to find out if there are ways to volunteer to help. This could include something like transporting veterans to medical appointments, leading recreational programs, serving coffee and refreshments at events, or simply providing companionship to those in need.

Source

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World War I: Tanks were used for the first time in battle, at the Battle of the Somme, on September 15, 1916.  

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World War I: Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car in the forest of Compiègne on November 11, 1918.

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On November 10, 1918, the Western Union Cable Office in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, received a top-secret coded message from Europe (that would be sent to Ottawa and Washington, D.C.) that said on November 11, 1918, all fighting would cease on land, sea and in the air.     

[rabbitcruiser]

On November 10, 1918, the Western Union Cable Office in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, received a top-secret coded message from Europe (that would be sent to Ottawa and Washington, D.C.) that said on November 11, 1918, all fighting would cease on land, sea and in the air.     

[rabbitcruiser]

Canadian physician Cluny MacPherson first presented his gas mask invention to the British War Office on May 10, 1915.  

[rabbitcruiser]

Canadian physician Cluny MacPherson first presented his gas mask invention to the British War Office on May 10, 1915.  

[rabbitcruiser]

World War I: Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car in the forest of Compiègne on November 11, 1918.

[rabbitcruiser]

World War I: Tanks were used for the first time in battle, at the Battle of the Somme, on September 15, 1916.