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bokunoheroanalysisforthefuture · 4 years ago

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Chapter three! I already skimmed through it and just. Holy fuck I’m falling in love with this series all over again, and this is just the opening arc, how the hell is this so good??? I’m genuinely just in awe and fuck is it making it hard to decide where to have a cut-off point for this chapter. I suppose we’ll just have to see what fate decides.

(Also, the temptation to just paste in all of the last three pages of the chapter is so incredibly strong, you don’t understand.)

[No. 3 - Entrance Exam]

We start off with some exposition: UA’s hero course is designed to give students all they need to go pro, and is the toughest and most popular hero course in the country, with only a 1 in 300 acceptance rate. Discounting the four slots that are recommendation students, that’s 36 slots a year, which is about…

Yeah. That’s a lotta applications, and that’s just for the hero course!

Several alumni are mentioned: All Might, who declined the people’s choice award; Endeavor, who’s stopped more crimes than anyone else in recorded history; and Best Jeanist, who’s won the Best Jeanist award eight years running. (One of these things is not like the other~ One of these things just doesn’t belong~) The exposition suggests that graduating from UA is basically a requirement for becoming a great hero - something which we’ll learn soon enough isn’t quite true.

But yeah, Endeavor with the record for crime handling, even above All Might. Quite the impressive hero, though that face…

Not precisely reassuring.

So yeah, Izuku here mentions the date of the exam - February 26th. I figure that this has to be a Sunday, for the simple fact that Japan has a slightly different school schedule than us. Most notably: Japanese schools (some of them, anyways) have 5.5 day school weeks. Yes, that means the first half of Saturday can still be a school day.

While I couldn’t confirm for sure whether this is more common among the higher end schools, I feel like a school like UA, with its ‘Plus Ultra’ motto, would definitely be a school to have a half-day (or even a full day) on Saturdays, and since they also have to accomodate for middle schools that have Saturday morning classes, I figure that it would make the most sense for UA to schedule this exam on a Sunday.

The benefits of this, as we’ve already seen, is that we can then narrow down the timeline for the rest of the series, just based on that single, confirmed date. We know from the last chapter that the Sludge Villain had to happen on a Thursday or Friday of the first week of school (April 14th/15th), with the first training session two days later (the 16th/17th). But what this also gives us is when Izuku’s first year of UA starts, AND the possible years it could start on.

Since we see the glowing baby is in a modern hospital, we can assume that’s correlated to about our times. Give it a few generations, and we can guess that we’re in the 2200s or 2300s for the current era. Based on that assumption, we get the following years that have February 26th on a Sunday:

23rd century potential years: 2204, 2209, 2215, 2226, 2232, 2237, 2243, 2254, 2260, 2265, 2271, 2282, 2288, 2293, 2299

24th century potential years: 2310, 2316, 2321, 2327, 2338, 2344, 2349, 2355, 2366, 2372, 2377, 2383, 2394, 2400

As a side note, when I got into the series, my brain weirdly latched onto the idea that this had to all be happening in the year 2317. I don’t know why I decided on that number, but that’s what I rolled with, and hilariously I could be RIGHT about the year the current manga arc is happening in, provided Izuku’s first year is in 2316. Sometimes you just know, ya know? I know at least one other friend made these calcs independently of me and chose to run with 2237, which is totally valid! Probably makes more sense to be in the 2200s, but there’s room depending on how much time one thinks has passed.

As for when Izuku’s high school school year starts, we know that Japanese schools start on the second Monday of April. Since we don’t know if this is a leap year or not, we’ll end up with two dates, but that’s fine!

Feb 26 (Sun) -> Feb 27 (Mon) -> March (6/5, 13/12, 20/19, 27/26) -> April (3/2, 10/9)

Therefore, Izuku’s first day of classes (not counting the orientation, which I’ve seen a few other timelines assume is on the Sunday before classes start) is April 10th (or the 9th if a leap year)! I know this is all in the future from this chapter, but still, I wanted to share this at some point and figured now was as good a time as always.

Math!

Sorry, I’ve just wanted to share this math I did for a while now, I put a lot of work into it and I am very proud of it. Let’s get back to the chapter.

So Izuku lives a 40 minute train ride away from UA, and has made it just in time for the exam. Apparently, this is only the practical portion? Or well, that’s the part that gets focused on in this chapter, with no mention of the paper exam. I would imagine they’d be the same day, though? But I suppose one can do whatever they like with it.

He’s standing there looking at the school, thinking about how he didn’t have a chance to test the power, while the other students head in-

Excuse me, Toga?? I know that hairstyle is just a bit off, but… ???

...right, anyways. Izuku is wondering whether the hair really did anything (also, it was apparently sour, which, ew.) Katsuki comes up behind him and tells him to move aside.

Truly a flattering image. Izuku panics a bit and greets him, but Katsuki just walks by without another word or gesture, leaving Izuku confused as he watches him head on into the building. The narrative notes that since the villain incident, Katsuki hadn’t bothered Izuku, while the unnamed characters in the background apparently recognize Katsuki from the ‘sludge’ incident (well, not shocked how the fandom held onto that name).

Izuku notes that he’s gotta stop flinching instinctively, and then tries to hype himself up, noting that it’s not like before, and think about the past ten months while taking a wobbly step forward- and then tripping over himself.

I’m sorry Izuku just has so many fantastic faces in this chapter I am crying trying to limit myself to just a few. But yeah, that little derp as he realizes what’s happening is adorable, especially while Ochako gently sets him back on his feet. She mentions that it’s her quirk, and apologizes for using it, but that it’s a bad omen to trip and fall. (I wonder if that gets played with again during later parts of the series… will have to check to see.)

While Izuku freaks out over talking to a girl, Ochako notes that the exam is nerve-wracking, and then heads off while wishing both of them luck as Izuku stares after.

This fucking kid. I love him so much. His flustered excitement gets him some weird looks from the others still outside.

We transition to a new character (Present Mic) who immediately shows off his performative side by calling for a ‘hey!’ which… is met with silence from the crowd. He doesn’t let this throw him off, instead letting them know that he’ll present the guidelines for the practical, followed with a ‘YEAH!’ that gets met with an even heavier silence.

Izuku and Katsuki are seated next to each other, with Izuku descending right into excited muttering over Present Mic and how he listens to his radio show every week. Also with the assumption that all the UA teachers are pro heroes, which I mean, true, but still. Katsuki tells Izuku to shut up.

Present Mic explains the test: ten minute long ‘mock cityscape maneuvers’, with the applicants split among seven arenas, labelled ‘A’ through ‘G’. With more than 10k applicants total, that’s about…

Yeah, more than 1500 per arena. Fucking hell, no wonder the robots deplete so quickly in only a few minutes. Also of interest:

“Bring along whatever you want.” So technically, if Izuku were able to procure the tech and training to handle the robots, there would be nothing keeping him from getting into UA quirkless… though I imagine any kid who gets in mostly on tech probably gets side-eyed… though if said kid made their OWN tech, they might also get an offer from the Support department.

(AU where Mei accidentally took the heroics exam and got a shitload of points, but she ended up taking the offer for Support instead despite setting the record for most points in said exam. Katsuki forever wants to fight her. Izuku and her are good friends.)

Also, another thing I love is how Katsuki just told Izuku to shut up a moment ago, and then:

He’s the one to initiate conversation on the details of the test, basically agreeing on the reasoning behind dividing up the students between arenas. Katsuki is annoyed at not being able to crush Izuku, which has Izuku awkwardly silent.

Also mini-Mic.

Poor, poor Mic. He just wants audience participation. Anyways, he continues on to explain the points system, with the help of cute little Mario-themed silhouettes. There are three kinds of faux villains, with different points awarded for defeating each based on their difficulty levels. Also, attacking other examinees is prohibited!

A student (cough Tenya) raises their hand to ask a question, going on to note that the handout sheet appears to have four varieties of villain, and that such a blatant error (if it is one) reflects poorly on Japan’s top academy. He then spins around and points at Izuku, calling him out for his muttering and how distracting he’s been, and that ‘if this is some sort of game to you, then please leave immediately!’

Is that… Mineta seated behind Izuku? I can’t find another panel that disproves that theory, so. Whelp. If you ever for some reason want to have Izuku accidentally deal with the grape early, he’s right there.

Anyways, Present Mic brings the convo back to the initial question/comment, noting that the fourth villain is worth zero points, and is more of an obstacle. He then brings up Super Mario Brothers, the old retro game, and compares the Zero Pointer to a thwomp. There’s one per site, serving as a gimmick that’ll rampage in close quarters. Tenya thanks Mic and apologizes for the interruption.

And so we get our final words from Present Mic:

??? either he's referencing the original guy (which I think would be a misquote because I doubt OG Nap ever noted anything like that) or some French hero or the like who took on the name.

Discord offered this to me while putting together the post:

So there you have it. Tentatively confirmed.

Those EYES man, dude’s got the Rinnegan going on.

Honestly, I have to end on this panel just because of that last line from Present Mic. Like, look me in the eyes and tell me this isn’t the exact point to end on.

The discord’s takeaway from this:

#chapter 3 #opening arcs #readthrough #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #midoriya izuku #bakugou katsuki #uraraka ochako #yamada hizashi #iida tenya #I seriously cannot believe they actually said 'break a leg' while Midoriya Izuku was in the area #like talk about tempting fate #and that little bow #like 'yes sir i will do my best to break a leg'#'in fact i will break both legs AND an arm'#'Plus Ultra!'

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incorrectdanganronpaquotes · 7 years ago

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Incorrect Danganronpa Tales: “Technical Difficulties”

Jabberwock Island, some time during SDR2…

Byakuya Togami paced back and forth in the central computer room for the Neo World Program. Before him, two of his fellow Ultimates- Makoto Naegi and Toko Fukawa- awkwardly waited for him to say something, having been called here several minutes earlier. It had been three weeks since the group had come to Jabberwock Island, rebelling against the Future Foundation in the process; Makoto, unwilling to see the captive Remnants of Despair executed, had sought to use the technology contained in this very room- the Neo World Program- to reverse the brainwashing inflicted on the 77th Class by Junko Enoshima. The program had been activated this morning and was now running independently, the Remnants’ bodies lying dormant in nearby stasis chambers; the screens throughout the room displayed various images of the simulated Jabberwock Island, showing the students walking around in the virtual environment.

“So what’s this about, Togami?” asked Makoto. “Is…something wrong?”

“S-shut up!” exclaimed Toko angrily. “Master Byakuya will speak to us when he’s g-good and ready!”

After another long moment, Togami finally stopped his pacing and turned to look at his two classmates. “Makoto,” he said, “are you trying to kill me?”

Makoto blinked. This conversation had immediately taken an unexpected turn. “Um…no?” he said cautiously, not sure if this was some kind of trap. “Why would you-”

“Because I am going to have a goddamn heart attack!” shouted Togami, causing both the others to jump backwards; this was easily the angriest they had ever seen the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, including that time Yasuhiro had accidentally touched his bare skin.

“Again, I really don’t understand what’s going on,” protested Makoto.

Togami, rather than speaking, simply pointed to the nearest screen. Makoto turned to look…and took a step backward in shock. The screen, which had previously displayed a beautiful tropical paradise, now showed an island with overcast skies. That wasn’t the worrying part, though; the worrying part was the fact that, rather than the adorable rabbit mascot designed by the program creator, the students of Class 77 were now being addressed by a suspiciously familiar black-and-white teddy bear. All of the students looked visibly alarmed by what this bear was saying.

“Do you know what that is?” asked Togami.

Makoto stared at the screen, the ever-so-familiar feeling of dread slowly overtaking him. “I don’t know, I mean…I guess it looks a little like Usami, or…?”

“That,” said Togami, “is a despair-themed virus overtaking the entire Neo World Program- something that should not be possible unless the firewalls specifically designed to counter such a virus were somehow disabled. Makoto, who was the last one to use this room?”

Makoto’s eyes went wide, the magnitude of what was going on finally hitting him. “Oh god. Byakuya, look! It was my first day on the job, my first time even in this room! I don’t know how to use a supercomputer!! All I did was push some buttons!”

Byakuya looked around in enraged confusion at the control room; every single piece of equipment was touchscreen based, courtesy of the facility’s ultramodern design. “H-how is that possible?!” he exclaimed. “How is that possible?! There are no buttons in here!!”

“Well, that sucks, because I pushed them!” exclaimed Makoto, now shrinking away in terror.

“Well, great!” Togami exclaimed sarcastically. “I don’t know how to fix this! And,” he added, rounding on Toko, “when I woke up this morning and tried to call the only man who could, I found out he was stabbed in the face! Do you know who stabbed him in the face?”

This time it was Toko’s turn to come to a horrifying realization. Her mind flashed backwards to her last mission with the Future Foundation, where she and Komaru had been sent to retrieve stolen documents believed to have been in the possession of Junko and the Remnants. While following the trail of evidence the two girls had encountered a man who had referred to himself as the Ultimate Tech Support, who refused to let them search his shelter for clues and became violent when they tried to force entry; it was around this point that Toko had been overtaken by Genocide Jill, who then- by Komaru’s account- entered into a fight which ended with at least one pair of scissors embedded firmly in the man’s skull.

“B-b-but master, I don’t understand!” stammered Toko. “H-he must have been working with the Remnants! He knew about Junko’s d-documents!”

“You mean the manual on how to fix this place?!” snapped Togami.

There was a long silence following Togami’s words.

“W-wow,” said Toko finally. “What are the odds?”

Togami buried his face in one hand. “How did none of you peons manage to recover any of the documents?!” he exclaimed.

It was at this point that Makoto decided he was going to stand up for himself, in the futile hope that this would somehow fix things. “Well, for starters, you sent two of us after three terrorists!” he exclaimed.

Now it was Byakuya’s turn to look embarrassed; his mind flashed back to Yasuhiro’s decidedly unsuccessful mission to pursue the third potential suspect. “Well, that’s…not entirely true…” he admitted.

At that moment, Togami’s cell phone began to ring. After checking to make sure that the security protocols necessary to keep the Future Foundation from tracking them were still active, he answered. “What do you want?!” he snapped.

“It’s Kyoko,” said the familiar voice on the other end. “Hina and I have a lead on the documents. We’ll keep you updated as we go.”

Byakuya sighed. “Well, it’s good to know that someone besides me has their act together today.”

“Oh, and by the way,” added Kyoko, “if you can at all resist it, try not to tell off Makoto too badly for this.”

Byakuya rolled his eyes. “Listen,” he said, as if explaining the situation to a child, “I understand that the two of you are dating, but I really don’t think you should be protecting him in this case, considering that he’s just jeopardized-”

“Who said anything about protecting him?” asked Kyoko, her tone of voice now hardening. “Believe me: when I get back to the island, I’m going to be one to yell at him. Over and out.” And with that, the phone clicked off.

“Was that Kiri?” asked Makoto, eager for news about Kyoko. “Is she okay? Is she coming back soon?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” said Togami, a smirk spreading across his face. “Tell you what: I’m feeling generous today, so I’m letting you off the hook for this.”

“R…really?” asked Makoto, now certain this was a trap. “Because I mean, I’m pretty sure this is kind of a big deal.”

“No, I understand,” said Togami, his smirk now somehow seeming to stretch beyond the boundaries of his face. “Plenty of people have difficulty with computers. You just head back to your dorm room and wait for Kirigiri; I’m sure she’ll be very happy to see you.”

With that, Togami turned and strode from the control room, leaving Makoto and Toko more confused than ever.

[A/N: So yeah, this is the kind of idea I had for Incorrect Danganronpa Tales; a lot of the dialogue is Incorrect Quote (mostly the middle section, in this case), but I also added original scenes when I felt the official dialogue didn’t work well, wanted to establish context, or just thought it would be funny. Let us know if you like this, and if so we might do more in the future! - Mod Snake]

#incorrect danganronpa tales #source: soul whatever #mod snake #makoto naegi #toko fukawa #byakuya togami #kyoko kirigiri

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simply-shakera · 4 years ago

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2020 In Review

We made it to a new year. I do not take this lightly at all. The last few months have been extremely tough in so many different ways and has affected every area of our lives. But here's the thing - we didn't give up and for that I celebrate us.

Many didn't live to see 2021. Before I proceed with my 2020 review I would like to take a moment to honour the lives of people in my life that I lost this year:

The beautiful and precious Anaya Anderson; sleep peacefully baby girl.

Two men with hearts of gold Justin Warner and Kareem "B.K" Wade

Two women who were pillars in the Black Canadian community Kike Lola Odusanya & Denise Jones

My cousins Tash (TO), Marie (JA), Marlene & Don (US)

and three of the most jolly elders that lived long beautiful lives Papa Chunny, Mama Wilson, and Papa Henry

and ya'll I am adding Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman to this list. I know I don't know these men personally but their passing really affected me. Something about losing such giants at such young ages was hard to understand knowing that they had so much fire left in them. Their work has left such an impact on their industries and hearts of many.

While navigating a global pandemic and one of the biggest civil rights movements in history - I was and still am dealing with a personal matter that has been pretty difficult. Still I give God thanks for his grace, love and endless blessings that have come in many forms. One of which is through friendship. I have had to lean on my friends A LOT - they were the MVPs of my 2020 - for real for real!... Alisha, Rena, Jeff, Sarah, Sid, Lily, Michelle (just to name a few) I am looking at YOU!

What was beautiful though is that throughout all the chaos, confusion and grief, I found the opportunity for discovery, healing and reconnection.

Now for a fun recap!!!!!!! Let's laugh and relive some fave moments from the year and Simply Shakera highlights.

Moments I am proud of:

On a personal level there were many triumphs that were achieved from big to small. Professionally I went into 2020 with these priorities: to book more speaking events, to have Carnival Spice work directly with different school boards and to take Carnival Spice fitness programming online (the irony!!!!!!!!)

From the moment the year started I hit the ground running and achieved those goals . The path to get there didn't look ANYTHING like what I imagined but it is only the beginning. Here are some awesome highlights from along the way.

Received the People's Choice award for Best Dancer of 2019 via byblacks.com

Was selected as one of the Top 100 women in Canada to watch in 2020.

Was invited to hear former president Barack Obama speak live in Toronto.

Finally introduced VISION my goal setting and vision board workshop to the world.

Secured brand collaborations and speaking opportunities with some cool clients from TVO Kids to Nike Toronto.

Meanwhile in the land of spice, before the lockdown, Carnival Spice hosted our biggest in person event to date - that night still gives me goosebumps. We hosted an instagram live interview and dance class with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Tanya Sam that had an audience of over 3, 000. We've continually trended on Tik Tok since July and was even featured on the app’s explore page. The team performed at a few virtual and in-person events including the most dynamic Black History Month school assembly with over 500 people the day before lockdowns. Spice also celebrated a 7th birthday via a virtual event and was voted Best Dance Company for a second year in a row by byblacks.com. I’m proud of the #SpiceFam - we truly persevered against all odds.

Top 3 Internet Moments

VERZUZ!

Shout out to Timbaland and Swiss Beatz for developing this concept - it was the gift that kept on giving. Top music artists from different genres and eras had healthy battles on instagram using their respective music catalogues. These instagram live streams were mini concerts that provided some of the best internet moments of the year. Teddy Riley's technical difficulties (and the memes to follow) were hilarious. Brandy and Monica facing off was so uncomfortable to watch; but still, it was beautiful to have these young legends come together and be celebrated. However, nothing and I MEAN NOTHING was more monumental then BEENIE AND BOUNTY CLASH! Listen, the way that night revived my soul - WHEW! ...I'm sure many of my fellow Caribbean peeps can agree. The laughter, the music catalogues, the camaraderie between the artists, the memes, the entertainment quality that was similar to a past time. SO GOOD!

Tik Tok Dance Challenges.

Say what you want about Tik Tok but it is, BY A LANDSLIDE, my favourite app. I wish I joined earlier. I enjoy how it's a mix of fun, education and entertainment. Plus from a business perspective it positions your product or service directly in front of your audience. Although I never want to hear the songs Savage by Meg The Stallion, Savage Love by Jason Derulo, or WAP by Cardi B ever again, I must acknowledge how Tik Tok dances have changed the way music is heard and marketed. Even soca had success on Tik Tok! The #PutYuhBackOnItChallenge by Denise Belfon & Dj Flex was trending for months. The Carnival Spice take on the challenge achieved over one million views!!!

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion

This television moment was something the world never knew it needed. The HBO special was wholesome from beginning to end. As a huge fan of The Smiths and this show, it was beautiful for me to see all the characters come together to reflect and reminisce with us watching. I cried, I laughed, I learned and I was inspired.

My Top Music Picks:

Top Reggae: “Lockdown” by Koffee

Top Soca: “By Any Means” by Voice (groovy) & “Yuh Bad” by Preedy (Power)

Top R&B: “Hit Different” by SZA

Top Hip Hop: “Dior” by Pop Smoke (Rest in peace to this young artist)

Top Gospel: “Something Has To Break” - Kierra Sheard with Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Top Dancehall: “Call Me If”, Dexta Daps

Top Pop: “Savage Love” by Jason Derulo

Top Afro (and arguably the biggest song of the year): “Jerusalema” by Master KG

Top 3 Words of 2020

Entanglement

Speaking of The Smiths - Jada Pinket Smith gave us one of the most meme-worthy words of all time as she revisited a personal matter on an episode of her hit show the Red Table Talk.

Pivot & Zoom (It's a tie)

Lockdowns and safety protocols have been tough personally but especially professionally. Business owners like myself know these these two words far too well at this point. To stay afloat we constantly had to adjust our business models to ensure our business could some how operate with whatever safety protocols were in place. For many, pivoting meant taking our services virtual. Dancing in front of a phone screen has been taxing to say the least but I am grateful for the ability to have a way in which I can connect with my community and clients.

Quarantine

What once was a word you only heard on medical shows and sci-fi movies became how most of us lived our lives at some point in 2020. Solitude was common; even if you were quarantining with other people. Drive-By Birthday parties & curb side deliveries were a thing. Stay in your bubble they said. If you have to leave home where a mask they said. Many introverts were excited to stay home until they realized it's MUCH different when you don't have a choice.

Top Media Moments

Even with a lockdown, your girl didn't lose her stride entirely. I remained 100% committed to my mission despite the world wind of changes going on in the back end. I enjoy being on camera and it was an honour to continue sharing my story and my work with the masses. Here are a few videos interviews that you can click and check out:

Interview With One Caribbean:

Carnival Spice Fitness demo on Breakfast Television (1 of 2)

Carnival Spice Dance Workshop at the How She Hustles - 10 Year Virtual Celebration

Carnival Spice in Barrie for Cultures Day

Carnival Spice Dance Workshop with Kiss 925:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDMWVwwnd-q/?igshid=h3f2bppx2b03

We Are Carnival Spice - The Documentary:

https://youtu.be/2RLZBCw8jkM

Breakfast Television 2/2 - featuring my nephew Matteo

https://youtu.be/Go7ZpURAiLE

Interview with the Toronto Carnival Festival Committee

https://youtu.be/l53DvpbDaqw

What a year! We will never be the same. I do really want to say thank you again to every person this year that was intentional about pouring into me with love, advice, support and encouragement. It was needed and it was felt tremendously.

I pray for the safe keeping of you all; for your continued success and growth.

and now, I shall embark on what’s next, put my learnings from 2020 into action & continue to lead with passion & positive vibes.

Xoxo and Happy New Year.

#review #recap #carnival spice

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gramilano · 7 years ago

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The Nutcracker. Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer. ©ROH, 2015. Photo by Tristram Kenton

Seeing Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker again after several years of witnessing other productions brings its success as a dramatic piece to the fore. Placing the traditional story within an outer tale of Drosselmeyer separated from, and then reunited with, his nephew Hans-Peter, adds a level of genuine emotion which cannot be matched by seeing a little girl finding her lost wooden toy. It works. It is a tear-jerking moment when Drosselmeyer hugs his nephew Hans-Peter during the score’s final bars. It closes the drama and, despite the plentiful dancing during the second act divertissements (in themselves more interwoven with the main story than is usual, with the constant participation of Clara and Hans-Peter) it returns neatly to resolve the opening scene of the ballet.

If you haven’t read the programme notes you may not know why Hans-Peter is no longer with his uncle. Wright explains:

Drosselmeyer, a timeless magician and creator of mechanical toys and clocks, was once employed in a royal palace where he invented a trap that killed off half the mouse population. In revenge the wicked Queen of the Mice cast a spell over Drosselmeyer’s nephew, Hans-Peter, which transformed him into an ugly Nutcracker Doll. The only way to break the spell was for the Nutcracker to slay the Mouse King, thereby committing an act of great bravery, and for a young girl to love and care for him in spite of his awful appearance.

Even if a backstory of a trap and a mice queen is not obvious, we do know that something lost is restored, contrasting with Clara’s loss of innocence during the ballet.

The Nutcracker. Anna Rose O’Sullivan as Clara. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

The Nutcracker. Anna Rose O’Sullivan as Clara and James Hay as Hans Peter The Nutcracker. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

The Nutcracker. Anna Rose O’Sullivan as Clara. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

The Nutcracker. James Hay as Hans Peter The Nutcracker. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

The Nutcracker. Anna Rose O’Sullivan as Clara, James Hay as Hans Peter The Nutcracker, David Udes and Paul Kay. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

Gary Avis, as Drosselmeyer, dominates the stage from the opening of the curtain to its close, swishing his cloak, while he knowingly teases and preens. Wright weaves the character into the story throughout, and Drosselmeyer casts his magic over snowflakes and toy soldiers, but it is a magic evidently less powerful than that of the Queen of the Mice. Avis’s superior yet kindly air contrasts effectively with the emotional tenderness of the reunion with his nephew. It’s a winning performance. Hans Peter, freed by Clara’s true love, is played by James Hay, a perky live-wire dancer whose slight build and crisp technique make him ideal for this role. His Clara was played by Anna Rose O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan is Royal Ballet through and through. She trained at The Royal Ballet School and joined the Company five years ago, and was promoted to soloist last year. The ‘English Rose’ label has probably been applied to her many times already, and it’s fitting, yet with her petals there are thorns. She looks delicate and feminine yet leaps as high as the men and throws off her chaîné turns with exhilarating speed. An enchanting talent.

The Company’s always excellent corps were not always in unison for the snowflakes — the unbelievable rhythm of a month of shows with matinee and evening performances was beginning to take its toll. Even so, the scene is still uplifting and who wouldn’t be moved when the children’s chorus join the orchestra. Also, here’s a technical note for other ballet companies: snow falling from behind the downstage border in a thin strip is effective, but snow falling from the front to the back, covering the entire stage, is pure magic.

In the Sugar Garden in the Kingdom of Sweets Beatriz Stix-Brunell’s Rose Fairy shone out, as did a replacement, Joseph Sissens, who graduated into the Company from the School in 2016. He joined the equally talented Matthew Ball for the Chinese Dance, and is certainly one to watch.

The Nutcracker. Francesca Hayward as The Sugar Plum Fairy. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

The Nutcracker. Alexander Campbell as The Prince. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

The Nutcracker. Alexander Campbell as The Prince and Francesca Hayward as The Sugar Plum Fairy. ©ROH 2016. Photo by Helen Maybanks

The Nutcracker. Alexander Campbell as The Prince and Francesca Hayward as The Sugar Plum Fairy. ©ROH 2016, photo by Helen Maybanks

The responsibility for the Grand pas de deux was given to the outstanding Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell. Strangely impeded by some erratic tempi from the vastly experienced Barry Wordsworth, they shook off any choreographic difficulty with seeming effortlessness. Campbell is everyone’s favourite Hans-Peter and, while he maybe not an obvious choice as the prince, it was a joy to see him dance this role with his clean landings in fifth, his muscular manèges, and his attentive and secure partnering. He’s also quite a showman with his flamboyant finishes and playful grin.

Unquestionably, Campbell had a dream partner in Hayward, a dancer he is often paired with. She is THE musical box ballerina: delicate and poised with perfect proportions. She’s as light as a feather, and radiates serenity as her face illuminates the stage. Those off-axis epaulement positions which can seem forced are incorporated seamlessly into her dancing and all is presented with great ease, and also freshness, as though she’s inventing steps on the spur of the moment.

Hayward and Campbell have been coached by Lesley Collier, and it shows. Stylistically perfect with a light touch for even the most difficult passages. When they execute the same sequence, they are always beautifully together — a true partnership.

And so the ballet comes to an end — Clara is reunited with her Nutcracker, and rushing outside her house into the snow she sees Hans-Peter, who looks a lot like the boy in her dream. She indicates to him where to find Drosselmeyer’s workshop… and this is where Peter Wright should have called in a favour with Tchaikovsky: just a few more bars to saviour their reunion would make the ending even more satisfying.

The Nutcracker. Francesca Hayward as Clara and Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer. ©ROH, 2015. Photo by Tristram Kenton

Royal Ballet’s uplifting Nutcracker with Francesca Hayward, Alexander Campbell, Anna Rose O’Sullivan, James Hay and the ubiquitous Gary Avis Seeing Peter Wright's The Nutcracker again after several years of witnessing other productions brings its success as a dramatic piece to the fore.

#Alexander Campbell #Francesca Hayward #Gary Avis #James Hay #Matthew Ball #Nutcracker #Peter Wright #Royal Ballet #Royal Ballet School

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kristinsimmons · 6 years ago

Text

Coronary Stent Price Control in India: Two Years and Counting

By SOMALARAM VENKATESH MD

With a stated intent of bringing social justice and financial relief to hundreds of thousands of patients undergoing coronary angioplasty in the country every year, the Government of India capped the sale price of coronary stents in Feb 2017. Stent prices fell by as much as 80% with this populist move, seen as anti-trade within the industry circles. It is tempting for a practising interventional cardiologist to look at two years of this government control on medical device prices in a market economy.

Before price-capping, angioplasty patients were indeed getting a raw deal. There was no uniformity in price among stents of similar class/generation made by different manufacturers. The cost of the only bioabsorbable stent then available in India, to the patient, was 200,000 Indian Rupees (a little under USD 3000), whereas the US or European-manufactured (“Imported”) drug eluting stents (DES) would cost anywhere between INR 85,000 to 160,000. Stents manufactured within India (“Indigenous”) were cheaper. The real cost of manufacture or import was hidden from public view. It was left to the eventual vendor, with alleged involvement of the user hospitals, to determine the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). It was speculated that a huge margin was worked into it, and the profit was split between manufacturers, distributors, and hospitals. Allegedly, some unscrupulous physicians received kickbacks for implanting these devices. Even in government-run hospitals, foul play was suspected.

By a single stroke of the pen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi government slashed stent prices substantially. The bioabsorbable stent cost, to the patient, was capped at INR 60,000 (< USD 1000). Bare metal stents (BMS) and Drug-eluting stents (DES) were capped at INR 7500 and 30,000, respectively. The government seemed to have done its homework: these figures were arrived at from industry-supplied figures on manufacturing or import costs. The cosy network of coronary stent food chain was set on fire with this move: with sudden diminution of profit margins, it was feared that multinational companies would cut Indian workforce; stent distributors & vendors (especially small vendors) were expected to be wiped out or cut in size; doctors worried that with low profitability, multinational stent manufacturers would exit the country or at least, stop importing newer technologies; and hospitals feared revenue loss.

Following this, Industry and Hospital-chain representatives are said to have had series of discussions with the government. Rumours were that the Central Government was arm-twisting traders and that it would relent and raise price limits after these ‘talks.’ The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) promised a price revision, one year after the price cap. Meanwhile, some multinationals informed the government that they would withdraw some of their ‘top-end products’ from the Indian market, citing financial nonviability, obviously to put pressure on the government. The Bioresorbable Scaffold from Abbott actually disappeared from Cath lab shelves.

Come February 2018, the much-awaited price revision was announced. To the utter shock of most people, stent prices were cut further by about 10%. A pallid gloom descended on interventional cardiology as a whole. Government was labelled anti-industry and the PM, populist. Pundits predicted that all the ‘good’ stents will disappear from the Indian market, which would then be flooded by low-quality goods. Two years after the Indian government’s ambitious move, it is interesting to see the impact it has had on different players: industry manufacturers, hospitals & doctors and finally the patients.

In terms of numbers the industry hasn’t really done badly. Predictions were that angioplasty numbers would dwindle due to shortage of quality stents once multinational companies exit. There were fears of reverse medical tourism: affording Indian nationals would flee the country for their coronary procedures. Alternatively, some pessimists felt there would be too many angioplasties due to more affordable procedure cost. None of this really happened. Previously, total number of angioplasties had grown annually by 8-12%. A similar growth trend has continued in the two years subsequent to the capping.

However, one significant change was in the proportion of imported versus indigenous stent use. Industry, as well as India’s National Interventional Council data show that the share of Indian stents – distributed as well as actually implanted – has gone up anywhere between 10-20%, at the cost of imported stents. One Chinese company, which hitherto had very little presence in India (despite proven non-inferiority of its stent against the US-made market-leader) has started to grow its footprint after the price cap.

This, to me, was the most interesting fallout of price capping: First off, if all stents cost the same, and if the government capped the trade margin uniformly at 8%, why should sale of Indian stents go up? In the days when the imported stents cost many times that of Indian stents, they were clear market leaders. Now, with no difference in price, shouldn’t we be choosing FDA approved US-made stents, with better track records and larger published experience over the FDA unapproved Indian ones? Therefore, one suspects that there is perhaps a hidden incentive to hospitals/physicians for making this choice. If indeed this was true, and if it is an underhand financial arrangement, it is a pity. Because, India has then lost a great opportunity to clean up the stent scene in its run up to ‘Make in India’ in medicine.

Second, regardless of the reason for the shift, the Indian stents seem have fared pretty well. Certainly, interventionists have encountered problems during delivery of the stents into coronary lesions. Stiffer, less flexible stents, rough-cut delivery systems that render procedures challenging, larger balloon overhang beyond the margins of the stents mounted on them, leading to edge-dissections on high pressure deployment and delayed/non-deflation of stent balloons after deployment – all of these increase the degree of difficulty of stenting procedure by several notches. But, Indian cardiologists, have displayed an uncanny ability to overcome these issues by employing the famous jugaad (= clever resourcefulness): use of guide-catheters with better back-up, extra-support guidewires, buddy wires and hardware such as Guide Liner

have all been employed to increase stent delivery chances.

Once delivered successfully, the fear that there would be higher stent failure rates with indigenous stents (the main reason offered to patients earlier while pushing imported stents) hasn’t come true. Both in the immediate and medium-term, Indian stents seem to perform pretty well, at least going by the word in the cardiology community.

Whether implanters will continue to choose indigenous stents, will depend on how well the Indian companies handle post-marketing problems. India has no great history of post-marketing surveillance. If companies do not address problems due to stent or balloon design, and up their R&D ante seriously, as the western manufacturers did at the beginning of the DES era, cardiologists may turn back to the FDA approved stents because of cost parity. This space will be the one to watch in the whole scenario.

For the patients, the story didn’t pan out quite as well. Most private hospitals hiked up the procedure costs to offset the losses they had. Hitherto, with the price mark-up on the stents contributing to per-procedure profits, most hospitals managed to keep the procedure cost low between INR 50,000 – 150,000 (USD 750 – 2200). They were able to save procedure costs by reusing catheters and guidewires. About the same time of stent price capping, the Health ministry also engineered a virtual ban on reuse of Cath lab hardware. So, most corporates were forced to double the ‘package charges’ to remain financially viable. Therefore, despite huge cuts in stent price, the patients haven’t really benefited much in terms of procedure cost, except where multiple stents are used in the same case.

The threat that no new technology may get imported due to government control of prices should not really bother either patients or physicians. Angioplasty, except in acute coronary syndromes, really doesn’t have much to show on its own impact on patient care. A large majority of PCIs in India is for stable CAD. There hasn’t been an earth-shattering breakthrough in either this or in the primary angioplasty technology in decades now. Access to a fewer fancy toys is really no big loss.

Stent price capping came abruptly and became an emotional issue for the industry, physicians and politicians. With time, the dust around it is settling down. As the sheen wears off on the invincibility of US and European stents, physicians realize, again, that implanting techniques and post-procedure care matter more than the stent brand. With this, and the ruling party’s potential for using price-capping as electoral propaganda, stent prices are likely to remain low. Indian stent manufacturers have benefitted early in this scenario, which is good for Indian business. However, unless a robust system of reporting and correcting teething technical issues of Indian stents is put in place, they will lose an admirable opportunity to show the way forward to the makers of other medical devices.

One hopes that they live up to the initial promise.

Dr Somalaram Venkatesh is Senior Interventional Cardiologist & Head of Cardiac Cath Lab at the Fortis Hospital, Bangalore, India and heads the Cardiology fellowship (DNB) program at his hospital.

Coronary Stent Price Control in India: Two Years and Counting published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

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isaacscrawford · 6 years ago

Text

Coronary Stent Price Control in India: Two Years and Counting

By SOMALARAM VENKATESH

have all been employed to increase stent delivery chances.

One hopes that they live up to the initial promise.

Article source:The Health Care Blog

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atrocitycl · 8 years ago

Text

V - “Stigma” Review

(Audio)

V (from BTS) – Stigma

Reviewed on January 24, 2017

And so, although “Stigma” faces the stigma of being a slower, dramatic song and thus is disliked by many fans because of such, I argue the song is actually an excellent one. If we are critical and listen beyond the song’s style and begin attempting to understand why certain compositions are in place, we will find that “Stigma”—despite being “boring” or “too slow”—has many creative, efficient, and stunning points.

Personal Message: As perhaps readers can guess, I am back at university and somehow already quite busy. Although this semester appears to be quite challenging, I am expecting it to be “easier” than the last as I have multiple two hour breaks in between classes and thus, my tendency to procrastinate is greatly minimized. Personally a huge issue with last semester—and this relating to the lack of reviews during that period—was squeezing all of my classes back-to-back and as a result, despite many hours of free time afterwards, I ended up wasting them away with distracting tasks. Perhaps this could be a scheduling tip to readers who, like me, are not as disciplined.

On topic with this review, I would like to thank a reader for sending in this request. I greatly apologize for not getting to it sooner, but I hope this review is still enjoyable and thought-provoking. I personally have been anticipating writing a review for this song as there is so much to discuss in terms of music. As the requester addressed, many fans struggle to listen to “Stigma”—a song that is not a title/comeback song and instead is a song included in one of BTS’ albums. Furthermore, the artist singing is just BTS’ V and thus, this creates more difficulties as it is not the usual of every member participating. But of course, the true problem is not the technicalities with members and “Stigma” not being a title song; the issue is that musically the song is hard to “enjoy.” It is not upbeat and within the pop genre as is, say, the group’s “Blood Sweat & Tears,” nor does it involve powerful dancing and a flashy music video. “Stigma” is the opposite: it is a soulful, R&B song (if correct on the genre) that—while possessing a short music video—is predominantly meant to be consumed sonically. However, given the incredibly slower pacing of the song, a lack of visual aid, seemingly overly dramatic vocals and instrumental, and a composition that appears to be quite stagnant, it truly is understandable on why fans find “Stigma” a difficult song.

Because of this interesting background, this review will be more than just reviewing the song: I hope this review becomes an example of how a listener can learn to reap enjoyment from analyzing what she is listening to—especially with a song that she may not personally prefer. Even if a listener dislikes “Stigma” ‘s style (as in my case), I hope he will still realize that at least appreciation is possible if not genuine enjoyment. And so, although “Stigma” faces the stigma of being a slower, dramatic song and thus is disliked by many fans because of such, I argue the song is actually an excellent one. If we are critical and listen beyond the song’s style and begin attempting to understand why certain compositions are in place, we will find that “Stigma”—despite being “boring” or “too slow”—has many creative, efficient, and stunning points.

_______________________________________________________

Song Score: 7/10 (6.75/10 raw score) - “Above average”

- Vocals: 7/10

- Sections: 6/10 (6.00/10 raw score)

Introduction, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Conclusion (Chorus)

1. Introduction: 6/10

2. Verse: 6/10

3. Pre-Chorus: 6/10

4. Chorus: 6/10

5. Bridge: 6/10

6. Conclusion (Chorus): 6/10

- Instrumental: 7/10

- Lyrics: 7/10

I’ve been hiding it I tell you something just to leave it buried Now I can’t endure it anymore Why couldn’t I say it then? I have been hurting anyway Really I won’t be able to endure it

Now cry It’s only that I’m very sorry towards you Again, cry Because I couldn’t protect you

Deeper, deeper, the wound just gets deeper, like pieces of broken glass that I can’t reverse Deeper, it’s just the heart that hurts every day You who was punished in my stead You who were only delicate and fragile

Stop crying, tell me something Try talking to me who had no courage Why did you do that to me then? Sorry Forget it What right do I have, to tell you to do this or that?

I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorry, my brother Even if I try to hide i or conceal it, it can’t be erased Are you calling me a sinner? What more do I have to say? I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorry, my sister Even if I try to hide it or conceal it, it can’t be erased So cry Please dry my eyes

That light, that light, please illuminate my sins Where I can’t turn back, the red blood is flowing down Deeper, I feel like dying every day Please let me be punished Please forgive me for my sins I beg

_______________________________________________________

Analysis: For a side note, while the given ratings appear to be straightforward, I do wish for readers to know that the process to reach these ratings was far from such. I devoted much time to understanding this song (and admittedly to push aside much of my own personal biases). Also to note, this review will most likely be shorter than intended due to how busy I currently am (and on top of that, I am down with a cold).

Onto the review, as the ratings unveil, “Stigma” is an incredibly well-rounded song statistically. There are no immediate, impairing points and at worst the sections—this category having the lowest ratings—is still decent. But, of course, ratings are meaningless without explanations and more so with considering how many find the song difficult to listen to, so let us proceed with actual analysis.

With the lyrics, this category should be the most straightforward to understand. However that said, it is worth clarifying why the lyrics have scored well. As the requester of this review mentions, the background to this song is complex: it may be a part of BTS’ ongoing, fictional story or it might very much be something personal from V or perhaps even both. While all these points are interesting, these are not criterion I use for grading lyrics; instead, the lyrics have earned their higher score by being distinctive in its details—word choice, variety, imagery—and by differing with its plot. Overall, I will not spend too much time in this song’s aspect as the more intriguing discussion is towards the musical aspect.

With that covered, let us focus on the vocals and instrumental. I bring up these two aspects and not individually because both ultimately utilize similar strategies and forms, but furthermore, both are quite misunderstood by many fans. After all, the difficult aspect in the song may not be so much on how it is structured with the sections but rather how it sounds within the sections—these sounds being the vocals and instrumental.

One of the most impressive aspects to the two is how well they complement each other so that their perceived downsides are covered. Before explaining that, though, let us return once more to current perceptions on the vocals and instrumental. On a more superficial hearing, the vocals are not impressive: the vocals carry a sluggish, dragged pacing; many of the beltings are overly emphasized and dramatized and thus, the extreme pitch shifts render unappealingly—even if the singing itself is skillful; and lastly, the singing simply comes off as monotonous considering there are few changes throughout. Similarly, the instrumental can also be critiqued with those reasons: the instrumental is too plain, dull, and provides nothing more than just background.

While these are all viable points, I challenge fans to realize that these supposed weaknesses are actually, realized or not, addressed in the vocals and instrumental themselves. For example, the vocals’ slower pacing is paired with a bass line that strengthens at moments where V provides beltings. The result, then, is not vocals that are sluggish or an instrumental that remains dull; the result is that both combined lead to a rhythmic, balanced flow that sounds excellent. Another example is when considering the instrumental’s beats in relation to V’s vocals at the first verse. Both in of themselves appear to be incredibly vexing: the vocals are minimal in tune and the instrumental itself provides nothing more than just the mere foundation of the song. However, when considering how both sound when taken into account as a single unit, we realize the vocals act as a pseudo-beat and equally the beats are akin to background vocals. Lastly to note on a more technical side, another interesting composing decision about the instrumental and vocals is that both physically complement each other’s sounds. In clearer terms, I am referring to the actual pitch range covered. During moments where the vocals are adopting a middle pitch, we realize the instrumental “balances” out such by providing sounds slightly above that pitch or slightly below it. Expectedly for moments when V is singing in a higher pitch, the instrumental still “balances” out the overall sound by then providing much lower pitches—this being the most explicit example as we can hear the much deeper bass line coming in during these moments. Again, this is a minor aspect but one I find quite creative and ultimately appealing especially as “Stigma” ‘s style beckons careful, methodical listening.

Finally discussing the sections, since we have already indirectly discussed some of this through the discussion above regarding the vocals and instrumental working together, let us instead turn to addressing why—despite the solid chemistry of the vocals and instrumental—that the sections still all earn a six. Ultimately, though the sections sound fantastic and that even the progression to the entirety of “Stigma” is fluent and coherent, the main flaw remaining is that the sections lack incredibly distinctive points. And of course, I do not necessarily mean distinctive as in each section has to sound different from one another—as numerously said, “Stigma” does follow a linear format—but in terms of what each section provides for the song, there is nothing distinctive in this sense. For example, both the introduction and conclusion suffice in their roles, but in doing so neither is that stunning. Even in, for example, the choruses where the vocals are—especially in the song’s context—diverse and the instrumental is impressive with complementing such along with meshing the bass with the beats, the choruses are not composed to the point that their very composition consists of striking ideas and techniques. Now this is not to say the sections are bad at all; all the sections hold a decent score, but overall, the structure to the song individually and in whole merely provide the foundation to the song versus being the aspects that carry forth the song.

All in all, “Stigma” is definitely an above average song if we are able to pay attention to how the vocals and instrumental work. Stylistically, I do agree with many that the song is difficult to listen to and to even enjoy, but given the nature of it, I do urge fans to find enjoyment from it through analyzing it versus just listening to it. Unlike the typical pop song that is fun and easy to listen to due to being able to predict its flow or simply how upbeat and tuneful it is, “Stigma” is a song that requires one to actually pay attention to what is occurring with its sections, vocals, instrumental, and so forth. Once a listener pays close attention, most likely she will find it to be quite impressive in terms of the song’s inner workings—and if not that, at least in his attempt I hope that the song becomes worthwhile.

_______________________________________________________

To the requester, huge apologies for the delay and for poorly writing the review. I feel that I have failed to truly bring insight as to why “Stigma” is a fascinating and solid song, but I hope in the end that the review is interesting and gives some ideas as to what one could look for when listening to a difficult yet charming song. In terms of the next review, look forward to another requested review. And though this sounds silly, I will have to end this review here as I do have class quite soon—perhaps “writing-on-the-go” is not the most optimal idea, after all. Look forward to Uhm Junghwa’s “Dreamer” and until then, “I’m very sorry towards you” for not being as diligent, but I will do my best to catch up on reviews.

#BTS #V #Stigma #Korean Pop Reviews #KPop Reviews #Music Reviews #Song Reviews #Big Hit Entertainment #Audio

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henryorhanksoul4400stationno2 · 6 years ago

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allanfoulstudentthingus-blog · 6 years ago

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What are the good suggestions for the development in the direction of CCIE?

In R&S direction, we are here to talk about the entry steps:

1. On the familiar reading, from CCNA to CCNP class books, a total of five you need to read my own in detail. After reading two times is considered to be able to get started then look at the NA and NP online relevant videos to see if your understanding is the same as the tutor's explanation in the video or not and start taking notes. Further, find a training institution, attend an NP course. I joined SPOTO and the quality is quite good. Remember, the above steps it can be omitted if you would like to be a paper NA or NP

2. About practice, you have to prepare a laptop and install two recommend software as dynamic or GNS3, practice with the Lab according to the topology and then start from NA to NP experiments and practice them again and again

3. About brainstorming, in the above 1 and 2 processes, try to think, simulate the scenarios and ask a few more reasons such as when a package is sent from the computer to the website then what changes in the second and third layers of the packet? What did the Switch and Router do with these packets?

Next, we talk about the exam, preparation of the exam and before. Prepare for the exam, read TCP/IP Volume 1 and Volume 2 carefully and practice the commands with they mentioned twice. When you practice on the second time, mark the results and organize them into your own notes and it is every experiment.

For Exam preparation, firstly find a reliable training institution so that you can concentrate on preparing for the exam. Other things are supported by the lab staff (like signing up).

Secondly, you must take classes and listen to every configuration. Once again (Note: the difficulty of IE version and NP experiment is not a level at all. In 2009, 7 versions need to be sorted).

Third, prepare for the written test. In fact, the simplest one is this, because there is a question bank in general training institutions. It is suggested to reserve three days of back-to-back questions study.

Fourth, after the written test passed, estimate the time for the exam. It is recommended to leave at least three months for it to deal with those configurations and make the time requirements clear to the laboratory.

Fifth, the configuration has to be practiced at least three times. The first time you only need to follow and configure out with the result. This first practice is the most time-consuming. After finished, don't rush for the second time and study the configuration carefully in about three days. Look at the difference between your own answer and the standard answer then drop it down and ask the teacher. Try the second time and use your own answer to see if it is correct. After second practice, please ask the lab teacher or classmate to add mistakes for you, about 7 or so, it is because 3-5 mistakes usually appear during the exam, I have encountered 5. The ability to debug is based on how the previous skills have been played, that is the experiment of NA to NP and whether the experiments in Volumes 1 and 2 are serious. On the third, the back version, intensive training according to the examination arrangement and you just practice each configuration every day as usual and arrange the troubleshooting after the configuration part is finished.

Fifth, prepare before the exam, arrange the accommodation in advance, go to the exam venue one day before the exam, no longer arrange the operation review two or three days before the exam, focus on review of the configuration

From the career development of network engineers:

The general situation has the following development path. The technical support engineer job categories are:

After-sales - pre-sales - project management

After the sale, it can be divided into:

lResident engineer - To understand some techniques, but lack of project experience often used to examine and train new people

lFirst-tier engineer - Engineers who need to go to the customer site to deal with various problems. There are certain requirements for technology, and the company often trains new people to do it. If you have a tough problem, you can ask the company for help

lSupport engineer - Need a certain technical background and project experiences. When a frontline engineer encounters a problem, he should be able to give a solution as soon as possible

lSecond tier engineer - Need a lot of project experience, solid technical skills. Need to have the ability to control the project macro

lPre-sales engineer

lProject management - Not only have a certain project experience, but also a team. Team management, departmental collaboration, resource allocation, etc. all need to think

Therefore, in the process of the exam, we must also learn some experience of the project.

1. For CCNP certification, you must first obtain CCNA certification. CCIE certification does not require CCNA and CCNP and you can go for exam directly

2.Valuable content: CCNA, CCNP back question bank can be certified which is low in value

3. Some high-paying jobs require CCIE certification, while normal network engineer recruitment generally writes CCNP, HCNP priority, and so on.

#CCNA CCNP CCIE SPOTO

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c4nindia-blog · 7 years ago

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Shantanu Patel, a pianist and former student of A. R. Rahman, Dr Adam Grieg and Prof Fali Pavri, shares his life story

Shantanu Patel is an aspiring pianist, based in Ahmedabad. The music came into his life when he was just 7-year-old. First, he learned Harmonium in Hindustani Classical Music. At the age of 17, he was introduced to Piano and then, there was no looking back. Like any other teenager, Shantanu had a day when he was supposed to make a choice; in which direction he wanted his life to head. He had the options: ISRO or Music. And like we can anticipate here, he decided to pursue his career in music.

Shantanu is the former student of the Oscar Winning Music Composer, Dr A. R. Rahman and Dr Adam Grieg. After finishing his school, Shantanu had joined KM College of Music and Technology in Chennai, founded by Dr A. R. Rahman. He completed his 3 years of BA (Hons) Music specializing in Piano performance under his Guru, Dr Adam Grieg.

This musician’s journey is no ordinary. Let’s hear it from him:

Tell us something about yourself and earlier life:

I am Shantanu Patel and I am a professional concert pianist and a conductor. Well, talking about earlier life, I was a science student and a “wanna-be” astronomer. Being raised in Ahmedabad, of course, I have all the traits of an Ahmedabadi and am the biggest foodie!

What is Music to you?

Music to me is, of course, my bread and butter, my profession, my passion! But more than that, it is a kind of meditation, worship and food for my soul.

How did you start your journey with music?

Well, to begin with, I was forced into this field by my mother. I basically started off with Indian Classical music, learning harmonium under a private tutor, and gradually shifting to Western Classical Music theory and keyboards. I was still forced (hahaha!). Well, to be honest, I was forced until my 10th standard.

Tell us something about your earlier training:

My earlier training was quite weak. I am opening up here because right now it’s of utmost importance to get proper basic training in music such as proper musicianship, sight reading, and ear training along with performing and theory of course. During my time it was just believed that practical knowledge is everything and hence even now, I sometimes face a bit of difficulty in things which do not involve playing/theory but just listening and scanning music through ears or just by looking at the score. Hence it is very important to have training in all aspects of music and not just playing your instrument.

Do you remember the day when you realized that music is the ultimate goal?

Yes, it was right after 12th standard when I had to choose between opting for ISRO and Music career. Though my parents never forced me to choose one or the other, it was my elder brother’s role that kind of persuaded my parents to let me go for a music career. It was decided right after my boards that I will be opting for what I love and what I consider as food for my soul.

Tell us something about being the student of the legend, Mr A. R. Rahman:

It is always a moment of pride to recall studying at KM College of Music and Technology. Those unplanned and surprise visits from Dr Rahman, those inside talks about industry, music business, etc, impromptu Biryani sessions with him made my experience quite enjoyable. But more than that, I finally found my “Guru” there. Dr Adam Grieg from Scotland who not only taught me how to play the piano but also taught the tiniest details in the music, how music is expressed, perceived, thought and passed on. He changed me completely as a human being also. Getting him as my teacher was the best thing KM and my life offered.

Do you remember your first interaction with Mr Rahman?

Of course, that magical moment! Well, the first interaction wasn’t a long one as he appeared out of nowhere in our college and I was printing my assignments. But after few days, we were joined by him during our award ceremony for the first year and it was the best feeling to receive “The Best Performer of the Year” award from his hands which luckily continued for all the 3 years of my study there.

Please share your most memorable experience with your Guru, Mr Rahman:

Well, I do consider him as my teacher, but guru would be Dr Adam Grieg. The best experience with Dr Rahman was receiving awards for all 3 years from his hands and with my guru, Dr Grieg, was when he gave the closing speech at my graduation for me. Adam said, “I can remember this guy, belting and punching the piano as hard as he can without any musical note coming off, but in these 3 years, he has put me in a dilemma of what to teach him more. I guess I have given whatever I can and now it can be the other way around where he teaches me something. Well, every teacher learns from his students but teaching Shantanu shaped me here in India.”

Tell us something about your favourite instrument:

Of course, Piano! Piano! Piano!

Do you remember the first time you performed on the stage? How was it?

Yes, I started learning piano quite late at the age of 17, though I used to play keyboard and harmonium. My first appearance on stage was on harmonium at the age of 4 for a charity concert at Blind Association of Ahmedabad. As a pianist, I played my first concert in front of Dr Rahman at KM annual day 2011.

Tell us about your achievements:

Haha! I kind of feel shy or feel “not to boast” about my achievements. But here it goes! The true journey began at KM and the first achievement was to actually be able to play the piano at an international standard followed by best performer’s awards for all 3 years from the Hands of Dr Rahman. I went on to pursue my BA Music final year in London, and found out to be the best pianist in my batch and was offered to perform my debut concert with The London Firebird Symphony Orchestra, for which I performed Mozart’s Concerto in D minor with my own cadenzas (incorporating Indian classical music as well). This didn’t stop, I went on to audition myself for Masters degree in music at world’s top 4th Music Conservatoire i.e the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Of course, didn’t think I would get through but to my surprise, I did and that too with a scholarship which was more than anything for me. Again found my second guru; this time, an Indian in Scotland. He was Professor Fali Pavri who, like Adam, changed me completely. I got many performing opportunities in the UK and participated in many piano festivals which are limited to few pianists only. And now, I am touring this country, performing throughout, and giving master classes. This is more than an achievement for me. Still, many things await. In a couple of years, I will be back at RCS for my PhD in performance.

Tell us something about yourself as a teacher: Your journey from a student to a teacher:

This is a very enjoyable job, with great responsibility, of course. As the movie, Spiderman says, ‘With great power (knowledge) comes a great responsibility’, I strive to be a teacher like Dr Adam Grieg; understanding each student’s mindset, strength, weakness and tackling it according to individuals. I also strive to teach whatever I missed learning in my basic training. Hence, it’s a nice balance between the mandatory things as well as student’s interest. It’s a job of great difficulty as well as you have to yield future generations of musicians in the most correct and fruitful appropriate way.

Which part do you enjoy the most: learning music or teaching one?

I enjoy both equally. First of all, musicians are learners for their whole lives. As Horowitz (legendary classical pianist) said, ‘I love to be a musician as I get to be a student for a lifetime.’ He said this at his last concert at the age of 89. So yes, teaching also teaches me, so perhaps I’ll say I may enjoy learning more.

An artist needs to be inspired and motivated. Which is the element in your life that keeps you going? What inspires you the most?

First of all, competing with me helps me in a healthy way. That keeps me going, no matter how well I did in the past concert, I always raise my bar in the next. Also, watching stories of other pianists and musicians help. Especially my own teacher Fali Pavri, Norman Beedie (conducting teacher) and one of my seniors, Petrica Ciobanu (International Concert Pianist). Also, listening to music helps, connecting with the inner emotion and connecting that with your own incidents in life.

Tell us about the challenges you have faced to reach where you are today: what is your strength?

There were a lot of challenges, rectifying things, learnt here in Ahmedabad, learning basics when your fellow students are learning advanced stuff at your level itself. When I went to Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, though I was in masters, I was rectifying my very basics which put me off sometimes. But again, knowing that will kick your level to a higher standard kept me going. In KM as well, starting piano at the age of 17 is considered very late; usually, people at my level at that time would start playing the piano at the age of 4-7. And that was the biggest challenge; to develop technical side, to gain that many years of experience, etc, was not an easy task. I literally had and still have to practice 6-8 hours a day depending on my timetable. So being a musician is not an easy task. It requires the same, in fact, more amount of work than engineering, or any other field.

How do you see the impact of music, particularly in India, in today’s time? Is there anything you would like to change or improve in today’s music?

Yes, a lot! A huge change is needed especially in Gujarat and further North. Classical forms are dying. Bollywood music is ruling currently. It’s good, no doubt, but just sticking to Arijit Singh and Pritam and not exploring other genres like Jazz, Classical (Indian and Western) electronic music, metal, rock, or any form of instrumental music is sad. Also teaching is of utmost importance. I have seen people in Ahmedabad opening up their academies just after completing, say, 5-6 grades of music examination, which in turn proves bad for their students. Grades are like school, you don’t start teaching engineering or medical science right after the school and thus the same thing goes with music. This needs to be changed, people need to know the correct teaching methods. All the teachers need to update themselves regularly and see what the standards they are competing with. Yes, for the western music, it was a start by trial and error method as western classical is relatively new, but now in Gujarat and mostly all over India, this has become a sort of business, playing with people’s future.

The advice you would like to convey to the next generation of the learners:

Find a good teacher.

Have patience, practice regularly, boredom is bound to come get over it, manage your time.

Explore all forms of genres of art. Being a musician I love to explore sculpture, paintings, acting and I find inspiration from that as well.

Never underestimate yourself or let anyone do that. Always see the positive side. And learn to tackle the negative as well but in a positive way.

Don’t get satisfied with anything (knowledge wise). There should always be a thirst for learning.

Tell us about your future plans and upcoming concerts:

Well, currently I am performing across the country, raising and aiding the standards of live western classical music and providing master classes at different schools of music. After a couple of years, I wish to go back to Scotland for my PhD in performance. I also conduct choirs and small ensembles here.

There are a couple of upcoming concerts; one in Bangalore (21st April at Bangalore School of Music) with two singers: Jonas Olsson (Baritone) and Ankna Arockiam (Mezzo Soprano). Ankna will also join me in Ahmedabad concert which is on 23rd April (Monday) at Ouroboros theatre hub at 8 pm sharp. We will be performing Operatic works and musical works with some contemporary music. Ankna is also providing a vocal master-class on the 22nd evening at 5:30 pm (venue to be confirmed- see my facebook posts for that). Ankna was my colleague studying at the same college in Scotland and now, she is doing her PhD in Music there. Later this year I will also be participating in international piano competitions in Thailand and New Zealand and also the Con Brio national piano competition in Mumbai.

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www.c4n.in

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#india #C4N India #stories #people #music #piano #pianist #art #ar rahman #KM music #KM college of music and technology #achiever #inspiring #life #journey #teacher

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esthermeronobaro · 8 years ago

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FYF Fest 2013: My Bloody Valentine Fairy Tale

This review was first published on slugmag.com on Aug. 30, 2013. Read it here. Photos: Tod Seelie

The Choice of a New Generation

Ten years ago I was 17 years old. I "road tripped" 40-minutes south of the small, sinkhole town I lived in to one slightly more populated (with rest homes) for my first concert at a venue imaginatively named the Electric Theater. The headliner didn't make it that night––van troubles or something––but I still have the ticket taped to the brick I claimed as my laptop and covered in Weezer stickers. That year also marked my first mutual boyfriend, and my very first kiss––also mutual.

Around the same time, a kid in Los Angeles named Sean Carlson, just a couple of years older than me in 2004, decided to "boldly go where no man has gone before"––probably to impress some babes––and started Fuck Yeah Fest by booking some shows in a bunch of venues around the city. Honestly, anything I write here about his story is speculation, as the "About" section on the FYF website was blank up until this year, when a lineup history magically appeared along with a link that makes me wish I had requested an interview with the man himself, rather than vying for time with the dazzling lineup of bands at this year's festival.

Regardless, the little information I could piece together about FYF's history, along with this telling Wikipedia page and the clever, generational details observed at FYF Fest 2013––from stages named after Sex and the City characters to the exclusively '90s movie sequel trailers playing after dark between sets on the main stage monitors––give me the confidence to declare that Carlson and I have a common goal, and this past weekend, we sold out together.

Nobody Jaywalks in LA

I have a love-hate relationship with Los Angeles. The reliable weather, the [overcast] beaches, the abundance of vegan food, and its general "vacation" vibe are all reasons why I forget how much I hate all the concrete, the snotty attitudes, the careless drivers and mind-numbing traffic. I know FYF Fest was organized by a like-minded individual because doors aren't until 2 p.m., which means plenty of time to sleep or read a book while shivering on a hotel towel in seagull-infested sand. On our way to one such aquatic adventure, a perfectly manicured 20-something bumps into the back of our rental, causing a few hours delay and ultimately leading to an untimely appearance at the festival, but I am happy to let Dan Deacon introduce me to my FYF 2013 experience. Technical difficulties result in an atypical Dan Deacon set that is more stand-up than music––which works out because I'd missed the comedy during the first part of the day. He makes fun of his balding head, apologizes for all the glitches and the fact this is, indeed, their final song, and manages to still blow me away in his final five minutes on stage with a rainbow light show, two frenetic live drummers, an improvised monologue, and electronic music that sounds like a band made up of Jane and Michael's playroom toys brought to life by Mary Poppins.

Eye Wonder Who Karen O Dates?

When I was a teenager, I used my weekly church attendance as a runway show. At school, I wore the same drab clothes as everyone else, but at church, I was ahead of every revivalist movement: goth, Bohemian, ’60s, ’90s––you name it. I was also a master hair braider, but that’s another story. Now, all I really care about is being comfortable, maximizing my assets and minimizing my … well, other ass-ets. Karen O lives out every minute of her stage life like the rowdiest runway show you’ll ever see––this ain’t no mall walkway with waifs in pastel––and for this reason (OK, and because the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ music is awesome), I find myself at the Carrie Stage on Saturday night. The YYYs’ latest album, Mosquito, has already become a go-to on my playlists, and as Karen O comes on stage in a dirty-blonde bob, sparkling pantsuit (with shorts), pink knee socks and colorful sneakers and moves right into the title track, she sucks all the energy from the thousands gathered and blasts it back in wild yelps and guttural screams.

The songs move into each other seamlessly, congruent with Karen O’s wardrobe changes. They’re more raw and punk-infused live, and favorites include “Gold Lion,” “Runaway,” “Cheated Hearts” and “Sacrilege”––whose gospel wails follow me out of the festival at the end of the night. A thick, long bright-yellow cord connects to her mic and she moves it around her body like a snake, pulling it over her shoulder, spinning it above her head, and to everyone’s delight, pushing it into her open mouth as a long, throaty moan envelops us like an electric blanket bursting into flame on contact. She dons her famous studded “KO” leather jacket for “Zero,” and at one point, even pushes a headlamp onto her head like a third eye. Speaking of eyes: From the back of the stage, before anyone can look twice, a giant inflatable eyeball is pushed into the crowd midway through––which I guess has been happening at all of their shows, but is a complete surprise to me. As I watch the spectacular performance, all I can think is, “Damn, I wonder who Karen O dates.”

Beach House Lullabies

Sitting on my FYF Fest map, looking at everyone’s dirty faces while I wait for Beach House, I ease into Sunday. In back of the Carrie Stage, there looks to be a wall of vertical wires shimmering as the sun sets, like those fountains at fancy restaurants that look like pouring rain. The dream pop duo are joined by an extra musician so as to maintain the luscious layers of music they’ve created for nearly a decade. I’m far enough from the stage that the people are blurs of slow-moving flesh, but the background shows a starry mess of lights, supplementing the dingy L.A. sky above me, while puffs of smoke from the front of the stage look like bubbles. The coolness of Victoria Legrand’s whispers is complemented by blue lighting, and as the wire wall behind the band starts to move with crimson shapes and the audience sways back and forth, I feel like I’m watching a concert under the sea.

Family Matters

Across the country, Miley Cyrus is pushing her chicken butt into Robin Thicke as Solange drops to her knees with class on the Charlotte Stage in a bright, patterned sweater and Lisa Simpson haircut, gyrating to the funky, retro bass lines thumping behind her. "Let's turn this into a grind fest," she croons into the mic, and immediately, all the white kids around me drop two inches and start shuffling back and forth. Ever since watching 20 Feet From Stardom, I've been keen on any act with back-up singers, and I know that, regardless of Solange's down-to-earth vibe, the sister of Beyonce Knowles will surely boast some classic R&B bells and whistles. As her back-ups ooh and aah, giving the set glimpses of Destiny's Child influence, Solange shows off dance moves that are comparable to her big sis––though they'd feel more at home in an intimate club full of eclectic jazz-hounds than a post-apocalyptic music video set. It must be difficult to have your work constantly thrown up against that of a worldwide pop culture icon's––but really, don't we all live in Beyonce's shadow? As if reading our minds on whether her notable family members might be hiding backstage, Solange happily mentions her mom has come to watch, and lightly asks everyone to say, "Hello Mom." Now that there is no question as to whether or not Beyonce is present, we can enjoy Solange for who she is and what she has to offer: soulful, classic, booty-shakin' music with a '90s twist.

Well, What Other Bands Are There Now?

Sunday is a hazy blur of romantic waves. "We're in this together," is our mantra, and every piece of life and media thrown our way parallels the past year in a microscopic experience. The Breakfast Club plays out in the hotel room as we make our way to the metro, but sit on opposite ends of the aisle, looking past each other to the other side of the weekend in silent repose. As we walk inside, Flume beats like a mad heart in the aptly named Samantha Tent in the center of the grounds, and there we break apart to Melvins and Beach House, respectively, meeting back in the middle for Solange.

Washed Out's "Feel It All Around"permeates the festival grounds as we sit on a curb, sticking morbid PETA stickers on each other's plaid button-ups and thinking about not 10, but 20 years ago, when the '90s meant divorce and new schools and new friends. Washed Out fades away and 2005's summer anthem, "Time to Pretend," sounds out at the south end of the park on the Carrie Stage. Like an oracular beam of light, groups of kids walk past us toward the music, which becomes unfamiliar until the intro of "Kids" marches into our ears, and we know MGMT's set is nearly over, making room for a different tractor beam of noise.

Just about everyone has made jokes about it, but the warnings that pop up between flashes of inculcating "FYF Fest––Best Weekend Ever," trailers for Batman and Robin, and "Next Up … My Bloody Valentine," are very real, along with the bright orange earplugs we pick up at the info booth. This feels new, but in a regurgitated way, mimicking the nervous expectation of that first show I attended 10 years ago. The past six months have culminated into this recursive moment, which I've subconsciously set up as a reset to infinity. Taking a good five minutes to get my earplugs just right so I won't have to mess with them again, I wait in anticipation with everyone around me, but really, just one other person, because this is our moment. The lights drop and the letters "m b v" appear like blood surfacing on a swirling blue pool in the background. The stage looks crowded already with towers of amps, but as the musicians file in, they fit into their respective positions like the last pieces of a puzzle. Kevin Shields leans into the mic, and though I'm too far to make out facial features, and the giant monitors to each side show nothing, his shoulder-length, frizzy white hair is illuminated by the blue light behind him, giving his crisp and single "Hello" an ethereal quality.

I expect a wall of noise to push us all backward from the very first note, but we're eased into the music like a first kiss with one of my favorites, "I Only Said." My Bloody Valentine's most critically acclaimed album may be called "Loveless," but there is a tangible romance inside the static and reverb, which is why we're here together, arms wrapped around each other. I don't have most of the track names memorized, but I know Loveless' melodies and whispers by heart, and though muffled by the foam in my ears (which I end up repositioning so they're not quite so stifling), I smile wider with each song I recognize. We're enjoying the on-and-off violence of "Only Shallow" as the background turns to fiery noise, the amps opening their mouths like dragons and short, shadowed glimpses of Bilinda Butcher's sparkling red guitar––matching her hair and heels––move on the screens––and then silence. I look up from my sway and see the band still playing. More heads in the audience pop up and audible panic swells. The guitars turn back on like a switch, but it happens again, and I fear the magic lost. I feel like Dorothy, peering behind the curtain to see the truth. Just humans with big machines. All seems lost. For some in the audience, this is just another show, another checkmark on their list of bands to see, and these technical glitches are simply minor annoyances. To me, they're stabs in my back. Waves of doubt and despair wash over me as I question the past year-and-a-half, seemingly reflected in the blown speakers and five-minute interruption.

Shields announces the end of their set, apologizing for the difficulties and throwing us a bone by dubbing us their best audience thus far. It feels insincere and only makes it worse. They move into their final song, which I later find out is "You Made Me Realise," from their EP of the same name released in 1988. It's a discordant track, bouncier than anything on Loveless, but I'm frozen in place. The song seems to end, at least the melody, and in its place, the slow climax of thunderous noise rockets from the stage. I'm still frozen, but this time, I can't stop staring at the noise displayed visually on the backdrop. I know it's dumb, it's cliche, but I can't remember how long I stood there. A tractor beam of the loudest music I have ever heard holds onto me, and like a strong dose of radiation, clears away the malignant thoughts that had built up in my brain. I tear myself away and search for recognition in the faces around me. A few creased foreheads express confusion, but for the most part, My Bloody Valentine has managed to baptize an audience of thousands with a single, reverberating chord. I'll learn later that this part of the song is rightfully called "Full Holocaust," and after what seems like a lifetime of eleventh hours (but was only five minutes), they fall back into the melody and finish out the song. We turn around with everyone else to walk out of the festival grounds, but I barely noticed the crowd. "It was like the biggest 'fuck you’ to every band who has ever said they're loud!" I exclaim, thinking it's a witty thing to say. There's more going on in my mind, but for now, I feel relieved and hopeful. It's not until we're back at the hotel, packing silently for the plane ride back home in the morning, that it all comes into perspective. He says, "Well, what other bands are there now?" All the moments––the good, the bad, the hopelessness, the elation––they've culminated here and will repeat into infinity––and you made me realise, it will always be with you.

#words #slugmagazine #fyffest #fuckyeahfest #indierock #electronic #musicfestival #losangeles #california

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kristinsimmons · 6 years ago

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Coronary Stent Price Control in India: Two Years and Counting

By SOMALARAM VENKATESH MD

have all been employed to increase stent delivery chances.

One hopes that they live up to the initial promise.

Dr Somalaram Venkatesh is Senior Interventional Cardiologist & Head of Cardiac Cath Lab at the Fortis Hospital, Bangalore, India and heads the Cardiology fellowship (DNB) program at his hospital.

Coronary Stent Price Control in India: Two Years and Counting published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

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henryorhanksoul4400stationno2 · 6 years ago

Video

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHFRJI4cvpU)

IBMOROnemanarmyagainstracism ChannelforIntelOnes4 minutes ago

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henryorhanksoul4400stationno2 · 6 years ago

Video

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHFRJI4cvpU)

IBMOROnemanarmyagainstracism ChannelforIntelOnes4 minutes ago

0 notes