Imtiaz Alam, an event organiser and PR professional who lives in Delhi's Jamia Nagar, is flooded with offers of help for the students of the city's Jamia Millia Islamia University. Alam, who is in his late thirties, is assisting students find alternative accommodation and extending other help that they may need as the varsity campus is out of bounds for students and semester examinations stand deferred in the aftermath of the student protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the brutal Delhi police crackdown that followed.

An uneasy calm prevails in Jamia Nagar, a predominantly Muslim locality where the university is located. But Alam is pleasantly surprised by the show of support that has poured in from a wide section of the people against the police action at the Jamia campus. "People from all walks of life and communities have come forward to help the students," he says.

Follow live updates of CAA protests here

Students recount the horror of December 15 evening, when a seemingly peaceful protest went out of control, leading to the torching of buses, vandalism of public property and police storming the Jamia campus, firing teargas shells and lathi-charging students. Meeran Haider, 29, a PhD research scholar at Jamia's Centre for Management Studies, says 95 per cent of the students were protesting around the campus and perhaps only a handful were at the protests in New Friends Colony, which turned violent. "We are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act as it is against democracy and the country's secular and socialist character," says Haider, who is busy working with other students to chart out the future course of the protests that have spread to campuses across the country.

MORE FROM INSIGHT | General Naravane's challenges

Nabiya Khan, a 24-year-old student from a private university, was pursuing a master's degree at Jamia until last year. "Nothing had prepared me for what happened on December 15. I was at the campus. The students were protesting and then the police started the lathi-charge," she says. "People started running inside the campus. We were so sure that the police will not enter, but they did. It was pitch dark. The lights were out and the police were beating up everyone." Khan describes CAA as an "organised way of turning India into a Hindu rashtra where Muslims would be treated as second-class citizens".

In solidarity, students of elite colleges have come together to stand up against how the Delhi police dealt with the Jamia protesters. According to India Today's Data Intelligence Unit, at last count, 22 campuses across the country had joined the agitation.

History shows how student-led protests can galvanise quickly to reflect a national cause or sentiment, and governments can afford to be blas at their own peril. Some of the most defining protests in the country have emanated from universities. Several prominent leaders of the present government are products of the protests against Emergency imposed in 1975 by then prime minister Indira Gandhi-several cabinet ministers were college students at the time. The list includes the late Arun Jaitley and late Sushma Swaraj. They went to prison and were hounded by the police of the day. The Emergency period, from June 1975 to January 1977, is remembered for the suspension of civil rights. Even today, any dark phase or incident in India's democracy is referred to as an 'Emergency-like' situation.

Jamia is a centrally funded university with 50 per cent of seats reserved for Muslim students. While the police excesses at the campus have given critics of the Narendra Modi government a handle to paint it as 'anti-minority', sympathisers of the government point out that the anti-CAA protests are mainly concentrated around universities with a high concentration of Muslim students, notably Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia.

MORE FROM INSIGHT | While Bengal was Burning

In many quarters, the protests are being seen as a tipping point for the Muslim community as a series of developments this year have heightened its vulnerabilities-the legislation scrapping the practice of triple talaq, which has not gone down well with hardliners in the community; the withdrawal of special status of Jammu and Kashmir and its downgrading from a state to a Union territory; and the Supreme Court's ruling on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute. What has certainly not helped is the fact that the ruling BJP does not have a single Muslim member in the Lok Sabha.

Students at Jamia Millia say they are in solidarity with the protesters in Assam, who are up in arms against the CAA, albeit for different reasons. The protests in Assam are driven by the onslaught of Bengali-speaking settlers from Bangladesh and other countries, who, locals say, are putting their livelihoods and culture at peril.

Students at Jamia say CAA uses religion as a discriminatory tactic and have vowed to continue the protests till the Act is revoked. In the past, galvanised protests by Muslims have forced overturns of even court verdicts. In the Shah Bano case, while the Supreme Court in 1985 ruled in favour of maintenance for the divorced Muslim woman petitioner, the Rajiv Gandhi government gave in to pressure from Muslim hardliners and enacted a law that shifting the onus of maintenance to the relatives or the waqf board. In 1988, the central government banned Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses owing to protests that it projected Islam in a derogatory way.

In the case of CAA, the Supreme Court on December 17 redirected petitions against the legislation to the respective high courts. No protests are apolitical and often end up being exploited by political parties. Whether it is the alleged incitement of violence in Jamia Nagar by a Delhi MLA of the Aam Aadmi Party or the petitions filed against CAA by leaders of political parties, a protest is an opportunity best exploited for political gains.

MORE FROM INSIGHT | Data Protection Bill: Govt breaks silence but secrecy remains

Given the intensity of the anti-CAA protests, the Union government cannot afford to brazen it out. Rather, it needs to show humility and engage in dialogue with the protesting groups, take steps to dispel apprehensions of targeted religious discrimination in the garb of CAA, and prevent politics of polarisation over the contentious issue.

It's tragic that with CAA, the government appears to have committed the same blunder it did when it announced demonetisation in November 2016-lack of groundwork.

While the Hindu-right argues that the country has become accustomed to the politics of entitlement and CAA is a shake-up of a system entrenched in appeasement politics, the ruling BJP, at the moment, runs the risk of turning the aspirational youth away. The same youth that Prime Minister Modi strategically designed his electoral pitch of development and jobs for. A segment that is conscious of its rights, values freedom and has faith in the India story.

Perception has the power to eclipse reality. At the moment, the perception seems to be that the government is bulldozing its way through crucial structural shifts in India. That this has happened before is not good enough reason, because times have changed. In the age of information explosion, every move is a public act. And a state perceived to be aggressive rarely comes off looking good when put face-to-face with agitating students.

FROM THE MAGAZINE | We, the People | ProtestsALSO READ | At the stroke of the midnight, how universities across India united for Jamia studentsANALYSIS | Jamia protest: Can police enter university campuses?ALSO READ | Several students missing after crackdown on AMU protesters: Fact-finding teamALSO WATCH | In Depth: How students' anti-CAA protests spread across the country

Originally posted here:
Citizenship Amendment Act: The anatomy of a protest |India Today Insight - India Today

So many amazing friendships have come out of Grey's Anatomy, proving that it's not just any old medical drama. Of course, there have been thousands of unusual medical cases for the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial to solve over the years but it's the interactions between the characters that keep viewers tuning in week after week.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: Top 10 Fan Favorite Characters, Ranked

Sometimes, two characters go together so well that it's incredible that they haven't struck up a friendship before. Other times, two people who are the complete polar opposites find their platonic soulmate in each other. However, Grey's has also featured a number of friendships which just didn't work.

These two loveable surgeons are perfectly amicable towards each other, but they've always remained acquaintances at best, which is a real shame. For one thing, they actually have quite a lot in common. Jackson and Meredith both had to live up to their name, as esteemed surgeons ran in the family; Jackson is the grandson of Harper Avery, and Meredith had Ellis Grey as her mother.

For another thing, on the rare occasions that they actually spend time with each other outside of a group gathering, their banter is actually quite funny. Who could forget Meredith comforting Jackson over Richard dating his mother by reminding him that Webber slept with her mom too?

Dr Stark was quite simply an ass of a character. He was brought in by Richard Webber to replace Arizona when she went off to help children in Africa in Season 7, and he quickly made enemies with most of the surgical staff, most notably Alex Karev. However, he seemed to have a soft spot for April and the two soon struck up a friendship.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 6 Romances That Ended Too Soon (& 4 That Didn't End Soon Enough)

However, Dr Stark took a liking to April and soon wanted a little bit more than her friendship. They went on one date but April wanted to just remain friends. Unfortunately, Dr Stark didn't take it too well and went on to treat April like any other doctor, which is to say he was a total jerk.

Happily, there's still time for these two to strike up a bromance and, to be honest, Owen really needs it. His character development has come to an absolute standstill. In his first appearance back in Season 5, Owen was a hotshot, confident army doctor, who knew his own mind, but apologized if he overstepped any boundaries.

Unfortunately, nowadays, Owen always believes he's right and leaves utter devastation in his wake. His treatment of Amelia, Tom and Teddy in Season 15 was absolutely appalling. Link, on the other hand, isso nice and kind, and if he and Owen bonded over a couple of drinks, we reckon that he would be able to sort out Dr Hunt in no time.

In Grey's Anatomy's twelfth season, the character of Nathan Riggs was introduced and, surprise surprise, Owen didn't like him. In fact, Owen hated him so much that he turned almost the entire hospital against him. The only person who liked Riggs and enjoyed his company initially was April, who had met him during her time as an army medic.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Hilarious Patient Memes Only True Fans Will Understand

This looked like it could have made for an adorable friendship, with the two bonding over their awkward first starts at the hospital. However, their friendship disappeared as soon as it had begun. They never really interacted onscreen and when they did, it was like they had totally forgotten that they were friends.

Jo and Jackson's relationship is similar to that of his and Meredith's friendship, except Jo and Jackson know each other even less. Until recently, Jackson was Jo's superior, so we can understand why they never really bonded back then. However, Jo was dating Alex, Jackson's friend and colleague, so there was an opportunity there.

However, Jo and Jackson have far more in common than that. Both of them have a dark history with their parents, and they both regret going to find out more. When Jo was depressed after visiting her birth mom, Jackson was there to try and comfort her and offer her some advice. These two need to lean on each other more often.

Initially, these two surgeons appeared to be good friends, and they supported each other. However, as the show progressed, Derek and Richard seemed to like each other less and less. Firstly, Derek was unaware that he would have to compete with Burke for Chief of Surgery once Richard retired, something that Webber neglected to mention.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: The Main Characters, Ranked By Intelligence

Their differences really came out to play, though, in Season 6. This was a very stressful time for Richard, as the hospital was merging with Mercy West, meaning there would be cutbacks and a loss of jobs. Unfortunately, this drove him to start drinking, and while Derek noticed first, he could have handled the situation a lot better.

Okay, so some of you might think that we've gone a little bit mad here, but just hear us out. Yes, Amelia and Teddy didn't exactly get off to a great start, but actually, they're perfect best friend material. They both know what it's like to be in a relationship with Owen Hunt, and they know all the problems that come with it.

They also know exactly what it's like to have a surprise pregnancy, and possibly by the same man too. This all sounds fairly counterintuitive but imagine the fun they could have; Teddy coming over to Amelia's to drink and rant about Owen, and Amelia just giving sass back. Grey's needs a great friendship at the moment, and Teddy and Amelia could be it.

George and Lexie first met in the closing moments of the third season's finale, in a cliffhanger that left a lot of people absolutely gobsmacked. In the next season, Lexie was the only person George told about him having to repeat his intern year, and like any good friend would, she kept his secret safe.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Facts About Callie Torres Many Fans Don't Know

The two looked as though they had a good friendship going, and it was nice to seem them bond. However, when George became a resident, their relationship changed. George basically ignored Lexie in favor of hanging out with his old friends again and Lexie, who had developed a crush on him, was hurt by his actions.

Maggie and Mark never even met onscreen, as the latter died almost two seasons before Maggie first appeared on the medical drama, and that was a real shame.Grey's Anatomy presents both Maggie and Amelia as Meredith's current 'sisters' but for some reason, everyone has always hated on Amelia. Personally, I found Maggie way more annoying.

Maggie is a brilliant surgeon, and she can be a real badass when she wants, but she is way too high strung and gets way too obsessed with relationships. Mark Sloan, however, was ridiculously carefree, and had the two of them met, they would have been hilarious together. Mark also wouldn't have held back during that ridiculous Meredith-Maggie-Riggs love triangle.

We know they're currently in a relationship now, but Teddy and Owen were friends for a long time before that. Except, no one could really tell that they were friends because of the amount of times they fell out or developed feelings for one another.

Owen first brought Teddy to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital as a present for his then-girlfriend, Cristina, who was desperate for a Cardio mentor. However, it soon transpired that Teddy had feelings for Owen, which resulted in a love triangle between the trio. Things just got worse, though, as Owen tried to get Teddy fired, and in Season 8, he refused to tell Teddy that her husband had died because she was still in surgery.

NEXT: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Best Season Premieres, Ranked

NextSouth Park: 5 Old Characters We Miss (& 5 That Should Probably Be Phased Out)

Ben Pettitt is a recent English graduate of the University of Nottingham. He loves to write, read and watch Netflix. This is one of the reasons why he decided to come and display his knowledge of
pop culture as a writer for Screen Rant.

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Grey's Anatomy: 5 Friendships We Would Have Loved To Have Seen (& 5 We Don't Care About) - Screen Rant

It has been an eventful season of Grey's Anatomy.

The series is in its sweet 16th season, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

It celebrated another milestone with its 350th episode, which served as an ode to Meredith Grey and the series and all it has offered.

The series is about to fully expand its universe by choosing to meld the Grey's Anatomy world with that of its spinoff Station 19.

It's an exciting venture, and it'll bring some of our favorite actors and characters from both series together more.

One of whom we had the privilege to speak with about what's coming up with the series and her character.

We caught up with Jaicy Elliot best known as Taryn "Hellmouth" Helm, and discussed the upcoming crossover event when the series returns, the trajectory of her character, and why Helm shouldn't be "the New Meredith Grey."

It's Elliot's first television role, but she has a background in theater. She was a big fan of the show, but she mentioned it was a friend of hers who recommended she audition for the role of Helm.

She mentioned that she sees a lot of herself in Taryn and the character resonated with her.

She joked that she hoped she wasn't as sarcastic as the woman she played, but while Taryn can at times come across a bit cold and sarcastic, Elliot is all warmth and friendliness.

She's passionate about her craft and this character, and she's so thoughtful in how she speaks about and understands Taryn.

We discussed how she ushered in a more diverse batch of interns -- the most diverse bunch we've seen to date.

It included Vik, their first notable South Asian character on the series, Dahlia who, notably wore a hijab, Sam, who was a DACA kid, Levi, of course, the first gay male series regular on the series, transgender veteran Casey, and Taryn, of course, who plays a driven woman who likes women.

Elliot stated she is proud to be part of such an inclusive series.

She came in at a rewarding time, both participating in Greys Anatomy: B-Team, the Emmy nominated digital series short about the new interns' first day, and she was able to celebrate two big milestones for the series.

She described the experience of celebrating the 350th episode as exciting.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 8 served as an ode to Meredith Grey after half of the season was dedicated to Meredith taking on a flawed healthcare system.

Elliot had nothing but praise for the series for exploring these pitfalls in the healthcare system and wanting to address them.

She herself is a celebrity ambassador for Valley Community Healthcare, whose primary goal is to provide quality healthcare for all, especially those who cannot always afford it.

Taryn is known for being the biggest Meredith fangirl out of the bunch, so Meredith being fired from the hospital had an effect. "Many of these residents, they came to learn from Meredith Grey. She's an idol -- they look to her as a mentor."

We delved into Helm's well-known crush on Meredith, and it has more to do with who Helm aspires to be as a doctor than simply romantic, according to Elliot. Meredith is why Helm is at Grey Sloan. She went there to work with the best, and for her, Meredith is the best.

Meredith's absence was hard on Helm because of her inability to work with her mentor. It also caused some tension between Helm and Levi. The two of them are great friends.

I asked her about the unfortunate manner in which Levi was being treated by the others, and while she admits that Levi was doing his job "there's a loyalty at Grey Sloan."

She mentioned how fundamental loyal seems to be at this hospital with these people. It's "part of the culture," and "Taryn is loyal. She's not wavering. She's always firmly in support of Meredith."

It seems Taryn's loyalty to her mentor supersedes even her friendship to Levi, but from the sounds of it, it's nothing the two can't get past.

Elliot admits that Helm's Meredith crush stems from Taryn's admiration of who Meredith is as a person.

Meredith is passionate about her job "and doing what she feels is right. She's not afraid to fight for what's right, and that's something I think Taryn appreciates and respects."

It's a fine line between wanting to be with Meredith and be Meredith, but Helm's feelings for Meredith are leaning more toward the aspirational.

As we can recall with that famous "New Meredith Grey" line, Taryn wants to model her career trajectory off of someone like Meredith, and they share similar values.

Taryn has been making some great strides this season. For starters, she had her first major surgery opportunity. "She was the first to perform such an advanced surgery. I was so excited for her."

It was a standout moment for Taryn, but it didn't exactly go according to plan.

"Taryn was a bit full of herself --um, too self-assured, maybe. She got too confident. She couldn't succeed in it outright, but it was humbling. Taryn has a naivete, and she needed that experience -- it was an important reality check."

But Elliot is excited about what the second half of the season has in store for us.

They've been working hard on the series, and from the sounds of it, when the show returns, it's going to be crazy insane!

With Kristen Vernoff at the helm of both Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 now, we can expect both series to blend into each other more.

They'll be linked more than ever. Jaicy reminded us that it wasn't uncommon for characters from both shows to pop up here and there, but they'll be working more cohesively hand in hand now.

It sounds like the timelines will match up more now compared to before. The world of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 will become one universe for our enjoyment.

And the second half of the season promises more mixes and matches with character interactions and more.

We discussed it further along with her thoughts on exploring Taryn's romantic/personal life and much more.

When the series returns, there's going to be a crossover event. It seems like we're headed more into bridging the Grey's Anatomy world with the Station 19 world.

What's it like working with both sets? Does it feel different working between the two? The crossover seems like it's going to be very action-packed, so what's that like shooting?

Jaicy: Usually, they include a lot of people and a lot of hours onset. Because, you know, everyone's there. It takes longer and it's more intricate, and there's a feeling of like, of, we're really in the thick of it and working long hours. So there's a very exciting aspect to it. I always feel like a child when I'm on set.

Because I'm like, it's like stepping into Disneyland because of all these sets and all these people. We can talk and hang out, and act, and, you know, it's always a great time. To shoot these scenes it feels kind of like a boot camp, we have a lot of fun.

It sounds like it. It looks like you guys have a blast!

Mhmm.

Now, do you think we're going to learn more about Helm's personal life? Do you think she's going to get a romance? Is it something you'd like to see? Because some people would like to see it and others don't.

I mean, I would love for Taryn to fall in love, um, and it sounds super corny, but I think I would like her to fall in love with herself first, and I think that might go along with her blooming into the doctor that she wants to be.

Every time we learn a little bit more about Taryn and who she is and where she comes from and all of that, I feel like she's so focused in her work, I want her to get a little break from that, a little success in that and find a little confidence.

I think any relationship that might trigger, like, somebody's interest or her being interested in someone who is a little more accessible, but she's also like so fully committed to Meredith that I don't see her being interested in anyone else, but I'm -- I would be excited for her to find someone, but one step at a time.

I think I woul
d be more excited to see her as a good surgeon first.

Right. Right. I know everyone cracked jokes about her when she said the line about being the new Meredith Grey, but my first instinct when she said that was "learn to be a badass Taryn first."

Right, yeah!

I mean, it's not really about Meredith in the end for Taryn. It's about finding out who you are and going through that, and I agree, I think that would be a really great journey for her.

I do like how laser-focused and committed she is. Now, you were a fan of the series before, so have fans ever made the comparisons between your character and any of the previous interns?

Um, not that I've seen multiple times. I've definitely had little moments where I've said "Oh, that feels like something that person would say" but it feels to me like Taryn is very a mix of a lot of different things.

You know, for a long time I felt like Taryn was a little cold, and this one scene when she sees, I think it was last year when she showed this vulnerability, and it sort of made her into a different person.

As I'm finding out more about her, I'm seeing that she's very much her own person. I'm having kind of a hard time comparing her to anyone that has been on the show. I mean, I know for a while I was hoping that she would be a little bit of a Cristina, but she doesn't feel like a Cristina to me.

She has a little Cristina in her with the dedication, but I agree.

Yeah, she does have a little bit of that, but she does come out as her own person.

And I love how, you guys have so many -- you guys have such a huge cast, and there are so many storylines, but you do see the growth, and development, and the characterization of your character. I love her journey she's taken from when she first arrived. She has, as you said, mellowed out a lot. And you can see her journey.

Yeah, and I feel like that's kinda been my experience this year.

At first, she came in a little, um, how can I say this, a little bit full of herself, not full of herself, but naive in a sense that she thought that she would come in a rule the day.

But she comes in now, and she's like, OK, let's just do the day to day work and then eventually I'll get to a place where I'm comfortable. She feels a little bit this year like she knows what she's doing.

When you're scared, it's very easy to act like you're not being affected, or you're a certain way, and I feel like now she's a little bit more like an actual human being.

[Laughs]Yeah, she's still confident, but I think she lost some of the arrogant edge now that she has more experience.

Arrogant. Arrogant is what I was looking for, thank you.

Yeah. She's more grounded now than when she first came in. You said you brought a lot of yourself to the role, do you have any similarities to her?

Oh yeah, we have tons of similarities. Sometimes I wonder if the writers are just telling me how to live my life ...

[Laughs]

Or if they're actually basing the character off of me. But from like starting this show too, we [Jaicy and Taryn] started the huge, new job at the same time, so that in itself, we were both put into this same situation.

We both had to adapt and learn how to deal with our own emotions, like maybe dealing with feeling intimidated and not really knowing how to stand, or when to do something, so from our experience to like, traits that we have.

I think she has a lot of compassion, and I like to think that it's something I have in my life that the writers wanted to add to the character. Um, we also, like. she's a little more sarcastic than I am.

Which, I hope that I'm not as cut and dry as she is, but we have that, and I know the writers, we talk a lot about that. Some of her personality, maybe they've grown these traits into making her more of a defined person. I feel very close to her like maybe she can be my cousin or my sister.

Sometimes I feel like I have split personalities ... And she gives me advice, and I give her advice, and it can be very confusing. But yeah, she's very close to me, and I have a lot of compassion for her.

That's so cool. I always find that so fascinating. The process of playing someone, you know? How much of it is you, and how much of it is what you aspire to be or what you don't aspire to be, you know what I mean?

Oh yeah, I understand. And also, they make her very funny, and like, I hope I'm funny, but like, I don't have as much repartee as she has? {Laughs}You know?

[Laughs].OK, I don't want to get you in any trouble with giving out spoilers.

Right!

But basically, to sum it up, when Grey's returns it's going to be huge, and exciting, and we won't want to miss it, right?

I think the main idea for the next half of the season is that, um, we're really merging Station 19 and Grey's. And I think, if you think about what that might bring, it means new stories and a lot more ground to work with, and that's really kind of the main event.

And then it's everyone has their own little evolutions. For Taryn, again, I think this year is going to be a defining year in the sense that she's, I feel like she thinks she's finally part of the hospital.

With Grey's there's always drama, and there is DEFINITELY drama in the next part of the season for everyone, and also for Taryn.

Well, it wouldn't be Grey's without the drama!

Yup!

Grey's Anatomy returns with a two-hour crossover special with Station 19 on January 23.

Until then, if you need a refresher, you can watch Grey's Anatomy online.

Also, if you haven't checked out the spinofff yet, you can watch Station 19 online too, right here on TV Fanatic!

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Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

See the original post here:
Grey's Anatomy's Jaicy Elliot on the Station 19 Crossover Event and Helm Falling In Love With Herself! - TV Fanatic

It's the colourful, candy-like drug seducing festivalgoers with its promise of a euphoric high that users say makes them feel at one with the universe and dance for hours.

There is very little offence in its appearance but it is a coin flip to whether it will lead to the best or worst night of the taker's life.

University of Sydney clinical professor Andrew Dawson said MDMA - colloquially known as ecstasy or "Molly" - is a type of amphetamine that increases the release of certain brain chemicals, which make people feel happy.

"But those chemicals also interfere with the thermostat of the brain which regulates body temperature as well as causing body cells to generate more heat," Professor Dawson said.

University of Sydneys Faculty of Sciences Dr Samuel Bannister said MDMA reportedly increases the desire to dance

"When people take ecstasy and take multiple doses and push the dose up, that regulation of the thermostat gets much worse and heat production increases."

The University of Sydney Faculty of Science's Dr Samuel Banister said MDMA was not inherently dangerous but can be in the wrong circumstance.

"MDMA is a small molecule structurally related to amphetamine so if people use MDMA the feelings that are reported commonly are increased empathy, desire to dance, increased warmth and some of these stimulating effects that are common to amphetamines," Dr Banister said.

But he added it was hard to predict exactly how an individual would respond to any drug, including MDMA, because there were so many variable factors.

These range from a person's diet and their general physical health to what activities they are undertaking that day and whether they have taken any other substances.

"Poly drug-use is sometimes an issue if you've taken it with other substances they can sometimes interact by several well-known mechanisms," Dr Banister said.

"Alcohol generally doesn't mix with anything it's an inherently pretty toxic substance itself and it doesn't play well with other drugs."

MDMA pills come in all shapes and sizes

The effects of MDMA are usually felt about 20 minutes to an hour after taken and last for about six hours, according to Australia's Alcohol and Drug Foundation.

But there is no hard and fast rule because some pills sold as ecstasy may only have contained a small amount of MDMA or none at all.

Signs and symptoms of a potential overdose can affect any part of the body, and could include headaches, blurred vision, restlessness, anxiety, paranoia and either a clenched jaw or grinding teeth.

An elevated body temperature, chills or excessive sweating are also symptoms of a potential overdose, while some users will also experience abdominal cramping, nausea and vomiting.

An overdose could also lead to seizures, a loss of consciousness, confusion and other changes in mental state as well as an irregular, rapid heart rate, as well as symptoms of chest pains.

MDMA is often mixed or "cut" with other drugs or fillers to make it go further, meaning the strength will vary from batch to batch and impact the high a person experiences.

This also makes it difficult to know whether MDMA itself is addictive and research has not yet provided a definitive answer.

The good times and good beats were rolling at the Supremacy Dance Party at Olympic Park, Homebush, in Sydneys west.

Some users have reported symptoms of addiction including continued use despite negative consequences, withdrawal and craving.

While it is generally only known as a party drug, Dr Banister said MDMA is being used in clinical trials for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"The drug is manufactured to a very high purity, it's administered by clinicians and under supervision from clinicians so clearly it can't be that dangerous intrinsically or it wouldn't be in a trial at all," Dr Banister said.

"But of course, it can have very serious effects in cases of overdose."

If you need help? Please call Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year or in the event of a medical emergency, call triple-0 immediately.

Professor Andrew Dawson.

Read the original post:
Anatomy of MDMA: What it really does to your body - Central Telegraph

Rutilio Olivera, Executive Pastry Chef and Co-Owner of Sook Pastry makes the Glen layer by luscious layer. Anne-Marie Caruso, NorthJersey

Part of pastry is spectacle: glistening tarts topped with a rainbow of sliced fruits, adorable mini cakes covered withfrills of icing, fluffy mousse with swirls of cloud-like cream.

And a shop that knows the importance of display-case pageantry is Sook Pastry Shop in Ridgewood. We looked at each layer of Sook's popular Glen Cake, named for a street in its hometown, to better understand the appeal. The Glen Cake is sliced and presented so that its six even layers are visible.

The layered Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

"People decide on what to get based on what they see in the display case," saysexecutive pastry chef/partner Rutilio Olivera, who devised the Glen Cake along with pastry chef/owner Keum-Sook Park. "Every part of the cake has to be perfect."

Here's a breakdown of each delicious level.

The chocolate sponge layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

A thin slice of chocolate sponge cake to give the pastry a soft yet solid base to pile mousse on top of. Think Betty Crocker cake mix, just home-made and much, much better. It's a sweet, light and yes spongy cake.

The feuilletine chocolate layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Milk chocolate mixed with feuilletine: crispy, sugary flakes similar to a crushed waffle cone. This layer adds a satisfying crunch.

The raspberry, strawberry and black currant layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Amousse made mostly of heavy cream and egg whitesturned bright pink by theaddition ofstrawberries, raspberries and red currant. Itadds a light, fruity sweetness acontrast tothe heady chocolate layers.

Another level of chocolate sponge cake that gives the next layer of mousse something to rest on.

The chocolate mousse layer of the Glen cake from Sook Pastry in Ridgewood on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Silky, decadent chocolate mousse (more heavy cream and egg whites, just mixed with chocolate this time).

Rutilio Olivera, Executive Pastry Chef and Co-Owner of Sook Pastry in Ridgewood makes a Glen cake on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

A thin glaze of shiny dark chocolate produced mainly by sugar syrup, heavy cream, gelatin and cacao powder. Thislayer is so shiny, you can see yourself reflected in it. Though mainly decorative, this silky glazeadds a touch of bittersweet flavor from the dark chocolate.

Rutilio Olivera, Executive Pastry Chef and Co-Owner of Sook Pastry in Ridgewood makes a Glen cake on Friday October 11, 2019.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

A milk chocolate twirl with white chocolate stripes running through it sits on top as a garnish.

This cake is available in a 3-by-1 1/2 inch slice and a 7-by-7 inch square. Sook Pastry Shop is located at24 S. Broad St., Ridgewood;201-493-2500,sookpastry.com.

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WACO, Texas For Lincoln Riley, there was no impassioned, season-changing speech or movie-caliber moment of truth. The head coach didnt have to say much to his Oklahoma team at halftime. The Sooners knew what they needed to do. When he pulled his team together before the break, down 28-3 to Baylor, he reminded them there was still forever left. They believed they could flip it. When a team has won as much as these guys have, its just not that daunting.

I knew we were going to just fight our tails off, Riley said. You just knew that. Our team knew that. They felt that.

Matt Rhules message at halftime: Keep playing, keep playing, keep playing. He knew the pressure was on now, no matter the 31-10 lead. His team hadnt been in this spot before, holding this big of a lead against this good of a team with these kinds of stakes. Rhule had heard all week about the need for Baylor to start fast, and his team actually did it. But as...

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Anatomy of a Comeback: Inside the wild second half of Oklahoma-Baylor - The Athletic

Everything started when senior backup quarterback Tommy Lazzaro scored from 5 yards out.

Lazzaro couldn't contain his excitement and yelled in jubilation. While his celebration drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the score itself cut Ball State's lead to just four points. Senior kicker Ryan Tice's extra point made it a three-point contest.

After trailing by 17 points in the third quarter on Nov. 16 at Scheumann Stadium, the Chippewas clawed their way back into the game. What looked like a blowout earlier in the second half had become a ball game.

It was time to finish the job.

After forcing the Cardinals to punt, the Chippewas took over deep in their territory. Senior graduate transfer quarterback Quinten Dormady was sacked on a third-and-3, and Central Michigan was forced to punt the ball away.

Punting from his end zone, sophomore Brady Buell sent the ball back to the Cardinals.

Ball State took over at midfield, 50 yards away from a touchdown that would've salted away the game.

It didn't start well, as Cardinal quarterback Drew Plitt hit Antwan Davis for an 18-yard gain. Junior running back Caleb Huntley pushed forward for another first down, putting the ball on Central Michigan's 17-yard line.

"That (Ball State) was slowing down," said sophomore linebacker Troy Brown. "They took their foot off the gas pedal."

Brown and the defense locked in, forcing an incompletion on a third-and-9.

Ball State brought out its field goal unit, and Ryan Rimmler's 33-yard field goal made it 44-38 in favor of the Cardinals.

"In the fourth quarter we won four of the five third downs," said defensive coordinator Robb Akey. "We got our act together a little bit."

There was 5:09 remaining. It was last call time for the Chippewa offense.

While Brown and his defensive teammates were making their pivotal stand, the offense began to gather. They knew what was at stake and wanted to be prepared when they needed to take the field.

"They went and scripted, like you would the first drive of the game or first drive of the second half," said first-year coach Jim McElwain. "(The coaches) gave the players what we were gonna do and the players went and executed."

"It's not about the plays, it's about the players executing," said offensive coordinator Charlie Frye. "There were guys on the sideline, and when (Ball State) kicked a field goal, they understood that we had to go down and score."

Dormady, the double graduate transfer who has been through many ups and downs, had just four impactful words for his unit before taking the field: "Let's go be great."

"Big games are gonna come down to the last drive when you've gotta go out and execute," Dormady said.

It started with an incomplete pass and a 3-yard gain for senior running back Jonathan Ward. Facing a third-and-7, the Chippewas' backs appeared to be against the wall.

Dormady had other ideas, hitting Ward out of the backfield for an 18-yard gain to move the chains. Two plays later, he connected with sophomore receiver Kalil Pimpleton for 27 yards.

After an incompletion, Dormady threw a pass to junior receiver JaCorey Sullivan on a corner route to move the chains. Although the pass was originally ruled incomplete, it was determined that Sullivan secured the ball. The completion gave Central Michigan a first down on Ball State's 11-yard line.

The Chippewas were in striking distance.

Lazzaro punched it in from 2 yards out, and Tice's extra point gave the Chippewas a one-point advantage, 45-44.

Just 61 seconds remained in the contest.

"The sense of urgency and focusing on the details, that's what I saw," Frye said. "Plays will always be plays, it's about the players going out and executing their jobs and doing what they're doing for each other so that we can go out and win the game."

"For that last drive, (it was about) just execution," Dormady said. "Going out and being great."

It would be up to the defense to get the final stop and secure the comeback victory.

The defense allowed 499 yards of offense and two running backs over 100 yards on the ground. The game was not over, and the Chippewa defense was entering their metaphorical "Ring of Fire" stage of the contest.

Brown, Akey and others were licking their chops.

"Our defense, as a whole, we know when we're working together we're pretty much unstoppable," Brown said. "We knew we had to come away with the takeaway."

"The good Lord created the defense to give the ball back to the offense without giving up points," Akey said.

In the spirit of coach Herman Boone, the Chippewas did not allow another yard. Three consecutive incompletions led to a pivotal fourth-and-10 for Ball State.

"I was just dropping back," Brown said. "Our defensive line did a good job of getting pressure and (Plitt) was forced to throw on a scramble. He threw it to me and I knew I had to make a play."

Brown's third interception of the season sealed the victory. Three kneel downs later, the Chippewas made the victory official.

McElwain hugged numerous players. Pimpleton and Ward did multiple backflips. The field was full of ecstatic Chippewas.

It was pandemonium.

McElwain: "Signature wins happen when adversity hits. We had a lot of it today."

Akey: "The bottom line is we won the game. You better appreciate that because wins are hard to get."

Frye: "They (the players) showed the resiliency to not just get back into the game, but to finish it. It's not easy to do and they should feel very proud."

Dormady: "I've been through a lot personally. To get this win, with this group of guys, I can't tell you what it means to me."

For Dormady, it may very well be a career-defining victory.

For McElwain, it may boost him to the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year award.

In a game with MAC West Division title implications, the Chippewas got it done.

A team that finished 1-11 last season battled together to secure a victory from the jaws of defeat.

"They stuck together," Frye said. "It's awesome to see that."

Link:
The anatomy of Central Michigan's game-winning drive against Ball State - Central Michigan Life

The plan, it appeared, was fairly straightforward: get Prince Andrew in front of a camera and put a stop to speculation about the nature of his connections to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

So, how did it go from that to the Queen feeling she had no choice but to take the barely conceivable step of allowing one of her sons to step back from public duties altogether in less than five days?

The Duke of Yorks strategy had taken a hit even before he had sat down opposite the BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis. Andrew had already lost the services of Jason Stein, the spin doctor hired in September to restore his reputation. Stein had reportedly advised Andrew against the whole thing, preferring a longer-term strategy that included a great deal of charity work and interviews with print outlets to mark his birthday.

The unravelling of the strategy began almost immediately after the interview ended. Andrew appeared pleased with his performance, even giving the Newsnight team a tour of the palace afterwards. But when lines from the interview began reaching journalists inboxes early on Friday evening, they were astonished by what they read. By Saturday morning, the story was dominating the news agenda. The headlines were devastating for Andrew. And the interview had not yet even been aired.

The early press reports focused on his claim that his decision to maintain close relations with Epstein despite the financiers conviction for sexual offences was motivated primarily by the princes tendency to be too honourable.

Kept back by the BBC was the princes claim that he could not have had sex with Virginia Giuffre, which she says she was coerced into doing while a teenager, because he was at home after a visit to Pizza Express in Woking. Nor was his contention that her description of his dancing with her beforehand could not be true because he was unable to sweat at the time.

Those revelations, when they came out, were met with incredulity and were shared widely online, adding fresh impetus to the story.

By Sunday evening, Andrew was facing calls to speak to the FBI from lawyers representing 10 of the Epsteins victims. While some of the attention was focused on Andrews extraordinary defence, there was strong criticism of his attitude towards the victims and the fact that he had not expressed sympathy for them in the interview.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, said she could not understand how somebody could be talking about their relationship with [Epstein] without recognising, or understanding, or discussing, how he felt about those victims. And I felt they should have been much more at the centre of that discussion.

The backlash continued into this week as numerous organisations began to cut ties with the prince. On Monday, it emerged that the accountancy giant KPMG would not be renewing its sponsorship of Andrews entrepreneurial scheme, Pitch@Palace.

That night a fresh Epstein accuser gave a press conference in Los Angeles where she detailed allegations that the financier assaulted her when she was 15 and urged Andrew to come forward to the authorities with whatever information he had about his former friend.

On Tuesday, Standard Chartered also pulled out of Pitch@Palace as questions about Andrews continued involvement in the scheme he founded in 2014 continued to circulate. They prompted a whole host of other firms to review their involvement or cut ties altogether.

Wednesday morning brought no respite, as it emerged that three Australian universities had severed their links with the business-mentoring charitys Australian branch. On top of that, the telecoms firm BT said it would not work with Andrews digital training scheme while he was a patron.

Later that same day a letter emerged casting serious doubt on Andrews claim in the BBC interview to have first met Epstein in 1999. The letter written to the Times in 2011 to counter reports that the prince had been a friend of Saif Gaddafi, son of the former Libyan dictator had come from his own former chief of staff, who said that the prince had met Epstein in the early 1990s.

At first, Buckingham Palace sought to defend Andrew over the apparent discrepancy. The dukes words in the interview speak for themselves, said a spokesperson.

By Wednesday afternoon, the palace sought to bring the issue to a close with Andrews announcement that he would be stepping back from public duties and was willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their Epstein investigations if required.

Read the original here:
Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein and Newsnight: anatomy of a PR disaster - The Guardian

Sarah Drew has revealed she went into premature labour hours after filming herGrey's Anatomycharacter giving birth.

The actress, who played Dr. April Kepner for nine seasons,toldPEOPLEhow she went into labour with her daughter Hannah hours after filming the season 11 scenes, which saw April give birth to her son, Samuel, before he died in her arms a few moments later.

That one episode was called All I Could Do Was Cry, she said.That episode, the one where April delivered the baby and the baby died Samuel died in her arms I was pregnant with my daughter, Hannah, and I actually went into premature labour 10 hours after shooting that scene.

"She was born a month early and was in the NICU for two weeks."

She quickly added that Hannah, now a four-year-old, is "totally fine" - although she "will never forget" that moment.

"I'll never forget that experience. If you allow yourself to really open up to what that moment is and don't shut down from it, which you could do, I guess... I didn't," She said.

"I just opened up to it and became very porous in it. Your emotions are right there. There's no faking anything. It's just so real, but it also does a number on you and you have to recover from scenes like that, for sure."

Drew left the long-running medical drama at the end of season 14, alongside former co-star Jessica Capshaw.

Read this article:
Sarah Drew reveals she went into premature labour hours after filming Grey's Anatomy birth scenes - Her.ie

Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shephard (Patrick Dempsey) are known to be the fans' favorite OTP, but that didn't mean there aren't others that come a close second. One of Grey's Anatomy's most tragic love stories was between Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) and Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh).

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: All of Mark Sloan's Relationships, Ranked

Mark and Lexie had a rollercoaster of a romance, having more ups and downs than any other couple. Despite breaking up more times than you could count, the pair still managed to find their way back to one another. Unfortunately, their last reconciliation ended in tragedy as both doctors died after succumbing to their injuries. In tribute to the pairing, here are five moments that proved they were couple goals (and five that proved they weren't).

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Mark and Lexie were first classed as a forbidden romance as the plastic surgeon was warned off by Derek. For weeks, they kept their relationship hidden from friends, meeting up at hotels and on-call rooms. However, the pressure of keeping it hidden began to get to Lexie.

Lexie gave Mark an ultimatum: either he told Derek about them or they couldn't be together anymore. Fans had seen how much he cared for Lexie, so it wasn't surprising when Mark ended up telling Derek. Although this led to another falling out between the best friends, there was a nice moment when Lexie came rushing to his aid.

Mark and Lexie's relationship was still going strong weeks after the fight; however, it began to take its toll on Derek and Mark's friendship, with the former still hurt by Mark's betrayal. It also took its toll on Lexie who found herself caught in the middle of their arguments.

As a result, Lexie began to stress eat; she complains to Meredith that the fight is causing her to gain weight. Meredith then intervenes after noticing Mark and Derek try to use Lexie to fuel their work desires. Overall, it wouldn't exactly make a person feel good if their partner is trying to use them for their own gain.

Surprisingly, Mark continued to be the perfect boyfriend when he decided to meet Lexie's dad, Thatcher (Jeff Perry). Earlier in the episode, Mark was reluctant to meet Thatcher because he believed he wouldn't like him. He also implied that he preferred their relationship to be private and didn't want an outsider's perspective to ruin it. Lexie looked disappointed by his decision but respected it all the same.

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: 6 Best Couples ( And 5 Worst)

However, Mark soon changed his mind after speaking with Callie (Sara Ramirez). Something she said must have resonated with the plastics attending as he turns up at the restaurant. Lexie looked taken aback but was nevertheless pleased that he turned up to meet her father. It showed her how committed Mark was to the relationship.

The fight Mark and Lexie have in season 6 is probably one of their worst scenes together. After the couple breaks up, Slexie fans watched in horror as Lexie and Alex (Justin Chambers) hooked up ("Blink"). It was even worse for them when Mark revealed he slept with Addison (Kate Walsh) ("I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked").

The fight that proceeded left all fans cowering behind closed fingers as they revealed their infidelity to one another. Looking back, the couple was right to break up as they needed to grow separately. They both proved that they needed to mature as Mark's disgust was seen as hypocritical and Lexie's 'eye for an eye' attitude showed her immaturity. It's still devastating to watch.

There was only one person Mark had ever said he would marry and that was Lexie. He first revealed his desire in "Shiny Happy People" when Callie encouraged him to go after her before it was too late. Mark also revealed he was thinking about proposing in the episode 'Shock to the System'.

At the time, Lexie was not ready to settle down but it did show how much Mark had grown. For a former womanizer to admit he wants to settle down and get married illustrates the influence the relationship had on him.

It was no secret that Mark was determined to win Lexie back. He even told her so after confessing that he would marry her if she wished. So, when the hospital came under threat after a former patient's husband decided to get revenge, fans were filled with dread.

RELATED:Grey's Anatomy: 5 Relationships Fans Were Behind (& 5 They Rejected)

Mark and Lexie were forced to operate on Alex after he was shot. At the time, Lexie was dating the then pediatric resident and was heartbroken to see him in pain. She tried her best to comfort him as he continued to shout for Izzie (Katherine Heigl). However, fans couldn't help but feel a little bit sympathetic towards Mark when he overheard Lexie confess her love to Alex.

The season 6 finale left the doctors traumatized, with many of them suffering PTSD. Lexie was shown to be one of the people most affected by the ordeal as fans learned she had to be sectioned. It was revealed in a flashback that Mark was responsible for the decision because Alex couldn't cope with her breakdown on top of his own stress.

Although they weren't together, Mark continued to watch Lexie from afar. He was seen storming into the counselor's office, demanding to know why she was allowed back into work after he had her committed into psych. Lexie overheard the commotion and reassured Mark that she was fine. It didn't stop him from watching her weeks later just to make sure she was well.

After Mark gave his blessing to Jackson (Jesse Williams) and Lexie, he began dating ophthalmologist Julia Canner (Holley Fain). Their relationship was established in the episode "Put Me In Coach", where the doctors noted Mark kissing an opposing team member. It became evident that Lexie was jealous of the new budding romance.

Jackson soon broke up with Lexie after realizing she still had feelings for Mark. Instead of doing something about it, Lexie decides to keep quiet and continues to watch as Mark's relationship flourishes. She doesn't react well to the news that he might move in with Julia ("Lion Sleeps Tonight") and breaks down to Derek about missing him ("Moment Of Truth"). It's so frustrating to watch her suffer when she could easily do something about it.

Who knew being compared to a disease could be so romantic? Lexie somehow made it work for her and created one of the show's most iconic speeches. After weeks of pining, Lexie decided to confess her feelings for our favorite plastics attending.

She admitted that despite being happy with Jackson she couldn't help but be drawn back to him. She also confesses to Mark that he is always on her mind, so much that it is beginning to affect her daily routine. Surprisingly, Mark is speechless by her admission, yet it proved one thing. No matter who they dated, the pair would always be drawn to each other in some form.

Arguably the worst death on the show, Slexie fans' hearts were torn in two as they saw Lexie trapped under the plane. The other doctors tried to get it off her, but it quickly became apparent that Lexie would not survive her injuries. When Cristina went to find Meredith, Mark stayed with Lexie.

Mark appeared in denial over the incident, refusing Lexie's pleas to hold her hand because she "wasn't dying". However, he soon changed his mind when he still couldn't get the wing off of her. Mark then proceeds to confess his love to her, creating a dream scenario where they would live happily together. If only he had said something earlier because now fans are haunted by Lexie's last words: "Meant to be".

NEXT: Grey's Anatomy: 5 Times Meredith And Derek Were The Perfect Couple ( & 5 Times They Weren't)

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Grey's Anatomy: 5 Moments Mark & Lexie Proved They Were Couple Goals (& 5 That Proved They Weren't) - Screen Rant

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Patrick Mahomes' arm is exceptional. NFL fans have heard all about his throwing velocity and the bizarre angles at which he can release the football, thanks to the flexibility of his arm.

But apparently, his knee is another example of his exceptional anatomy. While the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback suffered a dislocated kneecap in Week 7, he remarkably participated in practice in Week 8 and may return as soon as Week 9 (but is more likely to return in Week 10). There seems to be a scientific explanation for the Chiefs quarterback's speedy recovery.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport detailed what he's hearing about Mahomes' knee injury and his exceptional anatomy.

"The Kansas City Chiefs sent out the scans to several doctors across the country. The feedback they received is that it's better than anything they imagined. I'm told it goes back to how Patrick Mahomes' knee is actually constructed. Basically, he has loose ligaments - what we would call double-jointed. That's why (when) the kneecap dislocated, it only compromised one ligament, which is crazy, which is something that rarely happens. And it could accelerate Patrick Mahomes' return to the field."

From @NFLGameDay: #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes should be back against the #Titans in Week 10, and the reason he was so fortunate ( https://t.co/kjIZGQrZZu) revolves around the way he was made. pic.twitter.com/Wf4TCEnmOa

- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 27, 2019

As usual, Mahomes seems to have an unfair advantage. All those ketchup-y steaks seem to be paying off.

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Related slideshow: Best of the NFL season (provided by imagn)

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Mahomes' speedy recovery from knee injury may be thanks to exceptional anatomy - msnNOW

Now PlayingGrey's Anatomy Quotes About Love

It's been a couple of weeks, but some of us are still trying to recover from the DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) elevator scene from the Grey's Anatomy winter premiere. Their intimate exchange while waiting for the generators to come back on during a windstorm kicked Meredith's romantic life into high gear and sent the audience's thirst to a new level.

"The fan response has been really great so far. They are in a place where they can accept that Meredith is in a place where she can find love and not just a fling or hook-up, but something real again," Gianniotti told TV Guide at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Tuesday. "We are having a good time telling this story."

DeLuca is only one side of Meredith's current love triangle though, with Link (Chris Carmack) also taking some of her attention. Gianniotti isn't too concerned about other men, and he confirms that DeLuca isn't sweating the competition either.

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"I think DeLuca likes to think he has it in the bag already and I'll just stick with that answer...He's Italian and he's romantic. Who doesn't love a romantic man?," the actor mused. "[DeLuca] is just trying to focus on his path. If someone gets in his way, I'm sure [DeLuca] will find a way to out maneuver him. That [scene] was some really good time to spend and I think he made a great stride ahead of Link in that elevator. He was vulnerable and able to open up about his childhood, the mental illness of his father. I think whether you're a man or a woman or anywhere in between, to be with someone who is okay being vulnerable and talks about their emotions is attractive. I hope that she saw that as well."

DeLuca is also willing to go the extra mile because he knows Meredith is a once-in-a-lifetime catch. "Her power, her intelligence, her independence and how good she is at a job and how respected she is is extremely sexy to him. There's a love in there for him that he sees," Gianniotti explained.

The two will start to get closer in upcoming episodes as we learn even more about DeLuca's backstory and what lead him to medicine.

"I think we are [going to learn more about his family]. The next couple of episodes we'll be seeing more of DeLuca, his sister and their past," he said. "Hopefully it will create some more common ground between him and Meredith."

But can we expect any more elevator-caliber scenes from these lovebirds? Gianniotti couldn't give away any specifics, but he did make us this promise: "Things are definitely going to heat up."

Bring it on.

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.

Photos: 43 Valentine's Day Gifts for Your TV Loving Sweetheart

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Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Spoilers: Giacomo Gianniotti Says ...

EXCLUDESTARTRequirements for Program Entry

REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAM APPLICATION

The DMS program follows a competitive enrollment process whereby candidate applications are reviewed by a ranking process. The following steps must be completed for the application process.

Attendance at a mandatory pre-application informational session will be required. To sign-up for a mandatory pre-application session, please contact Admissions at (920) 498-7159 or (888) 385-6982.

High school transcript or equivalent. (For a list of equivalents, go to http://www.nwtc.edu/gettingstarted.)

Two semesters in high school, or one semester of college Algebra, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry (with a lab component) with a grade of "B" or better.

To be admitted to this program, learners must achieve a prior cumulative high school or college grade point average of 3.0 or higher OR a satisfactory academic skills assessment score. College grade point average must be based on 15 credits or more. To learn more about starting this program, please contact an academic advisor at (920) 498-5444 or (888) 385-6982.

Upon completion of program benchmarks and attendance at the mandatory information session, students will be able to register for the Health Educations Systems Inc. (HESI) A2 Exam. The HESI can only be taken after attendance at a pre-application information session. Test topics include Math, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Reading. To learn more about these assessment scores, please contact an admissions specialist at (920) 498-7159 or (888) 385-6982, or visit the DMS program webpage http://www.nwtc.edu/academics/degrees/health-sciences/Medical/Pages/DiagnosticMedicalSonography.aspx Related link, lower right side.

Candidates submitting applications to the DMS program must also provide an essay (no more than 1,000 words) completed on campus in the Assessment Center. The essay will follow a question and answer format and will include information related to the following; why they are interested in and their knowledge of the profession, experience in healthcare, specific skills and duties of a sonographer, and characteristics that make them a good candidate for the program.

Candidates are ranked in the following categories: HESI scores and program essay. The highest ranking candidates will be offered a place on the program wait list. Remaining candidates will need to resubmit a new application for the following year to have an opportunity to re-apply with the following year's applicants.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAM ENTRY

Upon success acceptance to the program wait list, the following must be completed:

Complete caregiver background check. A fee is charged for this service. Additional information will be provided upon acceptance into the program.

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February 21, 2020 10:49AM PT

Greys Anatomy and its Station 19 both drew their largest total audiences in four weeks on Thursday night.

Station 19 ticked up from a 0.9 rating among adults 18-49 last week to a 1.0 this time around, drawing 6.3 million total viewers, a 4% bump. One hour later, Greys came in at a 1.1 and 6 million, a 7.5% jump from last week. A Million Little Things rounded off the night even for the Disney-owned network at a 0.6 and 3.7 million viewers.

Young Sheldon scored the largest audience on the night with 9 million total viewers and a 1.0 rating, almost exactly the same numbers as last episode. Both The Unicorn and Mom ticked down from their multi-week high 0.8 rating. The two shows came in at a 0.7 this time around, drawing 6 million and 6.2 million viewers respectively. Carols Second Act and Tommy held steady, scoring a 0.6 and a 0.4.

The majority of the shows in NBCs Thursday night comedy lineup improved week-to-week. Superstore rose to a 0.7 and 2.7 million viewers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine jumped to a 0.6 and 1.9 million, and Indebted ticked up to a 0.4 and 1.6 million. Will & Grace matched Indebted with a 0.4 and just over 2 million pairs of eyeballs. Law & Order: SVU came in even at a 0.7 and 3.4 million viewers.

There wasnt much movement on the Fox front Thursday night, as Outmatched and Deputy posted the same 0.5 rating as last week, with the former drawing 2 million viewers and the latter 3.3 million. Last Man Standing rose fractionally to a 0.7 and 3.6 million viewers.

Finally on the CW, Riverdale spinoff was even week-to-week at a 0.1 rating and around 540,000 total viewers.

Read more from the original source:
TV Ratings: Greys Anatomy and Station 19 Reach Four-Week Viewership High - Variety

State Sen. Bart Hester of Cave Springs in Benton County, a pleasant extremist who probably will be the next president pro tempore of the Senate, says there's no difference between savage liberal attacks on conservative judges and his calling the Arkansas Supreme Court "a friend of the child rapist."

There is a difference, though.

The most serious attacks on any appellate justice from the left that I can recall were directed toward Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. They had to do with women accusing him of drunken adolescent sexual assault, and with whom one believed. It concerned whether Kavanaugh was worthy amid such charges to join the nation's highest court.

Last week, Hester publicly called the Arkansas Supreme Court a "friend of the child rapist" because of a legal technicality that a 4-3 majority found it necessary to apply under the law in remanding a gruesome child murder case to Benton County for retrial.

Kavanaugh was smeared, you might say, in the course of a background check for his confirmation. The entire Arkansas Supreme Court was smeared, you might say, for applying the law and doing its job.

If you're going to smear somebody, the context is better in the confirmation process.

Hester brought up the matter when a Supreme Court contract for architectural services came before his committee. He didn't tie the contract to his displeasure. He merely used the contract as an opening to express his overheated displeasure.

What the four state Supreme Court justices decided was that the Benton County court should not, by state law, have used a rape of a 6-year-old child occurring on a camping trip in Missouri as an essentially compounding factor proving capital murder in Arkansas, where the child died of horrid complications the next day.

The court majority sent the case back for Benton County to conduct a retrial.

State law requires certain compounding factors to be proven to elevate a murder conviction to capital murder. In this case, the prosecutor cited two such factors--one murder with rape and the other murder with child abuse.

It was not known on which the jury relied in returning a capital murder conviction. For that reason, the four judges said they couldn't be sure the capital murder determination wasn't based on a factor that the applicable Arkansas law didn't allow to be used.

It was a strictly legal ruling, not an exercise in friendship toward a child rapist. Most thinking adults can see that. It in no way meant the local court couldn't take the case back and win a capital murder conviction on the child abuse factor alone. And the retrial gets underway this week.

The three Supreme Court justices voting the other way did not agree with the legal point. But none of them referred to their four colleagues as friends of child rapists.

Hester's lamentation is that the horrific matter had to be relived at a second trial when the only issue was, as he put it, that the Supreme Court got "confused" about a state line.

The four justices weren't confused. They saw the law clearly. And, paining them though I presume it did, they applied it.

"I simply believe we need more justices from the side of three and less justices [he meant fewer] from the side of the four," Hester wrote to me Sunday. "As to whether or not they can be criticized, I have watched your side savagely attack justices with whom they disagree. So, I think the truth is that it's not questioning justices you find offensive. It's criticizing liberal justices."

Notice that Hester's construction of the issue is all about the prevailing and bitter ideological divide. But not everything falls along that handy continuum.

We're talking about appropriateness and proportion.

In that regard, current Senate leader Jim Hendren and House Speaker Matthew Shepherd--asked by a reporter for reaction to Hester's smear--cut the young senator slack. Shepherd said there is free speech and Hendren said it's hard to say anymore what if anything is beyond the pale rhetorically.

They go easy on Hester because he is a good-hearted team player within the insular legislative culture, or so I'm told.

Hester is the current majority leader of the Senate and likely to be elected to succeed Hendren as president pro tempore, meaning the leader of the entire Senate, in the regular session of 2021.

Reasonable legislative colleagues tell me Hester can be reasoned with.

Four state Supreme Court justices might have reason to believe Hester cannot always be reasoned with, or at least reasonable.

For the record, to be clear: I have little regard for the Arkansas Supreme Court. I think the members are mostly Republican partisans living several tiers below the elite of the Arkansas Bar. But I wish to stipulate that I don't think there is a friend of a child rapist among them.

And I also think the prevailing four got the central issue of this case right, uncomfortable though their work sometimes must be.

John Brummett, whose column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is a member of the Arkansas Writers' Hall of Fame. Email him at jbrummett@arkansasonline.com. Read his @johnbrummett Twitter feed.

Web only on 02/26/2020

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BRUMMETT ONLINE: Anatomy of a smear - Arkansas Online

The Afghans have been confronting war and instability for decades. How can this question be solved? This is a big question mark. Many attempts were made in the last five decades yet it did not yield any promising outcomes. An important aspect that has always provided for instability is an imbalance on the governmental level. This imbalance has been resenting the power structure of the society on the national level and neighbouring countries on the international level due to its tilt to one country or the other that in turn always resulted in chaos.

During the premiership of Sardar Daoud from 1953 to 1963, Afghan relations with Pakistan were at its lowest ebb due to the Pashtunistan issue of which Daoud was a staunch supporter. His policies greatly resented the policymakers in Islamabad. When he took charge of the new Republic in 1973 after a bloodless coup, it alarmed Islamabad. Thus, Pakistan started hosting anti-Daoud leaders: Ahmed Shah Masoud, Burhanuddin Rabbani, Gulbadin Hikmatyar, and Abdur-Rab Rauf Siyaf among others.

In the initial years of Daouds rule as president and prime minister, he was challenged by these leaders forces, backed by Pakistan. Furthermore, his pro-Communist policies startled the religious circle of the Afghan traditional society that too went against his position. This imbalance in his policies, both domestic and foreign, resulted in the overthrow of his government by the Saur Revolution in April 1978. If he had balance in his domestic and foreign policy, the situation could have been different and even thwarted the Soviet invasion, which happened due to the weak government of the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA).

The short period of the PDPA government, too, could not deliver and failed to produce a consensus and convince the masses due to its tilt towards the Soviets and radical changes in the system that were resented by the masses. The balance in policies once again felt missed and this further indulged the country into a chaos that provided for the Soviet invasion in late December 1979.

A balanced approach from the Ghani-led unity government is needed to help build peace and stability in Afghanistan

The Soviet invasion gave birth to the installation of Babrak Karmal as president. He was too near to the Soviets yet the situation was changed due to an indirect confrontation of the two superpowers on Afghan soil. When the Soviets were negotiating for a withdrawal, they installed Najibullah as president in 1986, who remained in government till his resignation in April 1992. This time, the country was in an internal war in the name of Jihad against the Soviets while externally, both the governments, Babrak and Najib were pro-Communist. The lack of a balanced approach towards the regional countries was missing.

The fall of the Najibullah government led to the Mujahideens fragile government, which didnt even allow the prime minister, Gulbadin Hikmatyar, to enter Kabul. The factional fighting provided a ground to the Taliban to emerge in late 1994 and followed their sweeping victories over areas resulting in taking Kabul in September 1996. The Taliban government, although quite opposite to those of the Soviet-backed Babrak and Najib governments, too lacked balanced policies. If on one hand, Talibans strict policies resented the Afghan masses, on the other hand, their tilt towards Pakistan was alarming for other neighbouring and regional states, like Russia, Iran, and India, backing the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban faction. The Taliban administration failed to tailor a friendly approach towards the regional countries in general and the west in particular, which met with the collapse in post-9/11 developments.

The post-9/11 setting was different from the previous eras. The government was backed by the leading powers in general and the US in particular. The real in-charge was the US that reversed the previous policies by giving India and the Northern Alliance a major role in the Afghan arena that was not acceptable for Pakistan, thus, providing for imbalance. The question was not the Indian-Northern Alliance carte blanche yet it provided for the imbalance by putting policymakers in Islamabad in the dilemma that the Afghan soil will be used by anti-Pakistan elements; putting Pakistans security at risk. No state can take risks vis--vis its security-related matters at any cost. Throwing Pakistans security concerns in the backyard by the US provided for many issues inside Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Moreover, the post-9/11 Taliban insurgency gave a tough time to the US for years that resulted in a reversal from their previous approach towards the issue. The US approach was militaristic in the first eight years of engagement in Afghanistan on one hand and the imbalance in the role of regional countries in Afghanistan on the other. Furthermore, their approach was lacking any balance both inside and outside Afghanistan. Inside Afghanistan, they relied mostly on warlords and outside, they mostly relied on military approach and Indias role in Afghanistan. If they had created any balanced policies for Afghanistan vis--vis regional and neighbouring states, the situation in Afghanistan might have been different from the current one.

The US, after one and half decades, realised the point: the path to peace in Afghanistan goes through reconciliation that can be achieved through Pakistans cooperation. Certainly, Pakistans role in Afghanistan will not exclude other powers to play their constructive role in Afghanistan but will limit any threats animating from Afghanistan against the former by shaping a balanced picture. Even a hostile relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan is not in favour of any state. The prominent example is the peace process where Pakistan has played a key role, acknowledged by all the actors on both sides in the conflict.

Following Washingtons realisation of the Afghan imbroglio, their policies seem balanced: they dont blame the Taliban for terror acts without any proof as the Afghan leaders do. They acknowledge Pakistans backing of the peace process with the Taliban. The policymakers in Washington know albeit with some suspicion the Taliban are indigenous and cannot be excluded from the Afghan soil. Nonetheless, the Afghan leadership is reluctant to realise these ground realities that are placing the Afghan masses in trouble in the score of violence.

Furthermore, Kabul lacks a clear-cut policy for the peace process with the Taliban due to multiple factors: the political division and the rigid attitude of the leadership towards the Taliban. Secondly, they see the Taliban in quite different lenses: calling them Pakistans puppets. A ground realisation is the need of the hour in Kabul: acknowledge the Taliban as Afghans and indeed they are. They are not the Taliban of the 1990s, they are moderated and want to play a constructive role inside Afghanistan according to their claims. And if we go for a minus-Taliban Afghanistan, it will throw back the country into more bloodshed.

Two possible and reasonable ways can be adopted for the control of any insurgency: crushing them and negotiating with them. If the Afghan government can crush the insurgency, they should go for it but it doesnt seem possible because it was even not possible for the US. Therefore, the best way is a negotiating settlement rather than prolonging this decades-long war as the Afghans cant tolerate it further. A balanced approach from the Ghani-led unity government is needed to help build peace and stability in Afghanistan. Any propaganda tactics or bashing of any state or Taliban wont contribute to peace.

In essence, the US-backed Afghan government in the first place should draw the model from their backer, who paved the way for the conflict through negotiation, not by force. Secondly, they need a balanced approach towards its neighbours and regional countries that will help them resolve the Afghan imbroglio rather than complicating it. Although a balance in Kabuls approach doesnt seem to be in place, it needs
to be. Tilt towards any regional state cannot provide security to Afghanistan. If something can make peace and stability possible, its a balanced approach at home and abroad towards the stakeholders. Further delay in the intra-Afghan talks is resulting in the suffering of the Afghan populace. The question is not of the Taliban exclusion or inclusion in the future set-up. The real question is of a balanced approach that will ensure the security of the Afghans by adopting a viable option.

Zafar Iqbal Yousafzai is an independent researcher and columnist. He tweets @yousafzaiZafar. Dr Rahat Iqbal is an Assistant Professor of International Relations, Muslim Youth University, Islamabad

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The anatomy of the Afghan imbroglio: A way forward - Daily Times

When is Greys Anatomy season 16 on Netflix?

Fans of hit medical drama Greys Anatomy are eagerly awaiting the series being made available on Netflix.

The show is currently airing weekly on US Network ABC as viewers follow Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo) and her colleagues at the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

This airs in its usual time slot of 9pm ET on the network.

The series is expected to land on US Netflix in the summer after the series has finished airing on ABC.

READ MORE:Greys Anatomy season 16: Who are Blake Simms and Hannah Brody?

Season 15 was available to watch on Netflix on June 15, 2019.

Therefore, it seems likely the latest outing will be made available around the same time in 2020.

When it is uploaded to the platform, it is expected all of the episodes will be available to stream at once.

Fans in the UK will not be able to watch the series on Netflix as it will likely only be available to watch on Sky Witness.

However, as of yet, a release date for the new season has not yet been announced.

Fans have been worried about the future of hit medical drama Greys Anatomy after a number of the original cast members have left the show.

The latest to leave was Justin Chambers who played Dr Alex Karev since the Pilot episode.

However, the series was renewed for two more seasons on network back in May 2019.

This includes season 16 and season 17 on ABC but the future of the series after this has not yet been confirmed.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association Winter Tour back in January, ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke addressed the rumours.

When asked if season 17 would be the last, she said: I hope not.

Greys Anatomy will live as long as Ellen is interested in playing Meredith Grey.

According to Deadline, she also confirmed they were currently in talks with Meredith Grey star Ellen Pompeo about the future.

Greys Anatomy currently airs on Thursday evenings on ABC.

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Greys Anatomy season 16 Netflix release date: When is Greys Anatomy on Netflix? - Express

Atlantic Theater Company celebrated the official opening of Alice Birch's Anatomy of a Suicide February 18. The play, which won the 2018 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, premieres in the U.S. following an acclaimed London run.

An exploration of mothers and daughters, Anatomy of a Suicide details the story of three generations of women whose lives play out simultaneously onstage.

Directed by Obie winner Lileana Blain-Cruz, the cast is made up of Celeste Arias (Uncle Vanya), Jason Babinsky (Network), Gabby Beans (Marys Seacole), Ava Briglia (John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch), Carla Gugino (Jett), Julian Elijah Martinez (Network), Jo Mei (The Great Wave), Vince Nappo (Reign), Miriam Silverman (Junk), and Richard Topol (Indecent).

The run, which began February 1 and is scheduled through March 15, features scenic design by Mariana Sanchez, costume design by Kaye Voyce, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, projection design by Hannah Wasileski, and casting by Telsey + Company: Karyn Casl and Madison Sylvester.

Birch has been a two-time finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize with her plays Many Moons and Revolt. She said. Revolt again. She is the winner of the Arts Foundation Award for Playwriting 2014 and the co-winner of the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright 2014.

Link:
Go Inside the Off-Broadway Opening of Anatomy of a Suicide - Playbill.com

TGIF is back, baby.

Station 19 Y Grey's Anatomy He returned tonight with a double dose of disaster, starting with the Station 19 squad that deals with the car in the bar, and Gray & # 39; s take care of the injuries, along with all the regular drama.

Everyone ended up physically well in the end, although Helm suffered a serious leg injury, Parker suffered a head injury, and Schmitt has some type of broken heart syndrome, while Bailey and Ben are still recovering after a miscarriage. but even the guy Maggie thought she had killed has a heart that works again

But some things are not so good. In Station 19Andy's relationship with his father is suffering after he basically embarrassed her for a possible relationship with Sullivan, and in Gray & # 39; sIt seems that Amelia cannot admit what she now knows when her baby was conceived, while Mer might be forced to admit that Cristina's Irish pediatric gift is, in fact, quite attractive.

Here is a selection of the thoughts and questions we had during the two hours:

"Alex is in Iowa." Gray made sure to tell us that Alex is still in Iowa visiting his mother, but since Justin Chambers has already left his program and will not say goodbye, we wonder if Alex will stay in Iowa forever. . Whatever happens, it's a shame, because Jo is clearly on her way to want to start a family, and that will be difficult without her husband. And we're going to miss seeing Alex continue to grow until he becomes one of the best characters on the show.

Owen Hunt: Is it time for Owen to say goodbye to this show? After everything that made Cristina go through, and then everything that made Amelia go, she now looks at him committing to Teddi while Amelia apparently fears that she may be the father of her baby (we assume) just feels upset. We just want to support Amelia and Link! May Owen and Teddi be happy and may Amelia be happy too!

Amelia Just to reiterate, we just want Amelia to be happy. We just want the baby to be Link's baby. We just don't need this pentagon of love anymore. Thank you.

Poor Andy Herrera: Andy deserves much better than her secret work boyfriend and the way her father treated her above her secret work boyfriend. All women deserve much better than men telling them that they will be retained and that men will retain them.

Hot Irish Doctor: The "gift,quot; that Cristina sent to Meredith seems like it might be too good to be true, but we are still here for MerLuca, and DeLuca is also here for MerLuca. Meredith also worried a lot when she thought that DeLuca could have been at the bar, so maybe there is hope for these two and the Irish guy is just a distraction. He also had some moments with Jo, but we are not ready for a sudden divorce from the absent Alex. (Really, what will this show do about him?)

Exterior wall: Have you ever wanted to reach through a TV screen and hug someone so much? After making sure all of his doctors and friends were safe, he fell apart completely during the emotional day he had had, and it was the most heartbreaking thing we've ever seen. We also wish happiness for Bailey, always.

We just have to see what happens next week!

Station 19 Y Grey's Anatomy Thursdays on air starting at 8 p.m. on ABC

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Gray & # 39; s Anatomy & Station 19 Return with dramatic drama - Up News Info

Following the impact of its Rang-tan palm oil campaign, last week Aardman and Greenpeace unveiled 'Turtle Journey' - a heart-wrenching stop motion animation that worked to urge people to take action on the ocean crisis.

The campaign brought together the activist strength of Greenpeace with the famed creative of Aardman Animations, the makers of Wallace and Gromit and famous voices like Olivia Colman, Dame Helen Mirren and Stranger Things' David Harbour.

The Drum went behind the scenes to uncover how the major project came together.

A major focus for Greenpeace has been bringing the problems facing the worlds oceans as a result of climate change into public awareness. Back in 2018, what started as a Twitter joke, resulted in Stranger Things David Harbour dancing with penguins in the Antarctic to raise awareness of their plight.

That same year, Radiohead lead singer and environmental activist, Thom Yorke, released a single in support of Greenpeaces mission to protect the Antarctic Ocean from the effects of climate change, commercial fishing, and human interference. The ominous instrumental tracks message was relayed on Londons Marble Arch.

Meanwhile, to celebrate World Oceans Day in 2018, people from 25 countries and all seven continents painted themselves blue and perform human waves to show their support for ocean protection.

Happy World Oceans Day! Together, we're campaigning for an ocean rescue plan that'd create huge new ocean sanctuaries all over the world. If it...

But despite all the action Greenpeace has taken to drive this message home, Chris Till, deputy fundraising director at Greenpeace admitted its not been as effective as it would like.

"If you spoke to most people, they would have no idea that the United Nations (UN) is in the middle of negotiating a big new global ocean treaty, he said. Despite the fact that that could arguably affect the future of life on earth.

The Greenpeace team realised they needed to do something that would help it break out of its bubble of support, and get its message out into the wider world.

Ahead of the UN global ocean treaty talks in March, Greenpeace wanted to take plan to action by launching a petition to ensure the treaty came to life.

Greenpeace was also battling against peoples resistance to shocking footage. For decades, bodies like Comic Relief and Children in Need have relied on distressing footage to spur people into giving. But recent reports claim hearts are hardening against distressing content.

In preparing for this campaign, Greenpeace quickly came to the conclusion that emotional animations would be a more effective tactic.

As a society, were fast getting used to images that used to be shocking, admitted Till. Animation can be different as it allows people to emotionally connect. They can see themselves within the story in a way thats difficult to do in the real world.

The team had also learned a lesson from its wildly successful Rang-tan campaign; Greenpeaces emotional tale starring actress Emma Thompson that hit home the hard reality of palm oil, and the effect its cultivation has on the earth.

With help from Iceland, which chose to repurpose the video for its Christmas ad, the film thrust the issue of palm oil into the popular mindset. This, in turn, encouraged more people to consider it when buying food and products.

"It really pushed it into the public spotlight," explained Till. "And we knew we needed to do something similar with our next campaign, to get people really talking and taking action about the ocean crisis."

Fortuitously, around the time Greenpeace was mapping out this campaign Aardman Animation got in touch to say it was interested in working with the organisation.

It just felt like a perfect fit, Till said. We were looking for something that would make a strong connection with our audience and Aardman is brilliant at that. As we're both household names in our own right, it would help get the word out.

Following market testing around wider communication for the oceans issue, the research persuaded the team decided to focus on turtles. Till argued that while Greenpeace has a strong track record of talking about whales, they are received differently across the world. Turtles, on the other hand, have universal appeal.

The team at Greenpeace then spoke to Aardmans producers on what they wanted to get out of the film, the reaction they wanted and soon they began working on a brief.

This was then used to reach out to Aardmans network of directors, which garnered 12 pitches as to what this film could look like. They were brilliant and varied and offered many different ways of tackling what could be a very difficult subject, Till said.

We were clear that we wanted the animation to be immediately recognisable as Aardman, he explained on the creative vision Greenpeace had. We wanted something that would be immediately accessible and would take people on a real emotional journey.

Till explained that emotional punch was a phrase that continued to surface throughout their discussions as Greenpeace knew that while it was good at delivering facts and figures, its not always enough to make the case or make people prioritize the issue.

Till said deciding on the director was a fun if agonising decision process where the team refined and narrowed the ideas until they settled on Gavin Strange.

Just hearing Gav talk about his vision showed he really got to the heart of the issue, Till explained. He not only understood it intellectually, but he had a really strong emotional connection to the story." An added extra, to heighten his pitch, Strange read it alongside an accompanying musical mood real.

With the initial premise agreed back in mid-September, Aardman got going on the animation, while Greenpeace stayed in close contact throughout this time, during which Till admits the main producer was his main speed dial.

We had to get it right as its a big story to tell in not so long a video, he explained. Further, because of the process of stop-motion animation, it needed to sign off the script, set and characters before filming started, as once its set in clay, so to speak, all the changes become more difficult. If you go back and reanimate it loses you days and lots of effort.

Due to the nature of stop motion, the team used an animated storyboard, instead of a script. This was so they could work out the timings of each shot down to a fraction of a second.

One issue arose around how the characters should be depicted, as they needed to agree on the exact species of turtle to focus on - down to the colour of the shell. And this needed to balance with the story itself, to ensure that each character was scientifically accurate, with clear distinctions and personalities.

The team then had to work to a tight schedule, to ensure it was ready by January to give it enough airtime to make waves before the final found of the United Nations ocean treaty in March.

To help manage the team. who were working individually on shots, Aardman put boards on the walls with pictures of each shot so they could move between studios to show how it was working out.

All in all, the stop motion recording took six weeks - a painstaking process given the total length of the film is just under two minutes.

The famous voices involved include Olivia Colman, Dame Helen Mirren, and David Harbour, alongside Game of Thrones Bella Ramsey, Downton Abbeys Jim Carter, and comedian Ahir Shah.

Other than the scientific data and facts, Greenpeace also has an extensive phonebook of famous stars keen to support its campaigns.

Colman really did put everything into it, Till said on the Oscar-winning actress' performance. She took time off from doing the final takes of The Crown to rush over and deliver the recordings in under an hour. She just got it."

Till said he was in Harbours ear during his recording, as the actor was working remotely in New York. He said the whole proces
s was interesting to experience, as each famous voice approached the shoot in a different way.

"We don't want to be accused of being hyperbolic," claimed Till on why alongside the video, it has produced a report about the threats that are facing turtles in the real world. "We know it's crucial for us as a lobbying and scientific campaigning organisation we need to demonstrate that science is there to back this story up."

'Turtles Under Threat' reports that while the creature has traversed the world's oceans for more than 100 million years, now six in seven marine turtles are on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are threatened with extinction.

"Unfortunately, our film might be fiction, but what happens to our turtle family in that film is sadly happening to real turtles all over the world," Till said dejectedly.

With the campaign launching last week, its still early days. But Greenpeace said it has already collected over 280,000 signatures - not far off its 300,000 target.

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Anatomy of an Ad: the story behind Greenpeace's harrowing tale of turtle extinction - The Drum