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__label__wiki	0.904929	0.904929	Fairborn Daily Herald on Facebook Fairborn Daily Herald on Twitter Posted on October 4, 2017 by Fairborn Daily Herald Greene County News Norman September AOM nominee COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Cedarville University student athlete Grace Norman, of Jamestown, has been nominated as a finalist for Best Female Athlete for the month of September by the United States Olympic Committee. Norman repeated as world champion at the International Triathlon Union Paratriathlon World Championships, held Sept. 15 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Other finalists for Best Female Athlete of the Month are: water skier Regina Jaquess, paracyclist Shawn Morelli, pro tennis player Sloane Stephens, and skeet shooter Dania Vizzi. Fans can vote for their September Athletes of the Month on the awards.teamusa.org website. Voting ends Monday, Oct. 9. Catholic Central tops Cedarville CEDARVILLE — Cedarville’s girls high school volleyball team fell to 14-4 overall and 8-4 in the Ohio Heritage Conference after a 16-25, 25-16, 24-26, 25-22, 10-15 loss to Springfield Catholic Oct. 3. Sara Beste led Cedarville with 25 kills, 17 digs, one ace and one block assist. Abigail Sheridan had 21 kills and four digs. Kalley Schulz had 46 assists, two kills and two aces along with six digs, while Sami Buettell had 15 digs. Bellbrook blanks Monroe BELLBROOK — The Golden Eagles moved closer to a Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division girls high school soccer title with a 4-0 win over Monroe Oct. 3. Bailey Sedlak, Shannon Reuber, and Cassi Hennen scored while Hennen, and Carlee Shindlebower had assists. Bellbrook’s other goal was kicked in by the Hornets. Bellbrook is 10-0-2 overall and 8-0-1 in the SWBL. The Golden Eagles have a one and a half-game lead over Germantown Valley View and have three league matches left. FHS VB wins again FAIRBORN — Kayleigh Finlayson had 13 kills, 16 digs and five aces to lead Fairborn to a 25-21, 25-20, 26-24 girls high school volleyball win oct. 3 over Riverside Stebbins. Elena North had 12 assists, seven digs, and six kills, while Zuza Livosky had 14 digs and four aces. Eryn Thomas and Maddie Blandino each had two kills. Fairborn is 7-12 overall and 6-6 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference American South Division. The Skyhawks have a one-game lead over Stebbins with three matches left. Bellbrook edges Miamisburg BELLBROOK — The Golden Eagles won all three singles matches to beat Miamisburg, 3-2, in girls high school tennis Oct. 3. Andrea Szep won, 6-1, 6-2, at first singles; Shea Foster won, 6-0, 6-1, at second singles; and Anika Arora won, 6-1, 6-0, at third singles. The first doubles team of Abby Schultz and Paige Buttery lost, 4-6., 6-4, 1-6, while the second doubles team of Jessica Tschantz and Halie Leftwich lost, 4-6, 1-6. Lacrosse clinic at BHS BEAVERCREEK — Beavercreek High School Men’s Lacrosse is sponsoring a free new player lacrosse clinic, from 4:30-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 at Beavercreek High School. The clinic is open to all new male players in grades K-8. Players should bring a stick, if they have one. Registration is required. Go to www.beavercreeklacrosse.com for details and to register. Marauders beat Lane, 3-0 WILBERFORCE — The Central State University women’s volleyball team recorded its fourth conference victory with a 3-0 win Sept. 30 over Lane College. Hosting the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s West Division Volleyball Cluster, Central State came back from a 19-13 deficit to stifle the Dragons, 26-24, in the first set. CSU edged Lane again in the second frame with a 25-22 victory. The Marauders dominated the final set with a comfortable 25-15 victory. Central State freshman Michaela Powell led all players with 13 kills. Lakendra Worthy recorded four of her seven kills in CSU’s comeback win in the first set. Adaiah Johnson distributed 25 assists. Danielle Lyttle recorded 16 digs. CSU is now 4-12 overall with a 4-7 mark in conference play. The Lady Marauders will have a long break before traveling Oct. 13 to Mobile, Ala. for the final SIAC West Division Cluster of the year. Wounded Warriors to play at WSU FAIRBORN — The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team (WWAST) is playing two exhibition games Saturday, Oct. 14, at Ron Nischwitz Baseball Stadium at Wright State University. The first game starts 1 p.m. as the Wounded Warriors take on military all-stars from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The second game starts 3:30 p.m. and features the WWAST against all-stars from the Dayton Legends Softball Club. All the day’s events are fundraisers for the new Fisher House being built on the grounds of the Dayton VA Medical Center and Honor Flight – Dayton, two of the area’s most respected veterans-based organizations. Tickets are $5 and are available by sending an e-mail to dayton_softball@hotmail.com. http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2017/10/web1_NormanHedShot_PS.jpgNorman Please send local sports news to sports@xeniagazette.com. Fairborn OH, 45385 Follow @fairbornherald Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: . Here is a link to that story: http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/sports/20959/20959	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797200
__label__cc	0.726857	0.273143	Sungai Congkak 10:10 PM Outings 0 Comments After a couple of shots, we went in further. Sg. Congkak is a good place for people to relax, there's a camping site too. Found another group camping at the bridge with their riffles. They were shooting water. Saw this weird looking plant when I was walking in.. My last picture of dragon beard. Tomorrow is a good day to read TheStar newspaper. So please read. haha Blog Archive February (1) January (2) December (2) November (1) October (1) September (1) July (1) January (4) December (1) September (1) July (2) June (2) May (3) March (1) February (3) January (1) December (3) October (1) September (1) August (2) July (2) May (1) April (1) March (1) February (2) November (3) October (2) September (2) August (3) July (5) June (1) May (4) April (1) March (4) February (4) January (5) December (8) November (7) October (5) September (2) August (5) July (11) June (6) May (9) April (10) March (5) February (11) January (5) December (11) November (7) October (9) September (6) August (13) July (12) June (12) May (13) April (12) March (13) February (7) January (11) December (11) November (9) October (11) September (10) August (9) July (11) June (12) May (12) April (10) March (10) February (18) January (20) December (21) November (13) October (23) September (31) August (26) July (19) June (18) May (25) April (23) March (26) February (21) January (17) December (25) November (24) October (16) September (18) August (22) July (22) June (26) May (24) April (26) March (29) February (31) January (34) December (36) November (28) October (30) September (29) August (35) July (33) June (31) May (29) April (26) March (34) February (27) January (35) December (36) November (33) October (32) September (30) August (31) July (29) June (30) May (28) April (24) March (20) February (18) January (20) December (24) November (22) October (23) September (12) August (1) February (1) Welcome to EwinEe.com! This is the place where I share my experience as a blogger who's passion involves traveling, yo-yoing, aircrafts and trying new restaurants and cafés in town! © Copyright 2014 ewinee.com \|	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797213
__label__cc	0.527031	0.472969	https://www.foodsforbetterhealth.com/kate-beckinsale-workout-underworld-star-looks-slim-promoting-underworld-blood-wars-22778 Kate Beckinsale Workout: Underworld Star Looks Slim while Promoting Underworld Blood Wars Emily Lunardo Foods 4 Better Health 2016-11-16T12:00:59Z 2017-01-11 07:31:01 Celebrity Workouts https://www.foodsforbetterhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Lunardo_Kate-Beckinsale_161116-150x103.jpg Home > Celebrity Workouts > Kate Beckinsale Workout: Underworld Star Looks Slim while Promoting Underworld Blood Wars Kate Beckinsale Workout: Underworld Star Looks Slim while Promoting Underworld Blood Wars Credit: Kevin Winter / Staff /Getty Kate Beckinsale, star of the first four Underworld films, recently opened up about reprising her role as Selene in the upcoming Underworld: Blood Wars. Beckinsale still looks great at 43 years of age and is ready to kick some butt in the upcoming film. In the fifth installment of the Underworld franchise, Beckinsale’s character must fend off attacks from the Lycan clan and the Vampire Faction that previously betrayed her. Underworld: Blood Wars is expected to hit theaters in January 2017. To gear up for the vampire-fighting movie, Beckinsale took part in yoga, the 3-2-1 workout, and a cardio and abs workout to achieve her fit figure and perform many of the intense moves for the fight scenes. Kate Beckinsale Workout and Diet To get into shape, Beckinsale completed the 3-2-1 workout, which was created by trainer Ramona Braganza. The 3-2-1 style of training represents three cardio sessions, two weight-training circuits, and one abs routine. For ideal results, it’s best that you avoid resting between sets—unless, of course, you really need to or are just starting out. Beckinsale has noted that she wasn’t very athletic as a child and that going to the gym meant that you were either “weird” or “obsessive.” She shared with Women’s Health that when she was growing up and living in London, she didn’t know many people who went to the gym. This all changed for Beckinsale when she had to don a latex suit in order to play Selene for the Underworld films. Although the 3-2-1 method and heading to the gym was effective in getting Beckinsale in shape, she reportedly grew tired of the routine and started to incorporate yoga into her fitness regimen. For her yoga sessions, Beckinsale goes to Jennifer Aniston’s yogi Mandy Ingber. Along with the 3-2-1 workout, Beckinsale has been known to follow the 3-2-1 diet, too. The diet consists of three small meals, two snacks, and plenty of water to keep Beckinsale hydrated throughout the day. Her meals are said to consist of high-protein and high-fiber food options. Beckinsale eats clean and also opts for organic foods, primarily. She avoids high-sugar foods, dairy, and high-carb foods in order to stay in shape and healthy. Another big part of Beckinsale’s diet includes making food at home, which allows her to ensure that her meals are as nutrient-dense as possible. But don’t think that Beckinsale is some super-human who doesn’t enjoy treats every now and then! In moderation, she will allow herself some goodies including pancakes and pastry cakes. Kate Beckinsale always manages to look amazing, and we will soon be able to see just how fit she is when she takes on her role as Selene again in Underworld: Blood Wars next year. Caldwell, K., “Kate Beckinsale looks gorgeous in two-piece ensemble while promoting Underworld: Blood Wars,” Daily Mail website, November 12, 2016; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3930138/Kate-Beckinsale-flashes-glimpse-taut-stomach-patterned-two-piece-ensemble-promoting-Underworld-Blood-Wars.html, last accessed November 15, 2016. Davis, C., “Kate Beckinsale workout: From weight training to yoga,” Pop Workouts website, February 21, 2016; https://www.popworkouts.com/kate-beckinsale-workout/, last accessed November 15, 2016.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797214
__label__cc	0.536144	0.463856	How To Stay Mentally Strong When Dealing With An Unexpected Adversity New York Mets GM Fired For Sending Explicit Texts And Images 5 Ways To Succeed At Remote Work In 2021 And Beyond Massive New Disclosure Law Jeopardizes Business What’s The State Economic Impact Of The University Of California? How About $82 Billion A Year. Lessons From 2020: How Small Businesses Leaders Coped With A Year Of Uncertainty Wall Street Buzz: Trends On Balancing Purpose And Profit Oct 22, 2018, 08:00am EDT \| Why More Girls Need To Negotiate And The Role We Play As Leaders Geetha MuraliForbes Councils Member Forbes Nonprofit Council COUNCIL POST Expertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. \| Membership (fee-based) POST WRITTEN BY Geetha Murali Dr. Geetha Murali is the CEO of Room to Read, an organization that believes World Change Starts with Educated Children. My daughter is what most would describe as a typical nine-year-old girl. She is bold, strong-willed and not afraid to test boundaries. Quite often, I find myself in a flustered stalemate with her, likely because she inherits those attributes from me. Under our same roof lives my mother, a woman whose spirit -- even through the fog of Alzheimer’s disease -- emanates the unrelenting will of a girl who escaped early marriage in India 65 years ago, pursued an education and then built a multi-faceted career, unlocking a new life for herself and endless possibilities for her future family. Negotiation and persuasion effectively altered the lives of women in my family so, even in moments of mania-inducing frustration, I encourage and revere my daughter’s ability to be a force of nature. The Power Of Negotiation Recently, I met Kamla from India. Like my mother, she was pressured by her parents to marry at a young age and abandon her schooling. Only, she was presented with this fate roughly a decade ago as a pre-teen. Even after elevating her protests to the point of a hunger strike, Kamla's parents wouldn’t listen to her appeals to continue her education. Then, something transformational happened. Kamla summoned what author Amy Cuddy refers to as presence -- the ability to become so attuned to one’s own true thoughts, feelings, values and potential that you can articulate them clearly, even in high-pressure situations. Kamla once again explained her passion to pursue an education and define her own future. They relented, and Kamla successfully negotiated her way out of a fate that her parents had chosen for her and took the first steps toward the untrodden path she hoped to chart for herself. In my work as the CEO of Room to Read, I regularly see girls who benefit from lessons in life skills and consistent mentorship, channeling their inner fortitude and fighting to explore their potential. This often occurs in moments when they might easily be made to feel powerless against long-standing traditions, cultural biases and social pressures. These girls are not meant to be child brides or servants. They are discovering who they can become, summoning their voice and full presence and developing as pioneers in their communities, inspiring more girls to speak up. But not every girl has help or encouragement to harness the strength that Kamla did. Past research shows that women -- even with stakes much less cumbersome than child marriage -- are less likely to negotiate, especially when it comes to negotiating for themselves and their own interests. More recent research (paywall) indicates that while more women may be asking for what they want, they are, unfortunately, still less likely to be successful in obtaining it than men. The Need For Advocacy With equal compensation and representation in leadership roles serving as common indicators of success for women, it is important that girls are not just learning technical skills to be employable but also actively advocating for themselves and what they believe to be fair and just. For the world to be a better place for girls, we need women to use their voices. Once this hurdle is cleared and girls are given a chance to explore who they might be and what change they can affect, the possibilities are endless -- not just for them but for their communities and beyond. Whether girls and women are fighting to secure and retain a seat in the classroom or boardroom or to make an informed choice about their futures, negotiation and effective communication skills are key. Often, an added element of persuasion, or more accurately pre-suasion, ensures the desired outcome. Author Robert Cialdini defines pre-suasion as “the process of arranging for recipients to be receptive to a message before they encounter it.” In Kamla’s case, her three-day hunger strike, albeit extreme, may have been the pre-suasion technique that allowed her parents to truly acknowledge how committed she was to her education. I believe we are living in a time when women are collectively pre-suading society to listen and no longer tolerating injustice. With that continued drumbeat and the right toolkit, young women can ultimately influence external forces that create obstacles to their chosen path. By ensuring young women are cultivating the right skills through training, practice or mentorship, we are directly impacting their success rate in the workforce and in society. Where You Come In As leaders, regardless of our gender, it is incumbent upon us to venerate women who break the mold and celebrate their bravery. For those of us who are female leaders, we can lead by example and ostensibly advocate for ourselves and female colleagues when policies and practices disadvantage women. Here are a few additional actions we can take to champion the young women in our personal and professional communities: • Strengthen the connections among women. • Embrace mentoring moments, offering insight or support that may provide a needed boost of confidence or assurance. • Negotiate communally. Acknowledge that each personal success is a collective victory for all. • Encourage positive feelings about negotiation and a strong sense of self-worth. This year's International Day of the Girl reminded me of the endless opportunities that exist when girls and women around the world recognize the power within themselves and develop the confidence needed to influence critical decisions that affect our world. I keep this in mind every time my daughter digs her heels in and can’t help but notice my mother looking on with pride. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797217
__label__cc	0.517321	0.482679	Finger Lakes Land Trust Nature Preserves Free of Hunting in 2020 First Fridays in the Field at the Hinchcliff Family Preserve Photo: FLLT Hinchcliff Family Preserve — town of Spafford Please contact Nature Preserve Manager Jason Gorman by emailing jasongorman@fllt.org or calling (607) 275-9487 to let us know if you are able to join us. The Hinchcliff Family Preserve has quickly become one of the Land Trust’s most popular preserves. However, this summer has wreaked havoc on the area around the south end of Skaneateles Lake and on the preserve. In early July, heavy storms caused flash flooding which washed away two footbridges and eroded a part of the parking area and stone trail. Your help is needed to help create better, temporary crossings on the creeks, as well as spread gravel and wood chips around the parking area and trail head. We will be lifting heavy rocks, and working in a creek bed, so consider bringing waterproof boots. Please note that a moderate hike may be required to access one of the work sites. It is suggested that you wear sturdy footwear, and clothes that you do not mind getting dirty. The Land Trust will provide tools and work gloves, but feel free to bring your own if you have a favorite pair. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided! The Hinchcliff Family Preserve lies at the end of Covey Road off Route 41 in Spafford, Onondaga County. From Skaneateles, take Route 41 south for 14 miles, then turn right onto Covey Road. The preserve’s parking lot lies at the end of the road. From Ithaca or Cortland, take Route 13 north to Route 281 north, then take a left onto Route 41 north in Homer. Stay on Route 41 north for about 11 miles, then take a left onto Covey Road to the preserve.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797225
__label__wiki	0.882388	0.882388	WWE Teases MSK's Arrival In NXT, Ridge Holland Talks William Regal's Influence \| Fight-Size Update Robert DeFelice Related Article IMPACT Wrestling Results for 1/19/21 Private Party Are the New IMPACT Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Here is your fight-size update for Wednesday, January 13th, 2021: - WWE recently teased the debut of a new team known as MSK. They are slated to compete in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament and WWE filed to trademark the three-letter term last week. - Speaking with talkSPORT, Ridge Holland discussed the influence of William Regal on his career. “He’s been instrumental, but kind of like a soft undertone to what I’m doing though. He’s just there for advice, he’s not overbearing. I think he’s just confident in what I can do and he lets me get on with my business. But he’s always there for advice and he’s definitely a very influential figure in a lot of careers and that’s for me also.” - WWE Superstars choose their favorite Royal Rumble entry number: - Stephanie McMahon recently spoke of the advent of WWE ThunderDome in an interview with Marketing Dive. "This pandemic just sped up the transition to streaming and consumption behaviors really changing… and it encouraged us and showed us the necessity really to continue reaching our fans on all of those platforms, because that's where they are," said WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon. "You have to be able to adjust on the fly… in order to survive in business, in general, but in times like these, that flexibility is really critical," she said. - ICYMI: TNT is presenting the first-ever AEW awards on January 27th at 7 PM via Bleacher Report. Voting is now open. - Sami Zayn was surprised to see an old El Generico and Kenny Omega match get some TV airtime on AXS this week. I can’t believe this was on TV the other night. https://t.co/bYe0qRZsen — Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) January 13, 2021 - In a new interview with Sportskeeda, Chris Masters affirmed the rumors that Shawn Michaels was supposed to face Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania 22 in 2006 before Eddie's untimely passing in November of 2005.: "It wasn’t supposed to be Shawn and Vince originally. It was supposed to be Shawn and Eddie but then it ended up turning into Vince. I still think there’s a good chance Rey would’ve still won and maybe they could have built to it the same way because that’s how they did it with Kurt [Angle], you know, remember the year before he caused Shawn to be eliminated." - Alicia Atout was banned from MLW meeting by Salina De La Renta Speaking of Salina De La Renta, she is hosting tonight's episode of MLW Fusion and you can view the cold opening now. - WWE stock today closed at $50.18 a share. - Subscribe to Fightful Select today to support our exclusive and independent coverage of professional wrestling. You'll get access to exclusive news, and dozens of additional podcasts - Also, subscribe to Fightful on YouTube	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797229
__label__wiki	0.708665	0.708665	Platform protection Global Monitoring Platform & enforcement Broadcast iD Subscriber watermark capture (overt) ASiD embedding / capture Piracy-iQ Measuring streaming piracy consumption Channel protection Distribution iD Distributor watermark Closed IPTV Platform iD Commercial partners Friend MTS to showcase Piracy-iQ cutting-edge piracy insight service at NAB 2019 Friend MTS, the Emmy Award-winning content and revenue protection specialist for many of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies, today announced the launch of Piracy-iQ, a groundbreaking service for measuring streaming piracy consumption over internet service provider (ISP) networks that allows content owners, programmers and pay TV providers to assess the impact of piracy on their businesses and track the performance of their content protection services. In an effort to bolster the company’s provision of anti-piracy services such as Piracy-iQ to content owners and delivery platforms throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America, Friend MTS announced the company’s expansion into North America with the opening of regional headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the formation of an executive leadership team. Friend MTS will showcase its platform, channel and content protection services that include Piracy-iQ and ASiD at the NAB Show 2019 at Booth SU8921. “Until now, the content protection marketplace hasn’t offered the analytical tools needed to truly understand the scale of piracy consumption and the effectiveness of anti-piracy services,” said Simon Williamson, Chief Commercial Officer, Friend MTS. “With Piracy-iQ, content theft can be precisely measured and additional security countermeasures can be deployed in a highly targeted manner based on accurate data.” He added, “We are thrilled to onboard an experienced leadership team as we expand our reach in North America, a major market worldwide for streaming piracy consumption, especially as cord-cutting continues to add to massive piracy and revenue losses.” With unmatched managed services for watermarking and global monitoring using fingerprint-based content recognition, Friend MTS helps Pay-TV operators, rights holders and broadcasters control where their video content flows. An industry first, Piracy-iQ provides illicit content monitoring and IP address capture, and it enhances the reporting of third-party network flow analysis systems to streamline the generation of piracy analytics. The service enables real-time and post-event analytics with rapid and in-depth reporting of piracy consumption patterns. By using this data, the performance of key anti-piracy services, such as subscriber watermarking, can be monitored more effectively on an ongoing basis. Piracy-iQ operates in both fixed and mobile broadband environments, and it delivers unmatched monitoring speed and effectiveness. It has already been tested by major content owners, pay TV platforms and ISPs to quantify streaming piracy consumption, as well as to target highly effective action against illegal redistribution. Friend MTS Executive Appointments Friend MTS’s North American regional headquarters will be led by Williamson, who has worldwide responsibilities across sales, marketing and partner development. The Philadelphia office will include sales and professional services teams to enhance the support delivered to the company’s clients. Brad Parobek has been appointed Senior Vice President, Sales, Americas, and will lead current operations within the U.S. and Canada to drive overall strategy and regional growth for Friend MTS. With more than 30-years working in complex environments across Cable and IT Telco, Broadcasters Network Infrastructures, Cloud and Devices, his experience spans across North America, South America and Europe. Parobek will be based in Denver, Colorado. Heidi Newman joins the North America-based team as Vice President, Americas, and will drive regional growth for Friend MTS with an emphasis on developing the content owner market for security services. A former NBCUniversal, Starz, Scripps and Discovery executive, Newman has more than 25-years of experience working in contract negotiations, marketing and content distribution with the major MVPDs, vMVPDs and OTT distributors from the content distribution side. Based in Washington, D.C., Newman will report to Parobek. Sports Anti-Piracy Summit: Friend MTS to highlight its ultra-robust watermarking Friend MTS, the content and revenue protection specialist, will highlight its ultra-robust, third-generation ASiD [...] Talk with one of our experts for more information or a demo. Please enter your enquiry here: First Name* Please fill in this field Last Name* Please fill in this field Email* Please fill in this field VOD iD Friend MTS Limited Eleven Brindleyplace, 2 Brunswick Square B1 2LP © 2021 Friend MTS Limited \| All Rights Reserved	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797231
__label__cc	0.657716	0.342284	Cambridge to Ely trek helps raises hundreds for FLACK Daniel Mansfield Published: 10:55 AM December 20, 2012 Updated: 11:26 AM November 1, 2020 VOLUNTEERS and staff for homeless charity FLACK raised hundreds of pounds by taking on a 17-mile trek from Cambridge to Ely. The nine-strong group set off from Cambridge at 9:30am and walked along the river, handing out copies of their magazine, which is written in Cambridge by the group’s homeless members. A spokesman said: “Mid-walk we dined at the Five Miles From Anywhere Inn where we enjoyed massive plates of fish and chips to keep us energised over the 17 mile journey. “We tramped the rest of the journey through melting frost and mud and we needed our torches to finish the trip.” The walk, which finsihed at 6.30pm, was organised and led by Brian Skilton, a FLACK peer and vendor who wanted to walk to Ely to raise money as well as to commemorate the tragic death of his brother 10 years ago. Brian raised more than �600. FLACK gives homeless people a community, a voice, and training in order to support them to recover from the trauma of their homelessness and look towards their future.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797233
__label__cc	0.581226	0.418774	BREAKING: The First Amendment Is Part of Something Called the Constitution November 14, 2019 /104 Comments/in emptywheel, Impeachment /by emptywheel There’s been a weird phenomenon during the Trump presidency, where journalists and media organizations loudly defend one small part of the Constitution — the one that benefits them personally, the First Amendment — but seem to believe it would be partisan to defend the Constitution and rule of law more generally. That’s been evident for some time, as news outlets treat the White House arbitrarily revoking credentials as a major news story but treat Trump’s flouting of other limits built into the Constitution as a big old partisan game. That, to me, is the real problem with this widely panned Jonathan Allen piece deeming yesterday’s impeachment hearing boring. It wasn’t quite so bad as this Reuters piece in the same vein; unlike Reuters, NBC eventually did get around to telling readers about the most shocking news from the hearing, that Gordon Sondland got on an unsecure line to call the President the day after the July 25 call and learned that the only thing Trump cared about was the investigations into his political opponents. NBC included that news, but placed it in paragraph 17, then dismissed it as a “footnote,” without explaining that this means Sondland got caught, for the second time, lying in his sworn statement to Congress. Taylor did create a stir when he told the committee one of his aides overheard an ambassador at the center of the story, Gordon Sondland, talking to the president about Ukraine on the phone. Afterward, Sondland told the staffer that Trump cared more about getting Ukraine to open investigations into Biden, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter than about any issues that mattered to the Ukrainians. But that served as more of a footnote than a headline. Thirteen paragraphs before he buried the lead, however, Allen pitched yesterday’s events this way, as a measure of whether Democrats had achieved their goal of ousting the president. But at a time when Democrats are simultaneously eager to influence public opinion in favor of ousting the president and quietly apprehensive that their hearings could stall or backfire, the first round felt more like the dress rehearsal for a serious one-act play than opening night for a hit Broadway musical. Allen did that in a piece where he emphasized that witnesses Bill Taylor and George Kent spoke from their “nonpartisan roles in government,” and judged that “Republicans poked no real holes in witness testimony.” In other words, he did that in a piece where he conceded that nonpartisan experts had presented evidence that Trump had improperly tried to extort political benefits from Ukraine by withholding duly appropriated funds. Allen deemed this hearing to be a battle between Democrats and Republicans in a piece where he conceded that the evidence presented showed that President Trump committed a crime, bribery, that the Constitution explicitly says merits impeachment. Yes, it is the case that not one Republican took a stand for the Constitution yesterday. Even more embarrassing, not a single Republican took a stand to defend their own Constitutional authority, the power of the purse, which Trump also violated when he withheld funding without explaining to Congress why he did so, a violation of the Impoundment Act that Mick Mulvaney has already confessed was a crime. That seems newsworthy to me, for any journalist whose ability to be one relies on the limits on authority enshrined in the Constitution. Don’t get me wrong, Allen is not alone in treating support for the Constitution — except, of course, the part journalists have a vested interest in, the First Amendment — as a partisan spat. It’s a general feature of reporting during the Trump Administration that the press picks and chooses which parts of rule of law they will both-sides, and which they will fiercely defend as an unquestioned value. Just 15 minutes into this hearing, well before poor Jonathan Allen got bored and tuned out, Adam Schiff reminded of when, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of country America was to become. ‘A Republic,’ he answered, ‘if you can keep it.’ The fundamental issue raised by the impeachment inquiry into Donald J. Trump is, can we keep it? That’s what Adam Schiff said this hearing was about. Not ousting the President. But keeping our Constitutional government. If the facts were in dispute, this might be fairly deemed by jaded journalists like Allen a partisan attack. But the facts are not in dispute, as he himself agrees. Which means he utterly mistook the two sides in this matter, in pitching it as a fight between Democratic and Republican strategists. It’s not. It’s a fight between those defending the Constitution and the Republican party. Tags: Adam Schiff, Bill Taylor, George Kent, Gordon Sondland, Mick Mulvaney https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-14-at-8.19.36-AM.png 1078 2012 emptywheel https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png emptywheel2019-11-14 08:35:472019-11-14 09:20:47BREAKING: The First Amendment Is Part of Something Called the Constitution Mitch Neher says: Excerpted from the Jonathan Allen piece linked in EW’s original post above: “It’s clear this is going to be a battle of narratives and messages,” Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis said. “Based on Day One, if the goal was to present a clear and easy-to-follow narrative, neither side did a stellar job. We need to stop presenting this like a foreign policy class — this needs to be about making a clear case about what the president did wrong, again and again. That narrative is getting lost.” I watched yesterday’s hearing. It was not a foreign policy class. What Trump did wrong–abuse the power of his office for personal benefit at the expense of our national interest and in violation of the public trust–was repeatedly hammered out at yesterday’s hearing. If the goal was to present a clear and easy-to-follow story, then the goal was scored and repeatedly underscored–strike that–highlighted. I’m wondering if reporters like Allen are seeing what they want to see, telling us what they want us to see, or is their reporting a combination of what they see and what they want us to see. Or to take another perspective, “Are they ignorant, dishonest or a combination of both?” BobCon says: Osita Nwanevu had a great piece on the sickness at the heart of political reporting: https://newrepublic.com/article/155357/joe-biden-right-new-york-times What he says about political reporting about elections also applies to the impeachment: “Speculation about what voters might think or might decide about the candidates and how they might fare in the elections in question still seems to occupy much more space in our papers and take up much more time in television news than straightforward coverage of what we firmly know about them” What is particularly galling is that the political press refuses to report on unquestionable truths — Trump lying under oath, breaking the law, violating the Constitution — on the grounds that there is some narrow grounds for considering these truths as speculation. And yet they have completely free rein to wildly speculate about future outcomes based on tiny shreds of selectively chosen evidence, because, well, they feel like it. Nwanevu quotes Jay Rosen on “savvy” and Rosen hits the nail on the head. The DC politics beat is filled with rotten people: “In politics, our journalists believe, it is better to be savvy than it is to be honest or correct on the facts. It’s better to be savvy than it is to be just, good, fair, decent, strictly lawful, civilized, sincere, thoughtful or humane. Savviness is what journalists admire in others. Savvy is what they themselves dearly wish to be. (And to be unsavvy is far worse than being wrong.) ” Read all of Nwanevu’s piece. It’s a great diagnosis. dimmsdale says: Thanks for linking Nwanevu’s piece, off to read it now. The thing that infuriated me the most about the third-string-drama-critic reportage is that it’s (Imo) performative–a bunch of pampered show ponies putting on capers for each other and their editors/producers. It’s also type of self-reassurance in which the perpetrator gazes into the mirror, finds themselves SO much better than the material they’re reviewing, AND the ‘actors’ who are putting it up (a typical third-string-drama-crit malady). It’s really insufferable, it’s a pose, and it’s hurting the country. GKJames says: Interesting. But “savvy” about what? Is it access to people in high places? Is it a business model that, through the “both sides do it” formula, insists on not excluding the 63 million pairs of eyeballs that might click on a link? “Savvy” is an artificial social construct. It is a tautology. To be savvy is to be savvy. It bears as much connection to reality as a pair of high fashion boots bears to what you need to protect your feet walking down slushy NY City winter streets and sidewalks. Of course, as EW points out in this piece, this kind of artificial concept can be crushed. The myopic solipsism of the political media, inwardly focused on a tiny sliver of the Constitution, will be torn apart if they don’t recognize the entire concept of the rule of law is smashed. A theoretical respect for the press protections of the First Amendment means nothing if the 4th Amendment is gutted, if Article II becomes supreme over Article I, if the right wing judges decide to rule on ad hoc whims. These are means for the enemies of the DC press to crush them, and all of the Jonathan Allens stupidly think they’re immune because they’re part of the club. I suspect that being “savvy” is a way to become a member of the same crowd that journalists are supposed to cover. It’s like being invited to a cocktail party at Peggy Noonan’s every night. pseudonymous in nc says: Jon Lovett has pointed out for a while that the current media and social media climate makes everybody a pundit, even the public: it’s not enough to have an opinion on things, but you have to have a meta-opinion on the optics or “how it’ll play.” It’s not enough to want to elect somebody, but instead you have to consider “electability.” It’s as if everybody is required to frame their beliefs as if they’re in a cablenews panel or writing a take. or, like too many, e.g., n(yt wyt)imes/wapoop reporters and their editors, as if they were politically asceptic historians looking back on a history of 100 yrs past and thoughtfully writing it up when they are, in fact, in the middle of a historic debacle in american democracy. a debacle i will add that, though it is never put this way, is almost entirely due to a persistent flow of misinformation provided the citizenry by our medias’ “fair and balanced” misreporting on the factual, political, moral, and legal behavior of our politicians and the covert goals of some of these politicians’ supporters. https://splinternews.com/the-long-lucrative-right-wing-grift-is-blowing-up-in-t-1793944216 rightwing hustlers: think media corporation operators rush limbaugh, rupert murdoch, roger Ailes, bill o’reiley, sean hannity, tucker carlson, andrew breitbart, john solomon, jerome coursi, alex jones, et al. making real good money off of republican rubes while twisting american politics into a koch bros pretzel. Or a Mercer-nary troop. (sorry about that.) credit where credit is definitely due to vox. a very thoughtful article on the damage american corporate media have caused our representative form of democracy since the 1990’s: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/16/20964281/impeachment-hearing-epistemic-crisis From the cited article, “… “savvy” reporting that prizes the identification of disingenuous political tactics…. “. ” savvy” appears to be a focus on the strategy and tactics used in political conflicts rather than an ethically or legally focussed analysis. Savvy reporting appears to be founded on the view that politics is better reported on in similar ways to professional sports, and that electors have similar needs from news reports as sports fans. This contrasts with the view that electors need information on; what public policy issues have been raised, what the various candidates have said about these issues, what relevant experience and training the candidates or their advisors bring to their understanding of the issues, and the views a range of experts from known political camps have on the issues. And that it is the proper role of political reporting to provide such information. BroD says: Well explicated! As the pseudo-journos poses wear thin, you can see Trump gaining support by pointing this out publicly and consistently, positioning himself as being a better source of understanding and power. Trump is replacing our tattering institutions with his own personality. It’s sad to see how few in the TV news rooms actually acknowledge the danger, sadder still that even those who do see it and acknowledge it don’t seem to know how to use disinfecting truth to counter it. drouse says: This journalistic tic is a recurring problem. This talk of savvy triggered an association from the past. I remember talk about the Church of the Savvy back in the day. I googled it and this was the top link: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/ideas-2010/archive/2010/06/quote-of-the-day-the-church-of-the-savvy/58213/ These results dated from ’09, 2010 but I seem to recall bitching about it clear back in Shrub’s administration. Kelly Canfield says: Exactly right – Jay Rosen has been talking about “the church of the savvy” for ten years – here’s a clip of him and Laura Flanders from December 1st, 2009. Anvil Leucippus says: Hanlon’s razor – “Never attribute to malice which can be adequately explained by stupidity” Katherine M Williams says: “Which means he utterly mistook the two sides in this matter” He mistook nothing. The corporate press is trying to present impeachment hearings as a petty dispute between political parties, with the “most entertaining” party winning. The malignant, delusional, treasonous and criminal Trump is just another reality show contestant to the media, and they’re exclaiming and wondering if he’ll be voted off the island. telling it like it is – with the right tone to boot! Gordon Sondland – an entitled, well-schooled, well-lawyered billionaire employed as a diplomat to the United States’ second largest trading partner – got caught committing two major felonies: lying to Congress twice. A US Attorney ought to do something about that. The Sec’y of State should suspend and investigate him, or, more typically, force his immediate resignation. It would be reckless not to. Those would be good avenues for journalists to pursue. Rugger9 says: I agree, and which USA would do the deed would be a good question to ask, since that person would have to buck the Palace and AG Barr in particular. Recall how Shrub removed all of the USAs who wouldn’t play ball to file cases against Ds culminating in the case regarding David Inglesias (IIRC) who was cashiered for his (protected by law) reservist service without consequence so it’s not a trivial thing. The good news is that there are some who would, given the various charges filed recently, and I will go out on a limb here and speculate that Sondland’s bus is on its way since he clearly is a liability for the Palace now. That will point in favor of charges and fairly soon. pjb says: I am understanding from the coverage that Sondland has not testified to the fact of the July 26 unsecured cell phone call he initiated to Trump from a public space. I know the Taylor aide who overheard it will testify in closed door depo tomorrow. I am interested to hear from anyone with a view as to how to force Sondland in his public testimony on Wednesday to concede the truth as to what Trump said on the call. Not to be too cheeky, but couldn’t we just ask the Ukranian security services for a recording? The President says they owe us a favor. Fran of the North says: The other option would be for bro Vlad to provide us with one. They’ve got to be sniffing the ends and everything in between of the electromagnetic spectrum in Ukraine. Rather than lacking pizazz, I found the presentations by Taylor and Kent to be absorbing and highly informative. I came away with a far better understanding of what has been going on in Ukraine after listening to these two distinguished and honourable gentlemen. As for Devin Nunes and the overheated Senator from Ohio, Jim Jordan, whenever they opened their mouths to speak it was obvious they were just a couple of partisan pizazz-holes and that’s when I took my pee breaks. I didn’t watch the whole hearing but did watch much of it. And I watched some of the analysis afterwards. The critiques largely depend on the frame of reference. Those, like Chuck Todd, who see everything through the lens of the horse race of politics saw a hearing with Democrats making a prosaic presentation in contrast to the histrionics of the Republicans, while giving short shrift to the content, except for the bombshell. The legal pundits tended to look at the hearing like a criminal trial and determined that as an opening argument, it lacked the punchy story that would grab the jury. The security analysts were horrified at the obvious breach of security when Gordon Sondland called Trump on a cellphone from a restaurant in Kiev. I thought Nicolle Wallace and Chris Matthews did a pretty good job of framing the analysis where it should be: on the outrageous abuse of power, the national security implications, and the implications for the country if such a gross abuse of power is unchecked. What the testimony and depositions reveal is, in some ways, straightforward and simple. The Trump Administration was withholding aid to an ally and conditioning that aid on politically motivated investigations. Either Trump authorized it or his deputies acted on their own. Either Trump is culpable or too incompetent to be President. But there are many threads that should be followed. My favorites are the apparent black ops operation that Giuliani was running, with the help of John Solomon and Fox News, and the question of why Trump had such a negative view of Ukraine. Fiona Hill’s deposition is tantalizing on both issues, although Kent and Taylor touched on both issues. It’s more than that. This is yet another test of the federal bureaucracy itself. The Trumpers are clearing the bureaucracy of roadblocks to Trump’s fascist agendas. The DP has finally taken notice as >their own political viabilityis actively threatenedreading the transcripts< is to be shunned… the DP needs to start hammering on GOP House members for not bothering to be engaged enough to consider the facts here. Beg to differ a bit, EW. The core problem rising to the surface, the part pertaining to 1A and journos’ vigorous defense of it in all its panoply of forms and applications which you correctly point out, is twofold. First, that neither party is particularly friendly to the Constitution when they want to do things with or through government. Second, that they immediately run to screaming “Constitutional Crisis” whenever they aren’t getting what they want, or when they want to stop the other side from doing something the other side wants. (NB: I’ve been hearing about one Constitutional Crisis after another since my law school days, more than 30 years ago. It’s always something.) In other words, each party’s problem is not with the existence and use of the whip (on someone, usually either the population at large or some designated unpopular minority du jour) but rather that they are not the ones wielding it. I have not been following the impeachment proceedings lo these many months, more out of my conclusion that Pelosi was such a craven and cynical coward that she really didn’t want to find Trump guilty of anything out of a desire, shared by Democrats of most stripes, that they’d like to rule by decree just like Trump is trying to and impeaching him over it would set a precedent limiting that decretal power. What she’s really hoping for is to string this out long enough to hobble the Republicans in the election next year, either by making lots of free publicity or having them devote time to this instead of campaigning or both. The Washington press, who you castigate above, have long since sussed this out alongside the sure knowledge that whatever trial takes place in the Senate will almost certainly result in a Trump win. So, they give the hearings something more than “nothing to see here. Move along.” But not much. I just wish the press would take seriously all the rest of the Bill of Rights. Even half so seriously as they take 1A. But I’d also like to hit the Powerball, and both “likes” seem about equally likely to happen. Sadly. What we could – and should – be having is a good debate over some core Constitutional principles. On the one hand, there is the President’s plenary power over foreign affairs. On the other, Congress’ power over the purse. Unfortunately, a decade and a half ago Pelosi let sail the ship carrying the argument over the power of the purse when she let GW Bush get away with violations of the Anti-Deficiency Act in relation to the conduct of the War on Terror, the War in Iraq, torture (recall the Anti-torture Treaty?), Black sites, GITMO etc. ad nauseam. Before she took back the gavel riding in on a progressive-fed wave election of 2006, she came right out and said she was taking impeachment off the table. That set a precedent, one which I believe she will be unable to reverse. (It also cost the Dems a few marginal seats by depressing enthusiasm for putting the same Corporatocrats in charge.) And, of course, you remember Obama killing any investigation, let alone prosecution, for torture with his “looking forward, not backward” remark, omitting of course the truth that ALL criminal prosecutions are necessarily “looking backward”. Yes, asking a foreign government to investigate an American (political rival or not) for alleged violations of a foreign country’s laws is at best a touchy business. We do it all the time with Colombian drug lords, international arms merchants (e.g. Bout) and money launderers and no one thinks twice about it. (Similarly, trading information to another country about possible crimes against that country’s laws is regularly done.) Twisting a foreign government’s arm to goad them to do something (or refrain from it – e.g. “Mr. Havel, you can do business with Frank Zappa or with the United States of America. Your choice.”) is also at best a touchy business. Foreign relations are, at core, a barter economy because there is neither some Daddy or Judge to strike the balance between countries and their interests, and because most of what passes for international law is really custom informed by the relative power status and arrangements of the respective countries. It’s a business one could consider as ugly, nasty, dirty and so on, but it is what it is. And what it is, is a marketplace. That doesn’t mean I approve of what was done or may have been done here. But the diplomats strike me more than a bit shocked to find gambling going on at Ricks after spending careers at the tables. Two final notes: Trump and his friends are arguing he’s entitled to full 5th and 6th Amendment rights, as well as to call witnesses in the House proceedings. I take no position on that. But, this interesting article which I saw right before stopping by here ( https://reason.com/2019/11/13/steve-calabresi-responds-and-updates-his-arguments-on-impeachment-hearings/ ) indicates both Clinton and Nixon were afforded substantial elements if not the full scope of 5A and 6A rights during their respective proceedings. If this is so, and again I take no position on the question, that would indicate a “gloss” of precedent on the Constitution which would have to be respected lest the current proceedings degenerate into a show trial. Either Madison or Monroe (I can’t recall which offhand) was pretty clear on that, and once those precedents creating the gloss are set, they’d darned well better be respected. Finally, I look forward to watching my Stillers tonight. At Cleveland. Looks like Stillerwetter – low 30s at game time but, sadly the wind looks to be coming off the land and not the lake so not much chance of snow. David B Pittard says: Perhaps I misread you, but I would note that leverage used in foreign relations for the purposes of advancing the interests of our nation is distinctly different from leverage used for purposes of advancing the political interests of the president. There are very few people who can shape reality to their whim. the President of the United States is one of them. By way of example, politics being the “art of the possible”, what the President says is possible or impossible becomes possible or impossible. We saw that with the “public option” floated as an alternative to the insurance-selling program commonly called Obamacare: Once President Obama declared (through underlings, IIRC) that a “public option” was impossible, it was immediately impossible. And all the screaming and arguing on the Left (and Right) for the public option only prolonged the play. It didn’t change how it came out. Similarly, the only person whose definition of the “national interest” that really counts, is the President. If a President declares that the national interest is served by having the 4th Thursday in November be Thanksgiving Day, we all wind up eating turkey and pumpkin pie. And if a president decides that the national interest is best served by whacking Osama Bin Laden in his Pakistani hideaway rather than snatching him back to the US from said hideaway to stand trial, be convicted and executed in a prison death chamber, then we get extrajudicial killing rather than the judicial system grinding out the same result: a dead bin Laden. Only without the cleansing effect (on our national honor, if nothing else) of doing it in court in full view of the world. You and I can both disagree with any president’s definition of what is or is not in the national interest, but our disagreement doesn’t count for much. It’s not our job to define “the national interest”. Frankly, I wouldn’t be spending time impeaching Trump for mucking around in Ukraine and trying to trash Biden through his son. Biden and the other Dems are doing a fine job of that; Deval Patrick is the second corporatocrat to start his presidential campaign this week. At this rate each of the Corporate Dems will get two votes in each primary: their own and their spouse’s. Rather, if I were in charge of impeachment I would be looking at the way Trump’s words and actions have undermined the good order and discipline of the military by his repeated pardons of servicemembers convicted of crimes that are war crimes, and especially his interference in the chain of command to bollux ongoing cases against alleged or convicted war criminals, and deliberately undermining the authority of the officers between him and those individuals, whose job it was and is to provide a disciplined fighting force. He has generated and empowered some of the most egregious insubordination since in-military protests against Vietnam, 50 years ago. But I’m not in charge. Gee, a twofer! Bothsidesdoitism, and whataboutism in the same comment. Yeah, Katherine, I am not sure that is fair. Scribe, whether we always agree or not (mostly yes, not always), has been with us since we even started the Emptywheel blog. He is neither a “bothsider” nor a “whatabouter”, that statement flies in the face of a very long history, and is not fair. That said, and heartily meant, I take issue with the thought that Trump’s supporters’ invocation of the 5th and 6th Amendments is any kind of close call, for it is not. It is fucking crazy. For starters, that applies solely to government criminal prosecutions, and Congressional impeachment is not that, especially the earliest of fact finding efforts. And Steve Calabresi is a right wing lunatic extremist, and both his original column, and “update” at the Daily Caller are beyond idiotic and intellectually duplicitous. In case you are not aware, Calabresi was literally one of the founding voices of the Federalist Society back in the 1980’s, and remains, along with Len Leo, arguably its premier architect to this date. He is a dogmatic and extremist asshole, and his arguments as to the current impeachment make the term “dishonest” seem too tame. I’ll close that Scribe is not wrong that there are better, and even more fundamental issues that are being neglected in Pelosi and Hoyer’s headstrong rush to be done with “impeachment” at rocket speed. It is insane, and they are derelict. A couple points. 1. Whether or not one agrees with Calabresi, one can either address the 5A and 6A arguments on their merits, or not. I agree impeachment is not a criminal proceeding (even though it’s triggered by the allegation of high crimes or misdemeanors); there was an article the other day which I can’t presently find detailing where full-blown 5A and 6A rights don’t obtain and it was persuasive. OTOH what does have to be addressed and, if not addressed gives the President’s backers (or whatever they are) grist for their mill, is the question of whether, and to what extent, Presidents Clinton and Nixon were afforded 5A and 6A rights and privileges during their respective impeachment hearings and trials. Let me be clear: I don’t know one way or the other whether there is any merit to such a claim. But it has to be addressed objectively. Reduced to its essence (keeping it simple especially for those whose discernment has been dulled by bloodlust and hatred): if today’s proceedings do not give today’s president the same level of 5A and 6A rights and privileges which were afforded in the two most recent prior presidential impeachment proceedings, whatever the level of such rights and privileges were, then the people running today’s proceedings open themselves up to a legitimate complaint that they are treating today’s president differently, and worse, than the two prior presidents. Exacerbating the issue and making for an unforced a fortiori argument helping today’s president, would be the fact that in running the most recent impeachment proceeding today’s president’s party may have given President Clinton greater rights and privileges than may be being afforded today’s president (by President Clinton’s party). So, the point is: when it comes to 5A and 6A privileges either treat every president at least as well as the one(s) before him, or open yourself up to and make legitimate the charges of witch hunts and show trials. You might argue that the Constitution does not support, or require, that. But that overlooks the reality of the “gloss” on Constitutional provisions accumulated by practice and precedent. “We’ve done it this way in the past” carries a lot of weight, especially in a town like Washington where “what goes around comes around” is often the only check on gutting the other party’s fellow. 2. Foreign relations. It’s truly amazing how people get blinded by partisanship. The fact is, in the field of foreign relations is a barter marketplace. Yes, there are treaties and rules and such, but those codify the rules of the marketplace. What Trump may have done relative to Ukraine (proofs are still open) was … well, I’ll just say I might run out of negative adjectives to describe it, and I have a big vocabulary. Shortsighted is just the beginning. It’s also a reflection of what he is – a New York real estate hustler who thinks pretty much only of the immediate moment. And because he never developed a wide network of subordinates to handle things – be that out of mistrust, a feeling only he could do it the way he wanted it done, alienating good employees being a shitty boss or some combination of them – he wound up doing it himself. By comparison, the 2 Bushes, Clinton and Obama all had their people do the dirty work. James Baker reminding Tariq Aziz in Switzerland prior to the Gulf War that America had used nukes in war and Iraq using chemical weapons would be a very bad idea. By any stretch, that’s pretty extortionate conduct – use weapons you have (and have used) and we’ll turn you into a radioactive parking lot. Similarly, telling Vlaclav Havel to choose between dealing with Frank Zappa (advising the Czechs on transition to democracy and capitalism) and dealing with the United States is pretty hardball. Cooperate with us, against your first choice, or watch your country’s economy implode. (Note I picked on 2 Republican-administration examples, just to avoid whataboutism and bothsidesism charges. I didn’t have to.) This kind of thing goes on all the time. It’s known as hardball. Yes, it’s tawdry – especially in the present instance. But our legal attaches (really, FBI branch offices in our embassies) communicate with foreign countries’ prosecutorial and police forces about violations of foreign countries’ criminal laws. Every day. I have little doubt they’d rat out American citizens if the Feebs deemed it in the US’ interests. And foreign countries do the same. Yes, all the countries have limits on how far they will go to rat out their own people. Those are often derived from their local experience and history. But they cooperate. It’s just another marketplace. And in that kind of barter economy, Trump is at home. 3. And now for a little bothsiderism. The Trump Derangement Syndrome on display now is at least as fulminating and destructive of sanity as the Clinton Derangement Syndrome or the Obama Derangement Syndrome. I recall an office Christmas party back in the late 90s – 1998 during the impeachment, IIRC – when one of the other guests, a distinguished older gentleman, feeling a bit of alcohol, broke down weeping at the idea of a politician lying – LYING! – and going unpunished. And a short while later his equally distinguished wife, a librarian or something by trade, her tongue freed by some holiday cheer, confided in me just how much she longed to see some liberals killed. I mean, enough is enough. Take a deep breath. Take another. Go for a walk around the block (or further) and burn off some of the nervous energy. In most places around the country, it’s a beautiful late autumn. Your being wrapped up in the emotion and minutiae of partisan politics will do you no good. They’re not listening to you. Watch some football, tonight and definitely on Thanksgiving. You can count on someone crapping in the punch bowl by bringing up politics over the turkey. Don’t let it be you. Wrestle over the Astros and their sign-stealing ways. Or Cheatin’ Bill and his Cheating Cheaters of Cheatertown. 4. I’ve been here since the days of The Next Hurrah, through the time at Firedoglake, and all the time here. I’d like to think I’m a voice of sanity. 5. I’m closing out mourning today. My beloved car of the last 7 years, a wondrous turbocharged sedan with 24 years and 220,000 miles (more or less) on the odo, still getting 28-30 mph highway, heated leather and the interior looking like it’d just come off the line, next to no rust and all systems working well went down the road on a flatbed today. Off to the auction, totaled after a tree limb fell on the windshield and roof. She was a great car. I hope someone with skills, tools and desire buys her and keeps her from the crusher. Ugh on #5. I’ve been having a bad car year or so myself. Scribe – Jesus fucking christ. Get a grip. I tried to support you in the face of adversity. And here you come with run on bullshit proving the original commenter exactly right. What a load of shit. You are well aware that the criminal protections embodied in the 5th and 6th Amendments do not apply to civil cases, much less impeachment under long established House rules. Pretending that it is an open question is laughable. Your point number (2) is also vague and, frankly, beyond compelling. (3) Screw your holier than thou “Trump Derangement Syndrome”. What another total load of fucking shit. (4) You have indeed been here that long, and are a cherished voice. Your efforts today are NOT the voice of any self claimed “sanity”, but is the voice of protection for extremist Republican ignorance, duplicity, fascism and bullshit. (5) I am sorry to hear about your car. I remember well discussions with you when you bought it. It sounded like a solid choice then, and I am happy to hear you got such long and good use of it. RIP. I truly hope you find a similarly rewarding replacement. #2 – it wasn’t barter. It was asking for a bribe, for himself. It wasn’t even about the US. Where do I donate to the Myles Garrett Bounty Fund? katherine is exactly right. this is scribe at his most “bothsidesism” and cynical – and senseless. here his writing mimics the press incompetence we are discussing as part of the serious problem this democracy faces now. if, after two years of trump fronting for the rightwing republican destruction of corporate regulation (clean air, clean water) and our 80-yrs-building security net (soc security, medicare) for the common man, one can not tell the difference between the two parties despite some common, simple, overt similarities, then one can become part of the flood of misinformation, disinformation. scribe here is part of that unhelpful, nihilist flood. alfredlordbleep says: In a quick lookup of the Anti-Deficiency Act I stumbled on this law review article (2009) by T.D. Peterson which caught my eye since I’m a hanger-on interested in “core constitutional” issues. (not to mention the history of the Boland Amendment which in some respects is dual to the march of Trump on the Ukraine) In spite of this authority, or perhaps indeed because of Congress’s great power, the executive branch has sought ways to circumvent congressional control over the federal purse and achieve its own ends outside of the will of Congress. Most famously in recent years, the Reagan Administration sought to avoid the Boland Amendment—a congressional restriction on aiding the Nicaraguan Contras—through the use of funds obtained from the covert sale of arms to Iran. Peterson warns us, in effect, on the accession of somebody like Brazen Barr in his discussion of remedy at the hands of the Department of Justice Finally, in Part III, this Article examines the ability of the judicial and legislative branches to oversee the Department’s settlement practices and concludes that, as a practical matter, there is little the other branches can do to protect Congress’s appropriations authority from concerted efforts to use the Department’s settlement authority to circumvent Congress’s control over the appropriations process. As a result, the Department must commit to a set of principles to guide settlements that will help to ensure that the Department respects the constitutional preeminence of Congress on the appropriation of funds from the Federal Treasury. Protecting the Appropriations Power: Why Congress Should Care About Settlements at the Department of Justice T D Peterson https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/80d0/056f16cde2de6c6602f3bea2338750871ece.pdf That is a great paper, thanks for posting it. SomeGuyInMaine says: These hearings are historic. That is undisputable. If a journalist can’t find a way to write about historic events in a compelling way, me thinks the fault lies with the journalist not the history being made. swmarks says: That’s what my city editor told me many years ago: There aren’t boring stories, only boring writers. However, it’s not even close to a boring story. It important, historic, nuanced, and fascinating. It being treated as juvenile partisan squabbling and gossip, where who gets over on who is more important that what the heck happened and the potential serious long run consequences of what happened and is happening right now. It’s like reading a TV review of Hogan’s Heros as if that’s a suitable substitute for the actual events and consequences of what happened in WWII. Facts and principals seem to be on the run. I hope they make a comeback. Soon. I think there’s a writer’s analog to the claim that a good actor can thrill an audience by reading the phone book. Some writers might find impeachment proceedings boring because their bosses want it to be boring. For them, change and accountability can be terrible things to let happen. The WH has no clue who Trump calls on insecure cell phones? I suppose it’s too much to ask that the Democrats add willful and systematic violation of the PRA to Trump’s articles of impeachment. Updating that Act and adding real teeth to it is another item on the Dems’ to do list. Do US intelligence services have a clue? Because I’m betting the Chinese, Russians, Israelis, etc, etc may well have said clues. bokeh9 says: Perhaps cynically and definitely sadly, I’m not optimistic. I don’t believe media “news” is about content any more than breakfast cereal is about nutrition. (Setting aside Trump TV and the like, which is definitely about propaganda.) These media are a collection of commercial products, marketed for ratings and mouse clicks with “Breaking!” banners like “New and improved!” and “Wait! There’s more!!” With free shipping. I’ve followed Marcy since Jane Hamsher’s shop or before, but for me, it’s more of an academic exercise. And I’m retired. Francine Fein says: “….I’ve followed Marcy since Jane Hamsher’s shop or before, but for me, it’s more of an academic exercise. And I’m retired.” Me too. I have to add that I’ve learned so much from this blog — not just from Marcy and Bmaz and Rayne and Ed — but especially from the informed commenters, which also give me hope. Bokeh9 and Francine Fein, thank you for being around for the duration. It seems like forever now, doesn’t it? It is better with a community to discuss and suffer through it with though, and this is a very good one thanks to you and all the great commenters. Totally agree. Let’s not forget Jim too. emptywheel says: Glad he came out of retirement! Francine: Paradoxically, I’m cynical and sad but also hopeful too. I have a nine-year-old granddaughter who’s a better person than I am. But that is the deal, isn’t it? We are all mostly old enough to ride it out as we age out. But I have a 24 year old daughter, and hope to have grandchildren before time is up. That is what protecting the Constitution and democracy is about. It is the future we leave, not just us. Bmaz: Just saying, I’m less hopeful about constitutions and democracies and Vonnegut’s glaciers than granddaughters. The granddaughters are going to need those things though. It is our generation’s job to see that they have them. Now I’m curious. How can you preserve the Constitution and Democracy within a media bouillabaisse prepared primarily from privilege, greed, ignorance, and grievance and delivered by mass media driven exclusively by profits? What reaches the majority in that kind of environment? I wish I could be more hopeful on scales greater than families. By not letting cynicism prevent decisive action. I think one of the duties of every reporter who interviews right wingers on the climate crisis is to get them on the record about how they think their kids and grandkids will be judging them in thirty years. Badger Robert says: I suppose I was too mean, but I did have to ask my daughter about her two sons, my grandsons, will they grow up in a democratic country? Constitution v Violation needs to be the framing of any piece covering the Impeachment hearings. Any GOP vs Dems reporting is a failure to uphold justice and enables obstruction. Marcy, thank you. It made me think that a media panel evaluating journalism coverage of the hearings should be developed and post a daily list of media pieces upholding the Constitution and those fueling a political war that feeds killing democracy. There is someone I know that frustrates me because they are deep into the centrist, “both sides [of the political spectrum] are corrupt” way of thinking. Despite calling themselves a Democrat, this person will usually complain about the Democrats and how they have “lost their way” far more often than they’ll call out Republicans for their contempt for the rule of law. After reading this piece (which, as always, is great), it occurs to me that the “both sides are equally bad” narrative may not completely be my friend’s fault. It may instead be that when you have a corporate media that doesn’t report the news as news but simply presents bland, “both sides are equally valid” coverage, it breeds this sort of thing. Of course, I’m not calling for a more partisan media. Quite the opposite: I’m calling for a media that reports the news instead of reporting one side’s talking points because it’s afraid of being called “biased”. vvv says: FWIW, I find that a little “both sides are equally valid” kowtow can get a listen and mebbe even a little consideration of the real point I’m trying to make. I find this particularly helpful with my elders and would-be betters (I am 59, but just a liberal, see). It’s not necessary with peers or even my kids (22 and other other just turned 21 the other day.) I see it as a regrettably useful tool in the box. My thought is the problem with journalism is the rampant anti-intellectualism of our country. Imagine if reporters analyzed a story using the full array of facts and utilized a political theory, clearly stated. Or used deep reading or narrative methods like Marcy. Or the full history of the subject, in our country compared to others. Americans would yawn. Editors would get out the red pen. Reporters seem to have the goal of getting on opinion TV which requires the juicy 30 second sound bite. As Jonathon Stewart said, politics as WWE wrestling. So Marcy’s analysis is akin to complaining about a poor flip off the high rope. Sorry. Do come here to enjoy the thinking of my fellow nerds, but recognize that is who we are. I’m about halfway through reading “The Stories of John Cheever”. The stories are mainly set in the suburbia of the northeastern U.S. during the postwar/Cold War period when Cheever was writing. I’m struck by the presence of characters who, for example, argue at a school meeting that teachers should spend more time teaching the Biblical explanation of Creation, not the scientific one, or who protest at taxes being spent to build a public library. I tend to think of those opinions as having a more recent vintage, but obviously not. The anti-intellectualism is really deep-rooted in the US. It’s been around for a couple of centuries. General Sternwood says: IIRC Alexis de Tocqueville was onto this back in the day… E J Dionne, comparing yesterday’s hearing to those for Watergate: Well, yes. But we were a far more open-minded and less partisan country back then. There were many more moderate and liberal Republicans, as well as more openness to the other side’s views — and no Fox News and no right-wing talk-radio empire. He seems to have forgotten what it was really like. The GOP was, even then, forcing out members who were farther left than Nixon, and screaming about liberals being enemies. (He should look up Pete McCloskey’s campaigns in 1972.) Thanks you. People forget the patriotic jingoism that was endemic to the GOP back then. Glacier says: Re: ‘A Republic,’ he answered, ‘if you can keep it.’ Ben apparently did foresee a day when the president, Senate majority and DOJ would conspire and unite to oppose Congress — and as it is, it’s likely the Senate will be the tool used to destroy The Republic. Hopefully it’s not preordained already in this particular play. Areader2019 says: “felt more like the dress rehearsal for a serious one-act play than opening night for a hit Broadway musical.“ I have read people slam the press for avoiding the issues, and doing theater criticism. This guy is literally doing theater criticism. harpie says: Pelosi says “BRIBERY”…a word that is in the Constitution. https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1195010097480654848 8:06 AM – 14 Nov 2019 Pelosi says the “devastating testimony” yesterday corroborated evidence of “bribery” Pelosi: “The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance in return for a public statement of a fake investigation into the elections. That’s bribery” “What I am saying is what the President has admitted to and says it’s perfect, I’ve said it’s perfectly wrong. It’s bribery” …to which Adam Parkhomenko responds: https://twitter.com/AdamParkhomenko/status/1195011610210947072 Hope she said this with some kind of laser or pyrotechnic show happening behind her so the press didn’t get bored. MORE: https://twitter.com/AdamParkhomenko/status/1195022616681238528 Just another snooze, right DC press? https://twitter.com/jpaceDC/status/1195021456557707265 BREAKING (AP) — AP source: 2nd US embassy official overheard President Trump’s call with Sondland about need for Ukraine investigations. Wonder who the phone plan service provider(s) happen(s) to be for both on the call? I bet the Chinese know! Here’s the link to the article: AP source: 2nd US official heard Trump call with Sondland https://apnews.com/6d318542e50b45dc9e1d4d829ad36c96 […] The second diplomatic staffer also at the table was Suriya Jayanti, a foreign service officer based in Kyiv. A person briefed on what Jayanti overheard spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter currently under investigation. […] Chaparral says: Good link. It will be interesting to see what that testimony brings. Suriya Jayanti knows where it’s at. She was(is?) stationed at the US embassy in the Ukraine as an Economics Officer and Cyber Unit chief. She was the fist point of contact for Dale(no relation) Perry’s report of the Houston meeting where Parnas, Furman, and Sargent disclosed the Naftogaz scheme. “Dale Perry told the AP he was so concerned about the efforts to change the management at Naftogaz and to get rid of Yovanovitch that he reported what he had heard to Suriya Jayanti, a State Department foreign service officer stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv who focuses on the energy industry. He also wrote a detailed memo about Favorov’s account, dated April 12, which was shared with another current State Department official.” https://apnews.com/d7440cffba4940f5b85cd3dfa3500fb2 There is an FOIA request for pertinent documents. https://www.citizensforethics.org/foia/crew-requests-state-department-records-on-naftogaz-deal/ Being ranking embassy economic staff on the ground, it is likely she was present when just after Zelensky’s inauguration he was pressured to replace the Naftogaz board by Perry, Volker, and Sondland, as reported in the previous article. This was a few days before they were officially appointed by Mick Mulvaney as the ‘three amigos’ in charge of American Ukrainian policy. With the right questions, Ms Jayanti could have some very interesting things to say. OldTulsaDude says: Pyrotechnics would not be enough as there is no longer a separation of journalists/politicians; now, everyone is either a celebrity or an oligarch. We live in the world of Huxwell, Brave New 1984. 200Toros says: Thinking back on yesterday’s hearings, I wonder why, whenever a Repub rolled out the lie about “it’s not about the Biden’s, it’s about KORRUPSHUN”, the Dems didn’t just roll tape of trump standing on the WH lawn asking both Ukraine and China to investigate Biden for him.”See, it IS about the Biden’s, your Dear Leader says so!” Would have been perfect. Maybe saving it for later? Yes! It’s maddening. How many pieces written about which side is winning the “messaging” as opposed to the obvious fact Trump is guilty – of this and much worse – and that anyone with the tiniest amount of critical thinking knows it. To see this problem even more clearly, simply review all the TV news coverage for any talking-heads talking about the fact that lawful Congressional subpoenas have been ignored by every major department of the Federal government. As long as they “free press” need not mention that, they’re happy as clams? It’s truly shocking how low the standard of news and concern for the rule-of-law has fallen. It’s kind of like all the news programs are being told not to cover anything “controversial” like GOP operatives and hacks ignoring and flouting the law. Watching the “equal timers” too is disgusting. There is no “equal time” if you believe that the Congress has the right to subpoena Federal offices and officers to appear before it. What we see here is that the powerful, the plutocrats and oligarchs, wannabe or otherwise, are in control of most media outlets in this country. They’re only hiring editors and managers that ignore the dangers of not reporting straight facts when it comes to political figures in the US. Trump mentioned the other day that the main-stream media all seem to be like a cult “full of fake news!” And it seems that he’s about got that right. Most of the TV journalists have turned into followers of their own words without regard to the effect it has on the rest of us, the dangers that their repetitive nonsense, the narcissism that many in the press engage in constantly, daily, hourly, their smug claims of providing an “equal voice to everyone” presents to our democracy. Most of their ongoing and regular blaring nonsense is a hollow echo of what once was a more intellectual and vital profession. Not that Trump cares want the journalists to “get religion” there per se, just that when he drives the shiv in, it’s sometimes on the mark. It would serve journalism in this country to work harder to make their own institution survive in some form that actually helps correct the problems of our society, rather than just talk with and give deference to the folks who have created those problems. I’m having trouble understanding why this process is so complex. From the transcript of the call and the China video the day after the transcript was released, it is clear that Trump violated the constitution by asking for something of value from a foreign entity. And he violated the election law by asking for foreign help. He obviously, undeniably violated the constitution and broke the law. Simple. Straightforward. Impeachable. Short, sharp, to the point. And fast. If the charges were made that simple, this could be on it’s way to the senate by now. A clear emphasis on the constitution, which everyone involved is sworn the protect and defend, may even dislodge a few principled Republicans. While the other aspects of this, especially the violations of national security, richly deserve attention, why make the legal process so complex? Maybe it’s my plebian understanding but, I don’t see what is to be gained with the hearings. Even if you can’t take it to the hilt, drive the blade home while you have the advantage. They’re reporting what they’ve already learned, the evidence to back up the charges, via the public hearings, to us, the public (and their employers). (See also the Watergate hearings, which did the same thing.) It may not be required under the Constitution. but that document is fairly loose in its requirements for impeachment procedures. When the GOP plays down the importance of the hearings by calling them a snooze-fest, they are playing to the audience which is informed enough to know that hearings are taking place, but who aren’t interested enough to get any facts on their own. ‘If people I trust say that there is nothing of interest, there surely isn’t.’ When many members of the press says that there was little of interest, it is because they’ve been paying attention to the leaks from the closed door hearings, and surprise, the open hearings are confirming the leaks. But that doesn’t mean that for those who are just starting to pay attention that the information isn’t interesting and shocking. Finally, much of the ‘horse race’ reporting is a function of confirmation bias. Most of the articles posted since yesterday afternoon were probably ‘written’ before the hearing was called to order. “But Frost replies that Nixon knew that criminals would be protected. Nixon objects and tries to qualify, but Frost persists: “An obstruction of justice is an obstruction of justice if it’s for a minute or five minutes…” On the televised portion of the interviews at this point, Nixon appears shaken. He then says his “absence of motive” precludes any criminal intent. But Frost jumps on that and surprises Nixon, suggesting the ex-president’s knowledge of the law is incomplete. “The law states,” says Frost, “that when intent and foreseeable consequences are sufficient, motive is completely irrelevant.” Nixon says nothing and appears uncomfortable.” Yes, they should be running that too on the wall of DP HQ so that reporters must see it as they attempt to gain insight. Matthew Harris says: Someone above already mentioned the WWE, which means this analogy might make sense to some of you. Most of professional wrestling is fake. This is publicly acknowledged by the wrestlers themselves, and I think all fans know it as this point. Occasionally, though, something happens in wrestling that is not part of the script. Sometimes, “Kayfabe” is broken. Sometimes a wrestler gets hurt and it is not part of the act. Sometimes wrestlers actually do extreme things outside of the ring, not as part of a script, but because they are actually doing things. So sometimes when a wrestler gets hit over the head with a chair, he actually gets a concussion and passes out. So how is the announcer to say this? How does he say “This is not part of the story, this is a real thing that just happened?” The media has been covering the political horserace, the sniping and posturing that defines the 24 hour news cycle, (and now the 6 hour twitter outrage cycle) for so long, that they seem to have lost track of the difference between The Show and Reality. They are treating Trump openly soliciting foreign powers to prosecute US citizens as if it is the same as him making a silly gaffe. I don’t know how to communicate to people that this is not just part of the politics of entertainment. Lots of people who are not in the media have made the same mistake. There has been so much outrage against Trump, that it is hard to separate out the criminal from just normal blunders. That is why things like “Sharpiegate” have made impeachment more difficult. This isn’t part of the show, but I have no idea how to communicate that. Trump has mastered this in fact. The DP needs to figure out a way to beat him at this game. And here is where I put in a word for empowering the Sargeant at Arms of enforcing witness appearance before House committees… we need a folkhero that has more backing than Trump to take some action here. I’ve been thinking about this post a lot today. There was some quality nagging at me and it finally dawned on me what it is: What Marcy describes, to me, elucidates a feeling near Niemoller – “First they came for the 4th Amendment, and I did not speak out on that topic, because I was a First Amendment-er” etc. And once they come for the First, having gutted the rest, there will be nothing to write worth reading, you lousy hacks! Jeezus I hope they figure it out and get it together and actually commit some journamalism. Hey, BMAZ…thought you might be interested in this thread: https://twitter.com/jbendery/status/1195109030873718784 2:39 PM – 14 Nov 2019 There is a HUGE screen outside of Union Station right now featuring Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony in the Senate — as Brett Kavanaugh is inside speaking at the Federalist Society annual fundraiser dinner. […] Still awkward as all these Fed Society people in tuxes are stuck standing here with people shouting “hey hey, ho ho! Kavanaugh has got to go!” Also I see Rod Rosenstein is in line (!) for this gala with Brett Kavanaugh. [VIDEO] […] More from the FedSoc dinner…if you can stomach it: https://twitter.com/lawrencehurley/status/1195095214567936000 Tonight: U.S. Justice Kavanaugh to make first major public speech since confirmation controversy […] Senator Mitch McConnell, who has done more than anyone other than Trump to get dozens of Federalist Society members on the bench, gets a big ovation as he gets up to speak / McConnell has six words he wants to share: re: his decision not to let Obama replace Justice Scalia: President Donald Trump Justice Neil Gorsuch / McConnell says he is surprised Democrats are so opposed to the GOP remaking of the courts, saying it should be seen as a bipartisan accomplishment […] https://twitter.com/JoshMBlackman/status/1195144913878474752 [email protected] gets standing ovation […] Mitch McTurtle’s loss of his senate seat next year should be a bipartisan accomplishment. He’s about as bipartisan now as an iron ingot, and less useful. Thanks for these links harpie. I suspect that Kav’s selection hearing may have loosed those relatives of your namesake, the Eumenides. The beautiful ones may have realised that the state has not been even-handed in its treatment of wrong-doers, and so be after vengeance. “What would Athena do in world that includes FoxNews, FB and multiple trolls paid by enemies?”, is what I ask myself. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=97C60exFH6A skua, Thank you for the wonderful Journey your comment initiated this morning! Williams: …the choir is required to screech and howl… Absolutely!, with the volume at MAX: https://www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/RETAHA_2.typicalcallsnum2_MBle.mp3?uuid=5dd0091aecc8b https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Harpia-harpyja-001.jpg/900px-Harpia-harpyja-001.jpg …don’t know if even Athena could persuade me, at this point… This ultimately does not sit well with the Furies, but Athena eventually persuades them to accept the decision and, instead of violently retaliating against wrongdoers, become a constructive force of vigilance in Athens. She then changes their names from the Furies to “the Eumenides” which means “the Gracious Ones”.[12] The Eumenides https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oresteia#The_Eumenides dwfreeman says: The MSM covers everything these days as a horse race and measures its value on a peculiar entertainment scale in which the value is based on whether its own curiosity is sufficiently piqued enough to report it as such. First of all, there is no attention paid to the actual timeline of this scandal or explaining why it happened or whether it happened as a result of the Mueller Report, and not as some standalone case, Beyond that, the shadow of authoritarian thinking has shrouded Trump’s actions even in the glare of impeachment. A lot of people who follow this blog get that immediately, so saying this is hardly breathtaking. Trump abused his office as president by denying release of congressionally-authorized funds in the 2019 federal budget for Ukraine’s defense by imposing conditions for their release that had the net effect of benefiting Russia, not Ukraine. Trump’s admin informed Congress on Feb. 28 that it planned to release the funds but didn’t. It repeated that assurance in May, but didn’t follow through. So, what was the hold up? People started wondering why was this money being withheld. And nobody in the Department of Defense, in the foreign service seemed to know. This funding wasn’t a political issue when it was approved. It was authorized on a bipartisan basis. So, why isn’t that part of it reported in more detail along with all the GOP members who voted for it. What was their intent in passing it? The GOP acts like nothing matters in the process so long as the money found its way to the recipient. And I don’t even think that Trump was holding it up exclusively for his own re-election benefit. And I believe that because he kept changing the conditions for its release. He clearly wanted a taste from this bribe, a perfect transaction for Trump, $391 million in public extortion funding, for which he could apply any ransom. But this transactional Don wanted to repay a political debt to his Moscow mentor, who greenlit his Kremlin Trump Tower project in December 2015, as a payoff for Putin’s field of dreams in damaging NAT0, western alliances and US influence overall. What does it take to prove Trump complicity as a Russian asset? No matter how you spin his personal connection to killing Urkraine funding either on a timeline or by implicating its leadership in some kind of corruption cabal, and benefiting paranthetically, the case is made. He is not acting in US interests. I don’t give a damn whether its impeachable, it’s removable. This guy acts out of his own self-interest, on whatever terms that means. I want to make one other point about the WB who is the hero of this case. The WB law was blatantly violated by the WH and DOJ. And the media has failed to point this out. Even now, the GOP and WH are trying to out the WB for the purpose of discrediting that person into lifetime oblivion, if not murder. This is total fucking bullshit. Fuck the motherfuckers. If the Dems do nothing else, protecting this hero is task No. 1. The clown car politics of the Republicans and their propaganda machine at Fox must be pummeled at every turn. The thing that gets me is that the GOP-T keeps trying to claim he’s not guilty because he’s too stupid/incompetent to do it. Hell, that’s ground for impeachment in itself: if he’s that stupid/incompetent, he isn’t capable of doing the job as president that he swore to do – and congress has the duty to remove him. The Doctor says: What they’re implicitly saying is, “If it’s not spectacle, it’s worthless.” Says a lot about society today, I think. I think SNL heard you! Someone at SNL must read you! Some open! harpie on But His Emails! Kushner’s Unique Exposure under the Presidential Records Act Ravenclaw on The Recent Radicalization of the Woman Who Allegedly Stole the Pelosi Laptop Jim White@JimWhiteGNVRT @cynthiakouril: I would have felt much better, if this info became public an hour AFTER the event. Please do not publicize where these p…6 minutes ago19 January 2021 Dr. emptywheel@emptywheelWhen the insurrectionists have more powerful pepper spray than the cops do. edition.cnn.com/2021/01/19/pol… pic.twitter.com/mtxUGF3xAM10 minutes ago19 January 2021 Dr. emptywheel@emptywheelA good thread on the power of pardons for PardonPalooza day. twitter.com/steve_vladeck/…38 minutes ago19 January 2021 bmaz@bmazNo twitter.com/jimsciutto/sta…40 minutes ago19 January 2021 Dr. emptywheel@emptywheelNot included in this, but something I've been worrying about, is how these men and women will radicalize others and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…42 minutes ago19 January 2021 bmaz@bmazRT @ArmandoNDK: Not true. Senate impeachment orders are not subject to debate. If Schumer can hold his caucus he can have his rules with VP…47 minutes ago19 January 2021 bmaz@bmazWhat? twitter.com/dsamuelsohn/st…50 minutes ago19 January 2021 Dr. emptywheel@emptywheelRT @ThomCheney: The number of US national security people who seem to think the world will just treat the last four years as a blip and the…59 minutes ago19 January 2021 Jim White@JimWhiteGNVRT @KassidyGHill: Gainesville has a large homeless population. Two or three years ago a few of the football players noticed it growing & to…11 hours ago19 January 2021 Jim White@JimWhiteGNVNot going to be able to watch much of this Jayhawks game. Clearly going to be a rough night for them.12 hours ago19 January 2021 Ed Walker 🍞🌹@MasaccioEWRT @cmooch55: @taco_enthusiast @IsaLeeWolf @KateNocera @UrsulaPerano @axios I think it means the next election will be decided by an epic p…12 hours ago19 January 2021 Time to Start Calling Bill Barr “Prosecutor General” Devin Nunes Calls an Experienced Organized Crime Researcher Funded by Paul Singer...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797236
__label__cc	0.609423	0.390577	Boat Docks for Sale in the Naples Florida Area Map is loading...Please wait https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/goodland/mls-220043109-385-angler-dr.html $100,000 385 Angler Dr Goodland, FL 34140 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/bonita-springs/mls-220068817-27-barefoot-beach-blvd.html $100,000 27 Barefoot Beach Blvd Bonita Springs, FL 34134 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/naples/mls-221004190-477-north-rd.html $99,000 477 North Rd Naples, FL 34104 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/goodland/mls-220026885-385-angler-dr.html $97,999 385 Angler Dr Goodland, FL 34140 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/marco-island/mls-221001208-750-n-collier-blvd.html $95,000 750 N Collier Blvd Marco Island, FL 34145 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/fort-myers-beach/mls-221002504-4765-estero-blvd.html $94,000 4765 Estero Blvd Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/naples/mls-220000884-525-newport-dr.html $89,900 525 Newport Dr Naples, FL 34114 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/naples/mls-221001376-750-river-point-dr.html $85,000 750 River Point Dr Naples, FL 34102 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/naples/mls-220045792-1345-s-5th-ave.html $80,000 1345 S 5th Ave Naples, FL 34102 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/fort-myers-beach/mls-220008985-4185-bay-beach-c42-ln.html $80,000 4185 Bay Beach #c42 Ln Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/naples/mls-220063190-n-a.html $65,000 Naples, FL 34102 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/bonita-springs/mls-220055595-4751-bonita-beach-rd.html $34,500 4751 Bonita Beach Rd Bonita Springs, FL 34134 https://www.enaplesflorida.com/real-estate/fort-myers/mls-220051528-15051-punta-rassa-rd.html $29,900 15051 Punta Rassa Rd Fort Myers, FL 33908 The real estate information on eNaplesFlorida.com comes from the cooperative Broker Reciprocity Program in Florida. The Broker Reciprocity Program Icon is shown for all Broker Reciprocity Program Listings and the Detail Page includes the name of the participating Listing Broker. Premiere Plus Realty may not show all available Broker Reciprocity Program Listings and may not be the Listing Brokerage of these properties.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797238
__label__cc	0.732059	0.267941	Jesus warned us. Will we listen? Earthquakes are increasing. They’ll get worse. But you better not tell anyone the real reasons why. When Jonathan’s young daughters from his failed marriage find a locked box in his Grandmother’s attic, its strange contents lead to a paranoid hermit who still conducts secret research started by his Grandfather. Upon meeting the hermit, Jonathan is terrified to learn how man’s production of oil, coal, dams, and cities has redistributed weight around our planet and is beginning to trigger earthquakes, pushing our world toward environmental catastrophes foretold by Jesus. Sinister forces want to keep the research hidden at any price, even murder. Jonathan’s meeting and falling in love with Cindy could not have come at a worse time. How can he protect his new love and family from the dark murderous forces that want to silence him? E-book formats available at: “You’re confusing size with severity. Those are two very different things.” (excerpt from book) Dante nudged the thermometer downward, restoring line of sight between them, his dark eyes hard and fixed. “John had a hunch about weight transfer. Moving a lot of weight around might affect earthquakes. So he studied all kinds of technology––mining, oil production, construction––massive amounts of weight each industry moves. Maybe moving so much weight from here to there could reach that certain ‘degree’ that affects balance.” Dante borrowed the thermometer from Jonathan’s hand, and tapped his finger at the end of the red line. “Like this thirty-two degree mark that no one used to know about. Could there be a ‘degree’ to balance…a natural line of departure? One that could change the entire Earth?” Jonathan felt a smirk tugging at his face. “Really? Like what, the mother-of-all earthquakes? Something like that?” Dante nodded and placed the thermometer on the table between them. “But Dante,” Jonathan shook his head and flung his arms out, “the earth is so huge!” He lowered his arms and clenched the edge of the table. This was crazy stuff. “Okay, we have some new high-tech gadgets––but nothing we do would change the whole Earth!” He grabbed the thermometer, turning it over and over then tapped it against his palm, shaking his head. “Too bad Grandpa isn’t around now. He should have seen that NASA photo of Earth. It’s big.” Dante sighed. “Yes, Jonathan, you could say the Earth is big.” Searching fingers reached into his right shirt pocket. “Think of it this way. You’re a big fellow. Probably weigh 220 pounds. Your bottle of beer there holds 12 ounces of liquid.” Dante’s fingers switched to his left shirt pocket and pulled out a tiny vial of fluid. “And this vial is a lot bigger than just one drop of what’s inside it.” Dante handed the vial to him. It was about the size of Andrea’s tiny finger. The fluid looked mostly clear, maybe a little amber-colored. “So, what’s this?” “Liquid arsenic.” Dante nudged the beer closer. “Put a drop, just one tiny drop of that arsenic in your beer. Swish it a little to dilute the arsenic and take just one tiny sip. Swallow it. Let that little sip of diluted arsenic wander around inside your 200 pound body.” A dagger gleamed in his voice and cut narrow slits through his eyelids. “Let’s just see what happens.” “Dante, you’re either nuts, or it’s some kind of trick!” He set the vial down in the middle of the table. No way. More crazy stuff. “Wait a minute, Dante. It’s not really arsenic, is it?” More illusions. “So, what is it, really?” “Arsenic. Sprinkle some on the rabbit pellets I put out to control the mice. Mice eat the rabbit food. He snapped his fingers, picked up the vial and rolled it between his fingers. “Fewer mice.” “I don’t believe you. Put some in your own beer. Let’s see you do that!” “All right.” Dante opened the vial and nursed a single drop to fall into his bottle. Closing the vial, he swished the concoction and raised his beer. “Cheers, Jonathan.” He took a long drink. Jonathan lost count of how many swallows. With a small burp, Dante set the bottle back on the table, held his arms out to his sides and gave a slight shrug as if nothing had happened. “If it’s real, you wouldn’t have done that.” Another trick. Another lie. “Well,” he burped again, followed with a half smile, “it is real arsenic, Jonathan. But I know the difference between a little poison and a lot of poison. Since you refused my little challenge I’d say you don’t really know what’s ‘big.’ Or what’s ‘small.’ You don’t know which actions have a consequence and which ones don’t.” Dante shook his head. “You’re confusing size with severity. Those are two very different things.” Different things, huh? Jonathan’s left hand pressed across his lips trying to release the right words. “Look, Dante. There’s smart and dumb, too. I did the smart thing by not doing it. If it’s really arsenic, and it didn’t kill me, it could make me sick, or—” “Sick? Oh, that’s right. Sickness. That disruption to our health caused by some tiny virus or bacteria in these big huge bodies.” Dante pointed to himself and to Jonathan. “Sick, from all those teeny tiny microscopic aliens we didn’t know we shared Earth with, until just a hundred years ago. Tiny things, huh? Too small to see with the naked eye. But strong enough to kill you. And me. And a million others. That kind of sick?” Dante slowed. “Think about it, Jonathan. Maybe it is possible for something very small to affect something very big. How about a mosquito? Just this big.” He pinched a bit of air between thumb and forefinger. “One little bite and big guys like you or me get malaria and die! How? Mosquitoes aren’t poisonous. No venom. But mosquitoes are huge compared to those tiny parasites they deliver. Those microscopic single-cell parasites that make a home in your liver for starters.” He leaned back. “Size doesn’t always relate to severity.” Jonathan could feel his jaw tighten. Size, severity. Okay, but this was still–– Dante started to rub his hands together as if washing them. “How about plain old germs? In the 1930’s, surgeons argued about whether or not they should wash their hands between surgeries. Smart intelligent people. College educated. Well trained. But ignorant of facts yet to be learned. This one surgeon, who did wash his hands, noticed how well his patients did as a result. He tells other surgeons. Did it change their minds? Nope. Other surgeons, who had passed tough medical exams of their day, said washing hands is a just big waste of time. Even smoked during surgery. Here nurse, hold my cigarette and pass me that scalpel.” Dante took a puff on a make-believe cigarette. Jonathan chuckled. “Yeah, seems pretty dumb these days.” Dante nodded. “Later on, with enough facts, surgeons stopped arguing about whether or not to wash hands.” He leaned forward. “Did they get smarter? No. They finally learned that size doesn’t always relate to severity. They learned that tiny unseen life forms can damage the health of a big, huge patient.” He leaned back again and rested one hand over the other on the table. “Doctors had practiced healing for thousands of years completely ignorant of one of the most important ways to help their patients heal––until just 50 years ago. Today it’s in the books. Everyone agrees. So now do they know it all? Or do you think there’s more for them to learn?” Jonathan shrugged. “I was married to a nurse and heard medical people say there’s more to learn. Always more to learn, I guess.” Although Linda always seemed to know it all. “Dante, I’m not going swallow arsenic.” Dante eyes roamed his, looking for something. “Do a majority of people have to agree for a thing to be true? Or is a thing true, regardless of how many people agree about it?” Jonathan took his time. Don’t get sucker punched. “Well, if something’s true, it’s true. What people think about it … doesn’t really matter.” “Hmm,” Dante gave a slight nod, picked up the vial and rolled it between his fingers. “Scientists have studied this natural poison.” Dante gave a quick glance to him. “Arsenic. Odorless. Tasteless. There’s a tiny dose that won’t hurt most people. But combine enough tiny drops and it reaches a degree where it’s lethal. So you see, Jonathan, something small can affect something big.” Dante offered the vial to him. “Go ahead.” No way. Jonathan leaned back, away from the poison in Dante’s hand. “Okay, Dante, okay. You made your point.” Dante hesitated. “Something else to think about, Jonathan. You went out to your car, earlier. Well, you don’t really know…whether or not I already put a drop in your beer, do you?” A hammer-like thud echoed in Jonathan’s head spinning the room. Dante was a lunatic. Why had he stayed here? He sprung out of his chair to go but a sudden dizziness tried to rock him off his feet. Grabbing the back of his chair to steady himself, he waited for the worst, stealing deep breaths through the thumping parade of heart beats in his chest. Was this just fear? Or arsenic? Would he see his kids again? The room stopped. It was easier to breathe. Dizziness passed. Dante started to chuckle, soon laughed out loud and pointed. “Son, sit down.” Laughter sprouted between his words. “Please, sit … I’d never poison John’s grandson … I wouldn’t … poison you …” Fingertips fluttered downward, motioning for Jonathan to sit.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797240
__label__cc	0.603032	0.396968	fzztsimmons wow, really impressed with alyssa!! i think the beginning was a little choreo/transition empty, mostly because she was setting up the 3a and quad, but wow she landed those jumps beautifully and i thought she really settled into the programme, lovely light and airy feeling to her skating! Aww Alyssa has improved so much from last season! Lovely program, she is very involved and there are nice transitions as well. What's also impressive is that her 3A is so consistent. Her quad looks pretty effortless for a jump of such difficulty. Didn't she plan to repeat it? Maybe she will do so later. Jeanie19 DanseMacabre said: Also, can I just say, Paul Wylie has aged very well. I though the same thing. Marvelous show. Everyone skated beautifully. I liked Olsson, M-Cantu, Williams. Konstantinova should have got straight 10s on her short as well as long. Mirai crushed it. Alysa fully deserved her 10.7. Brian Boitano did a super job on play by play. I liked this exchange: Nancy Kerrigan (to Alysa Liu): Do you think the ISU should reconsider the age rule that says you can't compete at senior worlds? Alysa: "M..a..y...be." Marvelous show. Everyone skated beautifully. I liked Olsson, M-Cantu, Williams. Konstantinova should have got straight 10s on her short as well as long. Mirai crushed it. Alyssa fully deserved her 10.7. Brian Boitano did a super job on play by play. I liked this exchange: Nancy Kerrigan (to Alyssa Liu): Do you think the ISU should reconsider the age rule that says you can't compete at senior worlds? Alysa did great in her presentation there. Media training showed. Other feds can learn from this. Agree. I also thought Mai-Berenice Meite skated as well as I had ever seen her in her long program. Elucidus Match Penalty Alysa! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7dDtsi1wrw A little under on the Lutz to my eye (Brian disagrees) :noshake: She landed faceforward - and that was even showed three times on replay in slo-mo It's not "a little". How people can be so blind? Her 3As were better though - for first one I can even give her benefit of the doubt to consider it as full; 2nd one was clearly under. I don't like her landing technique though - if she become used to land jumps on toe first facing forward and rotate then on ice - it can become a Miyahara's habit which can bite her later. Still she is commendable for her consistency - I am pleasantly surprised tbh. It's good - Russian juniors needs strong rival to move forward. And the whole sport only wins from such confrontation. natsulian First and foremost, Alysa was simply stunning and exceptional. Her jumps were locked, loaded, and ready to fire, but what surprised me the most was her elegance and maturity in her presentation. Who knew she could deliver a roof shattering performance with such expectations? I am so glad her team decided to only incorporate one 4Lz in her Free and should she need it, they can always add a second one come Junior Worlds. They definitely worked on the height of the jump to make it cleaner and although it wasn’t the cleanest of quads, it still seemed effortless. Her first 3A was huge and I loved the Ina Bauer into the 3F which is arguably her best jump alongside the 3Lo. I’m already 75% sure that she’s going to learn the 4F come next season. Fluture You will see her in a crown So, I just finished watching. Unfortunately, I wasn‘t able to watch it live but I‘ve caught up now. And wow, not gonna lie, I don‘t know when the last time was that I had as much fun watching a competition. I can‘t even say exactly why but I think it was just the different skaters come together and compete and skate and perform in a fun kind of way. I loved the judging system, as subjective as it was, it was so nice to just watch and enjoy instead of mentally calculating every point and rambling about the scores afterwards. Some impressions: Well, we gotta start with Alysa because that was the performance of the night. I really wasn‘t a fan of hers before (only saw her at Nationals, though, so hard to judge) and I‘m admittedly still reluctant to jump on the hype train. It’s not that she isn’t great, she quite obviously is, it just kind of scares me seeing her out there doing all these historic feats and knowing what kind of expectations will be piled upon her. It’s all fun and easy right now but... well, last time the US put all their hopes on their Olympic sweetheart, the pressure just became too much and it didn’t work out well at all so I’m reluctant. I don‘t want this to happen to a kid as amazing as Alysa is. But I have to give it to her, this was a really great performance. Outstanding - and I’m not even talking about the jumps. (I really don’t feel like analyzing and talking about URs and stuff like that - sometimes I think it takes away from my enjoyment of skating and I don’t want to ruin the impression I got today) I knew she had these kind of jumps but I saw a big improvement in skating skills and artistry and sophistication from Nationals to now. Still a long way to go but this was very enjoyable to watch. My second favourite was Stanislava. Her skating was amazing and powerful but what really won me over was how happy she seemed to have the opportunity to skate there. How she told Nancy she was a fan, how she interacted with the other skaters... She seemed so happy and grateful and this made me happy too. I also liked Mirai‘s and Ashley’s SP, their energy was great. Mae had some problems with her jumps but it didn‘t take away from the performance. She‘s just so energetic and powerful she captures your attention. Overall I was surprised by how much I liked this competition. I feel like this is what skating needs. Not instead of the really competitive events but alongside them. I think the easier judging system and the fun spirit of the competition could get a lot of people interested in this sport who were only casually watching before at best. Watching Alysa gave me hope that the US can be at the top in figure skating once more! Interesting that Mirai has brand new programs...wonder what her plans are. She's already 26, but perhaps she can pull an Adam Rippon and go for one more Olympics. She does have a 3A afterall... Fluture said: So, I just finished watching. Unfortunately, I wasn‘t able to watch it live but I‘ve caught up now. And wow, not gonna lie, I don‘t know when the last time was that I had as much fun watching a competition. I can‘t even say exactly why but I think it was just the different skaters come together and compete and skate and perform in a fun kind of way. What was cool was that each skater came out and showed what she could do, never mind anyone else. I want to give a huge shout-out to Ayaka Hosoda. She put on a jump clinic. The jumps were basically the whole performance, but what a performance! , only change that last 9.9 to a 10. moonvine apgold Glad to see that a lot of you were able to watch via ESPN. Here's my in person report. The arena was not even half full – entire sections at each end of the rink were completely empty. Still the event was fun, even if the pacing was a bit draggy and seemed a little unstructured. The music in the arena also sounded a bit tinny, too. The audience was into it and supported all of the skaters, which was nice. The skating was definitely all over the place tech wise with some landing quads (Alysa) and a few others only attempting singles and doubles. But overall it was a fun, charming event and I would take the train up to Albany again if they held it again next year. As others have said, Alysa Liu did not disappoint, landing a 4Lz and two 3As in her free skate along with everything else looking clean. The three judges, including Surya Bonaly and Liz Manley, gave her 10.5. points out of 10 – this was not scored using the IJS, lol. She also performed her “Don’t Rain on My Parade” SP as an exhibition. If she skates this well in Lake Placid next weekend, she’ll walk away with a gold medal. Here are some thoughts on other standouts: Mirai Nagasu: First of all, I’m a Mirai fan so I’m biased, but I was impressed with what she brought here. I was happy to see that she performed two new programs with new costumes, neither of which songs I recognized. She mostly has her jumps back (sans 3A), post hip surgery, and the judges gave her a perfect score for her SP and close to perfect on her freeskate. She looks like she will be ready for the Japan Open – but needs to add her 3-3 into the free skate. I hope Mirai is planning to return to competition at some point – with or without a 3A. ETA: Link to my fancam of her FS Ayaka Hosada: Speaking of triple axels, as the skater who did two 3As during 2019 Japanese nationals, Hosada layed it down here as well in her FS, landing two 3As and a clean program. She’s not the most memorable skater outside of her jumps, but she’s pleasant to watch. She is coached by Mie Hamada, who attended with her. Mie spent a lot of time chatting with Paul Wylie in between skates. (I was seated in the section behind Paul, Nadia Comaneci and Jackie Joyner Kersee, who were enthusiastically cheering on the skaters, particularly Mirai.) Stanislava Konstantinova: I’m not her biggest fan but maybe b/c she was the only Russian here, she did stand out nicely. Her Malaguena freeskate had a lot of spirit and she landed most of her jumps cleanly. She seemed happy to be here and got a lot of love from the audience. The rest of the skates were a mixed bag. Mae-Berenice’s jumps were clean and powerful in warmup but failed to deliver completely clean performances. She did seem to have fun though, especially in her Celine Dion free-skate. I did not like her SP costume which looked like a spider’s web. Her coach, Silvia Fontana, accompanied her to the competition. Ashley brought the performance but was clearly not in competitive shape, although she always looks amazing. She only competed in the SP and did “Sweet Dreams” with only 2 jumps, skipping the loop. Her LaLa Land exhibition was good despite popping two jumps (a flip and a loop, I think). Mirai was cute watching Ashley skate from the boards, disappointed when she popped. I love Mirai and Ashley’s friendship. There was also a weird moment when Ashley was told she was supposed to warm up for her EX and she was like “NOW?” She seemed caught off guard but went to warm up. Other weird moments were during Alysa’s EX and the music had some weird loud interference and poor Alysa covered her ears. She still kept on skating, which shows she is prepared for anything and didn’t let it bother her. I also enjoyed Isadora Williams, Andrea Montesinos and Isabelle Olsson. While technically not at the top level, they were fun to watch and had some nice performances. I’m sorry Akiko Suzuki pulled out due to injury as I never got the chance to see her live when she was competing. Team Americas won over Team World with Nancy Kerrigan (her husband helped organize the event) presenting a non-existent trophy or medals. I wonder if they get a cash award? Later I went to the Hilton’s bar/restaurant to grab dinner near my airbnb (downtown Albany is a ghost town on the weekends, so not many choices to eat) and hopefully see some “famous” folks. Sure enough, Mie Hamada was eating with Ayaka Hosada and another Japanese woman – maybe one of her coaching staff? A few feet away were Nancy Kerrigan, Surya Bonaly and Silvia Fontana having drinks. Also spotted Alysa’s dad and then Alysa who came to join him along with her coach. There were other athletes from other sports hanging around, too. So the Hilton was the place to be, as it was the official hotel for the games. Finally, thanks to Bookseller and her friend for joining me for brunch prior to the event. It’s always nice to connect with other skating fans at these events. apgold said: Me too, and I love that you shared this detail about Mirai, which wasn't visible from the TSL video of LaLaLand. I imagine Ashley felt about the same way Mirai did, when she popped. But that's the magic of Ashley, and I think that's one of the things I love and miss the most about her skating: She'll never give up on a performance, no matter what. She always wants to leave the audience with something, a bit of beauty or joy, or a moment of reflection. This made me realize anew how much I miss Ashley's skating. Many of the others seemed stiff from shoulder to hip in comparison. Ashley skates and emotes with such fluidity, from skates to ice, yes, and also through her entire body, face, smile, aura ... all of it. Having said that, I loved that everyone brought something unique to this fun and joyous competition, some piece of their own magic. It was a fun event and much better than anticipated. Good job of reporting Andrea! I was very impressed with Alysa's star power and skating. We had a bit of deja-vu with all the confetti falling right in front of us which sweepers and skaters had to come clean up. Alysa caught one in mid-air and one on the ice and tossed them over the boards. She smiled the whole time. She was clearly having fun! But it brought back memories of dead flies in Lake Placid last year. We were constantly notifying the judges and the sweepers. Loved Ashley's short program. Loved Mirai. She looked great. All the skaters were fun to watch. The awards ceremony was a little lame, but it was fun to see Nancy again and the judges were having a blast. We were literally right next to them with the aisle in between. I did watch replays of the quad lutz from Alysa. The landing definitely looked like an under-rotation. She did rotate 4 times in the air, but she was still rotating on the ice when she landed, It would have been reviewed at least. But it looked good and I'm sure that she can land it well. Thanks for reaching out and inviting us to brunch. It was a really fun day. We left for home immediately following, so no skater sightings. Can't wait to see what Alysa will do at Lake Placid next weekend! zanadude Now Ayaka Hosoda will go down in history as the first Japanese skater to score three perfect tens in a routine. Does Mirai want to make a comeback this season? She has new programs and landed a 3-3, which imo means that she still trains almost as a competitive skater. Latin programs suit Konstantinova really well and she's a very beautiful young lady. She looks prepared for test skates. From what I remember of Mirai’s previous interviews, she has ruled out coming back for the Olympics but not Nationals, citing Daisuke Takahashi as her inspiration. Her work with Lori is really starting to show. A little under on the Lutz to my eye (Brian disagrees) but a beautiful clear outside edge on the quad. Elucidus said: Brian Boitano didn't really disagree. He hemmed and hawed a little and then said weakly, well, I think it's OK. What was he supposed to say? All afternoon they had been ballyhooing the HISTORY-MAKING NATURE OF THIS HISTORIC FEAT (and you got to see it right here on the Aurora Games! Buy Muscleman's Applesauce, grown from Ohio apples personally planted by Johnny Appleseed!!!) Brian was hardly going to say on the air, well, that sucked. Anyway, Alysa skated great. She did everything she was paid for, as did all the skaters. This is not the event for angrily nit-picking technique. We have the whole competitive season for that.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797242
__label__wiki	0.631022	0.631022	Home iQOO iQOO 7 with Snapdragon 888 officially released iQOO 7 with Snapdragon 888 officially released Argam Artashyan Today, iQOO held a new product launch conference and officially released the new iQOO 7. iQOO 7 Selling Points The iQOO 7 uses marine aluminum as the middle frame material, which has better corrosion resistance and toughness. It has a glass back cover using the new AG technology and has a thickness of 0.6mm. Our protagonist also adopts a 120Hz full-sensing screen, with 1000Hz instant touch sampling rate and 300Hz touch reporting rate. It supports four refresh rate application scenarios, and a maximum brightness of 1300 nits and 4096 levels of brightness adjustment. The screen comes with SGS low Blu-ray, low smear certification, and HDR10+ high dynamic range certification. Apart from the aforementioned features, the iQOO 7 sports under-screen dual-control pressure sensing, dual-line motor, and dual speakers to form a full-sensing control system. Among them, the dual-control pressure sensitivity under the screen can map the two operating areas of the screen to any position in the game according to the user’s preferences; the dual-line motor supports two vibration units to build a sense of orientation and layering of vibration; the loudness of dual speakers is as high as 71.5dB. iQOO stated that it worked with Tencent, Qualcomm, and China Academy of Information and Communications Technology to formulate game voice technology standards, and first released game voice optimization technology. The iQOO 7 comes with the CS43131 processing chip and also has two small Sony gold standards. As we are dealing with the official KPL game machine, the iQOO 7 brings a brand-new game box and a more powerful Monster mode. It is worth mentioning that all iQOO 7 series handsets come standard with a 120W FlashCharge flash charging technology, which can charge to 100% in 15 minutes. At the same time, the iQOO 7 comes standard with a 120W charger, compatible with 65W PD protocol, and has a 1.5-meter charging cable. Inside the iQOO 7 carries a 4096 square millimetre heat spreader. The internal heating plate adopts a power pump with a “spiral braided wire” structure. The latter can reduce the temperature of the whole machine and still have a good grip during games. The iQOO 7 adopts the “horizontal full-scene antenna”. It has an additional antenna outlet and its Wi-Fi 6 has also been upgraded to the “enhanced version”. The maximum theoretical download rate has been increased to twice that of the iQOO 5. In terms of core configuration, the iQOO 7 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, an enhanced LPDDR5 RAM and an enhanced UFS 3.1 storage. It supports Multi-Turbo 5.0. This series run OriginOS, which supports functions such as atomic components, consoles, and energy cube behavior wallpapers. On the back, the iQOO 7 sports a 48-megapixel high-definition main camera, with a 120-degree field of view, a professional imaging lens with a 50mm equivalent focal length, an OIS system, a professional video mode, and the new RAW HDR 2.0 Technology, new super night view algorithm, black light night vision 2.0 and “photo repair” function. The iQOO 7 has three color options: Latent Blue, Black Realm and Legendary Edition. The 8+128GB is priced at 3798 yuan ($586), while the 12+256GB model is priced at 4198 yuan ($648). The pre-sale has started today, and it will go on sale on January 15. KPL smartphone Back in 2010, he was dismissed from his position as a lecturer at the university. This made him get another job at his friend’s digital marketing company as a blog writer. After a few years, when he was thinking the article writing is his mission, Google pushed the Panda update and affected the company and websites he was working at. (Un)fortunately and surprisingly, he got an offer to head a large knitting factory. In 2016, he got his Ph.D. and resumed teaching at the University … and writing tech-related articles following his passion. VIVO X60 Pro+ will be officially announced on January 21 ASUS to launch ROG gaming phone 4 in March-April Samsung launches its first 5g integrated chip Exynos 2100 OPPO Find X3 design and key features leaked Redmi K40 Pro render shows design similar to Redmi K30s Samsung released the Galaxy Buds Pro with noise reduction Huami introduced Amazfit GTS 2e and Amazfit GTR 2e at CES...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797246
__label__cc	0.514894	0.485106	The King of Fighters XIV demo is now live, along with new info and trailers Changes coming to Xbox One Reputation System Destiny: A guide to completing the Iron Banner The Last Guardian Review Game Cafe: PC Podcast Episode 6 Warcraft gets a Game of Thrones style intro If you haven’t at least seen the intro to an episode of Game of Thrones then it’s likely you have been living under a rock for the last few years. Instantly recognisable yet relatively simple in its design the intro takes you on a tour of the locations in the show. Well YouTuber Marc Ottensmann has combined the iconic intro with World to Warcraft to bring a unique World Of Thrones video out. He said “It started already a year ago but got serious in the last months when I [chose] it to be my final project for my animation course at university. It’s neither as great as the original intro from the TV series, nor as great as the game, but I tried to make something I can be satisfied with. And maybe, there will be a (better) Season 2 of World of Thrones. We will see”. Check out the video here: Unfortunately the video ends rather abruptly which a lot of people instantly picked up on in the comments section of the video but Marc insists that was due to getting the video done for a deadline he had set. Hopefully he will return to the idea in the future to explore more areas from the World of Warcraft canon. Game of Thronesworld of warcraftwow	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797247
__label__wiki	0.555674	0.555674	Lagos Based Trader, Amuda Adeleke Drags PDP, Atiku, Saraki & Obi To Court, Demands N45m Date: 19-11-2019 9:13 pm (1 year ago) \| Author: onuigbo felicia felicilin at 19-11-2019 09:13 PM (1 year ago) A Lagos-based trader, Mrs. Amuda Adeleke, has dragged former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who was the Director-General of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation during the 2019 General Glection, before the Federal High Court, Lagos for using her picture on campaign billboards without her consent. Also joined in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/./19, were the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s presidential flag bearer and his Vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi, his running mate. Adeleke, in the suit filed by her counsel, Kingsley Iheakaram, is claiming the the sum of N45 million from the respondents jointly and severally as compensation for the unlawful , unauthorised and unconstitutional use of her image by the respondents. The applicant is also seeking for an order of the court directing the immediate withdrawal and destruction of the campaign materials containing her unauthorised images anywhere within and outside Nigeria. She is also seeking a court declaration that the unauthorised use, publication and display of her image as advertisement by Saraki as head of the Atiku, Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation constitute a breach and infringement of her fundamental right, to privacy as enshrined, guaranteed and provided for in the 1999 Constitution. The applicant in an affidavit in support of the Originating Motion by the Plaintiff’s counsel Mr Kingsley Iheakaram, averred that sometimes on December 4, 2018, the agents of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation (AACO) under the leadership of Dr. Bukola Saraki led a campaign on behalf of Atiku and Obi to Oyin Jolayemi Street Victoria Island, Lagos, to draw support for the candidacy of Atiku and Obi in the 2019 presidential race. It was further averred that in the course of the campaign, AACO and and Saraki began to personally engage the individuals, traders entrepreneurs and other citizens on the said street including the plaintiff on their expectations in respect of the forthcoming 2019 general elections. The plaintiff said that during the interactive engagement, most of the individuals in the locality of the campaign including herself pledged support for Atiku and Obi due to the harsh economic situation in the country. She further stated that during the interaction Saraki and his agents took photographs without informing her that they were going to put them to any use and that she did not think much of it , thinking the first respondent took the picture just to commemorate the event. However, the respondent in their counter affidavit to the suit, while they all denied some of the plaintiff’s averrement, said the Atiku and Obi did not meet the plaintiff physically or in any other manner in the course of their campaign in Lagos State and neither took snapshot or photograph with her. The defendants stated that all matters of electronic/billboards campaigns were contracted out to Messrs AHC Production Limited and so she was contacted and interviewed by that company. The first and second defendants said they were informed by Mr Tokunbo Omulekulo of the said AHC Productions Limited at the PDP office in Abuja that the name of the applicant is not Mrs Amuda Adeleke, but Tope Olukolu with GSM phone number 08035059775 which is the name she gave to Tokunbo Omulekulo during the interview as contained in the consent agreement she signed with AHC Productions Limited. The Defendants added that the applicant was so excited about about this possibility of a change of government that can restore economic stability and guarantee the security of life and Properties and generally make Nigeria to work again as represented by Atiku and Obi. That the applicant, his friends and neighbours knew that their pictures were going to be used for electronic campaigns for Atiku and Obi and that each person’s used for the electronic campaigns advertisement were dully paid and made to sign an agreement before their photographs and names were used. The defendants added that the action of the plaintiff it’s a clear case of gold digging because when the electronic billboards advertisement were going on, the applicant called Mr Tokunbo Omulekulo and asked for more money to be given because the advert was more than what she expected. The defendants therefore, urged the court to dismiss the case against them. Meanwhile, Justice Ayokunle Faji has adjourned the matter till January 27, 2020 for trial. kokotruth at 19-11-2019 10:41 PM (1 year ago) No case go sit down Posted: at 19-11-2019 10:41 PM (1 year ago) \| Newbie awolereeeee at 20-11-2019 08:12 AM (1 year ago) Hello everyone adetifa a native doctor from ile Ife we cure but God heal come for any challenges that is bothering you come and there will be a solution neither spiritual problem or physically problems you can contact me on this number07063446317 than u. Posted: at 20-11-2019 08:12 AM (1 year ago) \| Newbie scottchris at 20-11-2019 10:36 AM (1 year ago) sorry to say...but u will not win....just dont waste money to pay any lawyer, they will not tell u the truth ooo GOD BLESS NIGERIA!!! Posted: at 20-11-2019 10:36 AM (1 year ago) \| Gistmaniac	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797250
__label__wiki	0.543065	0.543065	Home / huawei / mobile / rumors / Huawei P30 to feature an OLED screen, P30 Pro might have a periscope zoom camera Huawei P30 to feature an OLED screen, P30 Pro might have a periscope zoom camera Peter Jan "PJ" R. Icogo 1/24/2019 09:26:00 AM huawei, mobile, rumors Reports from alleged people using engineering samples states that the upcoming Huawei P30 will feature an OLED display with dewdrop notch. Alleged render of the P30 P30 series rumors Previously, Huawei used LCD on the P20 and OLED for the P20 Pro. But now, they will use OLED for both P30 and P30 Pro. The use of OLED is necessary to make optical In-Display fingerprint work. The tiny dewdrop notch suggest that it won't have a 3D face scanner like the Mate 20 Pro with wide notch. P30 is said to feature a 6.1-inch screen while the P30 Pro could have a big 6.5-inch panel. There are new reports claiming that the P30 Pro will have a new camera technology. It will "likely" feature a periscope zoom tech similar to what OPPO did. The camera will use a new 6-series Sony sensor. Most likely, the 1/1.8-inch 38MP Sony IMX607. The rest of the missing details are still unknown for now. Both are expected to be powered by Kirin 980 with up to 12GB RAM. The non-pro model will likely come with a 3.5 mm headphone jack slot as well. Source: QQ	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797251
__label__cc	0.669962	0.330038	GLOBE Forum Theme & Tracks Sub-theme: Oceans The Expo The Innovation Expo Presentation Theatres Theatre Schedules Floor Plan & Exhibitor List B2B Networking Program GLOBE Week About GLOBE Week GLOBE Week Activities GLOBE Forum 2018 2018 GLOBE Climate Leadership Awards Prix Globe du leadership en matière de climat 2018 Zoë Knight Managing Director & Group Head, HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance Zoë Knight is a Managing Director and Group Head of the HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance. She joined HSBC in 2010 and most recently led the Climate Change Centre of Excellence within Global Research, having been an investment analyst at global financial institutions since 1997. For ten years she focused on equity strategy, before focusing on socially responsible investing. Since joining HSBC Zoë has co-authored reports on low-carbon opportunities in bond and equity markets, as well as long-term carbon and water risks. Previously, she contributed a chapter to ‘Investment opportunities for a low-carbon world’ (2009). Throughout her career she has been ranked in Extel and Institutional Investor. She also sits on the Board of the World Energy Council UK and holds a BSc (Hons) Economics from the University of Bath. Sessions with this Speaker Mar 14 2018 3:45pm - 5:00pm The Bottom Line: Implementing the FSB Task Force Recommendations Last year, the Financial Stability Board Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) released its recommendations. More than 230 companies, with a collective market capitalization of more than $6.3 trillion have endorsed the recommendations. Tashia Batstone Senior Vice President, External Relations and Business Development, CPA Canada Partner, Sustainability and Climate Change, PwC Sarah Breeden Executive Director, International Banks Supervision, Bank of England Maia Becker Director, Environmental and Social Risk Policy, Royal Bank of Canada Chris Adachi Manager, Sustainability and Climate Change, Teck Resources Limited Sign up here to receive the latest intel about GLOBE Forum Vancouver Convention Centre 999 Canada Place V6C 3T4 (North America) Mar 14 10am-6pm Get in touch to learn more about GLOBE Forum.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797254
__label__wiki	0.606996	0.606996	Ghostbusters Discussion [SPOILERS] Ghostbusters: Afterlife discussion thread Discuss the upcoming movie to be released in 2020 and directed by Jason Reitman. Re: [SPOILERS] Ghostbusters: Afterlife discussion thread#4942967 By SpaceBallz - December 4th, 2020, 8:54 pm - December 4th, 2020, 8:54 pm#4942967 Curious, I wonder what they planned on releasing back in July for a cut if the film wasn't really done until now. deadderek liked this co-worker: hey the going away party is in the back me (with new mullet): oh i know where the party is SpaceBallz By deadderek - December 4th, 2020, 9:02 pm I think filming was done October 2019? So let's say around March when shit the fan...yeah I can buy that IF things were "on time" that it would have been ready for July. However with the shut downs (which included studio lots), it was clear they would have plenty of time to maybe add things they originally didn't have time for, and/or to get things JUST right. Who knows? Could be a major blessing in disguise. Especially since we know some sort of extra filming was done relatively recently. mrmichaelt, SpaceBallz liked this "Ok. opening at number 2, to sub 50 million, next to the 2nd weekend of an animated kids movie, is NEGATIVE. Let me just clear that up right now. There is no middle ground on this. Studios DO NOT spend 100 million in marketing money to open at number 2. No sir. No. No. No. No." - Richardless deadderek Location: Metro Detroit, MI By mrmichaelt - December 4th, 2020, 9:21 pm deadderek wrote: ↑December 4th, 2020, 9:02 pm I think filming was done October 2019? So let's say around March when shit the fan...yeah I can buy that IF things were "on time" that it would have been ready for July. Yeah, October 17/18. I agree, with the shut downs in March, it's likely they were in post but had to stop for x amount of time then picked back up, decided to take extra time to polish and what not, and just finished recently. Ghostbusters IDW Sales Chart (Updated for March 2020) mrmichaelt By Alphagaia - December 4th, 2020, 9:55 pm Well. Better late than never. robbritton, deadderek, SpaceBallz liked this Looking for an 3D Artist for Fan Project: viewtopic.php?p=4942316#p4942316 Alphagaia Joined: January 3rd, 2016, 10:28 am By timeware - December 5th, 2020, 1:47 am - December 5th, 2020, 1:47 am#4942973 Has there been any leaks about a video game being developed based on Afterlife? With this extra time theyve had to improve on things for once a movie based game might be actually be decent. Alphagaia liked this timeware Joined: September 9th, 2006, 12:58 am By deadderek - December 5th, 2020, 2:16 am Even after Jason's post there's still people whining like children about the movie not going to streaming. It's not hard to understand. Glenn Frederick, Kingpin liked this By mrmichaelt - December 5th, 2020, 4:00 am timeware wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 1:47 am Has there been any leaks about a video game being developed based on Afterlife? With this extra time theyve had to improve on things for once a movie based game might be actually be decent. Nope. It's been pretty scarce when it comes to tie-ins. By RichardLess - December 5th, 2020, 4:23 am SpaceBallz wrote: ↑December 4th, 2020, 8:54 pm Curious, I wonder what they planned on releasing back in July for a cut if the film wasn't really done until now. Movies are often rushed to meet a deadline for release. One of the most infamous examples is...Ghostbusters. And the sequel. Those movies had some of the craziest deadline to spectacle ratio. This probably gave them more time to finesse and get it right. robbritton, Kingpin, deadderek and 1 others liked this RichardLess By Kingpin - December 5th, 2020, 8:49 am mrmichaelt wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 4:00 am Nope. It's been pretty scarce when it comes to tie-ins. And it's probably for the best, most tie-ins are pretty poor due to the tiny production window compared to a non-tie-in game's gestation period. Feeling overwhelmed by the Covid-19 pandemic? Please visit The Support Thread. What would Ryan do? Rank: Moderator Location: Buckinghamshire By timeware - December 5th, 2020, 10:00 am - December 5th, 2020, 10:00 am#4942994 deadderek wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 2:16 am Even after Jason's post there's still people whining like children about the movie not going to streaming. It's simple to understand that Jason doesn't have control over the release date and what Sony plans to do. It's also practical for Sony to offer covid weary audiences a chance to see the film who aren't that keen on going to theater's just yet. So yeah, I'd call that whining like children because you don't like the idea of streaming. By RichardLess - December 5th, 2020, 10:27 am timeware wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 10:00 am Except...the movie will be released on streaming at some point anyways AFTER the theatrical run. Movies like this were meant to be seen in a theatre. Those who aren’t comfortable with that? Cool. The movie will come out on DVD, Blu Ray, 4K and Netflix just like every other movie. I don’t buy for a second that some of the fans are afraid of Covid. They just want the movie NOW & don’t care how. Which is understandable. Waiting sucks. But seeing a Ghostbusters movie on the big screen with a full theatre is worth the wait. For me anyways. I’ve waited, what? 25 years? I can wait a few more months. deadderek, devilmanozzy liked this You have a point but there are going to be those who aren't fans of the franchise that will be getting into Ghostbusters for the first time. These are the people that Sony want's to target on top of us net nerds. Even after taking the vaccine I'm not going to be comfortable sitting in a packed theater much less visiting the concessions stand. I still plan on seeing the film in the theater it just depends on how the guidelines are being followed. I'm not asking for the streaming to be released early. They can do a dual release when it hit's theaters. To give examples of directors not having control over release dates I can throw out fantastic 4 and the superman movie Cage was supposed to star in. I'm sure Jason is allowed input but Sony is the ultimate decider with whatever happens. By SpaceBallz - December 5th, 2020, 12:31 pm - December 5th, 2020, 12:31 pm#4942999 It's okay, once the vaccine is distributed and the virus mutates to Super Covid we'll have new things to worry about By Kingpin - December 5th, 2020, 12:57 pm It's not a dislike of the concept of streaming, or the eventual streaming of the film... It's concern of Afterlife going to streaming over a theatrical run, performing less well in that medium, and the impact it has on the franchise in the future. It's also the frustration of going in circles with the fans who want the instant gratification of a streaming release. It's not that we don't want to see it, we want to be able to see it with out families, our friends, on the big screen in the magical setting of the cinema, and ideally helping to make this outing of the Ghostbusters a reasonable success. Glenn Frederick, deadderek, groschopf and 1 others liked this By MikeyJ122 - December 5th, 2020, 3:54 pm This stuff about theatrical vs streaming is just beginning. After Disney follows suit with Disney plus getting MCU movies (which is a fair bet at this point), ALL the other studios will follow suit, including Sony. I understand what Jason said, and I don't disagree with him. I'd LOVE to throw on my pack, have the whole family geared up, and go watch the new movie. But that's just not the reality anymore. We have no reason to believe that 2021 will be much different than 2020. If you want to bank it all on the vaccine, well that's your right I suppose. This whole thing with theaters though, it's bigger than even covid. I'm a huge music fan as well, I remember what happened with music in the late 90s and early 2000s. It's a whole new industry now. The film industry knows that the change is inevitable, they just want to make as much money as they can, and switch to streaming. Do you think Disney or Warner brothers care about theaters? No. They care about making the most money possible. Theater chains can take as much as 50% (depending on the chain) on ticket sales. Signing people up for a monthly service (that you own like Disney plus), means you get 100% of the money, plus it's a guarantee (due to the monthly fee). Sony is behind the 8 ball here (like always with them, tbh). Warner signed the deal with HBO Max, Disney will just do Disney Plus, I believe Paramount has a deal with someone, so that means Sony will HAVE to go to Netflix. Netflix will have leverage on them in the negotiations. SpaceBallz, groschopf liked this MikeyJ122 By Hairy Biker - December 5th, 2020, 3:58 pm After we were declared Covid free our cinemas opened again and with in the first week I went and saw Tenet and I was quite comfortable. I had no concerns. The local cinema set up a 1.5 metre distance (two seat between every person and every second row used) yes they are limiting ticket sales but I felt totally safe. After each session they send in a cleaning crew who clean and sanitise the used seats. I felt at no time that there was an issue. I just simply enjoyed the movie. I think we can safely see Afterlife come June without fear. Just smaller crowds. groschopf, mrmichaelt, deadderek liked this Hairy Biker Rank: Supporting Member Location: Traralgon, VICTORIA I'm not sure if this is the case with anyone else here, but our local theater shut down about 7 years ago. We have to travel 2-3 hours to see a movie. From what I read, a LOT of theater chains just don't make the money that they used to since streaming started growing. By RichardLess - December 5th, 2020, 6:16 pm MikeyJ122 wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 3:54 pm This stuff about theatrical vs streaming is just beginning. After Disney follows suit with Disney plus getting MCU movies (which is a fair bet at this point), ALL the other studios will follow suit, including Sony. I understand what Jason said, and I don't disagree with him. I'd LOVE to throw on my pack, have the whole family geared up, and go watch the new movie. But that's just not the reality anymore. We have no reason to believe that 2021 will be much different than 2020. If you want to bank it all on the vaccine, well that's your right I suppose. Do you have any idea how much money these companies will be giving up if they go to streaming only? This won’t be the the new norm. It can’t be. Do you think Disney recouped it’s 200+ million dollar investment on Mulan? Nope. This is all about stock prices. Right now investors see streaming as “the big thing” in the entertainment industry. But it’s a short money solution. Theatrical revenue is significant to these companies. They aren’t going to give that up. This is all about stock prices & COVID. Warner’s did this so it’s stock would rise. Streaming is an awesome source of revenue and customer analytics but there’s a sustainability problem. Look at Netflix’s stock price. Now...what is Netflix? Does it have theme parks? Does it have utilities? No. It’s an entertainment company that people are treating like a tech stock. They make movies & TV shows with a built in distribution system. That’s it. They also have piles of debt. Warner Bros is AT&T, Disney is Disney, Universal is Comcast. Netflix is...a movie and TV production company. That’s not sustainable. Not with customer churn, a saturated market and expensive licensing deals/production costs. Meaning there’s a ceiling on how much money a company like Netflix can make. The bottom will give out. Might not be this year or next. But it’s coming. Movies are expensive. Avengers Endgame cost almost 400 million. Disney charges customers, what? 8.99 per month. Endgame made almost 3 billion dollars in theatrical. That’s on top of the 8.99 per month. No one is giving that up. deadderek, robbritton, devilmanozzy liked this By timeware - December 5th, 2020, 6:34 pm I want that experience like the rest of us. Hell, i'm one of those people that will spend twenty dollars on a ticket then drop another twenty on the streaming purchase, then by the DVD, and possible video game console downloads. That's not including the video game tie in and add ons if we get a game. This film will probobly make at least a grand off me between the merchandise and movie copies alone. But we are living in chaotic times. HBO max is dropping their movies for a limited time so time will tell if that's something they decide to do. By groschopf - December 5th, 2020, 6:57 pm Netflix just feels like the bargain bin with a couple of well-known films sprinkled in for good measure. I don't know that I'd want Afterlife to get slapped between Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and Big Mouth. Considering all the merch Sony wants to tie in, and how badly they need an IP to be a hit (especially after that last MiB film), and I doubt we'll see it on streaming without a simultaneous theatrical release. I'm expecting Afterlife in theaters in about a year. If it comes out sooner, great. We can all laugh at how wrong I was. We're looking at a bad December here in the states. Our numbers are probably two weeks behind what's actually hitting. January will be even worse. Healthcare workers have been getting their asses kicked for months now. Morale is low, staffing is problematic as more people get sick, hospital space is an increasing issue, and the ambulance services that transport the sickest patients are also taking a big hit. Transmission has doubtlessly increased after Thanksgiving and Black Friday -- and it will get worse after Christmas and New Years. We're on a similar timeline as the 1918 pandemic at this point. Large-scale distribution of the vaccine might start making a difference in the Spring. Both shots require two doses -- you'll need a second Pfizer shot three weeks after the first, and four weeks after the first Moderna shot before you get the second one. If you get the first shot in April, you might not get the second until May. So there's a month gone just getting the necessary dosage. And just getting the shot will be a bottleneck for months. Pfizer's shot needs to be stored in such prohibitively cold storage that it won't be readily available to poorer, areas without the necessary infrastructure to store it. We're already seeing hacks aimed possibly at disrupting distribution or even intercepting doses so they can be stolen and put on the black market. The vaccination process will take a while and there will be hiccups. I don't expect the pandemic will be curtailed enough by Summer to go to the theater. MAYBE the Fall... but more likely we'll have to wait until the holidays in 2021. Even then, movie theaters -- if they're still in business -- will need to dust off their venues and equipment and staff back up. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. devilmanozzy liked this groschopf Kingpin wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 8:49 am And it's probably for the best, most tie-ins are pretty poor due to the tiny production window compared to a non-tie-in game's gestation period. True. I'd love for a tie-in book or comic instead of a video game. Ghostbusters: The Video Game set the bar maybe too high for all games to come after it. I really enjoyed the Ghosts From Our Past book for ATC. I'd kill to see them do something similar like Egon's journal or logbook for Afterlife. Doesn't look like it's in the cards but IDW doing an adaption of Afterlife could have been neat. deadderek, Kingpin, Alphagaia and 2 others liked this By timeware - December 5th, 2020, 11:33 pm Wev'e come such a long way from the Ghostbusters video game in terms of graphics. Even free online MMO games have amazing graphics now. Look at Destiny, it used to be that gameplay movies wern't on par with the actual games graphics and now it is. Fallen Order was a decent game as well. Little short though. Hell, Bruce Campbell was just recently talking about a new evil dead game being in the works. It would be a dream come true to get both Ghostbusters and The Evil Dead video games released in the same year! By MikeyJ122 - December 5th, 2020, 11:37 pm RichardLess wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 6:16 pm You are thinking short term, these changes WILL happen in the long term. Even if it means losing some money now, to get MORE money later. Right now Disney charges $8.99, I'm not aware of the subscriber count, but it's a few million at least. If they put the new MCU film on there (not Mulan, that wasn't ever going to be a big hit), if they get 20 million new subs because they want to watch the new MCU film, thats $179,000,000 new money. Plus add in the previous subscribers, that EASILY covers the cost of the film. Do you think 20 million people will watch the new MCU movies? I bet a lot more than that. Let's not forget that's money that they DONT have to share with anyone. Move forward 10 years, and now let's say streaming is the new norm and "old" television is dying out. You don't think Disney Plus will be in most homes in America? That $8.99 per month sub fee multiplied by the number of households in America is FAR more money than movies can make in the theaters. It's simple supply and demand. If you put Disney plus in every house in America, than more people will have access to your films. Which means more people watch them, which means more people are giving you money. Which don't kid yourself, once those MCU films start coming on there, they will raise the price of Disney Plus. Streaming IS the future of film, and all the studios know it. It just a matter of time that all the studios have their own streaming services, if you want to watch that movie, you have to buy that service. Again the theaters take a cut of the pie, with streaming the studios can take it all. The pile on all the old films/shows on the service as free "filler". Release new blockbusters on a spread out schedule (to maximize new subs, only one big movie per month). It'll change the game, yes. But it might not be a bad thing, for the consumer. By droidguy1119 - December 6th, 2020, 1:23 am MikeyJ122 wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 11:37 pm You are thinking short term, these changes WILL happen in the long term. Even if it means losing some money now, to get MORE money later. Right now Disney charges $8.99, I'm not aware of the subscriber count, but it's a few million at least. If they put the new MCU film on there (not Mulan, that wasn't ever going to be a big hit), if they get 20 million new subs because they want to watch the new MCU film, thats $179,000,000 new money. Plus add in the previous subscribers, that EASILY covers the cost of the film. Do you think 20 million people will watch the new MCU movies? I bet a lot more than that. Let's not forget that's money that they DONT have to share with anyone. RichardLess and I have our disagreements, but not on this. Yes, conventional movie theaters are not going to be around forever, but if you think this kind of seismic change to the entertainment industry is coming within the next year or two (even with things looking bad as they are), I have no question that's a losing bet. There were people who thought Blu-ray and other forms of physical media were in their death throes five years ago, and yet, while they're unquestionably on the decline, I would still wager we have most of a decade before even that ship fully sinks. https://deadline.com/2020/11/mulan-pvod ... 234613878/ This month was the first month we could potentially have heard a hard number in terms of how Mulan did on Disney+ PVOD...and Disney continued to keep their mouths shut, calling the experiment a success but refusing to quantify it. As the article lays out, there are quite a few questions about how Disney approached the release of the movie, and all of them end up pointing to damage control. The article says 73.7m people globally subscribe to Disney+. That is theoretically a great monthly haul, but just remember that just one of these movies has got to earn in the $500m range for it to be a profitable release for the studio (once one factors in not just the production cost, but also marketing budgets and back-end/profit participation deals for talent). On top of that, the amount of money D+ subscriptions bring in also has to cover anything else made for the service -- it won't just be one movie, it'll be multiple movies and multiple TV shows. Once you really start to picture the math of the subscription fees outpacing the spend, it becomes much easier to see how tricky a proposition it is to turn Disney+ into the studio's big moneymaker. Recouping the cost of just one movie -- and Marvel usually puts out a minimum of two or three a year, plus whatever Disney themselves is releasing, plus Pixar, then the other D+ content -- is already almost an entire month's worth of subscriber fees just by itself. 73.08m -- very close to Disney+'s global number of subscribers -- is also the number of people who subscribe to Netflix as of Q3 2020. The other major issue here that the streaming giants haven't even attempted to resolve is the increasingly likely possibility that US households get frustrated by having to choose between so many streaming services. You can't just assume, especially with the market becoming more crowded and costs going up, that every household in America will have Disney+ no matter what. Many of them will choose Netflix, will choose HBO Max, will choose Peacock, will choose whatever the next major player is. Technology changes, and industries move forward, but to say that Sony is old-fashioned because they won't dump all their movies on streaming is ridiculous. We're not there yet. deadderek, RichardLess, Kingpin and 2 others liked this droidguy1119 timeware wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 11:33 pm Wev'e come such a long way from the Ghostbusters video game in terms of graphics. Come to think of it, I wonder how well the remastered version did in sales and how well that Ghostbusters World did in Sony's eyes. The performance of those two are probably the factors on another game getting made period, much less one that could surpass The Video Game. By Alphagaia - December 6th, 2020, 3:36 am I'm guessing they might even go mobile again, since this movie will most probably also appeal to (young) teenagers. Either that or it at least has to run on the Switch (and minor upscale for PS and xBox). This means the best graphics are out of the window, but nowadays even passable (like the videogame) is fine. I'm curious what kind of game it will be. With the focus on the features of the Wrecto-1 I'm hoping for an reimagining of the Commedore 64 game, as you drive around a lot, with a Summerville Map and new end boss. Think more ghosts, even chasing fleeing one you can chase with the ecto. Perhaps even new maps, so after Summerville we can go to NY. Movie tie in games have always sucked. I highly doubt we'll see one for Afterlife. deadderek wrote: ↑December 6th, 2020, 4:34 am Movie tie in games have always sucked. I highly doubt we'll see one for Afterlife. They usually suck because they have to be in a hurry to coincide with the launch of the movie. That isn't so much of an issue this time around because of the delay. MikeyJ122 wrote: ↑December 5th, 2020, 11:37 pm Here’s the problem that you are not seeing. You can only charge 1 subscription fee. One household 8.99. Theatrical is 1 ticket PER PERSON. And that person might go see that movie again and again. Each time a new ticket is sold. I don’t think streaming is the future for movies. I think it’s the future for TV. There are only so many TV’s. Movie studios are not going to give up that billion dollar worldwide gross revenue. Anything on top of that is cherry. Streaming is just another revenue source. Why give up the theatrical revenue window when you can get that AND subscriptions? What drove people to Disney+? It’s library & price point. Look at how much money was made worldwide from movie tickets in 2018 & 2019. Billions of dollars. You don’t just erase that off a balance sheet & say “We’ll make that up when we are in every household in America”. No. You want both. Things that have been heralded as the end of cinema: Television, Colour Television, Cable TV, HBO, VHS, Laserdisc, Big screen TV’s, video game consoles, sports on TV. Streaming is just another link in the chain. Yes, COVID has changed the game for now. But it won’t last forever. Alphagaia, deadderek, Kingpin and 2 others liked this By MikeyJ122 - December 6th, 2020, 8:55 am I'm sorry, but you guys are all so wrong. Most, if not all, industry experts are all ready calling it. Watch this video and get back with me. Look at those numbers... https://youtu.be/PA2zU7CuNPk Disney made 11 billion dollars in profit in 2019, that includes EVERYTHING they own (theme parks, movies, merchandise, etc). Netflix has 193 million global subs, which gives them 23 billion dollars in revenue. But they spent 14 billion on licensing fees. 10 billion on original content, 4 billion in sales and operating costs. So Netflix in 2019 actually lost money here. But Netflix will be fine. So Netflix in 2019 $ $ 23 billion dollars revenue -14 billion licensing fees -10 billion original content - 4 billion operating costs Equals a 5 billion dollar loss (but again netflix will be fine overall). Now plug in those Disney plus numbers. If they get Netflix level subs (which bringing in the MCU films will do). It's projected that by 2023 Disney plus will have over 200 million subs. Disneys overall profit in 2019 11 billion Disney projected profit on Disney plus (once they get Netflix's level of subs) is 24 billion. But here's the kicker, they DONT have any licensing fees. 10 billion on original content (films and shows), operating costs 7 billion. -10 billion in films and shows Equals a profit of 7 billion dollars. Which that's just Disney plus!!! Again Disney made 11 billion off of everything in 2019. So they have the potential to make the same or more off of streaming than they do off of cinemas. I know a lot of you are rooting for theaters because of the experience, I get that. But your backing the losing horse. These are ACTUAL numbers, actual statistics. Warner brothers dropped the gauntlet, Disney will follow suit (people are already expecting Disney to announce Black Widow on Disney Plus as soon as Dec 10). Once Disney makes the shift, it's game over man. Paramount will follow suit, and that just leaves Sony and Universal. Universal cant because they signed a contract with AMC earlier in the pandemic. So they are left out at the moment. Paramount has their own service. So that really only leaves Sony. I'm telling you guys now, expect Afterlife on Netflix. Itll be in theaters as well, but it'll be on Netflix. Bottom line, more money can be made via streaming than was EVER made in cinemas. 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__label__cc	0.516923	0.483077	Home>Movies>Review of Trading Places – Limited Edition Score Review of Trading Places – Limited Edition Score Original Motion Picture Score Trading Places…… an 80s staple of both Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy’s early days in film. This released 1 year before either main actor really hit it big with Ghostbusters and Beverly Hills Cop respectively. Elmer Bernstein composes and conducts the score to this 80s comedy classic, and here’s my review of the score. I also give a few thoughts on the film. I’ve always loved Trading Places. It’s comedy at it’s best. The music accompanies the film so well. If you look at Trading Places you’ll see it’s an argument of Nature Vs Environment. Most of the music in the film is very high-class sounding. I’d say maybe 80-20 in favor of the higher class themes. The film itself explores the happenings of switching two people’s lives. Louis Winthrope III and Billy Ray Valentine, these two characters played by Aykroyd and Murphy are classic. Winthorpe is one of those people who has never worked a day in his life, and Valentine is someone who has always struggled. I guess if you wanna boil it down… One is book smart, and the other is street smart. With 26 Tracks this single disc set has everything from the film, and more. Elmer Bernstein really nails the film’s feel through the score. Tracks 1 and 2… “Main Title” and “Your Breakfast Sir / Good Morning! / Dukes” respectively really show us the world Winthorpe is coming from. Track 4: “Wager” gives us insights to the Duke brothers, and how low they are willing to go with this bet of theirs. This theme for them is very dark and sinister sounding. Track 5: “Moving Out / Plots” starts off with a bang, and then gets darker and mysterious as it goes along. Track 6: “Philly / Ploy” has some up tempo and deep notes throughout it. Track 8: “Revelation / The Goods / Train” starts of being very ominous, and then gets upbeat from there. I love the subtle sounds Bernstein works into this music. This track has three very different cues, and is set over three scenes within the film. I love how in the same track we have three changes, and they all sound so great. With Track 10: ” Kicking Ass / Cards” this is the track for the climax of the film, when they are all at the Stock Exchange, awaiting the crop report. With trumpets blaring, and all the other instruments aiding them… This track might be my favorite on the entire CD. Other than one other track. For a complete departure of what the entire score has been Elmer Bernstein really adds some blues and jazz like tones in Track 12: “Louis Winthorpe III Blues” This was from the club scene when Louis had to improvise. That other track I mentioned I liked was Track 14: “Jamaican Bye-Bye” I’ll say this for Mr. Bernstein….. he knows how to mesh music well. The Trading Places score has high society classical themes, the blues, and a bit of reggae. Tracks 15-20 on the set are all Christmas music, because the film is set at Christmas time after all. Then Tracks 21-26 are all bonus-alternate cues of previous tracks on the set. This is what I look forward to a lot of the times with these scores. To see and hear what the artist might have originally done, kinda like a demo. Even though I know it’s not a demo. I view this as the composer giving the film studio a second take if you will. Track 22: “bonus track: Bump (alternate)” might be the most unique out of them all here with these alternate takes. It starts off very differently, and even has a few added cues and tones in the middle. For me it just adds to the enjoyment of the score! Total Disc Time: 48:00 If I had to pick my 6 favorite tracks from this score they’d be the following….. #’s 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10! Elmer Bernstein accomplished something great with this score, and everyone needs to hear it!!!! Track 10 by far would be my overall number one favorite. Trading Places as I’ve already stated is still one of the funniest films ever. Elmer Bernstein captures this in his music, and listening to the score outside the film is just a fun time. Sadly I recently checked the LA LA Land Records website, and this release is SOLD OUT-OUT OF PRINT. Review of Jurassic World (Spoilers) Review of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World - Limited Edition Score My Little Pony / Transformers II Continues IDW’s Wild Crossover of Beloved Hasbro Brands Best Comic Covers for the Week of 1/20/2021	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797256
__label__wiki	0.963806	0.963806	Silver duo still warring long after Spa crash Days after their carbon-fibre crunching at Spa, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are still exchanging barbs. After Hamilton said Rosberg had admitted in a post-race briefing that Sunday's crash was on purpose, the championship leader had replied only that he has a "very different" tale to tell. Now, according to Sport Bild, the 29-year-old has revealed more about what he thought of Hamilton's indiscretions. "Very kind words from him, I think," Rosberg quipped on Tuesday, undoubtedly sarcastically. "He is a very nice guy." Rosberg has said he "regrets" what happened, but "I think it was a normal racing incident. Of course, between teammates it must not happen." Hamilton, however, has maintained his verbal assault on his former friend. Actually, he denies the pair were ever really friends, telling Austria's Sportwoche he actually has no recollection of where he first met Rosberg. "That's not really something you remember," said Hamilton. "Yes, it's exaggerated," he added, referring to the perception that he was ever friends with Rosberg. "(It has always been) 'We're friends, bla bla bla'" Hamilton quipped. Now, a world championship is at stake. "We are not here to play," said Hamilton. "But since Monaco this year it has been clear to me that Nico is doing anything to beat me." In contrast, Hamilton says he will not resort to similar tactics. "Whatever the case I will always put the team first and I won't take anything into my own hands," he promised. Elsewhere in F1, there is delight that Rosberg vs Hamilton is injecting spice into a championship battle that might otherwise be consumed by Mercedes' utter dominance. Mark Webber, not unaccustomed to a tough teammate battle, thinks the Mercedes fight is "good for formula one". But he joins those who were surprised by Rosberg's behaviour at Spa. "It was a bit strange and not characteristic of Rosberg's driving," the Australian told Austrian Servus TV. But at the end of the day, Webber thinks Mercedes will pull through its driver crisis with both championship crowns, with countryman Daniel Ricciardo "only having a chance if Mercedes completely implodes". Webber's old friend Fernando Alonso agrees, insisting he sees nothing particularly unusual about the Rosberg versus Hamilton war. "If a team leaves the drivers to fight and they don't touch, it's fantastic," Alonso is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace. "If they do touch, the team is no good anymore. "It's difficult for them (Mercedes) but they are leading the championship by a big margin and dominating everything, so they must be doing something good," he added. (GMM)	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797258
__label__cc	0.689521	0.310479	Volunteer with Children in Costa Rica Volunteer on childhood development projects, learn Spanish, and explore Costa Rica in your free time. Program Code: CRQU0082P Given over 11,000,000 hours of primary education support Volunteer in Manuel Antonio This location takes you to the stunning Costa Rican Pacific Coast, and to the doorstep of the stunning and diverse Manuel Antonio National Park, only a 3-4 hour bus journey from San Jose. Surrounded by palm plantations and rainforest, the town contains a stunning array of wildlife with monkeys and toucans in plain sight most days. In and around the national park, the whole area is famed for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails, making this location an exceptional place to volunteer, intern, teach, learn a new language, relax and enjoy the casual way of life. Costa Rican Rainforest Exploration And Cultural Immersion Teen Volunteer Program Home Programs Volunteer with Children in Costa Rica Contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals #4, Quality Education by supporting childhood development initiatives on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. In your free time, take advantage of the myriad of adventure activities that this diverse coastal region has to offer, including surfing, horseback riding, scuba diving, and zip lining. Travel to Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast to join other volunteers from around the world on our childhood development project. You will live and work in Quepos where we work on an extracurricular childhood development program focusing on topics like English language learning, life skills like healthy eating and teamwork, as well as conservation education. In your free time take the short bus ride from the famous Manuel Antonio National Park and the beach. The schools in the local Quepos community often request English education support. The reason for this is that the area is a hotspot for English-speaking tourists. Local employers are often looking for English-speaking locals to assist these international visitors. Therefore, English language education often helps children with improving their future employment opportunities. While supporting English education, you will also have the opportunity to improve your own Spanish language abilities. In addition, all children need exposure to a range of specific play activities to effectively develop the skills required at their age level. This might include sports to increase their gross motor skills, art, crafts, and music to develop their fine motor skills, and group activities like games to develop effective social skills. Gain experience teaching younger students. Develop soft skills like teamwork and leadership. Immerse yourself in the pura vida lifestyle of Costa Rican. Explore Manuel Antonio National Park. Surf, swim, or relax on the many beaches. Learn Spanish. Program Type: Volunteering Location: Latin America - Costa Rica - Manuel Antonio Volunteer with Children Teaching Sports Further Project details Our work is based on the needs of the community, which means that the specifics of the classes, such as the time schedules, ages, and levels of English language competency change over time. Volunteers will spend most of their time conducting lessons, but the rest of the time, will be spent on training and planning lessons. You will also have the opportunity to participate on other community development initiatives, like supporting the construction or renovation of community areas and the setting up or maintaining of community gardens. You will also have free time to explore nearby Manuel Antonio National Park and spot the many animals, like sloths, monkeys, toucans and parakeets that call the protected natural area home. The area is also famous for adventure activities like surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, ziplining, mountain biking and hiking. Costa Rica is a primarily Catholic country which means that events like Easter and Christmas are celebrated with gusto. As is to be expected, school attendance tends to decrease during these times. However, we often run educational summer programs or provide one-to-one tutor during the holidays. Community infrastructure development like renovating community centers and setting up communal gardens also continues during this time. In addition, participants have the opportunity to learn more about Costa Rican customs by participating in the festivities. A basic level of Spanish is required to effectively communicate with children, women, and other local community members. Speak to your Enrolment Manager about adding group or one-on-one Spanish lessons to your program cost to support you in your Spanish language learning while on the project. We also strongly recommend that you start learning early in order to get the most out of your volunteering experience. Learn to live the pura vida or ‘simple life’ in the coastal town of Quepos on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, only a few minutes away from the entrance to the popular protected natural reserve, Manuel Antonio National Park. Spend your weekdays on community development initiatives in a diverse Latin American community with locals from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Panama. Share a communal Costa Rican style house in central Quepos, including meals and tidying duties with like-minded individuals from all over the world who are there for the same reason you are — to learn about the local culture and help out where they can. On the weekends, explore the jungles of Manuel Antonio Park, surf on the nearby beach, or just relax and share stories with other participants in the rooftop hammocks at your accommodation. Participants share bedroom and bathroom facilities. Lunches are served on the community project and are a great choice for those looking to experience Costa Rican cuisine like Gallo Pinto, a rice and bean mix, or fried plantains. Breakfast is self catered and dinners are cooked together with GVI staff and other participants. Breakfasts include cereal, toast, and lots of tropical fresh fruit, while dinner could be anything from your own attempt at Gallo Pinto to a stir fry or pasta bake. You will have daily access to long-distance communications whilst on the project, but bear in mind that the connection may not be as reliable as yours back home. We are located at walking distance from project sites in Quepos, and a very short boat ride is necessary to get to El Cocal community where we work. Quepos has a tropical climate and it is warm and humid year round. This means that those from cooler climates might find they need to take things slowly the first few days to acclimate to their new tropical setting. The warmest month is March, while September is the most temperate. Rainy season starts in May and ends in November. There is less rainfall from December to April. Follow GVI Manuel-Antonio's Facebook page for live updates straight from the field. Get an idea of the types of projects you might be involved in, meet our staff and participants, experience life on this GVI base, hear about free time activities, and learn about the local culture and environment. GVICostaRicaManuelAntonio No results have been found for your search; kindly try another search. <% _.each( data, function( review, rvw_index ){ review.image = review.image \|\| review.image_full \|\| review.image_medium \|\| review.image; if( review.image \|\| (review.image && review.image.indexOf('.local')) ){ review.image = review.image.replace('.local','.gvinewsite.staging.wpengine.com'); } var reviewImageUrl = ''; if( review.image ){ reviewImageUrl = "background-image:url('"+ review.image +"');"; } var reviewVideoUrl = ''; var reviewVideoPanelClass = ''; if( review.video_embed.length > 10 ){ reviewVideoUrl = review.video_embed; reviewVideoPanelClass = 'active'; } var truncatedExcept = review.excerpt; if( truncatedExcept.length > 80 ){ truncatedExcept = truncatedExcept.slice( 0,100 ); var getLastSpace = truncatedExcept.lastIndexOf(" "); truncatedExcept = truncatedExcept.slice(0,getLastSpace) + ' [...]'; } %> <% if ( reviewImageUrl.length > 4 \|\| reviewVideoUrl.length > 4 ) { %> <% if(review.content.length > 20 ) { %> Meet the team - Senior Field Management Cony Perez Meet Cony, our Program Manager at GVI’s base in Quepos, Costa Rica. Cony was born in Mexico and holds a Masters in Environmental Education. She loves a wide variety of cool things including: working with people, biodiversity, music, and her dog! Julius Reyes Assistant Program Manager This is Julius, who is our Assistant Program Manager at GVI’s base in Quepos, Costa Rica. Julius grew up in a small seaside town in British Columbia before moving to Quepos! He has had the privilege of volunteering in a vast array of countries including Peru and Morocco. Before coming to Quepos, Julius was a Hip-Hop dance instructor for 12 years, and so as you could imagine he loves a good boogie! Luis Jimenez Ramirez Meet Luis! He is the Logistics Manager for our Quepos base in Costa Rica! Luis studied Art, History and Business Administration with an emphasis on Human Resource Management. He has been with GVI for two years now. Luis likes both snakes and planes - but luckily, not at the same time! Costa Rica was the first country in the world to make primary education both free and obligatory in 1869, funding the education program through the state’s share of the great coffee wealth. In those days only one in ten Costa Ricans could read and write. By 1920, 50% of the population was literate. In 1948, the country abolished its national army and shifted the portion of its national budget allocated to armed forces to the education system. By the 1970s 89% were able to read and write. Costa Rica now boasts a literacy rate of 93% for those ten years or older. In addition, in 1994, a policy to place a computer in each of the nation’s 4,000 schools, plus obligatory English classes, was implemented. Despite this, education is not readily available to everyone. Elementary and high schools can be found in every community, but many cannot afford the required uniforms, and rural schools often lack books for students. Children often spend as little as three hours in school as the class schedule is divided into two sessions in order to accommodate the number of students. Quepos, home to our volunteer community project, is a small Pacific town just outside Manuel Antonio which is home to some of the best tourist attractions in the country hosts thousands of foreign and local visitors every year. GVI has been working in local communities around Quepos since 2011 and aims to support those communities in developing themselves and particularly in developing the younger members of the community. GVI has focused mainly on the community of El Cocal, a partially illegal settlement, located on a small peninsula a few minutes outside of Quepos, home to Costa Ricans as well as many immigrant families from other Latin American countries, namely Nicaragua, Cuba, and Panama. Many of these people have come to Costa Rica to benefit from the political and financial stability offered, but in such a tourist-rich area as Quepos people can struggle to make ends meet unless they are able to draw an income from the foreign visitors. The illegal status of many also restricts work opportunities. Male residents of El Cocal are commonly employed in the fishing industry, which can be unreliable, so families get used to living in the moment and spending the money they have when they get it rather than saving up. Children growing up in this environment often do not have an understanding of preparing for the future and their attitudes towards education reflect this. This is partly fueled by lack of education in the community and partly by the transient and semi-legal nature of the community, many of whose members are seasonally unemployed. In this region of Costa Rica, much of the local economy is built on tourism. In an effort to better serve the American and European traveller population, being able to speak and write in English is important. The number one request from the local school board is for more English teachers. We provide English classes to adults in the local community of El Cocal, young people and adults in Quepos, and children as well. Construction projects, to improve community spaces and build communal gardens are also part of our work in Quepos. We also run an early childhood development program, which offers a space for children to come before or after school hours to learn, reinforcing the value of education. In partnership with the UNPD, United Nations Development Programme, we also run a program aimed at reducing the number of young people at risk, provide them with tools to prevent violence, and integrate themselves with the wider society. The program is called “Integral Security and Prevention of Violence Affecting Children, Adolescents and Young People in Costa Rica” and the role of GVI is to provide English language classes as a means to improve the skill sets of young people to assist them with accessing additional academic and employment opportunities in the future. As such, the main UN Sustainable Development Goals of this project include, #4, Quality Education, and #5, Gender Equality. GVI Quepos Long-term Objectives: 1. Improve access to education and wellness to Quepos and surrounding areas specifically in El Cocal community. 2. Increase environmental awareness in the local community. 3. Improve English literacy levels in Quepos community and surrounded areas. For All Participants at Manuel Antonio Costa Rican Culture Learn about the Costa Rican pura vida lifestyle. Receive Spanish language training relevant to your level of competency. Introduction to TEFL Learn the basics of how teach English as a foreign language. GVI Online Community Development course (optional) In this course, you’ll explore the most common pitfalls of community development initiatives so that you can avoid them. You’ll also learn how to carry out community development work effectively and ethically and how local context impacts program development. After successfully completing the course, which you have the option of doing prior to your in-country program, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Richmond. This online course, valued at $495, is included in all volunteering programs. Full course details can be found here. Coffee Plantation Tour Coffee connoisseurs can book a tour of one of the local coffee plantations. Costa Rica has a rich history of growing the crop, and you can learn about farming methods, both old and new, while sampling the local brew. Canopy Tour Fly through the rainforest like superman, walk gingerly across a suspended walkway, and rappel down jungle waterfalls, by booking on of the many canopy tours available. There are also many more peaceful rivers to explore on a kayak or canoe. The tranquil setting will allow you to spot local wildlife like monkeys and birds in the canopies above. The coastal region of Quepos is dotted with rivers flanked with dense jungle. The powerful currents and diverse landscape make for excellent white-water river rafting. Mangrove wetlands are a fragile, yet vital ecosystem, providing shelter to precious species, protection from tropical storms along coastlines, and act as a carbon sink, draining excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Learn more about the importance of these systems by booking one of several mangrove tours in the Quepos area. Costa Rica is well-known as a surfing destination and the Pacific Coast town of Quepos features some incredibly beaches. You can also explore nearby like Jaco, Dominical, Punta Arenas, and Playa Hermosa known for their excellent surfing conditions. Manuel Antonio National Park The gorgeous National Park of Manuel Antonio is less than a ten-minute bus ride away. Here lush tropical rainforests coincide with the stunning beaches of the Pacific coast. The park is acclaimed as one of the most biodiverse on the planet. Hike the forest trails or zipline through the canopies spotting exotic species like the mantled howler monkeys and two-toed sloths. You can also book a white water rafting trip. Further Travels Other Latin American Nations There are plenty of opportunities for further exploration throughout Latin America. Travel South to Panama and then Colombia or North to Nicaragua and Honduras. With one of the greatest biodiversities in the world and a commitment to preserving this unique natural heritage Costa Rica features many natural reserves that offer plenty of opportunities to spot one-of-a-kind wildlife. View the active volcanoes of Arenal and Poas from a safe distance and experience the beautiful natural habitats that flourish in the surrounding fertile soils. Explore the capital of Costa Rica, for an insight into the country’s heritage and modern lifestyle. Learn about the country’s ancient cultures by visiting the Gold or Jade museums and visit restaurants to sample authentic Latin American fare. Costa Rican festival. March to April: Easter is a popular holiday in Costa Rica and is celebrated with elaborate processions. October: You can experience the city of Límon’s famous carnival in October. December: A mostly Catholic country, the Costa Ricans celebrate Christmas with enthusiasm. Most of Costa Rica identifies with the Roman Catholic religion and there are many festivals that are celebrated throughout the year. Dancing is part an integral part of Costa Rican culture. Locals learn to dance the fluid ballroom styles of cumbia, salsa, bolero and the merengue from a young age. Learn to cook dishes using uniquely Latin American ingredients like beans, rice, avocados, peppers, tomatoes, and corn from local community members. Quepos is the perfect place to practice your Spanish as most inhabitants speak only Spanish. El Cocal Community El Cocal is an informal settlement home to a mostly immigrant community from Nicaragua, Cuba, and Panama. Working in this community learning participants to more traditional Latin American destinations. Quepos is a small Pacific town just outside Manuel Antonio which is home to some of the best tourist attractions in the country, hosting thousands of foreign and local visitors every year. Some come for the national park, considered one of the best in the country, and others for the beaches. The surfing both in this beautiful beach town and on other beaches just a couple of hours along the coast draws people from across the world. GVI Manuel Antonio Risk Mitigation 20 hours of Spanish lessons, essential unless you are already fluent	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797271
__label__cc	0.630386	0.369614	Easter Foods, From Lamb to Eggs How did lamb, eggs and chocolate become part of the Easter tradition? This weekend, families across the country and around the world will celebrate Easter with leg of lamb dinners, egg hunts and lots of chocolate bunnies. But how did lamb, eggs and chocolate become iconic aspects of the Easter tradition, much like turkey and cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving? The tradition of eating lamb on Easter has its roots in early Passover observances before the birth of Christianity. According to the biblical Exodus story, the people of Egypt suffered a series of terrible plagues, including the death of all firstborn sons. Jews painted their doorposts with sacrificed lamb’s blood so that God would “pass over” their homes while carrying out the punishment. Accustomed to eating roast lamb on Passover, Jews who converted to Christianity continued the tradition at Easter. Additionally, Christians refer to Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” so it makes sense that the food shows up at the Easter table. On a less symbolic note, lamb would have been one of the first fresh meats available after a long winter with no livestock to slaughter. Eggs have been a symbol of rebirth since ancient times, but it was Mesopotamian Christians who first adopted them as an Easter food. They were also the first to dye eggs, turning them bright red to represent Christ’s blood. Eastern Europeans took egg decorating to an art form, creating delicate wax relief designs in the shells to give to friends and family members. In the United States and Britain, eggs are dyed and used for hunts and rolls. (America’s most famous egg roll, which takes place on the White House lawn, began in 1878 as a pet project of first lady Lucy Hayes.) As egg decorating grew more popular, dishes like deviled eggs and hardboiled eggs became associated with Easter as a way to avoid wasting valuable food. The custom of giving candy and chocolate for Easter, meanwhile, first appeared in the Victorian age. New technology, developed by the famous Cadbury factory in England, allowed manufacturers to create hollow sculptures made of chocolate, instead of painstakingly applying layer after layer of chocolate to individual molds as they had before. These new processes meant that higher-quality candies were available for a cheaper price, and the market quickly boomed: by 1893 the Cadbury company alone offered a whopping 19 different product lines for the Easter market. SIGN UP FOR MORE HISTORY! Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. A Brief History of the White House Easter Egg Roll Unscrambling the Thousand-Year Egg Food for Thought: The Seder Plate Easter During WWII Featured ‘Hitler Eggs’ With Moustaches Airplane Food, From Sandwiches to Smoked Salmon	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797273
__label__cc	0.607921	0.392079	walshyleafsfan Location: I really don't care about Nylander, I really hope he gets injured and is out - Makita Jan 29 @ 10:13 PM ET Who over the age of 12 watches the allstar game? - Tumbleweed That's my point. If you're over about 16 and you watch the ASG, you should be ashamed Nucker101 Location: Empty The Clip, ME Probably a lot of people - Nucker101 golfingsince Location: This message is Marwood approved! They're just mad Kesler's kid has beaten Price more often than the Leafs. - golfingsince Jan 30 @ 8:46 AM ET why does it say 06/25/2017??? that's a date in the future. did you make this up doops? the Vegas odds have the Leafs at 50 to 1 and the senaturds at 60 to 1. http://www.espn.com/chalk...tgate-las-vegas-superbook - prock You'll have to ask the website administrator ........... perhaps that's the date the Playoffs end???? see for yourself, I don't make shit up, that's your job. http://www.vegasinsider.com/nhl/odds/futures/ If you check out the other leagues (NFL) they date the Odds when finals are completed, season over. Not to hard to figure out. Odds to win 2016-17 Super Bowl LI (2/5/17) Odds to win the 2016-17 NBA Finals (6/15/17) senstroll Location: New Fan, Needs to watch Ballet, ON Jan 30 @ 10:06 AM ET rebuilding last place poopty Leafs better odds than the Sens - senstroll depends on which site you look at though......... but take your victories where you can I guess. no YOU!! using vegas odds to determine who is in a better position is probably a new low for this thread. did anyone think that was even possible at this point? Lower than ignoring the reality of the current standings, and projecting a "better situation" at some point in future, when someone thinks the team they support will better that the other? What's next, predicting a terminator will just come back from this future and re-rail the team that will be in the better position in the future? Let's just see how the season ends up, and the team higher in the standings is the one in the better situation. If both one or both teams make the playoffs, then after they conclude their playoff run, then that team will be in the better situation ................. and let's forget about draft position, and this years' draft is not nearly as good, from what I've heard, than the last few. I guess it all depends on what your definition of "situation" is. we should just re-name this thread for what it really is "prock and spatso make asses of themselves while everyone else mocks them" i would wager that that accurately describes about 80-85% of this thread. Jan 30 @ 1:09 PM ET according to the numbers Leafs and Sens have a tough 2nd half https://theathletic.com/3...afs-second-half-schedule/ If either the Leafs or the Senators fall out of the playoffs it might just be because they run out of gas. This table does not make a lot of sense. The Senators do not have many games left against teams currently sitting in a playoff position. They do end the season with a long string of games on the road. But they have a long string of home games before. according to this site the sens actually have the easiest remaining schedule based on winning % in the conference http://www.playoffstatus....hl/easternsosrg.html#sflx it seems like strength of schedule is like playoff odds, each site looks at it differently and shows different numbers...........although I'm not sure why since unlike playoff odds strength of schedule is pretty easy to figure out. either way, Ottawa's schedule outside of a small stretch in March is pretty soft to end the year. i'm guessing the original one goes on each teams win % against the remaining teams. dumb way to do it due to tiny sample size. the leafs schedule the rest of the way will be rough because they have more games remaining than most teams, so they'll have less rest. same with ottawa. I think I heard (on the radio) that the leafs & Sens have something like 35 games remaining, in 69 days, so slightly less than a game every second day on average ...... not leaving much time for practicing for the rest of the season. Then I guess if you look at each teams' travel schedule, you could say one team has a "harder" schedule than the other. So I would suggest that this will rest the depth of each team, as fatigue, injury and illness will undoubtedly have an impact on both teams, and roster changes and call ups will be used much more over the rest of the season. I'm familiar with Ottawas' depth in Binghamton, as there have been a number of call ups over the season so far, but not so much with the leafs depth in the AHL. Leafs have forward depth with Kapanen and Leipsic (once back from injury) and then guys like Rychel, Leivo and Froese. Vets like Laich, Greening and Michalek could play a shift on the 4th line. D depth isn't great as I doubt they want Nielsen or Dermott in the NHL this year. The D depth will come from Corrado and Holl. So not much How many of the Leafs rookies have ever played 82 games in a year? You usually expect rookies to get better over time but maybe fatigue will become a factor for some of them. It'll be interesting to see. I figured I'd do a quick check. Marner played 80 games last year and only got better as the games went on in the Memorial Cup. Interesting. Matthews played less. 57 games total? Something like that. Brown has played a full AHL season in the past. But If a team is sitting in a playoff spot right now or not is not an exact correlation to if they are playing well at this moment or how they have played or will play going forward. Its a mistake to just look at the standings and Say Yup Ottawa has it easy the rest of the way. Hockey is strange.. Teams can play well against "good" teams and poop the bed against weaker teams down the stretch that model takes into account the schedule and b2b/rested teams etc.. All of this is to say that scheduling impacts results. It’s part of the reason Toronto and Ottawa have done so well through the first 60 per cent of the season while Boston has struggled. But the two Ontario teams will have to deal with a bit more adversity over the next couple of months. They’ve got a lot of games in hand, sure, but those games will be harder to win than they were over the first half. I think 80 games in jr is very different from 80 games in the NHL........not saying he's going to falter or anything, just that in the NHL it's not just the games, it's morning skates, practices on off days, plus all the travel. you don't have nearly as much of any of those things in jr hockey. if anything I would think the travel is more exhausting than anything else. I think if any of the rookies will "fatigue" though it's likely going to be Matthews. he only played 40 games last year (plus WJC) so lets say like 46..........he's already past that this year. not saying he will fatigue, but I imagine he's the most likely having never played anywhere near 80 games. Hockey is strange.. Teams can play well against "good" teams and shit the bed against weaker teams down the stretch right the freak on buddy. right.. that has more of an impact than a softer schedule in terms of where a team is in the standings. I looked at the Sens next 10 games.. and I dont see a lot of guaranteed wins. Sure there are Devils, Islanders and Hurricanes who are not in a playoff spot.. but they are not just poop teams Like Colorado.. they are basically a 3 game winning streak from being a wild card team. The standing are a mirage	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797274
__label__wiki	0.90633	0.90633	Tamil Health-Check TB & Infectious diseases Why Women, Children In Rajasthan’s Tribal Belts Are Facing Hunger By Rajat Kumar , Priyanka Yadav \|30 May 2020 11:00 AM GMT Dungarpur: Hunger and malnutrition are likely to become more acute among young children and pregnant and lactating women in Rajasthan’s tribal belt as community health workers, who deliver public nutrition schemes, struggle with the food shortages caused by the ongoing lockdown, our field report shows. The delivery of food and ration kits for vulnerable social groups has also been impacted by the extra load of COVID-19 duties assigned to the community workers and the patchy flow of information between various stakeholders, we found. Anganwadi centres like this one in Dovra block of Rajasthan’s Dungarpur play a critical role in providing nutritious food to vulnerable social groups. With the anganwadi centres closed and the self-help groups that cook for public nutrition schemes inactive, the distribution of special food kits has been interrupted. This includes garam poshahaar, or hot, cooked meals for children aged three to six years and take-home ration (THR), a special diet mix, for pregnant and lactating women, children aged six months to three years and malnourished children aged six months to six years. Currently, all the beneficiaries are only being given dry ration in the form of wheat and chana dal (split chickpeas). Even this is being delivered late or in smaller quantities, we found in our interactions with pregnant and lactating women, parents of children enrolled at anganwadi centres, grassroots workers and civil society organisations in Dungarpur and Udaipur. The performance of the nutrition schemes is critical in these two districts because they have a large tribal population--70.8% in Dungarpur and 49.7% in Udaipur--and report among the highest prevalence of stunting, anaemia, wasting and severe wasting among children below five years in the state. The data we collected from 40 anganwadi centres in Dungarpur showed that dry ration was distributed at only nine centres in April 2020. “For May [2020], I needed around 2 quintals of wheat for distribution to women and children but got only half of it from school,” said Lata Devi, an anganwadi worker (AWW) from Dovra block of Dungarpur. In many villages, people did not get any supplies from anganwadi centres and those who did got too little, said Bhaneswar Parmaar, a social worker from Dovra. “I have not received any poshahaar for my daughter since the lockdown,” said Bhawna Yadav, the mother of a one-year-old girl and a beneficiary enrolled with the anganwadi at Dovra block. The continued interruption of food distribution under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), a flagship programme of the central government, could have a long-term impact on children, said Indira Pancholi, a senior health activist in Rajasthan. “I understand that this is a challenging situation and all decisions have been taken in a hurry, but we should come up with a solution soon,” she said. In India, malnutrition caused 68% of deaths among children under five years of age between 2002 and 2017, as IndiaSpend reported on May 15, 2020, based on estimates from a May 12, 2020 report in The Lancet. In Rajasthan, 31.5% children under five years of age are underweight (the national average is 32.7%) and 32.4% are anaemic (national average 40.5%), as per the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (2016-18). IndiaSpend made nine phone calls over two days to the deputy director of ICDS for Dungarpur district, for a response on the current challenges of food distribution. The calls went unanswered. We will update the story when we receive a reply. Around 47% and 41% of total ration card holders in the rural areas of Dungarpur and Udaipur respectively are below the poverty line, which includes those entitled to the central Antyodaya as well as state Annapurna programmes under the Department of Food and Civil Supplies. They depend on the public distribution system (PDS) for foodgrains. The table below shows the nutrition status of children and women in rural Dungarpur and Udaipur. The situation is particularly grim in the tribal pockets. The loss of livelihoods and reverse migration caused by the pandemic are already straining the state’s PDS and food security, at a time when “food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty may escalate, particularly among marginalised people in the developing world due to the rapid spread of coronavirus”, as per an April 2020 report by the International Food Policy Research Institute. Here is an example of how the pandemic has affected traditional livelihood practices in the area and its food security. “People from southern Rajasthan go to Gujarat in January-March to harvest wheat and are paid with grains which they stock for a year,” said Madhulika, a Dungarpur-based social activist, who goes by one name. “But the lockdown kept them home this year and those who managed to go, came back without wheat. So, there will be more demand for the PDS.” Prompt early measures In Dungarpur, there are 2,149 anganwadi centres in 80 sectors of eight project areas; in Udaipur, there are 2,997 centres in 130 sectors of 14 project areas, government data show. In the early days of the pandemic, and even before the lockdown was announced, Rajasthan had started putting various welfare measures in place. Though anganwadi centres were declared closed when COVID-19 spread in the first half of March 2020, the state mandated that there was to be no disruption in the distribution of take-home rations. Community health workers have to handle additional COVID-19 workload now, surveying their localities for cases and promoting good hygiene practices. A fortnight later, on April 1, 2020, the department passed an order to provide food packets once in April 2020. This included 3 kg of wheat and 1 kg of pulses for pregnant and lactating women, 3 kg of wheat and 2 kg pulses for malnourished children, and 2 kg wheat and 1 kg pulses for young children. Anganwadi workers were asked to buy the ration for distribution themselves and seek reimbursement later. This order was revised nine days later, adding that wheat could be provided from the grain stocks of government schools. A subsequent order, on April 27, 2020, stated that chana dal would be provided from the PDS stock. Though the announcement of the measures was timely, their implementation, especially in Dungarpur and Udaipur districts, remained problematic. The reasons, we found, were as follows. ‘No vegetable in days’ “We have not eaten vegetables in days to save money for emergencies,” said Janki Nai, a resident of Sarada block of Udaipur. While many anganwadi workers said that they had distributed the ration packets to beneficiaries in April and May 2020, the beneficiaries denied this or maintained that the quantity was smaller than mandated. “In April, I provided 2 kg of wheat for children and 3 kg for pregnant and lactating women but since I didn’t have the money to buy 1 kg chana dal for each beneficiary, I only distributed 100 gm,” said Rekha Kumari, an anganwadi worker from Dungarpur, “In May, I got wheat from the government school, but did not get dal from the PDS shop.” The Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) in Dungarpur, when asked about inadequate ration distribution, clarified that this happened because many workers did not have enough funds in April 2020. The indicators for a nutritious diet are widely agreed to be Minimum Dietary Diversity and Minimum Meal Frequency. Dietary diversity requires a child to consume more than four of the following food groups--grains, roots and tubers; legumes and nuts; dairy products; flesh foods; eggs; Vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables; and other fruits and vegetables. The minimum meal frequency is twice for breastfed infants (6-8 months), thrice for breastfed children (9-23 months) and four times for older children. The wheat and chana dal being provided currently do not measure up to the requirements of dietary diversity. Overburdened health workers, fear of infection “For the first few days, we didn’t know what we were supposed to do because suddenly, our role had changed from ASHA [accredited social health activist] workers to COVID-response surveyors,” said Bimla Devi, an ASHA worker from Kotra block of Udaipur. “We were not told how to deal with our new roles and were afraid of being infected by a disease about which we knew so little.” On March 17, 2020, a government order added pandemic duties to the food distribution tasks assigned to anganwadi and ASHA workers (community health workers). This meant they now had to conduct door-to-door surveys of incoming migrants, create awareness about the pandemic, buy rations, package and distribute them, and share online material for pre-school learning. “I am involved in creating awareness about the use of masks, social distancing, and washing hands to avoid the spread of corona,” said Lata Devi, the anganwadi worker from Dovra block who is responsible for 50 families and has to walk 8-10 km to cover these. “I am also doing surveys of people in my area who are coming back from cities after lockdown. Now we have to make ration packets and deliver them to families.” Further, many community health workers have not received masks, soaps and sanitisers. In some anganwadis, civil society organisations have been providing the masks. “We are creating awareness about wearing masks and cleanliness, but we didn’t get any masks and soaps,” said Jasoda Parmaar of Jhontri block in Dungarpur and the president of the Rajasthan Anganwadi Karyakarta and Sahayika Union. “A few NGOs are distributing them or we buy them with our own money.” The increased workload and lack of safety gear is causing stress among community health workers who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Villages in southern Rajasthan are dealing with a high number of cases as migrants, mostly from badly hit states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra, return to their villages. Poor flow of information Dissemination of information about the distribution of nutrition kits between officials and workers and between workers and beneficiaries has been poor during the lockdown, we found. There are three key frontline workers at anganwadi centres--anganwadi workers, their helpers and ASHAs. The anganwadi worker is responsible for providing THR and ensuring check-ups and referrals for malnourished children. The helper handles the cooking, and ASHA worker mobilises women and children for immunisation. There are generally 10 to 15 anganwadi centres per sector with one lady supervisor. Further, there is an auxiliary nurse midwife at the health sub-centre responsible for immunisation in the area who visits a centre for a day each month for immunisation. Dissemination of orders and circulars to the workers is through WhatsApp messages or phone calls. Those with smart phones receive the information immediately and the rest get it late or never: Nine of the 16 community health workers we spoke to said they are not being informed or informed late about duties and deliverables during the lockdown. These workers are either from interior villages or do not have smartphones. “At my centre, immunisation happens on the second Thursday of every month but this hasn’t happened since the start of the lockdown,” said Geeta Kumari, an ASHA worker from Dovra block. “I have no information from the ANM and now I will have to call her to find out.” The situation is worse in the interior blocks. In Lasadiya, Kotra and Jhadol blocks of Udaipur, many workers are new and still being trained and know nothing about the orders. Further, in many centres, beneficiaries have been asked to collect their kits from the centre, instead of waiting for it to be home-delivered as is the norm. “This happened in many villages in April when only beneficiaries who got the information that ration packets had to be collected landed up at the anganwadi centres,” said an ASHA worker in Dungarpur. There was a poor flow of instructions between the Department of Women and Child Development and the food supplies department, we found. In an April 27, 2020 order, anganwadi workers were asked to get wheat from government schools and chana dal from PDS shops. But PDS dealers were not aware about this order and said they were yet to receive the chana dal stocks to be distributed, anganwadi worker Jaya Devi said. One of the Dungarpur CDPOs clarified that the chana dal has reached the district headquarters but has yet to be delivered to the PDS dealers. “We will distribute chana dal for the months of May and June [2020] together,” she said. Special measures are needed during the pandemic to strengthen the schemes that cater to the health of women and children, health activists said. Here are some of their suggestions: The government must ensure that circulars and orders with clear instructions reach community health workers. It should also monitor the delivery of these benefits to pregnant and lactating women and children: Letter from Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti to the Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, Rajasthan. The government should ensure the speedy delivery of foodgrains and pulses to the beneficiaries. Also, pulses such as tur and moong and locally available millets and pulses like soya bean must be provided. It should take initiatives to ensure the adequate delivery of ration packets to reduce the pressure on PDS: Shyaam Lal Menaria, state convenor, Right to Food Campaign, Rajasthan. Ration packets ordered during the lockdown are largely carbohydrates-based and contain little protein, have no oil, minerals or vitamins. Aganwadis must resume cooking and have meals delivered to homes. With job and income losses during COVID, hunger and malnourishment in children will increase. So, anganwadis must include all children under six years of age, especially those under three, whether they are registered or not: Pavitra Mohan (co-founder, Basic Health Care Services). *Names changed to protect identities (Kumar works for strengthening local governance institutions in Dungarpur; Yadav works on public health issues in Udaipur.) We welcome feedback. Please write to respond@indiaspend.org. We reserve the right to edit responses for language and grammar. Rajat Kumar Tamil Healthcheck Copyright @ 2020 HealthCheck. Powered by Hocalwire.com	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797276
__label__cc	0.686569	0.313431	Cost and Quality Problems Why is Healthcare so Expensive? Why is this an Urgent Problem? Insufficient Quality for Our Healthcare Dollar Interactive Cost Driver Infographic What Do Consumers Say? Improving Value Who is the Target Accounting for Value Interactive Strategies Infographic Advocate Resources Research Roundups Health Reform Research State Survey Results Affordability Scorecard Data Brief \| No. 37 \| March 2019 New Yorkers Struggle to Afford High Healthcare Costs; Support a Range of Government Solutions Across Party Lines Nationally, consumer worry about healthcare affordability is well documented but now—for the first time—a new survey reveals how affordability concerns and ideas for action play out in New York. A survey of more than 980 New York adults, conducted from Dec. 20, 2018 to Jan. 2, 2019, found that: More than half (52%) experienced healthcare affordability burdens in the past year; Even more (76%) are worried about affording healthcare in the future; and Across party lines, they express strong support for government-led solutions. A Range of Healthcare Affordability Burdens Like many Americans, New Yorkers currently experience hardship due to high healthcare costs. All told, 52% of New York adults experienced one or more of the following healthcare affordability burdens in the prior 12 months: 1.) Being Uninsured Due to High Premium Costs 51% of uninsured adults cited “too expensive” as the major reason for not having coverage, far exceeding other reasons like “don’t need it” and “don’t know how to get it.” 2.) Delaying or Foregoing Healthcare Due to Cost Nearly half (45%) of all New York adults who needed healthcare during the year encountered one or more cost related barriers to getting that care: 31%—Delayed going to the doctor or having a procedure done 29%—Skipped a recommended medical test or treatment 26%—Avoided going to the doctor or having a procedure done altogether 23%—Cut pills in half or skipped doses of medicine 21%—Did not fill a prescription 17%—Had problems accessing mental healthcare Moreover, cost was by far the most frequently cited reason for not getting needed medical care, exceeding a host of other barriers like transportation, difficulty getting an appointment, lack of childcare, and other reasons. Of the various types of medical bills, the ones most frequently associated with an affordability barrier included doctor visits, dental, and prescriptions, likely reflecting the frequency with which New York adults seek these services—or, in the case of dental, lower rates of coverage for these services. 3.) Struggling to Pay Medical Bills In other cases, New Yorkers got the care they needed but then struggled to pay the resulting bill. More than one-third (35%) of New York adults experienced one or more of these struggles while paying off medical bills: 15%—Used up all or most of their savings 13%—Unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat, or housing 12%—Contacted by a collection agency 9%—Borrowed money or got a loan or another mortgage on their home 7%—Racked up large amounts of credit card debt 6%—Placed on a long-term payment plan High Levels of Worry About Affording Healthcare in the Future In even greater numbers, New York adults worry about affording healthcare in the future. Overall, more than three-fourths (76%) reported being “worried” or “very worried” about affording some aspect of healthcare in the future, including: 66%—Cost of nursing home and home care services 63%—Medical costs when elderly 62%—Cost of a serious illness or accident 57%—Prescription drug costs In addition, most respondents (64%) were “worried” or “very worried” about not being able to afford health insurance in the future. The greatest concern was among those that buy private health coverage as individuals—over three-fourths of those adults were worried (see Figure 1). In addition, individual market enrollees and those on Medicaid were worried about losing their coverage. Healthcare Affordability Concerns by Income Worries about affording healthcare go far up the income ladder. While lower-income households (less than $50K/year) have the highest levels of worry, two-thirds of high-income households (more than $100K/year) have healthcare affordability worries (see Table 1). Middle-income households ($50K-$99K/year) report the highest levels of healthcare burdens during the past 12 months: avoiding needed care and/or struggling to pay their medical bills (see Figures 2 and 3). Healthcare Affordability Concerns by Insurance Type Compared to publicly insured residents (those with Medicaid, Medicare, Tri-care and Veterans coverage), New York adults with private insurance from their employer or purchased on their own through the individual market report somewhat higher rates of worry and affordability burdens (see Figure 4). Healthcare Affordability Concerns by Region The survey also revealed regional differences in how New York experiences healthcare affordability burdens. Responses were mapped into the regions in Table 2. The New York City Boroughs reported the greatest rate of healthcare affordability burdens—59% of adults experienced one or more of the three types of burdens described above. In contrast, Long Island and Upstate New York were almost 10 percentage points lower (see Figure 5). Perhaps reflecting these high rates of healthcare affordability burdens, residents of the New York City Boroughs also reported starkly higher levels for specific healthcare worries: Worry about affording medical costs for the elderly spiked at 67% in the New York City Boroughs region, compared to 54% in the Long Island region. Worry about affording the cost of a serious illness or accident spiked at 65% in the New York City Boroughs region, compared to 57% in the Long Island region. But overall levels of worry about any healthcare burden was high across regions, ranging from 72% to 79%. Additional detail and regional reports are available at: www.healthcarevaluehub.org/New York-2019-Healthcare-Survey/ Dissatisfaction with the Health System and Support for Change In light of these healthcare affordability concerns, it is not surprising that New Yorkers were extremely dissatisfied with the health system. Statewide: Just 32% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “We have a great healthcare system in the U.S.,” While 72% agreed or strongly agreed “the system needs to change.” The survey asked about both personal and governmental actions to address healthcare system problems. Personal Actions New Yorkers do see a role for themselves in addressing healthcare affordability. When asked to rank the top three personal actions would be most effective in addressing the affordability of healthcare (out of ten options), top vote getters were: 62%—Taking better care of their personal health 39%—Write or call my STATE representative asking them to take action 35%—Write or call my FEDERAL representative asking them to take action 37%—Research treatments myself, before going to the doctor Respondents do see a role for themselves in solving problems. They reported actions they have already taken, like researching the cost of drug beforehand (43%), as well as actions they should be taking—66% believe that switching from a brand to a generic drug if given a chance is one of the top things they can do personally to address affordability Government Actions But far and away, New York residents see government as the key stakeholder that needs to act to address health system problems. Moreover, addressing healthcare problems trumps other issues that New Yorkers want their elected representatives to work on. At the beginning of the survey, respondents were asked what issues the government should address in the upcoming year. Healthcare was the most frequently cited issue, far exceeding eight other options. The top vote getters were: 62%—Healthcare 43%—Taxes 39%—Economy/Joblessness When asked about the top three healthcare priorities the government should work on, top vote getters were: 46%—addressing high healthcare costs including prescription drugs; 34%—getting health insurance to those who cannot afford coverage; and 31%—preserving consumer protections like: you can’t be denied coverage or charged more if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Of more than 20 options, New Yorkers believe the problem causing high healthcare costs is unfair prices charged by powerful industry stakeholders. 69%—Insurance companies charging too much money 69%—Hospitals charging too much money 68%—Drug companies charging too much money 56%—Some well-known or large hospitals or doctor groups using their influence to get higher payments from insurance companies When it comes to tackling costs, respondents endorsed a number of strategies, including: 93%—Make it easy to switch insurers if a health plan drops your doctor 90%—Require hospitals and doctors to provide up front patient cost estimates 90%—Require insurers to provide upfront cost estimates to consumers Support for Action Across Party Lines What is remarkable about the findings is high support for change regardless of the respondent’s political affiliation (see Table 3). The high burden of healthcare affordability, along with high levels of support for change, suggest that elected leaders and other stakeholders need to make addressing this consumer burden a top priority. Annual surveys can help assess whether or not progress is being made. Altarum’s Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey (CHESS) is designed to elicit respondents’ unbiased views on a wide range of health system issues, including confidence using the health system, financial burden, and views on fixes that might be needed. The survey used a web panel from SSI Research Now with a demographically balanced sample of approximately 1,000 respondents who live in New York. The survey was conducted only in English and restricted to adults ages 18 and older. Respondents who finished the survey in less than half the median time were excluded from the final sample, leaving 983 cases for analysis with sample balancing occurring in age, gender and income to be demographically representative of New York. After those exclusions, the demographic composition of respondents was as follow. All Types Data Briefs Easy Explainers Research Briefs Blog Posts Convening Reports All Topics Consumer Views Cost Drivers Drug Costs Rate Setting Rural Healthcare Strategies State Accountability New York Survey Reports Main New York Survey Page Statewide Report Healthcare Affordability New York City Boroughs HEALTHCARE VALUE HUB The Healthcare Value Hub can help you find free, timely information about policies and practices to achieve health systems that are equitable, affordable, and focused on the goals and needs of the people the system is meant to serve. 2000 M Street, NW 202.728.9469 f © 2021 Altarum. All rights reserved. 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__label__wiki	0.809459	0.809459	33 minutes ago, Matt the Bruins said: Use of police force is the #6 cause of death among black men in the US, with about 1 in 1,000 dying that way, as opposed to roughly 1 in 2,500 white men. This follows my last post. For clarification, was it meant as a counter argument? Matt the Bruins 449 Matt the Bruins Cosmically Powerful Superhero No, I think you're spot-on in your assessment, and increasing blue-on-white violence by 150% probably wouldn't change anything because we know it wouldn't be rich, powerful white men getting killed. Just information for the general topic to highlight that for back men, dying at a police officer's hands is more likely than due to a stroke or diabetes. Ranxerox 601 Ranxerox Equal Rights For Droids Now! 9 hours ago, Matt the Bruins said: I agree that blue on black violence is a serious problem, and certainly, black lives matter. That being said somewhere in the neighborhood of 9000 black men die each year of diabetes and close to 14000 die of strokes annually. So, you will need to produce some receipts to convince me that police killings of black men get anywhere near those numbers 14 hours ago, Matt the Bruins said: Gotcha. And I'd say that no knock warrants do disproportionately affect blacks more than whites, because they disproportionately affect the poor, and poverty is disproportionate. 3 hours ago, Pattern Ghost said: It is also possible that this could be a "chicken and the egg" scenario to some degree. 3 hours ago, Ragitsu said: If you mean poverty levels in black communities, that one's a pretty straight line cause and effect. I mean the reason as to why certain police procedures disproportionately target minorities. unclevlad 691 unclevlad Double Millennial Master This might be paywalled, but usually you get a few free articles a month: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/31/us/kentucky-state-police-hitler.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage For those who can't, the first paragraph is: A slide show once shown to cadets training to join the Kentucky State Police includes quotations attributed to Adolf Hitler and Robert E. Lee, says troopers should be warriors who “always fight to the death” and encourages each trooper in training to be a “ruthless killer.” The slide was removed, but it's more telling to me that the slide's author was an assistant commander at the state police academy for 10 years. archer 1,734 Incompetent Normal New Jersey governor signs mandatory police body cam bill The two bills, S1163 and A4312, will require all uniformed state, county and municipal patrol law enforcement officers to wear body cameras and keep them turned on while responding to a call for service or when initiating an investigative encounter. Exceptions include places where civilians can expect privacy, such as schools or medical facilities https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/527454-nj-gov-signs-mandatory-police-body-cam-bill A lot of the problem with body cameras in other states seems to be that the officer (allegedly) forgets to turn his camera back on after turning it off (whenever he's legally allowed to turn it off). It occurred to me that problem would go away if body cameras were set up so that they would automatically turn back on after a few minutes if the cop turns it off to go to the bathroom or whatever. Eliminate the excuse of "I forgot to turn my camera back on". Give the camera a "vibrate" function like a cell phone to alert the officer that the camera is going to come back on. That'd make the officer have to consciously choose to hit the button to keep the camera off if he wants the camera off. If they go to court over something, there's no video, and the cop says, "I forgot to turn it back on", they can point and say, "You deliberately hit the snooze button over and over which is the only reason there's no video. That's proof you knew you were doing something you weren't supposed to be doing and didn't want it recorded." I haven't heard of any body cameras being set up so that they'd do that. Grailknight and Tom Cowan Lord Liaden 6,835 Lord Liaden Pointy-headed LocationCanada At first glance that looks like one reasonable way to address the issue. But whenever a new suggestion like this is brought up I like to hear from all involved parties as to whether potential complications have been overlooked, because they frequently are. ‘Inedible’ and ‘Inadequate’ Food Is Being Served to People Incarcerated in Massachusetts DOC Prisons	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797286
__label__cc	0.513499	0.486501	Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers The ICJ’s Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL) brings together global legal and policy expertise and connections to relevant UN bodies and international legal professional associations, from its Legal and Policy Office in Geneva, with on-the-ground experience and legal insight from each of the ICJ’s regional programmes. The CIJL leads global policy development and legal analysis, for and on behalf of the ICJ, on all aspects of the independence and accountability of judges, lawyers and prosecutors, as well as their essential role in securing the rule of law and legal protection for human rights. The CIJL also publishes guidance to legal practitioners, participates in expert meetings and standard-setting processes of UN and other international bodies, and serves as a forum for cross-regional exchange of experience and expertise. The CIJL organizes the annual ICJ Geneva Forum on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers. The CIJL maintains a list of key international and regional standards. The members of the CIJL are: Matt Pollard, Director of the CIJL & UN Representative, ICJ Legal and Policy Office Carlos Lopez, Director of the ICJ Business & Human Rights Programme, CIJL Member on behalf of the ICJ Central America Office Justice Mavedzenge, Legal Adviser, ICJ Africa Regional Programme Reema Omer, Senior Legal Adviser, ICJ Asia & the Pacific Regional Programme Temur Shakirov, Senior Legal Adviser, ICJ Europe and Central Asia Regional Programme Kate Vigneswaran, Senior Legal Adviser, ICJ Middle East & North Africa Regional Programme Carolina Villadiego, ICJ Legal and Policy Adviser for Latin America The Geneva Forum Every year, the CIJL convenes the Geneva Forum of Judges and Lawyers. The Forum provides participants – who are representatives of the legal profession from around the world – with an opportunity to reflect upon and respond to immediate threats to their independence and ability to protect human rights by judicial means. Contact the Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers: Matt Pollard, Senior Legal Adviser, t: +41 22 979 38 12 ; e: matt.pollard(a)icj.org Latest news on CIJL Zimbabwe: journalist and lawyers detained for exercising their rights to free expression must be released COVID-19: ICJ publishes global guidance on the use of videoconferencing in judicial proceedings Latest advocacy on CIJL Tunisia: joint paper on the Specialized Criminal Chambers published Poland: treatment of lawyer Roman Giertych undermines independence of legal profession	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797295
__label__wiki	0.851069	0.851069	Chris Copeland stabbing in NYC Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, and to other women were involved in a stabbing, outside a Manhattan nightclub early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred after an argument and also involved the arrest of two Atlanta Hawk players. The Hawks players were Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha, and they were arrested on charges of obstruction of the crimes scene. The police said the players blocked the officers from trying to start their investigation. Copeland suffered a knife wound to his elbow and abdomen. In addition they say Copeland fractured hi elbow and will have surgery on Wednesday. The name of one of the victims was, Katrina Saltara there are differences in information on the woman. Some say she is Copeland’s wife; others say she was engaged to Copeland but are now just good friends. Sources say she and Copeland were having a conversation outside of the club when they were approached by a stranger. Copeland said that he had to go and the stranger took it the wrong way. He pulled out a knife and stabbed Copeland. Saltara then jumped on top of the man’s back and tried to chokehold him. She was then slashed, struck on the arm and across the breast. The third woman was believed to be with the stabber. She was slashed din the abdomen as well and sent to Lenox Hill Hospital. She is in stable condition. The suspect is in custody. His name is Shezoy Bleary. It’s no clear if Bleary had an attorney who could comment on the situation, and the knife was recovered on the scene. Pacers officials said this “We are aware that Chris Copeland was injured early this morning in New York City,” Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said earlier Wednesday. “We are still gathering information and will update when we know more. Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured.” Hawks vice president Garin Narain said in his statement “We are aware of the situation involving Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha this morning,” Narain said. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will have further comment at the appropriate time.” The Pacers are having a very good year under very bad circumstances, and Coach Frank Vogel has them playing at a high level even without star player Paul George. Pay per head agents have them pegged at 200/1, but the addition of George just a few days ago might make Sportsbook Software lower that a tad. By: Jose Barquero \| April 8, 2015 in Pay Per Head	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797298
__label__cc	0.747604	0.252396	Advisors & Faculty Benefits of Study Abroad How to Study Abroad Picking Your Program Contact a Past Student Internship Fields Contact a Past Intern Programs by Location Programs by Area of Study Programs by Interest 2021 Study Abroad Why IES Abroad Correspondent Application Advising & Support Customized & Faculty-Led Programs Home \| Advisors & Faculty \| Overview Explore Our Programming Solutions for Your International Students Abroad IES Abroad and our international student division, Study Abroad Foundation (SAF), offer Center-based and direct enroll study abroad programs for international students matriculated at a U.S. college/university who may not be able to return to the United States due to COVID-19. A Study Abroad Partnership At IES Abroad, we view study abroad as a partnership. Between us and every student. Between us and you. Together, we are offering students access to the highest quality academic and cultural study abroad and internship opportunities possible. Whether it’s concentrating on a specific discipline, learning a language, or exploring new frontiers, our programs are designed to meet the needs and goals of your individual students and your institution. And, if we don’t have a program that has exactly what you or a faculty member are looking for, we can help you design and deliver one. Our goal is simple: to provide the highest quality, most academically rigorous study abroad experiences in the world. From 1,000+ IES Abroad courses taught by local faculty to the option to take courses at a prestigious local university that we partner with, the academic combinations we offer allow students to create their own program that best suits their academic and personal goals. 140 Study abroad & internship programs 1,000+ Unique courses 100+ Disciplines 250+ U.S. college & university partners 500+ Internship providers Learn more about our standards for academic excellence. One of the greatest benefits of partnering with IES Abroad is knowing that the health and safety of your students is our highest priority. Our health, safety, and crisis management plans helped set the standard for the entire study abroad field. This is what we’re known for—in fact we wrote a whole book about it. You can expect a worldwide staff that have been extensively trained, a Crisis Management Team that is regularly drilled and experienced in responding to crises, not to mention 65+ years of experience dealing with any situation that might arise. Learn more about our standards for health and safety. We know study abroad. We should—we’ve been doing it for 70 years! A not-for-profit organization with staff around the world, IES Abroad is dedicated to serving as your trusted study abroad and internship partner. Fostering our leadership in the field is something we take very seriously—from offering a variety of professional development opportunities to hosting our own Annual Conference, we are passionate about what we do. We believe in collaboration and innovation. The people who work at IES Abroad are our greatest asset. People dedicated to the mission of what we do: to provide opportunities that ultimately change our students and the way they see the world and themselves. We are ready to provide you and your students the support you need when you need it. Because every campus is different, your Representative knows the policies and procedures at your school, and will provide assistance based on your specific needs. Once your student has applied to a program, they are assigned a program-specific Advisor to help them at every step along the way. From housing questions to visas, our expert Advisors make the whole experience easier for students. Academic Consortium Our consortium is comprised of 235+ leading U.S. colleges and universities. Educational institutions that are part of the Consortium (as either Members or Associate Members) are actively involved in the mission, direction, and academic program development and review of IES Abroad programs. Cultivating excellence at all levels of the organization includes developing not only IES Abroad faculty and staff worldwide, but also offering unique professional development opportunities to our partners. From visiting one of our locations to see a program in motion, attending our Annual Conference, to serving on the Curriculum Committee, there are many ways to actively get involved in supporting the ongoing success of IES Abroad. Explore the professional development opportunities available to you. Our Diversity Commitment Our focused commitment to diversity started back in the 1960s, and in 2008, we launched our Initiative to Diversify Education Abroad (IDEA), the first of its kind in the study abroad industry. As part of our commitment to making study abroad accessible to under-represented students, we’re proud to offer Diversity Scholarships, a comprehensive list of diversity resources, and personalized support from our Diversity team. With 130+ study abroad programs in 29 locations around the world, we offer a little bit of everything when it comes to study abroad. Learn More about Study Abroad In addition to part-time internships available on our study abroad programs, IES Internships offers full-time summer and semester internships. Learn More about Internships Customized & Faculty-Led IES Abroad Customized Programs works with your college/university staff and faculty to build study abroad programs unique to your school. Learn More about Customized & Faculty-Led Study Abroad Foundation The Study Abroad Foundation (SAF), a department of IES Abroad, offers study abroad opportunities to university students enrolled at SAF member universities in China, Japan, Korea, and other select Asian countries. Learn More about Study Abroad Foundation Student Diversity & Access Global Citizen of the Year Founded in 1950, IES Abroad is a not-for-profit provider with 140+ study abroad and internship programs around the world for college/university students. IES Abroad is comprised of study abroad programming, Customized & Faculty-Led Programs, IES Internships, and the Study Abroad Foundation (SAF). IES Abroad is a 501(c)(3) entity. The federal tax identification number for IES Abroad is 36-2251912. 33 W. Monroe St., Suite 2300 © Copyright IES Abroad 2021. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797299
__label__cc	0.72061	0.27939	Movies, Review 🎬 NETFLIX - Romanticizing Suicide, Murder and Sx Problems But… Have you watched, NETFLIX's Series e.i 13 Reasons Why, You , and Sx Education? And so, before you watch it - please consider reading my review on it. If you aleady watched it - then please let me know which part of my opinion towards the series that you did not agree. It has been 10 months since I signed up for this paid-streaming site named Netflix – not because I wanted to be always in the loop and just to be cool every time my officemates talk about what’s in their weekend’s list “must-watch” movies. But I just want to maximize my newly purchase Smart TV where-in Netflix is one of the pre-installed apps (not to mention Opera only offered Youtube and Netflix in their app store). Since then, I started to get hooked in this platform, for the reason that - I can watch high quality movies and series that are produced for worldwide consumption - at the comfort of my bed whenever I want. I can pause, rewind and download those; aside from watching in my Smart TV, I can also watch those in my laptop and my android phone as well- such a convenience, isn’t it? From then, my weekend habit is to indulge my PHP550 monthly subscription for this addictive platform (aside from Youtube of course). Here are my three series that I’ve watched. 📼 13 REASONS WHY? Series - Romanticizing Suicide But… 🎥Watch: When it was originally released on March 31, 2017 – it became talk of the town among Philippines’ young professionals. Undeniably, I can’t even talk about it since I wasn’t aware what is “13 REASONS WHY?” is all about as I don’t have to capacity to access Netflix that time, unless I can find it in torrent sites. But when I already bought my TV, I then watched it. 13 REASONs WHY is American series with 13 episodes in season 1 and followed with another 13 episodes in season 2, after two years. Telling the story is kind of unique to me because it uses narrator’s voice all throughout the season to tell the story among others like showing dialog scenes and B-rolls. I admit, on the first episode was boring for me, as building the foundation of the story is not that rigid to begin with. But after understanding and kept watching until I reached the third episode, it began to please my imagination asking the question “WHO TO BLAME THE DEATH OF HANNAH BAKER?”, until I realized that I finished the 13 episodes in one setting with numerous cups of coffee, eye bags and anything that associated with sleeplessness (excluding crystal meth, LOL!) . This series’ concept is putting glamour of suicide and I maybe a liar if I didn’t appreciate the fact that ending my life, if need arises is just okay – after watching such “lame series” but had powerful impact to my emotion. Yeah it is lame for me, as a Filipino consumer – I didn’t understand visually the activities that are shown in the series e.g. house party among students; Filipinos never (that I am aware) practice such recreational affair but why I was hooked with such dark story that isn’t culturally relatable to me as a Filipino. Is it because it showcases the other side of suicide where-in we’ve always taught that it is bad. It is honestly, impacting to me, what more to those who are emotionally unstable and was able to watch such series that explain how easy and understandable to end up one’s life as soon as you reach the dead end of the road. The “tapes” are just means to let the “creative writer” to convince the viewers to stay up until the end of the series. It was like hypnosis to each of us- to just hold on into each episodes and the retention is extremely powerful that Netflix was able to persuade me - to stay awake for 12 hours (with no fast forward of course). “13 Reasons Why” is a good and relevant story whom no one paid attention but it happened. It romanticizes suicide but no other way of catching viewers’ attention without putting glamour of a subject matter that is no one is talking. To glorify the saga of suicide. 📚 YOU Series - Romanticizing Murder But… RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yeah right! It is all about murder, a murderer and how he ended killing lives that are involved in his own life. “You Series” is an American psychological thriller web-television series. The main character is a good-looking man, bookstore manager who crosses paths by stalking to an aspiring female writer. They’ve been in-loved to each other to the point of – how many lives were already sacrificed to just continue the so called relationship. The mind torturing part is, even the main character can afford ending his girlfriend’s life because of various instigating situations happened. Indeed, same thing with “13 Reasons Why Series”, aside from watching the whole season in one straight night, the story also uses narrator’s voice the whole show to acquaint with the story. Well, don’t blame me of comparing this series against “13 Reasons Why Series” – aside from they’re both streamed in the same platform, they’re both mind and emotionally disturbing. This story don’t need gruesome images to tell how mind impacting the story is; just by showing in the eyes of the actors, using the orange tone of the color grading process and both static and dynamic shots of the scenes seem essentials to add up the total thrill of the story. Unlike with “13 Reasons Why Series”, where-in majority of the images specially on daytime e.i. school scenes- are color saturated and the vibrancy of its pigments were extremely increased - to show the youth-ness; “You Series” with its dull orange and tilt, it help the story became more heavy and dramatic. I must say it became more matured story. “13 Reasons Why Series”, used tape as a way to increase viewer’s retention and “You Series” used books to connect each dots of the story. Both used, momentous tangible symbol. Watching this story till the end; seemingly watching the story behind the story of TED BUNDY – a good-looking and well-educated serial killer who killed 30 young ladies. It is to understand the tale of a man why he killed the people – it is because those people also brought heartache to him, those people instigate him to kill them, unconsciously. Well, murder is a mortal sin but why after watching such series – it felt like it is okay to commit murder. Does passion of crime applies in this situation to escape the law, or should mental issue can be used to excuse such punishable crime. It is a battle between the result and why the crime has been done. It is question of being rational versus emotional. It is a question – who is really a human, the killer or the one being killed. I must say that this series really gives me bothersome, because the underlying reason why man can kill were highlighted and the storyteller was able to clearly narrate the story to the point that I can even say – it is okay to commit murder if need arises. Indeed, YOU Series; Romanticizing Murder But…it is also an eye opener to all of us - paying attention and considering the two sides of the coin. There are two stories that need to be heard. 🍆 SX EDUCATION Series - Romanticizing Sx Problems But... I’ve been told and been heard this statement “Brain is the most powerful sx Organ”. And partly, I must agree on it. Indeed, this series supports its statement. At first, the title itself makes me interested in watching this series; you knew what I meant darlin’. I was a victim of clickbait, lol! Sx Education is a British comedy-drama which I must say that the acting of the characters are way ahead of the acting skills from the two previous series that I’ve mentioned above – due to the fact it is British, my Gosh! We all knew they have standards in acting, unlike here in the Philippines, just because you’re in the Pinoy Big Brother‘s house and people love you, you’ll become actor (lol, I’m just being honest). Anyways, back to this British thingy. This was premiered on 11 January 2019, and the algorithm of Netflix pushes me to watch this. When I opened my TV, that was the first one that I saw and by reading the title – it catches my attention, don’t judge me. The story evolved as "a socially awkward high school virgin who lives with his sx therapist mother and teams up with 'whip-smart bad-girl' named Maeve to set up a underground clinic to deal with their fellow students' weird, taboo and wonderful problem. What I like about the story, diversity and inclusion both race and gender identity was practiced. You can see, Asians, Indians, White and Black were equally had chance to shine. Moreover, issues about LGBT e.i gayness and lesbianism were also tackled despite of its religious hinders. It is comedic, seems watching American Pie Movie, but so weird feeling because whenever your libido starts to arise – a dramatic approach of the story will automatically exist; and your feeling changes drastically. I must hate Laurie Nunn – the proponent of this comical story with a heart. To be honest, comedy is the only way of telling such taboo topic which not all countries are open to talk about it. This may lead as an easy way of telling the story –make it lighter and funnier. Can you imagine talking about “s3x predicament” in a scary way e.g. horror or thriller? Seems like a salty ice cream! 🎬 NETFLIX - Romanticizing Suicide, Murder and Sx... 🎙 EP5- MOTHER KNOWS BEST 👩‍👦 - Podcast by Jona... 🍽️ REVIEW : Larry and Mau Restaurant Diner at SM... 🏕️ How To Pitch a Tent as a Beginner? 🎙 EP4- A Letter From a Confused ,Straight Identif... 🎙 EP3- Clan Among Gay Youngsters 🏳️‍🌈 Podcast ... 🎙 EP2- Importance of Role in a Gay Relationship ... ㏗ Tips: Plan Your Vacation Ahead Of Time 🐷 2019 ... 🎇 HAPPY NEW YEAR 🍾 Make-up Tutorial While Doin...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797309
__label__wiki	0.947321	0.947321	In Surprise Vote, City Nixes Chemical Plant The unscheduled vote occurred at an informational hearing when one council member said he had "heard enough." WESTWEGO, La. (AP) — Members of a Louisiana city council surprised residents and a representative from a Chinese chemical company at a public hearing by voting to turn down the company's request to build a plant. A vote had not been scheduled for Tuesday night's public hearing in Westwego, news outlets reported. The meeting was intended to provide information about a proposal from Wanhua to build a storage and distribution facility. Eduardo Doval, CEO of the company's U.S. operations, gave a presentation on the plan before residents were given the opportunity to ask questions. The plant was expected to take in shipments of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, or MDI, from China. The product would then be distilled on site for use in paint, shoe soles and padding for furniture and cars. “This project, we believe, is safe,” Doval said. “It's very benign and very environmentally sound.” But residents and city leaders said the representative failed to answer questions about potential dangers of the chemical under different conditions like reacting to heat and water and in the event of a hurricane. After about an hour, city councilman Glenn Green said he had heard enough. “I'd like to make a motion, mister mayor, that we deny the permit for this operation,” he said. The council then voted unanimously to deny the company's request. Last year, Wanhua dropped its bid for a chemical manufacturing plant in Convent. Latest in Operations More in Operations European Car Sales Suffer Worst Plunge Ever The pandemic provoked the worst crisis ever to hit the industry. Renault’s new EV lineup includes an overhaul of its classic city car. Random Name Generator Used to Fake Employees in COVID Relief Fraud He claimed to have more than 400 employees. He had none. Decreasing consumer demand means the plant will close. Prosecutors Drop Securities Case Against Former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn faces heavier penalties in a separate fraud case connected to the company's diesel emissions scandal. China Economy Grows as Rebound from Virus Continues China is likely to be the only major economy to grow in 2020, while developed countries and most major emerging markets were in recession. Stellantis Shares Jump on First Day The merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler creates the fourth-largest auto company in the world. French oil and gas company Total said it disagrees with the American Petroleum Institute on climate-related policies. Virgin Orbit Reaches Space on Second Try The LauncherOne rocket was released from beneath the wing of a Boeing 747 and ignited moments later. States Sue ATF Over Arms Manufacturer License The states allege the company broke federal laws and contributed to gun trafficking. Emerson Opens $49M Welding & Assembly HQ in Connecticut The new innovation facility will house 220 professional staff, engineering and production employees. Biden to Tap Defense Production Act to Maximize Vaccine Manufacturing He wants 100 million shots in in his first 100 days.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797311
__label__cc	0.713546	0.286454	Break The Convention, Grow With What you gain with Robotic Process Automaton Robotic process automation (RPA) allows you to automate mundane, repetitive tasks with the help of software bots. Business processes like administrative tasks, billing, accounting, and such others can be automated with this technology. At In2IT, we help businesses to integrate new age technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning with RPA to transform the business ecosystem. With our consulting services, we inculcate smart and intelligent automation and help our customers to scale up, increase productivity and save on operational costs. Download the report here We are a proudly Level-1 B-BBEE Contributor and ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 certified Your future lies in new age technology adaptations Learn how In2IT can help grow your business. Download the Blockchain Booklet Download the RPA Booklet Download the IoT Booklet Download the AI Booklet SA Leadership Team CO-FOUNDER, CEO, IN2IT TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD Saurabh holds an MBA in Marketing and a Bachelors in Engineering (Electronics) along with International business qualification from the prestigious ESC Rennes, France. As Managing Director of In2IT South Africa, he drives our South Africa business. Under his leadership, In2IT has been able to establish differentiation in consulting and technology sourcing advisory services. He is passionate about IT led business transformation and is widely invited to participate in various intervention and initiatives. He has vast experience in opening up and growing large geographies for IT services organizations. Saurabh lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. In his free time he likes playing golf. Vishal Barapatre CO-FOUNDER, GROUP CTO, IN2IT TECHNOLOGIES Vishal is responsible for creating and building up our portfolio of innovative services and solutions with a view to serve customized offerings to each client. He has also used his extensive experience in driving process improvements, collaborating on program design, implementing talent management strategy and workforce planning into driving measurable business outcomes. He has more than 17 years of experience in the field of IT, specializing in network & telecom. Known for his thought leadership and technology led business acumen, he is instrumental in conceptualizing and creating business propositions for markets all across the world for big IT multinationals. Rudra Shankar Shatapathy CO-FOUNDER, GROUP MD & CEO, IN2IT TECHNOLOGIES Rudra has provided vision and dedicated leadership in building and aligning solutions to clients across multiple geographies. His vast experience in opening up and growing large geographies for IT organizations has helped In2IT expand in India, USA, South Africa and Singapore within a short span of time. Rudra’s unwavering focus has been towards simplifying the complex corporate world by connecting technology seamlessly to business. He is a passionate advocate of ordinary people coming together to do extraordinary things. Rudra holds an MBA in International Business and B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering. Core Drivers \| Skill Devp \| Empowerment Our Core Drivers Fundamentals of In2IT Culture We are defined by the three principles that are the core drivers of our success; Customer Focus, Entrepreneurial Culture and GLOCAL. These are the vision, mission and strategy that govern the movement of In2IT Technologies. Learnership Programme In2IT Technologies has launched the In2Intellects Learnership Programme for qualifying engineering, ICT and related graduates, which places them through extensive and comprehensive training, cultivating the practical skills necessary to become IT professionals. The Idea Factory The impact of the youth on the technology scene is undeniable. The empowerment initiative is targeted at youth-owned, start-up IT enterprises and technology innovators seeking industry experts to convert their ideas into tangible and high income-generating concepts. Gain Insights From IT Management Experts Global Operations Centre In2IT Technologies, has opened and unveiled our Global Operations Centre (GOC) at our new, larger premises located in the heart of Sandton. The move provided additional real estate not only for the GOC but also to cater to the company’s rapid expansion. Giving technology personality through its twenty first century corporate presentation, In2IT Technologies’ 70 seater Global Operation Centre has been described as the territory of innovation. The ergonomically seasoned environment is designed to accommodate and stimulate the young and vibrant population of the GOC, where various teams are set to work on cutting edge and emerging technologies such as the Internet of things (IOT), artificial intelligence (AI) and the blockchain. The GOC has a young and vibrant staff population, with over 60% of its staff under the age of 25. The additional space will enable In2IT to continue – and expand – our Learnership Programme, as well as enable us to be more customer-centric. We invite customers, both existing and potential, to come and visit our new offices where, at our GOC, they can fully explore the possibilities of technology and how to make it work best for them. In2IT’s Corporate Social Investments strategy focuses on empowering disadvantaged community schools by delivering and enabling the use of technological resources in the schools. In 2015, In2IT joined forces with the HM Pitje Foundation to materialize our Corporate Social Investments Programme. Recent endeavours took us to Meetseng Primary, a modest primary school in the heart of Soshunguve, Johannesburg, where In2IT recognized an opportunity to intervene in upgrading the school’s computer facilities. A R150 000 spend has been allocated toward the investment. Our network engineers have been deployed to implement and support Wi-Fi facilities in the computer lab and in the classrooms of Meetseng Primary. In2IT is confident that the initiative will be an effective aid in promoting educational development. In2IT will continue its efforts to empower disadvantaged communities through educational infrastructure development initiatives that are imperative in educational advancement. The organisation aims to ensure impact and sustainability of such initiatives.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797312
__label__wiki	0.894601	0.894601	Inside the Dramatic, Painful--and Hugely Successful--Return of Reddit's Founders Reddit's co-founders patched their fractured friendship to save the company that defined them. By Christine Lagorio-Chafkin@Lagorio Andy Martin University of Virginia roomies and best buds Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian launched Reddit in 2005, graduates of Y Combinator's initial class. Their site, a collection of communities of everyone from cupcake lovers to perverts, made them wealthy and famous--Huffman the code-writing maestro and Ohanian, creator of Reddit's alien logo, its public face. Pressures over content and growth would split them from the company and each other. As told in We Are the Nerds, they reclaimed the helm when a series of escalating crises threatened Reddit's existence. But could they ever repair their relationship? Steve Huffman had been seeing a therapist for a few years, and perhaps thanks to the rising tide of Silicon Valley, that individual, Cameron Yarbrough, had transitioned from mere "therapist" to "executive coach." At multiple sessions with Yarbrough, Huffman later recalled, he lamented his ailing relationship with Alexis Ohanian, and admitted that he had a litany of long-standing issues they'd been avoiding hashing out. Huffman knew that over their years of mild estrangement, each had grown even more different, but that didn't change the fact that he missed his old friend. With Yarbrough's encouragement, Huffman reached out to Ohanian. Huffman tried to plan a dinner for them, but tracking down Ohanian and getting him to cement a plan was "a pain in the ass," he said. So Huffman saw it as a minor victory when Ohanian appeared at 5A5, a Japanese steakhouse in the Embarcadero that Huffman loved, at close to the appointed time one evening in early 2015. Once Ohanian was seated across from him, Huffman couldn't hide his frustrations. "Dude, I'm trying to make an effort and I can't get you to respond to my texts." Ohanian, almost invariably considerate and charismatic in person, apologized. As steaks and cocktails arrived, the men began to hash out what had happened back at Reddit so many years ago when Ohanian hired contract programmers behind Huffman's back. It'd been two years into their running Reddit within Condé Nast, which had acquired it in 2006, just a year and a half into Reddit's life. The new "corporate overlords," as the guys dubbed Condé Nast and its parent, Advance Publications, had in fact granted Reddit a great degree of autonomy. With Ohanian living in New York, drumming up press and managing the Reddit community, and Huffman in San Francisco with a meager programming staff, the site had grown nicely. Within two years, Ohanian had moved to San Francisco, and in with Huffman, to a Mission District apartment. Though they'd lived together during college, in this new arrangement it became clear quickly that being around each other 24 hours a day wasn't healthy. They got along personally, for the most part, but their passions at work weren't in sync, and when they disagreed over whether to use their meager staff resources to bolster the site's technological back end (Huffman) or build new, splashy media components (Ohanian), Huffman's core team sided with him. Ohanian didn't accept losing well. "We'd have some blowup fights at the office," Huffman said. "I remember being pissed leaving work. I would drive us home and I remember not speaking to him in the car. That's when things were starting to deteriorate." The pair weren't confrontational, so this and other long-standing disputes had festered--and then scarred over. In 2009, once their contracts allowed, they each left Condé Nast. But in just over a year, Huffman asked for Ohanian's help launching another brand. It would take on Kayak's travel search engine, and rank flights by the "agony" their itineraries induced. He called it Hipmunk. Ohanian mocked up a charming little chipmunk mascot in aviator goggles, and took a position doing marketing for Hipmunk. He engineered a successful press launch--one of the buzziest in Y Combinator's history. And then he was dismissed abruptly at a meeting in a Manhattan bar by Huffman's co-founder, Adam Goldstein. "When I left Hipmunk, I pretty much left my relationship with Steve," Ohanian said. On September 6, 2011, Reddit's general manager, Erik Martin, posted on Reddit's blog that Reddit was no longer "a division of Condé Nast," and instead would stand on its own as Reddit Inc., under the greater umbrella of Advance Publications. The post explained that the new arrangement would set up "reddit so that it can better handle future growth and opportunities." He cited a statistic that when Reddit had been acquired in 2006, it received about 700,000 page views per day. As of the post, Reddit regularly got that much traffic every 15 minutes. From his perch at Hipmunk, Huffman read Martin's post and seethed. He realized almost immediately that Ohanian had likely been involved in the spinout. He knew his former co-founder, his former best friend, had been there, having somehow inserted himself into the Condé Nast bureaucracy they'd once together bemoaned. As Condé Nast had made these plans, Huffman hadn't been asked for advice. After reading the post, he felt waves of anger and embarrassment hit him: He'd been intentionally kept in the dark for, what, months? Years? There were pangs of jealousy at the fact that Ohanian would be returning to serve on Reddit's new board. Over days and weeks, Huffman dwelled on the situation, and came to the realization that Ohanian must have received shares of Reddit in an agreement to lock in his board position. That fact didn't just sting; it burned. "You didn't even tell me you were going back," Huffman said to Ohanian, at the steakhouse years later. "Meanwhile, I wanted to be back, and then I almost felt like you were keeping me out." As the men talked, a central, unspoken question hovered above all else: Could they even trust each other? That's how distant Ohanian and Huffman had grown. They agreed to meet again for dinner. As the pair swapped stories and spoke about specific points of tension during that second dinner--at a place Ohanian chose that specialized in seafood, which Huffman hated-- Huffman began to remember why they'd become friends in the first place. They shared a worldview, and, beyond the alienating scaffolding each had erected around the other in supposition and years of relative silence, they still liked each other. Even 10 years later. Huffman and Ohanian gingerly began circling around another massive question: Could they ever work together again? On Friday, July 10, 2015, Ellen Pao posted her letter resigning from her position as interim chief executive of Reddit. Hired first as a consultant, and later brought on as an executive, she'd been at the company's helm for eight months, ever since her friend Yishan Wong had abruptly bailed from the CEO position after the company had been battered by controversy after controversy, under a set of circumstances he'd later call "unbelievable because it is so weird." Huffman and Ohanian met for an early lunch at Super Duper Burgers on San Francisco's Market Street. It was going to be a hell of a day, so they each inhaled a locally sourced, organic burger. They were to meet Sam Altman, a Reddit board member and the 30-year-old president of Y Combinator, outside the front door of 101 New Montgomery at noon. Altman was to usher Huffman, Reddit's original creator, up into HQ to meet his new employees. As of this day, he was chief executive of Reddit. Huffman, upon agreeing to step in after a botched dismissal of a beloved employee had caused the site's volunteer moderators to mutiny, had been given the decision by the board over the past week about what role Ohanian would play in the future of Reddit. "If you want to work with Alexis, that's awesome. I'm perfectly comfortable if you say no," Keith Rabois, a board member, recalled to Wired that he'd told Huffman. Once in front of the Reddit office, the three men shook hands, and Ohanian and Altman accompanied Huffman past the doorman and into an elevator to the fifth floor, where the three went straight to a small conference room and shut the door. Pao was already inside. She had a list of journalists' names and numbers they were to call. Within minutes, a handful of reporters fired questions at the incoming and former CEOs of Reddit. Altman did a lot of the talking. It was easy for him to hype Huffman to the journalists on the phone, since he had long respected him both as a programmer and a leader. Plus, the potential magic of the comeback story was not lost on Altman. "He actually built Reddit. He wrote the code," Altman said into the speaker at the center of the table. "The chance to get that back was so special." It was professional, clean, and cool. Somehow, everyone managed to keep their answers to the questions about Pao's departure positive. "She did an incredible job," breezed Altman. "She stepped into a really messy situation." When Kara Swisher of Recode cut in and asked Pao directly whether she was fired, Pao managed to force out a laugh. "Thanks for getting right to the point," she said, reiterating that she had resigned because of the board's aggressive growth goals. She said that her departure was a "mutual decision" between herself and the board. (She'd later allege in her own book that a board member had threatened her that if she didn't resign, they'd "go to Plan B.") Across the table, Huffman's skin was crawling. "I was just thinking, god, this is very awkward," he recalled later. "It's kind of like being in a room with your ex and your new girlfriend or something." His heart was racing. The panic wasn't just a response to the reporters on the phone, or simply to being in the same room as Pao. Rather, it was in anticipation of the moments that would come once the phone was hung up, once the four of them took the elevator one floor down. In just moments, he'd need to stand in front of nearly the entire staff of Reddit, only a tiny handful of whom he'd ever met, and address them en masse. He'd need to begin to build these individuals' trust. He'd need to inspire them. He felt moisture begin to accumulate on the surface of his skin as he stood in the elevator with Altman, Ohanian, and Pao. When the doors opened on the fourth floor, he was a deer in headlights: The entire staff was already gathered. He stood and breathed deeply for a couple minutes as Pao spoke first, delivering prepared remarks. Her words were a shock to many junior staffers, who'd heard her repeat over and over in the past 10 days that she would not resign. To Huffman, her words were a blur. "This is almost over," he told himself in order to cope. "Someday, this will just be a memory." Huffman panned the crowd of unsmiling faces and realized that each of these people had been through a week of hell, too. Heck, a year of purgatory for some. He'd be their third CEO in nine months. He'd prepared a speech but didn't want to read from a piece of paper. So he ad-libbed, introducing himself, detailing his history, and explaining what he wanted to see out of Reddit. It was not a slam dunk. He came across as enthusiastic--if a little terrified. Some employees were unimpressed by his words, which included multiple notes on issues that needed immediate fixing. To others, they felt critical, arrogant: the Ultimate Creator of this thing telling everyone in the room they were screwing it up. "It just rubbed a lot of people the wrong way," a former staffer said. "They were like, fuck this guy." To Huffman, the crossed arms and dour expressions were a shock. He'd just left Hipmunk, where his longtime employees offered up encouragement and hugs. "That was not what I got at Reddit," he said. Other employees saw in Huffman's words and tone a laser focus on product, a specific set of goals in mind. "You could tell there was motivation, you could tell he was very intent on being back, and he had the confidence that he was ready to do it," said Stephen Greenwood, a video producer. Huffman took a few questions from the gathered staffers, including one about Pao's ban of hard alcohol in the office and moratorium on work events whose sole activity or focus was drinking: "So, are we allowed to drink now?" Sure, Huffman said. His philosophy was: "I'm not gonna work at a company where we're gonna treat you like children. We're gonna treat you like adults, and in exchange, I want you to act like adults and look out for one another." By the time Huffman was done introducing himself and making his attempt to rally the team, Pao had already left the building. Despite having announced that she'd stay on as an adviser, she would not be seen at 101 New Montgomery again. Huffman grabbed his laptop and logged in to Reddit as u/spez, his longtime primary account. Already, questions were waiting for him. He typed a greeting into the comment box and then answered Redditors' questions for the next 15 minutes. Huffman realized he wanted to immediately make good on his goals, to meet the team, to make all that was wrong right. He swiveled his chair around and introduced himself to the first staffer he saw. "Hey, I'm Steve." The employee looked at him and grunted, "Hmm." Huffman stared for a moment, then turned back around to his computer. It took every ounce of restraint he could muster not to fire the guy on the spot. Instead, he tried again. He turned to the person at the next computer. "Hey, I'm Steve." It worked. "I'm Jack," said an engineering team leader, Jack Lawson. They struck up a friendly conversation. That afternoon, Huffman shook hands with and introduced himself to about half of the 65 staffers. Turnover was high in the months following Huffman's return: About 50 staffers left. But Reddit also began a significant hiring tear, and it had more than 150 employees by the end of 2016. Ohanian's new job's best description might have been "salesman emeritus." His title was just "co-founder." In flashy sneakers and T-shirts, Ohanian had begun serving as a jet-setting hype man. "He likes to travel, he likes to speak, he likes to talk about Reddit. I think 70 percent of the population just really falls for his charms, and many of them are CMOs," Huffman joked, with a little grin. "That works out great." Zubair Jandali, Reddit's dynamic chief of sales, had informally dubbed Ohanian "chief bullhorn." One of Ohanian's big successes was working with the producers of the sci-fi tech dystopia show Mr. Robot. During its third season, which aired in 2017, they pulled off an elaborate integration in which there were nods to Reddit on the show and, simultaneously, clues from the show unfolded in subreddits online. Months later, in mid-2017, Ohanian would visit South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung in New York City to try to establish the framework for a $10 million partnership deal, the very morning after his pregnant fiancée was featured wearing only a thong and a silver belly chain on the cover of Vanity Fair. "Oh, that," Ohanian said when the cover was mentioned in the Samsung lobby. It was a long and glowing story focusing on his courtship and pregnancy with Serena Williams. The pregnancy had come to light the past April, when Williams made public what appeared to be intended as a private Snapchat pic of herself in a swimsuit with a tiny midsection bulge labeled "20 weeks." Ohanian has said he'd been reluctant to participate in big, splashy, overtly personal press, but was game to do whatever Williams wanted--and she had already decided to participate in the story. "You'll always be her assistant," joked Ohanian's longtime assistant, Elisabeth Garvin. Ohanian threw Garvin an almost undetectable side-eye, and joked about the magazine photographs: "It killed a couple birds with one stone. I'd been meaning to schedule both engagement and maternity photo shoots for Serena. Now we have both--taken by Annie Leibovitz." Two years after those awkward dinners, each of the men said he had finally accepted the other for the person he had become. Ohanian deferred to Huffman on business matters--gone was his mandate of "let Alexis be Alexis." Ohanian grew to appreciate his new position: Making money and converting traffic to money were clear goals, something he'd never had before at Reddit. Huffman had come to accept Ohanian's wild, jet-setting lifestyle, and had even become prone to smile at his appearances on magazine covers and talk shows, which had accelerated thanks to his extraordinarily famous fiancée. Perhaps most encouraging for their relationship, the pair had again begun to banter like brothers. They were not together in the office a lot, but when Huffman was asked how working side by side was going, he was so comfortable that he went straight for a joke: "Smells so good, I can't concentrate." Ohanian laughed, too: "People have given me really great feedback on that." They're not best friends, and they are perfectly fine with that. They had, after all, lived together on and off for eight years. They had their finances intertwined for years. Their legacies were still tied together, in Reddit. In the future, making decisions that are good for business is perhaps the biggest change Reddit faces--though Huffman was poised to walk into that wind. Reddit had improbably survived a decade of management lax enough that its communities spiraled out of control--and now everything, down to specific content, was under the microscopes of multiple teams at Reddit: the friendly, interactive community team; the secretive, ban-enacting trust and safety team; its engineering counterpart, dubbed "anti-evil"; and the policy and legal groups. In the summer of 2017 came a moment of epic relief for Steve Huffman. Finally, he had completed a new funding round. The process of putting together the round--setting terms that could shape the future of Reddit and its value to both existing shareholders and employees--had been a slog. At least once during the yearlong process, he'd grown so frustrated that he'd come close to calling off the effort. Now it was done, which meant time for a victory lap. On July 31, dozens of articles appeared in the tech press under headlines reading some variation of "Reddit raised $200 million in funding and is now valued at $1.8 billion." Just like that, six years after Advance Publications bestowed upon its little acquisition the power to raise outside funding and grow like a startup, Reddit joined a new echelon of Silicon Valley elite. It was now a unicorn, a private company valued at $1 billion or more, like Palantir or Pinterest. There were only about 200 of these companies in the world, and a hundred in the United States. Something else miraculous happened over the summer of 2017: Reddit's traffic grew to such an extent that Amazon's web analytics arm, Alexa, the primary site-ranking service, considered it the fourth most popular website in the U.S., behind only Google, YouTube, and Facebook. August and September 2017 went by without a single major community flare-up--the first time a late summer and autumn had passed in five years without Reddit nearly strangling itself out of existence. Huffman's past cycles of self-doubt seemed to have lifted. There was joy for him in experiencing the daily rhythm of Reddit's new home at 420 Taylor Street, the flow of staff pausing to chat on their way to their workstations. He could often be found with his laptop on a couch in front of the elevators on the third floor, his feet in scruffy Adidas soccer shoes, propped up, greeting anyone who walked by. Excerpted from the book We Are the Nerds: The Birth and Tumultuous Life of Reddit, the Internet's Culture Laboratory by Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, to be published on October 2, 2018, by Hachette Books, a division of Hachette Book Group. Copyright 2018 Christine Lagorio-Chafkin. From the October 2018 issue of Inc. Magazine	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797313
__label__cc	0.516132	0.483868	HomeCorona Virus8 Vaccines including 3 indigenous are scheduled to be manufactured in India 8 Vaccines including 3 indigenous are scheduled to be manufactured in India December 10, 2020 IndiaTies SHM Corona Virus 0 Dec 10: Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally addressed the Inter-Ministerial meeting on Vaccination of South Asia against COVID-19 by the World Bank, here today through Video Conference. Presenting a detailed summary of the proactive, preemptive, graded, whole of government and society approach to the COVID-19 pandemic undertaken by India, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “Effective planning and strategic management has enabled India to keep its cases per million at 7,078 against the global average of 8,883. The fatality rate is 1.45%, well below the global average of 2.29%.” He then proceeded to inform the audience of the vaccine distribution expertise, production and storage capacity of India along with the presence of an experienced and vast network of professionals to streamline COVID vaccination. He stated, “India’s world-class research institutes have spearheaded the campaign against COVID-19 and are currently working towards facilitating capacity building for producing, distributing & administering the vaccine. 260 vaccine candidates are in different stages of development globally. Out of these, 8 are scheduled to be manufactured in India, including 3 indigenous ones. We have enthusiastically leveraged the support of international partners like Oxford University, UK, and Thomas Jefferson University, USA, for vaccine research with Indian entities, both public and private.” Reminding everyone of the strong political commitment of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi who has been personally supervising the vaccine production by visiting the manufacturing facilities of pharmaceutical companies engaged in production of vaccines, encouraging the scientists at helm and catalyzing the process, he said, “It is expected that the vaccine will be available in the coming few weeks and the vaccination process will kickstart in India as soon as it is approved by the concerned regulatory agency. With stringent oversight, we are ensuring, that there is no compromise on scientific and regulatory norms, stretching from safety of the trials to efficacy of the vaccines.” Dr. Harsh Vardhan also detailed how leveraging the existing digital interventions of India’s Mission Indradhanushimmunization programs, India is building the advanced CO-WIN digital platform which will allow citizens to self-register for vaccination, monitor their status, and be provided with a QR code-based electronic vaccination certificate upon completion of the process. He added that the government has analyzed the present requirement of vaccines and is working towards augmenting capacities, healthcare infrastructure & workforce. The Minister concluded his speech by honoring the courage & sacrifice of numerous corona warriors across the globe who have been at the forefront in the fight against COVID19. Dr.Harsh Vardhan 5th India Water Impact Summit inaugurated By Jal Shakti Minister DRDO’s Protective Carbine to be inducted into services soon Namaste Yoga- Healthy youth for Healthy Nation: Prahlad Singh Patel June 20, 2020 IndiaTies SHM Health Care 0 Union Minister of State for Culture Shri Prahlad Singh Patel addresses webinar on ‘Namaste Yoga- Healthy youth for Healthy Nation’ today PM Modi for enhanced cooperation in tech, R&D and SMEs with Austria May 26, 2020 News Desk Foreign Relations 0 PM Modi called enhanced cooperation in tech, R&D and SMEs with Austria during his discussion with H.E. (Dr.) Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of the Republic of Austria […] Atal Innovation Mission organizes virtual COVID Demo Days July 14, 2020 IndiaTies SHM Corona Virus, Health Care 0 As Covid-19 pandemic and economic shutdowns are dealing a severe blow on world economy, NITI Aayog’s flagship Atal Innovation Mission, (AIM) is on full swing to keep the entrepreneurial spirit high across the country by teaming up with other Ministeries and partners to support Startups with COVID-19 innovative Solutions and to further fight Covid- 19 pandemic. […]	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797315
__label__wiki	0.974289	0.974289	10:21 am - Wednesday January 20, 2021 Home » Sports » Cricket » Meet the underdogs of this year’s World Cup Meet the underdogs of this year’s World Cup Mar 16, 2015 420 Viewed Gautam Comments Off on Meet the underdogs of this year’s World Cup This year’s World Cup is not just about Virat Kohli’s smashing 107 against Pakistan or Chris Gayle’s record-breaking 215 against Zimbabwe. There are other players like UAE’s Shaiman Anwar who scored over 300 runs in the tournament, including a century against Ireland and two half-centuries against Pakistan and Zimbabwe and Afghanistan’s Samiullah Shenwari, whose 96 runs against Scotland gave Afghanistan their first win. Here’s a look at the underdogs of this year’s World Cup who have shone bright and broken stereotypes of the game. Team: UAE Achievements: This UAE player of Pakistani origin has made 309 runs in the tournament, the most runs made by any batsman from an Associate team of the World Cup. High Moment: When he made 106 runs in the UAE vs Ireland match. Mahmudullah Riyad Team: Bangladesh Achievements: The first Bangladeshi batsman to strike consecutive centuries in a World Cup tournament. High Moment: Remaining unbeaten at 128 from 123 balls against New Zealand, he entered the top five list of run scorers in this Cup. Hamid Hassan Team: Afghanistan Achievements: Hamid Hassan, the Afghan fast bowler has emerged as a cult figures of the tournament. He has taken seven wickets in the tournament, including three against Sri Lanka. He is also the first Afghani to have played at the Lord’s stadium in June 2007. High Moment: Hassan’s biggest wicket this year Kumar Sangakkara’s. “I was just enjoying that wicket because everyone knows that Sangakkara is the number one batsman in the world,” he told a cricket website. Josh Davey Team: Scotland Achievements: Scotland’s Josh Davey has 14 wickets this World Cup and that puts him in the second position among leading wicket takers, much ahead of established bowlers from other teams. High Moment: Though Scotland has not won a match, Josh Davey has made his mark in the tournament. His scalps include those of Sri Lankan veterans like Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene. Shapoor Zadran Achievements: He gave the country its first win in the World Cup. With eight wickets, he is among the top 10 wicket-takers in the Cup but it’s his unbeaten 12 runs in 10 balls as the last player against Scotland that saw him trending on social networks. High Moment: His boundary at 49.3 to give Afghanistan their first-ever World Cup win. He also took four wickets for 38 runs against Scotland. Sean Williams Team: Zimbabwe Achievements: Though his team has lost four out of five games, Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has been one of their outstanding performers. Williams has 289 runs to his credit in the tournament with three half centuries. High Moment: His best innings came against Ireland, where he joined Brendan Taylor in the middle at 74/4. While Taylor constructed a dominant hundred, Williams stood by him and scored 96 keeping the Irish team under threat. Ed Joyce Team: Ireland Achievements: Ed Joyce is best known as the Ireland batsman who played for two different countries, Ireland and England, in successive World Cups. High Moment: He scored 112 against Zimbabwe with a 138-run partnership with Andy Balbirnie. Samiullah Shenwari Achievements: Samiullah Shenwari said that he had simply done his job after scoring 96 runs against Scotland, which led Afghanistan towards its first-ever World cup win. Though Afghanistan collapsed to 97 for seven to achieve the target of 211, Shenwari turned the tables with his 147-ball innings. High Moment: Shenwari came on the crease when Afghanistan was 46 for 2. And he did not leave till the 47th over. Filed in Cricket Sports New Zealand prepares for Gayle in World Cup quarterfinal Can Suresh Raina do a ‘Yuvraj of 2011’? Dhoni answers	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797316
__label__wiki	0.920596	0.920596	Spike Jonze Had Margaret Qualley Dance Like a Tree During Kenzo Commercial Audition "Now you’re a vampire, now your arm is trying to attack you and you’re eating your pinky," the "Leftovers" actress said the filmmaker would tell her as she was auditioning. Yoselin Acevedo Margaret Qualley is a “massive fan” of Spike Jonze. So when the “Leftovers” actress auditioned for the starring role in the filmmaker’s KENZO World perfume short film, released last summer, she was “terribly nervous”. At an intimate dinner party thrown by Kenzo designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim on Thursday evening to celebrate the launch of the new Kenzo World Intense perfume, the actress spoke about her experience auditioning for the “Her” and “Adaptation” helmer. READ MORE: Supercut Celebrates The Brief, Wonderful Filmography Of Director Spike Jonze — Watch “The only note I got from my agent was that they wanted me to dance like a tree,” Qualley said, recalling her audition, which took place in Jonze’s apartment, according to New York Magazine’s The Cut. “I’m terribly nervous because I’m such a massive fan. We sit down and talk, I filibuster while I try to calm myself and tell him bizarre anecdotes about my father that have nothing to do with why I’m there. He gives me a vague idea of the story and concept. He plays the song [the same one heard in the ad] and is like, ‘Okay, want to improvise?’ He records it on his iPhone. I dance like a psychopath for about an hour, literally until his phone dies.” As she was dancing, the filmmaker would tell her things like, “Now you’re a vampire, now your arm is trying to attack you, and you’re eating your pinky.” She continued, “I’m crawling on his floor, jumping on his chairs, it’s winter and I’ve got a turtleneck and stockings on and by the end, I’m drenched in sweat and out of breath. Then I get up and he’s like, ‘Nice to meet you.’ I’m like, ‘You too.'” READ MORE: What Makes Spike Jonze Movies Unique? A Video Essay — Watch When her agents called to see how it had gone, Qualley told them, “Either he thinks I’m an absolute psychopath, and am just bananas, or this is going to work out.” Forturantely, “it turns out, Spike both thought I was a psychopath and I would work out,” she said during the dinner. Leon added, “I got a text right after from Spike that was like, ‘I found the perfect person. Margaret gave me something that almost rescripted what I had.'” Qualley worked with Sia choreographer Ryan Heffington rehearsing the dance routine for a week prior to shooting. The 3:48 minute long film was released on August 25, and has over six million views on YouTube. Check out the ad below: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Margaret Qualley, Spike Jonze, The Leftovers	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797318
__label__cc	0.695179	0.304821	High Technology Indicators 1Contact 1.1Contact organisation National Statistics Institute of Spain 1.5Contact mail address 2Metadata update 2.1Metadata last certified 2.2Metadata last posted 2.3Metadata last update 3Statistical presentation 3.1Data description The annual High Technology statistic is a summary statistic that provides data on high technology production in Spain. Some of the variables provided by these statistics are: the number of companies, turnover, value added, rate of innovation, etc. in high-tech sectors or the production value , exports and imports, etc. for high-tech products. 3.2Classification system Focus by sectors Eurostat uses the general nomenclature of economic activities of the European Communities (NACE Rev. 2) to define the high technology sectors. The classification of the high technology sectors results from the aggregation of the manufacturing sector of high and medium-high technology plus the high technology services sector. NACE Rev.2 is used to a level of three digits and, in many cases, due to the restriction of the statistical sources used, the aggregation made is at the level of two digits. Focus by products The list of products is based on the calculation of the intensity of R&D by group of products. The groups defined as those of high technology are based on the SITC Rev.4 (Standard International Trade Classification). Correspondence between international classifications and those used in Spain is established. In particular, the CPA classification (Classification of Products by Activities) and its correspondence with the SITC (Standard International Trade Classification) and CN (Combined Nomenclature) was used. Finally, the equivalence between the CN and the PRODCOM classification (List of Products of the European Community) enabled the establishment of links between classifications and information sources. 3.3Sector coverage By branches, the manufacturing sector and the branches of services with high and medium-high intensity in R&D are covered throughout Spain, and the production, export and import of products considered to be high technology are also covered. 3.4Statistical concepts and definitions A business process innovation It is a new or improved business process for one or more business functions that differs significantly from the firm¿s revious business processes and that has been brought into use by the firm. A product innovation It is a new or improved good or service that differs significantly from the firm¿s previous goods or services and that has been introduced on the market. Acquisition or lease of tangible assets for innovation The acquisition or lease of tangible assets can be innovation activities in their own right, such as when a firm purchases or leases equipment with significantly different characteristics than the existing equipment that it uses for its business processes. The acquisition of tangible capital goods is generally not an innovation activity if it is for replacement or capital-widening investments that are unchanged, or if it consists of only minor changes compared to the firm¿s existing stock of tangible capital. An innovation It is a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the unit¿s previous products or processes and that has been made available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the unit (process). An innovation can be a product innovation or a business process innovation. Earnings per normal working hour This is obtained from annual gross earnings divided by the the number of hours paid during the same period. This is necessary for studying, under equal conditions, workers with different working days, especially part-time workers. EIN Companies This term encompasses innovative companies in addition to those companies with innovations in progress or unsuccessful innovations. Employee training as an innovation activity Employee training activities for the use of existing products or business processes, the upgrading of general skills, or language training are not innovation activities. Examples of training as an innovation activity include training personnel to use innovations, such as new software logistical systems or new equipment; and training relevant to the implementation of an innovation, such as instructing personnel or customers on the features of a product innovation. Employee training that is required to develop an innovation, such as training for R&D or for design, are respectively part of R&D activities or part of engineering, design and other creative work. Employees are all those persons aged over 16 years old who, during the reference week were employed by others, wage-earners, or performed freelance work pursuant, freelance workers. Engineering, design and other creative work as an innovation activity: Most design and other creative work are innovation activities, with the exception of minor design changes that do not meet the requirements for an innovation, such as producing an existing product in a new colour. Identifying the use of design thinking methodologies by firms can help to differentiate minor design changes from innovation activities. Many engineering activities are not innovation activities, such as day-to-day production and quality control procedures for existing processes. Engineering activities for reverse engineering, or to alter or introduce new production processes, services or delivery methods, may or may not be an innovation activity, depending on whether these activities are conducted for innovation or for other reasons. Expenditure on innovative activities Total costs of all innovative activities including internal and external R&D costs and costs relative to remaining innovative activities such as: acquisition of machinery and equipment related to technologically new or improved products and processes, the acquisition of immaterial technology, industrial design and engineering, tools and launch of manufacture, training related to technlogically new or improved products and processes and the commercialisation of technologically improved or new products. Expenditures in activities of internal R&D Defined as internal expenditure on R&D are all the amounts earmarked for R&D activities, carried out within the research department or unit, irrespective of the source of the funds. Expenditure incurred outside the department, but related to internal support tasks of R&D (acquisition of supplies for R&D, for example) is also included as internal R&D expenditure. Have worked during the reference week for at least one hour in exchange for personal gain or family earnings or have had a job but not working due to being temporarily absent from it during the reference week due to illness, an accident, holidays, public holidays, bad weather or other reasons involving there continuing to exist a strong link between the person and his or her company. Family assistance is included in this category. Innovating company A company is considered to be innovating when it carries out, during the analized period, technological and non-technological innovations, that is, product, process, marketing or organisational innovations. Innovation activities They include all developmental, financial and commercial activities undertaken by a firm that are intended to result in an innovation for the firm. Innovation intensity The quotient between expenditure on activities for technological innovation and turnover. Intellectual property- related activities as an innovation activity IP activities for ideas, inventions and new or improved products or business processes developed during the observation period are innovation activities. Examples include activities to apply for IP rights for an innovation or for an invention, licensing-in the right to use an invention or an innovation, or licensing-out IP for inventions and innovations. All IP activities for inventions made before the observation period and for products and business processes that existed before the observation period should be excluded. Marketing and brand equity activities as an innovation activity Marketing activities for existing products are only innovation activities if the marketing practice is itself an innovation. For many companies only a small fraction of marketing expenditures is likely to be linked to product innovations introduced within the observation period. Relevant innovation activities include preliminary market research, market tests, launch advertising, and the development of pricing mechanisms and product placement methods for product innovations. In some cases, the advantages of a business process innovation could also be marketed, for instance if the business process innovation has environmental benefits or improves product quality. Personnel employed in R&D activities R&D personnel is defined as all personnel directly employed in R&D activities, without distinguishing their level of responsibility, as well as those who supply services directly linked to R&D work, such as managers, administrators and office personnel. Persons rendering indirect services, such as canteen, security, maintenance,etc. are excluded, even though their wages must be accounted for as other current expenditure on R&D. Personnel data may be measured in two ways: in the number of individuals and in the personnel on a full-time equivalent (the sum of the personnel working full-time, plus the sum of the fractions of time of the personnel working part-time). The production value measures the amount actually produced by the unit, based on sales, including changes in stocks and the resale of goods and services. The production value is defined as turnover or revenue from sales of goods and rendering of services, plus or minus the changes in stocks of finished products, work in progress and goods and services purchased for resale, minus the purchases of goods and services for resale (only for the goods and services sold during the reporting period and excluding the costs of storage and transport of the goods purchased for resale), plus capitalised production, plus other (operating and extra-ordinary) income (excluding subsidies). Income and expenditure classified as financial or as revenue in the form of interests and dividends in company accounts is excluded from production value. Included in purchases of goods and services for resale are the purchases of services purchased in order to be rendered to third parties in the same condition. Note : Capitalised production includes the own-account production of all goods that are retained by their producers as investment. The latter includes the production of fixed tangible assets (buildings, etc.) as well as intangible assets (development of software, etc.). Capitalised production is unsold production and is valued at production cost. Note that these capital goods are also to be included in investment. Note : Other (operating and extra-ordinary) income is a company accounting heading. The contents of this heading may vary between sectors and over time and as such can not be defined precisely for statistical purposes. For the statistics on activities of NACE Rev.2 groups 65.1 and 65.2, the production value is defined gross premiums earned plus total portfolio investment income plus other services produced minus gross claims incurred, excluding claims management expenses plus capital gains and provisions. For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the production value is defined as interest receivable and similar income less interest payable and similar charges plus commissions receivable plus income from shares and other variable-yield securities plus net profit or net loss on financial operations plus other operating income. For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VII of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the production value is defined as turnover less insurance premiums payable plus investment income plus other income plus insurance claims receivable less total expenditure on pensions less net change in technical provisions. For the enterprises of the NACE Rev.2 class 64.11 (central banks) the production value is defined as interest receivable and similar income less interest payable Purchase of R&D (external R&D) It includes funds paid to research services firms or other units performing R&D under contract. It excludes the internal funds to support a unit's active participation in collaborative R&D projects, these projects should be recorded as part of a unit's intramural performance. These are persons involved in the concept or creation of new knowledge, products, processes, methods and systems in the management of the corresponding probjects. Also included are managers and administrators dedicated to the planning and management of the scientific and technical aspects of the work of the researchers and which, normally, has a category equal or superior to that of persons employed directly as researchers, often dealing with former researchers or part time researchers. Also included are graduate students with a "study salary/grant" who carry out R&D activities. Sale of products This refers to the total sum of sales of completed products, products in progress, byproducts, waste, containers and packaging, carried out by the company during the reference year. It considers the value of net sales (after deducting reductions) at sale prices, without including transport costs or the taxes levied on these transactions. Software development and database activities as innovation activity Software development is an innovation activity when used to develop new or improved business processes or products, such as computer games, logistical systems, or software to integrate business processes. Database activities are an innovation activity when used for innovation,such as analyses of data on the properties of materials or customer preferences. This includes the total amounts invoiced by the observation unit, during the reference period, for the sales of goods and services supplied to third parties, considering both those carried out directly by the observation unit itself, and those from temporary outsourcing. These sales of goods or services are accounted for in net terms, that is, including the charges to the client (transport, packages, etc.), though invoiced separately, but deducting the discount on sales for early payment, returns of sales or the value of returned packages, as well as taxes on sales. This includes taxes and fees on goods or services invoiced by the unit, but excludes the VAT paid by the client. From an administrative point of view, the General Accounting Plan (PGC) (RD 1514/2007, of 16 November) defines the Total net value of turnover, using the following accounting items: C700+C701+C702+C703+C704+C705-C706-C708-C709 with: C700. Sales of merchandise C701. Sales of finished products C702. Sales of semi-finished products C703. Sales of sub-products and waste C704. Sales of packages and packaging C705. Provision of services C706. Discount on sales for early payment C708. Returns of sales and similar transactions C709. "Taxes" on sales Therefore, turnover includes neither subsidies nor other operating income. It also excludes financial and extraordinary income, and other income that affects the results of the fiscal year. Value added at factor cost The value added at factor cost is the gross income from operating activities after adjusting for operating subsidies and indirect taxes. It can be calculated from turnover, plus capitalised production, plus other operating income (including operating subsidies), plus or minus the changes in stocks, minus the purchases of goods and services, minus other taxes on products which are linked to turnover but not deductible, minus the duties and taxes linked to production. The duties and taxes linked to production are compulsory, unrequited payments, in cash or in kind which are levied by general government, or by the Institutions of the European Union, in respect of the production and importation of goods and services, the employment of labour, the ownership or use of land, buildings or other assets used in production irrespective of the quantity or the value of goods and services produced or sold. Alternatively it can be calculated from gross operating surplus by adding personnel costs. Income and expenditure classified as financial in company accounts according to the 4th Accounting Directive (78/660/EEC) is excluded from value added. Income and expenditure classified as interest income, dividend income, foreign exchange gain from foreign currency borrowings related to interest costs, gains on redemption and extinguishment of debt or finance costs according to Commission Regulation (EC) 1725/2003 are excluded from value added. Value added at factor costs is calculated "gross" as value adjustments (such as depreciation and impairment losses) are not subtracted. For the statistics on activities of NACE rev.2 groups 65.1 and 65.2, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value minus gross value of reinsurance services received minus commissions minus other external expenditure on goods and services. For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value less total purchases of goods and services. For the statistics on activities defined in Section 3 of Annex VII of Regulation (EC) No 295/2008, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value less total purchases of goods and services. For the enterprises of the NACE Rev.2 class 64.11, the value added at factor costs is defined as production value less total purchases of goods and services. Wage-earners or freelance workers Have worked during the reference week for at least one hour in exchange for a salary or wage, in cash or in kind or have had a job but have not not worked due to being temporally absent from work during the reference week. In this case, in order ot regard the person as employed, it is necessary to be closely linked with his or her employment, and for the total period absent to be less than or equal to three months or, where this is greater, for the percentage of the wage received to be 50% or more. 3.5Statistical unit Depends on the source of data used. See the different primary sources in point 18.1. 3.6Statistical population 3.7Reference area Depends on the source of data used 3.8Time coverage 3.9Base period 4Unit of measure 4.1Unit of measure 5Reference period 5.1Reference period Depends on the source of data used. See the different primary sources in point 18.1 Data referred to the period: Anual A: 2018 6Institutional mandate 6.1Legal acts and other agreements The compilation and dissemination of the data are governed by the Statistical Law No. 12/1989 "Public Statistical Function" of May 9, 1989, and Law No. 4/1990 of June 29 on “National Budget of State for the year 1990" amended by Law No. 13/1996 "Fiscal, administrative and social measures" of December 30, 1996, makes compulsory all statistics included in the National Statistics Plan. The National Statistical Plan 2009-2012 was approved by the Royal Decree 1663/2008. It contains the statistics that must be developed in the four year period by the State General Administration's services or any other entity dependent on it. All statistics included in the National Statistics Plan are statistics for state purposes and are obligatory. The National Statistics Plan 2017-2020, approved by Royal Decree 410/2016, of 31 October, is the Plan currently implemented. This statistical operation has governmental purposes, and it is included in the National Statistics Plan 2017-2020. (Statistics of the State Administration). The European legislation concerning the production and development of community statistics on science and technology, also applicable to the statistic on High Technology, is Decision No 1608/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003, which can be found at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32003D1608&from=EN and the Commission Implementation Regulation (EU) no 995/2012, of 26 October 2012, at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32012R0995&from=EN The Spanish version of these standards is available at: https://www.ine.es/normativa/leyes/UE/minine.htm#30197 6.2Data sharing The exchanges of information needed to elaborate statistics between the INE and the rest of the State statistical offices (Ministerial Departments, independent bodies and administrative bodies depending on the State General Administration), or between these offices and the Autonomic statistical offices, are regulated in the LFEP (Law of the Public Statistic Function). This law also regulates the mechanisms of statistical coordination, and concludes cooperation agreements between the different offices when necessary. There are agreements with different institutions to share information in order to elaborate statistics on High Technology Indicators. 7Confidentiality 7.1Confidentiality - policy The Statistical Law No. 12/1989 specifies that the INE cannot publish, or make otherwise available, individual data or statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or entity. Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society 7.2Confidentiality - data treatment INE provides information on the protection of confidentiality at all stages of the statistical process: INE questionnaires for the operations in the national statistical plan include a legal clause protecting data under statistical confidentiality. Notices prior to data collection announcing a statistical operation notify respondents that data are subject to statistical confidentiality at all stages. For data processing, INE employees have available the INE data protection handbook, which specifies the steps that should be taken at each stage of processing to ensure reporting units' individual data are protected. The microdata files provided to users are anonymised. No data are published that allow for the specific identification of a business. 8Release policy 8.1Release calendar The advance release calendar that shows the precise release dates for the coming year is disseminated in the last quarter of each year. 8.2Release calendar access The calendar is disseminated on the INEs Internet website (Publications Calendar) 8.3User access The data are released simultaneously according to the advance release calendar to all interested parties by issuing the press release. At the same time, the data are posted on the INE's Internet website (www.ine.es/en) almost immediately after the press release is issued. Also some predefined tailor-made requests are sent to registered users. Some users could receive partial information under embargo as it is publicly described in the European Statistics Code of Practice 9Frequency of dissemination 9.1Frequency of dissemination Data on the High Technology Indicators are released annually on the INE website, during the first four months of the year. They are published referring to year t-2, with t being the current year. 10Accessibility and clarity 10.1News release The results of the statistical operations are normally disseminated by using press releases that can be accessed via both the corresponding menu and the Press Releases Section in the web 10.2Publications It is published on the INE website, at: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176979&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576669 10.3On-line database INEbase is the system the INE uses to store statistical information on the Internet. It contains all the information the INE produces in electronic formats. The primary organisation of the information follows the theme-based classification of the Inventory of Statistical Operations of the State General Administration . The basic unit of INEbase is the statistical operation, defined as the set of activities that lead to obtaining statistical results on a determined sector or subject based on the individually collected data. Also included in the scope of this definition are synthesis preparation. Access to tables is realized from INEbase, choosing the section Science and technology/Research and developmenthttps://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176979&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735576669 10.4Micro-data access A lot of statistical operations disseminate public domain anonymized files, available free of charge for downloading in the INE website Microdata Section In the case of this statistic it is not possible to access microdata directly. 10.5Other It is possible to request tailored information from the INE Information Area. These requests are processed taking into account limitations on confidentiality or accuracy. https://www.ine.es/ss/Satellite?c=Page&p=1254735550786&pagename=ProductosYServicios%2FPYSLayout&rendermode=previewnoinsitem&cid=1254735550786&L=1 10.6Documentation on methodology A detailed description is available at: https://www.ine.es/en/daco/daco43/notaiat_en.pdf 10.7Quality documentation Regarding the quality of the input data, There is documentation available on the evaluation of the quality of the data of this statistic. The quality reports are published on the section 10.6 to 17 of this Standarised Methodological Report. 11Quality management 11.1Quality assurance Quality assurance framework for the INE statistics is based on the ESSCoP, the European Statistics Code of Practice made by EUROSTAT. The ESSCoP is made up of 16 principles, gathered in three areas: Institutional Environment, Processes and Products. Each principle is associated with some indicators which make possible to measure it. In order to evaluate quality, EUROSTAT provides different tools: the indicators mentioned above, Self-assessment based on the DESAP model, peer review, user satisfaction surveys and other proceedings for evaluation. In the case of this statistic, quality assurance is determined by the quality assurance of the sources that provide the data. To guarantee the quality of the information, the information received is subsequently treated following the steps below: - Control of the information received from the units involved, in order to ensure the reception of the information. - Analysis of data, detection of possible errors and/or changes of criteria and consultation with the sources of information if necessary. - Obtaining definitive results tables. 11.2Quality assessment In order to offer greater punctuality, the necessary steps are being taken so some of the sources can provide information with greater punctuality. 12Relevance 12.1User needs This statistical operation provides relevant information for the following groups of users: Public entities and institutions in charge of analysing the development of the High Technology sector. Public and private universities and research centres, for the purpose of performing research studies on the High Technology sector. Private entities that use or produce High Technology-related devices. Individuals, via tailor-made requests of information available. Given the synthesis nature of this statistical operation, it is confined to a breakdown level determined by the information provided by the sources of it. Nevertheless, we are studying the possibility of increasing the breakdown level, through the coordination of all of the statistical operations involved. 12.2User satisfaction The INE has carried out general user satisfaction surveys in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 and it plans to continue doing so every three years. The purpose of these surveys is to find out what users think about the quality of the information of the INE statistics and the extent to which their needs of information are covered. In addition, additional surveys are carried out in order to acknowledge better other fields such as dissemination of the information, quality of some publications... On the INE website, in its section Methods and Projects / Quality and Code of Practice / INE quality management / User surveys are available surveys conducted to date.(Click next link) This survey satisfies many users, especially from different institutions, which need to know the level of high technology in Spain. 12.3Completeness R1=100% of the information required by Commission Implementation Regulation (EU) no 995/2012 is collected. 13Accuracy and reliability 13.1Overall accuracy The accuracy and reliability of the data of the high technology statistic are dependent on the accuracy and reliability of the sources used. 13.2Sampling error As this statistic uses data collected in other surveys, the sampling errors depend on the sampling errors made in these surveys. 13.3Non-sampling error The sampling errors are inerent to the errors made in the different sources that provide the data and to the data manipulation. In this case, the direct measure of the accuracy is not possible. 14Timeliness and punctuality 14.1Timeliness This statistic's data are published within TP2=18 months after the year following the information reference year. 14.2Punctuality Data dissemination is carried out according to the structural statistics availability calendar that INE develops and publishes each year. 15Coherence and Comparability 15.1Comparability - geographical As the codes used, both for branches and products, are those defined on an international level, comparability with other statistics at the European level is guaranteed. 15.2Comparability - over time The data are comparable over time. There was a gap in the series in 2009 due to the change in classifications. Specifically, this change was from the NACE Rev.1.1 to NACE Rev.2, thus, the data are comparable from the last CC2=10 years. 15.3Coherence - cross domain As this is a highly specialised survey, intersections with other sectors are not possible. 15.4Coherence - internal When studying the coherence of the data of the tables that make up this statistic, the different sources from which the aforementioned data were obtained should be considered. As a result, although the statistical definitions are constant in all the tables, it is possible that discrepancies exist between some of the results. 16Cost and burden 16.1Cost and burden The estimated budgetary appropriation required to finance this statistic, as provided for in the 2020 Annual Programme, is 10,22 thousand Euros. The burden on the informant falls, as it is a summary statistic, on the promoter services responsible for the various statistical operations that serve as a source for it. 17Data revision 17.1Data revision - policy The INE of Spain has a policy which regulates the basic aspects of statistical data revision, seeking to ensure process transparency and product quality. This policy is laid out in the document approved by the INE board of directors on 13 March of 2015, which is available on the INE website, in the section "Methods and projects/Quality and Code of Practice/INE’s Quality management/INE’s Revision policy" (link). This general policy sets the criteria that the different type of revisions should follow: routine revision- it is the case of statistics whose production process includes regular revisions-; more extensive revision- when methodological or basic reference source changes take place-; and exceptional revision- for instance, when an error appears in a published statistic-. Definitive data are published. 17.2Data revision - practice There are not data review. 18Statistical processing 18.1Source data In the focus by branches, data from the following surveys are used, choosing only branches considered to be high technology: Industrial Companies Survey (INE) Annual Survey of Services (INE) Economically Active Population Survey (INE) Innovation in Companies Survey (INE) R&D Statistics (INE) Survey on the Use of Information and Communications Technologies and Electronic Commerce in Companies (INE) In the focus by products, data from the following surveys are used, choosing only those products considered to be high technology: Industrial Products Survey (INE) Data from the State Tax Administration (elaboration based on data from the AEAT) 18.2Frequency of data collection 18.3Data collection As this is a summary statistic and the data are from different sources, the compilation of data is carried out in the different surveys described in 18.1. 18.4Data validation As this is a summary statistic, the data have already been validated in the different surveys used. 18.5Data compilation 18.6Adjustment 19.1Comment	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797320
__label__wiki	0.753564	0.753564	Irish Genealogy News - Pages Labour relations in Belfast: a series of events Belfast City Council is to host a series of events to mark the rise of the trades union movement a century ago. Announcing the programme, Councillor Maire Hendron, Chair of the council`s Good Relations Steering Group, commented: “The period between 1912 and 1922 witnessed some dramatic changes in this part of the world, and it is only right that, a century later, we recognise and remember the importance of that decade of key historical moments, and explore some of the significant events in detail. “The role of the labour movement, and in particular the rise of the trades unions, in that period cannot be under-estimated, especially as they brought together men and women from all social, economic, political and religious backgrounds to fight for a common goal.” To mark the centenary, a series of events is being held at the City Hall, as follows: Tuesday 7 May: The story of the Belfast Dockers' Strike and subsequent 1913 Dubin Lockout, told in words and music with folk singers Jane Cassidy and Maurice Leyden, as well as some special guests. Wednesday 15 May: The role of women in the labour movement, with Therese Moriarty. Tuesday 21 May: Supping at the `bitter gourd`: struggles of the Belfast Labour Movement 1906 -1932, with John Gray, author of `City in Revolt – James Larkin and the Belfast Dock Strike`. Thursday 30 May: The Dublin Lockout of 1913 - A Very British Conflict, with Padraig Yeates. Thursday 6 June: Migration and the Making of a City, with Professor Stephen Royle and Agnieszka Martynowicz exploring the theme from the famine of the 1840s through the rise of the shipbuilding, engineering and linen industries in the latter 18th century, to the impact of the expansion of the European Union. All these events start at 7.15pm (except Padraig Yeates, which is at 12.15pm) and are free of charge. Tickets can be obtained from the Belfast Welcome Centre in Donegall Place (telephone 9024 6609). More details. Posted by Claire Santry, Irish Genealogy News Next Hedge School: Too many histories? To celebrate the 20th anniversary of History Ireland magazine, a special Hedge School debate will be held on 16 May to discuss the question: Has Ireland ‘too many histories’? The roller-coaster generation has witnessed the end of the Troubles in the North, the rise of the Celtic Tiger… and its catastrophic collapse. How has scholarship of the ‘revolutionary decade’ — the Home Rule crisis, First World War, 1916 Rising, War of Independence, Civil War and Partition — evolved over that period? What insights has the burgeoning of women’s history brought to the debate? Given that we have two jurisdictions on this island, should we have one history or two? History Ireland magazine editor, Tommy Graham will be acting ringmaster at the roundtable discussion and will be joined by some of the island's foremost historians – Prof. Joe Lee, Prof. Diarmaid Ferriter, Mary Cullen and Éamon Phoenix – to discuss these issues. The theme is explained by the organisers, as follows: When Alfred Cope, a former British assistant undersecretary in Dublin Castle, was approached in the 1940s to give a statement to the Bureau of Military History (BMH) he refused, saying ‘Ireland has too many histories: she deserves a rest’. Date: Thursday 16 May Venue: RCPI, 6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Time: 7pm. Note: Seats will be allocated on a first-come basis, but you can reserve a seat by email. This event is organised in association with the Irish Association for Cultural, Social & Economic Relations (marking their 75th anniversary) and is supported by the Reconciliation Fund of the Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This week's Irish genealogy/history events Monday 29 April: Pioneers and Protesters - Exploring Irishwomen's History, with Dr. Myrtle Hill. Host: Stewartstown & District Local History Group. Venue: Crieve Centre, Stewartstown. Time: 8pm (after AGM). All welcome to the talk. Wednesday 1 May to 31 May: Newtownards: A Pictorial History, an exhibition by Ards Historical Society. Venue: Newtownards Library, Queens Hall, Regent Street, Newtownards, Co Down BT23 4AB. Open during normal library hours. Free. Wednesday 1 May to Wednesday 29 May: Digging the Monto – tenement archaeology and the 1913 Dublin Lockout, a photographic exhibition by Dr Thomas Kador in association with Terry Fagan and Martin Coffey. Charleville Library, North Strand, Dublin 1. Monday to Saturday: 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm. Free. Wednesday 1 May: The Irish Co-operative Movement and the development of the Nation State, 1889–1932, with Patrick Doyle. Venue: IWHC, Irish Town Way, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 0AE. 7:30pm. £3 Details: 0161 205 4007. Irish World Heritage ‏@IWHCmanchester 19m Friday 3 May: Family History for beginners online. Castlewellan Library, 3 Upper Square Castlewellan, Co Down BT31 9DA. 11am–12:30pm. Free. Bookings: 028 4377 8433. Friday 3 May: The Fighting Irish Conference: For Flag and Country – The Emigrant Irish in Military Service. Venue: Gleeson's, The Square, Roscommon. Details. Friday 3 May: Family History for Beginners Online. Castlewellan Library, 3 Upper Square, Castlewellan, Co Down. 11:00am–12:30pm. Free but booking essential. Tel: 028 4377 8433. Friday 3 May to Sunday 12 May: 2013 National Famine Commemoration programme gets underway, centred on Kilrush in Co Clare. Dozens of events – walks, film screenings, readings, performance, dance, song, markets, demonstrations and exhibitions, plus lectures. See full progamme. Friday 3 May: The role Australia played in the Irish Famine, with Tom Power. Part of the 2013 National Famine Commemorations programme. 7pm. Carrigaholt Parish Hall, Co Clare. Leitrim's Killegar Estate records open to researchers Killegar estate records are now available to researchers at Leitrim County Library in Ballinamore. The collection holds the papers of the Morgan and Godley families who have owned Killegar House, Carrigallan, since 1734 when Richard Morgan of Dublin bought the land. The late John, 3rd Lord Kilbracken, who died in 2006, was the seventh generation in the line from Richard. Thanks to a generous grant from the Heritage Council and Leitrim County Council, the papers have been professionally archived into an accessible archive with a database research facility. They contain important items including rent books and other documents relating to the tenants and management of the lands, as well as well as an insight into a landed family and its properties. For further information, contact Leitrim County Library, Ballinamore on +353 (0)71-9645582 or email. New training project for Offaly genealogy research A new training project will be launched next month for those who want to kick-start their genealogy research in Co Offaly. The 'Offaly Genealogy, Historical Placenames and Mapping' course will use a combination of lectures and computer-based training in a series of four Tuesday evening lectures starting on 7 May. The programme, which will be presented by Offaly Historical Society, runs as follows: 7 May: Introduction to Irish genealogy 14 May: Genealogy sources of Co Offaly 21 May: Offaly land ownership, land records & evictions 28 May: Historical place names, map reading and territorial divisions. Funded by Offaly Local Development Company and supported by the Ireland XO initiative, the project will be delivered free of charge to delegates (donations won't go amiss!) and will be held at St Joseph's Hall, Acorn Centre, School Lane, Edenderry, Co Offaly from 8-10:30pm each week. Places are limited. To register, email or text your details to (085) 1925466. Methodist attitudes to the poor: lecture The Methodist Historical Society of Ireland is to host a public lecture in Dublin on Thursday 16 May. Methodist attitudes to the poor in late-Georgian Ireland, will be presented by Ciarán McCabe at 7:30pm. Admission is free, but booking is essential – by Wednesday 1 May – by email. Venue: Litton Hall, Wesley House, Leeson Park, Dublin 4. The Irish and the Hispanic Monarchy: exhibition An exhibition has opened in Valladolid, Spain, to explore Irish connections with the Hispanic monarchy during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Irish and the Hispanic Monarchy (1529-1800) – Connections in space and time, contains fifty-one original documents and deals with Hispano-Irish relations and the relationship of the thousands of Irish immigrants with the Spanish monarchy throughout its dominions during the Hapsburg and Bourbon periods. It covers both the traditional historiography of Spanish intervention in Ireland and the Wild Geese but also deals with new and lesser known areas such as in the field of gender and social history as well as Irish involvement in the Spanish Indies. Some of this material has not been previously available to the public or to researchers. The exhibition also contains a section dedicated to Red Hugh O’Donnell, who was buried in Valladolid. It will run until the end of June 2013 at the Archivo General de Simancas. For more information, click the image above. RootsIreland adds 50,000 graveyard inscriptions RootsIreland.ie has uploaded an additional 50,000 gravestone transcriptions from counties Tyrone and Fermanagh to its searchable database. The company's announcement says that a total of nearly 270 cemeteries have now been surveyed, accounting for nearly all burial places in the two counties, and they include graveyards consecrated by religious groups as well as those in the care of the municipal authorities. I've looked round the site trying to find a list of the graveyards concerned but couldn't find one. Exploring Irish Identity - a free online course A new online course called Exploring Irish Identity has been designed and created by Hibernia College in association with The Gathering. Known as a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), the course will present a broad overview of how history, geography and culture have interacted to create divergent, and sometimes contradictory, ideas of what it means to be Irish. It is the first MOOC on the theme of Irish identity and was launched last week by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. In a series of weekly themes, it will explore Irish history, literature and poetry, theatre and film, language, art, sport and landscape, and includes contributions from prominent Irish academics and cultural icons. The course will be free of charge to anyone, anywhere, with an Internet connection, and starts on Monday 27 May 2013. You can watch an introductory video and register for more information at HiberniaCollege. A busy week of lectures and events ahead There are plenty of genealogy and history lectures and discussions taking place this week across the island. Tuesday 23 April: Family History for beginners, with Tom Gribben. Banbridge Library, 23 Scarva Road, Banbridge BT32 3AD. Free. Booking advised. Tel: 028 4062 3973. Tuesday 23 April: Limerick and the American Civil War, with Damian Shields. Limerick City Library's History Lecture series. 8pm. Free. Refreshments will be served. All Welcome. Wednesday 24 April: Councils and Corporations – Local Government in Belfast, with Ian Montgomery of PRONI. Venue: Linenhall Library, Belfast. 1pm. Free. Wednesday 24 April: Casualties of the 1916 Rising, with special reference to County Louth, with Ray Bateson. Host: Annagassan and District Historical Society. Venue: The Loft History Hall (above Slan’s Pub) in Annagassan, Co Louth. 8pm. Places limited so be early. Entrance fee €5, includes tea/coffee after the lecture. All welcome. Thursday 25 April: 'That Field Of Glory': Historical And Antiquarian Perspectives On The Battle Of Clontarf, with Prof. Colm Lennon. RSAI, Helen Roe theatre, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 at 7.30pm. Thursday 25 April: Sources for studying the Ulster Plantation, with Dr William Roulston. Derry City Council’s Heritage and Museum Service Spring Lecture Series. Venue: Tower Museum, Union Hall Place, Derry BT48 6LU. Time: 12.30pm. Free. Book on 028 7137 2411 or email. Thursday 25 April: The Famine in the Dingle Peninsula, with Dr Kieran Foley. Host: Dingle Historical Society. Venue: Dingle Library, Co Kerry. 7.30pm. Thursday 25 April: The Irish Historic Towns Atlas, a resource for Ulster Studies Dr Jacinta Prunty. Host: Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies. 7:30pm. Venue: G01, 16 University Square, Queen's University Belfast. Thursday 25 April: Young & Mackenzie – Networks and connections of patronage in the creation of Belfast’s built environment, c.1850-1940, with Dr Paul Harron. PRONI, Belfast. 1pm. Free, but booking advised on +44 (0)2890 534800 Saturday 27 April: Recent developments in Irish genealogy, with Sean Murphy. National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. 11am. Free, but donation requested for the Cystic Fibrosis Hopesource Foundation. Fully booked. Saturday 27 April: The round towers of Ireland, with Brian Lalor. Hosts: Cloyne Literary & Historical Society and the Friends of Cloyne Cathedral. Venue: Cloyne Cathedral, Co Cork. 8pm. Fee at door €5. Saturday 27 April: HistoryIreland Hedge School. Topic: Strumpet City (Dublin One City One Book). Dublin City Library, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. 3.45pm. Free. Sunday 28 April: Guided tour of Bully's Acre graveyard, with Paul O'Brien in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin. 2pm. Free. Booking essential as places limited. Telephone +353 (0)87-6759934 or email. Improved search on new Glasnevin website Glasnevin Trust has given its website a thorough makeover and improved its online searchable database of more than 1.2million burial records. The Trust cares for five Dublin graveyards – Glasnevin, Dardistown, Goldenbridge, Palmerstown and Newlands Cross – as well as two crematorium and the award-winning Glasnevin Museum. In addition to the kind of details you'd expect about arranging burials at these cemeteries, the website carries the events schedule for Glasnevin and allows access to its huge database. The new-look site is much more attractive than its predecessor and information about the records it holds has been slightly extended. But it's the search facility that has been most extensively updated. There is now an Advanced Search function that allows you to narrow down your search dramatically. If you are searching for an ancestor with a common name such as John Doyle, you can now filter your search to include only those John Doyles in specific age brackets, or marital statuses, or with a certain address. You could even limit results with his occupation. Sounds great, doesn't it? And I'm sure it will be after some teething problems are ironed out. The main problem seems to me to be that the date of death (DOD) filter has to be applied to all searches. You can't just search for your John Doyle, widowed, coach-builder aged 31-60, without narrowing down the DOB search to a set date, plus or minus three years. Since 'my' John Doyle is missing after the 1911 census when he was 38, I would have to make seven searches to cover the 60-odd years he could potentially have lived after that date. Obviously the DOD search filter is valuable if you have a good or rough idea when your ancestor died, but if you have no clue, it would be better to leave it as an optional field rather than a mandatory one. A second criticism is that the Advanced Search facility is not immediately offered. Only when you've done a standard search on the genealogy page does the advanced option present itself. There is a short-cut that you might like to take note of: From the home page, double-click the (blue) Genealogy option in the top horizontal menu. Be sure to double-click. From there you can select the Advanced Search option. This still doesn't offer all the search filters (the next page does), but it presents some useful options such as searching by surname alone – use the wildcard facility for the first name – and you can choose the DOB to be plus or minus one year or three. You can also add an address. Obviously the new site has to settle, and I dare say there's a lot of tinkering going on behind the interface, so some of these issues may be resolved in due course. In the meantime, the new site and its search engine, is much improved and we already know that the information provided by Glasnevin's Trust can be wonderfully fulsome. Feedback from users is requested and can be sent via the new site. (With thanks to Stuart McGee and Gráinne Finn) Mid-April updates from IGP Archives The following files have been added to the ever-growing Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives in the first half of April. If you haven't checked out the free online archive recently, you really should do so. The steady rounds of updates are building into an incredibly useful resource. Dublin Genealogy Archives - Headstones Cruagh Cemetery, Rockbrook, Co. Dublin Deansgrange Cemetery: St. Itas Section, pt1 (additions) and St. Nessan's Part 7 Fermanagh Genealogy Archives - Headstones Galloon, St Comgall (CoI) Headstones Pts 1 & 2 Sallaghy (CoI) Cemetery Kerry Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary 1857 Irish Constabulary men Kildare Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Kilkenny Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Leitrim Genealogy Archives Military & Constabulary – 1857 Irish Constabulary men Headstones – Fahy Cemetery (partial) Limerick Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Offaly (Kings) Genealogy Archives - Military & Constabulary Tipperary Genealogy Archives Cemetery – Church of the Holy Trinity, Fethard - Memorials Headstones – Ballysheehan Medieval Church & Cemetery and Fethard, Holy Trinity Church & Cemetery Wexford Genealogy Archives - Photos Kiltennel Church, Gorey Anzac Special: free military records 22-26 April To commemorate, Anzac Day, FindMyPast.com.au is offering free access to 3.6 million Military records between 22-26 April 2013. The comprehensive collection includes records from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland and the United States and there's also a batch of brand new records, as follows: Australasian Imperial Expeditionary Forces Roll of Honour This is an index to the roll of honour of the soldiers and sailors of Australian Imperial Expeditionary Forces. These men and women sadly died on service between 4 August 1914 and 30 June 1919. For each entry you will find useful information such as the service number, name, rank, cause and date of death and more. New South Wales Roll of Honour A comprehensive list of the names of service personnel extracted from honour rolls in schools, public halls, clubs and village war memorials across New South Wales. This is valuable resource and could help you find your ancestors name being honoured somewhere in New South Wales. New Zealand War Medal Roll This index lists returns of Officers and Men of the Colonial Forces who made applications for the New Zealand War Medal for services before 1866. All of the claims contained are acknowledged by the War Medal Commissioners. New Zealand Boer War Servicemen Exactly what it says on the tin: a list of New Zealand servicemen who took part in the Boer Wars. In addition, you can read heroic stories, photos, diary entries, poems, words of appreciation and articles by military experts in the new Anzac Memory Bank that I mentioned on this blog a few days ago. This online commemorative contains heroic stories, photos and diary entries submitted by family historians, along with expert information about the Australian and New Zealand involvement in conflicts around the globe. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, held on the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing on 25 April each year. It is a day to honour those that sacrificed their lives, those that came home and all the families affected by wars all around the world. Make a note in your diary: the free access offer will start on Monday 22 April. When's your surname? Here's news of an unusual and continually updating exhibition that's going out under The Gathering banner. The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience is celebrating The Gathering with an exhibition about the 160 most numerous surnames to appear in the 1901 census for County Clare. Each week one of the top 40 family names is featured. The surnames Murphy, McInerney, O'Brien, Cleary, Hogan and Ryan have already been featured and this week is the turn of Collins. Next week it'll be O'Dea that gets star-billing. If you turn up at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre and your surname matches the current featured surname, you'll receive a complimentary commemorative certificate and a goodie bag. You'll also be included in a prize draw at the end of the year and could win an exclusive trip to County Clare including hotel accommodation, activities and attractions. To see the calendar of surnames that are to be commemorated each week up to 9 December 2013, click the image above. You might also be interested to see Clare Library's Frequency of Surnames 1901 chart. Ancestry marriage records are free until Sunday Get ready to throw the confetti! Ancestry is offering free access to marriage records from today until Sunday 21st April. Only the dot com version of Ancestry seems to be giving this promotion any active treatment, but search results via dotcom include returns for Ireland and the UK. (They also occasionally include a death or birth record, but don't tell anyone!). It will end at midnight US Eastern Time. You can access the search page directly by clicking the image above. While the Ancestry.ie/co.uk version doesn't seem to be making any noise about this promotion, you can still get free access to the marriage records. I've just run a few searches from this search page and then narrowed down the categories on the next page to Marriage & Divorce, and found the full range of marriage records (bonds, allegations, licences etc) returned in the search results and with full access to images. Irish Famine Tribunal this weekend in New York City Top international judges will this weekend be part of a tribunal hosted by Fordham Law School in New York City to examine the responsibility of the British Government for the tragic consequences of the Irish Famine, An Gorta Mór, 1845-1852. The Tribunal will consider whether the British role during the Famine amounted to either genocide or a crime against humanity. Prosecution and defence teams, including law students from Fordham Law School and Dublin City University, will present their cases before the panel of judges. Joining them will be authors Tim Pat Coogan (“The Famine Plot: England's Role in Ireland's Greatest Tragedy”) and John Kelly (“The Graves Are Walking: The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People”), along with historian Dr. Ruan O’Donnell, Head of the Department of History at the University of Limerick. Some of the questions to be discussed: Were the repeated, devastating failures of the potato crop beyond the power of any government, in the context of the time, to effectively manage? Was Ireland particularly vulnerable to famine and, if so, why? What relief efforts were made? How responsive was the government in London to reports from relief officials in Ireland? How influential were laissez-faire and providentialist ideologies? Did British policy makers take advantage of the Famine to “reform” Irish society? Was it only the British government that stood by while Ireland starved? What part was played by landlords, merchants, big farmers, shopkeepers and, more generally, the Irish middle classes? The Irish Famine Tribunal will be held at Fordham University Law School, 140 W. 62nd Street, New York City on Saturday 20 April (Registration 9:30am) and Sunday 21 April (Registration 10:30am). Ancestry adds two new London collections Ancestry has added a collection of Poor Law Removal and Settlement Records, 1828-1930, for five Poor Law Unions in the East End of London, where a lot of destitute Irish migrants found themselves, especially after the Famine. The 218,319 records in this database relate to settlement and removals in the unions of Bethnal Green, Hackney, Poplar, Shoreditch, and Stepney. They include examinations and settlement inquiries, registers of settlement, orders of removal, and other documents. Because responsibility for indigent residents fell to the parish, authorities kept tight control over who had a right to claim the parish as a legal place of settlement. People who could not legally claim the right of settlement could be sent back – 'removed' – to their last legal parish of settlement. Many destitute Irish people were 'removed' back to Ireland under these rules. Right to settlement could be established by birth, residency for a prescribed period of time, marriage, renting property for at least £10 and paying the poor rate, or completing an apprenticeship, among other ways. Proving one’s right of settlement could include an examination or inquiry, and these often produced valuable documentation; in the case of so many Irish migrants, these papers might hold the only record of where an individual originated in Ireland. Details included in these records vary widely, depending on the document. An order of removal may contain a name, age, current parish, and parish being removed to. A settlement register may note number of children and marital status. Documents from inquiries and examinations can be even more extensive. You may be able to discover some of the following: places and dates of residence (both current and former) spouse and marriage details children’s names, birth dates, and birthplace other family members’ names and residences summary of the situation and grounds for settlement or removal Ancestry advises that some of the cases included in this record set include multiple documents, so recommend that researchers use the arrow keys to browse surrounding pages to ensure you find all the records relating to your ancestor. This collection comes from the London Metropolitan Archives and has been indexed under Ancestry's World Archive Project (WAP). My understanding was that databases produced under the WAP banner were free to view, but while I can view search results (with limited information) without charge, I'm being refused further exploration without a current subscription/credits. There may be a fault; I'll raise it with Ancestry and update here when I hear back. The second record set newly added to Ancestry's London line up is the Overseers' Returns 1863-1894. These documents list parish residents who have claimed the right to vote. The formal description, from the London Metropolitan Archives, says: "These returns can be considered the ‘raw material’ from which electoral registers were produced…The returns are arranged in annual bundles by polling district. The names of electors are listed alphabetically within each parish giving the place of residence and the address by which the elector has gained his vote. Overseers’ returns are particularly useful for dates for which there are no surviving electoral registers.” Since the right to vote during these years was hugely restrictive and based on property values, there won't be many Irish in this collection. Findmypast adds Anzac Memory Bank and records To mark the fast approaching Anzac Day (25 April), thousands of new Australian and New Zealand military records have been added to all of FindMyPast’s international sites as part of a World Subscription. The records are: Australasian Imperial Expeditionary Forces Roll of Honour – An index to the roll of honour of the soldiers and sailors of Australian Imperial Expeditionary Forces New South Wales Roll of Honour – A comprehensive list of the names of service personnel extracted from honour rolls in schools, public halls, clubs and village war memorials across NSW New Zealand War Medal Roll – An index of returns of Officers and Men of the Colonial Forces who made applications for the New Zealand War Medal for services before 1866 New Zealand Boer War Servicemen – A list of New Zealand servicemen who took part in the Boer Wars. In addition to these new records, the Anzac Memory Bank has been launched. This is a commemorative archive, co-sponsored with Inside History magazine (a publication to which I subscribe and recommend for anyone interested in Australian/NZ history), which contains heroic stories, exclusive photos, and expert information about Australian and New Zealand involvement in all wars and conflicts around the world. Users have shared their own personal and family stories, photos and diary entries so that others can learn what it was like to live through these times of turmoil. Like the new military records listed above, the Anzac Memory Bank will be available on all FindMyPast sites. SOG Workshops: Speakers' handouts are available The Society of Genealogists (SOG) launched its spanking new website last week – and jolly good it looks, too. Among the many recent additions to the site's content is the chance to download 'Speakers' Handouts' from the SOG workshops at this year's WDYTYA?Live. Many of these handouts will be of value to Irish family historians for their generic advice and guidance on conducting genealogy research, but there also a couple of specific Irish interest. They are 'Irish Family History Online', by Chris Paton, and the 'Registry of Deeds' by Roz McCutcheon FIGRS. All the handouts can be downloaded here. 1916 Conference in Enniscorthy tomorrow As part of the Decade of Commemorations, a 1916 Conference is to be held in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford tomorrow, Saturday 13 April. Four lectures will be held, and the programme looks like this: 9:15am : Registration 9:45am : Welcome and Conference Opening by Minister Paul Kehoe TD 10:00am : Lost revolution: the Abbey Theatre and Easter 1916, with Dr Fearghal McGarry 11:00am : Coffee break 11:30am : Who were the Enniscorthy Rebels in 1916? with Kieran Costello 12:15pm : Peter Paul Galligan – one of the most dangerous men in the Rebel Movement, with xxxxxxxxxKevin Galligan 1:00pm : Lunch break 2:15pm : The Bureau of Military History and the Easter Rising, with Dr Eve Morrison 3:00pm : Panel Discussion/Q&A session 4:00pm : Close of conference. Venue : The Presentation Centre, Nunnery Road, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Cost : €30 (€100 Councillors/officials) Bookings: Telephone the National 1798 Rebellion Centre on +353 (0)53 923 7596. Update on Irish newspaper additions to BNA The British Newspaper Archives has added some more editions to its Irish newspapers collections, as follows: Dublin Evening Mail: All editions for 1849 and 1861-1870 are now available (these years previously had incomplete coverage). The 1852 editions have been added, as have those for the second half of 1871. Belfast Morning News: A few editions for 1857 have been added, but full coverage for 1859-1971 and for 1881 has now been achieved. Sligo Champion: All editions for 1926 have been added to the portfolio of this weekly paper. There have been no updates to the collections of the BNA's other Irish papers: Cork Examiner, Dublin Evening Mail, Belfast Newsletter and Freeman's Journal. Crossing Borders conference to be held in September News of another conference, this one of interest to those with family connections to the borderland counties of Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Meath. The main focus of the Peace III-funded conference, which is called Crossing Borders, is the impact of the invisible boundaries and how they have significantly shaped the history and people of the region. The programme will educate and entertain participants both in the lecture theatre and in the field and will highlight the rich shared heritage and culture of whichever side of these borders the delegates or their ancestors consider(ed) home. The four-day conference is organised by Cavan County Council, Cavan Genealogy and the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies in Omagh, County Tyron. It will be based at the Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan and will take place 12-15 September. Places are limited so early booking is essential. The conference and its excursions are free (except for one entrance fee) but a deposit of €50 is payable to reserve a place. €35 will be refunded. Delegates must arrange their own accommodation. All enquiries and bookings to be made to Cavan Genealogy, First Floor, Johnston Central Library, Farnham Street, Cava. Tel +353 49 4361094 or email. PRONI buys the Londonderry Papers for £665,000 PRONI has spent £665,000 to bring the Londonderry Papers – archives from the estate of Lady Mairi Bury of Mount Stewart – into public ownership The archive, which includes a range of documents from 1670 to 1950, was already held at PRONI and has enjoyed wide usage by researchers. The purchase means PRONI can now be confident of keeping the archive intact (it contains some 30,000 individual documents, volumes, maps and plans) and properly preserved for future generations. At the core of the collection are the papers of the Marquesses of Londonderry and their estates in Counties Down, Donegal and Derry. These include a detailed record of title deeds, leases and rentals which provide a valuable source for tenants’ names. The collection also contains considerable political correspondence relating to a range of issues from the 1880s to 1920s, from figures including Edward Carson, James Craig, Sean O’Casey and Winston Churchill. The records are held under PRONI reference numbers D654, D2846 and D3099. You can access the catalogue here. Urban Landscape lecture series at PRONI The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) will host a series of lunchtime lectures this month on the subject of The Urban Landscape: Civic Pride. Each talk will last about 45 minutes. Thursday 18 April: Art and the Public Domain, with Dr Amanda Croft. Contemporary art in Northern Ireland thrives in a wide variety of locations, from large-scale galleries like the MAC and the Ulster Museum to smaller spaces such as the Engine Room and the Mullan Galleries but additional to this is the wealth of artwork in open spaces such as the Cathedral Quarter, the City Hall and the Laganside. Amanda Croft’s talk will concentrate on the development and the diversity of public art, whether installations, sculpture, murals or statues, in Belfast and its environs and how and why it is where, and what, it is. Thursday 25 April: Young & Mackenzie – Networks and connections of patronage in the creation of Belfast’s built environment, c.1850-1940, with Dr Paul Harron. An examination of one of the largest of the 19th-century's archictural and civil engineering firms, Young & Mackenzie, from c.1850 to the 1930s – whose archives are held in PRONI – reveals the extent to which social, societal and business networks and connections were involved in the receipt of design commissions. This lecture will present material demonstrating how members of Belfast’s wealthy civic elite were joined by social, religious, commercial, civic, cultural and institutional ties, and how this led to this firm’s dominance and monopoly in the architectural field during the Victorian, Edwardian and early 20th century periods. The results of networks of such patronage still speak for themselves in many substantial buildings which exist today and which still give Belfast much of its prevailing visual appearance. Tuesday 30 April: Clanging Belfast: The Industrial City, with Professor Stephen Royle Belfast's industrial pomp must have been noisy: riveting at the yards, clatter from linen mills, sirens marking time at the factories. A rumbustious people packed into terraces and alleys would have added their din. Noise fades but the industrial era left other remembrances, from buildings still gracing the city to humdrum details of lives revealed in newspapers, more formal sources from the corporation, the Linen Merchants’ Association and parliamentary and other reports. Using contemporary materials, this lecture details Belfast from a market town to the titanic/Titanic city with might in textiles, shipbuilding and other industries. The lecture does not ignore the darkness within the clanging city: health problems of mill workers; back street poverty – a ‘charnel house breaking in upon the gaiety and glitter of a bridal’ was one inelegant description – and ‘intestine broils’, sectarian conflicts that blighted Belfast in the nineteenth as well as the twentieth century. Venue: PRONI lecture theatre Time: 1pm on the dates shown. Booking: Advised. Tel: 44 (0)2890 534800 or email. MacCarthys to Gather in the Valley of Hospitality The MacCarthys of Cork cultural Weekend will take place at Dunmanway, Co Cork, from Friday 31 May until Sunday 2 June. This Gathering has been organised by Dunmanway Historical Association with the support of the School of History, University College Cork. It will be held at the Parkway Hotel in Dunmanway. According to an ancient manuscript, this part of West Cork is known as the 'Valley of Hospitality', 'environed with a ridge of hills, the most pleasant and romantic nature could intend, for sheltering and watering a spot designed to yield all the pleasures and desirable necessaries of life.' Sounds like the perfect venue, doesn't it? The programme for this Gathering begins on the Friday evening with the official online launch of the 'Florence MacCarthy Mor Letter Book' on the CELT website (CELT – the Corpus of ELectronic Texts). The next morning sees a four-lecture programme that's sure to be of interest to MacCarthys, but also to those with an interest in the history, industry and archaeology of this beautiful area of County Cork. After lunch, there's a coach tour taking in local castles and the birthplace of Sam Maguire, who gave his name to the famous trophy and is one of Dunmanway's most renowned sons, followed by a fun and relaxed evening of dinner with traditional music. The closing ceremony takes place on the Sunday morning. The Gathering is open to all – whether MacCarthys or not – and the organisers hope many of those with links to the area will join them. Groups from overseas and from Northern Ireland have already confirmed. For the full programme and further details, including local accommodation options, contact the Dunmanway Historical Association. Clare Roots Conference 2013: Review As I was unable to attend the Clare Roots Conference this year, Dublin-based genealogist Claire Bradley offered to write a report for Irish Genealogy News. This is her review: The 2nd Clare Roots Conference took place at the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis over the weekend. The theme was “Gathering the Scattering” and it featured a number of lectures on the theme of migration and population change, along with some more light-hearted topics. The conference was officially opened by the Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly. Many speakers made an effort to specifically relate their talk to Co. Clare, which was a nice touch. The keynote speaker was Michael Gandy, editor of the Society of Genealogists' quarterly publication The Genealogists' Magazine. His first topic was The Irish & British in India on Friday evening. His talk began by stressing that the history of the Irish in India was the history of the British in India, as we had been the same country from 1800 to 1922. His talk covered the Crown army and the East India Company, both of which had large proportions of Irish men in their ranks. For me, his most useful point was that almost everyone in India prior to the advent of steamships was there in some official capacity, so it should be relatively easy to trace them. Those records are mainly in the British Library and either on FamilySearch or available to order on microfilm via your local LDS Family History Centre. Of course, if your ancestor was in the British Army, his records will be at the National Archives in Kew. There are also cemetery records, and he highlighted the Families in British India Society as a good place to start. On Saturday morning, the conference got off to an early start with an excellent talk from Fiona Fitzsimons of Eneclann on the availability of Records from 1691 to 1800. She mentioned that for most of this time the established Church of Ireland acted almost like a modern County Council and so had records relating to all religions. The Landed Estate Courts are also an important source, she said, because they detail leases for the life of a certain individual and nearly always go back into the 18th century, if not earlier; when used in conjunction with the Registry of Deeds, they can be very useful. She also talked about the impact of the three successive conquests, starting with the Tudors, of the 120 years leading up to 1691. In order to avoid subsequent legal dispute, each conquering group set out to destroy the records of the previous administration. As they were primarily concerned with security, land ownership and tenure, and conformity to the penal laws, records of who owned what became important. The Civil Survey of 1656 and the Down Survey of 1656 are particularly relevant here. Trinity College is digitising the former and the National Archives of Ireland has copies of the latter. The second speaker of the day was Eileen Ó Dúill with a light-hearted but very useful talk on How to Trace American Cousins. She mentioned that we should start looking for clues in family correspondence, photos and memorial cards. The main entry points for the Irish were, of course, New York, Boston and Philadelphia, but Irish emigrants also travelled through Charleston and Baltimore. She pointed us towards the immigration centres of Castle Garden and, from 1892 onwards, Ellis Island. She also highlighted Stephen Morse’s portal website, which has many useful search options. Eileen is keen on the idea of quid pro quo genealogy and suggested that if you are searching for ancestors in America, it might be worthwhile joining an organisation like TIARA, where you might strike up a friendship with someone who’ll look up records for you in return for your help with Irish records. She also mentioned the usefulness of Ancestry with its many American databases. Eileen’s talk was by far the most entertaining of the day and she also gave a little after-dinner chat about misconceptions, at the end of the gala dinner that evening, which was really funny. Peter Higginbotham’s talk on the Workhouse in Ireland could have made his lecture rather grim, but it was well worth the listen. He dealt with the history of workhouses on the island from their inception in 1703 to dissolution in 1922 (1948 for NI). They were funded by local ratepayers in each Poor Law Union and run by a Board of Guardians. There were some fundamental differences between the set-up in Ireland and the one in England. For example, 'hand-outs' were not given to people in Ireland and there was no law of settlement, so our ancestors could move into an area and request help from the local workhouse (in England, the cost of that help would be billed back to your birth area). I was interested, too, to hear that, in order to maintain secularity, members of the clergy were not allowed to serve on Boards of Guardians, although Sisters of Mercy were later allowed to nurse within the workhouses. The main architect of workhouses was George Wilkinson. His various designs were based on the inmate population size; they were cheap, durable and without any unnecessary decoration – right down to having no plaster on the walls and no floorboards. In order to keep the workhouse as an unattractive option, the population was separated, both by gender and age. Inevitably, the workhouses became overcrowded during the Famine, and the authorities were allowed to lease extra buildings, which were often unsuitable for purpose. Many workhouses went into debt trying to assist where they could; these debts were written off in the 1850s. In the following decade, workhouses began to function as hospitals, dealing with out-patients and dispensing medication and vaccinations, of which there are sometimes records. Peter remarked that with these innovations, Ireland had a better system of caring for the poor than that of the neighbouring island! Despite this, conditions were at best awful and the British Medical Journal’s 1896 survey of them makes for uncomfortable reading. Peter’s talk suffered only a tiny bit from some technical difficulties, but he managed it calmly, with aplomb. After a lunch break, we were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at Dead Money, Steven and Kit Smyrl’s RTE television series about probate genealogy. Unfortunately, Kit wasn’t able to make the conference so Steven handled the talk on his own, beginning with an overview of what happens when a person dies intestate, and the basics of how Massey and King (their company) deals with a case. A good knowledge of inheritance laws, which differ depending on jurisdiction, is essential. Children born outside marriage are treated differently in some cases, for example. Adoption can also prove an unsurmountable brick wall, especially as records in Ireland were often falsified in the past to give both the mother and child ‘a fresh start'. Steven stressed that they do a lot of tracing forward to find the current descendants, something we often ignore in ancestral research. Putting on his CIGO hat – Steven is Executive Liaison Officer for the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations – he mentioned that the much anticipated early release of the 1926 census may be further delayed due to issues with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the requirement for amendments in legislation. For many, Catriona Crowe of the National Archives of Ireland will have been the speaker they most wanted to hear, and she did not disappoint. Her task was to tell us what was coming soon and not so soon in terms of digitised records. Much of the actual detail has already been published on Irish Genealogy News (see here) but Catriona let us know that we can expect a rebuild of the census website to go live within a few weeks with most of the submitted corrections done! She also addressed the 1926 census issue, and agreed that momentum had slowed down. She urged those present to write to Enda Kenny about the matter, as his department is in charge of the CSO. Catriona outlined the NGI’s partnership with the LDS, who will now digitise all items previously microfilmed by them. She also talked about the National Archives of Ireland's partnership with Eneclann/Find My Past, and what records we will see soon. I was excited to hear that the 1858-1920 wills collection is due soon and several other items will be available by the end of the year. In their longer 5-year plan, school roll books are of particular interest. Michael Gandy returned as the final speaker. The topic was ostensibly Records for Irish Family Research in the UK, but it was a good half an hour into his talk before he addressed these records. The first 30 minutes were spent illustrating (again) that Ireland had been part of Britain, and repeating how we are all the same people, with only ethnicity separating us. Drawing on the content of some of the previous lectures, he stated that we need to ‘get over our poor Ireland attitude’! He also said that, as a country, we needed to get over the Famine and our survivors’ guilt! Perhaps most surprisingly, he suggested that no one in Ireland emigrated in the 1850/1860s due to poverty, an argument I think most would strongly dispute. Several delegates got up and left during this portion of his talk. Those that headed for the door missed out on the genuinely useful information that he eventually decided to impart. The records of the army have been well-documented elsewhere but he stressed again the value of these records, where 33% of the army was usually from Ireland. Parliamentary records, reports on the state of Ireland, Royal Commissions, civil service records (including the Post Office) were all discussed. I felt he didn’t stress enough that it can be difficult to access many of the House of Commons/House of Lords papers without an academic subscription. One very useful point made was that if you searched by place name, rather than your ancestor’s surname, you would throw up records that would relate to them, even if they weren’t specifically named. Placing your family within the context of what was happening to them at a particular time will bring them to life, he said. Organiser Gerry Kennedy led the audience in some well-deserved thanks and applause for all the speakers and the organising committee. A smaller group stayed to participate in a gala dinner in the evening, which called time on another very successful Clare Roots conference. They plan to host another in 18 months' time. Watch out for it! Mid-April events Great mix of Irish genealogy and history lectures coming up over the next couple of weeks! Monday 8 April: Songs of Emigration and Immigration, with Professor John A Murphy. Host: Cork AEC Lunchtime Lecture series. Venue: Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place, Cork City. 1pm–2pm. Free. Thursday 11 April: ‘No Irish Need Apply’: the origins and persistence of a prejudice, with Professor Don MacRaild (Northumbria University). Venue: Tyneside Irish History Club, Gallowgate Lounge, Tyneside Irish Centre. 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG. Telephone: 0191 261 0384. 7:30pm–9:30pm. Free. Thursday 11 April: Marine History of Cork - “Innisfallen", with Frank O'Sullivan. Host: Cork AEC Lunchtime Lecture series. Venue: Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place. Cork City. 1–2pm. Free. Saturday 13 April: Irish genealogy seminar with Nick Reddan, Jenny Harkness, Linley Hooper and Beryl O'Gorman. Host: The Irish Ancestry Group of the Genealogical Society of Victoria. Venue: Celtic Club, Queen St, Melbourne. Price: $65.00 includes morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch. Bookings via GSV (03)9662 4455. Saturday 13 April: Tracing Your Ancestors, a one-day workshop hosted by Hibernia Roots. Venue: Crocanoir, Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary. Contact John by tel: (052) 9153117 or 086 8907329, or email. Monday 15 April. 101st anniversary of the Titanic disaster. Wreath laying ceremony at the Titanic Memorial in the City Hall grounds, Belfast. 12noon. Tuesday 16 April: Billy Pitt Had Them Made – The Martello towers of Dublin, with Rob Goodbody. Also, The history of butter in Ireland, with Liam Downey. Foxrock Local History Club, Foxrock Pastoral Centre (behind church), Dublin 18. 8pm. €4. All welcome. Wednesday 17 April: The Churches' Response To The Conflict In Northern Ireland, with Maria Power, IWHC, Irish Town Way, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M8 0AE. 7:30pm. £3 Details: 0161 205 4007. Wednesday 17 April: Emigration – The Derry Story, with Brian Lambkin. Venue: Waterside Libary, The Workhouse, 23 Glendermott Road, Derry. 7pm. Free. Details: 028 7134 2963. Thursday 18 April: Art and the Public Domain, with Dr Amanda Croft. Part of the Urban Landscape – Civic Pride lecture series. Venue: PRONI. Time 1pm. Free, but booking advised: Tel 44 (0)2890 534800. Saturday 20 April: Using vestry records for family history research, lecture with Dr Maighréad Ní Mhurchadha. Host: Irish Genealogical Research Society Ireland Branch. AGM (members only) at 2:30pm. Lecture (all welcome) 3:15pm. Free. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Saturday 20 April: Catholic Records in the Workhouse, with Brian Plumb. Host: The North West Region of the CFHS. Venue: St Oswald’s Social Club, Padgate Lane, Warrington, WA1 3LB. 2pm. All welcome. Tel: 0161 903 9567 or email. Saturday 20 April and Sunday 21 April: Irish Famine Tribunal, examining the British role in the Great Hunger. Fordham University Law School, 142 W. 62nd Street, New York City. Saturday at 10am. Sunday at 11am. Details. Sunday 21 April: Strumpet City Tour of Glasnevin Cemetery, with Shane MacThomáis and Ger O'Leary. Meet at Museum, 1pm. Booking recommended. Details. Masons to preserve marks for future genealogists The Masons Livery Company, one of the oldest of London¹s Livery Companies with records dating back to 1356, is to create a register of masons' marks. Masons' marks date back at least 2,000 years. Throughout history they have been a practical way for masons to identify which pieces of masonry they have produced. In the past, the marks were used both as a way for masons to ensure they were paid for their work and as a quality control. While the tradition of masons' marks has become lost to modern, thin cladding, a lot of masons still maintain it, creating their own mark and taking it with them throughout their career. They use the mark on traditional masonry sections they are called upon to produce. It is particularly prevalent in conservation and ecclesiastical workshops. When old masonry is removed for repair and restoration work, masons' marks cut into the stone perhaps hundreds of years ago are exposed. But there is seldom any way of relating the mark to the mason who created it. By starting to collect masons' marks with details of the individual using them, the Worshipful Company of Masons, as the livery company is known, intends to make it possible for future generations to identify the mason who carried out earlier work. It is in the nature of traditional stonemasonry that it tends to survive for centuries and the Masons Company Register of Masons' Marks will build into a useful resource for family historians in the decades and centuries ahead. It also hoped to formalise the adoption of masonry marks by encouraging colleges to ask their students to create a mark on the successful completion of their studies and then submit that mark to the Masons Company for inclusion on the Register. The mark will then become the individual mason's property, protected by copyright. April issue of Irish Lives Remembered published Click to read or download The April issue of Irish Lives Remembered has been published and is now available to view or download (free). This month's issue genealogy focus is on County Roscommon. Among the fifteen pages dedicated to family history in this area is an overview of research in the county, a feature about the surnames of the Roscommon, and extensive coverage of the holdings of local archives and repositories. The Morpeth Roll, now free to view on Ancestry, also receives in-depth consideration, and those with Australian/Tasmanian connections will be interested to read the feature about Tasmanian Police Records. There's also scrutiny by photo historian Jayne Shrimpton of a stylish wedding photograph taken in Kilkenny in 1933 and the first of a three-part series on samplers stitched by Irish schoolgirls. In addition to tales of personal family history research, adverts for courses and tours taking place in this year of the Gathering, and much more, it's another good read from the Irish Lives Remembered team. Anglican Record Project releases trio of registers Three more transcriptions and indexes of Church of Ireland registers have been released by the Anglican Record Project, as follows: Templeshanbo, Killane Union, Co. Wexford (Ferns): 118 Marriages 1800–1814 Fermoy Garrison Church, Co. Cork (Cloyne): 28 Baptisms 1920–22 St Peter’s Church, Kilgarvan, Co Kerry (Ardfert & Aghadoe): 238 Baptisms 1811–50; 98 Marriages 1812–1947, some with notations of details such as occupation, widowed status and/or townland; Burials 1819–50, 1878–1960; and an 1834 list of 156 Protestant inhabitants in Kilgarvan and Killaha parishes. The transcriptions are downloadable in pdf format here. The Anglican Record Project is an ongoing endeavour to make Church of Ireland baptism, marriage and burial registers available in a digital format. It is run by Mark Williams and hosted by the Representative Church Body Library. Find out more about using church records to trace your Irish Protestant ancestors. FindMyPast adds US & World newspapers Find My Past has added nearly 120 million pages to its Newspaper holding with a huge upload of US and World publications. The new US & World newspaper collection includes titles from across the USA and Canada as well as China, Denmark, France, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, Panama, South Africa and the Virgin Islands. Among the historical newspapers are the New York Times, the Washington Post, and a variety of local papers. More newspapers will join the line-up over time. See a full list of the US & World newspapers here; select "By Publication" from the left-hand filters. The collection is included in the World subscription package available through each of FindMyPast's international sites: FindMyPast.com, FindMyPast.ie, FindMyPast.com.au, and FindMyPast.co.uk. (The UK site isn't currently confirming that this collection is included in its World package... I'm sure it will be included within a few days.) The US & World collection joins about 200 British Newspapers (only England, Scotland and Wales, so far) on FindMyPast's database offering. This week's history and genealogy events Tuesday 2 April: Bygone days on the farm, with Fred Faulkner. Host: Ballinascreen Historical Society. Venue: Rath Dubh hall, Moneyneena, Co LondonDerry. 8:00pm. Details. Tuesday 2 April: Who Feared to Wear the Red Hand Badge!, Songs & Poems of 1913 Lockout, performed with historical commentary by Francis Devine with guest singers. Part of the 'Dublin: One City, One Book Festival'. Venue: The Council Chamber, City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2. Time: 1:10-1:50pm. Admission Free. Tuesday 2 April: St. Brendan’s Mental Hospital, Grangegorman, 1814 – 2013, its history and archives, with Brian Donnelly. Host: Irish Society for Archives. Venue: Dublin City Library & Archive 138-144, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Wine Reception at 6pm. All welcome. Free. Lecture at 6:30pm. Wednesday 3 April to Friday 5 April: Clare Roots Conference fringe events, Ennis. Some need to be booked. Details. Thursday 4 April: The West Kerry Experience during the First World War, with Thomas F. Martin. Dingle Library, Sráid an Dóirín, Dingle, Co Kerry. 7.30pm. Free. Friday 5 April: Family History for Beginners Online. Castlewellan Library, 3 Upper Square, Castlewellan, Co Down. 11:00am–12:30pm. Free but booking essential. Tel: 028 4377 8433. Friday 5 April to Saturday 6 April: Clare Roots Conference, Official opening and lecture on the Friday evening; Saturday day-seminar followed by optional Gala Dinner. Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare. Costs, full programme of lectures and bookings here. Saturday 6 April and Sunday 7 April: Walls 400 – History conference. A line up of experts will be discussing Derry's Walls in a bid to shake up perceptions of this national monument. Talks and workshops. Venue: Verbal Arts Centre by Bishop's Gate, Derry. Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives: Recent additions Click for larger view of watch inscription Below are details of the most recent additions to Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives. Each has been uploaded to the Archives in the second half of March. Among the updates is a rather marvellous photo of a watch presented to Constable William Kearney in 1864 by Ballymena citizens to mark his departure from the County Antrim town. He joined the constabulary in 1845 and served in many counties of Ireland, both north and south. Click the photo to the right for a better view. ANTRIM Genealogy Archives Photos – Constable William Kearney's watch, 1864 CLARE Genealogy Archives Military & Constabulary – Irish Constables who joined in 1857 CORK Genealogy Archives Cemetery – Kilgullane Churchyard Memorials DONEGAL Genealogy Archives DOWN Genealogy Archives DUBLIN Genealogy Archives Military – Irish Constables who joined in 1857 Headstones – Glasnevin Cemetery, part 13 Cemetery – Crumlin, St. Mary's Churchyard Memorials - STRANGE FERMANAGH Genealogy Archives Military Records – Irish Constables who joined in 1857 Headstones – Aghadrumsee, St. Mark's Parish, (CoI) and Aghalurcher Cemetery Pts. 1 & 2 GALWAY Genealogy Archives GENEALOGY SAVINGS ++++ Exclusive! 2020 edition ++++ All the Irish genealogy resources released from January 2011 to mid-March 2020 are noted in this handy e-book from Irish Genealogy News My free guide to Irish family history Tweets by @Irish_Genealogy © Claire Santry 2010-2021. Ethereal theme. 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__label__cc	0.706831	0.293169	Digital Transformation Infrastructure Dell makes a strong case for IoT solutions Tom Li @chirpstom Published: May 1st, 2019 Dell’s detailed its vision for increasing business value through IoT at its Toronto Roadshow event held on April 23. IoT drives efficiency, customer experience, disaster mitigation, and value IoT is a cyclic process of three stages: information collection, analysis, and creating a solution that improves upon the current workflow. Rinse and repeat. The most critical component — and the most difficult — is how to act upon the information collected. Without proper implementation, data is just a heap of useless digits. Dell focused on four areas that gain the most value from IoT. It isn’t hard to imagine that IoT can help with operation efficiency: turning lights off, monitoring temperatures, regulating power flow, and so on. But improving customer experience, mitigating risk, and driving more value from data, are a little more foreign. “That experience could be that I download software or download packages into their machine or equipment or whatever they have, and make it more personal for them, make it more valuable to them. “said Randy Thompson, Dell IoT solution planner. “It could also be that I tell my store associates at one of our big spenders just walked in the front door and you should go over and say hello to them.” On the topic of mitigating risk, Thompson gave an example of monitoring produce in food safety. “Food safety is a great example. Now, you know, we’re trying to barcode everything so that you can track food from the field all the way to the grocery store. So somebody gets sick, very fast to find out where it came from. Whereas in the past, you kind of isolated by a part of the country and then work down and sometimes took a long time.” His example undoubtedly alludes to the E.coli lettuce contamination that infected over 20 Canadians late last year. It was a third time a serious E.coli outbreak has occurred due to lettuce in 2018. Because there was no way to pinpoint the outbreak’s source, a massive batch of lettuce was tossed from shelves and suppliers. Post-outbreak, the tech industry responded with several solutions to help track contaminated produce, among which included IoT and blockchain. Dell’s focus on modularity and flexibility According to Thompson, a mistake businesses often make when transitioning to IoT is committing to all-in-one solutions. While their ease of deployment and centralized support may seem superficially seductive at first, they often lock their customers into an ecosystem that won’t scale to meet the business’ needs down the road. In contrast, Dell’s strategy is to create an open source IoT platform that enables interoperability at the edge. The company takes the modular approach and lets customers add and remove programs accordingly. Furthermore, it’s looking to make the data compatible with other platforms as well. The goal for Dell is to create personalized IoT packages by integrating partner services into their own products. To offer an example, Dell spoke about how it’s looking to elaborate its video surveillance solution to monitor foot traffic, behavior patterns, places people visitors tend to stay, emphasizing the possibilities of video processing. Adhering to this thinking, Dell updated its hyper-convergence infrastructure portfolio at the Dell Tech World event being held in Las Vegas, adding new models of its VxFlex server racks to its existing lineup. These turn-key based solutions are “suitable for server SAN architecture” and can be modularly deployed. Yes, automation kills jobs — and that’s a good thing With devices becoming increasingly smarter and efficient in their designated roles, the human touch is continuously being obfuscated in the workforce, especially in the low-end industries like the service and labor. And thus, automation has become a scary topic, and often begs the question “what job will it steal next?” But IDC’s vice president Nigel Wallis has a different take on things. Appearing as a guest speaker at the event, he noted why people should embrace automation, not fear it. To support his point, Wallis splashed a photo of a Brazilian mining operation taken in 1986 that depicted workers climbing up and down steep dig sites, carrying heavy weight in baskets, on ladders tied together with hemp. “This picture was taken well within our lifetime,” said Wallis. “So when we look at this, I think the safety and insurance board would have some minor concern with the use of hemp to tie the ladders together. And the point that I mentioned, does automation kill job? Yes, it’s killed dirty jobs. It’s killed the dangerous jobs, it’s kill jobs you and I refused to do. It’s killed jobs we would hate for our children to do.” “If your company’s plan for how you want to deal with competition is labor arbitrage will have cheaper employees, you’ve already lost. Those jobs have gone. They left in the late 80s. They left in the 90s. So what’s happened is those jobs move overseas into China primarily. But even China with wage inflation in China, those jobs are now leaving China and being eaten by robots in China, Foxconn, in one day, deployed over 400,000 robots. They fired an entire factory’s worth of employees to do that–transferring the work was people need to find new job new skills.” While Wallis’ scenario provides a good overview of how automation is taking effect globally, it doesn’t alleviate the pain of the workers who have lost their livelihood. Granted, any business that wants to make money will always be looking to improve efficiency and reduce cost, but in an industry that’s being turned upside down by technology, the stability of low-level workers are continuously being jeopardized. The natural conclusion, then, is to plan for a transition where everyone wins. The industry needs to reallocate these workers to more meaningful positions. In a featured insight published by McKinsey&Company, a paragraph is dedicated to the dire need to support the worker transition. “To achieve good outcomes, policymakers and business leaders will need to embrace automation’s benefits and, at the same time, address the worker transitions brought about by these technologies. Ensuring robust demand growth and economic dynamism is a priority: history shows that economies that are not expanding do not generate job growth.” “Midcareer job training will be essential, as will enhancing labor market dynamism and enabling worker redeployment. These changes will challenge current educational and workforce training models, as well as business approaches to skill-building. Another priority is rethinking and strengthening transition and income support for workers caught in the crosscurrents of automation.” Sponsor: Carbon60 Moving to the Cloud: Beyond the Myths Get on the road to cloud success by moving past the myths around it. Digital Transformation, Infrastructure automation, automation tools, Dell, Dell Canada, Internet of Things, IoT Cyber Security Today: Huge database with info on Americans found open on web, World Password Day, and no free lunch. Dell flexes its infrastructure muscles at Dell Technologies World, introduces new midrange storage system About Tom Li As an avid technology enthusiast, Tom loves to fix, break, and talk about electronics. Now he gets to writes about them. Talk about a dream career. Follow Follow @chirpstom on Twitter Join Tom Li on LinkedIn Dell announces new Latitude laptops ahead of CES Sponsored By: Exclusive Networks Getting on the right side of multi-cloud security Technicity WEST: Building on COVID’s silver lining A one-on-one with Sarah Cooper, GM of IoT analytics and applications, AWS	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797339
__label__wiki	0.75011	0.75011	‘I want to own my anger and madness,’ youth says at NDP event Updated: 1 Jul 2020 - 07:58PM Weseika Robinson expressed her views at the NDP’s “Youth Voices” even last week. (Photo: Facebook.) A young Vincentian woman is using against the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration, the words of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves who says supporters of the opposition New Democratic Party should “own their madness”. “Tonight, as a young woman, I am angry. Tonight I want to own my anger and madness. Tonight I am saying, ‘Yes, I am mad!’” Weseika Robinson told the NDP’s “Youth Voices” on Facebook on Thursday. “I am mad because as a young girl, I was told if I studied hard and did well academically I will be rewarded. I did that up to Community College and graduated with subjects in law, communications and can’t even get a job in a supermarket. Yes, I am mad,” Robinson said. “I am mad because I see persons who I know are employed not because of their qualifications but because of their political connections, and I, who have worked so hard am told continuously ‘No vacancies exist.’ Yes, I am mad,” She further stated. “I am mad because I see so many young men and women on the block with nothing to do. Yes I am mad. “I am mad because so many young people I know are being gunned down in the street. Yes, I am mad “I am mad because unemployment among young people here in SVG is over 46%. Yes, I am mad.” Robinson said she was mad because of 30% unemployment among women in SVG, and, citing the IMF, she said that Vincentians are worse off today, than when the ULP came to office — in March 2001. “I am mad because for years we were on the cusp of an economic take off and today we can only boast .03% growth in the economy,” she said, adding that that she is also mad because many young girls and boys are forced to prostitute themselves to advance in life. “I am mad because it seems that it’s only at the end of every 5 years the government remembers that I want plywood, galvanize lumber and cement. Yes, I am mad.” Robinson said she was mad because of the high levels of sexual violence against women and girls in SVG and the government’s apparent disregard of the problem. “I am mad because of the poor and despicable healthcare system here in SVG… I am mad because 15 years ago, we were promised a national stadium; today we could only get a basic track, without lights, stands, toilets or change rooms.” She said she was mad because the ULP rejected and put on hold the NDP’s plans for health insurance, “forcing poor Vincentians to hold BBQs and beg with sponsor sheets to cover their medical bills”. “I am mad because many days I am home with nothing to do except think and when the frustration overcomes me, I have to cry. I am mad. I am mad because as a young woman under this present administration, I feel like I am losing hope. Yes, I am mad.” Robinson, however, said that in the midst of her “anger and madness” there is hope in the NDP, with Opposition Leader Godwin Friday’s promise to make jobs a priority. “When I spoke, he listened to me. I felt he was really interested in what I had to say. At no time did I feel uneasy in his presence. I felt that here was a man, who respects me as a young woman; a man I can trust. “When he spoke to me I felt that here is a man who was really concerned about young people in SVG. I felt that here was a man who will be a champion for young people in this country,” she said. “St. Vincent and the Grenadines, young people of SVG, let me tell you now that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope to relieve our desperation, our frustration. We can work and contribute to our nation. And I tell you Friday is the man to do it,” Robinson said. She called on the nation’s youth to “rally around Friday, give him the chance to make the change for us, because Friday is the man to transform this country”. 6 replies on “‘I want to own my anger and madness,’ youth says at NDP event” Fidus Achates says: Great speech. Plenty VINCENTIANS mad just that they’re afraid to say or do anything when it comes to the current administration due to the fear of being victimized. What a sad state of reality. 2nd July 2020 at 2:01 AM Powerful message from a youth who has demonstrated that she understands whats happening in our country Hashtag Prince says: 2nd July 2020 at 11:42 AM Heartwrenching, this caused tears to well up in my eyes. I believe every word and share your ultimate passion for change Weseika. Weseika Robinson you are bright spark for SVG. Your strong declaration of confidence in Dr. Godwin Friday is warrant of purpose against the ULP administration: “When he spoke to me I felt that here is a man who was really concerned about young people in SVG. I felt that here was a man who will be a champion for young people in this country,” she said. This conviction in your soul should be a clear warning to the nation that there is a man “standing in the gap”: “St. Vincent and the Grenadines, young people of SVG, let me tell you now that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope to relieve our desperation, our frustration. We can work and contribute to our nation. And I tell you Friday is the man to do it…” I applaud your bravery and moral courage. Keep the fire burning. Fight on young sister. Your voice is heard! Helter George says: 2nd July 2020 at 12:51 PM Yes Miss Robinson, I am happy you have owned your anger, madness and now you have owned your sanity. Osric Lynch says: I understand clearly what she is saying but she is speaking as if she is only person who goes through these things so quick question where you think all these business start from; you think politicians gine go to every youth and offer jobs it have elderly people not retiring so hardly vacancies are there so you either get useful with your hands and get by rather than sit down and wait for a handout or a pull string. You say he promise to make jobs a priority but so did the prime minister so the two of them not different from one another but you have your own believes I have mine so you could stay there and own your anger but you lacking ambition Marlene Frederick says: 4th July 2020 at 6:25 PM You spoke, truth told. You have a right to “Own your Madness and Anger.”	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797340
__label__cc	0.618724	0.381276	KLG is open 8.30am-5.30pm, 5 days a week and fully operational during the COVID-19 quarantine. We are available to serve our clients , as well as serving potential new clients. Call us for an initial consultation Why KLG? Employment Law Consultancy Childcare & Nurseries HR At Your Doorstep Chairing HR Meetings / On-Site HR Support HR Legal Healthcheck for your Business Dismissing Employees Employment Law for Businesses Employment Law News Employers Guide on Coronavirus Coronavirus: Guide for Employees Coronavirus: Employers FAQ Coronavirus: Job Retention Scheme Coronavirus and Rights of Maternity Leave Government Developments of the Coronavirus Annual leave during COVID 19 Coronavirus Bill 2020 Self Employment Support We provide Legal & HR advice to protect and support your business. Maternity & Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers Pregnancy Discrimination & The Equality Act 2010 Pregnancy and maternity is one of nine "protected characteristics" covered by the Equality Act 2010 (the Act). Any discrimination that relates to a pregnant women’s pregnancy or maternity leave, throughout their protected period is unlawful under the Act. Although the right to maternity leave only applies to employees, a wider class of women benefit from this protection. It offers protection from the initial job application stage through to dismissal. Protected Period The protected period begins when the pregnancy starts and it finishes when the Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML) or Additional Maternity Leave (AML) ends (explained below). Therefore, the protected period will differ for different employees. If a pregnant woman is not entitled to OML or AML, her protected period will finish two weeks after the end of her pregnancy. This will arise in situations where the woman is a job applicant, or is an employee but has had a miscarriage or stillbirth before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Direct Discrimination In deciding whether a pregnant woman has been discriminated within the act, the test is whether she has been treated unfavourably, rather than less favourably; providing the employer knew, had belief or suspected that the woman is pregnant. This can be through formal notification or through the grapevine. Unfavourable Treatment It constitutes unfavourable treatment if a pregnant employee is treated differently because they: have given birth recently, are breastfeeding, are on maternity leave, are seeking to exercise, or have exercised or sought to exercise the right to ordinary and/or additional maternity leave, are suffering from an illness as a result of their pregnancy. The kinds of treatment that have been found to be unlawful include: failure to consult a woman on maternity leave about changes to her work or about possible redundancy; disciplining a woman for refusing to carry out tasks due to pregnancy-related risks; assuming that a woman’s work will become less important to her after childbirth and giving her less responsible or less interesting work as a result; excluding a pregnant woman from business trips. The Act does not require a woman to point to a comparator in order to illustrate that she has been treated unfavourably, as long as she can show she has been placed in a disadvantage because she is pregnant. Additionally, there are no defences available in order to justify discrimination against a pregnant woman. This also means an employer cannot require an employee not to be pregnant in order to be able to do a job. But where necessary, an employer may take on another employee on a temporary basis to cover the pregnant woman’s post during her pregnancy. The burden of proof lies with the party bringing the legal action. The Act requires them to establish clear facts and enough evidence enabling the Tribunal to conclude that discrimination has occurred. It is then for the respondent to provide an adequate non-discriminatory based explanation for their unfavourable treatment. Upon failing this, the Tribunal will draw an inference of discrimination. Maternity notice Pregnant women must notify their employers that: they are pregnant, the due date of birth and confirm when they would like to go on maternity leave. This must not be later than the 15th week before the baby’s due date of birth. Employers may ask for a MAT B1 form. Antenatal appointments Pregnant employees are entitled to paid time off to attend antenatal appointments. Therefore, they must give their employer as much notice as possible of the appointment. The employer may ask for evidence. Any refusal to allow an employee time off, and any detriment to which the employee is subjected as a result of taking time off without permission, will amount to a detriment and can also constitute unlawful discrimination. The pregnant employee is under no obligation to make up the time taken off for antenatal appointments. Only employees who work under contracts of employment are entitled to maternity leave. But how long they have been in their current job or how many hours they work are irrelevant. Maternity leave lasts 52 weeks’- an entire year. The first 26 weeks are known as OML. The remaining period of up to 26 weeks is known as AML. The AML will commence the day after the OML period finishes and continue for up to 26 weeks from the day it begins. The difference between the two leaves is that, at the end of OML, the employee has the right to return to their old job. Whereas at the end of AML she has the right to return to the same role unless it is not reasonably practicable for the employer to offer the same role. Nonetheless, the employee must be offered a suitable role on terms and conditions which are no less favourable. During the maternity leave period, the woman is entitled to all the terms and conditions of employment which would have applied to her had she not been absent, including non-contractual benefits excluding remuneration. Maternity Leave - Start date Pregnant women cannot start their maternity leave period earlier than 11 weeks before the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC), nor after the birth of the child. Other than that, the pregnant employee may chose her start date. Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) SMP is currently payable for 39 weeks as long as the pregnant employee has been in continuous employment with the same employer for 26 weeks, up to and including the 15th week before the EWC and she earns more than the Lower Earnings Limit for NI contributions. SMP is paid at 90% of the average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks of her maternity leave. This is the higher rate SMP and is calculated by using their weekly earnings for the 8 weeks immediately prior to the 15th week before the EWC. Thereafter, she will receive the basic rate of SMP for 33 weeks. Therefore, if the employee takes a full 12 months’ maternity leave the last 3 months will be unpaid. Shared Maternity Leave Parents of children due on or after 5 April 2015 are entitled to share up to 50 weeks of this leave and 37 weeks’ maximum pay (excludes 2 weeks’ compulsory leave), provided the father is responsible for looking after the baby. They must also give notice in writing 8 weeks before taking the paternity leave. Compulsory Maternity Leave (CML) Mothers are obliged to take 2 weeks CML immediately after the childbirth. Employers must prohibit them from returning to work during these 2 weeks or are liable on conviction. Sickness Post-Maternity Leave Where a woman is unable to return to work at the end of her maternity leave (protected period), the normal contractual arrangements for sickness will apply. She will be treated like any other sick employee. If the sickness is related to her pregnancy, she will not have automatic protection from sex discrimination after the end of her protected period. Maternity Leave: Flexible Working Request No Win No Fee Maternity & Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers in London, Reading, Slough, Watford, Maidenhead & Henley If you feel you have experienced discrimination during maternity leave or during your pregnancy, please contact us at Kalra Legal Group on 0330 221 0684 where we can discuss the matter and advise you on subsequent steps and measures. Contact Kalra Legal Group Type of enquiry HR Support Employment Law Support Free HR Health Check Book an Initial Consultation Other Invalid Input Kalra Legal Group Tweets by @KalraLegalGroup Get the latest on key developments Keep up to date on the latest employment law news. Sign up to get regular updates from KLG. “I am extremely grateful for the support I received from Anita during a very difficult time with a previous employer. It felt I was in a battle, but someone else was fighting that battle for me. Anita had my best interest at heart all the way, I really cannot praise her enough.” R.B – Director at Software company “I cannot thank you enough for all your efforts over the last 6 months working with our company to ensure we have taken all the necessary steps to protect our business and treat all our female staff equally.” A.B - Managing Director of a Software Company Employment Law Support Clyde House SL6 8BY Email: info@klglaw.co.uk @Copyright 2021 Kalra Legal Group \| G+ \| Website Design & Development by Moore Legal Technology. SEO Oxford by The Evergreen Agency Kalra Legal Group and KLG are trading names of Kalra Business Services Ltd ( Company No: 9742420) Kalra Business Services is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797350
__label__wiki	0.768499	0.768499	rammstein doku netflix 2:10 "Phönix aus der Asche": Neuer Trailer zu Netflix-Doku über Paralympics. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Directed by Hannes Rossacher. Ein Partner von . These cookies do not store any personal information. Especially centering on their relationship with the USA, cumulating in the group's 2010 New York concert. Get our newsletter for resources to take back control of your relationship with technology and actions from our partners. Watch now for free, Under the name of Samurai-Japan National Baseball Team SAMURAI JAPAN 800 days-, HOMIE KEI - Japanese Gangsta Became Chicano -, The Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking with Rachel Khoo, Christiane Amanpour: Sex & Love Around the World, The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, Antoine Griezmann: The Making of a Legend, The Rolling Stones: Olé Olé Olé! “Perhaps the single most lucid, succinct, and profoundly terrifying analysis of social media ever created for mass consumption.”, “so relevant and of-the-moment it’s practically already in the future”, “The Social Dilemma may finally convince you that we’re being watched, manipulated, and misled by unscrupulous platforms and attention-harvesting algorithms.”. 47:05. Rammstein: Paris. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The Social Dilemma is a production of Exposure Labs, a film and impact production company. Heute ist Amazon Prime dran und hier kommen meine sehenswertesten Musik-Dokus: Rammstein in Amerika. Netflix is a streaming service that offers a wide variety of award-winning TV shows, movies, anime, documentaries, and more on thousands of internet-connected devices. Feuer, Flammen und Starkdeutsch: Die martialische Musik- und Bühnenshow der Gruppe Rammstein aus Berlin ist ein Exportschlager in aller Welt. 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We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Ich habe Rammstein vor einiger Zeit live mit einem ähnlichen Programm gesehen, daher wusste ich, was mich erwartete. We value your privacy. Kürzlich habe ich bereits eine Top 7 meiner Netflix-Dokus aufgestellt, die ihr hier sehen könnt. Never before have a handful of tech designers had such control over the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives. Film. Discover what's hiding on the other side of your screen in this new documentary film Netflix - … Am Samstag sollten Rammstein-Fans den Sender ARTE einschalten: RAMMSTEIN IN AMERIKA läuft im TV. Amazon Prime Video: Neue Filme und Serien im Dezember . Notifications like these offer an enticing loop of pleasure that can create an unconscious attachment to our devices. Emma Major. Our use of cookies is strictly limited to those that help us understand how the site is being used. You can opt out of all tracking using our COOKIE SETTINGS link or click ACCEPT to provide this helpful feedback to our team. Rammstein in Amerika. 64% of the people who joined extremist groups on Facebook did so because the algorithms steered them there. From the creators of Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral, The Social Dilemma blends documentary investigation and narrative drama to disrupt the disrupters, unveiling the hidden machinations behind everyone’s favorite social media and search platforms. A documentary about the German Industrial Metal band Rammstein. Rammstein-Keyboarder Flake sagt, dass die Wende den Ostdeutschen ein Land aufgedrückt hat, das sie nicht waren und gar nicht sein wollten. You can watch as much as you want, whenever you want without a single commercial – all for one low monthly price. With Flake Lorenz, Richard Kruspe, Paul Landers, Till Lindemann. 0:59. Rammstein in Amerika. Ausschnitt aus Chappie: Zu Asche verbrennen. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Mike Hammer S01E02 - Asche zu Asche. Home. Rammstein Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA 4/26/12 ~ Asche Zu Asche. A Trip Across Latin America, Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, Brave Blue World: Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis, Attacking the Devil: Harold Evans and the Last Nazi War Crime, Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story, Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton, ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke, Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, "No Pain, No Gain." Gewalt In Der Pflege Statistik, Savage Love Lyrics übersetzung, Ronnie James Dio Wacken, Manuellsen Der Mensch Lyrics, Celo 385 Größe, Br Symphonieorchester Corona, Brust Tattoo Mann Schrift, Ich Vermisse Dich Auf Arabisch, Fink Hof Schließt, Nessie Information English, Frankfurt Star Wars, Extrema Von Funktionen Mit 2 Variablen Aufgaben,	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797351
__label__cc	0.56022	0.43978	Milind Soman REACTS To Backlash For His Pro RSS Remarks: “Trending At 54 For An Experience I Had At 10” The pro-RSS remarks did not go well with the netizens who backlashed at Milind and he was trending in no time. Actor-Model Milind Soman is back in the headlines and this time the reason is his recent memoir. In the book titled Made In India, Milind spoke about his childhood experience at the RSS Shakha and seems like it did not go well with many. Soman has now opened up about the twitter reaction and here is what he said. On Tuesday an excerpt from Milind’s book where he spoke about his experience in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang Shakas was published by The Print. He said, “was a great believer in the benefits that would accrue to a young boy, in terms of disciplined living, physical fitness and right thinking, from being part of the junior cadres of the RSS.” He further went on the write that he was upset for being pushed in there initially but was fortunate enough to make three good friends. Milind Soman in his memoir all expressed that he feels bad that media refers RSS to things they are not. According to him, RSS is attributed as subversive, communal propaganda, which isn’t true. “My memories of what happened at our shakha between 6 and 7 p.m. each weekday evening are completely different—we marched about in our khaki shorts, did some yoga, worked out in a traditional outdoor gymnasium with no fancy equipment, sang songs and chanted Sanskrit verses that we did not understand the meanings of, played games and had a bunch of fun with our fellows,” He wrote. Armaan Malik Deletes All Instagram Posts & Shares A Cryptic Message; Fans Get Concerned WHAT! Harvey Weinstein Once Wanted Jennifer Aniston To Be Killed The remarks did not go well with the netizens who backlashed at Milind and he was trending in no time. Trending at 54 for an experience I had at the age of 10. 🤪🤪🤪🤪 wish it was about swimming, which was at the same time! — Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning) March 10, 2020 Reacting to the same, he tweeted, “Trending at 54 for an experience I had at the age of 10. wish it was about swimming, which was at the same time!” Wow a childhood experience can really stir up some conversations 😆 I think I was chasing butterflies when I was 10. Anyone else? https://t.co/XgRdtAqug3 — Ankita Konwar (@5Earthy) March 10, 2020 On the other hand his wife Ankita Konwar wrote, “Wow a childhood experience can really stir up some conversations I think I was chasing butterflies when I was 10. Anyone else?” Android & IOS users, download our mobile app for faster than ever Bollywood & Box Office updates! Badhaai Ho 2 Milind Soman Rashtriya Swayamsevak Milind Soman Answers User Who Asks If Marriage To A Younger Woman Decreases The Chances Of Cheating: “You Might Have Great Sx, But…” Milind Soman: “When A Woman Is Regarded As A Sx Symbol, It Might Be Everything…” Tiger Shroff’s Second Single ‘Casanova’ Clocks Over A Million Views In... Nataša Stanković Pens An Emotional Note For Hardik Pandya’s Late Father:... Jazzy B Collaborates With Sonu Kakkar For A New Song Titled... Adaa Khan Opens Up On Shooting ‘Ek Mulaqat’ With Her Best... Sunil Grover On Choosing Between Gutthi & Dr Mashoor Gulati: “Aadmi... Bigg Boss 14: Devoleena Bhattacharjee Is Officially Entering The House; Check... 10 Must-Watch Hollywood Movies Of The Last 10 Years – From... WandaVision: Despite Being Highest Rated MCU Property On Rotten Tomatoes, Marvel’s... Saiyami Kher: “After Mirzya, Filmmakers Decided To Go Ahead With Someone...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797352
__label__cc	0.728925	0.271075	JoyCon GamersNintendo Reviews & News Work for JoyCon Gamers First thing I have to say, is welcome to JoyCon Gamers. Here at JCG, we are looking to expand our family of writers with some new, fresh talent. We are looking for great, prolific writers who will thrive in the crowded environment of the video game journalism world. Do you think you have what it takes to succeed? Our writers must be passionate about their craft. We want people who are fans of Nintendo products, of video games in general, and of varied genres in the world of gaming. We are looking for motivated individuals with personality, who have the skills to cover the biggest game news stories and write entertaining, engaging, and impactful features for our audience to read. We feel people work the best when given proper guidance but also given the freedom to be themselves, with that we don’t appoint particular positions to our writers, instead we want all our writers to have full creative control over their art. There are some requirements to be met when you’re writing articles, but these are easy to fulfill and will not hinder your ability to be yourself. Our requirements are as follow The ability to regularly produce content. A minimum of one feature article a week, with no maximum. We understand that sometimes life gets in the way and that’s okay, just let us know. A good knowledge of video games. This is obvious, of course, you’re going to want to know what you’re writing about. Have a good knowledge of the English language, and the ability to use proper grammar. If you doubt your grammar abilities, download the Grammarly add-on for Firefox or Chrome. I highly recommend it, it’s awesome. Be over the age of 18. Even though this is a non-paid position, we will require you to be over the age of 18. We will provide game codes for review and do not want to worry about underage gamers receiving mature rated games. Knowledge of online post promotion. Knowledge of WordPress and basic image edition. These are bonuses, not a requirement for us to consider you but highly sought after skills. We do require a few writing samples to look over your writing ability, if you submit samples with spelling and/or grammatical errors, we will not respond to your application. We are looking for writers are talented, detail oriented and professional in their writing. Posts will range around 300 words and up. So You Wanna Join? If you feel like you want to apply to be a member of our team, please check out our site first and then send us two to three writing samples related to recent news or a recent game. If you have previous writing experience on other sites, feel free to send us links to those articles. Nintendo Download, Jan. 8, 2021 Life of Boris: Superslav Review Nintendo Download, Dec. 31, 2020: Happy New Year! Piczle Games 75% Off for the Holidays Nintendo Download, Dec. 24, 2020: Happy Holidays! JoyConGamers.com © 2021. All Rights Reserved. This site is not affiliated with Nintendo. We may receive monetary compensation for certain links.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797362
__label__wiki	0.98932	0.98932	You are currently searching within the Executive Nominations section. 01/03/21 Virgil Madden, of Indiana, to be a Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission for a term of six years, vice Patricia Cushwa, term expired. Nomination Number: PN196-116 Received: 01/16/19 Last Action: Returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 01/03/21 Richard E. Zuckerman, of Michigan, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Kathryn Keneally, resigned. Nomination Number: PN1512-116 01/03/21 Melanie J. Bevan, of Florida, to be United States Marshal for the Middle District of Florida for the term of four years, vice William Benedict Berger, Sr., term expired. 01/03/21 Katharine T. Sullivan, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Karol Virginia Mason. 01/03/21 Michael Allen Hagar, of Arkansas, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas for the term of four years, vice Clifton Timothy Massanelli, term expired. 01/03/21 Aditya Bamzai, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2026. (Reappointment) 01/03/21 Monica David Morris, of Florida, to be a Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission for a term of six years, vice J. Patricia Wilson Smoot, term expired. Questions for the Record 01/03/21 Almo J. Carter, of the District of Columbia, to be a Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission for a term of six years, vice Cranston J. Mitchell, term expired. 01/03/21 Justin E. Herdman, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for the term of four years, vice Jessie K. Liu, resigned. 01/03/21 Daniel Z. Epstein, of Texas, to be Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States for the term of five years, vice Paul R. Verkuil, resigned. 12/16/20 Gregory Scott Tabor, of Arkansas, to be United States Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas for the term of four years, vice Harold Michael Oglesby, term expired. Last Action: Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote. 12/16/20 Anna Maria Ruzinski, of Wisconsin, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Wisconsin for the term of four years, vice Kevin Anthony Carr, term expired. 10/26/20 Amy Coney Barrett, of Indiana, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, vice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, deceased. Last Action: Confirmed by the Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 48. Record Vote Number: 224. Committee Questionnaire Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Appendix 11.c. Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Attachments to Question 12.a. Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Attachments to Question 12.b. Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Attachments to Question 12.c. Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Attachments to Question 12.d. Amy Coney Barrett Supplement to Question 12.d. Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Appendix 13.b. Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Appendix 13.f. Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Appendix 14 Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Attachments to Question 19 Amy Coney Barrett SJQ Supplement Attachments to Questions 12.a. 12.b. 12.d. and 12.e. ABA to Graham, Feinstein - Barrett Nomination Barrett Responses to Questions for the Record Letters Received: 09/29/20 NSSF to McConnell and Schumer - Barrett Nomination 09/30/20 Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett to President Trump - Barrett Nomination 10/02/20 18 Secretaries of State to Chairman Graham - Barrett Nomination 09/30/20 22 State Attorneys General to McConnell Schumer Graham Feinstein - Barrett Nomination 10/07/20 Franklin Graham to Graham and Feinstein - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Over 200 Advocacy Leaders to Graham and Feinstein - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Penny Nance President and CEO Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee to Graham and Feinstein - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Jessica Anderson, Executive Director, Heritage Action for America to Graham and Feinstein - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, Family Research Council - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director, American Center for Law and Justice - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 David M. McIntosh, President, Club for Growth - Barrett Nomination 10/07/20 Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO and Chief Counsel, First Liberty Institute - Barrett Nomination 10/11/20 American Legislative Exchange Council - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Article III Project - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Aimee Buccellato - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 Professor Avishalom Tor - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Paolo Carozza - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Allen Guelzo - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Former clerks - Barrett Nomination 09/30/20 Notre Dame colleague Michael Jenuwine- Barrett Nomination 09/30/20 Notre Dame Colleague Paul Miller - Barrett Nomination 10/05/20 Former Notre Dame Law Dean Patricia O'Hara - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Notre Dame Colleague Carter Snead - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Notre Dame Law School classmate Peter Witty - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 Pro Life Court - Barrett Nomination 10/11/20 Harvard Law School Professor and former George W. Bush Assistant AG Jack Goldsmith - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Female scholars - Barrett Nomination 10/05/20 Republican Lieutenant Governors Association - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 State Legislative Leaders from All 50 States - Barrett Nomination 09/30/20 Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston - Barrett Nomination 10/11/20 Traci Lovitt - Barrett Nomination 10/11/20 Women of Faith - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 Idaho House of Representatives Speaker Scott Bedke - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 University of Georgia School of Law Dean Peter Rutledge - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Former Student Devan Patel - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Notre Dame Law School Professor Barry Cushman - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 Former Students Alyson Cox and Keith Ongeri - Barrett Nomination 10/13/20 Lisa Nagle - Barrett Nomination 10/13/20 Committee for Justice - Barrett Nomination 10/13/20 Notre Dame Law School Professor Nicole Garnett - Barrett Nomination 10/13/20 Graduates of St. Mary's Dominican High School - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 Women for America First - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 Liberty Counsel Action - Barrett Nomination 10/14/20 Leon DeJulius - Barrett Nomination 10/14/20 Notre Dame Law School Alumni - Barrett Nomination 10/14/20 Notre Dame Law School Class of 1997 - Barrett Nomination 10/14/20 Jonathan Alexandre Liberty Counsel - Barrett Nomination 10/08/20 Former Clerk Mariel Brookins - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Notre Dame Law School Professor Roger Alford - Barrett Nomination 10/20/20 Agaduth Israel of America Rabbi Abba Cohen - Barrett Nomination 10/14/20 Pennsylvania State Legislators - Barrett Nomination 10/09/20 Law Professors From Across The Country - Barrett Nomination 10/12/20 Notre Dame Law School Tenured Research Faculty - Barrett Nomination 10/20/20 Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden - Barrett Nomination 07/02/20 Thomas L. Foster, of Virginia, to be United States Marshal for the Western District of Virginia for the term of four years, vice Gerald Sidney Holt, term expired. 07/02/20 Owen McCurdy Cypher, of Michigan, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Michigan for the term of four years, vice Robert Maynard Grubbs, term expired. 07/02/20 Tyreece L. Miller, of Tennessee, to be United States Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee for the term of four years, vice Jeffrey Thomas Holt, term expired. 06/18/20 Vincent F. DeMarco, of New York, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of New York for the term of four years, vice Charles Gillen Dunne, term expired. 06/18/20 Peter M. McCoy, Jr., of South Carolina, to be United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina for the term of four years, vice Cheryl A. Lydon, resigned. 05/19/20 Kenneth Charles Canterbury, Jr., of South Carolina, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, vice Byron Todd Jones, resigned. Last Action: Received message of withdrawal of nomination from the President. 01/03/20 Thomas L. Leonard III, of Michigan, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan for the term of four years, vice Patrick A. Miles, Jr., term expired. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Showing page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 of 29 Refine by Select Session All Congressional Sessions 116th Congress (2019 - 2020) 115th Congress (2017 - 2018) 114th Congress (2015 - 2016) 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) 112th Congress (2011 - 2012) 111th Congress (2009 - 2010) Search Nominations By Keyword search nominations	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797364
__label__cc	0.653312	0.346688	The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation AUS: Wine exports set new records - figures Exports from Australia’s wine industry broke the A$3bn barrier for the first time in the last 12 months, according to recent figures. AUS: Domestic wine sales flat, exports slip - figures Domestic sales of Australian wine registered a slight slip in April, according to recent figures. AUS: Australian wine industry adopts value-creation strategy Industry trade body Wine Australia has officially launched a strategic blueprint for the future of the Australian industry at the London International Wine & Spirits Fair today (22 May). AUS: Wine bodies target growth despite troubles - report The Australian wine industry is targeting extra sales of A$4bn (US$3.3bn) worth of wine over the coming five years, according to local reports. AUS: Constellation's Hardys grape crush nosedives The Hardy Wine Company, the Australian division of Constellation Brands, has reported a 24% reduction in its grape crush for 2007 as drought and frost slashed Australia’s winegrape harvest. AUS: Wine harvest quantity dives, quality survives - research This year’s Australian wine harvest is expected to come in almost a third down on 2006, according to recent figures. AUS: US takes pole position as Australia's top wine market The UK has ceded its crown as the most valuable export market for Australian wine to the US. According to the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation yesterday (10 April), the US market was valued at A$963m (US$794m) for the 12 months to March, ahead of the UK on $944m. AUS: 2007 harvest set to be 33% down - figures This year’s wine harvest in Australia is set to be a third smaller than 2006, according to the latest assessment from the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC). The Losh Cause – More woe ahead for Australia Given that drought and frost have all but eliminated Australia’s wine glut, it is tempting to regard this natural intervention as good news for the wine industry but, writes Chris Losh, in reality the adverse weather conditions have created greater problems at both ends of the price spectrum. AUS: Wine industry sets up drought taskforce Australia’s wine industry has formed a taskforce in an attempt to reduce the impact of this year’s drought on the industry. AUS: Lower wine harvest expected for 2007 The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation has forecast lower wine harvest yields next year, but said that current plantings will be adequate to meet projected demand. AUS: Cheviot Bridge confident in Australian recovery The chairman of Australian wine company Cheviot Bridge has said he believes the Australian wine industry could at last be coming to the end of its over-supply crisis, and that his own company was “ideally placed” to capitalise on the upturn. CHILE/AUS: Chile, Oz in talks on targeting India and China A partnership between Chile and Australia will help open up the emerging, but still nascent, wine markets of India and China, the president of Chile’s wine exports association said today (22 November). AUS: Oz wine sector upbeat despite drought and frost The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation has said that despite the individual pain felt by many winemakers in the country, the Australian wine sector is coping with the drought and frost that has hit this year’s vintage. However, he also admitted that it was hard to put a number on the exact damage done by the difficult growing conditions. AUS: Global glut hurting Oz wine prices, says study The global over-supply of wine, not just in Australia, has been blamed for the low price of wine in the Australian market, according to a government report published today (25 October). AUS: Glut hits wine export revenues The latest data from the Australian wine industry has signalled more bad news for the sector with the value of exports down for the first time in 15 years.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797365
__label__cc	0.647577	0.352423	Why Deras are created in Punjab By- Harnidh Kaur You literally can’t talk about dera sachha sauda violence without discussing why deras were created in punjab and how their role and warped and changed over time. There’s no point to being ‘horrified’. DSS has given thousands of people across north india an identity away from the historical oppression they’ve known. It’s given them safety. a huge number of its members are from backwards castes, who had converted to Sikhism, but found the same upper caste oppression there too. Sikhism is, in theory, casteless. The ground realities, however, are sobering and unfortunate. The jat-khatri coterie has taken over religious politicking, especially representation in sgpc and other gurudwara committee. They’ve systematically kept new converts out of the loop and have actively oppressed them because they represent a status quo shakeup. This (along with other factors) has led to people being angry, helpless, disillusioned. They see no way out, no way up. They turn to drugs. Punjab and nasha have become synonymous, and this has been worsened by economic insecurity+lack of education. They’re a lost people. So when the dera sachha sauda comes up as a saviour organisation, they’re interested. Of course they are. The dera promises them dignity. they dera educates its people, feeds them, keeps them off drugs, gives them jobs, gives them a purpose. It gives them a dignity of being. A lost man doesn’t care if a rapist gives him direction. A hungry man will take food from a murderer’s hand. Never forget this. What you see isn’t just an expression of misogyny and religious fervour. That too, yes, but it’s actively an expression of insecurity too. What you and i see as justice, a large number of people see as a possible slide down to the pits they’ve barely emerged from. What you see on the today has been simmering over a generation and a half. In our race to appear developed, we forgot that development, as understood by very rudimentary economics, is unfair, unjust, unequal, and problematic. If nothing else, this should serve as a lesson. If we try to climb up by stepping on someone else’s broken back, those people will rise. Politicians understand this. They know a votebank when they see one, that’s why they’re politicians. they’ve been allowing these deras to flourish and mutate. Think of this as a very messed up, but immensely effective delegation system. They support the deras in their bullshit knowing the votebank will be appeased by them. this allows deras a free reign. The deras will fight each other, they will fight within themselves, and they will go to any lengths to ‘win’. The politicians allow this because it also makes deras comfortably indebted to them. Think of divine right of rule. Same principle applies. What you have is a reckless product that feeds off people’s insecurities and replaces their drugs with a more potent one- faith&security. Religion might be an opiate, but faith? Man, that’s a trip if i ever saw one. DSS has a veritable army of people willing to kill for it. And we made this. We allowed this with our apathy. When you look down on the protestors, remember this. We’re culpable too, massively so. Kanhaiya beaten up on JNU campus #FOE #WTFnews Open Letter To Narendra Modi: Bring Expeditious Justice To 2002 Riot Victims JNU students go on hunger strike #StandWithJNU Bastar scribe Santosh Yadav is finally out of jail, but journalism has to wait Advocacy, Caste Discrminination, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Politics, Religion, Violence against Women, Women Rights	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797369
__label__wiki	0.558731	0.558731	News / Features / Lifestyle Peter Hvizdak/New Haven Register via AP Things to know, ask if you're considering bariatric surgery By Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press \| Posted - Mar. 18, 2016 at 8:31 p.m. This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Finances and fear deter many morbidly obese patients from having stomach-reducing bariatric surgery, but it's steadily becoming more common. Surgical techniques and insurance coverage have improved, and the number of obese Americans, now about 79 million, keeps rising. Meanwhile, research shows benefits go far beyond looking better, because obesity reduces life span by two to 10 years. The surgery is expensive: from $7,000 to $50,000, varying by type of procedure and location. Even if it's covered by insurance, copayments can reach $10,000, meaning patients often have to seek financial help from family and friends or borrow money. Yet bariatric surgery reverses or improves dozens of disorders, including expensive, life-threatening ones such as Type 2 diabetes. Research shows eliminating those conditions reduces patient care costs by about 30 percent within five years, and insurers recover their costs within two to four years by averting hospitalizations and other medical expenses. Patients can keep working longer as well, said Dr. Raul J. Rosenthal, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The society estimates 193,000 procedures were done in 2014, up 22 percent since 2011. Rosenthal said patients without good insurance sometimes get financial help from family and friends, while others sell their car or take out a bank loan or second mortgage. Obesity Prevalence by County \| HealthGrove Elyssa Einhorn, 23, of Fort Myers, Florida, thinks the expense was worth it. She had a "sleeve gastrectomy" that reduced her stomach volume to three ounces in January 2014. Her insurance covered 90 percent of the cost and her parents paid the remaining $3,500. Einhorn, a 5-foot-7-inch student teacher finishing a special education degree, plunged from 289 pounds to 157 over 15 months. She's only regained seven pounds. Her confidence improved, she'll now wear a bathing suit and has gotten engaged. Einhorn now takes long walks and jogs short distances. She's off a diabetes drug, with her blood sugar again normal. And she now spends half as much on food. "I feel great every day," she said. "It's been a complete life change." But it wasn't easy: Einhorn endured a restrictive diet for a year, with occasional abdominal pain until her stomach could handle certain foods and hot or cold liquids. She still eats small portions and exercises often. Study shows uptick in Utah's rate of adult obesity As U.S. adult obesity rates held steady, Utah showed a slight increase, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Given the high costs, patients must weigh risks and advantages to pick the best procedure for them. Here's a primer: Bariatric surgery comprises five stomach-reducing procedures that limit food intake and make people feel full quickly. Some methods also reroute the path of food leaving the stomach, to bypass most of the intestines, slashing calories and nutrients absorbed. After debuting in the 1950s, bariatric surgery didn't take off until 1994, when minimally invasive surgery made operations easier and cut recovery time to a couple weeks. Now only about 4 percent of patients suffer major complications. "This is safe surgery," Rosenthal said. The surgery is generally appropriate for people more than 100 pounds overweight, with a body mass index of 40 or higher, or 30 if they have related diseases. Most patients lose and keep off substantial weight, often 100 pounds or more. And after surgery, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems and sleep apnea vanish in 60 percent to 80 percent of patients, while others improve somewhat, one recent study found. Adult Obesity Rate in Utah \| FindTheData Possible complications include injury to internal organs during surgery, infections, diarrhea, stomach pain, ulcers and heartburn. Other risks are specific to the procedure, such as gastric bands eroding stomach tissue. All patients risk osteoporosis and other malnutrition-related conditions, so they take daily nutritional supplements. The costs, including preoperative testing, surgery, follow-up and surgeon and hospital fees, range from about $7,000 to $30,000, according to Rosenthal, who heads Cleveland Clinic's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute near Miami. Gastric bypass, the first widespread surgery, has been done for a half-century. The surgeon reduces the stomach to walnut size, attaching what's left to the middle of the small intestine. Approximate cost: $22,000. Gastric banding is easily reversible, but many patients regain weight. An adjustable silicon band, filled with saline, is wrapped around the stomach's top, leaving a small food pouch. Approximate cost: $16,000. Sleeve gastrectomy, much newer, already comprises half of bariatric surgeries because it's an easy procedure. The stomach is stapled vertically, creating a banana-shaped food pouch; the other 85 percent is removed. Approximate cost: $19,000. Duodenal switch, or BPD-DS, is the most complex, longest surgery at 2 hours. It involves reducing the stomach, removing the gall bladder and rerouting other parts of the digestive system. It generally brings the most weight loss — and the most complications, including severe diarrhea. Approximate cost: $26,000. Gastric balloon is mainly used for patients shedding pounds before procedures such as hip replacements. A balloon is inserted in the stomach via the mouth, then inflated to reduce space for food. It must be replaced every six months. Approximate cost: $5,000 to $9,000 each time. Medicare has covered bariatric surgery for two decades. Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross now cover it, but many smaller insurers don't. Big employers offer it but few small ones do, said Dr. John Morton, chief of bariatric surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. Only 23 states have health care exchanges that cover bariatric surgery, and Medicaid pays so little that few surgeons accept that coverage, he said. There's lots of red tape to get prior authorization. Patients must have been morbidly obese at least three years, failed on a medically supervised diet, undergo numerous tests and more. Picking providers If your insurance covers it, check which surgeons are in network and board-certified. Visit asmbs.org to find accredited surgeons and other information. Ask your prospective surgeon about experience, success and complication rates, and whether fees include the cost of follow-up surgery — needed to fix problems in about 10 percent of patients. Ask why the surgeon recommends a particular procedure and what to expect afterward. Follow Linda A. Johnson @LindaJ_onPharma. Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Linda A. Johnson Blazer restorer restores one for himself UK prime minister orders new virus lockdown for England KSL.com Book Club: 3 books we read to close out 2020	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797370
__label__cc	0.745592	0.254408	I'm giving a TED tal... Palm Springs fashion... Posted by La Carmina on September 2, 2020 Feeling so nostalgic for Japan… I miss the era when we could party all night, and share absinthe freely! At this rate, I’m not sure when I can safely return. Thankfully, I have a crew of Pirates — and we can live vicariously through their travel adventures in Japan and beyond. Today, we’re letting our favorite spooky lady, Yukiro Dravarious, steer the ship… with a guide to traveling in Aomori, Japan! Read on for bizarre and Buddhist art, and a visit to Mount Osore, a hell-like volcano haunted by Gothic spirits. Before I turn over the wheel, I wanted to share some of Yukiro’s recent drag photos and projects (as Die Schwarze Frau). She and her Haus of Schwarz did a live, socially-distanced performance for Tokyo Closet Ball. Watch it here; our dead diva comes alive near the end. For more fabulosity, check out Yukiro’s Witch Review series on YouTube — it breaks down the best horror B-movies, without spoilers! And you’re invited to Yukiro’s online Halloween party on October 10, 8pm Japan time! Tune into the event here — Casket of Horrors. All members of her drag Haus will perform live, followed by a battle to the death between 10 spooky video contestants. If this Evil Queen’s genius makes you bow down in awe, show your support by buying Yukiro a glass of red wine here. (Above photos by: Akane Kiyohara from Beauty Blenda, by Haus of Gaishoku.) Now gather round children, and let’s listen to Yukiro’s Aomori travel story… In July, my boyfriend and I escaped the Tokyo heatwave by taking a local trip to Aomori. It was our first time visiting the northernmost region of Japanʼs main island Honshu (本州), right below Hokkaido. We researched where to go and what to see – as well as the government’s safety recommendations, as our priority was to minimize the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19. Our shinkansen route: We took the bullet train to Hachinohe (八戸) from Tokyo Station. Then, we took a local train to Misawa (三沢) where we booked our hotel. The trip took about 4 hours and cost about 18000 yen one way. We travelled just before the Japanese summer vacation so we avoided crowds, and got a very reasonable deal on our hotel, Hoshino Resort Aomoriya (less than 5000 yen per person a night!) Pro tip: Pack a mask and hand sanitizer, and avoid crowded trains and rush hours. Our trains were more or less empty, and we saw almost no humans during this trip. Just what we desired! Misawa is a rejuvenating spot, and we were delighted by the brisk air, surrounding nature, and no humans as far as the eye could see. Between Misawa station and the hotel, there was a 10-15 min walking path through small waterfalls and meadows. Our hotel, Hoshino Aomoriya, was one of the best I’ve been to in Japan. We had an airy room and relaxation area. It bordered a Japanese park filled with art, birds, pony rides, jogging routes, and a pond with lotus flowers and auspicious carp fish. The hotel also had two natural onsen (hot springs) free of charge for hotel guests, with both inside and outside options. The outdoor onsen was especially spirited as it was surrounded by trees, a pond, and trailing pink flowers. The hotel displayed art from Okamoto Taro (岡本太郎); I loved his kappa-like spirit depiction. I was impressed by the collection of nebuta, or gigantic paper figures in the form of dragons, gods or Shoguns. Some were 9 meters in length, and spat out smoke and lights. Aomori has a yearly Nebuta festival (ねぶた祭) every summer, but it was cancelled due to the virus. In the future, I hope I can see this procession of musicians, dancers, and locals carrying the giant white floats. I carried my mosquito repellent and sun lotion and hand sanitizer in my bag, as well as sunglasses and a mask of course. I was expecting mosquitoes but to my delight I wasnʼt bitten once in Aomori! In Tokyo I get bitten 1-3 times a day if I donʼt wear full cover up or spray myself heavily with repellent. We chose to stay in Misawa because it was close to the memorial museum of Terayama Shuji (寺山修司). He’s an avant-garde poet, dramatist, writer, and film director — one of the most influential Japanese artists. Iʼm a big fan of his provocative movies and was eager to learn more about this extraordinary man. Getting to the Terayama Shuuji museum: We took a 20 minute taxi ride from Misawa station, since there are only connecting buses on weekends and during vacations. All museums (and most stores) are also closed on Mondays in the Misawa area, and you more or less need a car to efficiently get around Aomori. Needless to say the Terayama Shuji museum was very much worth the costly taxi ride (4000 yen one way). Every guest has to get their temperatures checked, and wear plastic gloves provided by the museum, as well as pay a small admission fee of 400 yen. Terayama Shuji’s museum was as kooky and wicked as one would expect. The first room was a traditional exhibition space about his career, along with books, merchandise and collaboration pieces. The second was very impressive since it was designed like a treasure hunt! There were 12 desks, and you had to use a flashlight, open drawers and find secret hidden panels. Each bench contained keywords to help solve the riddles. Inside the desk drawers were more facts, poems and interesting curiosa regarding Terayama; some even projected movie clips. The other parts of the room contained a library, and a ceiling constellation of his bizarre characters being lit up one after another. We bought some goods and left, without seeing another single visitor, and were very pleased. We then took the local train to Aomori city, and from the station, we rode a bus to Heiwa Park (the Park of Peace – 平和公園) , which is said to be haunted! Unfortunately we did not encounter any ghastly beings, as it was empty as everywhere. Then, we paid 400 yen to visit the memorial museum of Shikō Munakata (棟方志功), a woodblock printmaker who reached international fame. Munakata was known for his eccentric personality and obsession with Vincent van Gogh; at a young age he claimed to be the “Van Gogh of Aomori.” The grandest piece in the museum was his “Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha” (二菩薩釈迦十大弟子) (1939), considered to be his crowning achievement. The following day we had the pleasure of meeting a local friend, Yoko, who kindly took time to rent a car and take us to must-see places. We realized how difficult it is to travel around Aomori without a car, so her help really made our trip worth writing about! Our first stop was the Towada Art Center (十和田現代美術館). Outside, there was free street art for anyone to enjoy. The infamous Yayoi Kusama (草間彌生) had an art platform opposite the main building, featuring her recognizable dotted sculptures. We also saw firefighters climbing a wall that was surprisingly part of the exhibit, and a friendly ghost manifestation. PS: see La Carmina’s review of the Stockholm Yayoi Kusama exhibit here, as well as her trip to Naoshima Island (land of the giant pumpkins). Also exciting was the Wish Tree, planted by Yoko Ono; you wrote your wish on a paper strip and hung it on one of the branches. I enjoyed Towada’s many interactive pieces, and slightly hidden art that you had to search for. We took fantastic photos amidst the glass walls, and enjoyed installations from artists around the globe. Next, Yoko took us to the Oirase Gorge (奥入瀬渓流) – a long path for hikers, through jaw-dropping waterfalls and picturesque trees. The gorge stretches 14 km from Nenokuchi (子ノ口) on Lake Towada (十和田湖) to Yakiyama (焼山). The strong current leads through a ferocious path with many rocks. When we went, there was mud because of rain, and the thicket of trees made the temperatures quite cool. Even in the peak of the summer, I recommend wearing rubber boots and an extra coat layer. After a few scenic stops, we made it to the peaceful Lake Towada, the largest caldera lake on Honshu Island. On one of the rocks in the water we could spot a tiny shrine, which belongs to a god who protects the lake. Yoko took us to Towada Shrine (十和田神社), and we admired the mossy stones that are said to have healing powers. We also saw the “Statue of Virgins” (おとめ像) on the beach side of the lake. It’s the last remaining work of poet and sculptor Takamura Kōtarō (高村光太郎), and in our eyes, looked more like a romance between two women. Thanks to Yoko, we had a lovely day of nature and art. The next day we went to Mt. Osore, the Mountain of Dread: one of the three most sacred places in Japan. It is also a main shooting location for Terayama Shuuji’s movie “Pastoral: to die in the country” (田園に死す). Mount Osore is home to psychic mediums called “itako” who are traditionally blind, and undergo rigorous spiritual training. Itakos can summon the soul of a dead person; they become possessed, and speak to the customer in their spirit’s voice! How to get to Mt Osore: From Misawa, take the express train direct to Shimokita Staton (下北), or take the local and transfer at Noheji station. (Not to be confused with Shimokitazawa, the hipster area in Tokyo frequently shortened to Shimokita!) Then, ride one of the three daily 40 minute buses to Osore. The trip took about 2-3 hours and cost 1900 yen for the train and 800 yen for the bus ride, per person each way. Arriving at Mount Osore was like entering another realm. The holy ground is said to have spirits of the dead roaming about. It is also an active volcano, and is believed in Japanese mythology to be one of the gates to the underworld. Admission info: The entry fee for adults is 500 yen, and there’s an overnight option with meals included for 12000 yen. The festivals with Itako spirit readings take place between July 20-24, and the area is open 6:00-18:00 each day between 1st of May to 31st of Oct (imagine going there on Halloween.) Osore is too cold in the winter for humans to visit… but not for spirits! The place is gigantic, so allow several hours to walk around. The main temple, Bodaiji (菩提寺), is said to be founded 1200 years ago by the monk Enʼnin (円仁), and belongs to the Sōtō division of Zen Buddhism. The sanctimonious Mount Osore contains the highly acidic waters of the caldera lake. Lake Usori is in the center, surrounded by 8 mountain peaks representing the lotus flower’s 8 petals. The area has many fumaroles (openings of the planet’s crust) emitting steam and volcanic gases (especially sulfur dioxide… the smell was everywhere). There are exactly 108 fumaroles, representing the 108 worldly desires and the 108 hells bound to them. Some of these hells even had their own signs with dramatic names, such as: The hell of salt, The eternal hell, The hell of severe crimes, and the hell of the blood-pounding pond! Mount Osore looked like a demon landscape. The paths bubbled with sulphuric yellow, orange or blue, while the white sand and grey stones made the scenery look like an endless graveyard. Adding to the melancholy were hundreds of Jizou bodhisattva (地蔵菩薩), or stone figures that guard over children who have died. Many of these small stone monks were clothed in handmade baby bibs and hats. We saw pyres and monuments to famous monks, as well as offerings of cute pink windmill toys (風車). This famous Japanese toy represents unborn children, and is said to help them find peace in the afterlife. Seeing so many was heartbreaking and overwhelming. Osore had other meaningful tributes to those who have passed. I saw a large urn, shaped like a giant lotus, with hand-prints (mainly of children) on the back side. This was a monument for the unfortunate souls who died in Japan’s 2011 tsunami and earthquake. In one hut, I found heirlooms and old clothes belonging to the dead, with names of the unborn written on wood stripes all over the ceiling. In Japanese media, the Mountain of Dread tends to be portrayed as a haunted place. It is said that you are cursed if you take any stones from the holy ground. In fact, this is a site of meaningful stillness and remembrance, which really spoke to me. While I loved the otherworldly Gothic atmosphere, I also felt this was one of the most serene places I’ve ever visited. There was no malice in the air – just a solemn peacefulness. On the last day of our journey, we took a local train from Hachinohe to Shark Town station (伸), where there were an obnoxiously high number of seagulls by a shrine. These were actually “Black-tailed gulls” (Umineko 海猫). Fun fact: the word in Japanese Umi-neko is a compound of Umi – ocean and Neko – cat, so basically they are called “sea cats” or “cats of the ocean.” We walked 10 minutes from Shark Station to Kabushima Shrine (蕪島神社) and as we got closer, we started hearing cat-like cries. It turned into a screeching as we approached the small harbour. Unlike regular seagulls, these beasts had black tails, a red ring around their eyes, a black mark on the beaks, and a sharp red tip: as if they’d just dug into raw flesh and still had blood dripping from their Gothic faces. The little shrine on the hill burnt down in 2015 but was rebuilt as of last year. The workers stopped construction while the gulls were hatching their babies, so they could raise them in peace. In mid July, the hatchlings still wore a brown coat of feathers but were as large as adults. I was stunned by how they were unafraid of humans; you basically had to be careful not to step on them. As you can imagine there was bird poop absolutely everywhere and we were afraid of being targeted from above! I would recommend this shrine if you are a fan of animals and birds in particular, but only if you have some extra time in Aomori. On the contrary, if you have a phobia or were freaked out by Alfred Hitchcockʼs “The Birds” I would suggest never to step your foot at Kabushima shrine! Thanks to Yukiro for the eye-opening guide to Aomori! I didn’t realize there was so much avantgarde art and spiritual / Gothic scenery in this region of Japan. (Here are a few final pics from Towada Art Center.) Hopefully I can visit soon. For more from Yukiro, watch his latest (freak)show drag performance here. The entire Haus of Schwarz (Stefani ST Sl;t , Le Horla, and Angel Heart) performed, with mommy dearest Die Schwarze Frau near the end! Le Horla’s spooky makeup was put on by Haus’ Drag Dad, Weryk. If want something unproductive to do during quarantine, watch Yukiro’s YouTube series, Witch Review. Die Schwarze Frau dishes on her favorite old school horror cult B movies, sharing her darkest thoughts with you! There are no spoilers, so you can watch these reviews in (ill)-faith. And if you’re inspired to dress in Gothic or Punk clothing, check out Punk Rave Store — they have many dark styles for men and women. And we order you to tune in to Yukiro’s Halloween livestream extravaganza, called Casket of Horrors! All members of Haus der Schwärze will perform live, and then there will be 10 spooky videos submitted from around the globe. The winner will be crowned “The Queen (or Queer) of Halloween 2020!” Watch the live-stream online (here’s the info) on 2020/10/10 at 20:00 Japan time, if you dare. Love it to death? Then support Yukiro by buying him a glass of red wine here! Filed Under Art + Design, Tokyo Gothic Lolita Ahhh! Thank you for having me on your blog again!! Hopefully it will inspire people to visit Aomori and all its amazing places ‍♀️ What a great post! I’m definitely adding Aomori to be list of places to go (if I ever get to Japan again)! Me too, I didn’t know it was such a special place! I’ve never been to Japan but I love how many things are going on! Especially liking the drag queens at the beginning. What an awesome post – I visited Japan for the first time this year and fell in love with the country, I can’t wait to go again. I’d never heard of Aomori, but now I would love to go visit!	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797372
__label__wiki	0.586417	0.586417	What We Dotrigger DonateBack Our Strategytrigger What You Can Dotrigger Conserve Your Landtrigger Conservation Options Benefits for Landowners Issues & Actiontrigger Take Actiontrigger Advocacy Webinars Tools & Tipstrigger Politics: What’s Allowed? 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For generations, ranchers and farmers have been some of the best land stewards around, and their working landscapes can help sustain plant and wildlife habitat. However, with costs of running a sustainable operation on the rise, and urban encroachment and exurban development reducing open space throughout the West, Arizona, among other states, is losing its ranchland and farmland at an alarming rate. Recognizing that existing ranches and farms provide a variety of community benefits that also include clean air, water and iconic western viewscapes, Arizona Land and Water Trust (ALWT) has embarked on a mission to help Arizona ranchers identify and implement strategies that can help them stay on the land and maintain their operations. In the fall of 2007, ALWT forged an enduring partnership with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension to help Arizona ranchers make educated choices about the future — their own and that of their land. Twelve Ranching into the Future workshops completed to date are already yielding success on many levels. The series is not only helping to keep ranching alive in Arizona, it is also opening new doors to conservation practices and partnerships among stakeholders on a grassroots level, and could become a model for other western states to follow. Finding the Right Partner When planning educational outreach, it makes sense to pool resources with existing organizations that have established community ties. In this case, Liz Petterson, ALWT’s land and water program manager, and Executive Director Diana Freshwater got the idea for the Ranching into the Future series after conversations with Barron Orr and Lay Gibson from the University of Arizona’s Office of Arid Lands. Orr, an associate professor and extension specialist and Gibson, the director of the Economic Development Research Program, both recommended that ALWT partner with the university’s local extension offices in Cochise and Santa Cruz counties to get some workshops going. Rancher and Tucson architect John Riggs was another strong proponent of the extension partnership. Descended from a long line of Cochise County ranchers, Riggs’ most recent experience with cooperative extension includes working with agent Mark Apel to form a Rural Planning Area (RPA) for Cochise County, the direct result of a workshop that focused on planning and zoning options for working landscapes. Authorized under state law, RPAs are one of the tools available to help sustain working landscapes. They allow rural landowners to become part of the county planning and permitting process. ALWT is part of a growing trend of land trusts in America to join forces with a traditional education partner as a means of first understanding landowners’ needs and then building trusting relationships with those landowners. ALWT knew it might initially be viewed as an outsider in some ranching and farming communities and recognized the strength in having a partner that landowners already knew and trusted. As that partner, Arizona Cooperative Extension has become an important bridge to conserving ranchlands in the Grand Canyon State. Arizona Cooperative Extension proved to be a receptive partner, and one that brought formidable strengths to the table. In 2009 alone, 102 faculty, 170 staff, and 9,000+ volunteers served more than 300,000 Arizonans, from 4H youth and beyond. Nationwide, cooperative extension services have unprecedented reach — with offices in every state and territory, in or near most of the nation's approximately 3,000 counties, according to the USDA. Cooperative extension offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes. By co-presenting Ranching into the Future workshops with the Arizona Cooperative Extension on a diverse range of subjects of interest to ranchers, ALWT has quickly become known as a valuable and trusted resource to ranchers and farmers with one primary goal in common: to keep working landscapes alive in Arizona. “The partnership we have with the extension service is vital to the success of the workshops” says Liz Petterson. “Their knowledge of the challenges these communities are facing, from maintaining ranching operations to managing invasive grasses, helps our organization better understand and identify areas where we can be helpful.” Workshops That Work Ranching into the Future workshops cover a wide variety of topics, from land protection options to grant funding opportunities. Other subjects include estate planning for working landscapes, collaborative ranching efforts, planning and zoning alternatives, product marketing and increasing visibility in the local foods market, and food safety considerations. The most recent workshop entitled “Renewable Energy Options for Ranches and Farms” was attended by over 50 participants. Workshop presenters have ranged from CPA’s to veterinarians, but ranchers themselves often take the lead, sharing ideas and experiences that may help their neighbors. Susan Pater, director of the Arizona Cooperative Extension in Cochise County, explains how cooperative extension, ALWT and other key stakeholders initiated the series there through planning meetings. “We brainstormed various topics that landowners had expressed interest in learning more about. Then we prioritized those topics that we thought would have the most interest and for which we could identify presenters. After the first workshops, we also asked participants what topics they would like to learn more about,” Pater explained. Invitations were mailed to lists provided by ALWT and extension, as well as Cochise County Farm Bureau, Cochise-Graham Cattlegrowers, Coronado Resource Conservation and Development, and local Natural Resource Conservation District organizations. These efforts yielded a good response with average attendance of 30 participants for each of the first 12 workshops. “Considering that just one rancher participant may control thousands of acres, even minimal participation can have a big impact,” says Petterson. On post-workshop surveys, all participants to date, without exception, have stated they will implement at least one idea they learned at the workshop, whether it be installing spring-loaded valves, making a conservation plan or applying for grants to start a grass-fed beef operation, to name a few. One of the most popular workshops has been “Estate Planning for Working Landscapes.” For many ranching and farming families, passing their land on to heirs and/or permanently protecting their land from encroaching development is a lifelong goal. Estate planning is critical in achieving these goals, and this workshop was designed to cover the many options that are available to protect family land. Tax and legal advice at the workshops includes tax strategy, managing estate tax, federal tax benefits and incentives, donating land by will, charitable remainder trusts, gifts of remainder interests, family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and much more. According to estate planner/presenter Britt Simmons (CPA/PFS, CFP, AEP), managing partner of the Tucson accounting firm Regier, Carr and Monroe, ranchers are naturally interested in financing and succession issues. Ranchers tend to have a lot of value sitting in real estate, but a ranching operation usually doesn’t produce enough cash to support all of the family members. Old ranching families tend to have multiple family members who may or may not want to participate in future ranching efforts. There is often pressure to sell off the land to developers. The Ranching into the Future series presents a full range of options, including estate planning options that allow for liquidation of assets while permitting ongoing cattle operations. “We often have repeat participants at this workshop because the concepts we’re presenting are complicated,” Simmons said. “Ranchers living remotely do not tend to have a lot of exposure to information concerning the formation of estates, trusts and family limited partnerships. In fact, these are techniques most ranchers have never heard of. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of questions they ask at the workshops. You can tell the questions are family-specific or geography-specific.” Results, Both Measurable and Exponential Doc Clyne, a second-generation Sonoita, Arizona rancher, considered his options carefully before ultimately deciding to sell a majority of his family ranch to Pima County. The land was purchased using voter-approved funds from conservation bonds. Through this program, ranching families continue to live on and manage their ranches. The option to be able to stay on the land was very important to Clyne, whose family has been in the cattle business about 60 years. With up to 175 head of cattle, Clyne considers ranching to be “a lifestyle, not an economic unit.” Conversations with folks at ALWT helped Clyne realize that his ranch was a strategic land bridge needed to tie together various existing conservation zones. “We had the water, the zoning, the views and the beauty…a developer’s dream,” Clyne said, “but our main goal was to be able to stay there. I kept my development options open while we pursued the path to conservation, because I wasn’t sure it would come to pass. I went so far as to do market research and evaluation of the development project.” “By selling to Pima County for conservation, we achieved our goal to stay on the land and ultimately prevented future growth,” Clyne said. Now, he says he looks forward to starting an experimental project this spring, in which he will apply methods he learned at one of the workshops about marketing grass-fed beef. This is merely a snapshot of the progress that has only just begun. ALWT is continuing its work in hopes of replicating similar success stories — one ranch at a time — to produce big-picture results for Arizona. According to Pater, a key benefit expressed by participants is the networking that has taken place between the ranchers and the various expert presenters. The sharing of tools, techniques and ideas during the workshops has been beneficial in helping all parties see new opportunities for sustainability beyond what has traditionally been done. Together we will advance change and increase impact for land conservation. Donate Renew Join Count on Us The Land Trust Alliance makes careful use of your support. View our charity ratingsCharity Navigator: Four Star CharityBetter Business Bureau: Accredited Charity Get our e-newsletter filled with tips and info about the places you love. Land Trust Alliance info@lta.org FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagramBlog RSS © Copyright 2021 Land Trust Alliance	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797375
__label__wiki	0.79588	0.79588	Home » Articles » News » Experiential » Berkeley Law Dominates National Disability Law Writing Competition Berkeley Law Dominates National Disability Law Writing Competition Laura Lim '17 Share article on Facebook Share article on Twitter Share article on LinkedIn By Andrew Cohen Laura Lim ’17 and classmate Peggy Ni ’17 extended Berkeley Law’s dominance of the national Milani Disability Law Writing Competition, placing first and third respectively. Lim became the school’s fourth student since 2010 to win the competition, which draws entries from law students across the United States. Lim sees this trend as a testament to Berkeley Law’s First Year Skills Program—specifically its “strength in training students to research effectively and efficiently, and to write clearly and persuasively,” she wrote in an email. Lim said the program deftly balances guidance and independent work, letting students “experience the brief-writing process on our own while using our professors and teaching assistants as resources.” Sponsored by Mercer University School of Law in honor of the late Adam Milani, a disability rights advocate and renowned legal scholar, the competition solicits student-written trial or appellate briefs on disability law, theory, or practice. In doing so, it seeks to promote greater interest in disability law and civil rights and to develop quality legal writing skills. Lim wrote a motion for summary judgment in a mock case on behalf of a high school sports association—which was sued by a deaf high school tennis player for discrimination under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The association did not allow the tennis player’s sign language interpreter to interpret during matches, and the player sought to change the policy. Lim argued that the policy did not constitute discrimination under the ADA because the interpreter’s presence during match play fundamentally altered the sport of tennis by violating its official rules—and by impeding other players’ abilities to focus on the match. Valuing law over emotion “One of the toughest challenges was finding case law with facts favorable to my side, and learning how to distinguish less favorable cases from the case at hand,” Lim said. She also had to overcome “the fact that the plaintiff was very sympathetic” and focus on “what the ADA statute and the law actually said about this situation rather than viewing the case from an emotions-based perspective.” Peggy Ni ’17 The students wrote their briefs last spring during Berkeley Law’s first-year Written and Oral Advocacy course. Ni, who has a Ph.D. in Immunology from Washington University in St. Louis, argued for the plaintiff in her summary judgment motion. The winner of this year’s Continuing Education of the Bar Award for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing—which honors Berkeley Law students who excel in the First Year Skills Program—Ni cited the program’s attention to detail as optimal preparation for the Milani Competition. “By pointing to specific examples when I did something well and thoroughly explaining how I could do other things better,” she said, “my instructors helped me improve my writing so that I could enter the competition with a sophisticated piece.” Lim raved about the supportive and pragmatic guidance she received from her writing instructor Lucinda Sikes. “She was so patient in answering all my questions and helping me organize my arguments,” said Lim, who spent two years before law school as a legal assistant for the Oakland law firm Lewis, Feinberg, Lee & Jackson. “Her comments on my drafts were absolutely crucial to my legal writing development. They pointed out ways to strengthen and clarify specific sections to form a cohesive, structurally organized brief.” Lim added that her teaching assistants provided sharp insights into “how to discern which cases best supported certain arguments, and how to navigate situations in which there weren’t very many strong precedent cases in my favor.” Topics: Experiential, Student Awards, Student News Transcript Magazine Transcript Archive Transcript Fall 2020 Online Edition Transcript Spring 2020 Online Edition Transcript 2017 Online Edition Trailblazing Women Ordering Printed Supplies Law School Images »	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797379
__label__wiki	0.894627	0.894627	Trail hunting is a “smokescreen” The League Against Cruel Sports is calling on lawmakers and landowners to “sit up and pay attention” after senior figures within the fox hunting lobby were caught on camera admitting that ‘trail’ hunting is a “smokescreen” for the chasing and killing of foxes. The explosive revelations were contained within two leaked Zoom training meetings involving those involved at the very heart of hunting including Lord Mancroft, chairman of the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA); Mark Hankinson, MFHA director; Phillip Davies, Countryside Alliance police liaison officer; and more than 100 hunt masters, representing more than half of the country’s fox hunts. Police are now investigating the contents of the webinars. Chris Luffingham, director of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “This is huge. This finally seems to be an admission from the hunting lobby that they’ve been ignoring the law for the past 15 years. “It’s what we’ve been saying since trail hunting was invented after the Hunting Act came into force in 2005 – that it’s a smokescreen for real hunting.” The League Against Cruel Sports has dismissed trail hunting as a smokescreen for illegal hunting ever since it was created in the wake of hunting with dogs being banned 15 years ago. Now the hunters have been caught out admitting trail hunting creates “the element of doubt” that has allowed them to get away with hunting wild animals even when taken to court. ITV News exposed the cover-up in a hard-hitting news story released this afternoon and showing that the notion of trail hunting is being used by hunts to deceive the police, the courts, the media and the public about their fox hunting activity. Just last week footage taken by the League’s professional investigators was shown on ITV West Country showing hounds from the Duke of Beaufort’s Hunt chasing a fox. The League is now calling on organisations that continue to allow trail on hunting on their land such as the National Trust, Forestry Commission, United Utilities, and Ministry of Defence to revoke these licences and stop being complicit in animal cruelty. Mr Luffingham added: “To hear a Countryside Alliance consultant and a director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association describe in their own words how to “create that smokescreen or that element of doubt”, presumably in any ensuing court case, would appear to confirm everything we’ve been saying about hunting. “The thundering silence of more than 100 hunters on the call who could have disagreed spoke volumes. “We are pleased to see the police are sitting up and paying attention, and we invite prosecutors, politicians, and the people who license ‘trail’ hunting on their land to do the same.” The use of the term smokescreen was used by hunt figures twice in the training meeting. Phil Davies, the Countryside Alliance police liaison officer, said: “Now you know more about hunting than the saboteurs or courts will know but what it will do is create that smokescreen or that element of doubt that we haven’t deliberately hunted a fox, so if nothing else you need to record that and it will help us provide a defence to huntsman.” Mark Hankinson, MFHA director, said: “It’s a lot easier to create a smokescreen if you’ve got more than one trail layer operating, and that is what it’s all about, trying to portray to the people watching that you’re going about your legitimate business.” The League Against Cruel Sports has compiled 677 reports which pointed to suspected illegal fox hunting, witnessed by members of the public across England and Wales during the last fox hunting and cub hunting season. For more information or interview requests please contact the League Against Cruel Sports Press Office on 01483 524250 (24hrs) or email [email protected]	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797380
__label__cc	0.630997	0.369003	Jon and Maggie Hunter International Youth Group 10-Second Update Jonathan and Maggie Hunter met while attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Jonathan grew up as a missionary kid in Ecuador, and Maggie grew up outside of Atlanta. After graduating from Moody, they got married and have been happily married for the last 8 years. Along the journey, they added Patrick (7), Molly (4), and Liam (1) to the family. In 2013 the Hunters moved to Costa Rica to serve Missionary Kids and Third Culture Kids (TCKs) through the International Youth Group. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy which he powerfully works within me. - Col 1:28-29 Missionary Kid Jonathan grew up as a MK in Ecuador. His experience allows him to relate to other MKs and enables him to be a resource to parents. Years On The Field The Hunters have served the International Youth Group in San Jose, Costa Rica for 5 Years Bible Trained Jonathan and Maggie graduated from Moody Bible Institute. Jonathan is enrolled at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Missions Agency United World Mission www.uwm.org We adhere to the Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Free Church of America. Maggie has been trained to debrief children and families by MTI; They attend the annual MK Caregiver's Summit and stay up to date on current literature on TCKs. Copyright 2018 Jonathan and Maggie Hunter. All rights reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797386
__label__wiki	0.740708	0.740708	Apply for Investment Twitch Pitch Lightship Capital Indianapolis Welcomes Lightship Capital With Office At HqO, 16 Tech Innovation Hub Today, we are announcing our expansion to the 16 Tech Innovation District in Downtown Indianapolis. The 2021 move will be executed as part of a strategy to establish a physical presence in cities throughout the Midwest, creating more opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs in regions typically overlooked by venture capital investors. 16 Tech is an innovation district in the heart of Downtown Indianapolis. The 50-acre live-work-innovate community is focused on bringing together entrepreneurs, academics, startups, corporations and creatives in a single place to spark the exchange of ideas that leads to innovation. “We couldn’t be more excited about setting up shop in Indy and becoming a larger force for progress in an already amazing ecosystem” comments Brian Brackeen, General Partner Lightship Capital. “Indiana is one of the best states to do business in, and now, with 16Tech, we have world class facilities to rival any tech campus in the nation. Add the great cost of living and high wages in our industry, and you have a recipe for success for our firms, our investors, and the community at large.” Lightship Capital will operate out of HqO, 16 Tech’s 100,000 sq. ft. Innovation Hub set to open in early 2021. The venture studio’s office will be located in the flexible/private office space powered by 1776, a national incubation network and innovation management provider. HqO serves as the heart of 16 Tech, boasting a makerspace, as well as an artisan marketplace open to the public. “We are excited to welcome the Lightship Capital team to Indianapolis and 16 Tech,” said Bob Coy, president and CEO of 16 Tech Community Corporation, the non-profit organization responsible for the development of the 16 Tech Innovation District. “Lightship’s strategic and powerful approach to portfolio building - finding and funding underrepresented entrepreneurs - is key to 16 Tech’s vision of building a diverse and inclusive innovation community.” About Lightship Capital Lightship Capital invests in underrepresented entrepreneurs across the Midwest, with a dynamic approach to portfolio building which includes finding & funding the most remarkable, yet overlooked opportunities in venture. They work with companies led by BIPOC, LBGTQ+, Women & people with disabilities who operate in the CPG, E-Commerce, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, and Healthtech spaces. About 16 Tech The 16 Tech Innovation District is one of the largest talent attraction, retention and development opportunities in Indianapolis’s history. Located in the historic Riverside neighborhood of Indianapolis, 16 Tech leverages its proximity to top academic, corporate, and healthcare institutions—and a growing network of spaces, programs, and talent—to foster the cross-industry convergence and collaboration that make world-changing innovation possible. The nonprofit 16 Tech Community Corporation oversees the development of the district and ensures benefits of economic growth, new investment and job creation extend to nearby neighborhoods as well as the city, the region and the state. More information can be found at www.16tech.com. 1776 is the nation’s largest network of business incubators that cultivates and empowers companies and entrepreneurs to fuel innovation and growth. 1776 transforms markets by curating communities of entrepreneurs and enterprises in flexible work environments. Our members gain access to a dynamic network and focused programming to provide the knowledge and resources necessary to spur innovation and solve complex challenges. With eight campuses across five states, including 16 Tech, we are the nation’s largest network of incubators. For more information, please visit www.1776.vc and follow @1776 on Twitter and @1776vc on Instagram. Vanessa Misoon \| Director of Communications, Lightship Capital vanessa@lightship.capital Jacqueline Eckhardt \| Director of Communications, 16 Tech 614.390.9210 \| jeckhardt@16tech.com © 2020 by Lightship Capital	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797391
__label__cc	0.558729	0.441271	Top Foods Children Choke On By Rachael Rettner 29 July 2013 (Image: © Hard candy via Shutterstock) For kids, the food most likely to "go down the wrong pipe" and cause choking is hard candy, a new study finds. Between 2001 and 2009, more than 16,100 children ages 14 and younger visited the emergency room because they were choking on hard candy, the study found. Overall, nearly 112,000 children visited the emergency department for nonfatal choking related to food during the eight-year study, about 12,400 per year. That means that about 15 percent of all child emergency room visits related to choking on food were due to hard candy. Other top foods that sent kids to the emergency room include the following: Other candy: 13,324 visits (12.8 percent) Meat other than hot dogs: 12,671 visits (12.2 percent) Bone: 12,496 visits (12 percent) Fruits and vegetables: 10,075 visits (9.7 percent) Formula, milk or breast milk: 6,985 visits (6.7 percent) Seeds, nuts or shells: 6,771 visits (6.5 percent) Chips, pretzels or popcorn: 4,826 visits (4.6 percent) Biscuits, cookies or crackers: 3,189 visits (3.1 percent) Hot dogs: 2,660 visits (2.6 percent) Bread or pastries: 2,385 visits (2.3 percent) French fries: 874 visits (0.8 percent) The majority of children who came to the emergency room because they were choking on food were treated and released, but about 10 percent needed to be hospitalized. Kids who choked on hot dogs or seeds, nuts or shells were more likely to require hospitalization than those who choked on other foods. The average age of kids treated for nonlethal food choking was about 4.5 years old, and more than half were boys. The researchers, from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, analyzed information from a national database of emergency-department visits, focusing on choking visits involving food that did not result in death. Young children may lack the teeth necessary to properly grind food, they still may be learning how to chew and they may have a high activity level, which may make them more likely to choke on food, the researchers said. Foods that may pose a greater choking risk to children include those that are similar in shape to the child's airway (such as hot dogs), those that are difficult to chew (raw fruits and vegetables) or those that are consumed by the handful (such as seeds and nuts), which may be too much for a child to chew, the researchers said. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children ages 5 and younger should not be given hard candies or gum, and that raw fruits and vegetables be cut into small pieces when they are fed to young children. Children should be supervised while eating, and should never run, walk, play or lie down with food in their mouth, the AAP says. Parents and caregivers should be familiar with techniques to rescue their children if choking does occur. The AAP also recommends that the Food and Drug Administration take action to label foods that may pose a choking risk to children. The study is published today (July 29) in the journal Pediatrics. Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. FollowLiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com. Worrisome California coronavirus variant is tied to large outbreaks RNA ties itself in knots, then unties itself in mesmerizing video	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797395
__label__wiki	0.54307	0.54307	From Hitchcock’s Stage Fright, 1950. From Enter the Dragon, 1973, designed by Saul Bass. From Who’s That Girl, 1987. Literally hundreds more on the Warner Bros logo page, by Christian Annyas. Partial to a bit of Bass. #Evolution #saul bass Such an iconic logo, it’s great to see how it’s changed over the years. I’m not a fan of Bass’s logo work. It was very corporate and stern. It was so different to his film titles and posters which were such a delight. I much prefer the old shield WB ones which are far more emotive for me and evoke memories of great movies and cartoons. The latest versions where the logo adapt for the movies are great. It feels less corporate and more about a company that loves entertainment and creativity. In actual fact, the non Saul Bass logo’s feel more like the Saul Bass that did the film titles. It’s funny, Lee, I’ve probably seen just a handful of shows where the Bass symbol appeared, yet thousands that showed the WB monogram (I loved Looney Tunes when I was a kid). But the Bass design seems strangely just as familiar. I don’t know. Maybe I watched more than I remember with the Bass work. I think it’s the minimalist designer inside you talking David ;-) Could be. :) Adam Smyth says: Such an iconic logo. I heard my colleague Ron say he always wanted to design something similar. I am in the same boat as lee with seeing the logo and it evoking such emotion. Because the logo has kept the same iconic style and is instantly recognizable. Kevin Carlini says: The Bass logo definitely served it’s purpose in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Warner Communications had book publishing and a host of music labels under it’s umbrella. It needed something simple that would fit on paperback spines as well as cassette and 8-track packaging. The fact that Warner Brothers Records was a stand alone music label (old shield and WB used) made having a “corporate” logo a necessity to avoid confusion. The only Warner logo I like is the Saul Bass one. All the others are terrible. It’s no wonder it still looks the same as it did 40 years ago. Elephant Book Company A few things #8 “The Golden Combover”	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797398
__label__cc	0.640407	0.359593	LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: Boulder County \| Weld County \| Colorado \| National Colorado begins wolf reintroduction plans OK'd by voters Voters narrowly approved Proposition 114 in November. It requires the reintroduction of the gray wolf, which was hunted, trapped and poisoned into extermination here in the 1940s, be underway by Dec. 31, 2023, on public lands in the sparsely populated Western Slope of the Continental Divide. Jan 15, 2021 11:00 AM Read more > Marta Loachamin Boulder County’s first Latina commissioner, hoping not to be the last Loachamin, who will be sworn in as county commissioner on Tuesday, hopes her time in office will encourage other Latinos and Latinas to run: “To figure out a pipeline of Latinos who can run for office and who will know how to do that.” Jan 11, 2021 1:30 PM Read more > How does the 25th Amendment work, and can it be used to remove Trump from office after US Capitol attack? Commonly referred to as the Disability Clause, this constitutional provision specifies that if the president is unable to perform the functions of his office, the vice president will serve as acting president. Jan 7, 2021 2:59 PM Read more > In contrast to events in Washington, Denver election protest peaceful The Denver protest was one of many across the U.S. echoing unproven claims of widespread fraud in the presidential election. Colorado lawmakers clash over election integrity hearing The reason for and timing of the Legislative Audit Committee hearing, called by Republican committee chair Rep. Lori Saine of Weld County, befuddled many, coming a day after the Electoral College certified Joe Biden's presidential win. Saine told fellow lawmakers its goal was to put to rest "any doubt" about election irregularities in the state. Dec 15, 2020 4:20 PM Read more > Colorado Democratic electors cast nine votes for Joe Biden Electors met in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to cast their ballots for the presidential election on Monday — the date set by law for the meeting of the Electoral College. The results will be sent to Washington and tallied in a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6. John Hickenlooper spent $41 million to win Colorado’s U.S. Senate race, far surpassing Cory Gardner The candidates’ combined fundraising more than doubled the previous record in a U.S. Senate race in Colorado, which was set in 2014. In fact, the spending even far exceeded the $36 million that super PACs and other committees reported in campaign expenditures this year. Dec 6, 2020 12:00 PM Read more > Colorado is expected to certify its election results soon — and without controversy A recount in a district attorney race is the outstanding step before the book closes on the 2020 election and the Electoral College meets Dec. 14. Dec 3, 2020 2:09 PM Read more > With ballot issue passed, Longmont water bond projects slated to get rolling next year Longmonters began paying for improvements in January as part of a five-year rate schedule adopted last year by city council. Nov 29, 2020 7:00 AM Read more > Final Boulder County election results now available online Risk-limiting audit and reconciliation are complete and two of three Canvass Board members certified the results. The third board member requested procedure documents and accounting logs, according to the county Elections Division. Nov 25, 2020 11:00 AM Read more >	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797401
__label__wiki	0.676235	0.676235	Stewart Foster Stewart Foster - Author Stewart Foster was named a New Author to Watch by the Guardian and was an Amazon Rising Star for his adult novel, published in the UK. The Bubble Boy was his first book for young readers, and he has since gone on to write All the Things That Could Go Wrong and Check Mates. Totally obsessed with soccer, he lives in Bath, England, with his two daughters, Lois and Tallulah. Books by Stewart Foster The Perfect Parent Project Key Stage 2 Key Stage 3 Author: Stewart Foster Format: Paperback Release Date: 21/01/2021 Selected for The Book Box by LoveReading4Kids \| Stewart Foster has made an award-winning name for himself as an author who writes stories which provide real insights into other lives, often with characters who must negotiate some quite challenging emotional territory. This fourth novel takes him into some very personal history having been a foster carer himself, and tells the story of Sam McCann, a boy who longs for a permanent home and a real family. Sam is an unforgettable and not always likeable character and the Perfect Parent Project he launches with his best friend Leah may be genuinely funny in Sam’s almost wilful bad choices and the consequent inescapable disasters that occur, but we gradually find out more of his back story and begin to understand his impulses and empathise with his lack of self-esteem and the setbacks he has endured. Sam is also learning along the way. Recognising his own self-obsessed neglect of his friend’s problems and waking up to the importance of the relationships under his nose and the unimportance of the qualities he had thought were paramount for a parent. These being the BMW, the latest gadgets and the Disneyland holidays that show that he is, in many ways, a very typical eleven year old! Never patronising nor preachy, this engaging, highly entertaining and fast paced story will prompt some valuable discussion about other lives and experiences as well as deepening children’s understanding of their own emotional responses. An absolute must for empathy collections, this will also be a popular leisure read. Add To Basket Add To A Reading List Read an extract Check Mates Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021 \| What a luminously life-enhancing read this is. The story of ADHD afflicted underdog Felix, who “can’t concentrate or keep still”. His East German Granddad now (embarrassingly) drives the pink car that used to belong to his deceased Grandma, whose death has hit them all hard. Felix and Granddad’s grief is laid bare with heart-wrenching authenticity, but theirs is a complex relationship: “I love my granddad and I think he loves me, but sometimes it’s hard to tell.” After an altercation, Felix and Granddad forge an understanding, and look forward to a “neuangfang” (new start) that begins with a list of “Ten things I’d like to teach Felix”. Unfortunately, in Felix’s eyes Granddad’s list comprises the “ten more boring things in the world”, but Felix works through it until only the most dreaded activity remains - playing chess. He tries to wriggle out of it, but “crafty” Granddad has been surreptitiously teaching Felix chess skills and he’s soon hooked by the game, with unexpected positive side effects. A thrilling team tournament is followed waves of pulse-quickening twists that will thrust readers to the edge of their seats, heart in mouth. Throughout, the rollercoaster ride of primary school life - fallings out, friendship, fear of not fitting in - is explored in all its intense and comic complexity, and the representation of working class realisms is spot-on too. Felix’s mum and dad have both been “working stacks since Dad’s plumbing business went bust last year”. But, best of all, the magic of the relationship between children and their grandparents is dazzlingly conjured. I adored it. UKLA Longlist Book Awards - 2019 \| There are two sides to every story Dan is angry. Nothing has been the same since his big brother left, and he's taking it out on the nearest and weakest target: Alex. Alex is struggling. His severe OCD makes it hard for him to leave the house, especially when Dan and his gang are waiting for him at school ...Then the boys' mums arrange for them to meet up and finish building the raft that Dan started with his brother. Two enemies stuck together for the whole of the school holidays - what could possibly go wrong? The Bubble Boy Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2017 \| One of our Books of the Year 2016 \| Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Month, May/June 2016 Deeply moving and utterly gripping, Bubble Boy is a stunning novel that makes you laugh and cry. And think. Joe lives in a sterile world. Wired up to monitors and drips, he can’t remember ever having left his hospital room. Even his visitors are a potential risk in case they bring in infections. Everyone cares for Joe by keeping him as enclosed as it is possible to be. But then he has a visitor who has a quite different view of what Joe’s life should be like. Suddenly Joe’s world is full of information about the world outside and his dreams of going out grow bigger and bigger. Can Joe ever fulfil his dream? Debut author Stewart Foster carries off an astonishing feat of storytelling in this exceptional book. ~ Julia Eccleshare The Branford Boase Award Judges' Comments - ‘deeply moving and completely gripping’; ‘simple, clear writing, effortlessly believable characters’; ‘a true original’. Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for May 2016 The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster There is a Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith Captain Pug by Laura James The First Hippo on the Moon by David Walliams Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for June 2016 The World's Worst Children by David Walliams Seacrow Island by Astrid Lindgren The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne A Stitch in Time by Penelope Lively Street Child by Berlie Doherty Fenn Halflin and the Fearzero by Francesca Armour-Chelu The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster https://www.stewartfoster.co.uk/ Author's Facebook Find Stewart Foster on Facebook Tweets by Stewart Foster	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797403
__label__cc	0.652157	0.347843	by LUX NOMADE. Saturday, June 8, 2019 HOTEL OPENING: California dreaming at Santa Monica Proper Hotel HOTELS, HOTELS & RESORTS, NORTH AMERICA Opening this month, Santa Monica Proper Hotel emerges as an architectural wonder just seven blocks from the crashing waves of the ocean. Following the success of San Francisco Proper Hotel, the evolution of Proper continues amid the sun-drenched boulevards and sea breezes of L.A.’s cinematic Pacific coastline. Opening June, Santa Monica Proper Hotel emerges as an architectural wonder just seven blocks from the crashing waves of the ocean, spanning two stylistically disparate buildings linked by an artfully crafted bridge. With interior design by Kelly Wearstler, the hotel is a lesson in restrained elegance—think nature-inspired palettes, light hardwood floors, and organic textures augmented by artworks from emerging local artists. The exquisitely pared-down aesthetics provide the stylish backdrop to the neighbourhood’s only indoor-outdoor rooftop playground, complete with pool, cabanas, restaurant and bar. Add in a restaurant serving innovative Californian- and Mexican-inspired cuisine devised by celebrated chefs Jessica Koslow and Gabriela Camara, and an expansive Ayurvedic spa, and you have the hottest hotel to hit Westside L.A. in decades. Located at 700 Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica’s downtown core, the hotel is housed across two buildings that present contrasting styles; one is a 1928-built Spanish Colonial Revival landmark building and the other is a sleek, contemporary new-build. Linked by a suspended bridge, the resulting structure not only stands as a striking architectural standpoint in the neighbourhood but also optimizes the ocean breezes and abundant Californian sunlight. The rich Moorish detailing and Art Deco ornamentation of the older building has been conserved and updated, while the sweeping new build is monolithic in nature, creating a soothing palette for the multi-faceted design. Santa Monica Proper’s interior design finds inspiration in the tones and textures of the neighbourhood’s famed Pacific coastline. A neutral colour palette is heightened by bold patterns and silhouettes, while organic, natural materials such as wood and stone provide an experiential element to the aesthetics. Supporting the hyper-local visual concept, the artwork has been sourced from emerging and established L.A.-based artists such as Ben Medansky, Morgan Peck, and Tanya Aguiniga. The hotel rooms Ranging from 325 to 925 square feet, the design of the hotel’s 271 rooms and suites is playful yet placid, layering muted tones and tactile textures with striking geometric shapes. Informed by the kick-back L.A. lifestyle, the result is one of chic comfort defined by over-sized, statement headboards and an eclectic collection of vintage and modern furniture. Many guestrooms offer living spaces, while balconies and terraces invite guests to embrace the seemingly endless days of summer. The Garden Terrace King Suites offer the epitome of outdoor living with expansive terraces featuring an inviting daybed. The airy, flowing layout of the guestrooms extends to the bathrooms, accessed through a sliding door and outfitted in peach-toned stone. The obsidian-framed windows flood the space in natural daylight and brushed silver and gold accents add a touch of discreet elegance. Mediterranean and Californian inspired cuisine Santa Monica Proper’s crowning glory is the sweeping rooftop deck and pool, complete with a sleek pool, poolside cabanas, and a restaurant with beach-inspired bar. Located on the 7th floor, the rooftop is the perfect perch from which to take in the Westside’s spectacular sunsets, naturally accompanied by a meticulously crafted sundowner. Calabra, the rooftop’s striking inside/out bistro and bar, pairs ocean views with Mediterranean and Californian inspired cuisine by executive chef Kaleo Adams. However, if the rooftop is a sunseeker’s paradise, the ground floor is undoubtedly a gourmet’s mecca. Here, a unique collaborative restaurant concept from ground-breaking chefs Jessica Koslow (Sqirl) and Gabriela Camara (Contramar, Cala) is set to disrupt the local food scene. Onda restaurant represents an all-encompassing experience, where Mexican and Californian flavours, ingredients and techniques are celebrated not only in the open kitchen but also at the bar and tableside. Presided over by internationally renowned Ayurvedic guru Martha Soffer, the hotel’s Surya Spa offers custom-designed programs supporting physical and mental health. Traditional massage therapies and treatments sit alongside yoga, meditation, and cooking sessions to ensure corporal and spiritual wellness. A 2,500-square-foot gym will share Proper’s dedication to fitness and more than 24,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor meeting and event space including various meeting areas with capacity for up to 500 will make this Santa Monica’s most proper place for corporate and social gatherings. Proper Hospitality designs, operates and brands high-end hospitality experiences under the Proper Hotels and Residences and Avalon Hotels brands. The Los Angeles-based company, led by Brad Korzen and Brian De Lowe, debuted their first Proper-branded hotel in San Francisco in 2017. Santa Monica Proper Hotel is the brand’s second venture and will be followed by properties in Downtown Los Angeles and Austin in the coming months. For more information and bookings www.designhotels.com/santa-monica-proper-hotel HOTEL OPENING: HOTEL CHAPTER ROMA Santa Monica’s Top Wellness Resorts Sydneysiders will get a taste of Santa Monica HOTEL GUIDE: Grand Opening of new Boutique Hotel ‘Dove Inn’ Golden, Colorado No single-use plastic at HAYMAN ISLAND BY INTERCONTINENTAL	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797406
__label__wiki	0.924195	0.924195	‘Sterile debate’ as Renault say won’t appeal Japan disqualification Friday, 25 Oct 2019 09:59 AM MYT Both Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg were disqualified from the final result of the Suzuka race earlier this month. — Reuters pic MEXICO CITY, Oct 25 — Renault decided yesterday not to appeal against their disqualification from the Japanese Grand Prix after being accused of using illegal driver aids. The team issued a statement making clear it believed the punishment was excessive, but said it did not want to waste any further time by taking their case to the International Court of Appeal of the sport’s organising body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA). The French team were found to have used a pre-set brake balance adjustment system, with a button control, following a stewards investigation after a protest by rival team Racing Point. Both Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg were disqualified from the final result of the Suzuka race earlier this month. Renault did not break any technical regulations but they did breach the sporting code which states that a driver must control his car completely alone and unaided. The team said: “We regret the stewards’ decision and, in particular, the severity of the sanction applied. “In our opinion, the penalty is not proportionate to any benefit the drivers derived, especially when used within the context of a system confirmed fully legal and innovative. “It is also inconsistent with previous sanctions for similar breaches, as acknowledged by the stewards in their decision, but expressed without further argumentation. “However, since we have no new evidence to bring other than that already produced to demonstrate the legality of our system, we do not wish to invest further time and effort in a sterile debate in front of the International Court of Appeal concerning the subjective appreciation, and therefore sanction, related to an aid that reduces the driver workload without enhancing the performance of the car.” Renault added that they will continue to pursue innovative technological advantages. “F1 will always be an arena for the relentless search for the slightest possible opportunities for competitive advantage,” said the team. — AFP New Renault boss plans leaner, electric future Ricciardo leaves Renault in a stronger place, says boss Abiteboul Ricciardo reveals post-Italy Covid-19 scare	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797407
__label__wiki	0.607768	0.607768	How Lyft is Improving Access to Care for Millions of US Medicaid Recipients MHE Staff Almost four million people miss their medical appointments every year due to a lack of reliable transportation. To address this challenge, Lyft has been working with healthcare organizations since 2016 to get patients in need to and from their medical appointments. This work is even more important amid the COVID-19 crisis. The healthcare system is under immense stress and spread thin, but many non-COVID patients still need access to routine, preventative medical care. If they go without it, their health may suffer and they’re more likely to end up in an emergency room, an extended hospital stay, or with costly treatments that could have been avoided. Over the last year, Lyft has been working with its partners to study the impact of rideshare on healthcare access and quality for Medicaid recipients, who often can’t afford other forms of transportation on their own. Today, Lyft can play an important role in improving access to preventative care, reducing the strain on overburdened emergency rooms, and providing a better overall healthcare experience. AmeriHealth Caritas DC Improves Healthcare Utilization AmeriHealth Caritas DC, a Medicaid plan serving more than 100,000 residents of the District of Columbia, has long recognized the importance of transportation. “When members don’t have access to reliable or convenient transportation, they often have to take time off work and pay for child care just to get to their medical appointments,” says Keith Maccannon, Director of Marketing and Outreach at AmeriHealth Caritas DC. “That’s a very tough choice for an hourly worker, and unfortunately it often results in missed preventive screenings and delayed care, which can be drivers of poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs over the long run.” In 2018, AmeriHealth Caritas DC contracted with Access2Care, a non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) manager that partners with Lyft, to oversee its transportation program. The health plan evaluated the impact of Lyft for 11,400 members who used the service to get to and from routine medical appointments and urgent care between April 2018 and April 2019. Results include: 40% decrease in emergency room (ER) utilization 15% decrease in low acuity non-emergent (LANE) ER utilization 12% decrease in ambulance utilization 45% increase in compliance rate for 42 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures By working with Lyft to improve access to primary care and reduce stress on emergency rooms, AmeriHealth Caritas DC saw a significant improvement in healthcare utilization. “We’re thrilled about the support we’re able to provide for our members,” says Jerome Schorr, Director of Quality Management for AmeriHealth Caritas DC. “This data is a strong indicator that Lyft is helping shift utilization from emergency services to primary care — a key driver of improved utilization and cost.” Centene Boosts Member Satisfaction As the nation’s largest health insurer for underserved populations, Centene has always been committed to removing barriers to care. “Transportation is usually the first and last touchpoint for a consumer accessing care and has a big impact on how they engage with the healthcare system,” says Shea Long, VP of Innovation at Centene. “When rides aren’t convenient or reliable, it often results in delayed care and a disjointed member experience.” In 2018, Centene worked with its transportation managers to launch Lyft pilot programs at four subsidiary health plans: Buckeye Health Plan (Ohio), Sunshine Health Plan (Florida), Peach State Health Plan (Georgia) and Superior Health Plan (Texas). The goal was to understand how rideshare can improve the member experience. Results to-date include: 66% decrease in member-rider complaints 99% on-time arrival rate 85% of rides receive 5/5 stars 1/5 star ratings dropped from 10% to 1% Average wait time decreased from 28 minutes for a traditional NEMT ride to just seven minutes for a Lyft By integrating Lyft into its transportation portfolio across subsidiary health plans, Centene significantly improved member satisfaction and increased appointment adherence. “Because of this success, we have been implementing Lyft in every Medicaid market that allows rideshare,” says Long. “For some of our other products, including Medicare Advantage and Exchange, there are fewer restrictions, and we have moved aggressively to implement rideshare solutions with Lyft in those markets as well.” Amerigroup TN Increases Access to Primary Care Like other forward-thinking health plans, Amerigroup Tennessee (TN) is continually searching for new ways to address the social determinants of health and drive better health outcomes. “We recognized very early that transportation could have a major impact on members’ access to healthcare,” says Robert Garnett, president of Amerigroup TN. “While we enjoy a great relationship with our NEMT provider, Tennessee Carriers, there are certain types of rides where additional capacity through rideshare can make a huge difference in closing access gaps and improving overall NEMT quality.” In 2019, Amerigroup TN partnered with Lyft to improve access to care for its members. The health plan started with a 12-month pilot in Memphis, and given early successes, quickly moved to scale the service statewide. Results-to-date include: 50% decrease in primary care gaps 44% increase in primary care physician (PCP) visits 90% decrease in transportation-related grievances “Lyft has actually made it easier for our members to access primary care,” says Garnett. “Before, when someone wasn’t feeling well and had to schedule a ride three days in advance, that delay in seeking care meant they may end up in an emergency room or urgent care as a result. We’ve made it easier and faster for members to meet with their doctors and ultimately stay healthy.”	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797410
__label__cc	0.542986	0.457014	EMI Changes Digital Direction, Again Back in May, I wrote about EMI Music's appointment of former Google CIO Douglas Merrill as head of digital strategy. The move seemed to indicate that EMI was serious about rethinking their approach to digital distribution. But now, less than a year later, EMI has announced in an internal memo that Merrill is "moving on." They have appointed Cory Ondrejka to the position of executive vice president of digital marketing - essentially signaling that they will no longer have a digital department, but that digital strategies will permeate all aspects of the company's business. It's probably the right idea, but many observers seem unconvinced. emi,	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797411
__label__wiki	0.590098	0.590098	Keynote Videos Home › Keynote Videos The keynote speakers invited to present at M3AAWG meetings are industry and public policy leaders with thought-provoking perspectives that often transform the online community. Below are a few presentations on important issues that were filmed during recent meetings. Additional videos are also available on this website in the Training section and there is a large assortment of videos covering emerging issues, messaging, malware and mobile topics, presentations by experts and industry updates on the M3AAWG YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/maawg. To view the videos below in a larger format, play the video then select the full-screen icon on the right of the control bar or click on the YouTube option. Hit Escape to return to this page from the full-screen video. Lavabit Owner/Operator Ladar Levison's M3AAWG 2014 Keynote Edward Snowden's email service provider, Ladar Levison shares his thoughts behind developing the secure email service Lavabit and his journey when he was forced to hand over its private SSL/TLS keys to the U.S. government he took the unprecedented step of closing down its service rather than be spied upon. Michael Moran, INTERPOL: Online Child Exploitation-A View from the Coalface How much do you know about child sex abuse material on the Web and what can we do to stop it? Michael Moran, head of Interpol's Crimes Against Children unit, provides an in depth look at societal attitudes, how abusive material flows through the Internet, and how we can fight it. Cooperative China-U.S. Anti-Spam Effort Announced at MAAWG EastWest Institute's Karl Frederick Rauscher, EWI CTO and Distinguished Fellow, and Richard Zhao, representing Zhou Yonglin, Deputy Secretary General Internet Society of China announced this important work at the MAAWG meeting. Also see the short vidoe discussion, EastWest Institute Shares 1st China-US Anti-Spam Efforts. Download a PDF of the report China-U.S. Bilateral on Cybersecurity: Fighting Spam to Build Trust, a PDF of the slides for this video and the biography of Karl Frederick Rauscher and Richard Zhao.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797417
__label__cc	0.638177	0.361823	THE MOST INNOVATIVE DIGITAL MAGAZINE OF 2020 MEET SINGER-SONG WRITER AND PRODUCER: SYD ROSE Syd, tell us more about how you got into music & songwriting? I have always absolutely loved listening to music ever since I was little. I moved so vigorously along to the beat of the records my parents used to play in the car that I actually broke my car seat! As I got older, I kept getting more and more interested in music and that led me to begin playing the flute for my elementary school band when I was about eleven years old. Ever since then, I expanded my understanding and appreciation for music through playing with others in the band, and listening to anything and everything I could get my hands on. The day I got my first iPod when I was twelve years old, was probably the most exciting day of my life up to that point. I soon became obsessed with the art of writing and producing music, and I began writing my own songs when I was around twelve as well. The theory, knowledge, and musical ear I developed from jazz and concert playing with my flute really helped me understand the core concepts of music and I just kept experimenting from there. I eventually picked up guitar, piano, and singing which only gave me more tools to write my songs and understand music. I now attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, where I'm majoring in Music Production and Engineering. The atmosphere there is extraordinarily inspiring and full of creativity, with an endless array of artistic influences stemming from the students, the professors, and the people of Boston. I hope the education and experience I acquire there will help me make my way to becoming a successful artist and music producer. What does your creative process look like when writing songs? When I write, an idea usually comes to me really fast and I have to get it down in the next 15-20 minutes before I lose it. I don't mind if the lyrics sound rough when I first start; I just get literally everything I can think of down in my voice memos and/or my notes app. I used to beat myself up over writing down a silly line and then spend a lot of time trying to fix it, losing my momentum, but now I don't really worry about it. I focus much more on getting as much out of the idea as I can when it comes to me. Then, after the idea has run its course, I usually let the song rest for a day or so before I come back, edit it, and refine everything; shaping out verses and choruses and chord progressions. I know it's fairly unusual for people to write the words before the beat and sometimes I do end up writing the beat first as well, but the overwhelming majority of my music comes words and/or melody first. After I get the basic structures of melody, chords, and lyrics refined, I move on to making an acoustic recording to make sure I preserve the core sound of the song that I'm able to come back to later. I often post those acoustic recordings on my Instagram page. After that, I begin to fully produce the song on my laptop and record live guitar and vocals. I often use samples from Splice to create my beat, and add in synthesizers and/or piano, bass, guitar, and vocals as needed for each song. I feel like producing is the most challenging part for me because I'm such a perfectionist, and because I'm fairly new to technologies like Logic and ProTools compared to my peers. However, I absolutely love producing and both because I find it so fascinating and because it is essential to releasing professional sounding music, that is the path of study I chose at Berklee. Your style is such a vibe! How would you describe your sound & songwriting? My sound is fairly unique because I have a lot of musical influences from different genres. I love Hip hop and R&B artists like Childish Gambino, Daniel Caesar and Kanye West. They make insanely good beats. I'm also really into alternative and soul artists like Kyle Dion and Rex Orange County, with their amazing lyrics and chord progressions. I also have a soft spot for more folksy artists like John Mayer. With my sound, I'm hoping to combine the beautiful melodies and lyrics of folk and pop with soul and lo-fi influenced beats. I don't want to make anything generic, and I think a blend of the styles I love is a great way to mix up my sound and simultaneously stay true to the core of who I am in my music. Do you have anything new or upcoming we can expect to see from you? I'm working on releasing my first single on all platforms NOW. I'm almost done producing it, so stay tuned! My debut single is coming out on September 25, and it’s called, “Coffee in September”. It’ll be available on all streaming platforms! I put my heart and soul into this one, so make sure you go listen once it's out! In addition, I post new videos of me singing and playing on my Instagram, every couple of days. I also use my YouTube to post covers, and many more videos are coming to my channel soon. I'm doing the best I can to constantly engage with the people I'm able to reach on social media, and continue to produce new content to share. Follow Syd: Instagram: @Sydrosemusic Facebook: @Syd Rose SoundCloud: Syd Rose YouTube: Syd Rose ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: CAAZI TALK SHOW HOST: POSITIVE B. WHITE ARTIST ON THE WATCH: EVA CONSTANCE GET PRIORITY SUBMISSIONS © 2020 by DARK Magazine	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797419
__label__wiki	0.752744	0.752744	Become a CMG Insider You are here: Home / Arts & Entertainment / Art With Heart fundraiser combines art with healing Art With Heart fundraiser combines art with healing Mary Zio’s “Vestige” is one of the donated pieces of art available to buy. Photo courtesy of Safe Alliance CHARLOTTE – Artist Mary Zio wanted her donation to the 20th annual Art With Heart on Feb. 29 to capture Safe Alliance’s work in the community. “I chose ‘Vestige’ because it relays a sense of tranquility and peacefulness while expressing action through movement, which relates to what Safe Alliance does,” Zio said. Her painting is one of many original pieces donated to Art With Heart, an art auction fundraiser to support those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. “WBTV QC Life” anchors Kristen Miranda and Dedrick Russell will emcee the 7 p.m. event, which features a live and silent auction, at Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art in Charlotte. General admission tickets cost $100 and are available online. Amanda Cannavo, who chairs Art With Heart, noted the event represents a “unique collaboration with the creative community to create an exciting live and silent art auction.” “While the event has grown and evolved over the past 20 years, one thing is consistent: it brings together community leaders, artists, gallery owners and patrons to raise much-needed funds for Safe Alliance,” Cannavo said. Art With Heart has raised more than $1.9 million for Safe Alliance over its 20-year history, providing hope and healing to those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault in Mecklenburg County. The live and silent auction has brought together more than 425 Charlotte community leaders, artists, gallery owners and patrons. Every dollar raised supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse. On the web: https://e.givesmart.com/events/dyR/ About Safe Alliance Safe Alliance provides hope and healing to those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault through shelter, counseling, legal and advocacy services as well as education, prevention programs, and institutional advocacy efforts. Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment SBPOY McElvy Media © 2021	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797426
__label__cc	0.684213	0.315787	Together, we provide your children a safe and supportive environment where they can fully direct their minds and hearts to learning and growing. This academic year, LFSF has incurred around $1.4M additional charges to open in-person classes and offer virtual alternatives. $600K Additional staff to supervise small group pods $350K Additional campus space to accommodate all SF elementary classes $274K Social distancing and health protocols $189K: Daily disinfection of campuses $47K: Renovation of HVAC and purchase of air purifiers $38K: Personal protective equipment $195K Investment in technology $78K: Laptops for students and faculty $53K: Projectors and TVs (to equip classrooms) $42K: Wifi access points (to reinforce connectivity) $22K: Zoom and other licenses Parents, faculty and staff, trustees, alumni, grandparents, and friends are asked to donate to the best of their ability to the Annual Fund. No gift is too small, yet, if you can, we invite you to join the Elysée Circle or Ambassadors' Club. A strong Annual Fund helps us achieve flexibility we need to provide the best education to our students. This year, the amount raised for the Annual Fund is allocated to keeping our school open and safe in compliance with the government requirements. This would include the purchasing of cleaning supplies and services, PPE, regular Covid testing, remote learning devices, LMS’s, and more. Everyone's participation means we're 100% committed. What is the Annual Fund? What does tuition pay for? Why Fundraise? What about external fundraising? What does the Annual Fund support? Who makes an Annual Fund successful? Like most reputable private schools in the United States, LFSF runs an Annual Fund campaign. The Annual Fund is the philanthropic building block for all other school fundraising. It serves to inform, involve, and bond a constituency to a school and is supported primarily from donors’ discretionary income. People are encouraged to give gifts at whatever level they feel comfortable. Because it is purely philanthropic in nature, the Annual Fund is considered a true reflection of a community’s passion and support for its school. Tuition funds are allocated for immediate expenses such as maintenance, salaries, and other general expenses; thus, those funds don’t allow us to advance future growth. Furthermore, while tuition is non-tax deductible, Annual Fund donations are. Fundraising is essential for supporting future programming and infrastructure. Annual Fund campaigns can be geared toward current projects and expenses, but they can also serve for the future by preparing an engaged base of donors and volunteers. Instead of accruing additional debt from facility renovation, for example, fundraising can help prevent the tuition from increasing. The Annual Fund also helps secure support from external funding sources. How? Often, external funding is delivered in the form of “matching” grants. This means that if an external funding source offers a sum of $25,000, for example, the school must be able to fundraise the same amount. Successful Annual Fund campaigns show our external funding sources that the school’s constituents are eager to support and can reliably raise a sum that matches their offer. Annual Fund Contributions support budgeted programs that directly benefit students. The following programs are included: Health & Safety: acquisition of personal protection, sanitizing equipment, upgraded ventilation systems, and newly secured and equipped spaces for physical distancing; E-learning: delivery of dynamic distance learning services using in-classroom cameras; supply laptops for students as needed, in addition to the yearly program providing all 6th graders a laptop for Middle School; Professional Development: empowering teachers and staff to stand prepared for changing conditions and to adapt the pedagogical curriculum to meet students’ rapidly evolving educational needs; Financial Aid: funding the financial aid program to meet increased demand and to maintain social economic diversity and sustain community integrity. In years prior to 2020, the fund enabled the following programs. Artist-in-Residence – An illustrator, writer, sculptor or artist spends a week on each campus to interact with students and classes. Author-in-Residence – An author spends a week on each campus to interact with students and classes. Art Week – A common art theme developed for our primary campus that involves collaborative class art projects, culminating in an Art show. Day and Overnight Field Trip Support – Helps underwrite a portion of the costs for student field trips. Parents, Grandparents, faculty and staff, alumni parents, alumni and LFSF friends, donating at whatever level they find comfortable, receive full credit for the Annual Fund’s success. Elysée Circle & Ambassadors Club Join us as a member of the Elysée Circle and Ambassadors Club with a leadership gift of $5,000+ & $1500+ to the Annual Fund, Fund for the Future or Special Gift. Our Elysée Circle and Ambassadors Club members are very important to us and there’s a variety of ways that we show our appreciation for the special investment they make in the lives of our students. Ambassadors Club Breakfast Near the beginning of each fall semester we invite club members to an informal breakfast where we offer updates on upcoming campus events and news. It’s also a great time for members to meet each other and the directors of our programs and campuses in an intimate setting Elysée Circle Dinner During Spring, Elysée Circle members are invited to dinner hosted by Consul General of France at the Residence of France. It is a privileged moment for Lycée Français de San Francisco directors and the President of the Board of Trustees to thank our donors for their leadership and generosity. Ambassadors Club Cocktail Every spring, we host a reception for our Ambassadors Club members. It’s an opportunity for the Advancement Department to report to our major donors the impact their giving has had upon LFSF campus life for the academic year. Ambassadors Club Special Access As a perk for being in the Elysée Circle and Ambassadors Club, we occasionally offer special access to some of the notable personalities who visit our campus: philosophers, speakers, musicians, artists, actors. As permitted, we host cocktail events before or after performances, offering an opportunity to meet these special visitors. Because these are small group settings, reservations are required and granted on a first-come first-serve basis. Other ways to give: You may mail a check, payable to Lycée Français de San Francisco, to: Department of Advancement Lycée Français de San Francisco 1201 Ortega Street Contact Nathalie Hautavoine in the Advancement office, at 415.213.7722 By stock transfer: If you would like to make a direct transfer of stock to the LFSF, please contact Nathalie Hautavoine at 415.213.7722 for information EMPLOYER MATCHING GIFTS: Check if your company matches your charitable contributions to educational institutions. Such matches could double or triple the impact of your gift. Click here and type the name of your company to find out if this an option. BECOME AN ANNUAL FUND ADVOCATE Be an Annual Fund Advocate for Your Class, support the education of your children and make contact with other parents. Click here to learn more.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797430
__label__cc	0.586809	0.413191	Danger it says Steve Stamford The writing is on the door Danger it says - Just who, or more likely what is watching and waitng . Image size: 3264 x 4352, 7.4Mb \| Camera details: NIKON D7000 \| Date uploaded: 28/07/2019 abandoned door canvas print abandoned door print abandoned door mug abandoned door mousemat azimuth images - Select an option - Canvas print 10 x 10 - £52.63 10 x 20 - £61.94 10 X 24 - £63.75 10 x 30 - £73.15 10 x 8 - £48.17 12 x 12 - £59.76 12 x 16 - £66.03 12 x 24 - £73.15 12 X 30 - £77.24 12 x 36 - £81.23 12 x 8 - £49.12 16 x 16 - £71.35 16 x 20 - £74.01 16 x 24 - £86.55 16 X 40 - £93.10 20 x 20 - £87.50 20 x 30 - £91.96 20 x 40 - £104.41 24 x 24 - £91.96 24 x 36 - £109.82 26 x 20 - £90.82 26 x 26 - £99.94 30 x 30 - £113.34 30 x 40 - £124.07 36 x 36 - £129.20 40 X 60 - £176.32 8 X 20 - £52.73 8 x 8 - £47.22 Water bottle - £16.50 Non-insulated aluminium water bottle with a white enamel coating, complete with both sports and conventional tops. 600ml capacity - not suitable for hot or carbonated drinks, not dishwasher safe. These work best with square or landscape images and have a maximum printable area of 8cm high X 17cm around. Recent Works by Steve Stamford Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Aries and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Cancer and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Leo and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Pisces and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Scorpio and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Whitby from the sea A view of Whitby from the sea on a gloriously sunny day. St Mary's church on the hillside. Hamilton's mausoleum Hamilton Mausoleum is regarded as one of the finest private tombs in the UK. Standing some 37 metres it was constructed to be the resting place of the Dukes of Hamilton and their family. It is famous for its acoustics which create long lasting echoes. I am CAA licensed for commercial use of my drone. Bentley Brook autumn Just outside the town of Matlock in Derbyshire there is a little lane that unassumingly goes to a place called Lumsdale. Lumsdale was in its day a major industrial area, powered by a series of water mills courtesy of the Bentley Brook. Long since abandoned nature is now taking things back. This is Bentley Brook - meandering through the autumn colours now unhindered. Fawn in sunlight A fawn in winter sunlight. Winter on a teasel A hard frost has covered this teasel head in a myriad of fine ice crystals. Three catkins in winter A fresh winter morning has given these catkins a fine coating of ice crystals. A spider web adds to the scene. Catkins in winter A fresh winter morning has given these catkins a fine coating of ice crystals and a lightly clouded sky provides a backdrop. Composite of two images of mine. Penshaw Monument stars Standing on top of a 136m (446ft) hill above Sunderland is the Earl of Durham's Monument probably more widely known as Penshaw Monument . It is a half size replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens and as you can see here is beautifully lit at night. This is an original image of mine with a sky replacement in Luminar 4 Adult Blue tit The blue tit - Cyanistes caeruleus is a common garden bird in the UK often seen in small flocks and more than happy to make use of bird feeders. Its diet consists of everything from seeds to small insects. Great tit looking right The Great Tit - Parus major is a common bird in the UK and a frequent visitor to gardens where it will happily eat at hanging feeders. It has been known to mimic the alarm call of other competitors at the feeder which scares them off so it has free run. Great tit looking left Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Aquarius and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work, I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Capricorn and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Gemini and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Libra and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Sagittarius and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Taurus and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist. Scanned from an original hand drawn and coloured depiction of the star sign Virgo and as such does include some 'imperfections' that make it truly unique. PLEASE NOTE:- It is only suitable for mugs or paper / canvas prints in the following sizes 10X20, 12X24, 20X40 I am not the author of this work; I represent the artist.. Lichfield lens ball Lichfield cathedral, just one of 3 in the UK to feature 3 spires seen here through a 100mm glass lens ball. Lens ball Lichfield Lichfield Spire Most people photographing Lichfield Cathedral concentrate on the main face and show just two of the spires, a few steps to one side however shows this, the third. Ice on rose This rose decided that late November was a suitable time to bud but hadn't figured on a frosty morning. Menai bridge 2 The Menai Suspension Bridge links the Welsh mainland and Anglesey crossing the Menai Straits. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed I 1826 it remains to this day one of only two such links. I hold a CAA Permit for Commercial Operation to fly and sell work from my drone. One of a series of posters from WW2 to promote and encourage the war effort. Build me a plane Coughs and sneezes One of a series of posters from WW2 to promote and encourage the war effort. Some things never change. Women of Britain Under your hat Silhouette in the tunnel Silhouette of a man in a tunnel. Micro Amps A long ago disused gauge for measuring micro (thousands) of an Amp. Rust and general decay of the surrounding panel add to a sad end to a precision piece of equipment. A long ago disused gauge for measuring electrical current in Amperes (amps). Rust and general decay of the surrounding panel add to a sad end to a precision piece of equipment. A long ago disused gauge for measuring volts). Rust and general decay of the surrounding panel add to a sad end to a precision piece of equipment. A couple of members of the parasol family of fungi have made their home on top of an old repurposed telegraph pole. Did you say fish Sea lion swimming. This one has bee in the battles and bears a couple of scars on its head. Autumn lens ball portrait An image created using my 100mm glass lens ball simply resting on a leaf strewn path in the autumn. Also available in landscape orientation. Pearly parachute fungi I believe this to be Pearly parachute (Marasmius wynneae) a small and slender fungi found on the base of a tree where several branches meet creating a little world for it to live in. Shaggy parasol fungi I believe this to be a Shaggy parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). It is sitting amongst moss on a fallen tree branch. Common bonnet fungi 1 A small cluster of what I believe to be members of the common bonnet fungi family. A lonely specimen of what I believe to be a member of the common bonnet fungi family. This sacred site with its small stone circle has a history going back over 3,000 years. Perhaps, just maybe if you open your mind you may get a glimpse of ancient wisdom. A composite of two of my original images. A combination of a concrete garden ornament image from me, a sky from Phil Botha from Unsplash and some nifty processing in Skylum. A self portrait. Sulphur Tuft fungi The sulphur Tuft - Hypholoma fasciculare is a common fungi that grows in tight clusters hence one of its common names - clustered woodlover. It is poisonous and if eaten (despite its bitter taste) symptoms include convulsions, temporary paralysis and distorted vision. Please note I am no expert and do not promise my ID of this is correct. Meadow waxcap I believe this to be Meadow Waxcap - Hygrocybe pratensis however I am no fungi expert. It is a common fungi found in groups on grassland. Parasola auricoma Looking very similar to the Pleated Inkcap this small, fragile looking fungi can often be found amongst mulched areas where it grows either alone or in small clusters. I am not a fungi expert so please make your own mind up. Parasola auricoma 2 Fungi cluster A cluster of autumn fungi, I think Burgundydrop Bonnet - Mycenae haematopus but I'm no expert. Fungi family Fungi forest Blackpool in my hand The iconic Blackpool Tower inverted in a hand held lens ball. Blackpool seafront A view along the Blackpool seafront looking towards the North Pier. Blackpool tower lights The iconic Blackpool Tower in one of its many light show phases. A couple and their dog stop to admire it. Blackpool parrot If you've ever been to Blackpool you are bound to have seen this rather splendid parrot outside one of the many arcades and the tower really is impossible to miss. Blackpool tower lens ball The iconic Blackpool Tower as seen through a lens ball Aber cascade fast shutter Just a few yards down from Aber falls the water cascades down a series of tumbles, each offering unique beauty. A fast shutter speed here provides a sense of movement whilst still maintaining some sharpness, a softer version is also available. Trefignath Believed to be over 5,000 years old this is one of the 3 burial chambers at Trefignath on Anglesey, Wales. Neolithic tools have been found on the site and it is thought to have been is use for over 1,000 years. This is a composite image that uses a sky from Skylum. Unnamed wreck aerial 2 At Dulas on Anglesey in Wales there is an expansive area that dries out at low tide and this abandoned ship sits, slowly rotting. Despite many hours (and several friends) trying to find out what it was called it remains, to me at least - the unnamed wreck. I am a CAA licensed drone operator - copy of permit on my web site. The square window Came across this when out exploring. Used to be someone's home, now just slowly rotting and falling down. Des Res Unnamed wreck portrait At Dulas on Anglesey in Wales there is an expansive area that dries out at low tide and this abandoned ship sits, slowly rotting. Despite many hours (and several friends) trying to find out what it was called it remains, to me at least - the unnamed wreck. Unnamed wreck aerial Rusty anchor chain At Dulas in Wales the few links of this chain have been rusting away for countless decades. Maybe once used to moor the now abandoned nearby wreck. Standing stones landscape Near Treaddur you will find these standing stones. The lensball adds a dose of the unusual to these stones which are believed to go back over somewhere around 2,000 BC. Penrhos Feilw standing stones Standing stones portrait Unnamed wreck Penrhos Feilw lens ball 1 Near Treaddur you will find the standing stones of Penrhos Feilw. I've concentrated on one here - with the sunlight directly behind it creating a natural light halo. The other stone is clearly visible in the lens ball. Aber Falls 3 Located amongst the Berwyn Mountains Pistyll Rhaeadr is the tallest waterfall in Wales (and England) with a fall of around 120ft. A very popular tourist attraction that is accessed via a small, often single track road that means an early start is essential if you wish to park and enjoy a less cluttered visit. Meini Hirion aerial 4 Penmaenmawr is a small town in North Wales on the Conwy coast. Possibly its most well known feature is the Druid's Circle (Meini Hirion). Captured here from my drone, I am a CAA permit holder for commercial use. Meini Hirion 3 Penmaenmawr is a small town in North Wales on the Conwy coast. Possibly its most well known feature is the Druid's Circle (Meini Hirion). Penmaenmawr Sunset 2 Penmaenmawr is a small town in North Wales on the Conwy coast. Possibly its most well known feature is the Druid's Circle (Meini Hirion), seen here as the sun sets. A lens ball is typically made of glass and far from optically perfect - but it does make for some unusual points of view. The image here is Fairy Falls in north Wales, inverted by the ball and held aloft to create a globe type effect Bridge at Fairy Falls 1 This bridge is on the circular walk at Fairy Falls in north Wales. I liked the perspective and symmetry this image offered. Located amongst the Berwyn Mountains Aber Falls is the tallest waterfall in Wales (and England) with a fall of around 120ft. A very popular tourist attraction that is accessed via a small, often single track road that means an early start is essential if you wish to park and enjoy a less cluttered visit. Located amongst the Berwyn Mountains Aber Falls is the tallest waterfall in Wales (and England) with a fall of around 120ft. A very popular tourist attraction that is accessed via a small, often single track road that means an early start is essential if you wish to park and enjoy a less cluttered visit Juvenile Cormorant 4 Young cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) are normally fed twice a day by the parents and spend the rest of the time pretty much just sitting around waiting for the next meal time interspersed with the odd swim around to relieve the boredom. The young cormorant does not develop the distinguishing emerald green eye until it approaches maturity. Resting at Llanddwyn 1 The small yachts Eira and Michette at anchor off Llanddwyn Island, Wales. The old lighthouse, long replaced by a larger one on the island sits at the top of the ridge. The small yachts Eira and Michette at anchor off Llanddwyn Island, Wales. Young Cormorant 1 Llanddwyn gate landscape On Llanddwyn in Wales there are several of these rather fabulous wooden gates, most of which, including this one - you can simply walk around, but then where is the fun in that? Llanddwyn gate portrait Ball on the beach A lens ball is a clear, normally glass sphere. Not optically perfect, but enough to produce an array of photographic opportunities. Aber Falls cascade slow shutter Just a few yards down from the Aber Falls the water cascades down a series of tumbles, each offering unique beauty. A slow shutter speed here provides a soft, milky effect and a faster, sharper version is also available. Stone footprint portrait A simple pattern of stones in the sand simulating footsteps - albeit one toe short. Stone footprint landscape Having climbed to the top of the hill to see Meini Hirion (Druids Circle) at Penmaenmawr in Wales there is of course the long descent. Penmaenmawr is a small town in North Wales on the Conwy coast. Amazingly this is the only 'road' to two dwellings. Fairy Falls The shutter speed here was chosen to show softness in the water. That same image with a faster shutter speed is also available. At Trefriw you will find Fairy Falls as the river Crafnant drops approximately 25ft then continues its course to be a tributary of the river Conwy. A little upstream some of the water is diverted to power a small hydro plant for the adjacent woollen mill. The name Fairy Falls comes from the imaginative Edwardians and Victorians who had a fascination with fairies who they believe have an affinity with waterfalls. Fairy Falls 2 The shutter speed here was chosen to capture sharpness in the water. That same image with a slower shutter speed showing a milkier look is also available. At Trefriw you will find Fairy Falls as the river Crafnant drops approximately 25ft then continues its course to be a tributary of the river Conwy. A little upstream some of the water is diverted to power a small hydro plant for the adjacent woollen mill. The name Fairy Falls comes from the imaginative Edwardians and Victorians who had a fascination with fairies who they believe have an affinity with waterfalls. At Trefriw you will find Fairy Falls as the river Crafnant drops approximately 25ft then continues its course to be a tributary of the river Conwy. A little upstream some of the water is diverted to power a small hydro plant for the adjacent woollen mill. The name Fairy Falls comes from the imaginative Edwardians and Victorians who had a fascination with fairies who they believe have an affinity with waterfalls. This stream is largely created with the outfall of a small (750kW) Pelton wheel hydro power plant and goes to show that power generation does not have to be ugly. Lens ball sunset 1 A lens ball is a clear, normally glass sphere which combines the image properties of a fish eye lens and an inversion. This was taken on the Welsh coast at Aberdaron. Lens ball seascape 1 Path to Penmaenmawr 2 Penmaenmawr is a small town in North Wales on the Conwy coast. The view here is one of the paths up to Meini Hirion (Druids Circle) and amazingly is the only 'road' to two dwellings. Planet on a hill Penmaenmawr is a small town in North Wales on the Conwy coast. The view here is one of the paths up to Meini Hirion (Druids Circle) with a view across Conwy bay. Penmaenmawr view 1 Penmaenmawr is a small town in North Wales on the Conwy coast. The view here is taken from one of the paths up to Meini Hirion (Druids Circle). Conwy castle at night Conwy castle is a very impressive fortification that was built between 1283 and 1289 as part of a larger plan to create a walled town. St Ann's Well, Buxton Famous of course for its spring water Buxton has been a spa town for hundreds of years with people coming to 'take the waters'. This little fountain works all year round, the water slightly warm after its passage through the earth and there is normally a queue of people filling up all manner of receptacles to take home. Solomons temple, Buxton On the outskirts of Buxton in Derbyshire on a hill know as Grin Low you'll find Solomon's Temple. Never actually a temple it was constructed as a folly by Solomon Mycock and later fell into disrepair, eventually becoming nothing more than a pile of stones. In 1986 it was rebuilt in a matter of months then restored in 1988 by public subscription. The tower is not truly vertical, leaning and bulging in several directions. Buxton war memorial This war memorial is on The Slopes in Buxton, Derbyshire. The lettering at the base reads 'Pro Patria' - which loosely translates to 'For my country'. The statue was created by L F Roslin, sculptor of London. I found this quaint little rock, more of a large pebble in Buxton, the reverse has a small message saying keep or re-hide, Georgie. I felt it unfair to keep it, so re-located it, not over well hidden so someone else could enjoy it too. On the rails Roger H Bernett seen at Cheddleton. I wish to point out this train was stationery, not running and parked on a siding. I do not advocate being on railway lines. Night drummer A composite image featuring an original photograph of mine of 'Drummer' by Tim Shaw, seen here at the entrance to the Eden Project in Cornwall and a free to use sky from Casey Horner from Unsplash. Grapes on the vine A tantalising bunch of grapes still on the vine. Rites of Dionysus One of several statues that form a display within the Eden Project, Cornwall. Rites of Dionysus 2 Indoor waterfall An attractive, though entirely man made waterfall. Wreck at Hooe lake This is one of several abandoned and decaying vessels at Hooe Lake. Roche Rock chapel 1 Roche Rock in Cornwall is a black granite outcrop some 20 metres high and was used as a hermitage for many and some time in the 15th century a more elaborate chapel was built. It is now frequented by locals as place to walk and climbers who ascend the steep sides. For the less intrepid there are two metal runged ladders built into the rock face that make it easier to reach the top and admire the views. The Excalibur II is a small (6m) fibreglass fishing vessel seen here at Newquay harbour. An old, salt sea battered chain attached to the rocks at Newquay harbour, Cornwall. One of several used to moor the many small vessels that call this home. Newquay harbour The attractive harbour at Newquay, Cornwall is home to many small vessels, some seals and a great many tourists. Newquay chain This rather heavyweight chain sits in Newquay harbour, Cornwall and is used as a securing point for many smaller chains and ropes for the craft moored in the harbour. Newquay beach Newquay beach, Cornwall as seen from the harbour wall. The small fishing boat Mystique takes a small party out on a coastal trip from Newquay harbour, Cornwall Newquay harbour 2 Built in 1990 and weighing in at a fraction over 6 tonnes the Excelsior is a UK flagged fishing vessel seen here at Newquay, Cornwall. Roche rock by night A composite from two original images of mine - Roche Rock, Cornwall and an astro shot taken on the south coast. Charlestown port In Cornwall, just outside St Austell is Charlestown which is now sealed from the water but kept in water by an incoming stream, the overflow going over the top of the end wall and into the extremely small harbour. Stamps engine house 1 Wheal Peevor was a very successful mine in Cornwall and the site has now been turned into a visitor and educational site where its three engine houses remain visible from miles around. This is the Stamps Engine House - stamps were used to crush the rock in preparation for further processing. Rook with a book In the pretty village of Fowey, Cornwall you will find this wonderful piece of art inspired by Daphne du Mauriers's book The Birds which of course is famous for the 1963 Hitchcock film based upon it. Red light spells danger On the approach to Fowey harbour is this navigation marker. Located at the end of Whitehouse Pier which is where the Fowey to Polruan ferry lands. Resting at Fowey A bright collection of small pleasure craft at anchor, Fowey, Cornwall. Saint Piran's flag Or as it is more commonly known the flag of Cornwall flies here atop a mast of a moored sailing ship. Neowise and the mine This is a 3 image merge from my original images. It is comprised of the Milky Way, Neowise and a Cornish mine engine house. Wheal Peevor Stamps 1 Wheal Peevor was a very successful mine in Cornwall and the site has now been turned into a visitor and educational site where its three engine houses remain visible from miles around. This is the Stamps Engine House - stamps were used to crush the rock in preparation for further processing Wheal Peevor Winding House 1 Wheal Peevor was a very successful mine in Cornwall and the site has now been turned into a visitor and educational site where its three engine houses remain visible from miles around. This is the Winding Engine House - used to haul ore and waste from Sir Frederick's shaft. Roche Rock aerial 1 Travel only with people you love. This is a 'selfie' of my wife and I taken at Charlestown, Cornwall. Minor adjustments to lens settings and noise reduction only and taken as a single shot. Charlestown, Cornwall. Bodinnick Ferry Geelan This boat operates a regular vehicle and passenger ferry service between Fowey and Polruan. This ferry, along with the nearby Polruan passenger ferry are operated by the same family business, C Tom & son. Polruan Ferry This little boat, Lady Diana operates a regular passenger ferry service between Fowey and Polruan. This ferry, along with the nearby Bodinnick vehicle ferry are operated by the same family business, C Tom & son. A rather smart sailing yacht approaching Fowey on a sunny summer day. The Old Cheese Shop Hartington is a small village in Derbyshire and famous for cheese - Stilton cheese to be more precise as it is the only Derbyshire based Stilton cheese manufacturer. This shop in the centre of the village offers not only Stilton but a range of other artisan cheeses too Hartington village pond 2 Hartington is a small village in Derbyshire and famous for cheese - Stilton cheese to be more precise as it is the only Derbyshire based Stilton cheese manufacturer. Adjacent to the shop and centre of the village is this rather lovely pond complete with reeds and ducks. Hartington village pond Etching Hill 1 Etching Hill started as an independent village centuries ago and over time has been enveloped by the adjacent town of Rugeley. The 'hill' is sandstone leading to literally its entire surface being covered in scratched graffiti. I am a CAA licensed drone operator, copy of my permit is available on my web site. Etching Hill Etching Hill started as an independent village centuries ago and over time has been enveloped by the adjacent town of Rugeley. The 'hill' is sandstone leading to literally its entire surface being covered in scratched graffiti. This beautiful example of British engineering was literally parked at the side of the road today. I have modified the number plate to one that is no longer in existence. Chrome Hill 1 Chrome hill is in the Peak District in Derbyshire and is seen here from the adjacent village of Earl Sterndale. A concessionary path runs over the top and when viewed large people may be seen in this image. Stena Nordica 2 On the regular run between Liverpool and Ireland the Nordica is seen here pushing its way through the waves past the dockside cranes on a blustery summer day. Seatruck Panorama 2 Leaving Liverpool docks and just passing a row of dockside cranes Seatruck Panorama is seen here pushing its way through some wind whipped wave son its way to Ireland. Choppy day at Perch Rock On a fine sunny summer day a strong wind whips up the waves to create a stunning foreground for Perch Rock (also known as New Brighton) lighthouse. Perch Rock lighthouse Perch Rock lighthouse (also known as New Brighton lighthouse) stands guard to the entrance of Liverpool Bay and the river Mersey. Decommissioned in 1973 it is now privately owned. Tall, taller, tallest At the meeting of Liverpool Bay and the River Mersey you find blend of new and old - the lighthouse from 1827 and the towering cranes of the docks. Two crane salute Nearly home The suction dredger Lelystad at Liverpool Bay / River Mersey as it passes Perch Rock (New Brighton) lighthouse. A couple enjoy a hand in hand stroll along the front at New Brighton on a bright, sunny day. New Brighton benches 1 These lovely bright and colourful benches can be found along the front at New Brighton. Many of them have commemorative plaques for relatives. Welcome to New Brighton This larger than life statue greets visitors to the seaside town of New Brighton. Seatruck Panorama Leaving Liverpool docks and just passing Perch Rock lighthouse Seatruck Panorama is seen here pushing its way through some wind whipped wave son its way to Ireland. Lelystad 2 The Lelystad is a suction dredger currently sailing under the flag of the Netherlands. Seen here approaching Liverpool via Perch Rock on a high tide and significant winds. Stena Nordica On the regular run between Liverpool and Ireland the Nordica is seen here pushing its way through the waves past Perch Rock on a blustery summer day. Whitby jaw bones Possibly the most famous landmark in Whitby the Whitby jaw bones - otherwise known as the Jaw Bones of Whitney. These are real whale jaw bones, given to the town in 2002 to replace the much older, and sadly worse for wear 1963 originals. In the distance is St Mary's church and part of Whitby Abbey ruins. Cormorant spread 1 I have waited for over a month for this moment. This cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a regular visitor to where I live and has chosen the marina fuelling jetty as a resting place. Its heavier build and stunning green eye with no feathers surrounding it differentiates it from the similar looking shag. Colwich Church Adjacent to the Trent and Mersey canal Colwich church was for many years the burial site for gentry of the Shugborough Estate. The pretty church yard is very well kept and has won the 'best kept' award. The herb boat This old tug is now a feature in a marina landscape and as the name implies is home to many herbs as well as peas, lettuce, strawberries and edible flowers. In fact everything growing on it is edible. This is a composite of an original image of mine and a sky from skylum. Road to Tontine As travellers came to marvel at the iron bridge this would be the first view they had of the hotel built to accommodate them - The Tontine. Ironbridge high street On a warm and sunny day the town of Ironbridge in Shropshire is quiet due to C19 restricting people's willingness to travel despite the shops being open and desperate for trade. On the Shropie The Shropshire Union canal is well known for being rural and pretty. Here we see a view from bridge 39 - High Bridge. As canals were the motorways of the day the boaters needed a way of knowing where they were so every lock and every bridge had a number and or name. High Bridge 39 High Bridge is on the Shropshire Union canal and is famous amongst boaters for the unusual design where a second arch was built to allow for installation of a telegraph pole - long since bereft of wires but still extant. Ironbridge ironwork On the crest of the world famous Ironbridge in Shropshire there exists this little piece of fancy work, no doubt intended to add to the grandeur of the already impressive structure. Tontine hotel At one end of the iron bridge sits the Tontine hotel which was constructed to accommodate the numbers of people who came to marvel at the new bridge. The name comes from a trust fund set up by the original investors and the last man alive inherited the entire fund. Ironbridge market square In the town of Ironbridge In Shropshire is a rather quant array of shops and of course the Tea Emporium. Famous of course for its iron bridge Ironbridge is an extremely popular tourist attraction. There are some overhead cables in real life but I have digitally removed these. Young house sparrow This rather fluffy and ruffled juvenile house sparrow (passer domesticus) was doing its best to convince the parents it still needed waiting on. Bee on clover 1 A white tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) on a head of red clover. Bumblebees are of course fantastic pollinators and welcome visitors to the garden. Foxglove isolated The foxglove (digitalis purpurea) is both beautiful and deadly. Eating any part of eat can lead to irregular heartbeat and death. This extraction shows the beauty of the flowers against a black background. Woodland walk A walk along a woodland path. Cormorant 1 This cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a regular visitor to where I live and uses this white post as a perch and drying out spot. Its heavier build and stunning green eye with no feathers surrounding it differentiates it from the similar looking shag. Great Haywood aerial Great Haywood junction is the meeting of the Trent and Mersey canal with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire. This is a popular place to stay for a few days and the boatyard to the right is a hire base for a fleet of narrowboats. I am a CAA licensed drone operator, PfCO available to view on my web site. Tixall lock An early morning photograph taken before the sun decided to join in at Tixall Lock on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal before any boats have moved to disturb the water. Two narrowboats, one slightly more loved than the other are moored offside. Moored and waiting Basking in the mid day sun a narrowboat is moored on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal with Swivel Bridge in the background. Morning mooring A narrowboat moored near Shugborough Hall on the Trent and Mersey canal, smoke comes from its solid fuel stove whilst the large tunnel light stares ahead. Bridge 99 Meadow Bridge The Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal despite being built as cheaply as possible didn't seem to mind spending money on its bridges. The rusty metal plate bottom left is a later addition to protect it from less skilled boaters who have a tendency to hit it. Filance lock Filance lock is just one of many on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. Most of the locks on this canal are around 10ft deep, an attempt the reduce costs by using fewer but bigger locks. Tixall lock house Like the vast majority of canal side accommodation this one on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal would at one time been for canal staff. And like the vast majority it was long ago sold to private owners. Busy day at the lock Whenever a boat approaches a lock it and its crew immediately become the day's entertainment. These watchers are known to canal folk as gongoozlers - or goozlers for short. No harm is meant by this and by far and away the majority of boaters are happy to explain to them how it all works and accept a push on the balance beams. Narrowboat at bridge 85 A narrowboat passing through bridge 85, Princefield Bridge on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. Leaning on the beam A lady working Colwich Lock, number 21, on the Trent and Mersey canal leans on the top gate beam. There is no rushing a lock and by leaning against the beam you can feel when the gate can be opened by the slight twitch it gives. A recent rain shower has left the beam wet and gently steaming in the sunshine that followed. Looking over lock 21 Colwich Lock, number 21, on the Trent and Mersey canal is in a wonderfully rural location with just one cottage beside it. The balance beams on the gates are normally much longer, literally balancing the weight of the gates and providing leverage. Here though there was not space for the normal length of beam so metal weights were added at the handles. Balances the beam nicely, but does nothing to help the missing leverage. Lock cottage Colwich Lock, number 21, on the Trent and Mersey canal is in a wonderfully rural location with just one cottage beside it. Unimaginatively called Lock Cottage. A recent downpour has lead to a darkened sky in the background whilst the following sun illuminated the lock and cottage. Ashford bridge 2 This delightful little bridge is in the village of Ashford in the Water in Derbyshire. A popular tourist spot in summer, particularly on a warm, sunny day. Ashford bridge This delightful little bridge is in the village of Ashford in the Water in Derbyshire. Most people photograph it from the other side as there is an easy path however a gentle paddle or careful use of small stepping stones gives this rather pleasing result. Saint Marys church 1 Saint Mary's, Dale Road is a delightful church with very attractive windows - it almost looks like someone has draped the roof tiles on which gives a pleasing curve to what would otherwise be a normal roof. Peak district barn The Peak District is littered with such barns. Too small to be of use in modern farming styles and planning permission being rarely granted for alternative uses they are just left to fall into disrepair. Tixall Gatehouse landscape This rather splendid gatehouse was built in 1580 to as part of the Tixall Hall estate and is all that remains - the hall itself was demolished in 1927. The gatehouse is a Grade 1 listed building, now in the care of the Landmark Trust and is available as a holiday hire, sleeping up to 6 people in style. Tixall Gatehouse portrait Great Haywood junction view Great Haywood junction is the meeting point of the Trent and Mersey and Staffordshire and Worcester canals, the motorway interchange of the day. A popular place for walkers and boaters alike and the base of a hire boat company. Great Haywood junction landscape Great Haywood junction portrait Canal boat line up All lined up and ready to go this is a small selection of the hire boats at Great Haywood junction, Staffordshire. Lock 73 Trent and Mersey Lock 73 on the Trent and Mersey canal is a short distance from Great Haywood junction. The building on the left here is an attractively located café with moorings available on the right. Resting at bridge 72 A narrowboat peacefully moored on the Trent and Mersey canal, bridge 72 in the background. In the absence of road signs bridge and lock numbers are used to locate places on the canal network. Swivel Bridge landscape Despite the name Swivel Bridge (bridge 108) is not in fact a swivel bridge, I am not sure if it ever was, but now it is the traditional accommodation bridge you see here. Swivel Bridge portrait Resting at Tixall Tixall Wide is a popular place for narrowboats on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal. Narrowboat at rest These boats are moored on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal, normally just called the Staffs and Worcs. This peaceful location is disturbed only by passing boats and walkers. Canal mooring 1 Just at the beginning of the Staffordshire and Worcester canal are these on line moorings where other than passing boaters and walkers peace and tranquillity Just at the beginning of the Staffordshire and Worcester canal are these on line moorings where other than passing boaters and walkers peace and tranquillity. Tixall wide aerial Tixall Wide or as it sometimes known Tixall Broad can be found on the Staffordshire and Worcester canal. It is as far as I know the only place full length narrowboat can do complete 360 turn. Dating back to the 1770s it was either a lake that the canal conveniently used or was dug at the insistence of the land owner at the time who granted permission to go through his land provided the canal looked like a lake from his mansion. Take your pick which version you wish to believe. I hold a CAA Permit for Commercial Operation to fly and sell work from my drone. Holy Trinity Ashford in the water 1 The Holy Trinity church is in Ashford in the Water a short distance from Bakewell in Derbyshire. The oldest part surviving dates to around 1205 and over the years of course it has seen additions, repairs and renovations. Ferry Bridge Burton 1 For many years the only way for workers living in Stapenhill to get to Burton on Trent was by ferry. After many deaths a bridge, Ferrby Bridge was built to cross the river and adjacent washlands. Heage Windmill Heage Windmill at Heage in Derbyshire is a beautifully and lovingly restored to working condition 6 sailed mill. Looked after by a small and dedicated team of volunteers it has recently undergone a £60,000 repair. Breedon church Originally the site of a monastery back in the 7th century it became a priory around 1120 AD before being surrendered for dissolution in November 1539. The church we see here - St Mary and St Hardulph, also known as Breedon Priory and Holy Hill Monastery is now Grade 1 Listed. I am a CAA licensed drone pilot - copy of permit is available on my web site. Ferry Bridge aerial 2 Opened in 1889 and re-opened after a major refurbishment in 2016 Ferry Bridge was enormously important as it replaced a ferry - hence ferry bridge - that caused both delays and risks to workers travelling to and from Burton on Trent and adjacent Stapenhill. I hold a CAA Permit for Commercial Operation to fly and sell work from my drone. Alrewas bridge 46 The pretty village of Alrewas in Staffordshire is bisected by the Trent and Mersey canal. This is one of the 4 bridges that now connect the two halves. Approaching Alrewas Travelling upstream from Wychnor the Trent and Mersey canal engineers made use of the River Trent for a short while and this necessitated a towpath bridge known as 1/4 mile bridge when the canal and rive split as the village of Alrewas was reached and the two went their separate ways. Lock 12 at Alrewas This little bypass weir is at lock 12 on the Trent and Mersey canal at Alrewas, Staffordshire. Bypass weirs allowed excess water from the pound (area between 2 locks) above to safely flow around the lock and to the lower pound. Several nettle stings were received getting the angle so you can see a narrowboat through the fence. Walking the bridge A couple recede into the distance on Quarter Mile bridge, Alrewas. This bridge carries the towpath across the River Trent as it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal. Approaching Alrewas 2 Quarter mile landscape I'm not sure if Quarter Mile bridge actually is a quarter of a mile, but that is what it is known as to boaters. Officially it is 45g on the Trent and Mersey canal. Effectively a single file path with a couple of small passing bays and it spans the River Trent as both a river and the returning flow from a mill stream. Quarter mile portrait I'm not sure if Quarter Mile bridge actually is a quarter of a mile, but that is what it is known as to boaters. Officially it is 45g on the Trent and Mersey canal. Effectively a single file path with a couple of small passing bays and it spans the River Trent as both a river and the returning flow from a mill stream Quarter Mile Bridge 1 I'm not sure if Quarter Mile bridge actually is a quarter of a mile, but that is what it is known as to boaters. Officially it is 45g on the Trent and Mersey canal. Effectively a single file path with a couple of small passing bays it spans the River Trent as both a river (on the right here) and the returning flow from a mill stream (on the left just to the right of the lock). I am a CAA licensed drone operator, copy of permit available on request. I'm not sure if Quarter Mile bridge actually is a quarter of a mile, but that is what it is known as to boaters. Officially it is 45g on the Trent and Mersey canal. Effectively a single file path with a couple of small passing bays and it spans the River Trent as both a river (nearest and to the right here) and the returning flow from a mill stream (in the middle of this image). The canal is to the left. I am a CAA licensed drone operator, copy of permit available on request. I'm not sure if Quarter Mile bridge actually is a quarter of a mile, but that is what it is known as to boaters. Officially it is 45g on the Trent and Mersey canal. Effectively a single file path with a couple of small passing bays and it spans the River Trent as both a river (furthest away) and the returning flow from a mill stream (in the middle of this image). The canal is in the foreground. I am a CAA licensed drone operator, copy of permit available on request. I'm not sure if Quarter Mile bridge actually is a quarter of a mile, but that is what it is known as to boaters. Officially it is 45g on the Trent and Mersey canal. Effectively a single file path with a couple of small passing bays and it spans the River Trent as both a river and the returning flow from a mill stream. The canalised River Trent is on the right in this image. Moorhen chick Just a couple of days old and with the remnants of its egg tooth this moorhen chick surely embodies A face only a mother could love. This image can be ordered on all of our products and for the purposes of coasters or clocks will be cropped. Female swan This swan is known to me as Mrs Sid. She built her nest just a few feet away from the back of my boat and after sitting on eggs hatched 4. This is only her second day off the nest and she very much appreciates the food we provide for her. steam control valves on a beam engine, claymills. Engine in motion so some motion blur at leading edges. Miner remembers Miner remembers This is a statue of a coal miner staring out into the distance. The small wooden cross and poppy someone has placed in his belt have been colour isolated. Fractal flower A computer generated repeating fractal pattern. Fractal 2 An entirely computer generated fractal pattern. Suspicious heron I went looking for a heron and having walked along countless jetties I'm not sure who was more surprised - me or the heron. Patient heron I went looking for a heron and having walked along countless jetties found one. In the typical one legged hunched over pose this one looks like it has already been in the water. Wren 3 The wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is a very active small bird, weighing around 10g - about half an ounce. This one has chosen to build under the front overhang of a boat roof. Wren leaving the nest The wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is a very active small bird, weighing around 10g - about half an ounce. This male has been building this nest for some weeks, however it will be one of several he builds in an attempt to woo a female. This one has chosen the build under the front overhang of a boat roof. This heron (Ardea cinerea) was later rewarded for its patience with a rather unfortunate pike (Esox lucius). The heron's simple technique is wait, then stab its beak through its prey skewer style. Wren nest building Heron and pike Nature in the raw. This heron (Ardea cinerea) was rewarded for its patience with this rather unfortunate pike (Esox lucius). The heron's simple technique is wait, then stab its beak through its prey skewer style. Heron and pike 2 Hard drive 2 Macro of a computer hard drive. Buxton Opera House Buxton Opera House remains a very popular venue for a variety of acts including plays, concerts, comedy acts and of course pantomimes. The Devonshire Hospital, Buxton Or at least it was the Devonshire Hospital. For many years it was famed as a joint replacement and physiotherapy specialist hospital but as hospital stays for joint replacements went from many weeks to just a few days the powers that be decided it was no longer viable. Now part of the University of Derby much of it remains open, including the famous hydrotherapy pool - but now as a part of the university, not a hospital. Buxton Opera House 2 Palace Hotel Buxton Sitting high above the town centre the Palace Hotel is a popular place to stay in the market town of Buxton. Victorian post box In Buxton, Derbyshire lives this rather splendid grade 2 listed post box. Created in 1866 in the Penfold design the VR marking is clearly visible on the front face. Still in daily use and its historical relevance is missed by the vast majority who walk past it. Golden eagle 2 The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) are fast, agile hunters who roam over quite large teritorries in search of small mammals and rodents which they capture with their large, sharp talons and for many years have been valued in the falconry community for their hunting prowess. An old light bulb glows, by today's standards at least - dimly, powered by a Siemens generator which is being driven by a steam engine. Frosty ropes A hard frost has settled upon the front mooring rope of a narrowboat, the white contrasting strongly against the bright colours of the boat. Cleethorpes rock A bright and colourful selection of seaside rock from Cleethorpes in the UK. Dakota ZA947 This Dakota has a long history having been built in 1942 and seeing active service in WW2 where it was used in troop drops. Now part of the BBMF it can be seen I the skies at a variety of events. Dakota ZA947 overhead Dakota ZA947 This Dakota has a long history having been built in 1942 and seeing active service in WW2 where it was used in troop drops. Now part of the BBMF it can be seen in the skies at a variety of events. Harvest Mouse The harvest mouse (micromys minutus) is a small, indeed the smallest European rodent. An agile climber using its prehensile tail it lives and feeds among long vegetation. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley was the 100th built of this design and like most locomotives went through a variety of number systems through its life. It was the first locomotive to run a scheduled service of over 100mph and on the maiden trip on 23rd May 1959 it achieved 112mph setting the official post war record. Sir Nigel Gresley 2 Sleeping Tiger An Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in the early morning sun, asleep - or is it - Tigers are an apex predator - top of the food chain and the largest surviving members of the big cats. Exchange arcade, Nottingham Inside the Exchange Arcade, Nottingham. Another of my if you wait long enough you'll get a clear shot images. Sibsey Trader Windmill Sibsey Trader Windmill is in the English county of Lincolnshire and is a six sailed, six storey mill. In working order it mills on selected dates. Built in 1877 it was in it's day leading edge technology Ironbridge 2 Ironbridge, famous throughout the world. Constructed from as the name suggests, iron in 1779 and opened on New Year's Day 1781. Its span of 30 metres provides safe passage across the river Severn below. Glasswing butterfly The Glasswing butterfly (Greta oto) lacks the coloured scales that give other butterflies their distinctive patterns. This means that unlike the 'normal' butterflies the wings of the Glasswing are see-through and this strategy helps them evade predation as prey animals literally see straight through them. Aethelflaed This statue of Aethelflaed and her nephew who later became King Athelstan sits at the foot of Tamworth castle. Possibly simultaneously one of the most influential and forgotten ladies in English history Aethelflaed, daughter of King Alfred the Great was often known as Queen of Mercia and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful female rulers of the time. The Scallop As with many other modern art installations The Scallop by a local artist Maggi Hambling has not met with the universal approval of the Aldeburgh residents. Standing approximately 15ft tall and made of stainless steel it has been vandalised many times since it was placed in 2003. Aldeburgh Lifeboat The RNLI Aldeburgh lifeboat on its carriage and ready for the call to action. Lifeboat bow An RNLI lifeboat on its carriage and ready for the call to action. Waleswood Built in 1906 and operated in Waleswood colliery - hence the name. A 0-4-0 saddle tank it has undergone several restorations and rebuilds, the latest of which has seen it return to active service on the Chasewater railway in Cannock, Staffordshire. This image was taken from the adjacent public footpath. Locomotive 08359 This charming little diesel locomotive is one of just under 1,000 of its type built. It is a diesel electric and like many such engines moves from preserved line to preserved line so is well known to enthusiasts. Seen here at Chasewater, Cannock, Staffordshire and taken from the adjacent footpath. I came across this small suitcase at the top of a stack and resisted the urge to open it. I know nothing of its history but it looks to have had a pretty tough life so far. Weight for it Sometimes the simplest of things can be so pleasing. I've no idea how many times I've walked or driven past this - but today I stopped a while - and weighted. I found this rather simple yet pleasing table decoration in a small church. The brightness of the display against the simple wooden background makes for an easy on the eye image. Piel Island panoramic A view of Piel Island at Barrow in Furness as seen from South Walney. The handle of a lifeboat with clear instructions on how to open Mooring post The stainless steel mooring post and attachment on a small lifeboat. A beautiful piece of engineering designed to save lives. Vita Nova 4 The Vita Nova (new life) - Z588 started life as a Belgian trawler in 1967. She subsequently spent some time in Ireland before being de-commissioned and bought by a family to live on. It came to grief, being washed ashore in the winter of 2014/15 and has been slowly decaying ever since. This is a composite of my photo (the boat) and a free to use image from Pixabay (sky). Furness Abbey 5 Furness Abbey - also known as St Mary of Furness was once the second most powerful and of course wealthy in the country (Fountains being the first). It was destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1537 during the reformation. I am a CAA licensed drone operator - details can be verified on the CAA website. The Vita Nova (new life) - Z588 started life as a Belgian trawler in 1967. She subsequently spent some time in Ireland before being de-commissioned and bought by a family to live on. It came to grief, being washed ashore in the winter of 2014/15 and has been slowly decaying ever since. Talacre sunset Talacre beach is in Flintshire, Wales and overlooks the Irish sea. This lighthouse is properly known as Point of Ayr and was built in 1776 and fell into disuse in 1884. Four falls walk waterfall 4 This beautiful waterfall is in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. An energetic walk very well worth the effort. Piel Island Piel island is approximately 50 acres and lies off the coast of Barrow in Furness. The castle is currently in the hands of English Heritage though not open to the public. There is a public house and the landlord has the official title of 'King of Piel'. It can be visited during the summer via a ferry or on very low tides - a walkway. I am a CAA licensed drone operator and this can be verified on the CAA web site. Piel Island Castle On an island of approximately 50 acres sits the remains of Piel Castle. In the car of English Heritage it is no longer open to the public, however as you need to catch a small ferry to Piel Island where there is one pub and a few cottages it isn't exactly on the beaten track. Vita Nova The Vita Nova - Z588 started life as a Belgian trawler in 1967. She subsequently spent some time in Ireland before being de-commissioned and bought by a family to live on. It came to grief, being washed ashore in the winter of 2014/15 and has been slowly decaying ever since. Walney lighthouse Still in service the Walney lighthouse we see here was completed in 1804. It remained virtually unchanged until 1903 when it was converted to run on acetylene, then the advent of electric light saw another upgrade in 1953. In 2003 it was automated and thus bought to a close manned lighthouses in the UK. urness Abbey - also known as St Mary of Furness was once the second most powerful and of course wealthy in the country (Fountains being the first). It was destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1537 during the reformation. I am a CAA licensed drone operator - details can be verified on the CAA website. Iris the railcar Iris is a wonderfully restored Derby Lightweight diesel railcar and can be found at work on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Now running as M79900. Talacre lighthouse textured Brecon woodland walk This is a relaxing image of a path through the Brecon Beacons National Park. Part of the 'Four Falls' walk it is described as 'strenuous' - they aren't kidding. St Mary Magdalene The parish church of St Mary Magdalene in Newark, Nottinghamshire - a medieval church built on an impressive scale. Ferry cross the Mersey A view of Liverpool from the mooring ropes of the Mersey ferry Royal Iris - cruise liner Discovery at the quayside preparing for her next cruise. Handsome giraffe A gorgeous giraffe doing what giraffes do best - looking down on humans holding cameras. This is a rope drum and hook from an overhead crane that was used inside a victorian industrial machinery room. Used to lift machinery parts it is now slowly gathering dust and cobwebs. XL 568 Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter was a sub-sonic jet fighter plane that also saw service as a fighter / bomber and latterly a reconnaissance plane. This image is of Hawker Hunter XL 586 which first took to the skies in 1958 and served with several squadrons, eventually retiring in 2002 when it became a display item at Cosford air museum. A composite of two of my original images. XG337 Lightning An image of an English Electric Lightning XG337 performing a vertical climb. Although not capable of a true vertical take off it could - and did do vertical climbs pretty much as soon as it left the ground reaching 30,000 feet in 2 minutes. It was the UK's first supersonic aircraft - capable of sustained supersonic flight without needing afterburners to do so and reached Mach 2 in 1958. A composite of two of my original images. Gloster Javelin XA564 XA564 is the sole remaining Mk1 Javelin in the UK. This image is a composite of 2 original images to show what it would have looked like in flight. Fallow deer fawn A fallow deer fawn resting in grass. Fallow deer doe A fallow deer doe resting in grass. Asian short clawed otter Asian short clawed otter Amblonyx cinereus - amazingly cute, very vocal and an amazing stone juggler. Dinmore Manor 7820 Dinmore Manor, 7820 is a 4-6-0 steam locomotive built in 1950 by British Railways working until she was withdrawn in 1965 then effectively sold for scrap. Several changes of hands took pace before restoration at Tyesley, returning to steam in 1995. Seen here on the North Norfolk railway at Weybourne. Dinmore Manor in motion Rope on the tiller Several turns of white rope neatly around a polished wooded tiller on a boat at Overy Staith. Valentine heart Snow time A simple, cheerful montage of Christmas decorations to make you smile put together from my original images for fun. An ideal mug design but would also work on canvas, print and mouse mat. Malachite butterfly The malachite butterfly (Siproeta stelene) is native to the tropics of central America and has an attractive chocolate and lime colourway. It feeds mainly on rotting fruit and nectar and has a typical wingspan of 3 - 4 inches. Snow ho ho A cheerful snowman with a gentle flurry of snowflakes - a lovely simple Christmas image. Be aware that if ordered on clocks or round coasters some of the snowflakes may be 'lost' at the edges. When getting up in the morning is just too much effort and the sun needs to take a rest on a tree. Elvaston Castle Elvaston Castle was once the seat of the Harrington family and now in the hands of Derbyshire County Council. It has long stood mainly empty as plans for its future have come and gone - the only part in regular use is a tea room. The white structure on the roof is a greenhouse - a relic of the days when gentlefolk collected and grew rare specimens of plant. Clough and Taylor 1 Outside the Pride Park stadium is this bronze statue celebrating the partnership that Clough and Taylor had that included the 1972 league championship. Westminster bridge bus A long exposure coupled with a rear curtain flash give the iconic London Transport red bus a see through effect as it crosses Westminster bridge with the houses of parliament behind. A pumpkin carved for Halloween. Waterfall at Lumsdale Lumsdale is now a beautiful secluded valley in Derbyshire situated between Chesterfield and Matlock. In its heyday though it was a bustling centre of industry as the steep sided valley provided a fast flowing and powerful stream that was harvested to power several mills producing a range of goods A typical church style nativity scene depicting Mary and Joseph with the new born Jesus. Christmas tree decorated A Christmas tree decorated with lights, tinsel and baubles. A Christmas tree decorated with lights, tinsel and baubles - and an angel. The cross on the hill A Christian style cross on the hillside, Llanddwyn Island, Anglesey, Wales. Bathampton bridge 2 A pretty, nine arch, grade2 listed bridge over the Avon dating back to 1872. It is single track and to this day is still subject to a toll as it is in private ownership. Farleigh Down Sidings 1 A tunnel linked the Monkton Farleigh Central Ammunition Depot to the railway sidings, it was loaded in to carts and sorted in a yard below ground. The shells would then work their way on a mile-long conveyor belt, up the hillside to the CAD in Monkton Farleigh. Pulteney Bridge The rather splendid Pulteney Bridge in Bath spans the Avon. Designed by Robert Adam in a Palladian style and completed in 1774 it is home to shops on both sides of its span and innumerable pigeons. The baths of Bath Getting there early is about the only chance you have of capturing this façade of the King's and Queen's baths in Bath The present Bath Abbey (the original was ruined after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 by order of Henry VIII), was completed in 1611. It is the starting point for most of the local tour guides and during daylight getting a clear shot is pretty much impossible. Abbey Street Bath A light sprinkling of rain gives the cobbled Abbey Street in Bath an attractive reflective quality. North Parade Passage The centre of Bath has many small cobbled streets and this one with the artificial light giving a softness and the rain on the cobbles creates a rather beautiful image. Lioness stare This beautiful lioness (panthera leo) is seen enjoying the morning sun. Averaging between 1.4 - 2m and weighing in at between 120 - 190kg lions are apex predators - they have no natural predators and are the only members of the big cat family to form social groups. A bowl of pears A simple still life image of a bowl of pears on a wooden table with a gently soft background. Long before the days of large industry the grinding of seeds and herbs was done by hand - a long and slow process that would soon make you appreciate convenience foods. Leeks on the menu A simple still life of some leeks on a wooden table. An ideal image for a kitchen or restaurant wall. A simple still life of a selection of vegetables in a basket on a wooden counter top. A beautiful image to grace kitchens and restaurant areas alike. Dandelion clock square One of nature's most impressive seed dispersal systems the dandelion (Taraxacum erythrospermum) has entertained children for years as a 'clock' whilst spreading its seeds far and wide. St Matthew's church Morley In the small Derbyshire village of Morley you will find this rather splendid, though sadly rarely open church. As ever an exact build date is elusive 1378 seems to hold most sway. Dandelion clock portrait Thistle down Sometimes the most overlooked of things are once you look, incredible. This is a single thistle head, turned to seed and will shortly set free countless potential new thistle plants. Police call box A police call box - thousands were made and were a common sight but they are more famous for their association with a time travelling explorer. Now just a handfull remain, this one in Glasgow being a fine example. Cockatrice window The Cockatrice is a mythical creature, a serpent with the head of a cockerel. Able to destroy animals (except for some unknown reason the weasel) or vegetation with a stare or it's breath. It could be destroyed by use of a mirror whereby it would attack its own reflection. This image is based on a stained glass window and as such shows the 'imperfections' in colours and shades you can expect in something several hundred years old. Popinjay One of those old words that seems to have gathered several meanings through time. Poppinjay was a once common name for a parrot but is also used as an insult, implying someone is all noise and show but very little substance. This example is on a church window but has been heavily processed to produce the image you see here. The guide at the church tells me the Popinjay was a mythical creature and this window is many hundreds of years old so possibly Popinjay as a mythincal animal pre-dates other uses of the word. Down the aisles - portrait St Modwen's church, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, UK. Dating back to 1726 this church stands on the site of an earlier one and was for many years the only church in Burton. Giraffe chewing the cud mono A handsome giraffe doing what giraffes do. Also available in colour Sax in the zone A street musician clearly getting into the zone and enjoying the moment. Heage Windmill is a working windmill in the village of Heage, Derbyshire. There were once some 88 such tower mills in Derbyshire - this one alone is in working condition. None shall pass A small dragon gaurding the stairs with a decided None shall pass attitutude. Another of my warped mind creations combining two original images plus several digital effects. Snow leopards have evolved particularly long, dense tails that they use as a kind of draught stopper / scarf when resting / sleeping. Nash Point lighthouse Nash Point lighthouse, Wales. A rather lovely giraffe just chewing things over. Also available as a mono version. Tulip against the wall A single red tulip against a white washed brick wall. A field full of red poppies. Red poppies A cluster of beautiful red poppies in a field. Cut flowers in an earthenware jug The old Oak A single oak tree in a field waiting for spring. Uriel's window Tall panoramic of Uriel's Window - a stained glass window over a century old. Please note this is a very old window, it is not 'sharp' and has a very 'long' apsect ratio meaning it will not fill a mug - the design would be repeated on both sides. Middlewich salt factory For over 50 years there has been a salt processing plant at Middlewich and although it has seen many changes of ownership the site continues to produce a wide range of salt products. Red clover (Trifolium Pratense) is so often regarded as a weed yet is not only a fabulous food source for many insects but a valuable food for humans who can be bothered as well as being a great nitrogen fixer that is popular amongst farmers. Known by more names than is good for it the Milk Thistle - Silybum marianum is a common weed or flower depending on your point of view. Famous of course as being the flower of Scotland it is also well known for being extremely prickly as anyone who has ever tried picking one will testify. This image is the result of a 13 image focus stack. When you take the time to look the simple white clover Trifolium repens is a stunningly beautiful piece of nature that so many people see as a weed. Each 'flower' is made up of many, many smaller flowers - something that I have tried to show in this focus stacked image. Orange Marigold Marigolds are one of those delightfully bright and cheerful flowers that liven up any flower bed. This image is of a single bloom I found that had become detached from the parent plant. Lily Casa Blanca 1 Close up image of a rather lovely Lilium Casa Blanca. A beautiful and fragrant flower with large white petals and orange / brown pollen. Mrs Duck - square A rather cute duck - a regular visitor to my home where she brings her growing family for free food. Also available in landscape format. Mrs Duck - landscape A rather cute duck - a regular visitor to my home where she brings her growing family for free food. Also available in square format. Lioness hunting A lioness looking for lunch Three little piggies Three little piggies dreaming in the sun Giraffe chewing the cud A Rothschild's giraffe just doing what giraffes do. Giraffe in black and white A rather lovely giraffe just chewing things over. The Peak District of Derbyshire has many, many such abandoned barns. Planners won't allow conversion to accommodation, farmers don't need them - so they are left to fall down. Amur tiger fractal An original image of mine processed with a fractal filter Grey heron in the reeds The Grey Heron, is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae and is native throughout temperate Europe. They feed mainly on fish but will also take small amphibians if the opportunity arises. A shaggy highland cow - a 'coo' if you prefer doing what cows do best - eating grass and ignoring photographers. Common Knapweed 1 Common Knapweed, also known as Black Napweed (Centaurea nigra) is a hardy wildflower that is popular with many insects and birds and can be found widely across the UK. Beyond the pail A gritty mono conversion of an old milk pail on a quarry tile floor Spiral stairs mono Dark and eerie sprial staircase Up the stairs An abandoned building, stairs lit by a window and the pattern made on the floor by the sun Up the stairs with light beam An abandoned building, stairs lit by a window, light beams lead to the floor Looking up and into a very old room with fallen ceiling and light entering from the left. Peak District Barn Mono The Peak District of derbyshire has many, many such abandoned barns. Planners won't allow conversion to accommodation, farmers don't need them - so the yare left to fall down. A couple of rusty old horse shoes against weather worn wooden boarding Abandoned faith A disused church in the Lincolnshire countryside. This isn't distortion here - the building really does lean in an interesting variety of ways Three little flower pots, all in a row Is she trapped, is she not either way this image of a young lady, face unseen, looking out through a grime ridden window is a little mystery all of its own. Danger - Keep Out A derelict building with a warning suggesting that maybe keeping out would be a good idea Fairground dodgems The tourist season is yet to start and the dodgem cars on this fairground sit neatly arranged by the back wall. Golden Eagle at rest Shire horse and lady cart Here we see the Shire Horse Ebony at a country show pulling a 'Lady cart'. Young Bald Eagle 1 Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Despite the name bald eagles aren't - their head feathers are white but this is a juvenile and won't grow that distinctive white head until around 5 years old. With a wing span of up to 8 feet and feeding on pretty much everything from carrion to fish it is an opportunistic feeder. Vicky Leigh 2 The vessel Vicky Leigh LL273 at Ferryside, Carmarthenshire. I've not been able to find much out about it other than it seems to have been there since 2014. This is one of a series of images I have of the vessel. Rusty chains A whacky jumble of rusty chains creates a pleasingly simple yet somehow complex pattern. Miners of Rugeley On a roundabout known locally as 'Globe Island' are four concrete statues each around 9ft tall commemorating the 115 miners who lost their lives in the Lee Hall and Brereton collieries. Each statue represents a different era, one from the 1930s, one from the 1950s, a rescue miner and a mine Deputy. The Rugeley sign is adjacent to the roundabout. This is a montage created from 5 of my original images. The hermit's cross Somewhere around 1130 AD or so the story goes a Derby baker known as Cornelius saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in which he was told to come here and worship God. He dug this hermitage out of the sandstone and included a carved cross then lived here for some 20 years before moving to a nearby more conventional dwelling. Green Woodpecker The European Green Woodpecker (Picus Viridis) is often seen as here, amongst grass where it hunts one of its major prey - ants. Although it does create holes on trees it does so for nesting rather than feeding purposes. Dale Abbey Nearly all that remains of Dale Abbey (the other remains are in a private garden) a victim of Henry the eight's land and fund grab. Given its historical importance the access to it is rather hidden and little visited. The old oil can A rather cute (in an industrial kind of way) oiling can bearing the name 'Braimes of Leeds'. These little cans bought fame to the company and are now sought after by collectors. Railway coupling hook Seen on an old railway wagon coupling hooks and chain links were, and indeed still are an integral part of the rail system. As the paint and wood slowly decay around it, the hook and chain remain comparatively untouched by time. Hemlock Stone As ever with such things no one actually knows why this is called the Hemlock Stone, though of course theories abound based on old punctuations and long lost words. On 3 June 2002 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II a large bonfire was lit on the top of Hemlock Stone as part of the worldwide chain of 2,006 beacons. Spitfire MK356 swoop Here is that most beautiful piece of aero engineering - the Spitfire. This is the BBMF Spitfire Mk LF IXe MK356 seen here sporting desert camouflage and the squadron code QJ3 representing a Spitfire Mk IX of 92 Squadron in Tunisia in 1943. This is a composite of two of my own original images. Spitfire MK356 Seen here is that most beautiful piece of aero engineering - the Spitfire. This is the BBMF Spitfire Mk LF IXe MK356 seen here sporting desert camouflage and the squadron code QJ3 representing a Spitfire Mk IX of 92 Squadron in Tunisia in 1943. This is a composite of two of my own original images. The hermit's cave Somewhere around 1130 AD or so the story goes a Derby baker known as Cornelius saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in which he was told to come here and worship God. He dug this hermitage out of the sandstone and then lived here for some 20 years before moving to a nearby more conventional dwelling. Mumbles old lifeboat station This is the now disused lifeboat station at Mumbles in Wales, left vacant after the RNLI moved to their new base just a few yards away. As ever with these things plans are afoot to re-develop. In this image it is home to countless gulls nesting. Landing the catch The Celtic Spirit lands its catch of crabs at New Quay harbour in Wales. How much fresher do you want Ermol 6 Ermol 6 is one of the dolphin watch trip boats operated by the aptly named Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips at New Quay in wales. Seen here as it has just left the harbour on its way out on a cruise. These lobster / crab pots seem very new, perhaps waiting for their first outing. Seen here at New Quay, Wales. View from Pennard Castle portrait Perched on the top of a valley and overlooking 3 Cliffs Bay in South Wales are the remains of Pennard Castle. To its north and west are the kind of sheer drop that would thwart even a goat, but sadly not sand. It seems the sand blowing up into and around the castle finally led to it being abandoned around the end of the 14th century. This image is also available as a square orientation. View from Pennard Castle square Perched on the top of a valley and overlooking 3 Cliffs Bay in South Wales are the remains of Pennard Castle. To its north and west are the kind of sheer drop that would thwart even a goat, but sadly not sand. It seems the sand blowing up into and around the castle finally led to it being abandoned around the end of the 14th century. This image is also available as a portrait orientation. Pennard Castle gateway Perched on the top of a valley and overlooking 3 Cliffs Bay in South Wales are the remains of Pennard Castle. To its north and west are the kind of sheer drop that would thwart even a goat, but sadly not sand. It seems the sand blowing up into and around the castle finally led to it being abandoned around the end of the 14th century. Vicky Leigh cabin The vessel Vicky Leigh LL273 at Ferryside, Carmarthenshire. I've not been able to find much out about it other than it seems to have been there since 2014. This is one of a series of images I have of the vessel Vicky Leigh aft Drop the anchor A rusty chain leads down into the blue green waters of New Quay harbour and the shadow of a small boat. LL273 mono The vessel Vicky Leigh LL273 at Ferryside, Carmarthenshire. I've not been able to find much out about it other than it seems to have been there since 2014. Processed to add grain, grit and an atmosphere of abandonment. This is one of a series of images I have of the vessel including a colour version of this. The water tower steps I am guessing this is abandoned - an old water tower near Pennard Castle, Wales. I was fascinated by the angles, the rust - in fact everything about it. This is just one of a series I have for sale. Dennis Lancet vintage bus 1950 Dennis Lancet III bus with Park Royal body. This image was taken in full coloour and edited to create a more contemporary look. Original colour is also available. A roll of film, broken open and exposed. 1950 Dennis Lancet III bus with Park Royal body Low Lighthouse 2 This is Low Lighthouse at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, UK. Standing on 9 piles, mainly wood but with some metal reinforcements it stands all of 11m (36ft) with the light being at 7m (23ft). It is there to warn seafarers of the dangers of the constantly shifting sands. I am CAA licensed for commercial drone operation. Horse chestnut candle The flowers of the Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) tree are often called candles. The tree produces both male and female flowers and of course the 'fruit' is our much beloved conker. The Roundhouse mono Despite the name the Roundhouse is actually hexagonal and was originally a toll house. Located at Stanton Drew in Somerset it is listed as a world heritage site. This image has been created from an original of mine, edited to remove anything modern then converted to mono. The colour version is also available. The Roundhouse aged Despite the name the Roundhouse is actually hexagonal and was originally a toll house. Located at Stanton Drew in Somerset it is listed as a world heritage site. This image has been created from an original of mine and edited to remove anything modern. A mono version is also available. Low Lighthouse seaward This is the seaward side of Low Lighthouse at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, UK. Standing on 9 piles, mainly wood but with some metal reinforcements it stands all of 11m (36ft) with the light being at 7m (23ft). It is there to warn seafarers of the dangers of the constantly shifting sands. Low Lighthouse landward This is the landward side of Low Lighthouse at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset, UK. Standing on 9 piles, mainly wood but with some metal reinforcements it stands all of 11m (36ft) with the light being at 7m (23ft). It is there to warn seafarers of the dangers of the constantly shifting sands. Ashton windmill Situated in the English county of Somerset Ashton windmill is a typical tower mill that was used up until 1927. After being unused for many years it has been restored and is open (volunteers willing) most Sundays throughout summer. The avenue at Avebury Avebury is famous for its stone circle, but not so many know of 'the avenue' - exactly that, an avenue formed by a long row of standing stones which can be seen here amongst the flowers that carpet the floor. Curious cows I stopped to photograph a nearby windmill and these cows couldn't resist coming to see what I was doing. Proud cockerel I believe this to be a French Black Copper Marans cockerel. Very inquisitive and they will approach you quite closely if you drop anything nearby - even a blade of grass despite them being stood on grass - they will come to take a look. The eggs are a very distinct chocolate / copper colour. Looking down Caen Hill The Caen Hill flight of locks is a major feat of canal engineering twice over - once when it was originally completed in 1810 but later fell into disrepair before being fully restored largely by volunteer fund raising and labour after it was closed to boat traffic in 1951. Overall there are some 29 locks in total on the flight, but this group of 16 are the most famous. Caen Hill lock 38 This delightful little bridge and lower lock gate on 38 forms a typical canal scene. The Caen Hill flight of locks is a major feat of canal engineering twice over - once when it was originally completed in 1810 but later fell into disrepair before being fully restored largely by volunteer fund raising and labour after it was closed to boat traffic in 1951. Overall there are some 29 locks in total on the flight, but this group of 16 are the most famous. Looking up Caen Hill A stained glass window depicting a biblical scene of Adam and Eve. Please note this image is only suited to canvas / print sizes 8X12, 16X24, 20X30 and 24X36 as well as all mugs. It is not suitable for coasters or mouse mat. Low Lighthouse Squinty bridge, Glasgow Known to the locals of Glasgow as Squinty Bridge - officially the Clyde Arc spans the river Clyde in Glasgow Portland Bill 2 Portland Bill is one of many lighthouses on the UK. Its four flash every twenty seconds and distinctive red and white candy stripe has been aiding navigation since 1906 and remains active today. At a height of 135 feet it can been seen for around 25 nautical miles. Fradley Wharf crane Once a bustling hive of commercial activity now a popular place to spend a few hours as a goozler (sight seer) Fradley Junction is one of those places that exists purely because of the canal junction where the Coventry meets the Trent and Mersey. Trefusis GY242 at Glasson Dock Trefusis was a trawler and is now moored at Glasson Dock which marks the end of the Lancaster Canal as it reaches the river Lune. The dock is still in use both commercially and for pleasure craft alike, the boat is in private ownership. English Bluebell There are several types of Bluebell, the native 'English' Bluebell and a garden escapee Spanish type, confused by the interbreeding of both leading to a series of hybrids. I am of the view this is a native Hyacinthoides non-scripta. One way or another though they remain a thing of beauty. Please note - if you order this image on a coaster it will be cropped to make a sqaure. Accommodation Bridge When the canals were built they often quite literally cut through farm land leaving farmers and their animals with the problem if getting from one side to the other. The bridges that were built to overcome this were done so to accommodate the farm needs and hence are called accommodation bridges. Canal Bridge 56 Just one of many small bridges over the Trent and Mersey canal, this one is on the stretch between Fradley junction and Rugeley. The crab pots Seen at Skipool Creek this old and possibly somewhat past its best crab pot sits high and dry. Surely a sign of spring, a carpet of bluebells in a small wooded area. This blossom is just one of countless thousands an apple tree produces as part of the cycle of nature. Portland Bill The Henge Shop Mention the words stone circle and most people will think of Stonehenge but Avebury in Wiltshire, UK is home to a very large, indeed the largest stone circle in the country. Atlantic splash Here we see one of several now abandoned cranes at Portland on the Dorset coast of England. Stone from here has been used in formal buildings far and wide including the UK Houses of Parliament and the UN Headquarters. Bournemouth Pier 1 Bournemouth is a seaside town on the south coast of England. The pier was opened by the Lord Mayor of London in 1880 and was at that time 838 feet long. Two extensions in 1894 and 1909 saw this reach 1,000 feet. Looking up at Portland Bill Bald Eagle 2 The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a handsome bird - assuming of course that you are not anything it wishes to eat. Feeding mainly on fish, which it scoops up from the surface of the water in mid flight it will also scavenge on carrion. Green Tree Python The green tree python Morelia virdis is native to the rainforests of Australia and Papua New Guinea. It is a carnivore, living on a diet of small mammals and reptiles and has a life expectancy of around 20 years. Eastern Blue Tongued Skink Native to Australia the eastern blue tongued skink, Tiliqua scincoides scincoides is an omnivore that can grow up to around 40cm and has a lifespan around 15 - 20 years. Bearded Dragon 1 A popular pet in the UK Bearded Dragons Pogona vitticeps can grow up to around 2ft long, with around half that being their tail. They have a life expectancy of up to 30 years. Originating in sub saharan Africa Savannah Monitors - Varanus exanthematicus are carnivores that feed on a mix of small vertebrates and invertebrates, or in other words - whatever they can catch. Hunted for their skins and the world wide pet trade. Fradley Junction 1 Fradley Junction is where the Trent and Mersey Canal meets the Coventry Canal and continues to be a busy place popular with boaters and walkers alike. The crane here on the left was hand operated and was used to load the maintenance boats in the days when it was a working yard. Fradley for lunch Fradley Junction is a very popular place for walkers. It has everything you need for a nice day out, car park, toilets, decent paths and of course somewhere to get tea and cake. The pleasure boat Mariah has moored to take on fresh water. The Swan AKA Mucky Duck At the Junction of the Trent and Mersey Canal and Coventry Canal you find an icon of the waterways - The Swan. For whatever reason it is known far and wide as 'The Mucky Duck'. This image taken from my 5 metre pole which gives a slightly different view. The boat is registered as 'Cambro' - a 60 ft private narrowboat Dazzle Ship Whilst on land camouflage is an attempt to blend in with your surroundings, on sea confusing 'Dazzle' paint was tried. The idea was the whacky shapes and colours caused confusion for the gun aimers. This ship - Edmund Gardner was a pilot vessel and was painted like this by Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez as a modern art piece. These days of course the computers do not care what colour the target is. Liverpool Mountain An art installation by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone at the Albert Docks, Liverpool. Standing around 10m high and brightly coloured it does, we are told, draw inspiration from the many cultures who toil to create structures out of rocks. CMS Warrior Tug The tug you see here is CMS Warrior and was doing battle with some pretty strong winds on the Mersey with added rain and hail. Weighing in at a little over 160 tonnes she is a Damen ASD 3210 and one of the vessels operated by Clyde Marine Services Smit Barbados Tug The tug Smit Barbados does battle with headwinds on the River Mersey. Built in 2007 and weighing in at a mere 294 tonnes she's a comparative lightweight and is classified as a harbour tug. Dark tunnel A very long, dimly lit tunnel receding into the distance The Fallow Deer (Dama dama) is a grazing animal that can be seen in mixed woodland and open grassland alike and so can be seen in many parts of the UK. Typical lifespan of 12 - 16 years. This one has looked up mid chew and has grass on the end of its nose. California Sea Lion landscape Sea Lions are fantastic swimmers and are also very intelligent. The California Sea Lion - Zalophus californianus have been used by the US Navy for military operations. They have been recorded as diving to around 900ft and can stay underwater for some 9 minutes but more typically stay submerged for just 2 -3 minutes at a time. California Sea Lion square An Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in the early morning sun - Tigers are an apex predator - top of the food chain and the largest surviving members of the big cats. Bald Eagle square Wolf in the mist A solitary Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) moves towards us through a light mist. Church in silhouette Silhouette of a church against sunset Eden Project at night The Eden Project in Cornwall looks enchanting in the winter cool light, enhanced by a multi colour display XH558 Vulcan This image was taken as XH558 had landed at Robin Hood airfield following a flight from Prestwick. This flight was unusual in as much as the entire journey was made with undercarriage down following an earlier failure. The Grey Heron is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae and is native throughout temperate Europe. They feed mainly on fish but will also take small amphibians and baby birds if the opportunity arises. Canal bridge in the mist Bridge 22 on the Trent and Mersey canal, Derbyshire, UK. Canal bridges are numbered much like road junctions and are pretty much the only way to work out where you are as even canals that 'go through' towns and cities often do so at the very edges. Yellow crocus flower The crocus is a small and beautiful spring flower in many colours, yellow, purple and white being most common. This little yellow crocus was growing on a grassy bank in Nottinghamshire UK. Let sleeping tigers be. Despite appearances this seemingly sleeping tiger was instantly alert whenever something brightly coloured and child sized came near. Sumatran tiger A long abandoned drinking water fountain. Hand painted lettering and you can even see the pencil guide lines that the sign writer used. St Michael and the devil Adorning an exterior wall of the new Coventry Cathedral is this rather imposing artwork by artist Jacob Epstein depicting St Michael defeating the Devil. Tetramorph Or to give it the full name Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph. It is reputedly one of the largest single piece tapestries in the world, being approximately 24 X 12 metres. It hangs on the north wall of Coventry cathedral and weighs just over 1 tonne. Originally hung in 1962 at the opening of the new cathedral the work was restored in 2015. Moorhens are normally regarded as being water or wading birds but the do spend a lot of time out of water as they are omnivores, eating pretty much everything from reeds and berries through to insects, snails and small fish. Stenson lock This is a rather spectacular sunrise at Stenson Lock on the Trent and Mersey canal, Derbyshire Time stood still 1 Many, many years ago this clock showed the correct time to factory workers, since it has stopped it now only shows the correct time but twice a day. This image is also available as a square format, ideally suited to coasters. Many, many years ago this clock showed the correct time to factory workers, since it has stopped it now only shows the correct time but twice a day. This image is also available as a landscape format, ideally suited to canvas, prints, mugs and mouse mats. British flag. Windmill fan The fan on a windmill is an ingenious device that via a series of rods and cogs keeps the cap facing the wind without the miller having to keep moving it manually Bangour hospital mono The long abandoned Bangour hospital, once a role model for treatment, now a collection of slowly decaying buildings The Falkirk wheel is an impressive engineering masterpiece that uses two counterbalanced chambers in such a way only minimal electrical energy is used to raise and lower boats. Derby swing bridge There are long term plans to make the river through Derby navigable once more and this pedestrain swing bridge forms part of those plans Clerk's door Long abandoned the door to the clerk's office. Over time damp and age have combined to cause the layers of wood to separate and cause the wrinkled pattern you see here. Abandoned hospital bed A long abandoned hospital style bed complete with IV drip stand in a room with slowly peeling paintwork. This image has a digital filter applied to give a harsh, gritty feel. Tower bridge drama Tower Bridge in London taken late evening with no traffic. Digitally processed to increase the drama created by the low and unusual point of view. Bamboo window Decorative window in a bamboo covered wall Brewood church Officially known as The Church of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Chad this beautiful church has a history spanning over 700 years and not surprisingly for a building of this age has seen several expansions, repairs and renovations. Canal side fingerboard This charming fingerboard will be instantly recognised by anyone who has had the pleasure of boating at Great Haywood. Here the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal ends as it meets the Trent and Mersey. Roker lighthouse 4 Roker lighthouse stands at the end of Roker Pier - a magnificent piece of engineering that between them took 18 years to complete. It guards the entrance to the harbour at Sunderland and the stripes are created by different rocks, not paint as is more traditional. Whitburn windmill Built in the 18th century Whitburn windmill was restored, complete with sails by South Tyneside council in the early 1990s. Its position now amongst a small housing estate seems a little odd, but at the time of construction of course it would have stood in splendid isolation Souter lighthouse despite its name is actually on Lizard Point in the village of Marsden and was the first to be designed to use the new fangled AC electricity. Decommissioned in 1988 it is now a popular tourist attraction Bratch Locks high 1 Bratch Locks are on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal. Looking closely shows the tops of the paddle gear colour coded red and blue - this is to help boaters operate the lock paddles in the right order. Bratch Locks wide angle Roker pier 2 Reaching 2,000 feet out into the sea Roker Pier is seen here in the afternoon sunlight. Forming a safe way into Sunderland harbour the entire construction of pier and lighthouse was completed in 1903. Danger 1 I'm not entirely sure what the danger is - or was - but this seriously rusted and bolted shut gate complete with unique lettering makes it pretty clear that you are not going in. Bratch Locks aged Intentionally a little 'soft' this subtly toned and aged image shows Bratch Locks which are on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and look at first glance to be staircase locks. In reality there is what must surely be one of the shortest pounds (gaps between locks) ever built - each is separated by just a few feet with connected side channels to help conserve water. Bratch Locks landscape Bratch Locks are on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and look at first glance to be staircase locks. In reality there is what must surely be one of the shortest pounds (gaps between locks) ever built - each is separated by just a few feet with connection side channels to help conserve water. Bratch Locks toll house Bratch Locks are on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and this is the toll house that is situated between the top and middle locks Bratch Locks portrait The old breakwater at Seaham harbour long ago lost its railings so was closed to the public. These fishermen belong to a private club and I guess one of the conditions must surely be 'at your own risk'. Lacking my ND filter this is a 3 shot merge to blend the calmer portions of sea together. Calm Roker Roker is famous for its lighthouse and rather long pier. Seen here on a calm day the smoothness of water has been enhanced by the use of a long shutter speed. This image is also available as a 3:1 panoramic. Calm Roker panoramic Roker is famous for its lighthouse and rather long pier. Seen here on a calm day the smoothness of water has been enhanced by the use of a long shutter speed. This image is also available as a more normal landscape orientation. Roker golden hour As the sun slowly sets the golden hour sunlight enhances the natural colours of Roker Pier and lighthouse. Pebbles at Roker As the sun slowly sets the golden hour sunlight enhances the natural colours of Roker Pier and lighthouse, the sea is calm and the freshly washed stones of the beach add foreground interest. Penshaw Monument 3 Standing on top of a 136m (446ft) hill above Sunderland is the Earl of Durham's Monument probably more widely known as Penshaw Monument . It is a half size replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens and as you can see here is beautifully lit at night. Roker pier At the turning of the tide and as the sun slowly sets the golden hour sunlight enhances the natural colours of Roker Pier and lighthouse. Seaham lighthouse Built in 1905 Seaham lighthouse is a 10m metal structure that marks the Seaham northern breakwater. It is no longer possible for the public to walk the pier following the removal of handrails in the 1960s but it is used as a private fishing club. Turnstone The Turnstone (arenaria interpres) is a small bird found around most of the UK coast and gets its name due to the way it feeds - turning over small stones in rock pools and shallow water to look for crustaceans, insects and molluscs. Angel of the North 1 Installed in February 1998 Angel of the North is a popular public art installation in Gateshead UK. With a span of 54m and standing 20m tall it can easily be seen from the nearby A1. Seen here after pranksters added a Christmas hat. Crooked spire 1 The crooked spire is the most famous thing in Chesterfield. The church of St Mary and All Saints is home to the spire which does of course have many versions of why it is crooked but in reality it is almost certainly down to unseasoned wood being used in its construction. Installed in February 1998 Angel of the North is a popular public art installation in Gateshead UK. With a span of 54m and standing 20m tall it can easily be seen from the nearby A1. Seen here after pranksters added a Christmas hat Standing on top of a 136m (446ft) hill above Sunderland is the Earl of Durham's Monument probably more widely known as Penshaw Monument . It is a half size replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens and as you can see here is beautifully lit at night. The moon, whilst there, was not in the place I wanted it to be so has been edited to appear in the location seen here. Polar Bear decoration This rather lovely Christmas decoration made me smile - I hope you enjoy it too. Doll Tor and more Believed to have been built some 3 - 4,000 years ago Doll Tor is a scheduled ancient monument in the Peak district of Derbyshire. As with all things of this age its purpose is speculation though it would seem fair to assume it to have been an important ritual site. The only firm evidence for earlier use is as a burial / cremation site and several cremation urns have been recovered. This image has been digitally manipulated. Fluffy Goldfinch On a chilly winter day this Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis sits on a bird feeder with feathers well and truly fluffed as a defence against the cold. Class 45 Peak D123 train Seen here during the golden hour D123 is a preserved diesel locomotive from the Peak class and bears the name Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry. Gailey Lock portrait On the Staffordshire and Worcester canal lies this rather attractive round tower that served as the toll keeper's cottage. There is a boatyard adjacent to the lock and during the summer months this is a very busy part of the UK canal network Gailey Lock landscape On the Staffordshire and Worcester canal lies this rather attractive round tower that served as the toll keeper's cottage. There is a boatyard adjacent to the lock and during the summer months this is a very busy part of the UK canal network. Crandall No3 typewriter This rather lovely vintage typewriter is a Crandall No3, made by the Crandall Machine Company of Gorton USA around the 1890s. Featuring the 'universal' keyboard as the new fangled QWERTY came to be known. The Barn Owl - Tyto Alba is probably the most easily recognised owl, certainly in the UK. Swan and cygnets A proud father (cob) swan with seven cygnets. These are between one and two days old, having left the nest the morning of this image, but lost all but the barest trace of egg tooth. Steam locomotive 73156 Portrait 73156 is a class 5 4-6-0 steam locomotive that after a sustained restoration effort can now be seen as a regular on the Great Central Railway. Seen here in the wonderfully soft, late afternoon golden hour. Steam locomotive 73156 Landscape Steam locomotive 45305 One of the famous Stanier 5 4-6-0 locomotives seen here hauling passenger carriages on the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire. Class 45 Peak D123 Steam governors These rather large and very shiny metal balls are part of the steam governing system that keeps one of the pumping engines at Claymills running at a constant speed. In a simple process the faster the engine runs, the further the weights move from the centre shaft and this shortens the link between top and bottom, thus reducing the steam supply Rose hip and snow A gentle flurry of snow has covered a cluster of rose hips. A gentle textured background has been added to concentrate the eye on the main subjects. Single snowdrop A single snowdrop head fills the frame of this simple, yet elegant and pleasing image. Central Pier Blackpool The kaleidoscope effect on the big wheel on Blackpool central pier. This is caused by a long exposure capturing the ever-changing light pattern on both the wheel and the Blackpool Tower leading to the image you see here. In the blink of an eye 1 On the bank of the Thames in London is this rather large Ferris wheel known over the years by many names depending on who owns it at the time, but pretty much universally known as The London Eye. Trawler FY 830 Atlantis The Atlantis - FY 830 is a trawler based at Looe in Cornwall. Built of steel in 2,000, just under 10m in length and a registered tonnage of 11.79. Seen here dockside and treated to a little colour popping. Lumsdale pool This is a view across the pool that formed the head of water for the many mills, some grinding corn, others bone and ore as well as a fulling and bleaching works. All of these were powered by a series of water mills along the steep valley below. Oklahoma Willy Take a 1958 VW splitty, add a 1986 Rolls-Royce Viper 535 jet engine, nail an afterburner on to get 5,000 horsepower and you can cover the standing 1/4 in around 10 seconds finishing around 150mph Atlantic Conveyor 40106 Originally built in 1960 this locomotive saw many years active running until 1983. Entering service as D306 it became re-branded as 40106 in the 1970s. It was bought for preservation and named as Atlantic Conveyor in honour of the ship of the same name that was lost in the Falklands conflict. It is also a bit of a movie star having been used as the loco in the film 'Buster' about the great train robbery. Exchanging keys When a single track running line there needs to be a way to prevent two trains meeting by accident. The simple system of a 'key' that effectively locked the points at the far end was the solution. When the train carrying the key for that section reaches the signal box it is handed over so the section of now clear track can be released. Here you see a key exchange, the train crew have handed over the key for the section just cleared (lower key) and collected the key for the next section. The large hoop made it easier to do this as it passed. Flying Pig 43106 in steam 43106 'The Flying Pig' is the only surviving example of an Ivatt class 4 steam locomotive and was one of the very last to be withdrawn from the days of steam. Seen here venting steam that is totally obscuring the carriages behind it as it prepares to leave the station. It is for some reason widely known as 'The flying pig'. Fly agaric 2 A beautiful specimen of a fly agaric - Amanita muscaria. Commonly described as poisonous though there are few documented human deaths from its consumption, and after having been parboiled it is eaten as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. It has a history of being used for a hallucinogenic experience. Derwent valve house In 1946 work was completed to extend the capacity of a dam and reservoir system, about 1 mile to the left of this image is the famous 'Dambuster' dam. It took around 2 years for this section to fill and in doing so it submerged several dwellings and a church as well as some of the earlier works - in this case a valve house. During the dry spell of 2018 water levels are now so low remains of many 'lost' buildings can now be seen. Valve house in the mist Extremely low water levels at Derwent dam reveal many of the normally submerged structures, lost when the reservoir filled over a period of 2 years. A mist hangs over the hills and is rolling gently towards us Derwent down Taken on a misty afternoon after an unusually long, dry spell in 2018 this reservoir, one of several in the Derwent valley, all but dry at this end. The pipes you see here are normally just a few feet above the water level and in the distance you can make out a few people to give you an idea of scale. London and the Thames at night The many conflicting light sources that bid to dominate the city lead to some interesting patterns in the sky over the Thames in London Please note due to the 3:1 panoramic ratio this image is suited to canvas and paper prints but if used on any mug there will significant 'blank' areas top and bottom. The Thames barrier at Woolwich forms part of the London flood defence scheme and features a series of rotating gates that effectively dam off the upstream area from the incoming surge tide. Big Ben and the bus A scene from London featuring the Elizabeth Tower on the Houses of Parliament more commonly known as Big Ben and a passing red london bus and traditional london taxi. Big Ben and the bus - popped A colour popped scene from London featuring the Elizabeth Tower on the Houses of Parliament more commonly known as Big Ben and a passing red london bus and traditional london taxi. Nelson on his column Nelson atop the famous Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London. Autumn wall A dry stone wall dominates the foreground of this autumn landscape image. The beautiful colours of an English woodland in autumn. Road less well trod Deep in the forest where the roads become tracks and the tracks become paths . . . . solomons temple sunset Solomon's Temple is a simple, two storey tower built on the top of a hill known as Grin Low, just outside Buxton, Derbyshire, UK. As is so often the case with these things several versions exist of how it came to be. Just about the one thing people do agree on is that it has never been used as a place of Christian worship - so why 'Temple' Tall ship Stavros S Niarchos The 200ft Stavros S Niarchos, a tall sailing ship in Albert dock, Liverpool Fallow deer stag A fallow deer stag in bracken. British garden birds A small selection of British garden birds. Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch. Repton church St Wystan's church, Repton. Repton is a village in Derbyshire most famous for its school, which is to all intents and purposes the whole of Repton as it occupies so much of the land and so many of the buildings. St Hardulph's - more commonly known as Breedon on the Hill is a rather lovely church on quite literally the highest point for miles around. In a seemingly idyllic location it is in fact just a hundred metres or so from the edge of a major quarry. Derby Cathedral Derby Cathedral is a popular place to visit and regularly holds tower climbs where you may ascend the internal steps and take in the rather spectacular views. From time to time they also allow absailing as part of fundraising activities. The cathedral is also famous for its peregrine falcons and even features a live feed web cam when they are nesting. Harris Hawk fractal A Harris Hawk close up with a fractal filter. Originally a hermit's cave - now of course long abandoned and just a lovely tranquil place to visit. The old keys On a village walk I found these keys - couldn't resist the image The kind of bridge over a gentle, unassuming little stream that if it hasn't got a troll under it perhaps really should. Smeatons tower Smeaton's tower - quite probably the most famous lanmdmark in Plymouth Magpie Mine chimney In the back of beyond, just past the middle of nowhere lies the now abandoned Magpie Mine. Now being preserved by a dedicated team it makes for a very informative - and free - visit Darwin metal sculpture Darwin is of course known for his theories on evolution but was also a widely respected physician, poet and inventor too. The metal artwork on Darwin Walk shows 4 outlines of him and this image shows botanist (the flower) and poet (the quill). If you look closely under the legs of the quill holding Darwin you may make out the spires of Lichfield Cathedral. Darwin Walk Lichfield is famous for both Erasmus Darwin and Dr Johnson (he of diary fame). As part of the civic pride initiative a 10 mile walk around Lichfield was created, known as Darwin Walk. This part runs die straight towards the world famous Lichfield Cathedral. Lichfield spires World famous for being triple spired - one of just three in the country - Lichfield cathedral is seen here across Minster Pool. The Clock Tower, Lichfield This clock tower more correctly known as Friary Clock Tower was built around 1863 when building them was a fashionable thing to do. In the 1920's due to a road improvement scheme it was re-located to its current site, just a few hundred yards away. Possibly one of Lichfield's oldest buildings at over 500 years young. Now describing itself as a tea rooms and restaurant. Peculiar fact of the day - it is famous for making almost anything out of chocolate according to its web site. Canal at Wood End Just after you finish climbing the Fradley Five locks on the Trent and Mersey canal you enter a stretch known as Wood End. Fradley Junction This is the scene at Fradley junction on the Trent & Mersey canal, England. Once a place of major importance as British Waterway had a large (by the standards of the day) depot here that made and repaired lock gates, sluices and associated 'bits' of canal infrastructure. Canal crane at Fradley Junction A typical 'post' crane. Hand operated and mounted on a post on which it could rotate. Used to load / unload the canal workboats at Fradley junction on the Trent & Mersey canal Three jugs in a garden A pleasingly simple composition of three earthenware jugs in a garden setting Single poppy A single poppy dominates this image, backlit by the sun against a lovely blue sky Yellow bath duck Who doesn't love a bright yellow bath duck An image to make you smile. Bath duck A Cheetah on the look out for its next meal. Famed of course for being the fastest land animal on the planet they reserve such speed for hunting only. Cheetah 2 Poppy is a rather large and cute pink pig. She is like all pigs pretty intelligent and loves to play - seen here in her enclosure that offers plenty of rooting around opportunites as well as fresh water and a selection of toys she enjoys playing with Brass and glass oilers 1 Oil drip feeds on a steam engine. Several digital filters applied. Brass and glass oilers Steam engine oil drip feed 1 Looking up into the tree canopy Ford Thames isolated A vintage Ford Thames van, colour isolated and seen here at the Britsh Waterways yard at Fradley, UK Royal Pioneer 68013 68013 Royal Pioneer steam locomotive with several carriages seen here on the Peakrail line in Derbyshire The curious cow A walk along a country path lead to this chance meeting with a curious cow The wreck of the trawler Sarb J on the rocks near Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby Steam train wheel Very close up detail of a steam train wheel A single swan feather Swan feather falling through a blue sky A bright, colourful image of a carousel 'galloper'. Although this is a traditional horse the carousels, or merry-go-rounds often have imaginary or comical animals too. Shenton station Shenton station is one end of The Battlefield Line and where the locomotives perform a run around so they pull rather than push the carriages. Seen here is one man and his dog patiently waiting in the autumn sunshine for the train arriving at . . . . 5542 at Shenton run around 5542 is a GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T small prairie tank engine and is seen here at the end of the line ready to do the runaround at Shenton station on The Battlefield Line. Originally built in 1928 she spent 33 years working followed by 14 years on a scrap heap until being lovingly restored to full working condition. 5542 on the the points 5542 is a GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T small prairie tank engine and is seen here at Shenton station on The Battlefield Line. Originally built in 1928 she spent 33 years working followed by 14 years on a scrap heap until being lovingly restored to full working condition. 5542 at Shenton The wrecks This is a montage of several original images of mine - Talacre lighthouse and a wreck at Barry Island in Wales. A reminder of times gone by when both the wreck and the lighthouse were 'of their time' and now. . . Just history A surreal image created with 3 of my original photographs and rather a lot of photoshop. The 'island' is Puffin Island, Anglesey, the rocks / waterfall Padley Gorge and the land, barn and tree are near Bakewell, Derbyshire. Oiling the cogs A montage of mono images combined to reflect mechanical engineering of years gone by. All images used in this montage are original to me and available to purchase individually upon request. Bathampton bridge Lightship Sula 1 The Sula (originally called LV14) was built in 1958 and moored at Spurn sandbank in the Humber estuary until 1985. She is registered as an historic vessel and is one of the best preserved lightships in the world. Mariners church 1 On Gloucester docks you will find nestled amongst assorted warehouses the Mariners church. Opened in 1849 it is unusual in having its chancel in the west due to the close proximity of the warehouse behind it. Western Screech Owl The Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicotti) is native to America, Alaska and Mexico. A small owl, typically around 20cm high and feeding on a mixed live food diet of reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds, and small mammals. Barn Owl portrait Railway signal levers Hampton Loade is one of the stations on the Severn Valley Railway. The signal box with its mix of bright colours and heavyweight mechanical engineering make for a captivating scene that is utterly timeless. This image is a single shot taken in bright sunshine. Vintage typewriter An old Royal typewriter, once the leading edge of office technology, sits on a desk gathering dust. Originally a colour image this has been processed to convert to mono and the digital addition of some dust, grain and other 'imperfections'. This beautiful if somewhat crazy hairdo adorned bird hunts a variety of small prey including beetles, grubs and snakes - dealing with the latter by bashing them into submission on rocks / hard ground. Although it can fly it prefers to run when chasing prey or threatened. This image was taken at Twycross zoo who have given permission for it to be sold. Beach hut 167 A walk along Lowestoft seafront with a long row of brightly coloured beach hut doors - just too good not to photograph. With strong lead in lines, vibrant colours and the all important something to look at at the end courtesy of that black stencil 167 I just couldn't resist. Elephant love A mother and 'baby' Asian elephant - Elephas maximus. These two have just enjoyed a mud bath to help cool and cleanse them and the strong bond between mother and baby elephant is clearly evident from the 'trunk holding' seen here. Photographed at Twycross zoo who are happy for my images to be used for sale. Abandoned ship At Fleetwood in the UK lie several old ships - some wooden - some metal. All they have in common is they've been abandoned and left to rot in the same place. Tiger on guard A sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sitting and watching, just watching. Whitley Bridge Whitley Bridge - otherwise known as bridge 47 is on the Coventry Canal and is just one of many now disused bridges along the UK canal network. Many of these small bridges were built to accommodate the needs of farmers who needed to get to the other side of the new fangled canal as it cut through their land. This type of access bridge is thus commonly known as an accommodation bridge. Oak tree landscape A solitary oak tree stands proud amidst a farmer's field on a glorious summer day with some excellent cloudage. Mermaid's Pool Mermaid's pool is a natural freshwater pool that can be found in the Staffordshire moor lands. It is always a dark shade of blue, possibly due to the peaty / boggy nature of the soil. At the top of a ridge it is a popular place for model RC plane flying, particularly gliders who benefit from the updraft. Mackworth church Mackworth is, or at least was a small village just north of Derby in the UK. Over the years Mackworth has sprawled away to the east leaving the church in peace. Corsican Pine Canopy The Corsican Pine - Pinus nigra is an extremely hardly tree that is even happy to grow in sand and resistant to salt spray making it a popular choice for coastal forestry. Great Orme Cemetery Chapel Hardly the most inspiring name for what is a rather beautiful and now sadly unused chapel which crouches against the elements on the coast of Gt Orme. This chapel was built after the original church of St Tudno's close by suffered major damage and fell into dis-repair. Seagull patrol A solitary gull effortlessly riding the thermals on the coast at Llandudno, Wales. Porth Colman Porth Colman in Wales used to be used by coastal trading vessels that would tie up, wait for the tide to go out and the boat be aground, then unloaded / loaded. This situation was improved in 1913 when a mechanised system of pulleys and steam engine was introduced. Post mill windmill Post windmills were once a common sight across the UK being the earliest type of European mill. The distinguishing feature is the whole of the mill itself rotates around a central pole and the brick work you see here is more for covered storage space and to protect the vertical post and supporting timbers from the elements. Barn and tree In the back and beyond of the Derbyshire Peak District you will find many abandoned barns, left to dereliction by a combination of farmer not needing them and planners refusing planning permission for any other use. Sennen cove breakwater The breakwater at Sennen Cove, Cornwall takes a battering as the winds combine with incoming tide. Waves from the Atlantic crash onto rocks at Booby's Bay, Cornwall. Booby's Bay is near Padstow in Cornwall and whilst it has golden sands when the tide is out, when it comes in . . . . Saint Tudno church 3 A rather beautiful and now sadly unused chapel that is now known simply by the location - Great Orme Cemetery. Great Orme Cemetery Chapel was built after the original church of St Tudno's suffered major damage and fell into dis-repair. When St Tudno's was eventually repaired by a local benefactor some years later this building in turn was left to waste away Bodelwyddan church St Margaret's at Bodelwyddan is a Decorated Gothic style church in the Vale of Clwyd in Denbighshire and well-known as the final resting place of numerous Canadian soldiers who died in the global flu pandemic of 1918 / 19. With a spire just over 200 feet high it can easily be seen from the A55 which passes nearby. 48624 Steam locomotive Stanier class 8F 2-8-0 Heavy steam locomotives were designed as freight movers but this one is seen in steam at Great Central Railway on a cold, frosty day. Simple sailboat This delightful image consists of just one sailboat, bobbing about on the sea, Beaumaris in Wales. Thoughtfully composed the mast is exactly on the centre line and the horizon sits beautifully on the thirds to create a simple, yet sophisticated image. Steam trawler Sheraton On the coast near Hunstanton, Norfolk rests the slowly decaying remains of the Sheraton. Built in 1907 she was requisitioned for both World Wars, finally in April 1947 she ended up beached here after breaking free of her moorings. Hunstanton lighthouse The old hunstanton lighthouse, oddly enough at Hunstanton in Norfolk, UK was built in 1840 and remained operational until 1922 and is now a holiday let. Alrewas canal scene Alrewas is a small village along the Trent and Mersey Canal. A popular place for narrowboats to spend a day or two as it marks the change between canal and river sections. Blackpool tram One of several decorated and illuminated trams - this one as a western style locomotive complete with following carriage. Blackpool is a major UK tourist destination and the light show attracts many thousands of visitors each year. Look closely at the front and you can just make out the driver. A rather beautiful and now sadly unused chapel that is now known simply by the location - Great Orme Cemetery. Great Orme Cemetery Chapel was built after the original St Tudno's suffered major damage and fell into dis-repair. When the first St Tudno's was eventually repaired some years later by a local benefactor this building in turn was left to waste away. Remembrance poppy 1 A single poppy isolated from others in the same shot, a subtle blend of 2 original colour images and several effects layers to create an emotive image that leaves a hint of the surrounding blooms and stems. Proceeds from any sales of this image will be donated to the Poppy Appeal or Royal British Legion. Great Orme bus This rather beautiful piece of transport history is in regular service in Llandudno and provides short rides for tourists. Built in 1958 it is a Leyland Tiger Cub with a Duple body Frog posing I am lucky enough to live in a place where nature is at home. Frogs are much undervalued as they are veracious predators of garden pests particularly fond of slugs. This is an 'in the wild' image. Frogs and toads are easy to distinguish - frogs have a more pointed nose and hop, toads have blunter noses and 'walk'. Five bar gate Early morning image of a traditional five bar gate leading to a path through a field of bright yellow rapeseed. Perch Rock lighthouse, also known as New Brighton lighthouse is in the estuary of the Mersey where it meets Liverpool bay. The lighthouse was first lit in 1830 and remained in use until 1973. No longer in active service it is well preserved and has been re-painted. You let me down A composite image from multiple original files of mine. Mixing an abandoned lighthouse with the Seafarer's Memorial to give an intriguing, slightly sad effect. Reticulated giraffe There are nine giraffe sub-species. The reticulated giraffe here is called Epesi and is one of a bachelor group at Twycross zoo who are happy for images to be used if they are attributed. Merchant seafarer's war memorial 2 mono This is the Merchant Seafarer's War Memorial situated at Britannia Quay, Cardiff Bay, Wales. The artist is Brian Fell and it is in memory of the merchant seafarers from the ports of Barry Penarth and Cardiff who died in time of war. Commissioned in 1994 by the Cardiff Bay Arts Trust it comprises a melding together of a man's face and the damaged hull of a ship. DSD_8031a Bentley Brook waterfall Just outside the town of Matlock in Derbyshire there is an unassuming little lane that leads to an amazing place called Lumsdale. Lumsdale was in its day a major industrial area, powered by a series of water mills sited along the Bentley Brook. Long since abandoned, nature is now taking things back. This is Bentley Brook - meandering through the autumn colours, now unhindered. Merchant seafarer's war memorial 2 This is the Merchant Seafarer's War Memorial situated at Britannia Quay, Cardiff Bay, Wales. The artist is Brian Fell and it is in memory of the merchant seafarers from the ports of Barry Penarth and Cardiff who died in time of war. Commissioned in 1994 by the Cardiff Bay Arts Trust it comprises a melding together of a man's face and the damaged hull of a ship. DSD_8031 A forgotten wooden boat left to rot almost seems as if it is wanting to keep maybe just a little bit in touch with the sea. Watch House Bay, Barry Island, Wales. Please note this image has been processed to reflect the dereliction of the subject and as such has grain / noise / grittyness. A forgotten wooden boat left to rot almost seems as if it is wanting to keep maybe just a little bit in touch with the sea. Watch House Bay, Barry Island, Wales. DSD_8083a A wet evening provides subtle reflections of the Wales Millennium Centre. The lettering on the front is in both Welsh CREU GWIR FEL GWYDR O FFWRNAIS AWEN - which translates to English as Creating Truth Like Glass From Inspiration's Furnace and in English IN THESE STONES HORIZONS SING. Sir Keith Park 34053 Sir Keith Park - a Battle of Britain class steam locomotive with a length of 67 feet and weighing in at over 100 tons. This 4-6-2 light Pacific was one of 110 built-in the West Country/ Battle of Britain Class, for use on the Southern Railway and was built at Brighton in January 1947 Sir Keith Park mono 31806 Mogul steam locomotive At 63 tonnes and built in 1926 this Maunsell U Class Mogul No. 31806 is seen here about to depart. Treated to a 'wet plate' digital treatment this image has more grit than a budgie cage floor and more grain than a decent sized silo - but rather fitting for such an industrial masterpiece. Forth rail bridge at night 2 Night time image of the world famous Forth rail bridge. This image is taken from Queensferry. Glaid Stone This is the highest point on the island of Great Cumbrae, a beautiful island off the coast of Scotland that can only be reached by ferry. Great Cumbrae rush hour Cumbrae is a small island off the Scottish coast - known as the island of 1,000 bicycles as cycling is so popular here due to the very small number of cars and only 2 roads. Great Cumbrae slipway The beautiful island of Great Cumbrae is only reached by ferry. This is the landing site for it and the view back to Largs on the Scottish mainland. Doll Tor stone circle Believed to have been built some 3 - 4,000 years ago Doll Tor is a scheduled ancient monument in the Peak district of Derbyshire. As with all things of this age its purpose is speculation though it would seem fair to assume it to have been an important ritual site. The only firm evidence for earlier use is as a burial / cremation site and several cremation urns have been recovered. Autumn calm A calm autumn / fall day with fabulous bright colours and a gentle reflection of a distant bridge Fly agaric square On the Great Central Railway you'll find Kinchley curve - and on that curve you'll find this fabulous locomotive 48624. Spring Woodland 1 Dappled sun makes its way through first leaves and a gentle mist on the way to shining light on a delightful woodland path complete with steps to infinity and beyond. Steam locos at Rothley LMS 48624 on platform 1 in the foreground with LMS 46521 on platform 2 at Rothley station on the Great Central Railway. Heage Windmill is an unusual design, having six sails. In fact it is the only remaining stone tower six sailed mill in England. First built in 1797 and restored to working order in 2002 it is a most beautiful and popular place to visit. Ford Thames van 1 This lovely little Ford Thames van is seen here at Fradley Junction, on the Trent & Mersey canal. Built in 1954 it has a 1,300cc side valve engine coupled to a 3 speed gearbox with a top	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797431
__label__wiki	0.798512	0.798512	Home > WAR GAMES > Compass Games > France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe (Designer Signature Edition) Item #: CPS1066 France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe, Designer Signature Edition, marks the return of an original game covering the historical events that led to the liberation of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands during the Allied drive on Germany by renowned game designer, Mark Herman. This new signature edition has been re-mastered and updated and will be linking with an all-new companion game, Russia 1944, slated for release in 2019. France 1944 is yet another Classic Reborn! by Compass. France 1944 covers the historical events that led to the liberation of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands during the Allied drive on Germany that ultimately led to the end of the war in Europe. The game begins with the Allies (British, Canadians, French, Polish, and Americans) already well established in France following the June D-Day invasions. As depicted at the outset of the game, Allied units are still bogged down in the rough terrain near Normandy, and their progress has been slow thus far. Nevertheless, Allied strength has built up at a faster rate than the German. At game start, the Allies are built up sufficiently to attempt their breakout and begin their race toward the German frontier. This is the game that pioneered Herman’s HQ activation/reaction system where you use supply to activate HQs that in turn activate units to conduct operations. Post an activation the opposing player can use some of his precious reaction points to send a critical unit into the lines to plug a hole or activate an entire army counterattack. This unique Headquarters activation system helps capture the ebb and flow of battle, with options becoming more limited during each monthly turn as actions are expended. This Designer Signature Edition provides a fully-updated treatment to the 1986 release by Victory Games that honors the original game design while introducing some new design elements and additions. The most exciting addition is the promise of the all-new companion game coming in 2019 covering the East Front, Russia 1944, that will allow you to link both games together to cover the latter stages of World War II across all of Europe. France 1944 introduces an all-new, streamlined combat system (non-CRT based), new Falaise Gap introductory scenario, and the time covered has been extended from March 1945 to May 1945 and now includes a broader territory with additional terrain features that stretches east to Berlin. For your gaming enjoyment, this game has been super-sized and features a mounted map and larger counters to deliver an optimal play experience that can be completed in a single sitting. Complexity: 6 out of 10 Solitaire Suitability: 9 out of 10 (no hidden information) Time Scale: Monthly turns Map Scale: 20 miles (32 kilometers) per hex Unit Scale: army-level HQs, infantry corps, armored divisions Players: one to two, best with two Playing Time: two to seven hours Components: 22" x 33" Mounted Map 8.5" x 11" Map Two Countersheets (14.5mm size) Two Player Aid Cards Allied Order of Appearance Display and Movement Card German Order of Appearance Display and Movement Card Rules booklet with Designer's Notes Two 6-sided dice Two 6-sided custom dice Box and Lid set	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797436
__label__wiki	0.534394	0.534394	MeierMovies Reviews & News Short Lists TV & Web List Welcome to Me, 2015, 1 ½ stars Welcome to Mediocrity Kristin Wiig star vehicle disappoints From The Orlando Weekly, May 6, 2015 Kristen Wiig’s colossal comedic break, Welcome to Me, is her chance to show whether she can carry a star-studded film virtually by herself and whether her nice turn in The Skeleton Twins was a fluke or a sign of better things to come. Regrettably, she disappoints on both counts. But, in a departure from the film’s title, the failure is not all about her, as she has considerable help from the writer and director and her fellow cast members. Wiig plays Alice Klieg, a bi-polar lottery winner who decides to eschew charity or any practical uses of her $86 million winnings and instead embrace fame full-force by launching a talk show hosted by and about only herself. Even Donald Trump must be offended by the immodesty. Accompanying Alice on her misadventure is the show’s director (Joan Cusack), producer (James Marsden) and production assistant (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The only ones who seem concerned for her well-being are her love interest (Wes Bentley), best friend (Linda Cardellini) and therapist (an underused Tim Robbins). But it’s not genuine concern, as little in this films rings true. (Since when do “narrative infomercials” air live and unrehearsed, with virtually no one in the studio audience?) But plot foibles might have been forgiven if humanity managed to shine through this rather joyless meditation on mental illness, or if it had anything useful to say to the mentally ill, other than to never go off your meds. Thanks to underwhelming writing by Eliot Laurence, limp directing by Shira Piven and a mediocre performance by Wiig – who settles too comfortably into her low-key, deadpan, SNL delivery – nothing crackles the way it should in this inelegant, inarticulate and often unfunny take on our media-obsessed, selfish society. (Network this is not.) And just when you think the movie is about to make a larger, darker statement about redemption and the moral bankruptcy of fame, it pulls its punches, unable to rise above its implausibilities and contrivances. This review was originally part of my article on the 2015 Florida Film Festival. Copyright 2015 © Cameron Meier and Orlando Weekly Like MeierMovies on Facebook 2020: The year in review December 31, 2020 FFCC announces awards, honors Enzian December 22, 2020 Love/hate relationship with ‘Mank’ December 10, 2020 Christmastime is here again December 5, 2020 A historic podcast December 1, 2020 A picture is worth … November 16, 2020 Halloween: The Ranking of Michael Myers October 27, 2020 I was MIFFed October 20, 2020 Love (of film) in the time of coronavirus October 12, 2020 Regal closing again October 5, 2020 © 2020 MeierMovies, LLC	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797437
__label__cc	0.517758	0.482242	Watch These Bodybuilders Construct Their Dream Home Gym From Scratch YouTube's Buff Dudes break down the essentials you need for getting swole without leaving the house. By Philip Ellis Buff DudesYouTube Swole brothers Brandon and Hudson White, better known on YouTube as the Buff Dudes, have posted plenty of workout videos from their well-equipped home gym. In this time-lapse video, first shared last year, they reveal how they completely renovated an unused garage space and transformed it into an at-home iron paradise. They begin by tearing out all of the old fixtures and cupboards, then set about plastering, priming and painting the walls. Next they lay down a series of heavy duty rubber gym mats to cover the full floor surface area, then mount a number of metal racks on the walls for their equipment. Subscribe to Men's Health hearstmags.com Once the basics are done, they assemble the standing gym apparatus, including the all-important power rack (which they say no gym is complete without), and haul in the bike and treadmill. "It's pretty simple as you can see," says Brandon. "We didn't want to over-pack this gym, we've got the bare essentials." The leg press machine is notably situated in pride of place, right in the middle of the gym to remind them to never skip leg day. For a few final touches, they hang up motivational artwork (including their own branding), and of course some bigass mirrors to help them better track their gains. However, they soon discover that they'd made some mistakes, including hanging neon lighting behind their logo, when in fact natural light is optimal. "Lighting is key in a gym," says Brandon, "so we had to get rid of the fluorescents. It's bad on video because of the shutter speed, and also it just isn't the proper lighting... We just need to make ourselves look as good as possible!" Philip Ellis Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. A Bodybuilder Converted His Garage Into a Home Gym Build the Ultimate Home Gym The Best Home Gym How to Make the Best Comfort Foods From Scratch The Secrets to Working from Home Home Movies From Hell	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797441
__label__wiki	0.607646	0.607646	Tag: Formal Ferret Games Identik advertises itself as “the drawing game for people who can’t draw”. Given my innate artistic ability, I consider that a challenge. Turn out that it actually works: in this hectic party style game, if you can manage stick figures, you can do well. Provided you get obscure details like the number of ears in the picture or the size of the sun right. In this year’s Spiel des Jahres, the King asks you to construct villages for his Kingdom. But his subjects are not always guided by sanity when they write their wishlist where the villages should go. Some of them have truly special needs, and then they keep contradicting each other. It’s enough to drive a city planer insane. The city of Arkham just doesn’t get a break. When it’s not monsters in the street, it’s a Great Old One at the museum. And it’s the same people that have to mop up the mess again and play YAHTZEE AGAINST CTHULHU! Yeah, sounds weird, I know. But bear with me, it’s actually a lot of fun. Kilt Castle From haggis to caber toss, Scotland is full of traditions that seem odd to an outsider. But the oddest tradition has recently been discovered by Günter Burkhardt: when the Scots build a castle for their clan, it’s not a collaborative effort like you would expect. Every builder wants floors in his or her own color to top of all the tower. The resulting castle is neither very hospitable to live in nor does it have great defensive value, but it is a home for your clan, and someone made a lot of money building it. Machine Mind In a near and sinister future, machine minds are taking control. Or is it the present already? Plain, old humans are mere pawns in their battle for world domination. Good for you that you aren’t one of them, isn’t it? You’re a Machine Mind, you’re in control. Or at least, you will be soon if you play your cards right. The Plains of Triangles. Undiscovered land. With nothing but a cart full of milestones and a group of builders we set out to bring civilization to the uninhabitet land. We’re not really going anywhere, but we put the infrastructure in place for the people that come after us, that will settle the Plains of Triangles and will go somewhere. Cargotrain Trains, pick-up-and-deliver mechanic, set collection. All that doesn’t sound new, the mechanics have been used and even combined before, and there are more than a few train games out there. But Cargotrain takes those simple ingredients and mixes them up into something tasty and fun. Mai-Star Geisha are a fascinating and confusing part of Japanese culture. Women that you pay to be with for their conversational skills, or their talents in the arts, or even for their ability to play games. They are personal entertainers, but with a long history and, to us, strange customes. Mai-Star, a game about geisha, will probably not do a thing to make you understand them better. But it will entertain you for half an hour, and then maybe for some more.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797442
__label__wiki	0.671074	0.671074	Editorial: Preserving Coyote Valley is a gift… Editorial: Preserving Coyote Valley is a gift to entire Bay Area The strategically located 937 acres provides a crucial link between the Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains Map courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) Preserving Coyote Valley (shown in red) links open space areas throughout the Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains. By Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards \| PUBLISHED: November 10, 2019 at 6:10 a.m. \| UPDATED: November 10, 2019 at 3:03 p.m. The successful effort to preserve Coyote Valley — what has been rightly called San Jose’s last great open space — is a gift to residents and wildlife from Mount Diablo to Santa Cruz. A hearty bravo to the wide array of people who fought for more than 35 years against overwhelming odds to make it happen. In the big-picture world of preserving open space, the San Jose City Council’s approval Wednesday of the $93 million deal to purchase 937 acres in the South Bay may not seem so significant compared to the tens of thousands of acres that have been purchased and preserved in decades past. But control of the strategic section of land, which runs down the western edge of Highway 101 between south San Jose and Morgan Hill, constitutes a major win for the wildlife that roam through the 1.1 million acres of open space that make up the Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The need to maintain a diverse genetic pool is essential for wildlife, providing a buffer against catastrophic disease epidemics. Coyote Valley is home to deer, mountain lions, gray foxes, bobcats, badgers, hawks, owls, tri-colored blackbirds, California tiger salamanders, California red-legged frogs and much, much more. Preserving a corridor for wildlife to roam will provide the resiliency necessary to help protect against future climate change. Longtime San Jose residents know that extending sprawl into Coyote Valley was once a foregone conclusion. In the 1980s, Apple and Tandem considered building headquarters among the stretch of orchards and farms along Highway 101. Those ideas fell through, but in 1999, Cisco Systems pushed forward a proposal that would build a 6.6 million square foot campus for 20,000 employees in Coyote Valley.That plan fell victim to the dot-com crash. Today’s high-tech companies are no longer interested in moving to Coyote Valley, and it makes no sense to pave the area over and build warehouses that take up huge amounts of space but hire few employees. The circumstances opened the door for preserving Coyote Valley, but that doesn’t mean it was easy. It took a rare public-private partnership between open space preservationists, developers John Sobrato and Diane Brandenburg, and government officials to make it work. In fight against urban sprawl, San Jose passes $93 million deal to preserve Coyote Valley Historic $93 million deal reached to preserve San Jose’s Coyote Valley Interestingly enough, the Coyote Creek flood that devastated San Jose in 2017 played a role in moving the deal forward. Mayor Sam Liccardo realized that leaving the land undeveloped offered needed flood protection for the city. It also allows for the recharging of a South Bay aquifer that will add crucial drinking water for residents. San Jose will provide $46 million of Measure T funds to make the purchase, fulfilling its obligation to spend voter-approved funds on purchasing land that would mitigate the Coyote Valley flood threat. The Peninsula Open Space Trust will contribute $42 million, and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority will pay the final $5 million. Beyond the environmental gains, preserving Coyote Valley gives the open space authority an opportunity to build trails for hikers and bikers to enjoy, including trails linking the Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The deal preserving Coyote Valley for future generations recognizes the open space for what it is — a gift for Bay Area residents to treasure for decades to come. Federal court strikes down Trump climate rollback Letters: More than mischief \| Third party needed \| Political partition \| Irrationalism \| Solar schools Five ways Biden will reverse Trump on the environment East Bay solar farm proposal loses parcel; can project move forward? Tiny helpful wasps are coming to save your citrus PM Report Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards More in Editorials Editorial: Biden’s biggest challenge will be bridging political divide Editorial: Nation needs Trump impeachment trial before healing can start Editorial: Ticket scandal adds to need for Sheriff Smith to resign Editorial: COVID vaccination rollout is Newsom’s moment of truth	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797443
__label__wiki	0.879852	0.879852	Keylor Navas admits Real Madrid ARE missing Cristiano Ronaldo: "You can't cover the sun with a finger" The European champions were surprisingly beaten by CSKA Moscow in Russia on Tuesday night Alex RichardsAssistant Sport Editor Sign up to FREE email alerts from Mirror - Sport - Real Madrid Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas has admitted that the European champions are missing Cristiano Ronaldo . The club's record goalscorer departed in the summer, joining Juventus after nine trophy-laden years at the Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancos started the season well without the Portuguese superstar, but have hit a wall in the last 10 days. Tuesday night's shock 1-0 defeat to CSKA Moscow in Russia was their third match without a win and the third game in which they have failed to find the net - a run unmatched in the past 11 years. Ronaldo joined Juventus in the summer (Image: REUTERS) Benzema led the line in Russia but failed to fire (Image: REUTERS) Modric learns fate after Real Madrid star's charge of false testimony in a criminal trial Without injured pair Gareth Bale and Isco, Karim Benzema led the line, supported by Marco Asensio. But Madrid couldn't find a way past CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev, and while Navas is looking for his side to move forwards under new boss Julen Lopetegui, he admits that the hole left by Ronaldo's departure still needs filling. "Cristiano left the bar very high at Real Madrid ," he said. "You cannot cover the sun with a finger. "He made many goals while he was here, but it's already the past and we cannot live in the past." Navas in action against CSKA (Image: REX/Shutterstock) Madrid hit the woodwork three times in Russia, with Nikola Vlasic's second minute goal enough for CSKA to secure victory. "We are sad because they had one chance and took it," said Navas. "We made some stellar chances, but could not get it in. In every game you want to score goals and we had some chances to do so. We were unlucky. "We want to start scoring again in the coming games." Will Real Madrid win the Champions League for a fourth season in a row this year? 3000+ VOTES SO FAR Julen Lopetegui Nikola Vlasic Jesus Navas	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797451
__label__wiki	0.973137	0.973137	The Circle's Dan finds out Kate is actually a man - and he is fuming Dan and Kate/Alex have really got on for a long while - but sadly Dan was absolutely livid when they came together Jenny Desborough Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip straight to your inbox with our free email newsletter Fans of The Circle were in hysterics when Dan met Alex, who was posing as a young woman called Kate for three whole weeks, causing a lot of problems for him. Dan was catfished numerous times in The Circle, first with Alex's version of Kate, and Mairead, who portrayed a 30-something divorcee. He was "fuming" about the whole thing, telling Alex not to call him "mate" and had a right go at him for pretending to be a lovely young woman, who seemed a bit interested in him. Dan couldn't believe his eyes (Image: Channel 4) The Circle's real 'Kate' revealed - who Alex's girlfriend Millie is in real-life Dan said: "I'm fuming. I sent people home, I blocked people becuase of you." Kate/Alex replied: "The only thing I can say to you is, 'I'm sorry mate, I'm sorry, Dan.'" But Dan was absolutely livid, replying: "Don't 'mate' me, this is just a f**** joke in it. Oh my days, oh my days. Kate/Alex tried his best to speak to Dan calmly, later explaining why he pretended to be someone he is not. Dan was not happy with him (Image: Channel 4) Alex smiled and confused them all (Image: Channel 4) The Circle turns hostile as vicious Freddie lashes out at 'two-faced' Kate - and even BFF Sian turns on him He said: "I'm not expecting anything from you, mate, I just wanted to voice it, look you in the eye and say, I'm sorry and that's that, end of." Dan replied, still angrily: "The overriding emotional feeling that I'm feeling right now is probably embarrassment. "I'm very, very embarrassed. I feel like I've been taken for a fool, I feel like I've been mugged off and my joruney's been so much different to anyone else in here. Kate/Alex then got Dan's fire burning even more when he explained how he did it because he "wanted to win," for which Dan called him "muggy." It was a very awkward time for them (Image: Channel 4) Alex seemed to feel guilty for part of it (Image: Channel 4) Dan said: "Muggy, mate, I swear to god, when I get out of here I'm logging out of the internet, mate. I'm pissed. "I can just be angry at myself. I can't f****... this is a joke, mate. I'm too trusting - the biggest dohnut." Kate/Alex did try to explain how much he respected Dan and, after Sian and Freddie revealed themselves to be fairly accurate versions of who they really are, bar Freddie's sexuality, he calmed down a bit and had some fun with them. Dan even apologised for reacting so badly, in the hope he got on well with his mate when he knew the real him. The Circle finishes tonight on Channel 4. dailymirrortv Follow @MirrorTV Charlie CondouCharlie Condou and Antony Cotton's 'massive rift that split Coronation Street cast in two'There was reportedly a behind-the-scenes rift that divided cast and crew - with an alleged spat over food adding fuel to the fire Death In Paradise star Danny John-Jules breaks silence on absence from series 10 Danny John-JulesThe actor - who played Dwayne Myers in the hit BBC drama - was clearly missed by fans as Danny's character won't make an appearance in the latest series Steph McGovern mortified as Katie Price demands physio to 'ride' beau Carl Woods Katie PriceKatie Price left the audience stunned when she made a very cheeky remark about how she hopes to improve her sex life while she tries for a baby with Carl Woods Holly Willoughby and Phil Schofield horrified by woman's genital tattoos This MorningThis Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield winced as they spoke to the UK's most tattooed woman about her most painful and intimate inkings TV NewsThe National Television Awards have been postponed for the second time due to the pandemic - as it's revealed there will be no virtual ceremony Donald Trump to pardon Steve Bannon in last-minute call before leaving White House Donald TrumpTrump reportedly said he will grant clemency to Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations, according to a source familiar with the discussions.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797452
__label__wiki	0.888675	0.888675	The Messenger Movie Photos The Messenger (2009) Primary Poster The Messenger Plot In his most powerful performance to date, Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will’s emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival. Like this The Messenger Primary Poster—Share It! Share on Facebook Tweet Post to Tumblr Pin it Submit to Reddit Send email Images © Oscilloscope Laboratories or related entities. Used for publicity and promotional purposes. Revert to Original Size	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797462
__label__cc	0.549421	0.450579	Andrey Konoplyanik on Double Trouble: EU Antitrust Case + Western Sanctions Nov 20, 2014 12:05:am Interview with Professor Konoplyanik on production Russia's energy future and antitrust case against Gazprom by: Marina Zvonareva Shale Gas , Shale Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Top Stories, Pipelines, Power of Siberia, Yamal/Yamal 2, News By Country, China, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Expert Views Natural Gas Europe had the pleasure of discussing Russia's energy relations with Andrey Konoplyanik, Professor at the Oil and Gas Gubkin Russian State University, Adviser to Director General of Gazprom export LLC. Prof. Konoplyanik has published more than 500 articles on energy issues both in the USSR/Russia and abroad (all available at his website - www.konoplyanik.ru), including the recent publication in three parts “The Role of 'European formulas' in the Russia-Ukraine Gas Debate” in the “European Energy Review”. He also known, inter alia, as Deputy Minister for Fuel and Energy, responsible for external economic relations and direct foreign investment, in the first post-Soviet Russian Gaidar’s Government in the early 1990s, Deputy Secretary General of the Energy Charter Secretariat in Brussels in the 2000s. The first part of the interview is available here. NGE: In 2011 the World Energy Outlook published by the IEA estimated that the Russian gas industry needed to spend $730 billion by 2035 in order to maintain current production. Do you think that Gazprom will be able to maintain its production levels and raise finance in an age of sanctions? AK: First of all, talking about scope of supply we should take into account that Gazprom domestically is not the only player on the Russian market and it works internationally on three different regional markets simultaneously: European, domestic and now, on top of these two, Asian one as well. Gazprom has a monopoly on Russian pipeline gas export to Europe, so demand swings in Europe influence on volumes of EU demand for this company’s Westward export supply. But even if the demand stagnates (as it always happens at mature markets), there is still a niche for Russian gas in the EU and need to cover the demanded quantity since domestic EU supplies are diminishing. Thus demand for Russian gas is still there which means demand for Gazprom to invest in compensation of production decline from old mature fields to cover contractual obligations. Secondly, Gazprom signed some deals in the Asian-Pacific region, first of all most recent giant Russian-China gas deal, where the high contractual volumes of prospective deliveries exist (38 BCM). That means that Gazprom needs to cover the contract liabilities and invest in Asian markets-oriented projects. The third key market is a domestic one where Gazprom is by law responsible for gas supplies and gasification of the country and, as the owner of huge diversified gas transportation system, has obligation to invest in its maintenance. But domestically the issue is not only Gazprom’s levels of production but also production of other companies oriented mostly on the domestic market that will continue to grow in scale. All mentioned above raises the question of financing. Before sanctions most of external financing used to come from American and European markets, now this option is temporary closed. At the moment I see the possibility of Gazprom to raise necessary financial resources but the price of it will be now higher – it will depend on many factors. Anglo-Saxon financing can be substituted by Asian financial markets (Latin America and South Africa as well) and Russia’s internal reserves (sovereign funds). Special financing instrument of BRICS is being developed. This new development bank operated by the BRICS states can also help Gazprom to compensate reduction of Anglo-Saxon debt finance, but not immediately now since this bank is in the state of establishment. Of course, transition period will be rather expensive because Russia and its companies used to work on the one (mostly European) financial market so adjustment to another (Asian) market will lead to increase of transaction costs. Anglo-Saxon financial system has a long history and is tried and true because of so-called “learning curve” which leads to lower rates. Me and my colleague started to make benchmarking study of these two markets and I presume Anglo-Saxon rates are lower than Asian because of the wide range of financing instruments and experience, different regulation procedures, cultures, etc. Nevertheless, in future the Asian market will (at least partially) close this gap. Rates in the Russian market will also be higher, though in case the government finances a state-owned company, financing can be done through state-owned banks and foundations at preferential rates. Then rates should be quite low (in comparative terms with Asian markets). The main point is that Russia can find a temporary substitution to temporary loss of Anglo-Saxon financing in energy and the rate difference is not extreme. But I hope that the sanctions will not last long. NGE: EU officials are reviewing the antitrust case against Gazprom. So far the commission has delayed sending its charge sheet known as the Statement of Objections because of the Ukraine case. Do you think that there is still the chance of a settlement? AK: Yes, the case was kept on ice and then unfreezed because of the sanctions. I see it as a deterrent and believe that the EU claim against Gazprom doesn’t take some objective things into account. Gazprom actually had a dominant position in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe but it is not his fault but a continuation/result of historical situation that was formed during the Soviet period when all gas infrastructure for then Soviet, now Russian, gas deliveries to the EU has been developed since 1960s on the East-West direction and latitude basis. Gas supplies to these countries that were then the members of COMECON went from one source and nobody thought about competitive supplies because of the centralized economy and state planning system. Now these countries became members of the EU and pursuant to the law there should be a multiplicity of sources of supplies/suppliers. Then I have a question: after “Velvet Revolutions” in late 1980s, former COMECON countries had 15 years of preparation before joining the EU, what were they and the EU thinking about all that time regarding diminishment of their dependence on Russian gas and increase of their diversification of supplies? Since 1989 till 2004 countries had a long preparation period and it was crystal clear that the infrastructure is still the same and it doesn’t allow to have the alternative supplies. Eastern Europe didn’t have enough financing to change it by itself, it needed help from the Western members of the EU, because it would be illogical to wait help from the USSR or later Russia in prejudice to itself. Nevertheless, the EU didn’t do anything to change the situation and Gazprom stayed the major supplier through the pipeline constructed by the USSR. What we can see now is so-called “positive discrimination” because the EU is trying to oppress Gazprom, especially since 2004 when former COMECON states entered the EU, in that pipeline instead of investing into new infrastructure. The level of density of infrastructure in the Eastern Europe falls behind of the level of the rest EU members for decades. After joining the EU this difference surprisingly only became bigger. I think there is a lack of consistency and logic in the EU actions: they want to save their money and find someone’s guilty for not doing proper and economically justified things (there is no diversity without investment). As every company Gazprom is trying to get rent income from its monopoly. If the EU doesn’t want Gazprom to do it, they should build alternative infrastructure and create conditions for the business competition. That was the first thing. The second one is that the EU claims that oil indexation-based pricing is not fair when there is a spot pricing available with the lower price level somewhere in the neighbourhood within the EU. I argue that it is economically justifiable to choose between spot and contract price in the market with multiple supplies, for example in the Northwestern Europe. But it is not right (not economically justifiable, though desirable from consumer/importer’s viewpoint) to get the spot price level from the UK or Belgium and use it in Hungary or Bulgaria. And it is definitely not proper to use spot price levels of North-Western Europe in Ukraine with no business competition and multiple supplies. If there are multiple suppliers then the price is lower, if not - it is higher and can be oil indexed, because a supplier has an economically-motivated and legally-justified right to get the maximum marketable resource rent since he can use its non-renewable resource only once. I’m not sure whether this argumentation will work with the Directorate-Generale for Competition (DG COMP) which is sometimes labelled by EU colleagues as “internal inquisition”. DG COMP might just say this or that is against the competition law (how they interpret it) – and then no economic argumentation will work for them. I would draw such analogy: not many countries have gas resources – inside the EU there are Netherlands, the UK and associated member Norway, others are Algeria, Russia and Azerbaijan. This original (“primary”) gas is delivered to the EU market (usually by long-term contracts with “take or pay” clauses) and re-selled at the spot market (at the hubs). The gas traded there is mostly “secondary” gas. Russia is told to supply its “primary” gas with the price of “secondary” gas defined by the resellers. You know, there is a primary market of cars and a used car (secondary) market. Russian gas is a like a new car, spot gas is a used car then. Would be strange to assume that a used car (secondary) market can define the price in the primary car market. NGE: Do you think that the trial can last for ages? AK: Might be, because right now a guilty verdict would not be advantageous for the EU. Sanctions and every element against Russia will harm Europe, and not only because Russia-EU commercial turnover is much bigger that the turnover with the US. Let me be non-diplomatic by providing the following economic explanation of possible background for sanctions policy. From my view, sanction policy might be a purposeful activity of American establishment - and mostly against the EU. The European Union and the United States are allies, but the US get a lot of money from this alliance and get richer and richer from every conflict in the Old World and its restoration after each such conflict: the First World War, the Second World War, Marshall Plan… Providing supplies of ammunition to the countries in war to be paid off afterwards…financial assistance and loans during the Marshall Plan for payments for supplies of American goods and services (tied loans). So the US always try to solve their domestic problems, preferably (when possible) at the cost of the others… it seems that this is the case today.The US quantitative easing is almost over and the States need to get out of crisis by extension of competitive niche in global economy. New strong players appeared on the market – for the first time China became the first economy in the world, it surpassed the USA in terms of GDP (if calculated at PPP basis). Before we used to have 3 major international centers in global economy: the US, the EU and Japan. Now the world balance has changed, China and India arised. It’s more complicated to climb out of crisis when a new strong player. In this situation a country can strengthen its competitive advantage in two ways: strengthen itself or get rid of the weakest. America simply removes the most vulnerable player among the new matrix – which is the EU. Neither Russia nor Ukraine can be rivals in the global competition today. Russian-Ukrainian conflict and following sanctions which strongly involved the EU which now became the part of the triangle were just a means to an end. I don’t believe in the American LNG supplies to Europe and regard it as propaganda (negotiating tool to soften parameters of Russian gas supplies). An attempt to deviate from Russian gas flows to the EU leads to necessity to develop (which means time and money) more expensive and less reliable energy sources to the latter. Moreover, the whole supply logistics changes: from west to the east instead of classic scheme from the east to the west. It requires enormous investments and the сhange of gas delivery scheme that has history since 60s. In the end, it fatally decreases the competitive ability of the EU in global economy on top of internal EU problems. NGE: The Russian government has taken steps to open up the export market. Do you believe that presence of such companies as Rosneft and Novatek in the market can become bigger in the future? AK: Absolutely, and not only Rosneft and Novatek. In the process of developing oil resources all companies will have to solve the issue of APG utilization as there are not many pure oilfields. Also, when a company starts extension drilling on a new land, it can expect to get oil and finally can find gas. Companies except those three that you just mentioned can get volumes of gas extraction. Basically, the only restriction for newcomers is continental shelf, where only two state-controlled companies- Gazprom and Rosneft- have the right to develop resources. As for land, the number of gas producing companies will increase. Where will this gas go? Here we face the problem of gas transportation reform. Government and Gazprom will have to change the rules of the game, because the gas transportation system (GTS) was sensitized to primarily Gazprom’s interests. In 1997 Russia endorsed Regulation on non-discriminated access to the GTS. By the way, we did it earlier that the EU, that adopted its First Gas Directive in 1998. Despite the existing Regulation, many companies have complaint about the way Gazprom gives access to the pipeline transportation system. By law “On gas supply” (1999) Gazprom, as an owner of GTS, has the right to service its subsidiary companies on a priority basis and on discounted (transfer) transportation tariffs. So, to increase other companies share in gas supply Russia has to expand the non-discriminated access. As for the foreign market, I think that Russian government will try to avoid competition between producers in order not to reduce the resource rent. The possible variant is that Gazprom will keep the monopoly on supply and become gas export agent for other companies. The only hindrance is that Gazprom –as an owner of the gas transportation system- carries the burden of maintenance and development of the system. Fairly enough, Gazprom suggests sharing expenses between all companies. In my opinion, the issue of the access to the market can be solved by avoiding the competition and gradual share of expenses, for example, in the form of quota allocation. This process can’t be fast, rather soft adjustment than dramatic actions. LNG liberalization started because Gazprom mostly has pipeline supplies to Europe, while projects of Rosneft and Novatek are aimed at growing Asian markets, so companies don’t have straight competitive interests. Growing Asian demand can absorb both supplies of Gazprom and LNG supplies of other companies. The conflict of interests can appear in the stagnating European market. If it happenes, governmental guidelines could reconcile Gazprom and Rosneft, but not directly privately-held Novatek. Thus and so, the competition between gas originated from Russia in Europe is inevitable, even if on a small scale. The new Russian LNG producing companies will have a choice whether to go to Asian market through the Northern Sea Route, that sometimes can be complicated because of the weather conditions, or to European market. That is why I believe that we will see Novatek’s Yamal LNG in Europe. Marina Zvonareva Marina Zvonareva is a Natural Gas Europe analyst focused on Russia’s international energy relations. Follow her on Twitter: @ZvonarevaMar1na Russia's Novatek Reports Resource Bump Novatek LNG Tankers Make January Voyages East Novatek Gas Output Climbs 3.6% in 2020	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797466
__label__wiki	0.751865	0.751865	Gallipolis Daily Tribune on Facebook Gallipolis Daily Tribune on Twitter Posted on November 5, 2020 by Gallipolis Daily Tribune School cases increase in Gallia … New cases reported around the area New cases reported around the area OHIO VALLEY —Multiple schools in Gallia County are seeing increased cases of COVID-19 and/or quarantined individuals. In a series of letters posted to the Gallia County School District website on Wednesday, Supt. Jude Meyers acknowledged positive tests and/or quarantined individuals at multiple schools in the district. “We are providing you notice that several students at Vinton Elementary School have either tested positive or have been quarantined due to potential exposure for COVID-19,” stated Meyers in a letter. Similarly, Meyers wrote in a second letter, “We are providing you notice that several staff members and students at South Gallia Middle and High School have either tested positive or have been quarantined due to potential exposure for COVID-19.” Regarding River Valley Middle School, Meyers wrote that “several staff members at River Valley Middle School have either tested positive or have been quarantined.” At Hannan Trace Elementary, Meyers wrote that “several staff members and students” have either tested positive or have been quarantined. “Several students at Addaville Elementary School have either tested positive or have been quarantined,” stated Meyers in the fifth letter. In each letter Meyers stated, “We are working with our health department contacts and school nurses for tracing and are following all of their procedural guidance. Based on this information, we believe that it is safe for other staff and students to attend school.” Gallia Academy High School reported one new positive case of COVID-19 on Thursday in either a student or staff member. “That student or staff member has not been on district property since testing positive. … If it is determined that any individual has been ‘exposed’ to the person who tested positive, the health department will be contacting those people individually to provide health guidance,” read the statement from Supt. Craig Wright posted to the district’s Facebook page. Here’s a closer look at coronavirus cases across our area: Gallia County The Gallia County Health Department reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the active case count to 83 as of Thursday morning. “One of these individuals was diagnosed based on a positive antigen test and meeting the case definition of a probable case, i.e., an epidemiological link to a positive case or symptoms consistent with COVID19 and diagnosed by a medical provider. They will be listed as 14 additional confirmed cases, and 1 additional probable case for a total of 372 cases (356 confirmed, 16 probable),” read a Facebook post from the health department. Those cases are reflected below: 0-19 — 53 cases (2 new cases) 20-29 — 63 cases (1 new case, 1 hospitalization) 30-39 — 44 cases (4 new cases) 50-59 — 51 cases (2 new cases, 4 hospitalizations) 60-69 — 46 cases (2 new cases, 10 hospitalizations) 70-79 — 35 cases (1 new case, 13 hospitalizations) 80-89 — 19 cases (10 hospitalizations) 90-99 — 9 cases (6 hospitalizations) Age unreported — 13 deaths The health department reported a total of 276 recovered cases and 83 active cases as of Thursday. There is one current hospitalization and 43 previous hospitalizations. The Gallia County Health Department has reported a total of 13 deaths. Gallia County remains at an Orange level-2 advisory level on the State of Ohio Public Health Risk Advisory System, which is defined as “increased exposure and spread; exercise high degree of caution.” Gallia County was noted as a “high incidence” county during the Governor’s news conference on Thursday. The Meigs County Health Department reported six additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the county’s active case count to 52. These cases of COVID-19 bring Meigs County to 275 total cases (234 confirmed, 41 probable) since April. Thursday’s cases were as follows: 1. Confirmed case, female in the 50 to 59-year-old age range, who is not hospitalized. 5. Confirmed case, male in the 50 to 59-year-old age range, who is not hospitalized. Age ranges for the 275 Meigs County cases, as of Wednesday, are as follows: 0-9 — 6 cases 10-19 — 29 cases 30-39 — 32 cases (1 new case, 2 hospitalizations) 40-49 — 43 cases (1 hospitalization) 60-69 — 32 cases (4 hospitalizations) 70-79 — 25 cases (5 hospitalizations, 3 deaths) 100-109 — 1 case (1 hospitalization) There have been a total of 211 recovered cases (1 new), a total of 24 hospitalizations and 11 deaths. There have been seven positive antibody tests in Meigs County. Antibody tests check your blood by looking for antibodies, which may tell you if you had a past infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. For more data and information on the cases in Meigs County visit https://www.meigs-health.com/covid-19/ . Meigs County at the “Orange” Level-2 health advisory level. The color is updated each week during the Thursday news conference by Governor Mike DeWine. The Mason County Health Department reported a total of 194 cases on Thursday. Of those cases 15 are active, 173 are recovered and there have been 6 deaths due to COVID-19. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reported 189 total cases (since March) for Mason County in the 10 a.m. update on Thursday, one more than Wednesday. Four of these cases are probable. According to DHHR, the age ranges for 189 of the COVID-19 cases DHHR is reporting in Mason County are as follows: 20-29 — 23 cases (plus 1 probable case) 30-39 — 17 cases (plus 2 probable cases, 1 new probable case) 50-59 — 28 cases (plus 1 probable case, 1 death) 70+ — 49 cases (5 deaths) On Thursday, the “County Alert System Map” has Mason County designated as “green” (3 or fewer cases per 100,000 people). Surrounding counties were listed as yellow (Cabell) and orange (Putnam and Jackson) on the state map. As of the 2 p.m. update on Thursday, ODH reported a total of 4,961 new cases — the highest 24 hours period to date — above the 21-day average of 2,825. There were 33 new deaths reported on Thursday (21-day average of 20), 214 new hospitalizations (21-day average of 152) and 23 new ICU admissions (21-day average of 22). As of the 10 a.m. update on Thursday, DHHR is reporting a total of 26,547 cases with 480 deaths. There was an increase of 560 cases from Wednesday, and eight new deaths. DHHR reports a total of 814,774 lab test have been completed, with a 2.99 cumulative percent positivity rate. The daily positivity rate in the state was 3.94 percent. Sarah Hawley and Kayla (Hawthorne) Dunham contributed to this story. (Editor’s Note: Statistics reported in this article are tentative and subject to change. This was the information available at press time with more to be added as it becomes available.) © 2020 Ohio Valley Publishing, all rights reserved. https://www.mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2020/11/web1_covid-4.jpg 825 3rd Ave, Gallipolis, OH 45631, Gallipolis OH, 45631 Follow @gd_trib Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: School cases increase in Gallia … New cases reported around the area. Here is a link to that story: http://www.mydailytribune.com/news/57791/school-cases-increase-in-gallia-new-cases-reported-around-the-area	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797470
__label__cc	0.681156	0.318844	Atlantic Bank President Voutsinas Passes Atlantic Bank's President Spiro J. Voutsinas passed away on Friday at Mt. Sinai Hospital, at the age of 80-years-old. Voutsinas succumbed to cancer, after fighting a long battle. A native of Cephalonia, the Greek banker was very proud of his ethnicity and held a lengthy and highly successful career. Voutsinas immigrated to the United States in 1953 and attended Brown University's graduate program. His first American post over his 50 year financial career, started at Harlem Savings Bank. The Hellenic financier was a member of the Hellenic Bankers Association and the Cyprus American Chamber of Commerce. In a December 2006 interview with Greek News, Voutsinas stated, "...through hard work and education Greek Americans have accomplished a lot and in every single major financial institution there are Greek Americans in managing positions. I think we owe it to the younger generation to help them and offer them every opportunity". Ambassador Andew Jacovides described Spiro J. Voutsinas as, "...a generous friend, good family person, dissent and a human banker. That's why he was fully respected by the whole Greek American Community and the American public in General". (photo: Dimitris Panagos) atlantic bank spiro j voutsinas Earthquake in Cephalonia: We expect aftershocks of even 4.5 Richter, says seismologist Tselentis Large fire burning near village in southern Cephalonia Large fire ravaging southwestern Cephalonia Νέα Υόρκη: Εικαστική έκθεση στο Προξενείο της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας Earthquake rocks Cephalonia	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797477
__label__wiki	0.790252	0.790252	Indrajith to play Mohanlal’s villain in Prithviraj directional Lucifer? If the reports coming in are to be believed, then Indrajith Sukumaran may play the antagonist opposite Mohanlal in Prithviraj Sukumaran directorial movie named Lucifer, which will start rolling from this year July. Lucifer is one among the most anticipated project in Mollywood, which will mark the directorial debut of young superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran. Mohanlal will play the lead in this movie which will be scripted by Murali Gopi and this project will be bankrolled by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas. Earlier there were reports that actors like Tovino Thomas and Nivin Pauly are also be considered to play the villain character in Lucifer. As per reports, Prithviraj wants Indrajith on board for this project and the talks are going on. If the date problems are sorted out, then we may see Indrajith playing the villain to Mohanlal once again in his career. Earlier we saw him the antagonist in a Mohanlal movie in 2006. It was in the movie named Baba Kalyani directed by Shaji Kailas. Lucifer is said to be a big budget movie which will have an overseas schedule as well. There were reports that it is going to be a political thriller. More details will be officially announced once Prithviraj completes the first schedule of Blessy directorial Aadu Jeevitham. Manikya Malaraya Poovi: The first Video Song from the movie Oru Adaar Love is out Mohanlal starrer Lucifer is getting bigger day by day as Tovino is also on board	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797479
__label__wiki	0.740928	0.740928	Liner Notes Cat. No. NWCR596 Release Date: 2007-02-01 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; London Sinfonietta; London Symphony Orchestra; Robert Hall Lewis, Conductor "Whale Lament” was commissioned by the National Whale Symposium held at the University of Indiana in November, 1975...This composition reveals stylistic tendencies which first appeared in my Second Symphony (1971) and were further developed in a series of works entitled Combinazioni and Osservazioni. In these more recent compositions, melodic material is often integrated with novel sound elements, two or more areas in different tempi may occur simultaneously, and subtle dynamic and textural gradations become essential features of the music. In the slow second movement, a theme and four variations, humpback whale sounds become an integral part of the variation process. Excerpts of whale songs recorded near Bermuda by Dr. Roger Payne of the New York Zoological Society are presented in the more extended third variation as well as in the final measures of the movement. While the inclusion of whale sounds was not a condition of the commission, during the composition of this piece, I soon became aware of the expressive potential of this material. A variation consisting of quiet masses of strings and wind tremolo figures evolved after considerable thought to create the atmosphere for the taped whale songs. Bowed percussion instruments accompany these sounds in the concluding measures... The Concerto for Chamber Orchestra was completed in July, 1967 in London... I intended my Concerto to be a brilliant showpiece for small orchestra. I later found that I had written a solo for almost every instrument of the orchestra; there may be heard, therefore, a combination of soloistic interjections with full ensemble texture... Although some basic ideas for my Symphony No. 2 began to take form several weeks earlier, I began the actual composing in November, 1970. During the initial germination period, I was very concerned with the nature and potential of a symphonic work in the present era, given the remarkable musical developments of this century. A traditional classical scheme did not satisfy me, since such features as separate movements, recurrent sections and conventional thematic processes are no longer compatible with my musical attitude. While certain melodic elements were taking shape, I was also searching for unique textures and timbres to enhance the works interest and variety. A large-scale musical design of five main sections was finally evolved... - Robert Hall Lewis This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available for order from New World Records as an on-demand CD (CD-R). It can also be downloaded in MP3/320, FLAC and/or WAV format(s). Robert Hall Lewis: Nuances II/Symphony 2/Cto. For Chamber Orchestra FLAC $9.99 Nuances II "Whale Lament": I - Adagio; Allegro Moderato Robert Hall Lewis Nuances II "Whale Lament": II - Andante Espressivo Nuances II "Whale Lament": III - Allegro Moderato; Adagio Concerto for Chamber Orchestra: I - Adagio non tanto Concerto for Chamber Orchestra: II - Allegro moderato Concerto for Chamber Orchestra: III - Adagio grazioso; Allegro non troppo Henri Lazarof & Robert Hall Lewis: Chamber Works Music of Robert Hall Lewis Robert Hall Lewis / Frank Ahrold Robert Hall Lewis: Symphony No. 4	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797480
__label__wiki	0.795553	0.795553	FC Arizona Defeats SoCal SC 4-0 FC Arizona is back to its winning ways and extended its undefeated streak to eight matches following a 4-0 victory over SoCal SC on Saturday night. FC Arizona wasted no time scoring just six seconds into the match, courtesy of Kenny McAvoy. In the 32nd minute, new addition George Jermy scored in his debut when he tapped in a cross from Cesar Mexia. Two minutes after this, Alejandro Aguilar took advantage of a free ball in the SoCal SC half. He dribbled into the box and chipped the goalkeeper for the third goal in the half. It didn’t take long for FC Arizona to score again in the second half as Jermy served up a brilliant cross to Ari Sanchez, who headed home his second goal on the season in the 53rd minute. FC Arizona played some stout defense for the remainder of the match and cruised to a 4-0 victory. At the halfway point in the NPSL season (eight matches), FC Arizona is 6-0-2 with 24 goals scored and has only conceded two. Up next for FC Arizona is Albuquerque Sol on Wednesday, May 10 at Mesa Community College at 7:30 p.m. 2017 west GL NPSL Falls in Home Opener to Elm City Express AFC Ann Arbor Defeats Milwaukee Torrent 3-1	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797490
__label__cc	0.635405	0.364595	No membership required Carly Reed Professional Soccer: Colton Storm Happy Wisdom Wednesday from professional soccer player Colton Storm! Colton started out his career at the University of North Carolina where he started 41 straight games from 2015-2016. His senior year he was a team captain, leading a defense that posted 12 shutouts in 21 matches. He capped his senior campaign in 2016 with Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference and NSCAA Third Team All-South Region honors. He was also named to the NCAA College Cup Best XI after guiding the Tar Heels to their seventh final four in program history. Colton was then selected at the No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by Kansas City. Here is a look into the mind of the talented Colton Storm: 1. What is one piece of advice you would give yourself 10 years ago? "If it is meant to be, it will be. If you want something bad enough, and are willing to take the failures with a grain of salt and move forward, you can do anything or be anything you want...but sometimes you have to try new things, go to new places, meet new people to get there." 2. If you could go 10 years into the future and ask yourself one question, what would it be? "I would ask myself, what ended up being the highest point of your career, how far did you make it and do you have any regrets?" 3. Pregame Routine "My routine starts every morning of game day, so 7 o clock game. Wake up and do a little jog/walk and stretch. Then have a large bfast at 9:45. And start consuming water, try to get 8-9 bottles by 5 pm. After bfast I turn my phone off and go to sleep, wake up a couple times to chug water, then have a pregame meal around 3:45. And then shower and clean my house/truck/laundry..and have everything perfect so when I come home I can chill and not worry about anything for a little while." Professional Lacrosse: Megan Taylor Solid Core Review Class Review- Barry's Bootcamp info@ontheline.club © 2023 by Get On The Line, LLC	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797500
__label__wiki	0.748367	0.748367	Admiration Society Meets Idol in Journalistic Simulation By Stephen Fournier (Page 1 of 1 pages) (View How Many People Read This) 1 comment Did the gaggle ask any hard questions on the occasion of Bush's "press conference?" Did they ask whether any leader has ever "won" a war without public support?: Did they ask whether Bush targeted misbehaving prosecutors for retribution? Did they ask whether he exposed the identity of a spy to punish her husband? Did they ask whether he defied the advice of his attorney general to initiate illegal wiretapping of Americans? Did they ask whether he actually believes that Alberto Gonzales can't remember where that list of doomed prosecutors came from? Did they ask how many prison sentences he's commuted for strangers? Did they ask whether he thinks people might suspect he Libby-rated his acolyte to keep his mouth shut? Did they ask whether he intentionally falsified a rationale for war against Iraq? Did they ask why he sat reading children's stories after the plane crashed into the building on 9/11? Did they ask whether he's sorry he fired the generals who said he would need a half-million soldiers to conquer Iraq? Did they ask whether his domestic surveillance acitivities have uncovered dirt on people in Congress or on other opinion leaders? Did they ask which lawyers told him his "signing statements" don't conflict with his Constitutional duty to see that the laws are faithfully executed? Did they ask whether he knows that Cheney exercises presidential powers and whether he's OK with that? Did they ask how long before the people displaced from New Orleans will be able to return? Did they ask whether it's a good idea to keep state militias deployed abroad when they might be needed here? Did they ask how much his successors in office should be willing to spend, in lives and money, to postpone a U.S. acknowledgement that it lost the war he started? Did they ask why none of his daughters, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, or associates is serving in uniform? The reporters joked with him. They laughed at his wisecracks. He evaded their questions, instead bloviating endlessly to cut down on the number of questions they could ask. He mocked them. They must adore him. This wasn't a press conference, but a kissass conference, and they did. It was an insult to all of us. Stephen Fournier Social Media Pages: Hartford, Connecticut, lawyer, grandfather, Air Force veteran. Author/publisher, Current Invective www.currentinvective.com Related Topic(s): Journalism, Add Tags Douma Blackout Capital Murder in Texas Fort Hood Mystery Censored: Media Consolidation Debate Yoo Disbarment Sought "Bottom-Up is a direct and logical look at how we live our lives, conduct our business, manage our societies, and, most importantly, communicate with each other. Author Rob Kall explains it all in plain English. But don't let the readability of this book fool you into thinking that it's not important. Kall cuts to the heart of the most critical issues in communication today. This book is as important as game theory. And people will take notice." John Kiriakou, former CIA officer and author of The Reluctant Spy and Doing Time Like a Spy	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797502
__label__wiki	0.507904	0.507904	Minister Dacic and Pakistani Ambassador Gilani discuss promotion of economic cooperation WorldEventsStateInterstate relations OREANDA-NEWS Dacic - H.E. Syed Adil GilaniFirst Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic received today the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Syed Adil Gilani. On this occasion, both sides expressed their desire and readiness to further promote the all-round, friendly Serbia-Pakistan relations established back in 1948. Seeing that 2018 is a year to commemorate the establishment of bilateral relations between the two countries, Minister Dacic and Ambassador Gilani agreed to mark the 70th anniversary through activities illustrative of the decades-long friendship and close ties existing between them. They underlined in particular the need to encourage and promote the economic cooperation between Serbia and Pakistan, as a priority in the upcoming activities. Source: http://www.mfa.gov.rs PACE Rapporteur on the Navalny Case Asked the Russian Authorities for Permission to Visit the Country Police Officer Killed in Shooting in the United States WHO Head Warns the World is on the Brink of Disaster British Presenter Compared Homeschooling to Torture Lithuanian Specialist Explained the Massive Infection of Doctors with COVID-19 after Pfizer Vaccination Briton Accidentally Dumped $ 287 Million in Bitcoins Five-Time Olympic Medalist Keller is Accused of Storming the US Congress The Collection of Signatures for Registration of the Russian Vaccine "Sputnik V" Has Begun in Ukraine A Woman Was Executed for the first time in 70 years In the United States Estonian PM Announces Resignation Due to Corruption Scandal Snowden's Lawyer Told How He Celebrated New Year in Russia The Government of Malta Has Published the Names of Owners of "Golden Passports" from Russia Three People Died in the Crash of a Light Aircraft in the Leningrad Region Zelensky's Reaction to Protests in Washington Was Ridiculed in Ukraine Capital of Japan and Three Prefectures Introduced Emergency Mode Due to COVID-19 Congress Approved the Election of Joe Biden as President of the United States US Navy is Going to Begin Patrolling Near Russian Borders in the Arctic OSCE Calls for Respect for Democratic Process in Washington The UN Announced the Growth of Poverty Around the World British Ambassador does not Want Russia and China to Emerge Victorious from the Coronavirus Pandemic China is Going to Respond to U.S. Restrictions on Payment Apps US Congressman Got COVID-19 after First Dose of Pfizer Vaccine Analysts of Eurasia Group Named the Main Risks for 2021 A Medical Center Worker Deliberately Spoiled 500 Doses of Coronavirus Vaccine in the USA Angela Merkel is Going to Be Vaccinated Against Coronavirus in an Orderly Fashion	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797507
__label__wiki	0.531404	0.531404	Orlando Health debuts its Horizon West hospital – with room to grow Titusville police ID man found dead after shooting By Stephanie Allen (Orlando Sentinel) Titusville police have identified the man found shot to death Sunday as 34-year-old Pierre Quantez Butler. Officers found Butler about 10:45 p.m. after responding to reports of a shooting near Booker and Gilbert streets. Police said Butler later died from his injuries. No one else was injured in the shooting. It's unclear if police have identified a possible suspect, but a spokeswoman said there is no "active threat to the community at this time." Detectives are investigating Butler's death as a homicide, but didn't released any other details about what happened. sallen@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5417	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797510
__label__wiki	0.75666	0.75666	News / Shrinking AI Down to an Optoelectronic Chip Shrinking AI Down to an Optoelectronic Chip Patricia Daukantas The prototype technology brings together imaging, processing, machine learning and memory in one electronic chip, powered by light. [Image: RMIT University] If scientists could train artificial intelligence (AI) systems to remember the images they capture from their photodetectors and learn from them—all in one package—it would be one step closer to an artificial brain. But the huge data sets and computer power required to make sense of them usually require offloading images elsewhere for processing—unlike a natural brain. Now, researchers in Australia have developed a neuromorphic imaging chip that performs image pre-processing and recognition by itself (Adv. Mater., doi: 10.1002/adma.202004207). The optically driven chip, made of two-dimensional black phosphorus, demonstrates a way to combine AI software and imaging hardware in a brain-like package that could run autonomously. An interdisciplinary field The effort by the team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, is part of a broader, interdisciplinary field called neuromorphic computing or neuromorphic engineering, which seeks to build electronic systems that process real-time visual and auditory signals like the human brain. First conceived in the 1980s, neuromorphic systems have typically harnessed back-end supercomputers, which don’t fit into self-contained robots and consume lots of power. More recent efforts to build neuromorphic chip systems blend optical and electronic technologies. “In our work, we have adopted a unique path of engineering materials to utilize light for neuromorphic computation, artificial intelligence and machine vision,” says Taimur Ahmed, a researcher in RMIT’s Micro Nano Research Facility and one of the lead authors. “Using light signals for computation offers several advantages over the traditional electronic signals, such as high processing speed and low power consumption. Our prototype devices allow in-pixel image pre-processing and neuromorphic computation.” The special ingredient A graphic illustration showing how the technology combines the core software needed to drive AI with image-capturing hardware, in a single electronic device. [Image: RMIT University] To build their chip, the researchers fabricated thin, vertically-stacked layers of black phosphorus, the most thermodynamically stable allotrope of that element. Inducing oxidation defects in the 2D sheets makes the black phosphorus generate current when exposed to ultraviolet light. According to Ahmed, the three years of experimental work to develop the wavelength-selective photoresponse of the black phosphorus flakes was the most challenging part of the study. RMIT’s proof-of-concept chip consisted of a 2×2 pixel array of oxidized black phosphorus with gold-chromium electrodes and a substrate made from silicon and silicon dioxide. Pulses of 280-nm-wavelength light triggered the pixels to “write,” while pulses of 365-nm-wavelength light triggered an “erase” function and reset a pixel’s memory. Varying the pulse repetition rates of the triggering beams affected the chip’s short-term and long-term memories, a measure of what AI researchers call synaptic plasticity. Although this prototype chip responded to UV light, Ahmed suggests that black phosphorus could be further modified to work at visible frequencies. A 4-pixel camera is hardly “image forming,” but the RMIT researchers ran computer simulations that scaled up the technology to a 28×28 pixel image that would train the chip’s neural network to recognize a standard photograph. Ahmed says that the technology could be built out to 28×28 or larger arrays of pixels. “We are working on further extending this research to develop an AI chip which is fully unsupervised, learns from its environment and makes decisions in real time,” Ahmed adds. Researchers from Colorado State University, USA, Northeast Normal University, China, and University of California Berkeley, USA, also participated in the study. Publish Date: 25 November 2020	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797512
__label__wiki	0.856106	0.856106	Night Flight - "Take Off' to The Beach This video is only available with NightFlight+. Please sign up to watch. May we suggest you Take Off To The Beach with this Night Flight episode from 1986. This segment takes you through a video vignette series covering the land of the surf, sand and sun with videos include Y&T, The Beach Boys, Joe King Carrasco and Beastie Boys. Side B of this episode is a mix of videos loosely held together by the theme: 'Crime.' There's a topnotch selection of videos ranging from Art of Noise, Paul Hardcastle, Golden Earring, Tony Powers and David Bowie's Labyrinth cut "Underground." Athens, GA: Inside Out Led by the success of the B-52's and R.E.M., Athens, Georgia was the most happening music scene in the country by the mid 80's/ Following several different bands from different genres...Read More Penny Points To Paradise After a big gambling win, Harry Flakers and his friend Spike Donnelly decide to go to the same shabby seaside boarding house that they have always patronized for their summer holiday,...Read More Count Dracula In 1970, cult director Jess Franco and screen legend Christopher Lee collaborated on what they promised would be the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel ever filmed. From ...Read More Night Flight - "Take Off" to Slapstick Welcome back to Night Flight. Tonight, we jump into the world of Slapstick Comedy. “Drawing on the theatrical tradition of Vaudeville, Slapstick Comedy is one of America’s most enduri...Read More The Sadist of Notre Dame In 1979, legendary writer/director Jess Franco (VAMPYROS LESBOS) re-purposed elements of his satanic sex shocker EXORCISM with all-new footage to create a depraved new epic that – eve...Read More The Plugz on "New Wave Theatre" Hair Metal Band Helix explain the story behind the Gimme, Gimme Good Lovin' video Records Collecting Dust Written and directed by San Diego based musician and filmmaker Jason Blackmore, Records Collecting Dust documents the vinyl record collections, origins, and holy grails of alternative...Read More Night Flight - "Take Off" to New York Tonight we’re going to turn your living room into the after hours club of your dreams. Not only are you on the A list, you’ve got a ringside seat to the hottest talent The Big Apple h...Read More Nightmare Castle The legendary Barbara Steele (Black Sunday) delivered two of her most memorable performances in this tale of obsession, madness and depravity. Steele stars as a cheating wife who is c...Read More J-Men Forever A Night Flight classic returns! J-Men is the story of "The Secret World War," a war of cultures as Rock & Roll smashes Shmaltzy music. This outrageous comedy was created by Firesign T...Read More In medieval Europe, crusading knights massacre a village full of suspected devil worshippers and build a large gothic church above the cursed remains. It is now present day, and this ...Read More Black Metal: The Music Of Satan Cult director Bill Zebub wanted to prove a documentary about black metal could still be entertaining without using sensationalism. You get to see most artists express themselves candi...Read More Night Flight - Valentine's Day Special 1988 "For decades moviegoers have fulfilled their romantic fantasies by watching the big screen," Pat Prescott tells us before kicking off Night Flight's 1988 Valentine's Day weekend speci...Read More His award-winning FX career spans both grindhouse (Brain Damage, Frankenhooker,) and art-house (Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle). Now writer/producer/director Gabe Bartalos brings hi...Read More Night Flight - Politics In Music Videos (1984) Tonight we present another edition of Politics in Music Video with John Lennon, Nena, U2, Men at Work and the Fixx. As we dig through the massive vault of Night Flight tapes, we see m...Read More Texas, Adios Franco Nero stars as Burt Sullivan, a tough Texas sheriff who heads deep into Mexico with his younger brother to arrest the man who murdered their father years earlier. But when they ...Read More TV Party: Premiere Episode, December 18, 1978 This was the premiere show. Regulars included Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fab Five Freddie, Deborah Harry, John Lurie and Tim Wright of DNA. Extras: John Lurie, David Walter McDermott, Kate...Read More The Million Eyes Of Sumuru Two years before The Girl From Rio, Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger) also starred as Sumuru, a beautiful but deadly woman with plans for world domination. When a couple of wise-cracking, sw...Read More In this horrific tale of murder, madness and perverse passion, a New Orleans wife and mother carries on a torrid affair behind her family's back. But when a violent accident leaves he...Read More Johnny Thunders - Madrid Memory A long lost live concert performance from The Heartbreakers explosive 1984 reunion world tour that included fellow Dolls Sylvain Sylvain & Jerry Nolan plus Billy Rath! Filmed for TV b...Read More Beyond The 7th Door More than 30 years later, it remains one of the most ambitious, sought-after and totally bizarre low-budget Canadian features of all: Yugoslavian-born actor Lazar Rockwood in a debut ...Read More Cuadecuc Vampir Vampir-Cuadecuc is a 1970 experimental feature film by Spanish filmmaker Pere Portabella. It is possibly a key film in understanding the transition in the Spanish film world from the ...Read More Bruce's Deadly Fingers Now for the first time ever released in Widescreen High Definition and produced from a new 2K scan from the 35mm original negative. If you are a fan of the master, Bruce Lee, and othe...Read More When a young opera singer takes over the leading role in an avant-garde presentation of Verdi's Macbeth, she triggers the madness of a crazed fan who repeatedly forces the diva to wat...Read More Copyright © 1984-2021 Night Flight Inc. \| Night Flight is a registered trademark of Digital Download Inc.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797517
__label__wiki	0.687791	0.687791	Live: moe. @ Washington Avenue Armory, 12/4/10 By Greg Haymes On Dec 9, 2010 The rescheduled October 30 moe. Mischief Night show finally went down last Saturday night with the fan-selected theme – “Electric Lemoe.nade Acid Test.” The band gave a nod to their upstate origins playing at the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany. It was the perfect venue for the capacity crowd of costumed Merrymakers and Merry Pranksters. The attire was festive, freaky, naughty, and nice with Grinches, Santa Claus, Jesus, Satans, hippies, bananas, fairies, mullets, angels, insects, animals, dudes in drag, pretty girls and many other inspired creations. One person dressed up as a human whoopie cushion and another was a Hunter S. Thompson look-alike. I was given a feather boa and a candy necklace by a stranger to add to my own silly costume. The moe. family of true believers and the newly indoctrinated were treated to an evening of pure fun and raucous joy. And, oh wow, did moe. bring the party. The neatly dressed band set up the test and started the three hour plus trip with a slower, flowing rhythmic build -up of new material. The percussion was reminiscent of Zappa, with angular, staccato beats. The set list reflected the theme with songs such as “Chromatic Nightmare,” “Not Coming Down,” “Wormwood,” “Interstellar Overdrive,” “Moth,” “Suck A Lemon,” “Plane Crash,” “Silver Sun” and “Recreational Chemistry.” The stage was back-lit with plasma projections as moe. projected their own superb, heated jams. The dancing was furious and so easy to fall into with long, powerful grooves during the first set. The second set had the trip kicking in with full force – both musically and visually. moe. was decked out with insect/alien type masks and headgear. Big Nazo, the visual artists and puppeteers, choreographed a bizarre spectacle, interacting with the band and audience. Towering monsters and creepy creatures swarmed the stage. The rhythmic chaos mirrored the cosmic scene. It was a bit overwhelming, but I was brought back by a torrid run of “No Refrain”> “Buster”> “meat”> “Mar-Dema”> “meat.” This high-vibe event was a reminder of why moe. is such a sought after experience. They expertly deliver every time. I also love the fact that the shows are easily accessible and somehow still feel cozy despite the crowd. The so-called moe.rons still feel acknowledged and appreciated. The evening ended with ecstatic fans – some passed the test with flying colors; others I’m not so sure. Upcoming moe. tour dates include two New Year’s Eve shows (December 30 & 31) at the House of Blues in Boston, and Snoe.down in Rutland, VT, March 25-27. Review by Janet Kwiatkowski Photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk AlbanyAndrzej PilarczykJanet Kwiatkowskimoe.Washington Avenue Armory Be Here Now: Open House @ Thistle Hill Weavers, Cherry Valley 12/10/10: Today’s Tips: Friday	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797519
__label__cc	0.659286	0.340714	Rich Johnson Open Source Developer, Advocate, Author, and Consultant ↓More Contribute or Donate By Rich Johnson \| December 14th, 2010 « Promise me you won't fail like this gmail_fail By Rich Johnson on Published: December 14, 2010 at 11:49 pm Bookmark the permalink. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL. Archives Select Month April 2014 February 2013 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 Who is Rich Johnson? My name is Rich Johnson. I am a professional developer, as well as an open source enthusiast, advocate, and author. I spend any free time I can get cycling. Back in 1994 I was introduced to the world of open source software by installing Linux on a PC I had purchased from the Navy Exchange. At that time I had no idea what I was going up against, but never once did I let myself get frustrated, as Windows had already done that to me. Since then, I have completely immersed myself into the open source world and have been an active contributor. Follow Me Around Come and check out what I am up to on Twitter @nixternal Recent Items From Rich Johnson's Blog Linux People It’s Been Awhile The Answer Is No 2013 Tour de Cure Kicking for a cure Bluecherry Releases Version 2.0 More recent items » Copyright © 2006-2021 Rich Johnson Theme by Nixternal, WordPress Newbie Some Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy - Disclosure Policy - Sitemap	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797520
__label__wiki	0.724273	0.724273	Andrew Landry, originally of Groves, is in position to earn a $160,000 bonus. (John Middlebrook/Cal Sport Media via AP Images) BOB WEST ON GOLF — Dustin Johnson positioned to win $15 million FedEx bonus By Bob West Published 12:03 am Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Dustin Johnson’s scorched-earth victory in the FedEx playoff opener last week focused the PGA Tour’s ever-changing spotlight, and ongoing argument about who is golf’s best player, on a guy who may be the game’s biggest enigma. It also restarted the conversation on the crazy amount of money a player can win if he gets hot at the right time. Even for guys who don’t win the FedEx Cup, the bonus money is insane compared to any other playoff in sports. Johnson, for instance, after a 2019-2020 season that had been so-so by his standards, thrust himself into position to collect a $15 million bonus by shooting 30-under-par and winning by 11 shots at the Northern Trust Championship in Boston. That’s right, $15 million, which is the princely sum awarded the winner of the Tour Championship. Like I said, the FedEx Cup money is insane. Second place collects a $5 million bonus, third is awarded $4 million, fourth earns $3 million and fifth is worth $2.5 million. The player who finishes 30th next week in Atlanta, which is dead last, banks $395,000, That’s on top of whatever the week’s winnings are. The bonus money doesn’t stop with the top 30, either. It goes all the way through the top 150 in FedEx Cup points. Players from 120 to 150 receive $20,000 apiece. Not a bad participation handout. PNG ex Andrew Landry, who is 53rd in points going into this week’s BMW Championship, would get a bonus of roughly $160,000 if he holds that position this week. More, of course, if he moves up and less if he drops. Landry, for the second consecutive week, lost ground by struggling on Sunday. After rounds of 69-70-69, he bogeyed four of the last five holes, on Sunday, shot 75 and tumbled into a tie for 66th. He still has an outside chance to reach the Tour Championship but would probably need a top five finish in the BMW. Johnson, meanwhile, is clearly the man to beat. He’s once again No. 1 in the world, is coming after an-in-the-zone performance that saw him play the first 11 holes on Friday in 11-under-par and again has people wondering why he doesn’t win more. The Northern Trust was his second victory of the season but prior to that most people remembered him most for blowing a two-shot-lead in the final round of the PGA Championship to rookie Collin Morikawa. That left him still sitting on exactly one major championship among his 22 victories. In the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2-ball at Babe Zaharias, the team of Calvin Landry, Raymond Darbonne, Lee Bertrand and John House won the front in minus-1 and tied the back at minus-3. … The Super Saturday 2 ball at Zaharias saw the team of James Shipley, Rusty Hicks, Gene Jones and Nick Conn win the front with minus-5. On the back, the foursome of Kenny Robbins, Scott Bryant Keith Marshall and House prevailed with minus-3. … Minus-5 won the front for the team of Rick Pritchett, Larry Reece, Steve Wisenbaker and Art Turner in the Friday 2-ball at Zaharias. The back went to the foursome of Joe Gongora, Bobby Wactor, Butch Cross and Marshall at minus-3. … The Wednesday Zaharias DogFight was played in an all-points-count format. Taking first with 29 points was the team of Jim Cady, Reece, Larry Johnson and Paul Brown. There was a two-way tie at 25 between teams captained by Ted Freeman and Bob West. … Closest to the pin winners were Reece (No. 2, 6 feet, 6 inches), James Vercher (No. 7, 6-6), Ed Holley (No. 12, 8-0) and Gary Fontenot (No. 15, 6-5). Golf news should be mailed to rdwest@usa.net. ASK A COP — How young is too young to ride on a motorcycle? Kate from Nederland Asks: I have a nephew that has a 4-year-old son whom he absolutely treasures. My nephew has... read more	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797521
__label__wiki	0.738971	0.738971	Patriotic Retirement Club Home Daily News Great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn captured in stunning photos Great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn captured in stunning photos Jupiter and Saturn, our solar system’s two largest planets, were visibly closer together on Monday night than they have been in 800 years — marking an extremely rare celestial event known as the “great conjunction.” The conjunction occurs when the orbits of the two planets align every 20 years, but the event is not always visible, and the planets do not typically come as close together as they did on December 21. This time around, Jupiter and Saturn were just 0.1 degrees apart — less than the diameter of a full moon. The planets were so close, they appeared, from some perspectives, to overlap completely, creating a rare “double planet” effect. However, while the planets appeared from Earth to be very, very close, in reality, they are still hundreds of millions of miles apart. The event happened to coincide with the winter solstice and the week of Christmas, but it can occur during any time of year. If you missed the spectacle, or if your sky appeared cloudy Monday night, don’t worry — the planets will still appear extremely close together in the night sky for the next several weeks, and dedicated astrophotographers are sharing their best shots of the night on social media. Jupiter (L) and Saturn appear about one-tenth of a degree apart on December 21, 2020, in Santa Barbara, California. Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images Planets Jupiter (L) and Saturn are seen from the Griffith Observatory on December 21, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images Great Conjunction. Jupiter and it’s 4 largest moons (550 million miles away) and Saturn (1 billion miles away). Telescope image from Melbourne, Australia by Sajal Chakravorty pic.twitter.com/q5971CTD4A — Tom Kierein (@TomKierein) December 22, 2020 Jupiter and Saturn are visible ahead of the great conjunction, over an erupting volcano in Guatemala. Francisco Sojuel / NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Saturn and Jupiter set behind the Statue of Liberty ahead of their conjunction, on December 17, 2020, in New York City. Gary Hershorn / Getty Images Alborz Mountains, Iran A photographer captures a triple conjunction of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn from the Alborz Mountains in Iran, after sunset on December 17, 2020, ahead of the great conjunction. Alireza Vafa / NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Koh Chang, Thailand The Milky Way with Saturn and Jupiter, viewed from Koh Chang, Thailand. Chakarin Wattanamongkol/Getty Images Brill, England Jupiter and Saturn are seen coming together in the night sky, over the sails of Brill windmill, on December 20, 2020, in Brill, England. Jim Dyson/Getty Images A picture taken on December 21, 2020, in al-Salmi district, a desert area 120 km west of Kuwait City, shows the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images How to watch the great conjunction The great conjunction shines bright shortly after sunset, low in the southwestern sky, as viewed from the Northern hemisphere, NASA said. Through the entirety of December and the beginning of January, skywatchers can easily spot the two planets with the naked eye. They are so bright, they are even visible from most cities. Jupiter currently appears brighter than any star in the sky. Saturn is slightly dimmer, but still just as bright as the brightest stars, with a recognizable golden glow. Saturn will appear slightly above and to the right of Jupiter, and even looks as close to the planet as some of its own moons, visible with binoculars or a telescope. Unlike stars, which twinkle, both planets will hold consistent brightness, easy to find on clear nights. The event is observable from anywhere on Earth, provided the sky is clear. It is easiest to spot along the equator, becoming more difficult to see further north. Previous articleAmerican Airlines to bring back workers after COVID relief bill passes Next articleFired cop facing felony charge can have guns for work, judge says 1/19: Red and Blue Several National Guardsmen pulled from duty at inauguration over possible extremist ties Assault on Capitol ‘incited by the president,’ says former DHS secretary Several National Guardsmen pulled from duty at inauguration over possible extremist... New Videos Emerge From Capitol That Share an Alternative Viewpoint Joe Biden will do America right by following Trump, not Obama,... Could Trump Face Impeachment Trial After Leaving Office? 7 Things to... Daily News4327 © 2021 - Patriotic Retirement Club - All Rights Reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797523
__label__wiki	0.538292	0.538292	Screenshot Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce addresses constituents in a YouTube video posted Wednesday. Mayors Pierce and Gabriel respond to COVID-19 in separate videos Gabriel voiced his concern regarding Central Peninsula Hospital, which reached capacity on Monday. by Ashlyn O'Hara Wednesday, November 18, 2020 11:10pm NewsCoronavirusKenai Peninsula Borough In separate videos on Wednesday, Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel and Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce addressed their constituents about COVID-19. In a video shared by the City of Kenai Wednesday morning, Gabriel voiced his concern about surging COVID-19 case numbers on the Kenai Peninsula and encouraged residents to remain “diligent” in helping mitigate the spread of the virus. Specifically, Gabriel voiced his concern regarding Central Peninsula Hospital, which reached capacity on Monday. “I’m asking each and every one of you to take personal responsibility for protecting the health of each other, our community and our economy,” Gabriel said. “We need to put aside the divisiveness surrounding COVID-19 and focus on what matters: our ability to work together as a community to do what is right and to ensure that we have the resources to take care of those in need.” Also on Wednesday, a YouTube video shared by the Kenai Peninsula Borough showed Pierce encouraging residents to take necessary precautions and reiterating his opposition to the implementation of COVID mandates, including mask mandates. “We’ve all heard the safeguards many times, I think we’ve been inundated with it, you know, ‘do these three things,’ right? You know what they are,” Pierce said. “Some of us believe they work when they’re followed and some of us really prefer to not be bothered with the whole ordeal. I understand. You have the far left and you have the far right and you have those folks that are in the middle. We all have an opinion about it.” Pierce said the two most important things to him are protecting essential individuals, which he said includes everyone on the Kenai Peninsula, and keeping businesses open. Pierce said in order to achieve those two things, people need to “demonstrate a willingness” to follow COVID-19 safety protocols, including frequent hand-washing, social distancing and wearing masks when needed. “I want to encourage you to wear a mask when you need to wear a mask — you know when you need to wear one,” Pierce said. “Put one in your pocket, carry it with you and wear it when you need it.” Pierce echoed Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s concern about how health care workers are being impacted by the virus. “Look at our emergency responders, look at our nurses, look at our doctors,” Pierce said. “Listen, there’s only so many of them and if … they’re home quarantining they can’t serve you, so we need them back at work.” Equally important, Pierce said, is lowering case numbers so that in-person classes could resume at peninsula schools. Currently, 34 schools in the Kenai Peninsula School District are operating 100% remotely until at least Nov. 25. On Wednesday, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 551 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska, including 67 on the peninsula. Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com. Report: Most Alaska adults have conditions that increase risk for serious illness from COVID-19 Kenai and Soldotna adapt winter activities to COVID-19	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797527
__label__wiki	0.938949	0.938949	Phnom Penh Post - Leakers take on politicians’ Facebook ‘likes’ Leakers take on politicians’ Facebook ‘likes’ Ananth Baliga and Mech Dara \| Publication date 11 April 2017 \| 06:53 ICT Premier Hun Sen (centre) has nearly 7.4 million followers on Facebook, nearly half from within Cambodia, according to Socialbakers. Facebook Tue, 11 April 2017 Ananth Baliga and Mech Dara In the latest tit-for-tat round of leaks in Cambodian politics, two rival leakers each released remarkably similar images of emails yesterday purporting to show Prime Minister Hun Sen and his rival Sam Rainsy spending hundreds of thousands of dollars buying Facebook “likes”. Spokesmen for both sides called the leaks fabricated, and The Post was not able to independently verify much of their contents. Anonymous leaker “Thleay” – whose name means “leaks” in Khmer and who has targeted his revelations at the premier – yesterday released an image purporting to be an email from Duong Dara, an undersecretary at the Council of Ministers, to Hun Sen himself allegedly discussing the promotion of the premier’s Facebook page and acquisition of likes in March last year. The email, if authentic, would contradict public denials by Hun Sen that his team bought likes. The email mentions a large sum of money allegedly spent over three months for the same promotions. Later yesterday, Facebook user “Seiha” – whose name means “August” and whose leaks so far have been aimed to hurt the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party – released a similar image of an email purporting to be from Ueng Chong Leang, a member of Rainsy’s social media team. It too listed costs for promotion of the former opposition leader’s Facebook page, but quoted a relatively smaller dollar amount. “In the email, I see Sam Rainsy has communicated often with this man, who mostly reports to Rainsy about the expenditure,” Seiha said in a Facebook post. “Sam Rainsy says he is happy that the numbers of likes on Facebook has been increasing.” While the source of Facebook likes may not seem an overtly political topic, the stakes for Cambodian politicians who use social media have risen exponentially since the 2013 national elections – in tandem with the use of the medium to communicate political messages by both parties. Facebook dominates in a country where nearly a third of the 15 million citizens are active social media users, mostly on mobile phones. What’s more, the number of Facebook likes grew to be an apparent matter of pride for the prime minister after his embrace of the platform in 2015, but just as quickly became a source of controversy when a Post analysis in February of 2016 found that only 20 percent of Hun Sen’s followers at the time hailed from within Cambodia. Most of the recent additions at the time came from countries like India, Brazil, Philippines and Myanmar. The revelations raised eyebrows at the time, and prompted Rainsy to accuse the premier of buying likes from so-called “click farms” – an accusation that later saw him convicted of defamation. Recent data from social media analytics firm Socialbakers show Hun Sen’s page at close to 7.4 million followers, nearly half of whom are from within Cambodia. Forty-five other countries make up the rest, led largely by India, Philippines and Thailand. Rainsy, however, has close to 80 percent of his 3.8 million fans from the Kingdom and is boosted by likes from neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam. Dara, supposedly the source of the email about Hun Sen’s account, was quick to say both the email and the address in the leak were fabricated, saying he used a Yahoo account as his official email address and not a Gmail, as seen in the leak. “My email was fabricated and I have never used the email [email protected],” he said yesterday. Dara said he would only occasionally give advice on the use of technology when requested, but was not part of the premier’s social media working group. Dara also denied any knowledge of whether the social media team was buying Facebook likes for the premier’s social media presence. Similarly, Chong Leang said in an email yesterday that the email in the leak was not genuine. “Cannot hack real email! Play fair game and if you cannot win then you create fake email to attack. This is fake information,” he wrote on his Facebook page. Chong Leang and social media colleague Sambath Satya, along with Rainsy, were convicted and sentenced to five years late last year on charges stemming from a video clip, posted to Rainsy’s page, in which opposition Senator Hong Sok Hour presented a “fake” version of a 1979 treaty that purported to dissolve the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. Chong Leang and Satya were in France last September on the hopes of being granted political asylum. Rainsy echoed Chong Leang, saying a fake email did not warrant a comment from him, and even questioned the sums of money mentioned in it. “Ridiculous! I am far from being that rich. If I were I would use my money differently,” he said, via email. He claimed that Hun Sen and his Facebook team seemed “destabilized” by the leaks and were instead trying to confuse the Cambodian people. “The only way for him to counter them is to try to discredit the real leaks by creating fake leaks so that the public would get lost and discard all ‘leaks’, real or fake,” he added. Earlier in the day, responding to the purported Hun Sen leak, Rainsy had distinguished between legitimately promoting a Facebook page with the hope that it garners more likes, and the “illegitimate and really shameful” practice of buying likes from click farms. “But what is shocking in a poor country like Cambodia is the huge amount of money – up to 10,000 USD per day – that Hun Sen has been paying to commercially promote his ‘sponsored’ page,” he said, referring to the alleged Hun Sen email. Rainsy was ordered to pay around $6,000 in fines last year over his accusations Hun Sen’s social media team had artificially bolstered the premier’s likes. Cham Bunteth, political commentator and an adviser to the Grassroots Democratic Party, said the fact that both leakers were now playing off each other was only aiding in the spread of the conspiracy theories. “They are each trying to paint the other side in a bad light,” he said. “They are playing dangerous politics and should not be encouraged.” In light of the upcoming elections, he added that a productive debate on the major issues was being sidelined by such distractions. “I want both parties to advocate for solutions,” he said. “The Cambodian people need solutions, so do not try to create more problems for them.” Contact authors: Ananth Baliga and Mech Dara PM recalls exodus to Vietnam PM urges youth to prep for success Breaking: Kingdom spent $40 million this year on Chinese weapons, says PM Halted meeting ‘not due to PM’s health’ Breaking: PM dismisses report of Chinese naval base deal as 'fabricated news' PM: My life is needed to serve the people Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday said his shoulder sprain had been “successfully treated” by Singaporean doctors and mocked unnamed critics who had wished him Banh marks anniversary of PM’s ‘struggle’ Hun Sen delivers investor speech in Japan Prime Minister: Ignore group’s calls to stage ‘a coup d’etat’ PM to opposition: ‘I am not going to die any time soon’	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797535
__label__cc	0.502181	0.497819	Wasted Ink Finds a New Location, and More Metro Phoenix Art News 11 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend \| Nerd Culture \| Amy Young, Lauren Cusimano, Julie Peterson, Rob Kroehler, Janessa Hilliard, Lynn Trimble, Zach Fowle \| August 4, 2016 \| 6:00am New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Friday, August 5, though Sunday, August 7. For more events, see our curated online calendar. Game On Expo If Pokémon Go leads you in the direction of Mesa Convention Center this weekend, it’s not a fluke: The second annual Game On Expo is bound to turn the hall into one giant Pokémon gym. While the augmented reality app is sure to dominate the conversation, there’s plenty else to see and play. Attendees can compete in the Retro Championship 2016 featuring Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris, brush up on skills during Dungeons & Dragons role-playing sessions, dress to impress during cosplay competitions, and hear from voice actors Steve Downes (Master Chief from the Halo series) and Jen Taylor (Princess Peach from Mario Golf). Whether following lures or reliving your youth, the fun starts at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 5, at 263 North Center Street. Admission is $10 for Friday or $45 for a weekend pass; prices vary for Saturday, August 6, and Sunday, August 7. Visit www.gameonexpoaz.com. Janessa Hilliard Pokemon Go in Metro Phoenix: Here Are the 13 Best Places to Play 7 Best Trails For Night Hiking in Metro Phoenix 10 Best Pools in Metro Phoenix Creatures of the Wheel Gnar, shred, thrash: These are words to add to your everyday vernacular before Friday, August 5, for what’s being billed as “a one-night-only mega mix of old-school skate movie mania.” Creatures of the Wheel is a “cinematic creation,” or a blending of skateboard and roller-skating film highlights from decades past. This wheel-heavy mashup is brought to us lucky folks by Unfathomable Film Freakout – local dudes specializing in rock and roll cinema – as part of a final Friday film series at FilmBar. Also, there’ll be live painting from Love & Hate Tattoo & Piercing. The Unfathomable Film Freakout will host Creatures of the Wheel at 10 p.m. at 815 North Second Street. Tickets are $7 per person via www.thefilmbarphx.com. This is a 21-and-up event, though under-agers can get in with a legal guardian. For more information, call 602-595-9187 or visit www.facebook.com/events/613594888798807. Lauren Cusimano Aloha at the Heard Wind down from your work week with shaved ice and free museum admission during Aloha at the Heard, happening from 6 to 10 p.m. on First Friday, August 6, at the Heard Museum, 2301 North Central Avenue. Sure, you’ll have to pay for your Kona Ice truck frozen Hawaiian treats, but you’ll get to check out several exhibitions for free. While you’re there, catch a free iTheatre Collaborative reading from The Women Who Loved House Trailers by Cherokee playwright Diane Glancy. Need a little more aloha in your life that night? Throw on a Hawaiian-style lei and grab a cocktail sporting a pink umbrella before you jump on the light rail or Artlink trolley. Thumbs up on Hawaiian shirts, but nix the grass skirts. Visit www.heard.org. Lynn Trimble Iron Boy MMA 2 If you missed the first of Iron Boy’s MMA events in June, here’s a quick recap of how each fight ended: submission by choke in round two, referee stoppage from strikes in round one, referee stoppage from strikes in round two, referee stoppage from strikes in round one, unanimous decision, submission by guillotine in round two, and submission by rear naked choke in round three. That’s enough punches, kicks, chokes, and action to make us very, very interested in the promotion company’s second event. Make your own unanimous decision to attend Iron Boy MMA 2 beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 5, at Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street. Tickets start at $29. Visit ironboyboxing.com for more. Zach Fowle Night Race #4 Stock up on glow sticks and party lights (but not for what you think), as glow-in-the-dark gear is encouraged for Night Race #4 of the Night Pop 5K Series. Hosted by AZ Virtual Running, this four-part night race series is having its final dash on Friday, August 5. Check-in is at 7 p.m. at Road Runner Sports Tempe, 43 South McClintock Drive, followed by a five-kilometer run along the path around Tempe Town Lake. Custom finisher’s medals are handed out around 9:15 p.m. — along with all the free Otter Pops you can handle. Price for the fourth and final race is $25. Find details at www.active.com. The event promotes the veteran support organization Team Red, White & Blue. Call 602-722-6503 or visit www.facebook.com/events/807268219379833. Lauren Cusimano Vintage Indoor Swap Meet & Farmers Market Sun City’s known for the fabulous castoffs of people who owned midcentury delights when they were brand-new. Scads more of our senior friends inhabit the far East Valley. When their belongings migrate into town, guess where they land first? Mesa. The city’s older parts feature stellar Mexican food, cheap commercial rents, teenagers, and other things Del Webb never dreamed of. In a former bowling alley at 1300 South Country Club Drive rests the Arizona Event Center, which hosts, among other extravaganzas, the Vintage Indoor Swap Meet & Farmers Market (with beer!), presented by neighboring Retro Records from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, August 6, continuing on Sunday, August 7, and each weekend until further notice. For tickets, $2, visit www.arizonaeventcenter.com, or just show up. Julie Peterson Olympic Dance Party You’ve trained your whole life for this moment, and now it’s finally here: your chance to represent your country — or at least your apartment — at Linger Longer Lounge’s Olympic Dance Party. A summer dance party so epic it could only happen once every four years (and part of Tongue Tied, a monthly indie dance party held every first Saturday at the LLL), the evening will feature a green-screen photobooth where Olympians can pose for their shots on the Wheaties box, a dance competition (judged quite harshly on a scale of 10, of course) and music by DJs Roya and Funkfinger. Come ready to compete: The best-dressed athlete wins a $50 gift card. Go for the gold from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, at 6522 North 16th Street. Cover is free before 9 p.m. and $5 after. Call 602-264-4549 or visit lingerlongeraz.com for more. Zach Fowle Sunshine & Cacti Launch All you Birchbox evangelists, look alive. Phoenix is getting its very own monthly box subscription service, and it’s all about supporting local businesses. Sunshine & Cacti is officially launching this August with a celebration at Mod Phx. The party will include music, refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar. Help christen this brand-new venture in style – and then enjoy the contents of the Sunshine & Cacti box from the comfort of your own home. The Sunshine & Cacti launch party is from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, at 2828 North Central Avenue. For more information, visit sunshineandcacti.com. Katrina Montgomery Studying improv doesn’t merely impart skills you can use to perform improv. It develops ways of perceiving and responding that make everything from work to romance more intuitive, productive, and fun — so all kinds of people are getting into it. Lit Up: 8-Week Improv Workshop at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art will marinate your Sunday afternoons in truth and weirdness for two months, concluding October 9. Torch Theatre leader (and New Times contributor) Jose Gonzalez guides the intrepid band of students, and the performance on Thursday, October 13, will show your loved ones what you’ve been working on. No pressure. Fees are $200 for the workshop, which commences at 1 p.m. Sunday, August 7, at 7374 East Second Street. Register at www.smoca.org/event or call 480-874-4666. Julie Peterson Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers With most of the season already on the books, we might as well make it official. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ season was a bust. Obviously, professional athletes play with a great deal of pride, so don’t expect the boys of summer to roll over and wait for winter. They’ll grind it out until the bitter end, but bitter it has been. Off-season acquisition Shelby Miller was a disaster, Paul Goldschmidt has struggled, A.J. Pollack hasn’t played a single game, and ace Zack Greinke has battled injury. Technically, the season isn’t over, but c’mon, we know better. The D-backs host the equally putrid Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field, 401 East Jefferson Street, at 1:10 p.m. on Sunday, August 7. Tickets are $14 and up. Visit www.dbacks.com or call 602-514-8400. Rob Kroehler Dancing with the Bars Maybe you’re a political junkie who focuses on local leaders. Perhaps you’ve found yourself distracted by off-topic thoughts like: How would Senator Katie Hobbs fare on the dance floor? If that’s the way your mind wanders, there is an event that will put your wondering to rest. At the Dancing with the Bars competition and fundraiser, modeled after the TV show with a similar name, Hobbs and other community figures are paired with ballroom dancers and dance instructors, with the goal of benefitting One n Ten, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve LGBTQ youth and young adults. Other competitors include Mark Howard, owner of restaurants FEZ, and Bliss/Rebar, and makeup artist Trixxie Deluxxe. Get a look at these do-gooder duos at 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 7, at Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 West Rio Salado Parkway. Tickets are $38 to $100; VIP options available. Call 480-350-2822 or visit onenten.org/dwtb. Amy Young 5 Easy Hikes for Beginners in Metro Phoenix	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797536
__label__cc	0.681195	0.318805	King Kong Bundy age, wiki, biography 9/21/2018 02:44:00 am Biography, King Kong Bundy age, Wiki King Kong Bundy age, wiki, biography get whole Information and details about King Kong Bundy King Kong Bundy biography/ wiki/ biodata/ profile/ information/ Details/ Updates/ Latest News/ Personal life /History/ Interview about King Kong Bundy Christopher Alan Pallies is King Kong Bundy born and real name. King Kong Bundy was Born on November 7, 1957 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. His age as in 2018 is 61 years old. He still look young in his age. Christopher Alan Pallies is an American retired professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor famous and well known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy. King Kong Bundy is known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. In the year 1986 King Kong Bundy wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania 2 facing Hulk Hogan in a steel cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. In his Professional wrestling career he is known by his Ring names as Big Daddy Bundy, Boom Boom Bundy, Chris Bundy, Chris Cannon, Chris Canyon, Crippler Cannon, King Kong Bundy, Man Mountain Cannon jr. His Residence is Glassboro, New Jersey, United States. He is Trained by Larry Sharpe. He made his Debut on March 7, 1981.King Kong Bundy is graduated in 1974 he went to Washington Township High School in Sewell, New Jersey. He is famous and known for 2 times NWA American Heavyweight Championship, 2 times NWA American Tag Team Championship, In 1995 PWI ranked him # 147 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500, In 2003 PWI ranked him # 124 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years and lots more. Dushyant Wagh, Garima Parihar, gauhar khan, Gaurav Wadhwa, gautam berry, Gautam Vig, Gayatri Joshi, Geeta Bali, Geeta Basra, Geeta Saroha, Geetha, Genelia d souza, Ghanashyam Nayak/Natu kaka, gigi hadid, Govinda, Gul Panag, Gulfam Khan, Gurucharan Singh/ Sodhi Kabir Shah, kajal agarwal, kajol, Kalki Koechlin, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Kanchana / Vasundhara Devi, Kanchi Singh, Kangana ranaut, kanika kapoor, kapil sharma, kapil sharma show, Karam Rajpal, Karan Deol, Karan Johar, Karan Khanna Karan Mehra, Karan Pahwa What is his Real Name? His real name is Christopher Alan Pallies What is his nick name? His nick name is Kong, Christopher, King Kong Bundy What is King Kong Bundy (WWE) Profession? Christopher Alan Pallies is an American retired professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor famous and well known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy. King Kong Bundy is known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. In the year 1986 King Kong Bundy wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania 2 facing Hulk Hogan in a steel cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. In his Professional wrestling career he is known by his Ring names as Big Daddy Bundy, Boom Boom Bundy, Chris Bundy, Chris Cannon, Chris Canyon, Crippler Cannon, King Kong Bundy, Man Mountain Cannon jr. His Residence is Glassboro, New Jersey, United States. What is King Kong Bundy (WWE) Educational Qualification? He is graduated School he went is Washington Township High School King Kong Bundy (WWE) Nationality? He is an American King Kong Bundy (WWE) Birth Place? His birth place is Atlantic City, New Jersey USA His Hometown is Atlantic City, New Jersey USA His Body Measurement/Figure? His body measurements are Not Known His eye color is Dark Brown His hair color is Bald King Kong Bundy (WWE) Religion /Caste? Religion he follow is not known His Sun Sign is Scorpio What is King Kong Bundy (WWE) age/birthday/DOB/real age/ date of birth /birthday date? (As in 2018) His age is 61 years and his Date of birth is 7th November, 1957 King Kong Bundy (WWE) Girlfriend/Wife /dating /Affairs? Girlfriend/ dating /Affairs - Not known Wife/Spouse Name - Not known King Kong Bundy (WWE) Height in feet? He measures 6 feet 4 inches in height (tall is). What is King Kong Bundy (WWE) weight? His weight is 212 kgs Is King Kong Bundy (WWE) Married? We dont know King Kong Bundy (WWE) Family Details/ parents/ family background? Parents /Father Name-Not known Parents /Mother Name- Not known Siblings/Brothers Name -Not known His First Film Movie Debut? He made his Debut on March 7, 1981. His Marital Status? - we dont know King Kong Bundy (WWE) Wedding dates/ Marriage date King Kong Bundy (WWE) Wedding date/ Marriage date King Kong Bundy (WWE) Wedding date/ Marriage date is not known Atlantic City, New Jersey USA His Hobbies are not known His Salary is Not Known His Net Worth is Not Known King Kong Bundy (WWE) hot His smoking? King Kong Bundy (WWE) Movies / All film list / Dramas list King Kong Bundy Movies The Big Event Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains Wrestling Gold: Vol. 4: No More Mr. Nice Guy Wrestling Gold: Vol. 3: We Like to Hurt People King Kong Bundy (WWE) New Movie/Film/Upcoming movies/latest movie list /New Drama /Upcoming Serials/ Show King Kong Bundy TV shows Undertaker -- The Streak His facebook He is active on facebook on Not known His twitter He is active on twitter on Not known His Instagram He is active on Instagram on Not known Images/Photo/Picture of King Kong Bundy (WWE) /wallpapers/pictures /gallery /new photos	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797543
__label__wiki	0.675384	0.675384	MUVs under Rs 13 lakh compared Alan D'Cruz Updated: June 17, 2013, 07:39 PM IST Team OVERDRIVE members with the Mahindra If you are planning a family vacation to your favorite hill station for the summer holidays or maybe that long pending trip with friends to that trendy beach getaway, a hatch or a sedan would just not cut it. What you need is a people mover with a breadth of abilities; after all getting there needs to be as much fun as the destination itself. What you need then is an MUV, and to find which one works best, we took six people movers out on the road in search of the ideal ride on a typical OVERDRIVE road trip. But first let me introduce the protagonists in manufacturer marketing speak, no less. The Quanto, aims to make everyday feel like a weekend. Its bigger brother, the Xylo, is built for 'long legged' fashion models and the Maruti Ertiga, meanwhile, promises you'd love Mondays as much as Fridays while travelling in one. Then there's the Nissan Evalia, which should move you like music does every time you get behind the wheel. There's also the trusty, reliable and a tad unassuming segment leader, the Toyota Innova to fulfil 'all your desires' and of course, the most recent entrant in the MUV sphere, the Chevrolet Enjoy. We also decided on a price cap to even out the playing field and chose the best equipped versions for all six which were priced under Rs 13 lakh. Now to our requirements. At OVERDRIVE, we don't believe in travelling light. We need options especially when it comes to what we wear, even if it is just a dive in a pool. As you can imagine, a large boot that's easy to load was a priority as we didn't want to carry luggage on the roof, changing the driving dynamics. So was passenger room; the last thing we wanted was to get touchy with each other. And the more people an MUV could seat after having swallowed up all of the luggage, the better. But that's not all, we were also looking at how these MUVs hold up on a day to day basis and how the drive in town and on the highway fully loaded. Lastly, the winner would need to plaster a smile on the face of every OD staffer/family/friends that helped out on this adventure, by offering convenience and comfort. 2013 Mahindra Quanto We start our test with Mahindra's Quanto, the only 'small car' in this bunch. Small, because it measures less than 4 metres in length and with its 1.5-litre diesel engine, qualifies for small car excise benefits. This exercise in 'chopology' allows Mahindra to price the Quanto very aggressively and not surprisingly, it is the cheapest option here with the top of the line C8 variant costing Rs 7.87 lakh. The Quanto's second row does seat three comfortably but you get bounced around a lot. This brings us to the packaging of the Quanto and as we've said in our tests before, the Quanto is, for reasons of safety and convenience, a five seater. The jump seats in the rear are not practical for adults and with no seat belts and very little rear impact protection, it just isn't a viable seating option. In fact, you would probably be better off removing the jump seats and freeing up more space in the boot. It suffers in the looks department too with the stubby rear end making it look like a disproportionately overgrown hatch. Inside though, it still managed to fit five of us and the three in the second row seats weren't exactly uncomfortable thanks to 1500mm of shoulder room. Keep rotating positions and everyone would be quite happy on a long trip in the Quanto. It's also filled with little storage spaces and bottle holders so you're not constantly passing things back and forth. The parcel tray is identical to the Xylo and can't carry more than a sandwich and a small drink The parcel trays in the second row though could have been better designed. These can't take the weight of anything heavier than a sandwich and a small glass, and you risk a messy lap on bumps with anything heavier. The Quanto is also the only vehicle here that doesn't have separate air con blowers for the rear passengers and on a hot day, this omission is very telling mainly because it takes forever for the car to cool. Luggage space is another area of concern. Even with the jump seats folded, the boot just isn't large enough to swallow up luggage for all five passengers. So, either you pack light or someone will have to take a hike. A lot more luggage has to be left out of the small boot. As far as driving goes, the Quanto's three cylinder 1.5-litre mCR100 engine makes a healthy 100PS and 240Nm torque on paper. It's uncharacteristically smooth for a triple too and is pretty tractable both at slow city speeds and at three digit speeds on the highway. It does sound harsh if revved, though, and isn't fuel efficient either. Add to it a small fuel tank and you will have to stop quite often on a long road trip, which isn't exactly convenient. The ride quality too leaves a lot to be desired. It works fine in town over mildly broken surfaces, but over bad roads, undulating roads or just deep potholes, it is completely out of sorts. It bounces and rolls and pitches and ends up throwing the passengers around. Even when loaded up with people and luggage it's quite uncomfortable over bad roads. Out on the highway the Quanto feels better, but not good enough. It doesn't inspire confidence at all and the inherited tall boy dynamics from the Xylo tarnish the driving experience. Chevrolet Enjoy Captain seats in the Enjoy meant that Ashok had to be left behind Chevrolet is the latest company to jump into the 'personal' MUV bandwagon, which like most other utility vehicle segments is showing signs of growth. Its contender here is the Enjoy. And its positioning is that of a perfect companion for multitasking as you toggle between work and play. It may not be the car that will singlehandedly pull GM India out of the red but it is a step in the right direction. It's priced at Rs 8.13 Lakh. The Enjoy is no head turner and chooses the middle ground with all its design elements. Nothing either positive or negative stands out in the design and this leaves it looking a little plain. Step inside the cabin and you're immediately pleased with the black and beige two tone colour scheme which gives the cabin an airy feel. The layout of the central control unit and the instrument cluster also paints a visually pleasing picture. It's only when you look closely or actually use the switches and buttons that you notice the quality all round is sub-standard and the fit and finish is nowhere near the class standard. It leaves you with a bad after taste. We were surprised at just how much luggage the Enjoy could swallow. The seating meanwhile is comfortable with the second row captain seats sliding forward and back on rails liberating enough room in the third row to comfortably seat two. The third row has to be folded down to accommodate anything worth calling luggage though. But once folded down it does liberate a lot of room and though we weren't expecting it, going on just its external dimensions; it did swallow up all but one big bag. With just four seats again, we had to leave the fifth traveller behind as was the case with the Xylo. He'd probably have to take the next bus out. What was disappointing was the lack of stowage spaces, and cup and bottle holders all round. The front passengers still have some stowage, but the rear had none at all to put away the water bottles or other snacks. For a car that is meant to move 7-8 people, providing just two bottle holders is a big oversight. Captain seats in the Chevrolet Enjoy seats six comfortably The diesel engine under the short snout of the Enjoy is the same Smartech unit from the Sail hatchback and sedan. The 1.3-litre diesel produces 77PS and 188Nm and is refined at low engine speeds. But as speed increases so do the vibrations and noise levels particularly inside the cabin. The Enjoy is however nice to drive around; the turbo lag isn't very pronounced and the gearing is well suited for the city commute. Out on the highway and fully loaded though it does feel stressed and easily runs out of grunt. Handling is average and there is considerable body roll. Moreover, the steering despite being a hydraulic unit tends to feel artificial and lacks feedback. The ride quality was a mixed bag feeling quite nice trudging around through towns slowly but getting unsettled over undulating surfaces. The Nissan Evalia keeps team OD members happy The Nissan Evalia, like the Ertiga, uses a monocoque design. But, unlike the Maruti, it was conceived as a panel van. And as a result, the space utilisation inside is class leading. Nissan had hoped that this would help draw in sales numbers but since its launch in September last year it only managed to sell 1400 units upto March 2013. Clearly one of the reasons for this performance is the styling of the car which makes it look more commercial than personal. It's a boxy van with the edges softened but that doesn't seem to be fooling anyone. But, as we found out looks can be deceiving and its popularity seems to be a case of judging a book by its cover. The XE base variant starts at Rs 8.87 lakh while the most expensive version, the XV, which we have on test here, is priced at that Rs 9.95 lakh. The Evalia features a reversing camera, useful when reversing a large van As we've said already the Evalia is no looker and its design lines do scream 'van'. But, step inside and you'll find that the cabin feels roomy and gives the impression that there is a lot of space on offer. Hard plastics and grey fabric do make the cabin look plain, but it does have a number of features on offer. It's the only vehicle in our line up to sport a reversing camera and the dials are augmented with a neat colour digital display. It is also the only MUV here to get keyless entry and start. Ashok demonstrates how much space was left in the boot after we piled in our luggage We are not fans of the Evalia's driving position though. The visibility is good, no doubt, but the steering wheel is tilted forward which does nothing to detract from the fact that it's a van. The second row is a bench and so happily seats three and while there is ample shoulder room in the cabin, the sliding door mechanism means that the seats are not quite as wide as they could be. Also reminiscent of a van are the hinged windows in the second row that pop out but don't roll down, not very convenient if a family member suffers from motion sickness. The third row is also quite spacious and its seat back reclines more than any of the MUVs on these pages. The third row also gets the secondary air conditioner vents, and honestly, if it aren't for the limited knee room, occupants would be rushing to the end of the van instead of taking the second row seats. Folding the rear seats releases the most luggage space here; it not only accommodated everything we threw at it, but it also had space to take in more. The Evalia sports the 1.5-litre K9K engine that puts out 85PS and 200Nm. It's a manageable engine but there is lag and it needs to be kept spinning above 2000rpm. The gearbox on the Evalia is smooth and has short throws making for effortless shifting around town. The ride isn't bad either, particularly at city speeds, but it can get crashy over the worst of potholes with a full load. Handling by MUV standards isn't bad, but when you have vehicles like the Ertiga around, the Evalia does feel less planted and one that tends to roll around more. It is however, more stable, and confidence inspiring, than the Mahindra twins. Captain seats in the Mahindra Xylo meant Ashok had to sit this one out as well When Mahindra launched the Xylo they dubbed it as the ideal step up from a sedan, but it did not go down too well with the buying public. So, they refreshed the model in early 2012, improved its looks, added a few more features, gave it a new engine (for the top of the line E9 version) and got even more long legged models for its TV commercial. And it is the E9 that we have on test here. It isn't very expensive either priced at Rs 11.02 lakh, ex-Mumbai. The first thing that strikes you as new and much improved about the E9, is its engine. The new 2179cc, turbocharged, common rail diesel mHawk unit makes more power and torque - 120PS at 4000rpm and 280Nm between 2400-2800rpm, respectively - and is more refined too. It also manages to get the Xylo to 100kmph in a relatively quick 13.75 seconds and on to a top speed of 168kmph. The responsive engine also makes the Xylo pleasant to drive in town. Moreover, the steering isn't heavy enough to drain you. But, out on the highway the body roll does make its presence felt and high speeds, corners are best taken slowly and with a degree of caution. But, there's less to complain about when it comes to the ride. It is better than the Quanto and though they share the same wheelbase, the longer chassis and different spring rates work towards providing a less bouncy ride for the passengers. It still isn't great, mind you, but is less unsettling than the smaller Mahindra. In town the ride is plusher with fewer bumps making their presence felt while out on the highway the only thing that is felt are big potholes and expansion gaps on bridges. We also have to agree, the E9 does look more premium and palatable than the older version. More importantly, it looks better proportioned and far more likeable than its smaller sibling which incidentally sports the older Xylo's styling. Not much has changed in terms of design on the inside though, and so stepping inside the Xylo after a ride in the Quanto leaves you with a feeling of deja vu. The interiors are much the same as the Quanto but sport Italian leather upholstery and faux wood trimmings that lend it a more upmarket feel. It's also equipped with a gimmicky voice assist system that can turn on lights, wipers and turn signals. In addition, it gets cruise control and a multifunctional steering wheel. Again, captain seats meant we could only fit just four The Xylo, given its longer length, has a more spacious and comfortable third row. It can fit two full sized people, but as expected, knee room is limited. We needed it to accommodate a lot of luggage though and this was not possible with the third row in place. Once it was folded down it gave us a nice flat boot space which comfortably accommodated almost our entire luggage. But since the E9 comes with two captain seats in the second row instead of a bench, meaning, only four people could travel in the Xylo with its boot loaded. So, even though four can travel in good comfort with ample room and lots of handy storage spaces and bottle holders, you would have to make this journey leaving one of your friends behind. With seats folded down, the Xylo swallows a lot of luggage but not quite all of it Maruti Ertiga The quality of switches and design of interiors is top notch in the Ertiga It's surprising that Maruti took so long to make a serious upmarket people mover after experimenting in the utility vehicle segment with the Omni and the Eeco. In April 2012 Maruti revealed its take on a multi utility family ride the Ertiga. They also insisted that we would fall in 'luv' with it and called it a LUV or Life Utility Vehicle, instead of an MUV. It seems they were right too, because in just its first month of being on sale, Maruti received as many as 32,000 bookings. It had to do with the segment it addressed, of course, but more importantly its pricing was spot on. Even today it remains one of the more affordable MUVs one can buy priced between Rs 6.75 lakh for the base version and Rs 9.21 lakh for the top of the line ZDI. The Ertiga features a monocoque chassis that is based on the successful and popular Swift platform. It sports similar aggressive design elements with swept back headlamps, big flared wheel arches and a large air dam. It has a very car like feel to it and that translates to the interiors as well. You don't have to climb into the Ertiga like the previous two MUVs which is a plus point for elderly family members. It doesn't hurt that the interiors too are carried forward from the Swift and are definitely the best to look at in this test. The Ertiga second bench is a bit of a squeeze Five of us did fit in the cabin though the second row with just 1420mm of shoulder room can get a little tight depending on the shape and size of the three back benchers. It also gets 60:40 split seats in the second row that slide. These can be moved back to free up more knee room for the second row passengers, or moved forward to make more space for someone in the third row. This adjustability means that one can find a good compromise for a full sized adult in the third row as well. We on the other hand, with five accommodated in the first two rows, just folded away the third to free up 735 litres of space which was enough to swallow all our luggage with ease. We also found the seats to be comfortable on our road trip and always had enough spaces to store our drinks and chips packets. But, yes, there was a bit of elbowing that went on in the second row. The Maruti Ertiga's boot space The Ertiga ZDI features the trusted 1.3-litre multijet diesel with DDiS and a VGT which produces 90PS of maximum power at 4000rpm and 200Nm of maximum torque at 1750rpm. The refined diesel has sufficient torque for city driving though it only completely wakes up after 2000rpm, but the lag isn't as pronounced as on the Swift. The short throw gearbox is light to operate and along with a light clutch, the Ertiga feels just like a car from behind the wheel. Ride quality is on the firmer side in town but it rarely gets uncomfortable. It doesn't throw the occupants around on bad roads either unlike body-on-ladder MUVs, and the stiffer setting actually helps when the Ertiga is loaded or is doing high speeds on the highway. It's also an easy car to live with on a daily basis. The 2013 Toyota Innova The Innova was, and remains, the MUV to beat, its high pricing notwithstanding. It is still among the best selling MUVs in the market today even though the product has essentially remained the same for nearly a decade. Toyota bills it as a 'do-it-all' vehicle and given its popularity, the Indian MUV buyer certainly thinks so; at least 6,000 of them - give or take a few - do, every month. Given our budget cap of Rs 13 lakh, the top of the line VX version could not be included in this test. Instead we have here the Innova GX which retails for Rs 12.83 lakh. The Innova has built a reputation of reliability, dependability and comfort like no other MUV in the market; traits it carries forward from the vehicle that it replaced the Qualis. It's also a favourite with transport companies, which regularly clock over two lakh kilometres apiece without worries. Its car like feel also means it's popular with private buyers. A close friend had one for many years and we did a number of fun vacation drives to Goa in it. He only recently sold it when he upgraded to an SUV having clocked well over 2 lakh kilometres in it and was happy to get a great resale price on it. Quality of the plastics is very good For our trip we were quite happy to pile into the familiar surroundings of the Innova. The interiors while not the most attractive, are well built, and the quality of the materials used is the best in the segment. You always get the feeling that you're sitting in an upmarket car rather than a people mover. The first and second row passengers travel in luxury with the second row sliding on rails in both the captain seat and bench versions. The third row is usable too but the seat is close to the floor and you end up with your knees in your face and little in the way of under thigh support. The fit and finish is also very good in the Innova This mattered little in our test and after the rear bench was folded and hooked up, the boot easily swallowed our entire luggage with ease. We did have the seven seat version on our test so someone was left behind again but there is the option (at a few thousands more) to opt for the bench seats that will allow you to carry five. With captain seats in this version, we were only able to seat four The Innova has made little changes to its power plant save for the addition of an intercooler and the 2.5-litre diesel mill makes 102PS and a maximum torque of 200Nm. At current highway speeds it runs fine but drive it harder and it gets noisy and bothersome. Handling though, is spot on, and you never get the feeling that you're piloting a nearly two tonne vehicle. The same goes for braking. Ride quality too is acceptable, and it only gets better with load. Now, the Innova might use a body on ladder chassis, but it certainly doesn't feel like it in the way it drives. It absorbs undulations, potholes and every other inconvenience that the road might throw at it with composure. So much so that our three passengers were all fast asleep in no time on our journey. The Innova swallowed all we could throw at it To recap, the SUV we were looking for had to fit certain criteria. Space for at least five passengers and baggage, additional space to enhance the comfort quotient and road manners when fully laden were primary requirements. Efficiency, safety and finally value for money would add to the equation.Here is how they stack up. In last place is the Quanto. Clearly the sub 4-metre dimensions curb the practicality of this MUV. It also changes the physical character and that is something no passenger appreciated over the distance travelled. What redeems it yet is its pricing, it is the most affordable and offers reasonably good efficiency too. But if pricing and efficiency were the criteria you were looking for principally, buy a hatchback. The Chevrolet Enjoy comes in fifth, because ironically there is little to enjoy in this MUV. Despite the fairly large dimensions, practicality takes a hit because it just does not have space for 5 passengers and their bags, someone or something must be left behind. Yet the Enjoy in many ways has a very contemporary cabin and with four passengers alone and the third row folded down it's spacious, airy and comfortable. Definitely a significant step up from the Tavera if you can ignore the small quality issues. On the other hand when completely laden the behaviour of the Enjoy changes. It has the smallest engine on offer here with the least power and torque and that begins to show when this MUV is filled to the gills. Up next is the Mahindra Xylo which also loses out because it just can't accomodate our primary space requirements. While it is significantly better to drive than its counterpart the Quanto, the additional length does not add value in terms of space management. The Xylo offers good fuel efficiency with decent drivability though I do wish its price also reflected a more confident driving feel with everyone aboard. Up next and this will surprise you is the Maruti Ertiga which comes in third. The answer to that ranking is its practicality. While we do admit that the Ertiga is a stylish, well designed and executed, and luxurious MUV it isn't the most practical. You can seat five passengers because in this price segment you get a bench seat in the second row but that still does not allow you to carry all your luggage in the boot with the third row folded down. So the Nissan Evalia finds itself in second place because if you wanted an MUV you wanted space and practicality and the Evalia is certainly one of the most practical and spacious MUVs in this regard. Five passengers with all their bags and still room for more is an unbeatable proposition. It adds confident and safe motoring with a full load to its abilities too and the panel opening with the low floor enhances the practicality of this MUV immensely. The pricing is highly competitive too and efficiency is best in class. the 2013 Toyota Innova is the winner The Innova then we think should simply be disallowed from competing in any MUV comparison stories. It is clearly the segment benchmark and no one has come close to figuring out how to beat Toyota at this game. Why others, even Toyota haven't figured out entirely how to improve the Innova and that is why it has never undergone any significant changes in the last six years. But a word of caution, the Innova is the most expensive MUV to offer the same levels of equipment as the rest in this test and its diesel motor is the least efficient. The competition is catching up rapidly, it would do well for Toyota to drop the premium it charges. Chevrolet Enjoy 2015 Full Spec Price (Ex-Delhi) Starts Rs 4.99 Lakhs Max Power(ps) Max Torque(Nm) Mahindra Quanto 2013 Full Spec Mahindra Xylo 2014 Full Spec Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 2014 Full Spec Tags: MUV comparo \| Best MUV in the market in India \| maruti ertiga \| Chevrolet Enjoy \| Nissan Evalia \| Toyota Innova \| Mahindra Xylo \| Mahindra Quanto \| Mahindra Xylo vs Nissan Evalia vs Mahindra Quanto vs Maruti Ertiga vs Toyota Innova vs Chevrolet Enjoy \| 2020 Toyota Innova Crysta facelift launched... The Ultimate Guide to Campers, Caravans and... Network18 Updates Digitising Text Abstract \| Winners and Honourable Mentions BP Tip of the Day: Getting Out of a Creative Block Get the latest upates on Photography MUVs under Rs 13 lakh compared MUVs under Rs 13 lakh compared Comparison: Honda City CVT vs Hyundai Verna DCT vs Skoda Rapid AT Comparison: Honda City CVT vs Hyundai Verna... Comparison test: Audi Q2 vs BMW X1 vs Volvo XC40 Comparison test: Audi Q2 vs BMW X1 vs Volvo... Exclusive comparison test: 2020 Skoda Karoq vs VW T-Roc Exclusive comparison test: 2020 Skoda Karoq...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797544
__label__wiki	0.76954	0.76954	Tag Search Result Looking Back: Less-Lethal, Qualification Courses, and Earthquakes In past March issues, POLICE has covered less-lethal solutions, firearms training, and response to the 1989 San Francisco Bay Area earthquake. Here's a look at the pages of POLICE 10, 20, and 30 years ago. Former Officer, Wife Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide A former Puerto Rican police officer reportedly shot and killed his 33-year-old wife before turning a gun on himself during a standoff with police in Florida on Wednesday. Further Details Revealed About Milwaukee Active Shooter Incident Authorities have released additional details of the active shooter incident at a Molson Coors complex in Milwaukee that left five employees dead before the killer turned a gun on himself. Video: Chicago SWAT Officers Rescue Man from Frigid Lake Michigan SWAT officers with the Chicago Police Department worked with firefighters and personnel from the marine unit to rescue an individual who had fallen into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan. (Video) Lenco Shows X3 FireCat for Tac Teams at SHOT Show 2020 In the Lenco SHOT Show booth, a company rep explains how its X3 FireCat armored vehicle allows a tactical team to enter a hostile situation and put out a fire started by a suspect without needing to bring in the fire department. OTTO: Mission Critical Hearing Protection OTTO's NoizeBarrier Range SA headset provides officers with hearing protection and enhanced situational awareness for training and during critical incidents. Denver Woman Sues Police Over House Fire During Standoff A woman has filed a lawsuit against the Denver Police Department one year after her home was destroyed by fire reportedly started by a SWAT team attempting to arrest her 35-year-old son, Joseph Quintana. Barricaded Gunman Who Opened Fire on Police Taken Into Custody A man who had barricaded himself inside an apartment in Hingham, MA, and opened fire on officers inside an armored vehicle was safely taken into custody after a brief standoff. 2 Honolulu Officers Killed, 1 Wounded Responding to Call Near Diamond Head In the wake of the shooting, the suspect then allegedly set fire to the home. Flames spread quickly to several nearby homes. At least four homes have been destroyed. Video: Florida Officer Shot, Suspect at Large A police officer was shot and wounded in Eustis, FL, early Thursday, and authorities continue to search for the suspect, or possible suspects.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797550
__label__wiki	0.962675	0.962675	The Walker Cynthia Fuchs Like the heroes of several of Paul Schrader's other films -- American Gigolo, Light Sleeper, and, to an extent, Auto Focus -- Carter moves among women as if visiting an alien planet. Director: Paul Schrader Cast: Woody Harrelson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily Tomlin, Lauren Bacall, Willem Dafoe, Ned Beatty, Moritz Bleibtreu, Mary Beth Hurt Studio: ThinkFilm First date: 2007 UK Release Date: 2007-08-10 (Limited release) US Release Date: 2007-12-07 (Limited release) Let me give you a piece of Washington wisdom. Never stand between your friend and a firing squad. -- Natalie Van Miter (Lauren Bacall) Man a if I ever tell you bout Maxine, You would a say I don't know what I know. -- Chaka Demus & Pliers Carter Page III (Woody Harrelson) is in his element. Or so he presumes. Playing canasta with a flock of Washington DC doyens, he's at once entertaining and wily, distracting his audience with tales of minor intrigue or major embarrassment, his tone soothing and his wit sharp. The camera circles the hotel room repeatedly, revealing their expensive environs and indicating the spinning-wheel effects of their ennui and gossip. When the chat turns to an acquaintance's sexual dalliance, Lynn (Kristin Scott Thompson) reports she's heard he "throws for the other side." Car asserts his authority while denying the rumor: "I am the gay weathervane," he coos. And his ladies like it that way. Car is the titular focus of The Walker, a Southern boy whose father was a tobacco farmer and liberal Senator (admired by everyone, it seems, but Carter). Now Car escorts mucky-mucks' wives, like Lynn, who must make appearances but most often without their too-busy or too-hateful politico husbands. Like the heroes of several of Paul Schrader's other films -- American Gigolo, Light Sleeper, and, to an extent, Auto Focus -- Car moves among women as if visiting an alien planet. By turns bemused and bored by their behaviors, he doesn't so much judge his patrons -- who include the deliciously named Abigail Delorean (Lily Tomlin) and Natalie Van Miter (Lauren Bacall) -- as use them, for access, status, and general entertainment value. He has his own money, which he spends on designer jackets, shoes, and dressing gowns, tasteful décor, and a predilection for the Kennedy Center and elegant restaurants. That's not to say he doesn't like his catty companions or that he doesn't pursue his own interests on the intermittent evening. As if to suggest the "perversity" of his other life, the camera trails after Car as he descends into a dark gay-boys' club, filled with hard bodies and watchful eyes. It's the sort of stereotypical bar where you'd expect him to find some rough trade, but the on-and-off-again beau he spots, the photographer Emek (Moritz Bleibtreu), is more meta than literal. He makes his living in a way that's differently exploitative, as a paparazzo. But his art is something else -- photos of blindfolded naked men in poses inspired by news images of torture, alluding to the world ordained by the self-satisfied movers and shakers who make up DC's upper classes. "I guess," sighs Car, "if it isn't offensive, it isn't art." Emek's work -- which he hopes Car will help him get into a gallery -- lends The Walker one layer of political commentary. But it's hardly the film's only means of criticizing the local ethos, which is targeted by most all of its observers. "This is a mean crowd, this administration," notes Car, "It's a culture of revenge." Or again, as another canasta player (Mary Beth Hurt) sniffs, "It's a lack of moral values, Iraq blurs everything." Such context is not unlike that provided in Taxi Driver, in that the outsider finds his way toward the inside less because he seeks inclusion in the club that has rejected him, than because he learns where he stands and will always stand in relation to the insiders whose misery is infinitely more profound than his. Car has long kept a semblance of order despite disappointments in both realms -- by keeping them separate. When Lynn wonders what he does on his off-hours ("You talk about everyone else, but you never talk about yourself"), he smiles, enchantingly. "I'll let you in on a little secret," he says. "I've invented my own sex." But Car's worlds collide when he's suddenly immersed in a murder case. It begins like a regular scandal: Car is waiting outside the townhouse where Lynn's lobbyist lover Robbie (Steven Hartley) lives, awaiting the end of their afternoon's tryst. When she emerges, tremulously announcing that she's found Robbie dead ("With a knife!"), the situation looks almost trivial -- as such things go in the movies. But it soon breaks open into yawning crevices of corporate and administration corruptions (with name-checks including Dick Cheney), all by way of educating Car in the nefarious and duplicitous sphere of high-stakes politics. The first detective on the scene, the world-weary Dixon (Geff Francis), suspects Car, as does the shifty and mightily ambitious DA Mungo Tenant (William Hope), who cites Car's father as an inspiration ("When I heard him at the Watergate hearings, I was proud to be a Virginian") and uses him as a cudgel to remind Car of his professional failures. While Car bristles at the young man's measurement, knowing not only that his father was a Washington insider with all the requisite faults and fraudulence. While Car's affect determinedly contradicts that legacy ("I'm not naïve," he says, "I'm superficial"), his familiarity with how the inside works leaves him unsurprised when his faux-friends betray him. He also understands how the script ends. "One day," quips Abigail, "everything is fine, the next day you're in an episode of Murder, She Wrote." Except the bad guys win. The best Car can hope for is a timely escape. paul schrader woody harrelson kristin scott thomas lily tomlin lauren bacall willem dafoe ned beatty moritz bleibtreu mary beth hurt the walker	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797551
__label__cc	0.630851	0.369149	Coronavirus (COVID-19): Get the latest information about how Practice Fusion is supporting providers and patients during the outbreak For doctors For patients For partners About Contact Careers Blog Press Free 14-day trial Free 14-day trial Log in Free 14-day trial Log in MACRA / MIPS Product enhancements Contributing Writer · Jan 24, 2012 Should there be national patient identifiers? One of the challenges in connecting the dots in patient identifiers is linking together all the fragments of health data about a given patient that is scattered widely across many different settings of care – is trying to match patient identities. The practice-internal ID number given to a patient in one medical practice has no bearing on the one given to the same patient in a different practice. Even the names may be slightly different (there are multiple variations of Gonzales/Gonzalez, for example). So how do we link it all together? When a patient is referred from one doctor to another for a consultation, the identity matching is fairly manual. Typically, a referral form is sent, with patient name, date of birth, insurance information, authorization number (if needed), and a brief description of what the referral is for. If accompanying clinical notes are to be sent, they are usually sent by fax, and the identity-matching is done by hand. This is adequate for the one-on-one way of connecting practices together, but doesn’t help achieve the goal of a seamless, shared medical record viewable by both physicians involved in the case. The issue of matching patient identities in an automated way has been a challenge when trying to assign lab results imported electronically into an EHR. A “best guess” algorithm is generally used to make a likely match, and the lab reports thus drop into a “lab tests to be reviewed” bucket with the most likely patient assignment. Sometimes the assignment cannot be made (insufficient match of patient name and date of birth), and the patient associated with the lab result needs to be picked manually. Best-guess matching works to an extent, and is even pretty scalable. Sending electronic prescriptions through the national pharmacy-intermediary hub Surescripts, for example, identifies a patient by first name, last name, date of birth, and zip code. This is generally sufficient for the purposes of getting the prescription to the pharmacy endpoint, and verification of the patient can be done manually at the retail pharmacy. Refill requests sent by pharmacies back to the prescribing physician passes these same 4 identifiers, and the EHR uses them to make a best-guess – but again, a manual confirming step is needed to make sure the right patient is being referenced. National Patient Identifiers One approach that has been proposed is the creation of unique national patient identifier numbers, similar to social security numbers, which would thus be used for all healthcare transactions. This separates financial identifiers (social security numbers) from healthcare identifiers, and allows the application of HIPAA rules to the patient identifier numbers and the health data linked to it. Given that such a proposal is still theoretical, there has been considerable debate about whether we, as a nation, should do this. Assuming that such a national identification system comes into being, and that there is universal enrollment in such a system (like there is for social security numbers), and assuming that all health transactions use such a number (this would mean introducing a new data field into insurance systems, hospital systems, EHR systems, lab systems, imaging systems, pharmacy systems – in short, every single system currently designed to process healthcare transactions), such an identifier would make interoperability much simpler. There are also some rather rabid opponents of such a system, based not so much on the system-revamp burden of changing every single computer system that is involved in health care (remember Y2K), but instead based on exaggerated fears of breach of privacy. There is an argument that somehow patients do not have control over who sees their personal health information (PHI), and that this data is currently used by the government and by private corporations for internal benefit. This is simply not true – not just a different interpretation, but in fact factually incorrect. PHI is rigorously protected by HIPAA, and adds a layer of identity protection dramatically more stringent than the general identity protection afforded to other personal data (such as personal financial data). All PHI, whether it is on paper or in electronic form, is strictly prohibited from being shared without specific patient consent. EHRs, both locally hosted and web-based, must adhere to these rules. When PHI is breached, disclosure must occur. This is an ongoing vigilance within the health IT community. Ways to safeguard electronically-stored medical information is constantly being improved upon. Large-scale HIPAA breaches catch headlines, but are relatively rare and usually involve theft of machines with local PHI on them (something that is not encountered with web-based EHRs). However, the most common form of HIPAA breach is small-scale snooping (unauthorized looking at specific records of family/friends/celebrities) – this happens with paper as well as EHRs, though the Access Logs of EHRs can catch such activity much more effectively than the unrecorded access of paper charts. So what about Universal ID numbers – are they a good thing? The arguments against Universal ID numbers for healthcare that are based on fear of PHI breaches are not especially compelling – HIPAA offers very strong protection against such events, making health data even more secure than personal financial data. The privacy naysayers don’t have a credible argument, and have relied on premises that simply aren’t true. The main thing of concern is the practicality of creating such a system. A large number of changes would need to take place, including the issuance of such numbers (new government structure), the creation of a policy framework to define where and how such numbers are generated, the ongoing effort to identify and merge duplicate ID numbers to the same person, and changes to include this new data field in every single piece of healthcare-related software used by all elements in the highly complex healthcare ecosystem. The effort is not unlike the issuance of NPI numbers to healthcare providers (physicians, hospitals, labs, etc.) – only on a much larger scale, as it encompasses everyone in the country. Yes, having such a number would simplify record-matching. However, I won’t hold my breath for such a system to become realized, due to the complexity and scale of such an implementation. In the meantime, we will continue to rely on best-guess algorithms using elements currently available, and continue to rely on manual validation of these best-guess matches. It’s not ideal, but it’s what we have. The myth of hospital EHR integration: Why can it be so difficult? As we head into 2012, the “hot topic” in EHR / Health IT circles is connectivity. A doctor’s EHR in the office is supposed to... As Health Care Changes, so must its technology We are in the early phases of an unprecedented tidal wave of change in the healthcare delivery system. The prior method of delivering care, characterized... EHR (electronic health record) vs. EMR (electronic medical record) EMR vs. EHR: what’s the difference? EHR Product & Features Labs and imaging Practice Resource Centers e-Prescribing Quality payment program All resource centers About Practice Fusion ONC Mandatory Cost Disclosure USCDI Practice Solutions More physician specialties © 2021 Practice Fusion, Inc. \| Site Map \| Terms \| Privacy Policy \| EHR Certification \| EHR Status	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797553
__label__cc	0.537019	0.462981	Cocaine Use Results in New Brain Growth That Increases Drug-Seeking Behaviors Cocaine Use Results in New… A recent study provides evidence of the changes in the brain that follow cocaine use. The study shows that cocaine can trigger rapid growth of new brain cells in mice that impact learning and memory related to drug-seeking behaviors. The study was conducted by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and ResearchCenter at the University of California at San Francisco. The findings were published in a recent issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience. The researchers conducted their trial using laboratory mice to examine the effects of cocaine on the brain’s structures and how the use of cocaine impacted environmental choices. Using a microscope to look at the nerve cells in the brains of the mice, principal investigator Linda Wilbrecht, Ph.D. and colleagues could detect fast-growing new cells. Two hours after the mice were introduced to cocaine the scientists were able to detect increased density in the dendritic spines in the frontal cortex. Dendritic spines are central players in the processes that allow messages to be passed from one nerve cell on to another, storing neuronal information. By contrast, when mice were given saline solution there was no increase in dendritic spine density observed. The researchers also noted a relationship identified between dendritic spine density and drug-associated learning — the mice with the highest number of new spines were more likely to seek out the environment in which they received the cocaine when compared with the other mice. Previous studies have shown decreased activity in the frontal cortex connected with mundane tasks, but with increased activity related to drug behaviors in those who have used for a long time. The new study gives clues to the process in which the brains of drug users become more attuned to drug associations. Wilbrecht described the frontal cortex as the “steering wheel” of the brain, responsible for many of the major functions including decision-making and high reasoning. The changes in the brain related to cocaine use may explain the deterioration of decision-making skills in drug users. One of the more puzzling behaviors of drug addicts is the focus on obtaining drugs at the expense of any other responsibility or interest. The findings may help explain that tendency. For the study, the mice were divided into two groups, with one group receiving cocaine injections and the second group receiving saline injections. The brain cells of the mice were measured using a 2-photon laser-scanning microscope. The researchers were surprised to note that brain changes were observable in the mice after only one dose of cocaine. In a separate trial, the brains of the mice in each group were observed both before and two hours following a cocaine or saline dose. New dendritic spines were evident in the cocaine group two hours after the first dose of the drug. The following morning, the mice in the cocaine group had increased their dendritic spines to four times more connections with the nerve cells when compared with the saline group. A third experiment compared the reactions of mice given cocaine in one chamber and saline in a separate chamber. While the procedure to administer the substance was the same in the two chambers, there were visual and textural differences. The mice with the greatest change in dendritic spines also showed the greatest preference in going to the chamber in which cocaine was administered. The finding suggests that the changes in dendritic spines may represent associations with which chamber contained access to cocaine. Category: CocaineBy Promises Austin February 4, 2014 Tags: braincocaine PreviousPrevious post:What Are the Most Abused Prescription Drugs?NextNext post:Don’t Miss the Warning Signs of Drug Addiction in Your Loved One Crack vs Cocaine The Dangers of Mixing Cocaine and Alcohol What’s Really in Cocaine? Dangerous Cutting Agents Used to Extend Profit Cocaine and the Nervous System What Happens to Your Body When You Overdose on Cocaine? When Women Become Addicted to Cocaine	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0086.json.gz/line1797558

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