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ild.01 Two generations of men born and bred in Pylos had passed away under his rule, and he was now reigning over the third.
ild.01 I came from<|fim_middle|> him good advice of which, however, he stood in but little need. | distant Pylos, and went about among them, for they would have me come, and I fought as it was in me to do.
ild.02 But first he summoned a meeting of the elders at the ship of Nestor king of Pylos, and when they were assembled he laid a cunning counsel before them.
ild.02 He then sat down, and Nestor the prince of Pylos with all sincerity and goodwill addressed them thus: "My friends," said he, "princes and councillors of the Argives, if any other man of the Achaeans had told us of this dream we should have declared it false, and would have had nothing to do with it.
ild.02 The men of Pylos and Arene, and Thryum where is the ford of the river Alpheus; strong Aipy, Cyparisseis, and Amphigenea; Pteleum, Helos, and Dorium, where the Muses met Thamyris, and stilled his minstrelsy for ever.
ild.11 Now there is a certain town, Thryoessa, perched upon a rock on the river Alpheus, the border city Pylus; this they would destroy, and pitched their camp about it, but when they had crossed their whole plain, Minerva darted down by night from Olympus and bade us set ourselves in array; and she found willing soldiers in Pylos, for the men meant fighting.
ild.11 There I slew the last man and left him; then the Achaeans drove their Horses back from Buprasium to Pylos and gave thanks to Jove among the Gods, and among mortal men to Nestor.
ild.23 These were bred in Pylos, and his father came up to him to give | 373 |
The painted monasteries of northeastern<|fim_middle|> discussed her plans to build a wooden guesthouse so more pilgrims could spend a few days tasting the heavenly faith and homely lifestyle of Voroneţ. | Romania are remarkable—these churches have been standing in Bucovina more than half a millennium, exposing their colorful frescoes to summer sun and winter snow in testimony to God's grace.
They are all that. But the first time Sheilah visited one of them, she was impressed with the connection between the remarkable and the everyday, down-to-earth aspects of life at the monastery.
On a clear, cold early spring day, she visited Voroneţ, 20 miles west of Suceava. Voroneţ is sometimes called the "Sistine Chapel of the East" because of its magnificent frescoes. It was built at blistering speed—less than four months—in 1488 by Stephen the Great to give thanks for a victory over the Turks.
Voroneţ blue, an intense shade made from lapis lazuli, is known to artists around the world. Sheilah stood staring at the west wall, wondering why, if medieval artists could make such vivid pigments last outdoors for centuries, Sherwin-Williams can't make a house paint that holds its shade for twenty years.
Pushing her mind past that conundrum, she began to recognize some of the faces in the Last Judgment laid out before her. Several of the angels looked very much like the Romanian women she'd seen at breakfast at the hotel in Suceava. One of the saints resembled a taxi driver she'd noticed on the street. Then she looked more intently at the figures of the damned, roiling in hot coals at the Lord's feet. Here she didn't recognize features, but she did notice that many of the condemned were wearing Turkish turbans, a clue that Stephen the Great's Moldavian artist knew who he regarded as the bad guys. Also writhing among the tormented was a character wearing a Catholic bishop's mitre.
Voroneţ was closed as an Orthodox monastery in 1785 under the Catholic Hapsburg Empire—perhaps they didn't appreciate that image of the accursed pope—and only resumed life as a working monastery in 1991, after the Communist era.
On Sheilah's next visit, the stocky, gray-haired woman who leads the community, Mother Superior Irina Pântescu, invited her in for a visit. They toured the stable, which housed several cows, one new calf, and an enormous sow suckling seven tiny pink piglets. Then, at 11 a.m., Mother Irina poured glasses of home-fermented ţuica, and | 521 |
Ізідор Ражо (, 27 грудня 1896 — 9 квітня 1944) — угорський футболіст, що грав на позиції нападника. Також відомий як Мор Розенштейн. У складі клубу «Ференцварош» двічі ставав чемпіоном Угорщини і двічі володаремКубку Угорщини. Виступав у складі збірної Угорщини.
Кар'єра
Розпочинав кар'єру в клубі «Керюлеті». Пізніше перебрався до команди «Ексересек», що виступала в другому дивізіоні ліги Будапешту. Зі складу цієї команди в 1921 році був викликаний у збірну Угорщина-Б на матч проти збірної Дебрецена (5:1), у якому Ражо відзначився двома голами. Вже за рік Ізідор дебютував у національній збірній Угорщини. Був викликаний на товариський поєдинок проти збірної Польщі (3:0).
В 1923 році Ражо перебрався до команди «Маккабі» (Брно), у складі якої виступав до 1925 року. Такий перехід не був чимось незвичайним для угорських гравців того часу. Клуб «Маккабі» (Брно) був створений в 1919 році і був серед числа так званих єврейських спортивних клубів, яких у цей час існувало одразу декілька у центральній Європі, наприклад, у Угорщині таким був ВАК, а у Австрії «Хакоах». «Маккабі» відрізнявся від названих клубів тим, що не виступав у місцевому чемпіонаті, а проводив міжнародні турне Європою. Клуб на цьому заробляв хороші гроші, завдяки чому платив високі зарплати своїм гравцям. Основу «Маккабі» складали футболісти з Угорщини, як євреї, так і християни.
В 1925 році Ізідор повернувся до «Ексересека». Протягом року він ще двічі викликався до збірної. В 1926 році в угорському футбол<|fim_middle|>»
Футболісти «Керюлеті»
Футболісти «Немзеті»
Футболісти «Маккабі» (Брно)
Володарі Кубка Мітропи
Угорські футбольні легіонери | і був введений професіоналізм. Мор Ражо отримав запрошення від чемпіона країни «Ференцвароша», з яким два сезони поспіль здобував «дубль», тобто ставав чемпіоном і володарем Кубка країни. В новому клубі Ражо не відзначався великою результативністю, але вдало підігравав партнерам і був гравцем основного складу, виступаючи на позиції правого крайнього нападника. Так у сезоні 1926/27 відіграв в усіх 18 матчах своєї команди у чемпіонаті і забив 3 м'ячі, а також у 5 кубкових матчах (в тому числі і фінал проти «Уйпешта»). В сезоні 1927/28 на рахунку гравця 20 проведених поєдинків (із 22 можливих) і 4 м'ячі в чемпіонаті, а також 2 матчі і 1 гол у кубку (в фіналі не грав). В 1928 році команда також стала переможцем престижного міжнародного трофею — Кубка Мітропи, турніру для найсильніших клубів Центральної Європи. У цих змаганнях Ражо зіграв лише в одному матчі — в півфіналі проти австрійської «Адміри», але став автором єдиного переможного голу в цьому поєдинку.
В наступному сезоні команда лишилась без трофеїв, посівши в чемпіонаті друге місце. Від участі у Кубку Мітропи «Ференцварош» відмовився заради більш фінансово вигідного турне Південною Америкою. Протягом липня-серпня 1929 року клуб провів 14 матчів проти клубних команд і національних збірних Бразилії, Уругваю і Аргентини, здобувши 6 перемог при 6 поразках і 2 нічиїх. Найбільш славною для «Ференцвароша» стала перемога з рахунком 3:2 над діючими дворазовими олімпійськими чемпіонами і майбутніми чемпіонами світу — збірною Уругваю. Той матч став першим для Ражьо на полях Нового світу. Він відзначився одним з голів, завдяки чому в більшості наступних поєдинків виходив у складі, загалом зігравши 8 матчах з 14 і забивши два м'ячі. Другий — у ворота аргентинського «Рівер Плейту» (4:3).
В сезоні 1929/30 Ражо випав з основного складу «Ференцвароша» (лише 3 матчі і 1 гол у чемпіонаті). Загалом за чотири сезони він зіграв за цю команду 120 матчів і забив 22 м'ячі, серед яких 56 матчів і 8 голів у чемпіонаті. Наступний сезон футболіст провів у команді «Немзеті», що виступала у вищому угорському дивізіоні.
Статистика виступів за збірну
Титули і досягнення
Володар Кубка Мітропи: 1928
Чемпіон Угорщини: 1926–27, 1927–28
Володар Кубка Угорщини: 1927, 1928
Примітки
Посилання
Профіль на magyarfutball.hu
Матчі за збірну , ,
Статистика виступів в чемпіонаті Угорщини
Профіль на mla.hu
Стаття на сайті «Ференцвароша»
Угорські футболісти
Гравці збірної Угорщини з футболу
Футболісти «Ференцвароша | 1,264 |
The Indonesia Digital Economy Summit 2018 came to successful conclusion, alongside with the Indonesia's premiere exhibition on digital technologies, NXT Indonesia, Communic Indonesia & Broadcast Indonesia 2018, at JIExpo Kemayoran Jakarta on October 26th, 2018. This annual summit of high-technology and digitalization gathered over 336 tech professionals, analyst, and industry experts, to outperform high-technology skillsets addressed by over 51 leading minds in the industry.
NXT Indonesia, Communic Indonesia & Broadcast Indonesia 2018 have attracted over 3,500 trade visitors during the 3-day expo. They assemble to witness technological breakthroughs in broadcasting, entertainment, media, and information & communication technology (ICT) by 127 exhibiting companies from 27 countries.
"We have seen this conference continue to expand as association leaders consistently integrate new technology and innovation to achieve new digital economy 4.0. This year, we gathered extended numbers of technology and telecommunication executives to formulate solution for major shift in workforce and digital literacy, as the biggest digitalization challenges in Indonesia," said Ben Wong, Managing Director of Pamerindo Indonesia, as organizer of the exhibitions.
Indonesia's digital landscape has significantly grown in recent years. It ranges from increased use of big data and mobile internet, to the unprecedented growth of e-commerce and digital financial services. According to a research by McKinsey&Company, a retailer using big data to the fullest could increase its operating margin by more than 60%.
Big data platforms can predict what individual thinks and needs, resulted in data product innovation for retailers, such as specific product recommendation, virtual buying assistant, and forecasting method. Such topics were presented at the summit by Youssef Ouyhya, Vice President of Data of Tokopedia, during his speech on how big data can drive a digital innovation.
However, there are challenges that cause 60% of big data projects fail, such as expertise gap and big<|fim_middle|>ghese, Manager of Access and Connectivity Policy of Facebook Asia Pacific, explained some of Facebook's efforts at the summit session about digital infrastructure. One of which is developing Digital Literacy Program, consisting of 100 workshops in 100 schools of 7 cities in Indonesia to reach out nearly 12,5 thousand of offline communities. | investment. During his session, Youssef also stated that despite of having solid data strategies, people need to advance digital literacy to optimize big data and IoT for sustainable business.
To overcome digital illiteracy among young people, Tom V. Vr | 50 |
Bia agus ól ar Thuas
Scríobh mé agaibh faoi an priomh-leath de mo turas go gCalifoirnea Thuas an uair seo caite anseo. Inseoidh mé anois faoi mo turas ar ais mo bhaile ar feadh an turas féin. Ar dtús, d'iarr muid a ceannaigh bolg silíní dubh eile agus cliabh sú talann níos mó ina margadh Ghleanntan Prúna ag imeall an cathair na Salainn.
Ach, ní raibh muid ábalta a dhéanamh deas-iompaigi go margadh sin. Ní raibh muid ár gluastain a déanta seo ón mbóthar mór 101. Bíodh brú tráchta go minic ansin.
Mar sin, thiomaint muid níos sia ar aghaidh i bhfad. Chonaic muid fógrán poíblí ag díol sútha talann ar an taobh thall den bóthar. Mar sin féin, níor thuig muid go mbeadh oscailte an áit seo ag imeall an cathair na Salainn.
Is maith liom ag dul ar an bóthar 101, áfach. Tá sé níos mall, ar ndóigh. Is brea liom a fheicéail na feirmeachaí agus an mám go an tAigéan Ciúin in aice leis Naomh Barbara.
Ní bhfuair ár bialann Meicsiceach ceannán ina sráidbhaile na Guadalupe ag trasna na stasiún traen ansin. Dhún é. Tá brón orainn.
Bheul, níor d'ól mé beoir saor ina bialann eile ansin; thug mé ina gluastain beagán buidéil leanna dubh ar bhaile go Naomh Críos, fós. Ní raibh maith ag "asalín glasraí" agam níos mó, ach bhí maith ag ithe Niall, Leon agus Léna reasunta mór ina "El Tapatio." D'iarr mé ag tiomaint go tuathród 135 go Guadalupe go dtí suas Naomh Mhúire.
Cheannaigh muid sútha talann chomh milis le mil in aice leis sráidbhaile na hOrcutt. Chruinnigh siad is nua. Stád mé amuigh faoin aer úr in aice leis an farraige glas i tsamraidh ansiúd an Sleibhte le Cladach.
D'ith mé na sútha is milis riamh an maidin lá arna dhiaidh sin i mo bricfeasta. Bhí cuimhne liomsa an feirm agus an aer aríst. Is docha, cuirfeadh mé cuairt eile go "Feirm Pheadarín" a cheannaigh sútha an turas seo chugainn ar thuas.
Food and Drink to the South
I wrote to you all about my first half of my trip to Northern California the last time here. I will tell now about my journey back to my home during this same trip. At the start, we wished to buy another bag of dark cherries and a basket of more strawberries at the Prunedale Market on the outskirts of the city of Salinas.
But, we could not make a left-turn to that market. Our car could not do this on Highway 101. There's often heavy traffic there.
Therefore, we drove a bit farther on down. We saw a sign selling strawberries on the other side of the highway. All the same, we did not understand where this place might be open around Salinas.
I like going along Highway 101, however. It's slower, of course. I love to see the farms and the mountain pass to the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara.
We did not find our favorite Mexican restaurant in the town of Guadalupe across from the train station there. It was closed.. We were sad.
Well, I did not drink cheap beer in another restaurant there; I had taken in the car a few bottles of dark beer home from Santa Cruz, still. I did not like my "little donkey" (~veggie burrito) much, but Niall, Leo and Layne liked eating well enough at "El Tapatio." I sought to drive the country road 135 from Guadalupe to below Santa Maria.
We bought strawberries sweet as honey near the town of Orcutt. They were gathered the freshest. I stood out in the fresh air near the green summer coast over the Coastal Range.
I ate the sweetest berries ever the morning after for my breakfast. I remembered myself the farm and the air again. I hope, I may pay another visit to "Little Pete's Farm" to buy berries on my next trip North.
Grianghraf/Photo: Sú Talann (Albanachaí) ó Naomh Mhúire/"Albions" from Santa Maria Strawberry.com
Labels: beginning Irish, California, irish gaelic, irish language, learning irish, my bilingual Irish entries, nature, travel
Eleanor Henderson's "Ten Thousand Saints": Book Review
This novel's advance copy comes filled with breathless "in-house praise" and a back cover full of promotional strategies across media. This energetic campaign may reflect the edgy mood of the setting, the straight-edge hardcore punk scene of 1988. The novel nears its end during the Tompkins Square Park anti-gentrification riot in Mayor Koch's Manhattan. Its immersion in the streets and back alleys of New York City attests to the confidence that Eleanor Henderson brings to her debut novel. Over four-hundred pages, it follows the convoluted year in the relationships between teenager Jude Keffy-Horn and his father's girlfriend's daughter, and the complications that she, Eliza, escalates once she finds herself in an all-too familiar female predicament.
The story shuttles between small-city Lintonburg (~Burlington), Vermont, and NYC's Alphabet City. I did not find either locale as intricately evoked as I'd expected, although the places gain sufficient elaboration. Neither did I find Henderson's prose, an indirect narration that subtly filters the characters' perspectives (if sometimes too subtly, as the tone often blurs as the controlling narrator tends to dominate), as particularly quotable or dazzling. Her tone stays modest, generally cleansed of ego.
Its teenaged and young adult characters assert individuality against a system that has co-opted its idealistic elders. Still, they too shave their heads, get "X" tattoos on their hands, and shut out or beat down those who don't conform to their non-conforming credo, tunes, and tribal rituals. This moral novel's more traditional than its sordid or exotic settings may make it seem.
The author's aiming here to instead focus on characterization of a half-dozen or so late-hippie-era pot-addled parents who found themselves deserted by and deserting their children. Some of them, as here, grow up to embrace, if for a time, the austerity of a celibate, vegan, and Hare Krishna-core punk ethos as an alternative. These straight-edge seekers value loyalty, purity, and idealism. The trouble solved by eschewing stimulants leads to its own dangers, kids being kids. Revenge and payback prove natural temptations for young people seeking to join up "true 'til death".
Henderson charts the tensions between youthful ambitions and profane temptations, and the gang-like element that coheres around the Green Mountain Boys which Jude sings with for me was a clever theme to explore. This was the reason I chose to read this book, but as it went along, the sounds themselves and the squalor of the spartan lifestyle lived in vans and on tour albeit told well recedes as the difficulty of keeping one's self upright and honest becomes the larger message.
As with the Hindu elements that initially color the ideology that attracts the straight-edge recruits, the hardcore scene recedes often as the backdrop rather than the primary theme. While Jude becomes the singer of his own band, you rarely witness him on stage. However, the rigors of an ascetic life on the road and in the van gain gritty detail, gleaned from Henderson's research into the 1980s rock underground scene.
The novel hones in on family ties unraveling, attenuating, and reconnecting as exes reunite and bicker and spar. These settled or unsettled parents contend to keep their offspring apart or estranged from their current partners--potential or actual surrogate parents--as well as the progenitors' former partners. Henderson follows every combination and permutation of such couplings and sunderings. While this leads to a somewhat schematic playing out of every possibility as to who will or will not take in the wandering children, this activity does allow her to keep the plot convoluted enough to propel it over so many pages, and overall, she manages to keep the character-rich story sustained.
Without revealing the consequences of such hard-won truths learned by adoptees, strays, divorcees, and stepfamilies, suffice to say that Henderson's earnest exploration of hippies and punks moves along smartly. The climactic scenes set around Alphabet City and Tompkins Square felt rather hurried, but this may reflect the characters' own weariness with fighting the system as the yuppies move in, the straight-edge scene stagnates, and AIDS infiltrates this puritanical counterculture.
I found the novel at times intriguing for an aspect that some readers may find challenging. Henderson prefers to delay exposition of certain plot pivots until a few pages after one character begins to divulge the twist. She is to be commended for this daring, but this may put off as many readers as it may win over. However, the book's largely free of the MFA-style of showy prose and self-aggrandizing displays of irony or sentiment that many of her peers attempt to sell as fiction these days. At the heart of this sprawling tale is an elaboration of counter-cultural but still persistent, however tattooed, stoned, and amplified, family values, defiantly rallied in the last year of Reagan's rule.
(Featured at Pop Matters 7-28-11; posted in shorter and earlier form to Amazon US 7-3-11)
Labels: American Literature, counterculture, drugs, hippies, hipsters, My book reviews, New York City, popular culture, punk, sacred and profane
Kevin Belmonte's "Defiant Joy: G.K. Chesterton": Book Review
Chesterton's impact, through his many writings, remains the emphasis; his life's the backdrop for a talented critic, fantasist, poet, and controversialist who never seemed to stop working. Belmonte covers GKC's career efficiently, in many short chapters, most focusing on a particular major work. That some are forgotten now only highlights how renowned they once were. Graham Greene on "The Ballad of the White Horse," T.S. Eliot on "The Napoleon of Notting Hill," or Orson Welles on "The Man Who Was Thursday" jostle with H.L. Mencken, H.G. Wells, and G. B. Shaw, his formidable adversaries and friends, for as his biographer documents, GKC knew how to debate spiritedly while keeping his balance, and his wit and warmth with those who were his intellectual opponents.
Such a quality endears him to Belmonte, and to us. We see through Gerry Wills or Philip Yancey, J.R.R. Tolkien or Harold Bloom, C.S. Lewis and Sir James Murray of O.E.D. fame the effect of GKC as informed critic as well as Christian apologist. While Belmonte does relegate Chesterton's supposed anti-semitic or racist-tinged rhetoric to an endnote, and while he blurs such facts as exactly when and how he converted to Catholicism while writing his study of St. Francis of Assisi, or his relationship with Hilaire<|fim_middle|> rescue, during Bush-era deregulation and Enron.
Those lower down on the scale struggle, as always. Edward P. Jones' "The Store" and James Alan McPherson's "A Solo Song for Doc" follow two black men who grow up by serving customers, one taking care of a corner grocery in D.C. during the start of the 1960s, the other ending around 1965 after a career spent in railroad dining cars. As with Thomas McGuane's "Cowboy", or the long litany of woes tallied in Annie Proulx's "Job History" for a luckless Wyoming worker who refuses to give up, the dignity as well as the duplicity involved in getting paid keeps strong stories from succumbing to sentimentality.
Stuart Dybek often touches on spiritual longing in his Chicago fiction; "Sauerkraut Soup" tries to slip a weightier message into a saga of a student turned ice-cream factory worker. "That terrible lack of sympathy pervading all locker rooms hung in the air". Marzek learns that everyone on the shift gives in to an inarticulate, then submerged, resignation about "the way time was surrendered". This leads to his existentialist epiphany, in the pink "deceptive light of Indian summer". Stories such as Dybek's interest us when they use the backdrop of a job to display the character's inner turmoil; the best here do.
J.F. Powers, often overlooked in anthologies but as with Dybek a writer's writer, in "The Valiant Woman" nimbly addresses Father Frank Firman's resignation to his rectory's housekeeper, his life-long if never courted companion, Mrs. Stoner. He settles down for their, or her, evening routine, a game of cards called "honeymoon": "Father Firman scratched in his coat pocket for a pill, found one, swallowed it. He let his head sink back against the chair and closed his eyes. He could hear her moving about the room, making the preparations: and how he knew them—the fumbling in the drawer for a pencil with a point, the rip of a page from his daily calendar, and finally the leg of the card table sliding up against his leg".
These careful details mark many heartland-based stories. I'm not sure why suburban malls, franchises, and corporate-branded workplaces serving as employers for so many today are absent. Exurban sprawl, high-tech, the downsized blue-collar or stagnating white-collar predicaments earn quick attention, but more obliquely than directly. Perhaps this reflects treatment of similar issues in most movies and television shows, which also tend to use the workplace as background rather than center stage. (Unfortunately, in a volume dedicated to one of everyday America's greatest chroniclers, Raymond Carver, Ford notes that Carver's estate denied permission for "Elephant" to be included.)
Despite the predominance of later 20th-century stories, many feel as if set in a slightly earlier era. Only one story appeared before mid-century (if well before Arthur Miller's play), Eudora Welty's "The Death of the Traveling Salesman"; this feels as taken from a folktale, its eerie Southern Gothic mood very distinctive from the Midwestern or small-town settings preferred by most contributors. Very few stories take place, as does Apple's, in the suburbs or even next to the chain stores. Ford prefers a skewed, small-town provenance for many stories that feels at odds with how many Americans survive today.
Elizabeth Strout's "Pharmacy" set in a Maine village, however, shows one local reacting to the chain drugstore replacing the pharmacy, the trees cut down for its parking lot. "You get used to things, he thinks, without getting used to things". Many writers relate their stories in this worldly wise style, as if out of a writer's workshop, and as with Ford's own "Under the Radar" or Donald Barthelme or Ann Beattie or George Chambers' inclusions, these often drain the energy from stories which adapt distance rather than confrontation within a recognizable, daily workplace. Beattie's "The Working Girl" deconstructs romance, but displays little of the working life. While Alice Munro's control of place and time enriches "Some Women", the payoff for such subtlety, for me, appeared too genteel.
Some prominent authors, however, manage to combine observations of everyday life with a snappier professionalism. Joyce Carol Oates' "High Lonesome", Lewis Robinson's "Officer Friendly" and Tobias Woolf's "The Deposition" dramatize unpredictably how the law may create disorder. James Salter's "Foreign Shores" about a Dutch au pair and ZZ Packer's "Geese" about a black woman's job searches in Japan present challenges that update those of Díaz, Jones, McGuane and McPherson as people scheme. "Minotaur" by Jim Shepard succeeds as it glimpses obliquely at the "black world" of secret projects at Lockheed. "A Glutton for Punishment" by Richard Yates follows a fired worker home as he tells his wife.
Inevitably, some writers write about writers writing. Barthelme fails and his postmodernism (as with Chambers) grates as it dates poorly. Eugenides, by veering off into free enterprise, keeps his story fresh. John Cheever's "The World of Apples" examines gracefully a Robert Frost-type poet pestered in his Italian idyll by admirers of (only) his first book; in old age he determines to renew his passion. In "The Writer's Trade", Nicholas Delbanco introduces steadily a debut novelist as he reacts to sudden acclaim.
Writing also infuses the reason for this publication. This anthology benefits 826michigan, one of the 826 chapters which nationally support youth tutoring, writing workshops, and field trips. As with Ian Frazier's Humor Me anthology for the national efforts by this same non-profit, which I reviewed for PopMatters [and Amazon US and my blog] last year, the uneven contents of Ford's anthology dissuade me from unqualified support of such means, but the end to which such anthologies aim, for 826, is one I certainly support. Since my review of Frazier's book, I have participated in 826 work as a volunteer at my city's own branch, as a footnote for my critique or a recommendation of its programs.
The most successful story, for me, integrated the job of a tour guide in India, who moonlights from his regular employment as "The Interpreter of Maladies" by translating at a doctor's office. Jhumpa Lahiri deftly depicts him at work, while fantasizing, until he's forced to wake up to the truth. Such a story, realistic yet expansive enough to allow the rest of the world beyond the job to enter, demonstrates the most accurate, if for some competitors in this collection still elusive, fictionalization of factual necessity.
(Featured in slightly altered form at PopMatters 4-28-11; as above at Amazon US & Lunch.com 4-30-11.)
Labels: American Literature, capitalism, counterculture, immigration, India, Information literacy, J.F. Powers, My book reviews, popular culture, Raymond Carver, short stories
Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall": Book Review
Deservedly a Booker Prize winner, this ambitious story conveys a novel of ideas as well as of (half-)familiar figures. It narrates an unlikely hero, a flawed protagonist, a conniving yet moral-minded man at the heart of the court of Henry the Eighth, as he plots to divorce Katherine of Aragon so as to marry Anne Boleyn. Many reviewers have emphasized Thomas Cromwell's role here as bitterly opposed to Thomas More, but Hilary Mantel presents both chancellors as equally obstinate in their convictions. To Cromwell, service and loyalty to his king coincide with his determination to free England from subservience to outmoded ritual and oppressive mindsets; Cromwell recognizes his master's flaws, but he remains faithful to his wishes, and as the king's fortunes increase, so do Cromwell's.
Along the way, we meet many of those who oppose the king's sexual and imperial desires. But Hilary Mantel refuses to caricature Mary Tudor, Katherine, those executed for their Catholic resistance, or the many figures forced to save their lives or their livelihoods as they choose between England and Rome, "the living against the dead" as Henry declares his realm as an empire freed from the Pope. She evokes sympathy with More's victims, those burned or disemboweled for their courage, and she shows how More himself expected more than what he gave those he persecuted and condemned when it came to final mercy. Yet she does not allow More in these pages to become a cartoon, and she carefully explores his own predicament, infuriating as More's refusals are to his foe Cromwell.
This material over five hundred complicated pages holds up astonishingly well. I had to consult the chart of the characters more than once (lots of Marys and Thomases) and Mantel integrates their complex fates, providing contexts-- if often very subtly-- to convey essential information: it all comes from the direct observation, hearsay or indirect reporting of Cromwell himself, a difficult feat to pull off smoothly for an audience so far distant from these tumultuous times, ones so often presented in cartoonish fashion or garbled summation. Technically, this requires patience on the reader's part, as Mantel chooses a perspective that doggedly must be followed, even if angles and distortions enter the vantage point of Cromwell's largely unruffled consciousness. My only reservation is that this exacting method in which the tale is told, via "he" as Cromwell, can be momentarily confusing in the passages when others enter in the same third-person; the movement from one male character to Cromwell and back can be very slight, and demands attention.
The humor and wit may be sparse but all the more welcome. In this era of the rise of individualism and humanism, ideas leap out, for this is a novel not only about characters and alliances and defiances, but about the slow arrival of early modern society. In 1530, Henry hears from Cromwell about the monks: "It cannot always be Lent. What I cannot stomach is hypocrisy, fraud, idleness--their worn-out relics, their threadbare worship, and their lack of invention. When did anything good last come from a monastery? They do not invent, they only repeat, and what they repeat is corrupt. For hundreds of years the monks have held the pen, and what they have written is what we take to be our history, but I do not believe it really is. I believe they have suppressed the history they don't like, and written one that is favorable to Rome." (180) This has the force of eloquence, as spoken by a wise, fervent counselor to a monarch.
The shift in power later comes to mind as Cromwell humiliates a would-be suitor of Anne, Harry Percy: "The world is not run from where he thinks." Not the Scottish borders, let alone London, but from mercantile centers in Antwerp, Florence, even Lisbon. "Not from castle walls, but from countinghouses, not by the call of the bugle but by the click of the abacus, not by the grate and click of the mechanism of the gun but by the scrape of the pen on the page of the promissory note that pays for the gun and the gunsmith and the powder and shot." (310) Cromwell's eye for details, of fabric from his past as a wool merchant, from his father's trade as a blacksmith, and from Cromwell's negotiations as soldier, businessman, and now diplomat infuse such moments.
Tension permeates this novel, as individual lives are sacrificed and a nation's direction waits upon the dictates of kings and popes, parliaments and supplicants. "The fate of peoples is made like this, two men in small rooms. Forget the coronations, the conclaves of cardinals, the pomp and processions. This is how the world changes: a counter pushed across a table, a pen stroke that alters the force of a phrase, a woman's sigh as she passes and leaves on the air a trail of orange flower of rose water; her hand pulling close the bed curtain, the discreet sigh of flesh against flesh." (499)
"The king is good to those who think him good." (318) This barbed motto could serve as the theme for Cromwell's unsparing tone and the slogan for those who must remain under the service of their king, or who must oppose him to protect their Catholic, European, or personal interests. By 1535 as this novel ends, Cromwell is at his zenith even as Anne Boleyn begins to waver in her sex appeal to the king who has overturned Christendom in order to wed and bed her. Her marriage has not brought the male heir the king craves; meanwhile we see Elizabeth as "the ginger pig in the cradle," bristly haired and angry.
Staring down a doomed More, Cromwell in the disgraced statesman's cell notes how even in summer, More has drawn the shades, as his books have been taken away. "A handful of hail smacks itself against the window. It startles them both; he gets up, restless. He would rather know what's outside, see the summer in its sad wreckage, than cower behind the blind and wonder what the damage is." (519) More represents the overturned realm of the past, full of obesiance to papism and suppression of thought; Cromwell for all his faults seeks to illuminate the possibility of a freer world where a Bible in English may be read, ideas considered without imprisonment, and where people begin to learn to think for themselves.
Still, Cromwell ends this novel in his own limitations, even as he is to follow the king away from London, the day of More's execution. Cromwell will seek out the Seymours who live at Wolf Hall; their daughter Jane has caught Cromwell's eye as a lady-in-waiting in the Boleyn employ. That episode and the next five years, it is to be hoped, will provide a sequel as Cromwell himself learns the vagaries and passing fancies of the monarch whom he seeks to please. (Posted to Amazon US 12-23-10 & Lunch.com 2-20-11)
Labels: British fiction, British literature, capitalism, Catholicism, English Literature, London, Medieval England, monasticism, monks, My book reviews, prison, Radicals
John Burdett's "The Godfather of Kathmandu": Book Review
Resisting the Chinese genocide of Tibet, Buddhism's apocalyptic appeal, a bit of Tantric sex, lots of lemon iced tea, conniving drug lords disguised as a police chief and army general, and sorrow over a devastating personal loss energize this, the fourth in a series about Royal Thai Police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep's Bangkok investigations. Even as a first-time reader of Burdett, I could follow it all along, although the personal loss appears to either be off-stage or between this and the third novel. Intrigued by the topics and settings, I enjoyed this.
A rapid read, but intricate enough that it improves upon the mystery template. John Burdett's reflections upon crime, faith, karma, and greed deepen the tone here. Mimi Moi, a doctor with a sinister twist, and Tara, a Tantric emanation, both entice Sonchai as he pursues the case of a Hollywood filmmaker's disembowling and the clues that he seems to leave behind. He also is made "consigliere" as a go-between for a big drug shipment that challenges his own Buddhist ethics.
There's a spate of sudden leaps in logic midway that threw me off, so closely and rapidly do they arrive. The pace starts and goes erratically at times as Sonchai's own confrontation with the mantra he receives from Doctor Tietsen in Nepal makes this a curiously off-kilter look at how the West and East, in this half-Thai, half-Western detective clash. He, an outsider-as-insider and vice-versa as far as his fellow Thais perceive him, looks into a case that represents the appeal of a less capitalistic, less greedy way of life, even as that way of life is financed by drug running, corrupt bureaucrats, sex workers, and tricky Buddhists making their own living in a heartless global economy. Tietsen explains his motive for a scheme involving drugs-for-dharma: "We've invaded the world. But we've lost Tibet." (38)
The flavor of this book lingers in the pithy, wry, thoughtful dialogue. It mixes the everyday with the mysterious, One prostitute tells our protagonist: "After sex men go vague, if they don't fall asleep." (145) Sonchai notes on the next page how "witches are best approached by water at night without prior warning, right?" He's told by Moi: "Pets die. Children are a pain in the ass for the duration."
Tara tells him: "I think it is difficult for people with a Western background to understand how impersonal bliss really is." (174) Sonchai learns from a spectral informant: "Our extreme-- you might say homicidal-- aversion to pain and suffering makes us the ultimate apostates in the business of life." (210) He later muses how, based on Hong Kong's frenetic pursuit of goods, this is "what happens in societies with too much money and too few brothels: citizens are forced to play with themselves in cyberspace." (247)
Finally, in one of those extended speeches that in movies don't play well but which sometimes work in fiction, Robert Clive, founder of the first corporation, the East India Company, gets linked to the drug wars he helped expand into our globalized economy. Tietsen tells Sonchai: "He was the first to make the connection between arms and narcotics." He blames "the sociopathic nature of the modern corporation" on the British Empire's export of the opium trade, a private army, and a system to spread this all over the world by "narcotics, slaves, and weapons. It's the great tripod upon which our global civilization continues to be based, even if they have changed the labels and the slaves get health insurance." (287)
The novel takes about halfway to really get rolling, and supporting characters appear often underwritten but this may be since some of his co-workers earned more time in earlier installments. Not only Bangkok but Kathmandu and Hong Kong earn vivid description, and food, sights, sounds, and textures infuse these pages. So, despite a sometimes sudden leap by Sonchai and his helpers into logic that helps solve this case, and a tendency to rely on the deep meditation trance to get Sonchai in and out of his narrative, this proved a worthwhile tale, and one that ends with the Beijing 2008 Olympics and a subtle feature that you and I may have overlooked during its broadcasts of one of the latest imperial pageants that celebrate global domination.(Posted to Amazon US 10-24-10 & Lunch.com 10-28-10)
Posted by John L. Murphy / "Fionnchú" at 12:06 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Asia, British culture, Buddhism, capitalism, China, globalization, My book reviews, Tibet
Dinty Moore's "The Accidental Buddhist": Book Review
The author spends a year pondering the shift to Buddhism among a few fellow Americans. He goes on retreat at a strict Zen monastery and a loose Therevada center. He interviews experts, visits a pair of struggling cushion makers, gets to ask the Dalai Lama a question at a talk at Indiana U., and intersperses a bit of his own personal quest for meaning after the God of his youth fades, but not the nagging sense of suffering.
I'd known of this book for a while, but the title and the author's name (beef stew?) made me think it was a quick send-up of facile gurus and silly posers. But a friend who shares my ethnic and religious background (also the same as the author as it happens) and my half-skeptical, half-intrigued approach to Buddhism as adapted by earnest Westerners recommended it. Often, it's been checked out from my library, so I had to wait. Thirteen years after it appeared, I finally got around to reading it.
It proved a worthwhile, often modestly told exploration--not so much about the factual basis for an Americanizing Buddhism (I'd been learning this the past few years), but of one man's middle-aged quest. It tends towards the under-promoted, less visible side of how Buddhism's filtering into American life, and this model for Moore fits better than the dramatic, shaved-head and mantra-chanting, incense-wreathed scenarios most Westerners associate with dharma. Moore looks for what can replace his lapsed childhood faith-- as guidance towards confronting and enduring the big questions that haunt many of us, dissatisfied and wandering.
My favorite chapters are the sixth, "Catholic Boy Zen," and the ninth, "The Plain-Spoken Theravadan." He talks to Fr Robert Jinsen Kennedy, a Jersey Jesuit, who combines Zen with Catholicism. Their conversation intelligently addresses the lack of maturity in much of the way Catholicism had been presented to those of Moore's generation, about the last to get a pre-Vatican II version of a negative "thou shalt not" mindset combined with a simplified version of God and Jesus manufactured for easy transmission to a billion followers. Moore acknowledges his current attraction for Buddhism may be an over-reaction to his childhood Catholicism, and even the Dalai Lama's own caution for Westerners not to over-romanticize Buddhism as opposed to their "Judeo-Christian" mentality hits a nerve inside Moore as he listens to the Tibetan leader respond to his own question in Indiana.
Chapter nine reveals a growing comfort with dharma. Moore takes pains not to glamorize those who adapt Buddhism. He's well-read in the field, but his sources remain largely invisible, as he aims for an accessible, jargon-free presentation that any reader can understand. (A glossary of a few terms is appended.) He concentrates on overcoming his "rock" within, his resistance and his angst, his entrapment in the cycle of suffering, of keeping anger in, familiar to many Irish Catholic males of at least a certain age and upbringing.
His life has compelled him to look for what is missing, what has led him to find out more about Buddhism. He attempts to get over the "if only" postponement of happiness that permeates our mental habits. He compares this to rushing down a hiking trail eager to finish while missing the sights and sounds; he drives down the interstate and thinks of how its engineering detracts from distractions, but also blurs any sense of the journey's own beauties and discoveries. He fears he will zip past forty-five years of work and worry the twenty years of retirement over lost opportunities. This challenges him to slow down, to appreciate wisdom.
He tries as any meditator to silence the restless "monkey man" inside, before calming down: "Maybe enlightenment is when the monkey just sees the sunset, and then, when the sunset ends, the monkey just looks at the stars." He knows full well a few hours at practicing Buddhism over a year will not bring about dazzling illumination. But, after a successful second Zen retreat, he glimpses more than he'd started with. "You can't slow the brain down with a few brief attempts any more easily than you can stop a speeding freight train with a white picket fence." However, he adapts well to sitting still, to his astonishment. While no dramatic changes occur in his life, he grows calmer, more equitable, and perhaps happier.
This is a quiet, rather than self-promoting, journey towards insight. Perhaps too low-key for eager inquirers, but I found this at the right time and if in the right mood, this should satisfy the patient, quiet seeker. Moore concludes that, concerning God's existence, he's not going to worry. "If there is a God, I should live my life according to principles of kindness, compassion, and awareness, and if there is no God," the same principles apply, his summation of an intimate Buddhist perspective. (Posted to Amazon US & Lunch.com 10-10-10)
Labels: Buddhism, Catholicism, counterculture, Dalai Lama, Irish Americans, Jesuits, meditation, My book reviews, Religious Literacy
Avi Steinberg's "Running the Books": Book Review
This flows as I anticipated, a sometimes meandering often observant account ca. 2006 of Steinberg's stint. As the blurbs sum up, this yeshiva student turned Harvard grad's hired as the "accidental librarian" at South Bay prison in Boston. The characters, mostly inmates but also colleagues and guards and bosses, share stories, square off, tangle, tease, and endure.
There are not many melodramatic moments, as the author's own insight prevents him from facile moralizing, but interesting as this tale naturally is for a fresh look behind bars, it does not follow a strongly constructed, tightly woven narrative. The chapters will seem to roam around his personal story, local history, and literary interests (notably Sylvia Plath as much as Talmud), and while the arrangement subtly coheres near the close, the story does accumulate considerable detail that may make some readers impatient. Yet, as a creative writing teacher too, he keeps the offbeat pace quirky enough that others may be charmed and moved by his array of anecdotes arranged to reveal lower-key development of symbols (cupcake, skywriting, kites, hawk, ribbon) and deft disclosures of loss and fear.
I reviewed Michael J. Santos' "Inside" about a Federal penitentiary inmate's first-person account, and Ted Conover's celebrated memoir of his year as a guard at Sing Sing, "Newjack." This, by contrast, offers a third narrative by a different prison reporter, the civilian worker. Therefore, as a dealer in one of the only freely given commodities inside jail, that of books, Steinberg reminds us in a realm given over to escape by the word created by writing and reading, how precious a possession literacy becomes when few other resources are present for liberation.
(Posted to Amazon.com 9-26-10. As to date of original posting there the sixteenth review, I gave less detail as my predecessors had already done so. Also posted to Lunch.com 9-27-10.)
Labels: Boston, Judaism, library, My book reviews, prison, reading
Bia agus ól ar Thuaisceart
Chuir mé cuairt eile go Califoirnea Thuas faoi deireanach. Thiomaint muid go an cathair Naomh Críos aríst. Chonaic mo teaghlach ár cairde dhíl Bob agus Críos go bhfuil i gcónaí in aice leis an cathair sin.
Bímid áiteannaí go coitanta a feiceáil go hiondúil ar feadh ár thuras ar thuascaint anois. Mar shampla, cheannaigh muid bolg silíní dubh agus cliabh sú talann ina margadh Ghleanntan Prúna ag imeall an cathair na Salainn ar dtús. Measaim go raibh siad so-bhlásta is fearr orm gan amhras.
Tá muid ag dul siopadóireacht go gróseara orgánach Duilleog Nua ina sráidbhaile na Felton in aice an gráig Sléibhe Hermon. Go nadúrtha, níl siopa fiorsaor ann. Mar sin féin, faigheann mo bhean a tí bia níos halainn gach uair ansin.
Is maith liom ag ól tae speisealta freisin. Ní raibh ábalta tabhairt ar ais bocsa Dilmah Síolónach ina margadh an samhraidh seo, ach níl creideamh go raibh sé a díolta chomh fada le mo bharúil sa lá atá inniu ann dóibh. Mar sin, thug Léna beirt bhoscaí tae Numi de dom.
D'ith muid taos araín géar de Bhaile Watson. Déannann sé leis rós Mhúire agus gairleog ann. Nílim dith a stópaidh ag ithe aran de sin, go cinnte.
Ar ndóigh, tá mé ag foghlaim faoi leanntaí áitiúlaí ansiúd. Fuair mé leann dubh leis min choirce ina Naomh Críos agus leann úll maith ag déanta ina gCalifoirnea agus Oregon. Inseoidh mé duit níos mó faoi ár leathanta saoire bheag an mí seo caite as Gaeilge an mí seo chugainn, is docha.
Food & Drink to the North
We paid another visit to Northern California recently. We drove to the city of Santa Cruz again. My family saw our loyal friends Bob and Chris who are living near that city.
We habitually see familiar places during our northerly journey now. For instance, we first bought a bag of dark cherries and a basket of strawberries in the market of Prunedale on the outskirts of the city of Salinas. I reckon that they are the tastiest for me without a doubt.
We go shopping at the New Leaf organic grocers in the village of Felton near the hamlet of Mount Hermon. Naturally, the shop's not dirt cheap there. All the same, my wife finds very lovely meals every time over there.
I like drinking special tea. I was unable to bring back Ceylonese Dilmah from this market, but I don't believe it may be sold there any more as far as I know nowadays. Therefore, Layne brought a pair of Numi boxed teas from there for me.
We ate a loaf of sourdough bread from Watsonville. It's made with rosemary and garlic. I have no wish to stop eating a loaf of that, for sure.
Of course, I learned about local beers up there. I got dark beer (stout) with oatmeal in Santa Cruz and good cider made in California and Oregon. I will tell you more about our little holiday last month in Irish later this month, I hope.
Grianghraf/Photo: Múrmhaisiú/mural-decoration, Margadh Duilleoige Nua/New Leaf Market, Felton
Labels: beer, beginning Irish, California, irish gaelic, irish language, learning irish, Mount Hermon, my bilingual Irish entries, Santa Cruz, tea, travel
Ronald Hutton's "Blood & Mistletoe": Book Review
As the leading social historian of pagan movements today, Professor Hutton explores how the Druids, from the scant literary accounts left by their foes and by the few material traces left by themselves, have been interpreted over 2,000 years. He focuses upon their appropriation as cultural symbols, for better or worse, by the English, Welsh, and Scots. They have presented these ancient practitioners of wisdom and magic as demonic, romantic, proto-Protestant, anti-Catholic, death-obsessed, and/or socialist.
This broad array of categories demonstrates both the scope of the research necessary to uncover such traces in the British imagination, and the skill with which Dr. Hutton applies his understanding of historical bias and wish fulfillment to all who seek to claim or condemn the Druids as ancestors of the island's three major nations.
Frequently, Professor Hutton notes how he had to condense an already massive study. This expands his popular 2007 study, and the endnotes, small print, and the elevated tone (leavened by humor as with his other books) do not detract from its readability for an audience committed to the advanced degree of both sympathy and distance which the author brings to his project.
He has gained in past work the cooperation of those who, as neo-Pagans, his own research has helped to challenge in terms of their own "origin myths." Professor Hutton should earn again the respect of those open minds within the pagan community for his honesty, acumen, and fairness.
Blood & Mistletoe reminds us of the manner in which historians carry into the past their own present preoccupations. As a case study in the reconstruction of a barely-glimpsed group for whom linguistic or archeological evidence remains notoriously perplexing, the way in which scholars as well as seekers have labored to recreate the Druids in the images of their own ages and mentalities serves as its own testament to history's inherent bias.
As soon as the Druids were introduced by such as Julius Caesar and Tacitus to their Roman audience, the priest(esse)s were caricatured as wise magicians (mistletoe) or barbarian butchers (blood). As with the Scottish highlanders or Native Americans cleared off their lands only then to be celebrated by their colonial conquerors, so, Professor Hutton demonstrates, the Druids were romanticized by the Romans after they had been castigated as savages. The evidence for an Iron Age Druid as selected from surviving later Celtic texts combined with archeological data, Dr. Hutton asserts, becomes warped by "the instincts, attitudes, context, and loyalties" of the interpreter.
Tracking the next 16 centuries, Dr. Hutton surveys the building of the legend. Historians, he explains, tend to follow a "hard" approach that favors a bold intervention by a person who shakes up the world, or a "soft" one that follows the cultural, political, and social shifts whose dramatic results may be delayed until the right person comes along. For this tale, William Stukeley follows the latter definition. His attempts to interpret the stone circles and monuments that puzzled the British ensured his popularity. He began by claiming a less Christian framework for their construction, but his increasing piety then led him to shift his argument. Either way, his influence persists even today among certain—if decidedly "alternative"—adepts.
Iolo Morganwg, the name assumed by Edward Williams later in the 18th century, follows Stukeley. The chapter on his checkered career as a "wayward genius" as determined to forge a future for the Welsh who resisted Anglicization and British imperial control shimmer with insight. It displays Professor Hutton's command of complexity, for Iolo's mission confounded a nation. Morganwg tainted the medieval Welsh-language sources he claimed to discover and edit. He ensured that the culturally threatened Welsh people would be trapped in their recovery of their own history as one in which truth and falsehood had been intermingled by him over decades, in ways so intricate that it took many years and considerable scholarship by experts to correct for some of the forgeries he crafted as claims of archaic Welsh rituals, legends, and occult practices.
However, from his entry into the historical record, Morganwg also inspired his fellow men and women to reclaim the practices of the Druids as they imagined them to have been carried out long ago. The traditions, albeit invented ones, have energized Welsh-language culture ever since. These also influenced the Georgian and Romantic poets and scholars who across Western Europe as well as in Scotland and England struggled to build frameworks based on Celtic and Scandinavian myth, the classic texts, and the Bible "in which to contain the early European past."
When science emerged with Darwin to undermine biblical models of progress, antiquarians and then archeologists rushed in. By their own cultural assumptions via "explanatory models" stamped by their own time and place, they intruded heavily upon the same limited, fragile, evidence.
For nearly a century and a half, English figures of white-clad Druids (assembled as spiritual practitioners and as mutual support societies) have concocted their own ceremonies, fashions, and origins, based on Stukeley, Morganwg, and the nearly as challenging countercultural characters from long before the hippie era, first the formidably eccentric William Price and later the Universal Bond as headed by the intransigent George Watson MacGregor Reid. Price and Reid intriguingly shared a determination to legalize cremation, one of the many byways that this book reveals as it delves into the underbrush of British popular culture and social change from progressive and dissident forces. From the 1920s onward, the spiritualist and then New Age movements also overlapped with those who called themselves Druids, harbingers of change.
The familiar processions chanting around Stonehenge and similar Stone Age sites, as Dr. Hutton shows in English Victorian and early 20th century commemorations, have become less the radical, secular, or early countercultural protests they appeared to traditional Christians and more, by the advent of the rock-and-roll era, a sign of British tradition against modernity.
Full of anachronism, nevertheless these Druids came to stand for an enduring summer solstice tradition of their own. This modern invention on June 21st has persisted, on if often off, since the 1860s.
Even as the Bible was discredited and Darwin deified by many who shared the leftist mindsets of many Druid adherents, problems persisted among those who claimed to correct earlier misinterpretations. Popular perceptions a hundred years ago settled upon a romantic, Celtic visualization; secular scientists looked not to the Bible itself but to the same Middle Eastern roots for a civilization that dispersed its lore across the world, all the way to pre-Roman Britain. Professor Hutton incorporates his own knowledge of recent scholarship and his schooling with some leading scholars who proclaimed this model of diffusion from a far-off land of knowledge.
This section bogged down with intricate debates among archeologists, but even at its densest, the range of sources and energy brought to this project displays the professor's sharp mind and generous spirit. The novelty of the Druids whose archives he scours appears to have lessened, despite the charges kept alive by a few reactionary Christians of their murderous sacrifices of babies, prisoners, and criminals.
I admit with surprise that recent film treatments such as The Wicker Man were not analyzed, and as the professor admits, nearly nothing seems oddly to remain extant of memoirs or accounts by the common folks who joined the Druid organizations in the past few centuries. However, this is already a substantial, long, and very detailed book.
Finally, Professor Hutton shows the mingling of those who speak for and then as the Druids—Stukeley, Morganwg, Reid foremost—as also those who make up its rogues' gallery. Mingled deceit and honesty persists in this clever trio. They all provoked controversy and then shunned the limelight once public opinion fanned by prejudice or ridicule turned against them. Later, it edged toward them, attesting to their own adroit manipulation of a certain kind of media magic.
Secrecy endures as the ultimate legacy of this mysterious movement, then as now. Professor Hutton has uncovered and shared with us all he is able to in a book of 500 learned but accessible pages. It should remain the definitive source, not on the Druids about whom we know so few facts, but on those who claim in their homelands to remain true to their enigmatic but compelling spirit, thousands of years later. (Featured May 10, 2011 at the New York Journal of Books)
Labels: archeology, British culture, British origins, Celtic lore, Celtic Reconstructionism, Celtic Revival, Classics, medievalism, New Age, paganism, Scotland, Wales, Welsh culture
Tommy McKearney's "The Provisional IRA": Book Review
Books on the Provos, the dominant faction after the 1970s IRA split with their more Marxist comrades, tend to fall into two categories. Historians and academics such as Rogelio Alonso, Kevin Bean, J. Bowyer Bell, Richard English, Henry Patterson, and Robert W. White tend towards heavily footnoted, analytical narratives; journalists from both Ireland and abroad such as Tim Pat Coogan, David McKittrick, Eamonn Mallie, Ed Moloney, Malachi O'Doherty, and Peter Taylor combine equally footnoted but more anecdotal accounts gleaned from a life or a stint reporting from the heartland of the Troubles during which the contemporary IRA revived and roared, mostly within the Northern Irish province.
What has been lacking from the growing shelf of studies are books which combine a journalist's verve with an historian's detachment. Until now.
This new book--so up-to-date that it covers the Irish Republic's elections this spring after the Dublin government collapsed into debt and sought an EU bailout--comes from a former IRA member who served over a decade and a half in the maximum-security, brutally-run prison known to the British securocrats as the Maze and to the Irish republicans as Long Kesh. Tommy McKearney speaks from the position of an insider, although his own crucial contributions are nearly unacknowledged. He was part of the 1980 hunger strike and helped spur (along with fellow critic of current Sinn Féin policy Anthony McIntyre) the prison movement the League of Communist Republicans in the later-1980s. McKearney gives but one parenthetical aside to the League as to his own leadership, and makes no mention of volunteering for the first of the major hunger strikes that soon would bring worldwide attention to the plight of Republican prisoners "on the blanket".
The results, therefore, serve to offer an objective, almost clinical, view of IRA strategy and tactics. These sections are preceded by chapter vignettes which open each chronological section with powerful paragraphs about the decisions made by various Northerners growing up in the Nationalist community, or coming into contact with it, who had to decide, by the end of the 1960s, whether to take up arms or to hoist the placards to bring about social change and more freedom for the Catholic minority. This community's rights were suppressed by a sectarian regime guaranteeing, by gerrymandering, discrimination, prejudice, and violence a "Protestant state for a Protestant people" ever since 1921 had compromised an Ireland into a Southern Republic and a Northern statelet.
The author rejects the revisionists who claim the Protestants were merely misunderstood; he places the blame for the conflict on a British-run, Protestant-majority system meant to keep the Catholics down. No moral or cultural equivalence can be sustained, and no civil rights movement seeking by peaceful means to bring about change in the late 1960s and early 1970s, McKearney insists, could have challenged the Crown enough to bring down an entrenched establishment. Even if the PIRA could break the Orange state, the one that followed is not quite Green, he adds.
That is, the IRA insurgency brought Northern Ireland to a standstill but not a military victory against an enormously capable British defense force and a political power able to resist reform. The Unionists now share power with the Republicans, but the new state, he finds, remains sectarian, if on a compromised scale according to Protestant and Catholic representation. Class solidarity is weakened while ideological separation, on parallel tracks, is strengthened. Capitalism continues, and socialism totters, undermining any claim by Republicans and radicals that cross-sectarian alliances might bring about equality.
McKearney's take, therefore, reflects leftist rejection of his Republican colleagues who have entered into the political parliaments, North and South, which they cannot overthrow. This has been the fatal attraction for generations of Republicans, for none have been able to overcome their minority status as a party or faction against their rivals already conducting affairs and running the state, who vow to keep business as usual. Poverty persists on each side, post-Celtic Tiger, of the border, as his end-noted statistics tally all too well.
Those who sought economic and social justice as new leftists, such as Bernadette Devlin in the civil rights days before the Troubles erupted, were able to wrest power from such as Communist organizer Betty Sinclair. Devlin, approaching Derry city, led marchers. She convinced crowds not to sit down alongside Sinclair, but to charge the barricades. But, as McKearney reminds readers, such heady promises of radical revolution soon failed when the guns of British troops killed fourteen innocent protesters on Bloody Sunday at the start of 1972. The futility of non-violent unrest convinced many to rise up and fight against the British.
As Provos took the advantage and took up arms, they did so in McKearney's view first as self-defense, then as a deterrent against reprisals, and then in a hope that the British could be forced by guerrilla warfare (and attacks in the British homeland) to withdraw from Ireland. No master plan carried this strategy out, as it was an ad hoc policy worked out hastily by often passionate volunteers committed to action rather than reflection, militarism rather than politicking. This weakened the Republican Movement in the 1970s as it had in earlier decades for those who ran the Irish Republic. Those who fought did not make necessarily the best candidates for leadership in the political parliaments they then sought, eventually, to enter rather than to erase.
Still, as others retreated from British guns, those who fought back inherited the responsibility to keep the struggle underground in a tiny island where guns, people, and talk all could be followed easily, by suspicious neighbors, by informants, by Protestant foes, and via British intelligence and informers. When, as recent years have shown, the head of IRA internal security and the right-hand advisor to Gerry Adams have both been revealed as informants to the Crown at critical stages in the Troubles dating back to the mid-1970s, no wonder the IRA failed to bring about its idealistic goals of a 32-County socialist, secular republic.
Principles and prudence clashed with the brutal realities of torture, betrayal, and weakness as working-class men and women sniped and bombed an enemy on many fronts--the Protestant militia, Loyalist paramilitias, the local police, and the British army. (McKearney skims over another factor, violent feuds with the Provos' former Marxist comrades, as they splintered and turned against one another.) Yet, in McKearney's pragmatic explanation, the PIRA had no choice, abandoned by the Republic of Ireland who viewed the resurgent Republicans as "the real problem rather than a response to it".
The PIRA found arms from their old boys' network through those who had fought fifty-odd years before for a partial independence from Britain. Yet, at the heart of this book is McKearney's avowal that the real mission of the Provos was less to gain that delayed unification of Ireland and more an overthrow of the Six Counties, the Northern Irish statelet.
Best to Come to This Book Informed & Alert
He compares the post-1998 expectations of the Provos since the end of their war to an imagined decision of Hamas to recognize Israel and to give up the refugees' "right of return". The Good Friday Agreement acknowledged with an all-Ireland vote (the first since 1918) that the island would for the present follow a "unity of consent" affording the Unionist majority in the North their right to ally with Britain. The Irish Republic abandoned its constitutional claim to jurisdiction over all of the island.
As with Anthony McIntyre and other prominent opponents to this peace process, the objection of these peaceful radical Republicans comes not from any regression to a "fetish of armed struggle", but to the fact that the Republicans entering power in Sinn Féin have given up on any attempt to bring about any more than a vague aspiration towards national unity and socialism. Some who fought for the ideals of the Provos now feel that their leaders lied to them even as they sent them to fight or saw them off to prison, and have since then sold them out.
McKearney holds no romance for the Fenian cause, but he does remain driven by its energy. Sinn Féin's neo-liberal economics, status-seeking respectability, and patterns of suppression of dissent within Republican communities inspire McKearney to the revival of an earlier Irish radical dream, that of a more just society based upon a class-based, secular solidarity.
The hope of a transformed Ireland does not seem to appeal as much as it once had. The Irish Republic ends its national phase, content to govern three-fourths of the territory and to follow neo-liberal capitalism however cloaked in republican rhetoric. The rejection of "single-issue Republicanism" bent on one Ireland means that sectarianism in the North is solidified on Catholic and Protestant identification (a communal one that does not depend on religious affirmation; similar to the Jewish conception of themselves as a people and not only a religious entity).
For McKearney, a non-establishment version of Radical Republicanism perhaps represents the only hope. This book may not convince those unsympathetic to his vision. A marked understatement about what Republicans (if not herein) call "the physical-force tradition" reveals indirectly his own experience in the IRA. He never reveals his own story, but his combination of vivid characters called in to start each chapter as composite representations perhaps of what volunteers and fellow-travelers endured shows his ability to infuse with journalistic energy and a storyteller's skill the idealism and the agony (and a bit of welcome if droll wit) of the Republican who slogged through the streets and ditches in hopes of bringing about Irish freedom.
However, the horrors of assassinations and of bombings with or without warning, of vicious attacks on civilians, on children, on raw recruits as well as prison staff, on and off duty, does persist, if well outside of this narrative. Some readers may react to this passage with a range of feelings: "Whatever rationale the IRA offered for the imperative of acting as it did, many Protestant people viewed this campaign as a sectarian assault on their community. This anger in turn lent a semblance of justification from a Unionist point of view." There is a careful, diplomatic distancing within this phrasing. While McKearney throughout this book combines a short, powerfully imagined scene with a more academic analysis of the PIRA's campaign and tactics, the scholarly register here may speak to some skeptics of a continued reluctance to accept blame.
I can hear on the page (even at a distance) the power of McKearney's position; in meeting him once, I was impressed by his compressed energy, his adroit intellect, and his steely insistence that his intricately argued philosophy presented progressive Republicans in Ireland with an alternative to what Sinn Féin and its leaders had proclaimed the party line. The appearance of the renewed leftist bloc Éirígí may signal a wider application of core Republican activists who seek to work within a wider constituency of those disenchanted with capitalism. These progressives seek (as the answer to continuing Irish inequalities in opportunity and in equality) a fairer system, cognizant of class and not sectarianism as the ultimate divide keeping many on the island from fulfillment of their common hopes.
As in person, so in this book: McKearney packs so much material expressing both progressive dreams and pragmatic strategies into such a brief time that one must come to him informed and alert.
His history, one that brings the impact of informers (if not the IRAs killing of supposed or real informers), elections North and South, and the continued economic meltdown of capitalism and neo-liberal policies inflicted upon the Irish population throughout the island, makes this a valuable and recommended study. Some of those authors whom I mentioned earlier will prove easier guides to the entire story of the IRA (before and after its spats and splits). But for a contemporary analysis of the main IRA force in its forty years "from insurrection to parliament", from a participant not in a seminar but a cell, as an operative and not as a professor, as not a reporter but a volunteer and a leader of the IRA, this is the report worth pondering.
(Featured on June 29, 2011 in RePrint at PopMatters; also posted July 4-5 to Amazon US & Lunch.com in shorter and altered form.)
Labels: belfast, Derry, Fenians, Irish history, Irish politics, Irish Republican Army, Irish Republicanism, Marx, My book reviews, Northern Ireland, Radicals
Fernando Tejerina's "The University: An Illustrated History": Review
Fernando Tejerina edits this first single-volume survey of the evolution and current state of institutions of higher learning. Nearly 40 contributors provide in-depth chapters as well as shorter essays covering mainly European contexts, but with a markedly Hispanic perspective. This large-format compendium, handsomely designed and translated from Spanish by Kate Angus and Mike Escárzaga, therefore provides a Spanish and Latin American emphasis that opens up a fresh perspective upon what often has been presumed to be a British, French, or German-dominated system in its traditions and prestige.
Earlier centuries gain less coverage than later ones; however, as Pablo Campos Sotelo summarizes, during the Middle Ages, masters and students formed a "universitatas magistrorum et discipulorum" as a city guild. The Oxbridge model still follows this communal ideal, as a training ground for the ruling elite. Ignacio Sotelo reminds readers how the "know-how" of those who ran the realm has been inculcated by not the power of the sword, but by "noblesse de robe," the "majesty of the gown."
While Chaucer, with his famous tale from an Oxford clerk, gleans barely an aside, Cervantes, with his references in Don Quixote to the University of Salamanca, earns his own essay by Luís E. Rodríguez-San Pedro Bezares. Illustrations and details plucked from legal depositions and popular culture enrich these early centuries, when so many students remained anonymous. Candida Höfer's dazzling photographs of the libraries at the Swiss Abbey of St. Gall and Trinity College in Dublin typify the graphic support this volume generously offers. Such illustrations expand the contexts to portray the ideal of the enclosed place set aside for learning, even as it became urbanized and then secularized.
The ideal of the monastic cloister, as Pablo Campos Sotelo explains, left its impact upon architecture. The quadrangle remained the pattern for many universities, as the shelter of the walls enabled the students and masters to pursue their own endeavors separated from the cities that began to grow up around cloisters and colleges. Mr. Sotelo shifts from this venerable template to the virtual university constructed today, and as with other contributors, he contemplates the meaning of this transformation.
Financed by the Spanish-founded Eurozone banking giant Banco Santander, this book provides an example of where also the Old World stretches into the New through university expansion. It documents in its many illustrations as well as its texts the story of European integration into native modes of learning. It covers the elimination also of previous indigenous methods, as in Luis Ugalde's entry on the Jesuit role in Latin American education, or Manuel Burga's essay on the Inca string "quipu" as a mnemonic accounting tool.
The Spanish accent throughout encourages the reader to respond to this educational innovation through byways and sidebars that may be less familiar to many English-language audiences. For instance, Manuel Tello debates the tension entering emerging nations now as they consider state-funded vs. private or for-profit models. Whether higher education under capitalism should be considered a public good or a private commodity informs his discussion. Joseb Jărab, as a Czech who was educated under the Soviet regime, narrates this story from his own experience. Within later chapters, the impact of global education on African, Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern campuses receives related attention.
The North American model, based often on massive dormitories near large classrooms, but following European patterns of research for large state-funded projects, emerged from a clash between two definitions of a university. John R. Thelin contrasts the forward-looking research university that in the late 19th century emerged as a rival to the smaller, traditional colleges often reliant on rote pedagogy. Johns Hopkins and the University of Chicago typify this new university, determined to pursue research and graduate studies with fewer undergraduates and far more specialized, advanced fields.
Today, as Enrique García Santo-Tomás reminds humanities scholars, relevance remains essential if a discipline is to escape the dead ends of theory, contention among schools of thought, and media which may not advance to keep pace with the virtual arena and electronic databases which enliven the sciences. He urges liberal arts to adapt. The photograph of the Mare Nostrum supercomputer in a former chapel in Barcelona symbolizes this humanistic transition across the cyber-linked frontier.
This elegant tribute to the past, present, and future of the university should inform many who study at, graduate from, and teach at such institutions. A few shortcomings persist. As a medievalist, perhaps I paid closest attention to these sections, but I found a few errors. For example, the medieval French abbey at Cluny housed not "black-clad friars" but Benedictine monks; by comparison, Dominicans are not "monks" but friars. The "Carmina Burana," based on medieval songs by wandering scholars, was composed by not "Karl" but Carl Orff. Finally, the lack of any introduction by the editor, Mr. Tejerina, plunges the reader immediately into ancient science, somewhat disconcertingly, as this hefty volume opens.
I welcomed this volume for its global range, its historical perspective, and its contemporary focus. It reminds readers of the nobility of the pursuit which matriculation, degrees, dissertations, tenure, and grants may represent at their best, however rarely. Finally, it appeals to the wonder that many of its libraries, towers, and quadrangles continue to aspire to as repositories for creative inventions, necessary careers, practical ambitions, idealistic schemes—and even utopian visions to become reality. (4-28-11 posted at New York Journal of Books)
Labels: academia, Chaucer, Dublin, globalization, Latin America, library, Medieval history, monasticism, My book reviews, Oxford, Photography, Spanish Literature, teaching
Nuala O'Faolain's "A Radiant Life": Book Review
The consistency with which the late Nuala O'Faolain relates her thoughts echoes in this collection, largely of her columns for the Irish Times of Dublin. She combines erudition with no-nonsense observations, and her calm, steady, but ethical and forthright presence graces this collection. I heard some of this material on an audiobook version of her Almost There sequel to her international breakthrough memoir, Are You Somebody? and her voice can be heard as clearly on the page as on the tape. That is, a composed, opinionated, but compassionate and reasoned p-o-v.
The seventy-one entries of this collection start in 1987. The first piece looks at the Statue of Liberty refurbishment celebrations broadcast, but from an Irish view, that of the global underdog, not the flag-waving immigrant. She contrasts the Reagan years' rhetoric with the realities where the world's comprised of Sandinistas as well as Sinatra fans, and how the two may even overlap, in a vision outside the narrow patriotism marketed as entertainment, as American, she notes, as is St Peter to the Vatican.
She's a fair-minded critic of Catholic restrictions, imposed upon body and mind. Many essays explore the impacts of belief, fear, and capitulation to the demands of the Irish state and its clerical power. She also represents the liberation of an older generation from what she regards as the confines of a mental dictatorship and a physical regimen of joylessness. If you want to understand how far and how quickly Ireland's become secularized, O'Faolain offers a tangential as well as direct testament of how it happened since the late 80s, so rapidly, but perhaps because it was based on such shallow grounds. She notes in an incisive entry, "Irish Atheism", how ingrained the habits are, for communal standards and not personal conviction, to go along, from mother to child, with the system of faith that few believe but which fewer dare to challenge, for fear of upsetting the elders.
These pieces flow along often magically, as one topic one month fits into the one a few weeks later. She avoids easy sentiment and lilting cant. She's tough minded, yet open hearted, a tricky combination. Her steady output published here reflects, then, O'Faolain's curiosity, her evolution as an observer of her Dublin-based, but also Belfast and Manhattan surroundings, and how she kept her thoughts channeled as they did not drift but moved along, say, maternal lack of faith to babies once given up by the thousands by unwed mothers, to abuse in schools by clerics and nuns.
The American title's A Radiant Life but the Irish original's A More Complex Truth. The former choice pitches herself maybe as known to international readers, her vibrancy and down-to-earth quality. The latter title edges towards a knottier Irish refusal to let one opinion, one fact, one voice dominate a conversation. Each entry's short enough not to tire the reader, but long enough to engage the audience for a few minutes. This compression suits the contemplative tendency of her columns, as they mused about a point for a thousand or so words.
She finds fresh angles on familiar topics. About violence against women, she commences with her walk as night fell at 4:30 on a remote Irish island, and how surprised she was to see stars, as she realized how long it'd been back in the city since she went out in the dark alone. She laments her dental care, the death of her dog Molly, and she slowly moves, if beyond finally and inevitably beyond the last pages here (she died a year after the last 2007 column) into aging and mortality. She faces her future with admirable balance and brave rationalism, but she does not act as if she has the last answer to the eternal mysteries which she ponders, if without the conventional pieties professed, at least publicly, by most of her readers and neighbors. This broad-minded approach, combined with a patient ear and an eye tilted towards the have-nots and the overlooked, wins one over.
O'Faolain dismisses hero worship, of local boys turned idols U2, of the neighboring island's royals, of native politicians and prelates and celebrities. She does not do this out of spite, but out of morality. She does not pander to her everyday attitudes, but she explains them simply as those emanating from a well-educated woman with the right to her own informed views, and a forum to express them with as much composure as those granted pulpits, cameras, and platforms for cynical, destructive, and sinister intentions. This anthology offers a modest, but lasting memorial to her journalism. She confessed her own inadequacies at its limits, but for me, it shows how the past quarter-century felt to a bold Irish woman despite her leanings for the cozy corner and not the media spotlight.(Posted to Amazon US & Lunch.com 4-26-11. Featured on PopMatters May 20, 2011. )
Labels: adoption, atheism, death, feminism, ireland, Irish Catholic, Irish cultural criticism, journalism, mortality, My book reviews, sexuality, U2
Benjamin Black's "A Death in Summer": Book Review
Detective Inspector Hackett early on finds to his disappointment not a murder but a seeming suicide, but then not one, "for the corpse was holding the gun in his own hands." The ensuing narrative shows, again, Quirke entangled in love, but a bitter, harsh, sulpheric sense of it never goes away. This novel ties together somewhat with themes of abandonment at an early age, first surfacing in "Christine Falls." While this story can be followed independently, it's enhanced by familiarity with the motifs of betrayal, deceit, and institutional corruption in the book that introduced us all to Quirke.
I liked this as much as the other installments. It lacks the oddly enticing, if dreadfully faux-exotic whiff that enlivened dreary, postwar Dublin in "The Silver Swan" but it continues the relationships opened up in "Elegy for April" with daughter Phoebe and with Quirke's new lover. I'd missed pathologist assistant Sinclair in "Elegy," but in "A Death," he plays a major role. We find out about his past, and about his connections with yet another shadowy association of Ireland's leading figures in another conspiracy. This familiarity, as it recalls "Christine," slightly weakened the impact of similar revelations in "A Death." Still, John Banville writing as Benjamin Black satisfies with a solid story.
There was a bit less of the breathtaking prose that always can be found in this writer's fiction. Characters enter (many from past encounters with pathologist Quirke) and their reports, rendered as an indirect voice shifts in Joycean fashion subtly from consciousness to consciousness, move the story of three-hundred pages along neatly if somewhat schematically. The steady tone rarely departs from a detached, impassive viewpoint. Many characters do sound a bit too often similar, even a French one, a foreign entrant added as in earlier novels to show how the Irish respond or do not respond to outsiders. The situation of the Jewish residents of Ireland is part of the context here, if in passing more than deeply explored, but again, as with other novels, this deepens perspectives.
Responses of the characters convey welcome imagery. Sinclair recalls Phoebe who "looked like nothing much, with that stark little face and the hair clawed back from her face as if it were a punishment that had been imposed on her for an infringement of some religious rule." (49) The half-sister of that corpse Hackett finds is regarded by Sinclair as if with "the air of a debauched virgin."
And, no Banville or Black creation can come free of a gorgeous passage. I've reviewed most of Banville's fiction and the three earlier Black novels and for each I've cited a favorite snippet. So, Quirke "imagined them, hordes of enraptured lovers down the ages, millions upon millions of them, lashing at the poor old globe with the flails of their passion, keeping it awhirl on its wobbly axis like a spinning top. The love that people spoke of so much seemed a kind of miasmic cloud, a kind of ether teeming with bacilli, through which we moved as we moved through the ordinary air, immune to infection for most of the time but destined to succumb sooner or later, somewhere or other, struck down to writhe on our beds in tender torment." (183)
While I remained less convinced than Quirke of the charms issuing from object of his desire in this installment, that may be my cooler reaction as angled against his chastened one. As before, Quirke manages to unlock yet another grand scheme against the innocent and the defenseless. As his nemesis warns, stirring up the depths of the water can be fatal. "Remember," his foe threatens, "the little fish, and the big fish. And the mud at the bottom." (168)
Yeats' line about "the blood and mire of human veins" cited here contends against the vision of what Quirke glimpses as he falls in love: "Twin stars of light from some far window glowed in their straw-colored depths." (62) The pure contends against the profane. Quirke sums up his efforts to his police counterpart in investigation, Hackett: "We haven't grown up yet, on this tight little island. But we do what we can, you and I. That's all we can do." (307)
(As above, to PopMatters 6-23-11; Posted to Amazon US & Lunch.com 6-1-11)
Labels: Dublin, Dublin Jews, Irish fiction, Irish literature, Irish novel, john banville, My book reviews
Christopher Murray's "Samuel Beckett: 100 Years": Book Review
Thirteen scholars revisit his work. They each have 29 minutes on Irish radio. They sum up why we still read his often baffling fiction and watch his sometimes plotless plays a century after his birth.
Drama professors Christopher Murray, Anthony Roche, Gerry Dukes, J.C.C. Mays, Katherine Worth, and Declan Kiberd represent leading scholars. Historian Terence Brown, actress Rosemary Pountney, actor Barry McGovern, philosophers Dermot Moran and Richard Kearney, and novelist John Banville offer equally elegant entries. None of these are weak; despite the time constraints and implicit expectation that the listener's already familiar with Beckett's formidable work, the essays avoid cant, jargon, or tedium.
I'll briefly sum up each contribution. Murray introduces the collected Thomas Davis RTÉ lectures by emphasizing Beckett's notion "never less alone than when we are alone." (7) His anti-heroes "aim for Nirvana and miss." (3) They're captivated by the captive voices we all have within, the consciousness which never rests, which "is really conscience in disguise."
Dukes explores the early, unpublished play "Eleutheria" alongside "Waiting for Godot" to attend to the evolution of Beckett's most famous work. "En attendant Godot." Dukes notes how 'attentistes' as those who (in French) wait had been used during the Resistance in WWII as a put down for those who (unlike Beckett), put up with the Occupation rather than fight against it. Beckett chose to act, to resist authoritarianism, at great risk.
His characters attempt to understand life's cruelty. Kiberd finds in "Murphy" a protagonist enamored by The Other, in an insane asylum, but in this relationship, he fails to escape his own mental and physical isolation. The novel attempts to delay such reckoning, and as an aside, Kiberd finds in a convoluted sentence a delay shared "with many Irish politicians" Wylie's "ability to rob his own sentences of the meaningful climax of a finite verb." (38)
Later, Kiberd looks at Murphy's relationship with the prostitute Celia: "He fears, like many men, that his partner wants to change the very thing in him with which she originally fell in love." (42) Beckett's often unfairly targeted by casual readers for his inhumanity, but as this theme reveals in this early tragicomic novel, beneath the odd learning and puzzling jibes, the ideal of emptiness, of utter self-sufficiency, beckons as its moral and its caution.
Both Mays (on poetry and prose poems) and Moran (on philosophical contexts) quote the same early verse, "Gnome," and who can blame repetition of: "Spend the years of learning squandering/Courage for the years of wandering/Through a world politely turning/From the loutishness of learning." Beckett's cutting of what his mentor Joyce compiled, his gradual whittling away in his prose and drama of easy resolutions, thematic digressions, and plots themselves, makes him astonishingly central to the past century's confrontation with our legacy of learning.
Anthony Cronin, in a magisterial lecture on the prose trilogy, speaks of how Beckett "by reducing his characters to the extremer simplicities of need and satisfaction and the grossness of its perhaps necessary illusions."(88) "Molloy," "Malone Dies," and "The Unnamable" strip away narrators and leave us with voices. But, how can we relate to such severity?
Cronin-- whose masterful biography "Beckett: The Last Modernist" (reviewed by me on Amazon US) remains my favorite of the three lives to date for Beckett-- concludes that he exaggerates to make his comic, tragic point. Heroes and lyrics fade, and poetry leaves empty air.
"Deep in our collective soul is a collective unease about the contrast between the traditional ecstasies, nobilities and romantic passions of literature and what most of us actually feel, the state of mind in which most of us actually live most of the time. And indeed between our portraits of our supposed selves as decent, kind, caring and unselfish and what is actually our psychology, actually our outlook. In its exposure of these gaps, Beckett's trilogy has a profoundly cathartic effect." (91) It may not say all that must be said, but what it says may liberate us from pretension.
Other academics share Cronin's careful estimation of Beckett's difficulty. Anthony Roche tells how he saw "Breath" as a teen on tv, and how its strangeness contrasted with the enjoyment of seeing "Godot" on stage. He later connects talking on RTÉ about the intriguingly titled "Krapp's Last Tape" the afternoon he learned of the 9/11 attacks. Somehow even the emotions buried in that play managed to inform Professor Roche's review on the air that day.
Beckett's power can unsettle. Rosemary Pountrey describes her own stage performance of "Not I," requiring her to be bound into a dark box. Richard Kearney compares his student reactions to Beckett as a "pompous bore" with his encounters with the plays performed live. Barry McGovern as a skilled speaker of Beckett's lines shows their energy in his plays for radio. Katherine Worth reminds us of their global impact, and the battle between the estate which demands fidelity to Beckett's directions with those who wish to free his drama for interpretation to keep it relevant.
John Banville, whose novels combine often hints of Joycean abundance and Beckettian austerity, can be as serious and unstinting as Beckett. But Banville sees humor within our habitual unhappiness, and so does Beckett. He's not a pessimist any more than an optimist, Banville decides after pondering his work: "like all true art, it simply is." (127) He adds, in a fashion Beckett would have admired: "By its very existence it affirms, but affirmation is not always positive."
Kearney stresses "Beckett's own refusal of easy solutions to life's ultimate questions-- life and death, theism and atheism, meaning and absurdity, self and other" as "one of his most abiding gifts." (121) The more I reflect on him, the more Buddhist (a term I have not found mentioned explicitly in his 1929-40 letters or any of his texts published [but see my speculations]) he seems. Perhaps by his honest elision of what constitutes the conscience, the voice, the mind, the self, Beckett in his passing over any conceptual definition or conventional approach (such as Buddhism, appropriately) proves truest to those few authors who attempt to articulate what noise and what silence lies within us all.
P.S. Posted to Amazon US & Britain, and Lunch.com 9-16-10 But without those hyperlinked speculations to their source, my "Beckett, Buddhism, and the Void" from Horizon Review 4 (2010).
Labels: 9/11, Irish cultural criticism, Irish drama, Irish literature, Irish novel, Irish poetry, john banville, modernism, My book reviews, WWII
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E. Thomas Finan's "The Other Side": Book Review | Belloc, these details get subsumed in his mission: to provide lengthy excerpts from the original works and from those who responded to them, positively and negatively, then and now, a century and more later.
It's astonishing to read a student essay at St. Paul's, from his teens, on Milton; its acumen and prose style appear worthy of an Oxford don. He never got through much university training, starting in his early twenties and producing criticism that has the aplomb and depth of few skilled critics of any age. While some of it has dated, and while his paradoxes and barbs sometimes weary modern readers, Belmonte diminishes their mustiness, and deflects those who ignore or denigrate his criticism, as compared to his Christian defenses such as "Heretics" and especially "Orthodoxy."
That 1908 book, along with "Thursday" the same year (Belmonte gives hints of that anarchic fantasy's compelling plot without spoiling it!), makes the strongest impact here. What applies to the preceding "Heresy" stands for his motive. He decried a second fall of Man. The first had brought at least knowledge of good and evil. The second, in an atheistic and secular age of progress towards a good that nobody believed in or could define or agree upon, led to, in GKC's paradoxical view, the knowledge of evil. What previous ages had labored towards as the role of the good man or the right life had collapsed for those entering the modern era and the new century. Instead, the 20c had rejected a truth that was not relative, in a time of "a great silent collapse" of belief.
Belmonte defends his subject, although he may share his subject's generosity towards aphorism and the well-turned phrase while the more intricate philosophical and theological points get deflected in the deft parry that GKC perfected. Belmonte and Chesterton tend to forgive their foes rather than mow them down as thoroughly as we in a more confrontational age may expect. But this tolerance is part of the message of this biography.
Parts of the debates get short shrift, but this may be due to GKC's own ability to dazzle with a dexterity on the page and I assume in person that left contenders speechless, in awe, and/or sputtering. But there's a generosity here missing from many contemporary showdowns between believers and deniers, skeptics and the convinced. So, for a brisk, accessible, and thought-provoking introduction (or refresher-- it's been years since I read some of these books and others I never have), this is recommended for any open-minded thinker. (Posted to Amazon US & Lunch.com 3-1-11.)
Posted by John L. Murphy / "Fionnchú" at 12:08 AM 1 comment:
Labels: atheism, biography, Catholicism, Christianity, English Literature, fantastic fiction, Literary criticism, Medieval Philosophy, My book reviews, Religious Literacy, theology
Richard Ford, ed. "Blue Collar, White Collar, No Collar: Stories of Work": Review
Thirty-two accounts, fewer than you'd expect told on the job, but the duties of making a living, or failing to do so, haunt them all. Alphabetized by surname, this (lack of) arrangement appears a bit of a cop out, for the reader must labor to make more sense of how these disparate tales fit together. Nearly all take place in America, all were previously published by Americans, and all but one feature Americans.
What does this focus, then, reveal about occupations and careers? Richard Ford's introduction tells us more about a put-down at a dinner party he attended than the collection he edits. The reader must therefore figure out why each story was included, and overall, if this represents the best ever compiled about how writers imagine how the bulk of our lives are spent, at least five days a week for most of us, then recent fiction may stint on what even its most accomplished practitioners expend on its evocation.
I sought patterns of connection. Russell Banks' "The Gully" reveals how vigilantes in a Third World city manage to succeed as entrepreneurs, while T. C. Boyle's "Zapatos" offers a shaggy-dog story which explores similar terrain with a clever nod to the unnamed country of Chile's delineation. Junot Díaz navigates his familiar arena of tension between Latino immigrants, here a Dominican-born pool table deliveryman in "Edison, New Jersey" whose lack of principles throw off the reader's expected sympathy. As with "Drummond and Son" by Charles D'Ambrosio, set in a Seattle typewriter repairman's store where the owner must deal with his unstable, damaged son, these milieux, with blue-collar settings, enlivens their skewed narratives.
Similarly, the hustling done by Max Apple's character seeking financing for her frozen yogurt enterprise in "Business Talk", the desperate dodge planned by the exploited protagonist of Jeffrey Eugenides' "Great Experiment", the collapse of a parent's marriage as overheard by two paperboys, the brothers of Andre Dubus' "Delivery", the sexual harassment charge hovering off-stage around the couple in Richard Bausch's "Unjust", the escape plotted by the wife in Deborah Eisenberg's "A Flaw in the Design" from another damaged household-- all attest to the pressures endured by ordinary folks. Consider Eisenberg's unraveling family at the dinner table. Eisenberg's narrator reflects: "For a moment, we all just sit there again, as if someone had turned off the current, disengaging us."
Such weariness infuses many of the better stories. Eugenides' ambitious entry contrasts the success of a millionaire pornography magnate turned, at 82, free-speech publisher with his editor, whose denied his health-care coverage despite five years of loyal service. This far-younger Chicago writer never wanted to live like his parents, but neither he nor his wife can afford, well, a wife. Their marriage "as countercultural, an artistic alliance committed to the support of vinyl records and Midwestern literary quarterlies" flounders. A fixer-upper can't be fixed. Desperately, the protagonist seeks | 1,299 |
My wife and two youngest left for NY Wednesday, so I stayed home for two days with my oldest. Yesterday was not a planned day off, but I made the best of it…I decided to get those in-wall/ceiling speakers in.
I am extremely sore today. The entire installation only took about 2.5 hours, but the attic was hot and space is cramped up there since I was working so closely to where the roof and sides of the house meet. The rear right speaker was the easiest as the wall I had to go through there is the one adjacent to our master bathroom, so there was some room in the attic and I had no issues drilling through the rafter. The left<|fim_middle|> recessed. I ended up being able to get them almost exactly where I wanted…one over each of our heads.
The receiver I use is a Sony STR-DE895, so it doesn't output in 7.1. Therefore, I had to wire those two in-ceiling speaker in series. The speakers are 8Ω and the receiver can support 16Ω per channel, so I was OK there. I decided to do this so that once I'm finally able to upgrade/replace that aging receiver, I can go with one that does support 7.1+ channel configurations. I'll just have to run on additional speaker wire to achieve it.
Anyway, that's about it. It was uneventful and trouble-free, for the most part. I watched Black Dynamite last night (one-line review Monday) and they sounded great. I can't wait to grab more of these to replace my front and center speakers. If you're interested, here is what Monoprice carries. The speakers I have are 4100 in-wall and the 4103 in-ceiling.
Sorry for the crappy pics…I couldn't find the camera, so my G1 had to do.
unRAID Media Server Online: Part 2.
Upgrade On Old Server Board.
You're right…brain fart on my part. Wanted to do parallel, but speakers didn't support it. | side was a different story.
The left speaker was part of an external wall, so the rafter there was boxed in for additional support. My 18″ bit wasn't long enough to go all the way up through and there wasn't enough room to drill down from the attic. I had to cut a small notch where the ceiling and wall meet to run my speaker wire for that one. It's really not as bad as it sounds though…the notch is literally about 1.5″ long and a little spackling almost made it completely disappear…especially from the ceiling perspective. I looked for some leftover paint, but I guess we used it on a rental at some point. You can't see it from a distance and it's not exactly a corner of the room we hang out in. It will be fine.
The ceiling speakers were my biggest problem in the beginning. Don't get me wrong, these were the easiest to put in, but I had a major issue in getting them centered correctly as the the rafters ran at intervals that made it extremely difficult to figure out. I ended up using some painters tape to mark out exactly where the rafters were and that allowed me to tell exactly where I could cut and then mount the speakers. The ceiling speakers were quite large, 9.5″ with 8″ of that being | 272 |
If you spend three hours editing an annual report to get it <|fim_middle|>perfect' formula for education and action.
Jeff Szymanski helps readers determine when 'good' is good enough. Whatever your area of effort, you will be more creative and productive by learning the art of Adaptive Perfectionism! | 90% perfect, and then spend another two hours to get it 93% perfect, and another hour for 95% perfect, the incremental improvement is negligible. Think of the time and effort you can conserve and redistribute to other tasks. Instead of suggesting that you give up your perfectionism, in The Perfectionist's Handbook, Jeff Szymanski tells readers: you have the right idea, but you're taking the wrong paths to achieve the outcome you want.
What's in Store for the 2012 Job Seeker?
Dr. Szymanski offers the reader both research-supported and user-friendly techniques that can enhance productivity without compromising the pursuit of excellence. The Perfectionist's Handbook is an obvious example of how the author practices what he preaches.
The Perfectionist's Handbook is the perfect book for those who struggle with perfectionism. Dr. Szymanski begins by clearly outlining the features of perfectionism then describes the various ways to manage tendencies that get in the way of a perfectionist's life. After reading this book, readers will have new ways of managing their perfectionism in order to get tasks completed.
This handbook weaves a self-described perfectionist's personal story with insights from clinical experience. It is the ' | 257 |
A sign of progress: Weight loss plateaus are not unusual. As your body composition and weight change, so do your nutritional and fitness needs.
You've been exercising regularly, trying to get that summer body ready.
Your clothes are looser, people are noticing and, most importantly, you feel healthier and more confident than you've ever felt before.
Then, a couple months go by and your progress comes to a screeching halt.
Hitting a fitness plateau can be frustrating, but it's a positive sign that you are making progress in your programme. You just need to take your training and meal planning to the next level.
Plateaus usually occur after initial weight loss and again when you need to lose those last few pounds.
Plateaus can last several months, which can be very discouraging, especially when you've been working hard, however they are not unusual<|fim_middle|> you to hit a wall with your weight loss.
If you are not giving your body enough of the right foods, your body will sense that it is not getting enough food and your metabolism will slow down and hold on to fat.
Be sure not to skip meals or go below 1,200 calories unless recommended by your physician.
Certain medications, quitting smoking and problems with your thyroid or adrenal gland can all affect your weight loss goals.
Please see your doctor if you suspect that these or any others are hindering your goals.
Accept that plateauing can be normal, but does not have to be permanent.
Try tweaking your diet and exercise programme, reaffirm your commitment, regain the determination you had when you began and B-Active For Life! | .
When your weight goes down you lose fat, but also a small amount of muscle. Losing muscle can lower your metabolic rate and it is critical to weight loss.
Try adding a strength-training programme along with your existing cardio programme to give your metabolism a boost and help you preserve and build muscle.
You may need fewer calories to sustain or surpass your goals — this is normally the main cause of a weight-loss plateau. Exercise burns calories, but you won't see the results you want if you are taking too many calories in.
It may be that you are indulging in high-calorie foods more than you should; track what you are eating.
You'd be surprised how the random bread ends from our children's lunches, or treats at the office add up.
You can use various apps to help you; taking pictures of your meals is another great way to keep your eye on your intake.
This can also cause | 182 |
Inclusions: Select sweet and savory tastings (vegetarian options available with advance notice upon booking); Some drinks (non-alcoholic) and water; Public transportation fare from Koreatown to Little Armenia; English speaking local guide Notes: Please indicate vegetarian preferences or any dietary restrictions upon booking. We will do our best to accommodate them although we cannot guarantee an alternative option at each stop.
<|fim_middle|> be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people. Please indicate vegetarian preferences or any dietary restrictions upon booking (in the 'additional information' box at checkout). We will do our best to accommodate them, although we cannot guarantee an alternative option at each stop.
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour. Children younger than 6 are permitted at no extra cost, but please make sure you inform our guides of this before you take the tour.
This was a birthday surprise. We have never done this before and we enjoyed it. Summer was our guide and she was awesome. I liked all of the history that Summer gave us along our tour. She gave us info on the city, the cultures that we were experiencing, and a little background on the owners of the restaurants we visited. We even got to meet a few of the owners. We booked the Ethnic Neighborhoods. I couldn't wait to tell my friends and family about this surprise. I even told a salesperson at Sports Chalet about it. I gave her the website to look at. Thank you Summer!!!!
I saw this tour on Groupon and it looked like fun, so I invited three of my friends to go. We'd do it again in a heartbeat!
Had a great time and found some hidden treasures that I never knew existed in Los Angeles after having lived here 15 years! Going back to one of the Thai restaurants tomorrow for lunch and can't wait! The tour guide was super knowledgeable and a joy to experience Los Angeles with. | 3355 Wilshire Blvd. (in front of the Gaylord Apartments). Metro Red Line stop Wilshire/Vermont. Local bus lines 720, 20, 206, 204. Please see www.metro.net for more information on how to arrive by public transportation.
5450 Hollywood Blvd. at the Hollywood/Western metro station.
On this LA tour, you'll venture off the beaten path into some of Los Angeles most ethnic enclaves, where locals live as though they've never left home. Signs in foreign languages, traditional snack shops, and ethnic markets line these neighborhood streets, making each visit an epic adventure you won't be forgetting in a hurry!
To kick off this LA food tour, you'll learn how these enclaves came about, what makes them unique, and where to find some of the city's best and most hidden ethnic cuisine. We'll enjoy unique and delicious tastings in markets, restaurants, bakeries, and hole-in-the-wall eateries, making sure to include a variety of both sweet and savory ethnic LA food. As we walk and ride the metro through the neighborhoods, you'll get to observe life in some of LA's most vibrant areas, highlighting traditional homes, architecture, and cultural hotspots.
During the course of this LA food tour we'll enjoy enough food for a whole meal, so please come with an appetite!
Dress standard: As we will walk about 1.5 miles total, please wear comfortable walking shoes. Comfortable clothing, sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses are recommended (especially for warmer months) and layers may be necessary as evenings can be cool October through June.
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will | 351 |
Introducing Berkeley College Student and Designer Jay Arthur
THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 201<|fim_middle|>. She is always looking for something new. Her boutique carries men's and women's clothing, as well as accessories such as scarves and handbags.
"It's beneficial for my students to spend time with Berkeley College alumni guest speakers in their field," said Ms. Esposito. "In this case, it was a chance meeting that worked out well."
Photo Caption: Loola Doola, a boutique in White Plains, NY, owned by Berkeley College alumna Lauren Morris, now carries a line of clothing designed by Berkeley College student Jay Arthur of Washingtonville, NY, here wearing one of his hoodies.
About Berkeley College | 9 Contact: Ilene Greenfield
See caption below.
Berkeley College student Jay Arthur of Washingtonville, NY, who graduates in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising and Management, has already made great steps along his path, building a career in the fashion industry. His fashionable hoodie designs are now available at Loola Doola, a boutique in White Plains, NY.
Watch the Segment: Click here to learn more about Mr. Arthur on News 12 Hudson Valley.
The opportunity arose earlier this year. Nancianne Esposito, Professor, Fashion Merchandising and Management, Berkeley College Larry L. Luing School of Business®, collaborated with Wendy Hewlett, Career Counselor, Berkeley College Career Services, and arranged for Berkeley College alumna Lauren Morris to speak to fashion students about careers in design. Ms. Morris owns the boutique Loola Doola.
"Since Ms. Morris runs a successful business, I thought her presentation would be interesting and informative," said Professor Esposito. "She got to know the students, and their potential had a great impact." Impressed with Mr. Arthur's budding talent and the design line of hoodies he has created, Ms. Morris now carries his Solar 8 Collection in her boutique.
"I want people to respond to my clothing," said Mr. Arthur, whose merchandise was featured in the March 2019 issue of GQ magazine. "If my designs make people feel empowered, then I'm fulfilled." He plans to further his career as a designer and continue to inspire people through design to do what they truly love. At present, he is interning at the fashion and design house of Rebecca Minkoff.
Ms. Morris has worked in fashion and design for more than 20 years | 363 |
Changing Places Podcast | Avison Young
New needs, new policies, new use of space. How we live, work, and play is changing like we've never seen before.
Made to serve: The rise and future of robot restaurants
From fashion to axe throwing: How the high street continues to evolve
The vitality of the city: Data and patterns in the new era of downtown
On golden years: The new frontier of aging in place<|fim_middle|> to carefully design these one-of-a-kind creations.
Creating a strong alignment to the Avison Young master brand and visual identity, these eye-catching graphics are used for not only the podcast artwork, but for the associated campaign assets appearing across internal and social platforms – driving awareness and engagement, helping attract new listeners and subscribers.
Subscribe in your favorite podcast app. |
Move! Explore the changing world of transportation
Through the looking glass: Into the emerging world of the metaverse
Lights in the darkness: Building a world where we can see the stars
Gilded Rainbows: Inside the changing face of gaybourhoods
Vacancy: The story of our abandoned neighborhoods
From the mind of developers: A look at the complex world of planned communities
Fifteen-minute cities: Inside the model reshaping the world's urban landscapes
There's a garden in my office: The evolving world of office design
The built world meets sustainability: How cities and suburbs are creating a new future
Beyond the server: How our love of data is changing data centers
Flex space: Inside the changing world of space
Dine on demand: Ghost kitchens rewrite the rules of delivery
Hotels battle back: With better design and best practices
The changing business of ports: The beginning and end of the supply chain
The changing face of malls: The rise, fall and future
Warehouses: The sleeping giants of industrial land
Reopening night: New audience expectations… but the show must go on
Designing a modern stadium: How LA's SoFi Stadium is changing the game
Dynamic retail experiences: The future of retail or one-offs for brands?
The new office: What happens when work from home meets office culture?
Meet our host: Mariam Sobh
Mariam Sobh is an award-winning journalist and creator/host of the podcast "News with a Bite". She's also hosted programs, and anchored and reported for both public and commercial radio formats. Mariam is also a writer and comedian and has performed at various festivals including the Burbank Comedy Festival, Detroit Women's Comedy Festival, and the NBC Breakout Fest at the Second City. When she's not chasing down guests or coming up with jokes, she enjoys finding a good book to get lost in.
Meet our Global Art Director
Sure, podcasts are an audio medium – but visuals can still enhance our understanding and listening experience. That's why David Major, Avison Young's Global Art Director, partners with our content specialists each week to create unique and compelling custom graphics for every episode of Changing Places. Drawing on his lifelong passion and expertise in the arts, David takes inspiration from the subject matter, unique observations in each episode and pop culture | 473 |
Irena Vrkljan, née le et morte le , est une écrivaine et traductrice croate. Elle est active sur la scène littéraire croate pendant plus de soixante dix ans et<|fim_middle|>ophones, mais son autobiographie a été traduite en anglais :
Plusieurs de ses livres ont également été publiés en Italie, en Pologne, et au Japon.
Filmographie
Scénariste
1960-1971 : (« Portraits et rencontres », émission télévisée)
1971 : par Tom Toelle (téléfilm, coscénariste Benno Meyer-Wehlack)
1987 : par Eduard Galic (téléfilm, adaptation de son autobiographie)
Prix et récompenses
1983 : pour (prix de poésie)
1985 : pour
1987 : pour
2000 : pour
2005 : Prix Vladimir-Nazor pour l'ensemble de sa carrière
2006 : médaille de l' ()
2014 : pour (recueil de poésie)
Notes et références
Articles connexes
Littérature croate
Écriture féminine
Bibliographie
Liens externes
Naissance en août 1930
Naissance à Belgrade
Étudiant de l'université de Zagreb
Poétesse croate
Traducteur croate
Femme de lettres croate
Romancier croate
Poète croate du XXe siècle
Décès en mars 2021
Décès à 90 ans
Décès à Zagreb | gagne plusieurs récompenses dont la médaille de l' (Red Danice hrvatske).
Biographie
Irena Vrkljan est née le à Belgrade, fille d'un représentant commercial. Elle a deux jeunes sœurs, des jumelles, de dix ans ses cadettes.
Elle commence ses études dans une école bilingue (serbe-allemand) à Belgrade. Mais avec la guerre, sa famille part s'installer à Zagreb en 1941, où elle finit ses études secondaires. Alors qu'elle a 17 ans, sa famille déménage pour Opatija. Irena Vrkljan reste à Zagreb où elle commence des études d'archéologie et d'allemand à la Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres de l'Université de Zagreb.
En 1952, elle se marie au poète et deux ans plus tard, elle publie son premier recueil de poèmes. C'est durant cette même période qu'elle fait la rencontre du peintre avec qui elle se liera d'amitié.
Elle partage son temps entre Zagreb et Berlin, écrivant en croate et en allemand. Elle écrit aussi bien des romans que de la poésie mais aussi des scénarios pour le cinéma, la télévision et la radio. En 1960, elle est engagée par la télévision de Zagreb pour laquelle elle travaille sur une série de documentaires sur des artistes porteurs de mouvements d'avant-garde dans la culture croate ().
En 1964, elle fait une tournée aux États-Unis, parrainée en partie par la . En 1966, elle étudie la réalisation à l'Académie allemande du film et de la télévision de Berlin. Cette même année, elle divorce et rencontre son deuxième mari à l'académie, l'écrivain berlinois , alors professeur assistant. En 1979, elle joue le rôle de Mme Singer dans le film dramatique David ; cependant, ce sera sa seule apparition au cinéma en tant qu'actrice.
En 1984, elle publie son autobiographie dont elle avait commencé la rédaction dès les années 1960. Trois ans plus tard, son livre est adapté en téléfilm et sera traduit en anglais en 1999.
Elle traduit également des œuvres d'auteurs croates en allemand et inversement.
En 2005, elle reçoit le prix Vladimir Nazor pour l'ensemble de sa carrière et l'année suivante, la médaille de l' (Red Danice hrvatske). Bien qu'Irena Vrkljan ne suive aucun mouvement féministe, elle est considérée comme l'une des premières écrivaines croates représentant l'écriture féminine par son style et sa sensibilité.
En 2014, son mari meurt et elle retourne en Croatie. Elle est membre correspondante de l'Académie croate des sciences et des arts (HAZU). C'est à Zagreb qu'elle meurt le à 90 ans.
Vie privée
Elle s'est mariée à deux reprises. En 1952 au poète (1927-1997) dont elle divorce en 1966. Puis à l'écrivain (1928-2014). Elle a une fille.
Œuvres
Liste non exhaustive
Ses œuvres sont inédites dans les pays franc | 837 |
For nearly its entire run, The Simpsons has been notable for its myriad guest stars, but the past year as seen the long-running comedy making its own guest spots in other shows, both animated and real-life. The<|fim_middle|> Cool." Here's what they looked like as the respective donut chef and public breastfeeder Terrance and Emily.
Groening's crossover-ish episode of Portlandia, which was just renewed for two more seasons, airs this Thursday night on IFC. | latest includes creator Matt Groening heading up to the wild and preservative-free world of Portlandia, where The Simpsons is getting ripped off in the name of cool clothing! Check it out in the clip below, via IFC.
Groening is making this rare TV cameo for Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein's quirk-a-second IFC comedy, and it naturally involves his iconic creation, The Ska-mpsons. Er. The Simpsons. Groening will star as himself in the episode, the plaintiff in a lawsuit against Armisen's Spike over the unlicensed T-shirt seen in the picture. Obviously Bart Ska-mpson would be a "rood boy." He's also probably a "slacker with pride in his slacking" who says to "nibble on his undies." Or something.
Here's a shot of Groening holding the lawsuit-provoking T-shirt.
A fan of Portlandia, Groening spoke with EW about playing a more disgruntled version of himself, but it sounds like he had a swell time. He got to improvise, which adds another layer of rarity to his appearance. And he's in a suit, too. It's the trifecta.
Something Real Groening doesn't have in common with Fictional Groening, however, is the disdain for bootleg Simpsons merchandise. He and Fox have been dealing with it for the entirety of the show's run, so it would likely have driven him insane if he held a strong grudge against the illegal sub-industry. When asked what he enjoyed about it, here's what Groening told EW.
Just the badness of it makes me laugh. The best awful bootleg ever was a coloring book from Russia that came out early on in the Simpsons success. I'm convinced that they showed the guy or whoever drew the coloring book a picture of the Simpsons for five seconds and said, 'Okay… now draw!' And he or she drew a whole coloring book, and it's so wrong. Spike's Bart Ska-mpson t-shirt, by comparison, is a masterpiece.
I recall bogus Simpsons products from festivals when I was young, and would love to see what Groening's collection looks like. He talks about how people send him statues of Bart peeing. Mail is cool.
In case anyone forgot, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein previously headed into Groening's world for appearances on The Simpsons for the Season 24 episode "The Day the Earth Stood | 504 |
In spite of this remarkably unromantic beginning, Temecula has started to come into its own, and some vintners are crafting wines of real distinction. Because of cool breezes from the Pacific funneled through a gap in the mountains, it turns out Temecula vineyards can do a lot more than look pretty for suburbanites.
As I wrote in this post, Temecula's tasting room experience still has some growing-up to do. A number of venues still gear themselves to birthday and bachelorette party groups looking more to get a buzz than experience beautifully made wines. But at some Temecula wineries and tasting rooms do focus on the wines, as opposed to getting drunk, and many of these are showing off some very fine wines indeed.
I started my second day in Temecula at Hart Family Winery, mostly because its tasting room opened at 9:00 a.m., an hour or two earlier than everyone else's. I felt a bit apprehensive, I must admit, after the previous day's unpleasantness, but Hart's tasting room was small and quiet, and it offered tastings for half the price of Ponte. And the wines weren't too shabby either!
2011 Roussanne: Rhône varieties seem to do well in dry, sunny Temecula, and this Roussanne was no exception. It had a green, juicy aroma, juicy fruit and acids, and it ended on a clean mineral note.
2011 Cabernet Franc Rosé: I'm a sucker for good rosé. This example was fruity and fun, with some lemony acids and a touch of stone. Works for me!
2011 Montepulciano: Temecula's Italian varietals also tended to taste great, including this lovely little number. I liked its nose of earth and raspberries, its ripe red fruit and its food-friendly acids.
2010 Sangiovese: I thought for a moment that I might be in Tuscany when I sipped this brick-red beauty. It felt focused and earthy, with well-balanced acids and an irony finish.
2009 Tres Hermanos: This Rhône-style blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah had tightly wound, plummy fruit and hearty tannins. It had me hankering for a bowl of ratatouille.
2010 Syrah: I didn't detect too much bouquet here, and the wine felt a little tough. I bet<|fim_middle|>," the Companion notes.
I still don't fully understand how this odd duck of a variety ended up in Temecula, but there it was. The port had a thrillingly rich, raisiny aroma and a beautiful dark magenta color. It started sweet and smooth, then moved to an intriguingly chalky midsection before finishing with a surprising blast of spice. Delightful!
There's nothing like a good port right after breakfast. Feeling much restored, I set off towards my next tasting. It proved to be the complete opposite, in every way, from the craziness of Ponte.
Up Next: An unexpectedly private tasting at Wiens, some intense focus at Palumbo, and sipping amid the motorcycles with vivacious Marcello Doffo. | it would benefit from some decanting or some additional age.
2010 Aleatico Port: I felt especially excited to try this port, made from the very unusual Aleatico variety. This grape, a red relative of Muscat, originated in Italy, where it's grown mostly in Lazio and Puglia, according to The Oxford Companion to Wine. The island of Elba also exports a sweet red wine made from Aleatico, and the grape is "surprisingly popular in the central Asian republics, notably Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan | 113 |
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Copyright © 2018 gemelectricoh.net | 155 |
"Dariush and Marya Sadighi have been great friends and faithful members from the earliest inception of the first Iranian Christian organization in the United States. My friends, Dariush and Marya, are by far two of the best Farsi worship leaders among all Iranian Christians. Any assembly of believers will be immensely blessed by having them lead worship."
We have known Dariush and Marya for more than a decade. I praise God for them, a dedicated family to His Kingdom, serving the Iranians . They take us to God's Presence when they lead in worship.
We, in Iran for Christ Ministries, love and support you!
"I have known Dariush and Marya for over twenty years. They are dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, and passionately serve him with their talent of music. Their worship ministry has touched my heart, and I am sure so many other people hearts too. May the Lord bless them richly as they continue serving him."
"Thank God for the Worship Ministry of Dariush and Marya. They are specifically called and anointed by God to minister Iranians who love to worship our True God and Savior Jesus Christ. I have known them for over 20 years & they have blessed us at our church with their Praise and Worship program. Their Spirit filled songs and lyrics along with<|fim_middle|> Marya simply do what they love for the glory of the One they have been loved by, their Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God for them and the fruits of their ministry that expands well over two decades and continue to pray that the Lord will expand, further anoint and provide for their ministry."
"Dariush and Marya are exceptional and strong Christians who are devoted to use their gifts, talents, and calling to serve in ministry to further the Gospel of Christ. They create reverent and worshipful experiences that help people come into the presence of God, and serve along side men and women of God who are servants of grace for the Lord."
They also serve as teachers of worship and music to help those with clear gifts in music and the arts, to find a place of service in the local church and other effective ministry venues.
Dariush and Marya are invaluable asset to any team, and I highly recommend them."
"Dariush and Marya worship the Lord with all their hearts and that passion is evident in their worship music. Their humility and love for people transcends all barriers. That is why they are loved and respected by so many people � I am one of them."
"Dariush and Marya have been dear friends and ministry partners for my wife and me for over 20 years. They are devoted to Jesus and His ministry and high achievers in the areas where the Lord has gifted them. We have always been blessed by the passion and power they bring to His praise and worship. God has used them greatly and great things are still ahead for them."
"I am glad to recommend to you the ministry of my friends Dariush and Marya. They are true worshipers of God. They have led worship for 28 years with dedication, faithfulness and joy. It is my prayer that they will continue to lead the people of God to true worship in years to come and that God would be glorified in all they do to enhance the Kingdom of God." | the professional music will lift up the audience who are seeking to have encounter with God. I pray that all the church leaders who are seeking a revival in Praise and Worship in their churches to utilize Dariush and Marya�s experience and the anointing in order to lift up their existing worship teams and their congregations."
"There are times in any given service that people gather to sing, but then there is a time when people of God worship Him in awe of His glory and magnificent. I must say that though there might be many singers, Dariush and Marya are two people in love with God and that dedication reflects not only in their time of worship but also in all that they do for the Farsi speaking Christian community. Dariush and | 153 |
Forecast: Low inventory, economic uncertainty hold back July auto sales
Annual vehicle sales pace in July forecast to be 13.3 million, down from 16.9 million in 2019.
Sales volume expected to fall 19% from year-ago levels, finish near 1,130,000 units.
Industry's recovery is slow but remains on track with third straight month of improvement.
ATLANTA, July 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The vehicle market is expected to show modest month-over-month improvement in July, but the growing number of COVID-19 cases and overall economic uncertainty continue to stifle a more robust recovery. According to a forecast released today by Cox Automotive, the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of auto sales in July is expected to be 13.3 million, up from last month's 13.0 million pace, but down from last year's 16.9 million level. Sales volume in July, forecast at 1.13 million units, will be down 19% from July<|fim_middle|> the same inventory situation in July though, and certainly inventory issues are impacting products and locations differently. Toyota and Subaru had the tightest inventory among larger brands in July, both below 40 days of supply. At the other end of the scale, Chrysler, Dodge and Ford all had days of supply above 90 days in July. Mitsubishi had the most inventory on hand in July, with 135 days of supply. Among luxury brands, Lexus in July had the tightest situation at nearly 41 days of supply while Buick and Jaguar were near 130 days.
Inventory levels also varied greatly across the country during the month, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted states and regions differently. Some parts of the country registered plenty of inventory while other regions had very limited supply. Among the largest metro markets, New York dealt with the tightest supply situation in July with only 54 days of inventory at mid-month. Many markets in the South, on the other hand, had more than enough inventory, with Dallas-Fort Worth at 72 days and Houston at 85 days. In Corpus Christi, Texas, available inventory stood near 100 days' supply.
July 2020 Sales Forecast Highlights
In July, new light-vehicle sales are forecast to fall to 1.13 million units, down nearly 19% versus July 2019. Compared to June, sales are expected to rise nearly 27,000, or nearly 2%.
The SAAR in July 2020 is estimated to be 13.3 million, far below last year's 16.9 million level, but an improvement from last month's 13.0 million pace.
There are 26 selling days in July 2020, one more than July 2019.
Sales Forecast
Jul-20
YOY%
MOM%
Grand Total*
*Total includes all segments, many not shown
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five countries and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com | 2019.
According to Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive, "The market has been making slow but steady gains since April's low, but there are many headwinds hampering our recovery."
Consumer sentiment for the most part drifted downward throughout the month of July as surges in COVID-19 cases in the South and the West dominated the news headlines. Concerns over high unemployment, a troubled U.S. economy and the resulting severe recession also weighed heavily on potential auto buyers, keeping many out of the market. Shoppers who stayed in market were likely impacted by a limited supply of product at dealerships, as tight inventory has become a growing problem for both new and used vehicles.
Inventory is a Key Metric in July
Based on Cox Automotive analysis of vAuto Available Inventory data, there was only 67 days of inventory available in mid-July based on the current sales pace—far below the July 2019 level of 86 days. Lean supply can be a positive for dealers and automakers, as it often leads to less aggressive incentive spending and high grosses. However, low inventory will also drive down market volume, as vehicle shoppers may not find the product they want. Many will decide to wait rather than compromise on color or trim package.
Not all automakers were in | 270 |
I have only read four books this month but I enjoyed them all, giving 5 star reviews to each of them on Goodreads. However I have to choose<|fim_middle|> think it could be read as a standalone but would be more enjoyable if you have read the previous books in the series.
My copy was borrowed from Blackburn with Darwen libraries. | one, and the book that I became most involved with was I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh.
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. Read November 2014.
I loved this book! That just about sums it up but is not quite enough, even for my short reviews, so I'll try and do it justice below.
Right from the start, with a tragic incident, this book grabs the reader and won't let go.
The author's experience of police procedure stands out and gives authenticity to the plot, which races along and left me breathless at times.
And here's a thing I don't remember happening before – the book has lots of 'sliding doors' moments and I found myself drifting off imagining what would have happened to the characters with each option. It probably trebled the time it took to read but I really enjoyed it.
I look forward to reading more by Clare Mackintosh and recommend this debut to all crime and psychological thriller fans.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy which was a competition prize.
Long Way Home by Eva Dolan. Read November 2014.
Harrowing, thrilling, depressing, menacing – but most of all a fabulous and gripping read.
Like most people I've seen reports on the news about people trafficking and slave labour conditions endured by immigrant workers, and shrugged them off as someone else's problem. This book opened my eyes and changed my attitude. Some of the events are truly horrific but it's impossible to put the book aside or pretend such things couldn't happen.
I enjoyed the writing style, flipping from action packed scenes to descriptions in minute detail. Even minor characters are given shape and believability which contributes to a satisfying reading experience.
I would recommend Long Way Home to fans of gritty crime fiction, who enjoy strong characters and a well developed plot.
The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth. Read November 2014.
Having enjoyed the author's debut novel (Precious Thing) so much I had high expectations of this book. I'm happy to report that it didn't disappoint.
"I'm the only one who knows the secrets her friends have hidden, the mistakes the police have made.
The voice of Eve is one of the most compelling I've ever read and will haunt me long after finishing this book. Her narration of the events following her murder and the flashbacks to events six years earlier, gradually unravel a complex mystery that is cleverly plotted.
I spotted the killer quite early on but the twists and turns in the story were enough to make me doubt my theory several times which made for a satisfying read.
I recommend this book to psychological thriller fans who like some depth and believability to the characters.
Watching You by Michael Robotham. Read November 2014.
This latest instalment in the Joseph O'Loughlin series weaves an intricate plot and kept me guessing right to the end.
This is the seventh book featuring Joe O'Loughlin and there are no signs of the series becoming stale. There was less focus on Joe's family and personal situation this time, and having followed the development of these recurring characters I missed them, but there wasn't much room for them in this complex story. Victor Ruiz features again and has Joe's back when the going gets rough.
This was a gripping read with all the twists and suspense I expect from Michael Robotham's books, but there was an added element this time with some horrific events that reminded me of the writing style of Mo Hayder. I would recommend this book to psychological thriller fans and I | 725 |
When it comes to learning how to box, it can be a little intimidating. At African Ring, we are passionate about boxing and so we have put together some helpful advice to help the those of you who are starting up. Implemented these boxing will improve a beginner's technic<|fim_middle|> instead opt for sliding your back foot and turn your body about 45 degrees. Doing this will help by placing you in a perfect position dodge and counter punch. | drastically.
The first and most important tip for beginners is breathing. Improper breathing can cause you to run out of steam fast. If you are working on the bag, try taking a breath before every combination. Breath out as you throw a punch. If you are doing a combo, step back for a second and breathe in again after you are done with the combo. Breathing properly and sticking with this pattern will prevent you from getting tired easily and increase your punching power.
When sparring and your opponent is coming at you it is easy to panic and breath erratically. Remember to stay calm and remain in control of your breathing while you spar. Not breathing properly will leave you feeling overwhelmed and this will lead you to make mistakes. The best thing to do is to keep the same breathing patterns you use when doing bag work when you are sparring. Using this boxing tip can help make you a more competitive sparring partner.
Newbies in boxing classes stand out because of their clenched jaw, tensed muscles and rigid punches. Relaxation is the key to boxing, throwing relaxed punches and improved power and speed. Lower your shoulders refrain from keeping your shoulders tight otherwise you end up looking like a turtle in its shell. Loosen up your shoulders a little bit and don't clench your fists too tightly in your gloves. The best thing to do is to relax your hands until the split-second before you hit your target. Loosen up, relax and you'll look and feel much better.
Footwork is the final tip and a super important one for beginners that is often overlooked but is crucial for defensive and offensive reasons. The trick is to make sure you are always on the balls of your feet and not putting a lot of weight on your front foot. If you put too much weight on your front foot it will take too long for you to move out of the way of a punch or to move towards your opponent to strike. Angles are also important don't just go straight backwards or forwards when you spar. Focus on using angles to go backwards or forwards. Don't just step back to dodge a punch, | 425 |
Poem Elf
Go forth, little poem
Posts Tagged 'men'
Auld lange . . . sigh
Posted in How to Stay Alive, Point of Arrival, Rick Cannon, Thomas Lynch, tagged 2020, aging, blogging, culture, life, men, New Year, poetry, poets, random on January 4, 2020| 6 Comments »
Here at the beginning of the 20thyear of the 21stcentury; in the spirit of "out with the old, in with the new"; bearing in mind the cartoon personification of the passing year as a weary white-haired fellow; in special consideration of those readers of age to shudder at Father Time; with a sympathetic nod to the male of the species who may in the present age feel unmoored and undervalued; in regards to certain 2019 Poem Elf pictures never posted; and finally, in celebration of using a year's allotment of semi-colons in a single sentence—I offer you a few poems on men and aging.
(It's true, I'm not the most desirable guest at a New Year's Eve party.)
Anyway . . . as anyone who's ever had to take keys away from an elderly male driver will tell you, this men and aging thing is fraught with loss. Loss of masculinity, status and potency. It ain't pretty.
Full-steam ahead then.
I have six poems total and I'll feature two paired poems per post. Today we have Thomas Lynch's "How to Stay Alive" and Rick Cannon's "Point of Arrival." Lynch is a mortician and writer here in southeast Michigan. The Undertaking, his 2009 collection of essays, is one of my favorites, and he has a new one out this year, The Depositions. Rick Cannon is a poet and teacher at Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. (featured in an early Poem Elf post, link here) and not coincidentally my nephew's favorite teacher.
I left Lynch's poem on a bench in the New York City subway.
How to Stay Alive
by Thomas Lynch
He found he had nothing of consequence
to say about the weather so he went
noiselessly about his sorry business—
a version of himself in which he kept
pace with his neighbors but at arm's length
because his arms were too short and he ached
in ways he thought they'd hardly understand.
So he kept his distance, and assumed the stance
of someone he'd seen one time in a movie.
The sad sack in the poem is familiar as Prufrock and Walter Mitty, those characters who ache for emotional richness and settle for nothing of value. Lynch's version—keeping pace with his neighbors but at a distance— seems to be in a race that he doesn't want to win. It's enough to be in the pack, to exist, to survive. He mistakenly believes—how many of us do too?— that in order to stay alive his true self has to die.
Cannon's "Point of Arrival" is marginally less bleak. I stuck it on a twig by a random mailbox. Apologies to the owner if he took it personally.
POINT OF ARRIVAL
by Rick Cannon
He stands barefoot on the gray concrete,
the iron season cooling the blood
dull red through his flat slow soles.
He's forgotten why he came to the garage
and stands in his shaggy robe before hammer,
awl and ratchet, dumb, blank,
as if stunned by a piece of news.
Out the window he sees the tight copse,
stripped spar and mast shrouded in pale
yards of light.
Still he stands, lost,
but beginning perhaps to sense, as dawn
will seep beneath a blind, that from far away
and through much trial he's come
exactly here. And as he stands issuing
breath, that slow rhythm leaf by leaf,
he feels the earth shift slightly
under tonnage of wind
toward white winter.
For several minutes he stays his feet flat
on the stinging stone, a robed man
in a cold garage accepting his extremity,
seeing it had always been so:
even from the beginning he'd been,
by far, out too far to survive
more than just this little while.
A man in his bathrobe standing stock-still in his garage in the early morning is always going to worry me. Something is dying here, and it's not just the late-autumn leaves. Will it end in suicide? Are we looking at the onset of dementia? The tools of the man's former industriousness, the hammer, awl and ratchet, sit before him like a language he doesn't understand anymore. He's come smack up against his mortality. Perhaps his failures too.
I say Cannon's poem is marginally less bleak than Lynch's because at least this man feels connected to the beauty of nature. And he seems to be a work in progress. His acceptance of his loss, whatever it may be, happens as we watch, whereas Lynch's man is stagnant from the moment we meet him.
Gee, welcome to Debbie Downer's New Year's celebration. More to come.
From hair to eternity
Posted in Maxine Kumin, The Victorian Obsession with the Preservation of Hair, tagged beards, culture, life, Longfellow, love, marriage, Maxine Kumin, men, poetry, Victorian hair crafts on September 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »
poem is in the window, to the right of the striped pole
I won't attempt to transcribe this shape poem. WordPress would make a mess of the spacing, and instead of beards, the poem would look like a string of pennant flags.
Beards have been in the news lately, and not just in "News of the Weird" columns where beard stories presumably land—these beard tales are front page. Major Nidal Hassan, on trial for killing 13 servicemen at Fort Hood, has been ordered to shave his beard. The defendant had petitioned to keep his beard for religious reasons, but prosecutors argued that the beard growth is an attempt to confuse eyewitnesses. Other beards were sheared in the trial of a<|fim_middle|> escaping it. But to walk through fire and not be burned to ash is to be triumphant and sorrowful both at once.
I'm reminded of the brutal coming-of-age rituals I read about in Miss Parr's Social Studies class, rituals in which boys become men by leaping from great heights with vines tied to their ankles. But in this poem, it is the older man who must endure trials. And what does he become? A man burned and scarred but stronger than the young fellow in the water.
I'm fascinated by glimpses like this of the male experience—and I must admit men are stranger to me sometimes than birds and not at all as simple as my husband claims them to be. But it's as a woman that I was initially drawn to this poem. Specifically, the lines
suddenly softens, is looser.
Ouch. Thank goodness Cannon doesn't mention vaginal atrophy, graying pubic hair, thinning eyebrows, the occasional whisker and other disheartening signs of physical decline in the female body.
(Which reminds me of a line from Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water, a play set in the U.S. Embassy in the Soviet Union. Suspected of espionage, the bumbling Walter Hollander responds to his wife's bragging about being the former Miss Wisconsin of 1938 with this lovely zinger about her legs: "One look at those varicose veins and they'll think I'm smuggling road maps.")
Interesting that the man in the poem doesn't notice his own decay, only that of the people around him. God love all these men who can look in the mirror with such blindness and bliss! Most women I know (including myself) obsess over aging faces. We cling to what's left of our beauty like lovers at a train station. But not most men. Either they've bought into the idea that they get better looking with age, or seconds after noticing their paunch, they pat it and put it out of their minds.
Of course the arc of life described in the poem is universal, and just as easily applied to women; and there's no reason, I can hear my husband say, to fashion the poem into a dart to throw at men. But it's my blog and what's done is done.
R ick Cannon graduated from Georgetown University and Iowa Writers Workshop. In addition to teaching at Gonzaga for over 30 years, he's an adjunct professor at Trinity University and has published three chapbooks. He and his wife, poet Lori Shpunt, have five children. You can read more of his wonderful poems here.
"It's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It's the kno… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 months ago
@shemaiahng Fun! Be sure to say hello to Mary Kate Gilligan! 2 months ago
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People Reading | breakaway Amish sect in Ohio charged with a hate crime. It seems they clipped the long beards of rival Amish men to shame them. They held down their victims and brandished shears used to cut horses' manes. The breakaway sect disapproved of the religious practices of the now short-bearded men. I'd say that's a big pile of facial fungus, considering that the group's leader, the inaccurately named Samuel Mullet, offers members sexual "counseling" and punishes the sinful with long confinements in chicken coop cages.
It's a shame Monty Python isn't around anymore.
So now for something completely different:
The meaning of beards in Maxine Kumin's poem, "The Victorian Obsession with the Preservation of Hair," has nothing to do with religion. The poem begins with a literary pogonology (a word new to me, meaning "the study of beards"), evaluating writers by the size and shape of their beards. (I found a book online, Poets Ranked by Beard Weight, which does the same. This tongue-in-cheek compendium of beard lore plays on the idea that we ascribe deep thoughts to those with large beards. It also has a section on beard flirtation and beard dangers. Link here for excerpts. For those like me getting distracted by the very strangeness of beards, link here for beard charts and enjoy the wit of beard nomenclature.)
The poem's title and the activity that led to Mrs. Longfellow's death refer to a handicraft popular in Victorian times. Women threaded needles with human hair to fashion pictures, rings and bracelets. Hair crafts were used to mourn dead relatives. Such preservation of what was once living, Kumin says, is a memento mori, a reminder of death. (Once at a museum I saw a Victorian wreath woven from human hair. I found it frightening and also disgusting which is mildly hypocritical, since I long ago gave a boyfriend my extracted tooth, wrapped up in a ring box.)
Kumin's neat and self-referential structure of stanzas shaped like beards mirrors the neat if gruesome series of events in the Longfellow home. In preserving the hair of a daughter she lost, Mrs. Longfellow lost her own life. In trying to preserve the life of his wife, Longfellow nearly lost his own. His subsequent hair growth (necessitated by too-painful shaving) preserved the memory of his beloved wife. His beard became his own Victorian hair craft. It's a Chinese box of a story and Kumin tells it straightforward, without flourish: the details of the story and the meaning she pulls out of it are embellishment enough.
Poems of course are less flammable forms of preservation. Longfellow wrote a lovely poem to his dead wife ("The Cross of Snow") which ends with another metaphor for preservation of the dead:
There is a mountain in the distant West
That, sun-defying, in its deep ravines
Displays a cross of snow upon its side.
Such is the cross I wear upon my breast
These eighteen years, through all the changing scenes
And seasons, changeless since the day she died.
Kumin preserves Longfellow's devotion in a beard of her own creation. It almost makes me dizzy to think of the interplay of form and words and events, all together so clever and moving.
I left this poem outside a barbershop and congratulated myself for an impish placement. But now that I think about it, the poem might have been better placed elsewhere. Few men wear beards anymore, and if they do, the rest of their hair is usually gathered in an un-barbered ponytail. Not counting men with a tentative commitment to facial hair—men on vacation and men with little goatees—the last man with a beard I knew was my college philosophy professor. Back then beards and a corduroy blazer with elbow patches were practically a uniform in the philosophy department. Dr. Stapleton wore it well and I loved going to his 8:00 a.m. class.
Poet Maxine Kumin was born in Philadelphia in 1925. She went to Radcliffe, now part of Harvard, and swam competitively there. She took a seminar with novelist Wallace Stegner, and his criticism of her work discouraged her from writing poetry. For a long time she wrote poems privately.
As a mother of young children, Kumin took a poetry class at an adult education center. There she met poet Anne Sexton. The two mothers, both at home, became close friends and stayed close up until the day of Sexton's suicide. Together they wrote four children's books. (The books were illustrated by Evaline Ness, wife of FBI agent Eliot Ness, the inspiration for the "Untouchables" television show.) Kumin was first published at age 36, and subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize, the Ruth Lilly prize, and most of the big honorifics a poet can receive.
She and her husband Victor, a chemical engineer who worked with Oppeheimer on the atomic bomb*, had three children and now live on a farm in New Hampshire where they raise organic vegetables and breed horses. At age 74 Kumin almost died in a horse driving accident. She broke her neck, ribs, and punctured a lung but recovered and is still writing poetry in her eighties.
She's often compared to another northeastern pastoral poet—she's been called the feminist Robert Frost. But after reading some of her poems and marveling at her non-writing daring-do, I'm starting to think of her as a feminist Ernest Hemingway: physical, fearless, unembellished. Sans the beard of course.
*Victor Kumin refused to continue work on the atomic bomb after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was threatened with court martial but in the end was honorably discharged. For a full account of his fascinating story, link here.
Posted in Rick Cannon, Water and Fire, tagged aging, cherry blossoms, culture, men, poetry on May 4, 2011| 2 Comments »
with the heavy, dreamy struggle upward,
the natural cupping of the hands,
the lengthy earning of a stroke,
a man does not know fire.
It's not until he sees how easily things melt
and slide away,
how his father went,
his mother fails,
the skin over his wife's cheekbones
suddenly softens, is looser,
not until then does he walk on flaming grass
into the furnace of the trees
and wonder that he's not consumed.
Finding a suitable location for this poem stumped me for a while. If the poem were written for women, I'd have a much easier time of it. There are, after all, many more public spaces devoted to women than to men—more clothing stores, more facilities devoted to our personal upkeep, more aisle space for our drugstore needs. How to reach the male audience for whom "Water and Fire" is intended? In the men's department, a sports bar, a stack of Esquire magazines at the bookstore? Most of those places draw young men, and most young men wouldn't think this poem could ever apply to them. To borrow the metaphors of the poem, young men are too busy swimming along in their dreamy waterworld to imagine the trial by fire ahead.
So my question was, where do men of late-middle age go when they're not at work? Or when they're not at home, collapsing on couches and muting sorrow with a click of the remote? A few appropriate spots came to mind: a urologist's office, a golf course, a barber shop or, if I had an accomplice, the men's bathroom.
But in the end, I decided to leave this beautiful poem in a beautiful location, on a Tidal Basin cherry tree. Conveniently this was also a good way to celebrate my first year of blogging. One of my first posts last year was on these same cherry blossoms, just after they had bloomed. (This year the trees were only a smidge past peak, still faintly pink, which I took as an auspicious sign for my second year of blogging.)
If I needed a third reason to tape a poem to a cherry tree (and the more reasons I can accumulate, the more taping poems to trees seems like a reasonable project), Rick Cannon is from Washington, D.C., and teaches at Gonzaga High School just a few miles from where I left his poem.
Onto the poem itself. The Everyman of "Water and Fire" moves through the two titular environments. In water he's protected from fire and doesn't even know fire exists. All his energy is focused on moving forward. And then Everyman's perspective shifts. Whatever his efforts have earned him counts for nothing once life starts taking away what could never be earned in the first place: his parents, his wife's beauty and all those things unmentioned but somehow present in the poem—health, carefree children, marital harmony, bodies and homes untouched by bad accidents. Life will be grueling at some point, there's no | 1,890 |
20 years ago, our parents had stacks of photo albums with everything from our birthday parties to trips to the zoo, to<|fim_middle|>'re just looking to print a photo for your fridge, this camera is perfect. You may need to wait a minute or so for your polaroid to print (that might feel like forever!) but this makes a great gift for your significant other or best friend and will really encourage you to get out and explore!
Size: 4.7 in. x 5.0 in. x 2.3 in. | pool parties and holidays. Now, smartphones have taken away that printed photo in favour of digital ones we can swipe through. But there's something about a tangible memory – somehow, it leaves more of an impact.
The Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 camera can help give you that physical memento, but with a digital flair. All those filters and editing features we love so much about apps and smartphones are also included right in this camera, so when you print your polaroid, you're looking your best.
This camera is so easy to use and really has nothing you don't need. It's a simple way to bring some nostalgia into your life and doesn't claim to be anything more. Competitors do have more features, but it depends what you'll be using the camera for. For a fun day out with friends where you | 168 |
Welcome to my site! This site is a<|fim_middle|> when job hunting. To my relief, ECS did not kill off my pages and they still exist and reference them years after I left. I'll cover the Turner-ECS deal in a separate article. I now work in the same role (product specialist and web content) for BimmerWorld.
Broken image links: as this site was hurriedly created (see above) many of the images and links may be broken. I will continue to update, refine, and correct information on this site as I have time. As ECS took over, the server that previously hosted the images is no longer available to me (or anyone else). For now, rest assured that I do know how to host and embed images, the source is simply unavailable at this time. | collection of various articles, documents, images, and "white papers" that I have produced over the years. The purpose of this site is to educate and entertain BMW enthusiasts. I'm not focusing on any one model. Much of this information is general automotive knowledge but with a specific focus on BMW cars. I have a lot to contribute to the BMW community, having been in the parts and racing industry since 1997. Even though I work in the BMW parts industry, this site will be neutral and impartial. I'm not on here to bash brands or pick apart products. Nor am I on here to hype any one manufacturer or product. There will be no product reviews here. This site is for BMW owners and enthusiasts, such as myself. So if you see something you don't like, or want a new topic, contact me through the site and I'll do my best to add it on here.
Full disclosure: I worked for Turner Motorsport for nineteen years, including 1.5 years under ECS Tuning ownership. This site was initially a reaction to ECS' decision not to reproduce these articles when they took over the Turner website. They didn't feel BMW consumers should be educated. I, however, could not let two decades of work get flushed away so I reproduced those pages here for posterity and to have something to point to | 273 |
Meet Greg and Joy Booth of E.J. Wills Gastropub in North Dallas
Today we'd like to introduce you to Greg and Joy Booth.
Greg began his career in the food and beverage industry as a teenager in Maryland, and continued to learn the trade while in college in North Carolina. After college, he worked for national chains, managing multiple units, and then advancing to manage the closing and opening of new restaurants as corporate needs dictated. He gained leadership skills in operations and quality control and quickly rose to the rank of a regional operations manager for an international concessionaire, responsible for more than 100 concepts ranging from coffee service to steak, sushi, and a variety of other cuisines.
Joy and Greg met and married in Washington D.C., where Joy had begun her nearly 20 year career in the federal government. As an Assistant Director managing evaluations of homeland security and justice programs, she works to ensure accountability and effectiveness in spending. When the pair met, Greg and Joy found a shared love for cooking and enjoyed a common dream of opening their own business. When Greg's job took them to St Louis, he became the Director of Operations for Lambert Airport, and they had their first daughter, who is now almost 5 years old. When Joy's job relocated the couple to Dallas in 2015, Greg assumed the same role at Dallas Fort Worth Airport and they bought a home in McKinney. That same year, their second daughter was born. As the couple began exploring their new town, they quickly identified the need for scratch cooking in a pub-style atmosphere. Thus, not too long after they welcomed their baby, the concept of E.J. Wills Gastropub was also born. Both the "E" and the "J" stand for their girls' first names, and the Wills is a play off the strong wills both young ladies exhibit.
It mostly has! The main struggle was finding a location. We were committed to opening in our new home town of<|fim_middle|>! | McKinney, but finding the right space proved somewhat challenging as we began to negotiate lease term and conditions. Eventually, a realtor friend showed us a location in N. Dallas where a restaurant was vacating–presenting an opportunity to rehab an existing kitchen and test-run the concept while negotiations continued in the suburbs. Not long after E.J. Wills opened in N. Dallas, we signed a lease on new construction blocks from our home in McKinney. While we built a brand in the city, workers were constructing and designing our new location.
Please tell us about E.J. Wills Gastropub.
E.J. Wills Gastropub opened in 2016 as a locally owned, family-operated restaurant where we believe that it's not just the chef but also the ingredients that make a dish fantastic. We use a local butcher, feature craft beer from nearly 10 Texas breweries, and have supported almost a dozen local charities through "give back" nights, raffle contributions, and in-kind donations. We also provide routine discounts for local law enforcement. Our philanthropic engagement reflects our commitment to the community and we are proud to be active partners with organizations that advance education, safety, and prosperity in our city.
On the basis of our innovative menu, attention to detail and high quality service, and focus on making guests feel like family, we have earned a 4-plus star rating on all the major social media platforms, including Google, Trip Advisor, Facebook, and Yelp. We also have had our Garbage Burger highlighted twice in the Dallas Observer (once for "Craziest Burger in Dallas") and also on Jack FM Radio. Additionally, the site Thrillist named our Garbage Burger #18 on "The Dallas Bucket List: 42 Things to Do Before you Die."
In 2017, we were thrilled to win "Best Burger" on the Dallas A-List–edging out more than 40 other Dallas restaurants by popular vote. We also received an Open Table Diner's Choice Award in April 2017 and were named "Best Bar/Pub of 2017" on the Next Door App by neighbors in 5 surrounding communities.
We offer patio seating, weekend brunch, and live music three times a week, including an open mic night to showcase local musicians. We also offer space for large parties and private events, host special events like tap take-overs, and participate in local festivals with a food tent operation. We are the official game watching site for the Texas Tech University Alumni Club of Collin County for college football and a satellite viewing location for the NFL Kansas City Chiefs Fans of Dallas.
We have broad appeal to families, those on date night, those wanting to watch games or listen live to local entertainers, and business professionals looking for a comfortable and unique lunch or happy hour spot. We are unpretentious, devoted to customer service, and absolutely committed to offering our guests locally sourced, scratch cooking at its best. We like to think of our spot as a place "where friends and flavor come together" but we also know that the concept of a gastropub is not familiar to most. As a result, we often explain our restaurant as "a place to get gourmet grub in a pub!"
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Joy: I recall fondly grocery shopping with my father early on Saturday mornings and how I learned at a young age the power of a good meal to bring people together. I also remember his Italian cooking, his search for the perfect ingredient, and the pleasure of sitting down to family meals rich with good food, lively conversation, and fantastic desserts!
Greg: I recall my time on the wrestling mat and lacrosse field where I learned the importance of team work, individual drive, and discipline to meet personal and group goals. I also remember the time my coach spent with me to encourage skill building and strength training and the pride I felt attaining regional and state titles in my sports.
Website: ejwillsgastropub.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ejwillsgastropub
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejwillsgastropub/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ejwillsgastro
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it's how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
Marcia Cullen
I've been to this restaurant several times! Wonderful atmosphere..exceptional food…great people! And I'm looking forward to visiting the McKinney location when it opens | 942 |
Patrik Ervell
Patrik Ervell Spring 2007 Menswear
By Tim Blanks
Patrik Ervell's 45-piece collection is almost double the size of last season's, but its ethos remains unchanged: "American sportswear without clichés" is how he puts it. Bear in mind that the sportswear item Ervell considers<|fim_middle|> and technology. A covetable hooded raincoat closes with toggles, also recycled from old parachutes. And pieces in flesh-colored nylon, slightly transparent so that their construction is visible, have an android edge. In a season characterized by an intimate dialogue between the natural and the synthetic, Ervell matches his shapes of things to come with images of the past that are positively homespun, like a classic barn coat, or shirts with curved collars and little box-pleated pockets. They were inspired by the bedshirts that Scandinavian granddads once wore.
Michael Bastian
Adam Kimmel | most iconic is the North Face jacket, and you'll get a reasonable idea of what he considers clichéd. Linen, for example, is a fabric he believes is dogged by association, so he washes it to remove its "crunch," then offers it in a shirt or a striped jacket with a slightly boxy "American" cut.
But Ervell's quest for the new is perhaps best expressed in the idiosyncratic futurism that underpins his work (and we're not just talking about a T-shirt printed with an image of the moon's surface, or the shirt print derived from a Russian computer program to combat counterfeiting). There's a blouson made from cotton recycled from old parachutes (the kind that dropped bombs rather than people), and the same form is duplicated in a jacket with cashmere ribbing and silk lining—a hybrid of luxury | 180 |
NHLPA STATEMENT ON WISCONSIN RIGHT TO WORK
MLBPANBPANFLPAnhlpaRight to Work
The National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) stands together with the working families of Wisconsin<|fim_middle|> luck. This item on his bucket list will be right in his Dallas backyard in 2026.
Martin Necas embraces fan support from Czechia to Carolina
Necas left home at 15 to suit up with HC Zdar nad Sazavou and HC Kometa Brno, while also representing Czechia on the international stage.
Predators' McCarron reinstated by NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
McCarron has been returned to available status | , organized labor, and our brethren at the other major sports players associations. We urge the State Senate to vote No on the current Right to Work legislation
"The National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) stands together with the working families of Wisconsin, organized labor, and our brethren at the other major sports players associations. We urge the State Senate to vote No on the current Right to Work legislation.
Although there is not currently an NHL team based in Wisconsin, our sport is quite popular in the state. Eight of our current members were born in Wisconsin and many more former NHL players are from the state. The University of Wisconsin's hockey program has also been the collegiate home for many players that made it to the NHL. More importantly, we know from our own history the importance of teamwork and the ability to work together both on the ice and through collective bargaining. The current bill would impede the ability of working families in Wisconsin to achieve fair collective bargaining agreements with good wages and appropriate on the job protections. "Right to Work" is not about freedom, it is about empowering employers at the expense of the employees. Again, we urge a No vote on the current legislation."
Donald Fehr
National Hockey League Players Association
United Heroes League, NHLPA announce winners of 2022-23 All-Star Hero campaign
The four winners were selected as special guests of the NHLPA for the 2023 Honda NHL® All-Star Weekend.
Get to know your 2023 All-Star Heroes
Each winner and a guest will receive air travel to Sunrise, Florida to take in weekend All-Star festivities.
Player Q&A | Roope Hintz
Looks like Roope Hintz is in | 345 |
It's Only a Play by Terrence McNally. Directed by Jack O'Brien. Scenic design by Scott Pask. Costume design by Ann Roth. Lighting design by Philip Rosenberg. Sound design by Fitz Patton. Hair, wigs & makeup by Campbell Young Associates. Cast: F. Murray Abraham, Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing, Rupert Grint, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, and introducing Micah Stock.
Audience : May be inappropriate for 12 and under. (Strong adult language.) Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
Rupert Grint, F. Murray Abraham, Stockard Channing, and Nathan Lane.
Short of replacing all the seats with sofas and piping in the smells cooking meatloaf and mashed potatoes, it's difficult to imagine how the Gerald Schoenfeld could feel more comfortable than it does with the revival of It's Only a Play it's currently housing. Terrence McNally's play is receiving the kind of production (by director Jack O'Brien) that seems absolutely calculated to make you feel at home, with everything from the pacing to the set to the ridiculously star-crammed cast reassuring you with each passing second that you have nothing to fear. That it's also drop-dead funny, at least most of the time, doesn't hurt, either.
Fair warning: The amount of enjoyment you're likely to derive from all this is directly proportional to how closely you follow the theatre. Though it dates back (in some form) to the late 1970s, It's Only a Play found its primary expression in a 1985-1986 Manhattan Theatre Club run, where it ruthlessly vivisected the tropes, personality, and both the show and business of show business of that time. McNally has rigorously updated the script to cotton to today's names, places, and peccadilloes (even if Ben Brantley's reviews seldom sound quite as vituperative as one does here), while insisting that we laugh continuously at pains, gains, and absurdities as old as the theatre itself.
What other choice is there, after all, when the first 20 minutes are little more than an extended comedy bit for McNally interpreter extraordinaire Nathan Lane? The great star who cut his teeth on McNally comedies of the last three decades (The Lisbon Traviata; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Love! Valour! Compassion; Dedication, or The Stuff of Dreams) but is best known to Broadway audiences for his tour-de-force turn as Max Bialystock in The Producers could not better prepare you for the frivolity to come than by entering Scott Pask's gleaming, gorgeous Manhattan townhouse set and commandeering it as if he owns the place.
His character, James Wicker, doesn't, but he might as well. A TV star<|fim_middle|> nothing weighty about It's Only a Play, however—it's feather-light, even as it makes you reconsider the artifice of everything you see onstage. Jokes range from the obvious ("It's the cast of Matilda" / "I can't understand a word they're saying") to the lacerating ("I don't do musicals. Ever since Mamma Mia!, I said to myself, 'Why bother?'") to the just-plain meta (James, bristling from being found less masculine than a certain flamboyant Hairspray star: "Nathan Lane I could accept, but Harvey Fierstein?"), and at times come close to being gratuitous name-checking. But, if the comedy carpet bombing can be oppressive, the vast majority of what hits you is wonderfully funny: a cultural love letter that's utterly lacking outward sentimentality.
That O'Brien maintains this atmosphere despite a cast you can't help but love is one of his greatest accomplishments here. Nearly everyone is terrific, starting with Lane, who's in top, pinpoint-precise form as the man who doesn't want to admit how much he needs the theatre that made him famous. He presides over the action with unmatched comic authority he can transform instantaneously into serious (well, semi-serious) empathy when required. Channing is start-to-finish brittle hilarity as Virginia, whose drug-fueled ambition considerably exceeds her grasp of pretty much anything. Ira's an impossible role—McNally has no love for critics, it seems—but Abraham makes it as bruising and winning as he can.
In their Broadway debuts, Stock and Grint hint at outstanding stage careers to come. Stock's deadpan, outsider cluelessness is an excellent counterbalance to the wise-cracking jadedness everyone else depicts with such crushed resignation (and his insane rendition of Wicked's "Defying Gravity" is a true highlight befitting an oblivious navel-gazer in the making). Grint is even more a discovery. Though known by countless millions as Ron from the Harry Potter movies, he's completely unrecognizable here in some of Ann Roth's most outlandish costumes and behind a wall of makeup and hair product, but also crafts a truly compelling figure who's believable at drawing his ideas from his outrageous bad judgment rather than genuine inspiration, and nails each of Frank's myriad, self-flagellating sight gags.
Though Mullally is ideally cast as Julia, she strains at projecting the proper naïveté beneath her preternaturally prim exterior, and doesn't seem quite as organic in this world as many of her costars. Even more at sea is Broderick, who's a wet lump as Peter and doesn't seem interested in doing much besides regurgitating the nebbishy, moaning milquetoast he's played on Broadway in recent years in Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Philanthropist, The Odd Couple, and, most effectively, The Producers (opposite Lane).
This is, perhaps, the biggest misstep. Peter is our anchor point, the one completely earnest person onstage; he needs to look out of place, but not because he's constipated at a party with no working bathrooms, but because he believes too deeply in an ideal everyone around him has abandoned. We might not get Peter, but we sure get McNally, who quite obviously still believes in the "two boards and a dream" philosophy that attracts so many to show business. It's not all pretty—heck, maybe none of it is—but it's as homey as meatloaf and mashed potatoes when you get it right. And, overall, this It's Only a Play gets it very, very right indeed. | visiting his native New York to witness the debut of his best friend's new play, The Golden Egg, James has just come from the theater to the home of its dilettante producer for the opening-night party. Just one problem: he hated it. Loathed it. As in, he thinks it's turkey bad. (He describes how his own gobbler impression left Bernadette Peters in stitches.) Not that he lets on to Gus (Micah Stock), the evening's hired coat-check guy who's an aspiring "actor-slash-singer-slash-dancer-slash-comedian-slash-performance artist-slash-mime" spending his first night in the city, but get him on the phone to Hollywood and James unloads about everything from the set ("a tilted disk") to the cast to... well, everything else.
Everything else is about to hit the fan, too, as the other guests of honor arrive: the leading lady, Virginia Noyes (Stockard Channing); the British wunderkind director, Frank Finger (Rupert Grint); the producer, Julia Budder (Megan Mullally); the poison-pen critic, Ira Drew (F. Murray Abraham); and the playwright himself, Peter Austin (Matthew Broderick). In the grand stage tradition, they're all excited about what they've done and are all expecting raves (though Frank hopes that, for the first time in his career, he'll be panned), and it doesn't take long for reality—and the reviews—to hit.
Rupert Grint, Megan Mullally, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, and Stockard Channing.
Though McNally pulls no punches in deflating their egos and work, he does it with a clear-eyed love for the creatures that make live performance what it is, and leaves you with the impression that even he doesn't believe the promise of the title: Every play, like every person, is special. And success or flop, more goes on behind the scenes than most of us could (or should) know. Through the dog attacks, bitter insults, and painful recriminations that constitute the barely-there plot, we see the art and artists for the powerful, promising, and flawed creations they are.
There's | 461 |
New Podcast Details A Student's Quest To Book Thelonious Monk, And A Long-L<|fim_middle|> series, which launched today, is hosted by Anthony Valadez and features interviews with the now 68-year-old Danny Scher, T.S. Monk, Robin Kelley, and Mixmaster DXT.
Buy Thelonious Monk's Palo Alto here.
Related Topics:Impulse!JazzNew ReleasesPalo AltopodcastsThelonious Monk
Billie Eilish And Rosalía Set To Release 'Lo Vas A Olvidar' On Thursday
Best Horace Silver Pieces: Essential Jazz For Curious Ears | ost Album
The first episode of 'Monk Goes to School' is available now.
Sophie Smith
A new podcast, Monk Goes to School, tells the incredible tale of how a California teenager convinced jazz legend Thelonious Monk to play a concert at his high school. It also details how the long-forgotten recording of the 1968 set was discovered, and eventually released. The concert can be heard in the new album, Palo Alto, available now via Impulse! Records.
Listen to the new podcast Monk Goes To School below, or stream it on Apple Music or Spotify.
The October 27, 1968 concert was organized by Danny Scher, a 16-year-old white student in the Bay Area city of Palo Alto. When he saw that his idol – pioneering jazz pianist Thelonious Monk – was coming to San Francisco for a three-week residency, he had a crazy idea: to bring the artist to his high school's auditorium. Scher, who later became a music promoter, spoke to Monk's manager, who agreed to the booking. While Monk would be paid a $500 fee, all remaining profits would be donated to the school's International Club, which supported educational efforts in Kenya and Peru.
To help boost ticket sales, the teenager put up posters in East Palo Alto, which, at the time, was an unincorporated area, located just north of Palo Alto. In 1968, the Black neighborhood was considering a vote to change the area's name to Nairobi. "There were posters all over East Palo Alto saying 'Vote Yes On Nairobi,' and there I was putting up my Thelonious Monk concert posters right next to them," recalled Scher. "The police came up to me and said, 'you're a white kid, this really isn't safe for you,' but I wasn't thinking like a white kid, I was thinking like a promoter who had to sell tickets."
Weeks later, hundreds of locals turned out for the afternoon show. Monk and his band – tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist Larry Gales, and drummer Ben Riley – played a 47-minute six-song set, which included vibrant versions of his classic tunes "Well, You Needn't," "Blue Monk," and "Ruby, My Dear."
Ahead of the concert, a janitor at the school asked Scher if he could record the show. In return, he would have the piano tuned. While a search is currently on to identify the janitor-turned-engineer, the tapes, captured on a mono reel-to-reel machine, were unearthed and restored at Berkeley's Fantasy Studios. The result is a new album, simply called Palo Alto.
In an interview on NPR's Morning Edition, jazz critic Nate Chinen called Palo Alto "a really fabulous document of Monk's band…his playing is incredibly sharp." He also added that the 1968 concert, which took place during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, "afforded [an] opportunity…to bring people together in this space, you know, around music."
Monk Goes to School will offer an in-depth look into the full, compelling story of this incredible performance. The | 665 |
Are you ready to transform your body into its optimal state-of-being? Learn how to use the natural healing power of food to rejuvenate yourself from the inside-out.
This course will give you hands<|fim_middle|> Delve into the world of herbal medicine and its uses in certain health conditions and enjoy an introduction into the fascinating world of iris diagnosis. We will also learn how to use herbs and nutrition in healthy, tasty meals and smoothies.
Day 1; General outline on healthy eating principles, herbal medicine, nutritional food ideas and preparation to balance blood sugar, weight loss and good health.
Day 2; Introduction into digestive health and immunity. Benefits of fermented foods such as sprouting, lemon balm and ginger syrup, miso soup.
Day 3; Herbal medicine introduction including using common herbs for digestive health and wellbeing, involves walking around the school vegetable garden and harvesting herbs.
Day 4; History of Iridology and its uses in presenting imbalances in the body. Herbal cooking demonstrations that are medicinal and nutritious for good health. Lavender ice cream to calm the spirit and much more.
Day 5; Summary of the week. Manufacturing of lip balms and medicinal creams.
Cassandra Luhrs has been involved in the natural therapy industry for over twenty years and she is a qualified herbalist, nutritionist and remedial massage therapist. She has a passionate love for educating her clients on good holistic health, wellbeing and lifestyle management. Cassandra has always been involved with food and the food industry. She's had a passion for organic whole food cooking for many years. Working closely with her clients in a multi dispensary clinic has given her experience in treating many different ailments for allergies, digestive disorders, weight loss, reproductive, children's health and much more. Her overall approach is mind body spirit; using iridology, dietary advice, meal plans and herbal medicine.
Material costs: $60 to cover the cost of cooking ingredients, jars, bottles to make a range of beautiful tasting foods and elixirs, lip balms and herbal creams. | -on experience on how to improve your general health and nutrition through food demonstrations, manufacturing of herbal creams, balms & elixirs. | 27 |
It can be daunting to know how to maintain<|fim_middle|> some ingredients may or may not be listed on the list of ingredients. For a good list of harmful chemicals to avoid check out this 10 Toxic Chemicals That Might Be In Your Makeup article.
A healthy skin routine doesn't have to be complicated. You just need to follow a few simple steps and make sure you feed your body with all the essential nutrients it needs. Investing in quality natural products will pay off in the long run and your skin will thank you for it. Once you start getting loads of compliments you'll know you're doing something right.
Stay tuned as I'm currently working on a new article about best natural skin care companies I have discovered over the years. I will discuss some of the great products I have been fortunate to try out. If you don't want to miss when this article is posted and get a chance to win some great products sign up for my newsletter.
In the meantime, let me know about any of your healthy skin routine tips and beauty hacks in the comments below.
Heavenly Angel Wings Pastry Dessert – A European Delight!
Wow this post was soo informative! I love taking care of my skin using natural products and drinking water, etc but you gave a lot more tips that I didn't know about!
Thank you so much for all your kind words Janett. You're so sweet. It really means a lot. You have a lovely blog yourself. I'm looking forward to your future posts as well.
Very informative post. I love to use witch hazel as a toner and incorporate weekly charcoal masks which are amazing!! I love the look and feel of your blog. You have a lot of use information.
Very informative article! Love all the tips.. and I couldn't agree more – I feel like when I eat junk it reflects on my skin right away!
Thank you Kay. Glad you enjoyed the article. Have an awesome day!
Absolutely Lisa. That's why I am so careful with the cosmetics I use. I try to buy products that are as natural as possible!
Oh yes lemon water does wonders for you. That's a good one.
Healthy skin is so important.
Thanks Tahnee. Glad you found it helpful.
I need to use some of these tips. My skin has been so bad since moving to Bangkok, I assume from the combination of heat and pollution.
That is amazing to hear. Yes water with lemon is so good for you. And a bit of raw honey is great too. | healthy skin and which skin care routine to follow. There are so many celebrity endorsements out there that make it even more confusing for just about everyone. Coming from a European background, skin care has always been very important in my family. Every since I was a little girl, I remember watching my mom taking great care of her skin. Over the years I picked up an abundance of easy and simple tips for that beautiful and healthy skin at any age.
I'm sure you've heard the saying "you are what you eat." And it's true because what you put in your body will reflect on your skin. It is imperative to fuel your body with the right nutrition in order to have healthy and beautiful skin.
Vitamin E is one of the most essential nutrients for healthy skin. When combined with vitamin A, it's especially effective at preventing certain skin cancers. It's also a powerful antioxidant therefore it helps to fight free radicals caused by pollution, smoking, processed foods and sun exposure. Free radicals are the catalyst for premature skin aging resulting in wrinkles.
Foods high in vitamin E include: almonds, eggs, walnuts, avocados, asparagus, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, spinach, oatmeal, and olives.
Vitamin A is critical for skin repair and maintenance. You might be deficient in this nutrient if you suffer from flaky or dry skin. The human body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant mostly found in brightly colored foods. This antioxidant helps to reduce free radical damage to your skin caused by sun overexposure.
Foods high in vitamin A and beta-carotene include: liver, collard greens, asparagus, peaches, beet greens, kale, spinach, eggs, sweet potato, cantaloupe, and red peppers.
Vitamin C helps your body detoxify itself from the harmful effects of free radicals and therefore it may help to lower cancer risk. It's also involved in the production of collagen, which is an important protein that makes your skin supple. Collagen depletes over time so getting a healthy amount of vitamin C in your diet can help your skin stay looking younger for much longer.
Foods high in vitamin A include: broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, bell peppers, guava, acerola, beet greens, grapefruit, strawberries, red and green bell peppers, kale, parsley, collard greens and turnip greens.
Selenium is a powerful antioxidant trace mineral that helps in maintaining skin firmness and elasticity. It's a great aid in preventing acne as well as skin cancer. It helps your body absorb vitamin E and enhances its antioxidant function. Adding selenium to your diet will result in glowing skin and less deterioration to the skin's collagen.
Foods high in selenium include: brazil nuts, walnuts, red snapper, tuna, liver, wheat germ, herring, onion, seafood, whole grains, brown rice and poultry.
Omega 3s are essential fatty acids (EFAs) which offer healing benefits in various inflammatory conditions including eczema. They also help your body control cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone and having a high level can accelerate the aging process. Therefore taking Omega 3s will aid in keeping your skin supple and wrinkle-free. EFAs also help your skin repair faster, control moisture content and help with overall flexibility. Unfortunately the human body doesn't produce these fatty acids therefore they must be obtained through your diet.
Food sources high in omega-3s include: walnuts, salmon, mackerel, sardines, flaxseeds, and chia seeds. You can also supplement with a fish or hemp oil.
This is an important trace mineral that aids in repairing damaged tissue and healing wounds. It's also great at protecting your skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Zinc may help in preventing acne and to regulate the production of oil in the skin.
Foods high in zinc include: oysters, pecans, poultry, pumpkin seeds, ginger, legumes, seafood, mushrooms and whole grains.
Getting a good night's sleep is essential for your overall wellbeing and not getting enough of it can negatively affect your skin. When you're sleep deprived your body makes more cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol can lead to inflammation and this can elevate the severity of inflammatory skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis. Not getting enough sleep disrupts your skin's natural beauty cycle. Inflammation can increase the breakdown of collagen and hyaluronic acid, important molecules that give the skin its glow, bounce, and translucency. Check out this cool info-graphic to find out how great hyaluronic acid is for your skin. Not enough sleep can result in poor water balance and you can end up with puffy bags under your eyes and under-eye circles, as well as dryness and more visible wrinkles.
The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person but on average a person needs anywhere between 7-9 hrs. of restful sleep. Only you know your body so follow its natural rhythm and make sure you get enough shut eye every night.
As the ozone layer gets depleted more and more harmful UV rays are reaching the earth's surface. UV rays irreparably destroy the top layer of your skin. Therefore the sun can do much more damage than just giving you a bad sunburn. Dermatologists warn that prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause brown spots, red, scaly spots, dryness, wrinkles and, worst of all, skin cancer. It is imperative that you wear a broad spectrum sunscreen everyday all year round. You should wear sunscreen even on a cloudy day as the UV rays can penetrate through the clouds and even in the shade.
Ideally you should clean your skin twice a day, once in the morning when you wake up and in the evening before bedtime. Over-washing can have the opposite effect and can leave your skin dry. It's best not to use hot water to wash your face as it's a very delicate area and skin there can damage quickly. Opt for lukewarm water instead.
Also, I know this might sound harsh but going to bed wearing make-up is a big no-no. You need to give your skin some breathing room and time to recuperate from all the daily activities and harsh elements it might've been exposed to. Your skin deserves a good night's sleep as much as you do so don't deprive it of what it needs.
It's best to use a gentle natural cleanser to clean your face in order to remove excess oil and dirt accumulated throughout the day. Excess oil can clog your pores and result in acne breakouts. Opt for all natural cleanser which will do the cleaning job without the harshness of unnecessary chemicals. If your skin feels tight, dry or sore after cleansing, your facial cleanser is too harsh for your skin.
After washing your face it is recommended to apply a natural toner. A toner is used to restore your skin's natural pH levels after cleansing. It's most useful for people who have oily skin. If you don't have oily skin opt for a toner specifically formulated for sensitive skin. If you think having a toner and a cleanser is too much there are two-in-one products available as well. These will not only gently clean your skin but they will tone it at the same time by not disturbing the skin's pH levels.
Even after cleansing and toning your skin it may feel slightly dry therefore you will need to apply a natural daily moisturizer. The most sensitive areas of your skin: the face, ears, neck, and chest loose more skin cells than other parts of your body. This daily loss of skin cells leaves these areas vulnerable to dryness and the elements. They are also at a higher risk for skin cancer. Moisturizing gives your skin the boost it needs to repair itself and stay healthy.
Just as you need a daily moisturizer you also need a separate nightly moisturizer. This moisturizer is typically a bit heavier as it helps your skin repair, restore and regenerate itself while you sleep. Therefore the function of the night cream is to moisturize and aid in recovery. As this cream is usually heavier in texture it takes several hours for it to be properly absorbed by your skin. Nighttime is a perfect time for the cream to do all its heavy lifting while you're away in a dream land.
It's a good idea to take time every week to apply a natural scrub or mask to exfoliate and get rid of dead skin cells. These can leave your complexion appearing dull, and can clog up pores causing more pimples. Another benefit of exfoliating is that removing all the buildup enhances your skin's ability to absorb everything else such as moisturizers, acne or anti-wrinkle serums.
These days it's much easier to find all natural make-up products and many companies are investing in high quality ingredients. Unfortunately, there are no strict rules on chemical use in cosmetics so you have to do your research before you put products on your face. There are many harmful ingredients than can hide under confusing terms including anything labeled "natural." Unless something is certified organic it may not be completely chemical-free. Also, | 1,876 |
T-1 101 for the TAS: Answers to Common Questions
November 1, 1997 Peter DeHaan
By Allen Kalik
The mere buzz word "T-1" brings tremors of the unknown to many TAS owners and managers. The following information will help to answer most of the commonly asked questions about this technology and its applications in your TAS.
What is T-1 service?: T-1 is a type of telephone service capable of transporting the equivalent of 24 conventional telephone lines, using only 2 pairs of wires.
Who uses T-1?: The telephone companies have used T-1 for decades to economize on runs between central offices. In the last ten years, T-1 has become commercially available for high volume telephone service users.
What is a T-1 circuit?: T-1 is a high speed 4-wire data circuit with 2 wires used for transmitting and 2 wires used for receiving. The T-1 is capable of transmitting and receiving data at the rate of about 1.5 million bits per second. For comparison, the rate of data transmission in a T-1 is over 100 times faster than a PC modem operating at 14,400 bits per second.
How can one data circuit turn into 24 telephone lines?: At one end of the T-1 (the central office, for example), each of the 24 phone lines is encoded to a digital format much like a CD recording. Then the packets of data from each line are transmitted in sequence order into a single data stream. A device called a channel bank is responsible for this process.
At the other end of the T-1 (for example, the TAS), another channel bank reverses the process by separating the data stream into the original 24 distinct data packets representing each phone line. The data is then decoded from digits back into the 24 telephone (voice) lines.
What are the main advantages of T-1 to the TAS?: Cost savings over the equivalent service on regular analog lines. Another advantage is that T-1 is a digital transmission and is less prone to loss and interference than regular phone lines.
What are the main disadvantages of T-1?: The main disadvantage is that it requires a channel bank, a multiplexer, or a digital switch to convert the signal to telephone lines. While T-1 is very reliable, another disadvantage is that an outage could take out all 24 lines at once.
What are the main applications of T-1 in TAS?: There are three main applications:
Replacement of Local DID trunks: Your local DID trunks can easily be replaced by T-1 service from your local telephone company. In most areas a 24 line T-1 is about the same cost as 12 DID trunks. (Rates can vary greatly on both DID trunks and T-1 costs, so first check with your local telephone company or T-1 vendor).
All of your existing DID numbers can be moved to the T-1, where they are called DNIS digits. (Pronounced "Dee-niss;" stands for Dialed Number Identification Service).
Long Distance Carrier Dedicated Service: T-1 service can be purchased from AT&T, MCI, Sprint, or other long distance carriers as a dedicated connection for taking 800/888 calls and making outbound long distance calls. The main advantage of this service is that the long distance company provides highly discounted rates on T-1 dedicated service.
The decision t o use this service should be based on your projected savings versus your monthly T-1 charges and added equipment cost. If your long distance usage is over 20,000 minutes per month, it is probably worth investigating a long distance T-1 connection. Unfortunately, long distance T-1 service cannot be used to carry local DID. Also, the long distance T-1 can only handle traffic from the specific carrier (i.e., MCI) that provides the T-1.
Point-to-point connection between offices: T-1 can also be used to connect the lines between two locations. For example, a T-1 circuit can be used to provide 24 off premise extensions of lines ringing at a remote location. Because T-1 is only one circuit, the mileage fees are significantly less than the mileage fees on 24 individual<|fim_middle|> telephone company, a long distance company, or an alternative carrier.
Can T-1 be used to link two office networks together?: T-1 is capable of transporting data about 100 times faster than most PC modems. As such, it can be used to create a wide area network between two offices. Keep in mind, however, that T-1 is only one-sixth as fast as most standard office computer networks.
Can T-1 be used for both telephone (voice) and data communication?: With a piece of equipment called a multiplexer (similar to a channel bank), the T-1 can be distributed into data circuits and voice channels. For example, a T-1 could be used to carry 12 telephone lines, plus 2 data circuits at 386K baud.
What equipment do I need to utilize T-1 telephone service?: If you have a digital switch or TAS equipment with digital capability, you only need to purchase a T-1 card for your system.
T- 1 cards usually have a 24-line capacity and can be directly connected to the T-1 circuit. If you do not have digital telephone equipment, you need to rent or purchase channel bank equipment.
What is a channel bank?: A channel bank is a small digital telephone system with an input for T-1 and 24 outputs, one for each telephone line. The trunk cards in a channel bank must be compatible with the type of lines being used.
For example, if all the lines were coming in as DID, the cards must be compatible with this type of service. As a rule, channel banks are incredibly sturdy pieces of equipment with virtually a zero failure rate. There are no moving parts to break, no keyboard controls to mistype on, and no disk drives to fail.
If the channel bank has a critical role in your operation, spares or even a spare channel bank would be advisable to be safe. Channel banks can be purchased new in the $5,000 to $7,000 range, and in the used market for about half that price.
What is a CSU?: Another piece of equipment, called a CSU or customer service unit, is sometimes required by the telephone company. The CSU is a protective device similar to a modem that is wired between the T-1 connection and the channel bank. The CSU typically has diagnostic and status lights to help identify any problems with the T-1 circuit. A CSU can be purchased new for about $500.
Are you T-1 equipment-phobic?: If purchasing and maintaining T-1 equipment is an intimidating thought, consider renting from the long distance carrier or the telephone company. They will provide, install and maintain both CSU and channel banks at your location, delivering to you the familiar 24 lines. The cost of renting equipment is usually a few hundred dollars per month as opposed to the thousands required to purchase the same equipment.
Conclusion: To T-1 or not to T-1?: T-1 is a reliable, manageable technology for most TAS bureaus offering the possibility of greater services at a cost savings while expanding their coverage territory. The final decision should depend on the economics of the situation.
Allen Kalik was president of Professional Teledata. For more information call 800-344-9944 or visit their website www.professionalteledata.com.
[From Connection Magazine, November 1997]
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Connections Magazine Articles by Issue | lines.
T-1 solutions such as this allow an operation to close down are mote TAS office by transporting the lines to an alternate location. Depending on the location of the terminating locations, this type of T-1 service may be provided by the local | 50 |
Scientists Broke This AI Robot's Leg Then Let It<|fim_middle|> a video that accompanied the study, this "learning" was neatly illustrated.
Two simulated robots were going around an arena doing their own thing. Although both robots had "evolved" over 300 generations (meaning they had undergone various neural network changes based on algorithms of real brain networks), which gave them the ability to walk, there was one big difference between the two robots. One contained these new mathematical net instructions, the other did not. Researchers then removed a front leg from each robot, forcing them to work out how to compensate for this loss. As you can see from the video, the robot on the left is able to overcome the fact, struggling at first but ultimately learning how to carry on walking, the robot on the right, not so. It immediately falls over on its back, looking both frustrating and rather desperate.
Intriguingly, and simplistically illustrated in this experiment, the findings hold promise to develop more accurate AI systems using Hebbian mathematical models in the future. This could be used, for example, to help translate languages more accurately, identify images, or even drive video game race cars more effectively. In another test, also in the video above, AI containing the Hebbian mathematical net drove 20 percent better than an AI counterpart that did not have the net deployed in a race car video game.
It seems Hebbian rules might be coming to AI sooner than we think and it might slowly start to bridge the gap between AI and the human experience. Who knows what robots might be capable of learning for themselves in the future? | Teach Itself To Walk From Scratch
Neural network technology and artificial intelligence implantation. By Bespaliy/Shutterstock.com
By Johannes Van Zijl MSci
In a ground-breaking feat that shows Hebbian learning could be applied to artificial intelligence (AI), scientists have showcased a newly developed mathematical formula that allows AI robots to keep learning and adapt to new circumstances.
The research, presented in December 2020 at the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, and published in the journal NeurIPS Proceedings, illustrates a very interesting experiment that could help AI robots "learn" as they go.
First reported by Science Magazine, the researchers of the study created a set of rules (mathematical nets) that allowed AI robots to keep learning when presented with a deviation from their pre-programmed circumstances. These nets incorporated some fundamental Hebbian rules (as the old saying goes, what fires together, wires together), and instead of remaining static (doing the same instructed things over and over again), the researchers were able to get these mathematical nets to change based on what the robot experienced, allowing it to adapt.
Normally, AI robots have difficulty adapting to new circumstances as they are programmed and deployed with a set of instructions that allow them to behave and respond in an orchestrated manner. The researchers in the new study wanted to show that it would be possible to get a robot to learn to adapt presented with new circumstances by using these mathematical nets.
In | 293 |
Chirping in<|fim_middle|> out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paws.farm. | the morning or relieving themselves on windshields, birds flutter freely around Mt. Laurel.
Paws Farm Nature Center recently paid homage to the lives of the winged creatures with a Bird Festival.
The festival on Thursday, Aug. 23, helped children learn how to identify birds, listen to the sounds they make, check out their food and learn about the different types of nests that birds intricately weave.
When the youngsters arrived at the brightly colored nature center hued in greens and blues, they were banded like birds and pinned with the bird they would be for the two-hour long festival.
The little birdies headed over to the nest room prior to heading outdoors and learned about the different homes that birds fashion.
Robins always create their nests with mud, while chickadees use moss and feathers.
"They line their nests," she added.
Pointing at another nest in line on a table before the kids sat down, she explained that every tree swallow would create a nest that looks similar.
After learning about the nests, they got the chance to make their own with some adult helpers.
The Bird Festival has been held once in the past, though not in the last year, explained Gurgul.
She took a course called Flying WILD to gain some ideas for the festival's events. Other parts of the day came from the staff at Paws Farm, she said.
"We used what we had to make it special," she added.
The hope was to instill an early love for their new feathered friends.
The day was designed to be fun, Gurgul explained, with hands on crafts and activities.
Stopping between the four stations set up, each child was able to stretch their arms and check to see what their wingspans would be if they were really an avian.
"Then we're going to go out in the meadow and we're going to look for real birds but we have pretend birds out there," she said.
They planned to play a game with the sounds, singing the chick-a-de-de-de soundtrack that the mama bird and baby bird would produce.
Satiated from the learning experience, the kids were to view some parrots and finish off with a snack of dirt cups with worms.
After all, they were channeling birds for the day.
The next big event at the center, said Gurgul, is the Halloween Bash, which will have the meadow open and scarecrows and other mildly spooky items displayed.
In the meantime, kids often head out for story times, crafts and nature activities.
"Sometimes people just come to play and spend the day in nature with the animals," she said.
Paws Farm Nature Center, owned and operated by Mt. Laurel Township, is open year-round Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The center is located at 1105 Hainesport Mt. Laurel Road in Mt. Laurel.
Reach the educators by phone at (856) 778–8795 or by email at contact@pawsfarm.com.
Visit their website for information on upcoming events at http://pawsfarm.com/ or check them | 645 |
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:intro}
To prevent climate change, a movement from a high carbon electricity supply to a low-carbon system is required \cite{Kell2020}. Low carbon electricity supply will aid in the decarbonization of the automotive and heating sectors by allowing for low-carbon electricity to be used in place of oil and gas.
Renewable energy costs, such as solar and wind energy, have reduced over the last ten years, making them cost-competitive with fossil fuels. These price drops are projected to continue \cite{IEA2015}. The future cost of operating and capital cost of electricity generation and electricity demand, however, remain uncertain over the long-term future. These uncertainties are risks which investors must analyze while making long-term decisions.
In this paper, we use the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) reinforcement learning algorithm to simulate the behaviour of investors over a 33-year horizon, between 2017 and 2050 using the FTT:Power model \cite{Hunt2016a}. FTT:Power is a global power systems model that uses logistic differential equations to simulate technology switching \cite{Mercure2012}. The model is parameterized and runs from 2007; however, the investment decisions began in 2017. We start in this year due to the prior parameterization of the FTT:Power model with historical data up until this time. We projected until 2050 because this is a common target for governments to reach zero carbon. The environment used was a modified version of the FTT:Power model.
We modified the FTT:Power model to use the DDPG algorithm in place of the logistic differential equations to make investment decisions. In addition, we simulated two countries: the United Kingdom and Ireland. We choose these due to the wealth of prior work on these countries which can be used use for comparison \cite{Hall2016, Hughes2010}. The DDPG algorithm allows us to simulate the decisions made by investors under imperfect information, such as future electricity costs, taxes and demand. This work enabled us to see an optimal, final state electricity generation mix.
Prior work in this domain has tackled the capacity expansion problem. For example, Oliveira \textit{et al.} also use reinforcement learning for the capacity expansion problem~\cite{Oliveira2018}. Whilst Oliveria \textit{et al.} provide detailed calculations of agents for the capacity expansion problem, we reduce this complexity to a series of observations of the environment, to allow for emergent behaviour. Kazempour \textit{et al.} use a mixed-integer linear programming approach to solve the generation investment problem \cite{Kazempour2011}. In contrast our approach removes the requirement for full knowledge of the time-horizon.
Through this work, it is possible to assess whether a low cost, low-carbon electricity mix is viable over the long-term using a deep reinforcement learning investment algorithm, as well as finding what this optimum mix should be. This work enables us to closely match the investment behaviour of rational agents, without knowledge of the future. It can help guide investors on the choice and proportion of technologies to invest in over the long term.
\section{Model and methodology}
\label{sec:methods}
The Future Technology Transformations system for the power sector model (FTT:Power) model represents global power systems based on market competition, induced technological change and natural resource use and depletion \cite{Mercure2012}. This technological change is dependent on previous cumulative investment \cite{Mercure2012}. The model uses a dynamic set of logistic differential equations for competition between technology options.
For this work, we modified the FTT:Power model to use the deep reinforcement learning investment algorithm, DDPG. That is, the DDPG algorithm was used to make the decision on size of investment for each technology. In addition, we reduced the model only to consider the countries of Ireland and the UK. This enables us to iterate through enough episodes for the reinforcement learning to converge to an optimal reward. With more time it would be possible to undertake this optimisation for the entire world.
\subsection*{Reinforcement Learning}
The investment decision-making process can be formulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) \cite{puterman2014markov}. In an MDP environment, an agent receives an observation about the state of their environment $s_t$, chooses an action $a_t$ and receives a reward $r_t$ as a consequence of their action and the resultant change on the environment. Solving an MDP consists of maximizing the cumulative reward over the lifetime of the agent.
For our simulation environment, the agent makes continuous investment decisions for each energy technology, in each region and each year, starting from 2017 until 2050. Technology switching is modelled using a pairwise comparison of flows of market shares of different electricity generation capacity. That is, how much capacity flows from one technology to another.
The agent's observation space is a vector consisting of the electricity produced by each technology, total capacity, total \ch{CO2} emissions over the simulation, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) both with and without taxes, cumulative investment in each technology, investment in new capacity, carrier prices by commodity, fuel costs and carbon costs.
The reward $r$ is defined as:
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:reward_function}
r = -\left(1000\times\ch{CO2}_e + \frac{LCOE}{1000}\right),
\end{equation}
where $\ch{CO2}_e$ is equal to total \ch{CO2} emissions over the simulation. The LCOE is calculated without taxes and the scaling factors are used to place the $LCOE$ and $\ch{CO2}$ on the same scale. The reward was multiplied by -1 due to the reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm maximizing reward and our requirement to reduce both LCOE and \ch{CO2} emissions.
RL approaches have been used to solve MDP through a trial and error based approach \cite{Sutton2015}. Since the paper published by Deep Mind in 2013 \cite{Arulkumaran2017}, RL has been extended to incorporate Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). DRL exploits deep neural networks to overcome the problems of memory and computational complexity \cite{Arulkumaran2017}.
We applied the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) DRL algorithm \cite{Hunt2016a} from the Ray RLlib package to act as the investment algorithm \cite{Liang2014}. The DDPG algorithm is made up of an actor and critic network. We designed both of these to have two hidden layers, made up of 400 and 300 units per layer. The training batch size was set to 40,000. We chose these parameters as they were the default implementation in Ray RLlib. We trialled a variety of different configurations for the number of neurons per layer for hyperparameter tuning. To increase the speed of computation, just for the hyperparameter tuning, we reduced the simulation to run from 2007 to 2020. We chose this range as it allows for a change in the electricity mix. However, we found that the approach worked well, irrespective of parameter choice, as shown by Figure \ref{fig:hyperparameter_training}.
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.5\columnwidth]{figures/hyperparameter_plot_params.pdf}
\caption{Training with different hyperparameters, displaying the minimum, mean and maximum rewards per episode. The hyperparameter set [300, 500], for example, refers to two layers for both the actor and critic network, with 300 neurons in the first layers and 500 in the second.}
\label{fig:hyperparameter_training}
\end{figure}
\section{Results}
\label{sec:results}
Our results show that our investment agent can increase its reward over time, as shown in Figure \ref{fig:days_reward_plot}. A total of ${\sim}$400,000 steps were required to see a levelling off in reward. The total time to simulate ${\sim}$400,000 steps was ${\sim}$8 days. We stopped the training and simulation after this time due to diminishing returns and the cost of computation.
Figure \ref{fig:electricity_generated_plot} displays the results of the reinforcement learning algorithm. Before the black vertical line (2017), the investments made are based upon historical data used by FTT:Power. The reinforcement learning algorithm starts to make investments after the black vertical line.
The historical electricity mix before 2017 is based mainly on fossil fuels: coal, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) and oil. Additionally, nuclear is a significant component of the electricity mix before 2009. After reinforcement learning optimizes for LCOE and carbon emissions, a rapid change occurs from fossil fuel and nuclear to renewable energy.
This sudden change occurs because the RL algorithm does not take into account the technical and timeframe constraints embedded in the unmodified FTT:Power model. However, although it is likely that whilst the transition speed is unrealistic, the electricity mix found by the reinforcement learning algorithm is likely to be optimal, according to the reward function defined in Equation \ref{eq:reward_function}. We, therefore, show what the future should look like.
\begin{figure}
\centering
\begin{minipage}{.4\textwidth}
\centering
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{figures/runtime_steps_plot.pdf}
\caption{Mean, minimum and maximum rewards over run time.}
<|fim_middle|> there is only one co-author, list both author and co-author side by
side.
Please pay special attention to the instructions in Section \ref{others}
regarding figures, tables, acknowledgments, and references.
\section{Headings: first level}
\label{headings}
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\section{Citations, figures, tables, references}
\label{others}
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\begin{table}
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\medskip
\small
[1] Alexander, J.A.\ \& Mozer, M.C.\ (1995) Template-based algorithms for
connectionist rule extraction. In G.\ Tesauro, D.S.\ Touretzky and T.K.\ Leen
(eds.), {\it Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 7},
pp.\ 609--616. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
[2] Bower, J.M.\ \& Beeman, D.\ (1995) {\it The Book of GENESIS: Exploring
Realistic Neural Models with the GEneral NEural SImulation System.} New York:
TELOS/Springer--Verlag.
[3] Hasselmo, M.E., Schnell, E.\ \& Barkai, E.\ (1995) Dynamics of learning and
recall at excitatory recurrent synapses and cholinergic modulation in rat
hippocampal region CA3. {\it Journal of Neuroscience} {\bf 15}(7):5249-5262.
\end{document} | \label{fig:days_reward_plot}
\end{minipage}%
\begin{minipage}{.4\textwidth}
\centering
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{figures/electricity_generated_plot.pdf}
\caption{Electricity mix over time.}
\label{fig:electricity_generated_plot}
\end{minipage}
\end{figure}
The primary source of energy after the reinforcement learning algorithm begins is offshore, followed by onshore, solar photovoltaics (PV) and wave. As can be seen by Figure \ref{fig:emissions_plot}, the carbon emissions reduce significantly at the time that the reinforcement learning algorithm begins to control investments.
This mix of renewable electricity generation across Ireland and the UK allows for demand to be met during the quarterly time periods of the model. The demand scenario is shown in Figure \ref{fig:demand_scenario}, where the demand can be seen to closely match the electricity mix shown by Figure \ref{fig:electricity_generated_plot}.
\begin{figure}
\centering
\begin{minipage}{.4\textwidth}
\centering
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{figures/emissions_plot.pdf}
\caption{Carbon emissions.}
\label{fig:emissions_plot}
\end{minipage}%
\begin{minipage}{.4\textwidth}
\centering
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{figures/demand_plot.pdf}
\caption{Demand scenario.}
\label{fig:demand_scenario}
\end{minipage}
\end{figure}
\section{Discussion}
A change from a high carbon-emitting electricity grid to a low-carbon system is required. In order to achieve this, investments in electricity generators must be made whilst taking into account future uncertainty. In this paper, we have modelled a central agent which makes investment decisions in an uncertain environment to find an optimal low-cost, low-carbon electricity mix. To achieve this, we used the reinforcement learning algorithm, DDPG. The environment is modelled using FTT:Power.
Through this exercise, we are able to see the optimal electricity mix in the UK and Ireland. We found that a mixture of renewable sources such as wind, solar and wave power would meet demand at quarter year intervals, as well as providing a cost-effective and low-carbon system.
A limitation of this work is the fact that the investment algorithm does not take into account the technical and timeframe constraints of transitions between technologies. It is for this reason that the reinforcement learning algorithm is able to make such a rapid change in 2017. However, we believe that the investment algorithm is able to find a general solution to the problem of investing in a cost-efficient and low-carbon system over a long time horizon. In future work, we would like to model the transition required by incorporating the technical and timeframe constraints for technology switching. This could be undertaken by modifying the reward function to ensure the transition remains within these constraints.
We would like to increase the number of steps of the FTT:Power model to more adequately model the investment behaviour introduced by the reinforcement learning algorithm. A lower number of simulated time steps leads to an overestimation of the supply of renewables and underestimation of storage and dispatchable technologies \cite{Ludig2011}. In addition, an increase in the number of countries modelled would enable us to see a global picture of how different, interdependent regions may evolve in a new climate of a requirement of low-carbon emissions. This would require an exponentially longer runtime for the reinforcement learning algorithm to converge. This is due to the increased number of decisions that the reinforcement learning algorithm would need to make to account for the different countries.
\section{Acknowledgements}
This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sci- ences Research Council, Centre for Doctoral Training in Cloud Computing for Big Data [grant number EP/L015358/1].
\bibliographystyle{ieeetr}
\section{Submission of papers to ``Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning'' at NeurIPS 2020}
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\begin{center}
\url{https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/CCAINeurIPS2020}
\end{center}
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\begin{center}
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The text must be confined within a rectangle 5.5~inches (33~picas) wide and
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bottom rule should be 1~point thick. Allow \nicefrac{1}{4}~inch space above and
below the title to rules. All pages should start at 1~inch (6~picas) from the
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For the final version, authors' names are set in boldface, and each name is
centered above the corresponding address. The lead author's name is to be listed
first (left-most), and the co-authors' names (if different address) are set to
follow. If | 1,794 |
The Bucks County Commissioners today broke ground on the planned site of the African American Museum of Bucks County's permanent location in Middletown Township.
Plans to convert the historic Boone Farm property into a functioning museum have been inching forward since 2020 when the Commissioners agreed to lease the site to AAMBC for $1 per year.
"At this time of year when we're supposed to be giving thanks, I am truly so thankful to see this project continuing to move forward," said Commissioner Vice Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia.
"The African American Museum of Bucks County does a tremendous job educating Bucks County residents about history that far too often goes overlooked," she added, "and I'm so excited to see the work they can do once settled in their permanent home."
Established in 2014, AAMBC has existed solely as a "mobile museum," displaying exhibits and artifacts at schools<|fim_middle|> outfit as it needs.
Built in the early 1700s, the property operated as a farm until the mid-20th century, and was a source of employment for many African Americans who moved to the area during the Great Migration.
PHOTO: The Bucks County Commissioners together with representatives, supporters and sponsors of the African American Museum of Bucks County joined with local and state elected officials Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022, for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the future site of the museum's first permanent home.
Rehabilitation of the farmhouse was an aspiration of the late Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick during his time as a county commissioner. The extensive upgrades it required, however, left the effort on indefinite hold.
Site improvements are likely to begin in the next few weeks, with building renovations expected to start sometime in the new year. Construction work is estimated to take about 12 months.
Media Contact: James O'Malley, 215-348-6414, jtomalley@buckscounty.org
⇐Previous No Tax Increase Expected in Preliminary 2023 Operating BudgetNext⇒ PBA Names County Solicitor Joe Khan Government Lawyer of the Year | , libraries, senior centers and other locations throughout the county.
PHOTO: Commissioner Vice Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022, addresses a crowd during a groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of the African American Museum of Bucks County in Middletown Township. Behind her, from left, is AAMBC President and Executive Director Linda Salley, Bucks County Project and Diversity Officer Bernard Griggs and Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo.
In recent months, the project to renovate the existing farmhouse – located at the southwest corner of Core Creek Park – took major steps forward when the Commissioners approved a $2.39 million contract with L.J. Paolella Construction, Inc., for restoration work and a separate $201,000 contract with Hirschberg Mechanical to perform plumbing and fire protection work at the site.
When work is complete, the museum will have a safe, usable facility to | 196 |
We've got the lowdown on The Rack – infomercial TV's latest foray into fitness gear, as well as what you need to know before you go in for the sale.
The Rack is a pretty simple machine all the way around. It features a 1 ½-inch steel frame, multiple hand grips, and crossbars<|fim_middle|> you complete your order. | around the center. It can be turned and manipulated for a range of different exercises. It weighs 30 lbs. and folds flat for storage. Bought from the official website, the Rack comes with a nutrition guide, an owner's manual, a fitness guide and journal and seven DVDs. It may come with fewer bells and whistles if you buy it elsewhere. The Rack sells for $135 plus shipping and handling on the official website, and is currently $129 plus shipping and handling on Amazon.com. It is available in some sporting stores.
The Rack is designed as an all-in-one gym. Depending on which way you turn it and how you adjust it, you can do a total of 19 different exercises, including sit ups, dips, curls, pushups, abs and rows. 5-lb. weight plates (which are specially made to fit the machine properly, and can be purchased through their site) can be added to the machine for weight lifting. The Rack claims to work 7 different muscle groups, and is meant to be a space-saving home gym.
• When bought from the official website, dealing with customer service can be a challenge.
• Not recommended for those over 300 lbs.
If you're buying from the official website, be prepared for the "hard sell" of upgrades, extra weights and protein powders. To avoid extra charges, you may have to opt out of certain upgrades that are automatically selected for you (how convenient), so make sure you've reviewed all charges before | 311 |
Levitt In Your Living Room
Levitt<|fim_middle|> #106
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Join us for a live interview with local Americana favorite Thomas Hentges of Burlap Wolf King as he shares an evening of music and behind-the-scenes conversation exclusively for Levitt at the Falls on Facebook Live. Click here to watch Levitt in Your Living Room: https://www.facebook.com/levittshellsiouxfalls
Burlap Wolf King is the vessel of song of South Dakota based singer/songwriter, Thomas Hentges. Throughout 13 active years, Burlap Wolf King has seen a rotating cast of characters. Each lineup has offered something unique while capturing a moment in time. The band has released two full-length albums (2009, 2017), an EP (2013), and is currently working on a follow up to 2017's acclaimed offering, Bitter Honey. Over the years Burlap Wolf King has had the pleasure of opening for Trampled By Turtles, Justin Townes Earle, The Hold Steady, Shooter Jennings, JD McPherson, Robert Ellis, Centro-Matic and many, many more. burlapwolfking.bandcamp.com
What is Levitt in Your Living Room? It's a sneak peek, it's a deep dive, and it's a musical experience to connect as a community! Levitt in Your Living Room is a chance to get to know some of the amazing artists set to perform on the Levitt stage in our 2020 season. This new digital program will give you a chance to get to know these artists and introduce you to the amazing performances to come at the Sioux Falls Levitt Shell.Join us every Saturday night at 7pm on Facebook Live to experience Levitt in Your Living Room.
Join us every Saturday night at 7pm on Facebook Live to experience Levitt in Your Living Room.
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Levitt at the Falls
Taylor Scott | Levitt In Your Living Room
V the Noble One | Levitt In Your Living Room
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Levitt Shell Venue:
504 N. Phillips Ave.
Levitt at the Falls Office:
524 N. Main Ave. | 526 |
Max Reel Size("): 10.5"
Head Composition: Permalloy, Ferr<|fim_middle|> without
The TC 780 was a three-motor, servo-controlled auto-reverse tape deck, which, at the time, represented, the pinnacle of Sony's achievements in sophistication and automation in stereo tape recorders.
It featured a 'Roto-Bilateral head' ( a central record/erase head) which together with two separate ferrite playback heads (one for each tape direction) gave the flexibility of six heads.
The central head could rotate 180 degrees which made possible recording and playback with full three-head tape/source monitoring functions in both directions, automatically.
Another new innovation was Sony's E.S.S (Electronic Sensory Search). This allowed the user to fast forward the tape and find the first recorded program, at which point the recorder would stop and begin playing.
Not entirely 100% effective as sometimes very quiet passages or blanks in the music would be mistaken for the next track!
Total harmonic distortion: less than 1.2% / Inputs: microphone & line (mixable) / Dimensions: 17¼ x 8 x 22″ (438 x 254 x 559 mm) / Weight: 60 lbs (27.3 kg) / quarter-track stereo | ite
Frequency Response:(all 3 dB): 7½ ips: 20Hz - 20kHz
Wow and Flutter:less than 0.06% at 7½ ips, 0.10% at 3¾ ips and 0.15% at 1 ips
Signal-to-Noise Ratio:62 db with SNR (Sony Noise reduction), 56 db | 87 |
Is Writing For Free Ever OK? There's A Fine Line Between Exposure And Exploitation
bustle.com – Thursday October 27, 2016
Writing is a tough gig. There's just no way around that. Whether you want to write in print for a magazine, or for your favorite website, there's a lot of time and work to be done before you get there. One of the biggest controversies in the writing community is the idea of writing for free. It sounds simple enough to tell someone, 'Never write for free,' but the reality is more complicated than that. In a perfect world we could maybe tell writers never to write for free, but in the real world, we have to make sacrifices<|fim_middle|>oric" dogs, but the debut author confesses he's unused to such communication himself. And though he's warm and forthcoming, with the air of a slightly worried Buddha, he does seem a little cautious.
This is unsurprising for a number of reasons – he's new to media scrutiny, he describes himself (and the other writers he knows) as a "stay-at-home introvert", and Skype is a peculiar way to talk. But caution, qualification and a keenness to include nuance seem to be part of his style as a person. And they are also characteristic of his striking debut short-story collection, Prodigals, for which the US National Book Foundation last week named him as one of five writers under 35 expected "to make a lasting impression on the literary landsape".
How Jonathan Ames Approaches Writing for TV
splitsider.com – Tuesday October 4, 2016
Jonathan Ames began his career writing novels and performing in small theaters around New York City before landing a job writing and starring in his own pilot for Showtime. As a newcomer to running his own TV show, Ames acclimated himself to the fast-paced position through on-the-job training. After creating and working on three seasons of the HBO cult classic Bored to Death, Ames moved to STARZ to help develop and oversee the Seth MacFarlane-produced Blunt Talk, a comedy centered around popular TV newsman Walter Blunt (Patrick Stewart). Blunt Talkpremiered its second season last night and Ames appears to have found his rhythm as a showrunner. He approaches each season of the show by constructing an "idea document" which is later molded into ten scripts. I spoke with Ames about what it's like writing comedy for Patrick Stewart, the difference between crafting novels and television scripts, and working on a talk show with Moby.
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 | from time to time.
Horror Authors Take a Stab at Self-Publishing
publishersweekly.com – Saturday October 22, 2016
Every literary genre has its subgenres, but there is perhaps no genre so packed with niches as horror fiction. You've got your supernatural horror, postapocalyptic horror, fantasy horror, sci-fi horror, comedy horror, and then all the vampire, werewolf, and zombie horror. It's a long list of genres for the long list of authors who self-publish in this increasingly fractured and versatile category.
Some horror writers are making a killing at self-publishing, but that's far from the norm. More likely, self-published horror writers are seizing independence to get out work that isn't finding a home with traditional presses—and many of them are passionate enough to keep going despite making little profit.
Design Options for Self-Publishers
Book design may be the most self-effacing form of design anywhere. After all, its mission is to so perfectly smooth the interaction between author and reader that the designer disappears from the equation. If a book is readable, enjoyable, easy to interact with, and seamlessly communicates the ideas of the author, I would say the design is a success because nobody notices it.
It's Time for Publishers to Think Outside the Market
digitalbookworld.com – Tuesday October 18, 2016
Over the last 12-18 months, after a challenging, industry-evolving 5-7 years, there is a growing sense of cautious positivity in many parts of the book world. Print book sales are rebounding (or at least not still sliding, depending on whom you listen to), and ebook sales are now on a more predictable, if slower, and more diverse trajectory.
This week in fiction: Ottessa Moshfegh on writing predators and their victims
newyorker.com – Monday October 17, 2016
The inspiration for writing "An Honest Woman" came when I met someone who was so physically unattractive I felt sorry for him, and so I kept mum and polite while he lamely attempted to seduce me. I never called attention to the fact that his motivations were transparent and that, by ignoring him, I was protecting his dignity. I was in denial, and he was delusional.
10 Writing Prompts To Get You Started On Your Next Manuscript
The best part about writing for yourself, and not for a class, is that there's no teacher to tell you what to write... but the worst part aboutwriting for yourself is also that there's no teacher to tell you what to write. Even the most accomplished writers occasionally find themselves staring at a blinking cursor on a blank screen. Inspiration doesn't always strike on command. So here are a few helpful writing prompts, to get you started when you can't quite find the right words.
What really happens to manuscripts sent to publishers?
abc.net.au – Monday October 10, 2016
There's a lot of mystery surrounding the book publishing process. But what really happens to the slush pile of unsolicited manuscripts that are sent to publishers by wannabe writers?
BBC National Short Story winner – a plea to publishers to take risks
theguardian.com – Friday October 7, 2016
Since winning the BBC National Short Story award this week for "Disappearances", I have been asked whether I am writing a novel. This is something that happens to short story writers. I have responded obliquely. There are good reasons for this: most importantly, one of the exciting aspects of writing is finding the form appropriate to the subject you are exploring – whatever it may be.
Greg Jackson: 'Writing a novel is like an interminable family vacation'
theguardian.com – Thursday October 6, 2016
"Hello?" Skype blinks across the Atlantic to reveal Greg Jackson in his Brooklyn apartment on a boiling afternoon. One of his characters may use the video chat app to keep in touch with her "dysph | 836 |
Troubleshooter Diane Wilson investigates LED lights
By ABC11
CARY, N.C.
"I was watching TV, you know<|fim_middle|> thing, I want to thank them for that," he added.
Henry was so happy with how Cree executives responded; he replaced 15 more of his lights with Cree's LEDs.
See It On TV | Report A Typo | Send Tip | Get Alerts | Send us photos
Follow @abc11 on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook | , and BANG and then a crash," said Henry Naylor.
Henry thought one of his cats caused the commotion, but when he got up, he discovered a bulb from one of his LEDs was on the kitchen floor, when he looked up, he saw the LED exposed with no cover.
"The light was still on, it was still working," he said.
The glass has a silicone coating around it, so even though it fell from the ceiling that glass did not shatter everywhere, but Henry says he was still concerned.
"It does bother me that I've got over 20 of those bulbs in the house, in use," he said.
"You don't want these in your kitchen, or your bedroom, or in your children's [bedroom], or if you're having people, company over and one explodes in the living room," he added.
Henry went online to SaferProducts.gov to file a report and found a similar complaint to his.
He reached out to Cree, who under their warranty sent Henry another LED. Nevertheless, he says he still wanted to know if there is a problem with the LEDs, so he reached out to me.
"If I didn't say something about it then that would be wrong. I mean you've got to let people know if there's a problem," he said.
I got in touch with Cree and representatives welcomed us to one of their Triangle plants, and gave us a tour of how their LEDs are made.
They also assured us there was not a problem with the lights.
"Unfortunately product failures happen, you know knock on wood, it's pretty rare for us," said Mike Watson, Vice President of Corporate Marketing with Cree.
Mike tells me the bulb did not explode; rather it appears the glass globe detached from the base of the bulb and fell to the floor.
"While we do have the rare failure, it did slip out into Henry's hands, and that's unfortunate. What Henry did was the right thing as a consumer, he contacted Cree's customer service," Mike said.
Cree executives took it a step further when it comes to Henry.
"[Cree] visited his house and replaced every other bulb he had and he's pretty happy. That's the type of service we want to provide our customers," Mike said.
Henry tells me he was shocked with the two dozen LEDs Cree gave him and that they made a trip to his home.
"They fixed the problem and they're honest about it," he said.
"I think Cree did the right | 504 |
I can tell you where we are going (its a good drink); and where were aren't going: My top 10 superfood green drink reviews list. This Activated Nutrients Daily Superfood review puts on display a legitimate, very healthy green superfood drink. Its affordable, extremely versatile, but just not potent enough to get an etching on my big list. That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it. I love the well-rounded nature of it.
I think where things go wrong in these reviews and I get a lot of blowback is from people feeling I shouldn't be comparing budget green drinks against, say, Garden of Life Perfect Raw Food because they aren't the same. Well, of course, they aren't the same, that's the point. The price of a green superfood drink is most certainly a critical aspect of any review, but its less weight. In the end, this health, we are looking for the best darn drinks around.
Check out there super fancy company video.
Activated Nutrients Daily Superfood is loaded with superfoods, fibers, some protein and even probiotics. Their label is extensive with all the ingredients listed. Below, I picked out a handful of some of the top superfoods and broke them down for you. To see every ingredient, click the image I have at the end of the nutritional panel which visually shows all the ingredients in full.
One of the most popular (and at times, controversial) superfoods in the modern world is Acai Berry. It can at times have its share of critics, but its judged unfairly by people who relate it to scammy marketing diets. The fact is, the acai berry is one of the healthiest superfoods in the world. Acai berry contains healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber. I also believe that due to its commonly overpriced value, it's a great deal to get it in a green superfood powder like Activated Nutrients Daily Superfood.
Taking Acerola Berry on a daily basis can contribute to cancer prevention and improved eye health. There are also studies which tout the acerola berry's ability to help improve symptoms of diabetes. It can improve heart health while contributing to annual weight loss for those who take it consistently.
If you've ever been to Whole Foods, you know that a pack of powdered Goji Berry can run up your already expensive tab. Goji Berry is sort of a superfood delicacy, for lack of a better term. Its super nutrient dense and a wonderful source of antioxidants. It can also combat inflammation throughout the body. You really can't get enough of this stuff.
Blueberries can help the human body's digestive system remain healthy. The western world has a major issue with gut and digestive health, which can have adverse affects on brain health. Blueberries also help improve brain health. And don't even get me started on how the antioxidants in blueberries can vastly improve the look and feel of your skin.
When it comes to green superfoods, there are none more superior than that of broccoli. Aside from the wealth of nutrient density, it also can help people stop bleeding due to its intense collagen inclusion. Broccoli is a known agent of good against cancer cell replication and it offers a healthy fiber that maintains digestive health. Considering how difficult many find eating broccoli, this is an outstanding superfood to get as a powder form.
Celery is loaded with healthy enzymes, as well as vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Activated Nutrients Daily Superfood includes celery seed as an ingredient in its overall blend.
Both Barley Grass and Alfalfa Grass aren't just amazing sources of fiber, but they also offer an array of complex B vitamins and nutrients. Alfalfa Grass is taken by patients with rheumatoid arthritis to help manage their symptoms.
Green tea is not only a great source of antioxidants, but it also contains L-Theanine, an amino acid which can help lower anxiety and increase focus. L-Theanine will give you some of the most incredible concentration you've ever experienced.
By taking Chlorella, you get protein, magnesium, iron and amino acids. Additionally, chlorella is considered great for detoxification purposes.
Ginger root is a wonderful ingredient for helping to soothe digestive issues. It is also considered to be a natural appetite suppressor.
Mushrooms (with vitamin D) are not only a solid source of healthy fiber, but they also help supply you with vitamin D.
Activated Nutrients Daily Superfoods contains two<|fim_middle|> of potency is very liberal for the genre. I do love that you get so much versatility from it. And it gets a load of wonderful reviews. | herbs in Ginseng and Ginkgo that both powerful energy boosters. Both have been linked to improved concentration and weight loss.
Obviously, most fruits and vegetables are great sources of natural fibers. However, Daily Superfoods also adds both Chia Seeds and Flaxseeds that are not only healthy fiber sources, but also known for their high presence of omega 3 fatty acids. You will also find Inulin in the mix, which is known to help cure a sick stomach.
There are two probiotics, Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium Longum.
*Pea protein is the vegan protein source included.
If you like the taste of berries, you will like how Activated Nutrients Daily Superfood. You will still taste a soil aftertaste, but its a health drink, not a Kit Kat.
Ah, now on to the brass tacks of this green superfood drink. Yes, the package is small, but hey, good things come in small packages! That's the honest truth when it comes to Activated Nutrients Daily Superfood. For two week 56 gram supply, you take a 4 gram serving per day. That comes to 1.40 per day for one month.
So, just because it isn't in my top 10 superfood green drink reviews, Activated Daily Superfoods still shines as a budget drink. The 10 grams | 292 |
If you're not already making money online from your marketing efforts, I've put together this resource to help you turn that around and start seeing dollars flowing into your bank account. The concept of earning an income from the Internet has been around practically since the earliest days of the "world wide web" thanks to advertisers realizing its potential and then over time cashing in on what has become the biggest public media show after television.
There are already many marketers out there who are making absolute fortunes from income generating systems they set up years ago and continue to refine, improve upon and grow day after day, week after week. But when you're at the bottom of the "pyramid" where the top few make millions of dollars every year and going down the pyramid the numbers of income earners grows as the amount the earn decreases, it can be hard to envisage yourself ever climbing to the top.
But you can. Anyone can. You just need to know how and then to put into practice what you have learned.
As you'll discover from the growing collection of info articles I<|fim_middle|> (we physically meet regularly to exchange ideas and strategies). | 'm expanding upon in this section of The Honest Way website, making real money is not just possible but infinitely achievable. There are many ways to do it and I'll get to them all, explaining the methods one by one in separate articles.
However, there is one thing you need to learn from the very beginning that is really the most important thing you can know if you want to succeed here. Learning how to do this is not enough. You will not earn a penny unless you take what you have learned and put it into practice by doing it!
That's right. You must take action and do the work to make the results you want follow on.
Creating your own personal flow of wealth from the Internet can take any one or more of many forms. I'll cover the basics here, overview style so I can expand on each method or strategy in its own dedicated article.
With each method, you'll need to be aware that there is work involved and sometimes, especially in the early stages, that work can seem tedious, repetitive and even tiresome! Don't be put off. The most successful marketers earning the most money all worked very hard in the beginning and did a lot of things that probably seemed boring. But they stuck at it, tested and applied, then expanded into growth starting at earning pennies then turned it into dollars, tens of dollars, hundreds then thousands!
The key to succeeding is to find what works and focus all your efforts on those things. If something doesn't work, move on and try something else until you find what does work.
This is where most marketers start out. Selling or promoting products or services from other manufacturers, stores or companies and getting paid commission for each sale they generate.
It's a little like old style advertising, except you do that advertising on your own web properties such as websites, blogs, third party sites (web 2.0) or video. Taking the oldest and still most popular method, a website: it means getting a domain, building a content-rich set of pages on it (a website) and writing product reviews or service recommendations or comparisons that contain a special tracking link to the offer.
The next step is driving traffic to your review pages. You either do that organically via search (ranking in a search engine such as Google), sending social traffic by posting in popular social portals like Facebook or via paid media (ads).
The bottom line is that when a visitor to your web page sees the affiliate offer, clicks the link and buys the product, you get paid commission.
You can create your own product to sell online and promote it using one or more of the methods described for affiliate marketing. That product could be a physical item such as printed mugs, tee shirts, custom jewelry or whatever you can create yourself.
Or it could be a digital product such as an ebook, software package, app or training course that you created. The biggest benefit of selling your own product is that you get to keep all the profits and can potentially make more money if you can sell enough of it.
If you don't want to (or can't) create and sell your own product, perhaps you have some expertise in a certain area that you can provide to people who will be willing to pay you for it. Just take stock of what you know and decide if it's something that would help others in some way and in such a way you could offer it online.
The Internet is huge and varied and it doesn't really matter too much what that expertise may be. If there are people that want what you can offer them, you can make a living online providing your service.
Video: People need video creation services, editing and formatting, voiceovers or complete promo packages.
Paid Surveys: You can get paid for simply taking surveys and filling in questionnaires that marketing companies need. This is more labor intensive and the most successful survey takers happen to live in certain geo locations that are most in demand my survey marketing companies.
This is not so much a separate method in itself, but more a means to make sales of products and/or services via promoting to people collected in an email list. You need to build a list to begin with, gain their trust by sending them useful information and every once in a while include a product or service you can recommend they take a look at which of course you will make a commission check if they buy.
This can actually be the biggest money making strategy that exists online and in its ranks you'll find some seven and even eight figure marketers that are crushing it by becoming, themselves, expert email marketers.
All the rage a few years ago, bloggers were able to make money in a number of ways from their blogs by placing affiliate links and banners and other advertising media on their blogs. It continues to this day, although competition is fiercer it is still possible to make money blogging when you know what you're doing and you have built up a big readership.
To succeed in this area, you need that readership to be consistent and to turn up regularly and often. That means you need to post interesting, engaging and info-packed articles or videos regularly and often to engage your readers, keep them coming back for more and also providing a platform to sell them stuff from your blog.
You may be wondering how I make money, especially by providing an article like this that doesn't appear to have any kind of monetization (ads or banners). I talk the talk but do I walk the walk?
Well, I've been working full time online since 2006. Although I have had my ups and downs, in the last few years I have consistently made a good, full-time income from a collection of websites in a variety of different niches as an affiliate marketer. So the answer is, YES, I really do walk the walk!
At the end of this article you'll find a list of further article titles based on the many and varied ways to earn money from the Internet and when you go read them, you'll find the affiliate links and banners that lead to offers that make me some money and form a part (but only a part) of my total online income.
Please check them out. There's a lot of information in them and it comes directly from my own successes in those areas as well as from colleagues that I am in regular contact with | 1,274 |
Ever since I can remember people have told me 'don't be so sensitive'. And I've heard people say countless times 'I wish I wasn't so sensitive'. When I've been hurting I've certainly wished it for myself. I've always been someone who cries easily, who feels deeply the injustice in the world and the pain of others, who is easily hurt by judgement or by behaviours I don't understand. I can be fierce, I am passionate, I am touched and impacted by others. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it breaks my heart open with joy. This is not unique to me in any way, although perhaps I share and show it a little more – having lived part of my childhood speaking French and Spanish living on the Mediterranean I don't have quite so much of the natural British reserve.
The emotional ups and downs of this psycho-physical organism we inhabit can be overwhelming. We describe it as fragility, or maybe as weakness and it's often what motivates us to explore mindfulness, looking for a way to feel a little less. We can have the idea that meditation will provide us with the sense of detachment and distance from those strong feelings we long to escape. We want our emotions to glide past us like water off a duck's back – instead what we do is get caught up in resistance, avoidance and fighting what we feel in way that gets us more and more stuck. It's not the feelings but what we do with them that's the problem. Mindfulness and self-compassion help us cultivate the capacity to be with our sensitivity in a different way – but not to escape it. These approaches support us opening our hearts, to ourselves and to our world. Awareness and self-kindness resource us to hear the whole orchestra of our complex emotional life, and staying with the musical metaphor to conduct it with care and discernment. Which requires huge sensitivity doesn't it?!
Firstly, understanding our innately sensitive nature is important. Sensitivity is what we are, it's what makes us human and alive. It's how we make contact, and what makes contact possible. Our highly sensitive psycho-physical systems are constantly alert to the impact of temperature, sound, and any sign of threat. As Rick Hanson says this capacity is in our DNA.
So being sensitive is what makes us human. It's then what we do with our sensitivity, how we relate to it, that makes the difference. Feeling isn't wrong, it really is OK to feel, to 'unglove' as Mark Nepo puts it. We can learn to hold our vulnerable selves with tenderness and care, like a good friend, who says 'I'm here for you, no matter what you're going through'. In many respects practising mindfulness has actually made me more sensitive, more body aware. I am more attuned to what and how I'm sensing. I'm much more likely now to honour my need to minimise the amount of time I spend in a place that overwhelms my senses in an unpleasant way, or where the atmosphere feels heavy or unfriendly. I'm careful what I watch and listen to. When circumstances allow I make mindful wise conscious choices about what it is I need, rather than what's expected. And if I have no choice I practice the self-compassion and mindfulness skills that support me riding the waves of fear, disconnect or discomfort that may arise. It becomes more possible, sometimes, to take things less personally, less about 'me, myself, and I' – there's a bigger perspective, the awareness that's behind the thoughts and emotions.
What mindful awareness training enables is a capacity to dis-identify from the emotions that arise when we touch or are touched by our world. Slowly we learn to recognise, through patient investigation and a willingness to be with our emotion-body, the difference between the emotion that's passing through our system (which takes about 90 seconds) and all the 'stories' we tell ourselves about the emotion, the blaming, the judging, the trying to work it out that can go on for hours, days and years.
The first step is to acknowledge 'I'm feeling'. A moment of self-compassion can help us so much – saying to yourself 'this is tough right now, it's hard to feel this way'. Then feel your feet on the ground, know that when you are swept up in a feeling you are also here and now – and sense it: feel the earth, the sounds around you, the light, the vast sky above if you can see it, the breath coming in and out of the body. If possible acknowledge what you're feeling – being able to label an emotion (emotions are one word, if it's more then it's a thought) activates a part of the brain that then gives you a bit of space, you're less 'in' it and more relating 'to' it. You might say to yourself 'This is anger' or 'this is sadness'. Notice the difference between this and 'I' am angry, 'I' am sad. The inaccuracy of the language we use around emotions in English furthers our unhelpful and painful identification<|fim_middle|> you Zoe, I love this!
I too am easy to tears and can remember as a child and young person always being told " don't be so sensitive!" As if this were a bad thing.
I am practising recognising with curiosity my sensitivities. | with the emotion, as if it's who we are even though it's more like a weather system moving through us. How many emotions move though you each day? From here you can then drop down into the body and, drawing on capacities that you've developed though meditation, you can slowly and gently move towards the sensations of this emotion in the body. Meeting these sensations with tenderness and kindness is essential – because we're not trying to get rid of the feelings, instead we're cultivating the deep unconditional friendliness towards ourselves that means we no longer need to push any feelings away, and what we discover is that emotions do move, just like storms eventually fade into the vastness of sky. Perhaps discover for yourself how long does the bare emotion actually last?
Thank | 153 |
Michael Jervis
Jay Shapiro
Cyber Law and Data Protection
FCC Issues Proposed Privacy Rules Applicable to Broadband Internet Service Providers
Cyber Law and Data Protection Alert | March 11, 2016
By: Jay Shapiro and Michael Jervis
We continue to witness tension between businesses and consumers as the latter battle to keep their personal information from being used without permission. The government stands in the middle of these two interests, pressured by both to take a position. On March 7, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reached an agreement with Verizon Communications, Inc., to pay a $1.35 million fine and enter a three-year consent decree that will restrict how it sends data about "supercookies" from more than 100 million users.
Following that action, the FCC announced that it has issued proposed privacy rules which, if adopted, would apply to broadband Internet Service Providers. The rules generally would require broadband providers to disclose how customer data is used, take steps to protect customer information, and to disclose a data breach to customers within ten days of its discovery. The proposed rules are designed to level the playing field between broadband providers and telephone networks, which have been forced to comply with similar rules for decades.
According to the FCC, the privacy rules are based on the three principles of "choice, transparency, and security" and are designed to give consumers better control over the use of their personal information by broadband providers. To that end, the rules would require affirmative opt-in consent from a consumer for use or sharing of any data that is not collected specifically for the purposes of providing the broadband service.
With respect to taking "reasonable steps" to protect customer data, broadband providers will be required to adopt risk management practices and strong authentication requirements. In addition to notifying customers within ten days of the discovery of a data breach, an affected broadband provider would also have to inform the FCC within seven days of the discovery. The proposal will be voted on by the full FCC at its March 31 meeting.
As noted, these are only proposed rules and regulations, which have yet to be adopted by the FCC. They also, as the FCC stressed, will not apply to websites, over which the Federal Trade Commission has regulatory authority, but<|fim_middle|> on the part of the US government to protect consumer data.
For questions or additional information on this matter, please contact Jay Shapiro (shapiroj@whiteandwilliams.com; 212.714.3063), Joshua Mooney (mooneyj@whiteandwilliams.com; 215.864.6345), Michael Jervis (jervism@whiteandwilliams.com; 215.864.7042) or another member of our Cyber Law and Data Protection Group. | only to Internet Service Providers. However, any company which provides broadband service should start preparing to comply with enhanced privacy rules, as the FCC will likely adopt some version of these regulations. In particular, affected entities should begin evaluating the ways in which customer data is used, and specifically separating those uses that are integral parts of providing the service from those which are not. Uses falling into the latter category will need to be evaluated and, if they are to continue, a procedure for obtaining opt-in consent from customers should be developed.
In light of the recent efforts by the European Union to influence United States businesses in how they protect consumer data (see European Commission Announces Forthcoming EU-US Privacy Shield Agreement; The Judicial Redress Act - A Step Closer Toward the Privacy Shield?), it will be interesting to watch if the FCC actions reflect an aggressive stance | 170 |
The fifteenth community forum on "Containers for HPC" took place on October 26, 2017 and<|fim_middle|> lunch.
Slide presentations and photographs from the forum are available on the event webpage. | was kindly hosted by PSI.
We are pleased to announce that the forum attracted close to 70 attendees from Swiss universities and industry for engaging discussions on the current state of the art, the effects and the potential of HPC container solutions, and how we can leverage them in our environments.
The program featured a keynote presentation, four technical presentations, the community development session and a guided tour of the SwissFEL facility, the largest research centre for natural and engineering sciences in Switzerland.
The forum also hosted a recognition ceremony, in which Dr. Valeri Markushin has been acknowledged for his great contributions to HPC.
The event provided many opportunities to establish new contacts, such as the annual community dinner and the networking | 143 |
For the past three Novembers, Jefferson Township has been the location of a Household Hazardous Waste and Computer/TV Drop-Off Event sponsored by the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (MCMUA). That's because Gino Recksiek, Jefferson Township recycling coordinator, wrote a letter several years ago requesting that Jefferson be the site for such an event, and it came to fruition. "I feel so good about this because the county has afforded residents of Jefferson and the surrounding area a tremendous opportunity to dispose of hazardous waste and electronics conveniently and properly," says Gino, the host with the most! By the way, the next HHW event in Jefferson is scheduled for this Sunday, November 5, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Bruce Hoppe and Robert Young have been friends ever since 1956 or so when they became members of the Cub Scout den in East Orange for which Bruce's mom served as den mother. Over the years they've worked together on restoring Triumph sports cars, and they've volunteered for many hours at Pedals for Progress<|fim_middle|>) Ramblers will provide a musical interlude. The quartet consisting of Eric Kellner, Larry Maltz, Derek Polzer and John Vadnais first met at the Chatham/Summit Friends (Quakers) Meeting, and they've had lots of fun jamming.
Fifteen large sheet cakes in a row. Add this year's and that makes 16, the number baked and decorated by MCMUA Chairman Herman ("Hy") Nadel, a.k.a. the Cake Man, for our dinners. Hy is a sweetheart!
Please leave the floral arrangement on your table at the conclusion of the event unless you've been told to take it home. The arrangements that have not been designated for specific guests will travel to Morris View Nursing Home tomorrow to brighten the lives of some of its residents. | bicycle collection events. Indeed, both have volunteered at Pedals events that the MCMUA co-sponsored. "This is an economic development program because people are trained as mechanics so that they can fix the bicycles up after they reach developing countries. It's great that folks in those countries have access to non-polluting transportation," Bruce opines. "Collecting used bikes is a great concept. Recently we picked up a bike in Long Hill that came from a bike store in Albany. A woman who hailed from Czechoslovakia used it when she lived in Long Hill. Now instead of heading for a landfill, it's en route to someone who desperately needs it," adds Robert.
"She's brought recycling in East Hanover to a new level. She's visited businesses in town, has been responsible for our accepting new materials at the recycling center and for expanding the hours of operation at the center," says Marc Macaluso, East Hanover co-recycling coordinator. "She" is Chris Vidal, who serves not only as the relatively new co-recycling coordinator but also as East Hanover Clean Communities coordinator. "The best part of the job is meeting different people and acquiring ideas from them. Also, I love to send articles and photos to the newspaper," Chris affirms. On October 18 at the commencement ceremony for the New Jersey Recycling Certification Series, Chris received the designation of Certified Recycling Professional. She says that because of networking done at the certification series classes, East Hanover is now collecting metal at its recycling center. "People seem to be very interested in recycling, and serving as a co-recycling coordinator has opened up a whole new world for me," a very enthusiastic Chris says.
"I remember collecting aluminum foil chewing gum liners during World War II. I wore hand-me-downs from my sister – hello! I spent some time living on a farm, learning about ecology and watching animals grow. A healthy environment pays off; we must have green places," remarks Judy Schleicher, the dark-haired, bubbly Morris County version of Judy Garland. Judy has a long herstory of involvement in Morris County environmental endeavors, ranging from serving on the Denville Planning Board (where she was introduced to water issues) to presiding over both McRides (a transportation management association) and Protect Our Wetland, Water and Woods (a land trust that recently applied for funding to acquire Hog Pen Rock, a tract of "historically significant" land in Denville). Judy devotes considerable time right now to her duties as vice president of the Morris County Park Commission for whom land preservation and stewardship of that land are top priorities.
If you're curious as to how scraps of L'Eggs pantyhose evolve into Frisbees or geode balls, just ask Mary-Ann Lewis, program coordinator for the Morris Area Girl Scout Council (MAGSC). Mary-Ann has created those items as well as volleyball nets from used plastic beverage carrier rings and scoop catchers from gallon-sized milk jugs. She's also taught Girl Scouts themselves how to make and use this kind of sports equipment. Three cheers for reuse! In addition, Mary-Ann has been instrumental in having MAGSC partner with the MCMUA in the Adopt the Alamatong Wellfield project through which Girl Scouts learn about the wellfield from Michelle Burke, MCMUA environmental specialist, and then venture into the wellfield to pull up invasive vegetation such as Russian olive trees. Because the Russian olive tree is a monoculture, its presence reduces biodiversity in the area − that's not good! Several Girl Scouts who have become Alamatong Wellfield experts and have spent at least 15 hours laboring there, will receive their badges this evening. Girl Scouts Sara Gabel, Maxine Gates, Karen Hao, Erica Higdon. Kerriann O'Boyle, Becky Snelson, Emily Snyder were recipients of Adopt the Alamatong badges.
The list is quite long. At the top (or the head, if you will) is the annual collection of used eyeglasses, with more than 600 pairs garnered in 2004 and 2005. At the bottom (or the toe, if you will) is the autumn 2004 collection of over 600 pairs of used sneakers that were then recycled through the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program. When Barbara McCloskey, president, says that the club is committed to recycling and conservation efforts, she is most serious. Herewith a few of the projects that the club has been involved with: 1) overseeing the collection and recycling of plastic beverage carrier rings at two local recycling centers (more than 136,262 carriers have been diverted from the landfill so far; 2) the collection of over 200 used ink-jet cartridges, with the proceeds from their sale going to a local land trust, and; 3) the collection of more than 35,000 children's books that have been distributed to foster families in Morris County and schools in Dover, Irvington, Newark and Paterson. These ongoing projects have been a part of the Denville Woman's Club mission for at least 50 years, and they have certainly contributed toward a better environment.
"It amazes me as to how much litter is out there," reflects Jim DiRienzo, cubmaster of the pack. "Having participated in several litter cleanups, the Cubs have learned how to protect the environment and help their community, too." Cub Pack 249 employs a highly organized and effective routine for collecting trash and recyclables during its cleanups – such a laudable way of doing so, that their operation should be filmed in order that prospective cleaner-uppers can learn from the pros, according to Liz Sweedy, Morris County Clean Communities coordinator. This evening we'll have the special treat of observing a few of the Cubs as they demonstrate their plan it, pick it, pack it skills.
"It was a wonderful opportunity to understand policy-making and to learn how we could make decisions that affect policy. Also, it allowed me to be active in my community and to express my views," says Delphine Slotten, who participated in We the People: Project Citizen during the 2005-2006 school year. Currently an eighth-grader at Mendham Township Middle School, Delphine created a portfolio related to identifying a problem (in this case, a less than stellar school recycling program) and trying to manage the problem (it's good to have recycling containers inside and outside the school building), by creating a new policy or amending an old one. On May 19, 2006, Delphine presented the portfolio to a panel of judges at Rutgers University, and it was awarded first place in the portfolio category. As a result of being immersed in this project, Delphine learned that Kermit the Frog's oft-quoted observation is so true: It's not easy being green. But she learned, too, that individual citizens do have the power to make things better.
"Mary was a multi-faceted student who excelled academically. She was involved in a variety of endeavors: modern dance, theatre and the environmental club," according to Barbara Ford, Mary's guidance counselor at Hanover Park High School, from which Mary graduated in 2006. Also, Mary excelled at being patient and persistent when she was a Hanover Park student. Dissatisfied with the state of the school recycling program, she consulted with MCMUA employees and visited our offices to acquire decals and other materials to use in a back-to-school display; wrote a letter to the principal; met with the business administrator; worked with the environmental club to raise money for the purchase of containers, and; tried to determine how to fit containers for recyclable bottles and cans into a limited area on the school property (her dad even measured the area and constructed blueprints accordingly). She did see some progress but would like to have seen much more: "I'd like to see an informed school and a sufficient recycling program." Though she was a pillar of persistence, Mary also learned that it's not easy being green.
This foursome keeps recycling in the forefront at Riverview School in Denville. Diane Burton, the principal, got the ball rolling a while back, but there were a few false starts. Along the way, first grade teacher Mary Ellen Coiro worked with the PTA to acquire recycling containers for the classrooms. Science teacher Kris Johnson coordinated an outdoor Earth Day recycling relay, and she orchestrated having the musical group Mad Agnes visit the school for a full day to help the children compose a song that begins "We are the guardians of the Earth. We must recycle. We live on a breathing planet. If we don't take care of her, nobody will." Head custodian Paul Kruger, who says he loves working with the people at Riverview, makes sure that recyclables are properly prepared and put outside in front of the school for collection every Monday by the MCMUA curbside crew. In addition to having an exemplary recycling program, the school has a butterfly garden where the children have been actively involved.
"You're only borrowing the environment from your children" is one of Michael Degen's favorite sayings. He recalls first hearing it when he was 12 or 13 years old. As a result, Michael, who is manager of environmental health and safety at the relatively new Cadbury Schweppes Science & Technology Center in Hanover Township, wanted the facility to be in compliance with local recycling regulations when it opened. Although the bid specifications for recycling collection required that bottles and cans be accepted along with paper, the hauler who was awarded the bid wanted nothing to do with bottles and cans. Hmm…. Thus, Michael did some research and eventually arranged for the MCMUA to collect the bottles and cans, but the hauler who picks up the paper is assessed a fee for the service provided by the MCMUA. The Cadbury Schweppes facility is the only one of its kind in the United States; it includes a pilot plant where product development is a key component. Mike, who makes sure that all waste material is properly managed, pointed out that Penn Jersey Farms picks up 45,000 pounds of gum base every three weeks to be used as fodder for pigs; however, the persnickety pigs absolutely turn their snouts up at raw gum base − they devour flavored gum base only, thank you very much!
The silvery watering cans that feature the blue and green MCMUA logo will remind their recipients that they have done considerable good for Mother Earth. By adopting or amending ordinances, these municipalities have restricted the watering of lawns and the washing of cars, driveways and sidewalks. Indeed, in one case, a municipality has restricted all outdoor use of water to certain times of the day.
Farewell and fare well to Cecilia Laureys and Frank Druetzler, who will leave the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders at the end of this year.
When Cecilia (known as "Cissy" to most of us) was elected a freeholder, the county was pursuing the development of a waste-to-energy facility and landfill in Morris County. Prior to creating these plans, the county had initiated recycling programs, but Cissy vigorously pushed for the effort to recycle even more of the solid waste stream, including additional materials. The county and its municipalities followed this lead and built a strong recycling system, which has been recognized as one of the best in the state. Cissy's focus and tenacity have prevailed for many years. She is one of the strongest proponents of recycling, and we trust that she'll continue to spread the recycling gospel as a member of the Red Hat Society.
Frank, too, was and still is a strong supporter of recycling programs and systems. When he entered the scene, he questioned the direction Morris County was pursuing (waste-to-energy and landfill) and re-directed efforts to pursue alternate waste management technologies, including composting and increased recovery systems. Frank served as freeholder liaison to the MCMUA for many years. Perhaps Frank's largest contribution was his business savvy, as he was key to Morris County's purchasing the two transfer stations from the private company that owned them. This not only gave the county control over management of solid waste, but also contributed to significant reductions in solid waste costs, which saved Morris County residents millions of dollars. This control provided the county with the opportunity to develop and finance the award-winning recycling programs we now utilize and recognize here tonight. For his noteworthy efforts, Frank is being inducted into the Mets Fans Hall of Fame.
As usual, Leeza Tea Coco Chanel, MCMUA designer-in-residence, has created an elegant dress called REB for its color: robin's egg blue. The "fabric" that constitutes the outer layer of REB is Crate & Barrel packing material that was used in cartons containing wedding gifts for the daughter of an MCMUA employee. Robin's egg blue is also one of the colors on the dress worn by Abby Cadabby, the adorable three-year-old fairy who debuted on Sesame Street on August 14.
Two of the women's outfits being modeled were made in Uganda with sewing machines that Pedals for Progress delivered there, as was a handbag that was made in Moldova.
Both the mustard-colored Organic Revolution tee shirt and the blue, green and silver clutch handbag made from recycled candy wrappers, soft drink labels and food packages, are available at the Organic Nest, 17 Olcott Square in Bernardsville.
Accessories similar to those presented as a farewell/fare well gift to Freeholder Cecilia Laureys are available at Taylor's Consignors, 752 Speedwell Avenue in Morris Plains.
Miranda McMua, named for the character whom Cynthia Nixon portrayed on an HBO show about life in New York City, as well as for the organization hosting this dinner, has been dressed by Liz Sweedy in garb that is directly related to the theme of tonight's dinner. Do you see the relationship?
Thanks to the following for their donations: 1) Cadbury Schweppes – confections; 2) Atlantic Coast Fibers, Inc., - two tickets to the December 16 New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit hockey game, and a reserved parking ticket; 3) Marcal Paper Mills, Inc. – two gift boxes, and; 4) Mendham Books – In the Beat of a Heart: Life, Energy and the Unity of Nature by John Whitfield.
For the 12th consecutive year, Shot of Redemption is providing live music. To book Shot of Redemption for an event, call 845-255-3177.
In addition, Analog (as opposed to Digital | 3,037 |
NEW YORK, NY – July 24, 2003 – A vacation with the kids, a romantic beach getaway, a spiritual awakening: Every spa-goer has a vision of what his or her ideal spa experience might be. The time-consuming part has been finding a real-life spa that can make that vision a reality. That's recently changed, thanks to the introduction of Spafinder.com's new "Spa Guide" search tool, which lets spa-goers instantly locate day and stay spas offering<|fim_middle|> the world's best spas in over 20 nations. | the activities, features and services that matter most to them.
"The spa experience has become enormously diverse, and spa-goers can have vastly different expectations and goals," said Pete Ellis, Spa Finder, Inc. chairman and CEO. "We're providing a self-targeting channel for spas to connect with incremental clients who may never have heard of a given spa, but know they want what it offers."
Visitors to Spafinder.com's Spa Guide can research 21 special interest categories, covering specific activities (e.g., golf, hiking or Yoga), general programs (weight loss, mother/daughter programs, vegetarian/Kosher options, etc.), or more qualitative categories, like affordability or family-friendliness. When users click on a given category, they're instantly presented with a concise description of their area of interest, followed by detailed overviews of each of the spas that provide the experiences and qualities they're searching for.
Spafinder.com visitors can also conduct regional spa searches by zip code and the radius they're willing to travel, take advantage of exclusive spa travel discounts at the sites "Best Buys" area, or explore Spa Finder's Connoisseur Spa section to learn about the world's most luxurious spas.
"The premise of Spafinder.com is that there's a perfect spa experience for everyone, whether that involves a traditional pampering or beauty treatment, Yoga or a day on the links - or even something really exotic like Native American sweat lodges or bird watching," adds Ellis. "Our job is to make it fast and easy to for spa-goers to locate and learn about these spas - and turn their 'spa fantasies' into 'spa realities.'"
To find your ideal spa experience, simply log on to www.spafinder.com and click on the Spa Guide tab.
As the spa industry's only integrated marketing solution, the company reaches millions of targeted consumers annually via Spa Finder Magazine, the Spa Enthusiast, Gift Certificates & Incentives, and www.spafinder.com. Having assembled the world's largest network of spas and the world's largest spa consumer database, Spa Finder connects consumers with their ideal spa experiences, whether they are looking to visit a local day spa or to embark on a vacation or retreat at a stay spa. Spa Finder currently represents over 1,000 of | 469 |
The main objectives of this study were to analyze the efficiency with which Bolivian farmers utilize productive resources as they combine them in crop production and to examine the possibility of interregional resource immobility in the production of agricultural products.
Bolivia was divided into seven distinct production regions called departments. A linear program maximizing model was generated for the major crops produced in each department. Land, labor, irrigation, and capital were the input coefficients used in the models. They produced a net return to management, land, and fixed costs associated with land. The<|fim_middle|>traregional Efficiency of Production Decisions and Interregional Efficiency of Input Use in Bolivian Agriculture" (1974). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 3120. | linear program using these coefficients generated the profit maximizing hectare combination for each crop by department. These were compared with those reported to have been grown in each department to make an efficiency judgement of production decisions made by Bolivian farmers.
The same department linear programs generated value marginal products for resources in short supply in each model . These were compared interdepartmentally to determine any resource immobility that might be in existence.
Analysis of the linear program maximizing output indicated that in all of the departments considered, with the exception of Santa Cruz, farmers appeared to be efficiently combining their resources in the production of crops considered in this study. It was also noted that a possible labor immobility existed between the Santa Cruz department and the other six considered.
Hammond, Stephen C., "In | 155 |
Ginger Raises $100 Million for Digital Mental Health Platform
Blackstone Growth led the Series E financing round
Ginger, a provider of on-demand mental health services through its app, raised $100 million in a Series E financing round led by funds managed by Blackstone Growth.
The latest round of investment will bring the company's total funding to over $220 million to date. The company's existing investors include Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Cigna Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Advance Ventures Partners, Khosla Ventures, Health Velocity Capital, City Light Capital, and WP Global Partners.
Ginger plans to use the new funds to expand access to value-based mental healthcare through additional partnerships with multinational employers and health plans. In the first half of 2021, Ginger plans to extend<|fim_middle|> to the company, over 200 companies, including Delta Air Lines, Sanofi, Chegg, Domino's, SurveyMonkey, and Sephora, use its app to provide mental healthcare services to their employees.
Ginger is offered as an employer-sponsored benefit to more than 200,000 employees. It is also provided as an in-network benefit through its relationships with regional and national health plans, including Optum Behavioral Health, Anthem California, and Aetna Resources for Living.
"The past year demonstrated how employers, health plans, and investors are ready to double down on solutions that address the global mental health crisis," said Russell Glass, CEO of Ginger. "With this round of funding, we will continue to advance our technology, further our research to improve outcomes, and expand care access within underserved populations."
Telehealth companies secured a record $4.3 billion VC funding during 2020. The funding amount was a 140% increase in 2020, compared to $1.8 billion raised in 2019. Recently, Lyra Health, a provider of mental health benefits for employers, announced a Series E financing round of $187 million.
FundingGingerMental HealthTelehealth
Zerigo Health Raises $43 Million for Connected Skin Therapy Device
Oak Street Health Acquires Telehealth Company RubiconMD for $130 Million
Workit Health Raises $118 Million for Addiction Care Platform
Modern Age Raises $27 Million for Digital Aging Wellness Platform
Bardavon Health Innovations Raises $90 Million in Funding
Insurights Raises $22 Million in Seed Funding
SPR Therapeutics Raises $37 Million for Wearable Neurostimulation Device
GoCheck Raises $10 Million for Vision Screening App
Top Doctors Raises $13 Million for Healthcare Booking Platform
Insiteflow Raises $2.3 Million for EHR Workflow Interoperability Platform | its reach to support underserved populations through new government payer relationships and collaborations with non-profit organizations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant increase in demand for mental health support. According to Ginger's report, 48% of employees reported high to extreme stress over the past year – a 7% increase over the last two years; at the same time, the number of employees who have used technology-based mental health support has increased significantly by 66%.
According | 97 |
Eric Krakauer on becoming the voice of Charlotte FC
By Ryan Bailey @RyanJayBailey
Charlotte FC's first-ever play-by-play announcer for English language broadcasts will bring a wealth of experience and boundless passion for the game
CHARLOTTE—Some of the biggest moments in soccer history were etched into legend with the help of the play-by-play commentary that accompanied them.
From Martin Tyler's "Aguero!" exclamation when Manchester City won the Premier League in 2012, to Peter Drury's masterful soliloquy during Roma's incredible comeback against Barcelona in 2018, the biggest moments are often brought to life for the television viewer by the play-by-play announcer.
When Charlotte FC takes to the field in 2022, one of the most experienced broadcasters in North America will be on the call for English-language broadcasts on WSOC-TV and TV64. Eric Krakauer has covered elite competitions around the world for beIN Sports and DAZN, including La Liga, Ligue 1, and the UEFA Champions League.
The multilingual commentator—who called his third Copa Libertadores final at the end of November—is savoring the prospect of being a part of Charlotte FC's inaugural season.
"When I first walked into the club's office, it was absolutely buzzing with energy," says Krakauer. "I thought to myself, 'this is the best decision I've ever made in my career.'"
Born and raised in Portugal, and educated in England, Krakauer gained journalistic experience in the beautiful game when he moved to New York and covered the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC. Since then, he has sought a return to MLS.
"I have always been watching to see if there has been an opportunity to come back to work in MLS," says Krakauer. "When I saw everything Charlotte FC was doing, it seemed like a really good club to me—one with ambition that's doing all the right things.
"The possibility of being part of a club that is starting up, and to help build the culture fabric of the team, felt like it would be the greatest opportunity and privilege.
"I called my agent and said I wasn't interested in any other job in the U.S. except Charlotte FC! He got me an interview and from there it went swimmingly. I'm still pinching myself."
<|fim_middle|>ible' that I have been accumulating over the years. I'd be lost without it!"
Krakauer seized the opportunity to call Inter Miami games for radio broadcast at DRV PNK Stadium in 2021, and is savoring the prospect of regularly conducting his dayjob 'in the flesh,' rather than remotely via feed.
"I have loved working for beIN Sports, but I have been calling games taking place thousands of miles away in a booth. Having the opportunity to be the play-by-play announcer and live every moment of every game, like the fans, in the stadium—I can't wait to feel that.
"I'm really looking forward to being a part of the soccer community in Charlotte."
Charlotte FC will play its first-ever MLS game at DC United on February 26, followed by the inaugural home match against LA Galaxy on March 5.
"It's pretty cool that Charlotte FC plays its inaugural home match against an MLS Founding Father," says Krakauer. "I don't think there's a better opponent for a first home game than the most recognisable MLS brand coming to town.
"Being a part of these moments in MLS history will be incredible. I've already thought about things I'm going to say—I have nothing scripted, but there are things I want to touch on.
"It's so close, just three months away. I'm super pumped" | Krakauer, who spent 13 years as a public school teacher before his broadcasting career, describes his move to the Queen City as destiny: in 2019, he made the call on the 2019 Copa Sudamericana Final which was won by Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle. Their coach was Miguel Ángel Ramírez.
"When Miguel Ángel Ramírez was hired at Charlotte, I thought 'This has to be a sign!'" says Krakauer. "beIN has the rights to the Sudamericana, so I became very familiar with his team and style of football. I think his hire is a really interesting one: if you don't follow the South American game, you may not know who he is. But if you do, you'll know he is a guy a lot of big teams coveted.
"Ramírez is an up-and-coming coach, who is attack-minded and likes to press. I think that translates to a brand of soccer that MLS fans are really going to enjoy."
Krakauer is a meticulous planner, who produces fastidiously detailed 'match boards' like many of his peers on game day, to ensure the best preparation for the match.
"No matter what game I'm calling, I'm super prepared for it," says Krakeur, whose disparate commentary experience ranges from the Japanese J-League to the English FA Cup. "And when I'm not calling games, I'm listening to other commentators and taking notes. I have my style, which I borrow from the English style, the South American Style and the Portuguese style—but I stay true to my own approach.
"I actually have a commentary 'b | 345 |
I read this article and found it very interesting, thought it might be something for you. The article is called The Creative Life and is located at https://www.californiahomedesign.com/trending/2022/01/10/the-creative-life/.
Author:Jessica Ritz
Jason Martin settles into a newly expanded Martin & Brockett showroom and studio in Mid-City L.A.
Photo by Jon Keiser.
In a departure from the milieu of exacting, calculated showrooms, interior designer Jason Martin can present his distinct aesthetic and let loose a bit in the new Martin & Brockett shop and studio. He moved into the expanded base situated a few blocks east from his previous location on Pico Boulevard in Mid-City Los Angeles this past fall. "When I looked at the space, I thought this looks like an artist's studio," the native Texan says.
To make the 2,000-square-foot building his own, Martin envisioned a scenario he's seen unfold many times over. He imagined this theoretical artist's studio would be a harbinger of gentrification, "and then you get kicked out. So what would be the next thing? We wanted to feel like we were maybe the third people in the space." Earlier tenants of the property included a lawnmower repair shop and<|fim_middle|> ottoman stands on what he dubs "cub" feet. Martin's attention to this detail reveals how he balances a sense of humor with design discipline. "We worked to make it look not too realistic because I don't like that taxidermy look. It's a little wolf-like, but more mythical," he notes. | a children's indoor play facility. "Because of that, I felt like we could leave it a little bit raw and let the furniture be almost gallery-like," Martin explains.
Photo by Rachel Brockett.
Design interventions simultaneously highlight the creative process and a honed style that mixes old school flourishes with contemporary collected eclecticism. The entrance is outfitted with multicolored tiles in custom glazes, a project done in collaboration with Sara Wick of Proper Tile, who uses areas of the Martin & Brockett showroom for her extensive tile and stone sample inventory. Martin designed a custom kitchen and island, with an impeccable selection of cocktail makings stored at the ready. Set behind a Lake August Matilija pattern curtain is the Martin & Brockett design studio, where Martin and team work on client projects and product design. Renovated restrooms also exhibit a certain whimsy with details like the Martin & Brockett Lupa collection adapted into a vanity topped with a scalloped-edge calcatta viola backsplash flanked by sconces that illuminate miniature sculptural busts.
The high ceilings, sense of expansiveness, and generous natural light are flattering to the fine art and original Martin & Brockett upholstered furnishings and case goods on display, along with curated vintage items. Martin maintains relationships with artists such as Tim Forcum and Austin, Texas-based R.F. Alvarez, whose works are available on site and are part of the mix of fine art spanning multiple decades, styles, and mediums that Martin deftly weaves into lively vignettes.
Martin notes that when he was working from his previous smaller showroom and studio that he opened in 2015, he had 16 pieces in the brand's portfolio of original furniture designs. He counts 38 in the locally-made (and customizable) collections that include the Arcade console, Harrison seating, and the aforementioned Lupa line, which features wolf-inspired feet based on the tale of the founding of Rome. The ottoman, for example, is available in the larger style with larger "mother wolf" feet, while the more petite | 422 |
DXC Australia
DXC Technology Hosts First Build-A-Thon in Australia
Combating COVID-19
Australia at a Glance
Australian Public Sector
Energy, Utilities, Oil & Gas
Travel, Transportation & Hospitality
Featured Insight and Thought Leadership
News Release -- August 20, 2018
Developing young IT professionals and promoting the next generation of digital technology
ADELAIDE, Australia, 20 August 2018 - DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), the world's leading independent, end-to-end IT services company, has attracted more than 130 leading technologists from around the world to Adelaide for its first ever Build-A-Thon in Australia<|fim_middle|>."
"The Build-A-Thon represents a further investment in South Australia by DXC, supporting the state's vision to be a world innovation leader. Hosting our first Build-A-Thon in South Australia represents another milestone in our commitment to the state," added Nayagam.
DXC Technology is the world's leading independent, end-to-end IT services company, serving nearly 6,000 private and public-sector clients from a diverse array of industries across 70 countries. The company's technology independence, global talent and extensive partner network deliver transformative digital offerings and solutions that help clients harness the power of innovation to thrive on change. DXC Technology is recognised among the best corporate citizens globally. For more information, visit www.dxc.technology.
Sheila Dhillon, Director, Corporate Communications, DXC Technology - sdhillon@dxc.com | . The two-week programme, taking place from Monday 20 August to Friday 31 August, will see DXC experts using modern techniques adopted in its Digital Transformation Centres to evolve the company's next-generation digital delivery platform – Platform DXC.
By operating in small multi-disciplinary teams during the Build-A-Thon, participants will coordinate and deliver multiple high-impact projects at once, showcasing an agile and modern way of solving business problems.
"The Build-A-Thon is an opportunity to see the DXC Technology team in full flight, and observe how we utilise our global capability and agile methods to deliver the next-generation of offerings in cyber, insurance, network and storage as service, ensuring they are 'future-ready' and can support the digital transformation of organisations in Australia and globally," said Seelan Nayagam, managing director, DXC Technology Australia and New Zealand.
DXC has been working alongside the South Australian Government and local businesses to create new and innovative technology solutions, which will ultimately benefit South Australia and the broader Australian community.
The Build-A-Thon builds on DXC's commitment to enhancing technology capabilities in South Australia, which includes the sponsorship of school STEM-related developmental programmes throughout South Australian schools; partnering with universities to ensure graduates achieve high employability outcomes; and actively engaging in developing new digital career pathways.
Minister for Industry and Skills David Pisoni, said: "The Marshall Liberal Government is committed to creating a dynamic economy that fosters innovation and entrepreneurialism. It's great to see global company DXC Technology recognising this, and choosing Adelaide as the site of their Australian first Build-A-Thon with leading tech experts. I look forward to seeing how the innovative digital solutions developed will benefit key service industry sectors in South Australia | 351 |
The processing industry that uses diaphragm dosage pumps, due to operational safety dictated by laws that are focused on the environment and on human beings' welfare, motivated the development of pumps with more durable diaphragms equipped with safety mechanisms to avoid leakages into the atmosphere that could be harmful to the<|fim_middle|>enefit to the most varied applications in different segments of the industry. | environment. Such pumps are developed to, in case of leakage, sound an alarm signal to allow the pump to continue pumping the product without interruption until the maintenance has been performed. Being aware of this requirement, OMEL developed the "triple diaphragm" (patented).
The triple diaphragm (made in PTFE or stainless steel), is manufactured with (i) one diaphragm in contact with the pumped liquid, (ii) one diaphragm in contact with the pumping oil or fluid and (iii) a third element placed between the first two, duly adapted to act as a separating function between the other two of them. These three elements create a protection and facilitates the substitution of parts in the event of maintenance needs.
This group is mounted to create vacuum between the diaphragms and if there is a leakage, the vacuum breaks down which causes a vacuum gauge mounted on the pump's head to show this change of condition. The vacuum gauge, may have an incorporated warning signal and may use more sophisticated systems such as the PLC – Programmable Logic Controller. In case of rupture, whether of the diaphragm on the side of product being pumped or the diaphragm on the oil side, it allows the pump to continue working until the group of diaphragms is substituted.
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A diversified line serving with excellent cost/b | 277 |
Impact of Manufacturing-Scale Freeze-Thaw Conditions on a mAb Solution
Peter J. Martin, James D. Colandene, W. Aaron Pruett, Douglas P. Nesta, Kashappa Goud Desai
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of manufacturing-scale, freeze-thaw conditions on aggregation and subvisible particle formation of a monoclonal antibody solution (mAb-A; IgG1) using a small-scale model.
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of manufacturing-scale, freeze-thaw conditions on aggregation and subvisible particle formation of a monoclonal antibody solution (mAb-A; IgG1) using a small-scale model. The temperature-time profiles of manufacturing-scale samples under different freezing and thawing conditions (i.e., slow, medium, and fast freeze-thaw conditions) were generated and used to simulate similar conditions for small-scale samples. Soluble aggregates and subvisible particle counts were measured by size-exclusion chromatography and micro-flow imaging, respectively. Thermal analysis of protein samples was performed by modulated differential scanning calorimetry. The freezing rate in a single freeze-thaw cycle had negligible impact on protein aggregation when fast-thawing conditions were used to thaw. Slow thawing led to higher protein aggregation and subvisible particle formation, which was exacerbated by fast freezing. These effects became more extreme when the number of freeze-thaw cycles was increased from 1 to 3. These trends were found to be similar in large-scale (6.2 L) and small-scale (30 mL and 100 mL) assessments, with the total magnitude of degradation higher in the small-scale system. The systematic small-scale model employed in the current study was predictive of manufacturing-scale freeze-thaw conditions.
Therapeutic proteins, peptides, and antibodies have emerged as highly effective modern medicines for numerous diseases and disorders (1). Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) represent a rapidly growing area in the biopharmaceutical sector (2). Enormous success achieved with mAbs can be attributed to their distinctive beneficial properties and advantages, which include high binding specificity and affinity, availability of humanized forms that can attenuate immunogenic responses, and robust manufacturing processes (3, 4). Poor stability of monoclonal antibodies outside their natural environment, however, is one of the major challenges in product development (2–6). A number of non-optimal formulation, manufacturing, or storage conditions often cause instability of mAbs, which in turn can affect the bioactivity of proteins (7).
Freezing and thawing are integral steps in the manufacturing of most biopharmaceutical products. Storage of biopharmaceuticals in the frozen state has distinctive advantages. It minimizes the risk of microbial growth, increases product stability with extended shelf life, eliminates agitation and foaming during transportation, and increases flexibility during manufacturing (7–11). Freezing and thawing stresses (e.g., cold-denaturation, cryo-concentration, ice formation, crystallization of buffer or non-buffer components, phase separation, redistribution of solutes, pH fluctuation, and thawing time), however, can induce complex physical and chemical changes in the solvent/solute conditions, which in turn can potentially lead to denaturation and aggregation of proteins (10, 12-16).
Formation of protein aggregates and subvisible particles during the manufacturing of drug products are a major concern due to the potential immunogenicity of protein aggregates in patients (17–22). There have been studies to determine the impact of potential freeze-thaw factors on aggregation of proteins. A number of potential formulation variables (e.g., buffer composition, pH, ionic strength, and cryoprotectants) and freeze-thaw stresses (e.g., crystallization of excipients, ice formation, and freeze concentration) have been evaluated (12, 15, 19, 23-35). There is also a growing interest in the pharmaceutical industry to develop small-scale models to study the potential impact of large-scale freeze-thaw process variables on protein stability. The small-scale models are cost-effective and less time consuming (36). A decision regarding freeze-thaw parameters must often be made prior to having sufficient amounts of the product available to assess process characterization at manufacturing scale, thereby necessitating use of small-scale studies.
One approach to scale-down freeze-thaw process characterization studies is to use a temperature-controlled chamber to expose small samples of a formulation to time-temperature profiles that simulate and/or bracket that of the manufacturing-scale process. This approach offers an improvement over uncontrolled freeze-thaw of small samples, which tend to occur quickly and may suppress stochastic phenomena such as ice nucleation or kinetic phenomena such as full crystallization of eutectic phases (37). A small-scale version of controlled freezing-thawing systems is useful for scale-down assessment of freeze-thaw process characterization (37). The authors, therefore, sought to assess the feasibility of a small-scale model to determine the impact of large-scale freeze-thaw conditions on aggregation and subvisible particle formation of a monoclonal antibody (mAb, IgG1).
Monoclonal antibody (mAb-A, IgG1) formulation
The mAb-A formulation (64 mg/mL protein concentration) was prepared in a formulation that contained a buffering agent (10 mM), surfactant, cryoprotectant (disaccharide) and bulking agent (glycine). The formulation samples were filtered through a 0.22 µm filter into ~8.3 L, 100 mL, and 30 mL bags (Sartorius Stedim) with thermowells. Excess air was purged from the bags to minimize air-liquid interfaces. A thermal surrogate solution (64 mg/mL of disaccharide in formulation buffer) was used to minimize the amount of protein solution needed to add thermal mass for the large-scale experiments and reach different freezing profiles. Custom designed stainless-steel cases lined with foam padding (designed to protect the bags while in the frozen state) were used as containers for the ~8.3 L bags during storage and handling.
Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)
Soluble aggregates in protein samples were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system attached with a 7.8 mm × 30 cm column (Tosoh BioScience). Approximately 350 µg protein was loaded onto the column. The detection wavelength was 280 nm. The column equilibration (65 minutes) and sample elution (35 minutes) was done with the mobile phase (50 mM sodium citrate, 450 mM sodium chloride, pH 6.5) run at 0.5 mL/min. Monomer, aggregate, and low-molecular weight species levels were calculated as a percentage of the total protein peak areas. Only aggregate levels are reported here because low-molecular weight species were unchanged in all conditions. Based on the qualified intermediate precision of the method, changes in percent aggregate greater than 0.1% were considered significant.
Micro-flow imaging (MFI)
The concentration of subvisible particles in 1-100 µm size range was measured by a micro-flow imaging (MFI) system (Brightwell) equipped with a 100 µm/1.6 mm flow cell. The measurement involved flushing of the flow cell with a 0.25 mL sample, followed by imaging analysis of a 0.65 mL sample. Reported values are the average of two samples, with an acceptance criterion of <30% difference between the two values.
Low-temperature differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC)
Thermal events were measured in frozen solutions using a low-temperature differential scanning calorimeter (mDSC) (TA Instruments). A mechanical cooling accessory (RCS90) was used for cooling the sample chamber to temperatures as low as -80 ˚C. Dry nitrogen was used as a purge gas at a flow rate of 50 mL/min. A volume of 20 µL of solution was placed in an aluminum sample pan with a capacity of 40 µL. An aluminum lid was placed on the sample pan and was hermetically sealed using a crimping press. An empty aluminum pan with lid, identical to that used for the sample, was used as the reference. The sample and reference pans were cooled at a controlled rate of 5 ˚C per minute for fast freezing conditions and equilibrated at the lowest programmed temperature for 10 minutes. The slow freeze rate was at a controlled rate of 0.1 ˚C per minute, and sample and reference pans were equilibrated at the lowest programmed temperature. The modulation amplitude was adjusted to allow cooling during temperature modulation to amplify weak heat capacity signals. The melting and crystallization events are reported at the onset of the thermal event using the non-reversing signal. A smoothing region width of 1.000 ˚C was applied to the non-reversing heat flow signal.
Large-scale freeze-thaw cycling
Approximately 6.2 L mAb-A formulation were filled into 8.3 L bags (Sartorius Stedim). Prior to freezing, the bags were stored at 2-8 ˚C, and once frozen, they were stored at -80 ˚C. Modified freezing and thawing cycles were designed and used to achieve a broad range of temperature profiles (Table I). The freezing was conducted in -80 ˚C freezers (bags reached ≤70 ˚C), which were underpowered for freezing large volumes of aqueous solutions, causing the freezing temperature profiles to be load-dependent. Surrogate sample bags were utilized for adding thermal mass for the large-scale freezing experiments at -80 ˚C, to ensure reliability of freezing temperature profiles. The temperature profiles were recorded with multiple type-T thermocouples placed in the thermowells and attached to the upper and lower surface (Figure 1). The endpoint of the thaw was complete melting of visible ice. At the end of each thaw, the bags were mixed by multiple inversions. The bags were exposed from 1 to 3 cycles (1x-3x) of either fast freeze/fast thaw, fast freeze/slow thaw, medium freeze/medium thaw, slow freeze/fast thaw, or slow freeze/slow thaw. A liquid control was placed at 2-8 ˚C during the entire duration of the study. A -80 ˚C control was also generated (this was exposed to one medium freeze-medium thaw cycle). Samples from each test condition were taken after the first and third freeze/thaw cycle (1x and 3x), and analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) (along with the control samples). The 3x freeze-thaw samples were also analyzed for subvisible particles by MFI.
Table I. Methods used to create different freezing and thawing rates in manufacturing-scale cycle (6.2 L sample in 8.3 L bag).
Figure 1: Temperature profiles based on average of four thermocouples for freezing (top) and thawing (bottom) of 6.2 L aliquots of mAb-A in 8.3 L bags.
Scale-down freeze-thaw simulation
Approximately 30 mL and 100 mL of 64 mg/mL mAb-A were filled into 30mL and 100mL bags (Sartorius Stedim), respectively. The 6.2 L fill was a convenient volume (6-7 L) that manufacturing used for BDS (logistically ~6-7 L per bag was a suitable volume). Regardless, the surface area to volume ratio is higher in the 100 mL and 30 mL bags. Scale-down process simulation was done by using a programmable temperature control system (Sartorius Stedim) to apply a series of linear temperature ramping profiles to a sample chamber. The bags were installed in the chamber in such a manner that both side edges were in contact with the heat transfer surfaces. The sample chamber was insulated during operation to minimize environmental heat transfer.
For each large-scale freeze-thaw cycle (6.2 L in 8.3 L bag), the four thermocouple trends were averaged to generate a target freezing and thawing temperature profile (Figure 1), and a scale-down simulation program was developed to mimic each manufacturing-scale profile (a separate profile with custom-made temperature-time steps to mimic each manufacturing-scale profile was created and used to run small-scale processes via a custom-built software from Sartorius). The cycles were adjusted for heat loss in the control system. Supercooling steps to induce ice nucleation were added only for the medium and slow freezing rates. Time required for freezing to ≤ -40 ˚C ranged from 10-40 hours. The time required for completion of thawing, as indicated by thermocouple rising above 0 ˚C, ranged from approximately 3-125 hours. Samples subjected to the scale-down simulation were analyzed by SEC (after 1x and 3x freeze/thaw cycles). The 3x samples were also analyzed for subvisible particles by MFI.
Effect of freeze-thaw process variables on aggregation and subvisible particle formation of mAb-A
Robust freezing and thawing processes are essential for manufacturing and storage of biopharmaceutical products. Optimal conditions ensure improved protein stability during these stages. Logistically, small-scale models are ideal to assess the impact of freeze-thaw process variables on protein stability. Small-scale models, however, may not reflect the actual freezing or thawing rates, or the effect on product, that occur at manufacturing scale. Small-scale freeze-thaw systems have been introduced that are capable of more accurately mimicking freezing and thawing rates that occur at manufacturing scale (37). Using these systems, the large-scale freezing and thawing environments can be simulated in small-scale models. In this study, the authors sought to evaluate and compare the impact of freeze-thaw process variables using both large-scale and small-scale models.
Large-scale freeze-thaw temperature profiles were successfully simulated in scale-down studies using a freeze-thaw unit (Sartorius Stedim) (applied programmed temperature profiles to freeze and thaw 30 mL and 100 mL bags) (Figure 1). The impact of freeze-thaw process parameters (e.g., freezing and thawing rates, number of cycles) on protein aggregation, as generated from the small-scale and large-scale models, is shown in Figure 2. A frozen control had a similar level of aggregate to that of the 1x medium freeze-medium thaw sample, indicating that the storage parameter alone did not influence the aggregation of mAb A. For a single freeze-thaw cycle, the freezing rate had a negligible impact on protein aggregation when followed by fast thawing conditions (percent aggregates for 1x slow, medium, and fast-freeze samples were ≤ 0.1% different, relative to that observed for the liquid control), and was similar for both large-scale and small-scale sample sizes. Slow thawing, however, led to significantly higher protein aggregation (percent aggregates for 1x slow-thaw and medium-thaw samples of small-scale and large-scale studies were >0.1% different when compared with the liquid control or the 1x fast-thaw samples). Interestingly, the negative impact of slow thawing appeared to be exacerbated by fast freezing, as this condition generated the highest levels of aggregates. Conversely, slow freezing followed by fast thawing had the lowest levels of aggregate formation.
Figure 2: The effect of small-scale controlled freeze-thaw process parameters (e.g., rate of freezing and thawing, number of cycles) and scaling (simulated small-scale controlled freeze-thaw vs. largescale uncontrolled freeze-thaw process) on aggregation (% soluble aggregate by size-exclusion chromatography [SEC]) of mAb-A. FF: fast freeze; MF: medium freeze; SF: slow freeze; FT: fast thaw; MT: medium thaw; ST: slow thaw. *The frozen control was exposed to one MF/MT cycle with extended storage at -80˚C.
The aggregation of mAb-A was impacted by the number of freeze-thaw cycles under all test conditions (3x samples had higher aggregate levels compared with corresponding 1x samples). Among all the 3x samples, 30mL fast freeze/slow thaw sample had highest level of aggregates. After 3x fast freeze/slow thaw cycles, the aggregate level in different size samples was found to be in the following order: 30mL sample size >100mL sample size >6.2L. Moreover, the trends observed with respect to freezing and thawing conditions were the same regardless of the scale.
Representative (3x fast-freeze/fast-thaw, fast-freeze/slow-thaw, medium-freeze/medium-thaw, slow-freeze/fast-thaw, and slow-freeze/slow-thaw samples) SEC chromatograms from the study are shown in Figure 3. These overlays show that the soluble aggregates are predominantly comprised of dimers. Due to limitations in the analytical capability of the SEC method used, and the relatively low aggregate level, it was not possible to quantitatively assign the percent of dimer versus higher-order multimers.
Figure 3: Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) chromatogram of 3x fast-freeze/fast-thaw, fast-freeze/slow-thaw, medium-freeze/mediumthaw, slow-freeze/fast-thaw and slow-freeze/slow-thaw samples.
To assess whether subvisible particles were also impacted by freeze-thaw conditions, the 3x freeze-thaw samples were evaluated by MFI (Figure 4). The freezing rate had a minor impact on subvisible particle counts. The thawing rate had more pronounced impact on subvisible particle counts (subvisible particle counts of 3x fast freeze/slow thaw samples were found to be 28–175 times higher than 3x fast freeze/fast thaw samples). The particle counts were found to be impacted by the sample size (the particle counts of 3x fast freeze-fast thaw, fast freeze-slow thaw, and slow freeze-slow thaw samples were found to be in the following order: 30 mL > 100 mL > 6.2L). Therefore, the trends in<|fim_middle|> (7), pp. 1494-1508 (2011).
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BioPharm International
When referring to this article, please cite it as K. Desai et al., "Impact of Manufacturing-Scale Freeze-Thaw Conditions on a mAb Solution," BioPharm International 30 (2) February 2017.
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Pfizer and Gero Form Collaboration to Discover Potential Targets for Fibrotic Diseases | subvisible particle counts were the same as that for aggregation (by SEC) discussed previously.
Figure 4: The effect of freezing and thawing stress on sub-visible particle formation of mAb-A. Sub-visible (1–100 μm) particle counts of mAb-A samples (measured by micro-flow imaging [MFI]) exposed to different freezing and thawing conditions. FF: fast freeze; MF: medium freeze; SF: slow freeze; FT: fast thaw; MT: medium thaw; ST: slow thaw. *The frozen control was exposed to one MF/MT cycle with extended storage at -80 ˚C.
Aggregation of proteins during freeze-thaw cycling has generally been attributed to partial unfolding of protein molecules caused by the perturbing conditions such as pH variation, low temperature, freeze concentration of solutes, exposure of proteins to ice-liquid interface or surfaces induced by excipient crystallization, and/or adsorption to materials of contact (8, 10, 13, 16, 28, 33, 35). The formulation buffer used in the current study contains glycine as a bulking agent. It is known that glycine may crystallize under frozen storage conditions and form a new surface, thereby potentially causing protein denaturation (27, 31). During thawing, recrystallization can cause additional protein perturbations at the ice-liquid interface (38). The cause for higher protein unfolding under slow-thawing conditions has been linked to prolonged exposure of protein to low temperature and high solute concentration medium (39). The findings of the current study were in good agreement with those reported by Cao et al. (38), wherein slow thawing conditions caused higher protein degradation and loss of activity (38).
One key finding from this work is that fast freezing followed by slow thawing resulted in greater degradation of the mAb than did slow freezing followed by slow thawing. If glycine crystallization is the primary cause of aggregation, it would suggest that the crystallization of glycine during thawing is more detrimental than the crystallization of glycine during the freezing step. This finding is assumed because rapid freezing would be more likely to leave glycine in the amorphous phase after the freeze compared with slow freezing. It would then follow that rapid freezing followed by slow thawing would be more likely to lead to higher levels of glycine crystallization during the thaw. The authors sought to study this phenomenon by mDSC. The findings of mDSC were found to be in good agreement with this hypothesis. In the DSC experiment, where fast freezing was followed by slow thawing, an exothermic peak at approximately -25 °C onset, likely corresponding to glycine (eutectic) crystallization, followed by a likely eutectic melt around 6.6 °C onset, were readily observed during the slow thawing step (Figure 5). Neither the exothermic thermal event nor the endothermic melt were observed after fast freezing and fast thawing conditions (data not shown).
Figure 5: Modulated differential scanning calorimetry scan (heating leg) of fast-freeze/slow-thaw sample of mAb-A.
It can be summarized that fast freezing and fast thawing conditions are optimal for mAb-A to prevent potential effects such as protein aggregation and subvisible particle formation, but that the fast thawing rate is the more important parameter. The small-scale model successfully identified the impact of manufacturing-scale freezing and thawing rates on aggregation and subvisible particle formation of a mAb-A, thereby suggesting its feasibility and benefits in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The simulation at small-scale amplified the affects observed at large-scale possibly due to difference in interfacial contact effects (e.g., ice crystal, air, and container surface).
A robust manufacturing-scale, freeze-thaw process suitable for mAb-A was developed through large-scale and small-scale assessment models. A small-scale process simulation model evaluated in the current study successfully identified risk at manufacturing-scale conditions on aggregation and subvisible particle formation of mAb-A. The study also demonstrated the importance of thawing parameters. Slow thawing was shown to have the most negative impact on the product (highest levels of aggregate formation). Fast freeze-fast thaw conditions were found to be optimal for mAb-A. Multiple freeze-thaw cycles are sometimes inevitable during manufacturing due to unforeseeable issues. Multiple cycles under fast-freeze/fast-thaw conditions are also considered to be feasible for mAb-A.
The authors thank Dr. Melissa D. Perkins, PhD currently at the Department of Manufacturing Science and Technology, Hospira, USA for her feedback.
1. T.K. Das, AAPS PharmSciTech. 13 (2), pp. 732-746 (2012).
2. M. Vázquez-Rey, D.A. Lang, Biotechnol. Bioeng. 108 | 1,020 |
Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18yo (40.0%): Oh, the old good 18 year old Gold Label... It used to be my all time favorite Johnnie Walker expression and I still mourn the loss of it. It's been a while since Diageo announced that they will be killing the Gold Label 18yo and it's being harder and harder to spot this beauty on the shelves. Don't be surprised when Gold Label 18 yo bottles start to be sold in auctions all over the world for crazy figures in a few years. That's why I want to thank immensely to my friend Soner Tunay who offered this bottle from his whisky cabinet to me right away after he realized how much more I like this blend than he does. He just wanted to see the bottle enjoyed... Isn't it great? Color: Like it is written on the label: Shining yellow gold. Nose: Orange blossom honey, moist fruit cake clementines and candied apricots. Whiff of seaside bonfire smoke and cold ocean spray. Rose petals, malted barley and hard wood shavings. Palate: Honeycrisp apples, bosc pears, eucalyptus drops and wild<|fim_middle|> liquor shops around the country still have a bottle or two hidden in a corner. Meanwhile I will try my best to savor my bottle as long as I can. Again many thanks to Soner for offering his bottle to me. By the way I actually should try the new Gold Label Reserve and The Platinum Label sometime. I still didn't have a chance to do it and very curious. | flower honey. Pretty strong but not overpowering sweet peat, crispy cereals and candle wax with some soapy notes: Must be the Clynelish... Cinnamon, ground cloves and candied ginger. Nice thick mouthfeel despite its low abv. Finish: Long with sweet cinnamon, smoke and honey syrup. Actually it is way longer when chilled like they suggest. Overall: Bummer... It makes me really sad to think that this beautiful blend is gone. It is a great whisky and well worth to look for it around. I am pretty sure a lot of | 115 |
Q: How to move domain to new host? I am very new to working with domains. Yesterday I set up a domain for my company. I used the service strato.de. Now I've read VERY bad customer reviews of this service and am afraid that I made a mistake. Unfortunately I already set up the domain I want examplecompany.com for personalized email<|fim_middle|> another host/service or is it bound to strato.de?
A: You may be unable to transfer the domain to another registrar within 60 days after initial registration, change of contact information, or transfer. This ICANN FAQ explains the rules regarding domain transfers.
You can, however, move your web site, email and DNS services at any time. If you plan to transfer the domain, and you have other services at this registrar that you want to move, you should consider moving these and having them already at a new host before you try to transfer the domain name.
| addresses and email forwarding.
Will I be able to move my domain to | 14 |
Home » Media Center » Press Releases » E-209/15
Nestor Mendez Takes Office as OAS Assistant Secretary General
The former Permanent Representative of Belize to the Organization of American States (OAS) Nestor Mendez took office today as the new Assistant Secretary General of the institution, in a ceremony attended by the Minister of Foreign Relations of Belize, Wilfred Elrington.
<|fim_middle|>5-2020 period on March 18 with 24 of the 34 votes cast. Nestor Mendez served as Ambassador of Belize to the OAS and to the Government of the United States since June 2008. He was an advisor to the Belize High Commission in London from 1997 to 1999 and holds a postgraduate title from George Washington in International Affairs.
Reference: E-209/15 | The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, congratulated the new Assistant Secretary General and said "I have nothing short of great expectations for our work together." The OAS leader added "there are exciting times ahead and our task is one borne of the trust that has been placed in our hands."
For his part, Mendez reiterated his commitment to work closely with Secretary General Almagro in the process of modernization of the institution. "We must find ways to overcome our challenges and create the enabling environment for economic and social prosperity by identifying new areas of cooperation, creative financing mechanisms, and maximizing the catalytic potential of the OAS."
Ambassador Mendez was elected OAS Assistant Secretary General for the 201 | 149 |
The European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 Volunteering project was carried out during the celebration of ECoC in 2016.
The main goal of the project was to promote and develop voluntary service in culture, and provide an efficient and competent information service during events<|fim_middle|>organized by the IMPART 2016 Festival Office and co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. | of ECoC in Wrocław. Volunteers took care of guests arriving in Wrocław, VIPs and journalists. Thanks to the commitment of more than 2,050 volunteers the celebration of the European Capital of Culture in Wrocław was a great success. We have created a broad range of civic and social engagement by providing development opportunities, contact with international communities, a number of interesting tasks and many unique experiences.
The project has involved different social groups like seniors, people with disabilities, excluded people, formal and informal groups by including them as a part of the volunteers team carrying out various tasks. The project offered the opportunity to develop contact with international community, a number of interesting tasks and the possibilities to develop skills and create new ones among the volunteers.
The project was co- | 153 |
<|fim_middle|> the intravenous delivery of medications. The students learned how to tie a tourniquet, find a vein, and insert a catheter. The final "patient" case had diabetes and required the students to implement their knowledge of diffusion.
MEDsciences' longer 7-unit curriculum, incorporated into Rivers' Anatomy classes, focuses on a series of different human body systems. Students travel twice weekly into Boston for labs which coincide with the topics they are studying at Rivers. They also have the opportunity to meet with medical professionals to learn about various aspects of the field of medicine and health care.
Both this mini-course and the Anatomy course collaboration with MEDscience are fully funded by a generous contribution from Rivers parents Nancy Adams and Scott Schoen. | Thirteen Rivers freshmen and sophomores had a unique opportunity during spring break to experience the world of medicine up-close and personal. They attended a three-day STEM mini-course offered by Harvard Medical School's MEDscience program. During the program, they were presented with a series of "patients" whose symptoms they had to diagnose and treat as a medical "team." They practiced their skills on STAN, the same simulator used by Harvard medical professionals and students as well as Rivers' Anatomy and Physiology students during their own MEDscience program each spring.
Because of the design of the program, students are encouraged to think creatively about the problems they are presented with, and to work as a team to come up with a solution or treatment for the problem. They are able to use real equipment in real-life situations, giving them a hands-on experience that cannot be matched in the classroom.
Then the students split into two small groups. One half of them learned how to intubate while the other half met their next "patient." The intubation session allowed students to learn about the respiratory and digestive systems in greater detail and there were plenty of opportunities to make mistakes and problem solve what happened. The "patient" was having a cardiac event and coded on the students while they were caring for her.
"It was amazing to watch them work as a team; they have already learned so much," commented Dr. Courtney.
The skill on Day 3 was | 287 |
Oxford prisoner killed grandmother with kick to the head as she escorted him from court
The 28-year-old left Lorraine Barwell with "catastrophic" brain injuries
Emily Pennink
Samantha KingContent Editor
Humphrey Burke admitted to killing Lorraine Barwell by kicking her in the head (Image: Metropolitan Police/PA Media)
A prisoner from Oxford has admitted killing a grandmother by kicking her in the head.
Humphrey Burke caused 54-year-old Lorraine Barwell "catastrophic" brain injuries as she escorted him from Blackfriars Crown Court in her role as a custody officer on July 1, 2015.
She died of her injuries two days later on July 3.
Read more: Terror suspect released on bail
Burke, aged 28, had previously been mentally unfit to stand trial over Ms Barwell's death.
On Thursday, (December 23), Burke appeared at the Old Bailey for a plea hearing before Judge Mark Lucraft QC.
He denied murder and pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.
Prison custody officer Lorraine Barwell (Image: PA Media)
The Crown Prosecution Service accepted the plea, with prosecutor Tom Little QC telling the court it was a case where there "<|fim_middle|> two seconds before he swung again with his foot but this time it got her in the face.
"Her head went back but it did not smack the floor. It just snapped back."
Burke was remanded in custody at a secure hospital where he has been held up to now, and will be sentenced on January 11, 2022.
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Didcot driver mounted pavements near school and crashed into cars as he tried to escape police
Oxford man jailed after crack cocaine and heroin found in car | would not be a proper basis for seeking a conviction for murder."
He added: "Our position is a plea that relies on the partial defence of diminished responsibility would be acceptable to the Crown."
At the time of the attack, a psychiatric report had been prepared for Burke, but no definitive diagnosis of mental illness had been made.
Ms Barwell had worked at the security firm Serco for over 10 years when she was killed, an earlier trial of facts heard.
Gia Sofokli - who had been work shadowing her at the time of the attack - described what she saw.
She recounted: "He [Burke] just literally pulled his leg back and kicked her…
"She screamed quite loud and then it was about | 147 |
TOM ALLEN'S "BOHEMIANS in BROOKLYN"
Thank you to all who attended and sponsored.
What happens when a poet, an author, a composer<|fim_middle|> of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. | , his lover, and a book-loving stripper all move into the same house in quiet, wartime Brooklyn? Arguments, indulgence, infestation, questionable relationships of every description, a murder mystery, plenty of reasons for the neighbours to bang on the walls and, just possibly, some truly wonderful art. Join singers Patricia O'Callaghan and Bryce Kulak, harpist Lori Gemmell and storyteller Tom Allen for an evening in the house that once held WH Auden, Benjamin Britten, Carson McCullers and Gypsy Rose Lee – a potent mix of cabaret, social history, very juicy gossip, glorious music and all parts fun.
of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Tom Allen: "The artists living on 7 Middaugh Street came in almost every stripe! They were gay, bisexual and heterosexual in orientation. Some were gay but in heterosexual marriages. The show is not at all graphic, but it also does not shy away from those aspects and at times (particularly around the song Ruined) is playful and saucy about them. But, and I think this is important, it is not a show about those things. It is about finding a place for yourself in the world, and finding the courage to be the truest person you can be, even while fascist forces are threatening the world. These are values I know that are prized by Stephen Lewis and Grandmothers to Grandmothers."
This show was commissioned by the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival and Music Niagara and developed with the help | 307 |
Thank you again for your outstanding guidance you provided in the interior finishes of our home.
We are thrilled with everything, and so much of the feeling created is attributed to your professional knowledge, and your<|fim_middle|> opportunity to thank you for magnificent end product. Your suggestions and guidance proved to be 100% accurate. I only now realize the value of our initial meeting at the house. We absolutely love it! I also would like to thank you for the way you and your team have treated me and Emma since our first encounter despite our indecisiveness and ignorance. The experience was professional, appropriately personal and nothing but a pleasure. Please extend our gratitude to the whole team and we hope to extend our collection with you in the future.
There were a number of challenges in renovating our 1900 Victorian Queen Anne Villa. From the council to the heritage trust, and being respectful of the building during renovation. However, perhaps the greatest challenge came with the interior design and sourcing furniture that would do justice to the house and make it a beautiful and practical home. We struggled to find quality and 'good old fashioning craft-man-ship'; when searching the internet for a parquetry dining table, we came across Mark's work and were blown away! This prompted a couple of emails and phone calls between Adelaide and Melbourne and soon Mark was designing, crafting, and sourcing items for our whole house.
From the first phone call, to delivery and styling of many rooms and over 30 items of furniture, Mark and his team's professionalism is second to none. Every piece of furniture looks as if it has been in place for 100 years and the house built around it, rather than the other way around. We knew we could place our complete trust in Timeless Interiors right from the word go, and not only have we not been let down, the finished product has exceeded all expectations. We could not recommend Mark and his team highly enough to anyone; including if you live in a different state – this has not been the slightest of issue.
Thank you Mark – you are a true gentleman and exemplary craftsman!
We love the table, coordinating coffee table, sideboard and TV unit created for us by Mark and Timeless Interiors.
The brief was to completely furnish the house including window furnishings, floor coverings, feature lighting, mosaic tiling and extensive wallpapering. From the beginning we were impressed with Mark's ability to completely understand our requirements and to translate those into inspirational designs and colour recommendations. Mark has an innate ability to be able to picture the end result and to take us on that journey with him. The textures and colours of the various fabrics and the flow of the house are brilliant. In fact, visitors remark that it takes their breath away. There is great atmosphere and definite wow factor combined with personal spaces to enjoy and reflect. We are pleased to say that the end result has very much exceeded our expectations.
I just wanted to say how thrilled we are with both the tables. The dining table is simply breathtaking; I can't wait to see it offset against our new chairs when they arrive.
Our refinished meals area table…the small things you did to it have taken it to a completely different level.
The stain on both tables is just so beautiful.
and everything we were hoping for. | willingness to do the little extra things which was evidenced in the colour selection of the parquetry floor finish. It really compliments the furniture selection beautifully.
Thanks you so much for the prompt and efficient delivery process of our beautiful table. We love it! Outstanding quality.
We are absolutely thrilled with the 3 parquetry tables. The craftsmanship is amazing, and everything we were hoping for. The communication was second to none, and although I was a little worried spending that amount of money on furniture site unseen, once I started the process I was immediately confident that I'd chosen the right company.
Our table was delivered yesterday and just wanted to take the | 130 |
Do you use<|fim_middle|> additional materials (answers to exercises, datasets, advanced materials, teaching slides etc.) and Lancaster Stats Tools online (http://corpora.lancs.ac.uk/stats), a free click-and-analyse statistical tool for easy calculation of the statistical measures discussed in the book.
8. Bringing everything together: ten principles of statistical thinking, meta-analysis and effect sizes. | language corpora in your research or study, but find that you struggle with statistics? This practical introduction will equip you to understand the key principles of statistical thinking and apply these concepts to your own research, without the need for prior statistical knowledge. The book gives step-by-step guidance through the process of statistical analysis and provides multiple examples of how statistical techniques can be used to analyse and visualise linguistic data. It also includes a useful selection of discussion questions and exercises which you can use to check your understanding. The book comes with a Companion website, which provides | 110 |
This fun and relaxed beach wedding in March was an absolute pleasure to be a part of. It was filled with beautiful family moments, but a particular highlight for<|fim_middle|> thoroughly enjoyed dancing around guests.
Thank you, Christie and Rob, for letting me be your Oxwich Bay wedding photographer! Below are some personal highlights. | me was a unique new-baby announcement through the cutting of their cake, which I was extremely excited to hear about when I caught up with these two before the big day (congratulations on the news of your baby girl, Christie and Rob!).
In true Welsh Wedding style, rain and wind made an appearance at the Oxwich Bay Hotel, but did absolutely nothing to put a damper on the warm atmosphere, and we even had a slight break in the wind to come away for some peaceful photographs of the newlyweds after the ceremony.
The evening even went out with a bang, with spectacular fireworks and a live band which filled the dancefloor, producing some of my favourite dancefloor wedding photography to date. I got a bit carried away - as usual! - to Mumford and Sons, and | 163 |
My body sure has been through a lot in the last decade…pregnancies, births, crazy weight loss, weight back to normal, weight past normal (:P), various tests the last few years to determine…finally…that my body reacts to yellow dye,<|fim_middle|> pound loss maximum. | potentially other dyes, and is intolerant to a smattering of foods like oatmeal and broccoli (both of which I actually like). In the midst of all the craziness, my workouts have intensified, my time with God has jumped around and my perspective has changed.
My body weight and fat percentage are not where I want them…I desire to be healthier and to shed a few pounds while defining the muscle that is already there, but I am finally at the point where I am not going to dwell on it as much as I have in the past. Wondering which mirror is the most accurate, missing sleep to squeeze in that last hour of the workout, or just obsessing about 5 or even 10 pounds. If I am making healthy choices, the weight will come off in time. If I am not eating like a football player and being a glutton, if my husband loves me and more importantly my Savior loves me, then there is not one reason to obsess. If someone else judges me based on a few pounds, shame on them, and if I let that bother me, shame on me. My priorities need to be on God first. I am ashamed to say that there have been days where I stayed up late to workout and then fell asleep reading my Bible.
So I am making a few changes. I am still going to be healthy and workout, because I enjoy working out and think people should take care of the bodies God has given to them.
With all the craziness of food I am going to attempt to eat as clean as possible. I know this needs to be a gradual switch, so I will do it the right way.
I am excited to have a better perspective, I am excited to be healthier, I am most excited to see where the Lord will lead me and my family.
Not much to report this week. Since you have been on this journey with me you have known that this goal is taking a long time. But it isn't going the wrong direction, so that is good, right? The whole build muscle and lose weight thing is hard for me to figure out.
No weight loss again this week….measurements all pretty much the same.
However, even though I have only been doing this no weighing myself everyday and trying to make healthier food choices instead of only calorie counting I feel a lot better. I am keeping my calories in check, feeling full because of eating the right foods, working out a lot. My clothes fit well and so I am HOPEFUL that soon my goal will be reached. But I like this approach better instead of running to the scale 5 times a day and restricting calories so much all week that I gain it all back on my off days. I am just going to try to be consistently healthy. The last 2 days though, avoiding diet cola again and processed foods 80% of the time has me feeling so much better! I hope I can keep this new mindset and approach…it is healthier for mind and body.
My goals remain the same…eat right, lower calories, workout 6 days a week, aiming for 5 pound loss minimum, 7 | 637 |
Samsung Galaxy A72 release date, price, news and features
By James Rogerson
A 90Hz screen, a telephoto camera, water resistance and more
<|fim_middle|> TechRadar. He has a love for everything 'smart', from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.
Your apps and Windows devices could be facing a whole new kind of threat
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Ubuntu Pro is now available for everyone to use
Microsoft Teams is finally fixing this ear-splitting annoyance
Playing GoldenEye on my iPad is real, and it's spectacular | The Samsung Galaxy A72 might not be as high-profile and flashy as the Samsung Galaxy S21 range, but it's a whole lot cheaper and has a respectable assortment of specs.
These include a 90Hz FHD+ screen, a big battery, and water resistance, among other things – so you're still getting some quite premium features here, potentially making this a good fit if you want a capable but not quite cutting-edge handset.
Below you'll find full details of all the Samsung Galaxy A72's specs and features, along with information on where it's available and how much it costs.
Cut to the chase
What is it? A mid-range Galaxy A handset
When is it out? It's out now in the UK, April 9 in Australia
How much does it cost? £419 / AU$749 (roughly $580)
Samsung Galaxy A72 release date and price
The Samsung Galaxy A72 was announced on March 17, 2021, and it's available now in the UK, while Australia will get it from April 9. It costs from £419 / AU$749 (around $580), but there's no confirmed US availability at the time of writing.
The above prices are for a model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but – at least in some regions – there will also be a version with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.
The Samsung Galaxy A72 has a plastic back – which is to be expected given that even the much more expensive Samsung Galaxy S21 does.
It's available in Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Violet or Awesome Blue, and has an IP67 rating, meaning it's dust and water resistant (the latter to depths of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes).
It comes in at 165 x 77.4 x 8.4mm and 203g, and the overall design is fairly conventional, with a large camera block in the top left corner of the rear, and a punch-hole selfie camera in the top center of the screen.
Speaking of the screen, it's a flat 6.7-inch 1080 x 2400 one, which uses Super AMOLED, has a 90Hz refresh rate, around 394 pixels per inch, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a maximum brightness of 800 nits.
So on paper it has fairly good specs. For reference, it's the same resolution as the Galaxy S21, and bigger, but with a lower refresh rate and maximum brightness.
Camera and battery
There's a quad-lens rear camera on the Samsung Galaxy A72, consisting of a 64MP f/1.8 main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto one (with OIS, 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom), a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide one (with a 123-degree field of view), and a 5MP f/2.4 macro one.
It can also record 4K video at 30fps (or 1080p video at up to 60fps), and there's a 32MP f/2.2 selfie camera on the front.
The battery meanwhile is a 5,000mAh one, with 25W charging. That's a good size, but there's no wireless charging. There is however a charger included with the phone, which isn't something you get with the Galaxy S21 range.
The Samsung Galaxy A72 is powered by a Snapdragon 720G chipset. That's mid-range, but not capable of 5G, so this is just a 4G phone.
That's then coupled with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage (though at the time of writing only the 6GB / 128GB model is available in the UK).
As for features, there's an in-screen fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos), a microSD card slot (supporting up to 1TB), and a Game Booster mode, which optimizes the battery, temperature and memory use while gaming. The Galaxy A72 also runs Android 11, overlaid with Samsung's One UI 3.1.
Take a look at the best Samsung phones
James Rogerson
James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at | 987 |
Leaders of the 14 new Pathways Program teams gathered for their first meeting at Stanford University on November 19-20, 2015.
(December 1, 2015) — Fourteen teams of faculty and administrators from U.S. colleges and universities have been selected by the NSF-funded National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) to join the Pathways to Innovation Program.
The Pathways to Innovation Program is designed to help institutions fully incorporate<|fim_middle|> team met for the first time at Stanford University on November 19-20, 2015. A second meeting will bring together teams of four to five faculty and administrators from each school in January 2016 to analyze the needs and opportunities at their schools and develop plans for transforming the undergraduate engineering experience.
Learn more about the Pathways to Innovation Program at http://epicenter.stanford.edu/pathways-to-innovation.
The National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and VentureWell. Epicenter's mission is to empower U.S. undergraduate engineering students to bring their ideas to life for the benefit of our economy and society. To do this, Epicenter helps students combine their technical skills, their ability to develop innovative technologies that solve important problems, and an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset. Epicenter's three core initiatives are the University Innovation Fellows program for undergraduate engineering students and their peers; the Pathways to Innovation Program for institutional teams of faculty and university leaders; and the research program Fostering Innovative Generations Studies, which contributes to national knowledge of entrepreneurship and engineering education. Learn more and get involved at epicenter.stanford.edu. | innovation and entrepreneurship into undergraduate engineering education. The program is run by Epicenter, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University and the VentureWell.
Ongoing innovation is required to maintain America's global competitiveness and address pressing problems. Engineering is the foundation of much of that innovation. Faculty and administrators participating in Epicenter's Pathways program are taking on this challenge and leading their universities into a new era of engineering education that prepares students to tackle big problems and thrive in this ever-changing economy.
Participating schools assemble a team of faculty and academic leaders to assess their institution's current offerings, design a unique strategy for change, and lead their peers in a transformation process to broaden and strengthen their campus-based innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Program teams receive access to models for integrating entrepreneurship into engineering curriculum, custom online resources, networking opportunities and guidance from a community of engineering and entrepreneurship faculty, and membership in a national network of schools with similar goals.
The teams in the new cohort join a community of 36 institutional teams that are currently participating in the program. The projects include innovation certificates and majors, maker and flexible learning spaces, first-year and capstone courses, faculty fellows programs, and innovation centers. Additionally, several cross-institutional collaborations have resulted from the first group of schools.
Leaders from each Pathways | 265 |
When thinking of Oshkosh it would be easy to focus on the air show itself, but a big part of the experience can be the trip there. I take great delight in using my RV-8 to travel places that would be impractical by other means. We had great weather leaving SoCal on Saturday morning--flew over Edwards Air Force base, Vegas and soon made it<|fim_middle|> to Saratoga (KSAA). Our next stop was Custer SD (KCUT). On this leg we did a lap around Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse.
A relatively early morning had us heading East over the Badlands with a nice 15-knot tailwind and then miles of the greenest corn fields I have ever seen. A stop for gas and another review of the arrival NOTAM at Luverne (KLYV) and we were ready to press on to Oshkosh.
Even though the NOTAM is quite long the procedures are pretty simple. Arriving at Ripon there was quite a crowd so we slowed down early to let the bottleneck clear some. From there it was straight up the railroad tracks. ATC was doing a great job and in no time we were landing on the purple spot of 36L.
A new experience was taxiing off the runway and onto the sod, first time my aircraft had been on grass. In no time we were tied down and ready to register. New cars were on the field to ferry folks flying in to the EAA registration tent. A pretty good fun flying weekend all round.
Correct me if I am wrong putting two and two together, I think your father Max is a member of our South Gippsland Gliding Club here in OZ , if so it is amazing how word gets around .
Anyway read your article, well done , my son and I attended Oshkosh in 2010 which was hampered by a very wet period prior to the show, we stayed longer and visited many aero museums around the US. | to Cedar City (KCDC).
From there we went NE over Capital Reef | 15 |
Lisa Jean Allswede's sewing machine knows no<|fim_middle|> Machine, I rapidly alternate stitches, tension, and width to create loops and snarls upon everything, from my watercolor paintings to my photographs, and even sculptural installations. Each embroidered piece is a conversation about the courage needed to adapt to adversity. The entangled threads of my artwork celebrate strength and beauty with each mending. A tapestry of our culture. | bounds. It sews upon everything, from her watercolor paintings to her installations. It has traveled with her from Michigan to Chicago, Pittsburgh to Oklahoma City, and now to Las Vegas. Allswede's sewing machine is adventurous. Allswede received her BFA in painting from the University of Michigan and her Master's in Art Education from Chatham University. She founded The Project Box, an art gallery and community creative space in OKC's Paseo Arts District, and has exhibited across the United States.
My textile vignettes examine the eclectic array of challenges we face in our dynamic society. Using my Singer 4432 Heavy Duty Extra-High Speed Sewing | 137 |
Pensacola-based OnesourcePCS's Commitment to Working With the Government Pays Off
Jonathan and Stephanie Llanera started OnesourcePCS in 2002 as a mom and pop computer repair shop in Pensacola. Today they've expanded into IT and Medical divisions, with 15 government contracts, moving from a home office to a 600 square foot office, and now a 5,400 square foot building, and say they owe a lot to Florida PTAC at UWF Procurement Specialist Laura Subel.
"Before 2014 we didn't know anything about the federal market space, and Laura was instrumental in teaching us a lot," says Jonathan. "We learned about the 8a program, how to read contracts, bids, proposals, everything." He adds that the turning point was when Subel introduced them to Cherri Duval at Eglin Air Force Base and Chris Wentworth at Hurlburt Field. "I had to do a presentation at NAS Jacksonville, and Laura brought an audience in here and helped us prepare a PowerPoint presentation," he recalls. "She critiqued us, and helped us refine it, and then I went over to Jacksonville in a big conference center and presented to a big group of contracting officers and department heads. We had 15 minutes."
Stephanie says, "One of the biggest things that we learned from Laura and others was don't give up. Be persistent." She explains that it takes a while before an agency will gain the confidence in giving you that first contract. "It was definitely a game-changer for us when someone gave us the chance to get our foot in the door at Eglin, and we<|fim_middle|> knew about IT and knew how to do our work; we just knew nothing about how the government went about doing that. So this is where Laura and PTAC were vital to our growth and learning experience. I'm thankful you were here."
- Jonathan and Stephanie Llanera, Owners - OnesourcePCS
"Thanks to the assistance of the Florida PTAC at IRSC, AEC is now actively seeking veteran-owned business-specific set aside contracting opportunities with the federal government. "
- Glenn Brown, President - Anything Electrical Company | were very excited about that," she adds. "After 15 months of pounding the pavement and developing those relationships, it happened. From there, experiencing the growth as quickly as we did was a major game-changer for us."
Even with all of their newfound success, Jonathan says the highlight for him is still that first contract. "It was for one employee," he explains. "I hate to say it, but that was our favorite, because it was our first employee, and she went on and got promoted to officer candidate school. You win that multi-million dollar contract, but you still look back and say, that first one was the scariest, the most exciting and the most rewarding of all of it because it was the first one."
After that, he said they really had to commit to doing the federal contracts. He recalls, "We only grew a certain amount when we were trying to do our commercial consumer retail with the little repair stores. I really had to step back and make a commitment to devote our resources and my time to doing the federal work. It started with one small contract in 2015, for about $50,000 or something like that." Now they work in Texas, Nevada, Florida, and have 15 contracts. He continues, "We knew about IT and knew how to do our work; we just knew nothing about how the government went about doing that. So this is where Laura and PTAC were vital to our growth and learning experience. I'm thankful you were here."
Jonathan and Stephanie both say it's great getting the work, but they don't want the quantity to get in the way of the quality. "We pride ourselves on really making sure we provide good quality service, and that we really take care of our employees and our customers, and I think that's contributed to our growth," says Stephanie. Jonathan adds, "We make sure that we get high customer ratings. We take care of our employees, and we're very responsive. With any problems, or anything the government needs, we try to be very responsive."
Moving into the future, Jonathan says he now has a formal SBS mentorship with a company in Orlando called Milvets. "They're a service-disabled company," he explains. "They went through the 8a program in the 1990s, and they're doing great. It strengthens our capabilities because they are a big cybersecurity IT Company. The whole reason for this mentorship right now is so that I can learn how to grow the company properly. At least I have an example that I can look at." He goes on to say that he can see Onesource being a mentor five or six years from now. "I believe in the entire program," he concludes. "Everything that's happening here is a system that works, and if I can give back, I'm going to do that."
"We | 593 |
The debut album<|fim_middle|> out their upcoming tour schedule here.
You can also read an interview with the band about their debut LP here. | from the most Canadian-sounding band imaginable is here. Mounties features Hawksley Workman, Hot Hot Heat's Steve Bays and Limblifter's Ryan Dahle, and their album Thrash Rock Legacy arrives on March 4 through Light Organ Records. Ahead of time, though, it's available to stream in full on Exclaim.ca.
With 14 tracks a running time of an hour, the album is stuffed with ideas. There is a huge range of sounds, from dreamy synth twinkles of "Tokyo Summer" to the brash rock riffs of "If This Dance Catches On" and the quirky reggae of "The Twig & the Tree."
In an Exclaim! interview, Mounties explain that the songs were born from extended jam sessions at Vancouver's Greenhouse Studios.
"Within a day, we'll have probably about seven 40-minute jams," Dahle says. "And within those 40-minute jams, sometimes we have probably five songs — or one song that's lots of parts."
Workman adds, "When there's a hook that starts to materialize, everybody's mind goes into emphasizing that hook. So when we're listening back to an hour's worth of playing, it's not about guitar solos and drum solos and extravagance. It's really about mining those moments that are hooky enough to become a song."
Hear how Mounties turned their jams into songs below. And be sure to check | 299 |
At only 21 years old I have this problem where I never seem to be able to reward myself. Even if there is nothing imminent on my to-do list, it is guaranteed that I will find something else to stress and worry about. There is always something on my mind ready for me to pull to pieces and criticise. Nothing ever seems good enough, be it my grades, my work, my performance in the gym, my body image. I am a self critic. And I know I'm not the only one. We live in a world where we are constantly told by the media, twitter, instagram, celebrities and peers how we are supposed to act and more importantly re-act to situations thrown at us by life. The list of societies' expectations for us to behave and conform to a certain ideal is endless, and failure to meet this standard can easily result in the feeling that you are not good enough, once again beginning the vicious cycle of self-critique.
It's easy to let yourself get down, to beat yourself up about your differences rather than embrace the fact that you are an individual working towards different goals than other people. Back when I was struggling, I used to long so badly to be 'normal'. I used to say that my goal in life was to wake up in the morning and not feel inferior, to be able to go about my day to day life with ease. I no longer want to<|fim_middle|>? Ignore the audience and fight for your own dreams for yourself and no one else.
003. Progress > perfection - No body is perfect… don't ever compare yourself to anyone else because people have become incredibly good at hiding the less polished aspects of their life. Facebook timelines are a highlight reel, a compilation of the 'best bits'. You can't possibly compare your full story to someone else's blurb. As long as you are making progress, staying positive and working towards your own happiness you are good enough. | be normal. Normal doesn't really exist. Don't change yourself to conform to someone else's idea of perfection, and don't allow societies standards to make you feel inferior.
001. Going forward is hard but going back is harder - When you're working towards a goal it's easy to feel disheartened, especially when it seems like the work you are putting in does not equate to the results you are getting out. Someone recently said something to me which really resonated- when going forward seems hard, almost impossible, just remember it's ten times harder to go back. Going back to a place where you were unhappy or far away from your goal means either accepting that you must forever live you life in that place, or once again begin on the journey. You're already part way there and the beginning is the hardest, so keep going.
002. Being good enough to try is infinitely more important than being good enough to succeed - There's a quotation that is commonly used which says something along the lines of 'it's better to try and fail than to never have tried at all'. In the grand scheme of life what really is 'success' anyway? At what point do you define something as 'not being good enough'? Good enough for yourself, or good enough for society | 262 |
Corona Heights in San Francisco
What to See & Do in this Mini-Neighborhood in the Heart of SF
Corona Heights in San Francisco is a small sub-district that is part of both Ashbury Heights and the Castro. Here you will find some cool things to do including visiting a children's museum, soaking in the views at the summit of its largest park, and climbing some hidden stairs.
It won't take you long to visit, but its a fun addition if you are close by and interested in visiting other nearby attractions.
Read on for more about some of this SF neighborhood's best things to do.
Corona Heights Park
Corona Heights Park is the gem of this district. The park is small but has amazing views all around the SF Bay. It's a steep climb to the top, but when you get here you will have unobstructed views of downtown San Francisco, Twin Peaks, and other places all around the SF Bay.
The park is just under 14-acres. It's famous for its red rock outcrop, which you can see from all over the city.
The very top of the summit reaches up to 540 feet. Most of the trails around the park are considered challenging, so take your time and don't wear yourself out. You will need to climb steep stairs and rocky trails to get to the summit. It isn't a long climb but will get your heart pumping.
You can enter the park via Flint Street, Beaver Street, 15th and Roosevelt Way.
The<|fim_middle|> historic Victorian homes.
Buena Vista Park: Another place to find amazing views is Buena Vista Park. This small park features several steep trails that take you to the top. From here, you can see views of the Golden Gate Bridge and all around the SF Bay.
Mount Sutro Open Preserve: If you want to get away from the chaos of the city, head over to Mount Sutro Open Preserve. This lovely park offers more than five miles of hiking trails. You will be surrounded by Eucalyptus trees, which will make you feel like you are far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and just in its peaceful wilderness.
More Top Districts to Visit Nearby
Castro Eureka Valley Mission
SF Districts
Corona Heights | park is open all year long from 5 am to midnight.
Another top attraction in Corona Heights in San Francisco is the Randall Museum. This free kids' museum sits on Museum Way and is surrounded on three sides by Corona Heights Park.
This recently remodeled SF museum features exhibits for kids of all ages.
The Live Animal Exhibit is a popular option. Here you will see rescue animals that are primarily species that are local to the areas around here. The exhibit is set up by habitat, so you can learn more about both the animals and where they commonly live.
Riding the Rails is also a hot spot in this museum. It's a hands-on railroad themed exhibit. Here your kids and you can hop aboard the scale model of a caboose. You can also check out a train model exhibit that features many of SF's largest buildings set up around the train tracks.
The Randall Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.
Mount Olympus is another interesting stop in Corona Heights in San Francisco. The spot used to be considered the center of San Francisco. At the top, it featured a large sculpture of named the Triumph of Light. It was gifted to the city by Adolph Sutro, who was a mayor of SF and built the Sutro Baths out near Ocean Beach.
Today, the sculpture was removed at one point, and sadly has been lost, but its stone pedestal is still on display. You can climb the stairs to this tiny park and check out the views. You can also imagine what it was like here when it featured a massive sculpture on the top.
While you are here, make sure to check out the real estate all around it. It's one of the pricier districts in SF and many of the houses and condos here offer amazing views all around the SF Bay.
Hidden Stairways
The city is full of fun, colorful, and interesting stairways. Corona Heights in San Francisco also has some cool staircases to check out. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Vulcan Street Stairs: The Vulcan Street Stairs run for about two blocks. The top starts at Levant Street and you will exit at Ord Street. Both sides of the stairs offer beautiful flowers and plants. There are also several houses on the north side of the stairs. You will quickly see that their only entrance to their home is via the staircase. The stairs are open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
Saturn Stairs: The Saturn Stairs are a shorter set of stairs that run from Saturn Street down to Ord Street. They are also well manicured with lovely plants and flowers. If you visit at the right time, you might also run into one of our sets of wild parrots pictured below (they are most famously found on Telegraph Hill).
Fun Ideas for Your San Francisco Stay
Weather in Corona Heights in San Francisco
This area of town offers moderate temperatures throughout the year. You will see fog cascading over the hills part of the year, but the area is often protected by larger hills to its west.
During the summer, you will find temperatures in the mid-to upper 60s during the day. At night, expect it to cool off to around the mid-50s. September and October are usually the sunniest and warmest time of the year. You will find temps in the 70s with it dipping down into the upper 50s at night.
You can learn more about the temperatures each month by clicking on the links below. You will also find some tips on what to pack for your upcoming visit.
January | February | March | April | May | June
July | August | September | October | November | December
The best way to get to Corona Heights in San Francisco is by taking a Muni light rail train to the Castro Street Station. The trains that stop at this station include the K/T, L, and M. They will drop you off about three blocks from this district.
This is a great option for those along Market Street. You can easily find a station if you are in Union Square, downtown SF, and the South of Market Districts.
If you are coming from Fisherman's Wharf, you have a couple of options. You can take the F Streetcar to the Embarcadero Station and transfer to one of the Muni lines listed above. You can also just stay on the F Streetcar and take it to its final stop at Castro and Market. The first option will save you about 10 to 15 minutes. The second option is above ground, so you can see more of the city as you travel to this destination.
Booking: Find great deals all around San Francisco for your upcoming stay!
TripAdvisor: What's the #1 hotel in San Francisco? Read reviews & find hotel deals on TripAdvisor!
What to See & Do Nearby
Haight-Ashbury: The Haight-Ashbury District was where the height of the hippie generation happened in the 1960s. Today, you will still see remnants of this era inside its shops, restaurants, and on its buildings. Fun things to do here include shopping, grabbing a bite to eat, and checking out one of the best independent bookstores. Make sure to walk around its streets also so you can see some of the most beautiful and colorfully painted | 1,093 |
Job Interviewing or engaging in a job interview is certainly one of numerous, and the most broadly used choice device. It has proved most dependable and the employers always rely on it in preference to another device. It is a process designed to predict destiny job performance by candidate's oral responses to oral inquiries. For having a higher comprehension of Job interviewing it will likely be beneficial to go through the definitions of interview and task interview.
An interview as defined is a conversation among two human beings (the interviewer and the interviewees) in which the interviewer ask questions from interviewees to get data from them. Job Interview however is generally described as a communique among an organization and a task candidate, in which the agency evaluates a candidate for potential employment in the corporation. The definitions show that an interview is a preferred time period used for all<|fim_middle|> from candidate by setting questions, and listening to the solutions. The interviewer may additionally pursue factors of hobby as they broaden. Irrespective of enterprise or nature of task the interviewer will always probe the following simple questions. | forms of interviews. It gives out the wide outlines of the term interview. Job interview then again is unique to employment. However, that is a commonplace false impression that task interview is a unilateral process which, isn't accurate. The above definition of Job interview may be very just like definition of Job Interviewing, however now not that of process interview as it does no longer provide the total photograph and is incomplete.
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Although now not all employers use checks or even reference tests, but they bear in mind task interview as essential for making a accurate selection. Job interview enables in soliciting relevant statistics permissible under the regulation | 324 |
Ken Bradbury Joke Show Returns This Weekend
By Jeremy Coumbes on December 29, 2022 at 11:37am
A local New Year's Eve tradition returns to downtown Jacksonville this weekend in a new venue, but some of the same old jokes. The Ken Bradbury New Year's Eve Joke Show returns this Saturday after a hiatus thanks to the Covid pandemic.
Keith Bradbury says several years ago, his late brother Ken decided it would be a good thing to start off the new year with a laugh, and the Ken Bradbury Joke Show was born.
Keith says the show returns this year at a new location however, whether the old jokes are the spoken word, or the comedian who is speaking them, is up for the audience to determine.
"Well now, to call them comedians is a bit of a stretch, but when you give anybody good material they're going to be good. We've got everybody's favorite Jodi Heitbrink, and nobody's favorite Bruce Surratt is going to be with us.
We have Tammy Guthrie, Katie McDannald, Zach Pickens…Zach's a riot, Bob Large, a standard in our community in theater for years, and myself. We've also added some music<|fim_middle|> with music throughout the evening."
Keith says after working its way around the square over the years, this year's show has landed at The Warehouse 200 event hall just off the square. He says the show will be short on time, but not on laughs.
"This is just an hour [long] show. It starts at 4:00 with a cocktail hour and then at 5:00 the show will start. They'll have the bar set up for anyone that wants some libations or non-libation. The show starts at 5:00 and it will be done, I promise, by 6:00. That will give people time to get out and get to their dinner reservations or parties or go home and watch Gunsmoke."
The cost is $10.00 per ticket for the hour-long show plus the cocktail hour. Bradbury says the proceeds will go towards an entity near and dear to both his and Ken's hearts. "These proceeds are going to the Ken Bradbury Foundation. The foundation was established many years ago as a way to help Ken put on community productions.
He was doing all of this stuff out of his own pocket and the foundation decided it was worthy to start a foundation. It has a board of directors and they use those funds to promote primarily theaters. We're trying to help Triopia get back on their feet again. In the past, we did some things for Mt. Sterling when they revamped their theater.
The general focus is on theater, but the foundation tries to help out whoever it can, and they've been helping out so much that the funds are getting low. So we're seeing if we can't help give those funds a little boost."
The Ken Bradbury New Year's Eve Joke Show is this Saturday from 5:00 to 6:00 pm at The Warehouse 200 is located at 200 East Douglas Avenue in Jacksonville. Doors open at 4:00 for cocktail hour. For tickets, call Mary Jane Bradbury at 217-473-4735 and place a reservation.
Seating is limited to between 100 and 110 so Keith says if you make reservations and find you can't come, please call back so the seats can be used. More information can be found on the Ken Bradbury Foundation Facebook Page. | to the show. Stephanie Soltermann is going to help us with that. She will keep the pace going | 22 |
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Moroccan Trips
Mineral Network Analysis
Mineral Ecology
Mineral Evolution
Mineral Surfaces
Origins of Life
Deep Carbon Observatory
Astrobiology and Origins of Life
Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry
General Audience Science Writing
Mineral Evolution and Mineral Ecology
Music And Music History
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Home > Research > Mineral Evolution
I. THE INITIAL IDEA FOR MINERAL EVOLUTION
Hazen RM, Papineau D, Bleeker W, Downs RT, Ferry F, McCoy T, Sverjensky D, Yang H (2008) Mineral evolution. American Mineralogist 93:1693-<|fim_middle|>8).
Mineral Kingdom Has Co-Evolved with Life, e!ScienceNews (11/13/08).
The Exciting Evolution of...Rocks, Live Science (11/13/08).
Earth's 'Mineral Kingdom" Evolved Hand in Hand with Life, NewScientist (11/19/08).
Mineral Kingdom Has Co-Evolved with Life, Scientists Find, ScienceDaily (11/14/08).
Minerals Evolved Along with Life, ScienceNews (11/13/08).
Earth's Minerals Evolved, Too, Science Now (11/14/08).
Mineral Kingdom Has Co-Evolved with Life, Scientific Frontline (11/14/08).
Earth's Minerals are Biological in Origin, Wired (11/15/08).
Los Minerales Han Coevolucionado Con Los Organismos Vivos, La Opinion (11/13/08).
Bunt Sind Nicht Nur Die Walder, Faz Net (11/8/08).
Mineralische "Evolution", Science Ticker (11/14/08).
Vetsina Mineralu by Neexistovala, Nebyt Zivota, Tyden.cz (11/14/08).
Leben und Ton, Deutschlandfunk (11/19/08).
What's Next in Mineral Evolution? (2011)
5251 Broad Branch Road NW Washington DC 20015 | 1720
At a Christmas party on December 6, 2006, Harold Morowitz asked me a simple question: "Were there clay minerals in the Archean?" That question has important implications for origin-of-life models that depend on clays, but the answer is not at all obvious. And it's a question that mineralogists never thought to ask. I was immediately struck by the idea that Earth's mineralogy must have changed over 4.5 billion years of history in ways that had never been thoughtfully explored. After several sleepless nights, and a year of development with a growing list of collaborators including geobiologist Dominic Papineau (CIW), paleotectonics expert Wouter Bleeker (Geological Survey of Canada), metamorphic petrologist John Ferry (Johns Hopkins), meteorite expert Tim McCoy (Smithsonian), geochemist Dimitri Sverjensky (Johns Hopkins), and mineralogists Robert Downs and Hexiong Yang (University of Arizona), we published a paper entitled "Mineral evolution" (American Mineralogist, v.93, pp.1693-1720, 2008) that essentially reframes the science of mineralogy in an historical context.
Mineral evolution posits that the mineralogy of terrestrial planets and moons evolves as a consequence of varied physical, chemical, and biological processes that lead to the formation of new mineral species. The novelty of mineral evolution is epitomized by the new questions it raises about the history of mineralogy. For example, we could find no reference to the question, "What was the first mineral in the cosmos?" That is, what was the first crystalline material to form after the Big Bang? It was too hot following the Big Bang, and the first generation of atoms—mostly hydrogen and helium—are gases. No crystals formed in the first stars, either. But stars produce heavier elements, including such mineral-forming atoms as carbon, oxygen, silicon, and magnesium. We concluded that the first mineral was diamond—pure carbon condensed from the expanding atmospheres of energetic stars. Approximately a dozen "ur-minerals," including nitrides, carbides, oxides, and silicates, condensed as micro-crystals at temperatures greater than 1500°C. The central question of mineral evolution is thus how a dozen phases with 10 essential elements were transformed to the >5000 minerals with 72 essential elements we see today.
II. STAGES OF MINERAL EVOLUTION
While an exact division of geological history into stages of mineral evolution is somewhat arbitrary, we propose that Earth's mineral evolution can be divided into at least ten stages, each of which increased the mineral diversity of the planet. Stage 1 occurred in the stellar nebula prior to planetary accretion, when presolar "dust bunnies" were melted into droplets ("chondrules") by the fitful early Sun. These droplets accumulated in the earliest generations of meteorites, called chondrites. Unaltered chondritic material with approximately 60 different refractory minerals thus represents the starting point of the mineral evolution of all planets and moons in our solar system.
Chondrites clumped together by gravitational attraction into larger and larger "planetesimals." Subsequent aqueous and thermal alteration of chondrites, asteroidal accretion and differentiation, and the consequent formation of achondrites results in a Stage 2 mineralogical repertoire limited to the approximately 250 minerals now found in the diverse suites of unweathered lunar and meteorite samples. Among the important minerals seen for the first time are quartz (of beach sand fame), carbonates (which today form limestone ridges and reefs), and the first clay minerals.
Following planetary accretion and differentiation, the mineral evolution of a terrestrial planet depends initially on a sequence of geochemical and petrologic processes, which depend principally on the size and volatile content of the body—proceses that define Stages 3, 4, and 5. These processes may include volcanism and degassing, fractional crystallization, crystal settling, assimilation reactions, regional and contact metamorphism, plate tectonics, and associated large-scale fluid-rock interactions.
Stage 3 is defined as the period of planetary differentiation into the major layers of metallic core, silicate mantle, and volcanic-derived basaltic crust. Earth's crustal minerals diversified most notably by interactions with the earliest oceans and atmosphere. New hydrous minerals such as clay minerals, evaporites including salt, and ices at the frigid poles were produced in this early period. Igneous rocks also hosted suites of minerals, as described in The Evolution of the Igneous Rocks by Norman Bowen, a long-time Staff Scientist at the Geophysical Laboratory.
Recent work (R.M. Hazen, "Paleomineralogy of the Hadean Eon," American Journal of Science, 2013) suggests that as many as 420 mineral species may have occurred during this early stage of Earth's mineral evolution.
Stage 4 marks the appearance of Earth's first extensive terrains of granite, a silica-rich rock that forms when wet basalt partially melts. The resulting granite melt is 10% less dense than basalt, so it rises to form the cores of continents. Granite formation also may result in the formation of pegmatite, which represent the final stages of granite crystallization. Pegmatite often concentrate rare "incompatible" elements that don't find a comfortable home in common minerals. Numerous new minerals of such elements as beryllium, boron, lithium, tantalum, tin, and uranium thus occur in so-called "complex" pegmatite.
Stage 5 of Earth's mineral evolution arises from the great global-scale process of plate tectonics, by which wet crustal rocks are recycled into the mantle by subduction. New mineral-forming processes arise from consequent fluid-rock interactions that operate on a vast scale. Immense hydrothermal ore deposits, vast metamorphic terrains, and the appearance of high-pressure minerals at Earth's surface all characterize Stage 5, which increased mineral diversity to perhaps 1500 species formed by purely physical and chemical processes. According to some origin-of-life scenarios, a planet must progress through at least some of these stages of chemical processing as a prerequisite for life.
A major unresolved question is when plate tectonics began on Earth. Some researchers claim that some form of subduction was in operation during the first half-billion years, more than 4 billion years ago. Others, however, posit a commencement of modern-style plate tectonics no earlier than 3 billion years ago.
Biological processes began to affect Earth's surface mineralogy by the Paleoarchean (~3.8 Ga), when large-scale surface mineral deposits, including carbonate and banded iron formations, were precipitated under the influences of changing atmospheric and ocean chemistry.
The Paleoproterozoic "great oxidation event" (Stage 7; 2.5 to 1.9 Ga), when atmospheric oxygen may have risen to >1% of modern levels, and the Neoproterozoic increase in atmospheric oxygen following several major glaciation events, gave rise to multicellular life and skeletal biomineralization and irreversibly transformed Earth's near-surface mineralogy. We estimate that 70% of the diversity of species on Earth arise indirectly from biological changes of the atmosphere and oceans. Most of these mineral species incorporate one or more redox-sensitive elements that can occur in two or more oxidation states. Thus, hundreds of new minerals incorporate iron (Fe2+ vs. Fe3+), copper (Cu1+ vs. Cu2+), and uranium (U4+ vs. U6+).
Stage 8 commenced at ~1.85 Ga, when the production of banded iron formations ceased relatively abruptly, signaling a significant change in ocean chemistry likely driven by microbial activity. This gradual change to an "intermediate ocean" appears to have resulted from increased microbial sulfide reduction and surface oxidation. This long time span—approximately 20% of Earth history—has been interpreted as period when the oceans gradually became oxygenated. No new mineral-forming processes have been identified from Stage 8; nevertheless, Earth's mineralogical repertoire continued to diversify significantly as a result of ongoing physical, chemical, and biological processes.
Stage 9 featured the "Snowball Earth" (1.0 to 0.57 Ga). Multiple lines of evidence indicate that Earth experienced dramatic fluctuations in climate and atmospheric composition between about 1.0 and 0.57 Ga, with at least two (and possibly as many as four) snowball Earth events between about 0.75 and 0.57 Ga. During the coldest periods, ice was Earth's most abundant surface mineral. However, mineral diversity did not significantly increase during Stage 9.
The most recent Stage 10 of Earth's mineral evolution saw the biological innovations of shells, teeth, and bones, as well as the rise of the terrestrial biosphere. Dozens of new organic mineral species have appeared during the Phanerozoic Eon.
A principal conclusion of mineral evolution is that sequential stages of mineral evolution arise from three primary mechanisms: (1) the progressive separation and concentration of the elements from their original relatively uniform distribution in the presolar nebula; (2) the increase in range of intensive variables such as pressure, temperature, and the activities of H2O, CO2, and O2; and (3) the generation of far-from-equilibrium conditions by living systems. The sequential evolution of Earth's mineralogy from chondritic simplicity to Phanerozoic complexity introduces the dimension of geologic time to mineralogy and thus provides a dynamic alternate approach to framing, and to teaching, the mineral sciences.
The general principles observed for the emergence of mineralogical complexity on Earth apply equally to any differentiated asteroid, moon, or terrestrial planet. In every instance mineral evolution will occur in a progression of stages as a result of local, regional, and global selective processes. The degree to which a body will advance in mineralogical complexity beyond the relatively simple achondrite stage is dictated by the nature and intensity of subsequent cycling (and hence repeated separation and concentration of elements). Consequently, a planet's surface mineralogy will directly reflect the extent to which cyclic processes have affected the body's history. Accordingly, remote observations of the mineralogy of other moons and planets may provide crucial evidence for biological influences beyond Earth.
A number of papers amplify the original mineral evolution concept:
Hazen, R.M., Ewing, R.J and Sverjensky, D.A. (2009) Evolution of uranium and thorium minerals. American Mineralogist 94. 1293-1311.
Hazen, R.M. and J. M. Ferry (2010) Mineral evolution: Mineralogy in the fourth dimension. Elements 6, #1, 9-12.
Hazen, R.M. and N. Eldredge (2010) Themes and variations in complex systems. Elements 6, #1, 43-46.
Hazen, R.M. (2010) The evolution of minerals. Scientific American 303, #3, 58-65.
Grew, E.S., Bada J.L., Hazen R.M. (2011) Borate minerals and the origin of the RNA world, Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere, 41, 307-316.
Hazen R.M., Bekker A, Bish DL, Bleeker W, Downs RT, Farquhar J, Ferry JM, Grew ES, Knoll AH, Papineau D, Ralph JP, Sverjensky DA, Valley JW (2011) Needs and opportunities in mineral evolution research. American Mineralogist, 96, 953-963.
Golden, J., M.McMillan, R.T.Downs, G.Hystad, H.J.Stein, A.Zimmerman, D.A.Sverjensky, J.Armstrong, R.M.Hazen (2012) The Great Subsurface Oxidation "Event": Evidence from Re Variations in Molybdenite (MoS2
Geology, in review.
Hazen, R.M., R.T.Downs, J.Golden, E.S.Grew, D.Azzolini, D.A.Sverjensky (2012) Mercury (Hg) mineral evolution: A mineralogical record of supercontinent assembly, changing ocean geochemistry, and the emerging terrestrial biosphere. American Mineralogist, in review.
We've received lots of publicity since the mid-November 2008 release of the paper. Here's a sampling:
Selected Articles on "Mineral Evolution"
Minik Rosing (2008) "On the evolution of minerals." Nature 456, 456-458.
Sid Perkins (2008) "As life evolves, minerals do too." Science News, December 6, 2008, 10.
Phil Bernardelli (2008) "Earth's minerals evolved, too." ScienceNOW Daily News, Noember 14, 2008. (http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org)
Crisogono Vasconcelos and Judith McKenzie (2009) "The descent of minerals." Science 323, 218-219.
Brian Fisher Johnson (2009) "Minerals take on a new life." Earth, January 2009, 14-15.
Harvey Leifert (2009) "Rocky Road." Natural History, February 2009, 14.
Science News (2009) News of the Year issue, "Minerals evolve too." January 3, 2009, 26.
American Scientist (2009) "Rocks evolve too." January-February 2009, 25.
Colin Nickerson (2009) "The blurry line between life, nonlife." Boston Globe, January 12, 2009, A9.
Boris Bellanger (2009) "Mineraux sans la vie, il n'en existerait pas autant!" Science et Vie, March 2009, 102-104.
Selected Web Links on "Mineral Evolution"
Earth's Mineral Evolution, Astrobiology Magazine (11/14/08).
Science in Action, BBC Radio (11/14/08).
Life's Traces in Mineral Evolution, Centauri Dreams (11/14/08).
Earth's Minerals Evolved too, Thanks to the Evolution of Life, Discovery Magazine Blows (11/17/08).
How Rocks Evolve, The Economist (11/13/0 | 3,164 |
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I created this look using Cinema 4D with Adobe Illustrator, After Effects<|fim_middle|> like to add too much grain, which can look bad when compressed for broadcast if overdone.
The final comp uses QubaHQ Chromatic Aberration rig to add some subtle chromatic aberration to edges of the frame.
¡Me gusta mucho en render final! El texto se siente como algo sólido pero al mismo tiempo suave, como si se tratara de un caramelo.
Excelente trabajo. Hace un par de días traté de recrear las letras utilizando Blender y After Effects, pero no logré esa escencia… quizás con un poco más de trabajo pueda lograrlo.
Gracias por compartir sus conocimientos, Sr. Dickinson. ¡Saludos desde México!
Cinema 4D camera depth of field settings and how they relate to what is and isn't blurred can be confusing. | and GenArts Sapphire.
TR Candice was the perfect font for the Seventies summer look I wanted to create.
The text was set in Illustrator with attention to kerning.
Illustrator's Offset Paths command was used to create the outline, which resulted in a lot of overlapping paths and some undesireable points at the base of the M and N.
Illustrator's Pathfinder feature was used in Unite mode to join all of the overlapping paths in the outline together into one object.
The prepared Illustrator paths. Notice how the Ms and N have been cleaned up and the compound paths in the S and L have been removed.
Searching Adobe Color (formerly Adobe Kuler) revealed the perfect colour palette for this Seventies summer look.
The prepared paths were imported into Cinema 4D as splines using the Merge Objects function.
The finished outline, created using an Extrude object with big, soft caps. This actually took a bit of spline adjustment to get clean geometry at the corners.
The text, also extruded with smaller caps, was positioned to slightly intersect the outline. The lighter orange material includes the red of the outline as a Fresnel in the Luminance channel, which resulted in some darker red areas around the edges of the orange.
An Infinite light with Area shadows provided the overall illumination.
A tropical beach HDR image from HDRLabs added to a Sky object was perfect for some subtle, summery reflections.
MovieType for Cinema 4D provided the Seamless Scene. Note the gradient colour which was sampled from the Adobe Color swatch. Note also that the text and outline (Base) were set to not be reflected in the floor.
MovieType for Cinema 4D also provided a quick, dynamic camera move using a CameraRectangle preset.
The Physical camera settings and depth of field settings used. I often render a separate depth pass and add blur in After Effects but this time I rendered depth of field directly out of Cinema 4D.
The depth pass and resulting RGB pass. It can take a little work to set up depth of field in Cinema 4D if you're new at it, but the results are worth it.
The final, multi-pass render from Cinema 4D was done in OpenEXR format.
The text was isolated in After Effects with a Track Matte using an imported object buffer, and lightened using the Curves effect.
The reflection pass was added using the Add blend mode, to give the reflections more punch.
The Ambient Occlusion pass was added using the Multiply blend mode, to boost the shadows and increase the contrast.
The Specular pass was blurred slightly using Sapphire Blur and tinted using Sapphire Gamma, then mixed using the Add blend mode. This is a great way to isolate the glow to only the specular in the image.
Sapphire LightLeak was used to enhance the Summer look. LightLeak is great for customisable light leak looks and works well as an overall colour grade here, giving a hazy summer feel.
Sapphire Grain was used to add a super subtle grain pass. I don't | 616 |
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the most challenging days of the year for every online store, but with the help of Shopify tips the breakthrough in sales can be reached easily.
As the world statistics shows, the highest sales are made during Holidays, from the end of November till New Year<|fim_middle|> Friday and Cyber Monday or any other sales and adds special cool labels to discount products to make it more notable.
Define the discount, its start and end day. The prices will change automatically accurately on the defined dates.
This is one of the best Cyber Monday tips from Shopify! With installing it one gets the opportunity to create countdown timers for products that work perfectly on any device.
Choose scheduled or fixed length type of a timer with dates of start and end.
Define how long a timer bar would be shown.
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Fomo is a social proof marketing application, which attracts new customers by showing them what other people have already bought.
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Customers should tell their friends about successful purchases, and this application motivates them to do it. More customers – more sales, and that is the Black Friday aim.
Setting up does not require any developer's skills, and becomes reality in few clicks.
Send a special coupon to the customer; customers receive referral reward for each purchase made by their friend.
The app gives the opportunity personalize emails and create special templates, so the client is more attracted to cooperation. Shopify helps even your correspondence to prepare for Black Friday.
App integrates with Shopify platform in 1 click.
Increase in sales can be noticed only by turning on the pre-built follow-ups.
Synchronization matters: emails list can sync with, for example, Facebook.
After a long and hard in-store Black Friday, more effective and convenient online Cyber Monday comes. It was incepted in 2005, and online retailers have the best profit exactly on this day.
Shopify Cyber Monday tips might be similar to those which were used during preparing for Black Friday, as the same application might be useful for you.
The only difference is that Black Friday is considered to be an in-store discount mostly, while Cyber Monday is completely online thing.
But of course, borders break, and the 2-days discounts transform to the whole period of sales practiced in-stores and in online shopping as well.
Shopify tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be your best assistant in understanding how to prepare for these days – Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. | 's Day. This short period allows earning almost 40% more than the rest of the year. Last 2 month of the year help sellers to hit the target of the sales, so they should be used with a total profit for the business.
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Shopify Black Friday tips are available for downloading and are created to assist you in sales difficulties.
This app allows scheduling for Black | 178 |
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Area Map: http://extra.mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/atlas/gis4media.cgi?area=5701map
MDC owned, for information call 417-432-3414
Directions: From El Dorado Springs, go 6 miles west on US 54, then north on Rt. AA for 12 miles, then east (right) on Route RA for 1.5 miles (last half mile is gravel) into the east side of the area. Or, also from El Dorado Springs, go north on MO 82 and continue north on Rt. H, then left on Rt. Y into the southeast corner of the area.
From Rich Hill on I-49, go east on Rt. B, then south on Rt. M to Schell City (about 42 miles), then right (south) a short way on Rt. AA, then left (east) onto Rt. RA into the area.
When to Visit/Species to Expect: Schell-Osage CA has been designated an Important Bird Area. Approximately 280 species have been reported. Waterfowl migration seasons (especially March, early April and late October/November) can bring any species of duck to the area. American White Pelican, Snow and Ross's Geese, and Horned Grebes may be present then. Shorebirds are best found here from late March through April, especially in the Evelyn Johnson Wetland area along the north side of Schell Lake, easily viewable from the road.
Eared Grebe and Black-billed Cuckoo should be watched for. Fish Crows have become regular. In migration, warblers can be plentiful here. There is good sparrow habitat. Mississippi Kites may be seen from June through August. Red-breasted Nuthatch occurs in invasion winters.<|fim_middle|> for Long-eared Owls near 9-acre Bell Pond, southwest of the headquarters. Bald Eagles were hacked at Bell Pond as part of MDC's successful effort to bring the species back as a breeding bird in Missouri. There are active Bald Eagle nests on the area.
Features of interest to birders: The network of roads with 28 parking lots and several boat ramps provides very good viewing access to the excellent variety of habitats, many of which are chronically underbirded. In addition to the two large lakes (Schell Lake is 461 acres; Atkinson is 461), there are a dozen small ponds, a stretch along the Osage River, nearly 1,800 acres of seasonally flooded wetland, approximately 2,500 acres in crops and old fields, about 1,900 acres in forest and woodland, nearly 300 acres in non-prairie grassland. The 42 acres of remnant prairie is composed of five small prairies, which have been augmented with an additional 170 acres of restored grasslands. More restoration is in progress.
Toilets: 3 privies, all just off the extension of Rt. RA that bisects the area going east/west. One is at North Campground on Schell Lake; one at South Campground on Atkinson Lake; and one is across the road from the headquarters at the lot near Shaw Pond.
Camping: Two campgrounds (North on the south side of Schell Lake, South on the north side of Atkinson Lake) with privies, only. South Campground is closed October 15 through January 31.
Hazards/Limitations: Typical precaution in a hunting area should be heeded. The office is staffed only in waterfowl hunting season.
As of spring, 2015, intensive grassland restoration management is underway to improve habitat for many species of wildlife including, quail, rabbits, grassland songbirds, and pollinators like monarch butterflies and native bees. Management efforts include large-scale removal of invasive trees, controlling invasive plants with herbicide, and seeding native prairie plants. Portions of the area may be posted as closed for public safety during these efforts.
Nearby Birding Sites: Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie, Taberville Prairie CA, Four Rivers CA. | Rusty Blackbirds have been reported, most often in March, but also in December. Watch for Great-tailed Grackles.
Especially notable sightings have included Neotropic Cormorant (2009), Brown Pelican (2002), Lewis's Woodpecker (2001), Snowy Owl (pre 2000), and Cinnamon Teal (several).
In winter, look | 88 |
March 12, 2012 Cambridge, MA -- Noteflight, LLC (noteflight.com), developer of innovative online<|fim_middle|> and audio on the server side, using Noteflight's music layout engine. NPS then delivers the results to authorized users, formatted on the fly according to their needs. It harnesses the advantage of the computing cloud, freeing content owners from the need to manage their musical assets and generate them in a huge variety of file formats. Scores may be provided as MusicXML files or sourced from Noteflight's innovative online score editing website Noteflight.com. | music notation software, today announced the release of Noteflight Publishing Service, a cloud-based server platform that manages digital sheet music assets and delivers interactive musical content to tablets, smartphones, HTML5 browsers and the Noteflight Score Editor. The service is aimed at publishers, institutions and distributors of sheet music, and is available for use under a variety of flexible licensing arrangements.
Noteflight Publishing Service (NPS) is a cloud-based service which converts digital music files into graphics | 95 |
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David Panfili to Appoint Michael Paul as President of Location Sound Corp.
North Hollywood, CA – November 17, 2021 - Location Sound Corporation announced today that outgoing President and CEO, David Panfili will be succeeded by,<|fim_middle|> the helm, and alongside him a highly experienced management team, I am very confident of the company's path forward," said David Panfili.
Mr. Paul joined Location Sound in 1997 in the Sales Department, with subsequent promotions to Product Specialist, Service Manager, and ultimately Technical Director in 2008. Michael stated, "I am honored to be named the next President of Location Sound and look forward to continue our commitment of service to the production sound community."
About Location Sound Corporation
Location Sound opened its doors in October of 1977 with a mission to be the one-stop facility for production sound mixers for all their sales, rental, and equipment service needs. More than 40 years later, Location Sound is the dealer of choice for audio pros looking to add to/upgrade their recording gear—a true testament to their commitment to providing excellent customer service, unrivaled technical expertise, and access to critical inventory. For more information, please visit www.locationsound.com.
This entry was posted in Press Releases on November 17, 2021 by Location Sound. | Michael Paul, effective January 1, 2022. Mr. Panfili, who has served in his current position since 1997, will remain with the company in the role of Chairman of the Board.
"I am proud of what our employees have accomplished in service to our customers. With Michael Paul at | 67 |
Magic show "13 Illusions"
« Bridge of Generations to unite teens and elderly
Barland Championship 2016 »
On May 17 at the stage of the concert hall "Ukraine" will be held a large, bright and unique magic show "13 illusions".
Thirteen magical, mysterious, exclusive items on the program will make children jump with delight, and adults – puzzle over the question of how the obvious can be so incredible. Los Angeles,<|fim_middle|> Magic Awards (Los Angeles, USA), Mandrake D'Or Awards (Paris, France), and Vitaly Luzkar – the winner of the TV show "Ukraine Got talent – 3 "(2011), winner of the Grand Prix prize and audience award of the International competition of illusionists.
Tickets cost from 100 to 450 UAH. For more information – (057) 705-08-21.
Tickets can be purchased at the box office of the concert hall "Ukraine" at Sumska Street, 35.
Concert hall "Ukraine"
Sumska Street, 35
Kharkiv, Ukraine + Google Map | Monaco, Paris gave a standing ovation to this show.
Vitaly Gorbachevsky – winner of the Grand Prix awards of the International festival of magicians (Monte-Carlo, Monaco), World | 43 |
A project manager spends<|fim_middle|> and basic communication model.
The following major sections are addressed: inputs, tools and techniques, outputs of planning, manage and control communications.
All information will be related to Chapter 9: Project Communications Management of the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). Supplemental materials, templates, and worksheets will be provided. | around 90 percent of their time in ensuring proper project communications. Effective communication creates a bridge between diverse stakeholders who may have different cultural and organizational backgrounds, different level of expertise, and different perspectives and interests, which impact or have an influence on the project.
This course defines the term of project communication management, describes project communication processes such as planning, managing and controlling communication; communication methods, technology, different communication channels | 83 |
Whether<|fim_middle|> within the local area, allow us to welcome you home! Contact us today to set up an appointment to see the apartments that are currently available. | you are moving to the area for the first time or you are looking for a new place to live within the local area, allow us to welcome you home!
Are you looking for a comfortable home in the Chatsworth or Ellijay, Georgia area? Want an apartment that is close to local attractions, your workplace and the historic district? We have the perfect place to meet and exceed your expectations!
Enjoy our Ellijay Georgia apartments for the close proximity to town. It is only one mile outside ofEllijay and is a short drive from the beautiful historic district. Visit the local shops or restaurants for an evening out with friends or family and return to a spacious two bedroom apartment. Our Gilmer County apartments are far enough from the center of town to enjoy a quiet evening, but are close to the local attractions when you do not want to stay at home.
If you are moving to Chatsworth, then our Murray County apartments may be the perfect solution for your needs. Our Chatsworth, Georgia apartments are only two miles from downtown and are conveniently located if you enjoy golfing. Our apartments are adjacent to the Spring Lakes Golf Club and are conveniently close to town.
Whether you are moving to the area for the first time or you are looking for a new place to live | 259 |
If you brand it will they come? While it may sound like one big field of dreams, a carefully crafted and customized personal brand will not only convey your value and define your vision it will also offer a unique perspective to prospective employers and hiring managers. It's all about marketing yourself in the way that is going to get you noticed and essentially get you the job.
You might be tempted to brush off personal branding as a passing trend but in reality, the only thing passing by will be your dream job – that is unless you make a commitment to developing your very own personal brand. Your run of the mill objective for your resume is just not going to cut it anymore. So let us find out what better with a head to head battle- branding statement vs. objective for resume.
For the amount of time, you spend writing and rewriting your resume it can be very disheartening to know that the time spent by hiring managers reading your resume is minimal. Sorry to say, but true. That is why you need to grab their attention immediately and compel them to keep reading.
The top half to third of the first page of your resume should be BAM, POW, WOW! Knock them out with your intro and they'll get back up for more.
Take a look at the following examples. The first one is a non-branded objective statement seen way too often by hiring managers and recruiters. The second is a personal branding statement that clearly translates the candidate's unique value.
Creative marketing professional seeks a position within an organization that will allow me to utilize my skills with the potential for growth.
Forward-thinking marketing professional offering a unique combination of creativity and analytical skill with the ability to assess both vantage points simultaneously for an effective balance of visual nuance and sound business decisions which are easily transferable into a variety of positions.
Which one do you think is going to hold the reader's attention?
I hope you can clearly see the advantages the second one has to offer. If you are still holding onto the old school resume format it's time to let go and embrace the new trends in resume writing. It might not be your style; you might think it's too over the top but you have to realize that this is a marketing tool and you need to sell yourself.
The perfect resume may exist, luckily there is a whole lot of variety in the way we can craft a resume. No matter how you slice it, the key objectives are the same, however. Your goal is to seize the average 15 seconds that a recruiter or hiring manager will accord your resume, and be the<|fim_middle|> and ultimately a job. The perfect resume will do this like an advertisement that spurs the consumer to action. You must brand and differentiate yourself, and show the value and skills you bring to the job in question – demonstrate how your employment would solve the company's challenges and meet their goals.
Prescreening is often done from a database or online search. Your resume needs to include the keywords associated with the position and companies/industry where you want to be hired. If you are preparing an open resume; you need to anticipate the keywords.
If you are applying for a specific position with a company; read, research, and understand the company's needs to inform your keyword choice. The next reader of your resume will be scanning it for specific content. Keep these keywords in mind as you build your resume.
Personal branding is important to the success of a job search. Why is it so important? Because as a unique job seeker, it helps define you as an individual and makes you stand out as a prime candidate.
Make a great first impression, cut to the chase. Brand yourself with a tagline. This is an objective but goes further creating an image of you as the professional. However, this isn't your old school objective for a resume. This tagline should explicitly and concisely identify you. It will specify the job you are applying for and the business challenges you can solve.
There are aspects of your background that make you incredibly unique and highly qualified—and your job is to highlight those aspects so that hiring managers don't have to guess whether you're perfect for the job.
Your title/job target is the first impression a hiring manager will have when reading your resume. This short phrase provides a quick summary of what you've accomplished and why you are the right person for the job. It helps to set the tone for who you are as a candidate. This tone should remain consistent throughout the resume and any other information the manager receives from you.
You can also develop your personal brand by creating a career summary section. You want the most important moments of your career to stand out in this section.
These moments might include your winning salesperson of the year five times, or your efforts as a team leader that resulted in record revenues. It's good to list at least four highlights, but make sure they're tailored to the job for which you're applying.
Write a couple of sentences starting with developed or initiated, then talk about what you created and how it helped the message-taking process flow more smoothly throughout the office.
The description of your work history should show the value proposition you represent. The very brief paragraph or the bullet points that elaborate your skills and experience should back-up your branding statement.
Make each bullet count, so you keep the reader's attention and make sure that your value proposition is obvious and compelling. Feature your accomplishments, enumerate your goals met and/or exceeded, demonstrate the value you provided such as higher revenue produced, products brought to market on budget and on time, cost-cutting results.
A skills section at the end serves to quickly summarize the knowledge, skills, certifications, abilities that you offer. This ranges from general to specific embracing technology, functional, industry, management and soft skills.
Remember, this is your 15-second ad. It must look nice and professional, and the content must present you as the solution to the business problem in a compelling and immediate way. | one he/she calls.
The goal of a resume is to get an interview | 15 |
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Blake Geoffrion inks one-year deal
by Staff Writer / Montréal Canadiens
MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Monday the signing of forward Blake Geoffrion to a one-year, two-way contract (2012-13). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The 24-year old Geoffrion played 35 games with the Canadiens and the Nashville Predators in 2011-2012. He registered five points (2 goals, 3 assists), 40 hits and 27 penalty minutes, playing an average of 11:02 minutes per game. In his second year in professional hockey, he also played with the Milwaukee Admirals and Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL, recording 21 points (6 goals, 15 assists) in 29 games.
Acquired by the Canadiens in a transaction with Nashville involving defenseman Hall Gill, the 6'01'', 190 lbs forward collected 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists) in 55 regular season games in the NHL. Geoffrion added two assists in 12 playoff games in 2010-11, along with a +1 plus/minus ratio.
A native of Plantation, Florida, Geoffrion was drafted in the second round, 56th overall by the Predators at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He was awarded the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, as the Top U.S. Collegiate Player in 2010.
Message for Centennial Brick Owners
Canadiens sign Raphael Diaz to a two-year contract
Defining moment | 377 |
Het Tabaks Historisch Museum is een museum in de Nederlandse stad Delft. Het museum geeft een beeld van de (Delftse) tabaksnijverheid sinds de zeventiende eeuw.
De collectie van het Tabaks Historisch Museum is ontstaan uit de particuliere verzameling van Louis Bracco Gartner. De collectie bestaat uit allerlei aan de tabaksnijverheid gerelateerde artikelen zoals pijpen, sigaren, kwispedoors, snuifdozen, ansichtkaarten, reclame-uitingen, verpakkingen en<|fim_middle|>eld van de sigaren- en tabaksfabrieken die Delft heeft gehad sinds de zeventiende eeuw, en de vele sigarenmakers die in Delft woonden en werkten.
Het museum is gevestigd in een oude sigarenzaak. Het is alleen te bezoeken op afspraak.
Externe link
Officiële website
Museum in Delft | gereedschappen. Een deel van de collectie toont specifieke Delftse artikelen zoals Delftse pijpen uit de zeventiende eeuw, Delfts blauwe tabakspotten en Delfts blauwe tegels met pijprokende figuren. Het museum geeft daarmee een compleet be | 79 |
THECOSTCOCONNECTION
Costco members will ;nd swimming, running and cycling gear and accessories seasonally in the warehouses and regularly on Costco.com.
Mississippi, a marathon runner. When Vesey wanted to cut back on running to reduce the wear and tear on her body, Bernardes suggested taking up swimming and cycling, and encouraged her to compete in a local sprint triathlon. Vesey enjoyed the challenge. "It was really hard, and I wasn't very good, but when it was over I wanted to do it again," she says.
To date, Vesey, now a certified fitness
coach herself, has completed an Olympic
triathlon and several Ironman triathlons.
Her advice? "Take it one day at a time and
surround yourself with people to train
you, support you and cheer you on, and
you can do it too."
Of course, it's important to see your
doctor before you begin any exercise pro-
gram, particularly if you are obese, smoke,
have a pre-existing condition, have a fam-
ily history of premature death and are a
male over ;; or female over ;; who isn't
active and in good physical shape.
Take baby steps. "Most people have a
tendency to jump in, and then after a week
they get tired and sore and they take time off
to recover and don't continue," says Ber-
nardes. "Instead, start with ;;-minute seg-
ments in one of the three disciplines: Get in
the pool and swim a few laps, or get on a bike
or take a short run, and rotate."
The goal is to work up to ;; minutes or
so each day, aiming for four to five hours of
training per week for at least three months
before the competition. "In this way, exer-
cising becomes a<|fim_middle|>0/7/17. ©2018 Natrol LLC
WAREHOUSE/ COSTCO.COM | AVAILABLE NOW Item #447497 | habit, and this consis-
tency makes working out easier," says
Bernardes. "It becomes part of your life."
Lean on your strengths. Think about your skill set before you begin to train, says Bernardes. Can you cycle, swim or run? Once you know the answer, you can focus on the areas you need to improve most. If, for example, you're an experienced runner like Karen Vesey, who regularly ran ;; to ;; miles a week, concentrate more on cycling and swimming. If you're a swimmer, cycle and run more to get ready for competition.
Balance your training. If you don't have a background in any of the three sports, you're better off spending half of your training time on a bicycle, since that's the biggest section of each race, says Friel. After that, split running and swimming. "Get out the door to get in two swims, two bikes and two runs every week if you possibly can," suggests Friel.
Hiring an instructor, teacher or coach
can help you with proper form and help you
meet your goals. One of the best resources
for beginners is the website Beginner
Triathlete.com, where you can create a cus-
tom training program at no cost, including
a beginner exercise program, beginner
sprint and even couch-to-sprint training.
YOU'LL NEED three months to get ready for a sprint triathlon, so keep this in mind when you search for races on TriFind.com. "The search engine allows you to sort events by state and race distance," says triathlon expert Joe Friel. "You'll also find listings for beginners."
Visit teamusa.org to find the latest list of events. Select "short" (sprint distance) and the preferred dates, location and other details to find races sanctioned by USA Triathlon. Many races take place in the spring and summer, so January can be the perfect time to begin your training.—CF
Avoid injury. Most injuries occur during the run because of the pounding of the feet on the ground. "That's why it's good to start small—say, with a minute or two for the first month or so—and slowly build up over time," says Bernardes. "This allows the body to adjust to the demands without the risk of getting injured."
Other safety steps include always wearing a helmet when cycling and not wearing headphones when walking or riding, except on stationary equipment. For more information about gear, see "Gear up."
Get support. Working out is easier if you do it with friends or an exercise partner. "Your friends may not all have the same fitness goals, but they can still support you while you pursue yours," says Bernardes. Joining a triathlon group or club can also help keep you motivated. "The triathlon community is very supportive," says Vesey. "If you go to a big race you're competing with the professionals, but people are always willing to help each other out." C
Chrystle Fiedler is a writer and author who specializes in health and ;tness topics.
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His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah listening to Jazeera Airways Chairman Mar<|fim_middle|> national economy, he added. The private sector has already played a noticeable role in bolstering Kuwait's economic status and backing His Highness the Amir vision toward transforming the country into an international-regional financial and commercial hub. | wan Boudai during the inauguration of the new passenger terminal KUWAIT, May 15 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah patronized on Tuesday inauguration of the new passenger terminal for Jazeera Airways at Kuwait International Airport. Jazeera Chairman Marwan Boudai led a group of officials that welcomed His Highness the prime minister at the celebration venue and accompanied him on a tour at the building facilities and sections, briefing His Highness about state-of-art technologies installed at the terminal, in addition to services offered for the passengers. The inauguration ceremony was attended by ministers, senior officials of the state and the premier diwan. In a statement on sidelines of the celebration, His Highness the prime minister stated that opening the passenger terminal depicted the government support for the private sector. The government believes in this sector ability to contribute effectively to projects that back up development plans, he has said. This venture, which is a distinguished step in the realm of aerial services, will be helpful for achieving robust presence and competition for the national airlines, His Highness has stated. He hoped that planned inauguration of future projects at the airport would be a qualitative move and grand leap for overhauling the national civil aviation and passengers' services. Growth of the private sector role is a significant factor for luring foreign capitals for service of the | 282 |
Whether you're an old hand on Twitter, or you don't know your tweets from your hashtags, it's all the same to us. We know Twitter inside out and backwards, and we make it our business to make it work for you.
Optimising your business using Twitter is all about conducting the right kind of advertising for you, knowing what will work and what won't<|fim_middle|> towards those groups that are likely to be interested in finding out more about what you do. In short, we'll find your target customer base and showcase your business directly to them using the best visual promotions around.
It's the 21st Century, so advertising is being taken to another level via social media, but you don't need to be overwhelmed by technology because we can do it for you!
How SSL Can Benefit Your Website? | , getting to the right audience and enhancing the profile of your business on the web.
We'll take care of it all for you, making sure you get the most for your money, and we'll report back to you with the figures to show it's working.
And we'll direct your advertising campaign | 60 |
Hunts Corners (also Hunt's Corners or Moorehead) is an unincorporated community in southeastern Lyme Township, Huron County, Ohio, United States. It lies at the intersection of State Route 547 and Sand Hill Road, southeast of Bellevue and southwest of the city of Norwalk, the county seat of Huron County. Its elevation is 768 feet (234 m), and it is located at (41.2275540, -82.7574062).
Hunts Corners is among Huron County's oldest communities.<|fim_middle|> edge of the Firelands. Although the township's first sawmill was built on Levi Sutton's property, later industry was concentrated in other parts of the township.
In 1993, Hunts Corners was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, primarily because of its role in the exploration and settlement of the region. It is one of three districts on the National Register in Huron County, along with West Main Street in Norwalk and the county courthouse complex.
References
Populated places established in 1811
National Register of Historic Places in Huron County, Ohio
Unincorporated communities in Huron County, Ohio
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
Unincorporated communities in Ohio | Founded by Levi Sutton, a Virginian, the community was established as the "Sutton Settlement" in 1811, six years before the first settlers arrived in Norwalk. While it was one of several small communities formed in Lyme Township during the early years of settlement, the area long languished: many of the earliest landowners were speculators who refused to sell land to would-be settlers, many of the remaining tracts were long embroiled in probate lawsuits, and the lower sale price of federally owned lands farther west retarded interest in the acreage of this township, given its location on the western | 127 |
Dealing with everyday expenses and financial commitments sometimes feels like all we can manage – and we find ourselves delaying other, important goals like saving for retirement, or even building an emergency fund.
If you want to work towards your long-term financial security, you may first need to free up funds to do so – but how? One suggestion: participate in the "sharing economy," now dead simple, thanks to the Internet. By sharing, renting, or bartering, you'll reduce your expenses and/or earn a little extra income. Before you know it, you may find yourself with extra funds to fatten your savings account or invest in the other building blocks of your financial security.
Share things. More and more people are earning extra income by participating in the Internet-based "sharing economy," which includes popular services such as<|fim_middle|> earn by sharing, renting, and bartering will vary, of course. The point is to be mindful about where your money goes, and be willing to think creatively about how to make the best possible use of your resources! | AirBnb, Uber, Lyft, TaskRabbit, and DogVacay. Want to start even smaller? Consider joining a sharing website like Freecycle or StreetBank. Sharing sites let you give away things you no longer need, share things like ladders or drills that you only use once in a while, and share skills with neighbors who need help. Imagine how much you could save in 2017 by using a sharing site first when you need a product or service – and only hitting the store as a last resort!
Rent things. Short-term renting instead of buying is another great way to cut your expenses, on items you only need occasionally (leaf blowers, or carpet steamers, for example) – and the Internet has made the process easier than ever. For example, Zilok is a site that lets you rent anything from power tools to electronics to party equipment and accessories. Peerby is an Internet-based service that lets you rent specific items you need from people who live nearby. Simply post a request on Peerby and the app will notify 100 users who live closest to you. Remember, you can also rent out your own stuff to earn. Bonus: by sharing and renting, you're also reducing waste and making stronger connections with your neighbors.
Save money by trading something you no longer need for something you do. At the swap website U-Exchange, for example, members simply post descriptions of what they are seeking and what they are offering in exchange. Members can browse listings and trade as much as they like, for free.
The amount you save or | 321 |
Become a Journalist Postgrad Journalism Course: What would Tony think?
Tuesday was my designated day to make an entry in this<|fim_middle|> I'll be working with, especially our new deputy and news editors. | archive of our hopes and fears. As you can see from the time of posting I never quite made it thanks to the PMA workload. So I'll have to keep this brief in case I nod off at my computer and awake at 6am with a keyboard-shaped imprint on my face.
Today was a day of great discussion and debate, much of it over the name of the ideal target reader for our canal business magazine. We settled on Tony. In my mind he seems an affable sort of chap, intelligent yet straightforward. The kind of guy most people would happily go to the pub with. From now on whenever we get stuck on any issue to do with the magazine, we just need to ask ourselves "What would Tony think?"
We also decided on a name for our magazine. We can now be proud to say we write for the wittily titled Canal Business. Though Fluid Matters was a close second.
After portioning up Britain and the rest of the world it was time for a game, of sorts. Who can endure four mock press conferences in 2 hours without going insane and while producing beautifully written stories in between? I think I'll have to avoid writing rolling news of this kind if I don't want to have a heart attack before I'm 30.
My fellow PMA-ers also paid me a huge compliment today by making me editor of Canal Business. Thanks guys, I hope I don't let you down. I'd be completely terrified if I didn't know what a fantastic team | 306 |
Car News Nurburgring Videos
Video: Porsche 918 Spyder official promo at the Nurb<|fim_middle|> tests
Maserati has been putting its upcoming mid-size SUV, the Grecale, through its paces in Sweden with a series of rigorous... | urgring
Late last month Porsche announced that its upcoming supercar, the Porsche 918 Spyder, lapped the famous Nurburgring in Germany in 7:14. The company has now released an official promo film showcasing the effort.
In case you've missed the news, Porsche is working on an all-new hypercar which will be a replacement to the epic Carrera GT. Instead of featuring a V10 engine though, the 918 gets a complex hybrid setup with electric motors at each axle, as well as a race-bred 4.6-litre naturally aspirated V8.
The V8 alone is enough to provide proper supercar levels of excitement. Built with a flat-plane crank the V8 can scream to 9000rpm. Power output for the petrol engine is well over 400kW.
As for the electric part of the drivetrain, the 918 can be driven solely on electric power making for a somewhat practical and very economical supercar.
Switch the driving mode into 'race' though and the company is saying around 597kW will be unleashed. Acceleration from 0-100km/h is set to come up in under 3.0 seconds, with a top speed of around 325km/h.
Not only will the 918 be fast, it will also handle brilliantly judging by the Nurburgring lap time. Porsche chief test driver and Group B Rally champ Walter Rohrl also speaks high praise of the car, saying that "the way the car handles, how it pulls itself out of the corner is simply surreal".
The Porsche 918 Spyder will go on sale later in 2013. It's unknown if the supercar will make it to Australia at this stage.
Click play on the video below for the official appetiser, while below that is a recent part-review by Drive's Chris Harris. The review provides some very interesting insights into the intriguingly awesome machine.
InNurburgring, Porsche 918, Porsche 918 Spyder
Maserati Grecale SUV prototypes undergo harsh winter | 450 |
Heart of the Shepherd's internship program has been in place since 2009. Over 30 interns have graduated from our program. The internship program at the farm equips students with basic farming skills and<|fim_middle|> busiest season is the spring season, with many opportunities for learning. Learn what Psalm 23 really means while being the shepherd to the pasture raised flock on the farm. Learn how to give Shepherding Tours, and work in the Farm Animal Barn.
4. Wool Mill Internship: Learn how to process wool "green" - including washing, carding, spinning, weaving and more. Learn how to give Wool Mill tours and assist with Wool related displays in the Farm Museum.
Interns will experience some of every segment of farm life, and are not restricted completely to their internship emphasis. We have a saying "Every day is a new day on the farm." Be ready to be flexible. Nature is unpredictable.
• Summer Semester May - Mid-Aug or Early Sept.
Interns have come from New Hampshire, California, Colorado, Kansas, South Carolina, Arizona, Georgia,Kansas, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Kyrgyzstan and Oklahoma.
Several graduate interns have been hired to be a part of the Shepherd's Cross and Heart of the Shepherd team. | arms them with Biblical references to farming and shepherding.
2. Sheep and Shepherding Internship : this internship has it's primary interest focused on shepherding. The | 36 |
Game-changers
Interviews| The Untamed
Stepha Abdul| Unlocking opportunities for youth in<|fim_middle|> brings me fulfilment." she adds.
Meaningful youth engagement
"The most profound lesson I have learned about youth empowerment is that the fire within the youth is fanned by the availability of information. Young people are taking advantage of the information to be positive advocates. When I moved away from my comfort zone, I gained a broader understanding of the challenges young people go through," she elaborates.
"We as Africans need to stop selling ourselves short. We need to be ready to open the doors to other people on the continent. Our society tends to beat down our fire and determination. When we are ready to create solutions to challenges, we go through restrictions like patriarchy. We can excel through our innovations, and it starts from appreciating our potential. Let us view ourselves with a positive mindset. You are good enough." Stepha says.
PEEG Initiative in the community
Stepha's advice to young people on starting similar initiatives is that the space is not for the faint-hearted. They shouldn't do it for the money but because they are hungry for change. "Once you start, you need to shut down the negative comments from society. Create a vision board and state precisely what you want to achieve in your initiative. Align your work to global priorities like the Sustainable Development Goals. Partnering with other organisations will also enable you to expand the scope of your work."
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cynthiaoprah_nyongesah
Reposted from @voicesofyouth Penelope Lea is a 17-year-old Norwegian climate activist who became the second-youngest ambassador for UNICEF in 2020.
She's passionate about climate action and using her voice to advocate for better solutions for the environment.
Go to the Voices of Youth website to meet other young advocates speaking up for child rights and get ready to celebrate #WorldChildrensDay.
Illustration by Meriam Kajo at @meriamillustrations. ...
One of my favorite books as a little girl was a book called "I will be back shortly." I don't remember what is was about 🤣📖 But yeah, I will be back..... shortly.
Meanwhile, we keep advocating for the rights of every child, we keep championing for education and we continue to amplify the stories of young change makers in Africa and have conversations that inspire the current generation of leaders across the continent 💪💜
#CynthiaUNTAMED A.K.A. #GirlWithAmbition
📸: @welliqphotography ...
"The things you learn from sports – setting goals, being part of a team, confidence… it's about.. accepting challenges..."
– Summer Sanders.
🏊♀️🦭⛵ ...
Cynthia NyongesaFollow59,06413,947
Retweet on TwitterCynthia Nyongesa Retweeted
UNICEF Kenya@UNICEFKenya·
All WHO-approved vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, ...your family and community from COVID-19 and its variants.
Even if you are fully vaccinated, continue to wear your mask in public spaces and observe all prevention guidelines.
Cindy Trimm@cindytrimm·
2 Jan 1477480680758120448
This is going to be your best year yet! Promise me you'll never underestimate yourself or God!
I decree you will live a life of purpose, passion, and prosperity! You are destined to live a ...blessed and successful life in victory! Be encouraged today! You are #unstoppable
Cynthia | UNTAMED
A digital platform that amplifies the stories of young change-makers in Africa
Copyright © 2020 Cynthia Untamed | Nigeria
cnnyongesah95@gmail.com
Young people need a solid ground to influence them. "I was inspired by the hard work my grandmother put in her life, which ensured that the opportunities my mother got trickled down to me. My grandmother would take me to orphanages where I had first-hand interactions with the challenges children my age were facing. When I was in primary school, my best friend was from a humble background. She barely had enough to eat at lunchtime. I secretly put food in her school bag. Unfortunately, she got into trouble with the school administration and was accused of theft. I tried to defend her, but people wouldn't believe me. It was then that I realised that society has been tailored to favour those who are privileged," Stepha narrates.
Experiences like this motivated her to start the P.E.E.G Initiative, a registered non-governmental organisation in Abuja, Nigeria. It creates opportunities for young people through Peace, Equality, Empowerment and Growth. "The four umbrellas focus on the issues that affect Africa. For example, Xenophobia affects peace in Africa, while promoting gender equality brings equal opportunities for men and women. Many young people lack access to education. We gather resources to assist those who don't. Growth is very important in every stage of our lives as we are constantly changing and partnerships enable us to do more," Stepha expounds on the back story of her organisation.
PEEG team donating food stuff
"When I was putting together a team for the organisation, I looked for young people who had gone through the government-sponsored Nigeria Youth Service who I could add value into their lives and were committed to serving the country. Like many African countries, Nigeria has a high unemployment and underemployment rate. Engagement through mentorship and service in communities is what | 367 |
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Alexandra Davies
Alexandra Davies (born 8 March 1977) is a British-born<|fim_middle|>
2005 Bølle Bob og smukke Sally | Australian actress. Davies has graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in Performance In her breakthrough role, Davies played Donna Parry in the Australian police drama Young Lions in 2002. She was a Most Popular New Female Talent nominee at the 2003 Logie Awards. Davies also starred in the sitcom Flat Chat and has made guest appearances on Water Rats, McLeod's Daughters and The Secret Life of Us. In 2005 she also had a very brief role in the film Stealth. Since 2004 Davies has portrayed character Cate McMasters in the medical drama All Saints. She previously appeared in two early episodes of the show as a woman with whom previous character Ben Markham had a fling. Davies is married to Justin "Jay" Hanrahan, a cameraman she met while on All Saints. They married in January 2008. Official Website: http://www.alexdavies.com.au From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Place of Birth Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, UK
Official Site http://www.alexdavies.com.au/
Олександра Дейвіс
2019 The Way We Weren't as Judy
2018 The Dunes as Mrs. Night
2017 Gates of Darkness as Emily
2016 Seattle Road as Gwen
2010 Arctic Blast as Emma Tate
2009 X-Men Origins: Wolverine as Woman of the Night | 312 |
As soon as you pick Proton Carpet Cleaning for your carpet cleaning needs, you get a considerably deeper clean, and faster-drying carpets and much healthier home for yourself and your family members.
<|fim_middle|> no one open up to take your call at that time; that's what is so terrific about us, we have 24/7 service, meaning that water damage repair work in Tolmans Hill can be begun right away, providing less chance for mould and mildew to get a foothold.
Since we stop the water before it actually ruins your carpet, we can on a regular basis clean up the mess and get your carpets appearing like brand-new, saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars in new carpet. | Not all carpet cleaning companies in Tolmans Hill are the same. Proton Carpet Cleaning supplies our clients with dependable, and thorough cleaning services for all of their carpet, upholstery, and even tile needs. We utilize a crew of reliable and highly competent carpet cleaning specialists who are devoted to bringing our clients the highest-quality cleaning services obtainable.
Proton Carpet Cleaning offers high-quality, dependable and extremely budget-friendly cleaning services and so much more to our consumers and companies in Tolmans Hill, and all the surrounding regions. our company provides a variety of cleaning services to ensure your home looks, smells and feels its absolute best, and we're always ecstatic to furnish our clients with totally free estimates.
Our team of professional cleaning specialists is readily available 24/7 to help rejuvenate your house's carpets. Get in touch with us right now!
When we go to your home to clean your carpets, we utilize our very own one-of-a-kind extraction method to obtain the finest end results possible.
Whenever you are cleaning carpets, it is important to ensure to rinse away all of the cleaning agents or dirt will attach to the carpet fibers.
Soon after we have cleaned your carpets and they have dried, we then employ a specialized solution to repel dirt and soak up spills.
We offer the expert carpet cleaning in Tolmans Hill and water damage services you require 24/7. We use only the best and effective products to get your carpets looking brand-new and smelling fresh once again.
Before we do anything we have a look at what damages have actually been done and how best to restore them. We will make an honest recommendation based on the length of time the carpets have actually been wet and how the damage was developed. Carpets that have actually been exposed to sewage-contaminated waters for more than 24 hours need to be disposed of as soon as possible as they will be beyond repair.
We will eliminate stagnant water from your carpet utilizing an advanced extraction technique with our effective vacuums. We will then utilize wetness detection tools to discover any additional moisture problems to ensure there is no possible risk of more wetness damage.
We provide professional Carpet Cleaning services consisting of complimentary Sanitisation & totally free Deodorising with 100% client's complete satisfaction. Our specialised carpet cleansing option includes carpet steam cleaning, carpet dry cleansing, carpet stain elimination, carpet mould repair, animal stain elimination from carpet, animal hair elimination from carpet, end of lease carpet cleansing, carpet sensitisation, carpet deodorising, carpet repair, carpet shampooing and more.
With many years of experience in cleaning industry. Its essential to professional clean your carpets instead of cleaning your own. DIY carpet vacuum just remove dust from the surface area leaving germs, fungis and germs behinds under the carpet layers. Schedule the professional carpet steam cleaning company today to secure your household & family pets from undesirable harm from allergic reactions & include charm to your domestic & industrial properties.
Carpet cleaning is not just an important part of healthy living but often a legally binding part of the end of lease cleaning and residential or commercial property evaluations too. Our cleaning services in Tolmans Hill cover all these aspects and assist you live a healthy and peaceful life.
Harmful allergens and hidden spots hide in even the most well-vacuumed carpets. This is why it is suggested to obtain your carpets expertly cleaned up a minimum of once a year depending upon the frequency of use. We do that without requesting for a fortune for our services.
No one likes the looks of unclean carpets, especially when you deal with an up and coming evaluation. Impressions constantly last, and it is essential to prepare in advance. Why not engage our expert, licensed carpet cleaners in Tolmans Hill to do the task for you?
That's where we can assist you. With a wide variety of clients across the Tolmans Hill area, our experts have the ideal knowledge to carry out a hard and fast action on your carpets. We'll get them looking excellent as new with our specialist service and qualified cleaner team of professionals with cumulative years of experience.
With our 24/7 professional services we encourage you to call as quickly as the damage occurs so we can get our group out to your house and begin prior to additional damage can happen.
We provide total water extraction services in Tolmans Hill as part of our repair procedure. We use just the most recent and most efficient treatment to penetrate to the deepest layer of your carpet and under padding to remove every ounce of harmful liquid. This is necessary to remove the threats of mould and other dangerous germs.
The anti-microbial and anti-browning sprays are then pushed into the carpet to guarantee they completely permeate using a carpet buffing system. When this is complete, the water and cleaners are then extracted and drying can occur.
As you can see we take every preventative measure to ensure your carpet is returned to its original state and prevent any possibility of later issues that can occur as a result of mould and bacteria. When you are faced with flood damage you can depend on us to bring your house back to its original state as a welcoming and soothing safe house.
We can assist with water damage not just from flooding or leaks, we can likewise help identify moisture issues such as water gathering in your window wells. It is necessary to identify all sources of moisture to eliminate the hazard of mould. We treat impacted areas to not just get rid of existing mould concerns, however to also prevent more growth.
If you have actually suffered from water damage, flooding or leakages or have actually noticed an uncommon odour or misty windows in your house, give us a call. We will check the areas in question, identify the problems and proceed with our water extraction and mould avoiding treatments to keep your home free from wetness damage and the risks of mould.
Do you have water damaged carpet in Tolmans Hill? We can aid with water damage remediation and repair work. Whether your job is a big one or a little one, we pride ourselves in having the ability to complete any job quickly and professionally. We utilize competent technicians to your home to fix carpet water damage in Tolmans Hill and surrounds.
Having actually been in business for a long time now, we understand that if water damage is one thing, it is unforeseeable. Your dishwashing machine, washing machine, sink pipe, roofing gutter, or bath all of a sudden decide to catastrophically fail, leaving you with a massive clean-up job.
The issue is, there is | 1,309 |
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