question stringlengths 14 1.69M | answer stringlengths 1 40.5k | meat_tokens int64 1 8.18k |
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Our promise: stage design lighting that you'll love! The lighting operator presses buttons for pan/<|fim_middle|> audio (or video) file.
Save complex and expensive time-coded installations, and simply play the multimedia lightshow, with all files stored in the computer.
Evaluate our Software for free!
Download it, load the demo project and watch the lightshow in our 3D viewer.
SweetLight makes stage design lighting fun and easy, and is available for download on your Windows or MacOS computer. | tilt movements, he stacks color/gobos presets, he adjusts speed faders and dimmers.
He can drive all buttons and sliders with a midi surface control device.
The couple "Live" screen + midi console makes a powerful lighting desk for a very competive price.
From a vertical list, the lighting operator selects the next scene, and he triggers the transition with a "go" button.
He can reorganize the list while the current scene is playing.
He can control and modify the show, according to last minute actor changes. This is lighting desk for theater. Stage design lighting at its best it what we strive for.
A cursor moves from left to right in a timeline view and it triggers scenes while it plays an | 148 |
Q: Serving rest requests: how to avoid code duplication In the rest part of my lift application I often have code like this:
object UserRest extends RestHelper {
serve("user" :: Nil prefix {
case Req("remove-item" :: itemId :: Nil, "json", PostRequest) => {
User.currentUser.map{ u =>
//doing some things and returning message
"Ready, all right."
}.getOrElse("You must be<|fim_middle|> { u => a(u) }.getOrElse(JString(msg))
}
Then, you'd just call it like :
unbox(User.current){ u:User =>
//doing something
JString("Ready, all right.")
}
A: If you are just doing this for the purposes of authentication, you should be able to use guarded LiftRules.dispatch calls. Described in Simply Lift and in more detail here.
You may also just be able to use LiftRules.httpAuthProtectedResource(UserRest), but I'm not really sure about that.
| logged in to perform this operation.")
}: JValue
case Req("update-item" :: itemId :: Nil, "json", PostRequest) => {
User.currentUser.map{ u =>
//doing some things and returning message
"Ready, all right."
}.getOrElse("You must be logged in to perform this operation.")
}: JValue
}
}
As you can see for every user operation I have this piece of code:
User.currentUser.map{ u =>
//...
}.getOrElse("You must be logged in to perform this operation.")
My question is - do I have a way to put this piece of code to one place to avoid repeating it for every request?
A: You could write a function to handle unboxing objects for you. Something like this should help:
def unbox[A](t:Box[A])(a: A => JValue) = {
val msg = "You must be logged in to perform this operation."
t.map | 199 |
BEST COAST – " California<|fim_middle|> "
DES ARK – " Everything Dies " | Nights "
Posted: December 20, 2015 in Classic Albums, MUSIC
Tags: Best Coast, Bethany Cosentino, Bobb Bruno, California Nights, Los Angeles
great songs and lyrics…a good summery voice..all on a rush of guitars..I hope this is the big for them..A little of a Californian Husker Du..a lot of Go Gos on legal highs, The few songs I'd heard before were good tight indie pop but now they've gone to a major label my fears were diminished as soon as "Feeling OK" blasted through my speakers. The voice, the lyrics and the music has matured but without losing it's edge. There are shades of 80's pop a la The Go Go's and 90's via Throwing Muses. With this and the Wolf Alice album out, will this year be all about girls and guitars?
Best Coast are a bit like a game of hopscotch. The strategy is simple: Take a few hops forward, sometimes inside the box, sometimes outside, and with enough practice at the reliable pattern comes enough skill to exercise a little style in your step. 2010's Crazy for You laid the basics of Best Coast's game — earnest lyrics about being stoned and in love, interspersed with a few ooh's and ahh's, and unbelievably catchy hooks drenched in honey, sunshine and surf. California Nights shows off the tricks Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno have mastered after many run-throughs of that formula since — opening track "Feeling OK" is incredibly polished, while the title track is a hazy, gliding departure from the crunchy pop we've come to depend on from the duo. In its familiar patterns, California Nights is as endearing as any Best Coast release to date.
BEACH SLANG – " Young and Alive/Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas | 395 |
Murder case developments: Medical examiner testifies, judge suppresses part of statement
Nancy Molnar
NEW PHILADELPHIA — Gaven J. Carlisle died March 5 from wounds caused by single gunshot to his back, according to Dr. Elizabeth Mooney of the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office.
The deputy medical examiner conducted the autopsy on the 22-year-old New Philadelphia man who was shot during what police and prosecutors say was a drug deal planned as a robbery.
In testimony given Wednesday, Mooney said the bullet went into the right side of Carlisle's back<|fim_middle|> shooting Carlisle with a rifle shortly after he arranged to buy marijuana from him and a second victim. Police and prosecutors have said Butler planned to steal the narcotics.
Franklin allegedly arranged the meeting, which began late March 4 in the 600 block of 11th Drive NW in New Philadelphia.
In another development Wednesday, Judge Michael Ernest ruled on a motion made by Butler's attorneys to suppress the defendant's statement to New Philadelphia police detectives on the day of the murder.
His ruling excludes from the trial everything Butler stated after he said, "Oh my God. I don't even want to talk no more," about 37 minutes into the 90-minute interview by detectives Sgt. Shawn Nelson and Chaz Willett.
The cutoff means juries will not hear Butler say "I did it" at 58 minutes and 50 seconds into the interview, which is recorded on video. The defendant said the shooting was an accident and that he was scared.
Judge Ernest wrote in his decision that there was no need to make a judgment about Butler's second statement, "I'm done. I'm done," given at 47 minutes, 34 seconds into the interview, because it occurred after the first time he said he was done talking.
In earlier parts of his statement to police, Butler gave varied accounts of what happened at the crime scene.
Butler's attorneys Mark Perlaky and Anthony Koukoutas had argued that Butler was not properly given a Miranda warning informing him of his right to remain silent.
The judge disagreed with them on that point, writing that Butler had knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waived his Fifth Amendment right.
Butler and Franklin are being held in the county jail. Bail is $2 million, cash only, for both. Both are facing possible sentences of life without parole if convicted. | , and through a rib, left lung, aorta, esophagus, heart and left lung before exiting on the left side of his body.
She gave a deposition in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court by video link in advance of the defendants' trials because she will be unavailable on the days trials are scheduled for defendants Sajjaad J. Butler and Te'Quan A. Franklin.
Butler, 19, and Franklin, 21, have pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder, murder and two counts of aggravated robbery. All charges carry gun specifications.
Franklin is scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 22 or Oct. 6. Butler's trial is also scheduled for Sept. 22. If Butler's trial proceeds on that day, Franklin's will begin Oct. 6.
Mooney's recorded deposition will serve as testimony at both trials. Prosecution and defense attorneys questioned her twice on Wednesday, the first time with Franklin in the courtroom with his lawyer, and the second time with Butler and his attorneys.
Butler, of Canton, is accused of | 227 |
'Alice' a wonder in box-office land | The<|fim_middle|>207%2FLIFE18"> | Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper
Posted on: Monday, March 8, 2010
'Alice' a wonder in box-office land
• Photo gallery: In The Spotlight
Advertiser News Services
NEW YORK � Tim Burton's and Johnny Depp's trip down the rabbit hole drew huge crowds, as "Alice in Wonderland" earned a whopping $116.3 million in its opening weekend � a record for a 3-D film.
The surprisingly huge total easily surpassed all other films in release and gave Walt Disney Studios an even bigger opening than that of the hugely popular 3-D film "Avatar." It also marked the biggest opening weekend for a nonsequel.
It was a record release for the first quarter of the year, typically a time of lower box-office expectations and critically acclaimed Oscar contenders.
The weekend's second-best box office performer was "Brooklyn's Finest," Antoine Fuqua's gritty police thriller, which earned $13.5 million in its first weekend.
DIRECTOR SNUBS ISRAEL AT OSCARS
JERUSALEM � The Israeli Arab co-director of the Oscar-nominated film "Ajami" set off a last-minute uproar yesterday, saying he wouldn't be representing Israel while at the Academy Awards ceremony.
"Ajami" depicts the brutal life of drugs, violence and poverty in a mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood in the Mediterranean city of Jaffa. It was nominated for best foreign-language film, but lost to Argentinian crime drama "The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)."
Scandar Copti directed the film along with a Jewish Israeli partner, Yaron Shani. Copti has been critical of Israel's policies toward its Arab minority.
BRAD PAISLEY BRUISED IN CONCERT MISHAP
CHARLESTON, S.C. � Brad Paisley is recovering after he tripped on stage and took a tumble during a South Carolina concert.
A news release from his spokeswoman said the country star was singing his encore finale � "Alcohol" � when he fell Saturday night, but got back up and finished his show. He was checked out at a hospital and released early yesterday.
Paisley suffered only some bad bruises, but wrote on his Twitter page that he "hit hard. And I mean freaking hard." The 37-year-old quipped that doctors told him he "was a very brave boy."
JAMAICA PLANS TO DISPLAY REGGAE RARITIES
KINGSTON, Jamaica � Jamaica plans to open a music museum next year featuring rare pieces from the island's music history, including an album late reggae star Bob Marley produced before he gained global fame.
There's also a cassette tape in which another reggae great, Peter Tosh, jams a blues song with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, the museum curator said yesterday.
Preservation of Jamaica's vibrant music history took a major hit two years ago when a massive collection of 1970s music, including original recordings by Marley and Tosh, was found to have disappeared from the archives of the former Jamaica Broadcasting Corp.
&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.honoluluadvertiser.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D%2F20100308%2FLIFE18%2F3080351%2F1 | 722 |
Bill Bixby
Actor / TV Director
Bill Bixby was a handsome, halfway-to-hip TV leading man of the 1960s and 1970s. His best-known role was probably that of Dr. David Banner in the series The Incredible Hulk from 1978-82; when angered, Banner would turn into the raging green muscleman The Hulk (played by bodybuilder Lou<|fim_middle|> Martian (1963-66), in which he played an amiable bachelor secretly hosting a Martian (Ray Walston) in his home. Later he starred as a widower dad in The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969-72) and then in the short-lived series The Magician (1973-74) as a Houdini-like figure who used prestidigitation to help out people in need. After the run of The Incredible Hulk, Bixby spent less time acting and more time behind the camera, directing a variety of series episodes and TV movies.
A 2003 feature film, The Hulk, starred Eric Bana as both Dr. Banner and The Hulk. | Ferrigno). Bixby's early breakthrough series was the hit My Favorite | 16 |
Nelson Mandela Bay is blessed with scenic African beauty – environment and people which are two of the greatest assets to tourism.
Watch any one of our locals engage with a foreign visitor to our shores – their pace slows and they listen to the halting questions which are always answered with a smile and arms gesticulating<|fim_middle|> in the grip of a drought? | to all points of the compass as our local swells with pride whilst pointing out just where the best, secret and most scenic spots are to be found.
We are the Friendliest City in Africa – careful or you will be invited to dine with all and sundry.
We have the best beaches in Africa – clean, long and mostly safe for swimming.
We are the gateway to the Big Seven all in a Malaria free area.
We have the most forward thinking Metro in terms of renewable energy.
We have the best bay for Sailing and associated Watersport in the country, if not Africa.
We are the only city with two ports within spitting distance of each other.
Within 5 minutes of my home I can walk in the forest, take in a show, walk on the beach, go sailing, go shopping and – when I was younger – drop both of my children off at school.
Our lifestyle is one that cannot be beaten.
And did I mention that we have water and are not | 201 |
The American presidential campaign of 2016 is, fortunately for everybody, nearly over. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure how many more sexual assault allegations, "nasty woman" mumbles, and associated other scandals I can actually take before retreating to a remote forest and refusing to look at a newspaper for a year. But, as we reach the end of the (very) long road that leads to the White House, it's intriguing to look back on the battle of Trump and Clinton in the context of the history of presidential campaigns. This presidential campaign has been unique for several reasons, but in others, it's actually been pretty par for the course, and those parts may surprise you. Presidential campaigns have changed massively in some areas; in others, you'd feel just as at home in the 1800s as you do watching Clinton and Trump duke it out in a debate.
There are significant arguments to be made about the influence of television (and, before that, radio) on the ways in which presidential campaigns were run; but the real shifts in the run to the White House are actually more fundamental than that. America has shifted from a country where candidates were supposed to stay home and shut up — to one where their appearance, in minute detail, is the focus of the campaign, and must be on-point at all times. In that grand spectrum, the appearance of television was just another notch in the movement toward a candidate-centric campaign. Yes, I know the idea of somebody campaigning for the presidency without kissing a single bewildered baby seems completely alien.
Our expectations for presidents, how they behaved and sought power, and what they were allowed to do to get it have, in some ways, turned 180 degrees from the first democratic elections in 1788. (George Washington was elected unanimously. If that could ever happen nowadays, we'd all be concerned the country had had a stroke.) Here's how campaigning for the presidency has changed over the course of America's history.
The most astonishing contrast between today's election cycle and that of the 19th century is likely the appearance of the candidates. Or not. Presidential candidates, as Smithsonian Magazine explains, "did not kiss babies, ride in parades or shake hands. Nor did they even make stump speeches." All the accouterments of the modern campaign around the candidates themselves were absent. Instead, they stayed at home.
The reason? Actually stepping up to the podium yourself to make your case was seen as, well, immodest, and uncouth. The presidency was meant to be a job you were asked to do, sometimes at your own inconvenience; it was a sign that you weren't power-hungry. "It was though unseemly for presidential candidates to tour the nation and campaign," as Commonwealth magazine puts it. The history of the early presidential campaign and many of the winners' speeches are modeled on the idea of a person who becomes president out of duty and the desire of the people, not because they've been out kissing babies.
If there's one thing that distinguishes the political campaigns of today's presidency fights, it's the omnipresence of the candidate. They're expected to be everywhere, making tracks across the country, being photographed in key states, giving speeches, and smiling at children. Hence the now-infamous photograph of Clinton and Trump's private campaign planes passing one another at an airport as they went to different states on the campaign trail. It's grueling and physically exhausting, but we demand the candidates, in person, to convince us of their worth.
Part of the emphasis on the modesty and innocence of candidates in the early days of presidential campaigning was that they weren't supposed to do any fighting on their own behalf. It was all performed via surrogates. While candidates stayed home, quietly and without press interruption, their "campaign team" unleashed their full furore on the populace. "Promoting oneself was not respected," notes<|fim_middle|> runs meant everything was more decorous, you're dead wrong. American political presidential surrogates cooked up some of the dirtiest smear campaigns in history. PBS has a list of some of the most egregious. In the 1800 election, for example, John Adams supporters called Thomas Jefferson "a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father," while Jefferson's lot called Adams "a hideous hermaphroditical character." One 1856 candidate, Colonel John C. Fremont, faced a smear campaign alleging he was secretly Catholic. The Saturday Evening Post adds other examples: Andrew Jackson was meant to be "the son of a prostitute and a black man," while Grover Cleveland was alleged to have an illegitimate child in Buffalo, leading to the slogan among his political opponents: "Ma, ma, where's my pa? Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha!"
This has been a dirty, astonishingly personal election, but in the context of political campaigning for the presidential office in American history, it's actually not all that unusual. Both sides have thrown enough dirt to make a mountain, and the discovery of secrets is fair game for journalists, from Trump's tax returns (or lack thereof) to Clinton's emails. It may not comfort you to know that it's never been more polite, but it's the truth. | the Our White House campaign, "and publicly criticizing an opponent was completely unacceptable"; but if it was in the hands of supporters instead of the men themselves, anything went. This also had the advantage that, if somebody went too far or attracted public rancor, the candidate could recuse himself of all responsibility (even if he'd been directing things from the sidelines).
Surrogates maintain an important part of the candidate race today: Spokespeople for both the Clinton and Trump campaigns are fixtures on political television and radio, explaining positions, defending remarks, and occasionally getting caught up in their own individual scandals (like Paul Manafort, who had to resign from the Trump campaign after reports of ties to Russia and other awkwardness). But their position is very much as auxiliaries, not primary mouthpieces. Our new emphasis on the candidates' voices means that their supporters are there to bolster them, not do the work for them, at least visibly.
It may astonish those of us who are used to an ever-increasing election cycle (soon people will begin to campaign for the next presidency before the last one's been decided yet), but the early campaigns were actually pretty truncated. Most of this was because of the process of decision-making. As the New York Times reported in its investigation of the expansion of the presidential cycle, the earliest elections involved Congress appointing nominees rather than the involvement of the populace. Then it became more of a matter for conventions; and as the popular vote also became involved in the mid-20th century, primaries became a necessary part of the structure, which obviously expanded the whole to include more and more time. The more people got involved, the further back it stretched.
Alec McGillis, reporting for Slate back in the fresh, innocent days of 2015 (before there was talk of walls, or Mexican rapists, or sexual assault), explained that one of the reasons that the modern presidential campaigns are expanding so telescopically is money. The incredible expense of a presidential run these days continues to rise, from maintaining staff to running ads to coordinating rallies, and the time needed to raise that amount of money is also therefore increasing. Presidential candidates need to start talking to donors early to get their funding, preferably before they give it to anybody else. This is the longest campaign ever run in American history, but they're not likely to be getting shorter anytime soon.
In lighter news, the emergence of badges and buttons declaring your political preference in an electoral race is actually pretty old-school. They date, according to Time, back to Abraham Lincoln's election in 1861, in which his supporters wore a picture of the famous visage made out of tin or enamel; but they really became popular after 1869, when mass production became easily possible, and vast numbers were available to hand out. (People present at Washington's inauguration in 1789 had to make do with bronze brooches of his initials or "Long Live the President.") This wasn't the limit to presidential swag, either; before buttons were invented, there are records that the presidential election fight between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson in 1828 involved swag as diverse as mirrors, sewing boxes, and ceramic tiles.
It's easier these days to find an item of clothing or merchandise that hasn't been made into some kind of slogan-carrying presidential vehicle. From T-shirts to caps, foam hands to pens (Hillary's site even has a homewares section, featuring packs of cards, mugs, and a fancy embossed notebook reading Madam President which, I'm not going to lie, I kind of want), it's open season.
Trump loves to rail against the "biased press," so it's a good thing he wasn't running for election in the 19th century. The explicit partisanship of the press during much of the history of presidential elections was, in its own way, staggering. Journalism was not, at the time, meant to be objective: The press was "bound to party," and was all about undermining its opponents, digging up dirt, and glorifying its chosen candidate. Newspapers wore their preferences on their sleeves. The main difference between then and now, it seems, is that there's much more of an emphasis on an attempt at objectivity; papers and outlets that strive for a neutral position do exist, and most places at least attempt to conceal an agenda (though, of course, many don't succeed). Whether this is more or less preferable is personal opinion.
The difference between the partisan press days and now is most evocatively shown by the fact that several media outlets and magazines have "come out" in support of Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump and made headlines by doing so. Endorsements from previously Republican-leaning papers and strongly non-partisan papers are making history in 2016, and showing something extremely interesting: While we think we might be able to guarantee a paper's endorsement, the existence of papers that strive to be neutral and the occasional surprising candidate can in fact turn things on their head. In the old days, that'd be pretty unthinkable.
If you think the lack of the actual presidential candidates on the campaign trail in the early days of election | 1,065 |
Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Years
by Michael Kurland (Editor)Michael Kurland
Paperback(First Edition)
In 1891, Sherlock Holmes, in a death struggle with his archenemy Professor Moriarty, disappeared over Reichenbach Falls and was presumed dead. Until, that is, he reappeared in London in 1894. Holmes remained mostly quiet on the events of those years and for over a century speculation has run riot about what really happened during the 'hidden years.' Now in this original collection, the truth is finally revealed. Including stories by Peter Beagle, Rhys Bowen, Bill Pronzini, Carolyn Wheat, Gary Lovisi, and others, Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Years is a must-have book for every fan who has ever wondered what really happened to the world's most famous consulting detective during his mysterious missing years.
Michael Kurland is the author and editor of numerous books, most recently the thrilling Holmes/Moriarty novel The Empress of India. Twice a finalist for the Edgar Award, he lives in Petaluma, California.
The Beast of Guagming Peak
Michael Mallory
"Wake up, Colonel Mackay, it's time for dinner," the nurse said, gently shaking the elderly, wheelchair-bound man out of a snoring sleep. The man's sunken eyes opened, and he looked up at her. A right cutey, was the first thought that passed through his mind, almost an angel—and she fancies me to boot. Mentally, Colin Mackay reckoned himself to be about thirty-eight. Physically, however, he was seventy-seven years old, and felt every day of it. At least I still have my dreams, he thought. Even a wheelchair could not slow down his dreams. He smiled at her, revealing his ten remaining teeth, and she gave him a dimpled smile back. "What did I miss, Cynthia?" he asked.
"Nothing, Colonel, but it's time for dinner, though I'm afraid we don't have meat today."
"No matter," Mackay muttered, straightening himself up in his wheelchair and wincing from the pain in his right hip, which he had broken two years earlier. "I've been through worse."
Cynthia stepped around behind the chair and pushed him into the dining room of the retirement home, where the table was already set. Nine other military pensioners were seated there, all from various wars, though none of them went as far back as the Boer conflict, which was Mackay's first taste of gunpowder. As usual, some of the men were grumbling over the failings of the menu.
"Damnable war's been over for seven years and still no meat," said Glendower, an army man, who was always complaining about something. "I just hope I live long enough to see the end of these shortages."
Rooney, late of the Royal Air Force, said, "Ah, there could be an entire corned beef in front of you, and you'd still spend so much time complaining that you'd miss it entirely!"
Some of the men laughed, one uttered, "hear, hear," and Glendower simply snorted and turned away. But the banter at the table ceased when Mackay settled behind the head of the table. "Good evening, Colonel," they each said, in recognition of the fact that he was the highest-ranking man among them.
"Good evening, lads," Mackay returned, and dinner commenced.
After the meal was finished, Mackay was the first to be moved away from the table, as always. Cynthia pushed him back into the sitting room, close to the crackling fire. It was December, and the staff of the home had begun to hang up Christmas decorations.
December 1951, the old man mused ... King George VI, the great-grandson of the sovereign who had ruled during Mackay's first twenty-eight years and who had lent her name to an age, and in whose name Mackay had first picked up a rifle and bayonet, now sat on the throne. Her great-grandson. Mackay could hardly believe it. He had been through three different wars and had escaped more bullets than any man ever had a right to. He had been in and out of more scrapes in his life than most men would have thought possible, and still he had managed to last into the start of the second half of the twentieth century. Certainly it was a bother and a burden to have lost the ability to walk, but the fact that he was here at all, when so many of his compatriots had fallen, was little short of astounding.
"Would you like the newspaper, Colonel?" Cynthia asked, handing him a copy of that day's London Times. Mackay always got first crack at the paper, which was not an elaborate courtesy, since only two or three of the other pensioners ever bothered to read it. The old man pulled out a pair of glasses from his sweater pocket and flipped through the pages, finding it hard to develop interest in what the Bank of England was forecasting for the new year economically, or what Winston Churchill had to say about the chances of the cease-fire talks in Korea. He was about to fold the section up when aphotograph on page twelve suddenly caught his eye. Reading the text underneath it, he muttered, "Crikey."
"Did you want something, Colonel?" Cynthia asked.
"My dear, could you get me closer to the light, please?" he asked, and the young nurse complied, wheeling him closer to the table and lamp, which allowed him to see the photograph more clearly.
The photo had been taken by Eric Shipton, who was mountaineering through the Himalayas alongside a chap named Michael Ward. It showed an enormous footprint, vaguely human in shape, but the length of an ax head, one of which had been placed next to the print in the photo for comparison. What struck Mackay about the print, though, was not the size but the fact that it appeared to have only four toes. "Good God," he uttered.
He reread the accompanying article, more slowly this time, his mind barely able to contain the news that was being offered: the footprint, according to the Times, was the most conclusive proof yet of the existence of the mirka, the metoh, the kang-mi, the yeti, or, as it had come to be known in the Western world, the Abominable Snowman.
As he continued to stare at the photo, the room began to turn cool. The Christmas decorations faded from view and the hardwood floors turned white and powdery. His lungs began to ache, and he seemed to have to fight for every breath. He was a young man again, a mere nineteen years old, fit as a bull, and possessing a mouthful of hard, white teeth. He walked through the freezing cold with the powerful legs of an athlete.
He was on the mountain again. On the mountain. Once more facing the danger ...
Colin Mackay could no longer feel his legs, which was not a good sign. While still a relative novice at climbing, he had nonetheless seen a number of men succumb to the suddenness of frostbite and vowed that it would not happen to him. He was not about to part with a precious limb before his twentieth birthday. But he could not deny the numbness ... no, it was not even numbness, it was the total absence of feeling, an emptiness of sensation as pronounced as the total deprivation of color that stretched as far as he could see in every direction. White ... nothing but white. Keep moving, hecommanded himself, forcing his lungs consciously to measure every cold, fire-stinging breath, and keeping his mind alert by running Gilbert and Sullivan songs forward and backward in his mind. When the point came that he was no longer able to concentrate on precisely what was meant by commissariat, Mackay would know that the mountain had won.
But he would not succumb easily, not while there was a fragment of thought in his mind or a cubic inch of oxygen in his body.
How in blazes had he managed to lose all contact with the others? How long had he been trudging through the snow and wind without the benefit of a compass, desperately hoping to find any sign that would tell him that he was in proximity to the rest of the expedition? How far away was the camp?
Far enough for your legs to lose all feeling, he thought grimly.
"No," he spoke, expelling a precious breath. There had to be a way back. He had been no more than ten minutes away from the camp when the wind had suddenly gusted, knocking him over, whiting out his vision, and covering over any tracks that he had made with blown snow. From that moment on, Mackay was effectively lost. Why had he been the one ordered to go out and track down the source of the mysterious cry they had all heard, a howl so eerie and foreboding that he could not believe Foss's judgment that it came from a lost sled dog? Why had not Foss been sent out? He was the more experienced mountaineer, after all. But it had been he, Mackay, whom the captain had sent, and the captain was in charge.
He continued on, though his steps became more labored. Finally he knelt and packed the snow around his legs, praying that, somehow, that would allow the feeling to return. He had heard other mountaineers talk about packing a frostbitten limb in ice, and could not imagine how that would work, but it was better than doing nothing.
As he sat there, quoting the fights historical from Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical, Colin Mackay suddenly had the terrible feeling that he had gone mad. How else could one explain the thin stream of black smoke that appeared out of nowhere in the distance? At first he thought it had to be his imagination, or worse, a hallucination announcing the beginnings of a seizure caused by altitude sickness. But as he watched, there was no mistaking the curl of the line of smoke. Someone, somewhere, up ahead, was burning something!
Mackay began to trot toward the line of smoke, never letting it out of his sight, refusing to succumb to a whiteout again, drinking in each breath and holding it as long as he could to prevent himself from panting and wasting oxygen. He still had no feeling in his legs, but they continued to move at his command. He would make the site of the smoke or die trying, he thought, and Colin Mackay had no desire to die trying.
He was close enough now to smell the smoke—though perhaps that was an olfactory hallucination. No ... no, it had to be real. And there was another smell now ... God in heaven, it was coffee! He refocused his entire being on that coffee, imaging the taste, the sublime bitterness, the heat in his stomach. He imagined pouring a cup of it on his legs, if that was what it took to restore the feeling.
Closer, he saw that the smoke was coming out of what looked like a cave. Sherpa? he wondered. He did not know much about the tribal people who inhabited the mountainous regions of Nepal and Tibet, but he had always heard that they were village dwellers, not cave dwellers. When he was close enough to the opening, Mackay called, "Hellooooo!" and waited. Still trotting, he was about to call again, when he saw a figure emerge from the cave.
"Hello," the figure called back. A British voice; a countryman. Mackay began to run outright now, run toward the smoke, the coffee, the figure of the tall, lean, bearded man dressed in some kind of skin-and-fur parka. And when the man and the cave opening were close enough to touch, he fell, and all went dark.
Colin Mackay's next sensation was one of warmth—warmth and a million needles in his legs, stinging him, as though he had immersed the lower half of his body in a beehive. Opening his eyes, he realized he was lying inside somewhere, out of the cold and wind, next to a fire, under a pile of blankets and furs. Leaping up, he began doing a strange sort of dance, alternately appreciating and disdaining the pinpricks in his legs.
"You were very nearly frostbitten," a voice said, and Colin turned to see the bearded man. He was inside the cave, he realized. Shadows from the fire pit danced over the jagged walls around him.
"And I'm paying for it now," Mackay said, continuing his dance. "Crikey, that stings!"
"The tingling will go away soon, Mr. Mackay."
"How do you know my name?"
"That was quite an obvious deduction. When we brought you in here I removed your coat and saw the tag inside, on which your name was stitched. Less obvious, but still discernible, were the facts that you are left-handed and that your father has recently died. Please accept my condolences."
"My father ... how could you possibly know that?"
"Upon removing your coat a watch fell out. It is a good watch, but rather old and worn. More to the point, it is inscribed with the initials 'P. MACK,' which differs just enough from the name in your coat—'c. MACKAY'—as to imply a relative, most likely a father. And the simple fact you possess the watch indicates that it was part of an inheritance, unless you are a thief, a possibility that I immediately discounted since a thief would be far more likely to sell or pawn the object he stole, not carry it up the side of a mountain."
Mackay's legs now felt more or less normal, though his mind was reeling. "All right, but how did you know my father died recently?"
"For the same reason as you are not a thief," the man said. "One does not carry a keepsake such as this on an expedition in the Himalayas unless one's personal attachment to it as an artifact is stronger than the probability that it will very likely be broken or lost in the snow, particularly when carried loose in a pocket. The kind of sentiment betrayed by that rather illogical act implies that you are still mourning your father and wanted to have something of his with you at all times, which implies that his passing must have happened quite recently, and again, my condolences."
"Thank you," Mackay muttered, "it happened three months ago." Then: "Just a second: a moment ago you said 'we'—'we brought you in here'—but I don't see anyone else in the cave. Who is with you?"
"My guide, Chatang. He is a Sherpa from the village near Rongbuk. I asked him to look outside to see if he could find the journal you have been keeping, which was not on you, but which might have told us more about you and where you came from."
"It is back at camp ... hold on, how could you possibly know I keep a journal?"
A small, satisfied smile broke through the man's thick beard, which was strangely of a reddish brown hue, in contrast to his black hair. "When I removed your gloves, I noticed a trace of graphite on the tip of the middle finger of your left hand, a sign that you have been writing with a pencil—quite sensible, since ink up here wouldfreeze. The mark is pronounced enough to indicate that you have been writing quite a lot, certainly more than simply a letter, more like daily entries in a journal. Since the smudge was on your left hand, I knew that you must be left-handed."
"Crikey," Mackay muttered. "Who are you?"
"I am called Greison," the man said, extending a hand, which looked thin and delicate, but betrayed surprising strength when Mackay shook it. "Would you care for some coffee?"
"The very thought of it is what got me here."
As Greison picked up a blackened pan filled with strong, hot liquid off the fire pit, the Sherpa Chatang returned to the cave. Greison spoke to him in what Mackay could only assume was Tibetan, and the native merely nodded and sat down by the fire. Then turning to Mackay, Greison explained, "I asked his forgiveness for sending him out into the cold needlessly, as the journal in question is back at your camp."
"You apologized to a servant?" Mackay asked, puzzled.
"I said Chatang was my guide, not my servant." Greison poured the steaming, aromatic black liquid from a battered pot into a tin cup and handed it to Mackay, who wrapped both hands around and sipped with great satisfaction.
"How is the coffee?" Greison asked.
"Absolutely terrible," Mackay answered, "and indescribably wonderful."
In the flickering light of the fire, Mackay was able to examine the man who had become his savior against the harsh, unforgiving mountain. Probably no more than forty, Greison was lean to the point of being almost skeletal, and his face showed a deep tan, not much lighter, in fact, than the Sherpa's, which implied he had been on the mountain for some time, braving the powerful sunlight that bounced off the surface of the white snow. Startlingly clear grey eyes shone out as though lit from behind.
"Are you with a party?" Mackay asked.
Greison reached a stick into the fire and used it to light a long-stemmed clay pipe. "We are on a mission to find someone," he said, "another Sherpa, who according to his family is helping to guide the expedition of a certain Sir George Lennox."
"Crikey!" Mackay cried. "Captain Lennox! That's my expedition!"
Greison eyed the young man. "Indeed? Then we are closer than I thought." Turning to Chatang, he related something in the native tongue, then turned back to Mackay. "You must know the man we are seeking, then. His name is Nimu."
"Oh, good Lord," Mackay said. "I knew Nimu, yes."
"Knew him?"
"Yes, I'm afraid he's dead."
Greison frowned, cast a glance toward his Sherpa companion, and said something softly to him. Chatang stiffened, then bowed his head, and Greison placed a hand on the Sherpa's shoulder. "What are the details of his death?" he asked Mackay.
The young man coughed and hesitated before answering. "Well, sir, it appears that he was killed by a yeti."
At the sound of the word, Chatang's eyes widened, and he turned to Greison with a look of alarm.
"Did you say a yeti?" Greison asked.
"That's what the captain said. About four days ago, Captain Lennox and Nimu set out on their own for Bei Peak, leaving Foss and me at the camp. Foss is the other member of our party. The captain told us that if they made it to the top, he would come back and lead the rest of us up, but until he knew that the summit could be reached, he considered it too dangerous to take the entire party. They made it to the top of the peak, all right, but on the way back down, the captain said that they heard an ungodly howl, then this creature appeared. The captain described it as close to seven feet tall and completely covered with yellowish hair. Since they had no weapons with them, all they could do was try to get away from it, but the thing caught Nimu and ... well, he dragged the poor bugger away while the captain watched, helpless. All he was able to bring back was one of Nimu's boots. The captain was badly shaken, I can tell you, and it takes a lot to shake Sir George Lennox. In fact, that was the reason he sent me out last night following that horrible cry. He was afraid it was the yeti coming back. I got lost looking for it."
"Hearing what happened to Nimu, how fortunate that you did not find it."
"Right." Mackay then realized the full implications of what the older mountaineer had said, and added, "Crikey, I never thought about that."
"I must tell Chatang of this incident." Turning to the Sherpa, Greison began to speak in the strange language. Mackay could make out the words Lennox, Nimu, Bei and of course yeti. Whatever else the Englishman was saying, it appeared to Mackay to upset the native guide, so much so that he began to talk back, appearing, even, to argue. Mackay had never before seen a Sherpa argue with a white man, but Greison kept talking, more soothingly now, and eventually he managed to calm the native down. Chatang cast a dark glance at Mackay, then got up and moved to a far corner of the cave.
"What was all that about?" Mackay asked.
"He is naturally upset," Greison answered. "Nimu was his brother."
"His brother? Oh, I'm sorry. Why were you looking for him in the first place?"
"Family matters in the village." Then Greison raised his head, closed his eyes and tented his fingers together into a steeple, and showed all signs of going to sleep sitting up.
"Um, good night, then," Mackay said, then finished his coffee and slipped back over to the makeshift bed Greison had made for him and slid between the blankets and fur skins, exhausted by the events of the day.
When Mackay awoke the next morning, he felt surprisingly refreshed. Greison and Chatang were already up and appeared to be preparing to venture out onto the mountain. Mackay was startled at how little gear they had between them. Crawling out from under the blankets, he walked to the mouth of the cave and saw bright sunshine and no trace of the storm that had gotten him lost.
"In one sense it was an ill wind that blew you to us, Mr. Mackay," Greison said, tapping out the bowl of his pipe, "but in another sense, it was our great fortune. When you are ready, we will set out to find your party."
"Right," Mackay said, venturing out into the cold just enough to get a handful of snow, which he rubbed onto his face, chasing away any lingering sleep that was left on him. Rushing back in to get his coat, he saw that Greison was writing something in chalk on the wall of the cave. S. Greison-Rimpoche Chatang, May 1892, it read. Mackay studied the name, then the truth dawned upon him. "Crikey, I've just realized who you are!" he cried.
The older man turned to him. "Have you indeed?"
Stepping up to the cave wall, Mackay took the chalk. "That night's sleep must have cleared my head," he said. "Look: if you rearrange the letters of S. Greison, you get this." He wrote Sigerson on the stone wall. "You're Sigerson! You're the one everybody's been talking about. They say you rescued a party of six men after they'd been trapped by an avalanche."
"If they had listened to me beforehand and taken a different route, they never would have gotten trapped in the first place," Greison answered.
"Hey, you're supposed to be Norwegian. How come you speak without an accent?"
"My dear Mackay," Greison replied, with a whisper of a smile, "when I speak with Chatang I do so without an accent as well. With the proper attention and study, any language can be mastered without an accent. As for my name, now that you have discovered it, I hope you will keep it to yourself. As you have pointed out, everyone is talking about Sigerson, and that fact infinitely complicates one's passing through camps inconspicuously." Using the sleeve of his coat, Greison rubbed the chalk word Sigerson from the cave wall.
"You're a rare one, if you don't mind my saying so," Mackay said. "Every other mountaineer is up here because we want to do something that will make the rest of the world talk about us. You sound like you're trying to avoid it."
"My dear Mackay, I am not so much trying to avoid it as ignoring it. Might I suggest that you visit one of the several lamaseries in this region. They are quite open to Western visitors. It is, in fact, my opinion that all men who wish to conquer the Himalayas should do so. It does wonders for the outlook. Now, then, are you coming with us or not?"
"Coming, coming," Mackay said, buttoning his coat and following the two out into the cold.
The view from the mouth of cave was one of unending white. Greison pulled a collapsible telescope from his pocket and scanned the wide horizon. "How long had you been walking before you came upon the cave?" he asked. "An hour? More than an hour?"
"About an hour," Mackay answered, shielding his eyes from the blinding sun, "though it was hard to tell."
"Pity you didn't use your pocket watch. During the trek, did it seem like you were going uphill or downhill?"
"It was all pretty straight and level, at least until I got close to the cave."
"Straight and level," he muttered, surveying the ocean of snow and white. "Ah! That way, if I'm not mistaken." Chatang took the lead as the three of them headed off for what to Mackay looked like an infinity of white.
Within an hour, however, the tents were sighted. "I'll be damned," Mackay said, "that's the camp, all right!"
When they had gotten within hailing distance, a Sherpa guide from the camp approached, and when he saw Mackay, he ran into the largest of the tents, emerging moments later with a large man with a thick thatch of dark blond hair that tumbled over his weathered brow and an unruly beard beginning to grey. "By God, Mackay," George Lennox's voice echoed across the glacier. "We'd given you up for lost! Get over here!"
They made their way to the tent, where Lennox greeted Mackay like a stern father. "What the devil happened to you, boy?" he demanded. "I should have sent Foss, he has a better sense of direction."
A small, rugged, bulldoggish man emerged from another tent, and when he spotted Mackay, he grinned broadly, and cried, "Well, the prodigal has returned!" He rushed up to welcome him, though not as expansively.
Eyeing Greison, Lennox said, "I imagine you are the one who found him?"
"Actually, Mr. Mackay found us. My name is Greison."
"Sir George Lennox, Mr. Greison, and this is Patrick Foss," he said, gesturing to the smaller mountaineer. Then he glanced at Chatang, standing behind. "You've brought your own pack mule, I see."
"I presume you are speaking about my traveling companion?"
"Call them what you like, they're still the best pack mules you can find. Damn things seem to produce their own oxygen from the inside"
"Speaking of inside, might we avail ourselves of a tent?" Greison asked.
"By all means, come in and have a drink. Foss, have you checked the supplies yet?"
"Not yet, Captain," Foss said. "I was about to do it."
"Be about it, then. Greison, your Sherpa can help out my mules."
"As you wish," Greison said. Then, turning to Chatang, he uttered a few words in Tibetan and watched as the man went off toward the other guides, who were presently inspecting the climbing ropes. Lennox, meanwhile, opened the heavy canvas tent flap and ushered Greison and Mackay inside. In the center of the tent was a folding table, piled with maps and papers, which were held in place by a severed and preserved red bear's paw. "Sit down," Lennox said, gesturing to the three folding stools set around the table. He picked up a small duffel from the corner and pulled from it a bottle of brandy and a ram's horn filled with cigarettes. Finding three small jars, he poured the drinks and offered the two cigarettes. "I'm eager to hear about Mackay's adventure getting lost on the mountain."
Mackay told as much of the tale as he could, explaining how he had used Gilbert and Sullivan songs to focus his concentration. When he had finished, Greison supplied the details of how he and Chatang had pulled the unconscious young man into the cave.
"By God," Lennox said, with a hearty laugh, "that is probably the only time anyone was ever saved by the Pirates of Penzance. I'll have to remember that and bone up on the scores. I was never much for theater in my youth, certainly not operettas, though I used to play a little bugle. I don't suppose that counts for much, though." He refilled Greison's and Mackay's jars and poured a third for himself, then raised it in a toast. "Here's to you, boy, the one who fought off frostbite with Gilbert and bloody Sullivan."
"Now that we have heard the boy's story," Greison said, "there is one I would very much like to hear from you, Sir George. I understand you lost a man on the mountain."
Lennox gulped his brandy. "Well, not man, exactly, just one of the blasted Sherpas. But yes, I lost him to a yeti. Now, you might say that yetis are nothing but the stuff of legend, but George Lennox will put you right, because I saw it with my own eyes. Christ, I'll never forget its cry ... a sound so terrible that you can't imagine that a flesh-and-blood creature could make it. It was like it wasn't an animal at all, but some sort of spawn of Hell. I promise you, Greison, you've never heard anything like that cry."
"Actually, I may have, once. It turned out to be a very large hound."
"This was no dog. It was a beast. I saw the hate in its yelloweyes. I saw what it did to the Sherpa. I suppose the boy here told you I sent him out when I heard the sound again last night."
"He did," Greison said, sipping the brandy. "And it was the same cry?"
"The same cry," Lennox replied. "I hope you're not going to try and convince me it was one of my sled dogs, like Foss attempted to do."
"Not at all. I understand that the incident happened on Bei Peak."
Lennox nodded and poured himself another drink. "Coming back down from the peak."
"On the north side? You did take the north route, I presume?"
"Of course. And yes, the attack happened on the north side."
"It is quite a distance from here to Bei Peak," Greison mused. "Could the creature really have come all that way?"
"Crikey, if the thing is stalking us," Mackay said, "maybe we should pack up and move somewhere else?"
"No, we'll stay here, at least for the time being," Lennox said. "We'll just keep a good watch. Besides, as close as you came to frostbite, you should probably rest a bit before your next long trek. Give your legs the chance to recover fully."
"Thank you, sir. I was quite worried for a while, when my legs lost all feeling."
"I know how that is," Lennox responded, and began unlacing his boot. As his two guests watched, he removed both the boot and his heavy wool sock, and lifted his bare left foot up for them to see. The second toe, the one nearest the big toe, was missing.
"It happened five years ago, while I was in the Arctic Circle," Lennox told them. "I came down with frostbite and didn't even know it. It's not like you're normally conscious of your tall toe, so when the feeling goes away, you don't even notice it. But then the feeling in my entire foot started to go away." George Lennox wiggled his remaining four toes and grinned conspiratorially. "Now I'll show you something I've rarely shown to anyone." He lowered his foot, reached into the pocket of his jacket, and pulled something out, which he set on the table.
"Crikey," Mackay muttered.
"A good luck charm?" Greison asked.
"More of a reminder," Lennox said, picking up the black, desiccated human toe and studying it. "It's a reminder to know my limitsand never do anything foolish while on a mountain." Then he picked up the bear's paw paperweight from the table. "At least I fared better than this fellow," he said, laughing. "I shot the owner of this some years back and kept his paw as another reminder."
"Of what?" Greison asked.
"To hold steadfast and keep courage."
The wind suddenly came up again, buffeting the tent walls as Lennox put his sock and boot back on. Chatang appeared in the doorway and motioned for Greison, who got up and quietly conversed with him for a moment, then returned to the table, as the Sherpa disappeared as quickly as he had arrived.
"In light of the wind, would it be too much of an imposition if we were to stay here for the evening?" Greison asked. "Chatang tells me that there is space in the Sherpa tent, and I am certain I could make do somewhere."
"By all means, stay here," Lennox said. "I would hate to have turned a man away during a storm, never to see him again. Perhaps you could bunk in Mackay's tent, since you're old friends now."
"Excellent," Greison said.
Mackay finished his drink, and said, "Poor Chatang seems to be taking the news of his brother's death well at any rate."
Lennox crushed the butt of his cigarette. "His brother? You mean your Sherpa is the brother of Nimu?"
"I am afraid so," Greison said. "It's a small world, isn't it?"
"Hmm. Were they close?"
"They were brothers. There is always a bond between brothers, no matter how aloof they might appear to those around them. The reason we are here on the mountain was to track down Nimu and bring him back to the village."
"Why? What did he do?"
"He did nothing," Greison said. "But I am afraid his mother has died. We were coming to get him because of that, Chatang and I."
"Crikey," Mackay said. "I know what it's like to lose a parent. But to lose your mother and your brother just like that ..."
"It is a tragedy," Greison agreed.
"How did you even know where to look for Nimu?" Lennox asked.
"Oh, that was no problem. We already knew that Nimu had signed on with your expedition. He told his brother as much beforeleaving. Then it became a question of discovering your whereabouts on the mountain. Even though we were not far away, it was fortuitous that Mackay stumbled into the cave we had been using as shelter."
Lennox lit another cigarette and took in as much smoke as his lungs would accept in the high altitude. "Did Nimu tell his brother anything else about me?"
"I have no idea," Greison replied. "What should he have told him?"
"Oh, maybe that I pay more for guides than anyone else on the mountain. I offer five rupees a day, which is twice what these Tibetan dogs will get from anyone else. I would hate for that to become common knowledge among the pack mules, because then I would be swarmed by them, all begging for guide jobs, no matter what their proficiency on a climb."
"You seem to take a dim view of the native people here, Sir George."
"They are what they are," he replied. "They have a certain amount of knowledge about climbing, and they have whatever odd mutancy it is that allows them to thrive on little oxygen, but they have neither the inclination nor the intelligence to give orders to others. You do not see a Sherpa leading an expedition, do you? No, because they cannot. They are followers. Pack mules. But I will give you this: if I can find the right one to support me, George Lennox will go down in history as the first man to stand atop Everest."
The wind was picking up, and Lennox stood. "I'd better make certain that the dogs are properly kenneled," he said. "I hope my camp will prove comfortable for you, Greison. It's not Buckingham Palace, but it's better than freezing to death."
"I am certain it will be more than sufficient."
"I have work to do," Lennox said. "Feel free to remain in here for a while if you like, but leave some of the brandy. Oh, and there's one other rule here, and that is that this is my camp and my expedition, and in my expeditions, the Sherpas don't come into the men's tents. I'll thank you to abide by that, Greison."
"I will remember."
"Right," Sir George Lennox said, and putting his fur-lined hood up over his head, he slipped through the door flap.
"Just imagine, Everest!" Mackay was saying. "I'd like to be in that party."
"I think it is highly unlikely that any man will stand atop the world's highest peak," Greison said, "at least not in my lifetime."
"Oh, I'd put my money on the captain to do it. They said Guangming Peak couldn't be conquered either, but he did it, just last year. The Queen was so impressed she knighted him for it."
"But Guangming is not Everest. Besides, there are the mountain gods to contend with. I daresay they would not like to be disturbed."
"Now you're having a go at me because I'm just an apprentice mountaineer," Mackay charged, "but I don't spook easily. And I don't believe in the local superstitions."
"My dear young friend, to paraphrase a playwright even more insightful than Gilbert and Sullivan, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
"Well, I'll stick with my philosophy for the time being."
"As you wish," Greison said, rising from the table. "As long as we are here, let us see if there is some way in which we can help out in the camp."
Throughout the day the two helped to prepare the camp against the likelihood of another powerful storm, and on several occasions, Mackay saw Greison slip over to where Chatang was and engage him in brief conversations. Shortly before the evening meal, Greison spoke with all three of the Sherpas. Mackay said nothing at the time, but later, inside their tent, after the sun had gone down, taking a break from penciling notes in his journal, he broached the subject to Greison. "You're not planning something, are you?" he asked.
The inside of the tent was illuminated only by the red glow of Greison's cigarette. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You've spent a good part of the day talking with the Sherpas. I'm not the only one who noticed. I saw the captain watching you like a bird of prey. You're not planning on ... I don't know ... inciting a revolt, or anything like that, are you?"
"Sherpas are not of a revolutionary nature, my friend. Even if I wanted to, I doubt I could spark something so dramatic as that."
"Then what are you doing?"
"I merely asked them to keep watch."
"Watch over what?"
"Over the reappearance of the yeti, of course."
"I hope I never have to face a thing like that," Mackay declared. "Hearing it was bad enough."
Greison suddenly sat up on his cot. "Since you have brought the matter up, how would you describe the sound that you heard last night, before you ventured out into the storm?"
"It was just like the captain described: eerie, almost unearthly."
"Was it something like this?" Placing one hand over his mouth, Greison began to make a startling, high-pitched cry, which echoed through the tent, prompting Mackay to leap up from his cot as though given an electric jolt. "That's it! That's it exactly! You've heard it too!"
"I have heard it, all right, but it is not a yeti. I was imitating a snow leopard. Under the right circumstances, their howl can indeed sound unearthly."
"It was nothing but a snow leopard we heard then?"
"There is no reason to sound disappointed, Mackay. A snow leopard is still a formidable threat."
"It's not that, it's just—"
His words were interrupted suddenly by the sound of a wail coming from somewhere outside. Mackay started to speak but Greison hushed him. The sound came again, the bone-chilling, pitiful howl of a beast somewhere near the camp. Another sound then rent the night: the collective panicked shouts of a half dozen men. That was followed by a scream.
Immediately, Greison and Mackay were up and threw on their coats and boots, and ran outside. Foss was already there, lighting a torch, though it was nearly too cold for fire. Then George Lennox appeared, crying, "What happened!"
"We don't know yet," said Foss.
"Check the Sherpas' tent," Greison called, and the men ran there, only to find a large, jagged rip in the canvas wall.
"Crikey!"
"Look at this, Captain!" Foss lowered his torch to the snow, revealing a trail of blood. Following it, they quickly came upon one of the Sherpas, lying facedown in the snow. "Don't touch him, he might still be alive!" Lennox said, kneeling to examine the prone figure. After a few moments, though, he looked to the others and shook his head. Then he rolled the body over. The sight of the Sherpa's face seemed to shock George Lennox. "Good God, it's Ang!"
"Aye, and look at him," Foss said, wincing.
The Sherpa's face had been slashed as though by the claws of an enormous animal.
"Is anyone else missing?" Greison asked.
Foss quickly surveyed the party and said, "The other two Sherpas are here."
"But I don't see Chatang anywhere," Mackay said.
"Maybe the blasted thing got him, too," Foss said.
"Are there any more torches here?" Greison asked.
"Aye, over there." Foss led the rest to a supply box and pulled out and lit two more torches.
"Are we to look for Chatang, then?" Mackay asked.
"Yes, but also look for footprints," Greison said.
"What kind of footprints?"
"Any that you can find. Mackay, Foss, you check over there. I will look in this direction."
The three of them set off in different directions from the camp, their torches burning holes of light in the dark frigid night. Lennox, meanwhile, was instructing the two remaining Sherpas to pull the body of Ang out and away from the camp. But they refused to touch it, which angered the expedition leader.
"Ang can't hurt you!" Lennox barked. "Move him the hell out of here, or else that thing will come back into the camp to get it, and maybe you, too!" Still they refused to touch it. "I know you dogs speak the Queen's English well enough to know what I'm saying, so what's wrong with you? Move! Move now, or I'll ..." Lennox raised his hand to strike the closest one, but at that moment Greison appeared behind him and grabbed his arm, restraining it. Lennox growled, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Let go of me!"
"Hitting them will do no good," Greison said.
"I will not have my authority challenged on this expedition, not by them, and not by you!"
"The reason they are disobeying you is because they want to say a mani over the body before moving it."
"A what?"
Greison let go of Lennox's arm. "A prayer."
"A prayer," Lennox repeated, "like they've got a soul? Ha! They're two-legged yaks, nothing more."
"If you want the body moved, I'm afraid you will have to let them have their way."
Casting a cold gaze from Greison to the guides and back, Lennox spat, "Be quick about it, then."
The two Sherpas nodded to Greison and began to chant something over the remains of their friend.
"What about that coolie of yours?" Lennox demanded of Greison. "Has he been found yet?"
"Not yet, though I am certain we shall see him again."
"Not if the snowman gets him first."
"It is my opinion that the snowman would be foolish to try."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Just then Mackay ran up, panting precious spouts of breath and holding his blazing torch high. "No sign of footprints," he gasped.
"Never run in this altitude, boy," Lennox said. "Haven't you learned anything from me?"
Foss appeared a moment later, with the same report. There were no fresh footprints to be found anywhere around the camp, other than those the mountaineers had made.
"That is most interesting," Greison said, tenting his gloved hands in front of his mouth.
"What's all this footprint rubbish about anyway?" Lennox asked.
"We all heard the cry of the yeti, did we not? And we have seen the effect of its presence on poor Ang?"
"We did and we have," Lennox said. "What are you getting at?"
"How strange, then, that there are no footprints," Greison said. "There should be a trail of rather sizable marks coming from some direction into the camp, and yet there appear to be none. Likewise, there are no footprints leaving the camp. Surely it did not fly in, kill its victim, then fly out again."
"Crikey, he's right!" Mackay exclaimed.
"So that means ..." Foss began.
"It means that the killer of Ang never journeyed to the camp and never left the camp. He is, and always has been, right here."
In the flickering torchlight, the men looked from one to the other.
"Are you trying to say that there is no yeti at all?" Lennox asked. "That one of us killed Ang?"
"That seems to be the most likely conclusion," Greison replied.
"Bollocks!" Lennox shouted. "I saw the thing, man! All of us heard it! What more do you want?"
Foss's expression was one of a man trying to work out a puzzle inhis mind. "We still haven't found the Sherpa that you brought with you, Greison," he said. "Maybe he killed Ang, then fled."
"Then he would have had to fly as well, since there is no trail of footprints leading away from the camp," Greison said.
"Pah!" Lennox spat. "I've taken as much of this as I'm going to. I have another guide dead, and you're worried about footprints. Greison, I'm willing to attribute your ridiculous allegations to dementia from lack of oxygen to the brain and leave it at that. Once the sun comes up, I'm sure you'll be able to find all the footprints you like. But if you want to keep looking for them in the dark, armed with nothing but torches, go right ahead. I'm going to go to my tent. Good night."
"Sleep well, Sir George," Greison said, as the man walked toward his tent. "Oh, by the way, I would not be overly concerned about Chatang's disappearance, I am certain he will turn up. He is most likely off grieving his brother's death in solitude. It turns out that he and Nimu were quite close. In fact, he told me that Nimu confided in him often, and told him all about the various expeditions he guided, including the last one of yours."
Lennox stopped and turned. "Did he offer any details?"
"Some pertinent ones, yes, but that is neither here nor there. I only bring this up to demonstrate how close the brothers were. You had asked me about that earlier, if you recall."
"I recall." Then Lennox turned around again and trudged to his tent.
Once Lennox was inside the tent Mackay said, "Did you see the look on the captain's face when he saw it was Ang? I thought he was shaken by Nimu's death, but this one's really rattled him."
"Aye," said Foss, whose face bore a troubled look. "We should turn in, too."
"I agree," Greison said. Then, in an unusually loud voice, he added, "I suggest that the two of you sleep in the same tent tonight. Foss, why don't you relocate to the tent I had been sharing with Mackay. I will take this one."
Foss was about to protest, but Greison was already dousing his torch outside the tent in question. Lifting the flap, he disappeared inside.
"That's one queer duck you brought back with you," Foss told the young man. "Who is he, anyway?"
"I don't know if I should be telling you this," Mackay said, "but you've heard of Sigerson, right?"
"Sigerson? You mean he's Sigerson?"
"For some reason he doesn't want people to know. Crikey, my lungs are burning. I need to get inside."
As Mackay and Foss retired to their tent for the evening, the Sherpa guides finished carrying the body of Ang beyond the edge of the camp, far enough away that if an animal—or beast—were to return for it, it would not venture into the tent area. Then they made their way back to their tent.
Within an hour, all was dark and silent, the only sounds being the steady whine of the wind and an occasional yip from one of the sled dogs, which were huddled together against the cold inside a lean-to. The only light came from the moon, which cast cold blue rays over the snowy mountain plateau. Nobody saw the shadow move through the camp. Nobody heard anything, not even the slow ripping of tent canvas.
It moved through the open wall of the tent and groped its way to the cot inside. Then it began slashing at the figure in the cot, striking it again and again.
It was the cry that awoke Foss and Mackay, a terrible banshee-like wail that seemed to exist only to announce a death. Leaping up, the two jumped into their coats and boots and raced out of the tent. Lennox and the Sherpa guides were already there. "Did you hear it?" Lennox cried.
"Aye," Foss answered. Then: "Where's Greison?"
"Crikey, you don't think it got him, do you?"
Just then, as though in reply, the cry sounded again, startling Lennox so much that he nearly lost his balance and fell down. "What in God's—" he shouted.
"It came from over there," Foss said.
"It's coming from your tent, Captain!" Mackay said.
As the three of them watched, a dim light appeared from inside the tent, and they could make out the silhouettes of two figures inside. Mackay and Foss started toward it, but Lennox said, "No, men, don't go in there. Don't!"
The flap of the tent opened, and Greison stepped out, a lit candle in his hand.
"No!" Lennox cried. "How could—"
"Come in before you freeze, gentlemen," Greison said.
"Who's in there with you?" Foss called.
"Only my friend, Rampoche Chatang." The previously missing Sherpa appeared in the opening of the tent.
"Rampoche?" Foss said. "Isn't that the title for a lama?"
"For the High Lama," Greison replied.
"Crikey."
Foss and Mackay entered the tent, but Sir George Lennox stayed where he was.
"Sir George, your presence is required here as well, if you don't mind."
"I bloody well do mind," the explorer declared. "Get that damned Sherpa dog out of my tent!"
Greison sighed. "I was hoping this would not be necessary. Sangwa, Passang ..." In an instant, the two Sherpas from the expedition grabbed Lennox's arms and held him fast, while pushing him into the crowded tent. "Let me go, you mountain niggers!" he cried, but he was unable to break free of them.
"What the hell's going on here, Sigerson?" Foss demanded.
"Sigerson?" Lennox repeated, glaring at the man.
"I see Mackay has let that particular secret out of its box," Greison said. "No matter now: what is going on, my dear Foss, is murder at it's most cold-blooded—specifically, the murders of Ang and Nimu, by the hand of Sir George Lennox."
Lennox smiled thinly. "You're insane," he said.
"There is no question that you killed them, Sir George," Greison said. "And do not bother trying to break free. Passang and Sangwa now obey Rimpoche Chatang, not you."
"That's a hell of an accusation, man," Foss said. "I don't suppose you have anything in the way of proof, do you?"
"In the pocket of Lennox's coat, I believe you will find the severed paw of a bear."
"The captain's paperweight?" Mackay said.
Lennox made another attempt to break free of the Sherpas, but it was impossible. He cursed and spat as Foss walked over to him and thrust a hand in his coat pockets, pulling out his ram's horn cigarette holder and, ultimately, the bear's paw. "I'll be damned," Foss muttered.
Taking the paw from him, Greison held the candle close to it and examined the claws. "You see? A bit of Ang's blood is still visible."
"So that paw was used to kill Ang?" Foss asked.
"Oh, I doubt it. Were Ang's body to be carefully examined, I am certain that a knife wound would reveal itself. But there is no question that this paw was used to simulate the attack of a wild beast, which Sir George was hoping would be accepted as a yeti. I have no doubt whatsoever that the claws will match the slashes on his face perfectly."
"God almighty," Foss uttered. "Are you some kind of detective, Mr. Greison, or Sigerson, or whatever your name is?"
Greison's eyes remained riveted on the tense figure of Sir George Lennox. "Up until a fortnight ago, I was nothing more than a traveler in this land, like yourselves, enjoying the hospitality at Rongbuk Monastery, as I have done on several previous occasions. With the Lama's help, I have all but conquered my dreaded intolerance of boredom, as well as a few other personal problems ... but that is immaterial at present. After some time, the serenity of the place was shattered by the news that Lhamu, the mother of Nimu and Chatang, had died suddenly. The family, knowing that Nimu was away on an expedition, desired to get word of the passing to him and bring him back to the village, if possible. Chatang himself decided to go since, prior to achieving the status of rimpoche, he journeyed extensively across the mountains and knew the terrain quite well. He did, however, ask me to accompany him, feeling that I might have more success convincing Sir George to let Nimu leave the expedition, being a fellow European. At the time I thought it quite unnecessary, given Rimpoche Chatang's standing. However, having witnessed for myself the man's utter arrogance and delusion of superiority, I now understand his concern."
"To hell with you!" Lennox spat, still held fast by the Sherpas.
"What I don't understand is why?" Mackay said. "Why would someone like the captain kill those Sherpas in cold blood?"
"To protect his secret," Greison replied, setting both the paw and the candle down on the table. "You see, gentlemen, in addition to being a murderer, the famed and much heralded Sir George Lennox is also a fraud and a liar." He paused to let that sink in, then spoke again: "His expedition to Guangming Peak last year earned him a knighthood, did it not? It also made his reputation as the premiereBritish mountaineer of our time, and no doubt helped to secure funding not only for this expedition, but future ones as well. How distressing it would be if the world were to learn that it is predicated upon a falsehood—George Lennox never set foot on Guangming Peak. He never came close."
"Liar!" Lennox shouted.
"How do you know?" Foss asked.
"Exactly the way Lennox feared I knew it: Nimu, who accompanied Lennox on the climb, and who actually did reach the summit, told the truth of the situation to his brother, Rimpoche Chatang, who in turn told me. Sir George had actually become weak and incapacitated from the altitude and had to stop climbing, while Nimu, proceeding onward, reached the top. For a man so convinced of his own superiority as Sir George Lennox, the fact that a native had reached the summit, accomplishing what he himself had proven unable to do, was intolerable. So he drew every bit of information about the climb from Nimu, even questioning him about the view from the summit, and set about spreading the lie<|fim_middle|> ...
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"The mother-daughter duo returns with a collection of breezy summer essays, perfect for the beach, the pool or even the couch. This witty, insightful assortment of stories is a wonderfully entertaining look into the lives of two modern women." –Parade ... | that he had, in fact, conquered the mountain. He received a knighthood and an unearned reputation, and no one was the wiser—no one, except, of course, Nimu. All this I knew even before I ever set foot in this camp, but at the time it had no particular bearing on my reason for being here, which was to find Nimu and bring him back to the village. Sir George's moral lapses were of no concern to me."
Lennox had ceased struggling and now stared madly at Greison, his face actually moist with sweat, despite the frigid temperature.
"All that changed, however, when I learned of Nimu's death and the circumstances surrounding it," Greison went on. "I asked Sir George questions about the route he had taken to Bei Peak, and his answers only confirmed the suspicions that were growing in my mind."
"I remember that," Mackay said. "You asked if he took the north route, and he said yes."
"Precisely. That, however, proved to me that he had never been on Bei Peak at all, because there is no north route to it. It is completely inaccessible from that direction. I have scaled the peak myself, so I was testing him on his knowledge of the mountain, and he failed, miserably. This time, however, his lie was not born of a desire to preserve his reputation, but rather to cover his true activities. Yousee, at first Sir George believed he had nothing to fear from Nimu, the only person on earth who could put lie to his claim. But after receiving his knighthood, and the notoriety that came with it, he realized that the stakes of the game had been raised considerably. If the knowledge Nimu carried were ever to get out, it would invalidate his knighthood and destroy him. So he had to get rid of Nimu. Sir George specifically sought him out for this expedition, all the while plotting his death. He took Nimu with him on the presumed climb to Bei Peak, making the excuse that it was too dangerous for the entire party to go. He went out far enough not to be seen, killed Nimu, hid the body, then returned to camp with the story of having survived an encounter with a yeti. And that, he thought, was the end of it. But then he learned that Nimu had a brother, and began to fear—correctly, as it turned out—that Nimu had confided in his brother the secret of the Guangming expedition."
"Why kill Ang then?" Foss interrupted. "Why not kill the Lama?"
Greison's face darkened. "That was a tragic mistake. In his haste—for he only had the most fleeing of moments to execute his attack—he killed the wrong man. It is a tragedy for which I must carry a share of the blame, and I do so heavily. I had warned Rimpoche Chatang of my suspicions and had prepared him for what might happen, but I did not properly inform the expedition guides. Had I done so, Ang might be alive today. When Lennox realized his mistake, however, he became quite agitated, as you, Mackay, mentioned at the time. I instructed Chatang to hide, and he managed to sequester himself with the sled dogs. Having fully realized how dangerous Sir George Lennox was, I knew that I had to be the one to stop him, before another innocent man—and hear me, Lennox, I said man, not yak, not dog, not mule—died. I intimated to Sir George that I, too, knew the secret that he was willing to kill to protect. Do you remember earlier this evening, I made a special point of suggesting the two of you share a tent, while I take one of my own? I did so loudly enough that Sir George would be able to hear me as well. That was my way of announcing to him where I would be sleeping, so he could come and attack me, if he were so inclined, as I believed him to be. And he did attack me—or so he thought."
Mackay rattled his head. "Or so he thought?"
"If you examine the tent that I had chosen, you will find one wall slashed through and a roll of blankets and skins ripped toshreds on the cot. I positioned those blankets in such a manner as to give a fair facsimile of a sleeping man in the darkness. Thinking they were I, fast asleep, Sir George attacked them with the bear's paw, then rushed back out before he had a chance to realize the deception. His shocked reaction upon seeing me emerge from his tent, whole and alive, moments later, I believe, spoke for itself."
"What about that cry we heard?" Foss asked.
"Hand me that ram's horn," Greison said. "Granted, I am not the experienced bugler that Sir George claims to be, however ..." Greison put the horn to his lips and blew a convincing imitation of the cry that the men had heard earlier that night.
Mackay now looked confused. "But what about that last cry we heard?" he protested. "The captain was with us that time, and I never saw him take out a horn and blow it. So how do you explain that?"
Greison smiled slightly and handed the candle and horn to Mackay. "Really, my boy, what a short memory you have. Don't you remember our conversation about a snow leopard?" Then he cupped his hands over his mouth, uttering a high, piercing cry that sounded remarkably like the ram's horn. "That is the closest I can come, but it served the purpose."
"Aye, it was close enough to fool me," Foss acknowledged. "So what's going to happen to the captain now?"
"That is not up to me," Greison said. Then he turned to Chatang and began speaking in Tibetan, after which he sank down on the cot.
Looking at the rimpoche, Sir George Lennox began to laugh. "After the load of balls I've just had to endure, you're now going to turn me over to the Sherpa?" he said. "You might as well let me go right now, because these dogs aren't going to do anything to me. It's against their nature."
Chatang waved his hands, and the two Sherpas holding Lennox released their grips. The mountaineer shook his arms, then brushed his coat sleeves as if trying to remove a bad stain from them. Rising to his full height, which was considerable, he regarded Greison with a withering stare. "There is nothing you can do to me," he said icily. "There is nothing anyone can do to me. And there is nothing you can prove. You could have stolen that bear's paw and clawed up Ang yourself, Greison, then had one of these dogs slip it in my pocketwhen they were forcing me in here. You, or your friend, the High bloody Lama. You've already proven that you can howl like a yeti, so why couldn't you have done the rest, eh? So be damned, the whole lot of you!" He turned to Chatang with hatred in his eyes. "Especially you."
Rimpoche Chatang looked back, his gaze steady, but his expression was not one of anger. Instead, it was a look of pity. He spoke one word in Tibetan, then turned away.
"What did he say?" Lennox asked.
Greison stood up. "He said, 'leave.' That is your judgment."
"Leave? That's all?"
"That is all."
Sir George Lennox smiled defiantly. "Tell the red-skinned bastard to sod off," he said. "This is my bloody expedition, and I'll leave it only when I'm ready to leave it."
"You could, of course, defy his judgment and stay," Greison said, "but if you do, I will have no compunction about binding you with rope and leaving you in that condition until I can get you back down the mountain and to the British consulate, to whose officials I will tell the entire story."
Lennox looked from man to man, and seemed to realize for the first time that he no longer had a friend in the camp. "Flee or be turned in, eh?" he said. "All right, I'll go, and I'll get to the consulate first, and I'll tell them my side of the story. Who do you think they would be more likely to believe?"
Rimpoche Chatang spoke again, softly, and Greison translated: "He said, 'You will never escape the mountains.'"
"Is that so? Mackay, help me get a pack together. I'll leave right now and be down in two days."
Mackay stood where he was.
"Mackay, snap to it, boy! Give me a hand with my pack."
"No," Mackay said.
Lennox approached Mackay and for a moment it looked like he would strike the young man, but Mackay did not flinch. "So," Lennox sneered, "I suppose you feel like a man now, eh, boy? Defying your captain? Mutiny? Is that what you think it takes to put hair down below?"
Mackay returned Lennox's gaze. "I feel like a better man than you, Sir George."
"Aye," Foss said, "and that goes for me, too. Put your own damn pack together."
"All right, I will," Lennox said. "I'll leave here, and I'll make it back to civilization and see all of you exposed as slanderous liars. But here's the question, lads: will any of you make it back to civilization at all?"
"Is that a threat, Sir George?" Greison asked, tensely.
"A threat? No. It's a statement of fact. Without me to lead you, do you really think you'll get off of this mountain? Think about that, and once you have, bugger off, the stinking lot of you!" Sir George Lennox bolted through the tent flap and spent the next quarter hour tearing through the camp, putting together the provisions he would need for the descent, including taking down one of the tents and rolling it up to carry, and grasping a pickax to use as a walking stick. Then, defying the darkness and bitter cold, he started down the mountain.
Inside the tent, no one spoke. Then Mackay broke the silence. "You know he'll die out there."
"Aye," Foss said. "If we let him face the mountain at night, we're killing him as surely as he killed Ang and Nimu."
"No," Rimpoche Chatang said in English, surprising the mountaineers. "Not die. Never die. Gods of mountains will have, will have ..." The last word he spoke in Tibetan, leaving Greison to translate it as vengeance. Then Chatang and the other Sherpas solemnly filed out of the tent.
After the last one had gone, Mackay asked, "What did he mean, vengeance?"
"It means the mountain will claim him as another victim," Foss said.
Greison seated himself on a stool. "I daresay you are right, though perhaps not in the way you are thinking," he said. "Have you ever heard the legend behind the yeti?"
Foss and Mackay shook their heads.
"According to the legend, there was once a prince of this region who believed himself to be the ruler of the entire Himalayan range. He was proud and arrogant, and he defied the gods who are believed to inhabit these mountains. Angered by his arrogance, those gods cursed him to roam the mountains forever, not as a man, but rather as a lowly beast, feared and hated by all who encountered him. As aresult, the man ... who had now become the yeti ... hid from the eyes of other men, living out his eternal existence in misery and solitude. Well, that is the story, anyway. Mackay, is that watch of yours still working?"
Pulling the battered timepiece from his pocket, he opened the lid, and announced, "It's half past ten."
"The sun will be up before you know it. Chatang and I will set off for the monastery in the morning. We should all attempt to get some sleep. And for our safety, gentlemen, I suggest that we remain together, in one tent."
"Aye," said Foss.
"Right," muttered Mackay, putting his watch back in his pocket, and pulling out instead his battered journal and a stubby pencil.
"Crikey," muttered Mackay, shaking himself out of the memory. So long ago ... a lifetime ago ... had it really happened?
"Are you all right, Colonel?" Cynthia the nurse was asking.
"Hmmm? Oh, yes, quite."
"For a moment there you looked a bit ... I don't know ... lost."
"I am fine now," he said, working up a smile. Then he stared at the newspaper photograph again.
When Sir George Lennox left camp that night in May 1892, it was the last time anyone ever saw him. His disappearance was treated as death on the mountain, and he was hailed as a hero. Mackay, Foss, the man who called himself Greison, and the Sherpas, of course, made it back to the village without incident, and in the years that followed, Mackay never attempted to contradict the heroic legend surrounding Sir George Lennox, and sensed that no one would have believed him had he tried. Neither, to his knowledge, had Foss, with whom he had remained in contact until the bulldoggish mountaineer perished while on another expedition, not long after the turn of the century.
Outside of the Sherpas, whom Mackay never saw again, only one other man knew the truth.
Quite some time after the expedition, he had learned the true identity of the man who traveled under the names Sigerson and Greison. At the time of their meeting, of course, he had assumed, like the rest of the world, that Sherlock Holmes was dead. It was notuntil after the First World War that he had screwed up the courage to write a letter to him, addressing it simply to "S. Holmes, Sussex." In the letter he reintroduced himself and happened to mention that, while he never achieved the rank of major general, he at least could tell the difference between a Mauser rifle and a javelin.
It was nearly a year before the reply came, a brief note that read:
My dear Mackay:
I am delighted to hear you are well. And now that it is no longer a matter of life and death, let me confess that I have always detested Gilbert and Sullivan.
Yrs. SH
Mackay still had the note somewhere, along with his old journal. But for now, his full attention was on the newspaper photograph. Could it be true? Could it really be true?
Of course not, it's absurd, said his rational mind, his military mind. Still ...
With shaky, aged fingers, Colin Mackay folded the newspaper around the photograph and carefully tore along the creases until he had removed the photograph from the page. He would hang on to this one. For the first time in quite some time, he actually was looking forward to waking up the next day, just so he could spend the day contemplating the mystery of the picture, this alleged yeti photograph of Shipton's that showed the monstrous print of a left foot with the second toe missing ...
Just like the foot of Sir George Lennox.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE HIDDEN YEARS. Copyright © 2004 by Michael Kurland. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
The Beast of Guangming Peak 6
Water from the Moon 36
Mr. Sigerson 58
The Mystery of Dr. Thorvald Sigerson 87
The Case of the Lugubrious Manservant 106
The Bughouse Caper 131
Reichenbach 204
The Strange Case of the Voodoo Priestess 254
The Adventure of the Missing Detective 302
Cross of Gold 336
God of the Naked Unicorn 353
About the Authors 385
"Kurland (My Sherlock Holmes) scores again in this lively all-original anthology." - Publishers Weekly
Kurland (My Sherlock Holmes) scores again in this lively all-original anthology chronicling the "Great Hiatus," that period when Sherlock Holmes was believed dead following a tumble into Reichenbach Falls with archfiend Professor Moriarty. In Peter Beagle's engaging "Mr. Sigerson," the best of several tales featuring Holmes under his Sigerson alias, Holmes investigates a case of marital infidelity and fraud. An amnesiac Holmes finds himself in the midst of European high society in Rhys Bowen's "The Case of the Lugubrious Manservant," an appealing tale marred only by a surfeit of characters including Sigmund Freud and the Prince of Wales. Holmes is a bystander throughout most of Bill Pronzini's delightful novella "The Bughouse Caper," in which rival Victorian detective John Quincannon searches San Francisco for a serial burglar, only to be upstaged in the end by "the bloody Englishman." In Kurland's own contribution, "Reichenbach," the "Napoleon of Crime," Moriarty, narrates an imagination-stretching version of the duo's mock deaths as part of a counterplot to foil a "dastardly scheme" to discredit Britain's navy. Stories by Baker Street veterans Gary Lovisi, Carolyn Wheat and Richard Lupoff, plus others newer to the world of Holmes pastiche, round out this enjoyable volume. Agent, Jack Scovil at Scovil, Chichak, Galen. (Nov. 18) FYI: Kurland is the author of The Great Game (2001) and two other Professor Moriarty novels. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Sherlock Holmes the Hidden Years: The Hidden Years 4.5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 4 reviews.
harstan More than 1 year ago
Michael Kurland must be the reincarnation of Dr. John Watson with his powerful exciting Sherlock Holmes chronicles with the Moriarty twist. This time around he edits a terrific anthology from a who¿s who including many contributors who have written Baker St. stories. This time Mr. Kurland has his thirty-five writers (including himself) concentrate on the lost years, 1891 ¿ 1894 when Holmes was thought dead having fallen over the edge of Reichenbach Falls while fighting with Moriarty......................... Each tale is terrific so that more than just the Baker Street Irregulars will appreciate this compilation. Surprisingly some of the stories have Holmes in a back seat as others take the lead or explain away what really occurred at the Falls. Mr. Kurland, whose Moriarty tales are some of the best around, insures top quality that will have fans of the great detective taking the plunge........................ Harriet Klausner
be516 on LibraryThing More than 1 year ago
A seris of short stories most of which are only fair because the authors have placed Holmes in situations which are sometime a bit bizzare. Perhaps because Doyle was purposefully so inspecific about Holmes' life during the hiatus. For an aficianado of the Canon it's a fair read.
KristallinHeart More than 1 year ago
Felt the stories were in keeping with the feel of the original Conan Doyle stories. Really enjoyed this book.
It was interesting to see what Holmes had done for the three years he was away, and it was great to come across Louis Leonowens again. I felt bad for Holmes when he was so sick and delirious with malaria.
book by howard andrew jones
book by michael palin
book by iris johansen
book by michael kurland
american book
book by barry martin
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Begay:<|fim_middle|> would return when he was ready.
Begay said Woods is seeing a big improvement in his game and things were looking good overall.
"I think his golf game as a whole is in a great place," Begay said. "I think it was good for him to stay a step back, to reassess a variety of different things and do things on his timeline," said Begay.
"My suggestion to him was to take as much time as he needed to just figure out this issue with his short game and also to work on or clean up a couple of things that might be a little loose with his golf swing.
"I think things are really settling. We've had some good discussions over the last week or so and he feels good about it.
"Three weeks ago I would have said there was maybe a 1-in-10 chance of him playing at Augusta," he added.
Home Begay: Tiger looking good at practice | Tiger looking good at practice
In a chat with 120 Sports, Begay said that his friend had made improvements to his game and there was a 50-50 chance that he would play in the Masters on April 9.
"As far as Augusta, it's literally a 50-50 chance from what I can tell," Begay told 120 Sports. "I think that's far better odds than what it was three weeks ago.
Four-time Masters winner, Woods, 39, has not played on the PGA Tour since announcing that he was taking an indefinite break from golf due to a back injury plus he needed to tweak his overall game and said he | 143 |
TRIO reviewed by Stereogum
"Kevin Sun is<|fim_middle|> section keeps things swinging and loose even when the putative leader is journeying deep inside the horn. "Find Your Pose" has a long, meandering melody line, but Stinson and Honor set up a bouncing, finger-popping beat that grounds Sun and allows the listener to travel along with him on his journey. And when they pull the old-school move of trading off — a burst of saxophone, followed by a reply from the drums — it's both suspenseful and fun. This is new jazz that maintains a direct line of communication with what's come before, neither handcuffed by tradition nor disdainful of it, and that's to be applauded.
British Columbia Hands link
I enjoyed readingg this | a smart guy."
Phil Freeman at Stereogum reviewed Trio:
Saxophonist Kevin Sun is a smart guy. In addition to his work on the horn, he's a jazz scholar, who frequently conducts interviews for the Jazz Gallery's website and posts transcribed solos on his blog. On this album, his first as a leader, he's joined by bassist Walter Stinson and drummer Matt Honor. Sun admits to being in thrall to players and composers like Steve Coleman, Vijay Iyer, and Steve Lehman, so it's not surprising that the melodies here are complex and tightly wound, but the rhythm | 128 |
Rev. Tyler Dirks
Tyler was born in The Wild Wild West (Dodge City KS). After graduating from Kansas State University in Manhattan KS (The Little Apple), Tyler voyaged to the East Coast to marry his beautiful bride (Carrie …whom he met in 2002 while working at Crooked Creek Young Life Camp in Fraser Valley Colorado). Tyler obtained his Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte NC in 2007, and then took a call to shepherd students and faculty members at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte as the RUF Campus Minister from 2007-2013. Tyler then took a call to plant a church in Central Carolina Presbytery on the East Side of Charlotte in June of 2013. Tyler & Carrie have 5 lovely and rambunctious children – – – > Maggie, Henry, Haven, Phinehas, and Winston.
Tyler loves Flannery O' Connor & "Till We Have Faces." Also, rock climbing, trail running, mountain biking, sushi, Vince Guaraldi, The Princess Bride, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Email Tyler: tyler@eastcharlottepres.org
Justin Clark
Ruling Elder
Justin is a native Charlottean, a rare breed in Charlotte. He attended Covenant Day School through 9th grade and graduated from United Faith Christian Academy. He received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Justin met his wife Kelly (at church) when she moved to Charlotte in 2005 to teach for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System and they were married in 2006. Kelly is originally from Hershey, PA – the chocolate capital of the world. Justin is the VP of a local industrial distribution company and system integration company. They live in Mint will with their 4 children (Izzy, Clara, Jack and Walker). It is always an adventure at their house with two dogs, 1 cat, 60,000 honey bees and 15 chickens! He enjoys reading, sports, outdoor adventures, attempting to play golf, camping, etc – all of which he does with Kelly and the kids when time allows.
Jon Wilkinson
Jon was raised in St. Louis. He attended Covenant College where he met his wife, Linda, and earned a bachelor's degree in business. After graduating in 2008, he kept moving east and attended graduate school at North Carolina State University. After obtaining his master of accountancy degree in 2009, he and Linda married and settled down in Charlotte. Jon is a CPA and currently a Director with PwC in the Assurance practice where he started his career in 2009. Jon and Linda have four children, Charlie, Juliette, Elizabeth, and Brooke.
Jon is a huge St. Louis Blues fan and enjoys playing golf. Other interests include running with his F3 group and he has recently begun to learn the art of woodworking. Lastly, Jon is also becoming a lover of the writings of Thomas Watson and always enjoys a Tom Clancy novel.
Alex Parman
Alex was born in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Alex moved to Charlotte, NC in 2010. Alex met his wife, Kristen, at Uptown Church and they married in June 2011. They now have three beautiful daughters Rebekah, Lydia, and Eleanor. Alex currently works for Hartford in sales and underwriting.
When not working, Alex enjoys spending time with his family, watching all Tennessee sports, cycling, and doing home projects. Lastly, Alex can be found listening to podcasts and audio books, ranging in topic from sermons to true crime.
Mike Schnee
Michael Schnee was born and raised in Kent, Ohio. He met the Lord at the age of 12 at a Billy Graham Crusade in Cleveland, Ohio. It wasn't until he was 17 that he began to more deeply understand, by way of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of Young Life, his sin and need for Christ. By the age of 2<|fim_middle|> spending time with Liz and friends. | 3, his spiritual walk was sharpened by exposure to Calvinism and the reformed faith.
Michael attended the University of Mount Union, where he earned his bachelor's degree in history, with a minor in secondary education. Upon graduation from Mount Union in 2005, he married Courtney, moved to Charlotte, and within their first year of marriage, were given the first of five children (Noah, Gus, Anina, Luca, and Zoe). Michael has been teaching middle and high school social studies, as well as coaching cross-country, track, and softball in the Charlotte area since 2006.
In his spare time, Michael thoroughly enjoys spending time with his family, camping, playing pick-up sports, reading (particularly C.S. Lewis works), and cheering for the Cleveland Browns, Cavs, and Indians, as well as THE Ohio State Buckeyes.
Tim Blumenstein
Deacon & Property Manager
Tim's Bible always told him life was like a box of chocolates, you never know where you're going to serve. After Tim was born in the town of Greenwood, SC, he accepted Christ as his Savior and decided to go for a little run. When he got to the edge of Greenwood, he decided to run a little further. After graduating from Covenant College in 2011 with a BA in Natural Science concentrated in biology and secondary education, Tim ran to marry his high school sweetheart, Katie. They both dreamed of serving in K-12 education while growing a family in a Christ-centered church. Tim kept on running to earn his MS in Biology from Clemson University. They both ran to teach in Chattanooga, TN and Washington, D.C. before their current roles at Covenant Day School. ECPC has been the beautifully authentic and perfectly messy community of siblings in Christ they had always dreamed of joining. Tim and Katie have three children, Owen, Harper, and Jude who they love more than Bubba Gump Shrimp.
If anyone calls about a landscaping or property need at ECPC, Tim just keeps on runnin' to church.
Kristen Parman
Children's Ministry Director
Kristen was born in Arlington, Virginia to Beth and Steve Martin – nope, not that Steve Martin – and is the oldest of three. She grew up in Herndon, VA and attended McLean Presbyterian Church (PCA) regularly with her family where she especially enjoyed Sunday night youth group and her Girls' Discipleship Group where she began to embrace her faith as her own. During college at William and Mary, she focused her time on school and service, so it seemed natural to graduate and accept a position through Teach for America teaching middle school math in Charlotte, NC. In 2009, she met her husband, Alex, at Uptown Church, and they married in June 2011. She taught math for 4.5 years until the birth of their 3 daughters, Rebekah, Lydia, and Eleanor.
Besides running around after two very busy young girls, Kristen enjoys music, which these days means keeping up with episodes of "The Voice," but in former high school years meant embracing life as a band nerd, playing the oboe. As a self-proclaimed introvert, she enjoys meeting with other women and their families to talk about life. While some day she'd love to travel the States and abroad, in this life stage she enjoys watching crime shows, like Bones, and cheering alongside her husband for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Katie Blumenstein
Katie was born in Dothan, Alabama (the peanut capital of the world) and moved to the tiny town of McConnells, SC (where there are literally more cows than people) when she was four years old. After graduating from Covenant College in 2010 with a degree in Early Childhood Education, she married her high school sweetheart, Tim, and now resides in East CLT. Tim currently teaches high school biology and sustainability at Covenant Day School. Tim and Katie have three children, Owen, Harper, and Jude, and a golden retriever/Australian shepherd mix named Ella. In her spare time, Katie enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, gardening, playing soccer, watching football, and quoting scenes of The Office with her husband.
Justin Harwood
Worship Director
Justin was born and raised in Albemarle, NC. He attended Stanly Community College and obtained two Associate of Applied Science degrees in Information Security and Network Administration and also a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security from Bellevue University. Justin grew up into a musical family, first learning piano at the age of five from the best piano teacher in the world, his mother. He also picked up his father's ear for picking out harmonies and playing music by ear. From there his thirst for music grew exponentially and began learning trumpet, guitar, bass, drums, and any instrument he could get his hands on. He knew his God-given gift was music and began seeking ways to use those gifts for the Kingdom at his home church, Second Street Presbyterian Church in Albemarle, NC while in high school. After 10 years of leading worship in church and bible studies, Justin felt called to move to Charlotte, NC to seek ministry opportunities.
In 2012, he joined Uptown Church and became one of four worship leaders at that time. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Charlotte and eventually pursued the call to take part in the East Charlotte Pres church plant taking on the role as the Worship Director. Justin loves spending time with his wife (Heather), daughter (Lily) and son (Luke). He also enjoys music, family, friends, kayaking, camping, golfing, traveling, Carolina Panther football, and Duke basketball.
Bailey Wagner
Rising Adults Director
Bailey was born and raised in Horneytown, NC where he grew to love fly fishing, music, and people. He studied communication at Appalachian State (Go 'neers) and began to feel the call to a life of ministry through his involvement in the campus ministry RUF. It was through RUF that he met his spectacular wife Liz, who is an ICU nurse. After marrying in 2018, Bailey and Liz moved to the wild, swampy town called Gainesville, FL for the RUF Internship at the University of Florida. Bailey's love for and call to ministry led them to move to Charlotte in 2020 for Bailey to pursue a Master's of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary. Bailey enjoys fly fishing, collecting more books than he can read, cheap beer, and | 1,352 |
away. This is reflected heavily in the Canada's Food Guide, which acts as a foundation piece for nutrition and wellness in doctors' offices, classrooms and even many kitchen tables.
Commercials and other ads push hard to make sure people have "got milk" by making it synonymous with calcium and bone health. But is it?
Dairy is not the only source of calcium. And often it is not even the best source. Two large Swedish cohort studies that followed collectively over 100,000 people over the course of 20 and 11 years found that a high intake of dairy could actually increase the risk of fractures. The researchers point to the D-galactose and lactose in milk as possible culprits behind oxidative stress and accelerated aging that may paradoxically weaken bones.
There are a number of excellent non-dairy sources of calcium and simple lifestyle habits you can build into your daily routine to ensure your bones stay strong throughout your life.
Calcium is a difficult mineral to absorb. This means that even if you consume a lot of it, it might not be making its way to the right places in your body and it might not be doing what you need it to do. Vitamin D and magnesium are both essential for the absorption and proper use of calcium in our bodies. With our northern exposure and diets, both of these nutrients tend to be lacking in our lives. Consider supplements to help you top up.
There are many delicious foods that offer good amounts of calcium while providing variety to your diet. Sea vegetables, such as spirulina, dulse, and kelp, are all high in calcium. Leafy green vegetables, chickpeas, and tahini or sesame seeds are also great sources.
Weight-bearing exercises, such as yoga, walking and jogging all help to build up bones and keep them strong. Help the children in your life build good bone habits by encouraging an active lifestyle from a young age.
The issue with supplementing single nutrients is that they often don't take into account the synergistic effect of many micronutrients working together. Our bodies are complex and require a wide range of different nutrients – not just large amounts of a few. Vitamin K, silicon, str<|fim_middle|> and wellness, keeping your bones healthy takes a holistic approach combining a varied, healthy diet with an active lifestyle. | ontium, boron, and zinc all work together to build bones. Omega 3 fatty acids help to increase calcium absorption and delivery to the bones. Lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, pink grapefruit, red berries, and beets, also do their part to keep bones strong. The best way to get all the nutrients your bones need is to eat a balanced diet with a rich variety of foods and colours.
Like all areas of health | 92 |
Welcome to the first edition of the next 25 years of Multichannel News.
OK, so, technically, it's the fifth issue we've put out since turning 25 on August 29.
Whichever, your business has changed radically in the last quarter-century; and it's our responsibility to give you the news and professional insight that makes you winners in customer satisfaction and financial satisfaction — the bottom line — for decades to come.
The first change you may have noticed is the tagline atop the front page.
Multiple media. Multiple channels. Multiple strategies.
It's the essence of what will change — what is changing — about being an operator of a cable system — or any system for delivering lots of video programming. Or providing programming for those systems.
This is not Aug. 29, 1980. Back then, the idea that you could devote a 24-hour channel of television programming to a single subject — news — was a radical idea. Indeed, Cable News Network was losing $1 million a month. Ted Turner had to reassure attendees of the Western Show that his baby would turn a profit, within a year, and be around for the long haul.
For that matter, the idea that you could get 40 channels of programming on your home TV was radical, too. And the consumer's willingness to pay for television, another somewhat alien idea.
Skip forward to today. Yes, the cable is the dominant fire hose for delivering<|fim_middle|> been promoted to Managing Editor, effective immediately.
And there is a new editor-in-chief as well. You can write me at tst@reedbusiness.com, to tell me what you think we can do to better help you profit from the multichannel battles to come. | video programming to the home. Indeed, 370 channels are vying for attention. Depending on who's counting, slightly more than two-thirds of all TV households now subscribe to cable.
But cable's dominance is no longer unchallenged. DirecTV Inc. — the satellite-to-the-home service — has 14.45 million subscribers, more than any cable operator, except Comcast Corp. DirecTV and EchoStar Communications Corp. combined have 25.4 million subscribers, more than the total cable universe when Multichannel News was born.
Now, the number of multichannel video-programming service operators in any given market will expand. Monopolies are over. Telephone companies, wireless broadband players, utility companies, even broadcast networks want a piece of the multichannel action.
And, oh, cable operators are already supplying an alternate means of delivering video programming, in unlimited slices, to their customers. It's called Internet access.
So, multiple channels also will mean that programming itself will be carried into the home on multiple channels of distribution.
To wit: Ripe TV (page 24) will deliver 10 hours of male-oriented programming on demand, over cable, the Internet and mobile wireless systems. And Google (page 3) wants to be the "universal switchboard" for the world's mountains of digits that you will watch as video shorts and longs.
But carried on those channels won't just be video. It'll also be incalculable mountains of music, books (print and aural), documents of all types and conversations, both in text and by voice. Narrowcasting is giving way to personal casting, whether it's the radio-program-like podcasts or the multimedia coverage of Live 8 concerts by America Online or on-the-spot war coverage of a Kevin Sites for Yahoo!
If you're in the cable (or satellite or Internet or wireless or telephone) business, you're going to need multiple strategies for delivering all these media over so many different channels.
For programmers and distributors, Multichannel News will be the bible of this next quarter-century of collision in all kinds of content and delivery systems. We will dig in to keep you ahead of the game, as the kaleidoscope of multimedia content and services speeds up, and the playing field — and players — keep changing. And we will help you look for all imaginable ways of generating a buck from the change.
As part of this, you will see some other changes in this edition of Multichannel News, including the creation of a Technology section, replacing Broadband Week, and a new look for the monthly On Demand report. Other sections have been reorganized into a sequence that we hope you will find more logical. The book will also conclude with the community side of this business, who's doing what ("People & Calendar"), what they look like ("Freeze Frame") and what you should know about what they're up to that you didn't know ("Through the Wire").
You also should know that Mike Demenchuk, whose fingerprints have been on virtually every page of Multichannel News, has | 632 |
Quality Systems, Inc. (QSI) was formed in 1973 in Irvine, California, as a dental software company. In 1994, Clinitec was formed by Pat Cline and Bryan Rosenberger to sell software for converting paper medical records into electronic medical records. Clinitec was purchased by QSI in 1996.
Advanced Security. Permission-based user log-ins and audit trails prevent unauthorized access to records and maintain data integrity. Data is time stamped with the user's identification.
Clinical Content . Developed by specialists, built-in workflow and clinical templates for over 26 specialties offer options for documenting specialty<|fim_middle|>-for-performance, medication recalls, patient populations, business analysis, and more – right from the EHR.
Very poor on interoperability. Many have tried integrations and struggled. The patient portal seems to be a weak spot for Nextgen. | -specific HPIs, procedures, histories, assessments, and more.
Coding Optimization & Compliance . E&M coding calculator helps to prevent lost charges and to maximize reimbursement based on audit-proof documentation.
Disease Management. Disease management templates for diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases, prompt providers to enter required information to meet clinical guidelines at point of care.
Health Maintenance. Providers can determine overdue patient exams, screenings, immunizations, and tests, create orders, and customize schedules, ensuring patient compliance and preventive care.
Lab & Device Connectivity. An extensive offering of lab interfaces and electronic data exchange with diagnostic devices provides physicians with real-time access to up-to-date data for higher quality of care.
ePrescribing & Medications ModuleTo help prevent interactions and errors, prescriptions are automatically checked against a patient's medications and allergies before electronically transmitting to the pharmacy.
Image Management. Printed documents and clinical images can be captured from outside sources and imported directly into a patient's electronic chart for a complete, accurate, and up-to-date medical record.
Referral Management. Forms are automatically populated with patient, treatment authorization data and provider information. Inbound forms can be scanned or transferred electronically into the patient record.
Reporting. During an encounter, patient data are collected and stored as discrete data, which enables your practice to easily generate reports for outcomes analysis, pay | 266 |
Home Ford Bronco Raptor News
Ford Bronco Raptor Doesn't Have A V8 For A Very Practical Reason
It's not about emissions or fuel economy.
Jan 24, 2022 at 2:49pm ET
By: Christopher Smith
We began seeing Ford Bronco Raptor test vehicles not long after the Bronco's reveal back in 2020. Spy videos confirmed a lack of V8 noise fairly early in the process, and with the hardcore Bronco now official, we know it features Ford's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. Still, with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 packing a gutsy V8, many folks might wonder why Ford didn't opt for a V8 of its own under the Bronco Raptor's hood.
There's certainly evidence to support a V8-powered Bronco, and not just because its main competitor offers one. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 belts out 470 horsepower (350 kilowatts), whereas Ford is promising over 400 hp (298 kW) from the twin-turbo V6. Blue Oval engineers would have to give the EcoBoost some significant tweaks to beat Jeep in a power battle, but lest we forget, Ford already offers a V8 in the Bronco DR. Ironically, power output for the 5.0-liter V8 is also ambiguous at over 400 hp, but the Bronco DR will only have a production run of 50. And also, isn't street legal.
Gallery: 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
The Bronco Raptor is street legal, and we suspect Ford will build as many as it can sell.<|fim_middle|>5, Gets Big Upgrades
Confirmed: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Launch Edition Costs More Than TRX
Ford uses the boosted 3.0-liter in the Explorer ST, where it makes 400 hp on the dot. Transitioning to the Bronco Raptor, Ford says it will gain a true-dual exhaust system, along with additional cooling and a specific tune to add power. How much remains to be seen, but with the extensive suspension and driveline upgrades, all indications point to the Bronco Raptor being an exceptional off-road machine.
Source: Muscle Cars & Trucks
Ford Bronco Raptor
Manufacturing / Production | That's why there's a V6 instead of a V8 under the hood because, per Muscle Cars & Trucks, it's easier for Ford to build them. Ford Performance Vehicle Engineer Derek Bier spoke to MC&T, explaining the Bronco assembly line is already set for a family of engines including the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. The 3.0-liter is an offshoot of the 2.7, which basically makes it a plug-and-play addition to the current manufacturing process. In short, it's a practical choice for mass production that offers more power.
Bronco And Wrangler:
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Price Starts At $69,99 | 155 |
This tour consists of a rainforest visit, swimming in a natural pool and experiencing the Pork Highway and coffee plantation of Puerto Rico. We will begin the visit with Carite Rainforest just<|fim_middle|> After the forest we guarantee you are going to have the best authentic Puerto Rican lunch you can have (with veggie options). The star of the show will be the roasted pork, and you will be able to say that you visited the famous Pork Highway and the restaurant El Rancho Original. This restaurant has been featured in shows such as Bizarre Foods, Travel Channel and Food Network.
Finally, we will finish the tour off with an authentic Puerto Rican coffee in a coffee plantation (30 minutes away). In the coffee plantation, you will learn the history of coffee and process. You may also buy coffee to bring home with you and support the local economy of the area. | 37 miles from San Juan, located in the southeast of Puerto Rico so be ready to meet the real countryside of the island. After the tour, we will have lunch in the famous Lechoneras.
Carite Rainforest is in the beginning of the mountain range Cordillera Central which divides the north from the south. All the rain from El Yunque continues on in the Carite Rainforest (averaging 82 inches yearly). The forest has an elevation of 3,000 feet over the sea level. The government of Puerto Rico protected 7,000 acres in 1939 to date.
We will also do a low impact walk/hike (20 minutes) to the famous Charco Azul or" Blue Hole" and swim in the clear and crystalline water. The blue color of the water is due to the minerals and Ph. During the walk/hike you will be exposed to the topography, geology, flora and fauna environment with our professional and certified tour guides. | 211 |
Explore Caerleon's Roman heritage
Huw Thomas
Travel writer and editor with a particular interest in all things Welsh. Regular writer for Visit Wales and organisations such as Visit Britain, Reader's Digest and Expedia.
© Amgueddfa Cymru / National Museum Wales
What to see and do at the National Roman Legion Museum
There are more Roman legionary remains to see at Caerleon than anywhere else in Britain.
Around AD75, Roman settlers built the mighty fortress of Isca Augusta in what is now Caerleon in South Wales. One of only three permanent fortresses in Roman Britain, it housed a 5000-strong force of the Second Augustan Legion, and defended the furthest outpost of their empire for two centuries. Step back 2<|fim_middle|> pottery and glass on display at the National Roman Museum, Caerleon, South Wales
© Amgueddfa Cymru
Flower (and bunk) beds
The Roman-inspired garden at the museum is the perfect place to take a break from exploration. Planted with herbs and flowers used by Caerleon's Roman residents in food and medicine, it's a treat for all the senses. There's also a recreation of a barrack room, where legionaries would have lived and slept. There aren't too many home comforts, so you probably wouldn't fancy spending the night, but there is replica armour to try on if you feel like getting a taste of life in the Roman army.
Roman-inspired garden at the National Roman Museum, Caerleon
Caerleon's amphitheatre is the most complete example in Britain. For the residents of Isca the perfect night out was a thrilling show of hand-to-hand combat, blood and gore. We prefer the rugby ourselves, but there's no accounting for taste.
Caerleon Amphitheatre, Cadw site
Apart from bloodthirsty entertainment in the amphitheatre, the Romans liked nothing better than a good bath. A section of Isca Augusta's original bath house remains and can be viewed at the Caerleon Fortress Baths. Beautifully brought to life with sound and light effects, you'll find out about the caldarium, tepidarium, frigidarium and natation. They might sound like spells from the Harry Potter books, but they're actually pools with different temperatures. The Romans clearly knew what they were talking about when it came to R&R. Posh spas still use the same principles today.
Roman baths at the Caerleon Fortress Baths
Caerleon has the only legionary barracks on show in Europe. In a grassy field west of the Museum, the remains of four long, narrow blocks of 12 pairs of rooms can be seen, each fronted by a veranda. There's also a larger suite at the end where the Centurion would have lived, presumably in a bit more comfort than the rank and file soldiers.
National Roman Museum, Caerleon, South Wales
The National Roman Legion Museum has an active events programme throughout the year. It you'd like to see soldiers in Roman armour, experience Roman cooking, find out about Roman medicine or celebrate Saturnalia, the lively Roman midwinter festival, this is the place. Subject to availability, please check before you visit.
Search for more Roman historical sites and attractions across Wales.
Trying on replica Roman armour and finding out how Roman soldiers lived, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon
Historic South Wales
Discover the history of South Wales, and its people, through the ages.
Cadw
Discover the hidden heritage of West Wales
From standing stones and ruined castles to industrial heritage, West Wales is full of hidden history.
Heritage attractions
Dip into Welsh history at these exciting castles, museums and cultural heritage centres.
Mad for museums in Wales
Wales has over 90 accredited museums, ranging from industrial heritage, to textiles and fine art. | ,000 years at the National Roman Legion Museum, which brings this fascinating period of our history to life. Here are a few can't-miss highlights.
History unearthed
Of all the treasures discovered in and around Caerleon since the 1600s and displayed at the National Roman Legion Museum, the stone coffin is one of the most impressive. Made from a single block of Bath stone, the coffin contains the 1,800-year-old remains of a man of moderate build who died around 40 years of age. Not a bad innings for the time. There's also a Roman-style painting showing what the coffin's occupant might have looked like.
Roman remains in a the Bath stone coffin at the National Roman Museum, Caerleon
© Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales
Ancient letters
In pride of place at the museum is a tablet, found in a well on the site. It's not complete, but you can still make out the Roman words on it, written in ink. Dating back to the 1st century, it's the oldest surviving writing in Wales, beating the oldest remaining Welsh writing by about six centuries. Also on display are several memorial stones including a beautifully carved stone for resident Tadia Vallaunius and her son, soldier Tadius Exuperatus, who died on an expedition to Germany.
Roman tablet at the National Roman Museum, Caerleon
Heaps of treasure are on display at the museum. You can admire one of the finest hoards of silver coins from second century Roman Britain, 599 in all, found by a local metal detector enthusiast in 2006. There's also the largest collection of engraved gemstones in Britain. As small as a fingernail but etched with exquisite designs of gods and animals, this glittering stash of gems was discovered in the bathhouse drain.
Roman coins and gems on display at the National Roman Museum, Caerleon
Glimpses of past lives
The museum houses a large collection of everyday items that shed light on everyday life in Roman times. Among the curiosities at the museum are stamps used to mark bread and a third century iron frying pan with a folding handle, designed to fit inside a soldier's pack. The decayed children's milk teeth, found, like the gemstones, in the bathhouse drain are perhaps a reminder of how little has changed since Roman times. It seems that kids loved sweet treats then just as much as they do now.
Admiring Roman | 521 |
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That old song has been running through my mind this past week as my wife and I, in the company of good friends, have been cruising the rivers of Belgium and The Netherlands. Aboard a luxurious riverboat, we've visited several ports—Amsterdam, Hoorn, Arnhem, Antwerp, Rotterdam—all of which have offered up their unique charms.
History is everywhere around us, in town squares dating back to the 15th century, in cathedrals still calling the faithful to worship, in castles forlornly standing watch over long-lost fiefdoms. Even the cemeteries have their tales to tell to any who care to stroll their grounds, reading epitaphs on crumbling headstones.
More recent history is in evidence at Arnhem, site of a failed offensive against Nazi forces by the Allies in 1944 (and subsequently portrayed in the 1977 film, A Bridge Too Far). The famous John Frost bridge, destroyed by the Germans to disrupt the Allies' supply lines, once more spans the Nederrijn River, testament to the resilience of the Dutch people who welcomed the liberating forces in 1945.
It is Kinderdijk, however, that has proven the most fascinating. Nineteen windmills, most constructed during<|fim_middle|>, still perform their essential function of pumping water from canals draining the countryside into sluices that take it over the dikes and into the Lek River. The land here is four metres below sea level.
Each windmill is inhabited and operated by a family selected from a waiting list of more than two hundred. Someone must be on site to monitor the operation whenever the vanes are turning, but many of the residents have day-jobs in addition to their windmill duties. Accessibility to each structure is by boat, or via narrow footpaths, so cars are left in a communal parking lot when people come home.
Quarters are cramped inside, with very steep, narrow stairs leading up from level to level. Were I to live there, I'd need a hard hat to protect my head from the many protrusions and low sills. Windows are small, so much of the interior is dark, although electric lighting has improved the situation. In the olden days, before the installation of running water and sewage capabilities, residents shared their accommodation with rats, and shaved their children's hair to counter lice.
Each of the four vanes, or wings, is a latticework structure, with fabric sails attached. When the wind is slight, the operator must climb the wings to unfurl the sails, in order to increase the velocity of the spinning wings; when the wind increases, the sails must be furled again. Each wing is stopped when it's pointing to the ground, in order that it may be climbed. It is not a quick process.
The wings must also be rotated around the windmill to take advantage of the direction of the wind. A complicated construct of chains and pulleys allows the operator to do that, turning the thatched-roof cap of the windmill through 360 degrees until the optimal position is found. The procedure is virtually the same as that performed in the 18th century.
Up close, the structures look ungainly, ridiculous even. If function matched form, they'd have been abandoned long ago. But they're still here, and still doing the job of keeping the sea at bay, as they've done for almost 300 years.
Even so renowned a warrior as Don Quixote could not shut them down. | the 1700's, one in the 1400's | 17 |
SPRINGFIELD TWP., Ohio -- It seems after every school shooting, school districts take note and look at how to tighten their security.
Winton Woods City Schools -- serving students in Springfield Township, Forest Park and the Village of Greenhills -- is no exception.
"We pay attention to every single one of them," said<|fim_middle|> of danger.
"We actually use students as thought partners. We really emphasize the whole idea of safe," Martin said. "If you see something, say something. So they do a great job."
In light of the shootings in Parkland, Fla., and Santa Fe, Texas, Winton Woods schools are updating their fire alarm procedures to avoid them being used against students and staff. | Steve Denny, Executive Director of Business Affairs for the school district.
Denny said security is a high priority -- especially as the district undergoes multiple construction projects. He said the district is exploring new security measures, like door locking mechanisms and bullet-resistant glass.
"You can sound a lock down that would actually close down parts of the building," he said. "So that if someone did happen to get inside, they would have difficulty getting somewhere else in the building."
Even though bullet-resistant glass isn't bullet-proof, it prevents glass windows from breaking and delays a security threat from entering the building or a classroom, Denny said.
Winton Woods has already implemented other security measures, as well. An identification check is required once a visitor enters the building -- prompting an instant background check.
"It actually spits back information to alert us if there are any issues or concerns with the people that are entering our building," said Winton Woods High School Principal Eric Martin.
The school already keeps all outside doors locked, and relies on students to help monitor for any threat | 211 |
Jean Lorrain was born Paul Duval, the spoiled only child of a wealthy bourgeious merchant from Normandy. He was a sickly child and had a smothering mother. He adopted the nom de plum, Jean Lorrain, at the request of his father who didn't want the family name soiled by the scandal of a literary career.
He was called the "sole disciple" of his mentor the Barbey D' Aurevilly who had turned the lifestyle of the original dandy Beau Brummel into a philosophy and way of life a generation before and then popularized it with his novel Les Diaboliques which openly portrayed lesbianism for the first time since classical times.
He<|fim_middle|> of race that are as relevant today as they were over a century ago. It also speaks volumes about a period little known to most people. The first successful slave rebellion in Haiti had just occurred inspiring victims of slavery around the world to heroically and courageously fight for their own freedom.
Even without all the socially redeeming value, Georges is one of greatest novels of the greatest storyteller of all time. This is a marvelous romantic adventure with a noble and virtuous hero avenging social injustice similar to The Count of Monte Cristo. It is, put quite plainly, a joy to read.
I will end with the irresistible beginning of Georges:
"Have you ever, on a long, cold, melancholy winter night - alone with your thoughts and the wind whistling through the hallways, the rain pounding against the windows - have you ever leaned your forehead against the mantel, absently watching sparks dance on the hearth, and longed to flee our wet and muddy Paris for some enchanted oasis? Somewhere fresh and carpeted in green, where you could lie in the shade of a riverside palm tree and doze off without a care in the world?
Well the paradise of your dreams exists! Eden awaits you; the water flows clear and bright there, falling and surging up in bright dust; the palm fronds wave gently in the soft sea breeze like feathers in a genies cap. The jambosa trees, laden with iridescent fruit, stand ready to offer you their sweetly scented shade. Come, follow me now."
Gustav Meyrink was born in Vienna on January 19th, 1868, sixty years to the day after Edgar Allen Poe was born (January 19th, 1808). He was the illegitimate child of an aristocrat named Karl Gottlob Freiherr von Varnbüler and an actress with whom he had an affair. His mother raised him in Munich and later he went to Hamburg to study. His father paid for his education, but never acknowledged him. In 1883 he moved to Prague to become a banker and lived there for twenty years.
In 1892, at the age of twenty four, he contemplated suicide. Just as he held the gun to his head someone slipped a spiritualist pamphlet entitled Afterlife under his door. He was so stunned by the coincidence he began to study the occult. Meyrink later became involved with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He had a brief career in banking which ended in a scandal in which he was actually charged with using the occult to commit fraud.
Meyrink worked as a translator after the scandal and then began writing short stories, first in a magazine called Simplicissimus and eventually publishing three compilations of his stories. In 1915 his first novel, The Golem, was a huge success, selling 100,000 copies.
In The Golem, an artist who has lost all memory of his past is visited by a mysterious being who entrusts a magical book to him to be restored. We follow him on a quest for his lost past as he experiences a series of supernatural encounters and mystical revelations in a wonderfully described turn of the century Jewish ghetto of Prague, filled with fantastic characters and even more fantastic legends.
I love Meyrinks descriptions as well as his characters and the way he weaves mystical lessons into the plot. Meyrink uses the novel to help us learn "things that cannot be taught".
Walpurgisnacht is a novella also set in Prague. In it evil forces possess the populace, inspiring a revolt that floods the streets of Prague with blood to the beat of a drum made from human skin.
The Green Face is set in the jewish ghetto of Amsterdam. His descriptions of the ghetto there are very similar to his desriptions of the ghetto of Prague in The Golem. He uses the legend of the wandering jew in much the same way he uses the legend of the golem.
In The Angel of the West Window a descendant of Sir John Dee inherits his papers and as he begins to go through them he becomes possessed by the spirit of Dee. A large amount of John Dee's actual papers are included in the story in this way. Characters from Dee's life keep showing up reincarnated in between hallucinagenic flashbacks to John Dee's time. The story progresses from Dee's castle in england, around europe to a medieval Prague of hissing alchemist Emperor Rudolf and mysterious kaballistic rabbis as Dee is exploited by the charlatan Edmund Kelly. A sort of biography in the form of an occult novel, the story is a fitting tribute to the man who inspired Shakespeares Prospero.
The White Dominican was Meyrinks final novel. In it he gives us the essence of his unique blend of taoism, buddism, gnosticism, and kabballah. Here's a sample:
Just as we cannot comprehend the meaning of a book if we just hold it in our hand and turn the pages without reading, so we will not profit from the course of our destiny if we do not grasp its meaning. Events follow each other like the pages of a book that are turned by Death; all we know is that they appear and disappear, and that with the last one the book ends. We do not even know that it keeps being opened, again and again, until we finally learn to read. And as long as we cannot read, life is for us a worthless game in which joy and sorrow mingle. When however, we finallly begin to understand it's living language, then our spirit will open it's eyes, and will start to read, and will breathe with us.
The novels of Gustav Meyrink have recently been wonderfully translated into english by Mike Mitchell and published by Dedalus Press.
Doris Lessing was recently awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. She was unimpressed. She mentioned that in the 1960's a representative had been sent from the Nobel committee just to tell her that they didn't like her and that she would never win. Apparently they have changed their minds.
Doris Lessing was born on October 22, 1919 in Persia. Her father was a soldier in WW1. He had lost a leg in the war and met her mother, who was a nurse, in the hospital when he was recovering . The couple moved to Persia where her father worked as a bank clerk. Doris was born there.
In 1925, when Doris was 6, the family relocated to colonial Southern Rhodesia to make their fortune farming. Unfortunately farming turned out not to be as lucrative as they had hoped. They were not wealthy.
Doris was sent to a convent school and later to an all girls boarding school. She dropped out of school at the age of 13 or 14. Doris worked as a nanny and later as a stenographer. One of her employers loaned her books and she began a course of self education that eventually resulted in her preeminence as a leading intellectual and free thinker.
In 1950 her first novel The Grass is Singing explored the failing marriage of a colonial south african white couple and the affair of the wife with her black servant.
In her 1962 novel The Golden Notebook, a successful female author named Anna tries to live her life with the freedom of a man. Anna records her thoughts and experiences both personal and intellectual in four notebooks.
As she attempts to tie together the four notebooks in one golden notebook, Anna examines contemporary issues in the context of her own life and applies her powerful intellect to draw some very relevant conclusions. Relevant enough to make Doris Lessing famous and make The Golden Notebook required reading today.
Over the years many groups have wanted to claim Doris as one of their own. Feminists, communists, Sci fi fans, and adepts of Sufism, among others, have enthusiastically attempted to name her as their guru for decades. Doris herself has always reveled in the impossibility of catagorizing herself or her work with any kind of label.
Indeed the theme of much of her work is the individual repressed by social roles and conventions struggling to emancipate their self.
She has written powerfully about women struggling to escape sexist gender roles and social mores.
She has written extensively on racism and colonial oppression in South Africa where she grew up.
Her work examines social, sexual,and racial roles as they effect the individual and society on a level seldom explored even today.
So, Doris deserves every award they have to throw at her. However, although these days honors are being liberally lavished upon the venerable Ms. Lessing. Few have mentioned what I and many others including Ms. Lessing herself consider her best work. Shikasta!
The books full title is Re: Recolonized Planet 5, Shikasta, Canopus in Argos: Archives, and it is quite a mindblowing book to read.
After the books release in 1979, a cult following grew which resembled some kind of new religion. She later stated that if she "had invented a new cosmology, it was for literary purposes alone."
The fantastic premise of the book is based in part on principles from the teachings of sufism in the works of the mystic Idries Shah.
The book is written in the form of a report from an alien, Johor, sent from the planet Canopus on a mission to the planet Argos (earth). Shikasta, sanskrit for something that has been broken, is the name of the dimension we humans exist in on Argos.
Johor's report spans millions of years of evolution and thousands of years of human development from prehistory to the future. It is the history of earth from the point of view of an alien who has been sent to aid in the evolution of species on this planet, and to help humans to achieve their evolutionary potential to be compassionate and enlightened beings. To boost this process the Canopeans are beaming positive energy called SOWF, Substance Of We Feeling, to Shikasta.
More than one group of aliens has been dabbling on earth. A malevolent group of aliens from the planet Shammat are stealing the SOWF to power their evil empirial conquests. This is why Shikasta is broken. There isn't enough Substance Of We Feeling. Too many people and not enough SOWF. And those evil Shammatians are stealing the SOWF making matters worse.
Many aliens are sent to earth to help. Aliens incarnate on earth to accomplish their missions, being born as a human. Many of us are aliens sent here on a mission and don't know it. Desires and sorrows distract us from accomplishing our missions in life. If we do not accomplish our mission, we have to keep incarnating here over and over again until we do. If we are successful in accomplishing our mission we can hope to be sent on a mission to someplace nicer next time, as Shikasta is a particularly tough assignment, a very painful world to visit.
The report continues into some near future where superpowers collapse and global war, economic devastation, environmental disaster and chaos ensue, a little too prophetic for comfort.
After the collapse of the superpowers, the Chinese are the the only power left standing. The white race is put on trial by an international tribunal. Our friend Johar has incarnated here as George Sherban to plead a case for the defense and stop the war and bloodshed before humans wipe themselves out completely.
I wont give away the ending. I'll just say everyone really should read this book. It will alter your world view and inspire you as Doris Lessing has inspired a generation of free thinking human beings to accomplish their mission to help make the world a better place to live, to alleviate human suffering, and stop war, and that's why she deserves all our admiration and respect.
Having said that. I need some SOWF. I am really getting low lately. | was a close lifelong friend of J.K. Huymans, whose novel A Rebours probably inspired Oscar Wilde to write A Picture of Dorian Grey. Huysmans novel La Bas, partly a biography of the infamous fifteenth century fuedal lord and child murderer, Gilles de Rais, made satanism fashionable in Paris cafe society.
Jean Lorrain lived openly as a homosexual in the late nineteenth century. He was devilishly witty, and fabulously attired and his fingers were always covered in huge jewels. He smoked opium and hashish, drank ether, injected morphine, and had a cultivated taste for rough trade.
Aristocratic dandys like his nemesis the Comte de Montesquiou didn't consider Lorrain a real dandy because he was not of noble birth. Montesquiou and the others were as flamboyantly homosexual as he was, and although his wealth allowed him to live as lavishly as any of them, his common birth always bothered him.
His novels were closely autobiographical. He was the quintessential dandy in his novels. The close resemblance of his characters to real persons and events led to him being sued for libel and challenged to duals. He had to dual Marcel Proust on one occasion, but it was over a review Lorrain had written attacking Prousts work rather than a novel.
In the beginning of the book. The infamous Monsieur de Phocas, the Duc de Freneuse arrives at the home of a young author unannounced. At their interview the bejeweled Phocas gives the young author his personal memoirs to edit and publish, explaining that he is quitting Paris and traveling to the orient never to return.
After this point the story is presented in the form of Phocas' journal entries. He begins explaining an obsession with eyes and masks, his contempt for people in general and his desire to commit murder.
"..I am delivered to despair and mortification because I have drunk the draught of poison congealed in the irises of your eyes. The eyes of portraits should be plucked out."
"To kill, to kill someone, oh how that would soothe me! That would extinguish my fever. I feel that I have the hands of an assassin."
He soon meets an artist named Claudius Ethal who has fled London and come to Paris allegedly because of a scandal following the deaths of some society women shortly after he painted their portraits. There had been rumours that he gave poison to his models so their skin would have a pale deathly pallor.
Ethal claims to have suffered from the same obsessions. He shows Phocas an exotic collection of masks and promises to cure him of his dangerous malady.
Ethal soon begins trying to push Phocas further and furthur into the abyss rather than curing him. He even suspects Ethal is trying to drive him to commit murder.
Ethal invites Phocas to his studio to see his work. As Phocas studies a sculpture of an emaciated adolescent, Ethal tells him how he met the model and created the sculpture ;
"His thinness interested me immediately, and the peculiar cast of his features - that expression of ardent languor which idealizes every consumptive face, furnishing them with such artistry. to cut a long story short, I approached Angelotto, confessed my interest and led him away to my lair..."
"I ought to have used him more sparingly rather than requiring him to repay my hospitality so quickly, but I sensed that he was living on borrowed time and might easily slip through my fingers."
"..I was besotted with the wild look in his huge suffering eyes. Angelotto posed, resignedly for hours on end. That hateful stupor - in which I sometimes thought I read a hint of reproach - never left his eyes, and his mouth was sealed by such mute defiance!"
"I took care of him the best I could between sittings. He never thanked me, but did exactly as he was told without saying a word. He died in my arms after twenty days.."
Ethal referring to the finished sculpture of the aforementioned "model";
"...but you must admit I have a masterpiece here."
Ethal introduces Phocas to the most decadent and dissolute denizens of Paris whom he calls larvae. He invites Phocas to a party at his studio that quicky becomes an orgy when two javanese servants bring everyone pipes filled with opium and then strip nude and dance to exotic music as the larvae smoke;
"The javanese servants had provided each of us with a small pipe crammed with greenish paste. A negro dressed entirely in white, who suddenly appeared between the tapestries, lighted each of them in turn with brightly glowing charcoals from a little silver brazier. Seated in a semi-circle on cushions set upon the Asian carpet, with our hands resting on squares of embroidered silk or Persian velvet, we smoked in silence, concentrating our whole attention on the progressive effects of the opium."
"While they silently shook themselves, with slow and cadenced undulations of their entire bodies, the scallop-shell breast-plates slipped gently from their torsos, and the jade rings slid along their bare arms. The two idols gradually divested themselves of their garments. Their finery accumulated at their feet with a slight rustling sound, as of seashells falling on sand. The tunics of white silk followed the slow fall of the jewellery. Now, as they stood on tiptoe, very slender in their exaggerated nakedness, it was as if two long black serpents shot forth from the cones of the two diadems had begun a lugubrious dance within the bluish vapors."
I don't want to give away too much of the story. It suffices to say, I loved this book. As far as I know only one other book by Jean Lorrain has ever been translated into english - Dairy of an Ether Drinker which is long out of print. I hope more will be translated soon.
Decadent novels like this one speak volumes about what life was like for homosexual men and women in those days. Nineteenth century decadence was a reaction to the hypocritical bourgeious morals of the victorian era. It was the sexual revolution of it's time. Homosexuals who were lucky enough found a sort of haven in the blase circles of the parisian sophisticates. They lived couragously at great personal risk. The decadents sounded the death nell of the old world of the romantic era before the dawn of twentieth century. Humanity owes the decadents tribute as brave champions of individual freedom and nonconformity, and as the creators of some of the greatest art, poetry, literature, and music in all of human history.
Jean Lorrains Monsieur de Phocas has been translated beautifully by Francis Amery and published by the wonderful Dedalus Books, whose mission it is to translate and publish european classics little known to the english speaking world and in many cases, such as this one, never before translated, as well as long out of print decadent literature.
One day as I was searching around the internet minding my own business, innocent and unsuspecting of any imminent peril, I stumbled upon a webpage called The Strangest Books Ever Written. There was a list for strange fiction and a list for strange nonfiction. Right there close to the top of the strange fiction list was The Other Side by Alfred Kubin.
After a bit of research I discovered that he was an early twentieth century expressionist artist and illustrator. He had a very gloomy life to match his macabre artwork. The Other Side was the only novel he wrote and it was widely considered to be one of the most unusual and macabre books ever written.
I was hooked, so I ordered it. It was available in a new english translation by Mike Mitchell from Dedalus Books.
In the beginning of the story a mysterious stranger arrives at the Munich home of a artist and his wife. After introducing himself the stranger explains the reason for his visit.
"I am not speaking in my own name, but for a man whom you, perhaps, have forgotten, but who still remembers you well. This man has at his disposal what is by European standards, untold wealth. I am speaking of your former classmate, Claus Patera. Please do not interrupt me! By a strange chance, Patera came into possession of what is probably the largest fortune in the world. Your old friend then set out upon the realization of an idea for which access to fairly inexhaustible financial resources is absolutely prerequisite. He resolved to found a dream realm. This is a complex matter, but I will be brief.
First of all a suitable tract of some 1,200 square miles was acquired. One third of the area is mountainous, the rest consists of plains and hills. A lake, a river and large forests divide up this small realm and add variety to its landscape. A city was established, villages, and farms. The latter were sorely needed as even the initial population was 12,000. The present population of the Dream Realm is 65,000."
"Patera, he continued, feels an extraordinarily strong aversion to all kinds of progress. To be precise, to all kinds of scientific progress. Please take this literally, for in it lies the main idea behind the Dream Realm. The Realm is shut off from the rest of the world by a surrounding wall and protected against any attack by strong fortifications. There is a single gate for entry and exit, facilitating strict control of people and goods. The dream realm is a sanctuary for all those who are unhappy with modern civilization and contains everything necessary to cater to their bodily needs. It is not at all the intention of the lord of this country to create a utopia, a kind of model state for the future. Although provision has been made to ensure there are no material shortages, the whole thrust of the principal aims of this community is directed less towards the maintenance of property and goods, the population, individuals. No, definitely not! ...But I see a smile of disbelief on your lips. It is difficult I know, almost too difficult for mere words to describe what Patera hopes to achieve with his Dream Realm."
The artist and his wife think it over and decide to go. They make a very long journey to the far east ending up finally at the outer wall of the Dream Realm. They pass through the single gate and board a train that takes them across dismal swamps and forests to Pearl, the capital of the Dream Realm.
On their arrival in Pearl, they immediately discover that all is not right in the Dream Realm. To begin with the sky is always overcast. Never can you see the sun or the stars. Everything looks drab and dingy in dreary shades of greenish grey. Nothing is new here. Everything from buildings to silverware is old and worn.
We later find out that all the buildings have macabre and violent histories. Structures where horrible crimes were committed have been moved to the Dream Realm from all over the world. Even the everyday objects seem to have an unwholesome past. It seems as if an unseen force is controlling both people and events in this bizarre place.
A village adjacent to the city is the home of a tribe of blue eyed holy men who are the Dream Realms original inhabitants. These people seem all to be in a perpetual trance. We learn that Patera visited these mystics before conceiving the Dream Realm.
Things become increasingly bizarre. People start becoming violent. Murders are committed with increasing intensity. Many people die of mysterious illnesses. Plagues of insects inundate the city. Wild animals start invading the city and attacking people. Then even domesticated animals become vicious and turn on their masters.
When our hero finally does find Patera, he seems to be in a trance, and his face keeps changing into first one person then another and another until finally it seems as if faces from all over the realm and even the entire world are passing across Pateras skull.
"His eyes were like two empty mirrors reflecting infinity. The thought crossed my mind that Patera was not alive at all. If the dead could look, that is what their gaze would be like."
Any attempt to escape from the dream realm is futile. The violence continues to escalate as the evil force controlling everything consumes the city of Pearl in a chaotic apocalypse.
The book ends with our protagonist finding the "real" world too much like the Dream Realm for comfort.
"When I ventured back into the world of the living, I discovered that my god only held half-sway. In everything, both great and small, he had to share with an adversary who wanted life. The forces of repulsion and attraction, the twin poles of the earth with their currents, the alternation of the seasons, day and night, black and white - these are battles.
Kubin adds a drawing of an eyeless morbid Patera like face on the final page with the cryptic phrase:
"The Demiurge is a hybrid."
The dystopia described in this book, published in Austria in 1906, closely predicts events that occurred in the decades following it's publication, with often uncanny and disturbing similarity.
The rise of militarism and nationalism resulting in the first and second world wars, the rise of Nazism, Hitlers omnipotent god like influence on millions, the holocaust, even the horrible final hours of der fuhrer in his bunker in Berlin are closely foreshadowed in this prophetic book.
Analogies may easily be drawn to ideas like Jung's collective subconscious, the cycles of change of taoism,and the karmic principle of hinduism and jainism, and alarmingly to events in the present.
This book is a definite must read. It should be required reading in the hope that the warning signs of violent psychosis shown by an entire society may someday be heeded preventing future bloodbaths and perhaps accomplishing homosapiens next great evolutionary step into a truly self aware being, no longer controlled by ancient demons and evil forces.
Fortunately Mike Mitchell's translation of The Other Side has recently been released in an ebook format for only ten dollars. Paperback copies are scarce and costly.
Posted by David X at 9:33 PM 5 comments:
I am very happy to report the publication of a great new novel... by Alexandre Dumas! How can there be a new novel by Dumas you ask? This novel has been lost and forgotten to us for more than a century. A wonderful new translation by Tina Kover has recently been printed in a beautiful hardcover edition by The Modern Library (Random House). Jamaica Kincaid has written a forward which is a masterpiece in itself.
Georges is the story of a boy from Isle de France, the son of a wealthy mulatto planter. Georges and his brother are sent to France by their father, to protect them from the wrath of the bigoted white planters on the island.
Through incredible self discipline and will power, Georges distinguishes himself intellectually and transforms himself through grueling training from a skinny ascetic to a strong and robust man, as well as a master swordsman and marksman. Georges becomes the toast of high society in Paris and London. He goes into military service and distinguishes himself courageously, being decorated with the legion of honor by the king of France.
Georges then returns to Isle de France to avenge the treatment of his noble father by the racist planters on Isle de France, intent to destroy the bigotry on the island or die in the attempt.
Not everyone is aware that Alexandre Dumas was mulatto himself, the grandson of a French nobleman and an Afro-Caribbean woman, Marie-Cessette Dumas, who had been a slave. This is the only work in his more than 300 volumes of novels, plays, and prose which deals with the subject.
In this novel Dumas explores complex issues of race in great detail. Written and set in a period when slavery had been abolished in Europe in the wake of Napoleon, but not in many other places around the world, such as the United States. It was still legal to own slaves in French and English colonies. Although slave trading had become illegal in this period, it was still being carried on by privateers.
Georges and his father owned many slaves themselves. Issues of race between the wealthy mulatto planters and the black slaves are explored extensively in addition to those between whites and people of color.
The taboo of interracial love is beautifully explored in a romance between Georges and the fiancé of his Nemesis, the despicable racist son of a white planter.
This novel deals very effectively with issues | 3,442 |
The passion of Emiliano to the tradition and culture of Tuscany, and his ability to actualize ancient tastes, adapting them for modern tastes, have shaped the best dishes, creating a menu full of original and unique sensations.
Starting from traditional recipes, the chef skills in creating new combinations creates elaborate meals but lightweight, able to highlight every single flavor and, at the same time, the taste of the whole creation.
Even the presentation is carefully supervised. The dishes of the tavern, in fact, are carefully prepared and presented with an eye to the color scheme, to meet not only the palate but also the sight.
Experimentation and the constant search for balance sensory each dish stimulate new creations, able to rediscover and typical Tuscan dishes.
A Tuscan cuisine and creative, with a<|fim_middle|>can food and wine.
So the menu you will find unique delicacies such as wild pig, the Chianina, beans zolfini and fagiolina of Lake Trasimeno, all exceptional products of Tuscany. | personal signature, created from ingredients carefully selected for high quality and seasonality, with respect for nature and tradition.
The chef and owner of the restaurant, Emiliano Rossi, has a long experience, born from the passion for cooking cultivated from early childhood, when little Emiliano flanked by his mother in the kitchen.
He graduated from the institute hotel chef P. Artusi of Chianciano Terme (SI), alternating studies numerous experiences in various restaurants in the city of Cortona, to decide, in 1994, just twenty-one, to start a catering business in their own . First in small locations where there is now the other activity proprietary "fett'unta" and then in the charming palace where he remains today.
Since then creates tasty dishes, fruit of the personal union of traditional Tuscan cuisine and personal inspiration.
The idea behind all the culinary creations of the chef Emiliano is equilibration of taste through a long trial. Starting dall'ingrediente main dish of a traditional Tuscan cuisine are researched the history of the ingredient, its past and its roots, only to be re-interpreted and updated.
This is how new dishes, heirs of the long and rich Tuscan tradition, but lighter and more pleasant to the taste.
The philosophy of harmony and authenticity is reflected faithfully nel'accurata selection of ingredients that take part in the creation of delicious menu at Osteria del Teatro.
Each dish is an expression of its territory and has to live with it, to be the full expression of the local culture. Why are sought excellence of the territory, products at kilometer zero, strictly seasonal, carefully chosen to be the expression and appreciation of the culture Tus | 343 |
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The Classified Post where we provide the look and feel of a traditional newspaper backed by modern technology! We are more than just a Classified Board website. The Classified Post is an actual community of people that Post, Buy, and Share<|fim_middle|> on Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:10 am, edited 1 time in total. | both items and services that appeal to all walks of life. The Classified Post allows people to Buy & Sell Items such as: Cars, Appliances, Clothing, Jewelry, Electronics, Pets, and Sporting Equipment. We bring back the fun in browsing while allowing our readers to play. Since we are also a community gathering place, The Classified Post also provides local information such as: Jobs, Services Needed, Homes to buy/rent, yard sales, places to dine, and events that are happening in your area.
Check it out today! Let us know what you think!
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Blog article assigned to Services category.
Since you solicited comments, I took a moment to browse around your site, and was hit by the dreadful Choose a City prompt before I could see any ads.
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ST. MARYS - The applause started before the drivers could set the parking brakes on the buses that brought Special Olympics competitors to Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.
About 600 volunteers kept up the applause Wednesday as the students from eight counties arrived, met<|fim_middle|> said.
The athletes competed in a variety of events, among them the 100-meter dash, softball throw, volleyball and standing long jump.
Some of the "buddy" volunteers simply had to get the athletes to their next event, but others had to take a more active role - in some cases helping a disabled participant grip and throw a ball. Missile Tech Chris Lambeth sprinted down the track pushing a wheelchair in which the delighted Scotty Erla from C.B. Greer Elementary in Brunswick grinned broadly.
"It's good to get out and help," Lambeth said.
Ryan Sailors' 16-year-old brother, Michael, is not disabled and made sure he wished Ryan well at home, Mike Sailors said: "He told him he wanted to see his medal when he got home."
"You were moving," he said. "I could see smoke behind you, man." | their buddies for the day and walked the base track to a shady spot on the other side. Some of the Special Olympians seemed a little confused at the fuss, but during the opening ceremony Base Commander John O'Neill explained it.
"This is your day. You are in the arena," O'Neill said. "You are an inspiration to us."
Ryan Sailors, 14, from St. Marys Middle School, walked the track with his parents, Mike and Jan.
"They get such a great welcome every year," Jan Sailors said. "This is something to look forward to."
"We get to go home feeling better about ourselves. It's an incredible feeling to see these kids come in and get their welcome," he | 146 |
Published Oct 13
New SuperSport App Redefines the Mobile Sports Experience
SuperSport has unveiled an all-new app that sets exciting standards for sport fans and perfectly supplements the World of Champions' broadcast offering.
The newly developed app was rolled out last week and<|fim_middle|> iOS.
For more information, visit: https://supersport.com/app | offers an entirely remodelled and far sleeker experience than before.
With emphasis on a richer, more visual feed, app users will be able to personalise their content by following their favourite teams, tournaments and more. Users will need to log in via email or social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple) in order to create a personal app experience, seeing just the news, scores and videos they are interested in.
For the on-the-go sports fan or the second-screen devotee, the app will add greater depth to regular viewing thanks to additional features such as finely tuned notifications, enhanced search and sweeping coverage of your favourite sports.
With speed of data delivery a key focus, sports fans can expect up-to-the-minute match commentary and score updates for all their favourite tournaments.
"We've invested a lot of time, energy and resources into making this an app that reflects SuperSport's quest for supreme sports coverage and in-depth insight," explained Gideon Khobane, SuperSport's chief executive. "Users will be thrilled by the slick and intuitive design, plus the ability to either catch up with the latest news or dig deeper."
The SuperSport App is available in all countries for all sports fans to use, and is free to download and use (standard data rates apply).
The app is available on Android & | 263 |
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Member Spotlight on Melanie Mohammed:<|fim_middle|> the time, Melanie recalls visiting Beth McKibbin and her majestic golden retriever to inquire about Grits' potential to one day be a therapy dog himself.
Fast-forward two years, and Grits officially earned his way to becoming an Ottawa Therapy Dog after successfully passing his evaluation—a moment that sparked tears of joy for Melanie. For a former French teacher who now works in the field of human rights, Melanie's innate compassion led her to go through the evaluation process again with her second dog in 2015. Adding Beans, her amiable chocolate lab, to the Ottawa Therapy Dogs' family was Melanie's way of bringing twice as much joy to those in need of comfort.
Grits, who is now 10 years young, has been a source of positive support for patients in a long-term care facility located in rural Ottawa for close to 8 years. His patience and composure enable him to visit with patients suffering from illnesses such as dementia, which make it difficult for them to engage in verbal conversations. In quiet contentment, Grits brings immediate happiness to those he meets.
For many patients, their family members may no longer know how to engage with them as an illness progresses, and others no longer have living family members or friends to visit them. Our Ottawa Therapy Dogs teams are their support system. As Melanie says, "My dogs help bring light in the day of those they interact with, and I wanted to contribute in this way."
Beans, who is now 8 years old, is full of personality and thrives on the attention she gets from patients and their families. Her extroverted personality made her the ideal candidate to provide support to those in need of shorter-term care and higher levels of engagement. The profound impact of her visits was recently recognized by the family of a long-term care patient whose family recounted the memories of Melanie and Beans in their mother's obituary following her passing.
For Melanie, one of the most meaningful aspects of being an Ottawa Therapy Dogs handler is seeing the smiles from those Grits and Beans have the opportunity to interact with, including staff members at the facilities.
As an avid believer in the therapeutic benefits brought by therapy dog visits, Grits and Beans have been a personal source of calm and comfort for Melanie herself. For her, bringing joy to others positively influences her own mental well-being by knowing that she and her dogs are able to leave a positive mark on those in need of support in such a meaningful way.
When Melanie, Grits and Beans aren't busy counting down the days until they can return to in-person visits, they are enjoying walking, hiking and swimming at their rural home. She hopes that others consider joining the Ottawa Therapy Dogs team to help make a difference in our community. As Melanie says, "I would encourage people to reflect on how important their impact can be on the lives of the people they touch." She continues, "Being a part of Ottawa Therapy Dogs can be life-changing, not only for the individual, but also by extending support to their families and loved ones."
The Power of Zoom Dogs
Written by Julianne Labreche
When I was a little girl, I remember crying when I watched any animal movie. Tears rolled down my cheeks seeing Lassie orThe Incredible Journey or even animated movies like Bambi or Lady and the Tramp. That's the power of the animal-human bond when you're a small child watching a screen.
Now that I'm an adult, I still love animals and always will. I grew up with dogs and had some wonderful dogs during my adult life, including a special therapy dog – a beautiful Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever – that worked in a local hospital with me helping stroke survivors with communication impairments. That dog still brings tears to my eyes. When you love a dog, any dog, the pain of losing that dog may fade but it never goes away entirely. That's the power of this bond.
Still, I admit feeling a tad cynical initially when asked to watch and report on virtual Ottawa Therapy Dogs (OTD) visits taking place at a local Ottawa nursing home. It just wouldn't be the same watching 'The Zoomies' as OTD likes to call these online visits that connect therapy dog handlers and their dogs to long-term care residents during the pandemic. The technology, like any screen, has its limitations. You can't pat the therapy dog's soft fur or stroke them. You can't smell them after they've been so nicely groomed for a visit or hear that tail wag in happy anticipation when you come close. It's just not the same.
Sadie making her appearance on "The Zoomies"
It's a different experience, there's no denying it. Then again, the magic of the animal-human bond remains, especially for anyone who loves animals. Just because there's a screen, those warm feelings don't go away.
More importantly, look at it from the perspective of the long-term residents themselves. As homes move in and out of outbreak, activities may need to be rescheduled to keep resident's safe. Visitation is currently restricted due to the pandemic with only essential and designated care givers permitted to visit their loved ones. With a two-person limit on designated care givers in place, social contact is unfortunately limited at this time.
So, from a resident's perspective, maybe an interactive visit with a therapy dog and handler could be pretty nice – for the right patient, of course. For some, it could even be the most exciting event of the entire week.
So I decide to be an observer and to watch a couple of these visits. I press the Zoom link on my home computer. With consents obtained and confidentiality guaranteed, I'm permitted to enter my first therapy dog session. Soon it begins.
Antonia and Sadie
Antonia Mcguire and Sadie, a red-coated Labrador retriever, appear on the screen. Antonia is a friendly, outgoing OTD volunteer who tells me later that she really enjoys her Saturday visits online with the residents at St. Patrick's Home, a local long-term care facility in Ottawa. She's happy to share Sadie, her much-loved family pet, with a few residents each week. Intentionally, each visit is kept short, limited to about ten minutes. A staff person holds an iPad at the opposite end of the Zoom call. It's not so easy visiting beyond about forty-five minutes every Saturday as it's tiring both for her and her dog keeping residents engaged within this artificial milieu.
It's been a learning curve for everyone. Antonia volunteered at St. Patrick's with Sadie for two years before the pandemic struck. Earlier, she went through the usual screening, orientation and testing carried out by OTD's trained evaluators. Those face-to-face visits were important for residents, she remembers. Her six-year-old dog, so friendly and playful, helped her connect to residents. A strong emotional bond sometimes happened between the residents and the dog.
"I knew it wouldn't be the same experience," Antonia recollects, reflecting on the transition to online visits after teams were no longer permitted into their facilities because of Covid-19. But she was willing to give the virtual world of therapy dog work a try and to learn. She and Sadie have been doing virtual visits since last summer. She's convinced these pet visits make a difference.
"It's interesting to see there's still an emotional connection," she observes.
St. Patrick's Home staff shares the same enthusiasm. "I should say that at first I was not sure," emailed Erika Hollander, a recreologist who works with residents there. "I thought people with dementia may have difficulty connecting with a dog on a screen."
Instead, the therapy dog program had the opposite effect, she notes. "Residents were excited, connected, even brought to tears with the happiness they felt. Our first visit showed me immediately that this was the way to continue our partnership with Ottawa Therapy Dogs. We are so very grateful for the people who came together to bring this joy to our residents."
I begin to realize the impact that these visits have for some residents. I decide go online to watch a different visit. I press the Zoom link. Again, I'm allowed to enter the session as an observer. This time, I'm staring at two real cuties, Harry and Louis, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. With their long, silky ears, big eyes and cuddly looks, no wonder the breed has been known historically as comfort dogs.
Harry and Louis ready for their visit!
Harry is the official Ottawa Therapy Dog, Alexandra Wood, the handler explains. This team worked at the Montfort Hospital prior to the pandemic. Now they've been recruited for the virtual visits at St. Patrick's Home. Because the Zoom calls are conducted out of Alexandra's home, Louis gets to share the screen too. Louis is the younger of the two dogs. "The apprentice," Alexandra calls him.
Alexandra has spent a lot of time organizing these visits. She focuses her efforts on the screen, making sure her dogs are always in good view for each resident during the visits. She tries for close-ups of the dogs, when possible. She encourages the staff person at the other end of the Zoom call to help direct comments and questions from the resident. She listens carefully. She has taught her two dogs some fun tricks to keep the residents amused and interested in the online visit. The dogs take turns weaving between poles, ringing a bell, and leaving treats placed near their paws until permitted to eat them.
Alexandra and Harry
"The point is to see the dogs, not me," she says. The results are usually always positive. "The residents seem really happy from what I hear," she says, "especially if they had dogs themselves."
Doing therapy dog work online isn't so easy, she notes. "It's more tiring for the dogs and myself." It's all about pacing, not overdoing it and keeping the sessions short. Although she volunteers for the benefit of the residents in the long-term care home, she also has her pets' best interests at heart. She works to ensure they're having fun and not tiring from the stimulation of the tasks.
A resident at the other end of this Zoom call reaches out, touches the screen and seems to want to touch the dogs too. I see the resident smile. It's clear that she's connecting with the dogs, even though she can't pat them.
I'm sure that in the months ahead there will be more published research in the fields of psychology and mental health about virtual pet therapy visits. New 'buzz terms' are already being emerging. These visits are being called "animal-related engagement," or "animal-related stimuli." Research studies will be designed. Numbers collected. Conclusions drawn.
Meanwhile, I'd say simply that the virtual therapy dog visits are a great alternative to not being able to visit in person and much better than whatever could have been imagined. The animal-human bond, it seems, travels well through cyberspace. Thanks to some dedicated therapy dog volunteers, a few determined health care staff and several friendly, good-natured dogs, these visits are making a big difference in long-term care.
If you need more evidence, I've got the Zoom links to prove it.
About the Author: Julianne Labreche is a former therapy dog handler with OTD, a past OTD Board member, a retired health care professional and the author of the children's story The Woman Who Lost Her Words, a story about the power of animals to reconnect children to people who have had a stroke.
The Wise Mentor
Written by Julianne Labreche , OTD Associate Member
Everyone needs a wise mentor when young, someone to smooth those rough edges and teach kindness by living it.
Copain, the big black standard poodle that works every Monday morning as a therapy dog with ALS patients at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre (TOHRC) had a mentor too. His name was Dylan, a big, friendly white standard poodle that lived with Michel Bourassa, his handler.
As a young dog, just six months old, Copain had lots to learn when he moved into his forever home with Dylan and Michel.
By then, Dylan was an experienced therapy dog. Michel and Dylan had been working in the ALS Clinic as volunteers for over three years, greeting outpatients and their families. Patients diagnosed with ALS are seen at TOHRC for medical interventions and rehabilitation therapies provided by an experienced ALS team.
Even though ALS has no known cure, there is a great deal that can be done to improve a patient's quality of life as the disease progresses. For that reason, these patients continue to make the trek regularly to meet with doctors, nurses and rehabilitation staff.
Nevertheless, these clinic visits often are difficult. Patients sometimes receive bad news, especially given the progressive nature of their disabilities. A friendly visit from a therapy dog team can go a long way to reduce the stress and anxiety that can accompany appointments.
Right from the beginning, Michel hoped that Copain would be a therapy dog too, just like his older dog.
Copain and Dylan
"The two dogs hit it off famously," says Michel, retired and a volunteer with Ottawa Therapy Dogs (OTD) and The Ottawa Hospital. He remembers too that the energetic pup needed to learn a few good manners. Of course, there was the usual roughhousing in the backyard between the two dogs, but there were also carefully planned walks around the hospital grounds. Always leashed and with his young protégée in tow, Michel encouraged Dylan to be a good mentor.
Following Dylan's example, Copain was taught how to be on his best behavior around the hospital, never pulling on his leash or jumping, always being friendly and gentle when strangers approached. Fortunately, the young dog learned quickly.
Then one winter's day, bad news arrived. It came about the time that Copain, almost two, was about to be tested in an OTD therapy dog evaluation. Dylan was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor. Soon after, the dog died– a sad day for Michel and Dale, his wife.
Just one week later and still grieving, Michel picked up the leash and attached it to Copain. The time had come for new beginnings. Together, on one cold Monday morning in February 2017, this new therapy dog team walked across the icy park to the hospital. The little pup had grown into a big, gentle therapy dog, thanks, in part, to his best friend Dylan.
Since then, Michel and Copain have provided regular weekly therapy dog visits in the ALS Clinic. They're still volunteering there. While Dylan will always be missed, it turns out Copain has a style of his own that seems to work its magic on many patients. Not all people like dogs, but most do. Michel – a shy, quiet, big-hearted man – respects that fact and never imposes his dog on hospital visitors or staff.
"The ALS clinic meets with patients and their significant others at a very emotional and vulnerable period in their lives," says the ALS team's registered nurse Susan McNeely. "Copain has the sweetest way of gently leaning his body into the person, providing them with his version of a hug."
Staff sometimes benefit from the visits too, given the stressful nature of this emotionally charged work.
"Having a therapy dog team during the ALS Clinic has really made a difference for both patients and staff," says Margo Butler, a speech-language pathologist on the ALS team. "They are a much needed calming and soothing influence."
Michel is proud to show off a photo of Dylan that hangs in a nearby hospital corridor. In the photo, Dylan is standing next to former Governor General David Johnston who visited the rehabilitation centre during his time in office. Dylan and Michel also won various awards, including a national award from the ALS Society for their volunteer work.
Copain receives his share of recognition too, including being thanked during Volunteer Week at the hospital and before Christmas, sometimes with a bag of dried liver or other treats.
After all, loosely translated, the French word 'copain' means 'friend'.
These days, there's no doubt that Copain has made many friends among the patients, family members and hospital staff who have come to rely on these regular therapy dog visits for kindness and affection in troubled times.
Julianne Labreche has been a member of Ottawa Therapy Dogs since 2000. Currently an associate member, Julianne is a past Director on Ottawa Therapy Dogs' Board of Directors and was a therapy dog handler with her previous dog, Paugan, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
99-1568 Merivale Road, Suite #369, Ottawa, ON K2G 5Y7
OTTAWA THERAPY DOGS
Other volunteer opportunities
Charitable registration number:
88312 8308 RR0001
© 2020 Ottawa Therapy Dogs | Bringing Twice the Joy with Grits and Beans
Updated: 2 days ago
Written by Jenna Hobin
Melanie with Beans (Left) & Grits (Centre)
"When we volunteer, I find that dogs are naturally drawn to people who need support the most. They bring smiles to the faces of those who may be feeling lonely and down." As a handler for her two dogs, Grits and Beans, Melanie Mohammed first got acquainted with Ottawa Therapy Dogs in 2011 at an event for the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign. A new owner to a vibrant young border terrier who was a puppy at | 130 |
. . . this past weekend, left the city behind for a leisurely countryside drive, a stop in the most quaint café [for<|fim_middle|> of the best days, ever, at least so far . . .
. . . and as with every beach anywhere in the world for as long as can remember, always a moment to search for a few rocks and seashells to bring home as a reminder of that day . . .
. . . and in the golden sun, just the two of us.
Beautiful images! it looks like you had a great time spending the weekend in such a wonderful environment. Would love to visit Edinburgh one day and the area around it.
OH I cycled there last year from Edinburgh and bought the Hazelnut bread which is delightful – they have a shop in Morningside too – there is always a queue.
This almost reminds me of the Lewes Delaware coastline. You can take a look at some pictures on my blog.
I'm in love with all of these photos!
Gorgeous! breath-taking images. Thanks for the visual vacation. | coffee and an exquisite slice of apricot tart], and a day in the picturesque town of gullane, about twenty miles outside of edinburgh, to spend the day on the east coast of scotland, amongst perfectly manicured golf courses and cosy inns, grassy dunes and miles upon miles of sandy beaches; under the ever-changing light — from golden, to ethereal shades of dusky violet and pink the colour of daydreams — it would be, one | 96 |
10 amazing and affordable accessories for your new Apple Watch
By Killian Bell • 9:54 am, December 27, 2019
Spend your holiday cash on sweet Apple Watch<|fim_middle|>. Check out our selection of Apple Watch sports bands, including the ones highlighted below.
Load more stories » | upgrades.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
If you were gifted a shiny new Apple Watch this holiday, you'll want some sweet accessories to go with it. Here are 10 terrific options that won't break the bank.
You'll find bands, charging stands, and bumper cases in our roundup. And they're all available for under $30 each.
Awesome Apple Watch stocking stuffers for $40 or less
By Killian Bell • 3:23 pm, December 12, 2019
Shopping for an Apple Watch wearer? Start here!
Holiday shopping for an Apple Watch fan couldn't be easier. There are so many awesome bands and accessories out there, you're bound to find something they'll love. But we're here if you need a helping hand.
We've rounded up some of the best Apple Watch gifts that are a steal at under $40. There are bands, charging stands, cases, and more to choose from. All from brilliant brands like Mifa, Elago, and Rilee & Lo.
12 amazing Apple Watch accessories at insanely low prices
By Killian Bell • 1:43 pm, September 25, 2019
Each will cost you $40 or less.
Photo: Rilee & Lo, EdgeGear, Nyloon, Carterjett, Mifa, Elago
Upgrading your Apple Watch with amazing bands and accessories doesn't have to break the bank. You'll be surprised at how many terrific products you can find for buyers on a budget.
We've rounded up some of the best Apple Watch accessories that are currently priced at $40 or less to help you out. Check out all 12 right here!
Awesome but affordable leather bands for Apple Watch Series 5
All on sale for $50 or less.
Photo: Carterjett
Your Apple Watch Series 5 is on the way, so it's time to start building up your band collection. A smart leather strap is a must-have for almost everyone — and it doesn't have to be expensive.
We've rounded up some of the finest leather Apple Watch bands you can buy on a tight budget. There's a bunch of styles and color options to choose from, and they all cost under $50.
Bag yours today before your new Watch arrives later this week.
Save 20% on all Carterjett bands for Apple Watch this weekend
By Killian Bell • 4:23 pm, August 29, 2019
Get your Carterjett bands today for even less.
The Cult of Mac Watch Store is hosting a huge sale on gorgeous Carterjett bands for Apple Watch this Labor Day weekend. You can enjoy 20% off all models until September 3.
It's the perfect time to treat yourself to a sweet new style at a great price.
Apple Watch bands that please your inner cheapskate
By Marty Cortinas • 9:15 am, July 15, 2019
Photo: Rilee & Lo
If you've got an Apple Watch and want to change things up, it's quite easy to change the face. But if you want something a bit more tangible, you've got to change the band.
The mechanical part is easy; it's the acquisition that can be a bit taxing. Looking good doesn't have to be expensive, though. Check out our selection of bands that go for less than $40, including items from CarterJett, Rilee & Lo, and Nyloon.
Spring has sprung! Keep it fresh with these colorful Apple Watch bands
By Kristal Chan • 12:05 pm, April 1, 2019
Time to get a fresh start and look the part.
Photo: Juuk
Whether you're in need of a sport band, a luxe leather strap, or cool stainless steel, your search ends here.
Sure, you could go all out on Apple's new Spring lineup with prices reaching as high as $489, but if you're like me and putting away the cash for bigger and better hardware upgrades down the road, then these totally affordable and equally stylish bands are just for you.
Check out this watch store guide and find your perfect color match this season for price tags as low as $25.
Best leather Apple Watch bands, from most affordable to luxurious
By Kristal Chan • 8:00 am, March 13, 2019
Find the perfect leather Apple Watch band for your budget without compromising style or quality.
Photo: Strapa
High-quality leather is a universal way to look and feel classy, timeless and powerful. Deck out your beloved Apple Watch in something it deserves, regardless of price point. Whether you're buying on a budget or searching for the perfect splurge, your internet scouring ends here.
Check out our watch store guide to finding the perfect leather Apple Watch band for your budget.
Upgrade your Apple Watch without breaking the bank [Watch Store]
By Marty Cortinas • 10:01 am, March 5, 2019
The Tanok — Nyloon's tribal-patterned bands are best-sellers.
Photo: Nyloon
If you've got an Apple Watch and want to change things up, it's quite easy to change the face. But if you want more, you've got to change the band.
Get the right band when you're ready for action [Watch Store]
You're ready for action. Is your Apple Watch?
Photo: Twelve South
While the Apple Watch is a great fitness tool, not every band is ready for the rough-and-tumble world of workouts. That black leather band that looks so smashing while you're out on the town turns a bit sodden when you're running the streets.
It's key to get a band that will not only be comfortable, but able to survive whatever you put it through. That's where the Cult of Mac Watch Store comes in | 1,233 |
"When you're young, you don't think about getting old," sings Travis Meadows on "McDowell Road," a moment on First Cigarette that's about taking stock of how quickly life passes us by, and how delicate each breath is. Meadows would know – he's fought addiction, overcome illness and pulled himself out of desolation to become one of country's most treasured songwriting weapons (called in by Eric Church and Dierks Bentley to give their albums a potent punch). Meadows sings like a man who's felt the pull of the darkness but chose to find the light: With a raspy imperfection to his delivery, he illustrates his stories through details that penetrate, from the kiss of some Coppertone on the skin to the deep, dangerous satisfaction of the<|fim_middle|> long after the smoke has cleared. M.M. | morning's first cigarette. It's in the minutiae that Meadows finds the universal moments, coming out with an album that's equal parts hurt and healing, and one that may linger | 36 |
Without a mantle, fireplaces are nothing more than dark holes in the wall. Add a mantle, and the room is transformed from a flat boring space to a retreat filled with a<|fim_middle|>'s color scheme. Brick or tile mantels lend a touch of class and luxury to the room's ambiance. Stone and timber mantels create a warm cozy atmosphere. The value and comfort of your home can be dramatically improved by investing in designing a beautiful mantel. | nuance of warmth and comfort. Fireplace mantel decor can quickly become the focal point of the room. Whether the mantel is adorned with elegantly framed family photos, or it is used as the base for a large flat-screen television, the design of the mantel should reflect the character of the room. Mantels can even be used to display a sampling of your favorite books, perhaps flanked on both sides with shelves of books to house your entire library.
Fireplace mantels are the focal point of the room.
Fireplace mantel decor can be designed to fit the character of any room from the most rustic cabin retreat to the most grand drawing room. If you want to change the look of your fireplace and the room, then you only need to replace the mantel for a completely new look. From modern to more traditional designs, mantels should reflect the room's style and purpose. Painted wood mantels can blend with the room | 190 |
If you're stuck for a present for someone (or even one for yourself!) I would highly recommend the Psychologies 'Create The Life You Want' Journal. It's jam packed with inspirational quotes, positive affirmations, journal prompts and belief experiments. The journal helps to guide you through areas of your life that you might feel need a little working on and allows you to start recognising and focussing on the things that matter to you. I'll be using my journal to help me navigate through 2019, to support me with creating positive changes and to steer me in the direction I want to go in.
"Whether you want to make a couple of tweaks to how you live your life or find a completely fresh way of working, living and being, our new Psychologies journal will<|fim_middle|> plenty of pages to make notes or doodles and pages full of prompts that help you to have have breakthrough realisations such as "5 ways to know a new life is calling you" "5 ways to recognise when you're living life by someone else's rules" and my personal favourite, "5 ways to know it's time to make a change".
You can order the Psychologies journal here or alternatively if you are a Psychologies magazine subscriber you can save £5 off and order here. Happy journaling! | help you create the life you really desire. You may be looking to change your job, start a new business or reinvent yourself. Whatever your quest, this journal is here to prompt you to answer life changing questions, and take action. Our Psychologies journal can help you clarify what you really want and then devise a plan to make it happen. One of our strap lines at Psychologies is 'Your life, your way'. It's about defining what success means to you, on your own terms." - Suzy Walker, Editor-In-Chief, Psychologies.
My favourite thing about the journal is that it's creative and engaging, it has pages where you are encouraged to respond to questions by drawing your answers, which I love and is a brilliant solution if you can't find the right words. There are also | 164 |
OTC FIne Arts Gallery opens for Art Walk series
OTC FIne Arts Gallery opens…
The start of the fall semester at OTC also means the start of new art exhibits at the OTC Fine Arts Galley in the Gillioz Theater.
This Friday, the new season kicks off on the third floor of the Gillioz with works from Melissa Szymanski, who was the Best of Show artist at the 2011 Art Walks 10th anniversary juried exhibition.
"Melissa's work, done in colored pencil, is undeniably impressive in technique and her original thought and expressions are uniquely refreshing. In this brand new series of work, Melissa has explored the two-dimensional aspects of drawing while infusing elements of collage and three-dimensional surfaces," said Kat Allie, the colleges department chair for Fine Arts and Humanities and gallery manager.
Also featured during the September Art Walk, on the first floor of the Gillioz, will be student drawings and paintings that were created by students during the recent summer studio art courses.
The first month of Art Walk is just the start to what Allie sees as a busy time at the Gillioz, where she will be striving to incorporate all areas of the fine arts in the<|fim_middle|>:OTC to hold dedication ceremony for Lewis Family Early Childhood Education CenterNextNext post:OTC graduate nominated for Emmy Award | monthly exhibitions.
In October, the gallery will again be hosting and featuring the annual Art Walk juried exhibition that will allow visitors to vote for the People's Choice award-winning piece.
A student showcase will be held later in the year, which gives students the opportunity to interact with the hundreds of visitors who come to see their work. Allie said its a great learning experience for the students.
"They are asked to produce something that is gallery-ready and that's hanging in a official gallery where a lot of people will view it. It adds to their exhibition list. They get to be a part of the reception. They get a chance to explain the content of their work and utilize the formal vocabulary of the arts and verbalize with the visitor," Allie said.
A faculty exhibit is planned for February, and April will feature works selected for area high schools.
In addition, the popular Community Wishing Wall will be on display at the Art Walk events. The large reproduction of Van Goghs Starry Night is painted on corrugated board. Visitors are invited to write a wish on a piece of colored paper and insert it into a hole in the painting with the small color.
There are thousands of holes in the painting and the work is expected to be filled later this month.
Steve Koehler is coordinator of media relations at Ozarks Technical Community College.
College Director of Communications
Email: publicinfo@otc.edu
Steve Koehler
Coordinator of Media Relations
Email: koehlers@otc.edu
Categories: Blog: Around The College, News ArticlesBy STEVE KOEHLER August 30, 2012
PreviousPrevious post | 335 |
Software Downloads for "Atomic Clock Website Html"
Atomic Clock Service is an Internet PC Clock synchronizing application with some useful options Atomic Clock Service is an Internet PC Clock synchronizing application that helps you perform some time synchronizing actions, provided by settings like: time offset, synchronize periods or time sources choosing. Atomic Clock Service uses the list of 19 presetting synchronizing URLs all over the world. The list can be easy enhanced. The application consists of the windows service program and the console program.
Atomic Clock lets you synchronize your computer's clock with any Internet atomic clock (time server). It uses a high-precision network time protocol (NTP) which provides accuracy of several milliseconds depending on the characteristics of the synchronization source and network paths. Features: Skinned, Work as Time Server, Synchronize Periods, Import Time Servers List!.
Chronos Atomic Clock Synchronizer is a utility for people who need their computers to use exact time.<|fim_middle|> clock with any Internet atomic clock (time server). It uses a high-precision network time protocol (NTP) which provides accuracy of several milliseconds depending on the characteristics of the synchronization source and network paths..
ClockDummy! is an atomic clock, which can say the time with a real human voice, and enhance your standard taskbar clock with custom graphics, month, and seconds. ClockDummy! also lets you set appointments to display a message, play a song, or even shutdown your computer. ClockDummy! is the ultimate addon to the standard taskbar clock and it's easy to use!.
Synchronize your PC time with an atomic clock via the Internet. This program simplifies the task to the outmost and sits conveniently to access in the startbar tray. 12-Sync adjusts the time repeatedly, automatically, and silently exactly on the dot. It waits for an Internet connection, then adjusts your clock at atomic precision, without your interaction. It keeps a log file about all activities that you can limit to size or age. You will never have the wrong time again!.
Ancient Egyptians used the shadow clock (gnomon) to determine correct time. The Greeks used the water clock, or clepsydra. The first mechanical clock appeared in the fourteenth century. Then, in 1929 first electronic timepieces appeared. As time changes, so do the time-keeping devices. Now, in the beginning of the third millennium, the most precise time can be displayed only by the atomic clock. And thanks to the Internet and AlfaClock from www.alfasoftweb.com, you can have the atomic clock right on your desktop.
TimeTools Windows Atomic Clock NTP Server Syslog Daemon is a free utility that runs on any Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 workstation or server. It allows any syslog messages from any Linux or Unix based syslog client to be logged and displayed.. | The program connects to various atomic clock timeservers and synchronizes your internal clock with time provided by these servers. Key benefits: Connects on many atomic clock time servers; You can add any time server needed; Improved algorithm to calculate differences between servers; Calculates delays and synchronize on less than 0.1 seconds. Some other features: Starts up automatically minimized to the tray; Updated server list; Shorter latency time for synchronizing; Faster connection to the sync servers.
Okdo Website Html to Text Converter is a professional text converter. Own the most powerful conversion function. you can batch convert htm/html/url to text with ease. The program can convert with high output quality.The conversion speed is very fast. It is easy to use whether you are a veteran or a beginner. Advanced Features: Simultaneously convert massive different format files to text once with ease. Batch Convert html, htm,website url to txt. Remove the surplus blank lines of the output file.
Okdo Website Html to PowerPoint Converter is the most powerful and easiest website/html converter. Own the most powerful conversion function. you can batch convert htm,html,url to ppt/pptx/pptm with ease. The program can convert with high output quality and very fast speed. It is easy to use whether you are a veteran or a beginner. It can preserve original layout, text, images etc of htm or url. Advanced Features: Use the image as background. Custom to adjust the lantern slide size and direction.
The first accurate atomic clock was built in 1955. This led to the internationally agreed definition of the second being based on atomic time. Under the International System of Units, the second is currently defined as the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium atom. Feel the rhythm of the Universe\'s symphony with the Atomic Clock screensaver and always know the accurate time!.
JCOM Clock Synchronizer is a utility that helps you keep your system time always accurate by synchronizing it with the highest precision atomic clock servers on the Internet using the Network Time Protocol. You can also use the program as a local time server on your corporate intranet, having other software synchronize time with it. Time Synchronizer is very user friendly and features attractive skinnable interface that can be easily customized..
Vista Clock - put on your desktop a stylish free analog/digital clock with Countdown, Chimes, Timer, Uptime, Stopwatch, World Clock, Atomic Clock and Skins..
Atomic Clock - is a simple Windows Gadget that connect to atomic clock servers compare your local time with the current atomic time and shows difference between local computer time and actual time. You can also correct your PC\'s local time automatically or manually using Window Time/Date applet. The interface of the tool is based on a small window where you can check out the local and service time and date, along with the difference between them. Atomic Clock can also guide you if you want to synchronize the local time with the server time.
SP TimeSync is a program with multilingual interface which lets you synchronize your computer's | 654 |
Baltimore Real Estate News
Baltimore County And Towson Are Finally Pointing In The Right Direction
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Baltimore C&D
September 11, 2018 Matthew Rothstein, Bisnow East Coast
A year ago, Mid-Atlantic Properties President Wayne Gioioso lamented the slow progress of Towson. Now, he has changed his tune.
Flickr/TenThirty.One
An aerial photo of Downtown Towson, Maryland, in 2016
"After several years of turnover, you're now starting to see the people who care about Towson and have a vision for Towson [developing]," Gioioso said. "So now people are thinking, 'Oh, Towson! I better give that a look.'"
Multiple major developments have broken ground in the past year, including Retail Properties of America's Circle East and Greenberg Gibbons Commercial's Towson Row. Both are mixed-use properties with significant retail and multifamily components, with the latter containing student housing, office and a hotel as well. Both projects had long, winding histories before shovels ever hit the ground, but Gioioso said that the interest they are already generating is palpable.
While Towson's status as the seat of Baltimore County and the home of its largest student population gives it top billing in most discussions of the county, it is not the only submarket that is seeing transformative change through mixed-use development. Gioioso, Greenberg Gibbons CEO Brian Gibbons and St. John Properties Senior Vice President Rick Williamson will all be discussing the area's progress at Bisnow's Baltimore County Growth and Development Summit at the Sheraton Baltimore North on Sept. 18.
Williamson agrees with Gioioso that for too long, Towson was largely owned by a disjointed group of intermittently interested landlords and developers, but SJP responded in a different way by attempting to build a vast mixed-use community from scratch under one vision. That complex, Greenleigh at Crossroads, has been under construction in phases since 2006 but is still years away from completing what Williamson estimates will be 6.7M SF of development at full build-out.
SJP and its partner in the development, Somerset Construction, own 1,000 acres east of White Marsh and are developing Greenleigh on 500 of those acres. It has already delivered buildings from all the major food groups of commercial real estate: two multifamily buildings, office space, retail, a SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel and light industrial products.
Williamson said SJP broke ground on a five-story, 100K SF self-storage building in Greenleigh, the first of its kind within the complex, Aug. 28. SJP's ambition and success with the project helped it score an award from NAIOP as Developer of the Year in June.
"Greenleigh is going to be walkable, kind of like an urban environment," Williamson said. "And we haven't really seen that in Baltimore County, to be able to walk to all these things without needing a car."
Williamson acknowledged that the center of Towson already has a walkable feel, and Gioioso was quick to point out that 58 restaurants exist within a three-block radius of MAP's office in the center of town. But Williamson noted that parking in the densest parts of Towson can be a challenge, as opposed to Greenleigh's ample parking for residential, office and retail tenants.
Besides Greenleigh and Towson, towns like White Marsh and Owings Mills have found success with mixed-use town centers on a smaller scale, according to Gioioso. Like much of the United States, most suburban development of any size almost has to contain multiple uses so that each can feed the other.
"That's primarily what we've done is retail in mixed-use projects, and it's become more prevalent," Gibbons said. "I don't know if [a suburban development] has to be a mixed-use project, but that's certainly more likely."
Courtesy: St. John Properties
A rendering of the amenity hub for residents of Greenleigh at Crossroads, St. John Properties' mega-development in Baltimore County
The larger a mixed-use node can be, the more it can approximate an urban environment, which has been the key to recruiting the younger professional class to suburban apartment buildings and offices for years now. Either an area can have a certain scale organically like Towson, or it can dream big like SJP with Greenleigh, but the results have been speaking for themselves in Baltimore County recently.
SJP has been building office projects speculatively in Green<|fim_middle|>.com
Related Topics: St. John Properties, Greenberg Gibbons, Brian Gibbons, Baltimore County, White Marsh, Rick Williamson, Wayne Gioioso, Somerset Construction, Towson Row, Towson, MD, towson, Stanley Black & Decker, Mid-Atlantic Properties, Greenleigh At Crossroads, Greenberg Gibbons Commercial
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Subscribe to Baltimore Newsletters | leigh, and scored a huge victory in justifying that ambition earlier this year when it leased 77K SF to Stanley Black and Decker, which is expanding beyond its Towson home. That success has precipitated the construction of another 100K SF office building, also on spec.
Stanley Black and Decker appreciated Greenleigh for its mix of uses, especially the nearby flex industrial buildings. It will be paying rents on par with Towson and higher than SJP could charge in the center of White Marsh, Owings Mills or Hunt Valley, Williamson said.
"[Stanley Black and Decker] is not the only company that likes the mix of uses, because Towson pretty much only has multi-story office buildings," Williamson said.
According to Gioioso, however, Towson's in-progress developments could carry it past Greenleigh in value, turning the area "from kindling into a bonfire."
"I wouldn't say Towson is in its infancy, but I really think it's about to take off," Gioioso said. "You'll start seeing rent growth on a level that hasn't been seen in 25 years. I'm already seeing that in my portfolio, but I think others will too."
Optimism isn't exactly in short supply in the public comments of commercial real estate professionals, but there has been a striking turnaround in the attitude of developers in the county, particularly Towson, toward local and county government.
A year after Bisnow's Baltimore County event became an airing of grievances against Towson's policies and local NIMBY population, Gibbons, Gioioso and Williamson had uniformly positive views of the direction of Baltimore County.
"I think Baltimore County is on a good path; I'm not sure I'd want anything to change. I think the county has provided proper incentives for redevelopment," Gibbons said.
"Baltimore County is a great place to do business," Williamson said. "They understand how difficult it is to develop."
"There have been some real positive changes, particularly in Towson, with zoning and the way development can move forward," Gioioso said. "So I think the ground is fertile now from that standpoint."
Come see Gioioso, Williamson and Gibbons discuss Towson and other nearby submarkets at Bisnow's Baltimore County Growth and Development Summit at the Sheraton Baltimore North on Sept. 18.
Contact Matthew Rothstein at matt.rothstein@bisnow | 490 |
Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson has 35 points in 32 games, leading his team and NHL defensemen in scoring.
The ability to produce points is one of the primary reasons<|fim_middle|> right.
Karlsson may not share the same shut-down abilities of other multiple-time winners of the Norris Trophy, but that doesn't mean that he's a defensive liability. Simply, the Senators are a far more dangerous opponent to play against when he is on the ice. | Karlsson is again an early-season favorite to win the Norris Trophy. If he were to do so, it would be his third in the past five years. Nine players have won the Norris Trophy three or more times.
More impressively, it would the third Norris Trophy for Karlsson by the time he finished his age-25 season. Two players have won three before his age-26 season: Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins) won the Norris Trophy for the third time at age 22 in 1969-70, and Denis Potvin (New York Islanders) did at age 25 in 1978-79.
The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is awarded to the "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position."
The critics of Karlsson's candidacy always cite the "all-round ability" in the definition. They argue his ability to pile up points must cover up below-average defense and instead tout the candidacy of more classical two-way defenders Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators, or Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild. Karlsson won the Norris last season and in 2012. In between, it was won by Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks and P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens.
But the oft-heard criticism of Karlsson is not valid.
Consider what defensively weak puck-moving defensemen actually look like statistically. They are usually top options on the power play but are infrequently used to kill penalties. At even strength, they are disproportionately deployed in the offensive zone and when trailing in the game.
A good example of a player who fits the offense-first description is Keith Yandle of the New York Rangers, whose underlying numbers are nothing like Karlsson's.
Karlsson isn't a top penalty-killing option, but he has averaged 1:02 of shorthanded ice time per game since the 2010-11 season. It's also possible his penalty-killing time is limited to save his ice time for other game situations.
At even strength, Karlsson averages 21:59 per game, which is third in the League behind Suter (22:44) and Doughty (22:04), two players never accused of being weak defensively.
On the power play, Karlsson averages 4:44 per game, which ranks second in the League, behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Arizona Coyotes (5:33). With more than 27 minutes accounted for in those two manpower situations, there isn't a lot of time remaining for killing penalties.
Defensively weak defensemen are very rarely the top choice at even strength. For example, Yandle averages 16:51 per game, which ranks No. 5 among Rangers defensemen, just ahead of Dan Boyle, another offensive-minded defenseman. Yandle also is used more frequently when the Rangers are trailing.
In Ottawa, Karlsson is the Senators' No. 1 choice in every score situation, as demonstrated in this chart by Micah Blake McCurdy of Hockey Viz. Karlsson is assigned at least 34 percent more ice time than any Senators defenseman other than his partner, Marc Methot.
In theory, an offensive-minded defenseman could be assigned that much ice time on a weak defensive team that was without other options, but that's not the case in Ottawa. Since 2010-11, the Senators have allowed 2.79 goals per game, which is about the NHL average.
It's true Karlsson is used more frequently when Ottawa is trailing, and primarily in the offensive zone, but not by as dramatic a margin as other offense-only defensemen.
Of those who started with a faceoff outside the neutral zone, 53.1 percent of Karlsson's shifts have started in the offensive zone, the highest rate among Senators defensemen. Yandle, to provide case-study contrast, has started 68.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Karlsson also faces the top competition regularly, regularly playing against top-six forwards in 5-on-5 play.
Even when focusing on his defensive play, Karlsson's point production shouldn't be completely ignored. The most effective defensive play is to have control of the puck.
Since 2010-11, the Senators have been responsible for 53.6 percent of all shot attempts whenever Karlsson has been on the ice, which ranks No. 7 out of 51 skaters to play at least 25 games for the Senators during that span. How can opponents score when Ottawa usually has the puck?
Historically, even offensive-minded defensemen have won the Norris Trophy, provided they were sufficiently dominant with the puck. The best example is Paul Coffey, who won the award with the Edmonton Oilers in 1984-85 and 1985-86, and with the Detroit Red Wings in 1994-95.
Offensively, Karlsson is as dominant today as Coffey was throughout most of his career. With 311 points in 368 games since the start of the 2010-11 season, Karlsson has outscored the next highest-scoring defenseman by 56 points, Dustin Byfuglien of the Winnipeg Jets. On a per-game basis, Karlsson's 0.85 points per game leads second-place Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins by 0.11 points per game.
This season, Karlsson leads NHL defensemen with 35 points, which is four more than John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars. This is the third season Karlsson leads the Senators in scoring.
This enormous offensive potential counts defensively too. Much like with Coffey, opponents have to guard against Karlsson's speed and puck-moving potential when he's on the ice, which prevents them from forechecking too aggressively, and keeps their purely offensive-minded players on the bench.
The numbers all paint the same picture. Karlsson is not a purely offensive-minded player. He is trusted with one of the heaviest workloads in the League, and isn't sheltered from playing in the defensive zone, against top players, protecting late leads, or the occasional shift shorthanded. Furthermore, his incredible possession-based offensive play is a valuable defensive contribution in its own | 1,335 |
Il NVI F.K.31 era un aereo da caccia, monomotore e monoplano, sviluppato dall'azienda aeronautica olandese Nationale Vliegtuig Industrie nella prima metà degli anni venti del XX secolo, e prodotto in piccola serie.
Storia del progetto
Nel 1920 l'ingegnere Frederick Koolhoven lasciò la British Aerial Transport Company, dove aveva progettato il caccia BAT F.K.23 Bantam, il biposto acrobatico F.K.27, e l'aereo passeggeri quadriposto F.K.26 Commercial per ritornare nei Paesi Bassi dove fu assunto come capo progettista presso la Nationale Vliegtuigindustrie (NVI), fondata nel 1922 a L'Aia. Il primo aereo da lui progettato presso la NVI fu il triposto F.K.29 equipaggiato con un propulsore Bristol Lucifer da . Ad esso seguì il progetto di un caccia biposto, che fu designato F.K.31. Il mockup dell'F.K.31 fu presentato per la prima volta al Salone dell'aeronautica di Parigi-Le Bourget nel 1922. Il primo prototipo volò per la prima volta nel giugno 1923, nelle mani di un collaudatore inglese, ma i risultati furono negativi, tanto che venne riportato in fabbrica per essere ampiamente modificato. Ritornò in volo dall'aeroporto di Waalhaven (nei pressi di Rotterdam), sempre nelle mani del collaudatore inglese, nel gennaio 1924. La macchina destò subito interesse a causa del pesante armamento che poteva essere installato, fino a sette mitragliatrici da 7,7 mm, di cui quattro sparanti in avanti, due su affusto brandeggiabile sparanti all'indietro, e una fissa posizionata all'interno della parte bassa della fusoliera e sparante all'indietro. Il carico massimo di bombe era pari a 400 kg. Inoltre vi era la possibilità di montare un'ala di apertura più grande, sostituendo in tempi rapidi la precedente.
Descrizione tecnica
Aereo da caccia, monoplano, monomotore, biposto, di costruzione lignea. La configurazione alare, monoplana, vedeva l'ala collegata alla fusoliera da una coppia di asta di controvento conformate a N. La fusoliera era costruita in legno. L'impennaggio di coda era del tipo classico monoderiva, dotato di piani orizzontali controventati.
Il carrello d'atterraggio era un triciclo classico a V, fisso, dotato di ammortizzatori oleopneumatici, ed integrato posteriormente da un pattino d'atterraggio.
L'aereo era biposto dotato di una cabina di pilotaggio aperta, e posti in tandem, destinati all'pilota e all'osservatore/mitragliere. La visibilità in alto era garantita da un apposito spacco posto sul bordo di uscita dell'ala superiore.
La propulsione era affidata ad un motore radiale Bristol Jupiter IV a 9 cilindri raffreddati ad aria, erogante la potenza di ed azionante un'elica bipala. Il velivolo saliva a 1 000 m in 4 minuti, a 2 000 m in 10 min, e a 3 000 m in 20 m.
L'armamento si basava su 4 mitragliatrici calibro 7,7 mm, e 400 kg di bombe.
Impiego operativo
Nel 1923 la Luchtvaartafdeling-KNIL (LA-KNIL) era alla ricerca di un caccia-ricognitore biposto. Il secondo prototipo fu portato alla base di Soesterberg (vicino a Utrecht) dal pilota belga Raparlier, dove fu sottoposto a test comparativi con un velivolo della Fokker. Sebbene il grosso della commessa fosse stato aggiudicato dalla Fokker, anche l'FK-31 ottenne un ordine per la produzione di quattro esemplari, matricole K421, K-422, K-423 e K-424. Durante il servizio nelle Indie orientali olandesi questi aerei non diedero buoni risultati a causa della complessa menutenzione che richiedevano. Vennero dismessi nel corso del 1930, quando i loro motori avevano volato per una media di cinquanta ore.
Un ulteriore sviluppo si ebbe in Francia, in quanto il secondo prototipo venne lì trasferito dal pilota Raparlier nel settembre 1924, alla ricerca di ordini. Con esso il pilota francese Descamps batté alcuni record mondiali di velocità su circuito chiuso di 100, 200 e 500 km e carico utile di 500 kg. Rientrato nei Paesi Bassi nel febbraio 1925, l'aereo vanne definitivamente radiato in data 30 settembre 1926.
In seguito a questi risultati l'azienda Établissement Buscaylet-De Monge acquistò da Koolhoven la licenza di produzione e costruì un primo aereo (matricola F-AHAE), denominato De Monge M.101C2, equipaggiato con motore radiale Gnome-et-Rhône 9Ac. L'aereo fu ampiamente testato dall'Aéronautique Militaire, con esiti eccellenti, ma non vi furono ordini di produzione. Sempre alla ricerca di ordini l'aereo fu portato a Vienna sorvolando le Alpi svizzere, e poi trasferito in Polonia dove fu venduto.
Finlandia
Per sostituire i bombardieri-ricognitori Breguet Bre 14 allora in servizio, la Suomen ilmavoimat si interessò al NVI F.K.31 visto in esposizione a Parigi-Le Bourget nel 1922. Nel febbraio 1925 venne emessa la relativa specifica, e il mese successivo fu ricevuta l'offerta della NVI, che fu accettata entro il mese di marzo. Il contratto fu firmato nel mese di aprile, e prevedeva la consegna di otto F.K.31, dieci motori Bristol Jupiter di scorta, e la relativa licenza di produzione dell'aereo per ulteriori sei velivoli. Degli otto aerei di produzione olandese, sei dovevano essere in versione bombardiere-ricognitore e due in versione idrovolante da ricognizione.
Nella primavera di quell'anno l'ingegnere Koolhoven lasciò la NVI, e fu subito chiaro che la ditta si trovava in una cattiva posizione finanziaria. Il contratto avrebbe potuto essere annullato, ma non fu fatto.
Nel mese di giugno una delegazione finlandese visitò la fabbrica della NVI scoprendo che i disegni tecnici per costruire gli aerei su licenza non erano pronti, e nel mese di agosto Asser Järvinen, presidente della Valtion Lentokonetehdas, ricevette l'incarico di prendere in consegna i primi tre velivoli, che dovevano essere consegnati il 31 luglio. Nel mese di settembre Järvinen dichiarò che le macchine non sarebbero state pronte neanche per il mese di settembre, ed erano state realizzate senza effettuare i relativi calcoli di resistenza della cellula.
Nell'ottobre dello stesso anno una commissione della Suomen ilmavoimat si recò nei Paesi Bassi per ritirare i primi tre esemplari e, dopo aver provato in volo il primo esemplare, scoprì subito che le prestazioni del velivolo non corrispondevano a ciò che era stato comunicato dall'azienda.
I primi due esemplari arrivarono in Finlandia nel mese di ottobre, ed emersero subito problemi legati alla scarsa visibilità del pilota in fase di decollo e di atterraggio; l'aereo risultava più pesante di 400 kg sul preventivato e ciò influiva sulla corsa di decollo, il pilota aveva serie difficoltà ad abbandonare l'aereo in caso di lancio con il paracadute a<|fim_middle|> della posizione dell'abitacolo, si verificarono perdite dai serbatoi del carburante, la parti di alluminio si ossidavano a causa dello scarso trattamento protettivo ricevuto, e inoltre, a causa della posizione dove era installato, in caso di forte vento il motore si spegneva in volo.
La licenza di produzione venne subito annullata, ma all'inizio del 1926 furono acquistati ulteriori 23 motori Jupiter di scorta. Tutti gli otto esemplari di produzione olandese furono consegnati entro il settembre 1926. Il primo incidente serio si verificò nell'aprile 1927 quando andò perso il primo F.K.31, precipitato in fase di atterraggio sul campo d'aviazione di Utti, con il comandante del reparto, Shnellman, che rimase gravemente ferito. Nel mese di agosto andarono persi altri due velivoli a causa di guasti al propulsore, con il comandante Shnallman che, nonostante non si fosse ancora ripreso del tutto dal precedente incidente, rimase ferito di nuovo, così come ferito rimase l'osservatore Vuori. Nel mese di settembre l'aviazione commissionò alla Valtion lentokonetehdas la costruzione di quattro esemplari, dotati di impennaggio di coda modificato, per rimpiazzare le perdite, ma essa non possedeva ancora i disegni originali del velivolo, e i tecnici dovettero smontarne uno di quelli in servizio per ricavarne i piani costruttivi. Nel mese di novembre il comando della Suomen ilmavoimat fermò tutte le attività di volo. Tuttavia, tra il dicembre 1929 e il febbraio 1930 furono consegnati i quattro aerei prodotti dalla Valtion Lentokonetehdas, che furono utilizzati pochissimo. Messi a terra definitivamente nel marzo 1931, vennero definitivamente radiati dal servizio nel novembre 1933, quando i loro motori avevano volato per una media variabile da 1,5 a 5,5 ore. Durante il servizio nell'aeronautica finlandese gli F.K.31 furono soprannominati "Kolho" o "Kolhovene" (la versione idrovolante).
Subito dopo la consegna degli 8 esemplari finlandesi la NVI cessò ogni attività.
Utilizzatori
Suomen ilmavoimat
Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger
Note
Annotazioni
Fonti
Bibliografia
Periodici
Altri progetti
Collegamenti esterni
Aerei militari olandesi
Aerei militari dal 1919 al 1930 | causa | 1 |
All About Septic Systems
Ashley Doyle
Ashley represents an independent and locally owned professional plumbing team.
Looking for a new home is a daunting task in itself, but finding the perfect location only to realize it has a septic system can often cause worry in buyers unfamiliar with them. However, this system isn't quite as complex or scary as it lets on. With a little awareness and just a bit of regular care, this time-tested system will mostly take care of itself.
A typical septic system consists of two distinct parts: the septic tank and the drain field. The latter may also be referred to as leach or soil absorption fields. The system uses a combination of nature and technology to treat wastewater from bathrooms, laundry and the kitchen sink. This also includes waste from the garbage disposal.
Once used, the water travels from the home to the septic tank through one main drainage pipe. The tank, which is usually made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene, is buried underground where it holds the wastewater long enough to separate. The solids settle down to the bottom as sludge and the oil and grease float to the top as scum. Compartments and a T-shaped outlet keep these in the tank while the liquid wastewater, commonly referred to as effluent, exits to the drain field.
The drain field is a shallow, covered excavation made of unsaturated soil. Piping discharges the pretreated wastewater onto porous surfaces that allow it to filter through the soil. The soil accepts, treats and disperses the water as it percolates through the soil, naturally removing harmful coliform bacteria, viruses and nutrients. In the end, it is discharged to groundwater.
The History of the Septic System
Believe it or not, but the septic system has been around for more than a century. The invention is credited to French engineer John Mouras, who created the first prototype around 1860. He used clay pipes to move wastewater from his home to a concrete tank and, after ten years, dismantled the system to see if his theory that sewage was better stored before discharge was accurate. To his surprise, it was nearly free of solids with mostly liquid effluent. From this success, he obtained a patent in 1881 after finalizing the system with the assistance of Abbé Moigno.
It wasn't until two years later that septic systems began appearing in America. The United States was very influential in development of off-mains drainage and were installing septic systems and drainage fields to a very high standard as early as the 1920's. However, they did not become popular until the 1940's when systems became cheaper during the post-WWII economic boom. Still, these older systems began to fail in the 1960's and, ten years later, many cities began regulating system sizing and design, along with permitting new system installation, to ensure their integrity.
Today, septic systems, whether shared between households or individual, are used in a quarter of all households throughout the United States and many are still being built with them. Most common in rural areas, especially in New England and the Southeast, these homes are generally unable to connect to centralized sewer systems.
Maintaining a Septic System
Efficient Water Usage Is Key
Efficient water usage is important in maintaining septic systems as all the water used in a home will end up in the septic system. Using high-efficiency toilets, faucet aerators and showerheads, selecting the proper load size for laundry, and promptly addressing leaky fixtures can reduce the volume of water entering the system, which reduces the risk of failure.
Avoiding Excess Waste Is Also Important
Similarly, avoiding excessive waste disposal is essential. Never pour cooking grease or oils, coffee grounds, photographic solutions or household chemicals like pesticides, antifreeze and paint thin<|fim_middle|> switches, pumps or mechanical components, as these should be inspected annually.
Pumping Every 3-5 Years
Standard household septic tanks also need to be pumped every three to five years. This process cleans out the sludge at the bottom of the tank that does not break down. While the cost of this process averages a few hundred dollars, it is essential to prevent sludge from backing up into the drain field or causing a tank failure, which can cost thousands to replace.
While there have been several reports expressing concerns about the environmental impact of individual septic systems, most note that this threat is present almost exclusively when proper maintenance does not happen. As long as homeowners care for and utilize this system correctly, they should last for decades.
However, the growing amount of systems may be more than the environment can handle even with proper maintenance. In some areas, the human releases of nitrogen has disrupted the balance of naturally occurring nitrate. Soil usually absorbs very little nitrate and the excess moves into the water table through groundwater movement and rainfall events. Nitrate in high concentrations is toxic to humans and can render a water source unfit for human use.
This also risks aquatic ecosystems as well. Elevated levels of nitrogen in waterbodies cause algae blooms. After consuming the excess nitrates, the algae blooms die off and microorganisms feed on them which then greatly reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. When oxygen levels fall below 30% saturation, the water becomes hypoxic and can no longer support fish or other aquatic species.
New technology is keeping pace with this and septic systems capable of reducing nitrogen are currently available for the environmentally conscious. Still, it is not yet required and therefore not used in most homes as it can be expensive to put in place.
Signs a Septic System Is Failing
Even with the best maintenance, homeowners should be vigilant for any signs of failure.
Smell: Some things to watch for include a sewage smell in the home, yard or drain field.
Green Grass: Greener grass around the septic tank site and wet ground or standing water in the drain field. The latter will require immediate attention as these cause a health hazard.
Flushing Issues: In the home, listen for gurgling in the pipes and watch for toilets refusing to flush, which can indicate that the tank is too full of solids and cannot work properly. This should also be addressed promptly to avoid a back-up of sewage.
Never hesitate to reach out to your local septic professional with any questions or concerns about your septic system. | ners down the drains. Avoid flushing feminine hygiene products, paper towels, flushable wipes, diapers, condoms, dental floss, pharmaceuticals, cigarettes or cat litter. The septic system contains organisms that digest and treat human waste and toilet paper, but these harmful items can kill them or otherwise block and damage the entire system.
Maintaining the Drain Field
It's also important to be aware of the drain field. Never park or drive over the field. Ensure roof drains, sump pumps and other rainwater drainage systems are away from there also as excess water can slow down or stop the water treatment process. When working on landscaping, plant trees an appropriate distance from your drain field to keep the roots from growing into the system. If needed, a septic service professional can advise how far is an appropriate distance based on the type of tank and landscape.
Regular Inspections Are Required
Septic systems do require regular inspections, at least every three years, by a service professional. The number of people in a household, water usage and tank size may also require inspections over a shorter time frame. Additionally, it is important to be aware of any alternative systems, such as those with electrical float | 239 |
Check out our new location in Franklin Tennessee! Come visit us soon!
Shop Toro Timemaster personal pace mowers! Save today at Dickens!
Shop Lawn Seed, Pre-Emergents, Turf Products, & Fertilizers at Dickens Supply - #1 Source in TN!
Top Lawn & Garden Equipment Rentals in TN! Choose from aerators & more!
Affordable<|fim_middle|>T), Custom Organic Blends, Solucal, and more!
Choose Dickens Turf and Landscape Supply for all your parts and service needs. Purchase parts online or in-store at any of our seven convenient locations. In addition to parts, our experienced technicians are available to help you get your equipment back up to speed. From tune-ups to blade sharpening, and even engine repair, we have your back. Click below to learn more about our services and available parts.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our products or services. As your one-stop-shop for all things outdoor power equipment and landscape turf, your satisfaction is our goal. | Equipment Rentals in TN! Choose from aerators & more!
Choose the trusted name in outdoor power equipment and service.
Welcome to Dickens Turf and Landscape Supply, where the variety of outdoor power equipment is second to none. We proudly serve all of Tennessee in eight convenient locations including Nashville, Knoxville, Cool Springs, Hendersonville, Bellevue, Mount Juliet, Murfreesboro, Franklin, and Brentwood, as we welcome Brentwood Lawnmower to our Dickens family. Stop by your local Dickens Turf and Landscape Supply for our wide-variety of outdoor power equipment and landscape and turf supplies and parts. In addition to our wide selection of high-quality products, we have qualified technicians available at each of our seven locations for any of your service needs.
Come on down to your local Dickens Turf and Landscape Supply today. Our friendly staff is here to answer any of your questions.
We have everything you could need for your lawn care including zero-turn mowers, walk-behind mowers, blowers, chainsaws, trimmers, brushcutters, attachments, and more! Shop all of these products and more from top brands like Toro, Shindaiwa, Snapper, Walker, RedMax, and Wright Echo.
We also carry landscape and turf supplies including landscape tools, herbicides, fertilizers, turf fertilizers, seeds, soil amendments, and other chemicals such as fungicides. Our staff has the knowledge to get you the right products for your lawn. We have popular products including Proven Turfgrass Technologies Tall Fescue Blend (PT | 315 |
Barre fitness is all the rage<|fim_middle|>If you like Barre Fit, you might also enjoy our BalletEXTREME classes! | and for good reason! It's an extremely effective way to tighten up your core and lower body. In Barre Fit, you'll use ballet-inspired movements to build strength, stamina and flexibility, with an emphasis on fitness conditioning. Expect a mix of isometric barre exercises, cardio dance movements and Pilates targeting your glutes, quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, calves and abs.
Since we love dancing, we incorporate a few dance phrases in between exercises to give those shaking muscles a break. Class may also incorporate light weights and core exercises on the floor, so bring a mat (or feel free to borrow one of ours).
On occasion we also offer Barre Fit Cardio classes — a mix of barre, core and Pilates exercises, but with extra cardio intervals to create a total body workout.
No prior ballet or dance experience is necessary. Just get ready to redefine your body, improve your posture and push your muscles to the max. See you at the barre!
$13 drop-in or one punch on a class card. FREE for members.
Wear: Comfortable workout wear that's not too baggy, like a tank top and leggings or yoga pants. Shoes are not necessary, however you may wish to wear socks or ballet slippers.
| 257 |
Lakeview Resort - Waterville, MN - Seasonal camping allows you to<|fim_middle|> lots of puzzles and board games.
On site laundry mat makes your life a little easier.
Have a lazy afternoon playing cards with your neighbors or relaxing in the sun.
All Seasonal include off season storage for the contract period of November to November Season runs April 21th through October 15th. We will open early weather permitting. 30 amp service on all sites can be upgraded to 50amp when possible.
Please contact us with any questions, so we can help you plan a great summer. | relax and enjoy our recreational lodge and pool.
Come join our community. Friendly people and atmosphere make this the Jewel of resorts in southern Minnesota.
A key gathering spot is our heated in ground pool, where residents come together for volleyball and socializing.
Our lodge is a great community meeting place hosting many pot lucks and informal get together. The lodge is equipped with a pool table, big screen color TV, and | 82 |
Korean beauty is a gift that keeps on giving. I am saying this because recently I have come across a few products from a well known Korean brand<|fim_middle|>, but thankfully since I was also testing these products, the tiring and dullness did not appear on my skin. | that has set its foot in India in no time.The brand is none other than FACESHOP . Based on personal experience I would say Faceshop India has launched some magical products you will soon be obsessed with.
THE FACESHOP has revolutionized the world of cosmetics by bringing the nature to the service of beauty. The products are a perfect blend of science and nature because Korean beauty rituals are known around the world as the most complete and effective ones. The FACE SHOP now serves customers all over the world and is a leader in the cosmetic market. Even in India it has set its foot firmly by now and is available at Nykaa and Amazon.
Make-up Artist Bobby Chopra gave the model a fresh dewy summer look.
My Instagram-Fam knows it by now that I recently attended a workshop with Faceshop, where along with a few other bloggers we had with us make-up artist Bobby Chopra. She created a fresh dewy look for summers using all the Faceshop products. It was a very no-makeup make-up look perfect for a summer. Post that I had a closer look to the products, tried that on and here is a quick review of them.
Rice water is known for its beauty benefits. It contains vitamins, minerals which are essential for beautiful skin. It is considered as a great cleanser, toner and can cure acne as well. Based on the same natural formula Faceshop has come up with Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam.
It effectively cleanses away the makeup as the whipped cream texture envelops the skin. It leaves skin clear and bright.
Leave heavy foundations and creams, BB cushion perfection is the new thing beauty pandits are recommending and so far I have loved it. The packaging of the product is super-cute. My shade V201 comes in a mickey case as you can see in the image above. The benefit of using a cusion perfector over creams and foundation is its lighter on skin, provides complete coverage and leaves skin fresh and dewy for good 6-7 hours.
ever since I have started using it ,I do not have to carry compact with me everywhere for a quick touch so that my T-zone does become oily .
I saved the best for the last. These masks are really a life saver .I have used 2 of them till now brightening Face mask (formulate with pearl) and hydrating face mask (formulated with hyaluronic acid). The face mask features a light as air sheet that is soft and weightless on skin. The serum containing pearl powder provides a brightening solution to dull skin and hyaluronic acid helps dry , thirsty skin lock in moisture.
For the whole past week I have been surviving on an average of 3-4 hours of sleep | 560 |
ITRAC is a near term (next day)<|fim_middle|> it matters most. | S&P 500 Index Forecaster. The high quality forecast gives either a "long" or "flat" position signal each evening for the next day. This information is then used to modulate position sizes to both increase returns and reduce draw downs. Position changes occur on average less than once a week, so it is not necessary to make a trade every day.
The information is used to enhance performance relative to a "buy and hold" market strategy. It can be applied to the S&P 500 index via futures, ETF's, or baskets of equities acting as a proxy to the index, etc. Users can fully modulate their holdings based on the forecast, or can scale in and out of positions as lightly or aggressively as they choose.
Cut out hours of needless research with ITRAC. ITRAC offers you a straight-forward forecast that is easy to use even if you're not market savvy. This is an opportunity to use a tool developed by institutional traders and portfolio managers. ITRAC does all the work for you. Trade like a pro with ITRAC!
Market signals that do away with distraction. The ITRAC platform uses a numerical reward-to-risk market index that helps keep your money in or out of the market when | 256 |
Nothing! Our meetings are free to attend. Our sponsors generously provide the meeting facilities, food, and<|fim_middle|> welcome and encouraged to come be a part of our community.
Our technical presentations are usually of interest to developers, database administrators, and business intelligence practitioners.
You say that members of the community present the technical sessions. Do I have to?
Of course not. There are no requirements placed on anyone. However, we do encourage everyone to consider sharing from their experiences. | beverages at no expense to us. So there is such a thing as a free lunch.
No, but we ask that you do. It helps us to better plan the amount food to have on hand. If you don't RSVP, then we may not have enough food for everyone.
Are the meetings a bunch of marketing hype?
Absolutely not! These are technical presentations, by techies for techies.
Our meetings usually start with a 30-minute lunch provided by the meeting sponsor. During this time you can catch up with old friends and meet new ones over pizza, bar-b-que, or sandwiches. Then, a technical session is provided by someone within our community. It generally lasts about an hour. Ocassionally, we may have two shorter presentations instead. At some point during the meeting, our sponsor will spend about 5 minutes telling us about their products or services. We're thankful for their generousity so we give them our attention.
Are the meetings only for experts?
No. If you have an interest in SQL Server, you are | 213 |
Recently the Supreme Court refused to make a ruling and by their silence overturned the laws of the states. A news article blasted the right-wing and conservatives for abdicating on the issue. The writer accused the opposition of simply ducking the issue and surrendering to increasing public opinion and said," the silence was deafening".
I have mulled the phrase over and over in my mind….."the silence was deafening, the silence was deafening". Does the writer realize what he wrote? In silence, the voice split the ear drums. Sometimes to fight and argue is counter productive. Maybe by demanding, shouting, fighting, and belittling, one side thinks they have won and maybe they have by the laws of the land. But the stroke of a pen does<|fim_middle|> of defense is not fighting against but striving for. If you care to listen, I will tell you what I am for. I am for loving my enemy and forgiving those who offend and hurt me. I am for kindness, gentleness and self-control. I am for sanctity of life, faithfulness in marriage, purity in relationships and dignity of life for all people. I am for justice, peace and discipline. I am for truthfulness, respect and integrity. I am for the freedom to pray and gather to worship with other people of faith.
My voice will not echo down the halls of Congress or reverb off the wall of China. But my voice can make a difference when I hug someone who is hurting, write a note to a weary friend, speak words of encouragement, or share precious truths of God's Word. My voice will make a difference in the quietness of prayer.
Be still and listen. You just might be amazed at the deafening silence. | not change the truth of the Word of God. Jesus invites everyone to come to the fountain of living water where sins are washed away and lives are transformed.
To fight back with unkind words, mutilates the issue. Public opinion does not change the morality of right living. Jesus invites us to love people as he did and treat them with respect so that they are drawn to Him. Somehow, meeting Jesus always changes lives, cleanses the heart and transforms desires and attitudes.
I am sadden, frustrated and disappointed with the moral decline in our nation. I am frightened at the reign of terror and evil threatening to take over the world. I am mad at the gross corruption at all levels of our government. I am worried that the voice of Christians is being silenced. But what can we expect when we remove God from every fiber of our nation.
The writer of the article basically said the "right" has quit talking. Have we not observed that the voice of truth is no longer heard and appreciated? Have we not observed that the words that are spoken are twisted into strangling ropes of hate and rejection? Being against seldom makes people want what I am for. Being against somehow seems to give credence to the opposition and emboldens their stance. Being against is like shooting a gun that backfires.
Maybe, just maybe, the best weapon | 270 |
Part of the HP range, the 15-ab065na laptop strikes a great balance between design, performance and productivity. Enjoy an adaptive<|fim_middle|> 2.2GHz, A87410, Laptop, Pavilion by Computer Education World. Bookmark the permalink. | performance that keeps apps flying and media flowing thanks to the computer's highly efficient AMD A8 Quad-core processor. The laptop features a large 2TB hard drive that combines with a spectacular 12GB memory for seamless multitasking with fast access to your multimedia files. HP laptop systems are pre-installed with Windows 8.1 for a user-friendly interface for all to enjoy. The experience is made more intuitive thanks to the laptop's stunning 15.6-inch LED screen with a 1366x768p resolution. The laptop has also integrated a HP TrueVision HD webcam with a dual array digital microphone that's perfect for making video calls to family and friends. HP have also integrated high quality speakers that have been designed to project rich audio for an immersive entertainment experience. A great solution to modern day computing, the HP 15-ab065na laptop will help you create, communicate and work efficiently.
This entry was posted in Laptops And Tablets and tagged 12GB, 15.6, 15ab065na, | 221 |
2018 Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference – Loudoun County, VA. August 10th and 11th.
The 2018 Beer Bloggers and Writers Conference has announced "Beer Now" conference.
The 2018 conference has come to a close and it wasn't without some big news. Founded in 2010, as the Beer Bloggers conference — and later changed to the Beer Bloggers and Writers conference— the conference has change it's name again.
The Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference became Beer Now in August 2018 based on the determination of our community that the previous name was not encompassing enough.
In addition to beer bloggers and beer writers, Beer Now welcomes those communicating about beer via podcasts, photos, and video as well as industry members communicating about their own brands.
Our attendees are not only passionate about beer. They are energized by<|fim_middle|> WordPress (or something similar) for their website platform.
WHAT!! WHY would businesses making the switch? Switching to the blogging type platform allows a business owner (of any size) to easily manipulate the content for their business. Although some companies still use a partner to help built their website/platform, once it's completed, it's rather easy for their employees to update their content. Much easier than before.
OK. So back on topic. Beer Blogging isn't dead, but has adapted. We've had to adapt.
Early on in our limited blogging history, we used the blogging platform to distribute information (press releases, new beer information, etc) on behalf of small, local, regional, breweries. We shared our adventures and information about upcoming events. We had intentions to be the "experts" of our back yard, but we found that there was a need for a wider area voice. We focused on the breweries in our back yard, but we also shared news about regional and national breweries.
What are we up to? Unfortunately, we haven't been blogging regularly. We talk about blogging all the time (we especially hear it from our wives). It's been a challenge to dedicate the time to sit down and write [But here I am now]. We are still going to brewfests and visiting breweries. We share many of these these experiences on Instagram and facebook. We are trying new beers and still homebrew judging when there is an opportunity.
We are also involved with Portsmouth Beer Week —- which will turn 10 years old this year. The 2019 Portsmouth Beer Week will be celebrating it's 10th Annual Beer Week from February 23rd through March 4th. It's been a great boost to the local economy and brewery scene.
And last but not least, I work for a great wholesaler network (in NH) as the craft brand manager for the NH Craft Alliance. I've had the opportunity to continue the passion and transform it into a day job. If you're looking for some help understanding NH, feel free to say hello.
Overall, I'm excited for Beer Now. As the audience grows, so does the passion and excitement around beer. And, as mentioned by the Zephyr Adventures crew, it will be great to hear communicators from other channels and how they use their platform. | writing about, photographing, podcasting, and recording video about beer, breweries, and the people that make up the beer industry.
It makes sense. As the market changes, you must adapt or move on. And as technology continues to advance, so are the methods of communication. The market of "influencers" are using multiple platforms, so why not be all inclusive?
Does that mean blogging is dead? No. Blogging and the tools for blogging have been and are still easily acceptable. Heck — many businesses have switched from traditional HTML designed/coded technologies for their website and now use | 120 |
BEYOND CLIMATE
LANDSCAPE LISTENING
A CONVERSATION
IAN MAURO
LEN PETERSON
Full Length Feature Film
Share the Film
BEYOND CLIMATE?
A FILM THAT GETS YOU BEYOND THE HEADLINES AND INTO THE HEART<|fim_middle|> solutions
Beyond Climate represents the most recent segment in Ian Mauro's trilogy of climate change films across Canada, which also includes Qapirangajuq: Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change (Co-Directed with acclaimed Inuk filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk) and Climate Change in Atlantic Canada.
For each of these projects, Mauro and his colleagues listened to the stories, wisdom and observations of people across the landscape. The films show that all Canadians are being impacted by but also finding solutions to climate change.
SCREENINGS AND MEDIA
Find out more about ticket sales and media coverage
Ian Mauro, PhD
beyondclimatemovie@gmail.com
For theatrical screenings:
Wanda Vanderstoop
wandav@vtape.org
distribution@vtape.org
All of Ian Mauro's climate change films are distributed by: VTAPE
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 452 Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3A8, Canada
© 2020 Beyond Climate | OF THE ISSUES.
From burning forests and melting glaciers to acidic oceans, people across Canada's Pacific coast are living with the realities of climate change, and this film shows what's at stake if we fail to get BEYOND CLIMATE...
Dr. Mauro is the Executive Director of the Prairie Climate Centre and a filmmaker at the University of Winnipeg. He is a former Canada Research Chair, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, and has served on expert panels related to food security, energy issues, and climate change.
Dr. Suzuki is a world-renowned scientist, broadcaster, author, activist and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. He is best known as the host of The Nature of Things – a landmark television series with over 50 seasons, the longest running on CBC – and Suzuki has been host since 1979. David has written or co-authored more than 50 books, nearly 20 of which are for children.
A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID SUZUKI
Drs. Mauro and Suzuki are longtime collaborators. Watch them in conversation about David's life and perspective regarding the future.
1 hour +
An approach to understanding climate change and | 251 |
Insufflation, stated Eliphas Levi, "is of the most important practices in occult medicine, because it is a perfect sign of the transmission of life. To inspire, as a fact, means to breath on some person or thing, and we know already, by one of the doctrines of Hermes, that the virtue of things has created words, and that there is an exact proportion between ideas and speech, which is the first form and verbal realization of ideas. The breath attracts or repels, according, as it is warm or cold. The warm breathing corresponds to positive electricity, and cold breathing to negative electricity. Electrical and nervous animals fear the cold breathing, and the experiment may be made upon a cat, whose familiarities are important. By fixedly regarding a lion or tiger and blowing into their face, they would be stupefied as to be forced to retreat before us. Warm and prolonged insufflation<|fim_middle|>izing tendencies to congestion. The warm insufflation should be performed transversely, or from below upward, cold insufflation is more effective when directed downward from above." A.G.H. | restores the circulation of the blood, cures rheumatic and gouty pains, re-establishes the balances of the humors, and dispels lassitude. When the operator is sympathetic and good, it acts as a universal sedative. Cold insufflation soothes pains occasioned by congestions and fluidic accumulations. The two breathings, therefore, must be used alternatively, observing the polarity in the human organism, and acting in contrary manner upon the poles, which must be treated successfully to an opposite magnetism. Thus, to cure an inflamed eye, the one which is not affected must be subjected to a warm and gentle insufflation, cold insufflation being practiced upon the suffering member at the same distance and in the same proportion. Magnetic passes have a similar effect to insufflations, and are a real breathing by transpiration and radiation of the interior air, which is phosphorescent in vital light; slow passes constitute warm breathing which fortifies and raises the spirits; swift passes are a cold breathing of dispersive nature, neutral | 215 |
Courses at CIH
The Global Health Course
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Our PhD Candidates
CIH-CISMAC research school
Norwegian<|fim_middle|> global health policies and initiatives can tend to create an imbalance – privileging certain areas and leaving other areas marginalised. It aims to give students insights the many aspects of the multi-faceted global health arena.
BSRS students
The courses offered at BSRS target doctoral students and young researchers from social-and health sciences. But the School's many open and plenary lectures make information about this vital and ground-breaking field available to anyone.
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BSRS Course
Turning national public health challenges into global ones
Three students from the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care (IGS) have been the driving force behind one of the courses at the Bergen Summer Research School (BSRS) 2014.
CIH/IGS
By Elinor BartlePublished: 30.06.2014
The course is entitled, "Global Governance for Health". It is based on a report the students wrote about Global Health Governance in Norway. (Complex Challenges Demand Cross-disciplinary Approaches – only available in Norwegian, also Iversen and Oharheim have written a commentary for the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association, also in Norwegian) Students Johanne Iversen, Kristine Husøy Onarheim and Andrea Melberg have worked closely with Professors Karen Marie Moland and Astrid Blystad.
BSRS was established in 2008 to provide a forum for discussion and training in global and developmental challenges for young researchers. It was established to help the University of Bergen to fulfil its role as an internationally leading academic institution – providing a backbone for society by "providing knowledge and educating young people"- and because "global development challenges affect us all". BSRS 2014 runs from 23 June – 4 July.
BSRS 2014
This summer BSRS theme is "Governance to Meet Global Development Challenges". According to the School's web pages, "Governance" is defined as being "fundamental to the fabric of all societies" … and its "structures can create pathways to more fairness, human security, freedom and dignity – or [they] can do the opposite."
To address such an all-encompassing theme, BSRS 2014 has adopted an interdisciplinary approach with 5 parallel courses. In addition, there are a number of open Guest Lectures featuring quite a number of internationally renowned experts. More info here
IGS' BSRS course: Global Governance for Health
According to the course description, "Social, economic and political aspects of globalization are turning national public health challenges into global ones." The description further states that experience has shown that attempts to reach global health targets can be unsuccessful if the dynamics relating to social, economic and political issues are not also addressed simultaneously.
Taking the Millennium Development Goals as its central focus, the course takes a critical perspective, and considers the ways in which | 569 |
Romance Must Die
On the heels of this Valentine's Day, with the flowers beginning to wilt and half-eaten chocolates congealing and hangovers still being felt from the champagne, I feel like something needs to be said that pretty much no other Romance writer would, or perhaps should ever, say. It's time to let romance die.
By romance, I mean the constructed artifice that surrounds our pursuit of love—that thing we perceive to be a necessary precursor to relationship, the one that presupposes a co-dependent relationship between two people, namely one of the giver and the other the receiver, in which the giver follows a scripted set of behaviors intended to elicit a favorable response from the other. This kind of romance needs to go. No, really, it needs to die. Not a slow death, either. More like a quick beheading.
It sounds cynical, I know. As a Romance writer, I also realize that I'm sounding hypocritical, or like a traitor to my own kind, but the reality is that I don't actually write about romance. There are no games, flowers, or grandiose acts of romance, or the back and forth between two would be lovers because of a made-up problem that's more fitting of middle school children than adults. Rather, I write about love and the myriad possibilities for personal growth and understanding that arise from experiencing love.
To me, love is life force. It's what connects us to others, drives us to want to be with another person. It's the one genuine emotion that can inspire us to want to be better than we are and elevates our awareness to something beyond ourselves. Love is family, love is sex, love is commitment<|fim_middle|> hold, the kind of transcendent love that John Keats refers to when he wrote, "I love you the more in that I believe you had liked me for my own sake and for nothing else," can then be possible. | , which means, at the root, its very source is connection. But there's no genre of fiction called Love.
Typical Romance stories have little to offer when it comes time to show what love actually is or can be. When Anastasia Steele declares, "I want hearts and flowers" to her hot alpha billionaire/CEO/sorta-BDSM lover Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey, it's because she needs to know that he wants more from her than just her body as an objectified outlet for his mommy issues. And what does he give her when he realizes she's the only one he wants to smack into eternity? A room full of flowers and a large ring. While many readers out there were swooning, I couldn't help but bite my lip. No, not because my inner goddess was wishing my husband would do the same for me, but rather because I had to wonder and worry just how many more times we were expected to buy into these vapid gestures that do not speak to a higher love, but rather to the insecurities that plague many new lovers who ask themselves the larger question—Am I worthy?
If we cannot answer that question ourselves, no one else can answer it for us. No amount of flowers, chocolates, expensive dinners or money spent on us can give us the reassurance we need that we are lovable people. If it does, it's false, mere fuel for the ego and nothing more. The very notion that love can be expressed through objects simply leads to the objectification of the receiver and by extension the giver. And the moment that a person becomes objectified in a relationship, it becomes transactional. Therein lies the frustration and the misunderstandings that often occur as a result, forcing both men and women to wonder, what's the point of any of it, and contributing, in part, to the hook-up culture that is so prevalent today.
This is where romance and love can become confused. Relying on acts of romance to express one's interest or feelings is merely a way of hiding a fear of intimacy and vulnerability. Following a set of rules or conventions allows people to feel safe by not having to risk too much and face potential rejection. The kind of heart-wrenching rejection that makes us stand on the precipice of that cliff asking ourselves "Is it worth it?" when the real question is "Am I worth it?" To me the answer is yes, always. But if you cannot recognize your true worth or value, no one else will be able to see it in you. The fear of rejection strikes me as the reason that people hold onto the idea that romance is a fundamental part of any relationship. Romance reduces the risk of being disappointed or hurt. Much like a chess match, one move presupposes a limited and predictable countermove and so forth. But in the end, it becomes a game.
Facing this fear of rejection is essential to be able to love and be loved back fully. At the core of this fear is our own internal dissonance, the voice that tells us we're not good enough physically, mentally or emotionally. Perhaps a not-so-compassionate parent or caretaker made us question our value, or a bad break-up led us to believe it, or perhaps it was an unrequited crush. Somewhere along the way we were led to think "I am not good enough", which became "I have nothing to give", which became "I cannot be loved". So we dance the dance of the flirt, the sex goddess, the player, the predator, the prey, the virgin submissive, the impenetrable lover, all to cover up the fact that we don't ever want to feel that badly again.
Acts of love are not the same as romance. They are not intended to impress or curry sexual favor, but to convey genuine feeling. When a gift is given (even flowers), or a kiss is stolen, or even a brief conversation over coffee is had (especially when any of these happens spontaneously), these are acts of love. During graduate school, I worked in a shop on Madison Avenue on New York City's Upper East Side. When I'd walk by the old Payard Patisserie on Lexington Avenue, sometimes I would buy my now husband a dessert and stop by his office to share it with him. I didn't do this because I needed an excuse to see him; rather, I knew he liked them and wanted to brighten his otherwise long, sad day. (He's a lawyer so it's always kind of sad for him). While this could be taken for a "romantic" gesture, it wasn't because I sought nothing back from him, not his love or attention. There was no quid pro quo. It was an act with absolutely no expectation attached (except several hundred calories).
How I knew my husband would be pretty much the right partner for me only took a matter of weeks after meeting him because there was no romance. We met on a Thursday night, and I called him the next day to have drinks. (I took his number). After a couple of really awkward dates (he had made the mistake of reading Mars and Venus on a Date and barely spoke because the book argued that men talk about themselves too much), we managed to break the proverbial ice over ice cream in the middle of January. After that, we saw each other almost every day for two weeks. There were no rules about how much time was too much, no fear that he would stop wanting to see me if I made myself available. I was even the first to say, "I love you." By then, I had had my heart broken enough times that I didn't care. I was young, but old enough to have accepted that with the risk of love comes the risk of pain and that I was big girl enough to weather it. To me, finding someone to share my adventures and interests with was worth it. And this was before Internet dating and Elite Daily.
The Tinder/Hinge/OkCupid/Bumble generation faces a greater challenge of navigating the pitfalls of romance than previous generations because they don't have a paradigm other than what's being portrayed in the media. Nicholas Sparks, Sex in the City, and Rom-Coms do not provide a mold for those craving real love connection. They merely provide the fantasy that love comes with a hot guy who writes numerous letters and gives you flowers, or is willing to play the clown and humiliate himself in order to endear himself to you, or even better, foregoes his whoring ways because you're the only one for him. Love isn't about sacrifice or turning yourself inside-out for someone. It's complete acceptance.
The longer we hold onto romance, the more we risk teaching another generation of young women they must sublimate their needs if they want to be in a relationship. I recently attended a talent show at my children's school where two ten-year old girls sang the Meghan Trainor song, Dear Future Husband. It was incredibly disconcerting to hear young girls sing, "Take me on a date/I deserve it, babe/And don't forget the flowers every anniversary/'Cause if you'll treat me right/I'll be the perfect wife/Buying groceries/Buy-buying what you need."
It's time to create a new paradigm for love and relationship that establishes a foundation based on honesty, equality, respect and a soulful connection, whether you choose to be monogamous or poly or whatever. Once that understanding takes | 1,522 |
Mental Health, Stories, Try the Thing!
Last week, I accepted a challenge on Habitica that suggested at least 10 minutes of meditation daily. I felt up to the challenge, but rather than spending that time sitting quietly focused on nothing but breathing, I found a series of guided meditations to try out. The most helpful of these have been from The Honest Guys and involved letting go of past hurts and gaining confidence. These are short journeys, but each time I've finished with wet cheeks.
My first guided meditation took me to a green field beneath a tree, holding a handful of balloons. I gave each one a name to correspond to a worry or past hurt that I'd been carrying. The second was to realize my place in the world by going to dark nothingness and talking one-on-one with a spirit guide (it's pretty easy to feel important when there's nothing around you). In both cases, the narrator asks that you visualize a comforting, familiar presence. They can be anyone you want, but they are there to help, mentor and guide you. In every instance, my spirit guide is an animal. To help me<|fim_middle|> had been.
Most interesting to me was the particular horse that came to me. It was a Przewalski's horse. Here's a cool bit of trivia for them.
I continue to seek out new meditations daily, but these have been the most fascinating and profound. Have you met your totem animal yet? | let go of old hurt, I encountered a wild horse. To help me feel confident and positive, I encountered a lion. These aren't my usual totem animals. I'm more drawn to cats, rhinos and octopuses. These two were unexpected.
After consistently meeting animals in my visions, I decided to research their significance. That's when I realized how powerful that symbolism | 77 |
3 Stars☆☆☆☆
Review by Brian Eggert January 11, 2023
Jean-François Richet
Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Daniella Pineda, Paul Ben-Victor, Remi Adeleke, Joey Slotnick, Evan Dane Taylor, Claro de los Reyes, Tony Goldwyn
Gerard Butler is in the action movie business, and business is booming. After slow-mo kicking his way into the mainstream with Zack Snyder's 300 in 2007, Butler gradually carved himself a niche. Although he used to appear in the occasional romantic comedy or even a respectable Shakespeare adaptation, the Scottish actor has spent the last decade saving presidents, protecting his onscreen families, and even stopping the occasional Geostorm. Most of his recent movies aren't worth your time, though they tend to make money. Occasionally, crammed between Olympus Has Fallen sequels and his voicework in the How to Train Your Dragon series, Butler appears in something that genuinely impresses, such as Greenland (2020), an intense yet plausible end-of-the-world scenario. Plane marks another exception in his career, delivering a familiar story about a commercial flight emergency that turns into a violent hostage situation. But the conventional setup doesn't distract from the capable direction by Jean-François Richet, helmer of 2008's Mesrine movies, or the committed lead performances from Butler and Mike Colter.
British author Charles Cumming conceived and co-wrote the screenplay alongside J.P. Davis, who penned last year's Chris Pine actioner The Contractor. The story follows a flight from Singapore to Hawaii. While veteran pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) tries to overcome a storm thanks to some shoddy advice from air-traffic control, lightning strikes and knocks out the plane's power, forcing Torrance to make an emergency landing somewhere in an island cluster near the Philippines. Torrence, his three-person flight crew (headed<|fim_middle|>☆☆
Living 3 Stars☆☆☆
Patreon Exclusive: White Noise 4 Stars☆☆☆☆
Reader's Choice: The Sadness
Reader's Choice: Blue Steel
The Definitives: The Virgin Spring
Reader's Choice: Point Break
The Definitives: Strange Days
Reader's Choice: Top Gun
Reader's Choice: Hatching | by Daniella Pineda), and the "New Year's light" trip of fourteen passengers—including Louis Gaspare (Colter), a convict getting extradited on a years-old homicide rap—find themselves stranded, surrounded by miles of jungle. Before long, Torrence realizes they're on Jolo, an island ruled by separatists and militias known for kidnapping outsiders for ransom. He resolves to find help, taking Gaspare along, given the convict's experience in the French Foreign Legion. But soon, it becomes a fight for their lives against the locals.
The setup harkens to flight actioners from the 1990s, such as Executive Decision (1996) and 1997's Air Force One, Con Air, and Turbulence. In each, the narrative is propelled not only by rat-tat-tat action and hostage drama but also by the plane's eventual safe landing. Accordingly, Richet emphasizes the emergency landing and subsequent takeoff sequences as much as he does the machine-gun-centric middle. Richet and editor David Rosenbloom take their time establishing each sequence, never rushing through the movie's early, measuredly-paced scenes. After the lightning, there's a 10-minute countdown before Torrance and his co-pilot (Yoson An) lose control, forcing them to bring the plane down without help from their instruments. It's a thrilling extended sequence that, unfortunately, I struggled to see. Cinematographer Brendan Galvin delivers the sequence in adequate lighting that borders on unintelligible. Granted, the filmmakers may have wanted the image barely visible to put us in the crew and passengers' shoes—either that or the theater dimmed the projector in my press screening to save on costs, which I suspect is a contributing, and increasingly common, factor.
Equally dark scenes occur in the dramatic New York headquarters of Trailblazer Airlines, which looks less like a drab corporate office and more like a war room movie set. There, the airline owner (Paul Ben-Victor) enlists a no-nonsense fixer, Scarsdale (Tony Goldwyn), to help locate and rescue Torrance's flight. Scarsdale, in turn, deploys a group of mercenaries since no government will claim authority over the rogue island. Much of this discussion establishes the dire situation that Torrance and Gaspare must navigate. Fortunately, their scenes unfold during the day that follows, under a scorching sun and inside a thick jungle. The production shot in Puerto Rico, and everyone looks hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable, as perhaps they should. Along with the setting, not a moment of Plane looks inauthentic. Richet handles the $50 million production with convincing CGI for the flight scenes and practical effects for the ground action, giving the movie a simple, almost throwback appeal.
Butler and Colter both make for engaging co-leads; though, I wish the latter had more to do. Gaspare reluctantly helps Torrance and remains self-interested, but he's never antagonistic enough to become a full anti-hero. Instead, the character receives no more than a few lines of backstory and an open-ended story arc. Charismatic as Luke Cage in Netflix's now-defunct Marvel shows, Colter has star power written all over him. Here's hoping Plane is a building block to something more substantial. Elsewhere, Butler does his thing as a tough pilot. Although Torrance alludes to flying in the RAF and, there, probably learned to fire a machine gun, the screenplay wisely avoids turning the character into an ex-Special Forces hero thrust into an impossible situation. Torrance is simply a brave pilot, a widower with a daughter (Haleigh Hekking) waiting at home, and a professional with a dogged sense of responsibility to save his passengers. There's not much need for gradation with these characters, partly because Butler and Colter have screen presence to spare, and Richet allows the situational dialogue and the actors' committed performances to drive the story forward.
The stripped-down, unfussy storytelling makes Plane simplistic but entertaining—and refreshingly not contingent on the artificial spectacle that dominates today's action movies. Even the plain title suggests as much. It could have been called "Full Throttle" or something else sensationalist, but, as the title indicates, Richet and his writers seem less interested in delivering corny gimmicks than a straightforward 107-minute survival thriller. Apart from my quibbles about the cinematography, Richet captures a memorable scene of brutal hand-to-hand combat, some shootouts reminiscent of the action in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and a couple of gasp-inducing blows with a sledgehammer. Plane is exceptional mainly for what it's not—another bad action movie starring Gerard Butler. But it's also notable for the coherence of its storytelling and lack of cheese factor, sparing the audience from cringey one-liners and cheap set pieces. All of these characteristics now seem like rarities in today's lacking mid-budget action arena, making Plane feel refreshingly capable.
3.5 Stars☆☆☆☆
Infinity Pool 3.5 Stars☆☆☆☆
Close 3 Stars☆☆☆
Return to Seoul 4 Stars☆☆☆☆
Patreon Exclusive: Gattaca 3 Stars☆☆☆
The Pale Blue Eye 2 Stars☆☆
When You Finish Saving the World 2.5 Stars☆☆☆
Sick 3 Stars☆☆☆
Women Talking 3 Stars☆☆☆
Plane 3 Stars☆☆☆
A Man Called Otto 2.5 Stars☆☆☆
EO 3 Stars☆☆☆
Patreon Exclusive: One Fine Morning 4 Stars☆☆☆☆
M3GAN 3 Stars☆ | 1,187 |
Playhouse 90's A TOWN TURNED TO DUST aka Echoes of the current political landscape!
"We didn't know he was guilty.
We strung him up, to satisfy the mood."
"There's the hunger for the niche.
I wanted to be somebody.
So I decided who the victim should be.
I pointed to an old<|fim_middle|> Dark Knight, director's cut, DS9, DVD, Favorite, FIRST CONTACT, frakes, j.j., Leonard Nimoy, nichell nichols, Of Gods and Men, original series, Recommended, rodenberry, Sandy Collora, Special Collector's Edition, Star Trek, stewart, UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, vs, walter koening, which one to choose, William Shatner, WRATH OF KAHN | man.
I led the mob.
— Playhouse 90 A TOWN HAS TURNED TO DUST
Those quotes from 1958, written by one of our great writers to highlight a mindset of ignorance and prejudice and lynchings, are oddly and shamefully relevant. Being that here 60 years later the current occupant of the white house stole into the office, on such rhetoric of hate and stupidity and intolerance.
Invaded the most powerful office in the world, swept in on the unreasoning bellows of the mob.
I love Amazon Prime for making available these forgotten and overlooked pieces of cultural and cinematic history.
Today I watched from the early days of television, PLAYHOUSE 90s A TOWN THAT TURNED TO DUST.
Directed masterfully by John Frankenheimer, written by Rod Serling, starring a stellar cast including Rod Steiger, William Shatner, Fay Spain, Eugene Iglesias, Mario Alcade and James Gregory.
From 1958, when Jim Crow and Lynchings still infested large swaths of America, this live production is unfortunately again relevant in 2019, will always be relevant as long as there are masses who want to blame their lives on others rather than taking responsibility for their lives. And ready, these masses, to be led by the loudest voice of hate, rather than the more thoughtful voices of reason.
Watch it now courtesy of Amazon Prime (search for it under the title AN EVENING IN THE ZONE). This is a film that deserves to be owned on DVD/Blu-Ray. Deserves to always be readily available, and not at the mercy of ephemeral streaming contracts and whims.
I would like to think if Americans were raised on films like 1936's FURY by Fritz Lang and 1943's THE OX BOW INCIDENT by William Wellman and this one by John Ftrankenheimer, if these films were required viewing, we would stop repeating the same mistakes and committing the same attrocities and empowering the same hate mongers. To the point where the occupancy of the White House would be different.
There is nothing sadder than history and mistakes not learned from.
2016, 2019, a town has turned to dust, Art, civil rights, election, Fritz Lang, fury, history, human rights, Jim Crow, john frankenheimer, lesson, Lynching, mob rule, modern day social media lynchimgs, ox bow incident, playhouse 90, president, Rod Steiger, social media as mob rule, Strange Fruit, William Shatner, william wellman
RATING THE SEASONS : The Best Television of All Time – Alfred Hitchcock's THE GLASS EYE
"The loneliness… the desolation of her life, were beyond belief. For she herself was unaware of how lonely and desolate it really was."
And with that line, we are introduced to one of two great ventriloquist themed episodes from the original 1950s run of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, namely 1957's THE GLASS EYE.
Starring the great Jessica Tandy and narrated by an extremely young, pre-Star Trek William Shatner, it is a shining example of that currently extinct format, the 30 minute dramatic anthology. These are tales that have been much retold in the 6 decades since their inception, but arguably never better than in these original shows.
The endings naturally are hard-pressed to surprise a jaded 21st century audience that grew up on 4th and 5th generation tawdry knockoffs, but knowing where the story is going does not change the masterful solemnity in which these tales are told (written by the prolific and justifiably acclaimed Stirling Silliphant).
This episode in particular, poetically directed by the stellar Robert Stevens, almost 6 decades after its making; remains an excellent way to pass 25 minutes. Grade: Imminently Re-watchable.
Get this Emmy Winning episode and the rest of season 3 here:
Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Season Three
alfred, award, best, Bluray, DVD, emmy, Favorite, glass eye, hitchcock, presents, Television, TV, William Shatner, winning
DVD Review: THE CAPTAINS written & directed by William Shatner
I just watched William Shatner's THE CAPTAINS. Oh My God!
It is jaw dropping unbelievable. It's like a god damn train wreck. Avery Brooks either has dementia or is on a different dimension (and I say that with no joy, being a huge Avery Brooks fan, but yeah his portions are cringe inducing), Shatner is attacking and trying to make Kate Mulgrew and Patrick Stewart cry. He's openly jealous and arm wrestling Chris Pine. The only one he kinda gets along with is Scott Bakula, and mostly because Bakula feeds into his ego, and the rest of the episode is William Shatner going down memory lane and shamelessly looking for compliments at every turn.
It really is painful to watch at times, and I say that, also being a huge fan of William Shatner. That said, when Shatner's ego and showmanship gets out of the way, it's good viewing. The convention riff at the end is a lot of fun. And there is some good moments between Stewart and Shatner. And good revelations between Mulgrew and Shatner.
All in all, train-wreck moments aside, it's incredibly important what Shatner has written and directed here. The cringe worthy moments accepted, endured, fast forwarded… at the end of the day, we're all better for Shatner having immortalized these reminisces. In many ways it's William Shatner's last word on the iconic character he created.
Shatner a man perhaps feeling distinctly his mortality, making a concrete capper to his career and his life. Much of this is a vanity project, an auto-biography of self, window dressed as an interview with others. William Shatner utilizes the other actors to tell his story.
William Shatner trying to immortalize his place in this enduring mythology called Star trek, to not be lost in this new Christopher Pine age. So on that level, THE CAPTAINS is at heart a very selfish vanity project.
However, that said, Shatner does his homework, and does allow actors to come to terms and discuss arguably the most iconic role of their respective careers. And it does, by weight of just the actors involved, become a bit of cinematic history, as none of the actors are getting any younger and this film is arguably the last time all six of the actors who played the role of Captain will ever share a film together.
And to have William Shatner helm such a meeting, well… all things said… who has more right to do so.
It deserves at least a rental, and for those who count themselves as fans, possibly a purchase. It's worth a look and has by its very nature become something that will, its relative quality issues aside, stand the test of time. Forty years from now when only Chris Pine, and the captains that follow him remain, people will dig out this film, to find out who Shatner and Stewart and Brooks and Mulgrew and Bakula were.
And if that is Shatner's gift to himself and his family, at the end of the day, it's also a gift to us, a gift to posterity. There are worse gifts to get.
Avery Brooks, bio, chris, dementia, divorce, documentary, ego, frakes, insecurity, interview, Jazz, Kate Mulgrew, life after, mortality, patrick stewart, pine, project, Quantum Leap, Scott Bakula, spiner, Star Trek, vanity, William Shatner
Recommended Holiday Gift #1: STAR TREK CAPTAIN'S LOG dvd!
I received in the mail today, STAR TREK CAPTAIN'S LOG FAN COLLECTIVE box set. The latest in a recent line of Paramount Releases that repackages select/popular episodes of the long running and beloved phenomena that is Star Trek. The Fan Collective Box Sets, claim to fame, being the binding of episodes together based on themes.
There being a Klingon Set, A Borg Set, A Time Travel set, to name the most well known ones. However the one that got my money was THE CAPTAIN'S LOG box set, which was the first set to offer special features, in this case commentaries/introductions by all five of the actors that helmed the Captain's Chair in all five different incarnations of the Star Trek legacy.
Particularly having the first three actors to sit in the big chair, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, and Avery Brooks, offering commentary and introducing their favorite episodes made this set a must have. Most of the FAN COLLECTIVE box sets, are bare bones, and I think can be seen rightly as a bit of quadruple dipping, and superfluous fluff, but with CAPTAIN'S LOG the additional material, definitely makes it worth your while.
The first DVD visits the flagship series, and William Shatner is quite…effecting, self effacing, and profound. Plus him and Joan Collins discussing their episode CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER, is worth the price of the DVD by itself. It's a rambling bit of fluff, but what strikes you is the great chemistry they have 4 decades after the filming of that episode, and William Shatner, at his age is still the mac, as he puts subtle moves on Joan, and Joan is still sensual, flirtatious woman of yore, our bodies age, but not our hearts, and it made me feel hopeful and young to watch them.
And the actual selections themselves, are brilliant. It's been a good couple years since revisiting the original series, and it is so much fun. It really does hold up as just great, tense, but ultimately feel good tv. It's a reason an enduring dynasty rose up around this relatively short lived series, it really is television that is forever relatable to all times, while being always still timeless. Looking to the future, while being a beautiful time capsule of a nostalgic past of mini skirts, and go-go boots, and women as women, and men as men, and somehow solid values of our past, writ large in our future.
I have not even gotten to the other 4 DVDs, but this first one, is clearly worth the price by itself. I'll bring you updates on the other discs as I work my way through them, but my quick assessment… An essential and recommended purchase to any fan of the Original Series.
Avery Brooks, DS9, Enterprise, Gener Roddenberry, Leonard Nimoy, Next Generation, nichelle nichols, Scott Bakula, Star Trek, Television, Voyager, William Shatner
STAR TREK OF GODS AND MEN Premiere!
29 May 2011 – Article has been updated with some additional info. You'll find it in the Addendum section at the bottom of this page.
STAR TREK:OF GODS AND MEN
It is really easy these days to be cynical about so much. When so much of what we see, or hear, or do is… toward venal ends, and suspect goals. So few things these days, seem to be done… for the love of doing it.
STAR TREK:OF GODS AND MEN is one of those few.
A fan film, seemingly to end all fan films, I became aware of the existence of this three part web film through a British podcast called GEEK SYNDICATE. Hosted by the Nuge and Dave, the Internet based audio-show covers all things pop-culture (If a newbie to the show start with episode 89, as they take on Buzz Aldrin… hilarious and brilliant!). From comics, to tv, to movies, to technology, to happenings on the web. One of the happenings it praised was… OF GODS AND MEN.
So working my way to the STOGAM site , I took a gander at the first 2 parts, and was well impressed. A fan film, but directed by a major talent and starring major talent?? The cast read like a who's who of Star Trek lore.
And prior to actually seeing the third part I received notice of this big screen screening of the whole film with stars in Attendance. I signed up immediately.
They had me at big screen.
So I went, I saw, and I have to say… I really enjoyed it.
The Fine Arts Theater where the screening occurred, is conveniently located in Beverly Hills. With available residential/street parking in walking distance. Entering the place after being checked off on the VIP list, I found a packed theater lobby.
I immediately saw the still stunning Nichelle Nichols, surrounded by fans and photographers, and in another section Walter Koenig also surrounded by fans and well wishers. I moved out of the traffic area to the edge of the lobby with other gagglers, and I people watched a bit. There were more than enough people clamoring for the stars attention, I didn't want to add to that number, so went in and found a decent seat, and put my reporters hat on. I'm being metaphoric there.
The Fine Arts Theater, is a throwback to the one screen theater of yesteryear. The interior garishly decorated, you get a sense of the place being used for school plays, or dance programs, and occasionally for films. It's a lived in, familiar feel to the interior. Like School Auditoriums of not that long ago.
I watched, and listened. Two rows in front of me the cast and crew of the film began to assemble. Being still new to LA, there's still an oddness for me of seeing stars in person. I grew up far from these tinseled lights, and while I don't get star-struck, there is this moment of surrealism.
I would think, for a star as well, there must always be something slightly… unreal and surreal, about you watching yourself in a film, while you are also being watched by fans. Both of "you" being watched by fans. The you of the screen and the you in person.
There's something both paradoxical there and endearing, that plays out unspoken, and typically uncommented on, but plays out never the less. A little bit of movie magic, that is a tiny throwback to ancient man gathering over an open flame, to share stories of wonder.
Some of the other stars in attendance were Garrett Wang, Gary Graham, Crystal Allen, William Wellman Jr, and of course the ravishing Chase Masterson (The thing about Ms. Masterson is she's so stunning, people tend to overlook the fact that she's a fantastic actress. Scenes work, that otherwise wouldn't, because she's always processing, she's always projecting, so when she has a close-up there's more than a pretty face there, you get the sense of depth, of a backstory, of history.. which is hard to do with just your eyes, just a look, or a smirk, or a nod, or a phrase. In the old days we would call that, star power. Whatever you call it, she pulls it off).
But to be fair, time has been kind to all the women of Star Trek, or perhaps the casting directors are supremely smart to pick women who don't age like the rest of us mere mortals. Nichelle Nichols, Grace Lee Whitney, Crystal Allen, Chase Masterson… I'm convinced there is a painting of these women in a Paramount closet somewhere, that is getting older, while these women continue to just get better looking.
Now moving away from the beauties of Star trek and allusions to Dorian Gray, let's discuss a little about the crowd.
An eclectic cross section of people, with only one person in costume… it didn't seem to be the stereotypical trekker crowd. Having never been to a Trek Convention I could be talking out of turn, but I got the vibe the people there were still the audience for it. Some 20 somethings, lots of 30 and up somethings, it was people who had grown up watching the show in syndication… but not con-goers, or rabid fans, but people who had quietly grown up on this pioneering show… and people who quietly… missed it.
While sampling the crowd, I noticed Walter Koening, sitting in the back of the theater, an old trick of pros, so they can gauge the audience reaction, and potentially make a quick departure should that be necessary.
But it was obvious that would not be necessary with this crowd. To the right of me sat a casting agent, who worked on some of the Trek properties. To the left of me sat Karen Hart, her husband Mike (I'm so bad at names, that if I got that right, I'll be amazed) and their friend, whose name I would definitely get wrong if I tried to remember it.
Karen turned out to be a composer/performer of some note, as well as being pretty darn fascinating. For more on Mrs. Hart's work, go here… http://www.karenhartmusic.com/home.html. We spoke a little about how we ended up here, and somewhere along the way names like Cash, and Buckley and Seal came up.
And we worked our talk back to Sci-fi, notably her not being enamored of most recent television, particularly science fiction. Though she was a fan of the original series. That and the cajoling of her husband brought her here tonight.
I think that's what most of the crowd shared, not her husband cajoling them 🙂 , but rather a disappointment with current science fiction, particularly as it relates to the 40 year old franchise of Star Trek.
The Trek TV shows have gotten for the most part progressively worse (If I had to rate them they would go STAR TREK, DS9, THE NEXT GENERATION, and following distantly VOYAGER and ENTERPRISE— send hate mail to…), and the films have likewise lost their way.
Which brings us to the reason we were all assembled in that theater… OF GODS AND MEN.
Before I get into my review of the film, I have to mention the 2 minute rap that occurred to open the proceedings.
I still find it laugh out loud funny, that someone thought the best way to warm up a crowd of sci-fi fans, was with a rapper. MC something something. It was inexplicable, but thankfully short. Which was followed by the producer, Sky Douglas Conway, introducing the film and the stars.
Okay onto the film. The lights dim… and away we go.
The film was made for the web, so blown-up of course it's a little pixelated, it's not 35mm film we're watching here, but that said it was a perfectly acceptable picture.
Avoiding a play by play, let me summarize that this no-budget tale of a powerful foe from yesteryear seeking vengeance from a dead Captain Kirk, is better than the majority of multi-million dollar star trek films Paramount has done. Exceptionally well directed by actor/director Tim Russ. All the beats are note perfect. Hey, somebody give this guy a big screen film to direct!
Add to that a really FANTASTIC script, and the flick earns its praise. It is well performed by everyone, but Nichols, Koening, and Alan Ruck bring the money. Nichele and Walter have proven countless times their ability to command the screen, and this film is no exception.
The surprise for me was Alan Ruck. Alan Ruck has been working in movies and tv for over 20years, in everything from FERRIS BULLER to YOUNG GUNS to STAR TREK, but this is the first time he's gotten to be a hero and a badass, and I think he relishes it, because he gives a nuanced and commanding performance. I personally think it is one of his best performances.
That said everyone is great. The film is witty, action packed, suspenseful, and sexy.
The producer and director, Sky Douglass Conway and Tim Russ, should be applauded for getting this great cast together, and making this fiction a reality. However it is not for the casual or new fan, I mean the film is deep in the original Star Trek lore, and for maximum enjoyment and understanding you should watch or re-watch two episodes from the original Star Trek series. CHARLIE X from Feb 1966, the 2nd episode of Star Trek ever aired and WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE, the 3rd episode of the first season.
With those two episodes under your belt, you watch this film and you can really appreciate the brilliance of the script.
Writers Ethan H. Caulk and Jack Trevino who bought cut their teeth on DS9 (the best written of all the Star Trek spin-offs) and producer/writer Sky Douglass Conway, based on the quality of this film, should officially be handed the keys to the Star Trek toys.
And talking about good writing, looking back at the 1st season of Star Trek to research this article, I realize just how impressive and well written that first season was. It really was "boldly going where no one had gone before". And seemingly that is something TV and film doesn't do too much anymore.
Which makes STOGAM all the more note-worthy.
Now a little bit on casting, particularly two notable casting choices:
Daaman J. Krall stars as Gary Mitchell (Krall does a good job, but too bad they couldn't get the original actor Gary Lockwood to reprise his part. The script makes a big point of building to the reveal of the bad guy, and it's a little meaningless because you don't know who Krall is supposed to be. It's not till the expository dialog by Nichelle that you figure out who this guy is supposed to be. However if the reveal had shown Gary Lockwood that would probably have worked much better)
William Wellman Jr stars as Charlie X, a role originated by Robert Walker Jr. Robert Walker jr. was (and as of this writing "is") the spitting image of his father, a famous actor who starred with Spenser Tracy, among others. So While Wellman did a great job, it would have been nice if Robert Walker Jr. could have reprized his role. (Oh well, maybe in the remake :))
Those substitutions aside, the actors did admirable jobs… and it comes across.
I mean the film is of course captive to its budget, but that acknowledged… it really is, in the face of its limitations, a fantastic achievement. And should do two things 1/ motivate would be filmmakers to just do it, and not use lack of funds as an excuse and 2/ spur Paramount to toss money at all of these guys to remake a big screen, big budget, 35mm version of this… or just give these guys money to make another Star Trek film or series.
Those two things would happen in a sensible world.
The first one has and is happening. The film motivates everyone who sees it. As far as the 2nd one, unfortunately Paramount has repeatedly proven themselves pretty blind, deaf, and dumb to quality… but who knows… maybe they'll surprise me this time.
All in all a great event, great film, and a great crowd. And the after movie Q and A was equally brilliant.
Darn it! I have to start carrying my camera, or recorder… if I had I could have posted the Q and A for you guys. I'll remember for next time.
There are a few more big screen showings planned, so check the STOGAM site (www.startrekofgodsandmen.com) to stay informed. And if you enjoy the film as much as I did, consider purchasing the making of DVD. It looks well worth it.
There are only three Star Trek movies I think enough of to own… WRATH OF KAHN, UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, and FIRST CONTACT.
OF GODS AND MEN will be the fourth.
Addendum: 29 May 2011 – This review was originally written before the JJ Abrams STAR TREK reboot. So just wanted to add a few comments.
I would add the JJ Abrams STAR TREK to the list as well. Also Paramount is a bit of a mess when it comes to triple and quadruple dipping and that makes determining what version… is the best DVD or Bluray for you to own, a bit difficult and time-consuming. Taking that into consideration, I've done some of that research/homework for you, to hopefully help make that decision making process… easier.
First, Avoid the 2009 Blu-ray versions of any of the earlier Star trek films (WRATH OF KAHN, UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, and FIRST CONTACT), and stick to the 2disk DVD Directors cuts. Links are below. You just get more bang for your buck, and Paramount in a year or two will release Director's cut version of the movies on Blu-ray, with better mastering.
However I would recommend the Star Trek Original Series Complete Seasons 1-3. Paramount did an okay job on those Blu-Rays, with exception of cheap packaging, and no labeling on the disks.
The 2004 Star Trek Original Series Complete Seasons 1-3 DVDs are better packaged than the blu-rays, and come with labeled disks, but the Bluray's offer you remastered images and the option between viewing with CGI effects or original effects.
Pretty cool. So not perfect, but you gain more than you lose, by going with the Blurays over the DVDs for Star Trek Original Series. Also the very reason the 40 year old series could be processed into HD Blu-rays was because it was shot and mastered on film, the same as any movie, As opposed to many shows of the 80s and 90s, including DS9 and TNG, that were cheaply mastered and processed on video, meaning the original masters are not on film, so no true HD is possible with these shows, they top off at 480i.
For a pretty absorbing read on why you wont be seeing true HD Blurays of DS9 anytime soon go here and here.
So bottom line the existing DVDs of DS9 are the best you're going to see of the series for the immediate future, if not the indefinite future. At the very least until technology goes up, and the cost goes down. So, below I have put a link to the DS9 set, as well.
For the JJ Abrams STAR TREK they did a good job on that Bluray, so would suggest the 3Disk Bluray. Though only 2 of those 3 disks I consider worthwhile.
Well that's my suggestions and links are below.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Star Trek – First Contact (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Star Trek (Three-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]
Star Trek: The Original Series – Seasons 1-3 [Blu-ray]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series
End of Addendum 29 May 2011
Other Fan Films you may want to check out, and that I recommend are:
THE GREEN GOBLIN'S LAST STAND (Created long before there was ever a Sam Raimi Spiderman– and in many ways looks like it influenced that movie)
BATMAN DEAD END- 10 minute short by Director Sandy Collora, done way before the Nolan Batman films. I am not a fan of the Nolan Batman films, I hated the first one and thought the 2nd one was serviceable but flawed. I don't think Nolan's interpretation of Batman works, which is why the Nolan movies are more interesting when his Batman is not on the screen. Nolan just doesn't get Batman. Collora in this 10 minute short gave Hollywood a blue-print on how to do Batman right. Unfortunately they ignored it and we get Nolan's transformer/lego style Batman instead. See previous reviews if you want to hear more of my DARK KNIGHT bashing (oh I don't really bash it!—much 🙂 stop crying!). Oh and it's worth mentioning this stars Andrew Koenig, Walter's son, in a great turn as the Joker.
Okay kiddies, till next time, in the words of Don Cornelius… "Peace, Love and…. SOUL!"
2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, abrams, alan ruck, Batman, best, blu-ray, Bluray, brooks, Chase Masterson, chris pine, complete, | 6,027 |
Rob's Blog
Peer-reviewed Literature
Spatio-temporal patterns in the postglacial flooding of the Great Barrier Reef shelf, Australia
Authors: Hinestrosa, G., Webster, J.M., Beaman, R.J.
Publication: Spatio-temporal patterns in the postglacial flooding of the Great Barrier Reef shelf, Australia. Continental Shelf Research 173, 13-26. doi: 10.1016/j.csr.2018.12.001
The shelf of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) was progressively marine flooded from the last glaciation maximum (LGM) (ca 20 ka BP) until the last sea-level highstand (ca 6 ka BP), affecting the depositional evolution of the GBR margin and associated deposits. However, the physiographic variables related to this process have not been fully characterized, especially in relation to the sedimentary processes at the shelf margin.
For this study, we used a bathymetric model of the entire shelf and a shelf margin sub-set, divided into 33 latitudinal zones<|fim_middle|>2) the effectiveness of transient embayments in redirecting or trapping sediments. The quantifications provided in this study have implications in the estimation of Pleistocene carbonate budgets and the atmospheric carbon cycle, as well as for past human migrations.
link to Continental Shelf Research article
Crowdsourced bathymetry on the Great Barrier Reef
Author: Beaman, R.J. Year: 2021 Publication: Crowdsourced bathymetry on the Great Barrier Reef, Map the Gaps...
Authors: Beaman, R.J. Year: 2021 Publication: Remote control. Signals magazine. Australian National Maritime Museum,...
Schmidt Ocean Institute RV Falkor Australia campaign 2020-2021
Authors: Beaman, R.J. Year: 2021 Publication: Schmidt Ocean Institute RV Falkor Australia campaign 2020-2021,...
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website by precedence | . Postglacial marine flooding was simulated and flooded area (km2), flooding magnitude (km2 per sea-level increment), flooding rate (km2. ky−1) and coastline length (km) were estimated for each zone, from 130 m to 0 m below present sea level, representing the period from 20 ka to 6 ka BP.
Our results show that the postglacial marine flooding did not occur uniformly and that some sub-regions (e.g. the southern-central GBR) had early and rapid flooding. Coastal complexity increased in the mid-postglacial, reaching maximum values at around 9 ka BP. This reflects a coastal landscape evolving from a linear, laterally connected coast to a complex coast dominated by estuaries and lagoons, partly returning to its initial linearity during highstand.
Flooding trends and geological evidence make two depositional relationships apparent. Firstly, the timing and magnitude of the off-shelf sediment flux appears linked to the presence and orientation of a shelf-edge rim, and to the extension and morphology of the evolving drainage network. Secondly, the periods of shelf-edge reef development and demise seem to respond to the remobilisation, trapping or redirection of fine sediments.
We propose a sedimentation model for the shelf margin and the slope driven by the interplay of sea-level rise and shelf physiography, and we highlight two fundamental processes: (1) the cross-shelf sediment transport related to coastline retreat under rising sea levels, and ( | 305 |
Specialist decom<|fim_middle|> couple of projects and know they are excellent professionals who bring high value to their clients. | missioning, decontamination, dismantling and demolition consultancy RVA Group has been acquired by Prague based Energetický a průmyslový holding (EPH) via its wholly owned subsidiary EP UK Investments.
The amount paid for RVA has not been disclosed.
Managing director Richard Vann founded RVA in 1992 and the company has gone on to complete more than 700 projects worldwide for major international blue chip brands.
EP UK Investments has now acquired RVA's full share capital including its wholly owned subsidiaries RVA Consulting Engineers and RVA Engineering Solutions.
However, RVA said that whilst this may represent a key strategic move for the company, operationally little will change.
Richard, who will stay in his role, said: "At the end of 2016, we commenced a 'fit for future' programme which saw the recruitment of additional key personnel and the creation of further structure within our team. A significant investment was also ploughed into new cloud technology throughout the business, to increase the flexibility, security and continuity of our work.
EPH has a comprehensive portfolio of power and energy assets worldwide and decommissioning manager Robert Bundil said: "We have worked with RVA people on a | 246 |
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Nature/Culture
France (À la recherche du temps perdu)
Ellen Arnold Photography
Travel and Environmental Photography
All images © Ellen Arnold 2013-2016
Malta--limestone, sunshine, and water (and lack thereof)
One of my more unexpected and delightful trips this summer was to visit some long-time friends who have just moved back to Malta. I had never been to Malta, and was immediately struck by its landscape, climate, and architecture. The island nation is sun-drenched, and houses and buildings throughout the capital of Valetta and the smaller villages are made of the honey-colored limestone still quarried on the island. The island is very densely populated, and so it often looks like the dense clusters of tall buildings are carved out of the land itself—there is often a remarkable continuity from building to building, and at the harbor of Valetta it is at times almost like the houses are growing out of the rock walls.
It is startlingly dry, yet has a surprising amount of local agriculture. My friends told me that the agriculture is extensive and varied--but at the same time there is little water—most water is reclaimed sea water, and so everyone drinks bottled water (I can't ever remember having drunk so much water. It was unbelievably hot (I was there in late July) and especially at mid-day, the sun was so extreme that you could almost feel it like a weight. But, in the mornings and evenings this was tempered by the Mediterranean breezes, and the evening we spent at the beach swimming in the bathtub warm sea was truly an intoxicating outdoor experience.
I also had the opportunity to see some pretty amazing historical areas and architectural achievements, including from two of the periods that make Malta unique—the dominion of the Knights of St. John and the tremendous and mysterious prehistoric era. First, in Valetta, I got the chance to explore the co-cathedral of St John, built in the 16th century to be the main church of the Order. From the outside, the Baroque cathedral is both intimidating and unassuming—it is fortress-like, built like so much else on the island from the golden limestone; it is flat and relatively unadorned (especially compared to the height of the Gothic!). But, like so many of the Baroque churches that I became accustomed to in Munich, the façade hides a lavish, over-the-top statement of the political and economic power of its builders:
This was one of the most extreme cathedral interiors I've ever seen!
The other buildings that completely floored me were the Neolithic temple complexes of Hagar Qin—two of the at least 11 temple sites on the islands that date to 5600-4500 years BP (Before Present, a dating method from archaeology and the paleo-sciences). These are possibly the oldest free-standing stone buildings in the world, and reflect a vibrant, organized, and stunningly capable early Maltese civilization. The temples are aligned with celestial events, and are organized in complex and protected series semi-circular interior rooms with increasingly limited access.
Made of megalithic limestone blocks (including again the golden, soft limestone that allowed for elaborate decoration) that were quarried on the island and moved on site (possibly using carved ball-bearing style limestone spheres, given the lack of trees), they reminded me of the sophistication of the much later Mycenean tombs and cities. I was lucky enough to see the temples alone (possibly because I was foolish enough to go from 10 am -11:30), and it augmented the sense of privileged access and gave me the chance to more fully appreciate the stunning (and remarkably inaccessible, given the effort of moving all of those stones!) locations of the temples.
I first encountered these buildings when teaching world history and again as I read Braudel's work on the ancient Mediterranean—they had (along with the dwarf elephants!) immediately captured my imagination, and I am so lucky to have been able to see them , and I am astounded by the labor, skill, and cultural resources they represent. They are a reminder of the many many innovations that pre-historic people made, of the global presence of creativity, spirituality, and social imaginations, and of the ineluctable nature of studying such a long ago era. All of these are things that I want to keep reminding myself of and introducing my students to this semester as I teach my ancient history class—and the very first people we will discuss? The temple-builders of Malta.
Academic platypus, or, "how I became a medieval environmental historian in six easy steps"
I wrote this blog post for the Rachel Carson Center and it will soon appear on their blog, http://seeingthewoods.org/
I will soon be posting a reflection on my time at the RCC, and so first I thought I would share this, written about halfway through my fellowship.
The project that I am pursuing at the Rachel Carson Center on medieval cultural and religious ideas about river systems brings me in an unusual way back to my first year of college, when I wanted to study river ecosystems in the hope of someday becoming a marine ecologist. It's admittedly a long way from there to medieval historian, and I have been delighted to spend my time at the RCC remembering all the reasons that I was so fascinated by water ecosystems and also all the reasons that I was ultimately drawn to history and the environmental humanities in the first place.
As a college freshman whose high school heroes had included Jacques Cousteau, Carl Sagan, Bob Ballard, and then-Senator Al Gore (interestingly, I had not yet been exposed to the work or life of Rachel Carson, who I now realize fits quite naturally into this group--perhaps telling of the curriculum of my high school science courses), I was eager to make my mark in the ecological sciences, and to begin a career that would let me work with marine and aquatic ecosystems, turning my fascination for the exploration of the sea and space towards an environmental purpose. As a budding scientist, what I thought that meant politically and ecologically minded scientific work; what I didn't yet realize was that another thing that bound all of these figures together was not just science, but also a deep sense of the role of people in science, of the power of outreach and storytelling, and an appreciation of the power of history and human culture.
The slow sea-change in my goals and aspirations began during my freshman year, when I took a class on US environmental history, when I was exposed to the field-shaping works of Crosby, Cronon, Merchant, and, most significantly for me, Worster. What really captured my attention was Nature's Economy, which introduced the significance of tracking the history of how ideas about ecology and ecological values developed. Looking back now, I realize that what drew me into that book is similar to what pulled me into Cosmos and Comet and the essays of Stephen Jay Gould, which I had been reading for years—a fascination with not only what people know about nature, but also with how they know it, and with how both the knowledge and the systems of knowing change over time. I was hooked, and continued to take environmental history classes—but it took me several years to fully commit to history. For that decision, the tipping factor was not environmental thought, but medieval culture.
As a child, I lived for several years in Darmstadt, Germany, where my father was serving in the Army, and my parents made sure that we spent as much time as possible exploring Germany. As a result, my childhood memories are soaked in castles and Volksmarches and small medieval towns with cobbled streets and crooked houses in the way that many Americans' are filled with camping trips to National Parks, trips to DC, and tours of<|fim_middle|> RCC—six of us met and just wrestled with these issues for over four hours, asking questions about how comparable disasters are, about how geography and climate does or does not matter, about who it is that determines if an event is a "disaster", etc. These are questions that I've asked my students to think about in my class on the Black Death, and that will be even more in the forefront this time, as I am planning on spending more time on the issue of comparative epidemics and disasters now that I will need to spend less time on the issue of "what was the plague."
One of the ideas that we kept coming back to was the issue of "natural" disaster. The idea that "there is no such thing as a natural disaster" is becoming widely circulated, both in academic discourse (especially the sociology of disaster) and in classrooms. By saying this, scholars, teachers, and activists hope to draw attention to the many ways that disasters, though often triggered by environmental forces, are experienced in ways that are connected to social structures, economic systems and inequities, concepts of value (what is worth protecting?), and intellectual and cultural frames of "normal" and "abnormal." I myself have often used this line in the classroom, for these very purposes. Environmental historians, too, always wrestle with issues of environmental determinism—we often don't want to ascribe so much power to "nature" that the role of humans and human societal responses is undervalued, and so for a long time now this way of explaining the complexity of disaster has been appealing. However, as environmental scholars, our group kept coming back to the issue of whether or not we should begin to recover the role of nature in natural disasters. Should we begin to once again focus more on the geological, ecological, and climatological forces that are at play when disaster strikes? Have we done enough work to put the human into the frame that now we can put nature back in again?
Do certain landscapes and places and cities and societies experience nature and natural disaster differently? Does a monsoon system understand flooding differently than a steppe land? Do the people who live in hurricane zones normalize storms in ways similar to the way that extreme cold is normalized in Arctic societies, to where only extraordinary storms merit the label of disaster? We kept coming back also to the question: What, if anything, is the difference between a natural risk and a natural disaster?
These discussions are also particularly timely for me as I am heading to China tomorrow for a conference on "Disasters Wet and Dry: Rivers, Floods, and Droughts in world history". I spent much of the weekend reading the pre-circulated articles, and though I can't discuss them specifically, I noticed some trends about discussions (both modern and historical) about these water-related disasters that paralleled some of the conversations we had in our informal group at the RCC. Mostly, my thoughts right now are circulating around the issue of river disasters. River flooding and drought is particularly tricky for disaster studies, because both are normal features of the water cycle, and both are common throughout the world. What are the "tipping points" that make one flood or drought routine and another a disaster? Are they human, like war or food supply chains or unpreparedness or excessive river engineering that creates flood risk, or are they natural, like unusual rainfall patterns or the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) or atmospheric patterns or the coincidence of drought and animal disease?
As I prepare to head to what promises to be a fascinating and complex series of discussions, I keep thinking about Oklahoma, and about the immensity of the tragedy and loss that the communities are facing, about all the ways that our social and economic and political systems will influence response efforts, safety, recovery, and even news coverage and cultural response.
But I also keep thinking, we can't lay the responsibility for the disaster occurring on those same forces. A tendency in the modern anthropocene is to see every aspect (good and bad) about the world as influenced by us, caused by us, or controllable by us. We have to remember that the world is bigger and wilder and more arbitrary than we imagine or control. Nature acts, and sometimes it acts upon us rather than in response to us. There IS such thing as a natural disaster, and Oklahoma is dealing with one right now.
Hagia Sophia Part two: "I was here"
Some of you might have heard of the famous 9th century Viking runic inscription carved into the balustrade of the gallery of the Hagia Sophia. First, it is worth pointing out that the presence of Vikings in Byzantium was not unusual; the elite imperial Varangian guard was likely composed of Rus Vikings, and there is heavy evidence of constant and steady trade between the Scandanavian regions and the Islamic world, facilitated by Constantinople. The runes are too old to be clearly read, and so we don't really know what "Halfdan" was doing or thinking at the time he left his mark on this glorious building.
Viking runes
I am fascinated by both modern and historical graffiti, and so I made sure to try to find the runes while I was exploring the Hagia Sophia; the experience of looking for them was fascinating, and opened my eyes to the hundreds (if not thousands) of people who have, like Halfdan, left their mark on the building. Though the Vikings get top billing, there are both older and younger inscriptions surrounding the runes, and inscribed into many of the walls at eye-level throughout the second story. They vary from full names to initials to signs. Some are in Greek, some in Latin, others in Arabic, and even (I think) in Asian characters.
In fact, you could give a quick overview of medieval and Early Modern hands from these inscriptions!
But truly, the ones that really grabbed me, and the ones that I will probably remember long after other details of my trip have faded, were the simple crosses or other marks of the (possibly illiterate) pilgrims visiting this holy site. One person simply marked his presence by drawing a stick-man on the wall:
What I keep thinking about is the way that so many people have been compelled to leave a part of themselves, to mark their visit and their presence in this place—to say to the world (and possibly to God/Allah) "I was here." My visit mattered. My time here is worth noting. I think this is more than just "tagging"—itself also a fundamental claim of presence at a particular place, because of the cultural, spiritual, and historical meaning of the building. There is no denying that it is an exceptionally special place (see my last post), and this would not have been lost on visitors, even if they didn't speak the language or culturally identify as "Byzantine." I suspect this is much less like spray painting a wall and a lot more like buying conch shells at Compostelo, kissing Oscar Wilde's grave (for a sad update, see here), taking a rubbing from the Vietnam memorial, or throwing a coin in the Trevi fountain. It's a way of proving to yourself that you have made a meaningful trip, that it has changed you, that you acknowledge the power of the place, and that somewhere, deep down, you want it to matter that you were there.
Today, we do that with pictures (I'm perfectly complicit in this), but when that wasn't an option, people chose other means. This is famously true of Persepolis' ruins, where many people have left their mark, including Cornelius de Bruijn, a Dutch artist who was the first to publish drawings of the site, and Henry Stanley (of Dr. Livingston fame).
This is of course not only things that people do to buildings they visit. They do it to buildings they build as well. The pantheon of Rome (until now my favorite building I had ever visited) shouts to the world, "M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIUM·FECIT", or Marcus Agrippa son of Lucius made this during his third consulsip."
For the Hagia Sophia, I keep returning to how similar the actions of the people who etched crosses onto the walls were to the actions of an Emperor who commissioned the building—the desire to be remembered, to be noticed, and to leave behind a trace of your presence in a place that has meaning to you. After all, isn't the idea of "I was here" exactly what lies behind Justinian's Solomon quote???
Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia
Last weekend, I went to Istanbul (erstwhile Constantinople) I have been slow to post lately because of how overwhelming and, frankly, indescribable my experience in Istanbul was. It is a place that is different from anything else I've experienced. I've never been that far East, never been to a predominately Islamic country, even though Istanbul is relatively secular, and have never ever been in crowds of people quite like those I encountered last week. I am sure that once I spend time in China in May, I will in retrospect realize how similar Istanbul was to other places in/connected to Europe, but for now, my overwhelming impression is how Eastern it is (and though I did not go to Asia, one afternoon I could see it from my boat). I packed an incredible amount of things into three days: Topkapi palace, a boat ride on the Bosphorous, a trip to the Byzantine church of Chora, visits to the Blue Mosque and the Suleyman mosque, wandering around the city's maze of streets, visiting the Grand Bazaar and the spice market, seeing the remnants of Constantinople and walking along the Theodosian Land walls. But of course the main thing I did, and the main reason that I seized the opportunity of living relatively close to Turkey, was to visit the Hagia Sophia. I suppose I made a pilgrimage of sorts there.
And it was worth it—it is an astounding, dazzling, and completely confounding building that reminded me forcibly of the power of space and place in religious and spiritual identity. Even though no longer a church (which it was for almost a thousand years—more if you count earlier buildings on the same spot) or a mosque (which it was for nearly 500 years), the air of spiritual devotion lingers palpably, and the space is charged with the energies generated by 1500 years of religious worship. Plus, it is unfathomably big.
Yet that's not always apparent from the outside. I think what struck me most immediately was that even though it is a vast building, it has the same architectural effect as other, smaller, Byzantine churches like San Apollinaris in Ravenna—unassuming and oddly small-seeming from the outside (unlike, say, Gothic cathedrals) and surprisingly and suddenly vast on the inside.
Even from a distance, the building hunkers down; it feels like it is growing out of the ground slowly rather than leaping out.
Clearly, this is a big building, but on the outside, the closer you get, the easier it is to lose a sense of that. These are pictures of the entrance to the church—no sense of scale anymore.
Even upon entering, the enormity of the interior space is not immediate: unless you enter through the main imperial ceremonial doors. If you enter from the side (as most people would have), you still can't fully sense what's coming:
Then suddenly this vast space opens up and you can't even SEE the top of the building at first. You really do just feel like you are in a vast outdoor space; then eventually you start to realize the miracle of the dome and the vibrance of all of the amazing details.
What bowled me over was that even though I realize it would have been much brighter originally (see this "restored" part) you realize how even glowing and sparkling and full of color, THAT would not have been overwhelming in the way that the smaller churches are. Instead, the giant size would have given the decorations (often truly overwhelming in Byzantine churches) an oddly muted and simpler feel. The space is simply so big, that you can't take in anything but empty space at first—it's only when you start poking around that you see the smaller things. I think, in fact, that what I will remember the most is the feeling of being in a big, clear, outdoor space, but knowing all the time it was built.
This building would be amazing in whatever context, but knowing that it was built (in five years!!!) in the sixth century, and is still (with interventions, of course) standing and powerful and so stunning is a poignant reminder of the vitality and creativity and vigor of people of the past; we are often so fixed on a sense of historical progress that we imagine we are the innovators, forgetting both that the spirit of innovation existed in the past and also that the innovations of the past can still evoke a sense of marvel today.
The Danube
I took two very different trips over the past two weeks, both of which involved the Danube River, its changing history, and two very different river/city interactions. First, I went to Regensburg, which still has (esp for Bavaria) a great deal of its medieval architecture and city plan intact, including a bridge from the twelfth century. The next weekend, I went to Vienna, where I presented for the first time on my newest research project (including some early medieval poems on the source of the Danube) and also met with friends and colleagues who are part of a research group that is doing a long-term environmental history of the Danube, and took a walk along the course of the former Danube. During the early and high middle Ages, Regensburg was an important economic and administrative city in Bavaria, and had a great deal of wealth and prestige (in part because of its strategic Danubian location). This only increased when the Steinerne Brücke (Stone bridge) was built across the Danube, connecting the city to Eastern land traffic. It's a massive bridge, and remains in use up to today, though now it is pedestrian only. This was as you might guess a massive building effort, and the project required not only huge amounts of materials, but also an extensive labor force, who all, of course, had to eat! Enter the Regensburg Wurstkuchl, that allegedly opened all the way back in the 1100s to serve food to the bridge workers. It eventually took over a small storage shed built along the medieval wall alongside the quay to continue to serve dockworkers and bridge traffic. Today it still serves beechwood smoked wursts and kraut (that's all they have!) and you can sit out alongside the bridge and the Danube enjoying a very medieval view and experience.
(note that the back of the wurst hut is the vestige of the old medieval town wall!)
In addition to this remarkable piece of medieval engineering, another aspect of life along the changing Danube really stuck out to me: the presence of historical and modern flood markers on buildings noting the high water points of memorable floods.
Here are examples, both from the walls of the Wurstkuchl, <--one from 1893
and one --> from 2011.
There was also an interesting temporary set of displays around the city showing the height at individual locations of the flood from 1994 and then, at the top of the sign, the estimated height of where a "hundred year flood" would come up to in that same location.
I was quite intrigued by this combination of public history, environmental education, and risk awareness, and when I talked to a colleague who has worked on medieval and early modern river flooding, he pointed out part of what this campaign may be doing—it turns out that Regensburg used to have many many more markers on buildings of historic flood levels, but that today, many owners are removing them, because they hurt the resale value! (Of course, taking the sign off doesn't change the flood risk at all, and perhaps even increases risk due to setting aside awareness of floods….but perceptions….)
So, this was my first peek at the Danube; my second experience exactly one week later was a very different way of thinking about change over time and the erasure of the markers of the river's past on a city. Through my role with the journal Water History, I have been lucky to get to work with a special issue on the Danube, featuring the work of an Austrian team working on the environmental history of the Danube. It's a groundbreaking project and an exciting interdisciplinary group of historians and scientists. One of the things that they have demonstrated is the tremendous amount of change that has taken place over the past 1000 years both to the river itself (which until recent times was a very active and fluctuating river) and to the relationship of the city and the river. Saturday, I went with one of the project members (Gertrud Haidvogl) on a walk in the middle of downtown Vienna to see this first-hand. She took a reconstructed map of the river from the early 1700s (part of the broader project) and laid it over a satellite image of the modern city—and we headed out.
Here was once the main arm of the Danube and an area of fishing houses:
Here is the Donaukanal, which in the 17th and 18th centuries was not only part of the main branch of the Danube, but also probably at least twice as wide with islands in it.
And finally, the modern "Danube," set aside from the modern town through a massive engineering project that also made it straight and predictable.
It is a fascinating story, and one that should be soon available for you to learn more about--I will post links once the journal is available for readers!! It was a remarkable thing to see the complete scale of the transformation, to understand more tangibly how completely the river and its history have slipped away from the city, and to see the magnitude of the deliberate changes that have been made to the Danube.
Put together, these two experiences of very different stretches of the Danube showed both how connected the river still is to some of its past identities and how much people have deliberately altered their relationship to this river, and even tried at different points to both record and forget the fluctuations of this massive river.
Prague!
Last weekend, I took a train to Prague, where I explored a cathedral, poked around the medieval old town, crossed back and forth across the Charles Bridge, learned a lot about the city's Jewish history, toured a fantastic art museum, saw a surreal theater/ballet/movie performance, had some definitely not watered down Budweiser, and even found a flock of plastic penguins. Though it would be impossible for me to fully convey my experience, I wanted to share a few highlights and overall impressions of the city. First, the cityscape. Prague reminded me a lot of Vienna (unsurprisingly, given that they were both important Hapsburg seats of power, and both led some of the late 19th and early 20th century architectural revolutions). There was a really dynamic blend of architectural styles, with medieval, early modern, modern, and even high modernist/cubist buildings fighting for space and notice, yet oddly all blending in together into a colorful jumble.
Furthermore, the older sections of town are a maze of older streets, adding to the feeling of surprise when you turn corners and see new things, or when a narrow alley opens up suddenly onto a major square.
The city also laid out along the river, and the river and its crossings (for centuries only one bridge, now called the Charles Bridge) have shaped the city's history and economic fortunes. Today, and in the medieval past, the river is towered over by the Prazsky Hrad, the castle/cathedral complex that is one of the more fascinating blends of past and present that I've experienced in a Castles/Cathedrals context.
The first Christian church on the site dates from the 10th century, when Prague's Prince Vaclas (Wenceslas) converted to Christianity.The crypt still contains some architectural remnants of the first church, but the present cathedral was begun in 1394.
The new Gothic cathedral was begun by Charles IV in honor of Prague becoming an archbishopric, and he brought in foreign architects (first French and then, after his death, an Englishman). The death of the second architect in 1399 again halted construction, which was then completely abandoned as a result of the Hussite wars. (A side note, my train to Prague was called the Jan Hus. The other is called the Franz Kafka--I think I chose safely.)
It was not until the 19th century that work on the cathedral resumed, when this time Czech architects and artists took over, building the entire nave in a style that at first blush, fits smoothly into the overall medieval style and scale of the Gothic cathedral. It was finished in 1923, making the entire construction period almost six centuries! The next two pictures show the cohesion of the plan:
But what makes this truly fascinating is that when you look closer, the modern artists made the interior and exterior details, art, gargoyles, statuary, wall paintings, etc. unabashedly modern.
The windows were designed and executed by contemporary painters, the crypt's royal tombs were redesigned to fit Beuax Artes styles, and there are Jugendstil touches everywhere. It is clear to see how this became a showcase for Prague's cultural and artistic goals, and also a symbol of the city's imperial history and connections.
Not to ignore the castle--it also has a modern afterlife, since it is still the everyday workplace (though not residence) of the Czech Prime Minister.
One of the other true highlights of my trip was spending a morning in the historic Jewish quarter, where I toured several synagogues, visited the Jewish history exhibits, and saw an extraordinary holocaust memorial. The Jewish quarter (now called the Josefov) dates to at least the late 1200s, when the Jewish community was granted its own liberties by the king (locking them thereby, as in France, into a strange dependent/protected relationship with the state). The medieval history was rife with tensions, including an awful 14th century pogrom, but in the main this was a thriving community, and in the 1700s and early 1800s, produced some amazing architecture within the district, including the stunning 1846 Spanish Synagogue. (I wasn't allowed to take pictures within the synagogues, unfortunately). Because of its beauty, when the Nazi's occupied Prague they left much of this old Jewish quarter intact, and then built a new, "model" ghetto outside of Prague at Terezen/Theresienstadt.
Which brings me to the memorial--beginning in the 1950s, a memorial was made inside the Pinkas synagogue; the names of the victims from Prague were written on the walls. In the 90s, UNESCO funding helped its restoration, and now 80,000 names are hand painted throughout the many rooms of the building. It was one of the most simple and shocking memorials I've seen. Crushing. Also, the official picture can't help you understand the scope--it is an entire synagogue covered in names. Floor to ceiling. My first glimpse of room after room of people floored me. http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/a-ex-pinkas.htm http://www.panoramio.com/photo/83401333 (Again, I couldn't take pictures, but it's really worth the moment to look at these links)
There was a museum spread between two of the historical synagogues, that focused on the community, its changing makeup, privileges, and persecutions. One thing I feel the need to point out though is that the only time that women appeared in the exhibits were as victims of the Nazis (or as resistors to them within the Prague Ghetto)--there were no sections on women's work, on the 19th century Jewish family, etc.
In contrast, the other museum in the Josefov, the Museum of Decorative Arts, was quite innovative, and taking some real conceptual risks, integrating the work of current sculptors, glass-blowers, and other artists alongside the historical design they showcase. The building itself is a stunning 19th century building, and it hosts collections of textiles, glass and ceramics, clocks, jewelry, bronzeworking, graphic arts, photogrpahy, etc. The entire hall of timepieces was really the highlight for me! It also has a "Cabinet of Wonders"--a room holding a hodgepodge of intricate and intriguing pieces from throughout the history of Czeck design. Adding to this was a truly interactive feel--not only the modern pieces in dialogue with the past, but also creatively designed wall cases that stretched from floor to ceiling and let visitors move the shelves up and down on a track (like those old cases for baseball cards and coins in collectible stores, but GIANT), and each room had the main items on display and then dozens and dozens of drawers you could open to see even more pieces. It was a delightful museum, and highlighted the reasons that Czech glass is really so famous.
As you can see, there was a lot that captured my imagination, and I'm really happy that I took the time to visit, even though I knew next to nothing about the city beforehand. A wonderful reminder of the payoffs of curiosity and a bit of spontaneity.
(ps--told you so!)
Rivers Week
February 27, 2013 in Uncategorized
Last week I was surrounded by rivers--literally and intellectually. It started with a Sunday afternoon trip to Austria (only two hours away!) where a friend and I took a guided snowshoe hike in the Alpine foothills near the remaining "natural" bed of the Isar River, which flows North and eventually provides Munich's drinking water and rivershore (but more on that later)--up in the nature preserve where we were it is still a clear, cold, fast, and gravelly river. Just north of the preserve and right along the Austrian/German border the river is dammed to create flood reservoirs and help water engineers control the downstream levels. However, in a quirk I didn't understand until later in the week, trucks are paid to routinely take gravel from above the dam and put it back in the river below the dam. I wasn't able to get a pic of the waterworks, but here's part of the Isar's Alpine watershed (I'm not entirely clear on whether it's the Isar or a tributary):
At the end of the week, I attended a conference workshop hosted by the Carson Center, "Rivers, Cities, Historical Interactions" that brought together scholars from all over the world who are working on the complex ways that (mostly) modern cities interact with their rivers. The first day of the conference included a walk along the Isar in downtown Munich, led by an ecologist and a sociologist who specialize on the Isar. We learned about the medieval history/legends of Duke Henry the Lion bridging the river, about the modern canalization and embankment of the river, and of even more recent attempts to restore some of the "natural" river properties by undoing embankments and allowing the river to partially regain its earlier qualities of meanders, fluctuating gravel islands (that's what the dam/gravel issue is tied to!--if they didn't routinely ship the gravel to the other end of the dam it would 'silt up' with gravel. The Alpine rivers are so fast that they carry large gravel pebbles hundreds of kilometers away). Here are two pictures of today's Isar.
In this first one, you can see portions of the more "naturalized" river bed. However, planners did make the decision to fix the shores--the river will be maintained like this rather than allowed to move its gravel banks around.
And here you can see the differences between the re-naturalized Isar bank (left) and the still (and probably permanently) embanked/canalized bank (right). Apparently in summers, up to 40,000 people a day come to the riverfront, and there's even a permanent wave that is surf-able in one of the parks.
The workshop then continued, lasting through Saturday night. I learned a great deal about the work that people are currently doing on the issue of river history, in particular about the history and legacy of modern and contemporary attempts to regulate rivers, to use rivers to enact new and changing concepts of the roles of governments, cities, and industry in urban development, and in one particularly striking paper, on the ways that traditional boatman songs in China mapped out the river and showed the relationship between urban cultures. I met some very engaging and interesting people, and was left encouraged about my decision to pursue river history yet also a bit more concerned about some of the gaps in historical discussions and analysis that exist between pre-modern/modern and (perhaps more importantly for my current project) cultural and urban/enviro-tech/political approaches.
Meet Fortunatus, Poet and Saint
In the waning years of Roman Imperial authority, two young scholars, Felix and Fortunatus, were studying in Ravenna. Weary and eyesore, they experienced a healing miracle at a Martin shrine in Ravenna, when they put oil from a lamp on their tired eyes. This small act of devotion is one of literally hundreds of miracles stories attributed by Gregory of Tours to St. Martin of Tours, the bishop and former Roman soldier. It attests; indeed, to the spread of Martin's cult, was increasingly important in Southern Gaul, and to continued connections between the former centers of Roman power and the former frontiers, increasingly becoming new centers of culture, economy, and Christian identity. It is in many ways unremarkable
Yet for one of the scholars involved, this miracle might very well have been life-altering.
Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus was born in the 530s or 540s in Italy, and as a young man was educated in Ravenna, where by his own account, he was exposed to a traditional elite Roman education: "sipping a few tiny drops from the waters of grammar, taking a small draught from the stream of rhetoric, I have barely had my rusty edge sharpened by the whetstone of law." (trans by Judith George). He had already started to promote his poems, writing two to prominent Italian bishops. Yet Fortunatus decided to strike off on his own and leave Italy--heading North for the lands of St. Martin.
We can't be sure how large a role the miracle he experienced in Ravenna played in Fortunatus' decision to journey North to Gaul, since he was of course also drawn north by his desire to launch his budding career and to establish a literary reputation. Fortunatus appears to have recognized the potential of connecting himself to the Frankish court. He arrived in Gaul in 566/567 after a lengthy journey, and quickly became enmeshed in the royal court. Trying to earn the patrons and privileges that a life of letters required, Fortunatus quickly tied himself to the Frankish court, writing most of his earliest poems for Sigibert's court and for local bishops. Many of these were poems of praise, and they highlighted both Fortunatus' talents and the symbols of power and identity of both Frankish and Gallo-Roman elites. He praised bishops for their building projects, compared them to classical figures, and promoted their literacy. Fortunatus' reputation as a poet who could help give your political and ecclesiastical efforts both validation and the ring of Romanitas spread quickly, and he became a popular and prolific poet.
Fortunatus also wrote hagiographical works--lives of saints and martyrs, miracle collections, and hymns. He worked alongside Gregory of Tours to gather local miracle stories, and eventually became bishop of Poitiers, at which point he slowed his literary works (unsurprising, considering bishops at that point were spiritual leaders, mayors, judges, politicians and trained diplomats rolled into one). After his death his fame and reputation lingered, and he was celebrated (though never officially recognized) as a saint.
Yet since his youth, Fortunatus was first and foremost a poet--he wrote nine books of poems of varying length and on topics as wide ranging as flowers, food, castles, episcopal duties, and wedding celebrations. He composed ABCdarian poems (where the first letter of every line or verse when read straight down is the alphabet) and carmina figurata (a popular form of poetry in the Early Middle Ages when the words could be read in several directions and were visually laid out on a grid / picture) on the true cross. Here's an example of one of his figured poems:
Though many of his poems are light and even comic, he did not shy away from tackling trickier issues including theology, good government, and the tabloid scandal of the day, the shocking murder of Galswinth, the Visigothic princess who married Childebert I. He wrote a poem defending Gregory of Tours from charges brought against him, praised saints and bishops for their attempts to quell heresy, and expounded on the nature of the cross.
In his poetry Fortunatus depicted the complexities, concerns, and preoccupations of the sixth century Gallo-Roman elite, who were struggling to navigate political change and conflict, the growing cultural force of Christianity, the continuing gravitational pull of classical culture, and the new economic, urban, and geographical realities of Merovingian Europe.
He also wrote about rivers. A lot. He described river trips he took, wrote a silly poem about how angry he was because his boat had been requisitioned by the royal cook, described the spring and fountain of Bordeaux, portrayed the fear of river disasters and drought, and rejoiced in the beauty of a calm summer day along the river banks. He wrote about fish, and baths, and boats and wine, and gives us a remarkable glimpse into the myriad ways that people living alongside rivers in the early Middle Ages saw them as economic arteries, pleasant sites of recreation, roads, source of food and livelihoods, and as sites resonant with religious meaning.
images from the British Library
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=21335
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=1481
So, what are you working on?
I wanted to spend one post telling you the basics of my current research project; in part because I find it pretty darn interesting, and in part because I'm about to shift gears from working through sources to writing about them, and hope this exercise will help get me in the writing mood. My title: "Cultural and Religious Views of Rivers in the Middle Ages." My goal: create world peace. Errr......wait--I meant figure out what medieval people imagined when they thought of rivers, and how (and if) that was connected to the ways they experienced and used rivers. I'm interested in a concept called the "environmental imagination," which is a way of talking about the intersections of culture, memory, and nature. I believe that if we read medieval sources (especially ones connected to the tremendous literary output of early medieval Christianity and the cult of saints) with an eye towards nature, we will not only learn more about the roots of (and potential new directions for) our own environmental thought, but also about the beliefs and culture of the Middle Ages. This is clearly a pretty big question, even without the whole world peace thing, and so I chose some limits, based mainly on my own expertise and interests. I am looking at Late Antique and early medieval Gaul (roughly France, Germany, and parts of the Low Countries), and will be focusing on several clusters of writers and sources.
It's a big task, and so I'm starting with a more bite-sized portion--the poems, letters, and religious writings of three men who were all active writers and also political and religious figures during their lives: Ausonius, Sidonius Apollinaris, and Venantius Fortunatus. They were all members of what we now call the "Gallo-Roman elite," and lived in the fascinating and complex period in which Roman culture was gradually and radically transformed by Christianity and contact with the Germanic peoples. All of three of these men lived for much or most of their adult lives in Gaul, and all found themselves at least partially pulled between the culture of distant Rome and the immediacy, vibrancy, and beauty of Gaul--the "New Frontier" of Late Antiquity. But of even more interest to me, all three wrote poems, letters, and other works that explicitly describe, discuss, and praise the natural and built environments of Gaul, and all do some really interesting things with rivers and springs--both in the abstract and with specific rivers like the Mosel and the Rhine.
These authors are all well-known and may of their individual works (esp the long poem on the Mosel that I mentioned in my last post) have been worked on, but I'm interested in reading all three of the authors together (they date from the 4th-6th centuries) and comparing the way they talk about nature, river travel, the dangers of river floods and droughts, leisure and play on rivers, and the way that they differentiate individual river from each other "the chill Mosel" or the "foaming Rhine" for example.
A few things that I've already noticed and am mulling over--there's a strong sense of ethnic and political identity tied into rivers, and so there's also some clear attempts to rank and compare rivers. Yet at the same time many of the authors are also interested in the merging of rivers, and in the mixed identities of Gaul. I'm thinking there are some interesting things to say here about Gallo-Roman identity. I have started learning about the Garonne River, which is a frequent subject of discussion for these authors but that I would have never put on my list of rivers to look at. Finally, there are also many poems and letters that try to lure or entice visitors through descriptions of the beauty of landscapes and great food. Have I mentioned I'm in Munich where there is snow and beer and castles? :)
A Big Fish Story
January 29, 2013 in Uncategorized
"Now, creature of the surface shall thy praise be sung, O mighty silure, whom, with back glistening as though with olive oil of Attica, I look on as a dolphin of the river--so mightily thou glidest through the waters and canst scarce extend thy trailing body to its full lenght, hampered by shallows or by river weeds."* This account by fourth-century poet and teacher at the Imperial Court, Ausonius of Bordeaux, is from The Moselle, a long hymn to the Mosel River. One of the many remarkable things about this poem is a list of all of the fish of the Mosel, with their attributes and characters poetically described. He continues: "But when thou urgest thy peaceful course in the stream, at thee the green banks marvel, at thee the limped waters [marvel]. Intrigued by this "gentle whale of our Moselle" that "brings glory to the mighty stream," I figured surely this was a poetical exaggeration, part of Ausonius' attempt to portray the Mosel as bigger an better than not only other rivers, but also the sea.But as I started to explore some fish data, it became increasingly clear that he silure was most likely the silurus glandis, otherwise known as the sheat-fish or the wels catfish.
These fish that like both fresh and brackish water, can grow to over three meters and live up to 100 years. They are smooth, big, ugly, and indeed a bit "whale-like" in their bulk and appearance. (Do a google image search--I dare you!) But recently, Ausonius' gentle giant has become a monster! It is "built to kill" according to Animal Planet, is a potential "man-eater" and even (gasp!) attacks defenseless dachshunds. Headlines scream "Hunt for a man-eater"; "Der Monster-Wels aus den Schlachtensee" and that "Giant catfish in India turn to preying on humans." So how does a perception of a fish change so much over time?
In part, this shift is due to some high profile incidents from the last decade. In 2008, German swimmers claimed to have been attacked by something big while swimming. One young girl was reportedly drug underwater, and several adults had their legs bitten badly. An article from the Spiegel magazine includes this information: "We don't go in the water any more," Berlin student Stephanie Kahl told Bild. "We just stay near the shore, where the catfish can't go." Jeremy Wade, in his book River Monsters (he's also host of an Animal Planet show with the same name) wrote, "Although there is no physical evidence to support any of these stories, the attacks in Germany seemed to lend them credence and revive speculation that there might be a freshwater man-eater in the heart of Europe." It would in fact be easy to simply blame our modern fascination with "killer" nature--see for example this new weather channel series. But though this is clearly a contributing factor, the modern focus on the wels as "man-eater" is, surprisingly, nothing new!
An 1853 essay from Fraser's Magazine on the wels and some other fishes pointed out that there were rumors of small boys being found inside their stomachs, "and from the paunch of another, who had fattened for sixteen years in a hole under a gentleman's kitchen, and was eight cubits long,a man's hand, with three gold rings on the fingers, was pulled out." However, the anonymous author went on to note, the neighbors were not overly quick to blame the fish, since "the circumstance of finding any part of a man stowed away in such a pantry was sufficient to create a strong suspicion of violence and unfair play." So, a littoral example of feeding ones enemies to the fishes?
Clearly, by the 1700s (when it was scientifically named) and 1800s, there was already an association between the wels and not only monstrous size but also monstrous (and, I should note, barrier crossing) behaviors--in this case eating (or, as is more likely, scavenging) of humans, but many modern you tube clips and articles emphasize the ability of the wels to "beach" itself to catch small prey on land--breaking the barrier of fish "safe" in the water. Granted, the medieval sample of references to the wells is much smaller, but if Ausonius is at all representative, these ideas were not foremost in the experience of the wels before the 1500s. So--what changed?
Though I must here admit to being only at the start of trying to unpack this, I suspect that we have here a change in human perceptions of an animal in part driven by changes in climate and river use that first caused the wels population to shrink dramatically in Western European rivers and then, more recently, to return. Though the wels is not treated as a full "invasive" species, it is considered an "introduced" species now in many parts of Europe where it was native before the Little Ice Age made river temperatures too low for successful wels populations. As an interesting part of this temperature dyamic, part of the reason the wels might now be returning is the increasing temperatures of rivers like the Rhine due in large part to industrial activity and waste (see Marc Cioc's excellent book on the Rhine for the many effects of these developments). Introduction has been largely connected to sport fishing (for example to the Ebro river in Spain and the Scottish Lake District (Nessie, anyone?) Thus, the wels it no longer a familiar part of the river, but a foreigner whose behaviors (protecting the eggs in the grasses during mating season, or scavenging dead bodies) are unknown and decontextualized, becoming "attacks."
This is just a small moment from my research, but is at least leaving me hopeful that I will not only find interesting things about rivers in medieval sources, but will also find meaningful connections between the tangible ways that people related (or not) with their ecosystems and the ways that they inscribed nature into their cultural imaginations.
(*note translation from the Loeb edition of Sidonius Apollinaris' poems--I haven't been working on my own yet)
On Saturday, I took advantage of the blanket of snow that has covered Southern Germany this week, and hopped on a train to Fuessen in order to go see Neuschwanstein, the castle built by Ludwig II of Bavaria in the late 19th century. For those who don't know, Ludwig was the young heir to a beleaguered Bavarian State in 1864. He quite quickly became caught up in first the Seven-Years War and then the Franco-Prussian war, and consequently in 1870 agreed to Bismarck's creation of the German Empire, thus losing both Bavarian independence and his ow sovereignty. He had always been interested in the arts and in Germanic myth, and became the patron of much of Wagner's work. Particularly once he lost his actual political power (and had his nation swallowed up by another), he became even more wrapped up in a view of mythic kingship, heroic nationalism, and escapism, and slowly descended into eccentricity and/or madness. He died (likely by suicide) in 1886, a day after being deposed for mental instability. Despite this rich and complex biography, he is now best known outside of Bavaria for his castles: Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof, and Neuschwanstein. I'll write more about his castle-building campaign in later posts--for now, I'll just share a few impressions and pictures of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau (which I last visited as a kid).
As my colleague Tom Lekan (who studies tourism) pointed out, despite the site's popularity, Schwangau and the castle complexes are remarkably underdeveloped in terms of crazy tourist infrastructure. In fact, it was oddly refreshing to me that the ambiance had changed very little since I was here as a child. The signage is even cute and unobtrusive!
We chose to skip formal castle tours for now (I'll go back and see both castles later in my stay) and take the hike up to the steel cable bridge (the Marienbrueke) that Ludwig rebuilt in order to hightlight the beauty of his castle. This was really a great day--the walk was strenuous but beautiful, and the snow muted everything--the forest was hushed--you could hear branches creaking and the heavy snow tumbling down off of the pine trees. As you climb up through the 19th century fir forest, you only rarely see the vista down below, and never see the castle (last seen from below in town). Then you reach the bridge, and, well, see this:
Ludwig's eccentric, extravagant, and ambivalent castle (bankrupted 19th century Bavaria, underpins modern Bavaria's economy) is extraordinary--and I'll write more on it after I do the full tour. What I was most struck by this trip (beside the crystal beauty of the snowy Bavarian landscape) was how much Hohenschwangau contributes to this story.
Hohenschwangau was Ludwig's "childhood home"--his father built this "lego castle" on the site of a ruined 12th century castle between 1832 and 1836. It is "Neo-Gothic" and It became the family retreat from court life in Munich, and one can see how much it's stylized medievalism and "wilderness" setting must have influenced the artsy, imaginative young Ludwig. It helps contextualize his own Orientalism and Romanticism, yet also highlights the scale and expense of Ludwig's castles by contrast.
All in all, a wonderful day out, and I'm looking forward to returning and to seeing all three of Ludwig's palaces.
Manuscripts and Munich
Hi everyone! I arrived in Munich on Tuesday afternoon, and spent that day settling into my new apartment, which is both cuter and smaller (in a good way) than I expected. Wednesday I went to the Rachel Carson Center for the first time, and met my new colleagues and compatriots and filled in all of my paperwork, etc. Thursday is when things really got going--I went to work in the morning, and started working with Ausonius' poetry (4th century Latin poet--but more on him in another post), and we had our first lunchtime colloquium--which happen every Thursday. At these, the Carson fellows take turns giving 20-25 minute research talks for the other fellows, the Center's graduate students, and anyone from the public who wants to come. This week's was on Canadian mining pollution. I am already recognizing through the talk and through many interesting conversations with other fellows how different and engaging it will be to be surrounded by other environmental historians.
Since I am trying to really set a M-F work week for myself, on Saturday I went exploring.The morning began with a terrific surprise--Snow! So I headed down to the Altstadt to wander around with my camera before heading to a planned trip to a museum exhibit with two of my new colleagues: Pracht auf Pergament or "Power on Parchment, treasures of the book arts from 780 to 1180. Those of you who have taken classes from me know how much I love early medieval manuscripts--this was an exhibit hosted by the Bavarian state archives of75 manuscripts! It was astounding in its scope--seeing so many of the highest quality manuscripts all at once is not over overwhelming, it is also highlights the range and variety of artistic and spiritual work they represent. For a tiny taste of this, see their full catalog.
And they GLOWED! It was amazing (excellent exhibit design in terms of showcasing this) how each one shone and glittered--I was almost bowled over by one page that was an almost completely illuminated (covered with gold leaf) crucifixion scene--when you looked at it from the side, you could see the whole scene, but when you were directly in the beam of its reflected light, all you could see was a golden glow, with the figure of Christ (completely free of gold leaf) standing out starkly from the background. Such an amazing blend of religious intent, artistic imagination, and wealth.
And these were powerful expressions of wealth, spiritual power, and secular control. Many of these were manuscripts prepared specially for kings and queens, or for high celebrations of the most powerful monasteries--they were jewel-encrusted (either at the time or, frequently, in the later Middle Ages), gilded, and full of expensive illustrations and illuminations (see the Uta Codex for example). Yet even with so many manuscripts gathered together, it was surprisingly easy to focus on the beauty, charms, and power of each one (hats off to the exhibit designers--the layout of the exhibit managed to enhance both the collective power and individual beauty of the manuscripts). And there were some very important individual manuscripts that I never expected to be able to see in person: the Bamberg Apocalypse (on loan), the Evangelary of Otto III, the Perikope of Henry II, etc. Yet for me some of the highlights were being introduced to some manuscripts I had not known about.
One that stands out is the Sacramentary of Henry II (you can see it on the exhibit catalog, but read about it in English on this facsimile site). The first thing that struck me is how thick and heavy a manuscript made of 360 vellum pages is! It was also incredibly beautiful and intricate, with one of the most amazing single pages I've ever seen (the one on the left in the facsimile image). When you first looked at it, it resemble the carpet pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels; as you shifted your gaze around, you could read the end of a prayer. It was next to an elaborate crucifixion scene, but I couldn't stop looking at and thinking about the words on the facing page--it was a very personal reminder of the ultimate prayerful and meditative goals of these manuscripts.
A second manuscript that really struck me was a gospel book produced at the monastery of Ottobeuren around 1165. It was bold and vibrant, with a striking immediacy and directness to the illustrations. It had bold, clean colors and very thick, black lines. Here's an image from it.
A few notes on the exhibit--one of the most interesting things to me about this is it's clear experimentation (sometimes extraordinary, sometimes less than successful) with newer modes of information technology. First, the elaborate website, which is great to explore (but absolutely NOT a substitute for a visit, so they really lose no audience that way--and wow, I went early in the morning, and so got in relatively quickly, but there was a line of over 200 people two hours (!) later when we left). Secondly, they attempted an iphone app, which I had hoped would be a different way than audioguides to navigate exhibit, but no, it was unfortunately more of an extended advertisement than a practical thing to use while in the exhibit. But it made me truly curious about the potential for richer apps for museum or historic site navigation. They still used those horrible handsets (that you had to pay for, and that contained 'privileged' information) and this led to the predictable traffic jams around certain MSS. They also made a huge mistake of putting all of the textual information about the MSS in each room on one giant wall plaque rather than with each of the respective MSS, leading to a shallowness of info unless you deliberately sought it out, which I observed very few people doing.
Finally, and most strikingly, they had a separate room where you could use the website's digital editions on full sized touch screens, where they informed people more about the medieval technology of bookmaking (absent from the main exhibit), and where they showcased an astounding modern technology--a giant flatscreen digital book with an interactive "3-D" manipulation technology. You stood at a series of lasers, and moved your hands to turn the pages, pull the book closer, or even close it and turn it around in your hands. Truly captivating and also quite fun, after being so tantalizingly close to the real books.
Alright--enough! Clearly, I loved this experience. :) Spend some time on the website--it's worth it.
I spent the weekend before my big trip in New Orleans, attending the AHA (American Historical Association) meeting. It's an annual conference for professional historians, and this year in particular, it was full of panels relevant to my research interests. I was initially kicking myself for having scheduled a trip so close to Departure Day, but now I'm thrilled that I decided to come. I'm a person who thrives on the conference energy, and I'm already feeling eager to start research next week--in part fueled by some particularly engaging panels and presentations on saints, hagiography, and Christian attitudes towards nature. On Thursday, I attended a session that was largely focused on Protestant and evangelical views on nature, and included a terrific paper by Mark Stoll of Texas Tech, whose long term project connects pivotal American environmental movement figures with their denominational identities. I've been lucky enough to see Mark present several parts of this work before, and his blend of intellectual and cultural history alongside an almost prosopographical approach to the figures' background reminds me conceptually of the ways that some medieval scholars treat the intellectual history of the medieval world (albeit with more evidence than we have.....).
From there, I went to a session on medieval and early modern hagiography (writings about saints) and had the chance to hear a paper by Rachel Koopmans about Thomas Becket's miracles, in which she asked the interesting question of whether we can identify the miracle that started Becket's cult. (I found myself thinking a lot about St. Foy during this talk--in part because she does seem to have a "kick start" miracle--when Guibert's eyes were restored.) I had the opportunity to spend a bit more time with Rachel during the conference, and the work she's doing on orality, miracle, and the "subterranean" ways in which rumors, miracle stories, and now lost conversation between medieval people shaped the sources and cult we see is inspiring.
Finally, yesterday I had the remarkable opportunity to attend a session on Peter Brown's new book, Through the Eye of a Needle, a work on the role that wealth (and the redefinition of wealth) had in changing the world of Late Antiquity. Four scholars gave talks about things from their own fields that the book prompted them to re-examine or re-explore, and then he responded to these papers. When he began his comments, he noted that there were a few reasons that he pursued this book project, one of which was that he decided that he "wanted to write a book about change over a long period of time." He also wanted to change some of our sense of who it was that drove some of those changes, and he appears to have focused much of the book (I haven't read it yet) exploring the "mediocres" or middling class men and women of late antiquity who lived through the transformation of the Roman Empire into the medieval West. He (and the other scholars) pointed, for example, to the hundreds of North African bishops of small, even rural, areas who slowly changed the church and society as just as worthy of study as Augustine--and they suggested that it is these everyday people making slow and constant changes that add up to cultural shifts. In Brown's words, in such momentous changes, "The heroes are not always the stars."
This was refreshing, and left me both once more under the sway of his eloquence and rhetoric, but also eager to read his book, to challenge my own sense of the meaning of power and money in early Christianity, and (importantly!) to start on the very first phase of my research project--examining two poets who Brown and his colleagues mentioned directly as important bookends for this period of transition: Ausonius and Venantius Fortunatus. I'm not sure where my next few weeks of reading Late Antique poetry will lead me, but I'm even more excited to get started than I was at the start of the week.
December 21, 2012 in Uncategorized
At the prompting of some students and friends, I am going to try out keeping a blog of my semester abroad--starting on 8 January, I will be a Fellow at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, working on a project on medieval rivers. I'll try to post here about my adventures in Germany and other far-flung parts of the world, about cool things I learn about the medieval world, and even share some photos.
The title of the blog is inspired by my travel-learning class. :)
Adventure Shoes
The musings of a medievalist on adventures both actual and imagined.
Who was James Weber?
Headed to Munich, Vienna, and Budapest to scout for a trip with students. #ilovemyjob
Today I'm getting to revisit the wonderful tale of St. Arnold of Metz finding a lost ring inside the belly of a fish..... | Civil War battlefields (of course some of those experiences would come my way, too once we moved back Stateside). In very real ways, my experience of the past was in a European, medieval setting. This may help explain how I took to medieval history courses in college like a duck to water (nature metaphors really are hard to avoid when you study them for a living!). I devoured classes on medieval culture, ancient history, Byzantium, England, the crusades, archaeology, the medieval church, etc. In all of this, the period that really sparked my interest was Europe before 1000. As I often tell my students, I was captivated with the degree to which even the most detailed and prominent books on this period were full of the subjunctive tense: people who "might or might not have been" kings of England, places that "should perhaps be considered" among the earliest port cities, etc. This element of unknowable-ness appealed to me, and I was intrigued by the way that early medieval historical work could (as with the sciences) be just as useful when proving a null hypothesis as when generating new information. This was an incredible and broad undergraduate training (I realize this more and more over the years as I myself am developing medieval curricula), and by my senior year I was convinced that there was a way to combine my conversion to environmental history with my fascination with medieval culture, religion, and society.
Luckily, though there wasn't a clear path for how to pursue this, and the field of medieval environmental history had not fully coalesced (Richard Hoffmann's AHR article "Economic Development and Aquatic Ecosystems in Medieval Europe" appeared while I was still in college), I found supportive faculty at the University of Minnesota, and also a network of mentors and peers through conferences. Over the course of working on my Master's thesis and then my dissertation, I realized that although there was a lot of fascinating work developing on the materiality of the human interaction with nature in the Middle Ages, I was drawn to the blurry edges of that interaction—to the ways that human actions, religion, memory, and storytelling intersected, and in particular the ways in which nature and natural resources were drawn into concepts of sanctity.
This interest has led to both a book on monastic environmental imagination and my current project, which I am pursuing here at the RCC. In it, I am surveying the literary products of Late Antique and early medieval Gaul and Germany to assess the ways in which rivers, springs, fountains, and other sources of fresh water were perceived by medieval society, and how their use of and attempts to control water were described and characterized in histories, saints lives, and miracle collections. Through this project I am hoping to access not just the practical and tangible ways that people and rivers were connected, but also the abstract ways that rivers worked their way into broader medieval culture, knowledge, and values. I've also reconnected with my fascination with river science!
As a medievalist I sometimes worry that it will be too hard to communicate across the modern/pre-modern divide, but my time here at the RCC has already shown me not only how possible it is but also how rewarding. It has been invaluable to have daily reminders of the lessons we teach our students; that the human history of interacting with the non-human world has deep roots, and that it matters that we both understand modern concerns and issues and also where they came from. I am convinced that the opportunities I've had here to learn about modern city-river interactions, environmental political theory, and 20th century German ecotourism will give my own work greater depth and context, and will also help me frame the pre-modern world in ways that help me communicate with the concerns of modernists, and that this is what the greatest benefit of my time at the RCC will have been.
June 15, 2013 in Uncategorized
It's been a while since my trip to China, but I'm finally both able and free (time-wise, not censorship!) to write a bit about my experience. I think that what strikes me most about the experience is my realization of just how many different Chinas there are, and how many different experiences of modern (and modernizing) China there are for the people who live in it.
The first stage of was the conference "Disasters Wet and Dry" (LINK), co-sponsored by Renmin University and the RCC. Almost 30 scholars were involved, and it was a dynamic and engaging conference. We spent four days together, first at the University (which is larger than my entire college town! And there are lots of giant universities in Beijing!), and then at an "Eco-hotel" compound near the Beijing airport (which is a story unto itself). We had two full days of sessions, where we discussed pre-circulated papers—the intellectual connections between the papers and the discussions were exciting. I was especially excited by how the addition of the Chinese perspective shifted the time scales of discussions in ways that drew in pre-modern European history, and also contextualized the scales and events of pre-modern Europe in comparison to early China. All told, a successful and thought-provoking conference that added even more complexity in my mind to the issue of the significance and meaning of "disasters" in human history.
After the formal conference, we spent a day on a field trip that highlighted three different aspects of China, all of which complement and contradict each other in fascinating ways. First, we took a bus out to a wetland nature preserve that is highly protected (we needed a permit to get in) and is a vast marshland of reeds that protect a remarkable range of bird, insect, and plant species. It was formerly part of the ocean—one of the people at the conference, who had been living in China for ca. 9 months, remarked that this was the first time he had been in a place that smelled "green" since he arrived.
To get there, we drove along a massive highway with very little change of landscape—flat, with extensive tree farms and the occasional rice paddy—punctuated by truly massive apartment towers still under construction.
Getting off the highway, the perspective shifted. We drove through a small agricultural village where you could see both the presence of poverty and the preservation of traditions (including the burial of the heads of family in funerary mounds in the fields).
After visiting the marsh, we hopped back on the bus and headed to Tianjin, a boom-town that is part of the redevelopment program in "high-modernist" China. There, we first went to a traditional Buddhist temple, where I was lucky enough to have one of the scholars from Beijing explain some of the devotional practices we were seeing, including the shrine to the Buddha past, present, and future, which I was able to then recognize in the next temple I was at.
This temple was both a tourist site (possibly more for localsthan for foreigners) and an active temple, but it was contained within what is called an "ancient Chinese culture street"—a bit like Disney's Main Street—a place full of "old fashioney" crafts etc. We also (after three days of lavish feasts) went to a typical Chinese fast food restaurant—the first time we had lots of rice! After lunch, we spent some more time in the culture street, where one of our remarkable hosts showed us how to do traditional calligraphy (on these really neat mats that you write on with water and as it dries the marks disappear). Here's the symbol I made:
After this encounter with China past (and China present's neon-filled version of China past), we got a remarkable, unexpected, and extremely fascinating glimpse of China future. We went to the "city museum" of Tianjin, which was presented like a modern global business headquarters—inside, we were led on a very scripted tour where we were introduced to the modern planned Tianjin—part of a project of enormous scope and vision to turn Tianjin from a moderate city into a global super-city, international part, and planned community with development zones for business, culture, nature, leisure, residence, etc. This was such an antithesis to the "faux old China" we had just seen—but in many ways this was an equally "faux" China—the scale city model we had to go to the second floor to observe from above (complete with laser show) is just as imagined as is the Chinese culture street. But that imagined city is already being built—we had driven past rows of huge apartment buildings mushrooming up in empty fields, and had already seen the span of bridge with the Ferris wheel in the middle, and had seen many of the buildings of the new downtown cityscape. As one of my colleagues pointed out, this museum, with its models and its computer animation movies (and a 4-D movie where the seats moved so that we would think we were flying through Tianjin), was a very expensive chamber of commerce glossy brochure. We often found ourselves wondering where Communism was within this vision of a high-modernist, business-driven city of the future—turns out, it's in the very way such ambitious plans can be realized. The state still owns all the land—but they lease it out in 99-year contracts, allowing the government to steer private, capital-generating building and development. Fascinating.
Here are some pictures:
And here is a CNN story on Tianjin: http://travel.cnn.com/shanghai/life/chinas-most-ambitious-replica-manhattan-084283
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=859qN-d4P4w
These impressions of a multi-faceted China, with many different sets of experiences were upheld once I was on my own in the city (which was big, confounding, quieter than I expected, and, yes, dusty from both pollution and the desert slowly seeping in). A state of the art subway system, neon high-modernist slabs in Tienanmen alongside communist memorials, stark representations of the ideology of the revolution, ancient gateways (and even Tienanmen's proximity to the Forbidden city), and Mao's body and face looming large,
all show future China and past China struggling to both coexist and out-shine each other, creating a present China where many people seem to be trapped in the middle, especially those who are older and worked their lives for a system that no longer exists, and leaves them without security or financial stability and those who, though young and excited about the future ("we have our own American dream now" was something that I heard from several younger people) but who, with the economy growing and spiraling, cannot afford to leave their parents' home, or to invest their lives and monies in the new cities like Tianjin.
Beijing has luxury apartments and shopping zones and poverty-filled hutongs (alleys) where families live in the middle of the bustling tourist districts, separated by unassuming doors and small alleys, and living with clear focus on maintaining their daily well-being.
The hutongs were full of construction materials, small food stands, drying laundry, and other evidence of the presence of vast amounts of human labor to maintain the city. Bicyclists carry lumber, trees, water bottles (none of the water in Beijing can be drunk until boiled) through the chaotic streets, and luxury cars, rickshaws, and small motorcycle taxis compete for space.
It was an amazing experience, and I was truly amazed by not only the variety I saw within Beijing, but also by the global variety of human cultures, languages, built-landscapes, lifestyles, and beliefs. Despite globalization, and the fact that I can buy an American flag made in China in Ohio and a Starbucks in Beijing, those differences are still real and enduring—and what make studying history, languages, literature, and the other humanities so richly rewarding.
And an update: a friend pointed me to this highly relevant article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/world/asia/chinas-great-uprooting-moving-250-million-into-cities.html?hp&_r=0
Natural Disasters?
Realizing that it had been a while since I posted, I had decided initially to write a post about my broader research today, but then the horrible tornadoes in Oklahoma happened, and I decided instead to share some of the reflections and conversations that my colleagues and I have been having over the last few weeks about natural disasters.
One of the RCC working themes this round is "Disasters." I'm actually here under the "ethics" theme because of my interest in religious sources, but increasingly I have found myself writing and thinking about disasters as they appear in medieval sources, and so I gladly joined in when a colleague who is working on the history of two twentieth-century earthquakes suggested that those interested read some articles and chapters on the way "disaster" has been conceptualized by societies and by scholars (particularly historians) and that we then get together and talk about these responses. The result: by far one of the most stimulating discussions I've had here at the | 2,713 |
I love volleyball! My daughter played in high school. Thanks for linking up at NanaH<|fim_middle|> was younger. It is nice to watch people play.
I love Volley Ball - but I could never play on a beach like this. They are amazing athletes!
Aww, it looks amazing here. I would love to visit :) Thanks for sharing at The Wednesday blog hop.
Love volleyball! Pretty cool! Great shots!
Volleyball is the best! FREE is even better. What an awesome opportunity!
What a fun place to play volleyball! You just can't beat that setting.
How cool to be able to see the matches. I've never played on sand before, but I bet it's not real easy.
I saw it while we were driving over the Bay Bridge and I wondered what that was all about. Thank you for sharing. It looks like such a fun time! | ood Have a great week!
Right by that beautiful bridge. You got some great shots.
What fun photos an those lovely blue skies very rare in London haha!
Volleyball is fun. I did never get the upper hand serve down for some reason.
I have tried playing volley ball when I | 59 |
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NYFF 2017<|fim_middle|>Update, 10/28: Scott Pfeiffer for the Cine-List: "I love this sportive, altogether magical film—it's light and simple and funny, and all the more profound for it."
Update, 11/12: "In no small part," writes Jackson Arn for the Los Angeles Review of Books, "Varda's films delight because they have a secret weapon: Varda herself. Since 1994, she's narrated and starred in all of her own work and structured it unapologetically around her own interests and experiences. When, in Beaches of Agnès, she changes the subject, it's because she felt like doing so—end of story. This is a bold strategy, but one that usually works, at least for me, thanks to Varda's extraordinary unpretentiousness. The question Faces Places implies, though, is: Must a documentary about the wanderings of a lovely person be lovely to watch?"
NYFF 2017 Index. For news and items of interest throughout the day, every day, follow @CriterionDaily. | : Agnès Varda and JR's Faces Places
The Daily — Oct 1, 2017
"Since I saw Faces Places at its premiere at Cannes in May, [Agnès] Varda's latest documentary has cemented itself on my running list of the year's best titles," writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. "Made with the French artist known as JR, the movie is a delightful, tenderly heart-pricking meander through art, life, history, memory and the countryside. As is often the case with Ms. Varda's movies, this one folds in assorted detours, including a stopover in a Swiss village that poignantly brings her face to face with some of the ghosts that haunt her."
"Inspired equally by JR's youthful joie de vivre and the large-scale photographic portraits he produces in his makeshift mobile photo booth, Varda enlists her young counterpart for an impromptu cross-country road trip through France," writes Jordan Cronk for Cinema Scope. "Along the way, the duo befriends a variety of locals and assorted lovable characters, whom they proceed to enshrine in enormous cut-out images and then plaster them on the sides of nearby homes and buildings. With its travelogue approach and interest in the iconographic potential of everyday people and places, the film plays as a quasi-sequel to Varda's 1980 L.A. street-art classic Mur murs, which lovingly reflected the city's cultural diversity through an under-recognized art form."
At Hyperallergic, Tanner Tafelski reminds us that both artists have been in the news lately. Early last month, "the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences acknowledged Varda's achievements in cinema by giving her an honorary Oscar. JR's startling mural of a little boy peering over the border in Tecate, Mexico made a splash in the media."
And at 4Columns, Melissa Anderson notes that Varda's One Sings, the Other Doesn't, "her quasi-musical about the women's movement that was the [New York Film Festival's] opening-night selection in 1977, will screen at this year's edition as part of the Revivals program." This very afternoon, too. "A sweet, but never cloying, portrait of an intergenerational friendship and artistic collaboration, Faces Places is also a matter-of-fact meditation on mortality," writes Anderson. "As Varda and JR scrutinize the headstones in the wee cemetery where Cartier-Bresson is buried, in the tiny town of Montjustin, the near-nonagenarian remarks that she's looking forward to death because 'that'll be that'—Varda's gallows-humor take, perhaps, on the legendary photographer's notion of the 'decisive moment.'"
"The whimsical tone should be familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of Varda's nonfiction work like The Beaches of Agnès (2008) and The Gleaners and I (2000), but she's also proved, in films such as Le bonheur (1965) and Vagabond (1985), equally adept at pathos," writes Keith Uhlich. "Glimmers of darkness are everywhere here."
"Varda continues a profound exploration of creativity and memory in the face of mortality and impermanence," adds Fernando F. Croce in the Notebook. "A snapshot of a late friend is reproduced on a seaside rock, only for the tide to wash it away the following morning. Later on, a trio of women married to Le Havre dock workers are perched high on top of stacked crates bearing their amplified photographed likeness, in a playful yet evocative composition. . . . Varda may be struggling with an eye disease, but her vision is as crystalline as ever."
"Varda and JR advocate a form of communalism that, in its borderline utopian presentation, would be capable of eradicating hostility, even hatred, with the aid of open conversation and artistic imagination," writes Clayton Dillard at Slant. "What's remarkable about Faces Places is how these sociological tenets occur through the course of both the filmmakers' interviews and their playfulness with one another between destinations. In fact, one's adoration for the film may depend, in part, on how much mileage one gets out of seeing Varda singing along, while cruising down a highway, to Anita Ward's 'Ring My Bell.' For Varda and JR, these shenanigans are part and parcel with their approach to interacting with strangers . . . The filmmakers extend the chance to collaborate with everyone they meet and thereby develop Faces Places into something approaching a manifesto for the possibility of shared happiness."
"Varda's subjectivity as an older woman is key to Faces Places," finds Chelsea Phillips-Carr at PopMatters. "While co-directed with JR, it is her voice which comes through the most: we are seeing through her eyes almost literally at many points in the film. And her experience is specific."
Back to Tanner Tafelski: "Faces Places is a gentle, light, and airy film. Everything that you would expect in a Varda film is there: a subjective and hyper-aware interest in and collaboration with the working class; the familiar imagery of potatoes, faces, and the sea. However, the film feels slight."
In a similar vein, Jason Ooi, writing for the Film Stage, finds that "the film, even with its unique style and creative flairs, feels altogether a bit conventional. The easy digestibility—a product of its lightness—makes Faces Places very enjoyable in the moment, but also verges on saccharine."
"The bassline is JR's caring rapport with Varda, offering an organic way for her own introspections to emerge," suggests Chloe Lizotte at Screen Slate.
Faces Places "ends up speaking to the power of the still image, while working as a good-natured, free-wheeling, and gentle late-period work from one of our honest-to-goodness living legends," writes Flavorwire's Jason Bailey.
At In Review Online, Paul Attard is left with "a general feeling of wonder for the possibilities artist can bring to the world."
And it's "arguably one of the best non-fiction features of this still infantile century," proposes Joshua Brunsting at CriterionCast.
Update, 10/2: "Faces Places is a one-in-a-million crowd-pleaser that deserves to be seen by the widest audience possible," writes the Atlantic's David Sims. It's "an arthouse triumph that speaks to so many universal concerns in wonderfully iconoclastic fashion, while telling its subjects' stories with compassion."
Update, 10/3: "Many of the areas Varda and JR visit are in the economically troubled regions of France's rural north," notes Emily Yoshida at Vulture, "but this being a staunchly apolitical film, such unpleasantries are never brought up. The country they travel through is filled with potential friends, and it's a nice headspace to live in for an hour and a half."
Updates, 10/7: "Despite its unassuming, conversational ethos—which is also to say by means of Ms. Varda's staunchly democratic understanding of her job as a filmmaker—Faces Places reveals itself as a powerful, complex and radical work," argues A. O. Scott in the New York Times. "Ms. Varda's modesty is evidence of her mastery, just as her playful demeanor is the expression of a serious and demanding aesthetic commitment. Almost by stealth, but also with cheerful forthrightness, she communicates a rich and challenging array of feelings and ideas. As we contemplate those faces and places we are invited to reflect on the passage of time and the nature of memory, on the mutability of friendship and the durability of art, on the dignity of labor and the fate of the European working class."
"Varda's camera does not so much record images as embody them, take on an emphatic physical reality itself, scuttling, surging, touching," writes Patricia Storace for the New York Review of Books:
It is hard to find a more passionate, though discreet, expression of physical love than the caressing close-ups of the hair, eyes, and face of her mortally ill husband, the director Jacques Demy, in Jacquot de Nantes (1993). And her camera has also been a mirror. She is far from being a deity remote from her creations: her films take into account, whether directly or indirectly, the conditions of her own life at the time of filming. What she grasps or questions in what she is living enters each film. L'Opéra-Mouffe (1958), made during Varda's first pregnancy, is a diary of the associations, observations, and fears a Paris neighborhood stirs in a pregnant woman (the faces of the alcoholic homeless, for instance, haunt her as a possible future for her child). Daguerréotypes (1976), made after Varda's second child was born, reflects the physical restrictions motherhood places on a woman; Varda famously ran an electric cable fifty feet from her house—the farthest distance she dared go during the period of caring for her baby—in order to film the shopkeepers on her street. Varda's physical characteristics are also part of the work of filming; a tiny woman, she made Daguerréotypes standing on a chair. As she has said, "I am not behind the camera, I am in it."
This element of her work is perhaps most poignantly apparent in Faces Places.
"Her films—whether fictional character studies like Cleo from 5 to 7 and Vagabond or documentaries like Daguerréotypes and The Gleaners and I—are driven by a curiosity that her male peers in the French New Wave never shared," writes Ignatiy Vishnevetsky at the A.V. Club. "In that influential movement, she stood apart not only as the sole woman in what was otherwise a boys' club, but as the one director whose work didn't scream that she'd rather be living in a movie. And yet no other New Wave filmmaker ended up devoting as much of their creativity to documenting their own surroundings and friends. Interesting how that goes."
"Something of a prank, a farewell, an art project, a buddy comedy, a vox populi tour of the French countryside, and an inquiry into memory and images and what it means to reveal our eyes to the world, Faces Places is a joyous lulu," writes Alan Scherstuhl in the Village Voice.
At RogerEbert.com, Glenn Kenny finds the closing of Faces Places "puzzling, heartbreaking, but ultimately celebratory. And wobbles the line between documentary and fiction so strongly that the vibrations will linger in your heart for days afterwards."
Also at RogerEbert.com, Odie Henderson: "Varda's own failing eyes play a major part in the film's homestretch, when JR decides to place a huge photo of them on a freight train. The result becomes the defining image of the film—the director's eyes chugging through the countryside, taking in the universe and enjoying everything it has to offer."
"In 2017, we tend to think in pictures and videos, rewiring our brains to harvest the sights around us for likes and shares," writes Soheil Rezayazdi for Filmmaker. "There's a toxicity in all this, but Faces Places finds the joy in our selfie-saturated age."
"What a joy it is to have a movie like this in our broken lives right now," adds Andrew Lapin, writing for NPR.
"I'm not sure I'll make another film," Varda tells IndieWire's Eric Kohn. "It's like boxing—they do an additional match they shouldn't do. I'm not sure I should do another one. But I also do exhibitions, installations. I'm not going to bed."
"Each time I saw a film by Agnès I felt a sense of complete freedom in her way of making them and in her way of living," JR tells Gary M. Kramer, who talks with both directors for BOMB. "When I met her, I saw, it's not just how she makes film, it's how she approaches life."
And Varda and JR are Adam Schartoff's guests on the latest episode of Filmwax Radio (56'53").
Updates, 10/8: "So open-hearted is this film, so disarming of all cynicism, that it is next to impossible to find fault with it," writes Michael Sicinski. "In fact, both with the film itself and the artworks created within the film, Varda and JR show us art in something close to its Kantian ideal."
Movie City News points us to Jake Coyle's interview with Varda for the AP: "Understanding, empathy, sharing. I think they are beautiful words. They are not ridiculous."
Update, 10/9: "The interview is short," writes Scout Tafoya at RogerEbert.com, "she's tired and feels less and less like speaking English, but as she's preparing to stand she has a thought, perhaps linked to the silent film she made with Godard. 'JR . . . the next film . . . it should be silent. We should make a silent film.' How does your heart not leap seeing a woman who keeps threatening to retire unable to stop finding inspiration?"
Updates, 10/11: "More than a cinematographer or a photographer, more than a documentarist or a narrative artist, Varda is an iconographer, whose stories and explorations, recollections and encounters, are magnified into images that are, in effect, devotional," writes the New Yorker's Richard Brody. "Whether festive or mournful, tragic or comedic, they embrace the fullness of experience and emotion with a fervent grandeur, which is why, in Faces Places, her work with JR becomes, in its own way, iconic of itself—his murals are transformed, here, into symbols of her own artistic passion."
Lauren Du Graf talks with Varda and JR for Reverse Shot.
Updates, 10/12: "Perhaps the most telling comment in terms of what the film has to say about work is the comment of a man named Amaury, the technical inspector at a chemical plant where hydrochloric acid and other dangerous substances are made," writes Jonathan Romney for Film Comment. "It's his job to check the equipment, to make sure everyone's safe. 'It's exciting to have a meaningful job,' he comments—and the line jumps out at you as altogether revelatory. When did you last hear someone say something like that in a film—communicate how their work matters to them, makes them happy?"
"Color me beguiled," writes Marjorie Baumgarten in the Austin Chronicle. "The film is personal, playful, soulful, and kind. The only problem with Faces Places is that it ultimately ends, and subsequently breaks the spell."
Update, 10/14: "For Varda, this is a spinoff of sorts to The Gleaners and I (2000) and The Beaches of Agnès (2008); for me it's a welcome introduction to the work of JR," writes Jonathan Rosenbaum.
Updates, 10/25: "Like The Gleaners and I (2000), Varda breathes life into diffuse material, finding the grain in each encounter," writes Ray Pride in Newcity. "What's fresh and vital in the fabric of Faces Places is the melancholy bond between two artists at different points in their career, amusing one another while fashioning the world into a shared vision."
In Gleaners, Varda "helps us see the hyperactive cycle of our materialism and, through the act of glanage, shows us a way to consume less and to engage with our environments more," writes Lauren Elkin for the Paris Review.
Updates, 10/27: For Stuart Klawans, writing in the Nation, "the overriding impression—perfect in a film dedicated to photography—is of the potential for the human personality to abide. Look at JR's photomural of an elderly woman living in a semi-derelict coal-mining town, after he's pasted her image onto the row house she refuses to abandon. You see the face of someone strong enough to have been made from bricks."
For the TIFF Review, Chandler Levack talks with Varda about "being the only woman in the French New Wave, juggling motherhood and filmmaking, and making space for women in film."
| 3,486 |
(187<|fim_middle|>, Czechoslovakia. | 8–1930). Bohemian operatic soprano Emmy Destinn gained international fame for the exceptional richness, power, and control of her voice. She was known also for her great intelligence and dramatic gifts.
She was born Ema Kittl in Prague, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), on Feb. 26, 1878. At age 14 she began studying voice with Maria Loewe-Destinn, whose name she adopted. Destinn made her debut in Berlin in 1898 as Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic Chivalry). Richard Strauss chose her for the title role in his opera Salome in 1906 at its premieres in Berlin and Paris. She first sang at London's Covent Garden in 1904 as Donna Anna in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni and in 1908 made a triumphant first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as Aïda in Giuseppe Verdi's opera of the same name. Other roles in her extensive repertoire included Minnie in Giacomo Puccini's La fanciulla del west (The Girl of the Golden West), Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Valentine in Giacomo Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots, and Eva in Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg). Destinn died on Jan. 28, 1930, in České Budějovice | 338 |
Newport Middle School science teacher Donna Jones is looking forward to immersing her students in their studies in more ways than one.
NEWPORT � Newport Middle School science teacher Donna Jones is looking forward<|fim_middle|>erschool Lego club.
CCEC has provided nearly $300,000 in grants for projects that have benefited students in its service area since 1994. | to immersing her students in their studies in more ways than one.
Her students will build submersible vehicles as part of a hands-on project at the end of the year that will bring together the concepts they�ve learned: energy, electricity, electronics and water.
�Any time you can give students a hands-on project, it helps them use those critical thinking skills,� Jones said.
Helping her make that happen is a Bright Ideas grant that will allow her to buy the supplies she needs for those submersible vehicles, an expense not covered by the school budget.
Jones is one of the 28 teachers or educator teams from the Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative service territory to be awarded a grant this year.
The Bright Ideas education grant program, sponsored by North Carolina�s electric cooperatives, provides grants to teachers in grades K-12 for innovative, classroom-based projects that would not otherwise be funded.
CCEC has awarded more than $19,500 in Bright Ideas grants for innovative teaching projects that will impact more than 4,450 students during the 2012-13 school year in Carteret and Craven counties.
Twelve schools in Carteret County received a total of 18 grants for classroom projects in subject areas including agriculture, science, math, reading, music and technology. Grants ranged from $330 to $1,000.
Newport Middle School and White Oak Elementary School each received three grants, the highest number awarded to individual schools in the county.
�It helps them become more engaged and confident in what they�ve learned,� Dunn said.
Dunn said the grant will allow her to purchase the Lego block kits she uses in her classroom and for an aft | 358 |
What Type of Focus Accessory?
Takahashi - Large Accessory Mounting Plate for NJP & EM-500 Mounts.
Takahashi began manufacturing telescopes in 1967 their 35th year of business. They began and remain in the sand casting business today.
Their first model was TS-65 a 65mm x 900mm achromat. By 1969 they produced their first 65mm triplet semi-apochromat and 100mm f/10 reflector in 1969<|fim_middle|>. The second is the sand casting factory. The third is the facility where the observatory mounts the EM-3500 and EM-2500 are assembled along with the machining shop next door to their warehouse facility. The fourth is the mirror grinding, polishing and testing building.
Takahashi's staff includes: optical, design and mechanical engineers many of whom are amateur astronomers, who have discovered new asteroids one of which was named Urii in honor of the city where the Takahashi manufacturing facilities are located. | .
The TS80 built in April of 1972 was the first triplet apochromat Takahashi telescope built. Then in 1973 their first fluorite triplet telescope was used too photograph the total solar eclipse on June 29th of that year in Africa. It was an 80mm x 1200mm and in the same year they produced their first equatorial mount with a polar telescope.
In 1977 Takahashi introduced their second triplet fluorite apochromat the TS-90 a 90mm x 1000mm and the 90S mount and the famous JP mount in 1979. The NJP mount as it is called today is still in production. The JP and NJP mounts can be converted to Takahashi's Temma "go to" system. This is a testament to its timeless design. Then followed by the introduction of famous Sky Patrol portable mount in 1981, this mount was a favorite for eclipse chasers. It features a polar alignment telescope in the R.A. shaft and integral 40mm guide scope. In that year the fluorite Series FC 65, 78, 100, and 125 were introduced. This series remained in production until 1994.
Takahashi developed the camera angle adjuster which is a bearing device that allows the camera or ocular to be rotated 360° without loss of focus. This rotator device is still used today for all Takahashi focuser from the 2" to 4" focusers and all astrographs.
From this time Takahashi used a compression ring ocular holder to provide precise centering of the ocular and optics of the telescope.
In 1983 introduced their Epsilon Series of Hyperbolic flat field astrographs with the 130, 160, 200, 250 and 300. Takahashi was able to perfect the process for grinding hyperbolic mirrors and is doing so today for its current Epsilons and corrected RC astrographs. This was also the year they introduced the prototype FCT-150 fluorite triplet apochromat and the revolutionary EM-2000 mount which used electric clutches and had a direct read out of R.A. and Dec. This mount could be transported to remote sites because it broke down into three parts.
In 1985 the triplet FCT Series included a 65, 76, 100, 125 and 150mm fluorite triplets. The Mewlon Series Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain telescopes were the next series in sizes of 180, 210, 250 and 300mm were developed along with the CN-212, a convertible 212mm classical Cassegrain f/12 and corrected Newtonian convertible telescope.
In 1989 Takahashi introduced their famous TSC-225: a 225mm Schmidt-Cassegrain with innovations such as 10 baffles in the baffle tube and a rear cell fan for cooling of the optics. The 225 used white German optical glass for its corrector plate. Ever the innovator Takahashi produced the carbon fiber Epsilon-250 in 1992 closely followed by the carbon fiber Epsilon-210 hyperbolic astrographs.
Takahashi also makes observatory telescopes which include: 350mm hyperbolic astrographs, 300 and 400mm Cassegrains, 200, 250 and 300mm triplet apochromatic refractors and the large EM-3500 mounts to carry them.
Takahashi's manufacture of refractors, Newtonian reflectors, Cassegrain/Newtonians, classical Cassegrains, hyperbolic astrographs, corrected Baker RC astrographs, mounts and oculars makes it one of the most versatile companies of its type in the world.
The current line of Ortho Apochromatic refractors use a design that is absolutely color free, will include a 110mm, 130mm [currently produced], 150mm [introduced 06/05] and a 180mm. In addition to the Takahashi telescopes, eyepieces, and accessories, ortho astrographs will also be added.
Their manufacturing facilities are located in Urii, Japan with their headquarters located in the Itabahsi prefecture of Tokyo. The facilities include the main assembly and design facility where the instruments and optics designed, are tested and assembled | 1,015 |
Blindspot 4x07 Review: "Case: Sun, Moon and the Truth" (Game On) [Contributor: Jen]
11:07 PM blindspot review, contributor: jen, s04.07 No comments
"Case: Sun, Moon and the Truth"
Original Airdate: November 30, 2018
The powder keg that is Kurt and Jane finally exploded in "Case: Sun, Moon and the Truth." The secrets are out. Kurt knows. Remi's ruse is over, but now is finally when things start to get interesting.
KURT AND JANE
I am focusing only on Kurt and Jane because this is a massive Jeller episode. We pick up immediately from where we left off with Kurt confronting "Jane" with all her lies. Amazingly, she still tries to keep her cover going. Remi tells Kurt the woman who shot at him is the Sandstorm operative they've been searching for and she's been running her own operation.
Kurt replies, "I don't know what's worse: the fact that you are still lying to me, or you still think I'll ever believe you."
Kurt Weller is officially no longer Remi's patsy. It's refreshing to see Kurt on defense<|fim_middle|> Past Is Prologue" (...
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 4x07 Review: "I Will Help You"...
Blindspot 4x07 Review: "Case: Sun, Moon and the Tr... | because he's been played for a fool so long. Unfortunately, Remi is not above low blows to keep her cover going by saying: "Finding out your dad was a killer made it impossible for you to trust anyone. Even your own wife."
I thought this was particularly nasty of Remi and really hit Kurt where it hurts, which is the point of course. We know it's all lies. Kurt is right about her, so it makes me want to scream that she uses his child murdering, pedophile, vile excuse of a father against him.
But this is what Remi has done for months. She's used everything she knows about Kurt Weller against him — particularly his trust and love for Jane. We have witnessed firsthand how Remi's plan was supposed to go: destroy the FBI from within by making Kurt Weller fall in love with her by pretending to be someone she's not.
My only hang-up in this grand scheme is why use the zip? Why not just do what Remi has been doing for months — pretend to be someone Kurt would fall in love with? Maybe there was an explanation in seasons one and two that I've forgotten, but the zip was quite the gamble. It erased everything that made Remi... well, Remi.
What's good about "Case: Sun, Moon and the Truth" is that this is something Kurt and Remi dive into quite extensively. In the middle of their showdown they are interrupted by a neighbor who needs to use their phone. Immediately, we should be nervous because Kurt and Jane don't have normal neighbors. Come on: it's Kurt and Jane.
Of course, they are ambushed and taken hostage by someone named Eve. The $500,000 Remi stole was Eve's money and she wants it back. Remi dodges and weaves, but Eve has her on surveillance camera stealing the money. Rookie move, Remi! This blows the lid off all her lies with Kurt. He remember a person using zip can revert back to their former self in the event of a major trauma... like the one Jane had a few months ago!
REALLY, WRITERS? Kurt knew this all along? He never considered for a second that's what could be going on with all of Jane's strange behavior? I hate when Blindspot throws in convenient plot contrivances to connect their storylines. This just makes Kurt look like even more of an idiot for not figuring it out sooner. My annoyance is tempered by the fact KURT KNOWS. We can finally move on from the main male protagonist being a complete dummy.
Eve forces Kurt and Remi to steal something she wants from the FBI evidence storage unit. She straps bombs to them so they cooperate. However, they are able to go into the storage unit alone when Kurt tips Eve off to the surveillance cameras he installed inside the storage unit when he was Assistant Director of the FBI. I love when Kurt throws his old titles around. It's hot.
This gives Kurt and Remi the chance to block the signal on their bomb vests. They use duct tape. Yeah, you read that right. Remi at least has the common sense to be insanely nervous about this plan, but Kurt is confident because he knows how ops with Jane go. The stuff they come up with always works.
The two need to work on each other's signals because they cannot reach their own. This puts Remi in uncomfortably close proximity to Kurt Weller. He chooses this moment to ask her why she didn't kill him with the poison in the syringe. Remi doesn't answer, but you can cut the sexual tension with a knife. Jaimie Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton have chemistry that doesn't quit. One of Blindspot's great strengths is finding new and interesting ways to capitalize on it without the relationship going stale.
They get the six pieces of duck tape on in the nick of time and Eve sets off the bombs.
Remi clings to Kurt for dear life and it's a rare moment when her true feelings rise above her mission. Kurt gently cradles her head in his hand, softly reassuring Remi the way he would Jane, but adding a smug, "And we're not dead." It's his way of sticking it to Remi for her lack of confidence in him, but also subtly acknowledges the way she held onto him. Kurt felt Remi's defenses come down in his arms and they both know it.
Now Kurt is going to use it to his advantage. As they search for the case Eve wants, Kurt and Remi embark on a philosophical discussion of sorts. He's picked up on Remi's rage and how much of it is directed at him. Boy, you ain't kidding, big fella. Kurt would like to know why Remi hates him so much and her answer is very simple: "Everything fell apart because of you."
She means the Sandstorm operation — the plan to simultaneously end the U..S government and install a new one. Instead of leading Sandstorm to victory, Jane was the primary force leading to its failure and destruction... including the incarceration of her mother and eventual death of her brother.
Kurt is not buying it. Sure, it's a good list of reasons to hate him, but none of them are the real reason. We've watched Remi use everything she knows about Kurt against him all season long. Now it's Kurt's turn to use what he knows about Jane and Remi.
Kurt says: "I was supposed to fall in love with Jane. That was your plan. Things fell apart because Jane fell in love with me. You hate me because I remind you what a failure you are."
This is the "you fell in love with me too, na-na-na-boo-boo" speech. As burns go, it's a solid one. This also answers why Mama Sandstorm used the zip on Remi. If Remi was still Remi — if she retained all her memories — then there was a chance the mission would fail.
We can only pretend to be someone else for so long. The fear was Kurt Weller would eventually figure it out. He would see through the ruse and the mission would fall apart. Sandstorm's success hinged entirely on Kurt not only believing in who Jane was, but also falling in love with her. There could be no room for error, which meant Remi had to be erased. She had to become someone new. Someone Kurt would fall in love with. It had to be real.
Mama Sandstorm was right to be concerned. She was right to use the zip, because Kurt has seen through the ruse. Remi pretending to be someone else — pretending to be Jane — wasn't enough to fool Kurt. The piece nobody counted on, particularly Remi, was this new person falling in love with Kurt. Remi believed even without her memories she would somehow retain herself. She believed all the training would stay in her mind and body. She was right about one of those. Remi stayed in Jane's body. She recalled all her physical training, but mentally she became someone else. The memories erased who Remi was and allowed for someone else to be born.
What's fascinating about the Jane/Remi character is we are always examining how much of Jane is in Remi and vice versus. Stripping Remi of her memories, her training, and all the garbage Mama Sandstorm poured into her traumatized mind allowed someone new to take hold. The person Remi could have been. The person she's truly meant to be — Jane.
Remi wants to know why Kurt loves Jane so much. Kurt not only answers her question but explains the central internal battle of our heroine: "She's the strongest person I've ever met and, considering everything that she's been through, she's still compassionate and kind."
Remi is right. The zip made her a blank slate, but Jane wasn't someone Kurt molded. What drove Jane, from minute one, was an intense compassion. In the beginning of the series she was acting off instinct. She had no other means of making decisions because she had no memory to rely on. What is natural and instinctual inside of Jane is kindness, love and selflessness.
This is why Kurt Weller fell in love with her. I think for both Jane and Kurt it was love at first sight.
The moment Jane touched Kurt's face, she was reaching for someone to hold onto. She was looking for a place to start and she found it in Kurt. And Kurt found a place to start in Jane.
We can argue he fell in love with Jane, at first, because Kurt believed she was Taylor Shaw. Of course, this was always Remi and Sandstorm's plan. However, one reason Kurt believed Jane was Taylor was because he saw all the same goodness. Her goodness isn't erased because Jane wasn't Taylor, nor does it erase why Kurt fell in love with her.
So now that Remi is back, where did those qualities go? If Jane was acting off instinct in the beginning, then goodness is what is innate in Remi... until it was destroyed by her mother. Kurt says: "Jane has exactly what you don't. That's the choice to be whoever she wants to be. You're the one that's been shaped into a weapon. You are exactly who your mother made you to be."
This sums up the entire conundrum that is Remi and why the zip was such a gift. It gave Remi a choice for the first time in her life to be someone else. She chose Jane. The reason Remi hates Kurt Weller so much is because he reminds her of who she can be. Kurt's love and his faith in Jane is a constant mirror reflecting the best parts of Remi in the face of the worst.
Remi wants to know why it took Kurt so long to figure out she is not Jane if the two women are so different. Kurt replies, "Parts of you inside of her that keep her alive. There's nothing of her inside of you."
This is where I disagree with Kurt. I believe this is his anger and betrayal talking. He sees Remi's fight, her will to survive, and even some of her dubious characteristics in Jane. Keep in mind Jane has a habit of lying to Kurt frequently. He can acknowledge Remi lives inside of Jane. He cannot acknowledge Jane lives inside of Remi.
He's wrong. The reason she can't kill Kurt, the reason he felt Jane in his arms as Remi held onto him so tightly, is because Jane lives inside of Remi too. Jane is the best parts of Remi. She is who Remi becomes when you strip away all the rage, violence, and abuse. The memories may be gone, but Remi cannot ignore what is instinctual in her heart. Her goodness is instinct. Her love for Kurt is instinct. Every action she takes is a means to bury those feelings deeper and deeper until they are erased.
Blindspot is continually examining the meaning and impact of memory on our identity. We are our actions. We are our choices. Remi and Jane are completely different people. It is the age old battle of good versus evil. The angel versus the devil. The light versus the dark.
Yet, we know there is grey within us all. Nobody is entirely good or bad. Our identity is not a light switch. The zip may open and close doors for Remi and Jane, but each persona still has free will.
Jane has made the wrong decisions. She has lied, betrayed, and killed. Jane is a good person, but she is not perfect.
As for Remi, there is some part stopping her from killing Kurt Weller, Edgar Reade, Patterson, and Rich Dotcom. She may argue it's tactics and it is to her advantage to allow her husband and friends to live, but we know different. It is love buried deep inside.
Remi: So you did make it out of there.
Kurt: I think you called because some part of you still cares about me. It's why you locked me in that hallway instead of killing me. There is some part of Jane still inside of you. I'm not giving up on her.
Remi: Well that's good to hear because as long as you believe that, you can't kill me either. But if I see you again, I won't have that problem.
Kurt: I will find you. I will not give up on my wife. I will get her back.
Remi: So then I guess it's game on.
Remi's phone call makes Kurt see the truth. If he wants to save his wife, then Kurt has to see the Jane in Remi just like he sees the Remi in Jane. Patterson and Rich's cure will save Jane/Remi's life, but it's going to be Kurt's love, and the love he sees in Remi, that's will save Jane's soul. Hopefully Kurt gets his wife back before she kills anybody. GAME ON.
Stray Thoughts:
Rich and Patterson solve another tattoo and find another of Roman's data caches. It's full of medical research so we are full speed ahead on these two finding a cure for Jane.
Zapata is headed to Mexico with Madeleine to convince the cartel to share their computer hacker so they can crash this plane. I am getting bored with this storyline. Zapata is not going to crash a plane so can we move onto something more interesting?
Weitz and Reade discover the pilot Zapata and Madeleine uses from documents they obtained from HCI Global. This feels highly stupid of Madeleine and Zapata not to conceal the name of the pilot better, but whatever. Weitz and Reade know she's headed to Mexico and they are going to follow.
Madeleine offered Weitz the presidency of HCI Global. I still can't figure out if he's good or bad, but I am leaning toward good.
I miss Kurt as the Assistant Director. Can we go back to that please?
Is it me or are they putting Zapata in less and less clothes every week? Of course, Audrey Esparza looks amazing, but all these low-cut and silky tops feel very negligee. Are they somehow equating sexy with evil? I don't love that message.
$500k is all it takes to run a terrorist organization? Seems low.
"Mints of the fifth floor bathroom were enough to sell me. How do they make them spicy hot and minty fresh at the same time?" Rich officially gets all the best lines now.
Rich hitting himself with the pickax has me rolling.
Do the video cameras not pick up the doors being ripped off? There's a shocking lack of video security at the FBI storage center.
I love Weller didn't trust Remi for a second and he blew up the case.
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Kompakt's Total 19 Released in September
We can't wait to get our hands on the latest compilation from the Cologne label
Kompakt has long been one of the most grown-up labels in techno. The Cologne staple headed up by Michael Mayer has always favoured patient, slow burning techno with a real sense of melody. It has also put out a series of essential ambient collections and become a home<|fim_middle|>in't that the truth. Total 19 includes music from founders Tobias Thomas and Michael Mayer, Wolfgang and Reinhard Voigt, plus Patrice Bäumel (above), Sascha Funke, Justus Köhncke, Exrawelt, Rex The Dog, Raxon and plenty more. It lands digitally and on CD in September. | label for the likes of Kolsch, The Field and Gui Boratto. Next up is a 19th instalment in its annual Total series.
"In the day and age of streaming playlists and the omnipresence of freely available mixes, what's the use of a label compilation?" asks the label. "The answer is simple: labels still serve as a dearly needed filter mechanism in this tsunami of music we're facing every day."
A | 90 |
Home Business Lyft earnings Q4 2020
Lyft earnings Q4 2020
Neom Visions
A traveler arriving at Los Angeles International Airport looks for ground transportation during a statewide day of action to demand that ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft follow California law and grant drivers "basic employee rights" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 20, 2020.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Ride-hailing company Lyft reported fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday, surpassing Wall Street's top- and bottom-line expectations but disappointing when it came to active riders.
The company's stock was up more than 9% in after-hours trading, thanks to a beat on revenue and signs the business is recovering slightly from the pandemic.
Lyft is also still on track to become EBITDA profitable by the fourth quarter, with a chance that could be achieved by the third quarter, CFO Brian Roberts said in the company's earnings call.
Here are the key numbers:
Loss per share: 58 cents vs. 72 cents expected in a Refinitiv survey of analysts
Revenue: $570 million vs. $563 million expected by Refinitiv
Active riders: 12.55 million vs. 13.2 million expected in a FactSet survey
Revenue per active rider: $45.40 vs. $42.20 expected per FactSet
The company's revenue and ridership jumped from the prior quarter's results of $499.7 million and 12.51 million riders, suggesting the company is continuing to recover from Covid-19 headwinds. However, it's still considerably down from the same quarter last year. For the full year, Lyft reported revenue of $2.4 billion, compared with $3.6 billion in fiscal year 2019.
The company said demand near the end of the quarter was also negatively impacted by a surge in coronavirus cases and efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
Roberts said in a statement that Lyft expects "a growth inflection beginning<|fim_middle|>0
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Lyft reported a net loss of $458.2 million for the quarter, up from a net loss of $356 million in Q4 2019. The company said its fourth-quarter loss includes $138.1 million of stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expenses. The company said its net loss margin for this quarter was 80.4% compared with 35% a year ago.
Its adjusted EBITDA loss for the fourth quarter was $150 million, a $19.3 million increase from a year ago. It's better than the company's most recent forecast for an adjusted EBITDA loss of less than $185 million. The company said its adjusted EBITDA loss margin for the fourth quarter was 26.3% compared with 12.9% a year ago. EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
Lyft also reported $2.3 billion of unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.
The company has failed to bulk up its additional segments in the same way that its main competitor, Uber, has done in the past year. In an effort to replace revenue lost from the coronavirus pandemic, Uber focused on its food and delivery segment, Uber Eats, and shed some of its travel-related segments.
Lyft has yet to grow a food delivery business. The company said last quarter it's working on expanding delivery and was consulting with restaurants and retailers.
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The following vacancies are open at CSIR for the commencing 2011 academic year: Doctoral Studentship - Ref 301049; Post-doctoral Researcher (Organic Chemistry/Polymer Chemistry) – Ref 301050; AND Doctoral Studentship – Ref 301051.
Eligible applicants who meet the below-listed criteria are strongly encouraged to apply for these positions.
The CSIR gives preference to candidates who meet the job requirements and who will add to the cultural and gender diversity of the organisation. The CSIR reserves the right not to appoint if a suitable candidate is not identified.
The applicant should have earned a doctoral degree in fibre reinforced composites-related research with a strong background in applied chemistry and polymer science with a minimum of three years of post-doctoral experience in research environment. The candidate should be a self-starter with demonstrated abilities by good peer-reviewed publications. A strong background in polymer science and technology is essential.
The candidate must be familiar with composite processing and knowledge of mechanical, thermal and microscopic characterisation techniques like DSC, DMA, TGA, and SEM is desirable.
Research position in the Nonwovens and Composites Research Group based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The position will require the incumbent to conduct basic and applied research in<|fim_middle|> be willing and able to travel abroad as certain parts of the work might require working for a period between three to six months outside the country.
By applying for this position at the CSIR, the applicant understands, consents and agrees that the CSIR may solicit a credit and criminal report from a registered credit bureau and/or SAPS (in relation to positions that require trust and honesty and/or entail the handling of cash or finances) and may also verify the applicant's educational qualifications and employment history.
The CSIR reserves the right not to appoint if a suitable candidate is not identified.
The CSIR contributes novel and ground-breaking materials, composites, devices, techniques and processes for industries such as automotive, aerospace, health, energy and the built environment.
Its world-class materials science and manufacturing professionals are also playing a significant role in the scientific and technological foundations for alternative energy security in South Africa whilst assisting the South African manufacturing industry to be globally competitive in micro-manufacturing. | the development of natural fibre-based composites and bio-composites for various industrial applications and the characterisation of composites structure and properties.
The Smart Polymer's research group of the Polymers and Composites competency area, which falls under CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing (MSM) operating unit presents an exciting opportunity for a Post-doctoral Researcher to join our multidisciplinary group of scientists working towards developing novel polymer-based nanomaterials for water treatment and water quality monitoring.
The Encapsulation & Delivery (E&D) research group of the Polymers and Composites competency area, in the business unit of Materials Science and Manufacturing (MSM), focuses on developing nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems to address the issues of patient non-compliance, bio-availability and toxicity associated with infectious disease therapy. The technology aims to reduce both the duration and frequency of treatment through effective, targeted and controlled release of drugs using nanotechnology. The group boasts a unique mix of well-published materials scientists, engineers, molecular biologists, chemists, and pharmacists. The infrastructure is well-furnished with state-of-theart equipment and facilities. A significant part of the research is carried out through collaborations with several prestigious national and international universities and research institutions in Europe, USA, India, Brazil and Africa.
There currently exists a research position for a doctoral student interested in the field of drug delivery with the aim of obtaining a doctoral degree from North-West University (NWU). The student would be required to spend most of his/her time at the CSIR although there would be frequent interaction with NWU together with other academic institutions. The student must | 328 |
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Nashoba Valley Medical Center Receives Third Consecutive "A" for Patient Safety in Fall 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
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Nashoba Valley Medical Center's Hunger Run Raises $3,500 for Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry
Ayer, MA – The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades on Oct. 31, 2017. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms. Nashoba Valley Medical Center (NVMC) was awarded an "<|fim_middle|>. NVMC also offers a comprehensive Center for Pain Management, Diabetes and Endocrine Center, Travel Clinic and Occupational Health Services. Nashoba Valley Medical Center is part of Steward Health Care, which is a fully integrated national health care services organization committed to providing the highest quality of care in the communities where its patients live. Steward operates 36 community hospitals in ten states that employ approximately 37,000 people and regularly receives top awards for quality and safety. The Steward network includes more than 26 urgent care centers, 42 preferred skilled nursing facilities, substantial behavioral health services, over 7,300 beds under management, and more than 1.1 million covered lives through the company's managed care and health insurance services. Additional information is available at www.nashobamed.org.
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Copyright © 2019 Steward Health Care | A" for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S. This is NVMC's third consecutive "A" grade.
"This designation is a great honor to our health care team who carry out our safety and quality initiatives every day of the year," said Salvatore Perla, president of Nashoba Valley Medical Center. "Our patients can be rest assured that they are receiving the safest, highest quality care in the region."
Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
"It takes consistent, unwavering dedication to patients to achieve the highest standards of patient safety. An 'A' Safety Grade recognizes hospitals for this accomplishment," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "We congratulate the clinicians, Board, management and staff of Nashoba Valley Medical for showing the country what it means to put patient safety first."
To see NVMC's full grade, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org. The Hospital Safety Grade website also provides information on how the public can protect themselves, family and friends during a hospital stay.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
Nashoba Valley Medical Center (NVMC) offers community-based primary care and specialty services. NVMC was awarded its third consecutive A, the highest grade possible, in hospital safety by The Leapfrog Group for the Fall 2017 assessment period. The hospital was a recipient of the Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval and was named to Leapfrog's annual list of Top Hospitals in 2014. Areas of clinical strength include emergency medicine, diagnostic imaging, geriatric psychiatry, cardiology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, oncology, orthopedics, physical therapy and general surgery | 550 |
Your playful kitty will meow in appreciation when you offer<|fim_middle|> provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult cats. | her this Purina Pro Plan brand True Nature 45% Protein Formula Natural Trout & Rice Recipe Adult CAT FOOD that contains multiple sources of protein to help her develop strong, lean muscles and provide boundless energy. Vitamin A and taurine help keep her vision sharp, while real trout offers a delectable and nourishing meal. The high-quality kibble contains no corn, wheat or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives for a meal you can feel good about offering your furry companion.
Feed your adult cat "free choice" throughout the day, rather than as just a single feeding only at mealtime for adult maintenance.
Food intake required to maintain ideal body condition will vary, depending on age, activity and environment. Watch your cat's weight and adjust food amounts accordingly.
If you have a kitten, or a pregnant or nursing cat, you should continue feeding Purina Pro Plan brand Kitten Formula.
Allow 7 – 10 days to ease the transition from your cat's current food. Each day, simply feed a little less of the previous food and a little more Purina Pro Plan brand True Nature 45% Protein Formula Natural Trout & Rice Recipe Adult CAT FOOD until you're feeding Purina Pro Plan brand True Nature 45% Protein Formula Natural Trout & Rice Recipe Adult CAT FOOD exclusively. This gradual transition will help avoid dietary upsets.
Purina Pro Plan brand True Nature 45% Protein Formula Natural Trout & Rice Recipe Adult CAT FOOD | 297 |
In my paintings I try to tell the story of what I have seen. Rather than just painting a nice scene I create an image that allows people to share my experience. I create this experience<|fim_middle|> paintings like a movie director sees the characters in his/her films. Most films have a strong lead character supporting roles and extras. In my paintings nature plays the lead and supporting roles while man-made objects usually take on the role of extras. Most of my recent work has explored the theme of escape. While many people view escape as a departure from their physical environment my vision of escape involves taking real life and using imagination as the vehicle for the journey. My paintings are all scenes of real places; everyday scenes rather than well known landmarks. The things we take for granted are sometimes the most beautiful if we take a moment to notice them. | in soft pastel by using strong directional strokes and controlling the temperature of the colors used. I see my | 21 |
Turing the remains of Medinet Habu, we find the plan of the ancient Egyptian houses basically similar to those at Amarna : Square of almost square with an antechamber leading into the main living room with columns and dais . Although it is perhaps dangerous to generalize from so few examples, it is not unreasonable to suppose that this 'villa' type of housing was common is unplanned Egyptian settlements. There is , however, one interesting example which points to another type of housing which may have existed in the residential districts of old, established cities such as Thebes. This is found in a scene from the tomb of Djehuty Nefer at Thebes and shows a multi-story type of "town house".
The right hand part of he scene missing. this may have shown the main door and entrance loggia of the ancient Egyptian house . Above where the entrance should be are the fragmentary remains of two rooms with servants at work .These may be the bedrooms, or possibly servant's quarters or workrooms. A staircase runs the full height of the house and further servants are shown carrying food and vessels up to the roof. At the top of the staircase is a canopied area which could well be a kitchen, for a servant is shown preparing good and to locate the kitchen on the open roof would ensure that cooking smells open were carried away over the rooftops. Also on the roof are a number of storage bins and grain silos.
The basement of the ancient Egyptian houses is given over to other domestic activities such as spinning and weaving , the grinding of corn and sieving of grain. The ceiling is supported by very solid, but plain, columns. The first floor of the house contains the main apartments. Servants are shown carrying food through an antechamber to their master, Djehuty-nefer , who is seated on a chair placed on the ubiquitous dais. Servants proffer him flowers and food. The doorway into this chamber is elaborately decorated with a lattice-work pattern. The roof of the chamber of characteristically high and the rafters are decorated in a block design. The columns supporting the roof are also decorated and all these features would have been brightly painted . The living room is lit by clerestory windows near the ceiling.
On the top floor of the house Djehuty-nefer is shown working in his office . Servants carry produce into his presence to be inspected and recorded by scribes. The bearers have to ascend a short flight off steps to enter the office. Its height above the other rooms on this floor is a result of its position above the living room, which is taller than the other rooms of the ancient Egyptian house . This added height carries in to the roof and a flight of steps can be seen leading to a group of five storage bins.
An impression of the exterior of such a 'town house' may be gained from a limestone model. This depicts a tall, thin house, with a narrow doorway raised above ground level. Widows set at different levels indicate the floors. The lower set have simple cross bars, the upper ones are latticed. The tops of the walls form a parapet around the roof, creating a courtyard, The brickwork or decorated plaster is shown by horizontal bands running round the building and the small rectangles which appear in courses may be timber supports. Another , much simpler, house model reveals a common type of doorway found in ancient Egyptian houses, which imitates the entrance to a temple. the jambs and lintels would probably have been made of wood covered with plaster and in this case they are painted with red and black stripes. Set into the side wall of the model are windows and on the roof is a small court with a shelter to one side.
Ra'ia has built a god<|fim_middle|>ish-brown, as are the windows, probably indicating that they were made of wood , The lattice windows are shown high up on the wall and may and may be clerestory windows for the main room. On the roof are two triangular vents . These were designed to catch the cooling breezes , greatly desired and prayed for by the Ancient Egyptians.
An idea of a more humble rural home may be gained from a series of models placed in tombs the middle Kingdom ,known as 'soul houses' .
In the evening lamps were lit were lit during the brief interlude following the evening meal before the household went early to bed , to rise again at dawn. These were for the most part simple bowls of of pottery or stone containing oil and a wick . They could be placed on the floor or higher up in wall niches .Examples of lamp stands have been found , consisting of a column, sometimes in papyrus form , on top of which are three pages supporting a bowl which forms the lam proper. Potter torches are also knows ; these were set in bracket on the wall. | ly villa which is opposite Edjo. He built it on the verge(of the river ) as a work of eternity and planted trees on every side of it. A channel is dug in front of it , and sleep us broken (only) by the sight of it ; one is gay at its portal and drunk in its hall. Fine doorposts hewn anew, and walls inlaid with lapis lazuli. Its granaries are supplied a fowl-yard and an aviary with ro-geese; byres full of oxen : a breeding pond with geese; horses in the stable ; (boats) are moored at its quay . The poor, old and young m come to live in its neighborhood. Your sustenance is assured ...Joy dwells within it .
The architectural reality of this type villa estate can be found in the great mansions of El- Amarna, eve if here the setting is less idyllic. The great villas lie at the heart of estates surrounded by mud-brick enclosure walls. Around each house are a number of outbuildings servant's quarters, including a house for the steward , kitchens stables , workrooms, and a number of circular granaries. The purpose of these was probably to store the grain which was paid as subsistence to the dependents who lived outside the walls of the estate.
A major feature of the Amarna walled mansions is the open space which formed the garden. Gardens were the delight of the ancient Egyptians. There they grew multitudes of brilliant flowers and trees for shade and nurtured fruits and vegetables which required constant watering . A central feature of these gardens were pools , which were both decorative and provided the water for irrigation .The remains of such pols, or possibly wells, are shown as dotted lines on the plan of Amarna houses. Wells are in fact more likely in this case as the city was built beyond the limit of cultivation and the water table was too deep for pools to be viable.
A house complete with its garden is depicted in the Book of the Dead Nakhte , a royal scribe of the Eighteenth Dynasty . Nakhte and his wife are shown standing in front of their house , before which are planted a fruit tree and a date palm for ornament and shade. The form of the house i greatly simplified but shows several interesting features. The walls are whitewashed to reflect the heat , Like those of many houses in Egypt today. the elaborate doorway is coloured redd | 500 |
Barry and Holly Tashian are an American country, folk and bluegrass duo. They are both singer-songwriters and<|fim_middle|> Copper Creek)
Long Story Short'' (2008, Rock-A-Lot Records)
Awards
National Association of Independent Record Distributors (NAIRD) – Country Album of the Year for "Straw Into Gold"
Boston Music Award for Best Country album
References
External links
Official website
American country singer-songwriters
American musical duos
Living people
Married couples
Year of birth missing (living people) | musicians. They have performed and recorded together since 1972. The Tashians have recorded seven albums since 1989, and they have been awarded the National Association of Independent Record Distributors (NAIRD) award for their album "Straw into Gold" (Country Album of the Year). Barry has three CDs out with the Remains. They received a Boston Music Award for Best Country album for "Straw Into Gold". In 1998 their album, "Harmony" was nominated for Bluegrass Album of the Year by the Nashville Music Awards. As songwriters, Barry and Holly have written for Kenny Rogers, Solomon Burke, Ty England, Daniel O'Donnell, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Roland White, Kate Brislin and Jody Stecher, Niall Toner, and many others. Barry Tashian first won acclaim as a member of the Remains. Barry made his TV debut in 1958 on "American Bandstand". He then later was a member of Emmylou Harris' Hot Band. Barry and Holly have recorded with Tom Paxton, Charlie Louvin, Nanci Griffith, Iris DeMent, Suzy Bogguss, and Delia Bell.
They have performed at the MerleFest, Strawberry Music Festival, Swiss Alps Country Music Festival, Lincoln Center, Wintergrass, the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Musikfest, and numerous European and Australian festivals.
They released three albums on the Rounder Records label, which houses Alison Krauss.
They have been profiled in The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, the Los Angeles Times, The Tennessean, The Columbia Dispatch, and many other newspapers, and Billboard, Rolling Stone, and other magazines.
Biography
Barry and Holly Tashian have appeared as a duo on many nationally syndicated radio shows, including A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, E-Town, Grand Ole Opry, BBC Radio, and World Café.
They have also appeared on many nationally syndicated television programs, including TNN shows American Music Shop, Grand Ole Opry Live' and Backstage at the Opry.
They have performed at the Merle Watson Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Swiss Alps Country Music Festival, Lincoln Center, Wintergrass, Bethlehem Musik Festival, and numerous European and Australian festivals.
Their songwriting cuts include The Nashville Bluegrass Band ("Home"), Emmylou Harris ("I'll Take My Time Going Home"), Kenny Rogers ("Honey, Where's The Money Gone"), Roland White ("Lucky Break"), The Gordons ("Cottonmill", "After All This Time"), Ty England ("Two Ways To Fall"), Special Consensus ("Is My Home Still Up There"), and more.
Their son Daniel Tashian is the leader of Nashville pop band The Silver Seas and a Grammy award-winning songwriter.
Discography
Albums
Trust in Me (1989, Northeastern)
Ready for Love (1993, Rounder)
Straw into Gold (1994, Rounder)
Live in Holland (1995, Strictly Country)
Harmony (1997, Rounder)
At Home (2002, | 654 |
A warm and comfortable home is what most families dream of having. Comfort is a priority of many homeowners during all types of weather, be it hot or cold. When winter season comes, getting the right warmth for the family is of utmost importance. And how do you achieve this? By using the radiant heat floor heating system.
The use of radiant heating goes back to the Roman period. Today, this is a popular source of heat for many homes. Home heating systems that use radiant heat come in different types – underfloor heating systems, wall heating systems, radiant ceiling or overhead panels and overhead gas fired radiant heaters. Among the four, the underfloor and wall heating systems are the most common.
Underfloor heating systems can either be electric or hydronic. In other words, they can produce heat through the use of electricity or hot water. This type of heating system normally involves the installation of tubes or electric heating elements underneath the floor area or the concrete slab. The floor, in this case, acts as a radiator of heat in the entire house.
There are two options when choosing the electric radiant floor heating type of system. For newly constructed homes, the electrical heating wiring can be installed before the concrete slab is poured. For homes with existing concrete floor, very thin electric heating mats are available that can be embedded in thin cement or gypsum overlays without the need to increase the floor height. Cost-wise, the electric radiant heating system can be expensive. It is only when thermal mass or the availability of time-of-use rates can this be considered cost effective.
The other type of radiant heat floor heating is the liquid based or hydronic system.
This uses hot water the reason for its name. In this heating system, tubes are buried beneath<|fim_middle|> circulates inside the home through the vents. What happens instead is convection or the natural circulation of heat as warm air rises from the floor.
The best part of this heating type is its energy efficiency. Compared to a forced air system, this system consumes less energy which translates to lower electricity bills for your family. If you live in areas near the power grid or where electricity rates are high, this could be a major advantage. | the floor and it is here where hot water is circulated to provide heat to the home. A boiler is responsible for heating the water and this can be run by electricity or any other fuel. Energy sources that can be used with this type include the standard gas-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, solar water heaters or a combination of these sources.
The benefits of using the radiant floor heating system are many. First off, it provides a consistent level of heat in the home that is easy to control. Secondly, no noise is emitted because of the absence of a fan. Thirdly, the system does not produce dust or allergens that can cause allergies to people occupying the house. This is because there's no air that | 143 |
Q: Datastage: set web server trasformer stage url from query I need to set "PortAddress" and "WSDL Address" dinamically using the result of a query.
I've created the oracle Connector stage with my query. For example:
select col1,col2,col3,...,url
from myTable
How can I use "url" column value in the Web Service stage?
Thanks in advance.
A: This is a general problem not restricted to your web service transformer. You want to "transfer" data from a data stream to the Sequence level in order to feed it into the next job as a parameter.
<|fim_middle|> file. Details see here
*Server Edition: In a server job you select the data from your database in a transformer you can use a DataStage function (DSSetUserStatus) to set the so called UserStatus for this job. This can then be referenced in the next job of the Sequence.
| Basically there are two main ways to do it:
*
*Parallel Edition: In the first job where select the url from your database and write it to a value file of a parameter set. Use the parameter set in the second job with the new value | 50 |
People with heartburn may experience chest pain that can easily be confused with the pain of a heart attack. That's why it's so important to undergo testing and get properly diagnosed.
Most people do not experience any symptoms of their hiatal hernia so no treatment is necessary. However, the paraesophageal hernia (when part of the stomach squeezes through the hiatus) can sometimes cause the stomach to be strangled, so surgery is sometimes recommended. Other symptoms that may occur along with the hernia such as chest pain should be properly evaluated. Symptoms of GERD, such as heartburn, should be treated.
Hiatal hernia surgery can often be performed as a laparoscopic, or "minimally invasive," procedure. During<|fim_middle|>ia surgery. Generally, there are no dietary restrictions and the patient can resume his or her regular activities within a week. Complete recovery will take two to three weeks, and hard labor and heavy lifting should be avoided for at least three months after surgery. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee, even with surgery, that the hernia will not return. | this type of surgery, a few small (5 to 10 millimeter) incisions are made in the abdomen. The laparoscope that allows the surgeon to see inside the abdomen and surgical instruments are inserted through these incisions. The surgeon is guided by the laparoscope, which transmits a picture of the internal organs to a monitor. The advantages of laparoscopic surgery include smaller incisions, less risk of infection, less pain and scarring, and a more rapid recovery.
Many patients are able to walk around the day after hern | 111 |
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Mark Dopson
Department of Biology and Environmental Science Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
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44032, Hus Vita, Kalmar
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Mark Dopson's work spans both basic and applied research and contributes to a better understanding of microbial evolution, ecology and engineering applications. He studies microorganisms living under extreme conditions such as acidic pH, low temperature, in Baltic Sea sediments, or deep below the earth's surface. He especially focuses on cold environments that are relevant for Nordic conditions. In his research, he uses different techniques in systems biology to investigate the how single species all the way up to whole communities of microorganisms are able to live and adapt to their environment. This knowledge can then be used in industry for instance to remove polluting chemicals from process water in the mining industry; to aid in designing strategies to bioremediate Baltic sea anoxic 'dead zones'; and to understand how microorganisms affect deep geological disposal of nuclear waste.
Research group and projects
Systems Biology of Microorganisms Systems biology is the study of the interactions between the components of biological systems
Project: Selective biorecovery of critical raw materials from primary and secondary sources (Biorecover) The world's demand for metals is increasing all the time while the available stocks are…
Project: Cell-to-cell-signaling in microbial communities of pyrite-oxidizing acidophiles Microorganisms preferentially grow on surfaces in a mixed community of different species, termed 'biofilms'.…
Project: Changes in microbial population and their functions as a response to environmental changes in Baltic Sea sediments The project will investigate Baltic Sea sediments in terms of both 'dead…
Project: Geochemical, mineralogical, and microbiological characterization of acid sulfate soils Acid sulfate soils exist under farmland in the coastal areas and export large amounts of acidity and…
Project: Microbial consortia for enhanced copper recovery (MiCCuR) The world's demand for metals is increasing all the time while the available stocks are dwindling. This project will develop the…
Project: Consequences of climate change in a Baltic Sea bay exposed to 50 years of warming Today, there is little knowledge of the consequences of global warming on Baltic Sea ecosystems and aquatic…
Project: Syntrophy and symbiosis as mechanisms for growth and survival in deep terrestrial biosphere fracture systems Despite being separated from the sun's energy, life exists deep underground in…
Project: VanProd - Innovation for Enhanced Production of Vanadium from Waste Streams in the Nordic Region Vanadium is an important element for industry and despite its projected increased consumption,…
My research group is a part of
Linnaeus University Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems The research that is carried out at the Linnaeus University Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems…
Article in journal (Refereed)
Barragan, C.E., Marquez, M.A., Dopson, M., Montoya Castano, D. (2020). Isolation of Arsenic Resistant and Arsenopyrite Oxidizing Acidithiobacillus Species from pH Neutral Colombian Mine Effluents. Geomicrobiology Journal. 37. 682-689.
Sousa, J.A.B., Bolgar, A., Christel, S., Dopson, M., Bijmans, M.F.M., et al. (2020). Immobilization of sulfate and thiosulfate-reducing biomass on sand under haloalkaline conditions. Science of the Total Environment. 745. 1-8.
Plugge, C.M., Sousa, J.A.B., Christel, S., Dopson, M., Bijmans, M.F.M., et al. (2020). Syngas as Electron Donor for Sulfate and Thiosulfate Reducing Haloalkaliphilic Microorganisms in a Gas-Lift Bioreactor. Microorganisms. 8. 1-18.
Buetti-Dinh, A., Herold, M., Christel, S., El Hajjami, M., Bellenberg, S., et al. (2020). Systems biology of acidophile biofilms for efficient metal extraction. Scientific Data. 7. 1-10.
Buetti-Dinh, A., Herold, M., Christel, S., El Hajjami, M., Delogu, F., et al. (2020). Reverse engineering directed gene regulatory networks from transcriptomics and proteomics data of biomining bacterial communities with approximate Bayesian computation and steady-state signalling simulations. BMC Bioinformatics. 21. 1-15.
Broman, E., Asmala, E., Carstensen, J., Pinhassi, J., Dopson, M. (2019). Distinct Coastal Microbiome Populations Associated With Autochthonous- and Allochthonous-Like Dissolved Organic Matter. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10. 1-15.
Esparza, M., Jedlicki, E., González, C., Dopson, M., Holmes, D. (2019). Effect of CO2 Concentration on Uptake and Assimilation of Inorganic Carbon in the Extreme Acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10. 1-15.
Osorio, H., Mettert, E., Kiley, P., Dopson, M., Jedlicki, E., et al. (2019). Identification and Unusual Properties of the Master Regulator FNR in the Extreme Acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10. 1-14.
Yu, C., Drake, H., Lopez-Fernandez, M., Whitehouse, M., Dopson, M., et al. (2019). Micro-scale isotopic variability of low-temperature pyrite in fractured crystalline bedrock ― A large Fe isotope fractionation between Fe(II)aq/pyrite and absence of Fe-S isotope co-variation. Chemical Geology. 522. 192-207.
Broman, E., Li, L., Fridlund, J., Svensson, F., Legrand, C., et al. (2019). Spring and Late Summer Phytoplankton Biomass Impact on the Coastal Sediment Microbial Community Structure. Microbial Ecology. 288-303.
Ni, G<|fim_middle|>. 6. 123-129.
Dopson, M., Lindström, E.B., Hallberg, K.B. (2001). Chromosomally encoded arsenical resistance of the moderately thermophilic acidophile Acidithiobacillus caldus.. Extremophiles. 5. 247-255.
Dopson, M., Lindstrom, B. (1999). Potential role of thiobacillus caldus in arsenopyrite bioleaching. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 65. 36-40.
Hallberg, K.B., Dopson, M., Lindström, E.B. (1996). Arsenic toxicity is not due to a direct effect on the oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds byThiobacillus caldus. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 145. 409-414.
Hallberg, K.B., Dopson, M., Lindström, E.B. (1996). Reduced sulfur compound oxidation by Thiobacillus caldus.. Journal of Bacteriology. 178. 6-11.
Conference paper (Refereed)
Christel, S., Dopson, M., Vera, M., Sand, W., Herold, M., et al. (2015). Systems Biology of Acidophile Biofilms for Efficient Metal Extraction. Biotechnologies in Mining Industry and Environmental Engineering. 312-315.
Khoshkhoo, M., Dopson, M., Sandström, Å. (2013). Bioleaching and electrochemical leaching of a pyritic chalcopyrite concentrate. Integration of Scientific and Industrial Knowledge on Biohydrometallurgy : Selected, Peer Reviewed Papers from the 20th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, Antofagasta, Chile. 254-257.
Chapter in book (Refereed)
Dopson, M. (2016). Physiological and phylogenetic diversity of acidophilic bacteria. Acidophiles : life in extremely acidic environments. Caister Academic Press. 79-92.
Dopson, M. (2012). Physiological adaptations and biotechnological applications of acidophiles. Extremophiles: Microbiology and Biotechnology. Norfolk UK, Caister Academic Press. 265-294.
Kaksonen, A.H., Dopson, M., Karnachuk, O.V., Tuovinen, O.H., Puhakka, J.A. (2008). Biological iron oxidation and sulfate reduction in the treatment of acid mine drainage at low temperatures. Psychrophiles : From Biodiversity to Biotechnology, Book part 4. Berlin, Springer. 429-454.
Article, review/survey (Refereed)
Dopson, M., Ni, G., Sleutels, T.H.J.A. (2016). Possibilities for extremophilic microorganisms in microbial electrochemical systems. FEMS Microbiology Reviews. 40. 164-181.
Dopson, M., Johnson, D.B. (2012). Biodiversity, metabolism and applications of acidophilic sulfur-metabolizing microorganisms. Environmental Microbiology. 14. 2620-2631.
Baker-Austin, C., Dopson, M. (2007). Life in acid : pH homeostasis in acidophiles.. Trends in Microbiology. 15. 165-171.
Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Holmfeldt, K., Nilsson, E., Simone, D., Lopez-Fernandez, M., Wu, X., et al. The deep terrestrial virosphere.
Broman, E., Li, L., Fridlund, J., Svensson, F., Legrand, C., et al. Eutrophication induced early stage hypoxic 'dead zone' sediment releases nitrate and stimulates growth of archaea.
Wu, X., Pedersen, K., Edlund, J., Eriksson, L., Åström, M.E., et al. Hydrogen fed chemolithoautotrophic and diazotrophic populations initiate biofilm formation in oligotrophic, deep terrestrial subsurface waters.
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We use cookies on Lnu.se. By continuing to use this site you accept the use of cookies. | ., Harnawan, P., Seidel, L., Heijne, A.T., Sleutels, T., et al. (2019). Haloalkaliphilic microorganisms assist sulfide removal in a microbial electrolysis cell. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 363. 197-204.
Christel, S., Yu, C., Wu, X., Josefsson, S., Lillhonga, T., et al. (2019). Comparison of Boreal Acid Sulfate Soil Microbial Communities in Oxidative and Reductive Environments. Research in Microbiology. 170. 288-295.
Buetti-Dinh, A., Galli, V., Bellenberg, S., Ilie, O., Herold, M., et al. (2019). Deep neural networks outperform human expert's capacity in characterizing bioleaching bacterial biofilm composition. Biotechnology Reports. 22. 1-5.
Högfors-Rönnholm, E., Lopez-Fernandez, M., Christel, S., Brambilla, D., Huntemann, M., et al. (2019). Metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from boreal potential and actual acid sulfate soil materials. Scientific Data. 6. 1-6.
Lopez-Fernandez, M., Broman, E., Simone, D., Bertilsson, S., Dopson, M. (2019). Statistical Analysis of Community RNA Transcripts between Organic Carbon and Geogas-Fed Continental Deep Biosphere Groundwaters. mBio. 10. 1-6.
Ni, G., Simone, D., Palma, D., Broman, E., Wu, X., et al. (2018). A novel inorganic sulfur compound metabolizing Ferroplasma-like population is suggested to mediate extracellular electron transfer. Frontiers in Microbiology.
Lopez-Fernandez, M., Åström, M.E., Bertilsson, S., Dopson, M. (2018). Depth and Dissolved Organic Carbon Shape Microbial Communities in Surface Influenced but Not Ancient Saline Terrestrial Aquifers. Frontiers in Microbiology. 9.
Lopez-Fernandez, M., Simone, D., Wu, X., Soler, L., Nilsson, E., et al. (2018). Metatranscriptomes Reveal That All Three Domains of Life Are Active but Are Dominated by Bacteria in the Fennoscandian Crystalline Granitic Continental Deep Biosphere. mBio. 9.
Christel, S., Herold, M., Bellenberg, S., El Hajjami, M., Buetti-Dinh, A., et al. (2018). Multi-omics reveal the lifestyle of the acidophilic, mineral-oxidizing model species Leptospirillum ferriphilumT. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 4.
Christel, S., Herold, M., Bellenberg, S., Buetti-Dinh, A., El Hajjami, M., et al. (2018). Weak Iron Oxidation by Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans Maintains a Favorable Redox Potential for Chalcopyrite Bioleaching. Frontiers in Microbiology. 9.
Högfors-Rönnholm, E., Christel, S., Dalhem, K., Lillhonga, T., Engblom, S., et al. (2018). Chemical and microbiological evaluation of novel chemical treatment methods for acid sulfate soils. Science of the Total Environment. 625. 39-49.
Högfors-Rönnholm, E., Christel, S., Engblom, S., Dopson, M. (2018). Indirect DNA extraction method suitable for acidic soil with high clay content. MethodsX. 5. 136-140.
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Ni, G., Canizales, S., Broman, E., Simone, D., Palwai, V.R., et al. (2018). Microbial Community and Metabolic Activity in Thiocyanate Degrading Low Temperature Microbial Fuel Cells. Frontiers in Microbiology. 9.
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Broman, E., Sachpazidou, V., Dopson, M., Hylander, S. (2017). Diatoms dominate the eukaryotic metatranscriptome during spring in coastal 'dead zone' sediments. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. 284.
Dopson, M., Holmes, D.S., Lazcano, M., Mccredden, T.J., Bryan, C.G., et al. (2017). Multiple Osmotic Stress Responses in Acidihalobacter prosperus Result in Tolerance to Chloride Ions. Frontiers in Microbiology. 7.
Wu, X., Pedersen, K., Edlund, J., Eriksson, L., Åström, M.E., et al. (2017). Potential for hydrogen-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic and diazotrophic populations to initiate biofilm formation in oligotrophic, deep terrestrial subsurface waters. Microbiome. 5.
Broman, E., Abbtesaim, J., Wu, X., Christel, S., Ni, G., et al. (2017). Low temperature, autotrophic microbial denitrification using thiosulfate or thiocyanate as electron donor. Biodegradation. 28. 287-301.
Broman, E., Sachpazidou, V., Pinhassi, J., Dopson, M. (2017). Oxygenation of Hypoxic Coastal Baltic Sea Sediments Impacts on Chemistry, Microbial Community Composition, and Metabolism. Frontiers in Microbiology. 8.
Christel, S., Fridlund, J., Watkin, E.L., Dopson, M. (2016). Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans SS3 presents little RNA transcript response related to cold stress during growth at 8 A degrees C suggesting it is a eurypsychrophile. Extremophiles. 20. 903-913.
Pineda de Castro, L.F., Dopson, M., Friedman, R. (2016). Biological Membranes in Extreme Conditions : Anionic Tetraether Lipid Membranes and Their Interactions with Sodium and Potassium. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 120. 10628-10634.
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Hubalek, V., Wu, X., Eiler, A., Buck, M., Heim, C., et al. (2016). Connectivity to the surface determines diversity patterns in subsurface aquifers of the Fennoscandian shield. The ISME Journal. 10. 2447-2458.
Buetti-Dinh, A., Dethlefsen, O., Friedman, R., Dopson, M. (2016). Transcriptomic analysis reveals how a lack of potassium ions increases Sulfolobus acidocaldarius sensitivity to pH changes. Microbiology. 162. 1422-1434.
Ni, G., Christel, S., Roman, P., Wong, Z.L., Bijmans, M.F.M., et al. (2016). Electricity generation from an inorganic sulfur compound containing mining wastewater by acidophilic microorganisms. Research in Microbiology. 167. 568-575.
Pineda de Castro, L.F., Dopson, M., Friedman, R. (2016). Biological Membranes in Extreme Conditions : Simulations of Anionic Archaeal Tetraether Lipid Membranes. PLoS ONE. 11.
Wu, X., Holmfeldt, K., Hubalek, V., Lundin, D., Åström, M.E., et al. (2016). Microbial metagenomes from three aquifers in the Fennoscandian shield terrestrial deep biosphere reveal metabolic partitioning among populations. The ISME Journal. 10. 1192-1203.
Roman, P., Klok, J.B.M., Sousa, J.A.B., Broman, E., Dopson, M., et al. (2016). Selection and Application of Sulfide Oxidizing Microorganisms Able to Withstand Thiols in Gas Biodesulfurization Systems. Environmental Science and Technology. 50. 12808-12815.
Esparza, M., Jedlicki, E., Dopson, M., Holmes, D.S. (2015). Expression and activity of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle transcriptional regulator CbbR from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in Ralstonia eutropha. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 362.
Liljeqvist, M., Ossandon, F.J., Gonzalez, C., Rajan, S., Stell, A., et al. (2015). Metagenomic analysis reveals adaptations to a cold-adapted lifestyle in a low-temperature acid mine drainage stream. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 91.
Broman, E., Brüsin, M., Dopson, M., Hylander, S. (2015). Oxygenation of anoxic sediments triggers hatching of zooplankton eggs. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. 282.
Wu, X., Sten, P., Engblom, S., Nowak, P., Österholm, P., et al. (2015). Impact of mitigation strategies on acid sulfate soil chemistry and microbial community. Science of the Total Environment. 526. 215-221.
Dopson, M., Holmes, D.S. (2014). Metal resistance in acidophilic microorganisms and its significance for biotechnologies.. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 98. 8133-8144.
Khoshkhoo, M., Dopson, M., Shchukarev, A., Sandström, Å. (2014). Chalcopyrite leaching and bioleaching : An XPS study to characterize the nature of hindered dissolution. Hydrometallurgy. 149. 220-227.
Dopson, M., Ossandon, F.J., Lovgren, L., Holmes, D.S. (2014). Metal resistance or tolerance? : Acidophiles confront high metal loads via both abiotic and biotic mechanisms. Frontiers in Microbiology. 5.
Khoshkhoo, M., Dopson, M., Shchukarev, A., Sandström, Å. (2014). Electrochemical simulation of redox potential development in bioleaching of a pyritic chalcopyrite concentrate. Hydrometallurgy. 144-145. 7-14.
González, C., Yanquepe, M., Cardenas, J.P., Valdes, J., Quatrini, R., et al. (2014). Genetic variability of psychrotolerant Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans revealed by (meta)genomic analysis.. Research in Microbiology. 165. 726-734.
Osorio, H., Mangold, S., Denis, Y., Nancucheo, I., Esparza, M., et al. (2013). Anaerobic Sulfur Metabolism Coupled to Dissimilatory Iron Reduction in the Extremophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 79. 2172-2181.
Wu, X., Wong, Z.L., Sten, P., Engblom, S., Osterholm, P., et al. (2013). Microbial community potentially responsible for acid and metal release from an Ostrobothnian acid sulfate soil. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 84. 555-563.
Liljeqvist, M., Rzhepishevska, O.I., Dopson, M. (2013). Gene Identification and Substrate Regulation Provide Insights into Sulfur Accumulation during Bioleaching with the Psychrotolerant Acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 79. 951-957.
Mangold, S., Rao Jonna, V., Dopson, M. (2013). Response of Acidithiobacillus caldus toward suboptimal pH conditions.. Extremophiles. 17. 689-696.
Acuna, L.G., Pablo Cardenas, J., Covarrubias, P.C., Jose Haristoy, J., Flores, R., et al. (2013). Architecture and Gene Repertoire of the Flexible Genome of the Extreme Acidophile Acidithiobacillus caldus. PLoS ONE. 8.
Mangold, S., Potrykus, J., Bjorn, E., Lovgren, L., Dopson, M. (2013). Extreme zinc tolerance in acidophilic microorganisms from the bacterial and archaeal domains. Extremophiles. 17. 75-85.
Zammit, C.M., Mangold, S., Jonna, V.R., Mutch, L.A., Watling, H.R., et al. (2012). Bioleaching in brackish waters--effect of chloride ions on the acidophile population and proteomes of model species.. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 93. 319-329.
Liljeqvist, M., Valdes, J., Holmes, D.S., Dopson, M. (2011). Draft genome of the psychrotolerant acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans SS3.. Journal of Bacteriology. 193. 4304-4305.
Potrykus, J., Jonna, V.R., Dopson, M. (2011). Iron homeostasis and responses to iron limitation in extreme acidophiles from the Ferroplasma genus.. Proteomics. 11. 52-63.
Liljeqvist, M., Sundkvist, J., Saleh, A., Dopson, M. (2011). Low temperature removal of inorganic sulfur compounds from mining process waters. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 108. 1251-1259.
Valdes, J., Ossandon, F., Quatrini, R., Dopson, M., Holmes, D.S. (2011). Draft genome sequence of the extremely acidophilic biomining bacterium Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans ATCC 19377 provides insights into the evolution of the Acidithiobacillus genus.. Journal of Bacteriology. 193. 7003-7004.
Mangold, S., Valdés, J., Holmes, D.S., Dopson, M. (2011). Sulfur metabolism in the extreme acidophile acidithiobacillus caldus.. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2. Article ID: 17.
Baker-Austin, C., Potrykus, J., Wexler, M., Bond, P.L., Dopson, M. (2010). Biofilm development in the extremely acidophilic archaeon 'Ferroplasma acidarmanus' Fer1.. Extremophiles. 14. 485-491.
Bijmans, M.F.M., de Vries, E., Yang, C., N Buisman, C.J., Lens, P.N.L., et al. (2010). Sulfate reduction at pH 4.0 for treatment of process and wastewaters.. Biotechnology progress (Print). 26. 1029-1037.
Gahan, C.S., Sundkvist, J., Dopson, M., Sandström, Å. (2010). Effect of chloride on ferrous iron oxidation by a Leptospirillum ferriphilum-dominated chemostat culture. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 106. 422-431.
Dar, S.A., Bijmans, M.F.M., Dinkla, I.J.T., Geurkink, B., Lens, P.N.L., et al. (2009). Population dynamics of a single-stage sulfidogenic bioreactor treating synthetic zinc-containing waste streams.. Microbial Ecology. 58. 529-537.
Dopson, M., Lövgren, L., Boström, D. (2009). Silicate mineral dissolution in the presence of acidophilic microorganisms : Implications for heap bioleaching. Hydrometallurgy. 96. 288-293.
Bijmans, M.F.M., Dopson, M., Peeters, T.W.T., Lens, P.N.L., Buisman, C.J.N. (2009). Sulfate reduction at pH 5 in a high-rate membrane bioreactor : reactor performance and microbial community analyses.. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 19. 698-708.
Valdes, J., Quatrini, R., Hallberg, K., Dopson, M., Valenzuela, P.D.T., et al. (2009). Draft genome sequence of the extremely acidophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus caldus ATCC 51756 reveals metabolic versatility in the genus Acidithiobacillus.. Journal of Bacteriology. 191. 5877-5878.
Bijmans, M.F.M., van Helvoort, P., Dar, S.A., Dopson, M., Lens, P.N.L., et al. (2009). Selective recovery of nickel over iron from a nickel-iron solution using microbial sulfate reduction in a gas-lift bioreactor.. Water Research. 43. 853-861.
Slonczewski, J.L., Fujisawa, M., Dopson, M., Krulwich, T.A. (2009). Cytoplasmic pH measurement and homeostasis in bacteria and archaea.. Advances in Microbial Physiology. 55. 1-79, 317.
Kupka, D., Liljeqvist, M., Nurmi, P., Puhakka, J.A., Tuovinen, O.H., et al. (2009). Oxidation of elemental sulfur, tetrathionate and ferrous iron by the psychrotolerant Acidithiobacillus strain SS3.. Research in Microbiology. 160. 767-774.
Bijmans, M.F.M., Dopson, M., Ennin, F., Lens, P.N.L., Buisman, C.J.N. (2008). Effect of sulfide removal on sulfate reduction at pH 5 in a hydrogen fed gas-lift bioreactor.. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 18. 1809-1818.
Dopson, M., Halinen, A., Rahunen, N., Boström, D., Sundkvist, J., et al. (2008). Silicate mineral dissolution during heap bioleaching. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 99. 811-820.
Kupka, D., Rzhepishevska, O.I., Dopson, M., Lindström, E.B., Karnachuk, O.V., et al. (2007). Bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron at low temperatures. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 97. 1470-1478.
Rzhepishevska, O.I., Valdés, J., Marcinkeviciene, L., Gallardo, C.A., Meskys, R., et al. (2007). Regulation of a novel Acidithiobacillus caldus gene cluster involved in metabolism of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds.. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 73. 7367-7372.
Dopson, M., Baker-Austin, C., Bond, P. (2007). Towards determining details of anaerobic growth coupled to ferric iron reduction by the acidophilic archaeon 'Ferroplasma acidarmanus' Fer1.. Extremophiles. 11. 159-168.
Nicomrat, D., Dick, W.A., Dopson, M., Tuovinen, O.H. (2007). Bacterial phylogenetic diversity in a constructed wetland system treating acid coal mine drainage. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 40. 312-321.
Baker-Austin, C., Dopson, M., Wexler, M., Sawers, R.G., Stemmler, A., et al. (2007). Extreme arsenic resistance by the acidophilic archaeon 'Ferroplasma acidarmanus' Fer1.. Extremophiles. 11. 425-34.
Dopson, M., Halinen, A., Rahunen, N., Özkaya, B., Sahinkaya, E., et al. (2007). Mineral and iron oxidation at low temperatures by pure and mixed cultures of acidophilic microorganisms.. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 97. 1205-1215.
Dopson, M., Sundkvist, J., Lindström, E.B. (2006). Toxicity of metal extraction and flotation chemicals to Sulfolobus metallicus and chalcopyrite bioleaching. Hydrometallurgy. 81. 205-213.
Morales, T.A., Dopson, M., Athar, R., Herbert, R.B. (2005). Analysis of bacterial diversity in acidic pond water and compost after treatment of artificial acid mine drainage for metal removal.. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 90. 543-551.
Dopson, M., Baker-Austin, C., Bond, P.L. (2005). Analysis of differential protein expression during growth states of Ferroplasma strains and insights into electron transport for iron oxidation.. Microbiology. 151. 4127-4137.
Rzhepishevska, O.I., Lindström, E.B., Tuovinen, O.H., Dopson, M. (2005). Bioleaching of sulfidic tailing samples with a novel, vacuum-positive pressure driven bioreactor.. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 92. 559-567.
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Dopson, M., Baker-Austin, C., Hind, A., Bowman, J.P., Bond, P.L. (2004). Characterization of Ferroplasma isolates and Ferroplasma acidarmanus sp. nov., extreme acidophiles from acid mine drainage and industrial bioleaching environments.. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 70. 2079-2088.
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Dopson, M., Lindström, E.B. (2004). Analysis of community composition during moderately thermophilic bioleaching of pyrite, arsenical pyrite, and chalcopyrite.. Microbial Ecology. 48. 19-28.
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They say it takes a village to raise a child; when it comes to turtles, it takes a classroom.
The September sky is blue, and the air is crisp. It's a good day for a walk in the swamp. A team of young conservationists gather in a lookout tower above Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, MA. 3,800 acres of conservation land spreads below, including 12 miles of wetlands. The refuge, like much of the region, is in a state of extreme drought and the wetlands are conspicuously dry, with large areas of pocked mud framing slight streams and marshland.
Somewhere down below, amongst the mud and the marshes are turtles. Blanding's turtles to be exact. Tufts alumnus, Dr. Bryan Windmiller, Director of Conservation at Zoo New England (ZNE) has been working to restore populations of this threatened species since 2003. Today, students from the MS in Conservation Medicine (MCM) program will join ZNE to practice their tracking skills in a giant game of turtle hide-and-seek.
The premise is simple. Each turtle in Dr. Windmiller's study has been radio-tagged. The tag sends off a radio signal that can be picked up by a large, handheld antenna, which gives off a beep when pointed in the direction of the turtle; the louder the beep, the closer the turtle. The students' objective is to locate the turtle, utilizing the radio tracker, and a sturdy pair of waders.
The class breaks into teams and heads for the swamp. Dr<|fim_middle|> laboratory work. | . Windmiller's group heads east on a trail popular with cyclists and walkers. The students take turns oscillating with the antenna, listening for the hint of a beep. After fifteen minutes, the team takes a left turn, off the beaten path.
Dr. Windmiller goes first into the marsh, striding through the eight-foot-tall grass. The sense of adventure is high as mud-speckled students demonstrate where to step (and where not to). With every turn, there's a new lesson. From the ecology of drought to the migration patterns of local waterfowl. As the group nears the shallow stream winding through the middle of the flat, life reveals itself. Students eagerly point out egret, heron, and wood ducks. Frogs leap from the shore and splash into the water. The beep grows louder.
With the sun high in the sky and the terrain becoming slightly more challenging, the group collects on the edge of the widest point of the stream and quiets as one student operates the antenna. The beeping becomes stronger and more frequent. In unison, the students excitedly gaze in the direction of the beeping—directly across the water.
Just before lunch, the team tracks down the turtle: A 60-year-old female who's been monitored for the past 30 years. She's enjoying the last days of warmth before she'll start her annual trek to the bottom of her favorite pond for a long winter nap.
She is visually checked for health, weighed, and the radio is replaced with one with fresh batteries that will last the whole winter and into the spring nesting season. The radios are most important to be active in the spring when the adults leave the wetlands to lay their eggs. Zoo New England tracks the females to make sure they can find the nests, and place screens around them to prevent predation over the summer while the eggs develop.
Over the nine months, hatchlings spend in the "headstart" classroom, they achieve five times the growth of their wild counterparts. Over the 12 months, students spend in the MCM program, they achieve an immeasurable amount of growth. The lessons learned in the field today will be applied to their professional pursuits for years to come. The students, educators, and field workers who nurture them throughout the program will form the networks that will help them survive and thrive throughout their career. More than a headstart, the MCM program is a career start.
Blanding's turtles are a medium-sized turtle, with a shell between six to nine inches long. A yellow chin and throat complement their dark, yellow speckled shell. Though small and slow, these turtles love to travel. They spend the winter sleeping on the bottom of ponds, then they wake up and spend the spring, summer, and fall doing a tour of local wetlands and woodlands. Once they reach sexual maturity at 14-20 years, they mate in the fall, and then in the spring head to drier ground to lay their clutch of eggs.
While vulnerable to several predators, the number one threat to Blanding's turtles are cars and human development of wetland and upland habitat needed for laying eggs. In their pursuit of higher, drier nesting ground, Blanding's turtles frequently enter residential neighborhoods, often losing their lives while merely crossing the road. The ones who make it may choose a nice warm and sunny area (so eggs can develop from the heat of the sun) in someone's backyard to lay their eggs, thus exposing their offspring to the dangers of backyard predators, such as domestic dogs and raccoons.
It's a dangerous world for turtles, but luckily there is help. ZNE partners with the community to protect and support the Blanding's turtle population through a "headstart" program. Community volunteers identify and protect turtle nests until the eggs hatch. Once hatched, the baby turtles are placed under the safe, nurturing care of a primary school classroom. For nine months, the students care for the hatchlings, allowing them to grow stronger and faster than in the wild. After nine months, the turtles are released into their natural habitat near where the eggs were collected.
ZNE continually monitors the turtle population and has demonstrated that the "headstart" juveniles survive and thrive at high rates, post-release.
Conservation is about the long game: preservation and sustainability. To be successful, conservationists must have the vision to impact the world around them over the long-term using skills, knowledge and collaboration to make positive changes for wildlife and ecosystems. The MCM program provides its passionate students with a launch pad complete with an interdisciplinary education in these areas through experiential, classroom, and | 950 |
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Unger Floor | 244 |
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A platform for students to enhance and supplement their collegiate and conservatory applications, as most PYO graduates are strong candidates nationally and are accepted into the most prestigious universities and conservatories around the world.
An invaluable investment in a student's future through the teaching of perseverance, responsibility, diligence, and excellence — all lessons that have an invaluable impact on the student's character and future success. | 's most advanced instrumental music students with unparalleled training and performance opportunities under the direction of Maestro Louis Scaglione, one of the leading youth orchestra conductors in the country. In addition to the opportunity to showcase their talents through high-profile radio broadcasts and live performances, members learn character-building life skills and supplement their collegiate and conservatory applications, making them strong candidates for acceptance into the most prestigious universities and conservatories around the world.
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Q: Efficiency of sorting Algorithms as it relates to input range I was wondering if the typical fast sorting algos (i.e. quicksort) maintain their superiority when 'unnatural' inputs are used as opposed to rather more standard inputs.
I.E, if we had an array of N integers in the range of 0 to N^4, would quicksort still be the fastest given the extremely wide range of the integers?
A: Quicksort doesn't get affected by range of numbers, but the order (i.e. if the numbers are already sorted or sorted in reverse order, and if you pick the first element as the pivot). If you are using random pivot approach, even that problem is solved.
In summary, every algorithm has a worst case complexity and it is usually<|fim_middle|> those will be high, and making assumptions that an extreme case is true can cause big problems if there is ever a chance that it won't be.
Having said all of that, all practical implementations should attempt to use std::sort with a corresponding implementation of std::hash<> unless absolutely necessary, since std::sort can choose from more than one algorithm, depending on the input data.
A: All of the well-known search algorithms are based on element comparison, i.e they check if an element is less, equal or greater than another element. Therefore they are absolutely independent of the range.
However there are special cases where the relative performance of certain algorithms can differ strongly from the average case. Examples for such cases are:
*
*The elements are already sorted except a single element or a small subset.
*The elements are in reverse order.
*All elements are equal except one.
That's why for each sort algorithm, an average and a worst-case performance can be determined.
A: The other answers are essentially right, in that generally sorting algorithms aren't better or worse based on the range of the inputs. However, there is at least one reason why an algorithm could be better or worse based on input range, and that is how they handle duplicate values.
For example, Quicksort is worse on average when there are more duplicate values (see this question for an explanation of why), and when the range of inputs is greater, the chances of duplicates decreases (assuming they are distributed throughout the full range).
| discussed in the literature about the algorithm.
A: N^4 isn't very big, an array of 2 billion integers would only require 128 bits for each integer to meet that requirement. Since this would require at least 8GB to store in memory, you will generally be limited to O(N*log(N)) sorting algorithms that can sort in place, like quick-sort, rather than O(N) algorithms that require twice as much memory.
Algorithms that allow O(N) (in the best case, which is not likely here) will typically be limited by memory. The example given, radix sort, becomes O(N log(N)) with large data elements, because the data is effectively variable-length - consider an integer that is 32,768 bytes - on a 64-bit machine, your first bucket might be based on the first 8 bytes, the second bucket on the second 8 bytes, but because of the very large possible range and the non-random distribution within buckets, most buckets will be small, leaving a few very large buckets to be sorted using an O(N log(N)) algorithm. Also, this algorithm requires "buckets" to be allocated to hold elements for each radix, which will double the total memory requirement.
With small lists of elements that require very expensive comparisons, radix sort might be a good option, but the difference between O(N) and O(N log(N)) may not be as important with small lists.
Also, with very expensive comparisons, such as very large strings, some variation of a Schwartzian Transform would probably be helpful, and since each algorithm balances between memory and cpu, the optimal sorting algorithm will then be based on the choice between using more memory or using more cpu.
Extreme cases might favor a different sorting algorithm, such as nearly-sorted lists, but usually the cost of detecting | 375 |
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Popular among top-tier executives, the shoe looks best under casual or semi formal dressing and with tapered trousers. While this Chukka may offer a signature look for athletic men, it looks just as good on a man<|fim_middle|> gift for my son, most comfortable shoe he has ever worn, waiting patiently for my Monkstrap to arrive. | of any build. If you're going for a more casual look, try these with chinos or a pair of ankle-high tapered jeans.
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This school is located in San Fierro, fairly close to the garage in Doherty. The first time you head here, you will be out on a mission called Back to School, in which you must pass all of the tests. That will already give you a leg up on beating the various challenges here. By completing the tests, you will unlock vehicles which can always be found in the parking lot to the right of the entrance.
The Pilot School is unlocked after you do the Learning to Fly mission in the Airstrip missions. Doing Learning to Fly will give you a sense of how the tests work. Return here to perfect them.
Takeoff: Follow the onscreen instructions to complete a takeoff. The idea here is small movements. Don't yank back on the stick, or you will stall out your plane. Maneuver through the course of three coronas to pass.
Land Plane: A 70% or better is required to pass. This one is pretty simple... just follow the onscreen instructions to pass.
Circle Airstrip: There are two courses, clockwise and counterclockwise. Pick one and take off, heading toward the first corona. As you pass through it, bank slightly by pressing RIGHT or LEFT (depending on the position of the next ring) and press the same direction's rudder control--R2 for right and L2 for left--to turn to the next corona. This requires some practice, so don't worry if you have to retry a couple times. Again, small movements are best.
Circle Airstrip and Land: This combines tests 2 and 3. Don't forget to put down your landing gear before landing! You must get as close to the marker when landing as possible to earn the necessary 70%.
Helicopter Takeoff: Follow the onscreen instructions to earn at least a 70%.
Land Helicopter: This is another fairly easy challenge. Follow the instructions to do it... pay special attention to when the game tells you to stop pressing buttons.
Destroy Targets: Use what you learned the two previous missions to maneuver the craft. Move to the far end of the runway and blast using a steady stream of rockets. These three targets should be fairly easy to take down. After this, you'll have to chase moving targets on the opposite end of the strip. Fly over there, tilt down, and shower them with rockets. Adjust<|fim_middle|> one you faced. In this challenge, it's extra-important to keep an eye on the mini-map, as it will tell you where to go next. You'll also need to rely on sharp turns to finish under 2:00.
Flying Fish: This challenge will have you piloting a hovercraft. You need to jump over 55 meters in order to fulfill the requirements. In order to get enough speed, head over toward the bridge, and get a good distance between you and it. Head directly for the yellow blips. As you draw closer, line yourself up with the ramp. Sky off of it and brake when you hit the water to stay within the buouys.
Land, Sea and Air: Another hovercraft challenge, this one takes you all over the place... as the titles suggests. It's another checkpoint race between various markers, so you'll need to keep an eye on the mini-map (as always) to see where the next markers will be. You have 3:00 to finish the course, which is plenty of time, especially once you memorize things. | according to where the last barrage hit. Return to the airstrip and slow down near the red marker. Drop down inside it softly to score well.
Loop-the-Loop: Although it seems like it should be difficult, this one is just a matter of following instructions carefully and executing them.
Barrel Roll: When the game says "directly left" it means it. If you don't press directly left on the analog, the plane will fly all weird and make it tough for you to recover from your roll.
Parachute Onto Target: Look at the target way below and push forward towards it while in the air. Open the parachute when told to and maneuver onto the target. If you feel like you won't quite make it, pull back on the left analog to speed up a bit. Use the right analog to see your position relative to the ground. The closer you get to the center of the target, the better.
The bike school is located in Las Venturas next to the stadium. Head over there to earn the medals necessary to achieve awards and grow your Bike Skill skill.
The 360: Press SQUARE and X at the same time, and press LEFT on the left stick to do a perfect dooughnut. That's all there is to it!
The 180: Accelerate foward toward the left side of the cones in the distance. Do not hug the center as you use the handbrake control to make the turn. Speed back and brake within the cones to earn the score.
The Wheelie: As you speed ahead, pull back on the left stick to pop a wheelie. Don't pull back too far or your tail will drag, or you'll fall off. Make sure you are doing a wheelie by the time you reach the center section of cones, and make sure you drop soon after exiting it to allow yourself time to stop.
Jump & Stop: This one's easy. Accelerate toward the ramp, land, and stop within the curve of cones at the end of the run to succeed.
The Stoppie: Press forward on the left stick as you accelerate. Right as you're about to hit the center section of cones, tap SQUARE and continue to press slightly forward. Hold this as you accelerate through the cones. Drop your bike down and speed to the other end, stopping in the cones there.
Jump & Stoppie: Press UP on the left stick as you approach the ramp, then pull DOWN as you soar off of it. Before you land, press UP to land on your front wheel and skid into the winner's half-circle.
The boat school is found in the northwest corner of the map, and unlocks once you finish the Pier 69 mission. By getting various medals, you can unlock vehicles and improve your Boat skill. The medals are depending on time rather than percentage in this challenge.
Basic Seamanship: This one is fairly simple. Speed forward and as you approach the buouys in the distance, apply reverse throttle. You'll come to rest between the buouys and pass.
Plot a Course: Finish the course in under 40 seconds to pass. You want to go full-out on the throttle and navigate your way through the pairs of buouys. Follow the mini-map to see where the next pair is going to be. For the last couple, you'll want to use a sharper turn (same controls as a handbrake).
Fresh Slalom: This is a much tougher course than the last | 711 |
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Dreaming Big in Omaha: Novel Partnership Brings… | PHNCI
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Dreaming Big in Omaha: Novel Partnership Brings Non-traditional STD Testing and Education to Youth-friendly Locations
The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) offers free sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing, specifically CHL/GC testing via urine sample, in various community outreach locations. Sites have included concerts, health fairs, haunted houses, sporting events, and many other community events attractive to older teens and young adults. In addition to single, stand-alone events, DCHD developed partnerships with several community organizations to serve as regularly scheduled, weekly, or monthly testing sites. Sites include community centers, the main and branch facilities of the Omaha Public Library system, and Douglas County Corrections' (DCC) minimum security programs, including Work Release, Day Reporting, and Probations. Testing at DCC sites is limited to court-ordered assignees. Testing at community centers and libraries is available to the general public and offered on weekly or monthly schedules, depending on site activity. These sites provide published schedules through various websites and social media. Testing hours range from two hours at regularly scheduled sites to the full event-length at concerts, health fairs, and other youth-attractive events. DCHD STD Outreach averages about 41 community opportunities for free testing every month, resulting in approximately 125 individuals being tested each month with +10 new positives and a positivity rate of 8%. Positive individuals are assigned to Disease Investigators (DI) for notification and treatment assurance, resulting in a >97%* treatment rate. All of this testing is in addition to the low/no cost services regularly provided by the DCHD STD Clinic.
*DCHD has monitored chlamydia and gonorrhea treatment (using Food and Drug Administration [FDA]-appropriate antibiotics) rates for a number of years. With ongoing STD DIS treatment assurance activities and continuous community education to clinicians, county-wide treatment rates have reached >97% annually. Electronic means of tracking treatment rates of outreach testing specifically is not yet available and rates provided are hand-tracked and calculated.
Problem Addressed
Douglas County's rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea are comparable to – or even higher than – the per capita rates experienced in some larger cities in the U.S. For example, in 2016 Douglas County had a chlamydia rate of 668.1 per 100,000 and a gonorrhea rate of 255.6 per 100,000, which is higher than the rates in such cities as Chicago, Baltimore, and St. Louis. In fact, some zip codes in Omaha surpass the highest rates in the nation by three times the amount. Unfortunately, prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), third-party payers (insurers) were not required to cover STD screening costs and even after implementation of the ACA, clinicians often feared burdening patients with additional costs if non-diagnostic, CDC-recommended STD (i.e. screening) tests were done. The bulk of community screening was performed by free clinics serving lower socioeconomic and medically underinsured areas, resulting in racially disparate positivity rates for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Thus, in an economic environment where screening was not taking place, DCHD was challenged with reducing already high STD rates and determining disease prevalence. Compounding the problem of payer issues, gonorrhea and chlamydia testing required clinician-collected swab samples and laboratory detection via fastidious culture and fluorescent microscopy techniques.
Innovation Summary
The FDA approval and widespread acceptance of the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) allowed testing of new specimens and body sites, beginning with urine samples. Urine sample collection for STD testing does not require either an invasive exam or an on-site clinician, can be offered/performed in any site with restrooms nearby, and allowed DCHD to develop a new service: Non-traditional (NT) Testing for STDs.
Following much cross-sector negotiation and collaboration, DCHD began offering NT testing at large, one-time events (i.e. health fairs, sports contests, indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, or any site likely to attract teens and young adults). Incentives (such as free giveaways) for getting tested were piloted at some sites. In addition, education and condoms, as acceptable, were provided to participants at other sites. Per DCHD STD protocols, all individuals with positive test results were followed to assure treatment and elicit partner information. All investigations maintained patient confidentiality, assuring the community that this new DCHD testing approach was safe and reliable.
Individuals attending these one-time events were obviously present for reasons other than STD symptoms or concerns, and volunteered for free STD testing either due to incentives, if offered, or novelty. However, positivity rates from NT testing events were generally high, often 5-15%, suggesting that many young adults were at risk but asymptomatic and/or lacked access to or awareness of appropriate medical care. The fact that community health needs continually change and good public health programs must be dynamic and flexible, led to the expansion of NT testing to include the development of community partners/stakeholders to allow for and encourage community use of regularly scheduled (weekly or monthly) DCHD STD testing sites in youth-friendly locations.
In a quirk of fate, the Washington branch of the Omaha Public Library system, which is located in the area's highest STD-rated zip code, scheduled a teen-health education event that included STD transmission and prevention information. A church located across the street from the library opened its doors for DCHD to offer STD urine testing to interested teens following the educational event. More than 40 teens walked across the street for STD testing, resulting in a 15% positivity rate. With this stunning outcome, DCHD encouraged Washington Branch Library to become DCHD's first STD NT testing site to offer testing on a regular weekly basis. The courage of this location and the lack of public push-back broke ground for other library branches, community centers, correctional facilities, college campuses, and other community venues, to offer space and advertising for ongoing, regularly scheduled free DCHD NT STD testing.
Outcomes & Impact
Numeric results from DCHD NT STD testing clearly demonstrate community impact and value in very unanticipated usage, positivity, and treatment numbers/rates. In the project pilot year, 2010, 1858 tests were done, 103 positives identified, and a 5.5% positivity rate calculated. Treatment of 88 of these infections was recorded in a hand-compiled log sheet showing a treatment rate of >85%. With continuous program evaluation and improvement, as well as site consistency, treatment assurance, and maintenance of individual confidentiality, numbers show that 2071 individuals were tested in 2016, resulting in identifying 170 infected, and >154 receiving appropriate treatment. The 2010-2016 comparison indicates that site usage increased by only 11.5%. But, numbers of positive individuals identified through NT testing increased 65%, and numbers effectively treated increased by 75%. It appears that increasing the number of free testing sites and continuous sexual health education in the community has encouraged more behaviorally high-risk individuals to recognize the health and emotional costs of STD infection, and to seek STD testing at these convenient sites, and to follow up with treatment if needed.
DCHD now offers 40-50 opportunities for free STD testing, including at both one-time educational or entertainment events, and at regularly scheduled sessions at common sites, all promoted and published on the web and through social media. In a region known for being politically and socially conservative, the most unusual of the scheduled sites has been the Omaha Public Library system. DCHD now provides STD testing regularly in the main library and at nine of its branches. Several branches have added easily accessible condom bowls to provide free condoms to the community<|fim_middle|> testing venues, DCHD hopes to continually receive funding locally and nationally to support the program. The county is also fortunate to have private philanthropic funders, which has allowed an increase in the number of screening opportunities, and provides additional outreach opportunities.
The mission of the Douglas County Health Department is to promote and protect the public's health in order to create a healthy and resilient community of nearly half a million people in Eastern Nebraska.
Number of opportunities DCHD offers for free STD testing per month.
NT testing allowed DCHD to treat 154 individuals in 2016, an increase of 75% from 2010 testing data.
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PHNCI is a division of the
Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). | , and a few have developed educational and activity programming specifically for teens. Collaborating with DCHD, the Washington Branch Library took the leadership role in piloting STD-related services, and at all library meetings has presented the successes, challenges, community responses, and accolades of their innovations. Challenged but inspired to expand services, other branches have gradually joined the NT testing program. In most months, 15-25 different sessions of free STD testing are offered through the public library system. In many areas, libraries are respected as educational leaders of the community. Adding STD prevention activities, such as testing and education, into libraries encourages community approval and community awareness of the STD problem, making this easily adapted project well worth replication.
Challenges & Barriers
The DCHD Outreach STD Testing Program faced some initial challenges, including funding for laboratory testing and adequate staffing for testing at larger events. In response to the need for community testing, and in light of the community outcry regarding this serious problem, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NE DHHS) allocated some fiscal year-end unspent funds toward the purchase of a large quantity of urine-sample NAAT-STD tests from the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL). Since that time, DCHD has applied for and received significant funding from two local philanthropic organizations to continue to provide and expand outreach STD testing in Omaha.
To staff of the larger testing sites, DCHD Outreach creatively met the anticipated staffing shortages by obtaining student volunteers from the two local medical schools and the numerous local schools of nursing and other medical professions. Schools jumped at the opportunity for students to gain hands-on community care experience, and instructors provided student participants with community service hours and credit. Based on these new partnerships, DCHD STD increased student opportunities and now offers internships and other volunteer activities to selected secondary school and college-level students.
In addition to the challenge of continued funding, new challenges will always include finding new events and locations to offer free STD testing. Whether at one-time or regularly scheduled events, new sites rekindle community awareness of the STD problem. The teenage population is completely fluid, with young teens entering this cohort daily. To help teens become successful and productive adults, parents, teachers, caregivers, and others who work with them need continual updates and reminders about the STD problems experienced by this group.
One additional barrier/need identified at DCHD has been the need for urine specimen, point-of-care test kits for detecting chlamydia and gonorrhea infections, in either gender, that are rapid (while clients wait), CLIA-waived, portable (without large equipment to transport and/or requirements for frequent QA testing), and public health affordable.
The first lesson learned at DCHD was to "dream big!" Without having big dreams, DCHD would have never thought to accomplish the things in place today. Douglas County is in a fairly conservative state and all too often the ideas for outreach regarding STD and sexual health are shunned. The lesson learned from this is to maintain confidentiality practices above and beyond, frequently stressing to clients and contacts how this is done, and how important it is considered to be. DCHD has developed a dependable, medically knowledgeable pool of volunteers or sources of volunteer recruitment, which has been invaluable when resources are low.
In order to sustain the outreach testing program, DCHD frequently evaluates and improves the procedures, locations, and community needs. In order to complete this quality improvement cycle, DCHC solicits and applies community input that could improve the outreach program. DCHD has been able to gain community buy-in for outreach testing, which thus helps to show a need for the program. DCHD presents program information with statistics, and discusses the challenges and accomplishments to individuals across the state, as well as nationally. By demonstrating the need for these outreach | 778 |
Could you or would you ever choose to live a little house that is a 15 X 15 foot square? This is not the classic American Dream by any stretch of the imagination. The big McMansion is our cup of tea. Did you ever drive by a new "development" of McMansions and wonder if anyone was home? And wonder about how big all those mortgages were? And wonder if both the mom and dad were working long hours to pay the mortgages. And imagine that all the young kids were at day care, maybe subconsciously feeling kind of adrift because mom and dad had left them in this strange playland. And now, thanks to the pervasiveness of American-made media, the Dream is shared in every corner of the globe.
So one last question: Is this kind of American Dream going to get us to the post 2012 Golden Age? I have my doubts.
I gave a presentation to a Cub Scout troop last week. I showed them a picture of my root cellar home and told them about the Ancient Village that I helped to build in Ohio in order to demonstrate<|fim_middle|> Ancient Village is a part of Friendship Village International Conference and Retreat Center located about two hours south of Cleveland. I've spent years cultivating a vision of the Golden Age to come while spending time at Friendship Village, a world apart from the "rat race".
I do wonder. What is the collective unconscious of humanity brewing for humanity? What is our Ideal Scene for the future? What kind of homes will we live in? What kind of relationship will we have with Nature? Where will we put all our trash?
Ouch! It's all mind boggling! But still I keep the faith that SOMETHING will happen to change the course of history and make MY Big Dream of a Golden Age for humanity come true. In that Golden Age we won't necessarily HAVE TO live in little houses. But I know we will have to re-create an intimacy with Nature….and with Nuwati, the Power that resides in the All, the complete Authority in Nature…the Source of All Life; Medicine.
This entry was posted in Wellness and Spirituality. Bookmark the permalink. | how earlier generations lived close to the land. I explained that when you live in a very small house that is surrounded by Nature, you end up spending a whole lot of time outside. The cramped quarters of a little house are ideal for sleeping and storing a few precious items. Clutter, the bane of modern housekeeping, is not an option.
Living outside, I suggest, breeds a hearty, hardy constitution. Consistent exposure to the natural, seasonal changes in weather conditions a body to tolerate greater extremes. Not to mention the virtues of fresh air. And there are transcendent, spiritual gifts–too numerous to mention right now–that accompany a life within the Natural world.
The | 139 |
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Bucket Attachment - Normally, when companies are evaluating all of their expenditures and like to lessen overhead, acquisitions of machines and unnecessary machine rentals are probably the first things to be removed. A lot of construction businesses feel that loaders have become a cumbersome expenditure and many of their tasks could be done using the versatility and effectiveness offered by lift<|fim_middle|> used together with any model or design of extendable reach forklift. If your unit can't be matched with a quick-tach unit, another new or second-hand universal fit bucket can be located instead. Typical universal lift truck buckets connect to blades that are up to six inches wide and are forty eight inches long. Bigger fork pockets could be ordered through an account manager upon request.
Because universal fit forklift buckets slip onto the forks directly, they stay on the machine and are a lot less vulnerable to destruction. These buckets are likewise 50 percent deeper than the quick-tach bucket models. This extra room makes them perfect for lifting irregular shaped loads like for instance elevating roof gravel, moving large debris piles, broken up concrete, backfilling behind walls and tearing off roof trash.
Quick-Tach Buckets are made for extendable-reach forklifts. They are designed to allow placement of material far beyond the reach of a loader. A hardened beveled cutting blade on the leading edge and on both sides reinforces strength, resistance to wear and offers supreme durability. Quick-Tach forklift buckets are augmented by scuff bars along the bottom of the unit that shield it from scratches.
Quick-Tach lift buckets can in several situations replace the forks and carriage of a lift truck, which may weigh anywhere between one hundred to seven hundred pounds. These buckets when set up can free up more load capacity, enabling it to deal with both bigger and heavier things. The Quick-Tach is able to pour things around 1.5 feet higher because of the shorter depth of its bucket. These buckets are built in a customized fashion so as to suit all the specs of certain makes and models of lifts. It is important to confer with a construction equipment specialist to be able to find the customized Quick-Tach bucket solution for your requirements.
Lift truck bucket accessories are outstanding for ground level work on construction sites. They are normally used for transporting snow in northern parts, and sand and gravel loading. Jobsite clean-up is another function the forklift bucket does well. The numerous uses the bucket could do saves the business much money and time because it does have to absolutely switch tools or equipment and this can help avoid running into overtime. | truck buckets.
A forklift container could be bought for a lot less than it really costs to lease a loader for a couple of months. It will transform your extendable reach lift truck into a material loading and handling piece of equipment that works effectively. This setup would offer greater range compared to usual loaders and have much more adaptability on the whole. Finishing jobs like for example placing gravel on a large, flat roof to pouring trash into a dumpster could all be safely and quickly done. There are various lift truck buckets obtainable intended for certain applications.
"Slip on the forks" attachment buckets or also known as Universal Fit buckets could be | 130 |
Safety of ACtinide Separation proceSSes
SACSESS
Start date 1 March 2013
End date 30 June 2016
FP7-EURATOM-FISSION
Overall budget € 10 266 535,10
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
Final Report Summary - SACSESS (Safety of ACtinide Separation proceSSes)
Within ACSEPT, several aqueous partitioning processes were selected and developed up to scientific feasibility, through hot-tests. These processes involved new extracting or complexing organic molecules and new diluents. To be developed further, these processes require now a comprehensive study of the multiform safety issues that any chemical process requires under operation conditions or maloperation. This implies a better understanding of the chemical systems involved and the need to enhance the future process operation at the industrial level. SACSESS addresses these issues. These are (i) TODGA based systems (co-extracting An(III) and Ln(III) in i-SANEX or GANEX processes); (ii) CyMe4-BTBP based systems (r-SANEX, 1c-SANEX and CHALMEX systems selectively extracting An(III) either directly from PUREX raffinate or from the An(III) + Ln(III) product solution coming from a TODGA process); (iii) hydro-BTP based systems (i-SANEX systems selectively stripping An(III) from a loaded TODGA phase using water soluble BTP); (iv) systems based on "TALSPEAK"-chemistry (i-SANEX systems selectively stripping An(III) from a loaded TODGA phase using DTPA or HEDTA).
For each chemical system, parameters involved in safety case analysis have to be studied, such as radiolytic solvent stability, solvent clean-up, management of the secondary wastes, physico-chemical solvent stability, loading capacity, and kinetics. The behaviour of the extractants, complexants, diluents all together (solvent stability) must be studied in process conditions, but also out of these operation ranges (mal-operation), in order to identify the weak points and find solutions to assess the safety of the processes. The work is organised by chemical systems selected for each tested process options, including, when accurate, the alternative system. Furthermore, a list of transversal key issues has been established. For each system, this allows us to define the studies needed to be able to optimise the processes and assess their safety. On the second period, the radiolytic stability of the most relevant systems was studied, hydrogen generation due to irradiation was quantified, aqueous phase ligand recycling and destruction was addressed. In addition, loading, losses and phase stability were studied in several systems. Furthermore, several safety related aspects of aqueous phase ligands were studied. Finally, the kinetics of several systems was studied using a variety of experimental techniques.
In the field of process operation, the simulation of these systems is developed from the chemistry to the process, allowing a better and safer management of the plant in the longer term. This includes multiscale modelling, radiolysis modelling and process modelling. In addition, new online monitoring techniques are under studies. On the second period, the work on mass transfer and flow-sheet models for key systems was continued as well as radiolysis modelling, on-line monitoring and An(III) activity coefficients. Regarding the topic of EURO-GANEX maloperations, experimental data were implemented into flow-sheet codes, a malop flow-sheet was designed and a malop trial was performed.
In parallel, an alternative process to those already developed is studied, allowing the partitioning of americium alone, reducing the hazards related to the handling of curium in fuel for enhanced safety. On the second period, the TODGA/TPAEN system was selected for process development. Unfortunately, precipitations encountered during the spiked process trials prevented running a hot process demonstration.
In pyrochemistry, SACSESS focuses on the recovery of MA from of metallic fuels and inert matrix transmutation targets. Results, experiences and knowledge gained in the previous ACSEPT program will be used to modify and optimise the studied molten salt separation processes on a safety basis.
To optimise the work and develop this safety approach at a larger scale, this work is associated to a Russian research project supported by ROSATOM and dealing with some common issues (PYROSMANI). Within ACSEPT and former European projects, two processes were identified and further developed at the lab scale. However, at this stage, some safety issues have still to be addressed. The first ones are those related to the use of molten salts and liquid metals at high temperature. Data are still lacking in the literature to have a relevant understanding of the systems. The physico-chemical behaviour that impacts the chemical safety (solubility, volatility, influence of oxygen ingress, heat capacity, viscosity, etc) both in chloride and in fluoride are under study. The experimental program addresses specifically the gaps in knowledge for the selected chemical systems. On the second period, the molecular dynamic and thermodynamic modelling showed the structure and speciation of U and rare earth species in molten chloride and fluoride salts. The viscosity of LiCl-KCl and LiF-AlF3 molten salts in dependency on the dissolved rare earth elements speciation was evaluated. The UV-vis spectroscopy probes for on-line concentration determinations in LiCl-KCl melt were developed and the usability of the method assessed. The robust Pt and W microelectrodes were fabricated and the method was proved capable of quantitative measurement in molten chloride salt, including fundamental characterisation and monitoring and possibility of quantitative multiple species measurement.
The electroreduction of cermet fuel was proven feasible, however using only inactive material, and conditions of the process were optimised. The electrochemical behaviour of molybdenum as the matrix of the cermet fuel in molten chlorides was evaluated including the E-pO2- diagrams and its influence on the electrorefining process was assessed. The experimental results were complemented with thermodynamic modelling. MgO behaviour in fluoride melts was evaluated and the impact of Mg presence in the melt on the reductive extraction process was assessed. Feasibility of this process was successfully demonstrated by reprocessing of a FUTURIX cercer pellet containing 200mg of Pu and 200mg of Am. A strong impact of Mo on the reductive extraction process was shown, but the process was also demonstrated feasible as the dissolved Mo can be removed from the melt before the extraction.
Concerning waste conditioning, the modelling was developed to assess the energetics of Cs, Na, Li and K occlusion and adsorption into zeolites and SrCl2 ion-exchange experiments were completed on a selection of the optimal zeolites. The parameters for fabricating the glass-bonded sodalite wasteform for spent salt were determined. Characterization of the SAP-based matrices containing Rb, Ba, La and Ce chlorides was done, leading to experimental comparative analysis of the leaching behaviour of the different salts.
With the above studies, being driven by safety considerations, a specific domain<|fim_middle|>ubility after oxalate precipitation in the presence of DTPA and acetic acid (key degradation product) was studied. While acetic acid appeared to have a negligible effect on oxalate precipitation, DTPA tended to reduce the solubility of neodymium in the oxalate mother liquor.
1.1.1.6 Maloperation scenario flow-sheeting
A trial was successfully completed to assess the impact of a scrub acid maloperation upon plutonium recycle and accumulation in the EURO-GANEX flow-sheet. This was identified as a potentially serious maloperation during a process safety review of the EURO-GANEX flow-sheet due to potential criticality issues.
A significant reduction in the scrub acid feed concentration did not result in the backwashing and recycle of plutonium in the extract-scrub contactors. A constant plutonium loading of the solvent was maintained under both normal and maloperation conditions. The formation of hydrolysed plutonium species or colloidal plutonium was observed under the low acid conditions of the maloperation. However, the species produced at low acidity were retained in the solvent phase and did not lead to the misrouting or precipitation of plutonium. These results demonstrate the EURO-GANEX flow-sheet is robust to the recycle or misrouting of plutonium for maloperations involving significant deviations of the scrub acidity.
The results also show that the behaviour of plutonium during a low acid maloperation in the EURO-GANEX process is quite different to similar maloperations in a conventional PUREX solvent (TBP/OK), where plutonium is recycled and accumulates across the extract-scrub section.
Although routing of plutonium was not affected under the conditions of this maloperation, the reduction in the scrub acidity led to significant backwashing and recycle of americium. Analysis of the solvent product shows that under these conditions approximately 85 % of the americium present in the active feed was being recycled.
1.1.1.7 Conclusion
Work performed in WP 11 (in combination with results from other WP) helped establishing TODGA and CyMe4-BTBP as reference extracting agents for Am(III)-Ln(III) co-extracting or separation, respectively. By better understanding their behaviour under irradiation, the safety level of related processes could be improved. Studying further aspects such as radiolytic hydrogen generation, ligand decomposition and stainless steel corrosion also contributed. The i-SANEX system irradiation campaign performed at Idaho National Laboratory within the DOE-SACSESS collaboration agreement deserves being mentioned as a highlight.
1.1.2 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 12: Performance optimisation of chemical systems
WP 12 adopted the same structure to WP 11 focusing on non-selective (Task 1) and selective (Task 2) extracting agents for actinide ions as well as selective stripping agents (Task 3) and aqueous phase ligands (Task 4). Based on an assessment of the state of the art knowledge at the end of the FP7 ACSEPT project, critical knowledge gaps were identified and these formed the basis of the process optimisation studies in WP 12. A priority was given to knowledge gaps that affected process safety (links to WP 11) as well as efficiency and waste minimisation. Deliverable reports were compiled with contributions from all partners involved, describing new and comprehensive research results across six key topics; the results of these studies are summarised below.
1.1.2.2 State of the art concerning TODGA & TWE21 molecule based systems
TODGA is the reference non-selective actinide extractant used in r-/i-SANEX and EURO-GANEX processes that were developed in ACSEPT. "TWE-21" is a diglycolamide (DGA) molecule variation developed by European partners that is complementary to alternatives being proposed internationally (Japan, USA, India). Work in SACSESS was aimed at making a decision on whether to replace TODGA with TWE-21 as the reference molecule for these processes. Distribution data for actinides, lanthanides and major fission products were obtained together with speciation studies using advanced spectroscopic techniques such as TRLFS and EXAFS. Radiolytic and hydrolytic stabilities were compared and degradation products identified. At the end of the project, it was concluded that TWE-21 had insufficient advantages to merit replacing TODGA as the reference molecule, noting the greater technological maturity that is gained by use of the established TODGA extractant in the solvent extraction processes. Nevertheless, much deeper understanding of how variations to the DGA backbone affect the chemistry of actinide extraction has been obtained through these studies and this opens up new possibilities to target specific properties through rational synthesis of DGA ligands. A state of the art comprehensive literature review on the applications of DGA ligands in actinide separation processes was consequently submitted to the journal Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange in 2016.
1.1.2.3 Survey of possible maloperation events and their effects
A major goal of SACSESS was to start European studies of the effects of potential maloperation or process upsets on the reference separation processes. This is a new area of research compared to previous framework projects and of vital importance in underpinning safety assessments and demonstrating process safety improvements over current reprocessing technologies. WP 12 worked in conjunction with WP 11 and WP3.1 to meet these objectives. A Safety Assessment Methodology was developed and applied to the EURO-GANEX process flow-sheet in WP 31. Specifically, in WP 12, the output of the expert assessment from Domain 3 was further analysed and critical maloperation scenarios identified. A specific maloperation was then selected for experimental testing under WP 12. The maloperation selected in WP 12 was the reduction of the scrub acidity in the extract-scrub section of the EURO-GANEX flow-sheet. By analogy with known PUREX behaviour, it was considered that this could lead to cycles of extraction and backwashing of plutonium within the contactor and hence the accumulation of plutonium leading to potentially hazardous conditions (radiation, criticality). The report recommended that an experimental test in centrifugal contactors at realistic conditions of plutonium (10 g/L) be carried out as well as some underpinning chemistry and modelling to evaluate the wider potential implications of the full or partial loss of scrub acid.
1.1.2.4 Identification of losses of extracting gents and diluents and their effects in the different processes
Losses of one phase into the other phase either by limited solubility or phase entrainment are key parameters that affect the efficiency of separations by solvent extraction. This can also have safety concerns, e.g. red oil formation. It is, therefore, important to quantify these losses for the reference molecules and their degradation products in the reference processes. Irradiated EURO-GANEX solvent showed no detectable transfer of organic components to the aqueous phase although some insoluble drops and waxy deposits (mixtures of amines) were obtained with doses up to 1000 kGy. Studies of SO3-Ph-BTP suggested some formation of mixed Am(III) or Eu(III) TODGA complexes are possible. Extraction of PyTri-alcohols into i-SANEX solvent was found to be < 4 %.
1.1.2.5 Description of loading issues in the different processes and identification of possible solutions
Solvent loading data are needed to predict the onset of third phase or precipitation reactions; both effects can have serious consequences on process safety and operability and the extracting gents used in the reference processes are quite susceptible to these effects. Loading data were generated for Nd(III) in TODGA, TWE-21 and D3DODGA (N,N-didodecyl-N',N'-dioctyl-DGA) based solvents. For the CHALMEX process, no precipitation of plutonium was observed with 10 mmol/L CyMe4BTBP and 30 % TBP either in FS-13 or cyclohexanone diluents even at 40 g/L Pu initial aqueous phase concentration. For the EURO-GANEX process, loading issues were considered in some depth in the FP7 ACSEPT project. Under SACSESS, the effects of loading with solvent degraded by gamma radiation were examined and it was shown that lanthanide extraction was maintained at 1000 kGy dose. The role of key degradation products in accumulating actinides and lanthanides was also investigated with some acidic derivatives potentially causing solubility problems.
1.1.2.6 Kinetics of extraction and stripping
Fundamental data on mass transfer kinetics are important in the development of predictive process models of solvent extraction flow-sheets; this is particularly important in predicting how flow-sheets will respond under maloperation scenarios. These data do not exist for the SANEX and GANEX processes. In WP 12 substantial efforts were made to address this knowledge gap using complementary techniques: moving drop (CEA); microfluidics (CTU); rotating diffusion cell, RDC (ULANC) and rotating membrane cell, RMC (CNRS-PECSA). However, the first three methods all required significant development efforts to get them working; the RMC had been developed in the FP7 ACSEPT project. Therefore, the i-SANEX solvent system was chosen as a reference system in order to compare results obtained from the different methods. Moving drop, RMC and RDC methods were used to measure Eu, Am and Ce extraction rate constants and ULANC developed a new mathematical treatment for the RDC. Additionally, CNRS-PECSA used the RMC to investigate extraction and stripping kinetics with CyMe4BTBP; SO3-Ph-BTP; HEDTA and DTPA. A comparative scale of these reactions from slow to fast kinetics was thus established. An addendum to the initial report was made later that compared and contrasted the different methods, indicating their complementarity and highlighting the benefits of a multi-technique approach to kinetics. CTU collaborated with Argonne National Laboratory in the development of microfluidics and ULANC are continuing their RDC studies under the UK research council funded project "PACIFIC".
1.1.2.7 Effects of hold back ligands on the safety of the waste management from the processes
This report addressed three main studies on the use of aqueous phase ligands in the reference processes that were made under WP 12. Firstly, the use of polycarboxylate ligands in the TALSPEAK-like minor actinide separation processes that selectively strip actinides in buffered high pH solutions (versions of SANEX and EXAm processes developed in Europe) leads to these ligands being transferred to the downstream conversion process. The baseline conversion process is oxalate precipitation and calcination and it is possible that these ligands or their degradation products could interfere with this conversion process either causing unacceptable losses of actinides to the oxalate mother liquor (OML) or affecting the product quality of the resulting mixed oxide. It was shown that the presence of DTPA surprisingly reduced the residual concentration of Nd(III) ions (analogue for Am(III)) in the OML and this was probably due to a formation of a mixed Nd complex containing DTPA, or a degradation product of DTPA, with oxalate. No effects of acetic acid, an expected generic degradation product from these types of ligands, on Nd solubility were found. Secondly, methods of decomposing DTPA and acetic acid, either before or after oxalate precipitation, were investigated. Proof of principle experiments showed that mediated electrochemical oxidation (using Ag(II) ions as mediators) was a very promising technology for ligand decomposition with both DTPA and acetic acid being decomposed to near background levels in ≈ 4 hours (based on total carbon analysis).
Finally, methods were developed for recycling the SO3-Ph-BTP ligand, the reference stripping agent in i SANEX and EURO-GANEX processes. Conditions for recovering americium from the SO3-Ph-BTP molecule as well as recycling the SO3-Ph-BTP into a low acidity nitric acid solution – using trioctylamine in 1-octanol – were defined.
WP 12 made important steps forward in underpinning the reference European separation processes, particularly with regards to optimisation of safe and efficient flow-sheets. Based on the state of the art knowledge, TODGA and CyMe4BTP are confirmed as the optimum choice for non-selective and selective ligands whilst PyTri-Diol was shown to be a promising CHON replacement for SO3-Ph-BTP. Important structural, kinetic, radiolysis and loading data were accumulated for the reference molecules and their degradation products. Chemistry of solvent, acid and ligand recycling and aqueous phase ligand decomposition by mediated electrochemical methods was addressed for the first time.
1.1.3 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 13: Safety of process operation
Safely and fully assessing a complex system such as a liquid/liquid extraction separation process requires a reliable modelling of the different steps of this process. WP 13 aimed at developing reliable models based both on a multi-scale modelling approach development and on the acquisition of trustworthy experimental data using appropriate analyses and online monitoring.
1.1.3.2 Molecular studies
Molecular studies were performed on extracting agents aggregation (and micelle stability vs. amount of water in the aggregate). The diamide ligand DMDOHEMA was chosen as a model extractant because its aggregation in aliphatic diluents is well described in the scientific literature. Two axes were explored so far: the Umbrella Sampling for water association and dissociation pathways in aggregates containing 4 or 3 DMDOHEMA and the calculation of extraction equilibrium constants. The composition of malonamide reverse aggregate in n-heptane was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Then Umbrella Sampling simulations, allowed to calculate free energy of aggregation as a function of the number of water molecules in aggregates containing 4 DMDOHEMA molecules, one La(NO3)3 salts and 1 to 5 water molecules. Aggregates composed of 3 or 4 water molecules have the highest stability in n-heptane. A correlation of aggregation free energy profiles with corresponding water molecules was established and the corresponding aggregates equilibrium constant K0 of extraction have been calculated.
1.1.3.3 Actinide(III) activity coefficients modelling
The complexation of Cm(III) with NO3− in nitric acid was studied using Time Resolved Laser induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Conditional stability constants of the stepwise formation of the Cm(NO3)n3−n complexes were derived from titration experiments, and were transformed to thermodynamic stability constants by fitting of ion interaction coefficients into the SIT (Specific Ion Interaction Theory) model.
1.1.3.4 Radiolysis modelling
Diglycolamides are promising and already widely tested extracting agents for An(III) and Ln(III) co-extraction from High Level Liquid Waste. For the involved process development it is necessary to demonstrate hydrolytic and radiolytic stability of the organic ligands. After several experimental stability studies, theoretical studies using quantum chemistry have been started. For all the involved organic ligands, the optimal geometric structure was found and the electronic structure was calculated. Several descriptors based on the electron density were calculated to analyse the expectations suggested by the experimental work. Here the radical Fukui function appeared to be a good indicator showing clearly the probability and site selectivity of possible radical attack. The maxima identified the hydrogen atoms of TODGA as the most susceptible to the release caused by an approaching radical. Such maxima are not present in the case of methylated of di-methylated TODGA, where the initiation of a radical degradation process is less probable, in good agreement with the experimentally demonstrated enhanced stability of the methylated ligands.
Using the same approach, the CyMe4-BTBP organic extractant and its prevailing degradation products created after irradiation in the 1-octanol solution were also studied. The UV-Visible absorption spectra of the original compound and the proposed 1-octanol adduct were calculated and compared to the experimentally observed data.
These calculations conducted to meet the experimental findings and to support and investigate the stability changes of molecules of interest for the separation processes developed in the project.
1.1.3.5 Equilibrium, mass transfer and flow-sheet modelling
A lot of work was accomplished for the development of equilibrium models related to (i) the extraction of HNO3 and Am(III) in TODGA / 1 octanol mixtures and (ii) the i-SANEX process using the same organic phase together with SO3-Ph-BTP for selectively stripping Am(III) and Cm(III) from the loaded TODGA solvent.
For the equilibrium model development of the extraction in TODGA / 1 octanol mixtures, first, models of nitric extraction into 1 octanol / diluent mixtures or TODGA / diluent mixtures were developed separately to accurately predict solvent phase acidity for wide range of nitric acid concentrations. Then, the models described above were combined to provide a preliminary model of acid extraction into TODGA / 1 octanol / diluent mixtures, assuming no synergistic or antagonistic effects arising from the use of two extracting agents in conjunction. Systematic differences between the predictions from this model and experimental data suggest that these effects do in fact occur with an antagonistic effect below 1.5 mol/L HNO3 and a synergistic effect at higher acidity. A second model of nitric acid extraction into TODGA / 1 octanol / diluent mixtures was therefore developed, with the addition of mixed complexes (n HNO3.TODGA.Octanol for n = 0, 2, 3). Finally, a model for Am(III) extraction was developed that accurately predicts distribution ratios for Am(III). In parallel, the equilibrium model for the calculation of Am(III) and HNO3 extraction from HNO3 into an TODGA + SO3-Ph-BTP based i-SANEX process was developed. The possible formation of mixed extractable M(III)/TODGA/SO3-Ph-BTP complexes was taken into account in the new model, leading to a better agreement between calculated and experimental values for Am(III) and Eu(III) extraction.
Based on these equilibrium models, mass transfer and flow-sheet models were subsequently established for Am(III) and Ln(III) cations in i-SANEX system including temperature variation influence. The extract-scrub section of the i-SANEX flow-sheet tested at JUELICH was simulated to validate the model, and sensitivity studies were then carried out to test the extract-scrub flow-sheet against some representative maloperation scenarios.
A meeting was held at NNL Chadwick House with NNL, KIT, and ULANC to discuss i SANEX kinetics and modelling.
1.1.3.6 Online monitoring
Researches in the field of online monitoring focused on the setup and test of microelectrodes working in high nitric acid concentration. Platinum micro-disc electrodes were designed and fabricated using established micro-fabrication processes on silicon substrates. They were then tested in nitric acid solutions in a range of relevant nitric acid concentrations with or without exemplary redox species. Very high repeatability and essentially 100 % yield were achieved, with electrochemical measurement demonstrated as being possible over several days. Quantitative analysis showed very good agreement with literature values and previous preliminary work, confirming the suitability for extracting physical parameters characteristic of the nitric acid system for both monitoring and analysis. The detection limits were demonstrated as being from tens of milimolar to micromolar concentrations. Equivalent performance was achieved in both standard electrochemical set-up using external counter and reference electrodes, as well as a dip-in-probe sensor with an integrated on-chip counter/pseudo-reference electrode. A three electrode dip-in-sensor system was also developed, and a small volume configuration was also designed and tested, which opens up the prospect of small volume active studies. When combined with previous measurements, which highlighted their insensitivity to forced convection and their ability to distinguish closely separated redox species, these results confirm the applicability of these systems to electrochemical on-line monitoring and analysis hydrochemical and reprocessing.
Substantial progress was made in WP 13 related to equilibrium, mass transfer and flow-sheet modelling, radiolysis modelling and on-line monitoring. These are aspects important to a safe implementation of hydrometallurgical separation processes for actinides. The TODGA equilibrium and flow-sheet models were used for performing the calculations related to the malop flow-sheet trial, linking them to WP 11, WP 12 and WP31.
1.1.4 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 14: Safety of MA handling in the cycle
WP 14 aims at developing a hydrometallurgical process to separate only trivalent americium from the PUREX high active raffinate. This improves the safety of the fuel cycle by avoiding the presence of curium in the fuel fabrication. The most promising systems for Am(III)/Cm(III) separation already identified in the previous European projects (EUROPART, ACSEPT) were taken into consideration to meet the requirements of an Am(III) only separation process. The optimisation studies included the determination of thermodynamic and kinetic data to design the extraction as well as scrubbing and stripping stages of a flow-sheet. The most efficient system for directly extracting Am(III) from a PUREX raffinate was implemented in a continuous counter-current. The results of these studies were compiled in three deliverable reports and are summarised below.
1.1.4.2 Optimisation of chemical systems
Two main approaches were studied for the development of an Am(III) only extraction process: The first is based on the selective extraction of Am(III), leaving Cm(III) and most Ln(III) in the raffinate of the process. The 1-cycle SANEX process developed at Jülich was considered as a basis. CyMe4-BTPhen was proposed as lipophilic ligand for selective Am(III) extraction, while TEDGA (as in the EXAm) was used for complexing Cm(III) in the feed solution. At an acidity range of 0.5–1 mol/L HNO3 suitable distribution ratios (DAm > 1 and DCm <1) and rather high Am(III)/Cm(III) separation factors of 3.5 are obtained.
The second approach is based on the co-extraction of An(III) and Ln(III) from a PUREX raffinate in an organic phase containing TODGA as extractant, followed by selective stripping of Am(III) with Cm(III) and Ln(III) remining in the solvent (similar to the innovative-SANEX process developed during the ACSEPT project). Three ligands for selective Am(III) stripping were studied: TPAEN developed and tested at CEA Marcoule, SO3-Ph-BTBPhen developed at UREAD and tested at Jülich and SO3-Ph-BTBP developed and tested at KIT.
Very promising results were achieved for all systems. However, within SACSESS the focus was set on the TODGA-TPAEN chemical system.
Laboratories involved in the optimisation of the process were CEA, Jülich, KIT, UNIPR and NNL. A solvent containing 0.2 mol/L TODGA + 5 % 1-octanol is used to co-An(III) and Ln(III) from 3–4 mol/L HNO3 solutions. Am(III) is stripped selectively from Cm(III) and Ln(III) into an aqueous phase containing TPAEN at pH ≈ 1. The An(III) + Ln(III) co-extraction step had already been developed by Jülich, ITU and KIT teams for the i-SANEX process.
A huge amount of batch experimental data were acquired to understand the effects of the following parameters on distribution ratios and separation factors: concentrations of TPAEN and lanthanide cations, acidity and nitrate concentration, kinetics and temperature. Finally a thermodynamic model for TODGA extraction and TPAEN complexation was developed for the calculation of flow-sheets, to be tested in centrifugal contactors, see below.
1.1.4.3 Flow-sheet development
Experiments were carried out to study and identify the main phenomena that occurred between Actinides and lanthanides cations, TODGA, TPAEN, acidity and temperature. Based on these data, a model was developed to simulate the behaviour of actinides and lanthanides under TODGA extraction and TPAEN complexation (stoichiometry of complexes, extraction and complexation constants). The flow-sheet was designed with the well-known PAREX code. A series of single stage contactor trials have been completed to investigate the effect of key parameters (temperature, residence time and acidity) on Am(III) stripping efficiency and separation from the light lanthanides in the Euro-EXAm process. The results show that stripping of Am with TPAEN is highly dependent upon the residence time in centrifugal contactors. Consequently, low flow rates (longer residence times) are required to ensure effective stripping of Am and improve the separation factor between Am and the light lanthanides. Finally a flow-sheet was designed for a spiked test at Jülich that took into account kinetics effect.
1.1.4.4 Continuous counter-current test
Two spiked tests were run in the JUELICH laboratories using a 16-stages centrifugal contactor battery of Chinese type 1 cm contactors installed in a fume hood. The flow-sheet was designed to be run in 16 stages and it was therefore decided to only test the Am(III) stripping part. As the TPAEN stripping is based on the i SANEX test demonstrated in JUELICH, the loaded solvent would correspond to the solvent after the extraction/scrubbing part of the i-SANEX test. The same high active raffinate solution as used in the i-SANEX test was used and subsequently it was contacted in a batch modus with TODGA solvent. During the batch extraction and scrubbing steps most of the fission and corrosion products were separated. Only An(III), Ln(III) and some Ru were present in the loaded solvent, which was used finally for the demonstration tests.
The first spiked flow-sheet test failed in separating Am(III) from Cm(III) and the light lanthanides. Steady state was reached for Am(III), Cm(III) and heavier Ln(III) but not for light Ln(III). Due to precipitation of TPAEN the pH increased slightly and the concentration of TPAEN was lower than intended. The increased pH led to lower distribution ratios and therefore to a failure of the test.
A second spiked flow-sheet test was run, again in the JUELICH centrifugal contactor battery. Based on the results of the first test, the flow-sheet was changed: The Ln(III) re-extraction section was extended and the Am(III) strip section was reduced. The flow-rates were changed and the composition of the TPAEN solution was also changed: The pH was decreased to pH 0.9 and the NaNO3 concentration was increased to 0.5 mol/L. No hydrodynamic problems occurred during 11 hours. However no Am(III) was detected in the aqueous product fraction. Therefore, the test was stopped ahead of schedule and the contactors were opened. A precipitation was discovered in some of the centrifugal contactors, mainly those near the aqueous inlet. Presumably TPAEN precipitated, causing high distribution ratios of Am(III), explaining why it was mainly routed to the organic outlet. The analyses of aqueous and organic concentration profiles revealed that Am(III), Cm(III) and Ln(III) were routed to the organic outlet.
Several teams (CEA, KIT, JUELICH, UNIPR, NNL) were involved to study the TPAEN system, which was chosen for the development of the new EURO-EXAm process to be tested in centrifugal contactors at Jülich (spiked test) and finally at ITU (hot test). In spite of the promising results obtained in the development work of the TPAEN system, spiked centrifugal contactor tests failed to verify a functioning flow-sheet. The reasons are precipitation of TPAEN in the preparation of the first test causing a problem of pH during that test and insufficient solubility of TPAEN in the presence of nitrates during the second test.
The stability of TPAEN solutions vs. precipitation has to be studied in more detail as the precipitation was different in glass ware batch shaking experiments than in the centrifugal contactors and the operational limits have to be determined. This issue must be addressed before continuation of the process development for this system.
In any case, failed spiked tests are show stoppers for the continuation of a hot demonstration test. The decision was taken not proceed with the hot EURO-EXAm process.
1.2 Main S&T results/foregrounds of Domain 2: Pyrometallurgy
Domain 2 was devoted to study safety aspects of the pyrochemical separation processes for recovery of actinides from various types of fuels, namely oxide, metallic and refractory cer-cer and cer-met fuels. The first work package evaluated the physico-chemical behaviour of actinides and fission products that impacts the chemical safety, e.g. solubility, volatility, influence of oxygen ingress and viscosity, both in chloride and in fluoride melts. In addition, tools for online monitoring of pyrochemical separation processes were developed, namely the electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Within the second work package, safety related aspects of the separation processes for treatment of metallic fuels were studied. The selectivity and efficiency of the electrorefining process for homogeneous recovery of all actinides using reactive solid aluminium cathode was demonstrated in a lab-scale using irradiated metallic fuel. The third work package focused on assessment of safety factors related to refractory cermet and cercer fuels treatment. The reductive extraction process was successfully demonstrated by reprocessing of a cercer pellet containing 200mg of Pu and 200mg of Am. The fourth work package investigated the conditioning of the used chloride and fluoride molten salts. A model was developed for the ion-exchange of LiCl-KCl using zeolites and a range of the selected zeolites was tested experimentally. The parameters for fabricating the glass-bonded sodalite wasteform for spent salt were determined. Characterization of the SAP-based matrices was done as well as the experimental analysis of the leaching behaviour of the different salts, while the normalised releases of Cs and Sr from the SAP wasteform by leaching tests were confirmed as being very low.
1.2.1 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 21: Safety aspects of pyrochemical systems
WP2.1 focussed on understanding the physico-chemical behaviour of high temperature molten salt systems in order to assess safety of pyrochemical reprocessing. Parameters that impact the chemical safety such actinide and lanthanide halide solubility and volatility, influence of oxygen ingress, heat capacity, viscosity, was studied in both chloride (LiCl-KCl eutectic) and in fluoride systems (LiF-AlF3). As the acquisition of experimental data on actinide systems and especially on irradiated fuel systems is difficult, modelling will be an important tool to assess and determine boundary operating conditions of the selected molten salt systems. In parallel, on-line monitoring of molten salt systems will be developed as an essential tool to process control and operational safety which is of a primary importance for a future industrial implementation both for safety and safeguards considerations. Consequently, there were two main tasks for WP2.1:
• Task 2.1.1 Basic data acquisition of physico-chemical properties of actinide containing molten salt systems, and
• Task 2.1.2 Molten salt system on-line monitoring
Within the first task, data acquisition was conducted both computationally and experimentally. Particular properties of interest included actinide and lanthanide speciation (oxidation state and coordination environment), solubility, viscosity and activity coefficients under variable conditions such as concentration and temperature. The impact of oxygen ingress on metal speciation and solubility in molten salts was also explored. The second task aimed to explore the feasibility of techniques for on-line monitoring a molten salt process in order to ascertain the presence and concentration of key species and identify possible maloperations. The techniques explored in this work were microelectrodes and UV-visible-nIR spectrophotometric probes.
Task 2.1.1 Basic data acquisition of physico-chemical properties of actinide containing molten salt systems:
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was performed of chloride (i.e. LiCl-KCl eutectic) and fluoride molten salt systems containing relevant actinide and lanthanide cations that are likely to be encountered in spent nuclear fuel. The impact of temperature and actinide/lanthanide concentration in these melts has been studied. These MD simulations have led to the calculation of chemical and physical parameters such as viscosity, activity coefficients, coordination environment of metal ions and phase diagrams (e.g. Fig. 1). These calculations have generally shown good agreement with what little relevant experimental information is indeed available, indicating the simulation process for these systems is valid.
Figure 1 : LiF-ThF4 phase diagram
Task 2.1.2 Molten salt system on-line monitoring :
The design and fabrication of microelectrodes has been developed throughout the term of this project resulting in significant improvements in the operation of these electrodes within the highly corrosive environment of a molten chloride salt, to the extent that these devices could be effectively deployed as on-line monitoring devices for a molten salt process for recycling spent fuel. Visual inspection indicates improved electrode robustness with lifetimes generally of at least four hours operation (Fig. 2). The analysis of electrochemical data obtained from these improved microelectrode devices were in close agreement with previous data and also literature values, establishing the analytical capability of these devices. It is considered likely, with the application of modern design approaches, this microelectrode technology could be readily developed for deployment as a single dip probe device.
Figure 2: Photographs of electrodes removed from the melt after electrochemical cycling for up to 4 hours
UV-visible-nIR spectroscopic probes were studied for use as on-line monitoring devices in conditions likely to be encountered in a molten salt electrorefiner system. The dominant constituents, which are not spectroscopically silent, in the salt are most likely uranium (4-7 wt %), plutonium (~ 1 %) and a selection of the early lanthanides (up to 2 wt%). Given the dominant soluble uranium oxidation state in the melt is likely to be U(III) and the Pu(III) oxidation state was found to stabilise in chloride melts, superposition of the spectra of U(III), Pu(III) and Nd(III) at process-like concentrations shows that U(III) dominates the spectral profile even in the nIR region (Figure 3). Therefore as a technique for on-line concentration determinations, UV-vis-nIR spectroscopy could be deployed to ascertain U(III) concentrations in the melt but other elements are unlikely to be resolved. The impact of the alkali and alkali earth fission product elements on the spectral profile of U(III) and other actinides is likely to be minimal given the lack of any changes in the spectral profile of Ln(III) with increasing Cs and Sr concentrations in LiCl-KCl eutectic. Concerns on the impact of blackbody radiation can be readily addressed at least for relatively low melting point chloride melts like LiCl-KCl eutectic. However, if operating at very high temperatures of ~ 1000 °C blackbody radiation may prove to be too problematic to overcome for the effective use of UV-visible spectroscopy as an analytical tool. UV-vis-niR spectroscopy could also be used to check for oxygen ingress maloperations in molten salt processes which typically result in precipitation occurring. The major challenge in the deployment of UV-vis-nIR spectroscopy as an in-situ probe for molten salts processes is materials performance. General corrosion concerns clearly need to be addressed and in this work the use of quartz as a window material can prove to be problematic for collecting quantifiable data due to phase transitions that occur at high temperatures.
Figure 3: Superposition of the spectra of U(III) 6wt %, Pu(III) 1.2wt%, and Nd(III) 1wt% in LiCl-KCl eutectic at 450 °C using a 1 mm pathlength cell
1.2.2 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 22: Safety related to metallic fuel treatment
WP2.2 aimed at investigating safety aspects related to the treatment of metallic fuel by electrorefining. The electrorefining has been developed up to the scientific feasibility within the previous framework programs (PYROREP, EUROPART, and ACSEPT) and the core process developed is now well understood and has been demonstrated using non-irradiated material onto Al. Within the framework of SACSESS program investigations focussed on the performance of the solid Al cathode in presence of the complete fission spectrum using irradiated metallic fuel materials and removal of An from the salt after the electrorefining process is carried out by the so called exhaustive electrolysis process.
Thus WP2.2 was divided into two tasks:
Task 2.2.1 Salt clean-up by exhaustive electrolysis – performance of the process:
The exhaustive electrolysis process was investigated with the initial aim to explore boundary conditions for the performance of the process. The experiments were carried out to optimize and maximise the recovery using first inactive lanthanides. The final goal was to demonstrate then the process with mixtures of lanthanides and actinides. The involved partners in the task were: CEA, ITU and CNRS-LGC. The so called exhaustive electrolysis is planned to recover a maximum amount of actinides remaining in the salt bath after the electrorefining step and at the later stage possibly also to purify the salt from all electrochemically removable fission products. During the exhaustive electrolysis, chlorine gas is produced at the anode.
It was initially agreed between the different partners that one of the most important point would be to improve the knowledge on the behaviour of Cl2 in the melt, since Cl2 interaction with the cathode material may be one of the most critical point regarding the feasibility of the electrolysis. The, first experiments on the feasibility of the electrochemical process were carried out on the recovery of lanthanides from LiCl-KCl salts. A constant current was used between a graphite anode and tungsten or aluminum cathodes. Problems of adherence of the deposit onto inert W electrodes were observed as suspected. Results on cerium recovery onto aluminium cathodes were found promising since more than 90% of the cerium initially present in the salt could be collected on the aluminium cathode. The initial concentration of Ce3+ ions (0.4 wt%) could be lowered after the exhaustive electrolysis step down to roughly 0.05 w%. These results pointed out that the exhaustive electrolysis can be an efficient process to clean spent electrorefining salts.
The best set-up could also be assessed investigating different experimental conditions, particularly different Cl2 producing anode designs. The optimal set-up consists of an open-end tube for the anode and large surface area for the cathode.
A thermodynamic study was performed in order to evaluate the Pu/Ce separation for the exhaustive electrolysis step. Special attention was paid on the formal potential determination. From these formal potential, the theoretical final concentration of Pu in the salt after the exhaustive electrolysis step was assessed, taking into account the different E'° for a cut-off potential. In the same time, the experimental program in active glovebox started using a melt containing both CeCl3 and PuCl3 but this experiment could not be achieved since important contamination in oxygen and moisture in the reactor led to precipitation of Pu in the salt. Nevertheless the theoretical approach has shown that Pu/Ce separation is possible using the exhaustive electrolysis.
Furthermore, the experimental data coming from prior investigations (concentrations of An and Ln, thermodynamic data, electrochemical potentials...) on the exhaustive electrolysis in molten chlorides were analysed: the goal is to model the system under diffusion control and not activation. Although the modelling of the electrolysis could not be reached, a methodology was proposed in order to achieve the calculations.
Some important key issues still need to be investigated in the future. Especially, the first task would be to assess a good model of the salt composition at the end of the electrorefining step. This model should define if the electrolysis has to be selective or not regarding the An recovery and it should also define the final specification of cathodes deposit during this cleaning step (as well as the final composition of the salt sent to final disposal). At last, an upgraded version of the dedicated electrolyser should be manufactured and tested in active conditions prior a final validation in hot cell, using a salt coming from electrorefining step, e.g. electrorefining of METAPHIX fuel for example.
Task 2.2.2 Process demonstration on genuine fuel materials:
The performance of the Al cathode was demonstrated in electrorefining experiments using genuine irradiated metallic alloy fuel materials. Arrangement of experimental plan, preparation and evaluation of results from electrorefining experiments using irradiated METAPHIX-1 fuel alloy and solid aluminium cathodes were carried out in collaboration between JRC-ITU and CRIEPI.
A series of electrorefining of irradiated METAPHIX-1 fuel was carried out in a hot cell under controlled Ar atmosphere. A tantalum basket loaded with approximately 3 g of the fuel was used as anode for all runs. The fuel had composition 66U-18Pu-10Zr-2MA-2RE before irradiation. Aluminium plates and rods were used as cathodes. Both anode and cathode potentials were measured using reference electrode based on U3+/U couple. 130 g of LiCl-KCl salt was used. Altogether, 7 runs using 5 Al plate cathodes and 2 rod cathodes were carried out. All experiments were galvanostatic using different constant current densities. Each run was stopped after reaching the uranium metal deposition potential in order to evaluate the thickness of An-Al alloy layer on the electrode surface at given current density. Salt and deposit samples were regularly taken to determine the separation factors and current efficiencies from elemental analysis by ICP-MS.
The experiments were stopped after reaching the U metal deposition potential and only An-Alx alloys were formed without deposition of An metals. A uniform, dense and well adhered metallic-shiny deposit was obtained. As expected, at lower current density the slower deposition rate allowed formation of thicker An-Al alloy surface layer before deposition of U metal than at high current density. The process of An-Al alloy formation was determined by the intermetallic diffusion of An and Al through the increasing alloy layer, which is formed with different rates according to the applied current density. The dependency of the thickness of the An-Al alloy layer in dependency on the current density was found linear. The current densities were determined from the initial and in addition also from the final surfaces of the electrodes.
Concerning experiments carried out using Al rod cathodes, the experiments were stopped after reaching the uranium metal deposition potential and when the anode potential got too close to the Zr dissolution potential (0.3 V vs. quasi U reference). Uniform alloy layers were formed but not homogeneous.
Further four potentiostatic runs were carried out using Al plate cathodes with the main aim to complete the evaluation of the diffusion coefficient of An in solid Al. The deposits were also used for evaluation of the separation factors of actinides and lanthanides during a potentiostatic process. The obtained results were in a very good agreement with the value determined from the galvanostatic runs. Therefore, the previous evaluation was confirmed. Under the same assumptions as used for the previous calculations which correspond to uniform AnAl3 alloy, the diffusion coefficient of An in Al was estimated to be 1.85·10-7 cm2s-1.
During all runs of the irradiated METAPHIX-1 electrorefining, salt and deposit samples were taken for analysis and molar ratio of Al to An (sum of U, Pu, Np, Am and Cm) were calculated. Most of the deposits were composed of An-Al3 alloys, but the molar ratio changed from 3 to 4 with decrease of the specific charge.
1.2.3 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 23: Safety related to refractory oxide fuel treatment CERCER, CERMET
The direct oxide solubilisation (DOS) process application on MgO based CERCER and Mo based CERMET transmutation targets reprocessing was investigated. These type of fuels consist of a mixture of minor actinides (MA) oxides embedded in an inert (oxide MgO or metallic Mo) matrix. Since the DOS process was developed for reprocessing of oxide type fuels a prior oxidation of Mo into oxide form step must be considered for reprocessing of CERMET. Points to be assessed consist in the reductive extraction behaviour of Mg or Mo in metallic Al and the impact of Mg and Mo on the efficiency of An reductive extraction. The present work aimed at demonstrating the feasibility, or not, to reprocess CERCER and CERMET material using the liquid-liquid pyrochemical extraction process. It aimed also to highlight the key issues that must be optimised to perform such process.
This WP was divided into 3 tasks: one concerns the CERMET conversion into metal in chloride and fluoride salts as a head-end step to further retreat it. Then, the 2nd one is about the Mo species electrochemical properties in chlorides and their impact on the electrorefining process. This experimental study was completed by thermodynamic modelling. In the last task, the impact of Mg and Mo species (oxides and fluorides) from CERCET and CERMET on the liquid-liquid extraction process in molten fluorides was investigated, in terms of extraction efficiency, solubility limits, fusion temperatures and speciation.
In the 1st task, electroreduction of CERMET (CeO2-Mo and UO2-Mo) pellets was investigated.
During electrolyses on CeO2, the potential of the pellet reduction was around the Li+/Li potential. This showed the difficulty of reducing CeO2, which is close to the solvent reduction potential. The reaction mechanism thus might be both the direct electroreduction and a chemical reaction of CeO2 with Li, formed by the decomposition of the solvent. From the results of electroreduction tests, several conclusions can be drawn:
• A high porosity with a minimum of 15 vol.%
• Small pieces, below 1 mm thick are recommended
• A current density between 6-60 mA/cm² has no effect on the reduction yield if the pellet size is small (1 mm thickness is recommended)
• The amount of oxide phase has no impact on the reaction for identical porosities with a foreseeable limit when the oxide phase is no longer present as aggregates in the matrix.
Thanks to these conclusions, a CeO2-Mo was fully reduced into Ce-Mo, demonstrating the possibility to convert oxide into metal. Tests were also performed with a UO2-Mo pellet but due to experimental problems (constant break of the salt container), the results are not available.
The 2nd task was about the electrochemical study of Mo species was performed in chloride salts. A part was related to the modelling of Mo E-pO2- diagram, which is divided into the regions of stability of the pure metal, metal oxide and metal oxychloride. A thorough review of the available literature data has been done to acquire experimental and theoretical information on molybdenum in LiCl-KCl and LiF-AlF3 (determination of stable or unstable species, thermodynamic data). The information on excess Gibbs energy for binary systems together with the information on thermophysical properties of pure compounds was used to study complex systems and the result is presented below in LiCl-KCl at 750K:
Electrochemical measurements on molybdenum electrode in LiCl-KCl and LiCl-KCl-Li2O molten salts at 500°C have been realized. In the two salts, metallic Mo is oxidized into Mo(III). The analysis of the electrochemical results show that chemical reaction with disproportionation of Mo(III) occurs in the salt in presence of oxide ions to produce Mo at higher oxidation states. In anhydrous LiCl-KCl molten salt, metallic Mo is oxidized to Mo(III) which disproportionates to Mo and MoCl4(g). MoCl5 is not stable in the chloride molten salt containing oxide ions or not. The complex Mo electrochemical system can be resumed as:
A very good agreement between the thermodynamic modelling and the experimental results was found. However, regarding the CERMET treatment, the full back-recovery of Mo is not possible, meaning that its direct reprocessing can't be envisaged.
In the 3rd task, the impact of Mg and Mo species (oxides and fluorides) from CERCER and CERMET on the liquid-liquid extraction process in molten fluorides was investigated, in terms of actinides extraction efficiency, solubility limits, fusion temperatures and speciation. By high temperature NMR, additions of MgO in LiF-AlF3 lead to spectra composed of signals corresponding to a mixture of solid and liquid phases. The 17O chemical shift value in solid was measured and an oxygen transfer from Mg to Al was evidenced. The XRD patterns obtained on solidified mixtures after cooling at room temperature confirm the transformation of MgO according to the chemical equilibrium 2AlF3 + 3MgO = Al2O3 + 3MgF2.
Thermodynamic calculations were performed to investigate the following reaction, showing a spontaneous reaction between AlF3 and MgO. Magnesium compounds accumulation in the LiF-AlF3 solvent has also been studied by MgF2 additions at 900°C but no electrochemical change was observed: magnesium ions reduction can't be observed in LiF-AlF3. To conclude, MgF2 presence won't influence the liquid-liquid extraction step as MgF2 is inert with both AlF3 and Al. However, its influence of the bath melting point has to be taken into account. This experiment was initially planned but DSC measurements couldn't be done on such mixtures.
The DOS process was finally tested on a Pu0.5Am0.5O2-MgO CERCER pellet, containing 200 mg of Pu and 200 mg of Am embedded inside 325 mg of MgO. After predissolution step, the salt was recovered with the dissolved actinides. After the liquid/liquid contact, almost all the actinides were reduced and transferred into the metallic phase, e.g. 97% of Am and 99% of Pu. At the same time the quantification indicated that less than 5% of the initial Nd amount and almost no Mg (below detection limit) were found in the metallic phase. These results clearly demonstrate the feasibility of the reprocessing of a CERCER pellet using the DOS process.
The CERMET composed of Mo and An, was investigated to know the behaviour of Mo species during the separation process. Electrochemical studies in LiF-AlF3 eutectic mixtures (85-15 mol% and 65-35 mol%) at 820°C were performed and Mo oxides was added. Unfortunately, due a co-reduction between aluminum ions and molybdenum ions, the reduction mechanism of molybdenum oxide couldn't be found and Al-Mo alloys are formed. The possibility of a pure metallic Mo recovery is then impossible. Moreover, in the liquid-liquid extraction process, the LiF-AlF3 salt is in contact with Al, where molybdate ions will be reduced into the liquid pool. It should thus solidify as the melting temperatures of Al-Mo mixtures are higher than 1000K. Moreover, only a small quantity of An would be transferred in the metallic pool and An would thus remained in the salt.
Mo impact on An extraction efficiency was checked experimentally. It has been observed that U in the metallic phase decreased from 98% (when no Mo is introduced in the crucible) to 44% for a Mo/U ratio equal to 4. Thus, the decrease of extraction efficiency is possibly due to a direct competition between Mo and U reduction by Al. However, thanks to the chemical properties of Mo, an adapted head end step could be proposed in order to remove efficiently more than 99% of Mo. Such removal of Mo should turn possible the application of the pyrochemical process for treatment of CERMET material.
1.2.4 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 24: Safety of pyrochemical process waste
In Task 2.4.1 NNL developed a Molecular Dynamics (MD) salt-zeolite model to assess the energetics of Cs, Na, Li and K occlusion and adsorption. Born-Huggins-Mayer potentials for interactions within a (Li,K)Cl molten salt were implemented with LTA and MOR zeolite frameworks. However, the main findings of the work completed in this programme were:
• In LTA and MOR, insertion of K is always more energetically favourable than Cs
• Also, Cs insertion in MOR is energetically more unfavourable than in LTA;
• However, insertion of K and Na species is also more unfavourable in MOR;
• Hence, a slight increase in Cs adsorption might be seen for MOR compared to LTA.
Following improvements to the experimental set-up, which were validated against similar results obtained in previous projects, a series of ion-exchange trials (see Figure 1) were completed on a selection of the zeolites identified in the MD modelling.
Figure 1 : Summary of SrCl2 ion-exchange experiments using different zeolites
None of the alternative zeolites tested (FAU or MOR frameworks) gave an improvement in the ion-exchange of strontium in LKE compared to the baseline zeolite-4A (LTA). However, significant question marks in the results remain due to experimental discrepancies caused by the use of fine powders vs beads, poor mass balance and high moisture levels in the experimental apparatus.
Overall, the combined results of both modelling and experimental studies indicated that there is unlikely to be a significant improvement in the ion-exchange affinity of aluminosilicate zeolites for Cs and Sr in LKE by modifying the framework structure. Hence, future studies should focus on alternative management options. The salt model should be continued to be developed in terms of general salt properties in order to support this activity, as well as other pyrochemical processing operations.
Also in task 2.4.1 CRIEPI conducted a parameter survey to determine the optimised heating temperature and weight loading for the pressure-less consolidation (PC) of the glass-bonded sodalite (GBS) wasteform for spent (L, K)Cl salt to investigate their influences on properties of the fabricated product. The modified heating conditions are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Modified heating condition for the glass-bonded sodalite (GBS) wasteform
Modified condition Reference condition
(1) Maximum temperature 820°C 915°C
(2) Duration in heating at the maximum temperature 5 hours
(3) Glass ratio of material 25 wt%
(4) Load value of weight 200 g/cm2 70 g/cm2
Powders and coupons of the GBS wasteforms made using the modified heating condition were leach tested in de-ionised water at 70ºC. After leaching, the pH and concentrations of various elements were measured, along with SEM/EPMA analysis of the surface and sections of the coupons. The pHs ranged from ~8.1 to 8.7 after 90 days, with the normalised release rates of relevant elements shown in Figure 2. No dependence on the fabrication conditions was observed, and the values in Figure 2 do not exceed the standard value for typical nuclear waste glass, i.e. 10-3 g/m2/day Si release. For the SEM/EPMA analysis of the coupons, it was shown that the distribution of elements on the surface of the samples was almost uniform and no degradation was recognized.
Figure 2 : Normalised release rate of elements from fabricated waste forms
Also in Task 2.4.1 according to the current knowledge on spent salt treatment using zeolite-A, CRIEPI's flowsheet of a pyro-reprocessing plant was revised. Considering the pre-treatment of zeolite before use, the absorption isotherm of cesium by zeolite-A in molten salt, adhering spent salt on zeolite granules after column operation, and the apparent density of the ceramic waste form, the annual amount of the exhausted salt waste volume was re-evaluated, i.e. about 8.2 kg of REs and 3.2 kg of other FPs are absorbed in the zeolite per day. 176 kg of zeolite is used to immobilize them and 69 kg of glass is also mixed. This yields an annual amount of sodalite waste of ~58 tonnes, or 36 m3 assuming a density of ~1.6 g/cm3.
In Task 2.4.2 the optimum conditions for fabricating a SiO2-Al2O3-P2O5 (SAP)-based wasteform (as developed by KAERI) for immobilizing (Li, K)Cl salt containing various metal cations acting as surrogates for fission products (Rb, Cs, Sr, Ba, La, Ce and Nd) were determined by ENEA. Based on X-ray diffraction, the best SAP:salt ratio was found to be 2:1 heated at 950°C for 30 hours. However, the leach rates from these SAP-(Li, K)Cl wasteforms, as determined by PoliMi, was found to be too high. Hence, SAP-based samples were blended with two types of glass powder, i.e. borosilicate glass (BG) and a commercial glass frit (GF), and heated at 1150°C for 4 hours. From the leach tests results shown in
Figure 3, the GF bonding agent was found to perform the best. Moreover, the leaching behaviour of Salts.SAP.GF samples was compared to that of analogous sodalite-based wasteforms studied within the ACSEPT project. According to the results obtained by PoliMi, the release rate for the elements confined in the SAP matrix is in general lower than that obtained with the sodalite matrix.
Figure 3 : Normalized release of SAP-based samples, not blended and blended with borosilicate glass (BG) and glass frit (GF), leached at 90°C for 7 days
1.3 Main S&T results/foregrounds of Domain 3: Global safety and Integration
Domain 3 has cross cutting objectives that are pertinent to both the pyromettalurgy and aqueous separation activities undertaken within SACSESS. Fundamental understanding and process development are the building blocks from which an industrial process can be formed and this is the focus of domains 1 and 2; but the eventual goal of these activities is to create an industrial process which deploys this research. Industrialisation and engineering disciplines need to evidence the ability to safely operate a chemical process, at scale and also to understand that's its safety is maintained even in the event of maloperations. Additionally to build technical maturity and technical readiness level (TRL's) for a process defining the activities that have been undertaken and that will be required in roadmapping exercises are important tools in industrialisation. It is these activities that are undertaken in this domain. The headline outputs from this period of work were the D3.1.3 Safety report which is the umbrella document from work package 1 and the Roadmap Actinides separation processes 2015" ISBN 9782919313099 which was presented at the Atalante Conference 2016 prior the final meeting of SACSESS and very much appreciated by the audience of the conference.
1.3.1 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 31: Global Safety
The global safety work package focused on undertaking safety assessment of flowsheets developed in Domains 1 and 2. The maturity of the technology within the project is lower than industrial approaches such as HAZOP are initiated at, as they primarily consider the engineering solutions to safety and operability of plant. This work adopted the principals of existing processes and produced a methodology which assesses the scientific flowsheet. The purpose of the activity is not to develop the engineering design but to develop an understanding of how the work in the domains is progressing the state of the art towards a safe system, highlight the areas of risk and inform future research requirements where information deficits exist.
Assessment of a reference pyrochemical flowsheet and a Euro-Ganex flowsheet were undertaken using the methodology produced, encompassing both normal operational considerations and potential mal-operations of the flowsheets. In addition independent assessment of chemical and criticality hazards was undertaken.
The key output document was D3.1.3 SACSESS Completed - Safety Review Summary Report. The output from this report has been used as a key document in shaping a proposed successor program to SACSESS. The output recommendations and potential chemical combination tables for breakthrough during mal-operations summarise the key findings.
No. Recommendation Priority
1 In order to understand the implications of temperature fluctuations in the system it is necessary to know the explosive and flammable properties of TODGA, DEHiBA, DMDOHEMA, BTP & AHA. Therefore further work is required to determine the lower flammability limits of TODGA, DEHiBA, DMDOHEMA, BTP & AHA. High
4 For each of the possible inventory permutations detailed in Table 2 and Table 3 in Appendix 1 (normal operations and mal-operations), the behaviour in the storage tanks needs to be understood with relation to the following safety-critical aspects:
- Radiolysis
- Hydrolysis
- Degradation products
- Chemical reactions
- Chronic precipitation High
5 For the process to be economically viable on a production scale it is necessary to clean up and recycle the spent DEHiBA (Stream 4) for reuse (stream 2). Further work is required to develop this solvent wash process. Once developed a further safety review of this process will also be required. High
6 For the process to be economically viable on a production scale it is necessary to clean up and recycle the spent DMDOHEMA / TODGA solvents (Stream 15) for reuse (Stream 14). Further work is required to develop this solvent wash process. Once developed a further safety review of this process will also be required. High
7 In order to understand the potential toxic and corrosive consequences associated with using nitric acid in conjunction with various other compounds it is necessary to quantitatively understand the potential for NOx generation. Therefore further work is required to determine the location and worst-case rate of evolution of NOx gases throughout the EURO-GANEX process. High
8 Determine the range of concentration ratios at which the chemical processes will work efficiently to define the operating envelope. High
10 Experimental and thermodynamic modelling work should be conducted to define the operating temperature range at which the defined separation factors are valid for each stage of the process (during normal operating conditions and fault conditions), and for the process as a whole. High
12 Determine the location and worst-case rate of evolution of hydrogen from the EURO-GANEX process to allow process venting requirements to be defined to prevent a possible explosive atmosphere. High
13 The formation of an interfacial crud through complex interactions in the PUREX system is known. Investigate the possibility of interfacial crud formation in a GANEX system, the conditions under which it could form and the resulting effects. High
15 Investigate the possibility of Pu deposition in mal-operations temperature and concentrations in the TRU extract and scrub stages. High
2 For industrialisation of this process it will be necessary to understand the toxic properties of TODGA, DEHiBA, DMDOHEMA, BTP & AHA so that the conventional and handling hazards can be suitably managed. Therefore further work is required to determine the toxic properties of TODGA, DEHiBA, DMDOHEMA, BTP & AHA so that they can be categorised in line with European Regulation No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regs). Low
3 The PUREX process has known issues associated with the production of hydrazoic acid, which is handled by Solvent Wash processes. Investigate whether similar issues are likely to be present within the EURO-GANEX system, and methods of treatment if they are. Low
9 Define suitable CFA for each product and waste from the EURO-GANEX process to allow for process parameters (e.g. concentrations and flowrates to be defined). Low
11 Determine the heat generation of product streams to then determine the engineering requirements of storage tanks and subsequent process plant. Low
14 Investigate the possibility of solids deposition due to insolubility in the EURO-GANEX process. Low
Summary Table of High Priority Recommendations for Euro-Ganex development
U FP An Ln DEHiBA DEHiBA Degradation
Products HNO3
Tank U Product ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓
CDTA Mixing ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓
FP ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓
An/Ln Buffer ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
Ln Product ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓
An Product ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
Hydrazine/
Hydrazoic Acid CDTA DMODOHEMA/
TODGA DMODOHEMA/TODGA Degradation Products HNO3/
AHA/BTP
Tank U Product ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
CDTA Mixing ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
FP ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗
An/Ln Buffer ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗
Ln Product ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
An Product ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓
Table 2 - Possible species combinations in the EURO-GANEX process tanks during normal operations (ticks indicate the possible presence of the chemical)
Tank U Product ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
CDTA Mixing ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
FP ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
An/Ln Buffer ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Ln Product ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
An Product ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Tank U Product ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
CDTA Mixing ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗
FP ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗
An/Ln Buffer1
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Ln Product ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
An Product ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Table 3 – Possible species combinations in the EURO-GANEX process tanks during
mal-operations (ticks indicate the possible presence of the chemical)
1.3.2 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 32: Integration
The most promising processes from task 32.1 have been collected in this report and are presented in Figure 4. The scheme aims at presenting the different processes, the country/region of creation, the type (hydro or pyro) and the flow of the processes and the products obtained with each of them.
The processes selected from the mapping in task 32.2 were analysed and the R&D needed for further development identified. A summary is provided below.
- The Euroganex process: The EURO-GANEX is an evolution of the CEA-GANEX. This process was developed in the framework of the FP7 ACSEPT (2008-2012) and further developed in the framework of FP7 SACSESS (2013-2016). Despite the CEA, the process have been developed by JULICH (Germany), KIT (Germany) and is currently under testing at UNISTRA (France), CIEMAT (Spain) and NNL (UK).
- The ExAm Process: The EXAm process is a solvent-extraction process developed in France in the framework of the Waste Management Act from 2006. The process has been studied at Atalante facilities by the "Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives" (CEA). The EXAm process aims at recovering americium alone contained in the PUREX raffinate. The process has been developed in order to reuse the Am with uranium to produce UAmO2 pellets. The main stakeholders involved in the EXAm process development are the CEA Marcoule (chemistry and process development), and the CEA Saclay (analytical purpose).
- The 1c-SANEX process: The 1c-SANEX process (one cycle selective actinide extraction), is a solvent-extraction process developed in the framework of the European ACSEPT project This process has been studied at JÜLICH (Germany) and is currently under study at CTU (Czech Republic), IIC, (Czech Republic), UNISTRA (France), KIT (Germany), POLIMI (Italy), at UNIPR (Italy), ICHTJ (Poland), and ULANC (UK). It aims to extract selectively the minor actinides (Am and Cm) directly from a PUREX raffinate, avoiding the DIAMEX step.
- The electrorefinning process: This process is the result of researches conducted in the framework of the following European project: FP5 PYROREP, FP6 EUROPART and FP7 ACSEPT. The electrorefining process builds on the process proposed by the Argonne National Laboratory to reprocess oxide fuel. The flowsheet was simplified for use with metal fuel, for which a prior reduction step is not necessary. This process is currently under study at ITU (Germany), CEA (France), CNRS (France), ENEA (Italy), POLIMI (Italy), PSI (Switzerland), NNL (UK), UNIMAN (UK), and CRIEPI (Japan).
1.4 Main S&T results/foregrounds of Domain 4: Dissemination, Knowledge Management, Training and Education
Domain 4 contains 3 work packages:
• WP41: Dissemination and Communication, led by LGI
• WP42: Knowledge Management, led by NNL
• WP43: Training and Education, led by Univleeds
1.4.1 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 41: Dissemination and Communication
The following tasks were completed under this work package.
1. Task 4.1.1 Project presentation (LGI, CEA)
2. Task 4.1.2 Communication action plan (LGI, CEA)
• Communication action plan was produced and distributed to the PCC for use on the project.
3. Task 4.1.3 Open website (LGI, CEA)
A website was created with:
• a news & events section;
• a homepage with the last info on the project, editor update;
• a "work with us" section and job offers update;
• Information on SACSESS International Workshops;
• Information on the publication of the SACSESS book;
4. Task 4.1.4 External interaction (LGI, CEA)
• The publication of deliverable D32.1 was at OCDE.
5. Task 4.1.5 Organisation of an international workshop (LGI, CEA)
• Two international workshops (Warsaw, April 22-24 2015 and ATALANTE 2016, June 5-10 2016) were run. The ATALANTE 2016 event included the launch of the SACSESS Book and a book of abstracts for the conference. These Workshop was the corner stone of our programme for the dissemination and education. Indeed, in addition to the high visibility given to the work performed in SACSESS, the floor was widely given to the young generation, both for the oral talks and the chairmanship (in Warsaw) or co-chairmanship (at ATALANTE 2016) of the sessions. Therefore, our young researchers appeared closely in interaction with many recognized international experts with whom they could exchange all along the workshop.
1.4.2 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 42: Knowledge Management
The plan in Work Package 4.2 was to create a chemoinformatics database and a document database. After discussions with SACSESS partners it was decided to make both of these two components available via one interface for ease of access.
Consultations with SACSESS partners took place in Year 1 to ensure that the database fields captured everything deemed of use by the community that would ultimately be using the database. An initial version of the database was then developed in-house by NNL Software Enginneer's and this was presented at the SACSESS meeting in March 2014 for comment. A few improvements were suggested & these were made during the subsequent period of work. This included extending the scope of the project to also include a section for the results from the pyro work. The improved version of the database was then made available for users to test out & feedback received. After a final round of small modifications the database was completed & ready to roll out at the end of 2014.
It has taken a while to sort out & finalise the hosting of the database online as there were questions that needed addressing relating to the location of the database online & related security & access issues. Following the SACSESS meeting in April 2015 it was decided that, for the sustainability of the SACSESS results, and to ensure SACSESS partners have time to input their data after completion of research, that hosting of the database online would be pre-paid and extend for 2 years post the end of SACSESS (i.e. March 2016-March 2018). After this date, the database is frozen & the data collected onto CD & distributed to SACSESS partners.
The backend database is MSSQL Server and it has asp.net MVC application + Lucene index's built on top. The database allows users (once logged in) to add information and search the input information from others across 3 categories : documents, pyro, chemcials.
The database is now online and available to sacsess partners at https://database.sacsess.eu to enter and search for data. A number of moderators have had accounts created across the SACSESS partners that have the ability to perform roles such as invite new users.
1.4.3 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 43: Training and Education
1. WP43.1 Status of the first winter school (NNL, Univleeds, UMAN)
The first school was run on April 7/8th 2014 (M13). The subject was uranium laboratory management and is being hosted by NNL at their Preston Laboratory. Contributions from UNIVLEEDS and UNIMAN provide a university perspective, but the majority of the course was delivered by NNL personnel. A summary of the syllabus is as follows:
Taught Courses Resource
1 Basics of ionizing radiation NNL
2 Classification of working areas NNL
3 Dosimetry NNL
4 Monitoring & contamination management NNL
5 Managing criticality NNL
6 Chemotoxic hazards of Uranium NNL
7 Waste management issues and routes for dealing with effluents NNL
8 Transport of materials containing U INS
9 UK university perspective - working with U in an unsupervised laboratory UNIVLEEDS
10 UK university perspective - working with U in a supervised laboratory UMAN
The course could have accommodated up to 20 students and 15 students attended, from the following institutions:
3 – University of Leeds
2 – University of Manchester
1 – CEA, France
1 - Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany
2 – Chalmers, Sweden
3 – Lancaster University
1 – University of Edinburgh
1 - Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Poland
1 - CIEMAT, Spain
Feedback from the course attendees indicated that it had been a good event to attend, with comments generally indicating that instructions on handling materials had been useful. A comment point raised is that future schools need to take account of is that attendees wanted more on the chemistry and behaviour of the materials in question.
An overall view of the school is given in the following figure.
2. WP43.2 Status of the second winter school (Univleeds, Chalmers)
The second school was run on the 4th to the 8th May 2015 (M25). The subject was plutonium laboratory management and was hosted by Chalmers, who provided all the school materials, practical sessions and staff.
Lectures included, an introduction to plutonium, Plutonium analysis and detection and radiation protection
Students took part in three practical sessions, using plutonium, in Chalmers laboratories:
• Plutonium oxidation and extraction
• Separation of plutonium and americium
• Uranium oxide fuel production by the sol gel method
The school was attended by 11 students, from the following institutions:
1. Dominic Laventine Lancaster University
2. Elizabeth Howett Lancaster University
3. Suzanne Buckmaster Lancaster University
4. Holger Schmidt Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
5. James Goode University of Leeds
6. Jess Shiels University of Leeds
7. Charlotte Parrington University of Leeds
8. Pavel Bartl CTU
9. Iveta Pelikanova CTU
10. Annalisa Ossola Politecnico di Milano
11. Jessica Bruin Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group
Feedback from the school attendees indicated that it had been a good event to attend, with comments indicating that the opportunity to work with plutonium, in laboratory conditions, had been great. The students also indicated that all the staff at Chalmers had been very welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful.
3. WP43.3 Status of the third winter school (Univleeds)
A third "Winter" school was planned for the 27th to 29th June 2016, hosted by the University of Leeds.
The subject of the workshop was to be experimental design, analysis and optimisation. The workshop was to include a mix of lectures, laboratory exercises and modelling and be of particular use to researchers involved in experimental programmes linked to process development. A summary of the programme was:
• Day 1 – Introductory lectures and background, laboratory planning and then start of laboratory exercises.
• Day 2 – completion of laboratory exercises and data analysis
• Day 3 –laboratory and modelling exercise to link to processing and multiphase mass transfer.
The workshop had been developed from a series of similar exercises run by the University of Leeds for Astra Zeneca to optimise research on new pharmaceutical compounds.
Unfortunately, due to a low number of registrations (2) the PCC decided to cancel the school
4. WP43.4 Status on student exchange (Univleeds)
SACSESS created 30 travel grants, worth €1000 (including indirect costs). These were offered to Post Graduate and Graduate researchers/students to support travel to training and education events. A maximum of 2 grants per partner, per event, were offered and were awarded by the SACSESS PCC after a selection process.
Only training and education events that were sponsored or supported by SASCESS were eligible. The first eligible event was the SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw 22-24 April. Afterwards applications were accepted on an ad-hoc basis.
In total, eleven grants were awarded, for a total of €11600.
Details of the grants are:
Researcher Name Organisation SACSESS contact Purpose Amount awarded
Nadya Rauff-Nisthar Lancaster University, UK Colin Boxall SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Lukasz Steczek Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Poland Jerzy Narbutt SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Ana Núñez CIEMAT, Spain Hitos. Galán SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Peter Kaufholz Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany Giuseppe Modolo SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Holger Schmidt Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany Giuseppe Modolo SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Gregory Horne University of Manchester, UK Simon Pimblott SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
James Westwood University of Reading, UK Laurence Harwood SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Andy Smith University of Reading, UK Laurence Harwood SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Johal Sukhraaj Lancaster University, UK Colin Boxall SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Ossola Annalisa Politecnico di Milano Mario Mariani SACSESS International Workshop in Warsaw, April 2015 € 1,000
Tomas Koubsky Czech Technical University,Prague Jan John Radical Behavior workshop at the Idaho National Laboratory € 1,600
TOTAL = € 11,600
The Fukushima Dai-ichi accident in March 2011 has reopened the debate about the practicability and safety of nuclear energy use. The extraordinary meeting of the European Energy Council held in Brussels on 21st March 2011 pointed out that it is absolutely necessary for the EU to understand how safe its nuclear plants actually are. In fact, an assessment, a so-called "stress test", was proposed in order to ascertain how resistant plants are to both natural disasters, for example earthquakes or floods, and to man-made problems such as technical error and a loss of power in the reactors, as well as a terrorist attack of a technical nature. Such a series of assessments would help to increase protection, but would not completely eliminate the risk of an incident comparable to that which occurred 25 years ago in Chernobyl, for example.
Nevertheless, nuclear power is and remains a resource which that is capable of guaranteeing a higher quantity of energy at an acceptable expense, but at the same time involves inevitable risk. Human error and natural disaster are variables which must always be considered; as the well-documented events at Fukushima and Chernobyl have shown, the consequences can be dramatic. Then there is the eternal problem of how to dispose of nuclear waste. Here also safety is a key issue, not only for the final disposal repository design but also all along the process that leads to the fabrication of this ultimate waste form, including the safety of the separation processes when implemented through a fuel cycle strategy.
Presently, the European nuclear consortium leads to the annual production of 1800-2000 t/y of spent fuel, containing approximately 20 t of Plutonium, 2,8 t of minor actinides (MA, namely Np, Am, Cm) and 2,5 t of long-lived fission products (LLFPs). These MA and LLFPs stocks need to be managed in an appropriate way. The spent fuel reprocessing followed by the geological disposal or the direct geological disposal are today the envisaged solutions depending on national fuel cycle options and waste management policies. Required time scale for the geological disposal exceeds our accumulated technological knowledge and this raises problems of public acceptance. P&T has been pointed out in numerous studies and more recently in the frame of the Generation IV initiative as the strategy that can relax the constraints on the geological disposal, and reduce the monitoring period to technological and manageable time scales, whatever in the case a nuclear industry development or a phase-out of nuclear. If scientific and technical solutions are now available, their safety has to be assessed to allow their development at a higher scale.
The nuclear community also has to demonstrate that it is possible to manage safely a post-accidental situation, allowing the safe decommissioning and dismantling of the damaged facilities with the production of waste that can be safely managed in the longer term. By working in close connection with Japan, Europe has an important role to play and will definitely benefit from this new knowledge.
SACSESS has contributed to address these key issues at a high level and helps Europe to hold a top level position in this domain.
Moreover, beyond sharing national experience, it is essential for Europe actively to participate in longer term international efforts to prepare the future in order to perpetuate competences in the field of actinide sciences, chemical separation and fuel fabrication processes in order to be able to ensure the safety of the chemical processes developed.
List of Websites:
www.sacsess.eu
final1-sacsess-r01-3-rev-0-final-periodic-report-20161005.pdf | is dedicated to global safety and integration whereby safety case studies is performed on each process concept to identify the weak points in order to give feedback and reorient the experimental program. Integration studies will gather all the results to deliver optimized process flowsheets.
With the help of TSOs and with feedback from safety analyses, specific methodologies were developed during the first period and have been applied to these processes in order to identify safety issues and then to optimise these processes through specific workshops. On the second period, all work streams were continuation of work undertaken during the previous period. This occurred with minimal changes in the strategy and achieved work in line with the declared deliverables. The headline outputs from this period of work were the D3.1.3 Safety report which is the umbrella document from work package 1 and the Roadmap Actinides separation processes 2015" ISBN 9782919313099 which was presented at the Atalante Conference 2016 prior the final meeting of SACSESS and very much appreciated by the audience of the conference.
Our training and education programme aims to share the knowledge among communities and generations in order to militate against the decline of students, teachers and research experts in the nuclear domain and maintain nuclear expertise at the fore-front of Europe to prepare for the dynamic knowledge-based society. This programme is implemented in close connection with other European initiatives (such as CINCH), and addresses the safety issues of nuclear energy in chemical treatments. The second school co-organised with ASGARD was run on the 4th to the 8th May 2015 (M25). The subject was plutonium laboratory management and was hosted by Chalmers, who provided all the school materials, practical sessions and staff. Lectures included among others plutonium analysis and detection and radiation protection. Students took part in three practical sessions, using plutonium, in Chalmers laboratories. The school was attended by 11 students, from Lancaster University, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, University of Leeds, CTU, Politecnico di Milano and Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group
Nuclear power plays a key role in limiting the EU's emissions of greenhouse gases, and makes an important contribution to improving the European Union's independence, security and diversity of energy supply. However, its social acceptance is inextricably linked to enhanced safety management and to a safe management of long-lived radioactive waste contributing to resource efficiency and cost-effectiveness of this energy and ensuring a robust and socially acceptable system of protection of man and the environment against the effects of ionising radiation.
Amongst the different strategies studied to manage safely the long-lived radioactive waste, partitioning and transmutation allows a reduction of the amount, the radiotoxicity and the thermal power of these wastes, leading to an optimal use of the geological repository sites.
Within ACSEPT, several aqueous partitioning processes were selected and developed up to scientific feasibility, through hot-tests. These processes involved new extracting or complexing organic molecules and new diluents. To be developed further, these processes have required a comprehensive study of the multiform safety issues, under operation conditions or maloperation.
Table: ACSEPT reference systems to be studied in SACSESS; status of knowledge.
Reference compound → TODGA CyMe4-BTBP Hydro-BTP HEDTA
DTPA
Alternative → TWE21 CA-BTP Pytritetraol
Chemical issues
radiolytic/hydrolytic stability of the system done done TBD* n/a**
identification of degradation products done TBD TBD* n/a**
impact of deg.pro. on extraction/separation TBD TBD TBD* n/a**
clean-up of solvent or An strip phase TBD TBD TBD* n/a**
Downstream effects TBD TBD TBD ?
Process issues
loading (and impact on performance) partly done partly done TBD ?
physico-chemical stability
(3rd phase, precipitation) partly done TBD TBD ?
transfer kinetics (and impact on performance) partly done done TBD ?
losses to second phase partly done TBD TBD ?
Note that "done" or "partly done" refers only to the reference system as studied in ACSEPT. Modifications to the system (e.g. different diluent, alternative extracting or complexing agent) may require performing these studies on the modified system.
done = studies already performed in ACSEPT or elsewhere (however not for the alternative system)
TBD = to be done
n/a = does not apply
*if hydro-BTP is to be recycled
**complexing agent is not recycled, hence damage is expected to be negligible
? = check data availability
This implies a better understanding of the chemical systems involved and the need to enhance the future process operation at the industrial level. SACSESS will address these issues. These are (i) TODGA based systems (co-extracting An(III) and Ln(III) in i-SANEX or GANEX processes); (ii) CyMe4-BTBP based systems (r-SANEX, 1c-SANEX and CHALMEX systems selectively extracting An(III) either directly from PUREX raffinate or from the An(III) + Ln(III) product solution coming from a TODGA process); (iii) hydro-BTP based systems (i-SANEX systems selectively stripping An(III) from a loaded TODGA phase using water soluble BTP); (iv) systems based on "TALSPEAK"-chemistry (i-SANEX systems selectively stripping An(III) from a loaded TODGA phase using DTPA or HEDTA).
For each chemical system, parameters involved in safety case analysis must be studied, such as radiolytic solvent stability, solvent clean-up, management of the secondary wastes, physico-chemical solvent stability, loading capacity, and kinetics. The behaviour of the extractants, complexants, diluents all together (solvent stability) are also key information that need to be validated in process conditions, but also out of these operation ranges (mal-operation), in order to identify the weak points and find solutions to assess the safety of the processes. Furthermore, a list of transversal key issues has been established. For each system, this will allow us to define the studies needed to be able to optimise the processes and assess their safety. The table above summarizes the chemical systems and the parameters.
In the field of process operation, the simulation of these systems must be developed from the chemistry to the process, allowing a better and safer management of the plant in the longer term. This includes multiscale modelling, radiolysis modelling and process modelling. In addition, new online monitoring techniques are required, allowing a fine tuning of the plant operation parameters.
In parallel, an alternative process to those already developed should be developped, allowing the partitioning of americium alone, reducing the hazards related to the handling of curium in fuel for enhanced safety. As far as possible, the most promising systems already identified must be adapted to meet the requirements of such a process and optimised. Solubility issues, kinetics, loading capacities are important data to assess the safety of this new process.
All the new generated data will be integrated thanks to flowsheeting and system studies to allow a feedback to the R&D programme and an assessment of the global safety of the designed processes.
In pyrochemistry, SACSESS focuses on the recovery of MA from of metallic fuels and inert matrix transmutation targets. Results, experiences and knowledge gained in the previous ACSEPT program are a strong basis that will be exploited to modify and optimise the studied molten salt separation processes on a safety basis.
To optimise the work and develop this safety approach at a larger scale, this work is associated to a Russian research project supported by ROSATAM and dealing with some common issues. Within ACSEPT and former European projects, two processes were identified and further developed at the lab scale. Thanks to this work, today, the electrorefining process on aluminium can be considered as an alternative to the IFR concept process (based on U electrorefining on inert cathode and transuranics recovery on liquid cadmium cathode) for the treatment of metallic fuels. The liquid-liquid reductive extraction process in molten fluoride/liquid aluminium is more specifically dedicated to the treatment of refractory oxide fuels. In addition, oxide reduction electrochemical processes could allow the treatment of oxide fuels by electrorefining. Specific salt treatment for recycling and waste conditioning were also proposed
However, at this stage, some safety issues have to be addressed. The first ones are those related to the use of molten salts and liquid metals at high temperature. Data are still lacking in the literature to have a relevant understanding of the systems. The physico-chemical behaviour that impacts the chemical safety (solubility, volatility, influence of oxygen ingress, heat capacity, viscosity, etc) both in chloride and in fluoride is stioll unknown. The experimental program addresses specifically the gaps in knowledge for the selected chemical systems. Online monitoring development is also of a primary importance for a future industrial implementation both for safety and safeguards issues.
In addition, for each selected process and each step, parameters that can impact the safety must be identified and studied. This includes risks of accumulation of an element in liquid or solid phase, of precipitation, of formation of volatile species... Molten salt modelling must also be developed, first to help to calculate physico-chemical parameters and reduce the number of necessary complex experiments and second, to develop the modelling of pyrochemical processes in the longer term.
As in the aqueous separation domain, all the new generated data will be integrated to allow a feedback to the R&D programme and an assessment of the global safety of the designed processes.
The safety issues related to process development are also be addressed. On the basis of the two processes already developed in ACSEPT, the key steps will be further studied taking into account the specificity of the fuels to be reprocessed and the impact of specific parameters on safety will be studied in order to optimise these processes. For example, the behaviour of inert matrices (MgO, Mo) in the chemical separation steps is not well known. The impact of these matrices on process performances and safety will be studied at the head-end steps (e;g; oxide reduction to metal) and in the reference process cores, both in chloride and fluoride media.
The conditioning of the used molten salts (chloride and fluoride) and/or or other process chemicals (metals...) into waste streams suitable for a safe storage/repository will also be considered, including the impact of matrix material.
With all the above studies, being driven by safety considerations, a specific domain will be dedicated to global safety and integration whereby safety case studies will be performed on each process concept to identify the weak points in order to give feedback and reorient the experimental program. Integration studies will gather all the results to deliver optimized process flowsheets.
With the help of TSOs and with feedback from safety analyses, specific methodologies will be developed and applied to these processes in order to identify safety issues and then to optimise these processes. In addition, all the results will be integrated to optimise the flowsheets, to perform system studies and will ensure the link with other projects and initiatives to ensure the relevance of the SACSESS research program.
Knowledge management will also be carefully considered. A great deal of knowledge and data have been generated during past and current research projects. Yet no tool exists currently to allow an optimal use if this knowledge. In the first instance the cheminformatics database will focus primarily on molecules used within the ACSEPT programme with a view to being expanded thereafter. Similarly, many relevant internal reports, journal papers, conference proceedings, and other text documents are contained in various locations and a searchable web based repository is proposed to provide users with a route to search easily for relevant documentation. Such repositories will provide an invaluable tool for the nuclear stakeholder community to quickly determine past work, avoid replication and thereby improve efficiency.
A training and education programme will be carried out which aims to share the knowledge among communities and generations in order to militate against the decline of students, teachers and research experts in the nuclear domain and maintain nuclear expertise at the fore-front of Europe to prepare for the dynamic knowledge-based society. This programme will be implemented in close connection with other European initiatives (such as CINCH), and will address the safety issues of nuclear energy in chemical treatments. In the continuation of the successful initiatives applied in ACSEPT, student exchanges, support to student participation to international conferences or summer/winter schools, invitation of international experts to specific SACSESS training sessions will be continued.
These challenging objectives are be addressed by a multidisciplinary consortium composed of European universities, nuclear research bodies, public authorities and industrial stakeholders. This consortium will generate fundamental safety improvements on the future design of an Advanced Processing Unit and bring a significant help to Japan in order to manage Fukushima corium in the best conditions in the future. SACSESS will thus be an essential contribution to the demonstration, in the longer term, of the potential benefits of actinide partitioning to the global safety of the long-lived waste management and will give to a safe management of corium.
For several decades, studies have been carried out in Europe to develop a reliable management of nuclear waste. An alternative to the direct underground disposal of spent fuel is the partitioning of actinides including the minor actinides and their transmutation. This strategy would allow a significant reduction of the radiotoxicity and the heat load of the ultimate waste and therefore an enhance safety of their management. However, such a development will only be achievable if the separation processes requested to implement this strategy are themselves demonstrated as safe for both the public at large, those living around the plants and the workers in the plants.
Two technologies have been studied so far to achieve actinide separation:
• Aqueous separation processes that benefit from more than 60 years of research and development and a long-lasting proven experience at the industrial level,
• Pyrochemical processes, first studied in the 50-60s for the treatment of spent fuel from Molten Salt Reactors and Breeder Reactors and - more recently - with a renewed interest at the end of the 80s, for specific applications, but without reaching industrial development level.
SACSESS further developed the separation processes selected within former European projects both with aqueous and pyro separation by focusing on the assessment and the improvement of their safety including maloperation.
1.1 Main S&T results/foregrounds of Domain 1: Hydrometallurgy
The SACSESS Hydrometallurgy Domain addressed the safety of operation of hydrometallurgical separations processes for actinides. This was achieved by investigating relevant aspects such as the stability of process chemicals, the impact of degradation products, radiolytic hydrogen generation (see WP 11), loading and solubility issues, transfer kinetics (see WP 12) among others. Models for calculating distribution ratios were improved or established and implemented into flow-sheet codes, micro electrodes for on-line monitoring were developed, see WP 13.
Building on the results from previous projects (ACSEPT, EUROPART and earlier projects), the portfolio was restricted to several reference extracting and complexing agents (including back-up solutions) to be applied for the reference European processes, r-/i-/1c-SANEX and EURO-GANEX. One novel process route not studied so far in European projects, the direct extraction of only Am(III) from PUREX or COEX raffinate, was also studied and developed, see WP 14.
The reference extracting and complexing agents, TODGA, CyMe4-BTBP, SO3-Ph-BTP were considered the benchmark. From the back-up compounds, TWE-21, CyMe4-BTPhen, CA-BTP and PyTri-Diol (see the schemes below), only PyTri-Diol proved to be a viable alternative. The other compounds did not turn out to surpass the reference compounds. The more widely used compounds, DTPA, HEDTA and CDTA, were also studied.
Non-specific An/Ln extracting agents, TODGA and TWE-21.
Selective An extracting agents, CyMe4-BTBP, CyMe4-BTPhern and CA-BTP.
Selective An stripping agents, SO3-Ph-BTP and PyTri-Diol.
Aqueous phase ligands, DTPA, HEDTA and CDTA.
A further topic related to the safety of the fuel cycle was addressed, namely the handling of curium. While curium does not significantly contribute to long term radiotoxicity and heat load its short term behaviour poses problems during fuel fabrication. A solution would be routing curium to the high level waste rather than recycling it in the fuel cycle. This requires separating Cm(III) from Am(III), preferably in an upstream process extracting only Am(III) from a PUREX or COEX raffinate, routing curium with the fission products. Two compounds for selectively stripping only Am(III) were considered for developing an Am-only process, EURO-EXAm. These are TPAEN and SO3-Ph-BTBP (see structures below). The former was finally selected for process development and demonstration, see WP 14.
Am(III) selective stripping agents, TPAEN and SO3-Ph-BTBP.
20 deliverables related to Domain 1 were prepared and submitted, compiling the scientific progress achieved in the Hydrometallurgy domain of SACSESS.
A highlight within Domain 1 is the establishment of a formal collaboration between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and SACSESS. Three joint workshops were organised and two joint experiments were performed within this collaboration. Workshops on americium separation chemistry, on kinetics and on radiation chemistry were held. An experiment on the irradiation of the SO3-Ph-BTP/TODGA i SANEX system developed in ACSEPT was performed at Idaho National Laboratory's irradiation loop; a spiked counter-current flow-sheet test utilising the Advanced TALSPEAK system developed by US scientists was performed at JUELICH. This collaboration has been a true success; we hope to be able to extend it into the future.
1.1.1 Main S&T results/foregrounds of WP 11: Safety of chemical systems
1.1.1.1 Introduction
WP 11 focused on the safety of the chemical systems, non-specific An/Ln extracting agents, selective An extracting agents, selective An stripping agents and aqueous phase ligands. The systems' chemical and radiolytic stability was studied and degradation products were identified. The impact of degradation products on distribution ratios, loading and phase behaviour was studied. Furthermore, the radioloytic hydrogen generation due to irradiation of several solvents and diluents was quantified. Another topic was the decomposition of ligands which could interfere with downstream processes. Finally, a maloperation scenario flow-sheet was performed.
1.1.1.2 Non-specific An/Ln extracting agents
The selected non-specific An/Ln extracting agents in this project are TODGA and TWE-21 which are proposed for use in the i-SANEX, GANEX and EXAm processes. Among the key features studied are: extraction enthalpy, hydrogen gas evolution and radiolytic degradation products.
Studies of hydrogen evolution due to alpha and gamma radiolysis of TODGA solutions in n-dodecane were undertaken, showing that the hydrogen yield does not significantly depend on TODGA or organic phase HNO3 concentration or on the presence of a small 1-octanol volume fraction. However, hydrogen yield was lower than that from n-dodecane without TODGA.
Degradation products of both TODGA and TWE-21 were identified, synthesised and studied regarding complexing and extracting properties towards metal ions as a function of nitric acid concentration. Two TODGA degradation products showed to have significant extraction properties towards actinide and lanthanide ions. Some degradation products extract other fission products, potentially reducing decontamination factors. Amine degradation products may cause solubility issues. It is recommended that these degradation products be removed during solvent clean-up.
A microcalorimetry extraction procedure was developed in order to facilitate accurate determination of thermodynamic entities during an extraction process. The extraction enthalpy was measured for both TODGA and TWE-21 together with neodymium in a nitrate solution by the above mentioned method, showing a similar behaviour for the two ligands. The extraction process is in both cases enthalpically driven and the enthalpy value is lower for TWE-21 than for TODGA.
1.1.1.3 Selective An extracting agents
The selective An extracting agents studied in WP 11 are CyMe4-BTBP and CyMe4-BTPhen which are proposed for r-SANEX, 1c-SANEX, CHALMEX and EXAm processes. Predominately irradiation studies were performed to investigate the different extracting agents' behaviour.
Gamma irradiation studies of CyMe4-BTBP and CyMe4-BTPhen dissolved in 1-octanol were performed both in the presence and in the absence of an aqueous phase containing nitric acid. While in the absence of nitric acid Am(III) and Eu(III) extraction drastically deteriorated, no (CyMe4-BTBP) or only a small (CyMe4-BTPhen) effect was detected. This is despite the fact that the extracting agents concentration was reduced to ≈ 50 % (CyMe4-BTBP) or ≈ 10 % (CyMe4-BTPhen) after 300 kGy. A tentative explanation for this behaviour is the formation of extracting agent-diluent adducts having extraction properties similar to those of the original extracting agents.
Several studies with CyMe4-BTBP and CyMe4-BTPhen dissolved in various cyclohexanone based diluents were performed. The major degradation products actually are adducts formed by reactions between CyMe4-BTBP or CyMe4-BTPhen and reactive intermediates from diluent degradation.
Phenyltrifluorometyl sulfone (FS-13) was investigated together with CyMe4-BTBP as well as CyMe4-BTBP and TBP. Promising results were found for both hydrolytic and radiolytic stability. Preliminary electrochemical studies on its redox stability showed FS-13 to have a large solvent window against Ag/AgNO3.
Decomposition of CyMe4-BTPhen was generated using electron beam irradiation, showing that the reaction of CyMe4-BTPhen with solvated electrons and H· is two possible paths of ligand degradation. Second order rate constant were determined for the reactions as well as the rate constant of the CyMe4-BTPhen reaction with ketyl radicals.
Finally, it was demonstrated that the hydrogen generation from irradiation of 1-octanol was slightly lower than from irradiation of kerosene.
1.1.1.4 Selective An stripping agents
Work on the selective actinide stripping agents focused on SO3-Ph-BTP and PyTri-Diol that have applications in i SANEX and GANEX processes. The research aimed to identify degradation and the impact of degradation products and safety related issues such as radiolytic generation of gases and stainless steel corrosion.
Radiation degradation experiments of SO3-Ph-BTP in the aqueous phase showed that ≈ 90% of the molecule are degraded following gamma irradiation with 250 kGy in closed vials, despite its very good chemical stability. In contrast, SO3-Ph-BTP did not show signs of degradation following gamma irradiation with 175 kGy in presence of the organic phase and of oxygen, i. e. under conditions more similar to those encountered in a process. The latter experiments were performed in an irradiation loop setup at Idaho National Laboratory in the framework of a DOE-SACSESS collaboration.
Several samples of PyTri-Diol solutions were irradiated to a total absorbed doses or either 100 kGy or 200 kGy. The stability is sufficient for allowing further work towards a process development using PyTri-Diol as an actinide stripping agent.
Electrochemical corrosion experiments on 304L and 316L steels in the presence of SO3-Ph-BTP revealed that SO3-Ph-BTP inhibits secondary steel passivation to the same degree as AHA, driving trans-passive dissolution. Trans-passive dissolution of SS304L and SS316L steels is enhanced using both AHA and SO3-Ph-BTP together, compared to experiments in the presence of AHA or SO3-Ph-BTP. The surface roughness increased significantly and the surface started showing early signs of pitting corrosion.
1.1.1.5 Aqueous phase ligands
The aqueous phase ligands studied in this project are different stripping or masking agents such as HEDTA, DTPA, CDTA, glycolic acid, citric acid and oxalic acid. These have applications in i-SANEX, GANEX and EXAm processes.
Decomposition studies in nitric acid under refluxing conditions showed that oxalic acid was completely decomposed in 12 mol/L HNO3 at 115 °C after 5 h. HEDTA and DTPA were quickly destroyed. However, acetic and formic acid which are degradation products are quite stable and could accumulate under evaporator conditions. The same is true for glycolic and citric acid. Additional treatment with H2O2 may be required to reduce remaining TOC.
Residual Nd(III) sol | 5,405 |
Previous Björn Braun at KunsthausBaselland, Basel
Next "Let's Be Honest, The Weather Helped": Walid Raad
Simone Forti, installation view at Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel, 2019
Photo: Gina Folly
Simone Forti Zuma News, 2013
Courtesy: the artists and The Box, Los Angeles
Simone Forti A Free Consultation, 2016
Simone Forti at KunsthausBaselland, Basel
Simone Forti (b. 1935 in Florence, lives in Los Angeles) has, since the 1960s, been one of the<|fim_middle|> of Minimal Art. The situations thus brought about by the artist enable a new perspective on the relationship between sculpture and movement, body and object, as well as the history of dance and art.
In her performance Huddle, one of her most popular works, which will be shown during the exhibition at the Kunsthaus, a group of people forms a sculpture in which the combined strength comes into play. Among her best-known works are minimal objects in simple materials, the famous Dance Constructions (1960/61), which were first performed in New York and which, in the meantime, have become part of the Museum of Modern Art in New York's collection. As Simone Forti can no longer carry out her performances herself, Claire Filmon and Sarah Swenson, who have studied with Forti for many years, have trained local dancers or art and dance students in these performances and will perform them together. For Forti this is an opportunity to communicate her work and experience to a younger generation and bring it into the future.
Although Simone Forti has always had an important connection with Switzerland, her work has to date only been shown in group exhibitions. The Kunsthaus Baselland is now honouring her with a first solo exhibition in Switzerland. A broad spectrum of works in video, drawing and installation will be shown, complemented with performances.
At KunsthausBaselland, Basel
Until 7 July 2019 | most avant-garde international performance, dance and video artists. At the end of the 1930s she had to flee from Italian antisemitism, emigrating with her family to the USA via Bern. There she decisively marked Postmodern dance and has, ever since, been called one of the trail-blazers of Minimal Art. Forti describes herself less as a performance artist but rather as a movement artist. At the centre of her work is the idea of what we might know about things through our bodies. Alongside mentors Anna Halprin, as well as Robert Dunn, a student of John Cage, Forti engaged intensively with questions of corporal perception as well as challenging the influence of composition on series of movements – mostly movements taken from everyday life. Central for her work are experimentation and improvisation, which can emerge from the moment.
Collaboration with artists, such as musicians including Charlemagne Palestine, Peter Van Riper, Steve Paxton and Yvonne Rainer and others, is a continuous thread through her practice. In her work, which continues to develop to this day, and which consists of film, video and photography, as well as installation, drawings and text, she continually returns to the question of one's own movement in space. In the process, within this body work, she tests how we engage with media and politics and questions the behaviour we engage in when in direct interaction with one another. The performances are usually marked by requiring only minimal equipment, such as steep ramps, ropes and simple wooden constructions, which are moved and activated by the co-performers. Simple movements and the accidental too play as important a role as the relationship between body and object – therein Forti already anticipated the key thrust | 354 |
100 Years, 100 Authors, 100 Stories
Home ראשי
Yehoshua Paul
Welcome to The Sixties!
Vive la révolution! The sixties have arrived and with them a long list of cultural and national revolutions that will reshape the world – and science fiction and fantasy.
"The thing the sixties<|fim_middle|>All-in all, there is a lot to look forward to in the next decade, and I've got a line of amazing books I can't wait to read by a host of amazing authors.
#thejourneycontinues
1963 - Planet of The Apes
2020 - Three More Stops
1962 - תמיד גרנו בטירה
©2019 by Sefer HaOmer ספר העומר. Proudly created with Wix.com | did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility." (John Lennon)
In the West, the younger generation is ready for change, and they're doing a pretty good job in bringing it about. People are fed up with the conservative, consumerist establishment that is sending them off to die in foreign wars, while suppressing every dissenting idea and discriminating against minorities. It's time to change, and oh does society change!
As the era unfolds we get to witness the sexual revolution, second-wave feminism, widespread opposition to the war in Vietnam, and civil rights for Black Americans, Hispanic Americans and LGBTs.
The rights movements do more than fight for formal rights though. They introduce a new paradigm change – pride. Instead of arguing that minorities are no different than anyone else, they hammer forth the point that Blacks, Hispanics and LGBT have a right to be different and work to actively foster pride in their identity.
But it's more than just pride that is firing people's hearts. A new dynamic subculture that celebrates experimentation is evolving and we get to see a rise in alternative lifestyles, such as hippie culture which celebrates free love, experimental drugs, tie-die clothes, wearing flowers in their hair, and being happy.
New subcultures need new music, and those of the sixties are no different. Bob Dylan and Harry Belafonte introduce an American folk music revival. Other popular genres include girl groups, surf music, Motown, and novelty songs. Meanwhile rock and roll is kept alive by the Beatles who play raucous music and wear leather jackets. In 1964, after an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, they will infect the United States with Beatlemania, and make mop-top haircuts a thing.
The new era brings with it new possibilities and hope for a better world – in the West. However, in the rest of the world, the wars and revolutions are still there. They never really had a chance to go away.
Faces of Buddhas were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution
"The sixties were characterized by a heady belief in instantaneous solutions." (Audre Lorde)
The world experiences some very significant national revolutions and wars and they begin pretty much immediately when on May 27, 1960 in Turkey Cemal Gürsel and Cemal Madanoğlu overthrow the government of Adnan Menderes. They're followed by:
1961 and 1963 – Two coups in South Korea and South Vietnam that lead to a temporary military rule
1967 – In Greece, a bunch of colonels decide that they want a military dictatorship.
1967 – Israel wins the Six-day war gaining control of its historic heartland and a hostile Palestinian population.
1969 – Muammar Gadaffi overthrows the monarchy in Libya and establishes a fake republic.
Other important events include the Cultural Revolution in China and the acceleration of the Decolonization movement. The Cultural Revolution is Mao Zedong's purge of everyone who disagrees with him from Chinese society, which results in quite a few massacres and cannibalism, and does a pretty good job of sending the country back to the stone age. In Africa, 32 more countries gain independence before descending into anarchy, kleptocracy, dictatorships, and/or civil war – issues that plague the continent to this day.
All of these events, the counterculture movements and trends of the West, as well as the wars and revolutions of the rest of the world are faithfully recorded in the period's art, literature, television and movies – including science fiction and fantasy.
"The sixties in science fiction were an exciting period for both established and new writers and readers. All the doors seemed to be opening." (Ursula K. Le Guin)
The Sixties do not skip over science fiction. During this era, the New Wave, the genre is characterized by a large amount of experimentation in both form and content, and the focus shifts from hard science fiction to soft science fiction. This means that we got to see a lot more works that explore social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, and that the requirement that stories be scientifically accurate or plausible is relaxed.
New Worlds magazine, edited by Michael Moorcock, is the biggest source of New Wave science fiction. Moorcock wants to define a new role for the genre. He feels it lacks "passion, subtlety, irony, original characterization, original and good style, a sense of involvement in human affairs, colour, density, depth, and, on the whole, real feeling from the writer." His stories and those of many others are less inspired by their predecessors and more a reaction against them.
The New Wave also introduces a greater variety of voices into science fiction, such as Samuel R. Delany, one of the earliest black science fiction authors. There is also a rise in the number of female writers, and we now get to read Joanna Russ, Ursula K. Le Guin and James Tiptree Jr. Much of the work produced by these authors will end up winning well-deserved Hugos and Nebulas, providing mainstream recognition to the shift in the genre's direction.
The changes brought about by the New Wave also affect the subjects the stories are focusing on. There is now a lot less galactic wars and aliens and a lot more drugs and bedroom encounters. Experiences are now just as important as discoveries.
Some good examples of these stories are:
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick, which is set in a future where Martian miners become addicted to a drug that allows them to share the experiences of female characters in simulated realities
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin about a man whose dreams can alter reality and how comes under the sway of a charismatic psychiatrist.
Behold the Man by Michael Moorcock about a man who travels back to the time of Christ only to end up disappointed.
When it comes to fantasy, I don't think there is anything that characterizes the genre as a whole. Except that there is now more of it, although it is still largely aimed at children and young adult audiences.
However, even in this genre, we can still feel the mark of the Sixties. For example, in A Wizard of Earthsea Ursula K. Le Guin deliberately makes Ged, the protagonist, brown-skinned, and his friend, Vetch, Black. Meanwhile, the Kargish villains are white.
| 1,343 |
#Cloud Security #Managed Service Providers
By Denisa Dragomir / Apr 07, 2014
Wary or Wise? Which side of the Cloud are you?
March was quite a prolific month for dominant players in the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) space. Recently, the public cloud pioneer Amazon Web<|fim_middle|> post.
You're invited to comment and share your thoughts about public cloud security – are you wary or wise? Let us know.
Why customers will expect 'better' of the security CSPs provide
US Secret Service Warns of Attacks on MSPs | Services entered the Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) market by announcing general availability for AWS Workspaces.
The newly-launched service offers four bundles of prebuilt software that is instrumental for the end-user experience. Licensing consists of flat monthly fees for each bundle, and among the cool stuff under the hood you'll get coverage for mobile devices, Active Directory, PC-over-IP (PCoIP) support, persistent storage, and data encryption.
On top of it all, AWS-tailored security software is included in two of the available bundles, which is (for now) limited to a single security vendor. The way we know Amazon and their far-reaching vision in extending their service portfolio, they will most certainly consider integration with additional security vendors for future updates.
Last month also marked a chain reaction of price cuts in IaaS and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings, starting with Google trimming prices for Cloud Platform, closely followed by AWS with their 42nd price reduction for several of their main services, and finally by Microsoft who also announced significant price reductions for their Azure platform.
Times are changing - quickly
Let's take a step back and view things from a broader perspective. Everyone seems to be talking cloud these days, and a growing number of businesses want it implemented in one form or another.From ambitious startups to well-established B2B companies and, most importantly, corporate giants, businesses of all sizes are moving away from old-fashioned legacy models to more flexible, economic and scalable computing.
Based on Gartner researcher Lydia Leong, public cloud traction grows exponentially with the size of the business or company that practices it, which means that all roads will eventually lead to cloud. In this top-down approach, enterprises do indeed have a decisive role in leading the way for smaller businesses. Primarily, they are the ones to build trust and educate the market about how to harness the amazing power of cloud computing while finding ways to adapt it to their business needs. I think this is the real transformation, or IT r(e)volution, we've all been part of since virtualization began to be consumed as a service.
What started as an IT outsourcing trend few years back (stemming from virtualization as the enabling core), rapidly grew into massive-scale adoption, reaching the point where it has become a well-established norm in production environments.
The new cloud routine
At one point in your work life, all IT professionals must have fired up an IaaS account in response to development and/or testing demands within an organization. This avoids the unnecessary pain of going through hardware acquisition, set-up, and subsequent maintenance. No up-front investment, no tedious set-up work; virtually endless capacity available at the drop of a hat.
More importantly, as an administrator, you can share this pool of resources across departments in a controlled and granular way, empowering end-users to provision their own instances via a self-service portal whenever necessary, with very little effort involved. I consider self-service and auto-scaling to be the key drivers for both time and cost efficiencies in the cloud, and perhaps the most exciting capabilities from a dev's perspective.
Despite its booming popularity across various industries and service-providing businesses, there are still waves of skepticism slowing down the adoption of cloud services as a mainstream technology. Some are calling these skeptics "cloud-wary" simply because of their lack of trust in the safety of their data residing elsewhere.
As a result, they have no short-term plans of making the switch or dipping their toes into the cloud, which can be understandable in certain geo-political contexts. Other facets of the cloud, such as multi-tenancy and self-provisioning, further increase the magnitude of the problem and raise complexity around data protection.
How to isolate each tenant's access within a shared infrastructure, how to control, monitor and better respond to any possible breach that could jeopardize your workload?
With security being the most serious showstopper, it is paramount for Cloud Service Providers to address security properly at an infrastructure level and make it transparent to the customer.
So far it appears that Amazon has been the most dedicated to doing just that. There is hardly any security-related question left unanswered when going through the AWS Security Center repository. This is all part of the shared responsibility model which I will be diving into with my next | 869 |
Three Bluefield running backs combined for 317 yards rushing including Jamere "Juice" Edwards (110), Arnold "Mad Dog" Martin (103) and JJ Davis (104) to lead the Beavers to a season-opening 38-14 win over crosstown rival Graham. Chandler Cooper passed for 168 yards with a 78-yard scoring strike to Isaiah Johnson as defending state champion Bluefield raced to a 21-0 lead and rolled to the victory. Kaulin Paris was 5-5 kicking PAT. The Beaver defense was strongly led by Alahzjae Dowell amd Arnold Martin, among others. The victory gave BHS a 67-23 edge in the all-time series between the two cross-town teams in the Great American Rivalry series.
Bluefield improved to 2-0 with a 48-0 victory over Princeton. The Tigers played strongly to open the game and held BHS to 3 points for much of the first half. Once the Beaver offense got<|fim_middle|>.
In their third straight home game win, Bluefield raced past Greenbrier East 62-7 to improve to 3-0.
The Beavers built up a 48-0 lead as the dynamic running back duo of JJ Davis and Jamere "Juice" Edwards combined for 163 yards, 2 touchdowns. Chandler Cooper threw two touchdown passes – a 3-yard toss to Edwards and a 43-yarder to Ronnell Blevins. Tony Webster and Jacorian Green combined for 144 yards and Green got 80 yards on his one carry, a touchdown run.
Defensively, Bluefield was again led by Martin, with support from S. Martin, and Drake Mullins.
The Beavers scored on the first play from scrimmage and piled up 38 first –half points in route to a 60-18 win over Tazewell in the first road game of the season for the BHS squad, which improved to 4-0. JJ Davis (116), Jamere "Juice" Edwards (97), Arnold "Mad Dog" Martin (53), and Shawn Mitchell (45) combined for a total of 311 yards and 6 touchdowns. Chandler Cooper threw 6 passes and completed three with a total of 55 yards with a single touchdown pass to Ronnell Blevins for 39 yards. Kaulin Parris hit 7-of-7 PATs and kicked a 27-yard field goal. Bluefield finished with 404 yards of total offense. | rolling behind the offensive line of Mason Walker, Nathen Pettius, Deiyantei Powell, Sean Martin, Matthew Peters, and Drake Mullins. Jamere "Juice" Edwards and JJ Davis combined for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Chandler Cooper went 3-6 and threw a touchdown pass to Drake Mullins for 66 yards, as the Beavers had 440 yards in total offence. Kaulin Paris had another great kicking game with 6-of-6 PATs, and 2 field goals, one from 33 yards and the other from 39 yards | 126 |
Cammell Laird is<|fim_middle|>, a throughput which demands a robust approach to Project Management and complete logistical control over our operations and supply chain in order to maintain productivity at optimum levels. | located in the North West of England on the banks of the river Mersey where deep water and our non-tidal wet basin, make us ideally located to serve as a manufacturing and load out hub for offshore projects of any nature.
Our heavily piled load out quayside has ground bearing capacity of 100T/m², and our indoor workshop facilities and flexibility that they bring are unrivalled within Europe.
Cammell Laird currently employs around 700 people, the majority of which come from the local area where heavy fabrication has been a part of life for many years. Our strong links with the Mersey Maritime College demonstrate that we are committed to learning and development. We believe that training is key to the long term sustainability of our business.
Our business in ship building and ship repair means that we have a comprehensive range of skills required to deliver high value projects on time and on budget. Throughout 2014, we dry docked over 100 vessels at our site in Birkenhead | 207 |
The 1983 Kaoiki earthquake struck southern Hawaii Island on the morning of November 16, 1983. Measuring 6.7, it was the largest to hit the island since 1975. The epicenter was located 50 km (30 mi) southeast of Hilo with an approximated depth of 12 km (7 mi). The shallow strike-slip earthquake was assigned a maximum intensity of IX (Violent) on the Modified Mercalli scale. 6 people were injured, widespread damage and landslides were reported across the island.
Tectonic setting
The epicenter in Kaoiki lies within a valley between the western slope of Mauna Loa, and northwest of Kīlauea. Seismicity in the area is caused by the continuous movement of the Kilauea and Mauna Loa slumps generated by the continuous magmatic flow underground. This strain forms the many faults around the Kilauea block and the notable Hilina Slump. The slump is situated underwater—below the southern flanks of Kilauea. As the block continues to stretch at around 10 cm/year seaward, the crust becomes thinner, causing cracks, fissures and a trend of aligning normal faults. The Kaoiki Pali is an example of a Hilina slump induced normal fault, striking northeast and stretching 25 km (15.5 mi) across the Mauna Loa and Kilauea boundary. The scarps that the Kaoiki Pali produces have vertical displacements of up to 100 m (300 ft). While these displacements are present in large amounts, most of these faults have not moved in over 9,500 years. However, this slump also affects the ground level sliding on Mauna Loa. Although rarely, when it occurs, it causes major fractures due to its narrow connection with Kilauea. This displacement is what causes the extensive strike-slip faults and earthquakes in the area. And as these faults rupture, it produces major earthquakes above magnitude 6 that inflict extreme damage and casualties; along with deadly tsunamis and landslides as observed in 1975 and 1868.
Kaoiki fault
One of the most active faults in the Mauna Loa trend is the Kaoiki fault. Located at the northernmost head of the volcano, but also lying within the lowest areas of the block. Earthquakes associated with the fault are known for creating multiple ground ruptures in an east-west fashion, mostly paired with left-stepping from other adjacent ruptures, and causing open ruptures of up to 0.5 m. This right-lateral strike-slip fault has long coexisted with the volcanic low-angle seaward normal faults within the Hilina slump for approximately 30,000 years.
Earthquake
The earthquake was recorded by seismic stations in and around Kaoiki, recording a moment magnitude of 6.7 , as well as recordings in other magnitude scales; magnitudes of 6.6 , 6.6–6.7 , and 6.4–6.6 respectively. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) recorded vertical accelerations of up to 0.67 g and assigned a maximum intensity of IX (Violent) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. According to reports, the strong oscillations lasted for almost one minute. Following the trend of the originated Kaoiki fault, as well as earthquake data from the nearby HVO Station in Hawai'i National Park, the earthquake is suggested to have a focal mechanism of right-lateral strike-slip with a northeast–trending nodal plane. The sufficient inflation at the Mauna Loa and Kilauea magma reservoirs had enough parallel horizontal compressional stress to snap the strike-slip faulting regions in-between the slopes. Crustal right-lateral faulting with en echelon extensions were found on the 1,900 meter elevation at Mauna Loa road, tracing 4.5 km on both sides of the road, with extensions at lengths of about 20–30 cm (7.87 in) on the main fracture.
By the end of November, approximately 10,000 small earthquakes were reported around the vicinity of the epicenter. 800 of<|fim_middle|> in the past, it has been disregarded or overlapped by other theories as to why that is. One of the main characteristics of seismic quiesences is the lack of 50% or more seismic volume compared to its usual rate; which was the case of the Kaoiki quake. While the real reason on how this occurs is still unknown, people who support the theory say its due to the ranging tectonic differences along plates and plate boundaries. Another reason as to why that is may have been caused by the shear pause on the magmatic plain and strain release.
Damage
The earthquake threw houses off their foundations, toppled water tanks, cracked bridges, collapsed chimneys, damaged multiple government facilities, and toppled electric cables generating multiple power interruptions in the area. About 35 commercial buildings sustained damage, 317 houses sustained minor damages, and around 39 other houses were seriously damaged. These reports were recorded as far as Hilo. The damage suggested intensities of VIII (Severe). In total, financial losses were estimated at around $6–7 million (1983 rate). Landslides had also occurred, blocking multiple roads and suspending travel across the island. There were only a few casualties; 6 individuals received light injuries, which may have been due to the fact that it occurred early in the morning where most people were in bed.
Ground ruptures were prominent in the areas surrounding the epicenter, observed 4 km northeast following the nodal trend. This trail continues on 7 km in the same direction and trend. It stops beyond the expected aftershock zone, which suggests that the elastic release of the last ruptures may have been a result from aseismic deformations of the fault. These ruptures extend up to heights of 20 m (65.6 ft) with jagged walls hanging with suggested pre-existing joints that were hidden beneath the sediment. The expected left-stepping was observed in the rupture zone was less deformed compared to other ruptures and showed less subdued zig-zag patterns.
See also
Lists of 20th-century earthquakes
List of earthquakes in 1983
List of earthquakes in Hawaii
1975 Hawaii earthquake
Hilina Slump
References
Sources
External links
1983 earthquakes
1983 in Hawaii
November 1983 events in the United States
Earthquakes in Hawaii | these had magnitudes ranging from 1.0–4.3 . The zone of aftershocks highlighted an area of Kaoiki from the summit of Mauna Loa to the southeast slope of Kilauea. These aftershocks reportedly had depths ranging 2–12 km below and radiated from the epicenter. Most aftershocks within a few hours after the mainshock occurred 5–6 km from the epicenter. Theories suggest that after the mainshock rupture, another low angle slip had released compression, reversing the pattern of the aftershocks from the mainshock.
Seismic quiesence
About 2.5 years prior to the earthquake, a ranging 65–90% drop in seismicity was observed within a 10 km radius of the epicenter. Seismic rate samples from the mid-1970s to the 1980s were compared to the window of time, and the region lacked more than 300 earthquakes M ≥1.8. The drop in seismicity is said to be one of the most prevalent examples proving the theory of seismic quiesence. The seismic quiesence theory focuses on the phenomenon of abnormal decreases in seismic activity within a particular area. This theory has yet to be fully recognized due to its lack of evidence and research dedicated to the topic. While other examples of seismic quiesence have occurred | 292 |
Biomedical engineering (BME) combines engineering principles and methodology with physical, chemical and mathematical sciences to solve problems in biology, medicine,<|fim_middle|> than 500 graduate degrees since 1971.
For complete information, visit the Department of Biomedical Engineering. | behavior and health.
Biomedical engineers are employed by pharmaceutical industries, government agencies, biomedical product companies, universities, medical center labs and emerging high-tech industries. Due to their multidisciplinary backgrounds, biomedical engineers have diverse research interests, often acting as liaisons between technological and clinical communities.
Students also may pursue an MD/PhD degree administered jointly through the College of Medicine and the Graduate School. The combined BS/MS program is an option for high-achieving Ohio State undergraduates.
A mature graduate program, Biomedical engineering has granted more | 109 |
Home » Installations » News
Environment-Friendly Compound Shows Promise for Solar Cell Use
A widespread transition to solar energy will depend heavily on reliable, safe, and affordable technology like batteries for energy storage and solar cells for energy conversion. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, researchers are focused heavily on both parts of that equation.
In research published today in Advanced Functional Materials, a team of engineers, material scientists, and physicists demonstrated how a new material — a lead-free chalcogenide perovskite — that hadn't previously been considered for use in solar cells could provide a safer and more effective option than others that are commonly considered.
Organic-inorganic halide perovskites, a type of crystalline mineral, have shown promise as a key component in solar cells, but they have also posed large challenges. Their unique properties are very effective in converting energy from the sun into power and they are less expensive than silicon, which has traditionally been used in this capacity. However, they are unstable when they are exposed to moisture and sunlight, decrease in efficiency as they degrade, and they break down into lead and lead iodide — both of which are hazardous substances.
"These types of materials give you very good performance on day one, but inside three or four days, maximum a week, you find that their performance drops precipitously," said Nikhil Koratkar, an endowed professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer, and the corresponding author on this paper. "Besides, these materials are not environmentally friendly since they contain lead."
To overcome that challenge, Koratkar and a team of researchers, which included Tushar Gupta, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering, demonstrated how a thin film of a lead-free chalcogenide perov<|fim_middle|>."
Koratkar has secured funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further develop and optimize these materials and deploy them in solar cell devices.
Labels: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,materials,solar,photovoltaic,green,renewable energy | skite, specifically barium zirconium sulfide (BaZrS3), could potentially replace lead-containing perovskites for a much safer, and more stable application.
In order to test this compound's ability to convert light into electrical current, the team used it to build a light sensor. The researchers' work in the lab revealed that BaZrS3 is intrinsically more stable and water-resistant. They were able to demonstrate through theoretical calculations and computational modeling that BaZrS3 is highly resistant to reacting or breaking down when exposed to moisture or intense sunlight. This was also experimentally validated through detailed device-aging studies that were conducted over a period of four weeks. On top of all of that, Koratkar said, manufacturing this compound is actually less expensive than high-quality silicon.
"The National Academy of Engineering has defined 14 grand challenges; one of those is to make harvesting energy from the sun cheaper and more widespread," Koratkar said. "That's the motivation of this work, to come up with new materials that could rival the efficiency of silicon, but bring down the cost of manufacturing solar cells, and that is the key to achieving this goal | 241 |
Even though Zecamp is a base camp for outdoor sports, the gym is still a necessary passage because any physical activity is prepared upstream through muscle strengthening.
Indeed, sheathing and bodybuilding are strong assets to master a gesture, gain in power and save energy, as well as to protect you from injuries related to your practice or even occuring in everyday life.
An indoor area of 55m² with cardio training equipment, weight machines, dumbbells, bars and free weights to meet the needs of each sport and offering great freedom of movement. In addition, our area is equipped with the QUEENAX brand WALL SOLUTION (to be discovered here), with a multitude of options that promises to revolutionize your training circuits!
A semi-exterior area of 45m² next to the first one and located under the terrace of the restaurant. This area is oriented to free weights and offers great opportunities for exercise while enjoying the mountain air!
These three areas are inter-connected in order to offer to offer varied, complete and adaptable sessions according to the weather conditions!
And as we have been aiming to make indoor sports and outdoor sports as compact as possible, the area is accessible from the outside of the building to facilitate the indoor / outdoor sports combination, and is also being connected directly to the roller-ski slope, allowing you to leave the building " skis on feet " 365 days a year!
This areas is open to all, all year around.
Please note that we offer the opportunity for resident sports groups in<|fim_middle|> addition, it brings very beneficial results for physical recovery, hence its wide use by the sports people.
Even if the cold bath is not the most attractive form of cryotherapy, its simplicity of use and its effectiveness make it the number 1 tool of many sports people.
Once your Zecamp sport session is finished you will be able to immerse yourself partially or completely (according to your motivation!) in a cold bath at around 7 ° C, in order to recover physically to be in full possession of your means the next day !
Box de massage : Notre espace récupération propose également un box de massage avec une table, pour offrir un espace soin aux équipes sportives qui en ont l'utilisation.
Massage Box: Our recovery area also offers a massage box with a table, to provide a space for sports teams who have use fot it. | Zecamp to book exclusive gym slots for their specific sessions during their stay.
At these times no access is granted to external users.
Access will thus vary and is established weekly and visible on the website or directly in the reception area.
Outside these particular dates, the area is open from 9am to 7pm all year long.
Access limited to 15 people at the same time.
Cold bath: Cryotherapy is as old as the world, and its analgesic action is well proven.
In | 103 |
Hot Yoga Classes Offered for Every Level!
This series is an incredible sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises that are always the same. Therefore, balance, focus, discipline and results are all goals you will meet in this practice. This is a beginner series that targets the mental, physical and breath body. It is amazing for weight loss, depression, training the mind and sculpting the body.
Come get your weekly dose of sweat, stretch, philosophy and mindful breath-work. The goal is to reach your greatest potential for that day, gain mental clarity and to learn something you can take off the mat. These can be some of the hottest and most challenging classes of the week, modifications are provided and everyone is encouraged to come!
This class is one of the oldest running on the schedule. Christen has taught this class for over eight years, it was her original offering at Mandala, known to many as "soul church." Come flow with us as we let one week go and open our hearts to another.
Power flow is a great class to develop strength, balance, and get your sweat on! Please rest if you need to.
Hot Vinyasa Yoga is performed in a heated room because of the benefits it offers the body. Heat allows for muscles to ease through their full range of motion but is not an excuse to push muscles beyond their limits. Heat improves circulation and metabolism and strengthens the cardiovascular system. Vinyasa connects different types of poses, like a back-bend with a standing pose, allowing them to seamlessly intertwine without disrupting the smooth flow. The objective is this "flow" effect which keeps this type of yoga flowing or moving, which in turn creates body heat.
We Have Memberships for Everyone!
5 stars does not do justice by Mandala. Christin Rak, the owner is fully invested in her students practice. I have been a regular for more than a year now and I am a lifer. I have practiced hot yoga in other studios and I have yet to find the caliber of instructors as Mandala!! Mandala offers beginner classes to advanced, something for everyone. If<|fim_middle|> has really helped me grow and challenge my practice. I can't get enough of their classes, and always leave feeling restored, centered, and like I pushed myself. I went to "try it out" and keep trying to sneak in more classes each week. Do yourself a favor and try it out!
Yoga can help you make changes in your life. In fact, that might be its greatest strength. Tapas, the Sanskrit word for "heat," is the fire, the discipline that fuels yoga practice and that regular practice builds.
Yogis tend to take fewer breaths of greater volume, which is both calming and more efficient. A 1998 study published in The Lancet taught a yogic technique known as "complete breathing" to people with lung problems due to congestive heart failure.
Move more, eat less—that's the adage of many a dieter. Yoga can help on both fronts. A regular practice gets you moving and burns calories, and the spiritual and emotional dimensions of your practice may encourage you to address any eating and weight problems on a deeper level.
Yoga quells the fluctuations of the mind, according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. In other words, it slows down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause stress.
Asana and pranayama probably improve immune function, but, so far, meditation has the strongest scientific support in this area. It appears to have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the immune system, boosting it when needed. | you are looking for a yoga studio with many dedicated yogis and a cohesive energy, Mandala is the place. Namaste!
Best yoga in the valley! Christen is the best, I had never done yoga and now I'm in love, a no-judge environment!
Mandala is the best yoga in the valley. Awesome people, a non-judgmental place, and a very positive atmosphere.
Christen Rak the owner is the real deal when it comes to yoga. She loves what she does and is dedicated to her students, and that energy makes you want to keep coming back and better your practice, not to mention she has awesome taste in music for her classes too. All of the instructors there are amazing at what they do and the valley is so fortunate to have such an awesome yoga scene here. I am a musician and I can't believe how much better i am getting at music since yoga. Yoga is helping me turn my music into magic with how much mental focus it gives me and how much more i'm tune with my body since practicing. If you are a Flathead Valley musician you owe it to yourself and your craft to check out Mandala!
Yoga isn't worth doing if it's not hot. I always leave this class feeling satisfied. This is for the advanced yogis or those just looking to heal the body. Good people, good music, and always something new in every class.
Love the HOT yoga in all this cold weather. Just the thing to beat the winter blues. Christen is amazing and I highly recommend one of her yoga therapy programs for a more personalized practice.
I love Mandala! The variety of classes fit my schedule and my fitness level. The instructors are very knowledgeable and give helpful tips for improving my practice. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned yogi you will fit in at Mandala! Getting used to hot yoga is a terrific challenge!
Finally made it back to Mandala for Christen's Sunday morning Soul Flow! Amazing! Sweaty and stretched and even feeling a little bit lighter after a long week with a bad attitude. Best studio for balance and positive energy, especially with Christen, that girl knows how to help guide me beyond the mat!
The Friday morning Hot Flow class was one of the best I've been to! Loved it, great teacher & nice studio!
The best studio I've found to date. I have a solid home practice but Mandala | 492 |
In 2005 I was honored to visit Takalik Abaj, the site of early Mayan culture from the time when<|fim_middle|>alan roads. Stop for a while, or even better, look for sugar cane plantations that permit a visit. You'll be taken into the landlord's mansion, taste some rum or sweets, see the harvest or production and get familiar with that side of Guatemala.
In 1968 system built by FECA was taken over by the state. But, still, there was no luck for trains. Today, several relics can be found – railroad museums in Guatemala City and Xela, as well as abandoned train stations all over the country. This one is in Retalhuleu, far from being a tourist attraction. There are some rumors that Koreans want to invest in railroads of Guatemala, but it is still just a vague future.
National palace
Kites of Sumpango | they were still influenced by the Olmecs. In general, these sites on the Pacific side of Guatemala are all evidence of this influence: when you see large statues of stone, usually round, you can see that Olmecs influence.
About El Baul, I heard by reading some books about that specific Pacific culture. Scientists have determined that the direction of the coming of culture to Central America went along the Pacific coast. I think there is a climatic reason: the Atlantic side is less comfortable, exposed to the hurricanes. It is obvious that the climate has been changing over the centuries, since when we talk about the Maya it stretches over a long period of time, from 6th century BC. up to the 10th century AD when Mayan culture produced large cities marked by huge temples and pyramids, terrains for the ceremonial ball play and a number of other large stone buildings.
There are other localities besides El Baul that speak about those early Mayan days: Bilbao, El Castillo, and a very small Golon. But that's not all. To the south, about 20 km, lies the site La Democracia, and four kilometers further away Monte Alto, a place that is a true mystery because of the huge stone heads, most of which were - stolen.
It is not so hard to find the rests of El Baul: just come to the town of Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa from Escuintla or Mazatenango, follow the signs for the newly-built Ciudad Espana. By the way, the road can be getting worse in that area, but they told me that soon there will be the major repair done. You have to find old sugar cane mill and then ask to be let into the parking lot.
There is lovely decorated museum setting in the open with the findings from the site of El Baul. Circa 50-60 stone sculptures, each duly tagged with an explanation. The museum also offers a lecture hall and a toilet. Nothing more. Beautifully worn heads of ancient people of power in various sizes. Then, people-fish, and people-coyotes.
I read among other things: "Today's Cotzumalguapa was most likely the seat of a powerful state that had political control over the vast Pacific Coast. The diffusion of their sculpting style gives the scale of their influence. This style is encountered along the 200 km of Pacific Ocean coast, from Southeast to today's Guatemala and El Salvador borders. We also find its strong presence in some parts of the Middle and East Highlands, especially in the Antigua Guatemala and Kaminaljuyú regions (today's Guatemala City). Some elements of style are noticeable in sculptures from various locations around Chimaltenango, the western Guatemalan Pacific, and in the valley of the Motagua River. "
This artistic style is characterized by a more realistic figurative fashion, with the attempt to create stelae filled with inscriptions, hieroglyphics, and by introducing death as the main theme and as the very nature of these sculptures.
Today's El Baul does not seem to exist. Namely, the North Acropolis (as I said previously that is located on private land) is the only rest of the site itself, while the southern acropolis was destroyed in 1997 when it was most likely used for the construction of Ciudad Espana and surrounding settlements. Neighboring (1.5 miles away) Bilbao was robbed by the Germans. At the end of the 19th century, the Royal Museum of Berlin sent a team that simply carved out its heads and removed the relief from the building. And everything was moved to Berlin museums. Luckily, those items had survived the WWII.
Guatemala is a country of history, of mostly Mayan history. But during the centuries various conquering nations had either destroyed or looted many of the goods that had survived the age. It is a very sad destiny for those priceless pieces of art and culture. Yes, Guatemala is one of those countries, like Egypt and India, that ask for the return of their heritage. So far, mostly in vain.
The good side of the production was that the infrastructure of communication and transportation was necessary to take the product to the distribution centers and consumers, helping the development of the country. It also helped to develop the rum industry in the times when rum was literary a currency. Sugar cane was a new hope for a new colony, later for a new independent state, the source of the income in hard times and source of joy through rum as well.
Guatemala has good competition with other countries that are sugar suppliers, but because of the quality, low cost of refining, Guatemala manages to be competitive. Of the total sugar production, about 30% is consumed in the local market. A rise in the production of rum, soda water, sweets, and cookies will make this percentage bigger, but Guatemalan producers look for new markets around the world.
There are 17 active sugar mills, located mostly on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, in the south of the country. Likewise, the sugar cane is cultivated in Petén, Huehuetenango and San Marcos. At this moment Guatemala produces 2,5 % of all sugar produced in the world. Here nobody can compete with Brazil that produces around 40 %. Guatemala is number 7 in the world with around 600 million $ worth of its sugar export. It is 50 % more than sugary famous Cuba!
Travelling around Guatemala you'll most likely bump into some sugar cane plantation or see the sugar cane transports on the Guatem | 1,158 |
Choose our downtown hotel as your home base and easily discover the best things to do in Indianapolis. From picking up the latest fashion trends at nearby shopping districts to catching the big game, there is guaranteed excitement just steps from our doors. Hop on a bike and check out all the sights in Indy or tee off on one of the many golf courses nearby. Then head out to one of the popular local bars and restaurants within walking distance.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the United State's top race courses, opening back in 1909. The IMS is the original speedway, featuring a seating capacity of about 257,000 and a two-and-a-half mile track. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is located in the infield, is the perfect destination for car lovers!
Located on the grounds of the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Pete Dye-designed course features four holes inside the oval. The course is ranked as one of America's Top 100 public courses by Golf Digest and is always in immaculate condition.
A challenging layout with dramatic elevation changes make this tree lined course along the scenic White River near downtown Indianapolis a must play. The course offers a view of the downtown skyline with the feeling of playing far from the hustle and bustle of the City. Coffin Golf Club is an Indy Parks Golf course.
Gently rolling terrain, tree-lined fairways and a meandering creek make this course a favorite. Opened in 1922, it is a classic design that has stood the test of time and offers a good test of golfing skills.
Explore the best of Indy with the Zagster Bike Share Program! Located in our Front Drive, we offer 4 adult and 2 kid bikes for a daily rental fee of $25 each. This fun and convenient way to explore the city<|fim_middle|> Hyatt by enclosed skywalk, Circle Centre offers retailers such as Carson Pirie Scott, Coach, Banana Republic, etc.
The Massachusetts Avenue arts district is just blocks away from our Hyatt hotel. Browse through galleries, treat yourself to unique jewelry, shop in the boutiques, catch a performance or relax in a coffee house. | allows all day flexibility.
White River State Park is Indiana's only urban state park which features an array of attractions and year-round entertainment. The park features over 250 acres of green pace, which can be explored via Segway, bike, paddle boats or walking along a 1.5 mile canal.
With 1.3 million visitors annually, 12 permanent galleries and nearly 1 million square feet, it's the world's largest, period. Check out the interactive Dinosphere and enjoy a ride on the full restored antique carousel.
From a dolphin in-water program to a shark touch tank, a jewel for families.
Featuring over 54,000 works of art, 152 acres of gardens and grounds, the IMA campus offers unique must-see experiences for all ages.
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail is an 8 mile urban bike & pedestrian path located in downtown Indianapolis. The trail connects a variety of neighborhoods, cultural districts and entertainment amenities. The trail features a variety of artwork placed along the paths.
Located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) provides many professional theater experiences each season. The IRT performs 10 diverse plays each season.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is a a professional orchestra that performs more than 200 concerts each year at the historic Hilbert Circle Theatre and at Conner Prairie Living History Museum, as well as sites around the state.
World class shopping, dining and entertainment are all just steps away in Circle Centre Mall. Connected to | 312 |
When it comes to Instagram, innovative and new forms of food trends are sure to be an instant hit, like the recent avocado roses. Now, the next #InstaLove is #coffeeinacone created by Dayne Levinrad of Grind Coffee Company in Johannesburg, South Africa. The object in question is basically coffee served in an ice cream cone coated with chocolate.
Coffee in a cone was launched in January and has since reached nearly one million images with the hashtag around the world, as claimed by Levinrad; adding that it's the world's most Instagrammed coffee. The idea may be innovative and it may look simple, but its creation process was less than easy.
<|fim_middle|> waffle cups instead of cones. | After working as a coffee consultant in Brazil, Australia and Los Angeles, Levinrad returned home to Johannesburg and wanted to do something different. With the inspiration that people love ice cream, coffee and chocolate, he tried to combine all three at once. But as initial experiments showed, it wasn't as simple as just pouring coffee into a wafer cone lined with chocolate—the wafer was too thin, the chocolate melted too fast and the coffee would eventually leak through.
Levinrad eventually discovered the trick by using four different chocolate compounds to coat the cone, each hardened by varying percentages of cacao content. While this is by far the most optimal setting, customers only have ten minutes to drink the #coffeeinacone before it melts the chocolate layers and leaks from the cone.
"Now we've got the whole thing under patent," says Levinrad, "it's a very arduous process." Well, anything for food and Instagram, right? However, Johannesburg's The Grind Company isn't the only place that serves #coffeeinacone—Alfred Coffee & Kitchen and Zia Valentina, both in Los Angeles have a slightly similar version although the former actually uses the cones from the latter, and calls them | 242 |
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