text:
All I Want for Christmas ...
By Lance Lomax Wednesday, December 29, 2010 3:30 p.m. CST
Courtesy Zach Lovett
Brandon native Zach Lovett hones his musical skills with the dedication of any high-achieving athlete.
Some children play football, and some run track, but 18-year-old Zach Lovett plays a different sport: "My legs were always weak. They still are. The guitar became my sport," he says.
Born with hyperextension in both of his legs, Lovett relied on his fingers to do the running as he would pick and slap his guitar strings every day after school.
His mother nicknamed him Fingers Lovett because he was constantly meddling with things as a child. "It's kind of taken on a new meaning, since I play music," Lovett says. "I guess the guitar kept my hands busy."
Lovett's music has been more than just playing an instrument. It has been his sport and his medication. But more important than either of these things, his music is an outlet—a way for him to connect with people and share experiences and emotion. That's what Lovett means when he says "blues."
"Blues isn't a sound to me," he says. "It's what you're singing about."
The young man's father, Mike, reared him listening to artists like Bob Dylan, John Prine and Neil Young. Like their songs, his are about the words.
"I'll listen to Lady Gaga," he says, "but that's not what I'm about."
He believes that a lot of music has lost meaning in popular culture.
"When I write a song, I'm finding things about myself. When you hear it, I want you to discover things about yourself," the bluesman says. He is searching for a feeling and a crowd to connect with. He isn't searching for fame and fortune. In fact, he says he hates that so many musicians today seem to be chasing the next dollar.
"I'm glad people are starting to listen," he says. "I think I have something to say."
Lovett likes to cover songs by musicians like Josh Ritter and Conor Oberst. He refers to Oberst as the Bob Dylan of his generation. But when he wants to make a connection with his listening audience, the singing guitarist prefers to play original music. His favorite song, "Planted," does just that, it seems.
"People make situations warm and cozy," he says. "In that song, there's just a want for someone to come along and make you whole. That's what that song is. That's my song. I put my whole soul into that song. There's emotion there. I've never had a song touch me every time I sing it until this one. 'Planted' does it every time. It hits me deep."
In late January, Lovett will begin recording his first album, along with his friend Clayton Gregory of Cleveland, Miss., who will assist with string arrangements and keyboards. The album, the first-time recording artist says, will have a "funky southern sound."
The maturing musician has played at Hal & Mal's for Mississippi HeARTS against AIDS for the last couple of years along with artists like Scott Albert Johnson.
"It's a really nice event. If you're a fan of the arts, that's something to partake in," Lovett says. He also plays at a couple of local bars around Delta State when he's at school, and he always makes his Tuesday open-mic appearance at Fenian's, when he gets a chance.
Aside from playing guitar, Lovett has taught himself to play the harmonica and mandolin. His newest ambition is to play the banjo. He admits that bluegrass has a heavy influence on his music.
"It takes real talent to play bluegrass," he says. "Bluegrass is the metal of country music. ... All I want for Christmas is a banjo and a record player." (And he got them!)
Artists To Watch 2012: Zach Lovett
'Twanging-Out' with Young Valley
Lion Around 'A Quiet Town'
Studying That Good Ol' Way, by Nina Parikh
Baseball's Loss, Music's Gain
A Classy Barbecue Fare Sure to Please
Intoxicating Blues
Southbound, Upward Bound


It was three hours after the New Year's bell had rung, and an online shopper was in the final steps of completing a vehicle purchase from the website of a top-grossing Toyota store in the San Francisco Bay Area. Earlier that day, the dealership had launched one of the earliest versions of Drive Motors, an online checkout solution that would allow its digital storefront to stay open past closing hours. Less than 24 hours later, the system delivered its first sale.
From start to finish, the checkout process involved no interaction with any dealership employee. Instead, the website's multistep process guided the customer through the F&I product sale, appraisal of his trade, selection of finance terms, and application for credit.
By the speed of the process and the result of the transaction, Krane knew he was onto something. Not only did Drive Motors prove it could move the metal, it proved it could move the F&I profit needle as well.
Based in San Francisco, Drive Motors is a north-of-Silicon Valley startup that has the backing of Y Combinator, the Mountain View, Calif.-based startup accelerator responsible for brands like Dropbox and Airbnb, and venture capital firms Propel Venture Partners and Khosla Ventures.
Krane is a 34-year-old serial entrepreneur who founded Hitpost, a mobile app company acquired by Yahoo in 2013. He says his newest venture wasn't built to be the next-gen Autotrader or TrueCar startup. The firm's decision to adopt a software-as-a-service model that charges dealerships — regardless of size or number of transactions — a flat $795 monthly fee is evidence of that.
Krane says many dealers are realizing returns 10 to 20 times the cost of the solution within a month of signing up, and the flat fee demonstrates the firm's main goal is to sign as many dealerships as possible. In other words, Krane and his team didn't want pricing to stand in the way of any dealer giving Drive Motors a shot. So far, that approach seems to be paying off. Since that 3 a.m. sale 10 months ago, the company's dealer count has climbed past 150, including three of the nation's largest dealer groups.
In a July 26 earnings call, officials with Asbury Automotive revealed the 82-rooftop group was working with "some third parties" on an online buying option. By August, trade publications reported they were referencing Drive Motors.
According to Krane, the dealer group had been working with his firm in secret for seven months when the reports began circulating — Asbury having added Drive Motors' online checkout to six dealer websites. Asbury officials declined to comment for this story, but COO David Hult told Automotive News in August that F&I sales through the Drive Motors' solution were "at or above the store level." However, he noted that there weren't enough Drive Motors transactions to offer a reliable per-copy average.
Krane reports that about half of all Drive Motors transactions have included at least one F&I product. He says the company's immediate goal is to grow its rooftop count to 2,000, a lofty target that seems possible due to its very public partnership with Asbury.
Company founder Aaron Krane says about half of all transactions through his solution have included at least one F&I product.
"Since we've gotten the story out, we've actually signed up as many dealerships as we did in the preceding seven months in a matter of weeks, and we still aren't actively investing in marketing yet," he says.
Essentially, Krane's job was to seek out business ideas to develop a new company. Most of his pitches to Khosla Ventures portfolio companies were met with a "No," he says, and the occasional "Yes" came with the caveat that he wasn't the right person to lead the business.
After his fifth or sixth business pitch, Krane realized he needed to buy a car. At the time, he was driving a 15-year-old Toyota Corolla that belonged to a Hitpost engineer. He set his sights on the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 and, not wanting to waste any time, began searching for a dealership that had the car and could sell it to him online. To his surprise, he found the car but not the process.
Krane spent the next six months researching the history of ecommerce and Silicon Valley's approach to automotive. He also spoke to people across the supply chain, from manufacturers and their counsel to dealership internet managers and everyone in between. He concluded that Silicon Valley's approach had been unnecessarily disruptive.
For his platform to stand a chance, Krane figured, it had to integrate into a dealership's current process as seamlessly as possible. In other words, he had to work with dealers, not against them.
Inventory export feeds and access to a dealership's inventory aren't required. Once the solution is integrated, customers will be able to search through and purchase any vehicle in the dealership's inventory. They can also add F&I products to their deal.
"If we were going to make something that would actually be easy for dealers to adopt, it could not require any change of behavior. If anything, it had to remove steps," Krane says. "That's when we decided the simplest solution for dealers would be this checkout solution — which closed customers on their site and automated data entry into their existing financing software.
Any dealership website is compatible with Drive Motors, Krane says. All it takes is a snippet of code added to the site header. Inventory export feeds and access to a dealership's inventory aren't required. The platform also integrates with whatever CRM or desking software the dealership uses, including solutions from Dealer.com, Dealertrack, RouteOne, VinSolutions, vAuto, DealerSocket, and more, according to the company's website.
The only part that requires some additional legwork is the customization of the F&I product portion of the Drive Motors solution. Dealerships can select which products to offer through the system, add a description and price, and customize the terms of the products. As of late November, the platform didn't include the option to post product videos and high-resolution photos alongside those descriptions, but Krane says that will soon change.
Once the initial setup is completed and the product has been integrated, the dealer's website is ready to transact. The only evidence that the site is ecommerce-ready is the green "Buy Now" button that appears alongside every car listing. Once selected, Drive Motors' checkout solution slides out from the right of the dealer's webpage.
The system first presents the dealership's F&I protections. Once product selections are made (or the customer opts to skip that part of the process), the widget asks whether the customer is trading in a vehicle. If the answer is "Yes," the system engages Kelley Blue Book's trade-in evaluation tool; the final valuation is confirmed once a dealership employee inspects the vehicle.
The Drive Motors' solution costs a flat fee of $795 a month, regardless of the dealership's size or number of transactions.
Customers are then asked to enter their personal information in order to run a credit check. They are then prompted to select their finance or lease terms. The data is then pushed into the dealership's financing software, which structures the deal and processes it within the dealership's existing workflow. Dealers can offer buyers the option to complete the paperwork and take delivery of the vehicle at the dealership, or they can have the vehicle delivered and sign the final paperwork at home.
Drive Motors' executive team primarily consists of individuals from the tech industry. But in order for dealers to take his dealer-centric approach seriously, Krane knew he needed an industry insider within his firm's executive ranks. In August, the company named David Luce as its vice president of sales. The more than 25-year industry veteran spent 14 years in retail, serving as an F&I director and general manager before operating his own dealership. He also spent three years at Mercedes-Benz Credit Corp. and eight years with Market Scan Information Systems.
Krane, however, knows he'll need more than industry insiders to win over F&I pros. In fact, he's keenly aware of how F&I vets view the current digital push. He's also cognizant of the F&I industry's long-held belief that customers shouldn't be pre-exposed to F&I products and pricing before the vehicle is sold. However, the transaction data Drive Motors has collected so far tells him that customers will buy F&I products online. At the very least, he says, his solution will tee up F&I managers to offer service contract upgrades or other products when customers come in to complete their paperwork and take delivery of the vehicle.
He does make clear, however, that F&I products are "legitimately useful products that were created for legitimate reasons." And if presented without pressure, he adds, they will appeal to the correct buyer. He knows most F&I pros won't agree with that, but he believes the industry has never really experienced a true ecommerce customer.
Drive Motors is compatible with any dealership website. All it takes to integrate the online checkout solution is a snippet of code added to a site's header.
Krane's growth strategy is simple: produce a fundamentally high-quality product that delivers on its promise and can predictably generate at least 10 times its cost in profit to the dealer. And that's exactly what his solution has delivered so far, he says.
The entrepreneur, however, still believes consumers will always want to experience products before they purchase them. He just believes that when they're ready to buy, most consumers prefer to do so on their own terms and in their comfort zone. And that's where Drive Motors comes in.


"14 year old furnace from another firm. Woke up with no heat. Every other firm busy all over town, 3 day wait offered. E.N. Blue was also busy, but the service manager, Norm, walked me through the simplest possible causes on the phone. Still no solution. Then Norm came to my house personally and fixed the problem. It was a busted sensor.
The house was warm and toasty by noon! FANTASTIC. This was 10 out of 10 service already. But 6 weeks later.. I woke up, again to a cold house. I called E.N. Blue, and Sandra, put me through to Norm immediately. I told him the new symptoms, he walked me through a few simple steps to see if we could fix it. Turns out the batteries in the thermostat had gone dead.
[verbal] Ms. B. was very happy with her job, and she made sure to tell me that the crew was "courteous, thorough" and she said she could tell that they took pride in their work. They were very neat and tidy, left everything clean and she was very happy they took the time to explain to her how things worked (the thermostat, etc).
"In the summer's heat waves our Trane reliably keeps us comfortable indoors. Many thanks to you and everybody of E.N. Blue for a good job".
"This is just a short note to let you know how pleased we both are with the installation of the furnace by Jason & Jeremy this morning. The professionalism and comportment of the E.N. Blue crew was excellent.
They were on time and dealt with the entire installation in less time than we imagined it would take. They cleaned up after themselves and then explained the functioning of the new air cleaner, etc. Other than the noise of the installation we didn't really realize they were here.
"I am writing to thank you for both your professional service and to express our happiness with new furnace. We find the Trane high efficiency furnace a great improvement over our previous furnace. It is very quiet and seems to deliver heat more efficiently; leaving our house more comfortable than it was before.
[verbal] Mr. G. called, he couldn't say enough good things about Kevin & the install crew. He said Kevin "really knew his stuff" and was thorough; he was also impressed with the fact that Kevin came on site the day of install. As for the installers, he commented on the speed, cleanliness and confidence of the crew – he mentioned that they were very efficient, courteous and helpful in explaining the operation of the equipment.
"I'd like to extend my appreciation to you and your team for completing the installation of a new Trane furnace at my residence. The performance of the entire E.N. Blue team was stellar throughout the process, beginning with the sales cycle and culminating with the installation…Your installation technicians….arrived on time and took the necessary precautionary measures to protect the property from damage while moving equipment in and out.
"My father emailed me a little while ago to let me know that the work on the boiler's now all done… and that the house is a nice, comfortable temperature despite the heat outdoors. I look forward to going home to my newly air conditioned house, and no longer having to hide out at work on hot summer days until the sun starts to go down. And I've already noticed that the system is very quiet!
The new boiler is shockingly small… I'm having trouble picturing how it's capable of heating the whole house and the hot water as well, given what I'm used to. I know it's extremely efficient, and the technology has made enormous progress since my original monstrosity was installed in 1950. But, it's so tiny! It is a joy having all that freed-up space in the laundry room, as a result. Storage!
[verbal] Mrs. R called, she was extremely pleased with the crew – they were polite & courteous, went over everything with her (including fan operation, which she appreciated). She was recommended to us by a friend of hers, and said she will pass along our name to her friends as well. She may be in the market for new equipment next year because she's moving and will definitely use our services again. She was very appreciative of the time Rachel took to explain everything at the time of the quotation as well.
"I just wanted to drop E.N. Blue a note of appreciation for the furnace installation….I received quotes from a total of seven contractors and Kevin's knowledge and his attention to the particular details of my needs were far, far above any of the other sales people…he came by soon after I called and was always very willing to answer my questions and to present me with options to choose from.
A week before the installation date, my old furnace gave me trouble. Over the phone, Darrell helped me trouble-shoot and solve the problem. It was a great relief not to have to purchase parts or pay for a service call.
The two fellows who did the installation were punctual, hard working and pleasant. Their work is excellent and they cleaned everything up afterward. I was very impressed, especially since I had heard stories from friends who had installers do shoddy work and leave a mess behind. Having experienced interaction with six other contractors in the Ottawa area, I would not hesitate to recommend Blue (in fact, I have already made two recommendations).


Commercial and car sale today at 4.00pm.
Entries from Wessex Water, Dorset County Council, Dorset Fire and Rescue, RNLI and major franchise agents.
Also large number of cars entered from Hyundai, Audi, Vauxhall, Ford, Honda, Nissan and Suzuki main agent.
Full car and commercial catalogue available here.


text:
Iceland Traverse & Laugavegur
About the Iceland Traverse
Getting to Iceland was easy. Figuring out where I would hike once I got there was more of a challenge. The obvious thing to do, at least in my mind, was to hike across the country, and to do so horizontally (not vertically) since that route would be longer… no shortcuts. Iceland is the perfect place for a trans-country walk: it's a small island and therefore requires relatively little time to cross; and it offers a tremendous mix of landscapes and sights despite its size.
Once I determined that I wanted to hike across Iceland, I needed to nail down the specifics, e.g. where I would start and finish, and how I would get between those two points. Based on some initial research (namely the Lonely Planet guide and the 1:250,000 Section Maps), I opted to start at the small coastal town of Hofn in the southeastern corner of the country. Why? Because it is easily accessible from Reykjavik by bus and air taxi; and because the region just to its north, the Lonsoraefi Nature Reserve, looked rugged and scenic. (In hindsight, I could have started almost anywhere in the country, regardless of bus and air access, because hitchhiking is very easy and getting a ride even to a remote coastal village would have been possible. But knowing this now would not have changed my plans—Lonsoraefi was awesome.) I decided to end my hike near the tip of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, from where it would be fairly easy to return to Reykjavik and board my return flight; the other fitting ending location, the Northwest Fiords, is further away and more difficult to access and exit.
Before I began my Iceland Traverse, I decided that I wanted to hike the most famous official hiking trail in the country, the 49-mile Laugavegur. With a well-worn footpath and a hut every 5-10 miles, the Laugavegur provided a safe and easy way to begin understanding the Icelandic environment before I began the more challenging Traverse. See the Laugavegur page for more information.
Hofn to Múlaskáli
From Hofn my first goal was reaching the hut Múlaskáli, where the Snaefell-Lonsoraefi trekking route begins. There are at least two ways to get there: the easiest way is to follow F980 northwest from Ring Rd, but the recommended route starts at the junction of Ring Rd and F984, just east of the bridged crossing of Hoffellsjokull's outlet river. This latter route is more scenic, much more rugged, and much more exciting. This route is marked on the Lonsoraefi Special Map with a green line (which refers ubiquitously to a "bridal path, hiking trail, or cross-country route").
Note: If you need to start in Hofn—e.g. if that's where the bus drops you off, or if you need to pick up some supplies, and/or if you are a purist and insist on starting at the ocean—then you will have a short roadwalk before you begin any hiking.
From Ring Rd I walked a few kilometers north on F984 towards the church, Hoffell. Just before the road begins to climb towards some houses, I turned off the road to the right and followed a 2-track along a field and towards the valley Hoffellsdalur. Uphill to my left was an airplane fuselage that had been converted into a house. I followed this road up the valley to where it ends, just before reaching a low pass above the valley Skyndidalur.
Here, I was presented with the first challenge of the Traverse: getting across Lambatungnajokull, a glacial tongue that descends from Vatnajokull. If there had still been snow on the glacier and/or if I'd had crampons, then crossing the glacier would have been straightforward. (An ice axe is helpful, not necessary; I would only have needed it if I began to slide.) But, instead, the glacier's surface was ice (this was mid-July) and I did not have crampons, and this crossing was quite dangerous. I did not see any man-swallowing crevasses in the glacier here, though some of the cracks were plenty deep enough for me to get hurt or get stuck if I fell into them. Getting onto and off of the glacier was probably the most difficult part of the crossing: its sides are quite steep, but its top is thankfully more level.
I was not entirely familiar with the dangers of crossing the glacier under these conditions but I wanted to avoid the outflow river, which I thought might be even more dangerous but which in retrospect was quite fordable. It worked out okay but the crossing was time-consuming and nerve-wracking: there were many places where I had to slide on my butt and cling to the ice with my trekking poles. In order to avoid steep sections of ice, I needed to walk about 100 yards up the glacier, cross its spine, and then descend about the same distance. When I reached the other side, I walked along the edge of the glacier until I reached an abrupt drop (the ceiling of the ice cave, from where the river flows), and from there I scrambled up and around the loose, steep valley wall until there was a way to descend to the valley bottom.
If you do not have crampons, I would not recommend trying to cross the glacier. I regretted it. I cannot say if it's possible to walk along the southwest edge of the glacier to its moraine; the valley walls may be too steep, not sure. Unless you are willing to turn back, I might even recommend that you just take F980 to the hut in order to avoid what may be a precarious situation. If you do reach the moraine by getting around the glacier, do not try to cross it—you may get caught in quicksand, which forms when the water-saturated gravelly soil is disrupted. Instead, cross the valley on firmer ground, further down; you will need to ford the glacier-fed river, which will be cold and can be swift, especially on warm days.
Once I was across the glacier I followed the route on the map towards Múlaskáli. This is a rugged route but it is scenic. It begins with a steep, grassy 2,000-foot climb. After I rounded the ridge I needed to cross a very loose scree slope before climbing another 500 feet to a pass. From that pass, I contoured across the slope, which features ~6 steep ravines, a few of which are especially difficult to get into and out of because the walls are steep and loose. A safer option might have been to descend into the valley, then climb up one of the last ravines to the top of the ridge; but I was trying to avoid unnecessary vertical loss. The map also indicates it's possible to climb up and over the ridge, but I was concerned about getting stuck under or above an impassable cliff band.
Once I was around this next ridge, I contoured up the valley as much as I easily could. When it got difficult, I began descending, but kept working my way up valley when possible. I reached the bottom of the valley (it's not necessary to contour to the head of the valley—just contour enough to avoid unnecessary vertical loss) and then needed to climb back up the other side. Somewhere near the ridgetop I picked up a noticeable footpath that is marked with 1.5-foot-high wooden posts and followed the southern route down to Múlaskáli.
Múlaskáli to Snæfellsskáli
Between these two huts I followed the Snaefell-Lonsoraefi trekking route, a description of which is available from the Icelandic Touring Association website (it's #5).
Note: The route description they provide is for the opposite direction of travel, so you need to follow the directions in reverse, including the days.
I will add a few remarks to this section. Heading out of Múlaskáli I followed a light footpath that is marked again with 1.5-foot-high posts; it took me to Egilssel hut. I regretted going all the way to the hut: I should have left it when I reached the top of the ridge, since the trail fades into a cross-country route anyway and since it is longer than necessary. From Egilssel I did not follow the green line exactly, in order to avoid a ford—instead I followed the western shorelines of a series of four lakes, Fremstavatn through Kelduarvatn, and then dropped down to the Geldingafellsskali hut. From there, I had three options: (1) head north and find the bridge over the glacier-fed river; (2) cross Eyjabakkajökull, which I was reluctant to do based on my experience the day before; or (3) ford the outlet river of Eyjabakkajökull. I chose to do the latter and it worked: the river is cold and swift but I found a spot where it braided into five streams, the deepest of which was mid-thigh. Again, do not get too close to the end of the glacier, so as to avoid the quicksand. After the ford there was a long gradual climb through rock-dotted mudhole-pocketed terrain to a primitive track that I followed north to Snæfellsskáli.
Snæfellsskáli to Askja & Dreki Hut
I left the cozy confines of Snæfellsskáli along an established vehicle track to the west. This track eventually turns south in order to climb Saudahnjukar; I left the track here and continued west. Soon I reached a good viewpoint of the boggy wetlands that lie between this viewpoint and the Jokulsa a Dal River (or, as of 2006, more accurately the lake that was created by the damming of the Jokulsa a Dal). I think it was impossible to cross this area without getting my feet soaked. However, that's not to say that there are not "wet lines" and "less wet lines" across—try to pick the latter.
On the other side of these bogs is a primitive 2-track that I followed north towards the paved highway leading to the dam. This track eventually began backtracking on my westerly progress, so started going cross-country towards the Karahnjukar Dam, which sits just below a prominent knob to the northwest; I was confident in the location of the dam because I could see construction-related facilities and eventually the dam itself.
After I crossed the dam and passed through the construction site, which was still pretty active in Summer 2008, I left the vehicle tracks behind and began travelling cross-country across this gray pebbled desert towards the bridge over the Kreppa on F910. I followed F910 to the bridge over the Jokulsa a Fjollum, which is probably the scariest river I saw in Iceland, and then all the way to the Dreki Hut, which sits at the foot of Askja.
Note: You may get bored following F910 in this section but it's really the most direct, efficient, and logistically feasible way. If you choose to go cross-country in this section, you will need to pick your way through an old lava flow that pokes out through a sea of soft volcanic sand; your route will probably be longer; and you will need to carry a lot of water since this section is completely dry. In contrast, the road is hard-packed and is used heavily by tourists who are happy to give you water.
Side Trip Idea: the Kverkfjoll ice caves, reachable via F902, after you cross the Kreppa but before you cross the Jokulsa a Fjollum. It's a long detour—about 30 miles each way—but might be worthwhile if you have the time and food. You probably can hitch a ride with a passing motorist if you don't want to walk.
Askja/Dreki Hut to Nyidalur Hut
From Askja/Dreki Hut I had two options: (1) follow F910 (the "Gaesavotn Route") to Nyidalur, or (2) climb Askja via the hiking trail or F894 to see the lake, follow the Askja Hiking Trail (description available on Icelandic Touring Association website; it's #4) to Dyngjufjalladalur hut, and then a primitive road south to rejoin F910.
I initially planned to do the latter, but my plans were abruptly halted by the combination of an incoming windstorm (strong wind = sand storm in this region of Iceland, and there are no natural windbreaks to hide behind) and by the hiking trail from the lake to Dyngjufjalladalur, which goes right across a fresh lava flow (late-1800's) that would have made for miserable hiking. So from the lake parking lot I hitched back down to Dreki hut and left from there in the morning on F910.
A few hours out of Dreki on F910 (most of which was on super-soft volcanic sand) I had to
decide whether to take the northern or southern route around the Trolladyngja cone and lava field. The southern route is the original, older route; it is more scenic, shorter, has an emergency hut, and at least one source of fresh water. I went this way. The northern, newer route is better for automobiles but not as enjoyable for walkers or bikers. Whichever direction you go, you may find this section of the Traverse the most monotonous and least inspiring of the journey. The old and new routes rejoin just before Skjalfandafljot, which is bridged.
After Skjalfandafljot I had another decision to make: (1) follow F910 directly to Nyidalur, or (2) head south along a primitive track towards Vonarskard (Pass of Good Hope), which lies between Tungnafellsjokull and Vatnajokull. The first option is more direct and easier (except for one ford on the south side of the lava field Tunguhraun, which I would have had to do further downstream where it braids out, if not for a passing big-wheel truck that offered me a short lift), and it put me at Nyidalur, where I needed to get some info about the next section. The second option is more difficult, slightly longer, and more scenic. Note that if you take the second route but want to visit Nyidalur, you will need to go up and over a second pass in addition to Vonarskard.
Nyidalur to Hveravellir
A direct route between the huts Nyidalur and Hveravellir is technically possible, but the route requires a high level of backcountry skill and experience (namely the ability for ford swift, frigid glacier-fed rivers, and to safely cross heavily crevassed glaciers) and the correct equipment…arm floats anyone? The dilemma is how to get around Hofsjokull. On the south side, the hazards are the numerous tributaries of the massive Pjorsa, which drains the southern half of the icecap and which is crossable in its entirety only in the winter when there is low flow and when it freezes over. The north side is not any easier: more glacier-fed rivers, including the famed Blanda, must be crossed.
I spoke directly with four knowledgeable people about this region—including two guides, a hut manager, and an avid 4×4 driver—and all of them highly recommended (actually, forcefully instructed) that I not try to ford the Pjorsa. I heeded the advice I received and therefore needed to find a bridged crossing of Hofsjokull's rivers. I decided to go south, to the bridge on F32. I also could have gone north around Hofsjokull, but this route is apparently not as scenic and it is longer.
Not long after I posted the description of my traverse route I was independently contacted by two Frenchman, Olivier "Rando léger" and David Abadie, who informed me that it was indeed possible to get around Hofsjokul, on both its north and south sides. Visit this page for their contact info contact info, excerpts of our email exchanges, and links to their trip reports and photos.
From the Nyidalur region, I had two options for a southerly route. (1) Follow Jonathan Ley's route, which hugs the west-northwest edge of Vetnajokull and which is more scenic than the other option. I would have gone this way if I had bypassed Nyidalur and climbed over Vonarskard instead. Or (2) hike south-southwest along F26/Sprengisandur Route, sometimes directly on it and other times close to it on cross-country shortcuts or on parallel primitive tracks. Since this was my most direct route (recall, I had stopped at Nyidalur) and since I suddenly needed to make a 100-mile detour, I went this way. Regardless of the route I chose, I would have eventually reached F32 via F26. About 10 miles east of the bridge, back on F26, I passed Hrauneyjar, an outpost with bathrooms, a nice café, and a small selection of snacks like candy bars, chocolate, cookies, and chips.
Once I crossed the Pjorsa, I turned right up the hill on a primitive track, walked around the reservoir shoreline, and began climbing up the track again. After a few kilometers on the track, I had to make a decision: (1) I could have followed this track north-northeast all the way to Setur hut and then linked together a few other primitive tracks to F37, which would take me to Hveravellir; but instead I chose to (2) take a straight-line cross-country route into the colorful Kerlingafjoll Mountains. This is especially easy on a clear day: you will be able to see the mountains on the horizon, and you can just walk straight towards them across this gray lifeless lake-dotted alpine desert.
The Kerlingafjoll's were a much-needed break from the gray rocks, grit-covered glaciers, and dark storm clouds that I had been looking at full-time since east of Askja. There are three mountain clusters: west, central, and east. I headed into the central cluster, which is the smallest but which makes for a nice ridgewalk, and it offers views of the other two clusters. The eastern cluster is the most impressive of the three but there is no straightforward way through it. From the central cluster's ridge I descended a low-angle glacier/permanent snowfield and dropped directly into the thermal area. Yikes! It's freaky walking around a thermal area—you never know when your foot is going to punch through the ground into a chamber of hot air or boiling water. The topography here gets very complex, but I managed to make my way north, on the west side of the creek that drains the glacier. Eventually I picked up a well-worn hiking trail (this shocked me, but apparently these mountains are very popular with trekkers and tourists) that was marked with short wooden posts. I followed this trail to another trail that headed off in my desired direction—over a ridge and towards the bridged crossing of Jikulkvisi on F347.
Once I reached the bridge I followed the road for a few kilometers to Gygjarfoss, where I left the road and took a cross-country shortcut across easy terrain to F35. I followed the road for a few hours before taking another cross-country shortcut to Hveravellir that nipped the northern edge of Rjupnafell.
Hveravellir to Snaefellsnes/Ring Road
After a soak in Hveravellir's thermal pool I headed west-southwest on F735, which climbs and then descends steeply. At the bottom of this descent I left the track and hiked cross-country upslope to the backside of Oddnylarhnjukur. From there, I climbed to the edge of Langjokull, which I hugged until reaching the glacier's northern side. While the shortest route is immediately next to the glacier, I would recommend contouring about a half-mile below the edge, where the rocks will be more settled and where you are less likely to step into a mudhole. From the glacier's north side I descended across an old glacier-scoured lava field towards Tvidaegra.
Tvidaegra is a grass- and moss-covered expanse of boggy moorlands. It is mostly dry but you may encounter a few wet areas that you cannot avoid, depending on your route. I see two options for getting around this region: (1) follow a primitive track along the Kjarara southwest and then west to join F524; or (2) go cross-country across it, nearly due west, to the Ring Road. I would recommend the latter route: it was faster and more adventuresome than following the track, and there are a few shepherd huts along the way in order to get out of the weather. I did not come across any must-see features in this area, though there is a thermal feature and hut on the river Sika, referred to as Hveraborg.
Note: My 1:250,000 map indicated at least two primitive tracks in this region that did not exist, namely the tracks that head west and northwest from Nupsheidarskali hut, on the lake Urohaeo. This was a disappointment because primitive tracks would have made for easier travel: throughout Tvidaegra there are giant grassy mounds and energy-sapping moss clumps that make cross-country travel difficult. I believe these primitive tracks refer to herding trails or centuries-old cross-country routes.
The Snaefellsnes Peninsula
I was several days ahead of schedule when I reached the Ring Rd, which meant that I had the time and food to wander freely all over the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. And that's exactly what I did—my route was entirely spontaneous, based on what "looked good" and "looked like it'd go." I slowly moved west, but I'm sure that I did as many miles in northerly and southerly (and sometimes even easterly) directions. I'll describe my route below, as I have done before. But because it was so circuitous, you may not want to follow it as exactly as you may follow my route east of here.
I began by climbing up to the rocky and broad Snjofjoll, which gave me a great view of where I had come from (Tvidaegra) and where I was going (west). I made it over to Sandur and followed the ridge west-northwest to Grafartindar. I was relieved to find only a loose scree slope on this peak's west side (instead of impassable cliff bands) and descended into a brushy thicket before crossing F60.
I walked on the road for a little while before turning off on a long driveway towards the farm named Fremri-Hundadalur. I ducked a fence and followed a 2-track for a long way south. The track eventually faded and I hiked towards Borgarhraunseggiar, which has some cliff bands on its west side but which is passable on its south end. I descended into the valley north of the lake Langavatn, crossed it, and climbed Trollakirkja, which has some cliff bands on the southeast ridge that I had to climb around to the right. I descended below the cliff faces on Trollakirkja's northeast side, contoured around its north side, dropped north to a 3-way pass, and picked up a well-worn sheep trail to the west. The topography in this area is slightly complex, so pay attention. While the pass just north of Ok looks more direct, it's difficult to access because of cliff bands; the west side may be impassable, sure looked like it from a distance. I instead went north, over the pass to the east of Helgufe…(sp? Sorry, my map creases on this mountain and some of the ink has worn off.), looped around to the left, and then up and over another small pass north of Geirhnukur. I hiked around some lakes and dropped down to gravel F55.
I went along the south tip of Svinafell, crossed Satudalur, and then climbed up to the saddle just south of Hestur. After crossing the pass I contoured along the south slope below Skyrtunna to another pass, from where I descended south along a fenceline to paved F54. I walked this road to its junction with Rt-56, where there is a restaurant with a small selection of snacks and goodies. I hiked north and climbed Seliafell, where the breeze kept the bugs away and where I found one of the best campsites of the trip. I descended its north side to the paved road and went around the north sides of Raudarvallavatn and Hraunsfjardarvatn. I climbed to a lip at the northwest end of the latter lake and descended to the primitive track around Hraunsfjordur. A centuries-old road goes up and over a low pass south of Gjafi to the old F54, which I followed to Kverna, a farm with a campground just east of Grundarfjordur. From Kverna there are two cross-country routes to the south side of the peninsula: (1) the east track goes up and over a pass on the east side of Smjorhnukur before descending to Lysuholl, where there is a hot spring; (2) the west track, which I followed, goes over a pass on the west side of Smjorhnukur. If you take the west track, be wary on the descent—there are lots of impassable cliff bands. Speak with the owner of Kverna before you go—he might be able to give you some advice.
I walked F54 west to the junction with F574, which I followed around the south side of Axlarhyrna, where you get your first great view of Snaefellsjokull. I walked south on a driveway towards the lake Miohusavatn in order to access the beautiful beach Hraunlandarif/Breidavik. When I reached the beach's west side I climbed to the basalt cliffs above and followed them into Arnarstapi.
I stopped in Arnarstapi because the trip felt over when I got there. But you don't need to stop there if you don't want to. There is a popular hiking trail that goes to Hellnar, and apparently there are hiking trails, bridal trails, or cross-country routes all the way around the tip of the peninsula. If you have crampons and an ice axe, you can also climb Snaefellsjokull, which I think would be the most fitting way to end the Traverse. Just do it soon, though—the mountain is losing its glacier quickly and experts predict that it will be gone entirely within another 50 years.
Maps of Traverse
About the Laugavegur
Topographical Maps & Software
Terrain & Landscape
Resupply Options
Regions & Weather Patterns
Quickstart guide: Laugavegur & Fimmvörðuháls
Notable Hazards
Logistics & Resupply Tips
Laugavegur Camping Regulations
Interview with Jonathan Ley
Direct Routes around Hofsjokull
Tommy on April 17, 2012 at 9:06 pm
I'm heading over to Iceland this summer, early August, for a week long, backcountry hike and am looking at gear to take. I noticed in your gear list that you took a more heavy duty rain jacket for this trip than you might normally take in addition to the wind shirt. I know the wind and rain is legendarily bad in Iceland. I've been going back and forth with some of the more ultralight options clothing wise – sub 6oz rain jacket, down jacket, etc. vs a heavier duty jacket that weighs more but has rain and wind protection, heavyweight base layer, etc.
I have a 16oz REI UL Rain/Wind jacket that I've been happy with – is it worth the weight for a more solidly built jacket for this type of trip? Is it a bad idea to even consider taking a down mid-layer jacket considering the moisture I'm likely to see?
Andrew Skurka on April 18, 2012 at 9:36 am
Only parts of Iceland are rainy — the Highlands and the north coast are actually pretty dry because Vetnajokull grabs all the moisture that flows from the south, which is the prevailing storm direction.
That said, you can probably still expect to get rained on while in Iceland. A waterproof/breathable rain jacket is not going to keep you dry — in prolonged conditions, they ultimate fail. So you need to have the ability to stay comfortable/warm when you're wet. I would recommend a fleece layer and a set of sleeping clothes.
My gear list for the Alaska-Yukon Expedition would probably be better to follow than my Iceland gear list. Similar climates, and much updated thinking.
Simon on December 18, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Thanks for all this, best hiking site on the web I'd say. I have a question, though.
In retrospect, considering the blowing dust your gear list stated being an issue with the Shangri-La tent w/ bivy, what would you bring if you went again? Also, no regrets taking a non-free-standing tent?
I might go to Iceland next summer and think about using a Solomid. I think it'll hold in the wind if pegged well. But considering the dust, what would you recommend? This inner perhaps?
http://oookworks.com/oooknest_nano.html
Hope you have the time to respond. Thanks in advance!
Andrew Skurka on December 18, 2012 at 6:34 pm
If I went to Iceland again and did the exact same route, I would probably bring a similar pyramid-shaped shelter. GoLite SL2, MLD SoloMid or DuoMid, BD mids, etc. However, I would be more aware of a floorless shelter's limitations in windy areas with blowing sandy, silt, or ash — and I'd go more out my way to pick better campsites, which might require some additional research on my end.
For utmost protection in those conditions, a mountaineering-style single-wall tent is probably the best type of shelter. They are super storm-worthy, and they can be completed sealed up against the conditions without condensation collecting inside it (because they are made of waterproof-breathable material).
Your suggestion of using the OookWorks OookNest Nano would absolutely work too, though you'll probably lose some interior space with it. BTW, I was unaware of OokWorks, so thanks for the tip.
Hi Andrew, happy Christmas!
Thank you for the quick reply. I understand a mountaineering tent would be best, but I think it would be of little other use for me after the trip.
So you would trust a piramid-style tent? Considering you brought one to Alaska makes me think you have some faith in them. I don't have one yet, and because they are rare here, I can't really judge their wind resistance other than go on internet information. Also a bit hard to judge how little spaces there are for a 'sheltered' camp sites in Iceland.
The dust issue, thanks! I might go with such an inner or DIY something that will suffice to at least keep my head out of the dust.
Alessia on November 16, 2013 at 2:28 am
I'm Alessia from Italy and I'm searching information about lonsoraefi-snaefell trail that I would like to made with mountain bike.
I can't find any information about it so I can hope that you can help me.
thank you very much for any information you can give me.
Alberto on May 18, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Hi Alessia, did you get the informations you was looking for?
Have you planned your trip for this year (2014)?
I'm interested in getting infos about the same route (by walk).
Can you contact me?
Troy Kellenberger on March 19, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Hey how many miles or kilometers roughly do you say it is horizontally across Iceland? say the route you took?
Michael on April 17, 2015 at 4:14 am
Hey Andrew,
Congrats, great adventure! I've been thinking of Iceland for too much time, i guess I'll go there sooner.
I just have a question for you, how many km is the traverse long?
ps. If you happen to be around Corsica, there's a great traverse, 180+ km, called GR20!
Ashley on May 25, 2015 at 7:47 pm
Hi. My name is Ashley and I am planning a running trip across Iceland and I am so lost. How do I book the mountain huts? Can I do this without a guide. I don't want to go with a tour company as I am on a tight budget. I think I will follow your suggestions for locations. Thank you so much.
J on May 27, 2015 at 3:52 am
Hi I'm planning a North-South Solo in July 2015. Is anyone interested to team up?
Brad Ebersey on September 21, 2017 at 12:48 pm
J did you ever do the traverse?
Derek Cullen on October 27, 2018 at 4:32 pm
Sounds like a fantastic adventure and thanks for sharing. I am thinking of taking a similar walk next year and just trying to figure out if the wind is maybe a little "too much". Cheers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What are "cycles" anyway? Who do they affect?
Unbelievable quantities of theory exists about economic waves, cycles or periodic variation. Yet the economists who first wrote about cycles - Kondratiev, Schumpeter, Slutsky (apologies to any others who should have been mentioned) - had very different spins on "what cycles mean".
During the 1950s and 1960s there was a concerted attempt by Young Turk mostly American economists, later on called Neoliberals, and after that New Economists (most of them being over 70 years age, now) to deny, disprove or more simply reject any existence of economic cycles. Business cycle - yes. Economic cycle - no.
Schumpeter can be mentioned in the presence of a Neolib/New Economist without having your ear filled with postillons (spittle). Schumpeter is the 'Father of the Business Cycle'. His name can be mentioned in front of MBA fodder in upmarket, fee-paying universities, without you being shown the door. But dont bother with Kondratiev, that is 'freaky' stuff and - hilariously - Kondratiev is sometimes called "the Marxist economist" by eager right wing creatures formerly called Yuppies. Kondratiev died in a Stalin forced labour camp for Thought Crime.
Schumpeter didnt have much against, or for Kondratiev. Their slant was different. Schumpeter had no problem in deciding if Long Depressions can happen. His answer was Yes.
Economic cycles mean periodic recessions and crises and even depressions.
Un-destroying demand is pretty much like creating demand, and that takes us way back to Keynes and a whole lot further (to Turgot, for example). Contracting demand doesnt mean the same at all - it means that demand shrivels away, the interest wasnt there anymore, people dieoff or get pissed off. In polite words, this is "secular change" or "attitudinal change".
1929 triggered the Long Depression or Great Depression. In plenty of countries (Russia for example, most African countries, most of South America) the Long Depression has been about 1986-2000. Through the 1990s things only got worse. And worse.
The 1929-36 sequence made World War 2 inevitable. The Mussolini campaign of 1936 in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) bears plenty of resemblance to the Bush-Blair Iraq war. That is hysterical, racist, instant imperialist, with absolutely no concrete economic bottom line. Mussolini got nothing out of Destroying the Desert Dictator (or Negus) of Abyssinia, and the Bush-Blair crowd are doing a great job in destroying Iraqi oil production and export capacities (so far, a reduction from about 2.6 Mbd exports, to about 0.25 Mbd). We still await the Hitler lookalike, today.
Geopolitical and multipolar seismicity - those fault lines already so clear under the surface can open up and swallow the Old World (the 1945-2000 world that the GWB regime is trying, insanely, to save or prevent collapse of, rather than de-energize it, transit to sustainability, and stop striking poses on the cliff edge).
Visitors to dieoff.com dont need details on the Breakup of the Postwar Pangean World, this article is about mechanisms.
An Oct 03 Crash will aid the necessary, inevitable de-Globalization and Increased Multipolarity that will surely come within a decade because any classic bourse crash will first-and-most impact the First World of US-Europe-Japan- traditional NICs (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore etc).
You can easily check that by energy intensity per capita. Take out all the high energy economies, measured by (say) more than 5 to 7 barrels/head/year. These are the only economies and societies where there is enough cash left around to play bourse casino, the 'What If' paper flutter with electronic chips. Other economies and societies dont have the spare dimes or time for that.
An October 03 Crash would have little impact on The Rest. Its a classic of 'Liberation Economics' (eg. Samir Amin, Gunder Frank, I Wallerstein, etc), that is/ When the First World does badly, The Rest does well. In fact, the analytic base of this is 1930s and 1940s colonial struggle and emerging Cold War standoff between US/Europe/Japan and the 'traditional marxist block' - USSR and China - with a bunch of bystanders vaguely called the 3rd World (India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Arab world, Africa, Latin America, and a few others). At the time, all these economies were below about $400/capita annual GNP in dollars of today. Their oil consumption was virtually zero. In economic terms, the Long Depression of the 1930s was very good news for plenty of the 3rd World. Not all but plenty.
This will be exactly the same again if an Oct 03 Crash happens and it is 1929-style, it will penetrate those outer shells, right through to the neutronic core, and economiccontraction will happen, that is not only 'demand destruction' but also elimination of needs for, desires of, and equipment, buildings and infrastructures used in so-called "gainful economic activity". In other words: a self-feeding or high gain feedback demand and supply contraction process. A very Long Depression could generate inside the OECD, former richworld.
There is almost no limit at all on the DOWNside, just like on the UPside! Cycles work really well in BOTH directions. Through 1929-36 there were 60%-90% contractions in "key business and activity indicators", in plenty of civilized world countries. Plenty of The Rest, that is countries that were soon going to 'detach' through decolonization, experienced steady if not spectacular economic growth right through 1929-39 and into World War 2.
China, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey - to name some very key players - will have a Sink-or-Swim choice. Go down with the First World, or separate.
Just as probable, this sequence shorts out. The Alternate First World will save the Old First World like it already did in the 1980s through setting a floor to how much the First World can destroy demand (at the world level). In other words/ No real contraction. This could lead on to 'economy and social restructuring', which must come if only because of Peak Oil, but is not the subject of this discussion.
Back in the early 1980s, the Reagan-Thatcher duo set out to destroy anything and everything that even smelled of "inflation". Money had to be 'saved', pronto. So they naturally turned their beady eyes on destroying the economy. To their New Economics advisers 25% unemployment was a tiny price to pay for "stability" . People who still had a job, and even a few jobless fools flocked to vote for this hunky dory policy.
Despite that cute bit of Frankenstein Economics (also called Voodoo Economic at the time), and in lightning speed in the one year 1983-84 the world economy turned around and pulled out of a Long Depression entry sequence. No Long Depression happened. There were floors to the falls in First World economic activity. One hard and certain floor was the Alternative First World. It was bashing metal consumer products, and later on electrons, that the former Richworld had - temporarily - decided was a yucky thing to do, while its Consumer Citizenry piled back into personal consumption like it was going out of style - which it is! There is no question the Neoliberal Homeland and heartlands are more economically fragile, de-structured, and ripe for root-and-branch change than ever in their history. A major bourse crash in Oct 03, with real sequels in te real economy, to a backdrop of coming Peak Oil may - we can hope - sound the wake up call.
It is unlikely a 1929-style crash can happen because there will not be a Long Depression after the October 2003 crash. I could be wrong! There is no 'theoretical need' for the OECD Richworld to not slide into permanent recession (0%-1% annual real GDP growth, falling to -1% to -2% per year) and stay there. This could be the run up, continue long enough to join up with Peak Oil, after which incipient global economic collapse could be realised. But I doubt this a lot.
This brings us back to one measuring rod - fossil energy supply and consumption. Any economic crash sequence can be measured by world oil and energy demand. We could have low annual oil and gas demand growth, even slight falls as we get to 2010. Prices, however, will go UP as world demand hits against physical limits on supply, the previous and artificially low oil and energy prices having disenabled investment in energy transition (to a low energy economy and society) and slowed or prevented development of nonoil/nongas alternatives on a serious and committed base. On the question of 'Did dirt cheap oil and low fossil energy prices disenable investment in alternatives to fossil fuels?' anybody who wants can check what has happened to investment in nuclear power since the Oil Price Crash of 1986. How are construction trends for nuclear power plants over the last 15+ years? The industry is dying on its feet! There is no time left left to create the Nuclear Nirvana - which is perhaps the sole thing we can be really thankful about.


text:
Sint-Bavo Overboelaere was een Belgische voetbalclub uit Overboelare bij Geraardsbergen . Sint-Bavo was bij KBVB aangesloten met stamnummer 5382.

Geschiedenis
De club sloot zich in augustus 1950 aan bij de KBVB als beginnende club. Men nam nog niet aan de officiële competitie deel.

Dat veranderde in 1953 toen men een effectieve club werd en startte in Derde Provinciale, wat toen het laagste provinciale niveau was in Oost-Vlaanderen.

Men eindigde de eerste drie seizoenen keurig in de middenmoot.

In 1955-1956 had Sint-Bavo gezelschap gekregen van de oudere dorpsrivaal KVR Overboelare die gedegradeerd was uit Tweede Provinciale.

Het jonge Sint-Bavo wist één plaats hoger te eindigen dan de oudere club uit het dorp.

In 1956-1957 werd de pikorde hersteld, KVR eindigde tweede, Sint-Bavo twaalfde.

Men begon daarna echter niet meer aan het seizoen 1957-1958 en in december 1957 nam Sint-Bavo ontslag uit de KBVB.

Overboelaere
Sport in Geraardsbergen
Sportvereniging in Oost-Vlaanderen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Elmer the Patchwork Elephant By David McKee
About Elmer
Elmer remains one of the most iconic and widely read children's book series of all time, selling over 10 million copies worldwide since it was first published by Andersen Press in 1989. Written and illustrated by celebrated children's author and artist David McKee, the Elmer books have been translated into more than 50 languages and now new books, toys and clothing add to the world of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.
David McKee was born in Devon and studied at Plymouth Art College. In the early part of his career, McKee regularly drew and sold humorous drawings to magazines and newspapers such as The Times Educational Supplement, Punch and the Reader's Digest. David McKee has written and illustrated over 50 picture books for Andersen Press and has penned a number of children's classics including King Rollo, Mr Benn, Not Now Bernard and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. David McKee loves to paint and now lives in the South of France but regularly visits London.
We're Wild in Art
We're one of the leading producers of spectacular, mass-appeal public art events, which connect businesses, artists and communities through the power of creativity and innovation. Since 2008 we've animated cities across the world including Sydney, Melbourne, Cape Town and São Paulo, and created trails for the London 2012 Olympics, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Historic Royal Palaces and Penguin Random House.
Elmer's Big Art Parades is brought to you by Wild in Art in partnership with Andersen Press.
More Elmer


text:
THE SOUND CYPHER
2 social solutions for music discovery when radio and streaming services fail...
By: Connor C Wright
The year was 1998, the club was smokey, the music was loud and the people were intoxicated with life! These were the years of carefree living before the selfie, mass consumption of social media and the last vestige of truly living in the moment! I remember these years vividly but don't have much evidence to support just how truly great of a time they were! Well, aside from a few blurry pictures and the music that fueled this era.
Now that I'm in my 40s, I'll admit I have a bad habit of listening to old music. Not classical old, but 1980-2000. It's really easy to let your musical tastes calcify over the years. I guess listening to music from that era helps to relive a simpler more carefree time. Besides most of the new music I've heard as of late really doesn't speak to me and In my defense, trying to find new music that's worth listening to these days can be tough! You might catch the occasional new song while walking through a store, watching a movie, or maybe on a TV show. My best example is Saturday Night Live; that's how I discovered The Killers! The trouble is, it's convenient to just throw on the "oldies" station. The music is familiar, comforting and rarely brings unpleasant surprises. Besides, I remember the days when simply turning on the radio provided a variety of new songs that eventually became favorites. I guess I'm slightly outside the demographic for top 40 radio.
As much of a music person as I am (or was), admittedly, I'm lazy! Hence the regular use of oldies stations! However, over the last few months I've made an attempt to find new music to listen to! While on this quest, because that's what it's become, I've discovered a couple things.
Youtube is one of the worst places to find new music! Nothing against YouTube, but music discovery definitely isn't its purpose! Not only does YouTube feed you almost exclusively what you have shown you like to watch already, but by its very nature it's repetitive. It's so bad, you can hear the same song twice out of three. Even shuffle mode on an MP3 player is better than that!
Music streaming services are tremendously better than YouTube but stumbling upon a new artist is still somewhat difficult! To me, Apple Music equates to being the BEST oldies station ever created. I'll definitely be keeping the service but it doesn't seem to be geared toward finding something new.
Shazam has been a pretty steadfast tool and is great for music discovery. However, it's usefulness is highly predicated on being around good music! Unfortunately, I don't encounter much music during my day to day that prompts me to open the app.
Social media has become the go to for a lot of things in recent years but I haven't found it to be overly useful for music discovery! Occasionally, I'll see a post from a friend about a new song but generally speaking my timeline is filled with memes, debates and politics (yuck).
So what else can you do? Well, I've come up with a couple of solutions. The first is going "social" minus the "media", I mean like actually talking with friends, family, co-workers, and maybe even strangers depending on how outgoing you are. Music after all is a form of social glue but, realistically how frequently do you ask people about what their listening to? For most of us, the answer is likely to be "not bloody often."
The second, is something I found while perusing reddit. A game called The Sound Cypher. This thing took elements from my quest to find new music and combined them into a fun activity that helped me reconnect with music I haven't heard in ages while introducing me to songs that I've never heard before. The added bonus is that playing the game is a great excuse to get together with friends and argue about music while listening songs to prove your point!
The game presents topics where you need to come up with a song that fits! Generally speaking, the topics are pretty simple but they definitely make you think! One card that's always interesting, makes you think back to childhood for a song that we really shouldn't have been listening to or singing along with! As an adult, it's funny looking back on just how inappropriate some of the music was from our adolescence. Some cards prompt you to select songs based on popular music topics, others are based on word association and some make you rack your brain for the best song from a specific artist. All in all this game has really made for some enjoyable evenings!
The new music discovery aspect of The Sound Cypher comes from the people you play the game with. My circle is quite diverse based on the industry that occupies my days and helps to keep the lights on! A couple of times a year I'm tasked with hosting a "party" for my department. These parties, really just gatherings, run the typical work "party" course! Nibbles, drinks, small talk, work recaps and banter about the latest thing happening in the media! These gatherings have jokingly become known as the after-hour break room! During the last party I decided to introduce The Sound Cypher!
The thing that surprised me the most once the game started was just how much musical overlap exist between generations and cultures. I wasn't sure how or if the game would work in a room of people spanning different ages and backgrounds but The Sound Cypher totally changed the dynamics of our last gathering. I'm actually looking forward to the next work party and best of all, I've been introduced to a few new artist and some great songs that have reignited my love for music.
We've dedicated this section of the website to conversations about music! We will explore a variety of topics related to music and how it directly effects our lives. The pieces contained in this section have been independently authored and/or co-authored by people in The Sound Cypher community. We look forward to your commentary, submissions and insight on how music has influenced your life!
a Murray International Ventures LLC Company
MailChimp Connection Script
Email Collector 11/22/19.
Email Collector 11/22/19 google-site-verification=of6ovNtD-KuxP4SNkLauZNEeqXVucpszgRzOW-wwPL8.


text:
Tim presses NHS England for action to deal with rural GP funding
In the latest stage of his campaign to protect rural GP surgeries, local MP Tim Farron has spoken with senior managers at NHS England. Tim called for a 'Strategic Small Surgeries Fund' to be created to help practices like Hawkshead and Coniston bridge the funding gap.
Tim spoke to Dr David Geddes, NHS England's Head of Primary Care Commissioning and pressed for help for Coniston and Hawkshead's GP practices.
A compensation payment for surgeries with low footfall, called MPIG, is due to be phased out from this year, prompting an outcry that practices in rural areas will be forced to close.
The so-called Minimum Practice Income Guarantee (MPIG) is being ditched in a move that local politicians and campaigners have claimed is further undermining key services in countryside communities. Recently South Lakeland District Council and Yorkshire Dales National Park both agreed to lobby for the MPIG changes to be looked at again. Some practices now face a 35% cut in funding.
Whilst larger practices will be able to absorb the additional work load, smaller surgeries in the rural areas of Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire will suffer a real risk of closure under the pressure. Along with poor public transport links and difficult winter weather conditions in these rural areas, this would be devastating for people needing emergency medical care. Tim has called for changes to the policy without delay.
Tim specifically asked whether there might be a 'Strategic Small Surgeries Fund'- NHS England said that this was not impossible but that rather than a block grant this might be more likely to come in the form of funding tied to an identifiable, enhanced service e.g. setting up a network of community nurses.
Tim said: "In the last couple of years we have worked hard to secure major investment for surgeries throughout South Lakeland. Many of the practices now hold clinics and do minor surgery. I hope that bidding for this debate will keep this issue high up on the agenda.
"I will keep fighting as hard as I can to defend our rural GP practices - they are at the heart of communities like Hawkshead and Coniston."


MONTVERDE - Keland White only carried the ball three times, but he ran for three touchdowns and also returned the opening kickoff for a score as Landmark Christian blasted Montverde Academy, 53-3, in a preseason classic Friday night.
White ran 94 yards for a score with the opening kickoff and also had touchdown runs of 18 and 25 yards. He finished with 48 yards.
Juwuan Mathis also ran for one touchdown, caught a pass for a score, ran for a two-point conversion and kicked three extra points.
Quarterback Seth Johnson was 3-for-3 for 59 yards and two touchdowns.
AVON PARK - Quarterback Vic Smith accounted for three touchdowns, but Tenoroc couldn't hold on to a 12 point lead against Avon Park, losing 26-18, in the preseason kickoff classic.
Smith threw one touchdown and rushed for two more for the Titans, who gave up 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Darius Frasier scored on the touchdown pass-play from Smith and also ran the ball well, Tenoroc coach Dave Robson said.
Oasis Christian lost to Kissimmee's City of Life Christian Academy in its opening game of the 7-on-7 season despite solid offensive performances from quarterback Kevin Spell and running back Jonathan Rowe. Spell threw for 117 yards and Rowe accounted for another 166.


text:
DJGeki's interview
(Redirected from Roddy's interview)
This interview with DJGeki was taken by MetaFox for the DreamOn magazine #1, which was released at the Midwest Gaming Classic in 2004.
How did you first become associated with Cryptic Allusion?
This is a long story, so I'll try to get right to the point: I met Dan at the University of Texas through a mutual friend who wanted to start a game business within the next few years. Even though that company never got started, Dan's "demo group" named Cryptic Allusion was just kind of 'there' and we decided to make something of it after we got started on Feet of Fury. FoF was originally planned to be a free-release game, with just a few of my own songs in it. Nothing fancy...but it blew up into a full-size project after we decided that this might be our shot to "break into" the elusive boys-club that the industry seems to be.
We're finally starting to see some of the effects of that now (i.e., EGM taking notice of the DC homebrew community), and I'd like to think that the commercial release of FoF had something to do with the rise in interest.
What was your position for Feet of Fury?
I played quite a few roles. I was first and foremost the primary composer of music and sound effects for FoF. I did around 20 tracks and loops specifically for the game. Don't even ask me to count how many sound effects I made. Secondly, I was the business contact and "department head" for all things that involved licensed music. I also gave a lot of feedback to Dan about gameplay, came up with some ideas for items/attacks present in the game, some menu structures, and other design ideas that never quite got to the "complete idea" phase. :) I also ended up vetoing some gameplay along with Dan so that the game would be a more enjoyable experience.
That was mostly his idea, though... I think I'm a packrat when it comes to gameplay options. I almost never want to get rid of anything!
Do you have a preference for the style of music that you make, or do you feel comfortable making music encompassing any genre?
Woo...there's a toughie. A preference for the style of music I make... I'd like to say I don't have a preference. I enjoy dance music in general, but there are specific genres I don't like, and others that I prefer; however, I feel that if I needed to make something specific, I could do the research and make it happen (yes, even country music...FEH!).
As was seen in the bonuses included on the FoF disc, I am capable of composing classical-type music. It may not be John Williams nor Mahler, but I kind of like what comes out of my brain.
Now that I've danced around your question, let's see if I can answer it. I really like Breakbeat. I'd love to be able to get into doing some stuff that sounds more like it, but right now whenever I let my mind take over the music-making process, everything becomes jazz-like. Meaning, there's no real hook to most of my songs, as the melodic lines just tend to take themselves in whichever direction they please.
Is there anything that you wish Feet of Fury could have had if it had a bigger budget and a longer development cycle?
I think that if we'd had some capital, we might have paid for the first run of discs on our own. It's just technically simpler that way than going through a 3rd party.
More specifically, we had planned for animated characters fighting in mid-screen (a la "Puzzle Fighter"), and a "charge up" mode that could have been extra special. It's way too involved to describe here, but it would have taken a longer amount of time to program this mode. It also would have removed FoF many steps away from DDR (no pun intended), not to mention that it was relatively intuitive, and made gameplay much more interesting. This mode could have replaced "Item Battle" as the main mode, but there wasn't enough time or complete ideas to make it happen. It broke quite a few rules from the standard DDR-style play.
The thing that really makes Feet of Fury stand out from other music games is the typing of fury mode. What are your opinions on this feature?
My opinion is that Dan is a freaky genius. Not a "Freaking Genius" (although he is that), but "freaky". I think he played "The Typing of the Dead" one too many times :D Excellent, excellent use of the existing engine to make up a totally different game.
It's way too hard though :) It was all his idea, in case you couldn't infer that from my statements, but I really do enjoy getting my butt handed to me by the computer.
What are your thoughts on the commercial future of the Dreamcast in the homebrew realm?
The commercial future doesn't look amazing _right now_, but it's by no means going to go away or die. I think we're just off to a slow start.You give this scene another two years, and I think we may have an explosion of epic proportions on our hands. I mean, the DC is still new in the way of dead systems. Once our current lot of systems decides to die out, there will be a lull in terms of new games for the new slew of systems. In that time, we won't see anything interesting minus the "graphic demo" release titles that we're bound to see. You know the kind... the ones that "push 3D reality to the next level" and such. I just get this feeling that people are going to turn back to their old systems (like they usually do) and see that they had something great in the Dreamcast. Lots of quality games, the systems are super cheap (when you can find them), and the accessories are pretty much ubiquitous. Ooh...I used "ubiquitous"! (and it made sense!)
There have been talks lately about making producingDreamcast shareware games as were done quite alot for the PC and Amiga in the early 1990s. What are your thoughts on this?
I'm all for it! I LOVE shareware. I remember going to high school (way back in 1992-96) always having a store-bought shareware copy of Doom in my backpack. Any chance I got, I'd install that sucker on an 486 and impress the hell out of whoever was around.
I used to go to the WaldenSoftware store in our local mall just so I could watch the bad-assness of the demos on the Amiga 500 they had on display. That was also the first time I'd ever seen "Shadow of the Beast". God bless thee, Psygnosis. Too bad Sony bought them out. In any case, I never had an Amiga until around 2 years ago, so I didn't really get into the demo scene back then.	It looks like it was a good time for all from what I've seen recently of that era.
Dan is the big proponent of DC shareware, and at first I was opposed to it. What section of the mass-market wants to download something for a console system? But the more I think about it, the more I like it:
Johnny downloads the shareware, burns it to a disc and goes off to show his friends. They like it, so he gives them a copy legally. Legally? Wait a second...that shouldn't be! Ah, but it is my good consumer. Eat it up! Shareware games don't happen as much as they should these days.
Let's hope this idea takes off.
Any insight towards what Cryptic Allusion has planned for the future?
Heh heh...i do i do. We hinted a bit at the RPG we had been working on (on the FoF disc) until we started in on Feet of Fury. I'd love to get a team to finish that. There is so much groundwork laid down, and yet so much left to do. It's just a project I'd love to take up again.
Other than that, I came up with an idea for an online game that is quite unlike any games we've really seen here. It would require a relatively large budget (well, relatively large compared to $0.00), though, so don't look forward to that anytime soon. In any case, we do have lots of stuff planned, just nothing has been made solid yet as far as what our next project will be.
I'd be expecting an announcement from us semi-soon, though. Maybe not something ground breaking, but definitely something worth looking forward to. Especially if you like old-school games. :D
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, and sorry for procrastinating so much to get them to you.
No prob. Hope you get these off in time to get them into the mag :) Good luck with it, and let us know when it's finished so I can buy a copy or twelve! BTW, it seems that Dan never received any questions, are you going to interview him as well?
Retrieved from "https://dcemulation.org/index.php?title=DJGeki%27s_interview&oldid=3717"


B.F.I.S offers classes from Reception (age group 3 & above) to class XII. From class-VIII we have separate streams of Matric, F.Sc, IGCSEl, AS Level and A-Level classes. BFIS is affiliated with Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad. BFIS is the only Asian school, which is offering IGCSE to the residents of Doha. It is also one of the very few schools, which offers AS-Level and A-Level Classes. The school is a recognized exam and study centre of Edexcel, London Board, UK.
A separate Girls Wing is functional since year 2002. BFIS offers separate girls and boys classes from II and onwards.
BFIS offers College classes (FSC) with effect from September 2002, offering Pre-Engineering, Pre-Medical and General Science (Computer Studies) groups. The school achieved another hallmark by initiating AS-Level & A-Level classes in year 2007, as a registered centre for Edexcel, London Board, UK.
The academic year of the school begins in the first week of May and culminates with the third term exams in the start of April every year.
The school has three terms system, with First Term spanning over May to October, 2nd Term October to January and 3rd Term January to April.
1st Term exams carries 30% weightage, likewise 2nd Term carries 30% as well, whereas the 3rd Term carries 40% weightage towards the promotion to the next level.


5. Stir in pears and vanilla, and if used, dried cranberries.
6. Bake at 325-350 for 55-60 minutes.
* Examples of healthy margarines/shortenings: Earth Balance, Smart Balance, Spectrum Organic Shortening. Be sure to read label and avoid anything with "partially hydrogenated" oils….label may say in big letters, NO or ZERO transfats, but still include them.
** Note, for some sensitive people xylitol, while highly recommended healthy food and great for oral health, both teeth and gums, can be laxative, especially in larger amounts. Thus start newcomers with a small piece of the pear cake. Most people quickly become accustomed to and have no problems. Erythritol reportedly is much less likely to have laxative effects. Also good for oral health.
 Adapted following Memory Preservation Nutrition® program by Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D. from a recipe tested by Sharlene Emerson, RN, Nurse Practitioner, Diabetes Educator.
 For NON-SUGAR-FREE, high calorie version substitute 1 cup brown or raw sugar – then no longer sugar free. May also use a ½ sugar and ½ the amount of natural sweeteners shown above.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, Photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of HealthCare Insights, LLC. Direct correspondence to Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D.


text:
Такома-Парк () — місто () в США, в окрузі Монтгомері штату Меріленд. Населення —  осіб (2010).

Географія
Такома-Парк розташована за координатами  (38.980302, -77.002315).  За даними Бюро перепису населення США в 2010 році місто мало площу 5,41 км², з яких 5,39 км² — суходіл та 0,01 км² — водойми.

Демографія

Згідно з переписом 2010 року, у місті мешкало  осіб у  домогосподарствах у складі  родин. Густота населення становила 3091 особа/км².  Було 7162 помешкання (1325/км²).

Расовий склад населення:

До двох чи більше рас належало 4,8 %. Частка іспаномовних становила 14,5 % від усіх жителів.

За віковим діапазоном населення розподілялося таким чином: 22,4 % — особи молодші 18 років, 67,6 % — особи у віці 18—64 років, 10,0 % — особи у віці 65 років та старші. Медіана віку мешканця становила 38,0 року. На 100 осіб жіночої статі у місті припадало 87,2 чоловіків;  на 100 жінок у віці від 18 років та старших — 84,2 чоловіків також старших 18 років.

Середній дохід на одне домашнє господарство  становив  доларів США (медіана — ), а середній дохід на одну сім'ю —  долари (медіана — ). Медіана доходів становила  долари для чоловіків та  доларів для жінок. За межею бідності перебувало 7,3 % осіб, у тому числі 5,8 % дітей у віці до 18 років та 9,6 % осіб у віці 65 років та старших.

Цивільне працевлаштоване населення становило  осіб. Основні галузі зайнятості: освіта, охорона здоров'я та соціальна допомога — 26,1 %, науковці, спеціалісти, менеджери — 16,6 %, публічна адміністрація — 12,5 %.

Примітки

Джерела

Міста Меріленду
Населені пункти округу Монтгомері (Меріленд)
засновані у США 1883


text:
Conan Exiles' Isle Of Siptah Expansion Out Today Across PC, Xbox And PlayStation Consoles
Base game on Xbox Game Pass
Joseph Bradford Updated: May 27, 2021 7:22 PM Posted: May 27, 2021 7:20 PM
Category: Videos 0
Conan Exiles' expansion, Isle of Siptah, is out today across PC, Xbox and PlayStation devices. Players can jump into the latest expansion, which originally released in Early Access back in September 2020 starting today. If you've never experience Conan's harsh survival gameplay and want to check it out before grabbing the expansion, and you happen to be a Xbox Game Pass owner as well, you can check out the base game today as well.
Conan Exiles: Isle of Siptah sees players shipwrecked on...well...the Isle of Siptah. As with any survival game, you'll need to craft, build and survive the elements, as well as the harsh denizens that inhabit Siptah. Isle of Siptah adds a violent storm that threatens the whole isle as well, with players having to survive it, and the monsters that dwell within.
Like the base game, Isle of Siptah contains dungeons and ruins to explore, and players can build massive bases to dominate the landscape around them. Competing with other players and groups on the map is also something players will have to worry about in Siptah, with the expansion adding another god from the Conan universe players can summon to help them - the Spider God.
To celebrate the launch, as well as see many of the different aspects of Conan Exiles: Isle of Siptah in action, Funcom has released a new trailer, which you can checkout in the embed above.
You can check out Isle of Siptah now on PlayStation, PC and Xbox, and if you've got Xbox Game Pass, the base game is available to download as part of your subscription. We recently had the chance to go hands on with the expansion, with Kevin stating that the Conan Exiles expansion "has the makings of a good expansion with a new map, monsters, surges, the maelstrom storm" and more. We'll have our full review of the expansion next week.
survival mmo
conan exiles isle of siptah
Joseph Bradford
Joseph has been writing or podcasting about games in some form since about 2012. Having written for multiple major outlets such as IGN, Playboy, and more, Joseph started writing for MMORPG in 2015. When he's not writing or talking about games, you can typically find him hanging out with his 10-year old or playing Magic: The Gathering with his family. Also, don't get him started on why Balrogs *don't* have wings. You can find him on Twitter @LotrLore


text:
Q: How to convert file:// url to https or http url in react native expo using there package? How to convert file:// url to https or http url in react native expo using there package? how can i do that? like in my case photo.uri is a file:// url and i want to convert it into a https or http url how can i? using expo-file-system,
i tried this:
import * as FileSystem from 'expo-file-system';
import { createDownloadResumable } from 'expo-file-system';

const { uri } = createDownloadResumable(photo.uri, FileSystem.documentDirectory);
let httpsUri = uri.replace("file://" "https://");

Also tried:
const { uri } = createDownloadResumable(photo.uri, FileSystem.documentDirectory  + 'photo.jpg');
NOTHING WORK
that uri becomes undefined
  const handleTakePicture = async () => {
    if (faceData.length === 0) {
      alert('No Face')
    }
    else if (cameraRef.current) {
      const photo = await cameraRef.current.takePictureAsync();
      console.log(photo.uri)
      if (!photo.cancelled) {
        const { uri } = createDownloadResumable(photo.uri, FileSystem.documentDirectory);
        let httpsUri = uri.replace("file://", "https://");
        console.log(`this is the url of the fs ${httpsUri}`)
      }
    }
  }

What can be a better solution?

A: import { Asset } from 'expo-asset';
// fileUri is a string that contains the file:// URL
const fileUri = 'file://path/to/file';

// Get the https:// or http:// URL of the file
const url = await Asset.fromUri(fileUri).downloadAsync();

console.log(url);

You will need to make sure that the file is available in the local file system by using fetch or XMLHttpRequest to download it.
Alternatively, you can use the react-native-fs package to convert file:// URL to https or http URL.
import RNFS from 'react-native-fs';

const fileUri = 'file://path/to/file';

const url = RNFS.DocumentDirectoryPath + '/' + fileUri.substring(fileUri.lastIndexOf('/') + 1);
console.log(url);

if you are using the react-native-fs package, you need to install it first by running npm install react-native-fs --save or yarn add react-native-fs in your project directory.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Cinema Festivals & Movies, Events in Rome 1 July 2020 8 October 2020
Outdoor Movie Theater: Il Cinema in Piazza
by Melissa Butz
Summer 2020: Rome's piazzas are once again transformed into movie theaters thanks to the Ragazzi del Cinema America
The outdoor movie theater Cinema In Piazza returns this summer, transforming Rome's beautiful piazzas into open-air cinemas till August 30th.
This year's objective is to oppose social distancing by maintaining physical distancing. The lockdown has created physical distances between people, but Cinema In Piazza believes it has also created social and empathic distances that could become irreversibile. A long summer is ahead of us, with many families that will be forced to stay in Rome for work and economic reasons. Cinema In Piazza wants to be there and transform their open air movie nights into opportunities for culture and social life to flourish once again.
So get ready! From July 3rd to August 30th, Rome's piazzas are transformed into opportunities to rebuild community and experience intense civil and social value. The free outdoor movie festival, "Il Cinema in Piazza," will return to Rome for its 6th year. Just like last year, it will be hosted in three locations: Piazza San Cosimato, il Porto Turistico di Roma Marina in Ostia and Casale della Cervelletta in Tor Sapienza.
But the 2020 edition of "Il Cinema in Piazza" will be a bit different from the others: being compliant to anti-covid measures is a priority for the organizers. For this reason, entry to the open-air theaters will be allowed only if you've reserved your seat on prenotaunposto.it, on which you'll be able to reserve your "area" where you can bring your pillows , towels and seats brought directly from home. The three piazzas will have a total of three-thousand seats.
One hundred and four evenings with free admission in 60 days are in store, running till August 30th, of which twenty-six in the presence of guests, including six meetings with international guests. The sixth edition of "Il Cinema in Piazza" will also see the arrival of guests from Warsaw, Los Angeles, Paris, Hamburg and Berlin such as the Oscar winner Pawel Pawlikowski who will present "Cold War" , Tony Kaye director of "American History X", actress Audrey Tautou with director and actor Mathieu Kassovitz for "The Fabulous World of Amélie" and "L'ordre et la morale" title never released in Italian theaters, to which they follow German directors Jan-Ole Gerster for "Oh Boy" and Dennis Gansel with "L'onda". Together with Italian personalities such as Francesca Archibugi, Gianluca Arcopinto, Lello Arena, Claudio Bigagli, Francesco Bruni, Andrea Carpenzano, Daniele Cini, Stefano Cipani, Paola Cortellesi, Leonardo D'agostini, Diodato, Sabrina Ferilli, Agostino Ferrente, Fabrizio Fichera, Massimo Ghini , Matilde Gioli, Chiara Martegiani, Angela Massafra, Valerio Mastandrea, Giacomo Mazzariol, Valerio Mieli, Riccardo Milani, Giuliano Montaldo, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Riccardo Noury, Roy Paci, Rocco Papaleo, Francesco Piccolo, Isabella Ragonese, Paola Randi, Desideria Rayner, Michele Riondino, Marco Risi, Andrea Sartoretti, Giorgio Testi, Luca Vendruscolo, Carlo Verdone, Giovanni Veronesi, Carlo Virzì, Paolo Virzì, Francesco Zippel, Matteo Zuppi Bishop of Bologna.
All films will be shown in the original language, with Italian subtitles.
Cinema in Piazza is organized by "Piccolo Cinema America," a group dedicated to promoting culture and film. They say the goal of "Il Cinema in Piazza" is in "the contemporary involvement of the center and the suburbs" which seeks to uniquely "rebuild a sense of community, promoting a knowledge accessible to all with free and shared projections." Additionally, Cinema In Piazza promotes the cultural importance of the event, saying "the projection does not end in the mere vision of the show, but becomes an experience of intense civil and social value."
The event had previously been held in Piazza S. Cosimato under the name "Festival Trastevere Rione del Cinema," but faced a dispute with Rome's deputy mayor and culture councilor, Luca Bergamo. Instead of limiting the hours, like Bergamo wanted, the event grew after being supported by well-known figures in film, such as Martin Scorsese and "Pif" Pierfrancesco Diliberto.
Now, Cinema In Piazza's project is continuing in an even more concrete direction, seeking to unite all of Rome through film by "connecting three nerve centers [in the city] through the construction of three contemporary arenas."
CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM
July 3 – August 30
Piazza San Cosimato
Porto Turistico di Roma Marina in Ostia
Casale della Cervelletta in Tor Sapienza
Movie screenings at 9.15pm
ilcinemainpiazza.it
trastevere, film festival, cinema, festival, original language movies, Original Language Films
Melissa Butz
More from Melissa Butz
The Best Gluten-Free Restaurants in Rome
Your ultimate guide to navigating a celiac-friendly Rome Check out our this...
The 2020 Rome New Year's Day Parade
The Festival di Caracalla has been postponed to 2021
VRE Fest: Virtual Reality Experience 2020
Previous articleDownload Romeing's July 2020 Edition
Next articleThe Best Summer Hangouts in Rome


Here are some of the skills that can be used to impress women.
1.	Trying to learn other languages.
2.	Trying to play another instrument.
3.	Fixing a car is also considered a great skill among women.
4.	Dancing of any kind is also a huge turn on for women.
5.	A man cooking is something that will definitely impress many women.
6.	A man that is athletic or involved in sporting activities.
7.	A man with handy man skills to almost fix anything.
8.	Bedroom skills are important as well.


In a letter to Timothy, Paul stated that unforgiveness would characterize the rebellious in the last days. What a tragedy that it characterizes a very large segment of the American church. But for a Christian, it's clearly not an option.
please grant me the passion of Your Love for those who hurt me. May I be willing to embrace The Cross for my blessing, their benefit, and Your glory. The forgiveness I extend to others I offer as a demonstration of love and appreciation for all that You've given and forgiven me.
please empower me with a willing choice to love my enemies. Keep me persistent in kind intercessions on their behalf. In pleading for their transformation, I myself am changed.
the cruelest of my enemies.
and that they might feel the warmth of Your holy Love.
so often forgiveness costs me nothing more than selfish pride or fear of being hurt again. But it cost You Everything Precious and Wonderful. Give me a heart that freely forgives that I may be forgiven.
whenever tempted to cling to anger and unforgiveness, even for righteous causes, please remind me of the sin and shame You bore for me and of the Tears You weep for Your sheep who are bound in darkness. Move on my heart so that I do not become arrogant and defensive. You have never sinned, yet are always The Victim of our transgressions as we grieve You through the personal physical or emotional injury of those You designed and desire for Your glory and fellowship.
I understand that unforgiveness can never be justified before You. I do not want anger to control me or to grieve You. Help me, Lord Jesus. I truly need You to help me.
when stirred to anger, please remove any desire to avenge. Plant soft words deep within my heart that these might turn away wrath. May my actions be gentle, healing all festering wounds. Flood my heart with Light, dispelling all darkness. May my eyes be tender with peace and love. In every conflict, may You be glorified.
I desperately need Your help with this – to love my enemies and to do good to those who hate me. Press me to bless those who curse me and to pray for those who spitefully use me. When struck on the cheek, may I not resist offering the other. And when my heart is broken, I offer it to You for healing. When someone takes something important to me, quicken me to not withhold anything else they desire. Move me to give to all who ask, not expecting anything to be returned. I seek no reward but only to honor You by lavishing love upon everyone who enters my life, regardless of how they treat me, showing great love and mercy to others, just as You have demonstrated great love and mercy to me.
"No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! "Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn't pay, so his master ordered that he be sold— along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned— to pay the debt.
"But the man fell down before his master and begged him, 'Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. "His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it,' he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. "When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.


text:
Tarenna pallidula är en måreväxtart som beskrevs av William Philip Hiern. Tarenna pallidula ingår i släktet Tarenna och familjen måreväxter. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Måreväxter
pallidula