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Janet Jackson: Unbreakable (Target Deluxe)
Album Review.
Likes: The Great Forever, Shoulda' Known Better, Night, Gon' B Alright
Dislikes: Burn It Up!
Overall: Back to the strong suit of lyrical social consciousness; musically, it lost my attention
11 years ago, Janet Jackson endured a ridiculous backlash and blacklisting after her breast was accidentally shown during her Superbowl halftime performance. The incident nearly, if not actually, ruined her current album, Damita Jo's, chances of getting the acknowledgement it deserved. Over the next 4 years, Jackson would break from her artistic formula of working principally with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and release 2 records (2006's 20 Y.O. and 2008's Discipline) her fans would find unflatteringly aberrant and insipid. She also left Virgin Records after 13 years for Island, only for the relationship to dissolve in 14 months. For the first time, Jackson was a free agent. In 2009, she suddenly lost her brother, Michael, and her long-time courtship with producer Jermaine Dupri ended. Rumblings of new material eventually quieted and 6 years went by. Some worried that this string of events either indicated or led to a vanishing of Jackson's musical interest or inspiration, and they wondered when they would hear from her again. This past spring, word of a project and tour finally came, and the Unbreakable era began. What would she say or address? What would the music sound like?
Jackson went *Christina Aguilera voice* back to basics, reuniting with Jam and Lewis (with some additional production by Dem Jointz and Tommy McClendon) and trading in what became an expected staple (i.e. throbbing sexuality, no pun intended) for the old one, focusing mainly on social justice and the human spirit. "The Great Forever" arguably has a double meaning, with implicative lines about her nuptials to Qatari entrepreneur Wissam Al Mana getting press and the fight for marriage equality. On "Shoulda' Known Better," she sings with disillusionment about how societal strife overwhelmingly remains, despite all the efforts to combat it and how reform now seems like an idealistic dream of her youth: "I had this great epiphany, and rhythm nation was the dream...I guess I shoulda' known better." This disheartened rumination is expressed over a pulsating, conversely uplifting cadence and a still hopeful, alternative take on her key phrase: "Awakening a better choice, it only starts if you lift your voice and say 'I shoulda known better, and so, next time I'll know better.'" This song had me in my feelings; so many times, I've been an emotional blur of frustration and sadness over the perils of the world, thinking "It's useless to care. It's useless to fight. Nothing's going to change." On "Black Eagle," Jackson challenges us to learn more about each other's respective struggles and increase our compassion, if for no other reason than we might need someone to be empathetic towards us one day. It's smooth, mellow and she's cooing softly, but we're getting lyrically chastised and sent to the principal's office. The contrast is almost funny. "Promise of You" encourages us to rise to our occasion, both as individuals and citizens.
Janet Jackson's "Unbreakable Tour": Review
Official tour image
Live in Nashville: Ascend Amphitheater
Show Date: September 27, 2015
Opening Act: N/A
I'm sure it seems ridiculous to do a concert review for Janet Jackson, who's known for live entertainment excellence, but nevertheless, it must be done; especially when certain trademarks were absent.
One of my favorite things about pop shows are the dramatic openings. Three sheer screens projected a band of wild crows (or ravens?) forming a large, single one, which eventually morphed into Jackson's silhouette and naturally caused hysteria. With the help of a digital Missy Elliott, Jackson stepped out to current song, "Burn it Up!" and proceeded to perform a rather epic opus of a hits medley, which included "Nasty" and "Miss You Much." The setlist was extremely well-ordered and inclusive; it astounded me how she was able to mash a 30-year career into 2 hours without there being any shortchanges, lulls, abrupt endings, forced or odd transitions. Even the new songs fit right in; there were no awkward "What is this??" moments. I'm personally offended that my favorite song, "You Want This" was a part of the medley and not performed in its entirety though, haha. An awesome surprise was the addition of "Scream;" the only song Jackson recorded with her late brother, Michael. "Get it Michael!" she shouted over his verse. When it came time for the iconic dance break, I was prepared to pass out. She didn't do it, but went into "Rhythm Nation," which totally worked. If you're curious as to whether the 49-year-old missed a beat or an 8-count, she didn't. Vocally, Jackson met expectations, with the best showcase being the ballads section, where there was more girth than many might anticipate.
Now, for those missing trademarks. Unbreakable Tour goers who have seen Jackson live before or any of her concert DVD's might notice a difference in stage production. There's usually a bold, consistent theme with elaborate, expensive-looking sets and visuals, and a bevy of cool costumes. The set pieces shined like obsidian rock, but were few and pretty simple overall (2 stair cases and a scaffold block for the band were primarily used). Though the video graphics and lights were neat, they didn't connect, have concept or emphasize the message of "unbreakable." We didn't see anything much in relation to that until the end, when the bird reappeared and was unfazed by arrows shot into it. Jackson left the stage a handful of times, but never changed attire. The dance-team's wardrobe was giving me Janet. era, while the background singers were giving Velvet Rope Tour. Given the paucity of a premise, I didn't know if that was an intentional homage or just another incoherency. For Nashville attendees, the production wasn't the only thing that was retrenched. Jackson's energy was subdued in comparison (not to be mistaken, she was in no way lazy or cavalier) and majority of the audience interaction was placed at the end. In shows past, she's a mix of hyper and intense, and addresses the crowd frequently. She's notorious for being hands-on in a very literal way, bringing guys onstage to be tied up and tantalized for her rated-R cuts. Not this time, fellas. I prefer to hear from an act throughout a concert, but when Jackson took time to speak, she gave heartfelt thanks for support given to her and her family, which was memorable. There weren't many unique band arrangements, but when a crucial part of your show is nostalgia and catering to long-term fans (as one should), it makes sense not to tamper with classics. No one wants to hear a hip-hop or rock version of "Again" or a jazzy rendition of "I Get Lonely."
There were no preliminary performers (which was great; I just want to get to who I paid for), so be sure to be on time. Jackson had a DJ play remixes of her songs to get people pumped up instead. Typically this is annoying, but it was actually a satisfying appetizer. Hardcore fans were doing choreography in the aisles and making friends with strangers that were just as excited as they were. Many came wearing flawlessly intact old tour gear and make-shift Janet-like outfits. The atmosphere was beautiful and giddy. While I was visiting the exhibit of Janet artifacts they had available (which is incredible and must-see), I was surprised with upgraded tickets to front row!! I still can't believe that happened and it's been more than a week. I have no idea what made them choose my friend and I, but I'm not asking any questions. I've never seen anyone of Janet's status before or been front row, so for both of those things to happen at the same time was mind-blowing to say the least. Pyrotechnics, smoke and lights are amazing from a distance; seeing it front row is an out-of-body experience and brings out your inner child. It's like "Wow, Mommy! Look!!" Hands-down one of the best moments of my life. Putting that aside and being objective, there might be some bells and whistles missing, but none of the upmost important ones. "Ms. Jackson if you're nasty" is incomparable and still lives up to her performance standard.
5 Artists Only as Good as Their Producers
Christina Aguilera with Linda Perry
By Eddie J., Contributing Writer
When we listen to music, we typically attribute our listening experience to the person on the album cover, not considering or forgetting that there are MULTIPLE people behind the scenes who made that album happen. Of the more vital figures in the recording process are producers; many of whom could walk right by us in the grocery store and we would never know that they're the reason behind our favorite song's existence (no, not every producer is a key-name with a solo record or shouts out their name at the beginning of every song). If you don't already know, producers are generally responsible for the musical (and sometimes vocal) arrangement. Every so often, producers also contribute lyrics. When an artist releases subpar music, they themselves are often blamed, but the producers are really the ones who should take the bag. If they do their job, producers can make a barely talented artist average or good artist great. Many of your favorite artists might not be as successful without them. Here's a list of some big names that only go as far as their producers. You might be surprised at who you see on the list.
#5 Trey Songz, Key Producer: Troy Taylor
Okay, I may get some flak for even putting Trey Songz in a category that has "artist" in the title, but in my defense, Songz was actually listenable and kind of unpredictable once upon a time. Now, this isn't one of those deluded "Oh, he sounded so much better and he didn't just sing about sex in the early days" rants, because let's be honest: he's sung about sex since his first album and in abundance. However, the difference from the "Gotta Make It" album's sex songs and those on "Chapter Five" is the music and the little fantasies he and his songwriters left to the imagination by not being overtly explicit. His first album, which is considered an R&B classic, was almost exclusively produced by Troy Taylor. Don't know Troy? His credits include Whitney Houston's remake of "I'm Every Woman," Tyrese's "Sweet Lady," Toni Braxton's "Just Be a Man About It," Aaliyah's "Miss You" and B2K's "Why I Love You" (one of their few good songs), just to name a few. As time progressed, more people got added to the mix on Trey's albums, making a cesspool of forgettable songs. Not to discredit the other producers who have come and gone on the Songz bandwagon, but there's just no genuinely amazing music-to-artist chemistry by the time he gets to "Passion, Pain and Pleasure." We saw the foolery when Taylor wasn't featured on "Trey Day" and songs like "No Clothes On" made the cut. Even with big names like R. Kelly and Stargate, Songz came off as corny, lackluster or like a Diet R. Kelly. Yet, "Ready" filled the void for the general public and guess whose name showed up in the credits the most as a producer? Troy Taylor. "Jupiter Love" anyone?
#4 Christina Aguilera, Key Producers: Too many to list
So Aguilera is great for this list because she makes two points: 1) some artists are only great with a select few producers and 2) NEVER burn bridges that'll keep you from getting to your hometown.
The interesting thing about Christina is that she doesn't really work with anyone more than twice album wise; the only common denominator is Linda Perry who frequently appeared on "Stripped" and "Back to Basics." I won't make this into an argument for which albums have been successful or not, because that doesn't really qualify the greatness of the music. Let's just say that "Bionic" and "Lotus" haven't musically put Ms. Aguilera in the best light. Her self-titled debut was an amazing mix between bubble-gum pop and R&B tracks to show off her vocal versatility, and gave her a solid foundation to attract audiences to both catchy songs and her amazing voice, without her even having to touch a pen. By "Stripped," Aguilera began to take full control and write songs about social and personal issues, which is probably why most of her fans hold the album to such a high standard. The producer behind the bulk of this feat? None other than Scott Storch, who gave the project grungy, raw undertones that made it such a classic to most listeners. Other significant ingredients included Linda Perry's musical softness and vulnerability in the ballads and the catchy, yet soulful touch of Matt Morris, who co-wrote over half of it (Morris is responsible for Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent," which was originally written for "Stripped").
Dissing the Divas
Ok, that's it. I'm sick of this.
So, I'm listening to Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged album from 1992 and every time I hear that record, I'm so moved and I'm in awe of the beauty and power of her voice. When I was 7 and my mother had this album on repeat, I remember wanting to be just like her and wanting to sing. As I recalled all of this, I thought "People talk so much crap about Mariah Carey, but the fact still remains that she was simply amazing and till this day most people cannot match the vocals she had."
What I'm absolutely sick of is how people horribly disrespect artists like Mariah Carey because they aren't vocally what they used to be. Yes, it's true that Mariah hasn't performed well vocally since around 2005-2006. I'm not saying pretend that there's nothing wrong and say a performance (or album) was great if it wasn't. I don't have an issue with the criticisms; it's the NATURE of the criticisms.
To me, there is a difference between "I'm not buying that album because I don't care for it" or "I'm not attending the tour because her voice is not up to par" and "Mariah ain't shit" or " She doesn't sound like she used to, so whatever". Some people have completely disregarded her and acted like her previous accomplishments don't mean anything because of the last few years of her career; throwing her away like trash. And Mariah's not the only one: Janet Jackson has also been spit on and people have been even worse to Whitney Houston.
Again, I'm not saying reward bad behavior, but there's a line between constructive/fair criticisms and down-right cruel comments. People have been mean, rude and disrespectful and it's just unfair and unnecessary. It's HUGELY unfair because these artists have worked so hard for so long and have sacrificed so much for 20 or more years, providing great music and memories, and they're being defined and limited to their present which is 2% of their career. Furthermore, the disrespect irritates me because artists like them have, in some shape or form, influenced or inspired many of the current artists that people praise today. Current artists, who will one day be forty-something and may be in the same position (hopefully not). Give credit and criticism where its due.
The State of Music Today and The 2009 BET Awards
The 2009 BET Awards dedicated their entire show to the memory of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, with tribute performances, special segments and a closing statement by Michael's youngest sister, Janet. The next morning, many in media and forum were criticizing the show, saying that the tribute was lackluster and insufficient, among other things. I thought that any criticism of their tribute was unwarranted and ridiculous, considering they had to REFORMAT an ENTIRE show in 3 days. Some stations might have cancelled their award show, or just "sprinkled" mentions of Michael in. Brava, BET for of course caring enough to try your hardest and working with what you had to try to do him justice. Not to mention that they showed more tribute programming than MTV did in these last several days following Michael's untimely death.
Surprisingly enough, the show was not somber. Channeling New Orleans memorial tradition, the mood was upbeat and a tender celebration of the memories Michael left us with. Host Jamie Foxx did an AMAZING job of showing respect to the legacy of Michael, having enough comedic twist that was not satirical of Jackson, but kept people laughing. The mood swiftly changed, however, when Janet Jackson appeared. Seemingly holding back tears, taking breath by breath, Janet gave a brief statement: "My entire family wanted to be here tonight…but it was just too painful, so they elected me to speak with all of you and I'm going to keep it very short. I'd just like to say that to you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family, and he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love. Thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much." With her father in the audience and a childhood photo of herself and Michael in the background, Janet bravely addressed the audience and the fans watching across the country. When I heard that Michael was gone, one of the 1st things that I thought was "God help this family. Everyone else is in their own grief right now, but nothing we feel compares to what this family is feeling. We lost our star, but there are children without a father, siblings without a brother, and a mother without her baby right now. Who cares what I feel…" I was glad to see Janet somewhat echo that sentiment and reminds us all that Michael, amidst all the magic, was indeed human, with a human family who was really grieving and we all just needed to take a step back for a second and acknowledge that. Following Janet's speech, and thus closing the show was a piano performance of "I'll Be There" by Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo.
There were performances by…..let me see if I can remember…. Ciara, Jay-z, Ne-Yo, Keri Hilson, Maxwell, Beyonce`….Jamie Foxx (of course) …and……..yeah, I'm going to have to check out the performers list to remember the rest, which is telling. I watched this award show with several of my friends and family, and the talent, or lack thereof, started a really interesting conversation about the state of the music industry today. I was making the argument that in current mainstream pop and R&B there are TOO MANY MEDIOCRE artists. Artists that are "just ok", lack versatility, lack substance, and are talented in only one or two areas instead of many. One of the women in the room said that today's artists are not "masters of their craft" and you don't get a sense from them that they are "striving for excellence or growth." One of the people my age responded to that by saying "well, this person isn't supposed to be a "singer", they're just a dancer." They're not supposed to be a GREAT performer." I sat back in awe of that comment. When in the heck did we just start ACCEPTING this ish?
Throughout the night, they defended poor live performances with statements like "His song DOES lack substance, but it's not supposed to be deep. I mean, sure, it would be nice if her voice was stronger and his song had a real meaning. I would definitely like it better if we had more strong performers in music, but that's just how it is right now."
WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?? This is the music of OUR generation- the music they will DEFINE US by when we're older. This is the stuff that will go on compilation albums in future decades. If you don't really like it, and you know it could be better (hence the "better if we had more strong performers") why are you buying it? The music industry is oversaturated with mediocrity because YOU (the consumer) keep supporting and buying it. Yes, the industry bigwigs and execs are the ones puttin' the music out, but they're only putting b.s. music out because people keep buying it.
With statements like "that's just how it is", my friends left me with the impression that they feel the market is something they have no influence over. We have more control as consumers than we think. With the recording industry, the power is split down the middle between the consumers and the bigwigs. If we stop buying this B.S. they'll stop selling it. If we buy only from the Robin Thicke's, the Alicia Keys' , the Common's, The Pink's, the Paramore's, the John Mayer's, or whoever you like, the b.s. will reduce. B.S. will ALWAYS exist, but the key is to REDUCE it. It's okay to have a Britney Spears type artist here and there, but there are way too many in the room right now. During our parents' generation, EVERY OTHER artist was a consummate performer. It kinda went something like this: Beatles, then mediocre artist, The Jackson 5, then mediocre artist, Rolling Stones, mediocre artist, Tina Turner, mediocre artist, so forth and so on. Now, it's like Alicia Keys, 7 mediocre artists, Coldplay, 7 mediocre artists, etc. NOT ACCEPTABLE. I'm encouraging and challenging you guys to care about the art of music (which you claim to care about) long enough to stop supporting the ringtone rap, the fruitless pop, and the soul-less R&B, so we can take back OUR music. I want something to pass on to my children, like my parents passed on Sam Cooke to me.
I'm tired of the b.s.
And don't tell me to dig up neo-soul, Christian contemporary, or some other alternative genre. I've had people suggest that and say "well, you must not want to hear "real" music bad enough then, if you don't want to get in to neo-soul." BULL CRAP! Why should I have to change genres? I don't like neo-soul (at least not all of it). I like pop and R&B (I'm pretty eclectic, but those are the genres I listen to the most) and I want good pop and R&B to listen to! I am determined to have the big wigs listen to me because after all, they don't have an industry without money and they don't have money without me (the consumer). It's time you start catering to me, Clive Davis. TAKE BACK YOUR MUSIC CONSUMERS!


Our community has 3,116 members, 191 online now. We've published 9,781 stories, shared 8,327 images, made 10,348 blog posts and written 121,555 forum posts.
"I'm here to fetch you, Hades."
What do you mean by fetching me?
"For us to be together again."
But I'm busy playing here with Patricia and Father.
"You won't feel pain where we are going, Hades."
Mother said she'd bring me to the hospital and the doctors there will make my pain go away.
I'll be okay here, Margaux.
Just missed Father, cause we had a fight before he left for work. I'll wait till he comes back home.
They love me and taking good care of me here."
"Are you sure you won't come with me, Hades?"
Yes, I am sure, Margaux and besides, they will miss me here. I don't want Patricia to miss me like I've missed you. It was heartbreaking, and it almost killed me.
"I know they love you; I just can't bear to see you like this."
Look at her she's been crying, and it's painful to see her cry like this. She called the doctor already; I don't know why she got mad and cried. She hasn't slept for days looking after me.
"I will be praying for you, Hades. Be well my dear brother and stay happy."
I will be staying here for a while. Then you can come back when my time really comes. This is not yet the end for me.
"Adios, for now, Hades. I'll be back when that time comes."
I have to fight, Margaux.
I have to keep breathing for her.


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£400 million housing construction fund up for grabs, says housing minister
IT&Telecom
/ 17 September /
A £400 million pot has been put up by the government as it bids to encourage the development of more housing for private rent around the UK.
Housing minister Mark Prisk has announced applications for a share of the cash are now being invited. The money is part of the successful £1 billion Build to Rent fund, which aims to make it easier for developers to create new accommodation that can be used in the rental sector.
The politician is confident the scheme will persuade people to invest in property while also improving both the choice and quality of buildings for potential tenants around the UK.
Southampton's Centenary Quay development is the first project to be run under the Build to Rent initiative and it will result in the building of hundreds of new homes. All of these have been designed specifically with the idea of being rented out.
Mr Prisk said: "The housing market is turning the corner, with starts up a third compared to last year, and over 25,000 households helped into home ownership since 2010. But I want to go further, which is why I'm inviting bids for a share of up to half a billion pounds to help build a bigger, better private rented sector."
He went on to explain the government is keen to add more flexibility to the private rented sector and suggested successful bids in the Build to Rent fund should include plans for supporting longer-term tenancies.
The government is keen to point out its work is already achieving great results, such as 334,000 new homes being built in England in the last three years. This is the highest level of new housing supply at any time since 2008.
It could also be good news for the construction sector, helping companies to perform well, make profits and generate job opportunities.
Build to Rent is just one of several government measures designed to trigger a rise in house building across the UK.
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SES Water working with partners to meet leakage reduction target
/ 3 December /
The company is creating an intelligent water distribution network by working with Royal HaskoningDHV, Vodafone and Technolog to implement technology to cut leakage by 15% over the next five years and pave the way for more than halving it by 2045. SES's vision is to create a self-learning
Heathrow delays third runway construction by three years.
/ 20 December /
Heathrow has taken the decision to push back the completion of the third runway from 2026 to "early 2028 or late 2029". It comes as the aviation watchdog published its determination on early construction costs and timings for the expansion programme. In its determination the CAA ruled
Saur Becomes The First French Water Company To Be Certified Compliant With The International ISO 37001 Anti-Corruption Management System Standard
/ 29 October /
In addition to ensuring full compliance with the French Sapin II legislation that tightened anti-corruption measures nationally, Saur took the decision in 2018 to embark on a process leading to ISO 37001 certification; the only internationally recognised standard currently in place. The award of
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Yorkshire Water has named the nine firms it will use to deliver a £650m programme of infrastructure network improvements to clean and waste water pipes as well as smaller works covering lead replacement and internal flooding....
THE PROJECTS THAT ARE TRANSFORMING UK RAIL
The rail netowork across the UK is currently seeing major improvement works and massive levels of investment. By upgrading existing lines and creating new ones, it is hoped that the efficiency of services will be improved, local economies will be stimulated, and a better service will be offered to customers. Here are some details on some of the biggest projects currently underway in the UK, including improvement and upgrade works, such as the Bristol Area Signalling Renewal, to huge new projects, like HS2....
Hydrogen blueprint unveiled to make over 3.7 million homes near emission-free by 2034
Hydrogen blueprint unveiled to make over 3.7 million homes near emission-free by 2034...
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Always assured of water, evergreen mistletoes are a reliable year-round source of food for many forest dwellers, providing nutrient-packed leaves, sugary nectar and juicy, fat-rich berries. The dense clumps offer hideaways and cool places to roost, while the tangle of sturdy stems offers secret nooks for small birds to nest in and a solid platform for larger ones to build on.
Watson proved these benefits by removing all the mistletoe from a patch of eucalyptus forest in Australia. The reduction in diversity was dramatic, not only among birds and tree-climbing animals, but even in the forest floor. That's because the fleshy leaves provide a nutritious food source when they drop to the ground. "Those leaves are packed with goodies," Watson remarked (though many are poisonous to humans). Soils without the mistletoe are impoverished in good bacteria, insects and invertebrates. Trees without it reduce good spots for nesting and hiding.
Mistletoe is not a single species but a category: "What links these plants is not shared ancestry, for mistletoes have evolved at least five times in different groups of plants, but their lifestyle." There are some 1300 species. They live on every continent except Antarctica. Some ecologists consider mistletoe a "keystone species, an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community" (Wikipedia).
Stephanie Pain listed animals that use mistletoe, including porcupines and squirrels that hibernate in the clumps. Birds of all sizes, including hummingbirds and hawks benefit from the nutritious leaves and berries. Even gorillas and rhinos browse on mistletoe.
The seeds of some species are spread by birds (see Mistletoes in Australia). They can survive the bird's digestive tract, and then stick to twigs with an adhesive coating around the seed. Other species, particularly in the genus Arceuthobium, can launch their seeds like rockets from branch to branch. The fruit pods build up hydrostatic pressure as they mature until the pods rupture, sending the sticky seeds on a ballistic path at 55 mph, landing up to 50 feet away (source: waynesword.palomar.edu; see also American Journal of Botany).
If an athlete get's athlete's foot, what does an astronaut get?* We hope you enjoyed this ecology story for year end 2012, as a reminder that things in nature are not always what they seem, and more wonderful the closer one looks. Most people only think of mistletoe at the holidays as an excuse for stealing a kiss. As this entry shows, there's much more to the story. Thank you for reading Creation-Evolution Headlines this year. Resolve to tell your friends!
*Missile toe, if you never heard that joke in elementary school.
Thanks for this informative article. I've always thought mistletoe is beautiful, and it's great to learn these facts about it.


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Difference between revisions of "Infrared light"
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In [[physics]], '''Infrared (IR) light''' refers to a non-[[visible]] portion of the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] ranging from wavelengths of 750 nm to 1 mm. The name infrared comes from [[latin|Latin]] ''infra-'' meaning below, i.e., infrared has a lower frequency red in the [[spectrum]].
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In physics, infrared (IR) light refers to a non-visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from wavelengths of 750 nm to 1 mm. The name infrared comes from Latin infra- meaning below, i.e., infrared has a lower frequency red in the spectrum.
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Certifications play an important part of any IT professional's career, although there will always be some debate on how important. Certifications are, like most things in life: The more you put into them, the more you will get out. While the actual knowledge you gain on the journey is the true reward, certifications also indicate to employers that you take your job seriously and that you are knowledgeable on the respective technology.
With more than 1,700 professional IT certifications running the gamut of IT technologies, knowing which certifications are the most important for your specialty can seem an insurmountable task. To help you meet the challenge, we've sifted through data from Robert Half Technology to narrow your search and bring you a manageable list of the most relevant IT certifications for the remainder of 2012.
Dice.com, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, reports that Q2 2012 jobless rate for IT techs is at 3.6 percent, much lower than our national average. In a competitive market, you've got to do everything you can to distinguish yourself from your peers. Certification is an important part of that process. A recent poll asked users why they chose certification. The number one answer--at 51 percent--was that certification was a way to position themselves for a promotion or potential job.
What are your career objectives?
What IT career are you most interested in?
What type of resources are needed (i.e. money and time)?
Will this certification have a significant impact on my career?
Taking the time to think about and document your response to these questions can help solidify your future goals and narrow your list of potential certifications further.
Tip: Once you've identified a role you'd like to advance to, look through Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder and other sites for those positions and see what IT certifications employers are looking for. You may find that on-the-job experience is what employers are searching for in one area of your expertise, so it would be logical to invest your time and money into certification in a different area to further your career goals.
Bonus Tip: You'll find a must-have utility for your IT certification toolbox at GoCertify. The Certification Advisor allows you to plug in your area of expertise, skill level, career goals and more to generate a list of recommended certifications.
If your area of expertise is related to a listed certification's focus and you don't have that certification, you will definitely want to delve into it further. Now without further ado, here are our Top 12 IT Certifications.
Completing the Project Management Professional certification shows employers that you have the necessary skills and resources to get the project done from start to finish, on time and on budget. It's never been more relevant than in today's IT industry where we all have multiple responsibilities. Average salary: $101,000.
CISSP is a vendor neutral security certification. People who hold this certification have the skills and knowledge to complete high-level tasks involving architecture, design, management and/or controls that assure the security of business environments.
If you keep up with the news, you've seen all the latest security breaches at Sony, LinkedIn and many others; security is at the top of everyone's list today. To punctuate that the Robert Half Technology Salary Guide reported that 24 percent of the 1,600 polled CIO's stated security as their top concern. The amount of data companies now store can be mind boggling. Breaches cost money, man power and many times credibility. As threats continue to escalate, so will the demand for professionals who can find security holes and ward off the attacking hordes. Average salary: $97,000.
RHCE is a Linux Red Hat Entperprise Linux certification and demonstrates that the holder has the skills and knowledge to perform the duties of senior system administrator, responsible for Red Hat systems. Deployments and migrations are second nature to an RHCE.
Linux continues to be adopted by more and more companies in an effort to decrease operating costs. Demand is outpacing supply making this one of the hottest Linux certifications. Note: In order to be eligible for this certification you must receive your RHCSA certification. Average salary: $90,000.
VCP VMware's first level of certification that focuses squarely on the vSphere virtualization platform. Recipients should have the skills to install, deploy, scale and manage vSphere environments, as well as general virtualization skills.
Virtualization is more popular than ever in today's IT world and with cloud computing-based virtualization becoming more and more common this is sure to be a skillset that will be in demand for the next few years. Average salary: $95,000.
A+ from the trade group CompTIA, is another vendor-neutral certification and is considered entry level. It encompasses a number of different foundation level IT skills.
This is an industry standard for IT and tech support folks. Earning this certification indicates that you have the skills and knowledge to install, secure and troubleshoot networks as well as conduct preventative maintenance. Average salary: $47,000.
The ITIL certification is the basis of the worldwide standard for quality IT Service Management and is considered to have laid the groundwork for effective IT departments. It outlines non-organizational specific "best practices" that are used by companies to establish a level of competency. There are four flavors for this cetification: Foundation, Intermediate, Expert and Master. It's hard to imagine a company these days that doesn't maintain some type of web presence and as more and more businesses become dependent on IT, the skills to manage IT services have become a "make or break" role. Demand for this certification has skyrocketed over recent years and it should continue to grow into 2013 and beyond. Average "ITIL Expert" salary $98,000.
Cisco Certifications, like Microsoft and others, have been IT industry standards for years and are used to validate knowledge of Cisco products and technologies. So much business passes through Cisco systems that these always seem to be in demand. The two listed below should continue to grow well into the foreseeable future.
CCIE demonstrates that the recipient has all the expert-level skills required to plan, prepare, operate, monitor, and troubleshoot complex data center networks. CCIE is a common goal for network professionals who want to be recognized as experts in their field. Cisco touts this certification as "the most prestigious networking certification in the industry" and this certification has also been called out by RHT as one of the most in-demand certifications for 2012. Average salary, $103,000.
Microsoft software and systems are a staple in most IT departments making these and other Microsoft certifications in demand skills. The RHT Salary Guide calls out all three of the Microsoft certifications listed below as top needed skills in today's job market.
MCITP certifications, one of Microsoft's newer certifications, tests technical proficiency in the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. There are many different areas of certification. Average salary, $85,000.
An MCSE certification demonstrates that the recipient can design, implement and administer technology infrastructures using Microsoft 2000 Windows Server and other Windows server platforms. This certification is common to systems engineers, tech support engineers, system analysts, network analysts and technical consultants. Average salary: $77,000.
Certifications are a great way to break into a new technology, cover gaps in your resume or advance your current position. The best people in the IT business are the ones who are passionate about learning and that is a key to being successful. Technology is evolving at a pace that is difficult to keep up with. As the environment moves forward and changes so must you. Regular education is a must whether it's back to college, buying a book or getting a certification. Choose wisely and always explore your options.
Salaries are based on data from Indeed.com.
Read more about careers in CIO's Careers Drilldown.


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7 LISTSSounds of the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an iconic musical group from Hawthorne, California that has influenced pop culture for decades.
836 voters
The Best Beach Boys Songs of All Time
Originally by Voteable
Updated February 15, 2020 12.6k votes 836 voters 10.1k views320 items
List RulesVote for your favorite The Beach Boys songs, not just singles and hits.
List of The Beach Boys songs, ranked from best to worst by the Ranker community. The Beach Boys are true icons of '60s pop. After scoring numerous early beach-themed hits, they went on to record Pet Sounds, a record that is regularly included in lists of the best albums ever. All of The Beach Boys's biggest singles are included here, but real fans know there are other great songs to vote on besides the radio hits.
This list features classic songs like "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Good Vibrations." Music videos and lyric videos are included next to each track name, so if you haven't heard a song you can listen to it right here. Is one of your favorite Beach Boys songs missing from this poll? Add it to the list so it has a chance to rise to the top. If the order of this list bothers you, then take control and fight the system by creating your own version and re-ranking it. Simply click the "Rerank List" button and you can put the songs in whatever order you like.
More God Only Knows
#20 of 51 The Best Mother/Son First Dance Wedding Songs#41 of 53 The Best Father/Daughter First Dance Wedding Songs
More Good Vibrations
#1 of 111 The Best Songs with Good in the Title#1 of 97 The Best Songs About Happiness
More Don't Worry Baby
#13 of 14 14 Beach Boys Songs You Never Realized Are Super Dark And Depressing#5 of 116 The Best Songs with Baby in the Title
I Get Around
Sloop John 'B'
Fun, Fun, Fun
Surfin' U.S.A.
Help Me, Rhonda
Sail On, Sailor
I Can Hear Music
Surfin' Safari
#2252 of 3,866 The Best Songs Of All Time, Ranked#51 of 191 The Best Songs with Time in the Title
Darlin'
More Barbara Ann
#60 of 134 The Very Best Doo Wop Songs#9 of 215 The Best Songs with a Girl's Name in the Title
next list
The Beach BoysRock
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NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Many people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) have viral genetic material in the cells of their cerebrospinal fluid, and these individuals are more likely to experience memory and concentration problems, according to a NIAID-funded study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The findings suggest that HIV can persist in the nervous system even when the virus is suppressed in a patient's blood with medication.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have described unique populations of neurons and associated cells in the spinal cords of patients who died of ALS.
Neurobiology of Disease
Discovered a new therapeutic target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
A study led by researchers of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and published in the journal Nature Neuroscience has identified a new therapeutic target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The results of the work reveal that, in human samples from Alzheimer's patients, the levels of the protein SFRP1 are abnormally elevated and continue to increase with the progress of the disease.
Nature Neuroscience
Association of blood extracellular vesicle biomarkers with Alzheimer's disease
JAMA Neurology
Blood samples taken over several years from cognitively normal study participants who developed Alzheimer disease were analyzed along with samples from individuals who did not develop the disease to evaluate whether there is an association between neuronal-enriched extracellular vesicle biomarkers (particles shed by all cells and found in blood) and Alzheimer's disease.
Wearing hearing aid may help protect brain in later life
A new study has concluded that people who wear a hearing aid for age-related hearing problems maintain better brain function over time than those who do not.
Alzheimer's Association International Conference® 2019
How expectation influences perception
MIT neuroscientists have identified distinctive patterns of neural activity that encode prior beliefs and help the brain make sense of uncertain signals coming from the outside world. For the first time, they showed that prior beliefs exert their effect on behavior by warping the representation of sensory events in the brain.
Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, Netherlands Scientific Organization, Marie Sklodowska Curie Reintegration Grant, National Institutes of Health, Sloan Foundation, Klingenstein Foundation, Simons Foundation
Despite long-term treatment, HIV persists in spinal fluid, linked to cognition problems
Even after nearly a decade of strict HIV treatment, cells sheltering the virus could be found in the cerebrospinal fluid of half of participants in a national clinical trial of people living with HIV. Moreover, those participants had higher likelihood of cognitive deficits than their peers without cells harboring HIV in their spinal fluid.
Defective potassium channels involved in pain detection can increase the chance of developing a headache and could be implicated in migraines, according to research in mice published in eNeuro.
eNeuro
National Institutes of Health, Xiangya Scholarship Fund
Removing new neurons born after a brain injury reduces seizures in mice, according to new research in JNeurosci. This approach could potentially help prevent post-injury epilepsy.
Journal of Neuroscience
National Institutes of Health, US Department of Defense, American Heart Association, American Epilepsy Society, Robert J. Kleberg Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation, Semmes Foundation


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Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad barred from flying with Air India, four other private airlines
The legislator has dared AI to ban him, so the carrier is believed to have cancelled his return ticket.
Mar 24, 2017 · 12:45 pm Updated Mar 24, 2017 · 06:34 pm
The Federation of Indian Airlines and Air India in a joint statement on Friday said they had banned Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad from flying on any of their planes, a day after he roughed up an AI staff member, PTI reported. The FIA includes IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Jet Airways. Earlier, Gaikwad had dared Air India to ban him. On Friday, the national carrier cancelled his return ticket, while IndiGo cancelled his ticket from Delhi to Pune.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had criticised Gaikwad for assaulting an Air India staffer. "No one should behave like this," she said. The senior politician added that she would take action against Gaikwad when the matter came to her.
FIRs have been lodged against the legislator. However, Gaikwad has dared the Delhi Police to arrest him, according to NDTV.
Gaikwad had hit an Air India staffer multiple times with his slipper during a discussion about seating arrangements on Thursday. The first-time MP from Maharashtra said he had hit the employee 25 times with his sandal because he was given an economy class seat repeatedly despite booking business class tickets from Pune to Delhi. However, Air India said the plane he had chosen to fly on was economy-only, and that he had refused to take a different flight.
After the incident, the MP appeared unrepentant for his actions. "Haan maine usko maara tha, usne badtameezi ki thi [Yes, I hit him. He had misbehaved]," he told ANI. Gaikwad said he had initially refused to leave the plane, but later decided to complain and asked to speak with an official who would be able to resolve his problem.
"I said I am an MP, don't raise your voice. He said, 'what MP? I will talk to Modi,'" Gaikwad said. While speaking to CNN-News18, the Shiv Sena leader said the Air India staffer should not have behaved the way he did with a customer.
The assaulted staffer, however, said the MP got abusive when he was told his request could not be complied with. "He broke my spectacles and humiliated me in front of the whole crew. God save our country if this is the culture and behavior of our MPs," he told ANI.
The Shiv Sena has sought an explanation from Gaikwad. "The Sena does not condone violence of any kind. We have also sought a version of the incident from the Air India staffer," Harshal Pradhan, media adviser to party president Uddhav Thackeray, told PTI.
Gaikwad represents the right-wing party from Maharashtra's Osmanabad constituency.
Incident happened outside Parliament, so will ascertain details & act on any complaint: LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Shiv Sena MP R.Gaikwad pic.twitter.com/8SwXzYdlsu
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 24, 2017
Ravindra Gaikwad
Shiv Sena
Arnab Goswami chats: Maharashtra Congress demands his arrest, says conversation amounts to treason


Google Pay Send – Sending and receiving money is quite easy when you use Google pay send service. Google pay send app links your debit cards, credit cards and others to your online transactions for faster transactions.
It is a peer-to-peer payment service developed by Google that allows users send and receive money using their mobile phones or desktop at no cost. You can make direct payments using your Google pay send app, so why stress yourself when you can easily use Google pay app for transactions from the comfort of your home.
Google keeps getting better, it tries to meet up with the ever evolving technology in the world, in fact it sets pace for others to follow. Google pay send app is another of its genius developments that makes sending and receiving of money very easy and swift for users.
However, the Google pay send app is basically for Android users and for users in specific countries in the world. You can make in-app payments, in-store payments, payments on sites using Google pay send. Your transaction is within your reach and available at all times, all you need is your mobile device. This new mobile app helps you store your credit cards, debit cards, loyalty cards in your app and use it when you like for your transactions.
Google is working with various partners to make sure your app can work in that store you love shopping in,or that site you love. However it does not work with every site, store or app, it has specific sites and app it works with.
Even this new ever advancing technological world, everyone wants something swift and easy, no one wants to be backward. You want to buy products and not really bother how to stress yourself making payments. Google pay send makes it easy for you to conduct transactions using your mobile device or computer.
Download it easily from Google playstore, then install in your phone though it is only available to countries that support the app, like UK or USA.
Take a photo of your card and add it, enter your information.
You will be sent an email by Google to verify you.
Now you can use Google pay app for online payments and others.
You can make use of Google pay send app without necessarily opening your app, all you need is to unlock your Android device and your transaction can be done quite easily.
You do not need to open the app once the check mark appears transaction is done.
For purchases ranging from £30 downwards, you can easily pay by just leaving the screen of your Android device on. But for transactions above £30 you might have to enter your authentication, you tap and go. The transaction details will be sent to you on your phone.
By clicking the USE SELECTED INFO FOR FUTURE PURCHASES FROM THIS SITE, your transactions on this site will be automatically done using the details you have entered in the site. It becomes your default payment method for every transaction on the site.
Definitely you can,but you have to bear in mind that it works with countries that support the app. However you can send money through Google pay send app since Google wallet and Google pay have been merged as one. Google pay send app allows you receive and send money to friends and family. All you need is to have the u Receivers email address and send it as an email message to the receiver.
All you have to do is give Google a command and your transaction is done. Your Google pay send app has two screens, your home screen that shows recent purchases and stores nearby that accept Google pay. The cards screen shows you a list of cards you have used or linked with the app. So you can easily send money and even receive money quite easily using this app.
Search for Google pay on the search bar.
Accept permissions and Install the app.
Your transaction is just a fingertip away with Google pay send app, and your mobile device a valuable asset!


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White House authorizes federal disaster declaration for New York State
By: Anthony Reyes
NEW YORK (WKBW) — During a press conference Saturday morning, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the White House has authorized a federal disaster declaration for New York State.
The action will allow for federal funding to address the needs of the state during the response to COVID-19.
Cuomo said 75 percent of the cost would be covered by the Federal Government and the state would need to cover 25 percent, he has asked the Federal Government to waive the 25 percent the state needs to cover.
According to Congressman Brian Higgins' Office, NYS will be provided further resources under the following categories:
Public Assistance: The program provides funding for emergency assistance to save lives and assists communities responding to and recovering from major disasters or emergencies. State, county and municipal governments will now be eligible for 75% federal cost sharing for various costs of responding to this crisis including overtime and equipment, reducing the costs to the local property base.
Individual Assistance: Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP): CCP provides eligible governments and non-governmental organizations with supplemental funding to assist disaster-impacted individuals and communities in recovering from the major disasters through the provision of community-based outreach and psycho-educational services. The goal is to aid survivors in recovering from the adverse reactions to disasters and to begin to rebuild their lives.
"This designation is necessary to support a community in crisis and the frontline emergency response workers doing everything they can to protect residents," Higgins said. "More is needed but this is another critical step in addressing some of our urgent needs."
Governor Cuomo also discussed several other topics Saturday morning.
Cuomo announced the state is working to increase hospital capacity, create new beds using four possible sites accompanied by the Army Corps of Engineers as well as increase supplies.
When speaking about supplies, Cuomo announced the state has two million N95 masks available, and apparel companies would be shifting to creating masks. The state will also be purchasing 6,000 ventilators and gathering more from other facilities.
Cuomo said the state is working on new drug therapy, hydroxychloroquine and Zithromax, the FDA is acquiring 10,000 doses.
Also announced Saturday were updated confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NYS, there are now 10,356 confirmed cases in the state with the majority of those cases located around NYC.
NYS has performed 45,437 tests, which Cuomo says is the most of any state and more per capita than China and South Korea.
The hospitalization rate for positive cases in NYS is 15 percent as of March 21st.
Cuomo said Saturday he believes it will be a matter of months the state will be dealing with the impacts of COVID-19, he called on New Yorkers to practice social distancing to help stop and slow the spread. He specifically called on young people who may be downplaying the seriousness of the virus.
Younger people listen up: 55% of NYS #Coronavirus cases are ages 18-49.
Young people aren't invincible. You can get this and you can give it to someone older you love.
You shouldn't endanger your own health & you certainly shouldn't endanger other people's health.#StayAtHome
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 21, 2020


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The paperwork associated with the formal admission of a person with a mental illness to a public or private mental health service also provides an opportunity for identification of carers.
The use of colour coded forms requesting permission from the consumer to identify carers could be sought via a structured set of questions. This form needs to be regularly updated and form an integral part of each admission, or re–admission procedure.
It is important to note that it may not be possible to complete this component immediately upon admission. In fact, it may be desirable to complete the form later once the consumer has had a chance to develop a relationship with staff.
Completion and review of this form should be an ongoing process that is used as the basis of discussion between all parties. The form should highlight the benefits of involvement of a wider range of people in the care and support of the consumer and seek to clarify the level of involvement that the consumer feels comfortable with each person having. These levels may change over time.
Consumers should be encouraged to inform nursing staff if they would like to change any of this information during their admission. This form should remain in the case notes and be up-dated on every admission. An audit process is considered crucial to changing practice over time.
Services should be mandated to provide the following information to carers at the admission stage.
Welcome message, we are here to help, outline of the processes to be followed, including options for a follow up call from a designated person within the service to answer immediate concerns.
Confidentiality – explanation of legislative requirements and re–assurance regarding options if the consumer is currently refusing in-depth involvement.
Information to assist with diagnosis and development of a treatment plan.
Contact numbers for the hospital and ward.
Legislative status of the consumer – what this means.
Rights and responsibilities of carers.
Complaints process.
Referral options to appropriate support services to assist them to understand their role.
At this stage the information provided should be specific to the individual needs of the consumer and his/her family or other carers. It should be practically based with clear guidelines for the ongoing management of the mental health issues. Top of page
6.4.3.1 Suggested national protocols for identification of carers during formal admission to a public or private service
It is recommended that the following protocols, to identify carers during formal admission to a specialist mental health service, are distributed widely to public and private sector services for feedback regarding the feasibility of introduction on a progressive basis.
Colour coded forms inviting consumers to identify carers and nominate the level of involvement be included in all admission procedures. Forms to be completed as soon as practicable and audited on a regular basis.
In circumstances where a consumer refuses to identify their carer(s), the mental health service will review this status at regular intervals during the episode of care in accordance with Australian and State/Territory jurisdictional and legislative requirements.
A specific member of staff to be allocated responsibility for maintaining procedures for identification of carers – a carer specialist or champion. This may be a carer consultant/liaison officer/family support worker with the following responsibilities:
Staff support and training;
Liaison point between staff, consumers and carers, e.g. assistance with completion of admission protocols regarding identification of carers; advocacy for individual carers with staff/services;
Information and linkage to alternative options for information and support for carers such as referral to carer support organisations;
Provision of carer specific perspectives to staff meetings;
Assistance with carer assessments; and
Specific point of contact following discharge for carers.
Ensure accreditation and reporting systems in health and community sectors incorporate the National Standards for Mental Health Services and, in particular, Standard 7 relating to the identification and participation of carers at all areas in service delivery.
Consumer information packs to include a rationale and encouragement for identification of carers, including the identification of children who are carers.
Services to report on the provision of information packs to carers.
Staff to receive 'carer sensitivity' and skills development training.


http://www.redgracemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/OTB-20.m4a The Good Wife gets theological? James White tells it like it is. Islam's unbelievable oppression of women. Albert Mohler's prophetic warning.
http://redgracemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/OTB17.m4a On The Brink: Unfiltered Pastor Emilio Ramos goes through the news giving his thoughts from a biblical perspective.


There are plenty of photobooks showcasing archival materials. In fact, the use of archival materials has become common even beyond producing mere collections of them. Whatever they might be, whatever their origin, their patina creates an instant attraction for a viewer. In the Benjaminian sense, archival materials clearly possess an aura, an allure, even if they consist of mass-produced items.
Having archival materials at one's disposal is one thing. Doing something smart with them is entirely another. Some archives don't need any extra work. They will do all the lifting. For example, Erik Kessels has deftly and smartly worked with such materials. Of course, for every book featuring, let's say, a wife standing in water fully dressed, there probably are many albums or collections of pictures that did not make it. In other words, Kessels is more than a publisher of intriguing archival pictures. First and foremost, he filters out all the stuff that can't make the cut.
So there are two aspects to archival materials, their inherent quality and the ability of whoever finds them to distill them into something worthwhile — if that is possible. I feel the latter is usually being neglected in discussions of such materials. Often enough, when a photographer struggles with a project some archival materials are being added to it — as if such materials had the magical ability to do the lifting. But they don't have that. At best, they will divert the viewer's attention from what's not working, an effect that is bound to last only so long.
Andrejs Strokins has been working with archival materials for a while. He is probably more well known for his own photographs, for example the idiosyncratic Cosmic Sadness. But Strokins has also been collecting photographs, some of which he used for collages (to learn more about him, read our conversation). He just published his first book featuring photographs from an archive, entitled Palladium. The archive centers on Latvian Soviet-era movie theaters.
It would be tempting to imagine the book as the end result of the kind of treatment such material often gets, especially if it's in the hands of someone who never had to live under Soviet rule. I'm not sure how I can succinctly describe what I see as the usual approach, but it's a mix of "isn't this weird?" and "isn't this somehow cool?". It essentially is a form of othering the past of a sizeable part of the world, which not only turns a rigid dictatorship into something entertaining but which also belittles and demeans the past and present lives and experiences of those who had to live under it (mind you, in Western contemporary photography this problem isn't confined only to using archives as Romain Mader has demonstrated).
Palladium avoids this pitfall. Given that the movie theaters in question appear to have been used for more than only showing films, the book weaves in and out between the world of movies and the larger world of a communist society with its strange rituals (which in actuality aren't any more strange than what we witness in Western societies, but that's a topic for a different day).
Thankfully, Strokins also brought his own unique sensibility to the edit, often picking the most stubbornly odd pictures, pictures that it would have been all-too easy to reject as failures. Consequently, there is a strong line of somewhat disturbing deadpan humour running through the book. As a counterpoint to what might be seen as "cool" or "weird" it's a very effective device. The world of Latvian Soviet-era thus becomes a strange theater of the absurd that, for this Western viewer, breaks every expectation it sets up almost immediately.
Some things are just too awful to consider, at least for people with a well developed sense of decency and compassion. But that sense can be undermined, or it can be sidelined. Joachim Fest's biography of Albert Speer centers on this very aspect: how was it possible that an otherwise highly cultivated and intelligent man could have made himself a very integral part of Nazi Germany's machinery of annihilation? As Fest discovered, there is no real answer. There are only the mental mechanisms at play, which allowed Speer to think about rebuilding Berlin, while having Jewish people getting evicted from their homes slated for demolition. It's a version of "out of sight, out of mind," which for its victims meant a lot more than just that. And it's the very same mechanism of institutionalized cruelty that is being applied on a daily basis in many (most?) other countries as well. Fest concludes that the likes of Speer are the ones we should truly fear, besides the Hitlers, and I think he has a point.
Once you have somehow convinced yourself that something isn't your problem and that people at the receiving end of an injustice ultimately only have themselves to blame, you've placed yourself on a spectrum of awfulness. On that spectrum, you might tell yourself (and others) that poor people deserve to be poor because they're lazy, that children who have never known another country should still get deported from it given they don't have the right passport, that it's OK to keep "evildoers" in an extraterritorial and extralegal prison, that those afflicted with mental illness should be euthanized (which also saves some money), or that entire groups of people deserve to simply die simply because of their religion or tribe or whatever else. These different examples are not equivalent. But they're all located on that spectrum, which gets more and more and more awful, and which wouldn't operate at all if it weren't for the Speerian mindset that in some form we all carry within us.
The Nazis called the killing of the mentally ill Aktion T4. Thousands of people perished, with their next of kin usually being told that there had been some (made up) medical cause. Gerhard Richter painted one of these victims, his aunt Marianne. There exists a haunting book about the story of Marianne, and Richter's coming to terms with it, which, unfortunately, is not available in English translation. If anyone ever can come to terms with something like that is not clear. And in light of the various other atrocities committed by the Nazis, Aktion T4 is one of the minor aspects of that time — minor of course only in terms of the numbers involved.
Can there be a photobook made about Aktion T4? How would one go about it? Dieter de Lathauwer attempted to do just that, with I loved my wife (killing children is good for the economy). Using a combination of his own and archival photographs, the book centers on the awfulness that sits at the center of this particular mass murder. In a very strict sense, the book doesn't really tell you anything. No photograph or group of photographs could ever convey the awfulness in question, neither could a painting, a piece of text, … But the book gets very, very close, leaving a feeling of deep dread, of pain, of something truly obscene happening in an otherwise perfectly ordinary world.
If we all saw the exact same things in photographs, the medium would be a lot less interesting than it actually is. As infuriating as disagreements over what a photograph shows can be, they also have the potential of bringing us closer to seeing the world with someone else's eyes. In a world more and more divided into petty tribes that are at war with each other — whether literally or metaphorically, photography thus has an important role to play.
But photographs don't just show us different things because of our interpretations. As individuals, we also don't all see the world alike: "Neuroscientists have discovered that women are better at distinguishing among subtle distinctions in color, while men appear more sensitive to objects moving across their field of vision." Turns out our brains process the visual information that they receive from our eyes in a surprisingly complex way. The late Oliver Sacks wrote about a painter who as a consequence of some damage to his brain lost the ability to see in colour. His world had become fully black and white. Something similar happened to Brian Ulrich, albeit temporarily, after a bike accident (see my interview with him). I have always been infinitely fascinated by these kinds of stories, simply because I am so curious about what it would be like to see the world differently.
Sacks also wrote a story about an island where colorblindness is a lot more common. Chances are you are familiar with red-green colourblindness, which is the most common form. Total colourblindness, where you only see in b/w, is rare (something like 0.0025% of all people live with it). But just like in the case of the painter, it exists. On the "island of the colorblind," it's a lot more common, with roughly 10% of its inhabitants living in a grey-scale world.
What makes this all interesting is an unsolvable riddle: you can imagine what it would be like to see the world differently, but you will never be able to actually get there. For me, this realization boils down to the fact that the emphatic aspect behind these kinds of stories is always a lot more interesting than the informational one. Even if you look at, say, a b/w photo knowing that that's how a completely colorblind person would see, the world around that picture inevitably has colour (unless you're colourblind, in which case obviously you wouldn't need a demonstration what the world looks like if you were colourblind).
Seen that way, Sanne de Wilde's The Island Of The Colorblind is an exercise in futility (you'll notice that the book's title uses the American spelling of "colour"). But it's great because of exactly that. There have been various bodies of work lately where artists modified the colours in their photographs for effect. For example, there is David Benjamin Sherry's Climate Vortex Sutra, plus an assorted number of other New Formalists. Richard Mosse also has employed similar devices, raking in one photo major prize after another (see my take on Incoming here). Collectively, though, I don't think these other projects amount to much other than visual exercises. This is why De Wilde's work interests me so much. Unlike in any of the other cases, her subjects actually do see the world differently. There is an actual bridge to be crossed.
If all you had were De Wilde's imagery, you might take them as another case of New Formalism. Visually, many of the photographs look that way. But the fact that there is something in the real world that it's all connected to has me interested. This is not to say that I don't enjoy art made for its own sake. I even enjoy photography made with the purpose of looking into the medium's machinations. But for me, and I can only speak for me here, there needs to be more than a grad-school-style exercise. To go back to my old go-to criterion, there need to be something at stake.
And there is in De Wilde's case. The book itself, with its inclusion of a variety of text (the interviews remind me of some of Sophie Calle's work), truly brings the pictures to life. Without the text, the jumble of imagery, with its various variations of colour (and lack thereof) might remain that. With the text, especially the interviews, the strange colours acquire an urgency and purpose — an urgency and purpose not rooted in the artist saying (or pretending) so, but one rooted in someone else's experience.
The book pulls all the various stops contemporary photobooks have at their disposal. Beyond design, there are various production choices, including different types of paper and even some UV-sensitive ink printed on top of the cover. Maybe some of this could have been dialed back a bit. But all in all, I think the book showcases very well what a photobook in 2017 could (maybe should) be: an engaging object where its makers are not afraid to use its basic properties to help produce the overall engaging experience for its viewers.
I'm perfectly happy buying books second hand, whether online or off, even when I'm dealing with photobooks: I don't see the need to own pristine copies of each and every book intended for my library. A used one will do, assuming it's in decent enough shape. At times, even this criterion, the decent enough shape, will get discarded. That's when I'm looking for hard-to-find books, which in the case of photobooks inevitably means: expensive ones.
There is a seedy, dark side to the world of photobook collecting and owning, which hardly ever gets talked about, namely people stockpiling "out-of-print" books, to sell them off, one at a time, to collectors or people interested in getting their rare copy. Apart from the fact that I don't have infinite funds to spend, I just don't like the idea of literally buying into that.
If you spend enough time looking, you can find almost any book for a reasonable price eventually. Unless you're lucky, finding some rare book for next to nothing at some used bookseller (never happens to me), there usually is a snag, namely the fact that the book might be in what many people would not consider a good enough condition.
I will not buy completely ratty or half destroyed books. But if I can get an otherwise rare photobook with a slightly damaged cover, say, then I will buy it. For example, I found a paperback copy of W. Eugene Smith's Minimata on eBay. The listing said the book was in fine condition, but the cover had detached. I bought it ($10). There's nothing a little glue can't fix (also, a friend of mine is a book binder).
Over the course of the past few years, I have started a small collection of books that were discarded from public libraries. With library books, it's easy to predict what shape they will be in. There might be all kinds of stamps and markings. But usually, they're clean, and often enough they look as if they had gone through a fair amount of hands. But that's not always the case.
I don't necessarily want to know what makes libraries discard books. I have some ideas, but I'm worried that they are correct. For example, I found a copy of Ashley Gilbertson's Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, discarded from a library in Telluride CO. The book is ten years old, and the consequences of the war depicted in the book are still with us. Yet the book has already been discarded from a public library. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot indeed.
I have an almost pristine copy of Laszlo Moholo-Nagy's Painting Film Photography (second paperback reissue from 1987) from a college's library in Tuscon AZ. It doesn't look as if anyone ever looked at the book. My copy of Victor Margolin's The Struggle for Utopia, discarded from the Illinois Institute of Art, still has its original library card inside (none of the newer books have those, probably because library-wise things have gone digital). The book was taken out twice. I tip my hat to those two brave souls, but only ever so slightly: maybe they were both incredibly careful with the book, making sure it wouldn't get even slightly bent while reading it. Maybe.
And maybe it's snobbish for me to write all of this. Who am I to tell people which books should be read or looked at and which ones should be discarded? Then again, if one of the best books about the so-called war on terror gets discarded from a public library within a decade of its publication, when a college can't even make its students read one of the most important modernist creeds written about photography, then that might also tell us something. I don't know, something here feels wrong to me.
But these withdrawn books could also point to the larger set of relevance that we, inside photoland, attach to certain books, but not to others. Maybe what's in Parr/Badger doesn't matter that much? Or not enough for it to remain in a public library (my copy of Chauncey Hare's Interior America comes from one in the UK). That's possible.
Alternatively, maybe we don't do a very good job bringing those books closer to the public, and I don't mean that in the literal sense. A book could be in your neighourhood library, but if nobody looks at it, it's still very far away.
Whatever it is, books don't just tell us about our times. The way books are used, disseminated, and looked at or not used, disseminated, and looked at — that also tells us something about our times.


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Watch: Chirk resident slams noise from Kronospan factory 'a disgrace' as council probe complaints
Local authority to probe noise complaints against Kronospan in Chirk
By Liam Randall @LiamRandallLDR Local democracy reporter
A LOCAL authority is set to probe noise complaints against a wood panel factory on the outskirts of Wrexham county borough.
A number of people living near the Kronospan factory in Chirk have expressed frustration over loud noises which they say have been coming from the facility in the last few months, particularly at night.
Wrexham Council is now looking into the issue and has asked residents to help by downloading an app which allows them to submit sound recordings directly to public protection officers.
The company, which employs more than 600 people at the plant, said it had taken steps to address the problem.
However, a community leader said he recently recorded a noise reading of around 90 decibels from the factory.
Cllr Terry Evans, who represents Chirk south, said: "During the day it seems perfect, but as soon as dusk comes something happens and the noise starts.
Kronospan in Chirk
"It goes on all night then until about 20 to seven in the morning and it's as if they press a switch and it stops.
"I have had loads of complaints and I've sent e-mails to the council on a regular basis.
"People are even recording it and you can hear it's like a droning noise, but I don't know what it is."
In one recording posted on Facebook by Chirk resident Nick Williams, a loud noise can be heard near the factory at 8.45pm at night.
In the video, Mr Williams branded the situation as 'an absolute disgrace'.
A Wrexham Council spokeswoman confirmed the authority was looking into the complaints.
She said: "We are currently investigating a noise complaint of an industrial nature in Chirk.
"In addition to officers investigating the noise complaint, residents can now assist officers by submitting noise recordings using the Noise App (available on Android and iPhones).
"We would also encourage residents to contact operators directly in relation to the noise problem as this may enable the operator to resolve the complaint in a timely manner without the need for the council to intervene in the matter."
A Kronospan spokesman said: "Kronospan is aware of noise complaints and has taken steps to address them.
"There is a piece of mobile plant which is being used intermittently during the day. "
Former Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has not ruled out standing at next General Election
Wrexham Volkswagen in the finals for a national award
Teenager denies any intent to kill or injure Wrexham man
Man jailed after breaking Wrexham pub and shop windows 'to get help'
Money is not there to fix Wrexham's crumbling roads as motorists complain of potholes


Remember all of the beautiful moments of your gorgeous Rhode Island wedding day with an artistic, cinematic wedding film from NST Pictures. Since 2014, NST Pictures has been filming Rhode Island weddings. From the shore to the city, we'll be there to capture your romantic Rhode Island wedding and create a film that will help you relive all of the giggles, happy tears and the sounds of the roaring crowd congratulating you on marrying your best friend.


On the set of the garden and grounds for Columbia Pictures' PETER RABBIT.
Jobs for up to 1,500 local screen professionals have been confirmed today following the announcement by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Animal Logic Entertainment and Olive Bridge Entertainment that PETER RABBIT™ 2 is set to begin shooting across the State.
Animal Logic CEO and producer Zareh Nalbandian added, "It's exciting to see writer-director Will Gluck back in Sydney for the second instalment of PETER RABBIT™! The global success of Peter is a testament to the world-class live action, VFX and animation talent here in Australia and Animal Logic's strong partnership with Sony Pictures and Olive Bridge, all made possible with the invaluable support of the Made in NSW Fund".
Peter Rabbit™ was released worldwide in 2018, where it grossed US$351m globally and AU$26.6m at the Australian box office.


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By Akshat Divatia
Biden-Harris Offers a Chance for an Immigration Reset, Part 2
This is part 2 of a series of blog posts on the likely implications of a Biden Presidency on U.S. immigration policy. Read the first post here.
The mission of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is to administer "the nation's lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values."
As I wrote in my previous post, in February 2018 the USCIS removed a passage from its mission statement that referred to the United States as a "nation of immigrants". In so doing, the USCIS reflected the Trump administration's fervent desire to abdicate America's historical role as a safe haven for those fleeing persecution. Instead, in redefining the USCIS's mission, the administration cast the agency as a dispassionate robotic bureaucracy adjudicating cases to fulfill narrow objectives.
In practice, the agency has not even lived up to its revised mission: adjudications have been anything but efficient and fair, and the values that gave rise to America's status as a respected world leader have been swept under the rug, further eroding its moral standing.
The failures of the USCIS during the past four years have not been only moral; the agency has suffered from incompetent leadership, driven by political aims rather than technocratic imperatives, and has achieved few of its stated aims.
The USCIS is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under the Trump administration, five people have served as DHS Secretary. Of these, only two have been confirmed by the Senate and none has held the position for more than 18 months – many have served for much less – resulting in an average tenure of just over nine months.
John F. Kelly, Trump's first appointee as DHS Secretary, lasted 192 days. His successor in an acting capacity, Elaine Duke, served for 128 days. Kirstjen Nielsen, the embattled third appointee, under whose watch the border separation policy for migrant children was instituted, held on for 490 days. Kevin McAleenan succeeded Nielsen, serving in an acting capacity for 216 days, but later saw his term deemed illegal by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The current DHS Secretary, Chad Wolf, has been in office for over a year, but his tenure was also deemed unlawful by the Government Accounting Office in August 2020 because it failed to adhere to the processes outlined in the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
These personnel changes in DHS leadership have weakened the agency's ability to enact and execute a coherent and consistent strategy that generates consensus. They have also resulted in massive revenue loss for the agency as it was steered away from its core function of efficiently processing applications and petitions to instead dedicate its limited resources to hunt for fraud. In essence, the agency's policy shift was akin to a grocery store directing its employees to spend most of their time looking for suspected shoplifters instead of stocking shelves, helping customers, and ringing up sales.
The politically driven administration of the DHS has resulted in numerous legal setbacks for Trump Administration immigration policy. First of all, the illegality of the appointment of the two most recent DHS Secretaries has meant courts have ruled they lack the authority to issue directives.
In July, a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York ruled that a memorandum issued by DHS Secretary Wolf that effectively suspended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program pending a departmental review was invalid because Wolf was "not lawfully serving" as the Acting Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security when he issued it.
Then this week, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California set aside DHS and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rules that were designed to cripple the H-1B skilled worker and the permanent labor certification programs on the unsubstantiated pretext of the domestic unemployment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DHS interim final rule, Strengthening the H-1B Nonimmigrant Visa Classification Program, which sought to revise the definition of "specialty occupation", was to take effect on December 7, 2020. The DOL interim final rule, Strengthening Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Aliens in the United States, which drastically changed the computations of occupational prevailing wages to price out many employers from petitioning for their foreign-born talent, took effect on October 8, 2020.
The Northern District court concluded that the DHS and DOL rules were promulgated in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act's notice and comment requirement because the agencies – through their own internal delays, inconsistencies, and reliance on flawed data – failed to show good cause for not following proper procedure.
The DACA and H-1B rulings were merely two in a series of court embarrassments for the administration, which also saw courts strike down its attempts to implement a travel ban for nationals of predominantly Muslim countries (eventually a skeletal version of was upheld), include a citizenship question on the census, and bar Central American applicants from requesting asylum at the border.
By nominating Alejandro Mayorkas as the DHS Secretary, President-elect Joe Biden has communicated his intention to return the department to its mission. An experienced technocrat, Mayorkas served the DHS as the Deputy Secretary and the Director of the USCIS during the Obama administration. That Mayorkas is himself an immigrant is a bonus.
In a statement confirming his nomination, Mayorkas tweeted:
When I was very young, the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge. Now, I have been nominated to be the DHS Secretary and oversee the protection of all Americans and those who flee persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.
Mayorkas's words are a welcome signal of his intention to redirect USCIS toward its mission by humanizing the agency and mending bridges with its constituents.
In my next post on the current state of our immigration system, I will focus on the inefficiencies that have shackled the agency over the past four years and describe the steps the Biden administration can take to undo their impact.
Akshat Divatia
Akshat represents clients in a variety of nonimmigrant and immigrant visa matters, and excels in providing diligent advocacy and simplified immigration solutions to budding entrepreneurs, established companies, and growing families.
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We have built our apartment house in the middle of a century old olive plantation located on a rock about 20 meters from the sea. Just close by there are two small beaches with caillou. Our guests reach the beaches in less than 3 minutes and oftentimes go there several times per day. That is a rare privilige, even in Pisak which our guests appreciate and many return to us year after year. ANJA has totally 6 apartments for rent; two for 2+1 guests and 4 for 4+1 guests. All apartments are modern with air-conditioning, satellite TV and an internet connection. Each apartment has a large shady terrace facing the see. To every apartment there is a parking place and all guests have access to a barbercue with wood and charcoal. Fees, a parking place, satellite TV and internet are included in the price. The useage of the aircondition is free of charge up to 10 hours per week. At "ANJA" we speak fluently German, French, Italian and English.


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Jets release Eric Decker and David Harris
The Jets continued purging their expensive veterans today, as they cut MLB David Harris and WR Eric Decker. Harris' departure is quite a surprise considering that he's been the cornerstone of the Jets defense for 10 seasons. His cap figure of $6.5M, however, along with the Gang Green's direction of getting younger have made him expendable.
Eric Decker, 30, spent 3 seasons with the Jets. His best year was in 2015 when he caught 80 passes for 1,027 yards, 12 TDs. He suffered a season ending injury early last year, missing 13 games. The Gang Green will save an additional $7.25M with this move.
WR Quincy Enunwa, who has 80 receptions (58 last year) in his entire NFL career now becomes the team's #1 receiver.
The Jets now have only four players age 30 or older on the roster: QB Josh McCown (37), LS Tanner Purdum (32), RB Matt Forte (31) and DT Steve McLendon (31).
#david harris
#eric decker
#quincy enunwa


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Irradiated Mangos Arrive From India
The New York Times ran a piece entitled A Luscious Taste and Aroma From India Arrives at Last, which reports that Alphonso and Kesar mangos from India — long spoken of almost reverently for their exceptional flavor — are now inching toward general availability in the U.S.:
The first legal shipment of Indian mangoes to the United States in decades landed at Kennedy Airport last Friday, probably the most eagerly anticipated fruit delivery ever.
"If we can get them at good ripeness," said Suvir Saran, executive chef of the Indian restaurant Dévi in Manhattan, "people will go mad for the beautiful, supple flesh and intense flavor."
Some Indian-Americans have spent hundreds of dollars at an auction in Miami for rare Florida-grown Indian mango varieties; flown home specially for the season; or tried to smuggle illicit fruit past airport inspectors, striving to recapture rapturous memories of their homeland's luscious, incomparable mangoes. Until now, though, most could only crave and dream.
The hold-up on importing mangos from India has been phytosanitary. Specifically the dreaded mango seed weevil, which we don't have in North America and which the USDA is intent on keeping out of the country. Though India applied to start exporting mangos to the U.S. almost 20 years ago, the problem seemed insurmountable:
A solution emerged in January 2006, when the Agriculture Department allowed the importation of produce treated with low doses of irradiation to kill or sterilize insects — a somewhat controversial issue.
The President of the United States expressed his support:
On a visit to India five weeks later, President George W. Bush cheered the news as he announced a pact on nuclear energy and trade. "The United States is looking forward to eating Indian mangoes," he said.
The fact that these mangos are irradiated will attract some attention:
Some public health advocates oppose irradiation of produce, claiming that it causes harmful chemicals, but this use has not yet become as contentious as irradiation of meat, which applies a higher dose and serves a different purpose, to sterilize bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization endorse food irradiation as safe.
Dozens of studies have found that the effects of irradiation on mango quality vary markedly by dose, variety and ripeness at treatment. Overall, the process delays ripening, extends shelf life, and is gentler than the hot water dip used on most imported mangoes to kill pests.
Whether or not Indian mango imports succeed commercially, it seems likely that irradiation will soon become a common treatment for many tropical fruits.
Facilities in Hawaii and Florida that treat modest quantities of produce have been the primary irradiated sources for the United States so far, but a huge Mexican irradiation facility is expected to start operation in a year. Arved Deecke, general manager of Phytosan, the company building the plant, said irradiation will be cheaper than the hot water dip, and that he plans to treat a quarter of Mexican mango exports by 2012. Thailand likely will be sending irradiated fruit to the United States within a year, and several other countries have applied to do it or have inquired about it.
This piece is an interesting juxtaposition of two separate stories. On the one hand, we have the story of a new import adding excitement to the mango category. Mangos are one of the few fruits with major breakthrough potential in the U.S., and we finally have an industry infrastructure through the National Mango Board that is working steadily to build demand. We also have innovative private approaches, such as Ciruli Brothers and its brand building efforts for The Champagne Mango. Now this new entrant is attracting attention in The New York Times.
On the other hand, this story is about irradiation. With the plethora of food safety concerns and the conviction by many in produce that a "kill step" is needed, irradiation has received much attention. We've dealt with it many times, including here.
Although there is always concern about consumer response, in the past, that has not been a problem.
It may get easier as the FDA is looking at alternatives for labeling irradiated foods when the foods are not "materially changed" by irradiation. The use of terms such as "cold pasteurization" and the elimination of the requirement that irradiated foods carry the Radura symbol are all under consideration.
In any case, the Indian mangos are the vanguard of many more irradiated items to come. U.S. treaty obligations basically require us to accept science-based treatments such as irradiation.
Virtually all spices are now irradiated, many stores sell irradiated hamburger patties and more and more tropicals will be irradiated.
Looking at both the mango and the process, nothing seems to bother an ace marketer such as Frieda's, who has this to say about the promotional opportunity in Indian mangos:
INDIA GROWN MANGOES — The much-publicized first Mangoes out of India have just arrived in the States. The first shipment is committed to the White House … sorry but to quote Mel Brooks "it's good to be the King." Our Grower/Exporter is at the White House today (5/1/07) meeting with the Indian Ambassador and the Bush team.
Call your Frieda Account Manager if you want to be among the first to offer Mangoes from India to your shoppers. During the first test season, most of the volume will arrive via air shipment. The focus will be on the Alphonso and Kesar varieties only. We are still working out the details (pack, price and quantity for air shipments).
Indian Mangoes are irradiated. This preserves the flavor and actually improves the shelf life of the fruit. Get in line now to pre-book orders!!!!
Although The New York Times article expresses concern over the high cost of air freight, first-year volumes will probably go heavily to retailers who serve Indian expatriates and emigrants as well as Indian restaurants. And they will ante up for this long dreamt-of treat.
Long term, they will find ways to ship by sea; then a whole new market will open up — unless Mexico figures out how to grow these varieties with the flavor Indians always mention.
Congratulations to Bhaskar Savani, who owns a chain of dental clinics near Philadelphia, but whose family grows the mangos back in India, for making an Indian-American dream come true.


Join ASHE and WTS in their annual mixed doubles tennis tournament.
Come play or spectate at the ASHE/WTS Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament! This great networking event will take place on Thursday, April 30th at St. Ives Country Club in Johns Creek. Players of all skill levels are welcome, so dust off those old tennis racquets and come join the fun! Sign-ins begin at 3:30pm and the tournament will begin at 4:00pm. Food and drinks will be provided.
If you don't play tennis, you can still come as a spectator. Volunteers are also needed for the tournament, so please contact Alex Stone at astone@mulkeyinc.com if you are interested.
Registration must be done by April 25th and play is limited to the first 32 registrants. For more information, download the event flyer below.