text:
Dies Natalis (Latin: "Natal Day" or "Day of Birth"), Op. 8, is a five-movement solo cantata composed in 1938–1939 by the twentieth-century English composer Gerald Finzi (1901–1956).  It is a solo vocal cantata scored for a solo soprano or tenor accompanied by string orchestra, and features settings of four texts by Thomas Traherne (1636/37–1674), a seventeenth-century English Metaphysical poet, priest and theologian.

History
Dies Natalis is a cantata for solo voice and string orchestra. The opening introductory orchestral movement is followed by four movements for accompanied voice in which Finzi set mystical texts by the seventeenth-century English poet Thomas Traherne (1636/37–1674). Finzi selected three of Traherne's poems, prefaced by prose drawn from the opening three sections of the Third Century in Centuries of Meditations.  Written from 1938–1939, the score was published in 1946.  Finzi conducted the work at the Three Choirs Festival in 1946.

The first recording of Dies Natalis, sponsored by the British Council, was one of only two recordings of Finzi's music made in his lifetime. Two of the three sessions took place in October 1946, and the third on 29 January 1947. For Finzi it was an unfortunate experience: the soprano soloist was Joan Cross, whom he disliked for being an opera singer, and for her close connection to Benjamin Britten, whose work he disliked. The conductor Boyd Neel was ill for one of the three sessions, and Finzi had to take over. His biographer, Diana McVeagh, suggests it may have been for the "Rhapsody", which was recorded on a particularly cold day - the coldest day in 50 years - and Joan Cross said afterwards, "I don't think I did justice to that piece, alas!".

In 1964, his son Christopher Finzi conducted the work for its second recording with the soloist Wilfred Brown. Brown had first sung Dies Natalis in 1952 under the composer's baton. Finzi's biographer, Diana McVeagh, describes Brown's interpretation in the recording as "among his finest: intelligent, poetic, and informed with his acute but gentle feeling for words."

Movements
The work is in five movements:
 "Intrada"
 "Rhapsody" (Recitativo stromentato)
 "The Rapture" (Danza)
 "Wonder" (Arioso)
 "The Salutation" (Aria)
N.G. Long has analysed Finzi's setting of the texts.

Texts of sung movements
The following are the texts of movements 2,3, 4 and 5.

Rhapsody
Will you see the infancy of this sublime and celestial greatness?  I was a stranger, which at my entrance into the world was saluted and surrounded with innumerable joys: my knowledge was divine. I was entertained like an angel with the works of God in their splendour and glory. Heaven and Earth did sing my Creator's praises, and could not make more melody to Adam than to me. Certainly Adam in Paradise had not more sweet and curious apprehensions of the world than I. All appeared new, and strange at first, inexpressibly rare and delightful and beautiful. All things were spotless and pure and glorious.

The corn was orient and immortal wheat, which never should be reaped nor was ever sown. I thought it had stood from everlasting to everlasting. The green trees, when I saw them first, transported and ravished me, their sweetness and unusual beauty made my heart to leap, and almost mad with ecstasy, they were such strange and wonderful things.

O what venerable creatures did the aged seem!  Immortal cherubims! and the young men glittering and sparkling angels, and maids strange seraphic pieces of life and beauty! I knew not that they were born or should die; but all things abided eternally. I knew not that there were sins or complaints or laws. I dreamed not of poverties, contentions or vices. All tears and quarrels were hidden from mine eyes. I saw all in the peace of Eden. Everything was at rest, free and immortal.

The Rapture
Sweet Infancy!
O heavenly fire! O sacred Light!
How fair and bright!
How great am I
Whom the whole world doth magnify!

O heavenly Joy!
O great and sacred blessedness
Which I possess!
So great a joy
Who did into my arms convey?

From God above
Being sent, the gift doth me enflame,
To praise His Name.
The stars do move,
The sun doth shine, to show His Love.

O how divine
Am I! To all this sacred wealth
This life and health,
Who rais'd?  Who mine
Did make the same!  What hand divine!

Wonder
How like an angel came I down!
How bright are all things here!
When first among His works I did appear
O how their glory did me crown!
The world resembled His Eternity
In which my soul did walk;
And every thing that I did see
Did with me talk.

The skies in their magnificence
The lovely, lively air,
O how divine, how soft, how sweet, how fair!
The stars did entertain my sense;
And all the works of God, so bright and pure,
So rich and great, did seem,
As if they ever must endure
In my esteem.

A native health and innocence
Within my bones did grow,
And while my God did all His Glories show,
I felt a vigour in my sense
That was all Spirit. I  within did flow
With seas of life, like wine;
I nothing in the world did know
But 'twas Divine.

The Salutation
These little limbs, these eyes and hands which here  I find,
This panting heart wherewith my life begins;
Where have ye been?  Behind what curtain were ye from me hid so long?
Where was, in what abyss, my new-made tongue?

When silent I, so many thousand, thousand years
Beneath the dust did in a chaos lie, how could I smiles, or tears,
Or lips, or hands, or eyes, or ears perceive?
Welcome, ye treasures which I now receive.

From dust I rise and out of nothing now awake,
These brighter regions which salute my eyes,
A gift from God I take, the earth, the seas, the light, the lofty skies,
The sun and stars are mine: if these I prize.

A stranger here, strange things doth meet, strange glory see,
Strange treasures lodged in this fair world appear,
Strange, all, and new to me: But that they mine should be who nothing was,
That strangest is of all; yet brought to pass.

Recordings
 Decca AK 1645-7 (rec. 1946-47): Joan Cross; Boyd Neel Orchestra; Boyd Neel, conductor
 World Record Club SCM 50 (HMV HQS 1260) (rec. 1964): Wilfred Brown; English Chamber Orchestra; Christopher Finzi, conductor
 Argo ZRG 896 (rec. 1979): Philip Langridge; London Symphony Orchestra; Richard Hickox, conductor
 Hyperion CDA 66876 (rec. 1996): John Mark Ainsley; Corydon Orchestra; Matthew Best, conductor
 Philips 454 438-2 (rec. 1996): Ian Bostridge; Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Sir Neville Marriner, conductor
 Naxos 8.570417 (rec. 2007): James Gilchrist; Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; David Hill, conductor
 Wigmore Hall Live WHLIVE 0021 (rec. 2007): Toby Spence; Scottish Ensemble
 Chandos CHAN 10590 (rec. 2009): Susan Gritton; BBC Symphony Orchestra; Edward Gardner, conductor
 Harmonia Mundi USA HMU 807552 (rec. 2011): Mark Padmore; Britten Sinfonia; Jacqueline Shave, director

References

Compositions by Gerald Finzi
1939 compositions
Christmas cantatas

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Abstract : Analysts commonly use execution traces collected at runtime to understand the behavior of an application running on distributed and parallel systems. These traces are inspected post mortem using various visualization techniques that, however, do not scale properly for a large number of events. This issue, mainly due to human perception limitations, is also the result of bounded screen resolutions preventing the proper drawing of many graphical objects. This paper proposes a new visualization technique overcoming such limitations by providing a concise overview of the trace behavior as the result of a spatiotemporal data aggregation process. The experimental results show that this approach can help the quick and accurate detection of anomalies in traces containing up to two hundred million events.


This paper explores the spatial and material context of a creative production project. Taking the music recording project as an empirical setting, it explores the creation of a pop song and reveals the highly situated character of its management and organisation. Making a creative product such as a pop song is a complex endeavor, requiring a large number of decisions involving highly subjective and often contested and contestable judgments. The purpose of this paper is to understand how this is achieved.
The study is based on observation of musicians and a music producer during the creation of a pop song in a mid-sized recording studio. Interviews were also conducted with the participant musicians and 24 music producers based in the UK. The resulting qualitative data were analysed using a socio-material perspective to trace the spatial relationships and explore the material organization of the project.
Producing musical product is achieved through establishing spatial and material relations in order to regulate tasks and roles and manage the challenge of making decisions within temporarily assembled teams engaged in tasks characterised by high levels of uncertainty.
This paper tackles a neglected aspect of creative management, the physical context in which it is carried out. Other sites within the creative industries such as design and film studios, theatre and other performance spaces can usefully be analysed using the approach and perspective of this research.


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June 20, 2019 / Brooklyn news / Sunset Park
Huge landmarking victory for Sunset Park preservationists
LPC NYC
Historic: The Landmarks Preservation Commission named four sections of Sunset Park as historic districts.
By Rose Adams
The historic Sunset Park row houses, many of which date back to the late 19th century, once housed working-class German, Irish, and Scandinavian families.
Sunset Park: Pleading for preservation: Sunset Parkers beg Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate four historic districts
Flatlands: Waitress sentenced for stealing more than $400,000 from elderly customer
Brooklyn Heights: Arch support: LPC green-lights fixes to stone structures beneath B'Bridge
On Brownstoner: Will there be a pool on top of the landmarked Dime Savings Bank Downtown?
Williamsburg: W'burg Bank of America branch now a historic landmark
Coney Island: History? It's a 'Shore' thing as Coney theater is landmarked
The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated four areas of Sunset Park as historic districts on Tuesday, after a decades-long fight by community members to preserve the neighborhood's architectural — and blue-collar — roots.
"We feel that it's not just architectural history that's being preserved, but also the history of a working-class community," said Lynn Massimo, project leader of the Sunset Park Landmarks Committee, which has spearheaded the landmarking effort since 2012.
The four historic districts — which together encompass about 20 blocks bounded by 44th Street in the north, 59th Street at the south, Fourth Avenue in the west and Seventh Avenue to the east — contain brownstones, co-op apartments, and row houses dating back to the 1890s. Sunset Park, once a home for Irish, German, and Scandinavian immigrants during the turn of the century, claims a wealth of Romanesque and Renaissance revival-style buildings, according to local historian Joe Svehlak.
"Sunset Park was originally designed as the middle-class version of Park Slope, but it became working-class," said Svehlak, who has fought for the landmark designation since the 1980s. "The six blocks between 54th and 60th streets contain some of the oldest houses."
But in recent years, the age-old buildings have been under siege as Brooklyn has undergone its own Renaissance revival. Residents complain that developers have destroyed the classic edifices and erected modern, multi-family buildings in their wake.
"Generations of Sunset Parkers have kept their row houses intact and looking historic," Massimo said on Tuesday. "But that history is being erased by an increase in absentee investors destroying the row-house facades."
The LPC's decision marks a big win for local preservationists, many of whom have pushed for landmark designation for over 30 years. Under the historic district designation, homeowners are barred from making any changes to the houses' exterior without LPC approval, and all changes must match the building's architecture.
"We've held meetings with block associations, and community boards," said Svehlak, who was present for the landmarking decision. Since 2013, the Sunset Park Landmark Committee has spoken to over 400 homeowners in the neighborhood and has collected over 3,000 signatures in support of historic demarcation, the committee's website reports.
On Tuesday, applause erupted when the Landmarks commissioners voted unanimously to preserve the four Sunset Park districts. Members of the Sunset Park Landmarks Committee were particularly elated.
"[Sunset Park's] history, which is not only architectural history but is also the history of a proud immigrant and working class community, deserves to be honored and preserved," said Massimo.
Reach reporter Rose Adams at radams@schnepsmedia.com or by calling (718) 260–8306.
Updated 12:24 pm, June 20, 2019
Alexis from Flatbush says:
All the brownstones in Brooklyn should be declared landmarks. They are a key piece of the history of Brooklyn and preserving them also keeps the rapacious real estate industry from turning Brooklyn into midtown Manhattan. It's a win win.
June 20, 10:27 am
Ro from Park Slope says:
How wonderful it is to keep "neighborhoods" alive. The rich will still flock here for these buildings, but it will keep the open sky for the current residents as well. Stop old-fashioned communist-era ugly/modern structures (new to NYC) from littering our classic Brooklyn blocks!
June 20, 1:40 pm
Mike from Williamsburg says:
How are these any different from all the other monotonous brownstones we already landmarked?
June 21, 7:31 am
phil from sunset park says:
how about the houses and buildings that surround the park itself????
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Detailing the physical features, habits, territorial reach and other identifying qualities of the Waved Sphinx Moth.
Though it is a common moth, the Waved Sphinx has a size and pattern that lend it a good degree of distinction.
Big and brown, the Waved Sphinx moth has a series of wavy lines that cross its forewings. A white spot sits almost centered on each wing. Black dashes look like pleats and run vertically down the wing, but none are close to the base. The furry brown thorax is ringed in black with white along the inner bottom edge. Lighter hairs inside this ring almost resemble closed eyes. Hindwings have a black-and-white checkered fringe. Adults are not known to eat. They are commonly sighted on tree bark, where their colors and pattern give them camouflage. Some may also be found resting on walls of buildings and windowscreens.
Caterpillars feed on the leaves of ash, hawthorn, oak, and fringe trees as well as privet hedges. The two-toned green body of the caterpillar may have a blush of red on it, as if it got a bit of sunburn. Yellow diagonal lines along the sides of the body point back toward a long yellow or white horn at the rear. Tiny red dots mark the side of each segment. The head has a yellow or pink line running from each eye to the top of the head. One to two generations are produced each year.


text:
All NYC Listings
Neighborhoods All Manhattan
Financial District Battery Park TriBeCa SoHo Lower East Side East Village Greenwich/West
Village Gramercy Park Chelsea Sutton Place Murray Hill Midtown East Clinton Midtown West Upper West Side Upper East Side Harlem Upper Manhattan
All Brooklyn All Bronx All Queens Close Done
Minimum Price $1,000 $1,250 $1,500 $1,750 $2,000 $2,250 $2,500 $2,750 $3,000 $3,250 $3,500 $3,750 $4,000 $4,250 $4,500 $4,750 $5,000 $5,250 $5,500 $5,750 $6,000 $6,250 $6,500 $6,750 $7,000 $7,250 $7,500 $7,750 $8,000 $8,250 $8,500 $8,750 $9,000 $9,250 $9,500 $9,750 $10,000 $12,500 $15,000
Minimum Price $250,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $525,000 $550,000 $575,000 $600,000 $625,000 $650,000 $675,000 $700,000 $725,000 $750,000 $775,000 $800,000 $825,000 $850,000 $875,000 $900,000 $925,000 $950,000 $975,000 $1,000,000 $1,250,000 $1,500,000 $1,750,000 $2,000,000 $2,250,000 $2,500,000 $2,750,000 $3,000,000 $3,250,000 $3,500,000 $3,750,000 $4,000,000 $4,250,000 $4,500,000 $4,750,000 $5,000,000 $5,250,000 $5,500,000 $5,750,000 $6,000,000 $6,250,000 $6,500,000 $6,750,000 $7,000,000 $7,250,000 $7,500,000 $7,750,000 $8,000,000 $8,250,000 $8,500,000 $8,750,000 $9,000,000 $9,250,000 $9,500,000 $9,750,000 $10,000,000 $12,000,000 $15,000,000
Maximum Price $1,000 $1,250 $1,500 $1,750 $2,000 $2,250 $2,500 $2,750 $3,000 $3,250 $3,500 $3,750 $4,000 $4,250 $4,500 $4,750 $5,000 $5,250 $5,500 $5,750 $6,000 $6,250 $6,500 $6,750 $7,000 $7,250 $7,500 $7,750 $8,000 $8,250 $8,500 $8,750 $9,000 $9,250 $9,500 $9,750 $10,000 $12,500 $15,000
Maximum Price $250,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $525,000 $550,000 $575,000 $600,000 $625,000 $650,000 $675,000 $700,000 $725,000 $750,000 $775,000 $800,000 $825,000 $850,000 $875,000 $900,000 $925,000 $950,000 $975,000 $1,000,000 $1,250,000 $1,500,000 $1,750,000 $2,000,000 $2,250,000 $2,500,000 $2,750,000 $3,000,000 $3,250,000 $3,500,000 $3,750,000 $4,000,000 $4,250,000 $4,500,000 $4,750,000 $5,000,000 $5,250,000 $5,500,000 $5,750,000 $6,000,000 $6,250,000 $6,500,000 $6,750,000 $7,000,000 $7,250,000 $7,500,000 $7,750,000 $8,000,000 $8,250,000 $8,500,000 $8,750,000 $9,000,000 $9,250,000 $9,500,000 $9,750,000 $10,000,000 $12,000,000 $15,000,000
New Renovated 2BR/1BR/Private Balcony
LISTING ID # 128
New Renovated -2BR/1BR/Private Balcony. Apartment Features:Gorgeous 2bedroom/1bath apartment provides plenty of natural light and a large amount of space. Private balcony.Hard wood floors. Newly renovated kitchens and bathrooms, as well as laundry in the building. This property is pet friendly. Located in the heart of Murray Hill steps away from some of the city's most sought-after spots including Union Square, Flatiron Distinct, and Chelsea. For a private viewing of this listing or any similar listing anywhere in NYC please contact Carolina at, 917-774-0802/carolinaburgos@addisrealtyny.com
Rent $3,381
Term 12 months
Ownership Rental Property
Building Type Pre-war Walk-up
Service Level Voice Intercom
Pet Policy Pets Allowed
Loft	 Terrace
High Ceilings	 Dishwasher
Laundry Room Pet Friendly
Carolina Burgos
M 917-774-0802
Fordham | Co-op | 1 Br | $169,000
Battery Park City | 1 Br | $4,450
Greenwich Village | 1 Br | $6,600
Williamsburg | 1 Br | $2,550
Upper West Side | 3 Br | $9,995
Midtown West | 2 Br | $5,750
Murray Hill | 2 Br | $3,995
Chelsea | Studio | $3,500
Chelsea | 2 Br | $7,000
Upper East Side | 2 Br | $7,049
Midtown West | Studio | $3,690
West Village | 1 Br | $6,400
TriBeCa | 1 Br | $5,510
Murray Hill | Studio | $2,995
Battery Park City | Studio | $2,755
East Village | 1 Br | $3,895
Union Square | Studio | $2,995
Gramercy Park | Studio | $2,795
Upper East Side | Studio | $2,095
Forest Hills | 1 Br | $2,250
Astoria | 3 Br | $3,000
Kew Gardens | 1 Br | $1,700
Long Island City | Studio | $2,400
Long Island City | 1 Br | $3,250
Flatiron District | 1 Br | $4,300
Flatiron District | Studio | $3,350
Midtown East | 1 Br | $2,350
Rego Park | Studio | $1,400
Upper East Side | 2 Br | $10,000
Upper West Side | Studio | $2,309
Lower East Side | 2 Br | $3,595
Gramercy Park | 2 Br | $3,495
Williamsburg | Studio | $2,800
East Harlem | 2 Br | $2,800
Greenpoint | 2 Br | $3,800
East Harlem | Studio | $1,800
Financial District | 2 Br | $4,630
Midtown | Studio | $2,550
Midtown East | Studio | $3,225
NoHo | 1 Br | $5,995
West Village | Studio | $2,395
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text:
Someone Should Update the Kentucky Trail Cam Pics Facebook Page Because There's a Wealth of Fascinating Activity Out There
Dave Spencer
Dave Spencer Published: January 1, 2022
Kentucky Trail Cam Pics via Facebook
On several occasions, I have returned to Barb Birgy's story about the mysterious image caught on an Ohio County trail cam. SPOILER ALERT: I still have no idea what it is. We may never know.
TRAIL CAM PICS AND VIDEOS -- A GREAT PASTIME
But since she posted that story back in September, I've been enjoying finding trail cam videos and images online. I have discovered some fun imagery and some creepy imagery. For example, I learned that if raccoons get hungry enough, they will become very resourceful creatures and stand on one another's shoulders to reach a deer feeder. Thanks, boredpanda.com which, by the way, also informed me that deer sometimes walk upright. Now, can someone PLEASE teach them to stay off the highway?
CREEPY TRAIL CAM IMAGES
On the flipside, trail cam images can be so creepy and disturbing, they'd make for the PERFECT Halloween collage if you're wanting to go out of the box on your decorations. The website crafty.diply.com goes right for the eerie factor with its first selection...one that might back up a belief in Bigfoot. Seriously, that's kind of unsettling, as are the variety of pictures revealing somewhat ghostly appearances by children, women in gowns, and even a clown.
A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR KENTUCKY TRAIL CAM PICTURES
I didn't find any images like that on the Kentucky Trail Cam Pics Facebook page, but the images WERE fun. The thing is, there haven't been any new additions since 2017. The thing ALSO is, I didn't know there WAS such a Facebook page until a friend tipped me off about it. It doesn't look necessarily like there's an administrator posting pics. The description seems to indicate that all are welcome. And it's not like it's a Facebook group.
THE MORE TRAIL CAM PICS, THE BETTER
But there's a WEALTH of fascinating activity out there. Think about how much we can learn by observing animals when they don't know they are being observed. I mean, check out THIS guy, the star of what may be my favorite trail cam video on the page:
See, I'm one of those corny old-schoolers who still likes to watch animal videos on Tik Tok or YouTube. They come into my Facebook newsfeed all the time.
Word to the curious, if you have some downtime--waiting at the doctor's office, waiting to have your car serviced, just waiting--find trail cam videos and images. The time will pass like you're sleeping on a road trip.
LOOK: Stunning animal photos from around the world
From grazing Tibetan antelope to migrating monarch butterflies, these 50 photos of wildlife around the world capture the staggering grace of the animal kingdom. The forthcoming gallery runs sequentially from air to land to water, and focuses on birds, land mammals, aquatic life, and insects as they work in pairs or groups, or sometimes all on their own.
WATCH OUT: These are the deadliest animals in the world
Kentucky's Nuisance Animals
A couple of these creatures would cross over into the "dangerous" category, but the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife says that these are ALL nuisances, and with good reason.
Filed Under: kentucky, Trail Cam Footage


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The online online sale Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack online sale
Limited 180gm clear, blue and red marbled vinyl LP pressing. Includes a 4-page insert, exclusive litho of movie poster and a magnifique fridge magnet. The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 multiple-awarded superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan (Westworld). The soundtrack was composed by the legendary Hans Zimmer (Inception, Interstellar, Gladiator). The Dark Knight Rises main themes were composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, but Howard did not return to the series to score this film and was not credited as a composer. Zimmer said that in his attempt to create a sound that nobody has ever heard, he had a very ambitious idea for the film, but that it was so experimental, he didn''t know if it would actually work. As with the soundtracks for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, this album features a beautiful array of distinctive, unforgettable pieces that capture the essence of the characters, the film''s major sequences/moments and exemplary pacing.
1 A Storm Is Coming
2 On Thin Ice
3 Gotham''s Reckoning
4 Mind If I Cut In?
5 Underground Army
6 Born in Darkness
7 The Fire Rises
8 Nothing Out There
1 Despair
2 Fear Will Find You
3 Why Do We Fall?
4 Death By Exile
5 Imagine the Fire
6 Necessary Evil
7 Rise
Music on Vinyl
B08M8DBPJT
#94,256 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
#5,991 in Soundtracks (CDs & Vinyl)


text:
Get your piping hot #HudsonMonth game recommendations here!
In case you weren't already aware, December is "Hudson Month," according to my friend Anne Lee (of the Chic Pixel blog).
What does that mean? Basically, it means you're supposed to play one or more games made by the now-defunct developer and publisher Hudson Soft sometime this month and then blog or tweet about the experience (using #HudsonMonth in the latter scenario)--if you're willing and able, of course.
If Hudson Soft doesn't ring a bell, maybe the names of some of the company's most famous releases will: Adventure Island, Bomberman and Bonk's Adventure.
Although there's nothing wrong with playing through one of those titles or their sequels for this game-along, there are many other--and oftentimes better--options available to you, such as the following:
DoReMi Fantasy: Milon no DokiDoki Daibouken (Super Famicom)--There weren't many side-scolling platformers made for the Super Famicom or SNES that can compete with Nintendo's own Super Mario World or Yoshi's Island. DoReMi Fantasy is one of the few. Greatly helping matters is this cart's gameplay, which is reminiscent of Mizubaku Daibouken's. Physical copies (loose or complete) tend to be absurdly pricey these days, but that's not a problem if you've got a Wii or Wii U, as DoReMi Fantasy can be bought from both of their online shops for just a few bucks.
Hatena Satena (GameBoy Advance)--If you like Picross or even that old standby, Minesweeper, you'll love this 2001 Japan-only GameBoy Advance title. That's because Hatena Satena combines elements of both of those popular puzzlers, and the resulting effort more than stands on its own. Even better, Hatena Satena has a funky aesthetic that puts that of its predecessors to shame. Relevant aside: Compile's Guru Logi Champ will provide you with even more Picross-y thrills should Hatena Satena not fully satisfy your craving.
Kororinpa (Wii)--This is one of those early Wii games that made full use of the system's motion-sensing controller. In fact, Kororinpa is played by twisting and turning the Wii Remote to do the same to the title's labyrinthine levels--with the goal being to roll a ball (or something resembling a ball, at least) from each stage's entrance to its exit. That's harder than it sounds, of course. Thankfully, the game's colorful backdrops and chipper background tunes help take the edge off some of its tension. Bonus: cheap copies of both the first Kororinpa and its sequel can be bought via eBay these days.
Monster Lair (TurboGrafx-16)--If you're a PC Engine aficionado, you likely know this game by its original name, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair. Whatever you call it, though, it's a great little game that's one part platformer and one part shoot 'em up. There's more to Monster Lair than its intriguing gameplay, though. The game's also a real looker thanks to its liberal use of color and its big, bold sprites. Its soundtrack is pure bliss, too. Relevant aside: I saved up and bought a pricey TurboGrafx-CD add-on as a teen solely because of this game.
Nuts & Milk (Famicom)--This single-screen platformer (don't be fooled, it's nothing like Bubble Bubble) was the first third-party game to be released for the Famicom. Despite that, and despite the fact that Nuts & Milk is just as fun as many classics from the same era, maker Namco never brought it to North America. Thankfully, it's easy enough to play in 2016 and beyond no matter where in the world you live. Actual carts are both abundant and cheap (on eBay and the like), or of course you can go the old "boot up the ROM" route. (If you own a Japanese 3DS, Wii or Wii U, you can buy Nuts & Milk from that region's Virtual Console. Unfortunately, the same can't be said if you own a recent Nintendo system that originates from North America or Europe.)
Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom (NES)--All you really need to know about this 1991 release: it's an old-school point-and-click adventure starring anthropomorphic pieces of produce. That alone should make you sit down and play it, in my opinion. If that's not enough, consider its grin-inducing visuals and its jaunty soundtrack. Also, Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom can be picked up quickly and cheaply via the Wii eShop if you have that Nintendo console or the Wii U. Why the higher-ups at Konami (which now owns Hudson's intellectual properties) have yet to slip the game onto any region's 3DS eShop is beyond me.
Saturn Bomberman (Saturn)--If you play just one of the games discussed here, let it be this one. In my humble opinion, this is the best, most enjoyable Bomberman game to ever see the light of day. Plus, its graphics are so adroitly drawn and animated they'll make you tear up. As for Saturn Bomberman's music, I can't say it'll make you cry, but it'll definitely help set the mood for a properly thorough play session. If you're without a Sega Saturn and a copy of this game, by the way, you can buy the next best thing, Bomberman '94 for the PC Engine, from the Wii eShop or the PlayStation Store.
Star Parodier (PC Engine)--I fell in love with this overhead, vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up the second I found out one of its selectable ships was a PC Engine system that takes down oncoming enemies with HuCards and CDs and deflects their projectiles using controllers that double as as shields. (You can choose to pilot Bomberman, too, curiously enough.) Sadly, that's about the wackiest thing you can say about Star Parodier. The rest of its content is quite a bit less intriguing than similar games like Parodius and Pop'n TwinBee. Still, this Super CD-ROM2 title is well worth checking out if you're a fan of the shmup genre in particular or cute games in general.
Are you a fan of a Hudson Soft-made or -published game not discussed here? Let me--and others--know about it in the comments section below.
Labels: famicom, game-alongs, gameboy advance, Hatena Satena, Hudson, Hudson Soft, HudsonMonth, Monster Lair, NES, Nuts and Milk, PC Engine, saturn, Saturn Bomberman, Star Parodier, super famicom, wii
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How I feel about 13 Reasons Why - Season 2
Where do I begin with this one? If you've seen the show then you'll already know that it's very difficult to watch. There are some horribly brutal scenes and the general tone of the programme isn't a positive one at all. After season one, I couldn't have imagined there even being a second season, let alone it doing more damage than the first. Yet here we are, with characters that are completely broken and writing that doesn't allow them much scope to be fixed.
I'm not going to say that I don't like this series. I watched all 13 episodes fairly quickly, exactly as I did with season one. There is something about it that hooks you and keeps pulling you in until you reach that final episode. It's like a quest that you have to finish and in that sense, it's a good series.
Prepare for everything you know about Hannah Baker and her suicide, however, to be erased. Season two reveals new storylines, new feelings, new flashbacks. Characters like Tyler that have developed so much more but definitely not for the better. There is a lot going on when you strip it back down to basics and look at everybody's story (or testimony really) in turn.
Beyond this though, I don't really know what else to say that is positive. Don't get me wrong, I do like it. I do. I just really struggle to engage positively with it because it does so much to make a point of showing everything and I'm not sure how much it does to show the parts that will actually be really helpful to viewers. I've done my research here. I've read Facebook, Instagram and Twitter comments to see viewers directly engaging with the content. There are definitely comments from viewers saying that the show has helped them to see their situations differently and I completely respect that. But it could and should be doing more, in my opinion.
I just mentioned the show showing everything. I'm sure that everybody reading this knows that there are some seriously graphic scenes in the episodes. In season one we saw two rape scenes and two suicides if I remember correctly. This season we see flashbacks of the rape, we see physical bullying at its worst, we see gun violence and drug abuse. It's like the producers threw every dysfunction they could think of into a hat and then tipped it over on the heads of the characters. We are showered with it, as are they. And these are just teenagers, they shouldn't have to be going through so much!
Now, there will be people who will counter this and say that this is real life. Some teenagers are going through this stuff. I completely understand that. I'm not ignorant to the horrors of secondary school, bullying, relationships, drug abuse, abuse in general. If you're an inquisitive person, you make it your business to know these things. If you want knowledge in general, you make yourself aware. But this doesn't necessarily mean that I want to see these horrors translated visually because I really don't.
The scene in the final episode (it's about 34 or 38 minutes into it) is horrendous. Absolutely horrendous and I truly cannot believe they showed it. This is not me being a prude or being dramatic. I know that this is something that happens a lot in American high schools, I've heard of it before. However, the way that scene was filmed and put together was very unnecessary. They did not, in my opinion, need to show us exactly what was happening in order for us to understand the gravity of the situation. Anyone who needs to be visually sensitised to an act of violence like that is someone I would feel genuinely worried about.
The idea of trauma reverberates throughout season two. Everybody has experienced or is experiencing trauma - some more than others. Clay is really messed up from season one. He's having visions of Hannah and is just generally struggling to move on from everything, which is understandable. Him dating Skye however? Not so much. To put two terribly damaged people together was just destructive. However, this was the only good relationship to be dealt with in the show. When Skye decided to leave Clay and take those first steps towards mending herself, the writers were sending out a message that things can get better. That you can be helped and once you accept that help, things will be better.
But there is not nearly enough of this! And for a programme which claims that one of its main aims is to help, I just really struggle to identify which parts of the plot and the writing in general are there to help. How is Tyler resorting to very heavy gun violence helpful? How is Clay trying to talk him out of shooting the whole school at their school dance, helpful? How is Jessica sauntering around and crying for twelve episodes helpful? How is Jessica not accepting her parents help, helpful? Having sex with Justin in the school changing rooms when she's meant to be back with Alex, helpful? How is persistently showing Justin's drug abuse, helpful?
And then I want to ask, how is Bryce getting away with 3 months (I think) for rape, helpful? But actually, this is one of the main ways that they do raise awareness. Because I think, this is the most realistic thing they show. That cases of rape really do struggle when taken to court.
Now, I can find a lot of un-helpful things in the programme and when I ask myself why they've put that in, it's obvious that they've just done it to dramatise the storyline and make it more thrilling to watch. Let's face it - season one was so successful which is why they even created a season two. With the way that it's ended, there now has to be a season three and this all means money! Also, everybody is talking about the horrifying scenes you can expect when you start watching. Which is making more people watch it, even if they didn't before. And I do hate saying that but it's true. This show isn't being made for free and they do want to make money.
I also have a few other problems to mention, mainly with the writing of the show.
#1 - Overuse of the F-word
You must have noticed that the f-word is in almost every single scene of every episode in Season 2. During almost every conversation, someone will wedge the f-word into play. They'll say it in gest, in casual conversation, in heated arguments. And why? I reckon it's because they want all of the characters to seem edgy and rebellious. Although the f-word is not the only swear word young people use, this script is completely saturated with it and it's ridiculous!
#2 - Teenage girls go to school to chase boys
Name one main female character, minus Courtney, whose storyline does not involve their relationship with a boy. You've got Jessica involved with Tyler, Alex and Bryce. You've got Hannah involved with Bryce, Tyler, Zach, Clay, Alex and Marcus. You've got Chloe dating Bryce. Sheri at the clubhouse with Brandon and Bryce. Cyrus's sister dating Tyler. Jessica's friend whose name I forgot dating one guy and cheating on him with another. Not only is this completely reductionist for women on-screen - our storylines are only relevant if they involve a male counterpart. But it's also just not true. Not everybody at high school or secondary school exists to date boys. I'm sure there was a lot more going on than just that, but for some reason all of the other stuff is not relevant.
#3 - Teenage friends are never just friends
Do you remember all of the scenes in Hannah's bedroom or Jessica's bedroom or just anyone's bedroom in general? It always begins as friends hanging out and then suddenly they're playing a kissing game and everybody has kissed everybody and it's just teenagers having meaningless fun. Not everything is sexual or tactile. Sometimes when you hang out with a friend you go shopping or bowling or to the cinema to watch a film. You're not always crossing a line.
#4 - Every teenager is damaged
Every character in this show is, in some way, troubled. Everyone is battling with their own problems and that's fine. But then suddenly everyone is so damaged, that it's actually Hannah who starts to seem like the one who, in comparison, didn't really have any problems at all. Clay is messed up from every single event in season one - understandably. Skye is self-harming and desperately begging Clay to love her even though he's still in love with Hannah. Bryce feels neglected by his parents. Zach is angry at his mother for never talking about his dad and therefore not allowing him to address those issues. Jessica is still figuring out how to cope with being raped by Bryce and betrayed by Justin. Justin's mum is unfit to take care of him and is being physically abused by her boyfriend. Courtney has been struggling with the fact that she's gay. Marcus's parents are really religious and he feels trapped by their rules so he leads a double life.
13 Reasons Why is literally hailed for its direct address of real-life issues. I completely rate that and I think that it's very important to get topics like this out into the open for discussion. However, it chooses to show so much of the violence and brutality in very carefully orchestrated scenes and I don't think that's okay. Some people will say that this needs to be shown but it really doesn't. You don't need to physically see what's going on to believe it happens or even to understand that it happens. A lot can be inferred from orchestrating the right kind of scenes, showing just enough.
And in showing scenes like rape, gun violence and brutal bullying in the boys school toilets, they've had to put up a warning before some of the episodes saying "mature content" or "for mature viewers only". Yet this is a show about teenagers and high school, based off a teenage fiction book. So in doing this, you're reducing its accessibility and completely defeating the purpose of the programme. I wouldn't want my teenagers watching some of the scenes in this show. It's upsetting and incredibly disturbing.
Worst of all though really, is the fact that this show doesn't really do a lot to help. It splays its cards, showing us what depression, anxiety, loneliness and fear can look like at its worst. And then it sort of just leaves you there. From season two, I expected them to show us how to empower ourselves if we're suffering from anything similar to what goes on in the show. Yet, dare I say it, none of the characters are really empowered are they?
In fact, everybody seems to have gotten a lot worse. Jessica spends the whole season crying and staring blankly at people, not doing much of anything. And then instead of seeking the help she needs to empower herself to work through her trauma, she just asks Chloe to testify - to do what she wasn't able to do herself, in her words. This is a huge one. I really would have expected Jessica to step up in this season and she just didn't, not until the last couple of episodes anyway. And then she messed it all up by getting with Justin!
Clay's mental health is getting worse each episode. With his visions of Hannah, which are very confusing by the way, he has no hold on reality. He has completely forgotten about his own life and exists only to avenge Hannah and then to deny that he loves Hannah and to battle constantly with accepting that she is dead.
Zach won't stand up to his baseball team. He's still doing everything in secret. Just like he dated Hannah in secret, he wants to be friends with Alex in secret. To bump fists with Bryce in the boys' locker rooms and out on the pitch and then sneak around the back to take a breather and tell the people who care that he is a good person.
Everyone thinks that standing up to Bryce is just about calling him a rapist. Yes, he is a rapist and that is an atrocious and disgusting thing to be. But he's also a lot more than that. He's a bully, an abuser, a manipulator, a user. He's a culmination of so many negative things and he shows this at various points throughout the season, yet we and the characters are only allowed to focus on that one thing - the rapes. Maybe if they had tried to find evidence to support all of the other things he is, then they would have had more of a case against him in court. Maybe they would have won.
Overall, I'm frustrated. Although I kept watching, I never actually felt satisfied with what I was seeing. This show has a huge following and is spread across such a wide platform that it really owes it to itself and its viewers to do more. In my opinion, we needed to see some more self-empowerment. Like Skye at the mental facility and Skye breaking up with Clay. Of course these are things we don't want to see for the characters we love, we want them to be happy as quickly as possible. But if we can see that they are admitting to their issues and seeking help in the right places for them, then we have hope. And other people have hope and feel that they might be capable of seeking the right kind of help too.
We've also got to be careful with the way we're painting Hannah. In season one, we may not have agreed with the reasons as to why Hannah committed suicide. We may have thought that some of them were stupid and insignificant (like I did at some points) and we are entitled to that opinion but we also can't take away from the fact that this is how somebody felt even if it isn't how we would have felt ourselves. We understand that. Then in season two, we get many more layers and lots of different sides to the same story. Suddenly, the writers paint a picture of Hannah as a girl that loved to date. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but it's the way they do it. They are the ones who make Hannah seem like a girl who liked involving herself with boys, fleetingly and without respect for herself. That's damaging.
Some of the new plot lines in general were difficult to believe. Particularly the Zach and Hannah summer romance, which everybody on Twitter has gone mad for. I think it's cute, I'm with you all on that. I just don't really believe it. I don't believe that she would omit that from her tapes, it doesn't make sense.
A lot of people, myself included, are also a bit confused at the fact that Hannah actually had so many friends when she made out that she didn't. And then I read a comment somewhere that said, that is exactly the point. That when you have depression like Hannah did, you don't see things the way that everybody else does. So you might have a ton of people around you, but that doesn't mean you'll believe they're your friends or believe that you aren't alone. We're now seeing different sides to Hannah's truth and that might throw us off a little, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's not the truth. I'm still unsure of what to think on this though.
I know that there are plenty of people out there who will disagree with me on this, but these are just my thoughts on the show. We can all have our own opinions on this and feel free to join the discussion by leaving a comment below or tweeting me (@tanyams_) as I always put my thoughts out there on Twitter. I know already that there is a lot of discussion about this programme, as expected and that's healthy! So definitely get involved if you've seen it. If you have something to counter anything I've said or just some thoughts on the show that I may not have mentioned here then please also let me know.
Finally, I have also left links below to some great helplines and websites for anyone who is in need of resources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/suicide/
https://www.samaritans.org/
https://www.mind.org.uk/
https://www.thecalmzone.net/
http://therecoveryletters.com/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/help-after-rape-and-sexual-assault/
https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Rape%20and%20sexual%20assault%20referral%20centres/LocationSearch/364
https://rapecrisis.org.uk/
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/crime-info/types-crime/rape-and-sexual-assault
Labels: TV


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5 Types of Orgasms and How to Get One (or More)
Medically reviewed by Janet Brito, Ph.D., LCSW, CST — Written by Hannah Rimm — Updated on November 13, 2019
Types of orgasms
Achieving orgasms
The stages of an orgasm
The 'Big O(s)'
There's a lot of talk about the "Big O," but did you know there's more than one kind of O to sing about? Orgasms in women may seem a little harder to spot since there's no obvious spray to end the play. But they exist, and with a little awareness and attention, you can get the Os you deserve, from the fireworks-on-display kind to the calm oh-my-gods.
When you find yourself missing out on the Big O, there are three likely culprits: expectations, communication, and method. And alongside all of that, experimenting is required. You'll find sites reporting that there are anywhere from 12 orgasms to just 1. But we're focusing on the five an average person can achieve, for the definitive happy ending they deserve.
What are the types of orgasms?
Here's a list of the most common types of orgasms and what they typically feel like, although this varies from person to person:
Orgasm type What they feel like
clitoral These orgasms are often felt on the surface of the body, like a tingly feeling along your skin and in your brain.
vaginal These orgasms are deeper in the body and can easily be felt by the person penetrating the vagina because the vaginal walls will pulse.
anal Before the big O, you may feel an intense need to pee, but the contractions definitely won't be felt around the genitals. Instead, they'll be around the anal sphincter.
combo When the vagina — particularly the G-spot — and the clitoris are stimulated at the same time, it tends to result in a more explosive movie-style orgasm that may have convulsing or literally ejaculation (read: female ejaculation is not a myth).
erogenous zones Lesser known parts of your body, such as the ears, the nipples, the neck, the elbows, and the knees, can still cause a pleasurable reaction when kissed and played with. For more sensitive people, continuous play may lead to an orgasm.
Now, how do we make these orgasms happen?
Let's talk about the clitoris
The clitoris is a small organ with a lot of nerve endings that peeks out from the tiptop of the vulva, is often covered by a hood, and extends down the inside of the labia. The best way to stimulate the clitoris is by gently rubbing with the fingers, palm, or tongue in a back and forth or circular motion.
Tackling the elusive vaginal orgasm
Vaginal orgasm is often misconstrued as the "best" way for women to orgasm (read: the easiest for penises), but it's often the most difficult for ladies. Instead of a penis, try fingers or a sex toy. Insert the fingers or toy into the vagina and make a "come hither" motion toward the belly button.
There's a point of pleasure on this wall called the G-spot and when you hit it with regular, strong pressure, it can lead to orgasm. Stimulation of the G-spot is also the way to lead to female ejaculation, as it stimulates the Skene's glands on either side of the urethra.
Exploring the anal orgasm
Anal orgasms are much more common in men because of the prostate, but can also be achieved simply by rubbing the outside of the anal opening as well as stimulating the inside of the anus with a finger. When it comes to anal sex, please, please, please use lube. Butts don't naturally produce lubricant and the skin around the area is very prone to tears, which can lead to unwanted infection.
Shop for lubricant online.
If you're looking to return the favor with your male partner, stimulate the prostate by gently inserting a finger straight forward and massage the gland.
Going for the combo and erogenous zones
In order to achieve a combo orgasm, combine clitoral and vaginal stimulation at the same time, either in parallel or opposite rhythms — whatever feels best for you or your partner. This is also the most common way to achieve female ejaculation because the clitoris is stimulated and the G-spot or Skene's glands are engaged.
Finally, erogenous zone orgasms are achieved exclusively through a lot of experimentation. You may be able to orgasm from kisses on your neck, teeth on your nipples, or fingers on the inside of your elbows. The best way to find your erogenous zones is to use a feather or another light external object and take note where you feel the most pleasure.
Orgasms won't come without communication
In any kind of sexual play, communication is key. Not only is consent literally required by law, but telling your partner what you want, how, and where is the best way to ensure maximum pleasure. It's ideal to have these conversations before engaging in sexual play, but it's equally effective to guide your partner during sex. This means asking for what you want either with words or with your body language. Remember, partners aren't mind readers, even though we want them to be.
This also means being open to experimentation. If your regular sex routine isn't getting you off, then experimenting with touching new areas at different times with different body parts (genitals, fingers, mouths) is the next best step to solving your orgasm mystery.
It's also important to note that experimenting and achieving orgasm doesn't require a partner. Pleasure is not dependent and neither are you — the better you know your rhythm with fingers and toys, the faster you can teach your partner how you tango.
What actually happens during an orgasm?
What physically happens in a woman's body during actual orgasm is this: the vagina, uterus, and anus (and sometimes other body parts like hands, feet, and abdomen) contract rapidly 3-15 times, squeezing for 0.8 seconds at a time. Women may also ejaculate, releasing a liquid out of the urethra that contains a mix of whitish fluid from the Skene's peri-urethral glands and urine. Don't worry — urine is very sterile and the liquid usually comes out clear.
But not everybody experiences sex and orgasm the same way. The above explanations are great starting points, but sex doesn't have a manual. That's why exploring in the moment and finding what your body loves is absolutely key.
Understanding the stages that lead to an orgasm may help you
Masters and Johnson wrote a book that detailed the sexual response cycle, which states that there are four stages of the sexual response:
Excitement. Initially being turned on.
Plateau. Repetitive motion that feels pleasurable.
Orgasm. The burst of pleasure, and release.
Resolution. The refractory period.
While this is mostly accurate, it's too general — especially when these stages cross over and there's no explosive resolution. It's also inaccurate to suggest that sex ends in orgasm, because this denies many women of their orgasms by pushing the idea that sex is finished when their male partners finish. Plus, not all sex requires an orgasm and orgasms don't mean the sex is great.
Orgasms can be small. They can happen many times in a row or just once, and they don't always happen. Don't define your orgasms by someone else's description… that's ultimately shorting yourself on pleasure. Your calm clitoral orgasm can still be mind-blowing, just as your combo orgasm can be fun, and your partner's ejaculation can be exciting.
Bodies are different. Orgasms are different. But the path it takes to get there is all about experimenting, communicating, and trying again. Allow yourself to soak in the sensations of the pleasure process just as much, or even more than, the finale.
Repeat after us: Orgasms aren't the end goal of sex.
Hannah Rimm is a writer, photographer, and generally creative person in New York City. She writes primarily about mental and sexual health, and her writing and photography has appeared in Allure, HelloFlo, and Autostraddle. You can find her work at HannahRimm.com or follow her on Instagram.
Last medically reviewed on December 11, 2017
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MP says rate of housebuilding in Rugby strengthens case for more local services like A&E
Rugby MP Mark Pawsey (centre) with Richard Coppell, Development Director of Urban&Civic (right) and Nigel Hugill, Executive Chair of Urban&Civic (left), at Houlton in Rugby.
Editorial Correspondent 4th Nov, 2021 Updated: 4th Nov, 2021
NEW figures showing housebuilding in Rugby is back to pre-pandemic levels – at more than twice the rate of the national average – strengthen the case for more local services, says the town's MP.
Statistics from the National House Building Council (NHBC) show that in the past three years nearly 1,500 new homes were registered in the Rugby constituency, over double the national constituency average.
The figures also demonstrate that housebuilding and construction in Rugby has returned to near pre-pandemic levels – driven by new developments at Houlton and in the north of the town at Rugby Gateway and Coton.
Mark Pawsey MP welcomed the figures, and said they make the case for additional services even stronger.
He said: "It is good news that the construction industry and housebuilding have recovered from the pandemic and we are once again delivering the homes which local families need. There has been a historic shortage of new homes and I am delighted that Rugby is playing its part in delivering these.
"However, I fully understand and agree with residents who have concerns about the expansion of our town and the additional pressure this places on our public services. That is why it is vital for new housing to be delivered alongside the right infrastructure, as it has been at Houlton.
"It also makes the case for securing new investment into our public services much greater and this is a case I will continue to make to local health providers and to my colleagues in Government."
Mr Pawsey has raised the need for additional services – including A&E – at the Hospital of St Cross with Government ministers, and earlier this year wrote to the Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group to urge for greater investment in Rugby.
He added: "Houlton in particular is a great example of how housing can be delivered at scale with the appropriate infrastructure and services, such as the new Houlton School which welcomed its first cohort of pupils last month.
"More people living in Rugby will also improve our local economy and provide valuable support to Rugby's high street retailers and other businesses."
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If you want to find out why Judith Williams is one of the leading skincare ranges on QVC don't miss our special series of shows at 10pm on the 3rd, 4th and 5th August!
Judith has enjoyed great success over the years with skincare, fragrance, cosmetics and, of course, as a presenter on Germany's version of Dragon's Den, called 'Die Höhle der Löwen' (which actually means 'Lion's Den').
I caught up with Judith at her Beauty Institute in Munich to find out more: watch my QCam video below.
PLEASE please could you bring back the Wrinkle Relax softly tinted day cream to QVC, I just love this product, it gives me the perfect light coverage, suits my skin wonderfully. I have not been able to repurchase for some time as does not seem to be in stock any more. Thankyou.


MAKING LIGHT Thomas Blackburn, Selected Poems, Hutchinson, £2.95.
'That may be so', said the woman.
'I am not sure', said the man.
Graves, perhaps more usefully, suggested a direction rather than a pattern. Anyhow, the mould of Yeats was broken, and the direction pointed in the end to no-one but Blackburn himself. We then have the mature poet, who has been with us ever since, and has recently added Post Mortem to his not inconsiderable list of books.


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Tag archive for 'Patrick McKay'
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Variety is reporting that Emily Blunt has signed on to star opposite Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) in Disney's Jungle Cruise, which is slated to be the first live-action film loosely based More...
By Sierra Jones On Wednesday, August 9th, 2017
Disney hires Jaume Collet-Serra to helm 'Jungle Cruise' film with Dwayne Johnson
Non-Stop and The Shallows filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra has opted not to direct Warner Bros.' DCEU sequel Suicide Squad 2. Deadline reports that Collet-Serra has now signed on to direct Jungle Cruise for More...
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First 'Star Trek Beyond' trailer, first look at Sofia Boutella, Idris Elba villains
Paramount attempts to make their mark ahead of the big Star Wars weekend, as the studio dropped the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond, the third installment in the rebooted sci-fi franchise and the first one More...


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Agnorisma badinodis (pale-banded dart or spotted-sided cutworm) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in southern Canada and United States, east of the 100th meridian, and exclusive of the Deep South.

The wingspan is about 36 mm. There is one generation per year.

Recorded food plants include Stellaria media, Sisymbrium officinale, Trifolium, Medicago sativa, Rumex, Symphyotrichum ericoides and Triticum aestivum.

External links
Moths of North Dakota
Images

Noctuinae
Moths of North America
Moths described in 1874


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Maria Iqbal
Ex-Officio Director (Non-Voting) (2016/17)
Editor-in-Chief (2015/16)
News Editor (2014/15)
Interim News Editor (2013/14)
Associate News Editor (2013/14)
UTMSU announces departure of executive director, services manager
Maria Cruz & Maria Iqbal
UTMSU has announced the departure of its executive director and services manager, effective next month. In a memo released Thursday evening, UTMSU president Nour Alideeb...
Hello U of T wins all but one seat on UTSU...
Nicole Danesi & Maria Iqbal
Hello U of T has won all of the seats on UTSU's executive committee except one, according to results posted online today. According to the...
So long, friends, until next time
Experience is a great teacher. My first two months as news editor ended with a lawsuit threat. Two years later, I'm so thankful for...
Why I don't call myself a feminist
As many of us know, International Women's Day was celebrated last Tuesday. At UTM, part of the celebrations involved a weeklong awareness campaign by...
On free speech and endorsements
Freedom of speech has been a difficult topic for me personally to wrap my head around. On the one hand, I've generally been opposed...
The cost of telling the truth
Let's talk a little bit about the role of a newspaper in the rapidly changing world of information access. In some ways, we have much...
Rage against the dying of the light
Following up on the story on trigger warnings and letters to the editor on mental health last week and this week, it seems that...
The choice to have dialogue
What a week. Last Wednesday, my day began with news of the lawsuit filed against UTMSU by the Students for Life chapter at UTM. And...
Why you should attend our AGM
It's that time of year again; the second semester is in full swing, clubs are getting back into gear, and some of us are...
The politics of naming a victim
What's in a name? A lot, apparently, when it comes to sexual assault. Over the winter break, we published a breaking news story about how...
UTSU board impeaches VP campus life
The UTSU board of directors has impeached its VP campus life Akshan Bansal effective December 30. In a statement, the UTSU board of directors cited...
UTSU seeks to impeach VP campus life
Maria Iqbal & Nicole Danesi
The UTSU executive committee is calling on its board of directors to impeach its VP campus life following allegations of sexual assault. In an online...
We are all "jihadists"
Last week, I talked about building character and used the international response to the Paris attacks as an example of us looking out for...
UTMSU absent from UTSU SGM
UTMSU was noticeably absent from UTSU's special general meeting held Wednesday where a board structure was officially passed following over a year of consultation...
How to be a good citizen
One of the things that bothers me about our education system is that while it promotes a great deal of learning, it doesn't do...
Our mandate as a newspaper
Last week, we commemorated Remembrance Day and reflected on the role of freedom and democracy in our society. These are big concepts, but certainly important...
Big issues on the table for AGM
UTMSU's annual general meeting takes place this Thursday and from the sound of it, students will have the chance to vote on some pretty...
Levy underuse doesn't make sense
First off, I'd like to thank UTMSU president Ebi Agbeyegbe for his letter this week about views that he feels should be shared with...
UTMSU proposes bylaw amendments
Mylene Kassandra Hangdaan
Along with reviewing the results of the fall 2015 election and passing changes in the union's bylaws, UTMSU also examined the causes and possible...
Getting to the truth of the matter
If you missed it last week, UTM held its "Living Library", an event that features special guests whom students can "borrow" for a half-hour...
Who says youth aren't engaged?
Every UTM student should attend UTSU's annual general meeting—at least once. I attended my first AGM downtown last year and was amazed. I'd never seen...
Does proximity trump value?
I'm sure I'm not the only person whose parents have told them that they used to travel long distances by foot to go to...
UTSU files lawsuit against former execs
UTSU filed a civil lawsuit against three of its former employees last Monday and at least one of the defendants has now been served. According...
Fulfilling fiduciary duty
Last week's news of the legal case UTSU filed against its former president, VP internal, and executive director brings to the fore an important...
Discourse on racism needs review
"All races are equal." No controversy in saying that, right? Well, maybe not. One of the first times I encountered the concept of "white privilege" was...
When numbers matter
I'm not someone who's particularly knowledgeable about numbers. I performed decently in high school math, but understanding finances is a completely different story. I was...
Our $28,000 investment
Back in first year, I was asked to write a letter to myself outlining all of the things I wanted to accomplish by the...
View from inside the newsroom
For someone who wanted to be a part of the campus newspaper since first year, boy was I clueless. I took for granted that...
Arbitration pending as labs resume
The process of binding arbitration to reach an agreement between Unit 1 members of CUPE 3902 and U of T is set to begin...
Students concerned in aftermath of strike
Menna Elnaka
Last Friday, students gathered with UTMSU executives for a commission meeting to share their experiences with the strike and discuss ways to voice their...
Strike ends by arbitration
In a decisive vote, Unit 1 has accepted U of T's offer to end the strike through binding arbitration. Unit 1 members will return to...
University proposes arbitration
Unit 1 members will vote tomorrow on whether to accept U of T's offer to settle the strike through binding arbitration. The members will vote...
Agreement struck down, strike goes on
The Unit 1 membership has struck down the tentative agreement reached with U of T, according to the unofficial results of the ratification vote...
Unit 1 sends agreement to ratification vote
Unit 1 members of CUPE 3902 have voted to send their tentative agreement on to a full ratification vote. In a narrow vote of 789...
Campus blocked, UTM slow to notify commuters
Maria Iqbal & Luke Sawczak
The effect of Unit 1's strike on campus normalcy escalated drastically on Tuesday following the breakdown of its latest round of negotiations. Large groups of...
Unit 1 puts forth new proposal
The Unit 1 bargaining team has brought forward a controversial proposal to U of T administration following a meeting on Friday that left members...
Full Unit 3 membership ratifies offer
Unit 3 of CUPE 3902 has ratified its agreement, successfully avoiding a strike. According to social media reports, over 70% of Unit 3 members, representing...
No bargaining dates after a week
The university still refuses to meet with Unit 1 a week into the strike, according to the unit's vice-chair Ryan Culpepper. After Unit 1 members...
Students on the strike
Menna Elnaka, Maria Iqbal, Sidra Weqar & Christine Sharma
I'm lost for words because I have assignments that I handed in and have yet to receive. Still haven't received a first mark for...
Courses affected, no bargaining date in sight
U of T's courses have been impeded by the strike but the university refuses to meet with the bargaining team, The Medium has learned. In...
Unit 3 forwards agreement to membership
Unit 3 will not be joining the strike today. Members of the unit sent their tentative agreement on to the full membership this evening, which...
TAs strike, Unit 3 to vote tonight
TAs will begin picketing today and CUPE 3902 Unit 3 members will vote on ratifying their agreement this evening. If the Unit 3 members, who...
Strike declared
For the first time in 15 years, teaching assistants have declared a strike at U of T. The university will remain open and will not...
Four days to strike deadline
With Unit 3 of CUPE 3902 having reached a tentative agreement with U of T, only four days remain for Unit 1 to reach...
Instructors reach tentative agreement with U of T
Unit 3 of CUPE 3902 and U of T have reached a tentative agreement, according to a memo released yesterday by the Human Resources...
Model UN set back, but carries on
Umaima Ghori
Students came together for UTM's first annual Model United Nations Conference to debate solutions to global issues in human rights, technology, and health in...
TAs, uni in bargaining stalemate
Twenty-four days: the time left for U of T and members of CUPE 3902 to reach an agreement or the latter will go on...
UTSU talking reform
Students brought their concerns to UTSU at its "What's Missing?" town hall held at the St. George campus last Wednesday. The town hall was meant...
Giving a voice to international students
UTSU is calling on U of T and the Ontario government to pay greater attention to international student issues including representation on Governing Council,...
UTM chess places third
UTM students spent hours sacrificing pawns, battling knights, and defeating kings to win third place at the Canadian Universities Chess Championship held at Hart...
Race begins for governance
Three UTM students are running for seats on Governing Council, U of T's highest decision-making body. A number of students are also competing for positions...
Student battles over UTAPS aid
A UTM student is in the middle of a battle with administration to obtain more financial aid for her education. H.P.A.* moved to Toronto from...
Including everyone is hard
Dear Editor, I write this letter as a concerned UTM student, not an employee of this newspaper. Just before the holidays, The Medium published a...
Student reps grill admin on fees
Money was a major theme of UTM's town hall on Wednesday, which saw mainly student representatives raise concerns to UTM administration. The town hall, held...
UTM team tops in stock competition
A group of UTM delegates placed in the top five against teams from universities across the province in the University of Waterloo's third Stock...
Ontario bans campus tobacco sales
As of January 1, colleges and universities in Ontario will no longer be able to sell tobacco on their campuses as a result of...
UTMSU audit shows $1.1m assets
The annual general meeting of UTMSU last Thursday included a packed Council Chambers, free T-shirts, birthday cake, questions about international students, financials, and the...
UTM marks centennial of Great War
Maleeha Iqbal & Maria Iqbal
UTM commemorated Remembrance Day last Tuesday with its annual ceremony along with a lecture in honour of the 100th anniversary of the start of...
New board structure rejected
UTSU's controversial board structure proposal, which would have seen college directors replaced by constituency directors, was defeated at the AGM on Wednesday when it...
Confusion over bylaw change
Confusion arose last week on the subject of a motion to amend the U of T Student Union's bylaws at its Annual General Meeting...
Helping you make an informed decision
Dear Editor, The events of last week reminded me how much courage it takes to tell a story. It's not always easy for a student...
Student papers hurting from ad losses
Canadian student newspapers have had a rough time financially for the past year and half in the face of declining ad revenue and the...
"Stupid" bylaw proposed downtown
Menna Elnaka & Maria Iqbal
Voting at next week's Annual General Meeting of the UTSU has the potential to dissolve the union, say representatives of UTMSU. The meeting's order...
IEC to offer expanded service set
The International Education Centre is in the process of hiring additional staff, offering new programs, and moving to a new office space in order...
Food bank not allotted full levy
Not all the funds from the food bank levy to which all students pay are being spent on the food bank. According to emails from...
Consultants gather input on food
Kaizen Consultants were confronted with a host of complaints about campus food at UTMSU's Food Open House last Thursday. David Purcell and Edward Moreno, consultants...
Student groups: open up OHIP again
Like many incoming first-year students, Jessie Li planned to begin her career at UTM by attending the annual first-year orientation held in September. What...
Food Bank calling for changes
UTMSU's Food Bank is calling for more space and resources to help meet growing student needs. At a meeting of the Food Service Advisory Committee...
Frosh Week unleashes the beasts
UTM turned into a jungle last week with herds of froshies with stripes painted on their bodies parading around campus as part of UTMSU's...
Controversy continues in Student Societies Summit aftermath
Student societies from all three U of T campuses convened at St. George last Friday for their third meeting in the aftermath of the...
UTM Inspire sweeps UTMSU elections
The unofficial results show a sweeping victory for UTM Inspire after the poll clerks finished counting ballots late on Saturday. The unopposed slate candidates took...
Numerous options in UTMSU election
Let the campaigning begin. The official campaigning period for the UTMSU spring elections began last week, with one incomplete slate and three independent candidates running...
Chartwells contract to be extended
UTM has asked Chartwells to extend its contract for another year, Chartwells' contract with UTM, originally set to expire in April, will likely be extended...
UTSU elections meet criticism
The unofficial results of the UTSU elections are expected to be released today, according to a notice posted on UTSU's website on Saturday. "The delay...
Two slates standing in UTSU elections
Candidates running in the highly turbulent elections for next year's UTSU executive positions addressed questions in a packed lecture hall at the Executive Candidates'...
Chartwells contract to expire in April
UTM students expressed their complaints about campus food at UTMSU's "Eat the System: Changing Food Campus Systems" last Wednesday, a discussion on food accessibility...
Student CCR consultations done
The Department of Student Life concluded the consultation phase for the co-curricular record last week, intended to draw feedback from students, staff, and faculty...
UTMSU unexpectedly leaves summit
Much to the confusion of the leaders of major student groups on campus, UTMSU announced its withdrawal from U of T's Undergraduate Student Societies...
Black History Month challenged
Students debated whether Black History Month was "racist" and a number of other controversial topics, including interracial marriages and abortion, at the Racial Ties...
Few attend open forum
Clubs and academic society representatives discussed the failure of the Student Centre expansion referendum at UTMSU's open forum held on February 13. The event, which...
Fees, Facebook blamed for "no" votes
UTMSU saw the defeat of its Student Centre expansion referendum last week, according to official results revealed to the Medium. In a close count, 1,621...
Young Entrepreneurs Conference draws students, notable sponsors
Angie Litsiou
On Saturday, students from universities across Southern Ontario convened at the second annual Young Entrepreneurs' Conference, hosted by the Digital Enterprise Management Society to...
Campus to undergo safety changes
Most violence against women is perpetrated by a person known to the victim. This is one among a number of startling facts that the recently...
CFS-O against 30% off grant
The Ontario Government is facing opposition since its announcement last Monday that students attending private postsecondary schools are now eligible for the 30% Off...
Online learning set to increase
Last summer, Joycelyn Nortei juggled summer school, spending time with her friends and family, and working part-time. She finished her course with an 85%. Mary...
Writing Contest 2014 Runner-up – Non-fiction
Holes "Someone's hurting Dad!" Sajid blurted, almost crying. He scrambled downstairs to the family room. Mom told Sajid to phone the police while she investigated...
Three-day Winter Clubs Week slow
From Tuesday to Thursday, campus clubs and academic societies tabled in the Student Centre to recruit new members during the poorly attended Winter Clubs...
UTM student a finalist at UTSC conference
At UTSC's first Undergraduate Linguistics Conference on November 15, the only student participant from UTM, Erin Duncan, was recognized as one of the top...
Stem cell swabbing at UTM
Students were swabbed for Lifeline, the UTM Blood and Stem Cell Society's bi-annual event held to recruit stem cell donors, last Wednesday. Lifeline volunteers set...
Students and professors debate Afghan independence
Students gathered for the second UTM debate and panel discussion of the year, organized by the UTM Debate Club, the Political Science and Pre-Law...
Multi-faith program takes on environmental stewardship
Four UTM students collaborated with Greening Sacred Spaces and Credit Valley Conservation to organize the first multi-faith environmental retreat through U of T's Religious...
Dispelling misconceptions about Islam
Last Wednesday, UTM's Muslim Students' Association collaborated with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to organize a breast cancer campaign, while also trying to dispel...
TD Bank donates $1 million to UTSC
On September 28, TD Bank Group announced it will contribute $1 million to UTSC to promote research and teaching efforts in the areas of...
Flat fees policy to be changed
Maria Iqbal & Larissa Ho
Brad Duguid, Ontario's Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities, has recently said that he will implement changes to the current policy of flat fees...
Borrowed Shoes
Borrowed Shoes is an equity and diversity initiative affiliated with utmONE that saw UTM students mentored for the past two weeks and as they...
Online criticism isn't just for the trolls
Can a paper be both critical and creative? Can it be analytical and innovative? The Department of English and Drama certainly thinks so. This...


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Wairua is exercised through the practice of tapū. Tapū (awareness of the divine) and noa (awareness of mortality) pre-existed as natural conditions of the universe. Wairua is not religion. Wairua provides immortality when the physical body has died. Kahupō is the state of having no familiarity with wairua. If you are kahupō then you are spiritually blind and already 'dead'. You have no ulterior purpose or meaning life. Life is but a physical drudgery. If there is a term to emphasise spiritual blindness there must be a need for a spirit. If spiritual blindness is the most undersirable state for Māori, the most desirable state must be awareness of wairua and a passion for life. Inherent to a knowledge of wairua is the understanding of the states of tapū and noa and how they work together.
The existence of a spiritual truth/realm is fundamental to well-being from a Māori cultural frame of reference. The essence of our existence is as spiritual beings. To ignore or disregard wairua is to state that we are spiritually blind or kahupō. The wairua is the heartbeat, the core of Māori wellbeing. It has to be in balance with the tinana, hinengaro and ngākau in order for the person to be well.
The transformative qualities of wairua are to bring perpetrators, victims, whānau, hapū and iwi to a state of recognition of themselves as interconnected spiritual beings.
Wairua is not an easy construct to define. It is a construct that is experienced although not always seen in a tangible way. The products or outcomes of wairua may be evidenced in physical ways such as an act of kindness and compassion.


text:
Way late review: Damsels in Distress
Whit Stillman makes movies you either love or hate. His fascination with telling stories about yuppies tends to have that reaction. I generally enjoy his films. They portray characters and a world very few do. Twelve years later, Stillman makes a new film Damsels in Distress, and while the characters speak the instantly identifiable Stillman dialogue, something has changed. Something funny. Pure satire in a world unlike those the director has created in past films.
Violet (Greta Gerwig) and her two friends, Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and Heather (Carrie MacLemore), at Seven Oaks college are out to save the world. OK, maybe not the world, but definitely their boorish male counterparts and those deemed suicidal risks. Violet immediately targets Lily (Analeigh Tipton) as a new student in need of intervention. Lily isn't a freshman as Violet guessed. She's a sophomore transfer. She, unlike Violet's entourage, doesn't completely buy into the mission the trio is on. When the new foursome walks around the campus together for the first time the original trio nearly pass out from the supposed stench produced by a group of guys who walk by. Rose looks as though she may regurgitate her last meal. Lily is perplexed. Violet explains that Rose is especially sensitive to odors and the boys from a certain house are particularly odorous. In pity, Violet condescendingly sees it as her duty to reform these boys. No handsome and winsome young men for these young ladies. They'll take the dufus who has yet learned his primary colors, thank you very much. And they'll do this all in the name of saving a lower class; pulling them up from the depths to the heights of at least middling acceptably. The exaggerated attitude and actions pokes fun at both liberals doing more harm than good while they save the poor they wouldn't want near their precious suburban homes or Evangelical Christians who have a disdain for the heathens they attempt to clean up and save from a life of sin.
There is little to no narrative holding Damsels together. Lily's first year at Seven Oaks is filled with odds and ends. She provides a dose of reality in most scenes lacking everything but reality. Yet even Lily isn't completely exempt from serving as a prop in Whitman's satirical take on life at one of the oddest colleges in cinema history. She finds the wrong guys. Instead of dumb brutes she dates men of higher intellect who are anything but honorable. One is an eight year student posing as a successful young professional while another is an international student whose religion supposedly holds to a sexual "purity" that is anything but.
The suicide prevention center Violet heads up gives donuts to those in need of help. Don't dare take a donut if you are not a candidate though. Donuts are for suicidal risks only. Violet promised the company providing the donuts that all the donations would go to those needing them, not those simply out to get a free pastry. Things get stranger. The preferred method of therapy is dancing. In fact, it's the only thing resembling therapy of any sort. All other displays of help are in the form of interrogating potential "patients", ensuring they are worthy of free doughnuts and dance sessions. If this sounds ridiculous and silly, it is. It is also very funny, as long as you don't completely hate the characters and the world they inhibit. The arrogant, obnoxious girls and the dumb boys they seek to refine require buy-in or else Damsels will feel like a slog.
Debbie: You think I'm going to kill myself and make you look bad?
Violet: I'm worried that you'll kill yourself and make yourself look bad.
Title cards split up the movie into sections not unlike a silent film or an episode of Frasier. The technique mostly works until the end when the movie overruns its optimal time and the title cards serve as reminders that the credits should be rolling. All good things must come to an end, some should come a little earlier than others.
Whit Stillman makes a welcome return after nearly a dozen years since his last film. Damsels in Distress is a witty comedy with commentary on a variety of topics but never heavy handed. The laughs come along with a satirical backdrop and characters to match. Not everyone's cup of tea but possibly a surprise for those who haven't enjoyed Stillman's past films. Damsels was a pleasant surprise for me.
[xrr rating=4/5 label=" "]
[youtube width="640″ height="360″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0RrTl3tA1w[/youtube]
| 4 stars PG-13
no responses for Way late review: Damsels in Distress


Blind Pig's Extra Jimmies, a budget priced sampler is a superb introduction to the great Jimmy Thackery. Thirteen tastes of the maestro of electric blues guitar. Unlike The Essential Jimmy Thackery of a few years back, this one features selections taken from Empty Arms Motel (1992), the extraordinary Wild Night Out 1995), and Switching Gears (1998).
A mix of originals and covers, Thackery impresses top to bottom. He has a somewhat gravelly voice that imparts the message more than effectively. His live cover of BB King's "You Upset Me Baby" showcases his command of the fretboard. He snakes, he moans, he picks with precision.
Check out his cover of "Rude Mood." Not Stevie Ray, but its a damn sure Jimmy. "Lickin' Gravy," one of the standouts of the Thackery canon, is understated guitar over impassioned vocals before the guitar explodes to the forefront.
His "Take Me With You When You Go" is a trip to zydeco country. Accompanied by Chubby Carier on accordian, this is a departure from the expected, but is a treat, nonetheless. The cover of Keith Sykes's "Love To Ride" is a soulful number that sets up the fiery "Trouble Man," one of the most incendiary of the Thackery book. This is guitar playing by a man in complete control.
Following is the ballad "I Wouldn't Change A Thing" and the classic "Honey Hush." A few hundred folks have probably recorded this Lowell Fulson standard. Thackery's is among the best versions I've heard. Again, he's cajoling tones that only a master player could. The strings don't just bend, they seem to throw themselves at the guitar player.
The closer, "Monkey," is classic. This one rocks so hard that the speakers threaten to fold into themselves for safety. Al Gamble's Hammond is a bonus, but Jimmy Thacker's guitar is the star of the show.
If you weren't hip to Mr. Thackery before, this is a great jumping off point.
There�s no doubt that every artist we listen to has some periods of their discography where their creative juices are more apparent in their recordings than others, and that�s just a part of a musician�s life. Some folks prefer the early Stones, while others prefer their later work, and on it goes. Blind Pig Records has decided to release a new Jimmy Thackery disc, Extra Jimmies, based on three out of print records from Jimmy�s early years around 1992 to 1998. The result is a very satisfying disc showing Jimmy�s guitar playing and vocals at their finest. The cuts are culled from Jimmy�s Blind Pig debut album, Empty Arms Motel as well as Wild Night Out and Switching Gears. Let�s give it a spin.
The disc starts out with �Write If You Find Love� from the �98 album, Switching Gears, and has a very satisfying backbeat to start the show. Jimmy�s saying goodbye to an old lover and wishes her nothing but the best. He�s ambivalent about her departure --- that seems to be a part of loving her, but encourages her to see what she�s looking for and �write if you find love.� Interesting sentiment, Mr. Thackery.
We move on to �You Upset Me Baby,� the only cut with drummer Mark Stutso on the lead vocal, and the band gets after it. �You upset me baby�like being hit by a fallen tree�woman what you do to me.� Mark�s apparently head over heels with this woman and Jimmy delivers a very tasty guitar solo to indicate the topsy turvy nature of the relationship Mark�s in. Will it end well? I wouldn�t bet the farm on that. Some very intricate bass picking by Wayne Burdette leads us into our next cut, �Rude Mood,� and we hear the band letting loose in a frenetic instrumental that allows everyone to shine. Jimmy�s fretwork is very satisfying and the guys are in high gear here.
Al Gamble�s piano makes an appearance on the next track, �I Got to Be Strong,� and here we find Jimmy wrestling with the politics of a relationship he�s in. It�s not working out the way he�d like it to, but the right thing to do is rise about it, �you took all my money�you know that�s wrong�I�ve got to rise about it�I got to be strong.� Jimmy�s got the right attitude and moving on is the clearest course of action to take here.
Our tempo finally slows down just a tad and the band offers its take on a George �Wild Child� Butler tune, �Lickin� Gravy� next. Filled with innuendo, Jimmy obviously has found a woman that�s almost too hot for him to handle. �You got me licking gravy, baby�cause your meat is too hot to bite.� I think we�ll leave that where it is and move on to �Take Me With You When You Go.� A staccato snare beat leads to Chubby Carrier�s accordion and the Zydeco mood is in full swing. Decidedly up-tempo, away we go. �Take me with you when you go�.oh, don�t you leave me here to dry�take me with you when you go babe�you know I�ll love you til I die.� Not sure Jimmy gets his wish but I like this tune a lot.
Mellower, more emotive tone emanates from Jimmy�s guitar as the band tackles a Keith Sykes tune, �Love to Ride.� �Oh, I had a woman and she stole my money from me�oh I never knew�that�s what a good looking woman could be�oh, I love to ride.� Sometimes love has a price and Jimmy seems to be ok with the price he�s paying here. We move on to �Trouble Man� and this tune has more of a guitar rock feel to it. Jimmy�s offering himself as the solution to at least one woman�s problems��I got what it takes to me you feel alright�just give a call�I�ll do it tonight.� Jimmy�s got the time if you need the trouble.
Up next is �I Wouldn�t Change a Thing.� and this cut is a beautiful ballad sung by Jimmy. �Did I do all the things I should�or did I rise above or knuckle under�oh but darling, when you look into my eyes�I know I�ve done alright.� Whatever else has transpired in Jimmy�s life, the love of this good woman has seen him through both the good and the bad times. Life hasn�t always been easy but they�ve made it through.
A Lowell Fulsom tune, �Honey Hush,� is the next tune that Jimmy and the band tackle head on. �I can�t eat�.I can�t sleep�.I can�t rest in peace�cause baby�you talk too much.� This woman is driving Jimmy crazy and all he�s really craving is just a bit of peace and quiet. �Flyin� Low� is another cut with a decidedly rock feel to it and I like the energy of this cut. �I didn�t say a word�I stood there by that bar�he wouldn�t leave me alone�he said, �who do you think you are?� A fight ensued and Jimmy�s 38 ended the conversation, so now he�s �flyin� low.� It�s not clear if the police will catch up to Jimmy or not, but for now he�s free and on the road.
This final cut, �Monkey,� from Jimmy�s earlier disc, Switching Gears, closes out this interesting compilation from Blind Pig Records. It�s a classic example of why Jimmy named his band the Drivers and they hit it as only the Drivers can. Hard driving, guitar blazing, it�s the perfect way to end this compilation disc.
I would have liked to read more about the selection process for this disc, but the cuts included are very tasty and the fine folks at Blind Pig Records obviously took great care in putting this collection together. While I will always look forward to the next studio album from Jimmy or another of my favorite blues performers, Extra Jimmies will definitely see me through until then.


Alt Primary School and St Hugh's C of E Primary School in Oldham have had fruit trees planted on school grounds as a thank you for taking part in a recycling campaign.
Both schools participated in the Recycle for Greater Manchester European Union LIFE+ funded project, Up and Forward, where residents living in Alt and Holts were rewarded with a golden ticket every time they put their recycling bins out for collection with the correct items inside. The schools then had to compete to see who could collect the most tickets.
As part of the Oldham Council backed campaign, the Up and Forward team has been working with Carbon Creative, a design and print company to create all the communication materials. Carbon Creative run a carbon offset scheme which means everything produced by the Up and Forward project is offset by tree planting.
Pupils from the schools were assisted with the tree planting by the Up and Forward team, Oldham Council staff and local councillors.
L-R: Jo Stanley (Oldham Council), Abigail Reed (GMWDA), Mrs Kelly (St Hugh's), Cllr Zahid Chauhan, Cllr Hugh Mc Donald, Cllr Jenny Harrison and head teacher Mrs Burnley planting fruit trees with pupils from St Hugh's Primary School.
L-R: Mariea Maguire (Alt Primary), Lisa Capelli (GMWDA), Steph Wilde (Alt Primary), Abigail Reed (GMWDA), Cllr Zahid Chauhan, Cllr Hugh McDonald, Cllr Jenny Harrison and Jo Stanley (Oldham Council) helping Alt Primary School pupils plant fruit trees.


This has to be one of my favorite "creations" that I have put together. It came out super yummy and Karel didn't even mind that it was vegetarian. Lucky for me, he eats whatever I prepare for him, which is something creative every night.
When you are in the mood for pizza, pasta or both, use this recipe to satisfy all your carbohydrate cravings. The healthy serving of pasta in this pie is matched with lots of veggies and you will find plenty of protein in this recipe. Most of all, I think this meal is total comfort food and without tons of calories and fat, you can feel absolutely healthy with every bite.
*To make this non-vegetarian, keep the tofu but add 1 cup ground turkey or your choice of lean meat. To keep with the vegetarian recipe, you can also add 1 cup vegetarian Boca crumbles with the tofu mixture.
1. Cook Macaroni to package directions until al dente (slightly firm). Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. As noodles are cooking, cook sliced veggies in 1/2 tbsp olive oil, seasoned with pepper. Cook on medium heat until veggies are soft. Turn off heat and cover until macaroni noodles are cooked.
3. As veggies and noodles are cooking, combine crumbled tofu, garlic, hot sauce, Parmesan and beans in a bowl. Mix with fork.
4. When noodles are cooked, empty water and pour noodles back in pot.
5. After noodles cool for 2-3 minutes, add 1 egg and stir until egg is mixed thoroughly in noodles.
6. In a round deep baking dish, sprayed with non stick spray (especially on sides), place noodles in pan and press with spoon or spatula. Push noodles to the sides of the pan so that the sides of the pan are half-way covered in macaroni.
7. Place bean and tofu mixture on noodles and carefully spread with spoon.
8. On top of beans and tofu, place veggie mixture.
9. Top with 2-3 spoonfuls marinara sauce.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until noodles on side of pan are slightly golden brown. When pie is finished cooking, turn off heat, top with a small handful of shredded cheese and let the pie sit in oven for 3-5 additional minutes.
*Serve with green side salad w/ carrots, mandarin oranges, grapes and peanuts.