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Mart Visser the fashion designer and artist
April 11, 2020 · By Elisa Kuelow
In his painting studio in the South of France
Many people find their true passion in one job, but with time, they realize they want to do something more. Sometimes it is related to their primary interest, and sometimes it is something entirely different. A simple example is many celebrities who go from singing to acting, for example and vice versa. Although the truth is told, celebrities are the ones who can do such things most freely, as they usually do not have to worry about money issues that might arise from changing professions.
fashion and art exhibition by Mart Visser
Of course, sometimes those changes are not significant, a person might often go in a similar direction to what they usually do, or they might add something to their existing 'repertoire', to call it that way. An excellent example of that is Mart Visser, a Dutch fashion designer, that has recently created his carpet collection together with Karpi, a Dutch carpet brand.
Karpi Group is a company that has been producing area rugs for over 30 years, always focusing on the latest trend on the market. It started as a small family business in Alten (where the headquarters of the company are still located), and it grew into something quite impressive. Karpi has facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, India, and China, each focusing on different kinds of rug productions. For example, the ones made in China are high-quality rugs of a synthetic nature, made by using the latest technologies, while ones made in India are natural yarn ones. They also focus on naturally friendly practices, such as making full recyclable area rugs.
Mart Visser was born in 1968 in the Netherlands, and it seems like he has always known that he would be a fashion designer, as he studied at the Modeacademie Montaigne and Saga International Design Centre. He introduced his first collection in 1993, and his clothing store, Mart Visser Haute Couture is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In recent years, Mart Visser has succeeded in making Haute Couture more modern and new, giving it a young, and maybe even controversial, twist. Twice a year, he presents a new Haute Couture collection, making a premiere show worth talking about, and inviting many interesting people to such events. His collections are made with an eye for luxury, femininity, and elegance, always possessing unique and different looks, thanks to his constant changing of sources of inspiration.
In 2019, Visser collaborated with Karpi on making a carpet collection that is inspired on a series of abstract paintings created by the artist, in his studio in the south of France. The result is a collection of unique floor rugs that are handmade and yet affordable, available in many different colours, designs, and prints.
As it has been mentioned already, these carpets were based on abstract paintings, which is evident from the moment you look at them. They look deceptively simple, and yet, they are elegant and have a modern twist. They are ideal for all kinds of rooms, thanks to there, most often, neutral colours and minimalistic patterns. They can be combined with furniture in bolder colours, or you can base everything else around them, making for a modern and calmly elegant result.
Mart Visser rugs also come in several sub-collections, such as Prosper, Centre, Vernon, Metral, Velvet Touch, Harper, Crushed Velvet, Brick Pattern, and Berger. Names by themselves probably do not say much, but each of these collections has a signature look, with a special pattern shown through different colour combinations. For example, Velvet Touch is full of muted colours with a subtle pattern, while Harper is more robust, with broad strokes of the painter's brush almost visible on the rugs. However, both are certain to make an impression.
These rugs are also useful even for households and rooms in which there will be lots of foot traffic and potential dirtying or spillage, for example with pets, kids, or guests often coming over, as the abstract patterns and colour differences on rugs will hide the potential stains and similar problems. They are also quite thick, one could even say fluffy, so in addition to looking great, they will feel warm and comfy under your feet, or if you decide to sit on them to relax and chill.
Cendre Vintage Forest 58
The fact that they are handmade also adds to the guarantee of quality, as does the connection to the relatively famous person. After all, someone like Mart Visser would not risk his passion project, bringing him troubles. That connection is also an exciting detail to mention to people. There are highly likely some Mart Visser fans among the people you know, and they will find it great that you have one of his rugs at home.
Visit Mart Visser Collection
www.NewCarpetOnline.com


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Q: Date and Time defaulting to Jan 01, 1AD in Lubridate R package folks...
I am having trouble with date/time showing up properly in lubridate.
Here's my code:
Temp.dat <- read_excel("Temperature Data.xlsx", sheet = "Sheet1", na="NA") %>%
  mutate(Treatment = as.factor(Treatment),
         TempC=as.factor(TempC),
         TempF=as.factor(TempF),
         Month=as.factor(Month),
         Day=as.factor(Day),
         Year=as.factor(Year),
         Time=as.factor(Time))%>%
 select(TempC, Treatment, Month, Day, Year, Time)%>%
 mutate(Measurement=make_datetime(Month, Day, Year, Time))

Here's what it spits out:
tibble [44 x 7] (S3: tbl_df/tbl/data.frame)
 $ TempC      : Factor w/ 38 levels "15.5555555555556",..: 31 32 29 20 17 28 27 26 23 24 ...
 $ Treatment  : Factor w/ 2 levels "Grass","Soil": 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 ...
 $ Month      : Factor w/ 1 level "6": 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ...
 $ Day        : Factor w/ 2 levels "15","16": 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ...
 $ Year       : Factor w/ 1 level "2022": 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ...
 $ Time       : Factor w/ 3 levels "700","1200","1600": 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 ...
 **$ Measurement: POSIXct[1:44], format: "0001-01-01 03:00:00" "0001-01-01 03:00:00" "0001-01-01 03:00:00" "0001-01-01 03:00:00" ...**

I've put asterisks by the problem result. It should spit out June 16th at 0700 or something like that, but instead it's defaulting to January 01, 1AD for some reason. I've tried adding colons to the date in excel, but that defaults to a 12-hour timecycle and I'd like to keep this at 24 hours.
What's going on here?

A: This will work as long as the format in the excel file for date is set to time, and it imports as a date-time object that lubridate can interpret.
library(dplyr)
library(lubridate)
Temp.dat <- read_excel("t.xlsx", sheet = "Sheet1", na="NA") %>%
  mutate(Treatment = as.factor(Treatment),
         TempC = as.numeric(TempC),
         TempF = as.numeric(TempF),
         Month = as.numeric(Month),
         Day = as.numeric(Day),
         Year = as.numeric(Year),
         Hour = hour(Time),
         Minute = minute(Time)) %>%
  select(TempC, Treatment, Month, Day, Year, Hour, Minute) %>%
  mutate(Measurement = make_datetime(year = Year,
                                     month = Month,
                                     day = Day,
                                     hour = Hour,
                                     min = Minute))

Notice the value for the arguments for make_datetime() are set to numeric, which is what the function expects. If you pass factors, the function gives you the weird dates you were seeing.
No need to convert Time to string and extract hours and minutes, as I suggested in the comments, since you can use lubridate's minute() and hour() functions.
EDIT
In order to be able to use lubridate's functions Time needs to be a date-time object. You can check that it is by looking at what read_excel() produces
> str(read_excel("t.xlsx", sheet = "Sheet1", na="NA"))
tibble [2 × 7] (S3: tbl_df/tbl/data.frame)
 $ Treatment: chr [1:2] "s" "c"
 $ TempC    : num [1:2] 34 23
 $ TempF    : num [1:2] 99 60
 $ Month    : num [1:2] 5 4
 $ Day      : num [1:2] 1 15
 $ Year     : num [1:2] 2020 2021
 $ Time     : POSIXct[1:2], format: "1899-12-31 04:33:23" "1899-12-31 03:20:23"

See that Time is type POSIXct, a date-time object. If it is not, then you need to convert it into one if you want to use lubridate's minute() and hour() functions. If it cannot be converted, there are other solutions, but they depend on what you have.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Anchor Bay Entertainment's Manga Entertainment label will release Katsuhito Ishii's Redline film and Yoshiharu Ashino's First Squad - The Moment Of Truth on January 17, 2012. Each will cost US$29.99 on Blu-ray and US$24.98 on DVD, and both will have English subtitles. Redline will have English and Japanese soundtracks, while First Squad will have English, Russian, and Japanese soundtracks. Redline will also be released in theaters prior to January 17.


In this section, we take a closer look at how domestic violence affects women and children.
abused have problems creating healthy relationships in the future. They may have issues with self-esteem which are only deepened by being abused. Anger and stress among abused persons are common. Some develop eating disorders and depression. Others even consider or attempt suicide.
Arthritis, Asthma, Binge drinking, Child neglect, Self-neglect, Depression, Eating disorders, Miscarriage, Panic attacks, Self-mutilation, Sexually transmitted diseases, Sleep disorders, Smoking, and Stroke .
This tragedy is preventable. Women with healthy self-esteem are less likely to become involved in domestic violence relationships. Whether she is a wife, someone's mother, a daughter, a sister, a much-loved friend, or a complete stranger, this woman needs to know that she is a Woman of Worth. God did not make her to be punched, belittled, threatened, terrorized, or shamed.
As many as 10 million children in the United States witness abuse in their homes. Some studies have shown that as many as 75 percent of children raised in abusive homes are also being abused. Many of these children grow up to become abusers themselves. The recent case of singer Chris Brown demonstrates this inter generational tragedy. During an argument, the 19-year-old singer severely battered his 21-year-old girlfriend Rihanna, causing injuries to her described as "horrific." Less than a year earlier, Brown had told a young television audience about growing up in a Christian home in which he watched his mother being battered repeatedly by his stepfather. As a child, he was so frightened by these attacks that he frequently wet the bed. Asked how he coped as a child, he said he hid under his bed with his Bible and prayed for the attacks to end. Sadly, only a few years later, he's now best known for the violence he perpetrated against another woman. He's not alone. Parents who are battered often become depressed, feel undeserving of better treatment, and become emotionally withdrawn from their children. Deprived of the security of their mother's protection, some of these children find it difficult to form loving, nonviolent relationships as they grow older.
As adults, they are more likely to abuse alcohol, engage in criminal activity, abuse substances, or become abusers themselves. Even infants suffer from domestic violence–related effects. Our children deserve better. When we prevent domestic violence, we break the domestic violence cycle, and all that goes with it, in children's lives as well.
Not surprisingly, the percentage of employees who saw harmful domestic violence effects was higher in each of these categories. To see all the results of the study on the effects of domestic violence in the workplace, visit www.loveisnotabuse.com/surveyresults.


We have grammar books in our library covering all levels. It is recommended that students preparing for English tests, like TOIEC, EIKEN, TOEFL or IELTS, take a grammar course. If you have a high goal or anticipate speaking English professionally throughout your career, a foundation in solid grammar is a must. Likewise, if you are preparing to study abroad, you will undoubtedly need to brush up your grammar skills.
These books are comprehensive and use real-world examples.


text:
HOPE CORRIGAN
I had been dying to get to Austin, and when my best friend invited me to spend a few days there, I jumped at the chance. We stayed with her childhood friend who had just graduated from University of Texas in Austin and wanted to show us around. I loved the idea of staying with someone who went to school in Austin for four years -- not only did she show us the touristy parts of Austin, but we were able to hit all of the cool bars and restaurants that students frequented. Like everyone else in the world, I think it would be super fun to attend South by Southwest or Austin City Limits, two huge music festivals in the city. But I think there's something to be said for getting the feel for a new city when it's not completely overrun by tourists and swarms of people, and we were able to do just that.
We had three full days in Austin which was plenty of time to see the sights. Here's how we made the most of our time there:
Day (1): Our flight landed at around 10 am and we immediately went for a late breakfast at The Magnolia Cafe. Something I saw quite a bit of on menus in Austin were migas, a traditional Tex-Mex dish of scrambled eggs, cheese, strips of corn tortilla, onions and chile peppers. I got the "Love Migas", which are migas slathered in The Magnolia Cafe's Love Butter -- melted butter, serrano peppers, and garlic sauce. Amaaazing first meal in Austin and we had just stepped off the plane.
We later set off for Barton Springs, a clean, spring-fed pool in the heart of Austin that is 68° year round. If you're visiting Austin in the summer, this is the perfect place to cool off and relax for a bit. The cold water is a bit of a shock to the system at first, but after sweating in the Texas heat it was much needed.
That night we caught a show by the Spazzmatics, a hilarious 80s cover band who plays all over Texas. If you're in Austin on a Wednesday night, I highly recommend heading over to Cedar Street Courtyard to see them play. There's nothing like being in a courtyard full of drunk people singing "Jessie's Girl" and "Take Me On" at the top of their lungs.
Day (2): In the morning, we wandered through HOPE Outdoor Gallery, an outdoor graffiti park intended to give artists and muralists a place to display their artwork. It was launched by Shepard Fairey in 2011 as part of the HOPE campaign. I imagined it was going to be a lot like the Wynwood Walls in Miami, but it has a totally unique Austin feel to it. It's three stories and visitors are welcome to walk around, snap pictures, and check out the (inspiring) pieces.
We checked out Book People, a huge independent bookstore (with an incredible lineup of future book signings-- Jimmy Carter in August!) and grabbed a quick lunch at Whole Foods. We were dying to get outside and go for a swim so we headed out to McKinney State Falls Park, to take a dip in the gorgeous waterfalls and natural spring. The falls were about a 25 minute drive from downtown Austin and well worth it. These falls are just one of the numerous swimming sites around Austin.
We ate dinner at a burger joint called Hopdoddy's, and I literally couldn't stop texting people about the burger I ate. I started 10 new conversations with the words "I need to talk to you about this burger I just ate." Amazing cocktails, milkshakes, and phenomenal burgers -- no wonder there is always a line out the door. I'm not exaggerating. They pass out glasses of water to people standing in the line wrapped around the outside of the building. I ordered the la Bandita, a black-bean corn patty, avocado, goat cheese, arugula, cilantro pesto, and chipotle mayo on a whole wheat bun. Jesus take the wheel.
La Bandita
Ahi Tuna Burger: sushi-grade tuna, sprouts, teriyaki, honey wasabi, nori chips, pickled ginger and mayo. With a side of truffle fries.
Black Cherry Hard Limeade: vodka, lime, and black cherry fizz
After returning home to digest what was probably the greatest meal of our lives, we bar hopped along 6th street for the night.
Day (3): Hangover = lemon poppyseed pancakes, migas, and coffee at the fantastic Kerbey Lane Cafe.
Post-breakfast, we took a stroll through the University of Texas campus.
After reading Peter Jon Lindberg's fantastic piece on Austin's buzzy food scene in the July issue of Travel + Leisure, I was dead set on trying one of Paul Qui's famous East Side King food trucks. We decided on Whisler's, a breezy, relaxed indoor/outdoor bar in East Austin for drinks and grabbed dinner at the East Side King Thai-Kun truck adjacent to the bar. I had the Black Noodles -- rice stick noodles, tossed in sweet dark soy and garlic oil, served with romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, celery, pickled mustard greens, peanuts, croutons, green onion, cilantro, lime. I paired this with the greatest Old-Fashioned EVER from Whisler's.
The last day we were in Austin was the day the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage federally. I was really interested to see how Austin -- a notoriously progressive city in notoriously conservative Texas -- would react to the news, and I was surprised at how many people poured out into the streets, waving rainbow flags and celebrating the SCOTUS ruling. We bar hopped to gay bars and college bars all night and soaked up the superb Austin nightlife.
The weather was mild (in mid-June!), the people were warm, and the food was unbelievable -- this is coming from a longtime vegetarian in a meat-centric city (BBQ everywhere, a carnivore's dream). I saw bits of Nashville (country vibes), Atlanta (big city), and New Orleans (party/bar scene) sprinkled throughout the city but Austin is wholly it's own. Eat, drink, explore, and most importantly, don't forget your stretchy pants.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tripura Polls 2023: 300 Companies Of Security Forces To Be Deployed
Around 100 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be deployed across the state in initial stages.
Security forces in huge numbers to be deployed in Tripura ahead of 2023 assembly elections | REPRESENTATIVE
20 Dec, 2022, 12:51 pm
Central paramilitary forces in huge numbers will be deployed in Tripura during the state assembly elections to be held in 2023.
According to reports, around 300 companies of central forces will be deployed in Tripura in a bid to curb adverse law and order situations during the assembly elections in the upcoming year.
The election commission today informed that the deployment of security forces is reportedly set to begin from the next week.
It also mentioned that the paramilitary forces will be deployed even as there is "no specific security threat" detected in the region.
However, as a measure to ensure free and fair assembly polls in Tripura, the security across the state will be beefed up.
Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that around 100 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be deployed across the state in initial stages.
Later on, a further 200 companies will arrive in the state in accordance to the report.
It may be noted that during the 2018 assembly elections in the state, security forces in similar numbers were deployed to ensure the smooth conduction of elections.
Chief Electoral Officer conducted preparatory meeting on 16/12/2022 for deployment of Central Para Military Forces in the forthcoming Tripura Assembly Election 2023.#ECIRespects #YoungVoters #ECI #ElectionCommissionOfIndia
#Reforms @SpokespersonECI@ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/R2YSXWymDH
— CEO, Tripura (@ceotripura) December 17, 2022
Tripura CM Thanks PM Modi For Development Projects In The State
Central Paramilitary Forces


Check out the trailer for Enterchained!
Enterchained is a co-op gladiatorial combat game we made along with Yosha Noesjirwan. It began in a 48 hour game jam but has grown into the greatest co-op gladiator simulator ever made in a month (probably).
In it you and your teammate are chained together and must work together to take down waves of different enemies; we like to think of it as the synchronised swimming of the gladiatorial arena. Slash at your enemies, throw your weapon or use the chain to trip numerous foes; but make sure you coordinate your actions or you will end up shouting at your teammate for dragging you unarmed away from your dropped weapon or tripping you over in the middle of a group of foes.
As you master this graceful dance of death you will unlock powerful items which dramatically alter your play styles and (hopefully) turn you into the greatest gladiatorial team that ever existed.
Enterchained for mobile takes the frantic hack 'n' slash gameplay of the original PC release and combines it with a challenging quest system and gear unlocks for satisfying gladiatorial gameplay on the go.


text:
Entries open for the 2023 NZ Hi-Tech Awards
Entries are now open for the 2023 NZ Hi-Tech Awards, New Zealand's premier technology awards programme.
2022 NZ Hi-Tech Awards - Winners Announced!
Seequent was the big winner at the 2022 NZ Hi-Tech Awards tonight, claiming the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year category....
2022 NZ Hi-Tech Awards - Finalists Announced!
A record number of new companies entered the 2022 NZ Hi-Tech Awards, from across the country and from all areas of the hi-tech sector.
The NZ Hi-Tech Awards recognise the achievers of the NZ Hi-Tech industry from the start-up and emerging categories through to the coveted PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year, which was won in 2021 by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare....
Record number attend gala dinner Fisher & Paykel Healthcare was the big winner at the 2021 NZ Hi-Tech Awards tonight, claiming the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year category.
People gathered in record numbers in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch locations this evening to hear the finalists in the 2021 NZ Hi-Tech Awards announced.
Serko was the big winner at the 2020 Hi-Tech Awards tonight, claiming the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year category.
Update: 2020 NZ Hi-Tech Awards Gala Dinner
On Friday 22 May the NZ Tech community should've been getting their hair done, donning their glad rags, polishing their shoes and flocking to Wellington's TSB Arena (or tuning in…
2020 NZ Hi-Tech Awards – Finalists Announced!
A record number of people gathered "virtually" from around the country to hear the finalists in the 2020 NZ Hi-Tech Awards announced.
Entries open for 2020 NZ Hi-Tech Awards
Awards celebrate 25thAnniversary New Deep Tech Category Other categories enhanced Thursday 12 December 2019, Auckland – Entries are now open for the 2020 NZ Hi-Tech Awards, New Zealand's premier technology awards programme.…
· Pushpay named Hi-Tech Company of the Year · Greg Cross inducted into the NZ Hi-Tech Hall of Fame · PredictHQ takes out three awards · Robotics Plus wins two awards Auckland, May 24, 2019 – Pushpay was the…


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We will arrange the replacement of the damaged items on your next order or send a refund to your account for future purchase, please always feel free to contact us for better solutions so that we can always strive to help you out and maintain the world class customer service.
Order cancellation must be made within 10 hours of purchase or 30% handling and restocking fee will be charged for the refund.
Orders return caused by buyers country's Custom issues, buyers will take all the responsibilities for the turnaround shipping cost (for some shipping carriers such as DHL, Fedex, UPS, the return shipping cost will be 10 times of the original shipping cost because they render discounts to original shipping but return cannot obtain any discounts) and restocking cost. So we strongly suggest clients to consult local Custom about specific Custom policies for import before placing orders.


text:
Drew Barrymore TEARS UP as she discusses struggle of dating as a parent: I don't know how to date with kids
Drew Barrymore became tearful while discussing the difficulties of dating as a mom. In a footage that aired exclusively on "CBS Mornings" Wednesday, the host of Global's "The Drew Barrymore Show" burst into tears while speaking with "Queer Eye" actor Bobby Berk.
"I don't know how to date with kids," the mom-of-two revealed as her voice cracked and her eyes teared up. "I'm not there yet. I have two young girls and I'm like…I don't want to bring people home," she went on. The actress has two kids with her ex-husband Will Kopelman, Olive, 9, and Frankie, 7. "I think it would take me a very long time to meet someone and get to know them before I could even ever introduce them to my daughters," she added as per Daily Mail.
After sharing the clip King asked Barrymore what made her so emotional during the segment. "I never said out loud that I don't know how to date with kids," she replied, then went on to compare her dating process to that of her ex. She further said, "My kids' dad is happily remarried with the most wonderful woman in the world, Allie. My children have this extraordinary stepmom. And our processes have been different, and their side of the street is so functional, and whole, and happening. And I think I've been on the sidelines in a beautiful honoring purgatory."
Barrymore then revealed that she's been single for six years and goes on an occasional date, but that's only in the last two years. The actress, who has been married three times, has stated that she will never marry again.
ALSO READ:Drew Barrymore pens a candid note on self care, reveals she is planning to 'put wellness first'
Categories NEWS Tags Alexandra Michler, drew barrymore Post navigation
TamilPlay Movies (2022): Tamil HD Movies, Mp3 Songs, Dubbed Movies Free Download
'Adventures of Tarzan' fame Hemant Birje, his wife suffer injuries in road accident: Reports


text:
Sony Xperia XZ 2: release date, news and rumors
August 8, 2017 TopWhatsUp 0 Comment 2, date, news, release, rumors, Sony, Xperia, XZ
Update: So, leave it up to Sony to make things even more confusing. We've spotted a rumor that suggests its next flagship phone will be called the Sony Xperia XZ1, not the XZ 2.
A recent leak appears to show off Sony's next device, teasing at a relocated rear-facing camera and some powerful, yet expect internal specs.
It's OK to be confused about the Sony range, and which phone sits where. We would say the Xperia XZ lives between the Xperia X and the Xperia XZ Premium, but then there's the Sony Xperia X Performance, and the Xperia XZs… which arrived as a sort of Xperia XZ 1.5.
For the true Xperia XZ 2 we're expecting improvements on both the XZ and the XZs, and we've made a wish list of the form we hope those improvements will take.
You'll find that at the bottom of this article, but first, here's everything we've heard so far – and everything we suspect – about the Sony Xperia XZ 2 and when we might see it.
What is it? Sony's next flagship phone
When is it out? Maybe September
What will it cost? Probably at least $699.99/£549 (around AU$940)
Sony Xperia XZ 2 release date and price
The Sony Xperia XZ was announced in September 2016, so there's a good chance we'll see the Xperia XZ 2 in September 2017.
If we do, it will probably land at IFA 2017, happening from September 1-6, as Sony tends to take phones to that show.
There's little news on price yet, but the XZ 2 will probably cost at least as much as the XZ, meaning a price of $699.99 (£549, about AU$940). That would make it pricey, but would still undercut the Xperia XZ Premium, which makes sense.
However, pricing for a Sony phone with the model number G8341 has appeared on a Polish website. It's not clear what phone this is, but the price equates to roughly $860/£665/AU$1,130, which would make it high-end, and possibly the Xperia XZ 2.
Sony Xperia XZ 2 news and rumors
There aren't a huge amount of Sony Xperia XZ 2 rumors yet but we have caught a few whispers. For one thing, back in January we heard word that five new Xperia handsets were on the way, and they haven't all been accounted for yet.
Among them there's one codenamed 'BlancBright', which supposedly has a 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 screen, 4GB of RAM, a Sony IMX400 camera and either a Snapdragon 835 or Snapdragon 653 chipset.
It's unlikely to be the XZ 2 if it has the Snapdragon 653, but with the high-end Snapdragon 835 it could well be, as those specs would be an upgrade on the Sony Xperia XZ.
On the other hand, a Sony phone with the model number G8341 has popped up both on a Polish website and a user-agent profile. It apparently has a 1080p screen and runs Android O, so that too could be the Sony Xperia XZ 2.
The sneaky G8341 device has appeared once again, showing off its Android O operating system, Snapdragon 835 mobile platform and a relocated rear-facing camera and fingerprint sensor–huge design changes for a company that rarely switches up the formula. Does this boost the chances of the US getting a fingerprint sensor-equipped smartphone? Who knows.
Credit: TechTastic
We can also look at the Xperia XZ and Xperia XZs for clues, as the Sony Xperia XZ 2 is likely to match or better them in most ways.
That means we can expect at least a 1080p screen and 4GB of RAM, while the chipset is likely to be newer than the Snapdragon 820 in those phones, perhaps it will have the flagship Snapdragon 835 used by the Xperia XZ Premium?
The camera meanwhile could well be the same 19MP and 13MP rear and front pairing as the XZs and XZ Premium- although we could see a slightly better camera as any new technology would be pushed onto the new flagship handset.
Then again, there were some key upgrades to the XZ Premium – including predictive capture and Super Slo-Mo mode, so matching that wouldn't be all bad.
Sony Xperia XZ 2: what we want to see
That covers what we know about the Sony Xperia XZ 2, but what we want is a whole different story. From better speakers to a whole new design, here's our wish list for the phone.
1. A QHD display
If you buy a flagship Sony phone you have a choice of either a 1080p display, which is far lower resolution than rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and HTC U11 offer, or a 4K one, which is arguably overkill.
It's long past time that there was a QHD option, and the Sony Xperia XZ 2 would be the perfect candidate for such a screen, slipping in just below the 4K Sony Xperia XZ Premium in the company's range.
It would make for sharper visuals when using the phone normally, and would be a huge boon for VR (if the XZ 2 was Daydream-enabled), as well as ticking one more box on the specs list.
2. A fingerprint scanner wherever you are
The Sony Xperia XZ and many other Sony handsets have fingerprint scanners, but not if you're in the US.
The exact reason for this isn't clear, though it's likely that it was a necessary business decision. However, if there's any way for that situation to change we'd like to see it happen. Most flagship phones now have fingerprint scanners and the lack of one on Sony phones holds the brand back in the US.
3. A new design
Although Sony tends to tweak the design of its phones with each new model, the overall shape and look hasn't changed much in a long time.
So for the Xperia XZ 2 we'd like to see a complete overhaul of the look. Make it curvy, make it bendy… just do something innovative. There's only so much you can do with a phone, but Sony is far from hitting those limits.
We want the XZ 2 to excite us from the very first moment we lay eyes on it, and a new design is the only way that's going to happen.
4. Ditch the bloat
Sony's software isn't terrible, but the company does pack an unnecessary number of pre-installed apps into its phones.
Some of these are useful, others really, really aren't, but in almost all cases we'd rather simply be able to download them from Google Play if we want them, rather than having them forced upon us.
So for the Xperia XZ 2 we want Sony to ditch the bloat and just stick with the basic suite of Google apps.
5. Powerful speakers
The Xperia XZ's speakers aren't bad, and are capable of a good stereo effect, but they're simply not loud enough, to the point where we sometimes struggled to make things out properly.
So we want the speakers on the Sony Xperia XZ 2 to be given a boost, so they can deliver loud, crisp stereo sound.
6. A dual-lens camera
Sony's phones tend to have good cameras, but they're rarely the very best smartphone snappers you can get, so we want something better from the Sony Xperia XZ 2.
But more than that we want a dual-lens camera. That's the new in thing and with good reason, as whether used to allow lossless zoom, wide-angle shots or fancy bokeh effects, an extra lens can really add a lot.
7. An OLED screen
Not only do we want the screen on the Xperia XZ 2 to be sharper, but also to use OLED rather than LCD.
Apple is rumored to be switching to OLED with the iPhone 8 and Samsung's been using it for years, so it could soon become the flagship standard and we don't want Sony getting left behind.
Although not objectively better than LCD, it has some clear advantages, such as blacker blacks and a tendency towards more vivid colors.
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text:
Cartoonists At Work – A Report
D. D. Degg 2 years ago 14 mins
Graphic Storytellers at Work: Cross-industry opportunities for cartoonists, illustrators and comics-makers, [is] a new report which explores how the skills of cartoonists, illustrators and comics-makers are being applied. This happens across a diverse range of industries such as health and education.
The Australia Council for the Arts commissioned research to look at workplace opportunities for graphic artists and finds good news for those willing to look outside the newspaper and comic book mediums for all their income.
Demand for graphic storytellers is growing.
Health – graphic storytellers help people understand complicated medical ideas.
Education – their skills [are] useful in an educational setting.
One in four surveyed artists make 100% of their income from creative work.
New opportunities are emerging for the use of visual language.
But it is not all rainbows and lollipops: "Making a living as a graphic storyteller can be challenging."
While there are some making a good living, being a graphic storyteller can also mean having a mixed career with half of the artists surveyed supporting themselves with work that is non-creative (50%). Almost half reported 'lack of financial return on their practice' as one of the top two challenges for their practice (47%).
ArtsHub took a look at the report:
New research reveals that cartoonists and illustrators are flipping their skills to be more useful across a range of workplaces with one in four earning 100% of their income for cartooning and comic-making.
Surprisingly the report also found that of the group earning their income solely from their creative work, 43% are high income earners, making more than $100,000 per year.
[David] Blumenstein [Deputy President of the Australian Cartoonists Association] wants to change this attitude. 'As the deputy president of the ACA I've been trying to push us in the direction of helping cartoonists to understand that there are other ways to make a living than to draw a little joke strip in a newspaper and that's what a lot of the current memberships are about and that's what they think cartooning is, but it's so much more,' he told ArtsHub.
The Sydney Morning Herald concentrates on the changing demographics:
The gender gap has flipped among the ranks of Australia's young comic artists and cartoonists, skittling stereotypes and heralding a new wave of graphic artists.
New research commissioned by the Australia Council for the Arts shows more than half of artists aged between 18 and 39 are women (54 per cent) and one in five identify as non-binary or transgender (19 per cent).
Men account for 27 per cent of this young talent pool, compared to 85 per cent of all male cartoonists and illustrators over the age of 60.
Download the full Graphic Storytellers at Work report.
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One thought on "Cartoonists At Work – A Report"
Brian Fies says:
Yeah, I'd have to see the math on that. This rosy picture of the business doesn't match my experience. I know a lot of cartoonists and can think of maybe four that earn more than $100,000/yr at it. A huge majority need a day job or supportive spouse to pay the bills. Maybe the grass really is greener in Australia.
I'm very happy to see graphic medicine identified as a market and outlet for graphic storytelling. Again, I think the article way overestimates the market, but it's a good and important one.


East Aurora, NY, USA – Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) and SIA Engineering Company ("SIAEC") today announced the formation of a joint venture company, Moog Aircraft Services Asia. Moog holds a 51% equity stake in the company and SIAEC holds the remaining 49%. The operation will reside in a new facility in Singapore. SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) is a major provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in the Asia-Pacific.
"The new facility will not only enhance Moog's world class service network within Asia Pacific, but will further enable the delivery of efficient cost effective services as part of Moog's Total Support Program," said Mark Brooks, Moog's General Manager for Commercial Aircraft Services.


text:
Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children
Music Has The Right To Children is the debut studio album by Scottish electronic duo Boards Of Canada, originally released in April 1988 via Warp and Skam Records.
Boards Of Canada are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin. Signing to Skam and then Warp Records in the 1990s, the duo received recognition following the release of their debut album Music Has the Right to Children in 1998. Their subsequent albums, Geogaddi (2002), The Campfire Headphase (2005) and Tomorrow's Harvest (2013), have received critical praise.
The duo's music incorporates elements such as vintage synthesisers, analogue production methods, hip hop-inspired breakbeats, and samples from 1970s public broadcasting programmes and other outdated media; it has been described as exploring themes of nostalgia, childhood memory, and nature.


text:
Efficiency of retrieval bags for use during laparoscopic surgery to remove hydatid cysts of the liver
[Surgery]
Sergey Minaev; Igor Vitalevich Kirgizov; Mikhail Aksel'rov; Igor Gerasimenko; Jamshid Shamsiev; Nikolay Bykov; Alina Nikolaevna Grigorova; Alexandr Muravyev;
The effectiveness of various retrieval bags for extracting resected tissues during removal of hydatid cysts (HCs) of the liver in children was evaluated. This open, prospective study included 59 children with HC of the liver treated during 2010–2019. Multiport laparoscopic echinococcectomy was undertaken. Patients were divided into three groups depending on the type of retrieval bag used to remove chitinous sheaths and fibrous tissues of liver fragments: group 1, laparoscopic endobag without wire (n=23); group 2, EndoCatch bag (n=19); group 3, vacuum retrieval bag (n=17). Mean duration of the laparoscopic procedure was 120 min (71–193 min) in group 1; 92 min (59–168 min) in group 2; and 75 min (56–105 min) in group 3. The longest time required to extract the chitinous and fibrous membranes from the abdominal cavity reliably (F=3.455, P=0.044) was 17.5±2.5 min (group 1), and the shortest time was 8.7±2.0 min (group 3). Complications occurred in four patients and were minor. There were no deaths. In conclusions, the choice of retrieval bags for use during laparoscopic surgery for removing HC of the liver is an important factor. Laparoscopic echinococcectomy with the use of the vacuum retrieval bag proved to be an effective, safe technique for addressing HC of the liver in children.
1. El Malki H. O., Souadka A., Benkabbou A., Mohsine R., Ifrine L. [et al.] Radical versus conservative surgical treatment of liver hydatid cysts. Br. J. Surg. 2014;101:669-675. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.9408
2. Venturella R., Rocca M. L., Lico D., La Ferrera N., Cirillo R. [et al.] In-bag manual versus uncontained power morcellation for laparoscopic myomectomy: randomized controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2016;105:1369-1376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.12.133
3. Raheem A. Laparoscopic Treatment of Hepatic Hydatid Disease. World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery. 2009;21:35-39.
4. Karabicak I., Yuruker S., Seren D. T., Kesicioglu T., Cinar H. [et al.] Single incision laparoscopic surgery for hepatic hydatid disease. Report of a case. Ann. Ital. Chir. 2013;84:451-3.
5. Gomez I., Gavara C. Review of the treatment of liver hydatid cysts. World J. Gastroenterol. 2015;21:124-131. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.124
6. Ibtisam M., Aljohani К. Tailgut Cyst and Perineal Hydatid Cyst: A Case Report with Multimodality Imaging Findings. Case Reports in Radiology. 2016;ID4212753,5. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/4212753
7. Minaev S. V., Gerasimenko I. N. Up-to-date approaches in treatment of hydatid disease of the liver in childhood. Vestn. Khir. im. I. I. Grek. 2013;172(1):71-74. PMID: 23808232
8. Minaev S. V., Gerasimenko I. N., Kirgizov I. V., Shamsiev A. M., Bykov N. I. [et al.] Laparoscopic Treatment in Children with Hydatid Cyst of the Liver. World J. Surg. 2017;41:3218-3223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-017-4129-x
9. Chipde S. S., Yadav A., Ranjan P., Prakash A., Kapoor . Total laparoscopic management of a large renal hydatid
cyst by using hydatid trocar cannula system. J. Surg. Tech. Case Report. 2012;4:32-35. https://doi.org/10.4103/2006-8808.100351
10. Karthik S., Augustine A. J., Shibumon M. M., Pai M. V. Analysis of laparoscopic port site complications: A descriptive study. J. Min. Access. Surg. 2013;9:59-64.
https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-9941.110964
11. Paradiso V. P., Nanni L. Pediatric laparoscopic cholecystectomy with 2.3 mm Percutaneous Surgical System (Mini Lap Ò ): A new frontier for pediatric mini laparoscopy? J.Ped. Surg. Case Reports. 2016;6:13-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsc.2016.02.001
12. Kao C., Cha T., Sun G., Yu D., Chen H. [et al.] Cost-effective homemade specimen retrieval bag for use in laparoscopic surgery: Experience at a single center. Asian Journal of Surgery. 2012;35:140-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asjsur.2012.04.025
13. Ramachandran C. S., Goel D., Arora V. Laparoscopic surgery in hepatic hydatid cysts: a technical improvement. Surg. Laparosc. Endosc. Percutan Tech. 2001;11:14-18.
14. Alessandro M., Stefano L. Echinococcus multilocularis in North America: the great unknown. Parasite. 2014;21:73. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2014069
15. Berchi F. Management of Hydatid Cysts. In: Saxena A., Höllwarth M. (eds) Essentials of Pediatric Endoscopic Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg; 337-341. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78387-9_48
16. Milićević M. Radical versus conservative surgical treatment of liver hydatid cysts (Br. J. Surg. 2014;101:669-675). Br. J. Surg. 2014;101:676. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.9487
17. Hemmati S. H. How to Build a Simple and Safe Laparoscopic Hydatid Evaluation System. Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. 2014;18:e2014.00314. https://doi.org/10.4293/JSLS.2014.00314
18. Minaev S. V., Gerasimenko I. N., Shchetinin E. V., Schetinin V., Mishvelov A. E. [et al.] 3D reconstruction in surgery of hydatid cyst of the liver. Medicinskii vestnik Severnogo Kavkaza. – Medical News of North Caucasus. 2019;14(1.2):220-223. https://doi.org/10.14300/mnnc.2019.14019
19. Nelson I., Enrico B. Cystic Echinococcosis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2016;54:518-523. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.02420-15
Keywords: retrieval bag, outcome, laparoscopy, hydatid cyst, liver, children


Of the making many books (and blogs) there is no end (Ecclesiastes 12:12), so why another and why from me? I don't know the answer to either of those questions. I just feel compelled by some inner urge (trusting that it is not bad pizza) to write in bits and pieces about a little of this and a little of that–mostly about the things that occupy my attention in the Church. So, here goes. Tune in if you'd like; tune out if you must. This one is very personal; they will not all be.
I watched my Mom step from life to life 25 days ago. She had never thought of herself as remarkable; I had never thought of her as anything but remarkable. She had it tough as a child and made it through the toughness without becoming hardened. I've heard the stories from my Dad and still am awed by the understated power and overwhelming compassion of the woman, wife, and mother she became.
We shared a common faith in Christ. I had the privilege of baptizing her (and my wallet). That sharing is what made it possible for me to watch and listen (mostly from a distance) as she surrendered her earthly body to a most relentless cancer. I was there the day she slipped away.
I had arrived two hours before; I prayed with her; read to her from her very used Bible; listened with her and my Dad to her favorite Elvis Presley hymn collection (Elvis may have worn blue suede shoes and warned off hound dogs, but the boy could sing a hymn like few others–when he sang, "How Great Thou Art" there was no doubt about the greatness of God). I slipped out of the room to make a five minute phone call and when I came back into the room, my Dad said, "I don't think she's breathing." She wasn't.
I kept wondering why I didn't fall apart. I kept wondering if I was some hard-hearted weird boy who didn't realize that his Mom had just died. Why didn't I cry? I was sad. I am still sad. And I have cried since (the tears sneaking up on me like some stealth grief bomb) but I didn't cry then.
It has since hit me: I didn't believe she was dead. This was not the disbelief of denial. No, this was something deeper: it was, I think, the disbelief of faith. It was a disbelief that she was dead because I knew she was really not. Certainly her body had quit. Certainly the cancer had finished its ugly ravaging. But she was not dead.
There are those "Oh, that's it!" moments in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. This was one for me. "We do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope," said the Apostle Paul. We do grieve; we do cry; we do know sadness (I would give anything to be able to have one of my weekly chats with her…to hear her pick up the phone and say, "Hi, honey."). But we do not grieve like those who have no hope.
In her last days, wracked with pain, she had cried out to be with Jesus. Though it sprang from her pain, it was not the cry of the desperate; it was the cry of faith. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. To be separated from my Mom because she has passed away from this life is not to lose her. She's taken an earlier flight. I'll catch up with her later. She's enjoying the rest from her pain and the joy of her Lord. I can be sad that I am not with her now but I know I will be with her again.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013 at 7:34 pm	and tagged with Christ, faith, grief, grieve and posted in Uncategorized.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Thanks Laura for posting this and thank you Howard. Tears came to my eyes as I read your beautiful message.


We join the line of fellow passengers waiting to embark our ship, and there, ahead of us in the queue is a sight that surely speaks of things to come.
Be afraid ….. be very afraid.
10 Responses to 3. An omen?
I can hardly wait to see her in her formal attire.
I hope she sits at your table for dinner — she'd be fascinating. What a truly fearless soul!
Can't wait to see that hat on Jan 6, 2011!
Seeing sights like that, make me think how much Marth Stewart has to answer for!!!
er..what kind of cruise are you taking? RSVP?