United Bank Card Inc. recently entered the iPhone-as-a-terminal scene. The company now processes iPhone transactions conducted through an Authorize.Net online gateway via the iPhone credit card application. Merchants can download the application through Apple Inc.'s App Store. UBC offers Class B support for the transactions.
"We are very excited about this development," UBC Chief Executive Officer Jared Isaacman said in a statement." United Bank Card has always been at the forefront of innovation, and as new payment technologies emerge, we will continue to embrace such advancements."
"The phenomenon of taking payment for goods and services via a handheld device is not necessarily new with the iPhone," said David Schwartz, Director of Marketing for Authorize.Net. He added that his company has supported several devices for a number of years.
"Most of the devices prior to the iPhone were specialty devices, though, that were custom built to accept mobile payments," he said. "For example, there's a product called Pocket Chef, which waiters use to not only take orders at tables but also to accept payment for the meals right there at the table, and therefore the credit card never has to leave the view of the diners.
Schwartz reported that Authorize.Net has certified seven handheld, payment-acceptance devices to its application program interface (API), one of which is an iPhone. "They're smart phones or handheld devices that are using the cellular network to manage payments," he said. "We are device agnostic."
Gregory Holmes, an independent payment consultant, believes the ability to do mobile payments opens up a new class of merchants to the payments industry: folks who've never really thought about accepting cards but who use the mobile phone as their primary means of commerce.
"So you get into companies like service providers, lawn services, cleaning services, handymen operations, small contract project work," Holmes said. "And to them, this is a further way to use their smart phone, which has become their life-blood, if you will, for their business."
According to Holmes, iPhone terminals will also appeal to merchants who traditionally have had to spend several hundred dollars to buy or lease wireless terminals. "Given the nature of keying in the transactions one by one, it is most appropriate for somebody who's not doing any kind of high transaction volume whatsoever," he added.
Holmes predicts near field communication will take the lead in the United States with regard to mobile payments. For Schwartz, the most intriguing question, particularly regarding the iPhone, is whether Apple will certify a hardware addition to enable card swiping. "Right now each transaction that is processed through an iPhone is a card-not-present transaction," he said. "There are higher fees associated with that.
"If Apple were to certify some sort of swipe device that could connect directly to the iPhone, thereby turning the transaction into a card-present transaction, that could potentially extend the adoption because the rates are so much more favorable and because most of these merchants may potentially already have a card-present merchant account."


text:
Bitcoin EU
Home Technology Blockchain Blockchain Scaling Solutions: State Channels, Sidechains and Plasma Explained
Blockchain Scaling Solutions: State Channels, Sidechains and Plasma Explained
As challenges with on-chain blockchain scaling solutions have grown, the need to explore and design alternative off-chain solutions has also grown. Developers in the crypto space are determined to match the capacity of centralized services such as Visa, while offering a better experience for users, at lower costs.
State channels, sidechains and plasma are among the most talked about second-layer or off-chain blockchain scaling solutions in 2018. They are being widely implemented in various projects, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin.
Taking a closer look at capacity issues experienced by major blockchains helps us appreciate the focus on these three solutions. Blockchain technology is disruptive, but its potency has been limited by the ability to handle a significant amount of activity.
Capacity Issues
The urgency for blockchain scaling becomes more pressing as the technology goes beyond value transfer and takes on the role of operating as back end for decentralized applications (dapps). Over time, it has become possible to host anything from a website to a video-streaming service on the blockchain.
In the early days, blockchain scaling efforts focused on increasing the size of the block—a collection or batch of transactions confirmed together. The sequence of blocks connected to one another forms the blockchain.
The Bitcoin block size has been maintained at 1 MB. This capacity allows it to process about seven transactions per second. The Ethereum blockchain can process about twelve. In comparison, Visa can handle a capacity of 50,000 transactions per second. Increasing the block size means that more transactions can be included and therefore confirmed.
Blockchain scaling attempts based on increasing the block size have included Bitcoin XT, which sought to increase the size to 8MB. Bitcoin Classic proposed a 4MB limit and Bitcoin Unlimited offered a flexible block size that depended on demand.
One such demand-based solution is Bitcoin Cash, which forked from Bitcoin in August 2017.
Other challenges in blockchain scaling
Increasing the block size has largely failed as a blockchain scaling solution because it requires wide community consensus on specific technical changes.
Bigger blocks also come with other challenges. They demand more capacity and resources from users and especially miners, who are directly involved with maintaining the ledger. Such resources come in the form of memory, which is needed for storing the shared ledger, and bandwidth for propagating it across the network. Both the Bitcoin and Ethereum ledgers have reached close to 150GB in size.
This means only a few players will have the financial capital necessary to set up systems for mining. This leads to increased centralization, which goes against the original spirit of blockchain.
Off-chain blockchain scaling alternatives include the Lightning Network, sidechains and plasma.
The Lightning Network
Developers Joseph Poon and Thaddeus Dryja originated the concept of the Lightning Network. They published a white paper in 2015 that provided details of how it could help blockchain scaling.
The Lightning Network provides the capacity to process more transactions through smart contract applications. Two or more users can create a transaction channel between them, known as a state channel, which allows them to send value back and forth without having to record each individual transaction on the blockchain.
When they close the state channel, only then does the net of all their transactions get recorded on the blockchain. The Lightning Network allows millions of channels to be created on the Bitcoin network, thus enabling millions of transactions per second, a capacity well beyond that of Visa.
The solution has already been implemented for several blockchains, including Bitcoin and Litecoin. Its use is not yet widespread and it may take time before there is enough infrastructure for its use to go mainstream.
Sidechains
Another option is the ability to create sidechains, or new blockchains that connect to existing ones. A team of Bitcoin Core developers from Blockstream introduced this concept in a white paper they published in October 2014.
Sidechains allow value to move between them. For example, a new blockchain can be created and linked to the Bitcoin blockchain. Users can move their bitcoins to the new chain and transact as they would on the original blockchain.
With many sidechains, the capacity to use a cryptocurrency increases significantly. Community consensus is not needed to add new sidechains.
To link two chains, a two-way pegging mechanism is used. A user sends coins to a special wallet on the main chain, where they are locked. Then, the same number of coins is created on the new chain and released to the user. When they want to move back to the old chain, the process is reversed.
The two-way pegging mechanism can be achieved through a centralized exchange, which stands as an entity between two chains, receives coins from one and releases an equivalent amount of coins on the other. This option is not desirable, however, since it introduces a single point of weakness and requires users to trust a third party, which also goes against the spirit of blockchain.
Two-way pegging can also be implemented through a federation, a group of miners that facilitate the movement of value between two chains through consensus. This option provides an improvement upon relying on a single player.
Simple Payment Verification (SPV)
The most ideal solution, however, is known as simple payment verification (SPV). Here users rely on a protocol to automatically lock their coins on one chain and generate a special ID. This ID proves to the new chain that they have sent their coins to a locked wallet and that their transaction is confirmed as genuine on a specific blockchain.
The new chain is then able to release an equivalent amount of coins to the user.
In sidechain architecture, blockchains that are linked are considered equal and there is no hierarchy. Moreover, when one blockchain has issues, the problems do not spread to the others. Problems are localized and confined.
While this solution is largely beneficial, it does provide a challenge. If one chain fails, the user is not able to move their funds back because there is no ultimate authority on which they can rely to execute the process.
In August 2017, Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, and Joseph Poon, the designer of the Lightning Network, published a white paper. They described a new way to interlink blockchains through smart contracts. They named the architecture Plasma. The interlinked blockchains were to be placed in a hierarchy so that some were on top and therefore more authoritative than others.
Parent blockchains launch child blockchains. A child blockchain can also launch their own child blockchains.
Poon described the structure as similar to that of a court system. The lower level has many courts, while the higher levels have fewer. At the highest point is the supreme court.
Lower courts handle the bulk of the cases. The supreme court handles only what the lower courts cannot solve, or they give direction to the lower courts on how to solve cases.
The main parent blockchain is only consulted when disputes arise among child blockchains. This main blockchain is the ultimate truth source of the system and also facilitates the sharing of data and digital value in the system running on top of it.
Zug – the Crypto Silicon Valley of Switzerland – Is the Fastest Growing Tech Hub in Europe
Blockchain Connect Conference Calls for Stronger Academic Approach to the Technology
Crypto Fans Can Now Buy FINNEY™ – the First Blockchain Smartphone in the World
Bitcoin BTC56
Blockchain43
A New Record for Bitcoin: BitPay Reports $1 Billion Worth of Transactions for 2018
Tamara M - January 21, 2019
Cashing In: Saudi Arabia and UAE Propose Joint Digital Currency
Liz Utley - December 20, 2018
A Close Look at Bitcoin: Current State and Future Trends
Tamara M - December 18, 2018
Why This UK MP Wants You to Pay Taxes in Bitcoin
+31(20)8082034
Weesperstraat 61-105. Amsterdam, 1018VN
EU Internet Ventures B.V. KvK 70850984
© 2020 EU Internet Ventures B.V.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Does anyone recognize this kind of hash/encryption? I'm doing a test for a company. In a javascript file, I've found the following:
contactEmail:"ZmFzdHRyYWNrK291cl9mYWNlYm9va19pZEBzbWFydGx5Lmlv",
instructions:"Q29uZ3JhdHVsYXRpb25zLCB5b3UgaGF2ZSBhbG1vc3QgY29tcGxldGVkIHRoZSBGYXN0IFRyYWNrLiBBcyB0aGUgbGFzdCB0aGluZywgZmlndXJlIG91dCB0aGUgY29tcGxldGUgY29udGFjdCBhZGRyZXNzIGFuZCBzZW5kIHVzIGFuIGludHJvZHVjdGlvbiBlbWFpbC4gV2UgYXJlIGludGVyZXN0ZWQgdG8gaGVhciB3aGF0IHlvdSBoYXZlIGRvbmUgc28gZmFyLg=="

Does anybody have any idea what kind of encryption this is so I can decrypt it?? Thanks in advance.

A: Those are base64 encoded strings.  They can be decoded using window.atob("..."). They read:
contactEmail: "fasttrack+our_facebook_id@smartly.io",
instructions: "Congratulations, you have almost completed the Fast Track. As the last thing, figure out the complete contact address and send us an introduction email. We are interested to hear what you have done so far."

To extend what Matis said in the comments, the most common indicator of a base64 string is the trailing =.  This is just padding, since base64 string lengths are a multiple of 4.
For example:
window.btoa("a")       : YQ==         // 4
window.btoa("abc")     : YWJj         // 4
window.btoa("abcd")    : YWJjZA==     // 8
window.btoa("abcdefg") : YWJjZGVmZw== // 12

A: This is Base64 encoded text...

A: it's encoded using base64.
here is the decoded value
contactEmail:"fasttrack+our_facebook_id@smartly.io",

instructions:"Congratulations, you have almost completed the Fast Track. As the last thing, figure out the complete contact address and send us an introduction email. We are interested to hear what you have done so far."

Use any base64 decoder to decode. you can use https://www.base64decode.org/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//
// Copyright Microsoft Corporation
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
// You may obtain a copy of the License at
// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
// limitations under the License.
// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

using Microsoft.Azure.Commands.DataLakeStore.Models;
using Microsoft.Azure.Commands.DataLakeStore.Properties;
using Microsoft.Azure.Management.DataLake.Store.Models;
using Microsoft.Rest.Azure;
using System.Management.Automation;
using Microsoft.Rest;

namespace Microsoft.Azure.Commands.DataLakeStore
{
    [Cmdlet(VerbsData.Export, "AzureRmDataLakeStoreItem", SupportsShouldProcess = true, DefaultParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName), OutputType(typeof(string))]
    [Alias("Export-AdlStoreItem")]
    public class ExportAzureDataLakeStoreItem : DataLakeStoreFileSystemCmdletBase
    {
        // define parameter sets.
        internal const string BaseParameterSetName = "No diagnostic logging";
        internal const string DiagnosticParameterSetName = "Include diagnostic logging";

        // default number of threads
        private int numThreadsPerFile = -1;
        private int fileCount = -1;
        private LogLevel logLevel = LogLevel.Error;

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 0, Mandatory = true,
            HelpMessage = "The DataLakeStore account to execute the filesystem operation in",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 0, Mandatory = true,
            HelpMessage = "The DataLakeStore account to execute the filesystem operation in",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty]
        [Alias("AccountName")]
        public string Account { get; set; }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 1, Mandatory = true,
            HelpMessage = "The path to the file or folder to download",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 1, Mandatory = true,
            HelpMessage = "The path to the file or folder to download",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        [ValidateNotNull]
        public DataLakeStorePathInstance Path { get; set; }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 2, Mandatory = true,
            HelpMessage = "The local path to download the file or folder to",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 2, Mandatory = true,
            HelpMessage = "The local path to download the file or folder to",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty]
        public string Destination { get; set; }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 3, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates if the download should be recursive for folder downloads. The default is false.",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 3, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates if the download should be recursive for folder downloads. The default is false.",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty]
        public SwitchParameter Recurse { get; set; }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 4, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage =
                "Indicates that the file(s) being copied are a continuation of a previous download. This will cause the system to attempt to resume from the last file that was not fully downloaded.",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 4, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage =
                "Indicates that the file(s) being copied are a continuation of a previous download. This will cause the system to attempt to resume from the last file that was not fully downloaded.",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        public SwitchParameter Resume { get; set; }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 5, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates the maximum number of threads to use per file. Default will be computed as a best effort based on folder and file size",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 5, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates the maximum number of threads to use per file. Default will be computed as a best effort based on folder and file size",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        public int PerFileThreadCount
        {
            get { return numThreadsPerFile; }
            set { numThreadsPerFile = value; }
        }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 6, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates the maximum number of files to download in parallel for a folder download.  Default will be computed as a best effort based on folder and file size",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 6, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates the maximum number of files to download in parallel for a folder download.  Default will be computed as a best effort based on folder and file size",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        public int ConcurrentFileCount
        {
            get { return fileCount; }
            set { fileCount = value; }
        }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 7, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates that, if the file or folder exists, it should be overwritten",
            ParameterSetName = BaseParameterSetName)]
        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Position = 7, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Indicates that, if the file or folder exists, it should be overwritten",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        public SwitchParameter Force { get; set; }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Mandatory = false,
            HelpMessage = "Optionally indicates the diagnostic log level to use to record events during the file or folder import. Default is Error.",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        public LogLevel DiagnosticLogLevel
        {
            get { return logLevel; }
            set { logLevel = value; }
        }

        [Parameter(ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName = true, Mandatory = true,
            HelpMessage = "Specifies the path for the diagnostic log to record events to during the file or folder import.",
            ParameterSetName = DiagnosticParameterSetName)]
        [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty]
        public string DiagnosticLogPath { get; set; }

        public override void ExecuteCmdlet()
        {
            // We will let this throw itself if the path they give us is invalid
            // TODO: perhaps in the future catch this and throw a cmdlet specific exception
            var powerShellReadyPath = SessionState.Path.GetUnresolvedProviderPathFromPSPath(Destination);

            FileType type;
            ConfirmAction(
                VerbsData.Export,
                Path.TransformedPath,
                () =>
                {
                    if (!DataLakeStoreFileSystemClient.TestFileOrFolderExistence(Path.TransformedPath, Account, out type))
                    {
                        throw new CloudException(string.Format(Resources.InvalidExportPathType, Path.TransformedPath));
                    }

                    DataLakeStoreTraceLogger logger = null;
                    var previousTracing = ServiceClientTracing.IsEnabled;
                    try
                    {
                        if (ParameterSetName.Equals(DiagnosticParameterSetName) && DiagnosticLogLevel != LogLevel.None)
                        {
                            var diagnosticPath = SessionState.Path.GetUnresolvedProviderPathFromPSPath(DiagnosticLogPath);
                            logger = new DataLakeStoreTraceLogger(this, diagnosticPath, DiagnosticLogLevel);
                        }

                        if (logger == null)
                        {
                            // if the caller does not explicitly want logging, we will explicitly turn it off
                            // for performance reasons
                            ServiceClientTracing.IsEnabled = false;
                        }

                        if (type == FileType.FILE)
                        {
                            DataLakeStoreFileSystemClient.CopyFile(powerShellReadyPath, Account, Path.TransformedPath, CmdletCancellationToken,
                                isDownload: true, overwrite: Force, cmdletRunningRequest: this, threadCount: PerFileThreadCount, resume: Resume);
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            DataLakeStoreFileSystemClient.CopyDirectory(powerShellReadyPath, Account, Path.TransformedPath,
                                CmdletCancellationToken,
                                isDownload: true, overwrite: Force, cmdletRunningRequest: this,
                                perFileThreadCount: PerFileThreadCount, concurrentFileCount: ConcurrentFileCount, recursive: Recurse, resume: Resume);
                        }

                        WriteObject(powerShellReadyPath);
                    }
                    finally
                    {
                        // set service client tracing back always
                        ServiceClientTracing.IsEnabled = previousTracing;
                        if (logger != null)
                        {
                            // dispose and free the logger.
                            logger.Dispose();
                            logger = null;
                        }
                    }
                });
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ana sayfa » Mass Flow Meter
Mass Flow Meter MFM for short is a device that measures the flow rate per mass of liquid passing through a pipe flow line. It gives the net amount transferred by measuring the passing fluid in kilograms/second.
The daily pumping of large quantities of fuel into the fuel tanks of tankers, bulk carriers, cargo ships and fishing vessels requires reliable bunker fuel metering systems.
Even the slightest measurement deviation in the replenishment process leads to additional costs due to incorrect invoicing and thus to undesirable disputes between the supplier and the buyer. For this reason, accurate measurement of air-containing ship fuels is achieved by using reliable mass flow refueling systems.
A mass flow meter is a device that measures the mass flow rate of a liquid passing through a pipe. Mass flow rate is the mass of liquid passing a fixed point per unit time. A mass flowmeter measures mass per unit time (kilograms/second), not volume (cubic meters/second).
The volumetric flow rate is the mass flow rate divided by the liquid density. If the thickness is constant, the relationship is simple. If the fluid has varying densities, the relationship is not simple. For example, the viscosity of the liquid may change with temperature, pressure, or composition.
Density and volume measurements
Fluid density information is required to calculate an accurate mass flow rate.
Density may vary too frequently for manual calibration to be sufficient and density must be determined. The natural vibrational frequency depends on the combined mass of the liquid. By measuring the natural frequency, the mass of the liquid can be deduced. Dividing the mass by the known volume gives us the density of the liquid.
The instantaneous density measurement allows the calculation of the volume flow per time by dividing the mass flow by the density.
Both mass flow and density measurements depend on the vibration of the pipes. Calibration is affected by changes in the stiffness of the flow pipes.
Changes in temperature and pressure cause pipe stiffness to vary, but these can be compensated for by pressure and temperature zero and gap compensation factors.
Additional effects on pipe stiffness will cause shifts in the calibration factor over time due to deterioration of the flow pipes. These effects include pitting, cracking, coating, erosion or corrosion.
It is impossible to dynamically compensate for these changes, but efforts can be made to monitor the impact through regular meter calibration or validation checks. If a change is considered to have occurred but acceptable, an offset can be added to the existing calibration factor to ensure accurate measurement continues.
MFM and Fuel Suppliers
Mass flow meters, briefly MFM, started to be made mandatory at important supply points as of 2017, as a solution to quantity disputes, which is one of the most serious problems experienced by suppliers and customers in this sector where large fuel supplies are made. This practice, pioneered by Singapore, later became widespread with the participation of other important refueling points such as Hong Kong, Fujairah, Turkey.
Today, island-sized buildings and ships are being built, the journey to the moon is made in almost 9 hours, and space cargo is being talked about. Speaking of these technological possibilities, it is certainly ironic that the net amount of fuel transferred from a terminal or a fuel barge to a ship cannot be measured precisely.
The net amount of fuel in tons of fuel loaded on ships over the years has been determined by certain mathematical equations and manual tools. Previously, distilled marine fuels were supplied different from the amount demanded by consumers due to variable reasons such as viscosity, temperature, fluidity and density. Faulty supplies and faulty invoices have led to unfair profits over the years.
This situation became such that the shipowners decided not to buy fuel from those ports again due to this unethical commercial situation they experienced in the ports of some countries.
Local suppliers in "some countries" and fuel barholder owners in ports opposed this MFM practice and tried to manipulate the market.
When you think that 90% of the world trade is on ships and that the wealth of the world is transferred to the nations through the commerce between the ports, you can more or less guess what the wrong or intentional application of a supplier has taken away from the people of that country!
At all major supply points around the world, suppliers should use MFM and equipment used should be inspected regularly by port authorities. While such practices contribute to laws, regulations, rules and business ethics, they will be important steps in preventing the harm caused by malicious suppliers to both ship owners and their professions.
There will always be people who sneer at technological developments and try to hinder the development of humanity for their own interests, calling them the invention of the devil. The important thing is to prevent such malicious traders from exploiting the industry.
Port State Control PSC
Drilling Rig
The Containerization
A pioneer in the oil industry
What is Carbon Neutral?
Sailors, Hidden Heroes of the Pandemic
Floating Solar Power Plant


Virgil Abloh is prolific and successful. His designs for the Louis Vuitton spring menswear collection have, reportedly, already sold 30% more in the first 48 hours in-store, than the brand's Supreme collaboration did in 2017. Abloh's tenure as menswear creative director of the French house is clearly working well. This morning's show, the latest for his "other gig", Off White looks set to be a sell-out, too. Set around a makeshift grassy mound staged with concrete-like building foundations in the basement of the Carrousel du Louvre, models walked by in huge jeans.
The front and back of some were joined together, with raw seams, as if fashioned on a handy Singer, backstage. On purpose, of course and part of the designer's approach to his "new luxury". Perfection? Yes, but not always. More tailoring: traditional wool checks came cut as streetwear archetypes – those wide suit trousers, the same pattern as those brilliant humongous jeans. This is the next step in Abloh's "luxury streetwear" revolution. A blend of traditional and new with street. The yellow fabric Off-White belts, which have become calling cards for the cool, cinched the same wide trousers.
But question, were those resulting fabric folds around the waist, created by the tight belts? Or were they already sewn in? Details! He always sees the details. A half-check, half-office-commuter-blue jacket was super. Abloh riffed on contemporary American culture throughout: a handful of models wore football helmets. The collection spoke of after-the-match fun and games on that grassy knoll near school, where the cool kids hang out. And, of course, all their clothes and styling tips. He's on top form.


• Dementia - If you treat patients with dementia, you MUST attend this course. It WILL change how you treat your patients!
o Teepa Snow, OT will provide education on dementia. Teepa Snow is one of the leading educators on dementia and the care that accompanies it, in the US and Canada. The person-centered approach she developed evolved to meet the complex and unique needs of individuals using effective and structured technique.
o Learn, Refine, and Excel in current best evidence principles in the management of neck pain.


text:
5 Best Free Email Service Providers
You aren't still using your old AOL email address, are you? Regardless of what your current email situation is, it's always a good time to switch to a better email service provider. In this article, we introduce and compare 5 popular free email service providers to help you decide what is the best email service currently available.
How Do I Keep Multiple Email Accounts Organized?
Before we get to the meat of this article, we would first like to talk about email organization. You see, when you register a few new email addresses and use them to subscribe for a handful of newsletters, it doesn't take much time at all before you find yourself staring at a huge, steaming pile of junk emails mixed with a few important messages buried somewhere deep below the stinky stuff.
After comparing a number of inbox cleaning methods and solutions, we've found Clean Email to be, by far, the easiest and most effective way how to maintain clean inbox. Clean Email automatically organizes all your emails into easy to review bundles by analyzing email headers that contain subject line, sender and recipient information, dates, email size, and similar metadata. You can then easily remove, archive, move, label, and do other things with your emails to keep your inbox organized and clean.
To use Clean Email, you simply sign in with your email service of choice and let Clean Email take care of the rest for you.
Mailbox size: 15 GB
Maximum attachment size: 25 MB
With over 1.2 billion users around the world, Gmail is by far the most popular email service in the world. It started in 2004, and quickly developed a dedicated following of avid users, most of whom appreciate its simplicity, strong spam and malware protection, and seamless integration with other Google services, including Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Calendar.
A Gmail account is a must-have for all Android users who wish to download apps from Google Play Store, a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google that serves as the official app store for the Android operating system. One negative consequence of the global demand for Gmail accounts fueled by Android's growing adoption is the fact that all the best email accounts are already taken. If your last name is Smith, good luck trying to register a nice-looking email address with Gmail.
Founded in 1996 as Hotmail, Outlook.com is Microsoft's web-based suite of webmail, contacts, tasks, and calendaring services and arguably Gmail's biggest competition in the West. Today, Outlook.com has over 400 million users, some of which use it to get the most out of Xbox, Windows, Skype, and other Microsoft Products.
Unlike Gmail and several other best free email services, Outlook.com doesn't scan the content of users' emails for advertising purposes. "For example, if you're emailing back-and-forth with a family member about a trip to go hiking, Gmail will simultaneously surface text ads for things like Rocky Mountain vacations, hiking boots, and protein bars," explains Jason Hiner for TechRepublic. The fact that Outlook.com doesn't do this alone is a good enough reason to give it a try and see what it has to offer.
Mailbox size: 500 MB
We live in the day and age of government and corporate surveillance and big data analytics. Everything you type, like, or search for, is collected, analyzed, and sold to the highest bidder by corporations who care about their shareholders first and ethics second. If you're tired of being part of the system and allowing technocrats to exploit your personal information to make a profit, we recommend you sign up for a free ProtonMail account.
Launched in 2014 at the CERN research facility by Andy Yen, Jason Stockman and Wei Sun, ProtonMail is a privacy- and security- conscientious email service that uses client-side encryption to protect email contents and user data before they are sent. ProtonMail is based and incorporated in Switzerland, a country with strong privacy laws, and its code is open source and publicly available. Unlike many other encrypted email services, ProtonMail is surprisingly easy to use and optimized for productivity. Even if you don't speak the language of technology, you'll be able to use ProtonMail and reclaim your personal information.
iCloud Mail
Mailbox size: 5 GB
If you're heavily invested in Apple's vast ecosystem and/or own Apple devices, you should consider signing up for iCloud Mail, a free email service from Apple. To use it, you must set up an @icloud.com email address, which you can do either on an iOS device or Mac computer by going to iCloud and selecting the Mail option.
The best thing about iCloud Mail is how seamlessly it's integrated with both macOS and iOS. Just like with virtually all Apple products and services, everything just works. Does it rival some of the other best email services described in this article in terms of features? No, but the target audience of iCloud Mail most likely won't care.
GMX Mail
Mailbox size: unlimited
GMX (Global Mail eXchange) is a free email service provided by GMX in four languages: German (the primary language of the service), English, Spanish, and French. GMX stands above all other email services on this list with its surprisingly large maximum attachment limit of 50 MB. "We give you the opportunity to send large files: up to 50 MB! It is much more than other email providers can offer you. With 50 MB attachments you have the possibility to email large files like documents, lots of photos, and videos!" writes GMX on its website.
Besides the ability to send large attachments, GMX also offers unlimited storage space, allowing you to keep your emails in one place without worrying about running out of space. Still, we recommend you keep your mailbox organized with Clean Email, the best inbox cleanup solution on the market.


Today I'm going to show you some tricks for working in a really big round. The sort of round I mean is when there are 50 or more chain stitches in the initial ring.
The first thing you need is two balls of the same color yarn.
Start by doing the foundation chain as specified in the pattern, however when it says to join the ring I want you to pause and put a safety pin in the end to stop it unraveling.
Next get the second ball of yarn and attach a ch stitch to the first of the foundation ch at the opposite end to the safety pin.
Now do your turning chain for the start of the row and stitch all the stitches in the row up to the end where the safety pin is waiting.
Count your stitches carefully to see that they are all there. If you have made a mistake you can undo the safety pin and add or subtract any missing stitches.
When you are satisfied, do a slip stitch from the end loop of the foundation ch into the first ch like this, making sure there are no twists in the circle you are making.
Finish off the end so that the first ball of yarn is no longer attached.
Then turn the work upside down and do a slip stitch into the top turning ch on the first row worked.
You have completed Round 1, do your turning ch for Round 2 and continue on your way!
Mee-ow, it is I, Mimi once again.
Today I'm going to show you how we crochet two pieces of crochet together by joining them along their edges.
Position the two pieces so that the sides you want to crochet together are one on top of the other and are ready to be joined from right to left.
put the backs of each piece together.
put the fronts together and crochet from the back of the top piece.
Once your two pieces are placed one on top of the other, you are ready to join. Whether you are attaching a new yarn to join with or continuing on with one you were already using, you should have one loop on the hook as usual.
Insert the hook through a stitch on both the top and bottom piece (the pale orange two) and draw yarn through them like this.
Sometimes you will have a nice row edge to insert the hook into and you can pick up the top loop of each stitch you want to crochet together and crochet them together perfectly evenly.
But sometimes you will have side seems where the loops may not match up so precisely. Just do your best to keep it even – put one stitch in the side of each sc and 2 or 3 stitches in the side of each dc, depending on the look you want. The key is to be consistent and keep the sides matched so they end together.
Usually when joins are being made a slip stitch is used, but you can use a single crochet or even half double crochet to make a clearly marked edge out of the join.
The edge in the granny square is a slip stitch, the edge in the striped example is a single crochet edge.
Today I'm going to show you how to increase stitches.
stitch, eg inc 1 dc.
Alternatively, a pattern may specify a number and type of stitch in the next stitch of the previous row, eg 2 dc in next st.
Both of these mean the same thing. Here is what we do.
Imagine you have a row of dcs like this.
And you are half way through a second line of them when the pattern tells you "inc 1 dc" or "2 dc in next st".
In either case, you then make 2 stitches into the top of one stitch like this.
This means that where you had one stitch in the previous row there will now be two – the original plus 1 more – in the current row.
If you are asked to increase more than 1 you just keep adding the required stitches to the same stitch in the previous row.
This same technique is also applicable if you are working in a round.


text:
Il grande Gatsby (The Great Gatsby) è un romanzo di Francis Scott Fitzgerald pubblicato per la prima volta a New York il 10 aprile 1925 e definito da T.S. Eliot «il primo passo in avanti fatto dalla narrativa americana dopo Henry James».

Ambientato a New York e a Long Island durante l'estate del 1922, Il grande Gatsby è il più acuto ritratto dell'anima dell'età del jazz, con le sue contraddizioni, il suo vittimismo e la sua tragicità.
La storia, che seguendo la tecnica di Henry James viene raccontata da uno dei personaggi, narra la tragedia del mito americano che aveva retto il paese dai tempi dello sbarco a Plymouth Rock e può essere considerata l'autobiografia spirituale di Fitzgerald che, ad un certo punto della sua vita, chiuso con l'alcolismo e con la vita da playboy, voleva capire quali fossero stati gli ostacoli che avevano fatto inabissare la sua esistenza.

In questo libro, come scrive il suo biografo Andrew Le Vot, Fitzgerald «riflette, meglio che in tutti i suoi scritti autobiografici, il cuore dei problemi che lui e la sua generazione dovettero affrontare… In Gatsby, pervaso com'è da un senso del peccato e della caduta, Fitzgerald assume su di sé tutta la debolezza e la depravazione della natura umana».

Trama

L'adolescente James Gatz, figlio di poveri contadini del Nord Dakota, fugge dalla famiglia convinto di poter trasformare se stesso e costruirsi una nuova identità.

Egli incontra il ricco proprietario di uno yacht, Mr Dan Cody, che, grato perché il giovane lo aveva avvertito della presenza di uno scoglio che avrebbe potuto far affondare la sua imbarcazione, lo assume e gli fornisce una «giacca azzurra, sei paia di calzoni bianchi e un berretto con visiera da yacht».

James, che adotta lo pseudonimo Jay Gatsby, viene inviato a Louisville per un addestramento militare e lì si innamora di Daisy Fay, un'affascinante ereditiera di diciotto anni che ricambia i suoi sentimenti. I due trascorrono insieme un felice periodo e, quando Gatsby è in procinto di partire per la prima guerra mondiale, si giurano eterna fedeltà. Ma quando Gatsby, che si trova in Europa, viene a sapere che Daisy ha sposato un famoso giocatore di polo di Chicago, Tom Buchanan, giura di riconquistarla.

Fatta definitivamente propria l'identità di Jay Gatsby, il giovane si reca in Inghilterra dove frequenta l'ambiente di Oxford per cinque mesi, e alla fine ritorna in America dove, diventato ricco grazie al contrabbando e ad altre attività illecite, compra nell'aristocratico villaggio di West Egg – toponimo fittizio utilizzato da Fitzgerald per riferirsi alla località di Kings Point, sulla costa settentrionale di Long Island – un'enorme villa situata esattamente di fronte alla casa dove Daisy trascorre le estati con il marito Tom. Gatsby, che vuole ad ogni costo riconquistare Daisy, è sicuro che il suo sogno si trasformerà in realtà e da quel momento ogni sua azione sarà tesa a quell'unico scopo.

Nick Carraway, che nel romanzo ha funzione di narratore, esprime la visione di un mondo opposto a quello di Gatsby: conformista, moralista e puritano. Nato, come egli stesso racconta, da una famiglia agiata e influente del Middle West, Nick si laurea a New Haven nel 1915 ed intraprende un tranquillo, anche se non molto redditizio, lavoro in borsa, accontentandosi sempre di alloggiare in appartamenti modesti. Nick rappresenta un mondo opposto a quello di Gatsby ma dovrà riconoscere che «c'era in Gatsby qualcosa di splendido, una sensibilità acuita alle promesse della vita».

Anche Nick abita a West Egg, a trenta chilometri dalla città, in un modesto villino confinante proprio con la tenuta di Gatsby:

Una sera Nick viene invitato a cena a casa di Tom Buchanan, che ha sposato Daisy – cugina di Nick "in seconda dal lato paterno" – e conosce l'amica di Daisy, Jordan Baker, giocatrice di golf con la quale egli intreccerà una breve relazione. Il matrimonio di Daisy e Tom, pur essendo all'apparenza tranquillo, non ha solide basi. Tom ha per amante Myrtle, la moglie di George Wilson, un meccanico che possiede un'officina sulla strada che porta a New York in una zona squallida e desolata; un pomeriggio, mentre Nick si sta recando a New York in treno con Tom, questi gliela fa conoscere.

Trascorrono i giorni e Nick, che ogni sera ascolta la musica proveniente dalla casa di Gatsby e osserva il via vai di gente che partecipa alle sfarzose feste che si svolgono nei suoi giardini, non ha ancora conosciuto il suo famoso vicino: l'ha solamente intravisto da lontano, una sera, in piedi davanti alla villa, che tendeva le braccia con un gesto di desiderio verso la "luce verde" che brillava nella notte. Quella luce, come scrive Rollo May, «è simbolo del mito americano: essa allude a nuove potenzialità, nuove frontiere, la nuova vita che ci attende dietro l'angolo […] Non esiste destino; se esiste, lo abbiamo costruito noi stessi […] La luce verde diventa la nostra più grande illusione… nasconde i nostri problemi con le sue infinite promesse, e intanto distrugge i nostri valori. La luce verde è il mito della Terra Promessa che genera ideali alla Horatio Alger».

Ma un giorno Nick riceve un invito:

Alla festa trova Jordan e ha modo così di conoscere Gatsby che mantiene sempre un atteggiamento riservato e moderato. Si reca ad un paio delle sue feste e un giorno Gatsby si reca a trovarlo:

E inizia a raccontare della sua vita come a voler scacciare le accuse «che davano sapore alla conversazione nei suoi salotti».

Gatsby racconta a Nick che egli era di famiglia agiata e che i suoi sono ormai tutti morti; che è stato allevato in America ed educato a Oxford, che ha viaggiato e che ha partecipato alla guerra diventando maggiore. Egli mostra a Nick la medaglia con cui è stato decorato e una fotografia di Oxford presa al "Trinity Quad", convincendolo così che quanto sta dicendo sia la verità:

In quell'occasione Gatsby gli dice che ha intenzione di chiedergli un grande favore. Così, tramite Jordan Baker, Gatsby chiede a Nick di fargli incontrare Daisy a casa sua. Nel frattempo Nick viene a conoscenza della storia di Daisy e Gatsby attraverso il racconto di Jordan. Nick invita Daisy a casa sua per prendere un tè e i due si incontrano:
Dopo una festa di Gatsby alla quale Daisy partecipa con il marito, egli è sicuro di aver ritrovato per sempre la donna tanto amata ed è certo di poter ripetere in tutto il passato e confida a Nick il suo sogno:

Ma Nick dice: «Non si può ripetere il passato». «"Non si può ripetere il passato? Ma certo che si può» risponde Gatsby.

Daisy si recherà quasi ogni pomeriggio da Gatsby illudendolo così nel suo sogno fino a quando, in un afoso pomeriggio, Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan e Gatsby cercano sollievo recandosi a New York in un albergo affittato per l'occasione. Qui Tom provoca Gatsby davanti a tutti con insinuazioni sul suo conto fino a quando chiede direttamente a Gatsby cosa vuole da sua moglie: «Voglio sapere che cos'ha da dirmi il signor Gatsby» e ancora «Vostra moglie non vi ama» dice Gatsby, «Non vi ha mai amato. Ama me». Ma Daisy è riluttante e quando Gatsby pretende che lei lo dica a Tom ella protesta dicendo «Pretendi troppo». Gatsby cerca di parlarle:

Sulla strada del ritorno, mentre passano davanti all'officina di Wilson, Myrtle, tenuta chiusa in stanza dal marito che sospetta un suo tradimento, riesce a fuggire, ma viene investita dalla macchina di Gatsby guidata da Daisy che non si ferma e prosegue la sua corsa fino a East Egg dove la raggiunge Tom, al quale lei si affida pur non rivelandogli la verità.

Myrtle rimane uccisa sul colpo e Wilson, preso dalla disperazione e deciso a vendicarsi, va da Tom con la pistola per ucciderlo.

Ma quando Tom gli rivela che la macchina che aveva investito Myrtle la guidava, come lui credeva, Gatsby, Wilson si reca da Gatsby che sta facendo un bagno in piscina e continua a sperare che Daisy appaia.

Verrà ucciso da Wilson che a sua volta si suiciderà. Lo chauffeur, il maggiordomo, il giardiniere e Nick si avviano correndo verso la piscina:

Nick si trova solo ad affrontare la situazione. Telefona a tutti, anche a Daisy, ma viene a sapere che proprio sua cugina è partita da mezz'ora assieme a Tom, senza comunicare la propria destinazione. Due giorni dopo arriva un telegramma da una città del Minnesota firmato Henry C. Gatz, che chiede di rinviare il funerale fino al suo arrivo:

Il giorno del funerale Nick chiede al ministro luterano di aspettare ancora mezz'ora. Egli spera ancora che arrivi qualcuno. «Ma fu inutile. Non venne nessuno». In realtà una persona arriva, è l'ubriacone delle feste che Nick aveva trovato tre mesi prima nella biblioteca di Gatsby; costui esclama: «Ma perdio! Ci andavano a centinaia!» E aggiunge: «Povero bastardo!».

Dopo il funerale di Gatsby Nick riflette sull'America e in questo modo la tragedia di Gatsby viene ad identificarsi con la perdita dei miti e la fine del sogno americano. Nick decide di abbandonare l'est e di tornare a casa. L'ultima sera Nick scende alla spiaggia e si stende sulla sabbia lasciandosi andare ai ricordi e gli torna alla mente la capacità di meravigliarsi di Gatsby:

In questi puntini di sospensione si sente l'attimo di disperazione di Nick e poi la ricerca di un mito che dia senso all'assurdità dell'esistenza. Il romanzo si conclude con un'ultima frase che sembra essere un poscritto:

I personaggi
I personaggi sono resi con realistica bravura attraverso i loro gesti, il loro aspetto e la conversazione. Nick, il narratore e in questo caso anche il testimone, che come Fitzgerald è coinvolto alla vicenda, serve a renderne più evidente lo stacco dimensionale. Presente nell'opera è il commosso sentimento elegiaco anche nelle scene più drammatiche.

Lo stile

Scritto utilizzando in modo magistrale la tecnica dello scorcio, Fitzgerald riesce ad intrecciare gli avvenimenti presenti con quelli passati in nove brevi capitoli. Le scene sono concatenate rapidamente con un distacco obiettivo e la prosa, scorrevole e modulata, indica un cambiamento nella narrativa dello scrittore che si avvicina alla forma di Henry James e Joseph Conrad.

I temi
Numerosi sono i temi dell'opera, tra i quali spiccano quelli della mancanza di affetti autentici, del crollo dei miti, del peccato e dell'inferno. Ma il tema principale del romanzo è quello della solitudine, della incomunicabilità e dell'indifferenza. Nessuno comunica alle lussuose feste di Gatsby, che sono invece solo "entusiastici incontri tra gente che non si conosceva neanche di nome".

Il più solo di tutti i personaggi è appunto Gatsby, nella cui lussuosa villa si svolgono feste favolose a cui egli non partecipa. Tutto ciò che avviene nella sua casa avviene per il solo scopo di arrivare a Daisy.

Gatsby è il prototipo dell'uomo solo, da quando lo si vede per la prima volta nell'ora del crepuscolo fermo sul prato della sua lussuosa villa mentre guarda con gli occhi fissi la luce verde che si riflette sul pontile della casa di Daisy dall'altra parte della sponda, al momento del suo funerale. Mentre Gatsby è nella bara a Nick sembra di udire la sua voce che gli dice supplicando di fargli venire qualcuno perché così, da solo, non ce la fa più. Nick promette e dice:  ma "non venne nessuno". E sono proprio queste tre parole a sottolineare l'estrema solitudine di Gatsby. Nessuna parola arriva da Daisy, non c'è un fiore.
L'indifferenza, che aveva caratterizzato i personaggi di Daisy e Tom, raggiunge l'apice nella scena del funerale dove la pioggia aumenta il senso di tristezza e di solitudine.

Il senso di solitudine, l'indifferenza nei confronti degli altri, è dovuta al fatto, come sostiene Rollo May che "Quando si perde la capacità di vivere i propri miti, si perdono anche i propri dèi".
Nel romanzo vi è un simbolo che Fitzgerald usa per dimostrare questa teoria. Si tratta degli occhi del dottor T. J. Eckleburg che si scorgono su un grande cartellone pubblicitario a metà strada tra New York e West Egg. George Wilson sconvolto dal dolore per la morte della moglie fissa quel cartellone e non riesce ad allontanare lo sguardo da quegli occhi "azzurri e giganteschi" e a Michaelis, suo vicino di casa che gli dice che dovrebbe avere una chiesa alla quale rivolgersi in momenti così tragici, egli, parlando tra di sé, mormora: Non serve che l'amico gli dica che si tratta solamente di un cartellone pubblicitario, Wilson continua a fissarlo sconvolto.

Il cartellone che Wilson rimane a fissare è solamente un ingrandimento fotografico simbolo di un mondo che confonde la fotografia con la realtà, dove il denaro ha usurpato il ruolo di Dio e la pubblicità e il commercio trionfano.

Gatsby si può considerare come un "eroe romantico" nella sua accezione più lata e più profonda. Egli è infatti un personaggio destinato alla sconfitta, appare inadeguato al gretto mondo che lo circonda. È però proprio qui che risiede la sua grandezza: Gatsby infatti vive solo per un sogno ed è perfino disposto a morire per esso, un sogno chiamato Daisy. Un amore dal sapore universale ed esistenziale. La reggia, le macchine, il denaro, nulla ha importanza; paradossalmente la statura morale e spirituale del personaggio è immensa, e finisce così per nascondere il suo passato oscuro e criminoso.
Gatsby incarna la più istintiva purezza della natura umana, è proprio il suo desiderio così genuino che non gli darà scampo portandolo a una sorta di autodistruzione. La fine di Gatsby è infatti emotivo-passionale, la morte fisica ne è solo un semplice corollario.

La fortuna dell'opera
Il romanzo venne tradotto per la prima volta in Italia nel 1936 da C. Giardini con il titolo Gatsby il magnifico e nel 1950 da Fernanda Pivano con il titolo Il grande Gatsby.

Il libro venne rappresentato sulle scene nel 1926 dal drammaturgo Owen Davis e in opera musicale nel 1999 da John Harbison.
Da esso furono tratte anche quattro versioni cinematografiche: la versione muta del 1926, la versione del 1949 del regista Elliott Nugent interpretato da Alan Ladd e quella del 1974 con la regia di Jack Clayton e la sceneggiatura di Francis Ford Coppola interpretato da Robert Redford e Mia Farrow; la quarta versione cinematografica è uscita nelle sale italiane il 16 maggio del 2013 a firma del regista Baz Luhrmann con Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire e Carey Mulligan. Questa pellicola ha inaugurato il 66º Festival di Cannes.

Edizioni italiane

  - Collana Il bosco n.31, 1958; Collana Oscar n.35, 1965-1970; in Opere, Collezione I Meridiani, 1972; Collana Biblioteca, 1974; Collana Oscar classici moderni n.5, 1988; Collana I miti n.42, 1996; Introduzione di Alessandro Piperno, Collana La Biblioteca di Repubblica. I grandi della letteratura n.11, Gruppo L'Espresso, 2011; Collana ET n.1672, Einaudi, 2011; Collana Oscar, 2013-2016.
  - Introduzione di Walter Mauro, Collana GTE n.670, 2011; in I grandi romanzi e racconti, Introduzione di Walter Mauro, premesse di Massimo Bacigalupo, Giancarlo Buzzi e Walter Mauro, Collana Mammut n. 117, 2012; Collana Live n.2, 2013; Collana Minimammut, 2019.

  - Introduzione di Roberto Mussapi, Demetra, 2016.

  - Collana Grande Biblioteca, Rusconi, 2019; Collana I Classici, Foschi, 2019.

  - Collana Cuori ruggenti, Gingko Edizioni, 2012.

Note

Voci correlate
 Francis Scott Fitzgerald
 Di qua dal Paradiso
 Tenera è la notte

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Romanzi ambientati a New York

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home » Lifestyle » Pioneering Fashion Licensing Executive Ruth McCarthy Manton Dies at 95
Pioneering Fashion Licensing Executive Ruth McCarthy Manton Dies at 95
12/31/2020 Anne Klein, Obituary, Perry El
Ruth McCarthy Manton, 95, a pioneering executive in fashion licensing and branding, died Dec. 24 at her home in Boca Raton, Fla.
A memorial service will be held at a later date, perhaps in the spring, according to her daughter Kyle McCarthy.
Established as she was in the fashion industry in the Seventies through her business dealings with designer labels like Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Anne Klein, Isaac Mizrahi, and Perry Ellis, as well as "Charlie's Angel" star-turned-Kmart-designer Jaclyn Smith, Manton had previously become known through runs at Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. In fact, her career had even more incarnations. Before becoming a force on Seventh Avenue, she had been a ceiling-breaking journalist.
But it was through her own licensing company that she put all of her skills to use. With a background in marketing and journalism, she came up with the idea to put the designer with a manufacturer and the team that brings them to market under one roof. And, of course, she garnered royalties as a result of that, making her among the first independent entities to do that.
Born Ruth Constad in Brooklyn, she learned about the fashion industry as a youngster since her father, Irving Constad, was a textile broker, while her mother, the former Irene Klein, was a homemaker. After excelling at Erasmus Hall High School, Constad studied journalism and political science at Pennsylvania State University and earned a dual major B.A. During her undergraduate days she volunteered for the Quaker-led American Friends Service Committee, helping a team of physicians treat indigenous people in various parts of Mexico.
Designer Pierre Cardin Dies at 98, Life in Photos
After graduating in 1945 Manton started out as "a copy boy" at United Press International, having been one of the few female candidates to apply. She later became a features writer with her own byline, an anomaly at that time. In 1949 she relocated to UPI's Latin America bureau in Havana, where Francis McCarthy headed up the operation. He had witnessed and, from a phone booth, broken the story of Japanese forces' attack on Pearl Harbor. McCarthy later served as Gen. Douglas MacArthur's press attaché for the Pacific Theater during the war.
Constad's working relationship with McCarthy evolved into a romantic one and the pair married 18 months later. Her career also progressed over time, first as an investigative reporter for UPI in Latin America, and then later becoming publisher and editor in chief of the Havana Herald. She subsequently became an on-air reporter for ABC Radio at a politically charged time. In 1959, Fidel Castro seized control from then-President Fulgencio Batista, who fled Cuba in a private plane. The Havana-based journalist knew both men, as well as Che Guevara. After Castro publicly attacked the McCarthys for their media coverage of the revolution and issued warrants for their arrest, the couple went into hiding in 1960 before fleeing the island for the U.S. in the same private plane that had secured Batista's escape.
Back in New York in the early Sixties, Harper's Bazaar and later Vogue sought her investigative skills to rev up their coverage of the fashion industry. By that time she and her first husband had divorced. McCarthy was ahead of the Women's Liberation Movement since in the six years that she was at Harper's Bazaar, she was a working single mother with two young children. Her independent spirit also could be seen in her penchant for wearing pantsuits to work in the Sixties, before it was culturally acceptable to do so. Often criticized for doing that, Manton welcomed the arrival of Yves Saint Laurent's pantsuits, which she favored after they were introduced.
In 1967, Condé Nast titan S.I. Newhouse poached McCarthy by offering to double her salary to join Vogue, her son Keith McCarthy said. Before leaving the magazine as executive marketing director, she traveled the globe, attended runway shows and often commentated on them. As evidenced by her turned-out appearance, Manton valued self-presentation, dressing beautifully and being appropriately made-up. Her style signatures included a Chanel handbag and Louis Vuitton luggage.
During a Vogue holiday party in the mid-Seventies that she hosted in Europe, McCarthy met her future second husband, Welsh-born John Manton. In 1974, she switched career tracks again, at the request of Anne Klein's widower Chip Rubinstein and Lou Braff, who were looking for someone to create and oversee the designer company's licensing enterprises. She and Rubinstein helped to increase Anne Klein licenses by 30 percent, according to a WWD article in 1976.
Entering what was at the time relatively uncharted territory in fashion, Manton joined Anne Klein Studios as president at the end of 1974. Gracious, smart and well-educated as she was, above all else Manton was tough. "She stood up for herself when there weren't many women in any business, never mind the fashion business. She didn't take no for an answer. I guess journalism is what makes you tough. You have to ask some hard questions and put up with people slamming [down] phones on you, yelling at you or whatever. She was very tough in a very gracious way. You wouldn't know it the first time that you met her," her son said.
Three years later she ventured out on her own by starting Aries Design Management to link up designers with manufacturers for an expansive range of products, from apparel to accessories and home decor. She also supported young designers who worked for large conglomerates. With a robust marketing and journalism background, Manton grasped how exposure was essential to a licensing deal. "There is nothing worse for a designer than to license his name to a company that goes out of business in a couple of years," she told WWD in 1985. "A designer is not just looking for extra money anymore — a $150,000 minimum guaranteed order doesn't mean anything alone. Companies have to be willing to spend additional money for advertising and promoting that person's name."
That was around the time that Stan Herman got to know Manton through her husband, who had headed up the car rental business Avis and who had tapped the designer to create the company's uniforms. "A very powerful woman at a time when there weren't many powerful women," Manton was "a big information seeker and a connector. She wanted to know who was hot at the moment, who she could talk to and what the trends were. She was a businesswoman from top to bottom," Herman said.
Having the foresight to understand that mainstream America would relish affordable designer products, Manton knew that reaching the mass market would require enlisting TV and movie types and celebrities. After Manton mentioned her idea to create fashionable and affordable clothing with a celebrity to her film producer friend David Gil, he suggested Smith, whom he had recently worked with in the film "Nightkill." Creating Smith's line with Kmart in 1985 helped to solidify Manton's licensing might. To date, more than 100 million women have purchased a Jaclyn Smith-branded product, according to a Woman's World article with Manton.
A spokesman for Smith confirmed that figure Wednesday.
Manton's son recalled going to Smith's launch event at a Long Island shopping mall, where Martha Stewart was also making an appearance for a book. "It was a wonderful education in political oneupmanship, because they made sure Martha Stewart was at one end of the store and Jaclyn Smith was at the other end. Neither one of them knew that they were going to have to share the stage with the other," said Keith McCarthy, adding that Stewart had a line of about 20 women and Smith had a much younger, multiracial crowd of 200. "It gave me a quick understanding of what marketing is all about."
Another coup that year involved Manton pairing the legendary Elizabeth Taylor with Parfums International to create her "Passion" fragrance. Six years later, Taylor unveiled her "White Diamonds" scent, which revolutionized celebrity fragrances and which is said to still generate $80 million in revenue annually. Those cash cows allowed Manton to have a little largesse and easiness in her life, Herman said. "She was a bright woman. She knew her frailties and she used her strengths very well," he said.
Manton's portfolio also included Hardy Amies, Jill St. John and Adrienne Vittadini, among others. De la Renta, Valentino and Smith were among her favorites, according to her daughter, Kyle McCarthy. "When she started, people like Valentino weren't doing sheets, sunglasses and shoes. She got all of those designers into that aspect of licensing. She would work amongst her colleagues on Seventh Avenue and manufacturers to try to pair people in those fields, who did quality work," her daughter said. "She did a lot of home goods, only a few were clothing like the Anne Klein ready-to-wear. A lot of it was plates, sheets, swimwear, casual shoes and things like that."
But the Taylor fragrance deal was the jewel in her crown, according to Herman, who also knew Manton from the Hamptons. "The last time I saw her was in between the cucumbers and peppers at Schmidts, our grocery store out here [in the Hamptons]. She was always talking about new projects," he said.
In addition to her son and daughter, Manton is survived by her sister, Francine Riley.
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… und ewig siegt die Liebe (Originaltitel History Is Made at Night) ist ein US-amerikanischer Liebesfilm unter Regie von Frank Borzage aus dem Jahr 1937.

Handlung
Irene Vail fordert die Scheidung von ihrem Ehemann, dem prominenten Großindustriellen Bruce Vail. Die Ehe war von dem besitzergreifenden und eifersüchtigen Verhalten von Bruce geprägt, der seiner Frau fälschlicherweise Untreue unterstellte. Bruce versucht die Scheidung mit einer Gesetzesklausel zu verhindern, die eine Finalisierung der Scheidung verhindert, falls die Ehefrau innerhalb von sechs Monaten nach Einreichung der Scheidung ihrem Ehemann untreu geworden ist. Allerdings stellt der von Michael beauftragte Privatdetektiv Irenes tadelloses Verhalten fest. Daraufhin bezahlt Bruce seinen Chauffeur Michael dafür, in Irenes Hotelzimmer in Paris einzudringen und sie dort festzuhalten, damit man sie "auf frischer Tat" ertappen kann. Paul Dumond, der nur seinen betrunkenen Freund im Nachbarzimmer zu Bett bringen wollte, überhört die Situation und eilt Irene zur Hilfe. Er schlägt Michael nieder. Als Bruce und der Privatdetektiv in den Raum eindringen, gibt Paul vor, ein Einbrecher zu sein, nimmt Irenes Juwelen mit sich und "entführt" diese.

Paul hat die Entführung inszeniert, um Irene die Juwelen wiederzugeben zu können. Sie finden Gefallen aneinander und er lädt sie in das Restaurant Château Bleu ein, in dem er als Oberkellner arbeitet. Sie tanzen die ganze Nacht und verlieben sich Hals über Kopf. Unterdessen hegt Bruce den Verdacht, dass der angebliche Einbrecher der Liebhaber Irenes sein könnte. Der inzwischen wieder bei Bewusstsein befindliche Michael bestätigt den Verdacht, um der Paranoia seines Chefs zu entsprechen. Bruce erschlägt Michael, damit er dem Liebhaber seiner Frau den Mord in die Schuhe schieben kann. Als Irene morgens in fröhlicher Stimmung in ihr Hotelzimmer einkehrt, warten Bruce und die Polizei bereits in dem Zimmer. Alle außer Bruce glauben, dass der Einbrecher Michael auf dem Gewissen hat. Irene kehrt schweren Herzens mit Bruce in die Vereinigten Staaten zurück, wofür dieser ihr verspricht, dass seine Leute nicht weiter nach dem Mörder suchen.

Paul erfährt von der unerwarteten Versöhnung des Ehepaares aus der Zeitung und wundert sich darüber. Daraufhin reisen er und Cesare, sein bester Freund und Chefkoch des Château Bleu, ebenfalls in die USA. Es gestaltet sich allerdings schwerer als gedacht, Irene in New York zu finden. Paul und Cesare steigen in das heruntergekommene Restaurant Victor's ein, dass sie zu einem der besten Restaurants in New York machen – immer in der Hoffnung, dass Irene vorbeischaut. Diese hat sich inzwischen von Bruce unabhängig gemacht und hält sich als Modell über Wasser. Als aus Paris die Nachricht kommt, dass im Mordfall ein Verdächtiger verhaftet wurde, begibt sich Irene wieder in den Einflussbereich von Bruce, um dessen Hilfe für den Verdächtigen zu erbitten. Kurz vor ihrer geplanten Abreise nach Frankreich dinieren die Vails im Victor's und es kommt zu einem unverhofften Wiedersehen. Irene verlässt Bruce endgültig, doch auch ihre Zukunft mit Paul bleibt ungewiss: Nachdem Paul erfahren hat, dass er offenbar damals Michael getötet hat, will er die Tat gestehen, um nicht den falschen Mann büßen zu lassen.

Irene und Paul besteigen die Princess Irene in Richtung Frankreich, ein Rekordschiff, das im Auftrag von Bruce Vail entstand. Vail erfährt von seinen Mitarbeitern, dass Irene und Paul sich auf dem Schiff befinden; außerdem, dass die Polizei der Version von Irene und Paul glaubt, wonach der Tod von Michael ein Unfall und Bruce die Liebesintrige mit dem Chauffeur angestiftet hat. In seiner Wut befiehlt der fanatische Bruce per Funk dem Commodore, auf Höchstgeschwindigkeit zu fahren, um einen Weltrekord zu brechen – obwohl über dem Atlantik dichter Nebel liegt und Eisberge voraus sein könnten. Unweigerlich rammt die Princess Irene einen Eisberg. Als Bruce davon hört, begeht er Selbstmord und gesteht in seinem Abschiedsbrief den Mord an Michael. Paul versucht unterdessen Irene in einem der Rettungsboote unterzubringen, doch sie will bei ihm auf dem Schiff bleiben, auch wenn es den Tod bedeutet. Doch das gerammte Schiff bleibt unerwartet im stabilen Zustand und als die Passagiere davon hören, dass andere Schiffe zur Rettung nahen, bricht lauter Jubel aus.

Hintergrund
Der Filmproduzent Walter Wanger kam mit zwei Seiten Drehbuch und dem Filmtitel History Is Made at Night zu dem Regisseur Frank Borzage, der insbesondere für seine romantischen Filme bekannt waren. In den folgenden Monaten arbeiteten Wanger, Borzage und ein Team von Autoren an dem Drehbuch, das dennoch beim Start der Dreharbeiten noch nicht fertig war. So erfuhr der Film noch während seiner Produktion mehrere Änderungen: Gegen Ende der Dreharbeiten kam Wanger auf Idee, den Film mit einer Schiffskatastrophe enden zu lassen. Möglicherweise wollte Wanger an Erfolg des Erdbebenfilms San Francisco (1936) von Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer anknüpfen, zumindest entstanden in der Zeit nach San Francisco noch weitere Filme mit Katastrophen. Ursprünglich war Boyers Figur im Drehbuch tatsächlich als derjenige vorgesehen, der den Chauffeur – wenn auch versehentlich – erschlagen hatte. Als der Film dann einem Testpublikum gezeigt wurde, stellte sich heraus, dass die Zuschauer nicht mit Paul warm wurden und teilweise dem Ehemann Bruce mehr Sympathien zutrugen. Daraufhin wurden nochmals Szenen in Auftrag gegeben, die Bruce als Mörder des Chauffeurs zeigten.

Colin Clive, der Darsteller des Bruce, der für seine Darstellung von Filmkritikern bis heute viel Lob erhält, war während der Dreharbeiten von seinem Alkoholismus gezeichnet. Er starb nur drei Monate nach der Premiere des Films mit nur 37 Jahren. Alexander Toluboff war bei dem Film für das Szenenbild verantwortlich, Bernard Newman gestaltete die Kostüme, Frank Borzages jüngerer Bruder Lew Borzage war der erste Regieassistent.

Veröffentlichung
Wangers Produktionsfirma notierte am Ende an den Kinokassen einen kleinen Gewinn von 17,450 US-Dollar. In späteren Jahren war der Film abgesehen von einer VHS-Veröffentlichung nur schwer erhältlich, erschien aber 2021 im Regionalcode A (USA und Kanada) in der Criterion Collection als DVD und Blu-ray.

Kritiken
Dan Callahan von Slant Magazine nannte Borzages History Is Made at Night 2006 einen "Flickenteppich-Genreüberschreiter, der als eine der größten Errungenschaften seines Machers hervorsticht" (patchwork quilt genre bender that stands as one of its maker's supreme achievements). Der Film pendele zwischen verschiedenen Genres und lasse seine Liebhaber am Ende die für Borzage wichtige "spirituelle Liebe" erreichen. Die Verrücktheit des Filmes entspreche dabei den verrückten Gefühlen des Verliebtseins. "Borzage nimmt hier die besten Dinge aus mehreren Genres, um uns deren Erlebnisse intensiver fühlen zu lassen, er bespielt das Publikum wie ein Klavier oder ein besonders beseelter Liebhaber." Brian Darr betont ebenfalls Borzages Darstellung des Liebesthemas: wie kaum ein anderer Film Borzages aus den 1930ern zeige er anhand seiner Hauptfiguren das Lieblingsthema des Regisseurs – "die transformative Kraft des Glaubens an wahre Liebe" – auf.

Andrew Sarris bemerkte, History Is Made at Night sei "nicht nur der romantischte Titel in der Geschichte des Films, sondern auch ein profunder Ausdruck von Borzages Verpflichtung, die Liebe vor die Wahrscheinlichkeit zu setzen". Der Borzage-Biograf Hervé Dumont bemerkte, dass der befremdende Effekt von Genremischungen mit Blick auf die Produktionsgeschichte nicht beabsichtigt gewesen sei, aber dennoch das Gesamtwerk von Frank Borzage gut repräsentiere. Zudem halte der Film seine Zuschauer gefangen. History Is Made at Night zeige die Quintessenz des romantischen Hollywood-Kinos.

Der Filmdienst schreibt: "Mit Kriminalistik und Romantik gewürzte, intrigenreiche Tragikomödie. Bis zum im doppelten Sinne katastrophalen Ende ist das komplizierte Handlungsgerüst als gepflegte Unterhaltung aufbereitet."

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Filmtitel 1937
US-amerikanischer Film
Schwarzweißfilm
Filmdrama
Liebesfilm
Frank Borzage


You can multiply your style by 2211, with this classic piece of Danish design. The Arm Chair 2211 is the ultimate modernist style statement, and a mathematical triumph. Add one cubic shape to four linear fitted cushions, and you equal one comfortable seat that ticks every classic style requirement.
A popular choice for city apartments and executive lounge areas, the Arm Chair 2211 says designer, plus classic, plus style.
Upholstered in a range of full and semi-aniline leathers and fabrics, filled with flame-retardant urethane. Seat cushions filled with a feather and foam mix for extra comfort. Contact us if you would like to discuss a bespoke option.
Few designers combine science and beauty like Borge Mogensen. This supremely intelligent designer investigated the measurements of living spaces, then created furniture and storage systems designed to work perfectly in any home or office.
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Mogensen was highly mathematical in the way he designed his furniture, and this square chair shows his love of geometric shapes. The classic cube, upholstered in sumptuous Italian leather, is ideal for interiors that need to make best use of space, and will suit both the home and office.
Danish designer, Børge Mogensen, created the Arm Chair 2211 in the mid-sixties – a time when his designs were most influenced by functionalism and 'less is more' thinking. The result was sharp lines and mathematical perfection, effortlessly blending minimal looks with comfortable beauty.
The Arm Chair 2211 is one of the reasons why modernist Danish design is still sought-after and imitated today. A must for any lover of classic design, the 2211 Arm Chair tells the world you have great style.
Available in our full range of Italian leather finishes.


Description: Steel Mesh Patio Table Our steel mesh tables are made of extremely durable wrought iron material. This high quality table will be a great addition to any outdoor patio furniture area and it is an excellent choice for commercial or residential use. Dimensions: ITEM# SIZE WEIGHT OMT30 30″ Round Steel Mesh Patio Table 27 OMT36 36″ Round Steel Mesh Patio Table 30 OMT48 48″ Round Steel Mesh Patio Table 35 • Available color: Powder coated in black • With umbrella hole. • Please contact our Sales Department for the availability of rectangle sizes.


text:
លេខកូដ: BK1S01982
Real estate titan, bestselling author, and TV impresario Donald J. Trump reveals the secrets of his success in this candid and unprecedented book of business wisdom and advice. Over the years, everyone has urged Trump to write on this subject, but it wasn't until NBC and executive producer Mark Burnett asked him to star in The Apprentice that he realized just how hungry people are to learn how great personal wealth is created and first-class businesses are run. Thousands applied to be Trump's apprentice, and millions have been watching the program, making it the highest rated debut of the season.
In Trump: How To Get Rich, Trump tells all–about the lessons learned from The Apprentice, his real estate empire, his position as head of the 20,000-member Trump Organization, and his most important role, as a father who has successfully taught his children the value of money and hard work.
With his characteristic brass and smarts, Trump offers insights on how to
• invest wisely
• impress the boss and get a raise
• manage a business efficiently
• hire, motivate, and fire employees
• negotiate anything
• maintain the quality of your brand
• think big and live large
Plus, The Donald tells all on the art of the hair!
With his luxury buildings, award-winning golf courses, high-stakes casinos, and glamorous beauty pageants, Donald J. Trump is one of a kind in American business. Every day, he lives the American dream. Now he shows you how it's done, in this rollicking, inspirational, and illuminating behind-the-scenes story of invaluable lessons and rich rewards.
DONALD J. TRUMP is the very definition of the American success story, continually setting standards of excellence while expanding his interests in real estate, gaming, sports, and entertainment. Aside from The Apprentice, Trump and NBC are also partners in the ownership and broadcast rights for the three largest beauty competitions in the world.
ប្រភេទសៀវភៅ វិធីសាស្ត្រជំនួញ
អ្នកនិពន្ធ TRUMP Donald ; McIVER Meredith
ចំនួនទំព័រ 320
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Can go but bigger but not comfortable.
please notice that this dress is from year 2007. It is in good condition considered it's age. No noticable damages.
I bought this dress from LM but it does not fit me 100% right so I let it go. I paid $422 and will sell it at the same price. Last owner's account is manasan.
I have a parrot but will air the dress before shipping it.
Buyer pays shipping fees from Finland.


Sweet and tender sundried tomatoes, crisp veggies, and salty proscuitto compliment each other perfectly in this classic recipe for an antipasto-inspired pasta salad.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta; cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. One minute before the pasta is cooked, add sun-dried tomatoes, to plump and soften.
Drain pasta and tomatoes in a colander and transfer to a serving bowl. Add vinaigrette and the remaining salad ingredients, except for prosciutto, and toss together until evenly dressed. Divide salad onto four plates and top with prosciutto strips.
To turn this salad into a panzanella salad: Swap the pasta for Italian bread slices that have been brushed with olive oil, grilled, and cubed. Swap the sun-dried tomatoes and fennel for grilled zucchini and bell pepper slices. Swap the balsamic vinaigrette for Mustard-Herb Vinaigrette.
To turn this salad into a summer grain salad: Swap the pasta for cooked farro, long-grain rice, or Israeli couscous. Swap the sun-dried tomatoes for chopped grilled asparagus and yellow bell peppers. Swap the balsamic vinaigrette for Citrus Vinaigrette.


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Sefolosha, Fenerbahce agree to deal
BY foxsports • October 12, 2011
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha has signed to play for Turkish club Fenerbahce during the NBA lockout.
Sefolosha says in a statement that he will fly to Istanbul on Thursday after signing the deal on Tuesday. It includes an exit clause that allows him return to the United States if the NBA lockout ends.
The NBA has canceled the first two weeks of the season, which was scheduled to begin Nov. 1.
Sefolosha started 79 games in the regular season and all 17 playoff games as the Thunder reached the Western Conference finals last season. The Swiss player averaged 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Nets draft pick Bojan Bogdanovic also signed with Fenerbahce in June.


MFC, CListCtrl text length limit?
Is there a text length limit in a CLIstCtrl's column?
My program acts funny when A LOT of data is loaded into my list control.
>Is there a text length limit in a CLIstCtrl's column?
>My program acts funny when A LOT of data is loaded into my list control.
> Do you mean a limit on the length of a string or the total number of rows?
> On Thu, 7 Nov 2002 16:13:24 -0500, "Thomas Langhame"
> >Is there a text length limit in a CLIstCtrl's column?
> >My program acts funny when A LOT of data is loaded into my list control.
On Fri, 8 Nov 2002 16:22:12 -0500, "Thomas Langhame"
4. Length limit for variable names in your language?
5. Command Object Parameter Length Limit????
6. Limit on expression length in conditional breakpoint ?
8. CFileDialog - Limits On Filter String Length?
11. Item count limit to CListCtrl?


text:
Surprising Science — December 8, 2011
What Humanity Needs Most: 'The City 2.0'
The 2012 TED Prize has been awarded not to a person, but to an idea: The City 2.0. With half of the planet already living in urban centers, few issues could be important in the future.
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For the first time, the 2012 TED prize has been given not to an individual but to an idea: The City 2.0. With half of Earth's population already living in urban centers, and that number expected to grow, fewer issues could be more important in the years ahead. "Cities are the great hope for our future," said Chris Anderson, curator of TED. While thinking of who to award this year's prize to, the answer slowly became clear: "This theme of the importance of cities for the future of planet earth kept coming up."
The purpose of the TED prize is to 'ignite a massive collaboration project' which, in the case of cities, will not mean designing yet another utopian vision of the future. Instead, a panel of experts in the areas of architecture, the economy, urban planning and social science will be consulted about how to make current cities better. The panel will be given a 'wish' as well as $100,000 to help make that wish come true. "The exact wish—and the panel of experts crafting it—will be revealed at the 2012 TED conference in Long Beach on February 29."
Photo credit: shutterstock.com
The Race to Replace Silicon Semiconductors
We've enjoyed exponential increases in computing power that have driven down the price of consumer electronics. All that may be about to end unless an alternative to silicon can be found.


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Nico Iamaleava Already Showing Off His 'Raw Skills' and 'Arm Talent'
Author: Ethan Moore Published Date: December 22, 2022
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava with Joe Milton III at practice in Knoxville. Photo by Rocky Top Insider/Ric Butler.
It's not every day that the Tennessee football program welcomes the second-ranked overall prospect in the entire recruiting class to town. However, with five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, that's been the exact case this week in Knoxville.
The highly-touted quarterback officially made his practice debut last week as the Volunteers began the bowl practice schedule. While the next few weeks won't be about anything more than just getting acclimated and setting personal expectations, it is a great opportunity for just that.
"You get a chance to sit in meetings," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said on Wednesday about the early enrollees at practice this month. "You get a chance to go out there and do a lot of individual work. You get a chance to compete in some 1-on-1 situations. As much as anything, I think they learn the tempo of the game. They learn what it feels like to be a college athlete. I think it creates urgency in the way they prepare when they get back to campus."
Still, though, Heupel has already seen "a lot" of impressive things from the lone quarterback addition in Tennessee's class.
"Got a chance to see him in person and on tape, too," Heupel said about Iamaleava on Wednesday. "He's athletic, and I say that meaning that he understands his body. He can self-correct and get himself in the position as he's learned what it should feel like in the pocket in a few short days. He can already start to correct himself, he understands when something happens, why it's happening. That's only going to continue to heighten."
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound quarterback from Long Beach, California is Tennessee's fourth-highest-ranked commit in program history. 247 Sports ranked Iamaleava as the No. 2 player in the 2023 class, the No. 2 quarterback in the class behind Arch Manning, and the No. 1 player from the state of California.
Iamaleava looked to have made his practice debut last Friday before the media had the chance to see him in person during practice on Saturday.
"Obviously, the raw skills are there," Heupel said about Iamaleava. "Arm talent and extremely athletic and explosive inside of the pocket. Can make plays with his feet. In a short amount of time, we've been able to see those things already."
More from RTI: Where Tennessee's Recruiting Class Ranks After Early Signing Day
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava at practice in Knoxville. Photo by Rocky Top Insider/Ric Butler.
One of the more talked-about photos from last week was of Iamaleava's first practice in Knoxville when the young quarterback was being mentored by starting Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III – which was also very evident in the media's viewing of practice on Saturday.
With five years of collegiate experience under his belt, there are few people better to learn from within the Tennessee program than a locker room leader and a veteran like Milton.
"Our relationship is just now growing," Milton said on Wednesday about Iamaleava. "At first he was a recruit, now he's a player here. He wants to learn. He wants to be better. He wants to know what I know – about the offense, about life period. But he's a great kid, man. He's willing to learn, willing to ask questions, not scared to ask questions. I feel like our relationship is just now starting, but it also feels like I've known him for a while, too."
And, for those wondering, Tennessee officially cleared up a long-standing question from the fanbase since Iamaleava's commitment in early 2022.
It's ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va.
Setting the record straight:
ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va @nico_iamaleava8 pic.twitter.com/UbmaY14TiL
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 21, 2022
Tagged Arm, Iamaleava, Nico, Raw, Showing, Skills, Talent
← Everything Josh Heupel Said About Tennessee's National Signing Class
VFL Makes Pro Bowl for Fifth Time →


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Il dottor Arrowsmith (Arrowsmith ) è un romanzo dello scrittore statunitense Premio Nobel per la letteratura Sinclair Lewis, pubblicato in originale nel 1925, in Italia nel 1934 edito da Mondadori. Racconta la storia di un medico totalmente dedito alla ricerca scientifica e dei suoi tentativi di difendere il proprio impegno dai continui condizionamenti esterni.

Il libro vinse nel 1926 il Premio Pulitzer. Lo scrittore però rifiutò di riceverlo, spiegando che riteneva i premi letterari un pericolo per la libertà di espressione dello scrittore, e che considerava il Pulitzer uno dei peggiori in questo senso, richiedendo espressamente di conformare le opere ai "più elevati standard di comportamento ed umanità americana".

Nel 1931 dal libro fu tratto un film che nella versione originale conservò il titolo dell'opera letteraria mentre nel nostro paese fu modificato in Un popolo muore. La regia fu di John Ford che ricevette 4 nomination al premio Oscar.

Trama
Martino Arrowsmith è sempre stato affascinato dai misteri del corpo umano, fin da quando ancora ragazzo era solito aiutare il vecchio medico del paese dove era nato. Ecco perché, terminato gli studi liceali, la strada della facoltà di medicina nell'università statale diventa il naturale trampolino di lancio per i suoi sogni di gloria. Qui le sue speranze trovano un forte stimolo negli insegnamenti del professor Gottlieb, specialista di microbiologia che nel mondo degli organismi unicellulari cerca la strada per la cura delle malattie più pericolose. L'impatto iniziale è poco incoraggiante, ma l'entusiasmo e le capacità di Martino hanno la meglio sulle diffidenze dell'austero insegnante, la cui passione per la ricerca ed il rigore si trasmettono con forza nell'allievo. Sono anche gli anni delle prime esperienze con l'altro sesso, e la relazione con la bella ma formale Madelina diventa presto una schermaglia tra due caratteri troppo distanti. Ecco perché l'incontro con la più spontanea e vitale Leora si trasforma a sua volta in un fidanzamento, in cui il giovane prova per la prima volta la gioia dell'unione tra anime affini. Complice l'alcol, per uscire dalla scomoda situazione Martino non trova di meglio che far incontrare le due ragazze, liberandosi così di Madelina, ma presto anche Leora è costretta a lasciarlo, richiamata a casa propria, nel Nord Dakota. La tensione lasciata da questi eventi, unita a quella degli impegni universitari, porta il giovane ad una crisi nervosa, che lo spinge alla fuga ed al vagabondaggio. Un periodo confuso a cui mette termine recandosi a trovare Leora, incontrando l'ostilità della sua famiglia, convinta di avere a che fare con un avventuriero inaffidabile. La reazione di Martino è al solito istintiva, con un matrimonio lampo che mette i Tozer davanti al fatto compiuto, a cui comunque aggiunge un solenne impegno a rendersi degno di quell'unione. Tornato all'università, si applica con questo stimolo agli studi, terminandoli brillantemente, ed impegnandosi nel successivo periodo di pratica ospedaliera con la prospettiva di un impiego da medico condotto nel paese natale di Leora.

Nel frattempo il professor Gottlieb ha dovuto subire una serie di cocenti sconfitte, causate dalla propria irruenza ed incapacità di rapportarsi con un mondo in cui il lato commerciale conta più del rigore scientifico. Cacciato dalla cattedra, finisce per accettare un posto in un'azienda farmaceutica, per cui porta a termine una scoperta rivoluzionaria, che rischia di finire brevettata contro la sua esplicita volontà. A salvarlo dalla situazione arriva l'insperata offerta di un prestigioso centro di ricerca, in cui si affretta a trasferirsi. Di tutti questi sviluppi Martino è totalmente all'oscuro, essendosi trasferito in Nord Dakota, dove la dura vita del medico di campagna sembra assorbirlo totalmente, fino al giorno in cui una conferenza risveglia la sua anima di ricercatore. Il suo impegno nel campo dell'igiene pubblica trova però l'incomprensione dell'ambiente rurale, rendendo inevitabile lo spostamento in una località meno chiusa e provinciale, che si rivela a sua volta  problematica. E questo non solo per il carattere del direttore dell'ufficio di igiene locale, a dir poco bizzarro, quanto per l'avvenenza della sua figlia maggiore, a cui Martino non riesce a resistere, minacciando il proprio matrimonio. Ma ancora una volta è l'incapacità di piegarsi alle esigenze politiche che costringe la famiglia Arrowsmith ad una nuova partenza, che li porta a Chicago, dove Martino ottiene un buon impiego in una splendida struttura privata. Una soluzione che accontenterebbe qualunque medico, ma non il dottor Arrowsmith. E così, dopo aver ricevuto da parte del dottor Gottlieb un invito a lavorare presso la struttura di ricerca che lo ospita, la sua natura di scienziato si desta istantaneamente, imponendogli l'abbandono della comoda posizione.

A New York finalmente Martino trova il suo ambiente naturale, e si mette al lavoro con un entusiasmo che nemmeno l'entrata in guerra del proprio paese diminuisce. Una scoperta importante sembra finalmente ripagare il suo impegno, un misterioso agente capace di colpire e debellare alcuni batteri patogeni. Ma l'entusiasmo svanisce di colpo con la notizia di essere stato preceduto da un collega francese dell'Istituto Pasteur; passata la delusione, si rimette al lavoro per svilupparne una cura, scegliendo come obiettivo la peste. Così, quando una grave epidemia colpisce una piccola isola caraibica, Martino viene inviato con il fido Sondelius per mettere alla prova il proprio ritrovato, seguito anche da Leora, desiderosa di condividere il destino del marito in questa rischiosa impresa. Ed in effetti i tre si ritrovano presto in una situazione di grave pericolo, anche per l'incapacità delle autorità locali di far fronte alla crisi. Tocca al vulcanico Sondelius rimettere ordine e dare il via alle misure necessarie, mentre Martino si ritrova a lottare tra le necessità contrastanti della propria sperimentazione e la volontà di alleviare le sofferenze della popolazione. Decide di proseguire nella strada del rigore, malgrado la morte dell'amico, e si sposta in una zona isolata per poter lavorare tranquillamente, dove incontra Joyce Lanyon, una donna al cui fascino non riesce a rimanere insensibile. Cosa che rende ancora più straziante la scoperta di aver perduto anche Leora, uccisa dalla peste in sua assenza, e guidato dalla disperazione abbandona la sperimentazione per occuparsi solamente della cura delle persone. Debellata finalmente l'epidemia, al suo ritorno in patria viene acclamato come salvatore, rendendo ancora più amara la consapevolezza di aver fallito come scienziato, a cui reagisce immergendosi nuovamente nello studio e nella ricerca. Ritrovata l'affascinante e ricchissima Joyce, si lascia trascinare in un mondo a lui alieno, scoprendo dopo il matrimonio di dover venire a patti con una quantità di nuove convenzioni. L'amore però non basta a cancellare una vocazione così potente, e nemmeno la nascita di un figlio può fare molto contro la sua natura di scienziato. Martino si ribella ad una vita da perfetto gentleman, preferendo la libertà di un laboratorio sperduto nel nulla ad un destino confortevole ma futile.

Personaggi
Martino Arrowsmith. Sospinto dall'entusiasmo per la scienza e le sue grandi promesse, si getta nella ricerca con tutto il vigore della gioventù, per scoprire col tempo quanto sia difficile conciliare rigore e compassione. E quanto la vita dello scienziato possa essere esigente e povera di soddisfazioni.
Max Gottlieb. Votato totalmente al rigore e alla precisione del laboratorio, è l'esempio dell'uomo inflessibile, che fallisce regolarmente ogni qual volta si ritrova ad affrontare le convenzioni sociali.
Leora Tozer. Giovane donna che nella dedizione all'uomo che ama è disposta a sacrificarsi totalmente, domandando solo il minimo di fedeltà che il suo modesto orgoglio richiede.
Gustavo Sondelius. Personaggio dotato di una vitalità sfrenata, coraggioso ed allo stesso tempo capace di compassione ed impegno totale, anche se non sempre coerente nei mezzi con i fini.
Angus Pickerbaugh. Uomo di fede che ha messo a disposizione della causa della salute pubblica la propria smisurata eloquenza, che rende superflua qualsiasi competenza medica. Un ciarlatano di grande successo che nella politica trova naturalmente la via perfetta per la propria affermazione.

Genesi dell'opera e contenuti
Sinclair Lewis, dopo aver ottenuto un lusinghiero successo con la pubblicazione di La via principale e Babbit, aveva inizialmente in mente un'opera incentrata sulla figura del sindacalista Eugene Debs. Furono i suoi amici Henry Mencken e Morris Fishbein a dargli l'idea di affrontare il tema del mondo scientifico medico, e nacque così il personaggio di Martino Arrowsmith, figura di medico idealista votato al rigore della ricerca, che per questo è costretto a doversi continuamente difendere da un mondo orientato da logiche commerciali. L'argomento era inedito per la letteratura all'epoca, e costituì un precedente che fornì spunti ed ispirazioni a generazioni di studenti e medici. La scelta di un protagonista così fortemente caratterizzato fu probabilmente anche legata alla volontà di presentare un personaggio meno controverso e con cui pubblico e critica potessero identificarsi con più facilità rispetto ai protagonisti delle sue opere precedenti. Nella propria presentazione biografica rilasciata in occasione del Nobel, Lewis manifestò comunque la propria preferenza per il personaggio di Gustavo Sondelius.

Come consulente per le questioni scientifiche Lewis contattò il microbiologo Paul de Kruif, che accettò di aiutare lo scrittore, contribuendo in modo sostanziale all'opera, ed insieme si spinsero anche in un viaggio nella zona caraibica, per conoscere da vicino i luoghi dove si svolge l'episodio cruciale dell'epidemia. De Kruif aveva da poco dovuto abbandonare un incarico presso l'Istituto Rockefeller per la ricerca medica, in seguito alla pubblicazione di un proprio scritto in cui criticava fortemente lo stato della medicina nel paese, e gli echi di questa polemica sono chiaramente presenti nel libro.

Edizioni

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Romanzi di critica sociale
Romanzi di autori statunitensi
Romanzi di Sinclair Lewis