Dirac is a company that to date we haven't had much opportunity to cover here at AnandTech, however they are a more important player in the audio industry than one might think. Back in December the company had announced the release of "Dirac Bass" for smartphones, with the promise to be able to achieve significantly better audible bass responses on conventional mobile smartphone speakers.
Talking about audio quality in technical terms on a site like AnandTech is much like opening up Pandora's box – simply because the topic is very complex and to be able to evaluate things in a data-driven manner requires a lot of pre-requites and high entry-barriers such as measurement hardware, and it's easy to get things wrong.
2018 has in my opinion a year in which many smartphone vendors put a lot of focus in improving the speaker output quality of their products, with many flagships such as the Galaxy S9 notably improving on the acoustic playback capabilities. We've also seen vendors like LG try to put special emphasis on their speaker hardware design, as well as Apple's new iPhone XS' series advertising the wider sound reproduction achieved in the new models. It's also where attempted to introduce a new rather pragmatic speaker evaluation methodology with the review of the LG G7 and carried that over to other reviews such as the iPhone XS piece.
At the core of designing better speaker playback experiences isn't just simply better hardware, but nowadays software signal processing plays a crucial role in getting the most out of whatever audio hardware is available. In fact, improved software processing has been the main cause for improved speaker audio experience in many 2018 smartphones.
We've met up with the Dirac team at CES 2019 and I was able to first-hand experience demos on new products such as the new Dirac Bass. To my surprise, the Dirac team revealed that software solutions such as Dirac Power Sound are already actively used in some popular flagship devices such as the OnePlus 6 and 6T, and are able to improve the audio listening experience significantly. At the show Dirac had a few smartphones available, but the most impressive demonstration was performed on a Razer Phone (which doesn't come with Dirac by default). The phone was using an after-market solution on top of the device's default audio stack, as this allowed the demonstration to A/B test the software processing turned on and off.
It's here where covering such topics (without measurement hardware at hand) becomes subjective in their description, but the difference in the audio stage and bass reproduction was notable and significant. Products such as Dirac Power Sound are essentially target flat equalisation packages that optimise the frequency response of that specific speaker hardware.
Compared to similar solutions, Dirac Bass enables more natural, cleaner and deeper bass sound thanks to the detailed control of the artificially-generated overtones through completely new and proprietary advanced sound processing techniques. The breakthrough solution utilizes a dynamic NLD (non-linear device) that replaces the bass tones with the overtones most suitable for a given input signal. This extends the audible region by up to three octaves – enabling bass tones as deep as 30 Hz to be audible in smartphone speakers. Together, these innovations place Dirac Bass well ahead of other existing solutions.
The important disclosure here is the dynamic NLD mention, meaning Dirac is a more complex audio processing scheme than simply changing the amplitude at given frequencies. At the demonstration, the difference was definitely audible, but I would have loved to actually see the FR difference in a measurement setup and what kind of results we would have seen.
Dirac discloses that it's currently being actively used by OnePlus, OPPO and Xiaomi products, alongside other manufacturers in the automotive space such as BMW, Rolls Royce and Volvo.
As mobile vendors continue to try to improve their handset's speaker quality, packages such as offered by Dirac look to offer some excellent solutions in order to achieve this goal. If one thing that 2018's device have demonstrated, is that this is certainly a low-hanging fruit avenue to improving mobile device audio quality, and I'm looking forward to see what vendors in 2019 will be able to offer.
The history of this effect in music production *also* sort of pours water on the idea that this was invented from whole cloth by this company. Maybe their special sauce is the real-time implementation of it on mobile tech, and other companies handy with a DSP could compete if it takes off?
I wonder if this is done similar to how beam forming works by delaying certain frequencies by a small amount to give the effect that it from a different direction.
I've tinkered with this a bit in a programmable DSP and it was consuming the a ton of processing power. Granted, I strongly suspect that this due to how my implementation worked with multiple delays, but it was still shocking. A 16 frequency band, 5 direction steering solution was consuming ~70% of the DSP for a single channel and I probably could get this below 20% with some optimizations but that is a lot.


Was J. Edgar Hoover a Hero or Villain? YOU Be the Judge!
History tends to judge our past leaders as extremes: Abraham Lincoln was an American hero! Benedict Arnold was a traitor! As teachers, it's tempting at times to present a world as black and white to our students: good or evil, friend or foe, hero or villain. Use this J. Edgar Hoover mini-poster to help students take off the rose-colored glasses and see beyond the established historical narratives and into the real world of gray. ©2016. 11 x 17 inches. Cardstock.


text:
The Weekender: 'Friends', Carpenter & Nintendo
This Stunning Trailer For 'Paradise Hills' Is A Feast For Your Eyes
A24 is Bringing Summer Movie Series to Billboards Around the Country
Fan Made Faux Intro for 'Stranger Things' Spinoff 'Hopper P.I." Captures 80's in All It's Glory
SDCC 2019: Shudder Will Debut Sneak Peek of 'Creepshow' at Comic-Con
David Harbour is David Harbour in the Netflix Mockumentary 'Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, Frankenstein'
REVIEW: Sword of Trust Examines Truth in an Age of Fake News
Review: Ari Aster Flexes His Directorial Muscles In The Astonishing Waking Nightmare That Is 'Midsommar'
Review: 'Spider-Man: Far from Home' Checks Its Baggage for a Fun Trip
Bring the Madness of 'Midsommar' Home with the Bear Action Figure From A24
SDCC 2019: Mondo Unleashes "MONDOIDS" Series 1 Vinyl Figures and SDCC Exclusive
SDCC 2019: Super7 Announces 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Exclusive Pizza Figure
Fest & Cons
SDCC 2019: 'The World of Cyberpunk 2077' Earns Lore Book at Dark Horse
SDCC 2019: Adult Swim Brings More Fan Fun To San Diego Comic Con
Fantastic Fest
Nightmare Junkhead EP 188: Child's Play 2019
Nightmare Junkhead EP 187: Halloween Commentary
Nightmare Junkhead EP 186: Powerbomb
Forever Bogus
Horrorversary
Media Rewind
Nightmare Junkhead
Scary Stories from Camp Roanoke
Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Set Comes in an Incredible Shadow Box
KC Canton·
Credit: HBO
FacebookTwitterTumblrReddit
The Game of Thrones Complete Collection is housed in stunning wooden shadow box illustrated by Robert Ball. The Complete Collection Includes Never-Before-Seen Reunion of Cast Past and Present Hosted by Conan O'Brien. Here are the details!
Rally the realm on December 3rd as HBO is releasing all eight epic seasons of one of the most talked about programs in TV history with Game of Thrones®: The Complete Collection, an ultra-premium, limited-edition Blu-ray™ set. This must-have collectible exclusively features Game of Thrones: Reunion Special, a two-part reunion show with cast members from the final season including Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner and more, as well as previously departed fan-favorites like Sean Bean, Jason Momoa, Mark Addy and others. Hosted by Emmy®-award winning host Conan O'Brien, the reunion was shot in front of a live audience in Belfast and includes segments of footage from both the show and behind-the-scenes, highlighting a variety of topics that are sure to captivate fans.
Also Arriving on December 3rd:
Game of Thrones: Season 8 on DVD/Blu-ray™
Game of Thrones: Season 8 Steelbook Blu-ray™ & 4K Ultra HD
Game of Thrones: The Complete Series on DVD/Blu-ray™
Additional bonus content includes all-new deleted and extended scenes, animated histories and lore pieces, fascinating behind-the-scene featurettes, audio commentaries and the documentary featured on DVD in two parts, Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, by filmmaker Jeanie Finlay.
Game of Thrones®: The Complete Collection is packaged in a visually stunning wooden shadow box case, featuring beautiful, multi-layered panel designs by Robert Ball (the artist behind the "Beautiful Death" series) that summarize the Game of Thrones story. Each season is represented by a different layer, showcasing iconic characters and memorable moments from the show, all clambering toward the Iron Throne. The set also contains a "Hand of the King" pin clasp, which holds all nine custom plated disc sleeves.
Check out the official unboxing video:
Based on the best-selling novel series by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones holds the record as the most awarded series in television history, earning a total of 132 Emmy® nominations and 47 wins to date. The megahit drama also stands as HBO's most-viewed program ever, with the final season averaging a record-setting 44 million viewers in the U.S.
The ensemble cast includes Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) and Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont).
HBO will also release Game of Thrones: Season 8 in a stunning 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™ Steelbook, and the single season DVD/Blu-ray™. Additionally, Game of Thrones: The Complete Series will also be available on DVD/Blu-ray™ without the collectible packaging. These sets are loaded with extra content and will also be available to own on December 3rd.
Game of Thrones®: The Complete Collection and Game of Thrones: The Complete Series on Blu-ray Bonus Features Include:
• Game of Thrones: Reunion Special: A reunion show shot live in Belfast with the cast, both past and present, hosted by Conan O'Brien and available exclusively on these complete series collections. The reunion special is assembled in segments focused on Houses Lannister, Stark, & Targaryen and concludes with the key players all onstage for their final reflections on the years they shared in Westeros and Essos.
• Bonus content and retail exclusive videos from previously released individual season box sets, totaling more than 15 hours of extra materials for fans to explore when they've finished watching the series.
Complete Series and Season 8 formats also exclusively feature:
• Game of Thrones: The Last Watch: A documentary featured on DVD in two parts by filmmaker Jeanie Finlay chronicling the making of the final season.
• When Winter Falls: Exclusive 30-minute featurette with showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with major stars and behind-the-scenes players, breaking down all that went into the colossal filming of the "Battle of Winterfell" in Season 8, Episode 3.
• Duty is the Death of Love: A compelling look at how the team behind Game of Thrones and its major stars, including Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke, brought the show to its conclusion in the series finale, "The Iron Throne."
• Audio Commentaries: 10 Audio Commentaries with cast and crew, including the show's creators, Benioff and Weiss, on the final season.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes: 5 never-before-seen deleted or extended scenes from season 8.
• Histories and Lore: New animated pieces giving the history and background of notable season 8 locations and storylines.
Game of ThronesHBO
KC Canton
Branden Pickrell·
Film & TVThe Weekender
Adrian Torres·
Boom Howdy Team
© Copyright Boom Howdy 2019
Horror Netflix SXSW Podcast SDCC
Evil Emanates From 'The Haunting of Hill House' Official Trailer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
One billion dollars invested in Afghanistan; more to follow
Brussels, 6 October 2016 — "Since 2001, AKDN and its partners have channelled over $1 billion to enhance self-reliance and improve the quality of life of Afghans," said Mawlana Hazar Imam yesterday, and he indicated that more will follow in the years ahead.
Gallery: Agreement between State of Illinois and the Ismaili Imamat
Mawlana Hazar Imam visited Chicago on 4 November 2011, where he and Illinois State Governor Patrick Quinn signed an Agreement of Cooperation between the State of Illinois and the Ismaili Imamat.
Mawlana Hazar Imam signs agreement between the Ismaili Imamat and the State of Illinois
Chicago, 4 November 2011 – At the invitation of Illinois State Governor Patrick Quinn, Mawlana Hazar Imam travelled to Chicago today to sign an Agreement of Cooperation between the State of Illinois and the Ismaili Imamat. During the visit, Hazar Imam and Governor Quinn also held talks on a range of issues of mutual interest, including early childhood education and media and communications.
Nanga Parbat - Hike to raise awareness of thalassemia
The United Arab Emirates Thalassemia Society and Pakistani Thalassemia Society joined hands in an effort to increase awareness of this blood disorder which occurs most frequently in people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Southern Asian and African ancestry. About 100 000 babies worldwide are born with severe forms of thalassemia each year.
Forays into the global village
Sabeen Virani talks about the growing phenomenon of young people across North America going overseas to study, work, or volunteer. She recounts her own experience in Syria as well as other individuals' ventures to places like Sudan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uganda.
(-) Remove State of Illinois filter State of Illinois
(-) Remove Brussels filter Brussels
(-) Remove Nanga Parbat filter Nanga Parbat


PLEASE NOTE: Announcements will no longer be mailed. Make sure to sign up for our Industrial Firefighting email to receive registration announcements!
Registration is now open! Please register for the class you want below.
Register by July 8th for the early bird discount.
Click on the red register button for the class you want!
We have received several questions recently about where to start with Industrial Fire Training offered during Annual School.


For the third portrait of UIPI Feature Series on Building Heritage, we head to the Belgian linguistic border to meet a young owner who is putting tremendous efforts into renovating his family castle.
The Hasselbrouck castle is located in the heart of the Hesbaye in the Belgian Province of Limburg. The castle belongs to Charles Sagehomme's family since 1840. It is listed as a protected building since 1974 and is considered a jewel of the Enlightenment, adorned with majestic stucco decorations. The initial building was erected around the 1620s, a U-shaped structure designed in Mosan Renaissance style. Around the 1770s, a magnificent neo-classical construction was added next to the main building. It used to belong to the Privy Counsellor of the Prince Bishop of Liège and was formerly located in the Principality of Liège. Charles and his wife are progressively renovating the building.
"It is important to raise interest and awareness for the preservation of heritage properties and encourage initiative at an early age."
Charles, tell us about yourself? Why did you decide to take over such a great responsibility so young?
Since my childhood, I have always been passionate about buildings and our family's heritage. When I was eight years old, I made a building model and designed plans for a construction project my family was involved in. After studying management engineering, I naturally chose a career in the management and renovation of large-scale real estate properties. In 2004, after the death of a great uncle, the property was left to us in such a state that it needed a complete renovation. So, my family only had two choices: either to keep it and carry out the overhaul project ourselves or sell it. Together with my wife, after carefully analysing the feasibility, we decided to meet the challenge and save this exceptional family building.
I want to safeguard a heritage of great quality. I am also trying to preserve its familial and inhabited character so that it does not lose its soul and its cachet. My biggest pride is to preserve the property while maintaining its original historical character.
How is it like to live in a place like this that bridges our past and future?
For us, the historical character and familial legacy of this house is important. But at the same time, it has to be a place where I can live with my wife and our children. It is important for me that my family is conscious of the chance we have to live in such a property, even if we will only be able to fully realise it once the renovation work is finally completed. The intrinsic characteristic of such a property gives us the energy and motivation to reach our final goal within a reasonable time.
What does it take to renovate such a building and preserve its history and architecture?
When we took over the property, everyone who visited it had the same reaction: "It is beautiful, but there is so much work to do. It is the project of a lifetime!" Indeed it is! The property required a complete renovation, starting with the roof. The damages to the building, in particular following water infiltrations, were catastrophic for the stuccoes, the ceilings and the entire building structure. The cost of the renovation keeps on increasing exponentially. Keeping a building dry is a basic conservation principle and this is exactly what I am trying to do before proceeding with the major renovation of the roofs. When the main part of the renovation work wil be finished, we will anticipate the next ones and try to maintain the property in good shape with small-scale maintenance works, so that it does not undergo any more serious degradation. We do not want to pass a burden to our children and the future generations.
It was one of the challenges my wife and I set to ourselves before starting the whole project. We could not imagine ourselves wearing several layers of pullovers in the winter. We would have lost our motivation to engage in this adventure. Therefore, we have planned to make a part of the building our "home" and turn it into a space where we can live with modern living standards. We have done that in the right wing of the building, which was easier to refurbish. At the same time, we are careful to fully preserve the historic and aesthetic value of the most interesting part of the building by keeping its traditional character intact.
We have applied for subsidies from the Flemish region to help us finance the renovation of the roofs. So far, we have had a positive experience dealing with the administration.
In your opinion, how can we motivate private owners of cultural heritage buildings to have an interest in maintaining their properties?
Too often, family pride forces families to keep such properties despite the fact that they are not able to carry out the necessary maintenance work. They do not even consider selling it, but they also do not know if there are any alternatives to restore these types of buildings.
There is always a dilemma when you are the owner of such a property, especially when you consider passing it to the next generations. In my opinion, enjoy staying in such a building without preserving it and transferring a ruin to your heirs is certainly not the most generous gift for the next generations. Transmitting such a property to a generation who is already well advanced in life is also not the best option, because of the burden it represents and not only in financial terms. Therefore, I strongly believe that it is important to raise interest and awareness for the preservation of heritage properties and encourage initiative at an early age.
European Heritage Days are a vector that demonstrates public interest in heritage given the growing success of the initiative years after years. I personally believe that living hidden inside such a building without ever opening it to the public, creates incomprehension and sometimes jealousy. I think it is important, even if it is not always easy, to give the possibility to the public to discover these exceptional monuments and become witness of our history and our heritage. Even if it is planned to occur only once per year at a determined period and for a restricted audience. Opening a garden is already a great initiative that allows to share history and testimonies with the public.
Our personal objective is to perpetuate the property tradition to patronage art. Therefore, we will organise twice a year a weekend dedicated to the promotion of young artists and creators in the left wing of the castle, also known as "the koetshuis". This event will also become the occasion to open the property to the public.
When you start thinking about the next generation, there are of course some practical concerns to consider: the first one is the financial aspect and the second is the inheritance and indivisibility. It is important that this kind of house is kept in shape. To do so, a sustainable financial stability is necessary. A good professional situation can of course help, but the key solution would be to balance the property related expenses with potential source of income linked to the heritage value of the building.
That is why I have decided to link one of my professional activities to the castle by developing a brand of leather goods and creating our own workshops in one of the dependencies. When it comes to succession, it is important to be able to satisfy each of the children and let them choose their own life plan. In my opinion, this is the biggest challenge: to maintain unity in the family and a well renovated property in its possession.
As a young couple with two small kids of 7 and 4 years old, one could think that we have many years ahead of us to prepare the next generation. Yet, I think we need to anticipate. We have to teach them how to appreciate their environment and inspire them with interest and a sense of responsibility, trying to make sure that this house does not become a burden for them but a pleasure. For instance, if we oblige them to spend their weekend painting windows, they will not keep a positive, lasting memory of their heritage. If, on the other hand, we succeed in instilling within them the proper values, so that they can understand the need and importance to preserve such properties, it changes the way they approach the challenge of being an owner of a heritage building.
In September, for our fourth portrait, we will head to Estonia to meet a young woman who decided to care and permanently move into her family traditional farmhouse on one of the Baltic Islands.


A decade ago, Navin Viswanathan was a thesis shy of a master's degree in mechanical engineering when he sat in on a developmental psychology course at the University of Connecticut. "I was really intrigued, and I thought, 'This is what I should be doing,'" said Viswanathan.
Without a single undergraduate psychology course on his transcript, he convinced the graduate program coordinator to admit him directly into the psychology PhD program. What Viswanathan calls "an extraordinary opportunity" proved a natural fit.
An Assistant Professor of Psychology, Viswanathan has distinguished himself as a prolific scholar in the field of speech perception, an excellent teacher, and a devoted mentor to students. This spring, he earned the Provost Award for Outstanding Pre-Tenure Faculty, which honors his ability to use innovative classroom strategies, promote active learning, consider student needs and interests, develop a clear scholarly agenda, and integrate research, scholarship, and creative activity into his teaching practice.
Viswanathan attributes the honor less to his impressive CV than his work with high caliber undergraduate student-researchers. "I'm very honored to have been recognized by my peers. I think it speaks to how much we can get done at New Paltz with the quality of undergraduates that we have," he said.
Viswanathan believes that student research projects are "the quintessential example of the overlap between teaching and research," and has mentored 20 undergraduate students in his five years at the university. Most are Psychology students, but others are majors in Communication Disorders, Linguistics, and Spanish who are interested in exploring speech perception through the lens of their particular fields.
Viswanathan's research focuses on solving a cognitive science puzzle: How do humans effortlessly understand human speech and easily outperform automatic speech recognition systems (such as iPhone's Siri) in typical listening conditions? Through his work as the director of the university's Speech, Language and Cognition Lab, Viswanathan attempts to gain a deeper understanding of everyday behavior most people take for granted, such as one's ability to carry on a conversation at a noisy cocktail party or ability to comprehend a broad range of accented speech.
Grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health support Viswanathan's research on how listeners manage speech variability, and they provide an opportunity for students to be directly engaged in cutting-edge research.
Viswanathan's own journey to find his chosen profession has convinced him of the importance of being "broadly prepared" for professional careers: equipped with the oral and written communication skills and critical thinking that are the hallmark of a liberal education.
"I often tell my undergrads that you don't know where your career will lead," he said.


text:
Q: Mouse right click for keyboard shortcut I need when I click on Mouse Right-Click
do the same effect like I clicked on keyboard Ctrl + shift + alt + D
It will be temporarily event, I hope no restart or any complex settings.

A: Simple. Shift + F10 should work for this or you can use Autohotkey.
Code:
; Move to specified coordinates then right-click once:
MouseClick, right, 450, 300

A: Use X-mouse Button Control to create a macro on your right mouse button.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


What is happening to parents these days? Why such unrealistic expectations from kids? When I was a teacher, one thing that I learned – a valuable lesson for life that helped me even as a mother was – If a student or kid is unable to learn something that you are teaching them, it does not reflect the kid's capabilities, but it reflects our incompetence as a teacher or a parent. It's our responsibility to make learning fun for kids or else we have to be OK with the fact that kids will learn when they will!
And I don't even completely blame parents for this. The competition is so fierce since such tender age that everyone wants their child to be the best. In comparison to other kids, every parent wants their kid to be better at some or the other thing. This is also fault of our education system. There are certain reasons why there are certain minimum age criteria when it comes to Nursery admissions. But a lot of schools bypass those rules & take students who are few months underage just because they don't loose on one year money of that kid. And a lot of parents also happily send their under-aged kids to formal schools or nursery just to feel accomplished that one responsibility is off their shoulder.
The phase of hyperactivity & tantrums usually starts to phase out by the time kids are between 3 – 4. This means kids will be less bothered by each other if they start schooling at an appropriate or delayed age.
Kids are emotionally more prepared to handle long duration separation from home & parents.
At younger age kids benefit & develop social skills more from play based learning as compared to instruction based learning, thus early formal school means we are taking away the privilege from kids of constructive play.
Children at younger age are not meant to understand the dynamics teams & groups & are more likely to end up fightine more often.
Kids between the age of 3 – 4 are still having regular naps in afternoon thus a regular formal school for them can become a cause of less sleep & thus slower mental & physical growth.
So I have decided to write a new series about how to introduce different concepts to kids in a way that learning is fun for the kids & teaching becomes less stressful for parents too. I hope I do justice to what I want to achieve here!
So true..I have no clue why parents want to start with the formal education of their kids so early. My son will be 3 soon and has recently started play group. And guess what , he is the eldest of all. The youngest child enrolled there is 1.5 yr old. I am not judging anyone here but I guess it's the competitive world which is not letting the parents as well as the child in peace.
somewhat agree with your perspective here – the competition is fierce – no doubt!
We saw the movie Hindi Medium and were appalled by the scenario of school these days. I think the competition makes the situation so bad.
I didn't enroll my daughter in a play group . She went to school after she completed 4 years. I don't know why parents are in a hurry to start formal education so soon. Also you have rightly mentioned that it's not only the parents , but more importantly the schools which enroll kids at the tender age of 1.5 – 2 years just to make money. I agree that delayed schooling alone doesn't solve the issue of having unrealistic expectations . Parents need to choose school, age at which the child starts schooling according to the needs of the child and not to compete with others .
Very well written and I completely resonate with your thoughts. We are all in a hurry to have children and then equally hurry to send them to play schools or nursery. I feel every child inevitably has to study and gain knowledge but when we push them at such tender ages we do more harm than good. Glad that things are changing and more parents like us decide to do what is best for the child rather than just follow things blindly. Thank you for your insights which might help new parents like me to make better decisions for our children.
I could relate to this post as My son in 2.5 and I have not yet started sending him to play group or any other school. I wish him to start a bit late. But, trust me people are already behind me like anything. And I get so much judgemental comments everyday. Still I am happy with my thoughts.
I totally agree with you that we shouldn't force our little kids to go to school in such a tender age in which they are just hardly started doing things of their own. My son is also two yrs old and I am not even thinking of sending him play school yet. I want him to grow a little more in the atmosphere of their own family and friends.
So true, whenever a child is not able to learn something, it reflects our incompetence as a parent or a teacher. Completely agree with you. We need to change our method of teaching as per the suitability of the child.
Your kids are lucky to have a sensible mother like you! I believe children should not go to school until they are old enough to withstand the coughs and colds etc that they are exposed to in school. If the mothers are enthusiastic and sensible enough, there is nothing like staying at home till 6. Of course I sent off my girls to school only at 3 and they have turned out none the worse for it!
I am aghast at the unrealistic expectations parents carry.
When did we reach such low for the innocent children.
You have rightly suggested that putting kids in preschool at appropriate age works well and even I have done the same for my kiddo. After reading your post, I do feel that my kiddo is now more capable to cope staying away from home and parents for more time without being too cranky.
Playgroup is absolutely fine. Just make sure that the playschool is not academic oriented as these days even some playschools introduce writing, counting etc to kids at the age they are not prepared. If it's oriented towards gaining general awareness & environmental knowledge, then don't hesitate.
Exactly. It is also very important for parents to understand that there is no shame & accepting the fact that their child is not ready for the next level & letting them be in same class for a year more… specially in pre primary classes. Parents make it a big deal fearing the label of failure or not up to mark & the child suffers for all the years to come.
A tough decision for many working parents .I sent my daughter for a playschool when she was 2.5 years old .It was for one hour .No studying ,just playing and art.It worked out great.
A lot depends on the child and facilities.
As a parent of a 5 year old I always feel worried that the avg age of entry of kids to school is getting reduced almost every year. You have highlighted a genuine reason which needs to be shared with parents and schools and play schools also. Great write up.
I know that video. And believe me I share the same feelings about that episode. But coming to the subject at hand – schooling today is becoming a mess of a system. Whether I or you can change through decisions such as delayed entry to school, I don't know.. But yes we can surely change parenting by being more compassionate than competitive.
I somewhat agree with you, but as every situation and kid is different so is the way one's family handles. today the concept of playschools is amazing, as I have experienced with my little one. Play school she went to at the age of 2 only meant to mingling with other kids and started making friendly conversations – NO STUDY at all. NO BOOKS only visual learning of surroundings, even in Nursery the learning part was only for ABCs and nothing else. And I enjoyed the transformation in her from a shy few words kid at home to a total chatter box now.
I appreciate your perspective too on the topic.
I totally agree to you. And this article is not about playschool. Here I am talking about formal school or Nursery as we call it where the academics start.
I am a Home maker so sending the child to school was never a compulsion unless the right age had reached. I sent my children after 3 years only when nursery admissions had started for them.
While I completely understand your points about not sending a child early to school, I guess the competition and the extreme pressure in today's times gets quite difficult to manage and in the end, the children are the ones who suffer. Guess, the most important thing is to move out of a system of learning by rote which we Indians have faced since almost forever. The problem this leads to is that after learning and studying everything, we are not sure how to apply that learning to our regular day to day jobs most of the time.
I saw the video too and later it was discovered that it was s fake video.


text:
Q: file_get_contents() working for some sites but not another I have 3 websites sitting on the same webserver. I am using file_get_contents from my WAMP localhost to do some funky coding from these 3 wordpress sites but the function does not work on 1 of the 3, it returns false which means it can't get anything. But crazily when accessed directly the url works. Here is the output of get_headers() if that helps at all, note the first one is different. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Array
(
    [0] => HTTP/1.1 200 OK
    [1] => Server: nginx
    [2] => Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 04:37:21 GMT
    [3] => Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
    [4] => Connection: close
    [5] => X-Pingback: http://armidaleplumber.com.au/wp/xmlrpc.php
    [6] => Link: ; rel=shortlink
    [7] => Set-Cookie: nf_wp_session=812a895bc4008d398bf10c61bbdc5dc7%7C%7C1439570241%7C%7C1439568441; expires=Fri, 14-Aug-2015 16:37:21 GMT; path=/
    [8] => X-Powered-By: PleskLin
)

Array
(
    [0] => HTTP/1.1 200 OK
    [1] => Server: nginx
    [2] => Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 04:37:22 GMT
    [3] => Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
    [4] => Connection: close
    [5] => Expires: Thu, 19 Nov 1981 08:52:00 GMT
    [6] => Cache-Control: no-store, no-cache, must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0
    [7] => Pragma: no-cache
    [8] => X-Pingback: http://armidalebuilder.com.au/wp/xmlrpc.php
    [9] => Link: ; rel=shortlink
    [10] => Set-Cookie: PHPSESSID=q515dll808qtabnr1v6s4a1sn1; path=/
    [11] => X-Powered-By: PleskLin
)

Array
(
    [0] => HTTP/1.1 200 OK
    [1] => Server: nginx
    [2] => Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 04:37:23 GMT
    [3] => Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
    [4] => Connection: close
    [5] => Expires: Thu, 19 Nov 1981 08:52:00 GMT
    [6] => Cache-Control: no-store, no-cache, must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0
    [7] => Pragma: no-cache
    [8] => X-Pingback: http://armidaleelectrician.com.au/wp/xmlrpc.php
    [9] => Link: ; rel=shortlink
    [10] => Set-Cookie: PHPSESSID=0m9afhknr7c0ijiso51j6264s7; path=/
    [11] => X-Powered-By: PleskLin
)


At Menai District Physiotherapy (MDP), Melissa Tallent has a special interest in Paediatric physiotherapy. Paediatric physiotherapists are movement specialists for children and adolescents. It is a clinical area of physiotherapy that aims to assess and improve a child's movement abilities through movement retraining, strengthening and flexibility exercises, equipment and education. Mel is knowledgeable in all stages of your child's physical development and growth, and identifying conditions unique to children. Upon assessment, she will develop a plan specific to your child to ensure their particular needs are addressed and improved.
Running, jumping, catching, throwing, etc.
Reaching, grasping, object manipulation, etc.
For younger children, play-based treatment strategies will be used to provide effective, engaging, and fun therapy sessions.
If you have any concerns regarding your child's motor development, book a paediatric physiotherapy consultation at Menai District Physiotherapy today.


text:
Q: ENOENT: no such file or directory: NODE JS Can someone help with this problem, I know that there are a lot of questions related to this problem but I have tried almost everything, nothing helps.
makeFile(dirName, fileName, content, callback) {
        if (!fs.existsSync(dirName)) {
            // fs.mkdirSync(dirName, {recursive: true});
            shell.mkdir('-p', dirName);
        }
        zlib.inflate(Buffer.from(content), (err, InfoInflated) => {
            if (err) {
                logger.error(err);
                return callback({ success: false, code: 500, err: err});
            }
let file = fs.createWriteStream(dirName + fileName, {
                    flags: 'a'
                });
            file.on('open', fd => {
                file.write(InfoInflated.toString('utf8'));
                file.end();
            }).on('error' , (err) => {
                logger.error(err);
                return callback({ success: false, code: 500, err: err});
            }).on('finish', () => {
                logger.info("file is complete !");
                return callback({success: true, code: 200, result: {message: "OK", file: dirName + fileName}});
            });
        });
    }

/tmp/files/2019-02-05/1205_undefined_undefined/1205_undefined_undefined.zip' this is the full path which creates an error

A: I think you are using shell syntax incorrectly. Also you may not need to use shell for creating the directory as it can be done using fs component itself.
Take a look at the solution for your script - https://jsitor.com/fh3IyKq74
It is executing you code and also showing the response properly. In mkdir make sure you should check empty string first actually firing that.


text:
A.R.T. Receives Substantial National Endowment for the Arts Art Works Grant to Support "Witness Uganda"
Witness Uganda
This is my second Blog post today concerning the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. As if rave reviews and sold out performances for the current show, "The Heart of Robin Hood," were not enough, there is breaking news I am delighted to share.
The next show on the docket at the A.R.T. will be the World Premiere of "Witness Uganda." The NEA has just announced a grant of $85,000 in support of this ground-breaking production. See details below from the A.R.T. Press Release sent our just minutes ago.
"Witness Uganda" will be presented at the A.R.T. from February 4, 2014 through March 16, 2014. Mark your calendars now, so it promises to be another one of the A.R.T.events over which people will be fighting tickets.
+ + + + + + + + +
American Repertory Theater at Harvard University
Receives National Endowment for the Arts Art Works Grant
to Support Witness Uganda
Grant One of 895 NEA Art Works Grants Funded Nationwide
Cambridge, MA — National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced last week that the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University (A.R.T.) is one of 895 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. The A.R.T. is recommended for $85,000 to support the world premiere production of Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews' world premiere musical Witness Uganda, directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus.
Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, "The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts."
A.R.T. Managing Director Billy Russo commented: "We are very honored by the recognition from the N.E.A. for this incredibly generous support of Witness Uganda. As we begin rehearsals next week, such a strong vote of confidence in this production is inspiring."
Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence: public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancing the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,528 eligible Art Works applications, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 895 are recommended for grants for a total of $ 23.4 million. For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.
About Witness Uganda:
When Griffin, a young man from New York City volunteers for a project in Uganda, he finds himself on a journey that will change his life forever. Inspired by a true story, this rousing new musical staged by Tony-Award-winning director and A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus, exposes the challenges confronted by American aid workers around the world and explores the question: "Is changing the world possible?"
Witness Uganda is the recipient of the 2012 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, ASCAP's Dean Kay Award, ASCAP's Harold Adamson Award, and a grant from Conde Nast c/o Summit Series. It was workshopped at Disney/ASCAP (hosted by composer Stephen Schwartz) and at the Vineyard Arts Project/Art Farm. It has been performed in concert around the world and at events including Summit Series in Lake Tahoe, The Lido Investment Symposium in Beverly Hills, The Rattlestick Theatre New Play Festival in New York City, and Patrick's Orphanage in Ndejje, Uganda.
About the A.R.T.:
The American Repertory Theater at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure in 2008, and has since advanced the A.R.T.'s core mission to expand the boundaries of theater by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences.
Throughout its history, the A.R.T. has been honored with many distinguished awards, including consecutive Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical for Pippin (2013) and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012), both of which Paulus directed, a Pulitzer Prize, a Jujamcyn Prize for outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent, the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater, and numerous Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards.
The A.R.T. engages with artists around the country and the world to investigate new ways in which to develop and create work. It is currently developing a number of multi-year projects, including the Civil War Project, an initiative that will culminate in the staging of three new works in the 2014/15 season. Under Paulus's leadership, the A.R.T.'s club theater, OBERON, has become an incubator for local and emerging artists and has attracted national attention for its innovative programming and business models.
As the professional theater on the campus of Harvard University, the A.R.T. catalyzes discourse, interdisciplinary collaboration, and creative exchange among a wide range of academic departments and institutions, students and faculty, acting as a conduit between its community of artists and the university. A.R.T. artists also teach courses in directing, dramatic literature, acting, voice, design, and dramaturgy. The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training, which is run in partnership with the Moscow Art Theater School, offers graduate-level training in acting, dramaturgy, and voice.
Dedicated to making great theater accessible, the A.R.T. actively engages more than 5,000 community members and local students annually in project-based partnerships, workshops, conversations with artists, and other enrichment activities both at the theater and across the Greater Boston area.
Through all of these initiatives, the A.R.T. is dedicated to producing world-class performances in which the audience is central to the theatrical experience.
The Loeb Drama Center, located at 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, is fully accessible.
Visit americanrepertorytheater.org/access for more information.
"The Heart of Robin Hood" Hits A Bullseye At The A.R.T - A Holiday Treat for The Family
There has been quite a bit of advance buzz about this production of "The Heart of Robin Hood" currently playing at the A.R.T. in Harvard Square (through January 19, 2014). Please indulge me for a few paragraphs of personal confession and reflection before I launch into the heart of my review of this extraordinary play.
The main thing I had heard was that the play had been written to make "Maid Marion" the real hero. That small part of me that still harbors elements of the crusty old curmudgeonly male chauvinist reacted by grumbling inwardly "Come on; give me a break! Just tell the story as we have come to love it."
But then the better angels began to win the battle, and subsequent reflections followed this train of thought. "Diane Paulus is still the Artistic Director at A.R. T. You have come to trust and be delighted by her and by her artistic judgment. She won't let you down. Besides, the thing you love about art is that it is ever new, inventing new ways of telling the old stories. Give this thing a chance."
And then I read the notes by the author, David Farr. Part of his motivation for writing this play with the focus on Marion was to give his daughters a credible female role model who does something on the stage other than "kiss the hero, swoon, cook pretty pastries, and sew"! How could I argue with that noble fatherly impulse.
And then they opened the doors to the Loeb Theater, and I walked into an enchanted forest and was instantly transported to another place and another way of telling a beloved classic tale. The old English oak trees that make up a large part of the set (brilliantly designed and executed by Iceland's Börkur Jónsson) contain gnarled limbs, branches and leaves that extend as an enormous canopy across the ceiling of the theater - cocooning the audience inside Sherwood Forest and inviting us to be part of the action.
An integral part of the telling of this tale is the vibrant music provided by the amazing Connecticut-based bluegrass band, Poor Old Shine. Band members include Antonio Alcorn, Chris Freeman, Harrison Goodale, Erik Hischmann and Max Shakun.
Poor Old Shine website
The show opens with these musicians on the apron of the stage, setting the mood that helped us leave behind the slush of Cambridge and to fully enter into the lush of the forest. At frequent intervals throughout the show, band members leave their grove/orchestra pit and enter into the action of the play. The effect is delightful.
I will not reveal too much of the plot, for there are surprises in store for those who only know the traditional telling of the Robin Hood legend. The stagecraft throughout is pure magic. I want you to make the trip to the A.R.T. and to Sherwood Forest to be charmed by Mr. Farr's story, which is skillfully directed by another gifted Icelandic artist, Gisli Örn Gardarsson. (In last evening's performance, Mr. Gardarsson filled in for an injured actor, playing the role of Much Miller. In subsequent performances, that role will be played by local Boston actor Daniel Berger-Jones). Let me simply add that in terms of the writing, Mr. Farr's use of language has a vibrancy and poetic quality that make it invigorating, ennobling and uplifting.
Jordan Dean (Robin Hood), Christina Bennett Lind (Marion/Martin),
Christopher Sieber (Pierre,) Zachary Eisenstat (Will Scathlock)
Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva
The cast is nothing short of wonderful. They each deserve mention for the part that they play in weaving this web and spell of magic:
Moe Alafrangy - Henchman/Soldier/Prison Guard
Claire Candela - Sarah Summers
Andrew Cekala - Jethro Summers
Jeremy Crawford - Little John
Jordan Dean - Robin Hood
Zachary Eisenstat - Will Scathlock
David Michael Garry - Duke of York/Bishop
Christina Bennett Lind - Marion/Martin
Laura Sheehy - Rebecca Summers
Christopher Sieber- Pierre/Peter
Louis Tucci - Makepeace/Friar/Robert Summers, et al.
Katrina Yaukey - Lady Falconbury
Damian Young - Prince John
Among this solid company of actors, several performances stood out to me.
Zachary Eisenstat, Jeremy Crawford are Robin Hood's constant companions, and their energy, physical stamina and dexterity create just the right atmosphere for Robin's "Merry Men."
Moe Alafrangy's martial arts moves and balletic entrances and exits add a level of kinetic energy to the show that are essential.
Andrew Cekala continues to impress each time he steps on the stage. Recently returned home to Weston from his six month stint as Theo in "Pippin" on Broadway, Andrew's Jethro is nuanced and sympathetic as he struggles to care for and protect his traumatized sister in the wake of their mother's death and father's execution.
Damian Young's Prince John is deliciously evil, plotting to overthrown his brother, over-tax the peasants and seduce poor Marion. He virtually drips with malice and is a villain we love to hate.
Christopher Sieber's Pierre is a tour de force of foppery. As Marion's servant and companion who reluctantly joins her in the forest, he would rather accessorize than burglarize! He has his macho moment in the sun that is a wondrous transformation.
Jordan Dean is simply perfect as Robin Hood. He has enough of the swashbuckling swagger some of us remember from the Errol Flynn portrayal to have the girls and women (and Pierre - but that's another story!) in the audience swooning. His stubbornness about women gives way to a touching vulnerability as he allows Marion to teach him that a woman can be multi-dimensional and every inch a match for a strong man.
Christina Bennett Lind as Marion and Martin, Marion's male persona, is the heart of this story. She not only shows her own stalwart and intrepid heart, but she wins the heart of Robin and of every member of Robin's crew and every member of the audience. She is perfectly cast, and carries much of the emotional burden in the telling of this lovely legend.
The picture below depicts a scene near the end of the story. Having overcome the many barriers and forces that sought to keep them apart, Robin Hood and Marion discover and declare their love for each other. They are married in the forest, and perform this lovely aerial pas de deux, literally rising above the mundane forest floor, and simultaneously raising the emotional response level of the audience to new heights.
Jordan Dean and Christina Bennett Lind.
As I sat in the theater and let the spectacle of "The Heart of Robin Hood" wash over me, I felt like I do each time I watch "Peter Pan." The magic of the story and the artistry of the telling of the story turn me back into an awe-struck little boy again. It is a wondrous and magical transformation that lies at the very heart of great theater. During the Second Act, I kept thinking, "When can I return to see this show again, and whom should I invite to join me on the adventure?"
I invite you to treat yourself to the same journey many of us took last evening - a journey that ended with us rising as one to our feet to acknowledge and to applaud the remarkable artistry we had seen on display.
American Repertory Theater - The Heart of Robin Hood
The production runs through January 19. Tickets are going fast, so act now. Tickets to this and subsequent A.R.T. shows make great stocking-stuffer gifts for the family, friends and business colleagues. This show is suggested for children 10+.
Review of "Bleeding Talent": Tim Kane Addresses the Pentagon's Elephant in the Room
Tim Kane is an economist, a graduate of the Air Force Academy and veteran Air Force Intelligence officer. He is committed to serving our nation, and has chosen this book as a way of continuing to serve by challenging the existing policies that are causing our military to bleed top talent. The sub-title of "Bleeding Talent" lays out Kane's basic premise: "How the U.S. Military Mismanages Great Leaders and Why It's Time for a Revolution."
His conclusions line up well with the anecdotal evidence I have seen and heard in working with transitioning military officers. The survey, conducted by the author in 2010, questioned graduates of the West Point classes of 1989, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2004. A total of 250 individuals responded to the survey questions. The most often cited reasons for leaving the military are as follows:
Frustration with military bureaucracy
Other life goals
Higher potential income
Frequent deployments
Limited opportunity in the military
The author offers some compelling analysis, historical perspective and case studies of very bright men and women who have chosen to leave the military before serving a full career. He cites the results of the study conducted mentioned above. His conclusions have been called into question by some based on the small sample size he used in drawing his conclusions. In a doctoral dissertation being completed at Harvard Business School, U.S. Army Colonel Everett Spain reaches different conclusions about Army personnel policies. It will be interesting to hear a dialogue between Tim Kane and Everett Spain once Colonel Spain's treatise has been published.
As a recruiter who has placed a number of distinguished former officers, I have long been interested in this issue of the retention of talent by our military. I find myself personally torn. On the one hand, as a recruiter, I am delighted to have access to candidates who are among the best and the brightest and who have honed their management and leadership skills while serving as military officers. On the other hand, as a citizen of this nation, I am troubled when I see gifted soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines leaving military service due to frustrations that could have been prevented if our military's system of managing human capital were based on more of a meritocracy and less of a bureaucracy.
One of the main lessons I took away from reading this book was a deeper understanding of just how complex and interwoven are the problems in our military's personnel management systems. I had assumed that systems change could be implemented if there simply enough will by the right military leaders. Kane makes it clear that there would have to be new legislation enacted in parallel with policy changes within the DOD for a real revolution to take place in human capital management within our military.
Mr. Kane deserves our thanks for pushing this conversation to the forefront of public awareness.
Enjoy reading and discussing this book.
"What Recruiters Look At During The 6 Seconds They Spend On Your Resume" by Vivian Land in Business Insider
Last year, Vivian Land wrote a fascinating article in Business Insider that captured the essence of some stunning research I had been hearing about. The research reveals how internal recruiters who are doing initial screening of candidates for their companies treat the resumes that come before them. The results are chilling and should impact the way every candidate treats their job search.
"Although we may never know why we didn't get chosen for a job interview, a recent study is shedding some light on recruiters' decision-making behavior. According to TheLadders research, recruiters spend an average of "six seconds before they make the initial 'fit or no fit' decision" on candidates.
The study used a scientific technique called "eye tracking" on 30 professional recruiters and examined their eye movements during a 10-week period to "record and analyze where and how long someone focuses when digesting a piece of information or completing a task.
In the short time that they spend with your resume, the study showed recruiters will look at your name, current title and company, current position start and end dates, previous title and company, previous position start and end dates, and education."
I encourage you to read the entire article.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-recruiters-look-at-during-the-6-seconds-they-spend-on-your-resume-2012-4#ixzz2nlbgxh8c
Pretty depressing, eh? No wonder you hardly ever hear back when you post your resume electronically or mail it to a company in response to a job posting. What about all the effort you put into crafting a perfect Objective statement? What about your honors and volunteer work, your leadership intangibles? Ignored during the initial screening.
Other research shows that entry-level HR professionals and software programs are instructed to count key words in resumes and match them with key words in the job description. Again, no chance for the truly exceptional candidate to stand out. The system is hopelessly flawed, and shows no signs of being repaired in the foreseeable future.
In a nutshell, I suggest performing a flanking maneuver around the system so that as a candidate you are recognized for who you are. Simplistically, here are some steps to follow:
Prepare the very best resume that you can.
Next, prepare narrative versions of four great stories. I call them, "War Stories" or "Home Run Stories."
Pick the achievements in your career that you are most proud of and write each of them up as a one or two page narrative.
Use this structure: What was the problem to be solved? How did you and your team uniquely solve the problem? What were the results?
Prepare to weave these narratives into every conversation you can have with people in your network who may be in a position to put you in front of a hiring manager.
Do a deep dive into your network - LinkedIn, FaceBook, Alumni Directories, etc.
For each job you would like to apply for, find a person in your network or someone who is one degree removed from someone in your network and ask for a 30-minute phone call or an opportunity to buy them coffee or a beer.
Your goal is to share your stories and ask them to become the inside champion for your candidacy within the target company.
Ask them if they see you as a good candidate for this position. If they do, ask if they would be willing to make a personal introduction to a decision maker involved in the hiring process.
Once you have shared your resume and narrative stories with the decision maker, ask him or her when it would be appropriate to post your resume into the "system." They will know how things work with their company's hiring process.
Here is a cautionary tale.
Last year, a very capable candidate I know well was applying to Google. He was well qualified. I contacted a friend of mine who is well positioned within Google. I described the candidate, and my friend agreed that this person sounded ideal. He wanted to be introduced, but then he inserted this question: "He has not already applied on-line has he?" The answer, unfortunately, was "Yes." "Then there is nothing I can do. Once a candidate is in the system electronically, Google does not allow anyone outside of HR to be involved in the screening process. Sorry."
I hope these tidbits of insight are helpful. The right job is out there for you. We just have to work together creatively to get your noticed by the right decision makers.
Full Business Insider Article
A Regal Production of Shakespeare's "Henry VIII" Presented by Actors' Shakespeare Project
Henry VIII (Allyn Burrows) and Cardinal Wolsey (Robert Walsh)
Photo by Stratton McCrady
This has been a particularly rich and Shakespeare-filled few months for me.
In London in October, I saw a memorable production of "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Old Vic starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave: Going Gaga Over My Trip to Europe
I saw a preview performance of the current Lincoln Center production of "Macbeth," with Ethan Hawke in the title role and my good friend, Jonny Orsini, in the role of Malcolm.
I took in and reviewed the F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company's production of the same play: Blog Review of "Macbeth"
I was privileged to catch the magic currently being created in NYC by "Twelfth Night" starring Mark Rylance (More details to follow)
Finally, yesterday afternoon, I was transported to the court of King Henry VIII by the incredibly talented ensemble of Actors' Shakespeare Project.
The play, running through January 5, 2014 at the Modern Theatre at Suffolk University, is a sumptuous feast for the eyes and ears. The set designed by Janie E. Howland and the lush costumes designed by Tyler Kinney invite one to forget the snow and slush of Boston's streets and imagine being a fly on the wall in the court of King Henry VIII in all its splendor and intrigue. The quality of the acting and the production values in this play matched those I recently experienced at Lincoln Center!
This is one of Shakespeare's plays I had not seen before, so I was rapt to find out just how the Bard had handled telling the story of Henry and his very unmerry wives. Cardinal Wolsey plays a central role in this drama, as does about-to-be-deposed Queen Katherine. The roles of church, state and the need for a male heir for Henry are themes that the author has interwoven with his usual flair for language, action and emotion. He also shamelessly pays homage to his patroness, Elizabeth I.
Director Tina Packer has drawn together an ensemble cast that has no weak links. The acting is universally superb.throughout the play.
Featuring ASP company members:
Allyn Burrows* - King Henry VIII
Johnnie McQuarley - Cromwell, Commoner
Bobbie Steinbach* - Fool
Michael Forden Walker*- Norfolk
Robert Walsh* - Cardinal Wolsey
Additional Cast:
Tamara Hickey* - Queen Katherine
Ross MacDonald* - Lovell, Surveyor
Craig Mathers* - Buckingham, Cardinal Campeius, Dr. Butts
Kathryn Myles - Anne Boleyn
Omar Robinson - Chamberlain
Each of the actors commanded the stage and the Elizabethan language as if they owned them. Standing out among this stellar cast were the following:
Bobbie Steinbach opens and closes the proceedings and oversees all of the intervening drama as the Fool. She is magnificent in this role, mingling mirth, gravitas and the folk wisdom that characterizes most of Shakespeare's Fools.
In his scarlet robes that billow about him and behind him - and yet fail to cover his devious machinations - Robert Walsh is the very embodiment of Cardinal Wolsey. The lighting and make-up serve to present him to the audience as almost alabaster in complexion, belying the darkness of his soul and of his intentions. His performance was riveting and flawless, and was particularly moving as he devolved from righteous hauteur to despair at having been literally defrocked.
Allyn Burrows' King Henry is the glue that holds this production together. Lacking the characteristic physicality and gargantuan appetites that we have come to associate with Henry VIII, Burrows relied on his considerable acting tools to create an imposing figure. What he lacked in girth he more than made up for in grit and grandeur. His Henry is both a troubled and sympathetic figure.
Queen Katherine (Tamara Hickey), Cardinal Campeius (Craig Mathers)
and Cardinal Wolsey (Robert Walsh)
As Queen Katherine, Tamara Hickey projects the fragile beauty of a china doll, yet the force of her will and her courage in the face of her husband's rejection speak much louder and more eloquently than her frail frame. In this role, she is the very soul of both regalness and vulnerability. Her performance in this role is deeply touching.
Craig Mathers is protean in the breadth of the emotions he portrays in the many roles that he undertakes so convincingly in this drama.
Mr. Burrows also serves as the Artistic Director of this company. He has given the Boston arts community a huge gift in creating a vehicle for presenting the classics on a regular basis with the highest possible level of professionalism and artistry.
This is a theatre company and a production worthy of your support and applause. Give yourself and some special friends and family members an early Christmas gift; buy some tickets and feast on Henry VIII!
Actors Shakespeare Project
Hub Theatre Company of Boston Presents "Sand Mountain" by Romulus Linney
To close out it's inaugural season, Hub Theatre Company of Boston is presenting two one act plays by Romulus Linney: "Sand Mountain Matchmaking," and "Why The Lord Come to Sand Mountain." Linney, who died in 2011, was a contemporary of David Mamet, Edward Albee and Sam Shepard. According to the program notes, Linney was well regarded, but did not achieve the "cultural caché of his above-named contemporaries. To put it in White Rhino terminology, when it comes to storytelling, Romulus was no Uncle Remus. I found the writing to be uneven. What comes through loud and clear in the writing is Linney's affection for the people of Appalachia and the quirkiness of their language and their culture. Each of the plays has elements to recommend them - some interesting characters and unusual situations, but overall, they did not hold my attention all the way through. They do not feel as if they will stand the test of time.
The cast, under the direction of Daniel Bourque, labored earnestly to convey Linney's affectionate portrait of the denizens of Sand Mountain. Each cast member plays a different role in each of the two plays. The company consists of: Olev Aleksander, Yoni Bronstein, Ann Carpenter, Lauren Elias, Robert Orzalli, Bill Salem and Connor Upton. Creating a wonderful Appalachian mood for the entire event was fiddler Julia Alvarez.
The director chose to have the characters speak in a close approximation Appalachian dialect. This choice was a mixed blessing for the audience. On the one hand, it added a degree of authenticity that was admirable. On the other hand, some of the actors struggled so hard to get the twang just right that the meaning of the words and phrases were sometimes lost.
Among the hard working cast, several individuals stood out.
Connor Upton played a young child in each play, and was believable and endearing.
Yoni Bronstein played an aggressive suitor in "Matchmaking" and the role of a bemused and befuddled St. Peter in "Why The Lord Come." He was excellent in both roles.
Olev Aleksander was a breath of fresh air in his role as the successful suitor in "Matchmaking."
Ann Carpenter's tour de force turn as Sang Picker, the narrator in "Why The Lord Come to Sand Mountain" was the highlight of the performance that I attended. In pitch perfect regional dialect, she was able to spin a yarn that set the table for the acting out of the outlandish story of Jesus and St. Peter visiting a dirt-poor family in their humble shanty atop Sand Mountain. In a sense, this morality play is a retelling of the Parable of the Widow's Mite. Ms. Carpenter was the perfect Earth Mother, and held the audience in her thrall throughout this play.
There is one more weekend of performances for these plays, presented together as" "Sand Mountain." See details and ticket information below. Come out and support Hub Theatre Company of Boston in their mission to bring affordable theater to a broad range of Boston area residents.
Hub Theatre Company of Boston will close its highly
acclaimed debut season with a sparkling
Appalachian-flavored holiday show,
Sand Mountain, a pair of one-act plays by award
winning American playwright Romulus Linney.
In the first piece, Sand Mountain Matchmaking,
a recently widowed preacher's daughter must
repel a trio of unsuitable suitors and find true
love with the help of a wise old medicine
woman's colorful suggestion.
In the second story, Why the Lord Come to
Sand Mountain, the Lord and St. Peter drop in on
a dirt-poor mountain family on Christmas Eve to
swig corn whiskey and swap progressively absurd
folk tales. However, the evening takes a
thoughtful turn when the Lord requests one tale
in particular.
Romulus Linney's lively, ribald and unforgettable
backwoods characters are portrayed by an
ensemble of fine local actors, accompanied on
fiddle by Julia Alvarez performing an array of
traditional and original compositions.
We will happily collect your gently-used or
unopened toys to donate to area shelters
and non-profits.
Stage Manager - Kelly Smith
Assistant Stage Manager - Katie Armstrong
Costume Design - Sara Tess Neumann
Lighting Design - Erik Fox
Sound Design - Jason Weber
Dialect Coach - Danny Bryck
Fight Choreography - Matt Martino
December 13 - 21
To order tickets, click the date you wish to attend:
Dec 19, 7:30 pm
Dec 20, 8pm
*ALL* Performances are Pay What You Can
Learn more about our philosophy here.
First Church in Boston
66 Marlborough St, Boston MA
Take any Green Line train to Arlington or Copley -
the church is on the corner of Marlborough and Berkeley Sts
The First Church is fully handicapped accessible.
Limited street parking in neighborhood.
Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc
Recommended for ages 12+
Hub Theatre Company of Boston
The Parallel Stories of Building The Subways of Boston and New York: Review of "The Race Underground" by Doug Most
I have always been fascinated with subway systems - their operation, their construction and their evolution. I have ridden and explored the subway systems in cities as diverse as London, Paris, Moscow, Montreal, Seoul, Singapore, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, D.C., NYC and Boston. From my first experiences as a kid riding the El from Everett to Boston Garden to see the circus right up to today for my daily commute on the Red Line, the MBTA has been a part of my life. I have known from reading the signs at Park Street that the MBTA Green Line was the first subway line in America. I had no idea how closely tied together were the stories of the construction of the NYC subways and the Boston subways. So I was thrilled when I learned about "The Race Underground: Boston, York and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway." This fascinating new book tells those parallel stories in a way that brings the history to light and to life.
Two brothers from the powerful Whitney family each played a role in creating what have become Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority. These two brothers - Henry Melville Whitney of Boston and William Collins Whitney of New York City - were at the centers of the beehives of political intrigue, financial manipulations, real estate deals and engineering innovations in a desperate attempt to help their respective cities solve the problem of street traffic that threatened to strangle both metropolises.
This true story of rivalry and cooperation reads like a Gothic novel, and is peopled with familiar figures like Thomas Edison, Boss Tweed, Grover Cleveland and Frederick Law Olmstead. The author, Doug Most, digs deep into a large storehouse of primary documents to get to the real story and subplots of how both systems came to be built. Along the way, he pays tribute to the many figures - political leaders, inventors, engineers, financiers, and sand hogs - who moved heaven and earth to turn the impossible into the possible, and to create the transportation systems that are part of the daily lives of millions of citizens.
When I ride these two subway systems now - as I do each month - I will have a much "deeper" appreciation for what it took to create them and of what it takes to keep them running safely and securely.
My heart has vibrated in time with E.L.Doctorow's literary syncopation since I first read "Ragtime." I have remained in his thrall during the decades that have intervened. Someone recently called him a "national treasure," and I would tend to agree with this assessment. His latest offering, "Andrew's Brain," is a stunning achievement. He packs a lot of action and exposition into 200 pages.
Andrew is being interviewed by an unknown interlocutor in an unknown place. As the interview sessions progress, we learn Andrew's story. It is a tale of someone around whom tragedies happen. Along the way as he recounts his personal journey, we learn of two wives, two children, many losses and a constant effort to understand the complexities of human consciousness. For the real theme of this book, amid many sub-themes, is to question at what point the human brain becomes a self-aware mind. Andrew is a professor of neuro-cognitive science. He studies human awareness, although he himself often seems oblivious to the impact that he has on others. This is part of Doctorow's delicious irony.
As Andrew's personal history unfolds, we are exposed to the opera Boris Godunov, the Pretender to the Throne. That character re-emerges late in the novel in a surprising way that includes the White House of Bush 43. The role of the Holy Fool takes on a surprising twist in the Oval Office. The events of 9/11 play a significant part in the development of Andrew's story, as do the New York Marathon, the writings of Mark Twain, the Munchkins from the "Wizard of Oz," Greenwich Village and NYU. Doctorow alludes to many American institutions as a way of pointing a spotlight at both their foibles and their possibilities.
There is a very Zen-like quality to Andrew's musings and his classroom teachings as he wrestles with the question of self-awareness. The sentient reader will follow his lead, and use the amusement of this new literary gem to spark a round of deeper self-reflection.
Review of a Literary Masterpiece: "The Devil in the White City - Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America" by Erik Larson
"The Devil in the White City - Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America." I read this book for several reasons: Erik Larson's reputation as a writer, my interest in history, and my personal connection to the South Side of Chicago from another Dark Period in the city's history. Larson is a historian whose writing style and sensibilities are those of a novelist in the style of E.L. Doctorow, which I consider high praise.
In 1893, Chicago played host to the Columbian Exposition, a World's Fair that its planners hoped would do for Chicago and America what the recent successful Exposition Universelle in 1889 had done for Paris with its iconic Eiffel Tower as the centerpiece. This book tells the parallels stories of the building of The White City, as the Exposition site came to be called, and the darker world of serial mass murder that took place just a few blocks away near the stock yards that gave Chicago its reputation and its stench.
The telling of these parallels stories is accomplished with great literary style. The reader follows the struggles of architect Daniel Burnham as he and his team of colleagues and manifold critics fight to gain financial and artistic control over the building of the Fair that would change the landscape of America. Alongside this gripping tale, Larson reveals the stunning treachery of Dr. Henry Holmes as he plotted to capture, torment and eventual kill numberless innocent young woman who were drawn to the city by the promise of employment and excitement.
The resulting literary work is a cautionary tale that warns that monumental civic achievement is hardly ever attained without great personal sacrifice and the concomitant exploitation perpetrated by those who would prey upon the innocence of those drawn to the bright lights of the city. Larson possesses a keen author's eye for personal peculiarities and idiosyncrasies; he also employs an architect's perception for details of place. The result is a work of history that draws in the reader as does the most compelling work of fiction. This book is an achievement well deserving of its Best Seller status and literary awards..
"The Human Brand: How We Relate to People, Products, and Companies" by Chris Malone and Susan T.Fiske
Chris Malone and Susan T. Fiske have converted their insightful research into a very readable and informative book. "The Human Brand: How We Relate to People, Products, and Companies" is an excellent addition to the growing corpus of works that help us to better understand how to use technology to enhance human interactions rather than to replace them.
The premise of this book is that as human beings, we are hard-wired to make instantaneous judgments about people - and by extension about products and companies - based on two perceptions: warmth and competence. These snap judgments that we make allow us to categorize people and companies into four quadrants.
Quadrant 1 - We perceive the person or company to be warm and to have good intentions; and we perceive them to be competent to carry out those intentions.
The resulting predominant feeling we have for these people and companies is Admiration
Companies that research shows fall into this quadrant include Habitat for Humanity, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Hersheys, MinuteMaid, and Zappos
Quadrant 2 - We perceive the person or company to be warm and to have good intentions; but we perceive them not to be competent to carry out those intentions.
The resulting predominant feeling we have for these people and companies is Sympathy
Companies that research shows fall into this quadrant include Amtrak, VA Hospitals, U.S. Postal Service.
Quadrant 3 - We perceive the person or company to be lacking in warmth and to have ambiguous or self-serving intentions; and we perceive them to be competent to carry out those intentions
The resulting predominant feeling we have for these people and companies is Envy
Companies that research shows fall into this quadrant include Gucci, Cartier, Mercedes, Porsche, Rolex
Quadrant 4 - We perceive the person or company to be lacking in warmth and to have ambiguous or self-serving intentions; and we perceive them not to be competent to carry out those intentions.
The resulting predominant feeling we have for these people and companies is Contempt
Companies that research shows fall into this quadrant include BP, AIG, Marlboro, Goldman Sachs
I have tested my own personal reactions to individuals and to companies, and I find that my emotions match those that the authors' research predicted.
The book is filled with stories and vignettes of actions that companies have taken that either allow consumers to perceive them as warm and competent and thus to elicit Admiration, or that in some way fail to make that human connection. The authors are strong in their advocacy of stories as important means of communicating both warmth and competence:
"Stories organize our perceptions of the people, places, and events around us. Stories inform us emotionally, which is why we remember them better than mere information. They are among the most powerful means of human communication, education, and inspiration, precisely because they overlap in our minds with our ways of making sense of other people." (Page 120)
This book is a very helpful addition to the growing list of volumes that help us to think in creative and meaningful ways about how we must connect with one another in an age of growing technological capabilities and hindrances.
Actress Celeste Oliva Gets Great Mileage Out of "Becky's New Car" at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston
I am going to shamelessly launch myself over the punning cliff by stating up front that IRNE Award-winning actress Celeste Oliva has turned the current Lyric Stage production of "Becky's New Car" into a streamlined vehicle that demonstrates the full range of her protean acting abilities. She is, quite simply, the drive train and chassis for this show. All of the other fine actors who make up the ensemble serve as useful accessories that smooth out the ride upon which playwright Steven Dietz takes the audience.
Celeste Oliva as Becky
Becky lays out the theme of this play in the first scene. She address the audience in one of many instances in which the actors break the fourth wall.
"When a women says she needs a new car, what she is really saying is that she needs a new life."
In this two act play, directed by Larry Coen, we see Becky inadvertently drawn into a complex web of circumstances and relationships that make it possible for her to discover a new life. She has to decide if she wants to have a fling with one of the richest men in Seattle, a widower who mistakenly assumes that Becky's husband has also died. The complications that ensue are both hilarious and poignant. This comedy addresses serious questions about marriage, fidelity, happiness, forgiveness and self-actualization.
The set has been designed by Shelley Barish as an over-sized game board for Chutes and Ladders, implying that the lives that Becky and her fellow characters are living out have elements of a game in which they are moving around the game board of life in pre-determined patterns. Sometimes they figuratively "roll the dice" to decide in which direction to head and how far to go.
The cast features:
Mike Dorval as Joe Foster, Beck's roof repairman husband
Alex Marz as Chris, Becky and Joe's grad student son
Will McGarrahan as Walter Flood, Becky's "Sugar Daddy"
Samantha Richert as Kenni Flood, Walter's petulant daughter
Jaime Carrillo as Steve, Becky's cohort at the auto dealership where they both work
Kortney Adams as Ginger, a trust fund baby whose funds have dried up
The character of Chris, as written by Mr. Dietz, is the most interesting of the secondary characters, and is played perfectly by Mr. Marz. His psychology grad student Ivory Tower psycho babble stands in marked contrast to the very practical wrestling with every day existential dilemmas that Becky faces. His commentary on others' actions is pure academic theory and cant. He comes across as a one man "Geek Chorus"! He may have a text book understanding of the term "self-actualization ," but is mother is getting her hands dirty and dismantling the engine of her life to discover how to tune it up and make it run in a more satisfying manner.
The play offers the audience plenty of opportunities for laughter, and just as many opportunities for sober reflection. As played by Ms. Oliva, Becky is a complex, flawed human being for whom we are rooting all the way through, even when her actions call into question her character.
On occasion, I found the breaking of the fourth wall a bit gimmicky, but for the most part it served to invite the audience members to identify with Becky and the other characters.
This second play of the new Lyric Stage of Boston season is worthy of your attention. It makes a great holiday excursion. Take a trip to the Lyric and enjoy the ride! The audience on Sunday afternoon seemed to get a great deal of enjoyment out of their trip with Becky.
Becky's New Car
by Steven Dietz
Directed by Larry Coen
BOSTON PREMIERE
Running time: Approximately 2 hours.
Box Office: 617-585-5678 | boxoffice@lyricstage.com
Production sponsored by Tim & Linda Holiner
Becky's life isn't exactly unhappy — but from her desk at a car dealership she can't help but wonder what else is out there. And then she finds out. When a wealthy suitor presumes she is a widow, she finds herself leading a double life that quickly accelerates out of her control. This clever and witty new comedy takes us on one woman's unexpected, hilarious, and ultimately moving escape from the midlife doldrums.
"A satisfying comedy of modern manners . . . one that derives as much power from its humanity as its fine-tuned craftsmanship." - Seattle Times
The show runs through December 22.
Lyric Stage Company Tickets
A.R.T. Receives Substantial National Endowment for...
"The Heart of Robin Hood" Hits A Bullseye At The A...
Review of "Bleeding Talent": Tim Kane Addresses th...
"What Recruiters Look At During The 6 Seconds They...
A Regal Production of Shakespeare's "Henry VIII" P...
Hub Theatre Company of Boston Presents "Sand Mount...
The Parallel Stories of Building The Subways of Bo...
My heart has vibrated in time with E.L.Doctorow's...
Review of a Literary Masterpiece: "The Devil in th...
"The Human Brand: How We Relate to People, Product...
Actress Celeste Oliva Gets Great Mileage Out of "B...


text:
Joe Biden takes office
Biden-Harris plan gives hope to indigenous communities (Press Release)
The upcoming inauguration of future US-President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris next Wednesday gives hope to the country's indigenous people – as the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) concludes from its analysis of the "Biden-Harris Plan for Tribal Nations", which the two presented during the election campaign. "The ideas in the government plan are good news for the beleaguered Tribal Nations of the United States – assuming that they will not only exist on paper," stated Yvonne Bangert, STP expert on indigenous peoples, in Göttingen today. "In any case, the nomination of Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, the first indigenous minister in the history of the country, is more than a symbolic step. She will be directly responsible for indigenous affairs, and her ministry will be responsible for the administration of public lands and the establishment of protected areas, including decisions on resource extraction." The re-establishment of joint advisory panels of native tribes and the government in Washington raises hopes as well.
However, several major projects of the outgoing Trump administration will be extremely problematic for the next government. "Numerous sacred sites of the country's indigenous communities have already been destroyed or damaged due to the construction of the wall along the southern border of the United States – and it will not be possible to simply stop the ongoing construction work, as there are binding contracts with the companies involved and costs have already been incurred," Bangert said. However, there are massive indigenous protests against the construction of the wall, and Biden has promised to stop it. "It will have to be seen whether it is possible to take down the wall again, and to compensate the construction companies," Bangert added. "Further, the Trump administration has auctioned off oil drilling concessions in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge at the last minute. It will be difficult to withdraw them again."
Given the enormous challenges, the STP expert expects only gradual improvements in the situation of the indigenous communities in the United States, despite the expected improvements. "Of course, Deb Haaland and Joe Biden cannot work magic – and no one expects them to. However, the Democratic majority is a good starting point, at least until the mid-term elections in two years. Also, we expect improvements regarding the cultural aspects of indigenous affairs," Bangert said. "We very much hope that the Biden-Harris administration will use this momentum to show more commitment for indigenous issues and to invest political capital. The new administration will be measured against its ambitious goals."
The text of the Biden-Harris Plan for Tribal Nations can be found here.