text:
India (हिंदी)
Fantastic Beasts star Alison Sudol talks conservation and inspiration
Alison Sudol played a popular character in the recent Harry Potter film "Fantastic Beasts," but in real life cares deeply about all of the Earth's non-fantastical creatures. by Erik Hoffner on 17 April 2017
In an exclusive interview, the breakout star of the latest Harry Potter movie argues that it's deeply important for people to connect with nature
"Art has a profound ability to connect people to their own hearts, and to each other," she says, and uses her art to inspire others
She is herself inspired by how much more there is to know about nature, and were she not performing for large audiences, would perhaps like to study marine mammals
Alison Sudol at IUCN's World Conservation Congress, September 2016. Photo courtesy International Institute for Sustainable Development
Musician and actress Alison Sudol has been connected to nature since she was a very young child growing up in Seattle. Playing under the name A Fine Frenzy in recent years, her songs have featured both subtle and overt environmental themes, so it was entirely natural that she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2011.
Ms. Sudol attended the IUCN's most recent World Conservation Congress in Hawaii in September 2016. One afternoon when not busy interviewing conservation luminaries for the IUCN's official Youtube channel, she played a concert in one of the convention center halls for a huge crowd.
The breakout star of the most recent Harry Potter film, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," in the role of Queenie Goldstein, she is now at work on a new film, "The Last Full Measure," alongside Hollywood icons Samuel Jackson and Christopher Plummer. Despite her hectic filming schedule, she recently took time out to share what motivates her passionate activism for the planet.
AN INTERVIEW WITH ALISON SUDOL
Erik Hoffner for Mongabay: Do you find the arts and activism to be good partners?
Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
Alison Sudol: Art has a profound ability to connect people to their own hearts, and to each other. A large challenge in activism, one that I've personally struggled with, is how to open my heart enough to care what happens to nature, and how to maintain that openness despite the pain that it inevitably brings. The terrible things happening to the natural world on a daily, even hourly, basis can be devastating to the human being that lets themself feel it. It is also difficult to maintain a positive outlook, when the vastness of the destruction is considered. Honestly, it can get pretty depressing! However, I think it is deeply important to feel the connection to nature, to what we are fighting to protect, to the beauty and wonderment, the magic and the fragility, in order to pick ourselves up when we get discouraged. Art is a way of lending a human voice to nature, it can remind us of the great beauty within ourselves that connects all living things.
Coquerel's sifaka in Madagascar. According to the IUCN Red List, about 90 percent of lemurs are threatened with extinction. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.
Mongabay: What inspired you to get involved in conservation?
Alison Sudol: I've always been drawn to nature. When I was a little girl in Seattle, my Swedish nanny would take me on daily nature walks into the woods, rain or shine. She taught me to notice the magic of the natural world. When my family moved to LA when I was five, I found myself in a much more urban environment, and the loss of that connection to nature was subtly devastating. When I was older, I found myself incorporating nature into my writing, and began to connect with it again as I traveled the world as a musician. Suddenly, I found myself able to explore rich, velvety forests in Germany, breathtakingly clear lakes in Canada, heart-shaking thunderstorms in New Mexico. It did something to my soul, something I hadn't realized I needed until I found myself seeking a natural space every time the bus arrived in a new city. Once I realized how much nature meant to me, and also realized how little success in my career fulfilled me, compared to that feeling, I knew I had to do something to help protect the natural world. It lent a deeper motivation to my work, and made me feel like a more complete human being when I found the IUCN and began delving into the world of conservation.
Mongabay: What environmental issue is most important to you right now?
Alison Sudol, Salt Lake City, UT, April 2, 2008. Photo by Brian Tibbets via Wikimedia Commons
Alison Sudol: Oceans (pollution, overfishing, deep sea mining and trawling, acidification and coral loss), species extinction, deforestation and most recently, the impacts of our current Administration here in the U.S. on American wildlife and climate change.
Mongabay: I hear you're making a new record, will any of the songs on it speak to those passions?
Alison Sudol: My last record ("Pines") was much more about the natural world than my upcoming release, which delves more into personal, emotional territory. However, as ever, there is a fair amount of environmental imagery in the writing, as there will be in the videos and other art surrounding the release.
Mongabay: Our series Almost Famous Animals profiles wonderful but little known creatures which are endangered, from bearcats to bumblebee bats, and which deserve much more attention: the features read like a real life "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." If you could magically save from extinction say three of Earth's fantastic beasts, which ones would you choose?
Alison Sudol: Almost Famous Animals is wonderful! I love that!
Knobbed hornbill from Sulawesi. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.
To choose three animals to help feels absolutely impossible, as without biodiversity, the entire structure of the natural world is weakened. It doesn't feel right to pick favorites! Although I truly admire the scientists who dedicate their lives to single species, as without them, so much valuable research and protection would be lost. I have a great respect for all creatures big and small, and believe that they each have intrinsic value, whether we humans consider them cute or cuddly, or even interesting. Nature is not all about us, it's a vast and complex infrastructure, advanced far beyond our understanding, and the fact that so much remains a mystery to us is tremendously inspiring to me. There is so much potential to learn from the world around us, if we don't destroy it first.
Mongabay: Who was the most inspiring person or persons you encountered at the World Conservation Congress in Hawaii? Mine was definitely Mongabay advisor Jane Goodall.
Alison Sudol: I had the honor of meeting Jane as well! I could hardly speak when I was interviewing her! She has such an exquisite presence – so centered, calm and wise. I was in complete awe in her presence. I also had the great honor of meeting Sylvia Earle and E.O. Wilson – they each have done such great things for the planet, and are such passionate advocates for the sea and biodiversity, respectively. Speaking to these three pioneers of conservation was deeply moving for me.
Mongabay: What makes you optimistic about the future of the planet?
Talking to kids these days makes me feel like maybe we have a shot at changing the way we do things in the future. I've had the pleasure of meeting quite a few kids, including at the IUCN Congress on Youth Day, and honestly, I was blown away by their intelligence, eloquence, awareness and activism. I think the more kids understand just how vital they are to the future of the planet, the better chance we have of changing the way humanity operates in the future.
Mongabay: If you could go out in the field and study any kind of animal alongside researchers, where would you go, what would you do?
Alison Sudol: I would love to study whales and other marine mammals, either in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington and British Columbia, or frankly anywhere, jellyfish off the coast of Japan, or the wildlife of African savannahs.
Humpback whale breaching in Alaska's Inside Passage. Photo by Rhett A. Butler, Mongabay
Mongabay: Do you have any favorite advice or words of wisdom to share?
Alison Sudol: Find something in nature you love, and see if there's something you can do to help. Even the smallest actions can make an impact. Maybe take a moment to think about where this meat is coming from, your vegetables. Could you substitute a vegetarian meal at least once a day? Buy local when you can. Bring your own water bottle instead of buying plastic ones. Notice the amount of plastic you consume, and how you could reduce it. Question whether you really need that thing that you're about to buy – was it made in a sweatshop, could there be chemicals in the fabric? And if so, do you really want that on your skin, do you really need it?
Also, take the time to cultivate your connection with nature. We get so busy with our lives that it's hard to unwind, to remember how healing it can feel to stand beneath a tree, seeing the sun through its leaves, and just be still for a moment. That always helps me, anyhow. A little walk in nature goes a long way.
Article published by Erik Hoffner
Activism, Arts, Biodiversity, Celebrities, Conservation, Consumer Action, Endangered Species, Environmental Activism, Environmental Ethics, Exclusive, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Interviews, Wildlife
Forest Trackers
Endangered chimps 'on the brink' as Nigerian reserve is razed for agriculture, timber
Agricultural frontier advances in Nicaraguan biosphere reserve
'Rampant forest destruction' wracks reserve as cattle ranching advances in Brazilian Amazon
'Unprecedented' fires in Madagascar national park threaten livelihoods and lemurs
In hot water: Ocean warming hits another record high on climate change
Guinea-Bissau turtle hatchery addresses unusual problem of too many eggs
The thick of it: Delving into the neglected global impacts of human waste
New atlas illuminates impact of artificial light in the ocean at night
Amazon Conservation
Josefina Tunki: 'If we have to die in defense of the land, we have to die'
Global ayahuasca trend drives deforestation in Brazil's Acre state
Oil highway bears down on uncontacted Indigenous groups in Ecuador's Yasuní
French deforestation database pressures Brazilian soy traders to clean up supply chain
Land rights and extractives
Analysts point to logging and mining to explain Solomon Islands unrest
Philippine groups slam 'cruel Christmas gift' as open-pit mining ban is lifted
In round 2 of Philippine geothermal project, tribes dig in for a greater say
Endangered Environmentalists
Death threats and friction with military force Guatemalan rangers to flee
Amazon mining threatens dozens of uncontacted Indigenous groups, study shows
The Kichwa woman fighting drug traffickers and loggers in the Peruvian Amazon
Rights groups demand end to Cambodia's persecution of green activists
Indonesia's Forest Guardians
From Flores to Papua: Meet 10 of Indonesia's mangrove guardians
Why I stand for my tribe's forest: It gives us food, culture, and life (commentary)
Reforesting a village in Indonesia, one batch of gourmet beans at a time
Restoring Sumatra's Leuser Ecosystem, one small farm at a time
Conservation Effectiveness
Young forests can help heal tropical aquatic ecosystems: Study
How sharing and learning from failures can transform conservation (commentary)
Is planting trees as good for the Earth as everyone says?
'Bad science': Planting frenzy misses the grasslands for the trees
Southeast Asian infrastructure
In Laos, a 'very dangerous dam' threatens an ancient world heritage site
Bali's new highway project sparks concerns about agriculture and conservation areas
Deforestation notches up along logging roads on PNG's New Britain Island
Plantations and roads strip away Papua's forests. They're just getting started
About Mongabay
Mongabay is a U.S.-based non-profit conservation and environmental science news platform. Our EIN or tax ID is 45-3714703.
Mongabay.org
Tropical Forest Network
Wild Madagascar
Selva Tropicales
Mongabay Indonesia
Mongabay India
© 2022 Copyright Conservation news


In Science this term, we have been learning about plants and animals. We chose two different locations in the school grounds to carry out a survey. We went bug hunting and looked carefully at the different plants and animals we found in both or one of the locations. Back in class we observed the creatures carefully and created fact files on some of the bugs and plants we found.


text:
telephone +353 1 294 0800
email info@rod.ie
Contract Procurement
Chartership Support
Roughan & O'Donovan
Green light for N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project
An Bord Pleanála grants approval for the upgrade of the N5 national primary route between Ballaghaderreen and Scramoge in Co. Roscommon
Roberta Keaney
Strokestown Park House
Roscommon County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have received approval for the upgrade of the N5 national primary route between Ballaghaderreen and Scramoge in Co. Roscommon.
This stretch of road passes through the towns of Frenchpark, Bellanagare, Tulsk and Strokestown.
The upgrade includes the construction of 33km of new Type 1 single carriageway; 15.4km of realignment of existing roads; five roundabouts; 16 'T' junctions; three road under bridges; one road overbridge; and four river bridges and 14 culverts.
A key piece of infrastructure
The road development will boost economic, social and tourism development in the region by significantly improving connectivity between towns such as Ballina, Castlebar and Westport and the east of the country.
A complex scheme
ROD-AECOM Alliance worked closely with Roscommon National Roads Regional Office (NRRO) for over four years to progress the road development through the design and statutory planning process phases.
According to Project Manager and EIA Co-ordinator, Barry Corrigan, the archaeological sensitivity of the area presented a significant challenge for the team:
'At the centre of the Study Area is the Rathcroghan Archaeological complex, a candidate UNESCO World Heritage Site with its 240 recorded monuments (RMPs). This meant that the location and design of the new route was of utmost importance. Following extensive consultation with the key stakeholders, studies, archaeological surveys and investigations, we developed a road design to avoid and or minimise effects on the site.
The photomontages presented in the EIAR were found to clearly illustrate that the proposed road development will either not be visible or will be only barely discernible from the Rathcroghan Archaeological Complex and that it will not affect the significance, setting or views to and from individual sites or the complex as whole.
Further east of Rathcroghan, the route also passes through the former Strokestown Park demesne – an architecturally sensitive site and home to the National Famine Museum.
A further challenge lay in the route traversing a highly karstified environment, including a regionally important karstified aquifer,' he said.
The oral hearing
Despite the board having received over 70 submissions and engaging its own expert hydrogeologist, the oral hearing itself was completed in just two days.
This remarkable achievement reflected the quality of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR), Natura Impact Statement (NIS) and the scheme design process.
A team effort
In welcoming the decision of the board, Project Director, Jim Thorpe, praised the commitment of the whole project team.
'I am delighted to see the project team, including Roscommon NRRO and the Environmental Impact Assessment experts, rewarded for their huge efforts in bringing the scheme forward,' he said.
'It is a brilliant result for everyone involved, particularly as this was the first TII project tested by the board under the new EIA Directive 2014/52/EU,' he added.
Interesting in joining us? Check out our latest career opportunities
Roughan & O'Donovan
Arena House, Arena Road,
Sandyford, Dublin 18,
D18 V8P6, Ireland.
© 2017 ROD Consulting Engineers. All Rights Reserved. Registered No. 223146 | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Anti-Slavery Policy | Cookies Policy.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As the retail industry is transforming, security, convenience and speed are becoming more important to the consumer. They need to know their transactions are protected, and they want payments options that work with their busy lifestyles. Wherever the point of sale (POS), and whatever your segment, from department stores and grocery chains, to discount retail chains and everything in between, we help you connect with the next generation of consumer.fdfdfdProvide innovative and secure point of sale solutions with our smart terminals .Offer a seamless payment experience for customers, whatever the channel.


My husband and myself were lucky enough to be invited on a 3 night private charter cruise on The Glen Tarsan by my brother and his wife to celebrate their Ruby Wedding Anniversary. We can honestly say that it was a trip of a lifetime. Nothing was too much trouble for our crew, with special thanks to Bosun Darren for constantly refilling the teapots! The food was to die for, as were the views. My husband was slightly nervous regarding being on the water and making transfers on the little tender, but we always felt very safe and looked after. To anyone out there who is hesitant about cruising with The Majestic Line, take the plunge, it will be the experience of a lifetime. We are now saving up to take a trip with you on our own.
The Crew - The four crew could not be bettered. They were considerate, helpful, above all seemed to enjoy the cruise and the interaction with the passengers. Catering - Special thanks to Michael who created miracles of good food in his tiny galley. The high standard of catering and service contributed significantly to the enjoyment of the cruise.


Moonlight is a strange mixture of the old and the new, offering plenty that we've seen before while pushing boundaries that too often remain rigid in mainstream films.
Director Barry Jenkins begins in the style of a gator-state Ophüls, weaving woozy tracking shots around the all-too familiar tableau of backstreet drug deals. He brings something new to this exchange, both visually and with the intriguing character of Juan (Mahershala Ali). A drug dealer with a soft side (or maybe just a guilty conscience), Juan takes Chiron, the young lead played first by Alex R. Hibbert, under his wing, offering an attitude torn between pragmatic criminality and a desire to do good. He's one of the film's most intriguing and complex characters, played with a world-weary charm by Ali. It's a shame he features so briefly.
Split into three parts, the film's subsequent two chapters falter after such a strong start. Everything that felt fresh and original fades away to be replaced by stereotypes and anticlimax. This is Chiron's story, but he's not a compelling enough character to hold the film together. The performances – from three different actors – are all decent, but the character is underwritten. Near-mute and permanently withdrawn, it's hard to find an emotional connection, particularly in the third act reunion which is pitched as more significant than it feels.
Barry Jenkins has deservedly earned a lot of hype for his direction. He and DP James Laxton deliver sensory shot-making; a poem of sand and sweat and sunlight. His world is full of black bodies beating to their own rhythms, negotiating their own internal politics. He's not afraid to play out scenes with long silences either, allowing the drama to occur organically.
It's a shame that the story, which began feeling like a small-town epic, dies away into something so insubstantial.
SYNOPSIS: A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighbourhood of Miami.


The Bourbon Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar is a decadent Montana made treat. The Huckleberry People Company is well known for cordials, dry mixes and gourmet candy and has created this unique chocolate bar filled with the flavor of bourbon. The Bourbon Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar is delivered in a striking wrapper sealing in the flavor of the 5 oz mouth-watering candy bar.
This scrumptious chocolate bar would be a great addition to a Montana themed gift basket of decadent delights. Treat yourself to the Bourbon Cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar and it will certainly become one of your favorite snack foods.


LOS ANGELES -- The Chicago Blackhawks are using seven defensemen in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center (9 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS).
Sheldon Brookbank is in the lineup, replacing left wing Kris Versteeg with the Blackhawks trying to stay alive to force Game 7 in Chicago on Sunday. Los Angeles leads the best-of-7 series 3-2.
Versteeg made a turnover at his blue line to start a sequence which ended with Kings forward Dustin Brown scoring on a rebound to tie the game 3-3. Chicago won the game, 5-4, on a goal by Michal Handzus 2:04 into the second overtime.
Brookbank has two assists and a plus-4 rating in six games in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This is the second time Versteeg has been scratched this postseason. He sat out during the second round against the Minnesota Wild. He has one goal and two assists in 14 playoff games.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville did not make any other changes to his lineup, going with the reconfigured top-two forward lines and the defensive pairs that played in Game 5.


The Relaxation Station features comfy beanbags, plastic tables which can also be used as stools, a colorful rug and our Library mascot, Eggwardo. There is also a display of interesting books for browsing and a chalkboard wall for doodling!
Please remember to act in an appropriate way when relaxing in the Relaxation Station. Do not jump on the beanbags, pile them on top of each other to sit, throw them or put them on top of other students. Be VERY careful with food and drinks and remember to clean up after yourselves. Use your common sense and good judgement!


Poms will be shipping within 2-3 weeks. Comes with two cords to attach to your knitwear.
After learning of one of my best friend's personal struggles with her sexuality and suicidal thoughts in her teen years, I decided I needed to do more.
My sweet friend, who was constantly surrounded by people who loved her and who accepted her with open arms, still felt ashamed, confused, and tempted to end the pain. No one had any idea what she was going through until almost 10 years later. Thankfully, my friend is still here with us today. However, this not the case for many LGBTQ+ youth.
Some of you may already be familiar with The Trevor Project, but if you aren't, it's a national nonprofit organization which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth under 25.
The Trevor Project offers 24/7 crisis hotlines over the phone, text, and even online instant messaging where LGBTQ+ youth can be connected with a trained counselor who is there to help, all at no cost. They also offer many suicide prevention training programs for adults who want to become TrevorChat/Text volunteer counselors, and for educators/school leaders who are trying to bring suicide prevention policies and resources into their campuses.
This is where the rainbow faux fur comes in.
I'll be turning this luxury faux fur into Love Poms, and donating 20% of the proceeds to The Trevor Project. My hope is that we will be able to provide our struggling LGBTQ+ youth with comfort and support when they need it most.
We are all human. We all want to be loved and accepted. We all deserve to be happy and free.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement free place to talk, please visit www.thetrevorproject.org or call the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386.


text:
Q: Angular 2 TestModuleMetadata does not have an EntryComponents property I'm using Angular CLI 1.0.0-beta.32.2 and am writing a unit test for an Angular 2 service, which dynamically creates a Component and inserts it into another Component.
In my unit test I try to create a mock component to test my service, but the output of ng test throws an error, stating my mock Component is specified in the entryComponents property. When I try to add the Component into an entryComponents property of the TestModuleMetadata object, like this: TestBed.createTestingModule({...entryComponents:  [ TestDialogComponent ]...}) I see the following error stating the entryComponents property does not exist.
Chrome 56.0.2924 (Windows 10 0.0.0) DialogService should create a child component when opening FAILED
Error: No component factory found for TestDialogComponent. Did you add it to @NgModule.entryComponents?

Looking at the TestModuleMetadata definition shows that the entryComponents property does not exist. So how do I go about dynamically creating a Component in my unit tests in Angular 2 and Jasmine?

A: Check TestBed.overrideModule. Please refer to this discussion
https://github.com/angular/angular/issues/12079
I got the error for my DialogBoxComponent. I resolved it as follows
  beforeEach(async(() => {
    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
      declarations: [ NewPracticeQuestionComponent,
      DialogBoxComponent,
        ShowErrorsComponent],
      imports:[ReactiveFormsModule,HttpClientTestingModule],
      providers:[WebToBackendInterfaceService,HelperService,AuthService]
    })

    TestBed.overrideModule(BrowserDynamicTestingModule, {
      set: {
        entryComponents: [DialogBoxComponent]
      }
    })
    .compileComponents();
  }));

A: As far as i know it has not supported yet. As workaround you can create fake module with entryComponent and import it to your testing module
@NgModule({
  imports: [CommonModule],
  declarations: [TestDialogComponent],
  entryComponents: [TestDialogComponent]
})
export class FakeTestDialogModule {}

and then
TestBed.configureTestingModule({
    imports: [FakeTestDialogModule]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mar 5, 2019, 12:07pm EST
Brazil Bounces Back With A Slew Of New Billionaires
Nov 9, 2018, 01:14pm EST
Fortune Magazine's New Owner Is Member Of Thailand's Richest Family
Nov 2, 2018, 06:42pm EDT
Southeast Asia's Richest Woman Signs $6.5 Billion Deal For 50 Airbus Jets
Oct 30, 2018, 10:27am EDT
The Indonesian Tycoons Behind Lion Air, Whose Plane Crashed Off Jakarta on Monday
Oct 22, 2018, 12:58pm EDT
How This Video Gaming Billionaire Invests His More Than $2 Billion
Oct 3, 2018, 07:02am EDT
LinkedIn Cofounder Reid Hoffman On His Billion-Dollar Impact Investing Bet
Jeff Bezos Is $1.8 Billion Richer As Amazon's Market Cap Briefly Hits $1 Trillion
The $4 Billion Crypto Billionaire Who No One Has Heard Of
Meet Warren Buffett's New Business Partner: India's Youngest Billionaire
Mar 23, 2016, 06:01am EDT |
Inside The Most Audacious Real Estate Project In The World
Senior editor at Forbes, covering Donald Trump's business.
This story appears in the April 18, 2016 issue of Forbes. Subscribe
Howard Air Force Base was once an imposing military installation alongside the Panama Canal, from which the United States fought guerillas and hunted down dictators. Sixteen years after the Americans left, there is a new man in charge: Colombian businessman Jaime Gilinski, who is turning the base into a brand-new city. He has already made $1.4 billion -- and there are billions more to come.
Flying in the back of a black helicopter 700 feet above the Panama Canal, with the side door flung wide open, Colombian billionaire Jaime Gilinski peers down at what was, until 1999, a U.S. military airfield. "From here to the water is all ours," he says through the chopper's headset, pointing at a patch of land the size of a small city. "It was a white canvas to develop from the beginning."
We look out over dozens of stores, office buildings and warehouses with names such as Dell , 3M and Caterpillar emblazoned on their sides. Scanning the 4,450-acre expanse, Gilinski points out a university campus, hundreds of new homes, a basketball court, schools, parks and even an airport. Construction sites are everywhere: Here will be an amphitheater, there a golf course, here a shopping mall, there a hospital.
It is the world's most audacious real estate project, which started as nothing more than the harebrained idea of the man in the helicopter. The son of a serial entrepreneur who tried his hand at several businesses before hitting it big manufacturing hand tools, Gilinski, 58, turned around the largest bank in Colombia in 1994, merged it with a rival in 1998 and then began scouring the globe for his next big deal. After U.S. troops pulled out of Howard in 1999, he began dreaming of ways to redevelop the base, which covers an area more than five times the size of Central Park.
There was only one problem: He had zero real estate experience. So Gilinski contacted Ian Livingstone, a neighbor down the street in England (where Gilinski lives today, having fled his native Colombia in 1998 amid an increase in kidnappings by the guerrilla group FARC). Livingstone and his brother Richard became billionaires developing real estate in Europe but had never before invested in Latin America. When Ian was on a vacation in the Bahamas in 2004 Gilinski persuaded him to stop by Panama and take a look. They rented a helicopter and from the sky surveyed the land, framed by the Panama Canal, the Pacific Ocean and the Pan-American Highway, which stretches from Canada to Argentina. Together they concocted a grandiose plan: to buy the wasteland of bunkers and barracks, rename it Panama Pacifico and build an entirely new city from scratch.
"We've built a lot of big developments in many parts of the world," Livingstone says. "I've not personally visited or seen anything that was bigger or so full of opportunity."
The two men made natural partners, with Livingstone's real estate chops complementing Gilinski's local fluency and financing expertise. In an early meeting Ian grabbed a piece of paper and a marker and started drawing up a new city--complete with a logistics hub, plus enough houses for 70,000 people. Gilinski's job was to secure money, convince government officials of the plan's worthiness and make the sketch a reality.
"It looked at the time like a pipe dream," says Augusto Arosemena, Panama's minister of commerce and industry. "Panama didn't know what to do with all of the land that was used by the Americans, the Army and the Air Force. We needed someone with [Gilinski's] vision, his drive and his connections to make a project like this feasible."
Twelve years after the initial helicopter ride, the new city is coming to life, and that means big money for Gilinski. The entire property is now worth an estimated $3.6 billion, with land selling at more than 25 times its original price. Gilinski has personally made $1.4 billion from the project. And even though he has already constructed close to 1,000 buildings, 85% of Panama Pacifico remains undeveloped land. That means there is a lot of work to do--and billions upon billions more to make.
AFTER A DAY OF TOURING the grounds Gilinski heads to the airstrip, where his private jet is waiting. We climb aboard the Dassault Falcon 7X, a fantasy plane with padded floors, steamed towels and luxurious leather seats. The jet speeds down the old Air Force runway and takes off for Bogotá. The billionaire kicks off his shoes, unhooks a few buttons on his Oxford and begins recounting his life story.
When he was 11 years old he stole his parents' car, taking it out for a ride and totaling it. His father, Isaac, an entrepreneur who owned a midsize tool manufacturing company at the time, didn't yell or scream. "He only said, 'Now you have to pay to fix the car,' " Gilinski recalls. "I had to work every Saturday for four years."
The work ethic stuck. At 16 Gilinski graduated from high school and applied to 11 American colleges, even though he spoke limited English. He received acceptance letters from only two. So he packed his bags for Georgia Tech but soon began dreaming of Harvard. Three years later, at 19, he was accepted into Harvard Business School's Class of 1980. Upon graduation he took a job at Morgan Stanley for one year, then returned home with a new goal: to take everything he had learned in the States and use it to become one of the most prominent businessmen in Latin America.
In 1993 the government of Colombia announced it was privatizing Banco de Colombia. Neither Jaime nor his father had anywhere near enough money to buy it, but Gilinski persuaded his dad to become a 50-50 partner in a wild scheme. "There is a moment in life," he says, "when you have to take all of the risk, just put all of the cards on the table."
Jaime set out to raise money from 100 international investors, including George Soros, leveraging hundreds of millions in debt without putting down a single dollar of his own. "This is a true story," Gilinski says. "I was able to raise $376 million, and that was my bid. I didn't have any more money. I bid what I had, divided by the shares. And then I left $2 or $3 million to pay the legal fees and the bankers, because if I had lost, I would still have to pay those guys."
He won and turned the bank around, paying down the debt by selling noncore assets like a fertilizer company and a steel business. Annual profits went from $10 million to $50 million in three years, as he got rid of 10,000 of the bank's 14,000 employees through a combination of divestitures and layoffs. Gilinski merged Banco de Colombia with one of its top rivals in 1998, and after selling off their stakes, he and his father walked away with $400 million apiece. The deal provided Gilinski with not only the seed capital for the Panama project but also the model: Buy a huge government asset, invest as little money out-of-pocket as possible, start churning profits, sell for a fortune and--most critically--do it all alongside world-class partners.
"Soros, he liked me immediately," Gilinski says. "He saw my eyes, he saw myself and he said, 'What do you need?' In life you need those moments. With Livingstone we were on a helicopter. We were not partners. He came here, he saw it and said, 'I'm in. Whatever you want to do, we'll go with it.' "
Today Gilinski, who is worth an estimated $3.9 billion, doesn't have to cobble together groups of 100 investors for his projects anymore, but he hasn't stopped hustling around the world to forge relationships. He claims London as his home, but he also has houses in New York, Panama, Miami and Colombia. He spends more time traveling than he does living at his U.K. address, hitting the road 200 days a year with three cellphones at his side to talk with businessmen and government leaders everywhere. He disregards time zones and sleeps six hours a day, eats at odd hours and holds meetings at any time of the day.
We deplane, and two black SUVs are waiting for us. I hop into one and head to the hotel after a long day. Jaime isn't done working. He climbs into the other car and speeds away, with a fleet of armed bodyguards trailing him, to a dinner with an old friend from Harvard, Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia.
"I have a lot of good friends who are now in important positions," Gilinski says. "The human part is the key."
GILINSKI'S POLITICAL CONNECTIONS have been critical in Panama as well. His wife was born into a prominent Panamanian family, and Gilinski has owned a small bank on the isthmus since 1994. His ties with the country have only strengthened over time. Today he serves as a political affairs attache at the Panamanian embassy in London.
Without such deep roots in Panama he would have never even found out about the old Air Force base. Back when the Americans still controlled the land, he and his wife would stop at the supermarket near Howard to pick up American goods like bubblegum and potato chips. The base itself was off limits.
In 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed a deal with dictator Omar Torrijos, abolishing the Canal Zone and promising to hand over the canal itself by the end of the century. Over the ensuing two decades the United States kept a strong presence at Howard, using it to fight in the war against drugs and to carry out missions in Honduras, El Salvador and even Panama itself.
In 1989 George H.W. Bush ordered an invasion of Panama to oust Manuel Noriega, the narco-dictator who was in cahoots with Pablo Escobar's Medellín drug cartel. On the night of Jan. 3, 1990 Noriega turned himself in to U.S. authorities, who brought him to Howard, where Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested him. Ultimately convicted of racketeering and cocaine trafficking, Noriega sat in a Miami prison until 2010, when he was shipped to France and thrown in a Paris jail for money laundering, before authorities extradited him to his home country to serve more time for murder.
The U.S. invasion that deposed Noriega was painful. Hundreds of civilians died, and the General Assembly of the United Nations condemned the act as a violation of international law. In 1999 the last of the U.S. troops shipped out, nearly 90 years after they had first arrived during the construction of the canal.
The Panamanian government took over the Air Force base and began casting about, searching for ways to sell off small chunks to various developers. For five years the land remained vacant. Then in 2003 Gilinski and Livingstone approached officials with an idea the government hadn't yet considered: selling all of the land at once to a single group, which would develop a master plan for the site. The partners hired designers to pin down the details of Livingstone's initial sketch--where exactly to put the warehouses, retail shops and homes. Everything was carefully spaced so residents wouldn't constantly hear planes flying overhead or semitrucks rolling by. Gilinski and Livingstone said they would invest hundreds of millions of dollars and asked for a litany of government concessions in return.
The government came back with a mixed response. The good news: It would turn the old Air Force base into a corporate dreamland, where many companies would pay virtually no taxes, could stay open on Sundays and holidays, would pay a fixed rate for overtime and would get expedited visas for all of their employees. If they needed anything else from the state, they could go straight to a newly created government agency, Agencia Panamá Pacífico, whose job was to cut through red tape elsewhere in government.
The bad news: The officials were going to steal their idea for a master plan, pitch it to competing developers and hold an auction for rights to the base. Seventeen groups submitted proposals for the projects, but only four made it past the prequalification process, which required adequate financing and development experience. Ultimately just two groups, the Gilinski-Livingstone partnership and a consortium of the richest families in Panama, made final bids.
The showdown had clear rules. Land prices were initially set at less than $5 per square foot, roughly half of the market value at the time, according to local real estate appraisers. (Each year the price of the land is ratcheted up with inflation.) The property would come with a host of tax breaks and other government concessions. And the winner would be the group that was willing to guarantee the most investment over 40 years.
Gilinski and Livingstone submitted their offer, promising $705 million in investment, which they said would generate 40,000 new jobs. Those sorts of numbers would be significant in any country but especially in Panama, where $705 million represents 5% of estimated government spending today (15% in 2007) and 40,000 jobs is the equivalent of 2% of the nation's workforce. Their bid only barely defeated a $702 million proposal from the rival group.
Victory in hand, the partners sealed a contract with the administration of President Martin Torrijos (the democratically elected son of the dictator who had signed the 1977 agreement with Jimmy Carter), put down a $20 million payment and took over the property.
It was a steal. One year after the purchase, with barely any new construction on the site, Gilinski hired advisers from the Boston Consulting Group to value the project. Their conclusion: It was worth $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion, roughly twice what Gilinski and his partners had committed to invest over 40 years and more than 60 times their down payment. Gilinski took the valuation and started searching for buyers, figuring he could sell a huge tract of land in a dream location to foreign investors.
In fall 2008 his plan spiraled downward. Global markets collapsed, and the last thing international investors wanted to buy was real estate. But according to the government contract, Gilinski was required to keep investing in the project. He started putting up empty warehouses and laying out basic infrastructure for vacant lots. At the same time he was fortunate enough to still be sitting on a pile of cash from the Banco de Colombia deal.
With American and European markets falling apart, Gilinski scanned the global economic landscape and headed to the one part of the world that was still riding high, the Middle East. In 2008 the price of oil peaked at $140 per barrel, nearly four times the price today. Arab rulers had more money than they knew how to invest.
Still, it took Gilinski until 2010 to strike a deal. In the first three years after the partners acquired the property, they invested $80 million to lay out basic infrastructure, building roads, stop signs and streetlights, upgrading water pumps and electrical systems, and even cleaning up bunkers and unexploded bombs left by the U.S. military. Slowly, the government concessions helped draw tenants, like 3M (2009), W.R. Grace (2010), and VF Corp. (2010).
By August 2010, 40 businesses were renting small spaces at the project, and the property was turning a modest profit. It was enough to make managers of sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East take notice. The property was just the sort of flashy bet (a new city next to the Panama Canal!) that appealed to the petro nation of Qatar. In 2010 the nation's real estate investment arm bought a 50% stake in Panama Pacifico for an estimated $1 billion. (Livingstone disputes this price.)
Ask around in Panama and you'll hear that the Qataris overpaid. "It seems to me like [a] $2 billion [valuation] is way, way off," says William Herron, the president of Panamericana de Avalúos, a Panama City-based real estate valuation firm. "I don't see $2 billion there at all. No. I don't see it. Two billion? That's a hell of a lot of money, especially by our standards."
The sale instantly made Gilinski a billionaire. And even though he retained only a 25% stake in the project, he remains the chairman, and his brother-in-law is the CEO. Along with Gilinski and Livingstone, two Qataris now sit on the board of four. Gilinski and Livingstone talk every week to go over the details of the project, and the Qataris fly in for board meetings twice a year. (The Qataris didn't respond to repeated requests to be interviewed for this story.)
At the same time as the Qatari transaction, Gilinski negotiated a side deal to buy a 5.8-million-square-foot lot from the project, a third of which he sold to SABMiller five years later. The beer giant is now clearing dirt for a $400 million brewery on that tract of land, which, if all goes as planned, will make it the most significant investment in the project so far.
"[Gilinski] is certainly a very tough negotiator, on both sides of the table," says Mark Rosen, the head of Latin-American investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, who has represented both Gilinski and his opponents in various deals over the last 22 years. "I wouldn't describe him as fearless but rather as cautious and calculating."
SINCE 2010 NEITHER Gilinski nor his partners have invested a single dollar out of their own pockets in the project. Instead, they've plowed massive cash flows, roughly $1 billion so far, back into new construction--already exceeding the $705 million they originally committed over 40 years.
There is more to come. Investments the size of SABMiller's attract more companies, such as bottlers who want to locate near the factory, which in turn attracts additional residents who want to live near their workplaces, who attract retailers that want to be close to population centers. A lot of companies talk about creating efficiencies of scale, but very few can match the sorts of synergies that come from building an entire city from scratch.
All of it plays directly into Gilinski's hands. Of Panama Pacifico's 194 million square feet of land, 118 million square feet are slated to be developed, but only 19 million have been so far. According to the 2007 deal with the government, Gilinski and his partners pay for the land as they develop it, and the land remains cheap, around $5 per square foot (or, in Panamanian terms, $50 per square meter). Today land in downtown Panama City, just across the Panama Canal, sells for as much as $275 per square foot.
Gilinski and his partners don't sell land directly. Instead they buy a square foot of dirt, spend about $110 to build residential property on it and then turn around and sell houses for $220 per square foot. Even after accounting for a 20% margin on the construction of a house, Gilinski and his partners make roughly $90 per square foot. They could never sell all of the land at once for that much money, but their plan is instead to develop it slowly and sell off bits and pieces over time, hauling in piles of cash along the way. One hundred and eighteen million square feet, sold at an average profit of $90, adds up to more than $10 billion.
"We are printing money here," says Gilinski. "You go to Brooks Brothers, and you buy a shirt for $100. One square meter of fabric. How can you buy land at half the price of a shirt? There is no logic in that. It's like a stupid joke."
Part of what is driving the project's success is a surging real estate market in the rest of Panama City. For evidence of the boom just look across the Panama Canal. The land-strapped capital has more skyscrapers than any other city in the Western Hemisphere, except New York and Chicago. Of the 25 tallest buildings in Latin America, 16 are in Panama City, and all of them have been built in the last six years. Real estate developers are now so desperate for land that they are erecting skyscrapers on former swamplands and creating artificial islands in the sea.
The government is doing everything it can to keep the boom alive. In July it is scheduled to complete a more than $5 billion project to widen and deepen the Panama Canal. Workers dug the waterway over 100 years ago, and ships have been getting bigger ever since. About half of the world's cargo vessels simply can't fit through the canal anymore, meaning lost revenues for Panama, which charges about $90,000 per container ship. The new project will widen the canal's locks by 70 feet and deepen its channel by 18 feet, allowing much larger ships to sail through. The expansion will double the amount of cargo that can pass through the canal on any given day. For Gilinski that translates into bigger rent checks from his warehouses, which already charge 50% more than others in the city.
Two other massive infrastructure projects are even more critical for Panama Pacifico. With no traffic the former Air Force base is just 15 minutes away from downtown Panama City, but there are only two bridges, causing backups that can extend that commute to over an hour. To fix the problem, the government is spending a billion dollars to build an additional six-lane bridge and another $2.5 billion to $3 billion for a 14-stop metro line to connect the west side of the canal with downtown. The first stop on the metro: Panama Pacifico.
In exchange for all of the concessions the government gets a piece of Gilinski's profits. After deducting big expenses like infrastructure and construction, Gilinski and his partners have to pay 25% of their profits back to the government.
Bigger money will go straight to the developers. Over the next five years, Gilinski estimates, the whole project will bring in $3 billion of revenues from commercial rents and residential sales. Even after plowing most of the money back into Panama Pacifico, the partners should be able to pay themselves a combined $1.1 billion in dividends by 2020.
With that much cash pouring in, Gilinski is already hunting for new opportunities, in both banking and real estate. Armed with $500 million in cash after the Qatari deal, he took a 7.5% stake in Spanish bank Banco Sabadell and snapped up HSBC's assets in Colombia, Peru and Paraguay. Now he and Livingstone are considering more real estate investments, making clandestine visits to big tracts of land near large cities in Latin America. Gilinski recognizes his first act will be tough to follow. "You could never get this site again," he says. "But we really see the future in this part of the world."
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out some of my other work here. Send me a secure tip.


text:
Q: Implementing zoom controls in MFC I am working on a 'print preview' facility to show an overview of a slide with rectangular arrays of sample spots on it.
The slides typically measure 25 x 75 mm and the spot samples are typically 0.1 mm in diameter.  There is usually a 2mm gap around the perimeter of the slide where no spots are printed.
The distance between spots (pitches) is accurate to 0.01mm.  Pitches of 0.20 and 0.29 mm for example would need to differentiated in the pixels.  Representing the spots themselves, 100% accuracy is probably not crucial at this stage as long as the spots are visible and don't overlap.
I would appreciate advice on what techniques to use in order to create a bitmap representation of the slide/spots and to view the slide layout using arbitrary levels of magnification.
This does not have to be sophisticated - a 1:1 representation plus a smaller and larger magnification to start with.  I probably cannot zoom out too much as the spots will become too small to be represented.
For larger magnifications I will probably need to know about implementing horizontal / vertical scroll controls as well, but I will tackle this later.
I would like to find out about any programming and scaling techniques  that I should be aware of in order to properly implement a zoom facility. I have recently been playing with the StretchBlt function to alter image sizes and it seems ok, however any other relevant information would be useful.
Cheers.

A: Let's start from the beginning:

*

*why aren't you using ::AFXPrintPreview() and the rest of the print preview facilities of MFC?

*'slides' and 'spots' are specific to your industry I think - are they relevant to the question or is it just for illustration?

*StretchBlt() isn't going to do you much good because it will only let you do pixel-level 'zooming', what you need is to draw a certain part of your control with a higher level of precision. Even if you're not going to use the MFC print preview stuff, have a look at it to see how it can be done.

*Windows control have all the functionality you need for scrolling and scaling. They are in the device context: SetWindowExt(), SetViewportExt(), SetViewportOrg() etc. Look under 'Coordinate Functions' of the 'CDC Members' page of MSDN. That being said, I have once implemented zooming and scrolling 'manually', by keeping track of the scrollbar position, zooming commands of my control, etc. It was a pain in the ass and looking back, I should have used the Windows facilities. They aren't easy to use either, though, that why I thought I could do it better myself in the first place - turns out I was wrong :)

*Finally, although I can't tell for sure from your question if you're really in that boat, don't think in terms of physical distances (millimeters etc). The first thing you want to get right is to draw the shape onto the screen, with the right proportions between the elements. Then you want to zoom in/out. Finally, it's only when you get to the printing part that physical measures come into play. The only thing you need to figure out there (slightly simplifying here) is 'what is the correct zoom ratio I need to get the required output'. This is a bit tricky but has very little to do with what seems to be the first part of your question (how to draw your component to the screen).
If you're having troubles, don't hesitate to post more specific questions. I have print preview and printing code here as an example of the 'generic' parts of the printing process, although the specifics are obviously different for every application.


text:
using System;
using BookFast.Files.Contracts.Models;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
using Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Storage;
using Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Storage.Blob;
using BookFast.Files.Business.Data;

namespace BookFast.Files.Data
{
    internal class SASTokenProvider : ISASTokenProvider
    {
        private readonly AzureStorageOptions storageOptions;

        public SASTokenProvider(IOptions<AzureStorageOptions> storageOptions)
        {
            this.storageOptions = storageOptions.Value;
        }

        public string GetUrlWithAccessToken(string path, AccessPermission permission, DateTimeOffset expirationTime)
        {
            var storageAccount = CloudStorageAccount.Parse(storageOptions.ConnectionString);
            var blobClient = storageAccount.CreateCloudBlobClient();
            var container = blobClient.GetContainerReference(storageOptions.ImageContainer);

            var blob = container.GetBlockBlobReference(path);

            var sasPolicy = new SharedAccessBlobPolicy();
            sasPolicy.SharedAccessStartTime = DateTime.UtcNow.AddMinutes(-5);
            sasPolicy.SharedAccessExpiryTime = expirationTime;
            sasPolicy.Permissions = MapFrom(permission);

            string sasToken = blob.GetSharedAccessSignature(sasPolicy);
            return blob.Uri + sasToken;
        }

        private static SharedAccessBlobPermissions MapFrom(AccessPermission permissions)
        {
            var blobPermissions = SharedAccessBlobPermissions.None;
            if ((permissions & AccessPermission.Read) != 0)
            {
                blobPermissions |= SharedAccessBlobPermissions.Read;
            }

            if ((permissions & AccessPermission.Write) != 0)
            {
                blobPermissions |= SharedAccessBlobPermissions.Write;
            }

            if ((permissions & AccessPermission.Delete) != 0)
            {
                blobPermissions |= SharedAccessBlobPermissions.Delete;
            }

            return blobPermissions;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


201 Kearney Way 104, Waunakee, WI 53597 - Seen this before ??? Expect to be impressed with the updates ! Brand New Carpet, Kitchen flooring and Painting throughout Perfect Ranch style condo in Waunakee to call home! Open floor plan; large bedrooms and great private patio. Heat and water included in Condo fee!! 2 parking spots a plus! # A10 and A12; Unit entrance is behind building. This would be a great starter or downsizing home. Don't miss it! Go and show !


Brand new watch, all boxes, papers, and factory warranty.
Corvette® Racing has temed up with BRM to establish a series of customised, limited-edition timepieces. Licensed by Chevrolet®, the inaugural Corvette® C7.R Racing Collection honors an automotive icon, and the bespoke collaboration brings together two uniquely individual companies united by a commitment to the art of motorsports. Because BRM was built for the road less traveled.


text:
La parabole du Figuier, ou du Figuier en bourgeons, est une parabole de Jésus-Christ racontée dans les trois Évangiles synoptiques: Matthieu 24, 32-35 ; Marc 13, 28-31 ; et Luc 21, 29-33. Elle ne doit pas être confondue avec la parabole du figuier stérile rapportée dans saint Luc, 13, 6-9.

Cette parabole est immédiatement suivie d'une exhortation à la vigilance.

Texte
 Évangile selon Luc : Et il leur dit une parabole :

Interprétation
Jésus explique par la suite que cette parabole doit être comprise dans une perspective eschatologique. Comme le Discours sur le mont des Oliviers, où Jésus emploie un vocabulaire apocalyptique, il se sert du figuier pour évoquer les fins dernières et l'arrivée du temps de la Passion.

Le Docteur de l'Église Jean Chrysostome dit, dans son homélie 77, qu'un été spirituel viendra effacer l'hiver pénible de ce monde, mais il ajoute que le Messie prend l'exemple des saisons afin de montrer la nature réelle du monde, et que ce qui professé est immuable .

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Article connexe
 Paraboles du Nouveau Testament

Figuier

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Carpets that look nice and smell fresh aren't the big concern. Dirty carpeting can be harmful to a person's health. While there's a potential for bacterial infection, allergies are a more common problem. Pollen and dust can cause respiratory issues, and an uncleaned carpet can become a reservoir of allergens that get kicked up into the air whenever someone walks across a room.
Shockingly, the average indoor carpet or rug is about 4000 times dirtier than a toilet seat, and can have as much as 200,000 bacteria on it per square inch. Add other factors like skin cells, human hair and pet hair, and it's obvious why spring cleaning has to include rugs and carpets.
Regular vacuuming can help deal with the problem, but it's not always enough. While vacuuming once a week is recommended to keep these things under control, a good deep cleaning by a professional carpet cleaner once a year has a significant impact on the state of the carpets inside the home.
While good maintenance and proper carpet cleaning can assist with the longevity and appearance of carpets and area rugs, the most important aspect remains human health. With high-powered industrial-strength equipment along with potent, eco-friendly cleanser, the professional carpet cleaning technicians at Angelo's deliver a deep-down rug cleaning service that will leave people breathing easier.
Learn more about rug cleaning in Vancouver, get a free quote online or set up an appointment by calling (604) 421-1855.
Angelo's FabriClean is a premier carpet and upholstery cleaning company in the Greater Vancouver and Lower Mainland area, offering carpet, area rug, upholstery, and mattress cleaning services. Angelo's is owned and operated by a close-knit family that pays special attention to customer satisfaction and excellent service. It is 100% Canadian, with over a quarter century of experience in in-house cleaning and care. Their Vancouver carpet cleaners are trained and certified, arriving fully equipped to perform the cleaning at the client's convenience. Angelo's FabriClean uses state-of-the-art equipment, as well as top-of-the-line cleaning products. For more information, log on to http://www.inhomecleaning.ca/ or call (604) 421-1855.


text:
'Ted Lasso' Season 2 Trailer: Jason Sudeikis And The Gang Return To AppleTV+ This July
By Ben Pearson/April 20, 2021 11:00 am EST
As coronavirus vaccines continue to roll out in full force in the United States, hope is finally on the horizon after a long, dark year. Ted Lasso, the AppleTV+ comedy series starring Jason Sudeikis, preached the gospel of hope, and the charming, hilarious, and incredibly nice show was one of the few high notes from 2020. Good news: the second season arrives this summer and AppleTV+ has dropped a brand new trailer, which looks just as delightful as we were hoping it would. Check it out below.
Against all odds, this goofy little show based on an extremely silly premise became an unlikely sleeper hit after it premiered last summer. Sudeikis picked up a Screen Actors Guild Award for his lead performance, the show snagged two Writers Guild Awards (for Best New Series and Best Comedy Series), and Critics Choice Award wins for Best Actor for Sudeikis and Best Supporting Actress for the great Hannah Waddingham. It was also the only comedy series to make the American Film Institute's esteemed Program of the Year list.
After AFC Richmond was relegated in the season 1 finale, it appears that the team has run into a web of bad luck in the upcoming season, causing Lasso and his fellow coaches to come up with some unexpected ways to get the players back on track. But as we saw in season one, this show is about so much more than soccer (football): it's about compassion and kindness. That sounds cheesy, but damn it, this show somehow walks a high-wire tightrope of tone like an absolute champ and manages to make that cheesiness a core strength instead of a weakness. I can't wait to see how the second season plays out. (And don't forget, a third season has already been given the go-ahead, so this won't be the last we see of Ted, Rebecca, Coach Beard, and the rest of our faves.)
Here's the official synopsis:
Golden Globe® winner Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team—despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination...and biscuits.
Ted Lasso season 2 premieres on AppleTV+ on July 23, 2021.


text:
in: Military awards and decorations of the United States, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Awards and decorations of the United States Marine Corps,
Awards established in 2014
US military ribbon symbolism
Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon
Awarded by the United States Marine Corps
Special duty assignment ribbon
Combat instructors or those serving in a high-profile leadership role
Awarded for
Successful completion of a tour at the School of Infantry East or West
First awarded
Retroactive to 9 October 2002
Next (higher)
Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon
Next (lower)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
The Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon is an military award of the United States Marine Corps established by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus in August 2014. The ribbon recognizes the successful completion of a tour as a combat instructor, or in a high-profile leadership position, at the School of Infantry East or West.[1]
The ribbon is chamois in color with edges of olive green. In the center is a stripe of black. Subsequent awards of the ribbon are denoted by bronze service stars, with a silver 3/16 inch star worn to denote a sixth award.[2]
↑ Headquarters Marine Corp (8 September 2014). "MARINE CORPS COMBAT INSTRUCTOR RIBBON ESTABLISHED". http://www.marines.mil/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/3258/Article/496931/marine-corps-combat-instructor-ribbon-established.aspx. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
↑ Mabus, Ray. "ALNAV 060/14". United States Navy Bureau of Personnel. http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/ALNAVS/ALN2014/ALN14060.txt. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
Sanborn, James K. (8 September 2014). "First look at the new ribbon for Marine combat instructors". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20140908/NEWS07/309080038/First-look-new-ribbon-Marine-combat-instructors. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
Sanborn, James K. (29 August 2014). "New ribbon for combat instructors". Marine Corps Times. http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20140829/Careers/308290090. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
Military awards of the United States Department of the Navy
Personal decorations
Navy Cross
Navy Distinguished Service
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement
Combat Action
Unit awards
Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Navy E Ribbon
Good Conduct medals
Navy Good Conduct
Marine Corps Good Conduct
Naval Reserve Meritorious Service
Selected Marine Corps Reserve
Expeditionary medals
Navy Expeditionary
Marine Corps Expeditionary
Service ribbon awards
Overseas Service
Arctic Service
Navy Recruiting Service
Marine Corps Recruiting Service
Navy Recruit Training Service
Marine Corps Drill Instructor
Marine Corps Security Guard
Marine Corps Combat Instructor
Navy Ceremonial Duty
Navy Reserve Sea Service
Marksmanship
Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
Navy Sharpshooter Rifle Ribbon
Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon
Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal
Navy Sharpshooter Pistol Shot Ribbon
Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon
Military awards and decorations of the United States
Awards and decorations of the United States Marine Corps


text:
GFI releases freeware antivirus version of GFI MailSecurity for Exchange/SMTP
In a bid to help administrators preempt a possible wave of new virus outbreaks, GFI today released a freeware version of GFI MailSecurity for Exchange/SMTP 8, its email content security solution.* The freeware version scans inbound and outbound mail using a single antivirus engine, and can be used as additional protection by companies who do not yet perform virus scanning at mail server level or at the gateway, and by those who run just one antivirus engine. The freeware version can also check message bodies and subjects for keywords; this feature can be used to detect inappropriate mail.
"The freeware version will help administrators who do not have the budget to implement scanning at the gateway or at mail server level, or who cannot invest in a multiple virus engine solution," said Nick Galea, GFI CEO. "The advantages for companies that do not use mail server level or gateway antivirus scanning are self-evident. However, through our free offer, companies that have server-level scanning with a single virus engine can now discover the benefits of using multiple virus engines instead: The freeware version of GFI MailSecurity will enable them to beef up their network security - and at no extra cost."
Information on how multiple antivirus engines at mail server/gateway level improve network security is available at this GFI white paper: http://www.gfi.com/whitepapers/why-one-virus-engine-is-not-enough.pdf.
The freeware version includes the BitDefender antivirus engine, a fast and flexible virus engine that excels in the number of formats it can recognize and scan. BitDefender is ICSA certified and has won the 100% Virus Bulletin award and the European Information Technologies Prize 2002. GFI MailSecurity automatically updates the BitDefender definition files as new ones become available.
About GFI MailSecurity 8 for Exchange/SMTP (commercial version)
GFI MailSecurity for Exchange/SMTP 8 is an email content security product that uses multiple antivirus engines, exploit detection, an HTML threats engine, and content and attachment checking to scan incoming and outgoing email for viruses, exploits and attacks. The recently released version 8 includes many key features, the most notable of which is its new Trojan and executable analyzer.
Trojan and executable analyzer detects unknown dangers in full version
GFI's Trojan & Executable Scanner can analyze what an executable does, and quarantines any executables that perform suspicious activities, such as Trojan files. Trojans are dangerous as they can enter a victim's computer undetected, granting an attacker unrestricted access to the data stored on that computer. Unlike viruses, which tend to be widely disseminated, Trojans are often "one-off" executables, targeted towards a specific user to obtain particular information. GFI's Trojan scanner can detect custom-made Trojans, as opposed to antivirus software which is signature-based.
Unique benefits of GFI MailSecurity compared to other email content security/antivirus products
Multiple virus engines - for better protection, including McAfee, Norman and BitDefender
Email content and attachment checking - to quarantine dangerous attachments and content
Exploit shield - to detect emails with operating system and application exploits
HTML threats engine - to analyze and defuse HTML scripts
Trojan & Executable Scanner
Supports scanning both at mail server level using VS API and at the gateway as a mail relay
Competitive pricing – e.g., 1000-user version costs as little as US$4995.
More product information and a trial version can be found at http://www.gfi.com/mailsecurity/.
Obtaining the freeware version
The freeware version can be downloaded from http://www.gfi.com/mailsecurity/. The download is a trial version of GFI MailSecurity (15Mb), however the single antivirus engine and content checking features remain active after the 60-day evaluation period. The manual can be viewed online or downloaded at http://www.gfi.com/mailsecurity/msec8manual.pdf. User-to-user support is available at http://forums.gfi.com.
* This freeware version was available until July 2005.
GFI is a leading software developer that provides a single source for network administrators to address their network security, content security and messaging needs. With award-winning technology, an aggressive pricing strategy and a strong focus on small-to-medium sized businesses, GFI is able to satisfy the need for business continuity and productivity encountered by organizations on a global scale. GFI has offices in the US, Malta, UK, Hong Kong and Australia which support more than 200,000 installations worldwide. GFI is a channel-focused company with over 10,000 partners worldwide. GFI is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. More information about GFI can be found at http://www.gfi.com.


Register as a provider with Computershare.
We are in search of talented appraisers, real estate professionals and field inspectors to partner with Computershare. With over a decade of experience, Computershare Mortgage Solutions is a trusted partner for collateral valuation, title and asset management services. Serving investors, servicers and originators in the mortgage industry, we offer a full suite of products and services including broker price opinions, appraisals, reconciliations and reviews, hybrid/alternative appraisals, property condition inspections, automated valuations.
Computershare has selected you to register as a vendor on CONNECT!
To accept and start registration with Computershare, follow the instructions below.


Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are a more efficient way to heat water than standard electric or gas cylinders. They typically absorb energy from the outdoor air, the ground or water bodies (lakes, ponds) to heat water, which is stored in an insulated cylinder.
An integral heat pump hot water cylinder is usually sited outside.
A well-designed and installed system uses significantly less energy than standard electric or gas cylinders.
Heat pump water heaters can work in places that aren't good for solar water heaters – places that get less sun, like the south side of hills.
Energy savings are less dependent on daily hot water usage patterns (eg when you shower) compared with solar hot water.
If cheaper night-rate electricity is available in your area, some models can take advantage of it. Check with your electricity supplier and, if it's available, get your cylinder sized so you can use it.
A heat pump water heater transfers heat from an outside heat source (usually the ambient heat in air) into a hot water tank and uses a compressor/condenser/evaporator to raise the water temperature, the reverse of the way a fridge works.
Heat pump systems use electrical energy only to 'move' the heat – they don't actually 'make' heat. This makes heat pump systems much more efficient than traditional electric or gas water heaters.
Some systems incorporate an electric element booster, for when the air is too cold for the heat pump to extract heat efficiently, while other systems can operate at very low temperatures and still produce enough hot water at good efficiencies. There are also systems that are designed to be used only in warmer areas.The actual efficiency that you would get from a heat pump water heater depends on the make of the system, the quality of the installation, the average temperatures where you live, the amount of hot water you use and the location of the compressor unit.
Some systems work better in cold climates than others (see below for further detail on use in cold climates).
Systems that use an electric booster (backup element) in cold conditions can be more expensive to run.
Many HPWHs operate essentially as electric systems below 7°C. If using these systems, ensure that they are on a timer to operate during the daytime only. Otherwise they are An integral heat pump hot water cylinder is usually sited outside. Photos: BRANZ Bulletin 529 Dec 2010 effectively an electric system at night for up to 6 months a year.
The upfront cost of heat pump water heating is expensive compared with electric or gas, but has become more affordable.
In many cases you will need a building consent to install a heat pump water heater. Check with your council.
A split heat pump hot water system – the cylinder can be inside the house.
There are two different types of heat pump water heater, split systems and all-in-one or integral units.
Split systems have the compressor unit outside and the hot water tank generally inside although the tank can also be located outside the house separate from the compressor. In some cases you can use your existing tank.
All-in-one units have the compressor and tank together and the whole system usually sits outside (although an indoor unit is being developed, which is ducted to the outside).
Generally, the hotter the outside air, the better the heat pump runs. Heat pump water heaters tend to work best in areas with average air temperatures above 7°C. But the better systems (Class A) will still run more efficiently than a traditional electric or gas water heater in below-zero temperatures.
If you live in a colder part of the country, ask your manufacturer if their system is designed to work at low temperatures. Ask to see performance results at different temperatures for the model you are thinking of buying. Ensure that the system is "Class A Rated – suitable for cold climates" when installing south of Auckland. This means it has an active defrost cycle.
Select a model that achieves an energy saving of at least 60% for your climate zone; ensure that the system is compliant to AS/NZS2712:2007 and that the tank is NZ MEPS rated.
In April 2009 Consumer NZ (with the support of EECA) carried out tests on the performance of six heat pump water heaters suitable for household use.
The complete report can be accessed free of charge from the Consumer NZ website www.consumer.org.nz/reports/heat-pump-waterheaters.
In 2009, EECA introduced a Heat Pump Water Heating (HPWH) Pilot scheme designed to collect data on the energy and economic performance of a range of residential HPWH technologies installed in different regions of New Zealand. The report details the finding of that pilot scheme and can be found at www.eeca.govt.nz/node/11863.
This is general advice. We recommend you get more specific advice from your local EDA, where available. Call 0508 326-337 (0508 ECO DESIGN) or visit www.ecodesignadvisor.org.nz – free, independent, informed advice on creating homes that are healthier for you and the planet.
Original information from EECA Energywise website (accessed August 2012) and BRANZ Build 116 (Feb/Mar 2010) article Water Heating Options, by Albrecht Stoecklein. Updated with additional commentary and costs by EDAs and reviewed by Adrian Kerr, Project Solar, October 2012.


Weaving Ancient Traditions and Innovative Ideas, we are a curious collective of highly skilled, professional performance artists. A forum for celebrating our quirks, our oddities, our differences. Embracing the blurred lines of culture and identity, remapping the genres of circus, dance, and theatre.
VIDEO: Melissa NKonda "Nouveaux Horizons"
A Celebration of Individuality. Inspired by the NOH8 Campaign.
a collection of traditional & contemporary stilt dance around the world. Click a location to see a video of indigenous stilting of that area.


DesignEvo's fruit logo maker provides an easy way for you to create unique fruit logo designs with plentiful logo templates. Here is a fantastic collection of fruit logo templates for you to choose from, such as orange logos, mango logos, and banana logos. All these templates are perfect for you to customize a logo for the fruit store, beverage shop and orchard. Simply choose a design, add your company name and slogan, and make more adjustment with stylish text fonts and vector icons.
You will never be short of brilliant fruit logo ideas after browsing through these templates. Unleash your creative potential, choose a design, and edit it freely to meet your personal needs.
Follow these steps to customize a perfect fruit logo with great ease.
Choose from thousands of templates to start designing your fruit logo.
Customize your fruit logo with millions of icons, 100+ fonts and powerful editing tools.
Save your fruit logo with high resolution.


text:
Q: 18.04 thunderbird font on XFCE has floating pixels
Please see the attached picture.  The font in Thunderbird has strange floating pixels in half of the letters.  This is on XFCE.  Changing the font within Thunderbird->Preferences->Display Fonts&Colors did nothing.  I'm wondering if anyone has any idea how to fix this.

A: I had a similar problem and I installed the latest version of Thunderbird (60) and it fixed the problem.


Doran Consulting were appointed by McLaughlin & Harvey as Structural design engineers for the new extension to the Belfast Waterfront.
The new steel framed extension to the Belfast Waterfront stretches from the existing building out to the edge of the River Lagan and provides an additional 7,000sq metres of floor space which can facilitate up to 5000 guests at any one time. There is an 1800sq metre main hall and a 700sq metre minor hall, each if which can be sub-divided to allow flexible layouts. These large clear span spaces were most cost effectively achieved through the use of a steel frame, particularly given the site constraints.
The facility has been designed to fit in with its surroundings, wrapping around the existing building and connecting to the existing facilities at multiple levels, though remaining an independent structure. The extension spans over the exiting services yard and service building on the riverside. Public access to the river has been maintained. The congested location proved challenging, being extremely restricted in terms of access and by surrounding structures and its proximity to the river.
The use of steel meant the construction works could be accelerated given the opportunity to pre-fabricate the frame off site in advance.
The ground conditions were extremely challenging, due to the presence of numerous below ground obstacles passing through the building footprint. These included historic quay structures, and a major storm sewer.
The complex primary structure was influenced by several factors. Firstly the spatial requirements for the extension involved column free spaces, a combination of single/double height spaces and partial intermediate floors, and the need to build over and around retained structure. Secondly the whole extension was to wraparound and tie into the existing Waterfront at various points and levels. Lastly there were complex load paths involved in the structure, with offset columns and transfer beams. This lead to a number of framing solutions being employed, using 1400 tonnes of steel.
Pre-cambered cellular beams were used along with metal deck composite concrete flooring, a degree of pre-cambering was calculated to provide level steel work after dead load deflection.
Extra levels were squeezed in as the building's footprint gave very limited floor space. To give this intermediate floor sufficient ceiling height "Slimflor" construction was used, in conjunction with plated UC sections within the floor depth.
The main hall and the plant on the roof, are directly above these intermediate floors. To support both of these structures, "Cellform" beams were used to form the hall roof, this allowed services to pass through the beams and thus maximise ceiling heights. These cellform beams had a tapered section to provide integral roof falls (and provide a level soffit for rigging steelwork).
This project was Belfast City's Council's first use of BIM on a major project. The project was delivered using advanced modelling techniques, which minimised on site clashes and maximised the efficiency of design and construction. The use of BIM by the design team, allowed a digital survey of the existing building, providing geospatially accurate data, to be integrated into the 3D models for the extension. This was vital in fitting the new structure around the existing building and avoiding site clashes. All main designers produced information in a 3D environment using Autodesk REVIT. The design team were also able to export 3D information directly to subcontractors, such as the steelwork fabricators. The exchange of models produced more accurate quotes and fabrication models, which could be checked by the design team. The combined models allowed for coordination between disciplines, identification of problems, and resolution before reaching site.


The course analyzes current international financial systems, exchange rate regimes, and balance of payments and their adjustment mechanisms with emphasis on the effect of fiscal, monetary, and exchange-rate policy for internal and external balance. The course also surveys international capital movements and the relationship between trade and economic growth. In addition, the course outlines comparative advantage theories of trade, and trade policies of tariffs and quotas.


text:
Serbia puts military on high alert over Kosovo
Belgrade's peaceful stance doesn't mean that it's weak and can be harassed, the defense minister said
Belgrade put its military on high alert on Tuesday as the breakaway region of Kosovo began implementing a plan to ban Serbian license plates, the country's defense minister, Milos Vucevic, announced.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is also the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, has ordered the military "to increase the level of combat readiness to be prepared to respond to any task," Vucevic said in an interview with the broadcaster Happy TV.
"Serbia talking about peace and stability doesn't mean that we're weak, that we can be harassed and humiliated," he pointed out, apparently addressing Kosovo's leadership.
The country's military, which is "many times stronger than it used to be," remains fully committed to protecting all citizens of Serbia, including Serbs in Kosovo, the minister warned. "No one should doubt that," he added.
However, Vucevic stressed that Belgrade wasn't looking for conflict, saying that "it's better to negotiate for a thousand days, than spend one day in the trenches."
The situation in northern Kosovo where many Serbs reside has been tense. The local authorities began implementing their restrictions earlier in the day and issued the first warnings to vehicle owners with Serbian plates, he said.
According to Pristina's plan, warnings will first be issued, followed by penalties of €150 (around $149). After a transition period ends in April 2023, drivers who failed to switch from Serbian to Kosovar license plates will have their cars seized.
Read Also! Reshuffle in Kiev amid scandals
The ban was initially slated to go into force on August 1, but it was postponed after Serbs in northern Kosovo set up roadblocks in preparation to resist the heavily armed special police that Pristina had deployed to the area.
Since then, the sides have been unable to find a way to resolve the deadlock. Last week, Vucic warned that attempts by Kosovo to restrict the movement of cars with Serbian license plates would "surely meet the democratic resistance of the Serbian people, and the state of Serbia will not allow the persecution and killing of its people."
The US and many of its allies recognized the mainly Albanian-populated Kosovo as a sovereign state in 2008, but Serbia still considers the province a part of its territory. Belgrade is backed in this by others, including Russia and China, which do not recognize the territory as an independent entity.
Serbia issues shoot-down order for drones
US wants Serbia to ditch Russian gas
Serbia blames 'hysteria' for failed Lavrov visit
Previous Article Charging $20 Dollar Monthly For Twitter Accounts Verification Will Aid Fake News – Experts
Next Article Security Has Not Improved, Nigerians Should Be Allowed To Carry Arms – Deputy Minority Leader Of The House Of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu


The AWARD WINNING, dementia assistance cards, and labels provide a clear, concise way for someone with dementia or memory loss to ask for help in public.
The cards share the name and contact number of a relative, friend, or care home, in the event of an emergency.
Carer's cards are also available, discreetly explaining, the person they are with has dementia.
FREE TO MAKE AT HOME and I can make them for you. I charge £12 for 4 personalised ones, 2 designed for key fobs, lanyards(included), handbags etc and 2 for wallets. I also send 2 carers cards. Price includes P&P. Please contact me for payment details.
Email caroncares01@gmail.com with the name of the person with dementia, the name of the emergency contact and their number. Lastly, I need the address to post them to.
They are editable online, available 24/7 and have been translated by volunteers, into 10 other languages.
These cards are receiving amazing feedback from people with dementia, their relatives, and the emergency services, a donation is always welcome but never expected. This project was self-funded.
Your data is not collected nor shared to third parties.
To create blank cards just hit the create button.
We also have a Facebook page, please like and join us.
Please support our work by making a small donation.


About two months ago, I experienced something that I thought happened only to football players: a concussion. While exiting an SUV, I leaned into the car to grab my sneakers from the floor and was hit in the head when a passenger in the third row back seat flung the middle row seat onto my head.
There's also a growing body of research revealing that women's brains are impacted by trauma differently than men's, with the possibility that they are more sensitive to injury and in need of unique recovery strategies. The exact reasons for this are still unknown, but scientists do know that women's brains have a multitude of differences (e.g., chemicals, hormones, structure) that result in different concussion impact and needs. Over the past several months, my life has changed dramatically. And, because my yoga practice is so deeply interwoven into the fabric of my life, that, too, has been transformed.
My intention in this article is to give a voice to people living with the effects of TBI, and to give yoga teachers some insight into what students with TBI could be experiencing. While concussions in specific populations, like NFL players and young people, are getting more attention lately (and rightly so), one doctor I saw recently told me that adult concussions are often undertreated. I hope to be part of a larger conversation that brings concussion recovery for all people into the light, so that we can improve awareness and better support people living with TBI.
One of my most beloved teachers often says, "If you can breathe, you can practice yoga." I've always taken that message to heart. In March, I was felled by the flu and weak with fever, so asana was not an option for me for a couple of days, but I continued to practice pranayama from bed, a gentle belly breathing to help me heal and restore.
Stop. Stop. Stop. My brain screamed in the midst of the first breath. Too much. Too much. Too much.
My eyes popped open and I sat on my mat, dumbfounded, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Overstimulation and consequent feelings of overwhelm are an expected part of concussion recovery. A big, full breath is enlivening, activating, and often exhilarating. In almost any other situation, this would have felt amazing, but for my healing brain, it felt like a threat.
OK, I thought, trying my best to go with the flow. I'll take a break from pranayama. I'll meditate instead. I closed my eyes once again, preparing to turn inward and sit for a few minutes. But what happened as soon as I closed my eyes was not the typical trickle of thoughts that I experience when I meditate; it was an onslaught. If I could paint a picture of what appeared inside my head in that moment, it would look like a Jackson Pollack painting. My heart started to race and the thoughts became loud and insistent.
A couple of weeks into my journey of recovery, I arrived on my stand-up paddleboard (although I was sitting rather than standing). In that moment, I was supremely grateful to feel the sun on my skin as my board flowed with the current. I had no expectations of how I might feel for the remainder of that day, having learned that my energy and mood could turn on a dime. I wasted no time on wishing away my injury. Instead, I was content. Santosha, I thought, turning to one of my beloved yamas and niyamas, the ten yogic guidelines for living a happy life. This is it.
I am working on maintaining that same equanimity throughout the brain fog, the fatigue, the migraines, and the sheer frustration that comes from things not being the way I want them to be. Like a beginner attempting crow pose, I have fallen out of santosha many times in the past several weeks, but I recognize that this is an opportunity for one of the deepest practices of my life thus far.
Each moment also brings me a choice: Is this activity worth my energy? I have far less than usual and need to use it to do the eye exercises prescribed by my physical therapist, to work, and to take care of myself. Texts go unanswered. The hair dryer gathers dust. I rely on my family to do most of the cooking and cleaning.
When I push my energetic boundaries, the site of my injury begins to softly throb, a built-in early-warning system. I immediately pull back, rest, and honor my limits. I am conserving my energy. Here is my practice of the yama brahmacharya, which is often defined as conservation of energy: total awareness of the energetic needs of my system. I fall each day from this practice, too, my ego urging me to do more than I should, whispering seductively in my ear. I try again the next day, seeking that sweet spot where I am neither complacent in my recovery nor overly ambitious. This is the most challenging yoga that I have ever practiced.
I am so grateful for the yamas and niyamas, which appear regularly on my path to help guide my way. In the West, it seems that they often live in the shadow of asana. For me, today, they are the limbs supporting me on this sacred tree we call yoga.
I am afraid to go to studio classes, something that's been an important part of my yoga practice since I first started practicing. What if I have to explain the concussion? I don't always feel up to telling my story; sometimes it feels good to share, while at other times it causes my anxiety to flare. What if I feel "off" in the middle of the class? What if my palms start to sweat, as they often do these days, before class even gets started? For now, I continue to practice at home, building my stamina gently in an environment that feels safe for me. Some days, I never rise into standing poses. Other days, I hold a strong warrior II. I am learning to come to my mat with zero expectations.
I know that stress is a big part of this equation. When I feel frustrated, my stress increases, and I'm less able to deal with that frustration. It's a vicious cycle. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that restorative yoga is a powerful antidote to stress; I teach it for a living. But setting myself up on my mat with my beloved big bolster, blankets, and soft music doesn't feel the way it used to feel. When I'm not immediately able to access that sense of calm and release that I'm used to, my system balks. Tears burn the back of my eyes. It feels easier to just watch a television show that lets me pretend for a half hour that none of this ever happened.
These are hard truths for me to acknowledge. I am a yoga teacher; I am supposed to be able to practice asana, pranayama, and meditation on a daily basis without batting an eye. I feel like a failure most days.
And yet my mat still sits in my yoga space, waiting for me; the thought of throwing it out and giving up has not crossed my mind, not once. My yoga and I will get through this. I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow in body, mind, and spirit, but that yoga, in some shape or form, will always be a part of my life is one thing I know for sure.
Trying, working, and striving can't improve every situation; sometimes all we can do is wait and see where life, and yoga, takes us.
What I've come to realize is that I have to let go of the goal of making my yoga practice what it once was. Instead, I am building a new yoga practice that might look completely different. Above all else, I am reminded that there will be times in life when all that is left to do (or not do) is to practice the yama ishvara pranidhana, to surrender to my higher power. Trying, working, and striving can't improve every situation; sometimes all we can do is wait and see where life, and yoga, takes us.
Each time I visit my concussion specialist, she reminds me that I am healing, slowly but surely. I don't expect that I'll ever be quite the same as I was before my accident. But that's okay, because I've decided that I'll be even better. I'll see my new limitations as opportunities to become more fully human, to deepen my empathy for the suffering of others, and to appreciate every symptom-free minute as if it could be my last.