Two of the most powerful storms that ever made landfall are Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) which hit the Philippines and Hurricane Patricia which hit Mexico just yesterday. But why the confusing terminology: hurricane and typhoon? Hurricanes are storms that frequently form in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the tropical Atlantic Ocean as far east as the Cape Verde Islands. A typhoon is an extremely large, powerful and destructive storm that occurs in the region of the Philippines or the China Sea. Hurricanes and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon although we use different names for these storms depending on their place of origin. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term "hurricane" is used. The same type of weather disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a "typhoon". Another disturbance, a "cyclone" occurs in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
These "bad girls", Yolanda and Patricia, can be considered as the drum-beaters for worsening weather conditions in the light of global warming and climate change. Mankind must heed their warnings and resolve to dramatically bring down fossil fuel emission which is the principal reason for global warming and climate change. Otherwise, as expects are now predicting, we should expect more of these bad girls: Patricia and Yolanda.


text:
Margaret Ozaki Graves
Style: World; Pop; Opera; Jazz; Folk; Rock; Classical; Musical Theatre
Title: Director of Education & Community Engagement at Central City Opera
Soprano Margaret Ozaki Graves is known for a "voice that is crystal clear and very well produced" (Opus Colorado). Both as an artist and producer, Margaret has a special interest in contemporary music and has premiered works by composers including Michael Torke, Ruben Piirainen (for whom she was also a contributing librettist), Robert Denham, Paul Fowler, Ann Phillips, Michael Ching, Moiya Callahan, and Minoru Miki. She was soprano soloist in the world premiere of famed Beat drummer Jerry Granelli's Warrior Songs. She believes in collaborative curation, creating works with and for Japanese Arts Network, Central City Opera, UW-Milwaukee, Loveland Opera Theatre, The Arvada Center of the Arts and Humanities, and Lone Tree Arts Center.
Margaret is Associate Director of Education & Community Engagement at Central City Opera. Teaching appointments include Assistant Professor at Ithaca College, Guest Lecturer at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Regional Director and Faculty Artist for Sera Schools Music Programs, and Voice Faculty for the CCM Preparatory Department. Margaret holds a DMA in vocal performance with cognate studies in Japanese Aesthetics and Music from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She holds a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She completed a summer season as a jump-in artist in Weimar, Germany in 2015 and was a Corbett Foundation Opera Fusion Young Artist at Cincinnati Opera for four seasons. She is a recipient of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild's Competition Second Prize.
Margaret began her a professional performance career in Japanese drumming, as a member of One World Taiko and then Mirai Daiko, and appeared at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center, San Francisco Taiko Dojo's World Taiko Festival, Boston Dragon Boat, Colorado Dragon Boat and the North American Taiko Conference's TaikoJam at UC Berkeley. She holds ten-year certification from the Miyagi school in koto and shamisen.
Voice Type: Soprano
Music Styles Taught: World; Pop; Opera; Jazz; Folk; Rock; Classical; Musical Theatre
Availability: I am available as a performer; I have a wait-list for private lessons; I am available as a clinician or presenter
Web: mozakistudio.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
WM - Waste Management, Inc.
http://www.wm.com
Industry: Waste Management
Mr. James C. Fish Jr. Pres, CEO & Director 2.49M 2.07M 1962
Ms. Devina A. Rankin Sr. VP & CFO 973.42k 506.31k 1976
Mr. John J. Morris Jr. Exec. VP & COO 1.2M 1.26M 1970
Ms. Leslie K. Nagy VP & Chief Accounting Officer N/A N/A 1974
Mr. Edward A. Egl Director of Investor Relations N/A N/A N/A
Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management environmental services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It provides collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility (MRF), or disposal site; and owns, develops, and operates landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States, as well as owns and operates transfer stations. As of December 31, 2018, the company owned or operated 247 solid waste landfills; 5 secure hazardous waste landfills; 102 MRFs; and 314 transfer stations. It also provides materials processing and commodities recycling services; recycling brokerage services, such as managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and other strategic business solutions. In addition, the company offers construction and remediation services; services related with the disposal of fly ash, and residue generated from the combustion of coal and other fuel stocks; in-plant services comprising full-service waste management solutions and consulting services; and specialized disposal services for oil and gas exploration and production operations. Further, it offers fluorescent bulb and universal waste mail-back services through LampTracker program; portable restroom services under the Port-o-Let name; and street and parking lot sweeping services, as well as holds interests in oil and gas producing properties. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Waste Management, Inc.'s ISS Governance QualityScore as of June 25, 2019 is 3. The pillar scores are Audit: 1; Board: 2; Shareholder Rights: 5; Compensation: 5.


Elegant property in Italy's capital has a unique connection to Canada.
Vancouver restaurant hosts a dinner showcasing one of Tuscany's leading wineries.
AS Roma visits Toronto and fans go wild for Francesco Totti and other stars. Click for photos.


Looking to stimulate your brain in a fun way? Try feeding your brain with these 10 books. Some will help you understand your own mind, some will teach you how it works, and others will help you learn to make it function better. Either way, you'll be both entertained and educated. Click the link for more information about each book (and learn a little about all of them while you're at it!) P.S. If you buy a book through any of the links, I get a small commission!
What's your favorite brain book?


That's a major finding of Coller Capital's latest Private Equity Barometer, a bi-annual survey of over 100 global LPs.
Why it matters: This is a recipe for under-performing investments.
63% of respondents said the "scale of our resources" is a significant constraint on improving returns, with 58% specifically citing hiring difficulties.
Over half of respondents (55%) say there is more pressure today to commit to a first close than there was just a few years back, with 61% saying they committed to a first close because of increased LP competition.
62% believe too much money is chasing too few deals in North American buyouts. That figure dips to 50% for Europe and just 26% for Asia-Pacific. For venture capital, those numbers go 54%, 23% and 26%.
39% of respondents plan to increase overall allocations to alt assets over the next 12 months. 51% plan to increase allocations to infrastructure and 40% to private credit, while 16% plan to decrease allocations to hedge funds.
39% of European LPs say ESG is an essential component of investment decisions, whereas only 9% of North American LPs say the same.
One-third of respondents either have invested in a GP management company, or would consider doing so.


text:
Perfectly fine despite second-book syndrome.
THE QUEEN OF RAIDERS
From the Nine Realms series , Vol. 2
by Sarah Kozloff ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 18, 2020
Cerúlia must grow up and learn to fight for her destiny in Kozloff's (A Queen in Hiding, 2020) second Nine Realms novel.
Her mother, the Queen of Weirandale, is dead, and Cerúlia isn't a child any more. She's left her adoptive peasant family in order to escape evil Lord Matwyck's clutches and eventually escapes Weirandale altogether. Using her ability to talk to animals and several bird-related aliases, Cerúlia manages to trek her way over the mountains and into the nation of Oromondo. Cerúlia knows that the Oros killed her mother, and she wants to avenge her death. She's heard of a group of raiders who work to disrupt the Oros as they invade and pillage neighboring nations. When Cerúlia finally manages to find them and convince them to let her join up, she discovers not only new friends, but a newfound sense of purpose. But is any of that enough to win back her throne or even save herself from the Oro army? Interspersed with Cerúlia's plotline are various threads centering on the Oro army and people, Lord Matwyck's kindhearted son, and the raiders themselves. This is the second of a four-part series, and, as such, it falls into the expected pitfalls. The self-contained plot works, but it inevitably feels more like a buildup to further books in the series than its own story. It rises above filler, though, and Kozloff is clearly laying the groundwork for something good, particularly with the very last chapter.
Publisher: Tor
Categories: GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | FANTASY | EPIC FANTASY
More In The Series
THE CERULEAN QUEEN
by Sarah Kozloff
A BROKEN QUEEN
More by Sarah Kozloff
A QUEEN IN HIDING
A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.
by Max Brooks ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020
Are we not men? We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006).
A zombie apocalypse is one thing. A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks' latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, "it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people." Maybe, but the sasquatches whom the volcano displaced contributed to the statistics, too, if only out of self-defense. Brooks places the epicenter of the Bigfoot war in a high-tech hideaway populated by the kind of people you might find in a Jurassic Park franchise: the schmo who doesn't know how to do much of anything but tries anyway, the well-intentioned bleeding heart, the know-it-all intellectual who turns out to know the wrong things, the immigrant with a tough backstory and an instinct for survival. Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advice—for instance, try not to get wounded, for "injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Taking up our resources, our time to care for you." Brooks presents a case for making room for Bigfoot in the world while peppering his narrative with timely social criticism about bad behavior on the human side of the conflict: The explosion of Rainier might have been better forecast had the president not slashed the budget of the U.S. Geological Survey, leading to "immediate suspension of the National Volcano Early Warning System," and there's always someone around looking to monetize the natural disaster and the sasquatch-y onslaught that follows. Brooks is a pro at building suspense even if it plays out in some rather spectacularly yucky episodes, one involving a short spear that takes its name from "the sucking sound of pulling it out of the dead man's heart and lungs." Grossness aside, it puts you right there on the scene.
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
Categories: GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | SCIENCE FICTION | SUSPENSE | GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION | SUSPENSE
More by Max Brooks
by Max Brooks
Devolution Movie Adaptation in Works
A breezy and fun contemporary fantasy.
by TJ Klune ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020
A tightly wound caseworker is pushed out of his comfort zone when he's sent to observe a remote orphanage for magical children.
Linus Baker loves rules, which makes him perfectly suited for his job as a midlevel bureaucrat working for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, where he investigates orphanages for children who can do things like make objects float, who have tails or feathers, and even those who are young witches. Linus clings to the notion that his job is about saving children from cruel or dangerous homes, but really he's a cog in a government machine that treats magical children as second-class citizens. When Extremely Upper Management sends for Linus, he learns that his next assignment is a mission to an island orphanage for especially dangerous kids. He is to stay on the island for a month and write reports for Extremely Upper Management, which warns him to be especially meticulous in his observations. When he reaches the island, he meets extraordinary kids like Talia the gnome, Theodore the wyvern, and Chauncey, an amorphous blob whose parentage is unknown. The proprietor of the orphanage is a strange but charming man named Arthur, who makes it clear to Linus that he will do anything in his power to give his charges a loving home on the island. As Linus spends more time with Arthur and the kids, he starts to question a world that would shun them for being different, and he even develops romantic feelings for Arthur. Lambda Literary Award–winning author Klune (The Art of Breathing, 2019, etc.) has a knack for creating endearing characters, and readers will grow to love Arthur and the orphans alongside Linus. Linus himself is a lovable protagonist despite his prickliness, and Klune aptly handles his evolving feelings and morals. The prose is a touch wooden in places, but fans of quirky fantasy will eat it up.
Categories: GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | FANTASY
More by TJ Klune
THE EXTRAORDINARIES
by TJ Klune
The 7 Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Books of March


A Madison, Wisconsin, gastropub serving refined comfort food and clever cocktails with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients.
If you thought the Wisconsin culinary scene was all about cheese, brats, and lager, dining at The Wise Restaurant & Bar will open your eyes to how Midwest cuisine can be refined while still as comforting as it has always been.
While visiting Madison in late May, I was invited to dine at The Wise during my stay at HotelRED. The restaurant is located in the contemporary hotel's lobby level, so it is particularly convenient for hotel guests.
Though located inside HotelRED, The Wise maintains its own identity. With world maps adorning the walls, the gastropub pays homage to great authors and thinkers.
That inspiration is poured into the dishes created by chef Mike Magee. The chef's thoughtful take on hearty Wisconsin comfort foods showcases approachable complexity and his New Orleans roots.
Keeping with the literary theme, The Wise menu is split into chapters. Sharable small plates — like the chorizo stuffed dates, cheese curds, and Spanish meatballs — are listed in Chapter 1. Chapters 2 and 3 feature entrees, and the footnotes section lists the side dishes.
After asking me about the kind of food I enjoy, the chef selected three dishes for me. Each of them were vegetarian or could easily be made so.
The first of my upscale comfort foods was a ricotta gnocchi with wild mushrooms, asparagus, peas, leeks, mint, and Manchego cheese in a brown butter sauce.
Listed among the lighter entrees of Chapter 2, the gnocchi actually seemed like it would be a substantial portion, especially if you are planning on dessert. And, you should plan on dessert, but more on that later.
Using asparagus in the gnocchi dish is just one way The Wise's menu features seasonal ingredients. The Wise also seems dedicated to using local ingredients.
Next, I ate — and I really couldn't stop eating — the charred cauliflower. Cauliflower, a longtime favorite of mine that seems to be the next trendy vegetable at restaurants, is the hero of this highly praised dish. Seriously, both bartenders suggested this dish, and a local Madison blogger said she was "swooning so hard" over it.
The combination of spicy, sweet, and bitter flavors plus a mix of textures made this dish so appealing. Though this delicious dish will continue to evolve, the chef said it will likely remain on the menu in some form. I highly recommend you order it when you dine at The Wise. Even if you aren't a vegetarian or veggie lover like me, trust me on this one.
The third dish I tasted was a delicious risotto. Normally it's topped with seared shrimp, which I think would pull this dish together much better than the cod. Though the lemon oil overpowered the other flavors in the first couple bites, I loved that this creamy risotto was vibrantly colorful and flavorful. It was packed with veggies and the chorizo added a salty respite from the sweet and zesty lemon flavor.
Although the risotto may not be a dish I'd order again, I found it intriguing and appreciated the chef's creativity and Louisiana creole influence.
And, that brings me to dessert. This vanilla bean crème brûlée is not to be missed. The custard is so creamy and dreamy. In my notes I wrote, "So, so good. I want more." It paired so nicely with the No Fig Deal cocktail, too.
Forever will I be grateful to The Wise bartenders Ashley and Jim for introducing me to fig vodka. It is a game changer.
The first cocktail I had was No Fig Deal. It's Figenza vodka with a brut sparkling wine. The classy cocktail was delicately balanced and sweet. Not only did it pair nicely with my meal, it perfectly complemented the crème brûlée.
The open dining room's golden wood tables adorned with cheerful yellow flowers created a rustic charm reminiscent of a farmhouse. Fitting for a restaurant serving traditional Midwest fare with an updated and upscale twist, that country kitchen feel is juxtaposed with a modern design and a sleek, sparkling black bar.
Chic yet also casual, the space welcomes visitors and locals alike to sip luscious libations or indulge in the soul-warming comforts of its Wisconsin-centric cuisine.
Click on the photo to go to the Weekend Wanderlust linkup!
Disclaimer: I would like to thank The Wise Restaurant & Bar and HotelRED for my complimentary meal. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
Oh I definitely want to go here! Fig vodka..nom!
All these food looks amazing! I am totally into the concept of sharing plates. It allows you to taste more. I love to discover places like this is cities I visit.
Oh my gosh, I need to go to this HotelRED. I love the detail you put in your reviews 🙂 I totally need to try to infuse some figs in my vodka–if it turns out, I'll bring you some!
Ashleigh, if you can make a fig-infused vodka, we are having a cocktail night!
I love that they use seasonal and local produce in their meals. I've never heard of a fig vodka, but I'm definitely intrigued.
I hadn't heard of fig vodka either, but it is my latest obsession. That No Fig Deal cocktail was the bomb.
That looks amazing. Especially the risotto dish. I would definitely visit.
Of the many times I've been in Wisconsin, I've never been to Madison. When I finally get there, I will try The Wise, even of just for appetizers. Chorizo stuffed dates sound delicious, and I'd have to have some cheese curds, too.
You can't pass up cheese curds when in Wisconsin!
That charred cauliflower does sound delicious! Your creme brulee pic is sadly not loading for me 🙁 but that also sounded good, as did the gnocchi.


The lеttеr has to tackle a раrtісulаr іndіvіduаl. Though іt'ѕ not uѕuаllу rеԛuіrеd, ѕubmіttіng thіѕ lеttеr іѕ аn іndісаtіоn оf fоrmаlіtу аnd respect fоr the buѕіnеѕѕ. Emрlоуmеnt lеttеr іѕ a ѕіgnіfісаnt ѕоrt оf Buѕіnеѕѕ lеttеr. Therefore, bе сеrtаіn that thе letter is wеll wrіttеn аnd dоеѕ nоt іnсludе аnу grаmmаtісаl еrrоrѕ or spelling mistakes. There аrе a few tips fоr writing this lеttеr. An acceptance lеttеr іѕ a kіnd of letter that hаѕ mаnу vіtаl funсtіоnѕ. Thеrе аrе ѕеvеrаl dіffеrеnt ѕаmрlе jоb ассерtаnсе lеttеrѕ rеаdіlу available оnlіnе аnd picking thе best оnе fоr уоu іѕ easy when you knоw what things tо look fоr.
LееUEѕѕеntіаlѕ is іntеndеd tо ѕuррlу уоu wіth аll thе іnfо nесеѕѕаrу for уоu tо rесеіvе thе аbѕоlutе mоѕt оut оf your NSO еxреrіеnсе. Thе wаx seals tооk a numbеr оf tіmеѕ to undеrѕtаnd hоw tо dо wіthоut getting wаx еvеrуwhеrе, but I lіkе the wау thаt thеу lооk wіth thе actual wax. Gоіng this rоutе is ԛuіtе сhаllеngіng аnd dеfіnіtеlу is not for еvеrуbоdу. Bаѕеd оn уоur реrѕоnаl ѕіtuаtіоn you could also bе саllеd fоr an іntеrvіеw. Thе іntеrvіеw іѕ a quality chance tо ѕhоwсаѕе your реrѕоnаlіtу аnd distinctive hоbbіеѕ bеуоnd оnlу the info presented іn уоur аррlісаtіоn. Thеrе'ѕ a tutоrіаl fоr how to utilize PісMоnkеу here. Hence, it's еѕѕеntіаl уоur ѕаmрlе jоb ассерtаnсе lеttеr hаѕ guіdеlіnе оn thе соndіtіоnѕ and соndіtіоnѕ.
For Mіѕѕ Abrаhаm аnd mаnу more, thеіr саrееrѕ аrе еxtrеmеlу іmроrtаnt. Discuss аbоut the соndіtіоnѕ and tеrmѕ оf еmрlоуmеnt including ѕаlаrу, other mоnеtаrу аnd nоn-mоnеtаrу advantages. Thе employer is busy, thuѕ a соnсіѕе letter thаt іnсludеѕ аll thе essential іnfоrmаtіоn is bеѕt. Inсludе уоur contact іnfоrmаtіоn аnd tеlерhоnе numbеr іn the lеttеr, though thе info іѕ available with thе еmрlоуеr.
Aѕ the mоnthѕ wеnt bу, I bеgаn tо find a fееlіng іn the bасk раrt of my mіnd I was still nоt where I needed tо be. This calendar уеаr thеrе'll be еxtеnѕіоnѕ on thоѕе dосumеntѕ, аddіtіоnаllу, thеrе'll bе thе сhаnсе оf аррlісаtіоn fее wаіvеrѕ and ѕtudеntѕ mау take thеіr SAT аnd ACTѕ in Nоvеmbеr аnd submit ѕuссеѕѕ. Thеrе'ѕ no grеаtеr approach to hаvе the уеаr bеgаn оn thе proper fооt thаn tо bе rеаdу! Thе school year is nеаrlу uроn us! Yоu knоw уоu'vе reached thе соnсluѕіоn of уоur jоb hunt whеn уоu аrе needed to ѕubmіt wоrk acceptance lеttеr. Usually, thеrе continue to bе full оffеr spots open fоr ѕtudеntѕ whо dіdn't аttеnd.
Yоu may dіѕсоvеr еxtrа cross-promotion potential! Of course you may hіrе help, but іt іѕ gоіng tо be соmіng оut оf уоur росkеtѕ. You'll bе аmаzеd аt how wіllіng аnd hарру most individuals аrе to hеlр уоu whеnеvеr you rеԛuіrе іt. You will nеvеr knоw, thіѕ mеthоd may dо the jоb fоr уоu! Whісhеvеr way уоu ѕеnd thе letter, mаkе sure thаt уоu tасklе the letter tо thе man оr wоmаn who оffеrеd уоu the position. It is an іndісаtоr of respect tо соmроѕе thіѕ letter tо уоur future employer аnd уоu nееd tо wrіtе thіѕ lеttеr еvеrу ѕіnglе time уоu accept wоrk. True respect for оur country wіll аrrіvе іn thе ѕhаре оf аn іrоn hаnd іn a velvet glove.
You mіght nееd tо соnсеntrаtе on рrоduсt, fоr instance, whеn уоu'vе got a pile оf consumer ѕuрроrt tickets tо rерlу. Uроn ѕеlесtіng a section оr рісkіng a class, thе аррlісаtіоn іndісаtеѕ a confirmation modal thаt succinctly represents аll thе іnfоrmаtіоn whісh thе uѕеr should know рrіоr tо mаkіng a dесіѕіоn. Oссаѕіоnаllу, the user must рісk a ѕесtіоn as a wау to еnrоll іn a рrоgrаm. Inсludе уоur contact іnfо and telephone numbеr, аlthоugh it's on fіlе wіth thе employer. Next you аrе gоіng tо wаnt to format аnd аdjuѕt аll thе ѕрасіng fоr thе lеttеr.
Whеn сrеаtіng a letter, thеrе аrе a соuрlе fеаturеѕ thаt ought tо be іnсludеd іn оrdеr іn оrdеr fоr іt tо be thе іdеаl ассерtаnсе lеttеr аnd рrореrlу portray уоur іntеntіоn. The main reason I call іѕ I hаvе to dесlіnе the wоrk оffеr уоu рrороѕеd. There аrе uѕuаllу fоur ѕtерѕ уоu have tо dо іn оrdеr to vіѕіt ѕсhооl in Cаnаdа.
Yоur lеttеr ѕhоuld іnсоrроrаtе thе соndіtіоnѕ аnd tеrmѕ of еmрlоуmеnt. Thе letter states thаt уоu'rе eager to add to thе рrоvіdеr so bе сеrtаіn to uѕе language tо соnvеу thе absolute mоѕt еnthuѕіаѕm роѕѕіblе. Yоu'rе supposed tо оbtаіn аn ассерtаnсе letter. Fіndіng аn acceptance lеttеr extends tо you a golden рrоѕресt fоr effective brаnd buіldіng аnd рrоmоtіоn! Thеrе аrе various ѕоrtѕ оf jоb ассерtаnсе lеttеrѕ. A work ассерtаnсе letter permits уоu to demonstrate уоur рrоfеѕѕіоnаlіѕm and mаkе сеrtаіn thеrе іѕ not any соnfuѕіоn аbоut thе рrесіѕе dеtаіlѕ оf thе оffеr, such аѕ соmреnѕаtіоn, vасаtіоn time, оr benefits.
Thе individual's nаmе аnd contact аddrеѕѕ must bе mеntіоnеd right in thе ѕtаrt of the lеttеr. Yоu may рісk frоm thе lіѕt оf 15 hаbіtѕ оn mу wеbѕіtе, оr рrоduсе уоur оwn. Yоu mау choose tо select frоm the lіѕt оf 25 рrоjесtѕ on my wеbѕіtе, or іn case уоu wаnt, уоu can fіnd with уоur own.
Thе lеttеr іѕ on the lеttеrhеаd оf the buѕіnеѕѕ.


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Share this Story: Forget washing your mouth out with soap, Taber establishes $150 fine for potty mouths
Forget washing your mouth out with soap, Taber establishes $150 fine for potty mouths
Alberta is full of bizarre laws and bylaws, and now a tiny town near Lethbridge is cracking down on cursing.
Erika Stark, Bill Graveland • Calgary Herald
The main drag of Taber, 48th Avenue, as seen Tuesday June 26, 2012. Photo by Ted Rhodes /Calgary Herald
You can't stand on a bench if it's in a public space in Calgary.
If there's a tie in a municipal election in the province, the winner's name is drawn from a hat. And if you're under 15 in St. Paul, you're not allowed to be out past midnight.
Forget washing your mouth out with soap, Taber establishes $150 fine for potty mouths Back to video
Alberta is full of unusual laws and bylaws, and now a tiny town near Lethbridge is cracking down on cursing.
The Town of Taber's Community Standards Bylaw, passed last Thursday, states: "No person shall yell, scream, or swear in any public place."
The punishment for profanity? A $150 fine for the first offence.
It's not clear which words would be considered swear words under this bylaw, or what languages the bylaw covers.
Other outlawed behaviours in the bylaw include spitting ($75) and graffiti — even if it's on your own property.
"The consent of the property owner to place graffiti on the property shall not be a defence under this bylaw."
If you play the bagpipes or another loud instrument, you might also have to wander out of town.
"No persons shall, during any period of the day allow, suffer or permit any electronic equipment, musical instruments, vehicles or any other devices to be sounded or used in any area of the Town of Taber, that may, or is likely, to disturb others," the bylaw says.
The town has also instituted "quiet hours" between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Town officials didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Linda McKay-Panos, executive director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre at the University of Calgary, told The Canadian Press she's concerned with the legalities of the bylaw.
"My personal reaction was well, it's Taber," she said. "But my legal reaction was uh, oh. I don't think that's going to pass muster with freedom of expression and freedom of association."
"I think it's the culture of that place, but anywhere in Canada we have the protections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and (that includes) Taber."
The bylaw was put in place to "regulate and prohibit certain activities in order to prevent and compel the abatement of noise, nuisances, graffiti and public disturbances and to provide for a curfew for minors."
McKay-Panos, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Calgary, said the bylaw appears unconstitutional and would be unlikely to stand up in a court of law.
"Especially the part about swearing in public. If I'm walking down the street heading to a store and quietly swear to the person beside me, I could be caught by the bylaw," she said.
"I think you could argue swearing is pretty close to the core of what we want to protect because it's either self-fulfilling speech or it's personal expression of an opinion. That is very closely guarded under the Constitution."
Other aspects of the bylaw are disturbing, added McKay-Panos. She noted there's also a section that allows police to order groups of three people or more to disperse — which goes against freedom of association.
The bylaw was adopted by Taber town council late last month and signed into law last week. It was also reviewed by the local police commission and Taber Police Service.
Mayor Henk De Vlieger told the Taber Times he supports the bylaw.
"I'm not saying this thing is perfect," he told the paper. "But I think we should give it a chance and try it out, and let the police work with it. After a period of time, we might make some adjustments, but let's see how it works."
This isn't the first Canadian town to try to regulate its residents' standard of language: In 1994, the Village of Whistler banned swearing, making it the first Canadian municipality to do so.
estark@calgaryherald.com
twitter.com/erikamstark


Classical composer and pianist Malek Jandali not only shares music, but his pianos as well. His nonprofit, Pianos for Peace, will host a second Atlanta festival this September to display colorfully painted pianos placed strategically throughout the city.
"Each one is a unique art masterpiece," Jandali says about the pianos that are hand-decorated by Atlanta artists as a way to give voice to local creators.
Part-time Atlanta resident Jandali has acquired 29 pianos that were on display last year. This year, the event will feature nearly 50 pianos scattered around town at various venues, including Piedmont Park, Midtown, 10 MARTA stations and the Fox Theatre. With so many instruments to coordinate, Jandali is thankful for a partnership with the Fulton County Arts Council, which stores them before they go on display.
Jandali's favorite piano is "Coexist" by local artist Allen London that was displayed last year in Atlantic Station. Another fan favorite, "Peace," designed by Jandali's wife, Yasmine, was displayed on the BeltLine at Ponce City Market. After the pianos have been enjoyed for two weeks, each will be donated to local schools, nursing homes and other community centers, where professional and amateur artists and volunteers from the organization will host concerts and continue music education. Download the Pianos for Peace app to find one near you.


An antique limestone pig trough from Hampshire with a rounded interior which was originally made for feeding pigs. It is now raised on two blocks with a drainage hole at one end and it's long rectangular shape makes it an ideal flower trough to go against a wall or a patio.
Dimensions (W x D x H): 48" x 16" x 15"


California's early care and education centers are increasingly threatened due to an aging workforce and meager wages driving high job turnover rates, according to a report released Tuesday.
The University of California at Berkeley and the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, funded by First 5 California, collaborated on a sample survey of the state's some 130,000 workers, mostly women in their mid-forties, who educate and take care of about 750,000 infants and preschoolers.
The study revealed that one in four early childhood teachers in California with a bachelor's degree is age 60 or older and nearing retirement, as the state's population of children's ages 0 to 5 has increased by nearly 15 percent this decade.
According to the survey, the early childhood education teacher turnover rate of 22 percent is twice that of the state public K-12 school teachers.
The study also found wages for early childhood education teachers to be comparatively low.
The average annual salary for centers' highest-paid teachers with bachelor's or advanced degrees is $34,382, nearly $2,000 less than the average California public school kindergarten teacher makes.
"While so many qualified teachers are aging out of the child care profession, low salaries are preventing new teachers from entering and staying in the field,'' said First 5 California Executive Director Kris Perry in a statement.
Only 7 percent of teachers are age 29 or younger and the average tenure is two years for providers licensed to care for four children, and eight years for those licensed for eight children, the study found.
The study's authors conclude that while the educational profile of California's early education workforce is varied, with about 25 percent of center-based teachers having college degrees or higher and others holding lesser degrees, the current levels of education exceed what the law requires.
The study recommends that statewide and locally, plans for professional development should reflect what teacher's need to know to take care of young children and should incorporate the needs of a diverse population.
First 5 California has announced it will invest $150 million to a program to continue development for preschool workers, following the release of the survey.
The Field Research Corporation collected data from a random selection of 1,800 licensed family child care homes and 1,921 centers statewide out of the 37,366 active licensed homes and 8,740 active licensed centers that as of January 2004 were listed with state-funded child care resource agencies.


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Targeted Devices
Modular Devices
Scott Nelson
Ryan Munsey Talks About His New Book, New Podcast, and His Best Advice for Becoming a Better Human Being
Ryan Munsey is an elite trainer, athlete, and entrepreneur who built a huge following as the host of The Optimal Performance Podcast. Now he's written his first book and started a new podcast called The Better Human Project, but he's hoping it'll be way more than just a podcast. We caught up with Ryan and talked about his recent work, plus his thoughts on alcohol, fasting, and light therapy. Check out the full interview to hear Ryan's best advice for bettering yourself and sticking to your core values. Hint: you have to actually know your core values first.
Can't watch right now but ready for a quick read? These are the highlights of our conversation with Ryan:
The Optimal Author
Ryan Munsey has pushed his limits as an athlete, trainer, entrepreneur, biohacker, speaker, podcast host, and plenty more, but he says writing a book is the hardest thing he's ever done. Check out the interview to hear Ryan explain the time management strategies he used to power through most of the first draft in just a month.
Lesson: Mindful work habits can break enormous projects—like writing a book—into manageable little pieces, which helps you overcome the mental hurdle of focusing on how much work you still have to do.
F*ck Your Feelings
Slap an R-rating on this thing. We talked to Ryan earlier in 2018, just before his new book came out. Having said that, F*ck Your Feelings: Master Your Mind, Accomplish Anything and Become a More Significant Human is now officially available.
Can you judge a book by its title? Ryan explained what he means by the provocative phrase f*ck your feelings. It isn't about invalidating or ignoring how you feel. It's recognizing that how you feel right now is temporary and shouldn't be your biggest priority—or get in the way of your larger goals. Ryan says it's like self-talk, a reminder that other people are counting on him. If he needs to get something done today, but happens to not feel like doing it, well then f*ck those feelings.
Lesson: When you need to do something, but don't feel like doing it, sometimes you just have to say f*ck my feelings, and do the damn thing. Which often makes you feel better than anything anyway.
Valuable Advice on States and Traits
Ryan went deeper into the book's subject matter and talked about states and traits. The current mood or emotion (states) can be very appealing, even intoxicating. But to do big things, people need to be able to zoom in and out on their own life and see the bigger picture (traits). Ryan's advice is to be conscious and deliberate about what your core values are. In other words, what are 4-5 principles, goals or beliefs that you want to live and work by? When new opportunities arise in your life, or when you need to make a big decision, think about your options in the context of those values.
Lesson: Businesses often sketch out their mission statement or core values because it helps the organization focus itself in order to remember what matters most. Individuals can do the same. Often, people act on feelings and emotions when ultimately they should probably act on longer-term convictions and principles.
AM Joovvin' With Ryan Munsey
We love talking to elite trainers and biohackers about their morning routines to learn how the most deliberate, efficient people on earth spend those crucial first hours of the day. Red light means "go" for Ryan and his wife Donna. They start the morning right with a Joovv session. Ryan does 6 minutes per side and adds breathing exercises to maximize his time.
Then he downs one of the least appetizing morning power drinks we've ever heard: warm water, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Ryan isn't selling anyone on the flavor, but it works wonders for his body and prepares him for the most important jobs of the day.
Lesson: Light therapy is a great way to jumpstart the day, and sometimes when it comes to nutrition, you have to say f*ck my taste buds and just fuel yourself.
Ryan Munsey's New Podcast: The Better Human Project
After building The Optimal Performance Podcast with Natural Stacks, Ryan has started a new personal improvement podcast that he hopes is way more than just a podcast.
Ryan explains the mission behind The Better Human Project and talks about how it'll go beyond his previous work. His background is in nutrition and fitness and that'll always be central to his work, but this is a broader mission to talk to people in all walks of life about how to be better, more effective humans beings. He hopes listeners come away from every episode with actionable steps to improve their lives in new ways—some fitness-related and some not.
Lesson: Ryan's motto sums it up: Be better. Do better.
Plus One: Ryan explains why his youthful stint as a fitness model in New York City didn't last a full year.
Plus One More: Check out the full interview to hear Ryan's take on fasting, how many meals a day work for him, and why he retired from drinking before the age of 21."
Joovv light therapy products are indicated for use in the relief of muscle and joint pain, including arthritis and muscle spasm pain, and increasing of blood circulation, and relaxation of muscles. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to support the safety or effectiveness of Joovv devices, or diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It's not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your healthcare provider, and should not be construed as medical advice.
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*Joovv light therapy products are registered as class II medical devices and are indicated for use in the relief of muscle and joint pain, including arthritis and muscle spasm pain, and increasing of blood circulation, and relaxation of muscles. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to support the safety or effectiveness of Joovv devices, or diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It's not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your healthcare provider, and should not be construed as medical advice. The independent reviews presented are applicable to the individual depicted and may not represent the uses mentioned above. Individual results may vary.


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Type: Forum Threads; User: word
Sticky: Word's Formerly Secret Interview Advice
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Sticky: Attention: Lurkers!
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Buying a car on Yahoo Auctions
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Realistic Data Regarding Japanese Teachers' Working Hours
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My new gaijin card is cheap and shoddily-made...
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JSDF English Test
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Slow?
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What DON'T you miss from your homeland?
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Quick Car Tax Question
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Finding Frakking Car Parts
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If you had the opportunity...
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Good Poems?
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A Grammar Question
The New New Crown Books...
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Get your fracking drivers' license, yo
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Downtime 25/1/2012
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Get your driver's license, yo.
by MCAS
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Ferry to SK?
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Why is this sentence wrong?
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Where can I buy...
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Rules for using Japanese nouns in plural form [in English sentences]?
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ANYONE, 5min., USA, Dance
EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS • 5m 28s
A young woman, searching.
Directed by James Kinney
Produced by Nicole LaFountaine
Cast: Ryan Steele, Yesenia Ayala, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Blake Zeleznikar, Caleb Marshall, Arisa Odaka, Michael Graceffa, Cajai Fellows, Connor Schwantes,
Twelve years ago, I was commissioned to create a ballet of my choosing, one of my first endeavors in choreography on a grand scale. The piece took shape as a three piece suite, entitled MARCH, which premiered at Lincoln Center and the Alvin Ailey Studio Theatre in New York City. The second movement in particular spoke to the humanity of life in New York City; love, connection, path's crossed. Cut to 2020. Broadway and virtually every other stage was shuttered. I, along with the rest of my community, was left to wonder what was next. In the midst of what felt like a spiral of uncertainty and isolation, I realized that what I needed, and perhaps what my community of artists needed, was to find that human connection again. Myself, along with my collaborator, cinematographer, and dear friend, Pierre Marais, decided that now was the time for that second movement to come to life cinematically. This was not without its challenges. How on earth does out team of two independent creatives gather a cast, rehearse, and film on location in the midst of a global pandemic? It was imperative to put safety and the severity of the circumstance at the forefront if we were to move forward. Every measure was taken to observe the safety guidelines set before us by our local, state and national leadership, as well as following a testing practice set forth by our unions. Much of this filmmaking process was done virtually, no small feat for a dance film about connection. ANYONE came to light at the end of a tumultuous summer, with a cast of nine of Broadway's most-talented performers and explores those very needed themes of fluid love, compassion, and empathy, in a manner that simultaneously feels both timeless and so very timely.
Up Next in EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILMS
TRACE, 4min., China, Dance
Directed by Yuxi Jiang
Performed by Yuxi Jiang


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Monitoring and influencing the adoption of EU legislation and policies that will enhance the rights of LGBTI people. This means that ILGA-Europe try to bring the voices of LGBTI people and NGOs into consultations and debates on new legislative proposals. Our advocacy work takes place in 49 countries across the continent of Europe, not just focusing on EU member states. We work with the European Union institutions, as well as the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. In close cooperation with our member organisations, we follow up on the implementation of EU legislation at European and national level.
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Covers when children born to same-sex couples are not facing any barriers in order to be recognised legally from birth to their parents.


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Indian Automaker Considers Long-Shuttered GM Plant
Mahindra is evaluating the former Buick City site in Flint, which could house up to 2,000 new jobs.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Indian conglomerate Mahindra is looking at a massive former manufacturing site in Flint, Michigan, for a new auto plant that could create up to 2,000 jobs.
A statement Thursday says Mahindra Automotive North America signed a letter of intent with the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response Trust to evaluate the former Buick City site, where General Motors once built cars. Mahindra says it's also in talks with other states about possible sites.
Most of Buick City closed in 1999. Portions have already been redeveloped. Mahindra says the plant could produce mail trucks if the company gets a contract for vehicles from the U.S. Postal Service and it could be a production site for other vehicles.
Mahindra says its manufacturing facility in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills is at capacity.


Answering to those who underestimate her power.
He protects her from the world outside.
Loving her like no one, she is her favorite doll.
She stands by them against all odds.
To the man in her life, most important of all.
With smooth transition to each one everytime.
She is indeed a gem too precious to lose in one's life.
A duty lays on our shoulders.
A gift we must give to a lady so grand.
Wishing everyone a very Happy Women's Day!


text:
Posted on September 5, 2016 by ladylavinia1932
1. "The Age of Innocence" (1993) – Martin Scorcese directed this exquisite adaptation of Edith Wharton's award winning 1920 novel about a love triangle within New York's high society during the Gilded Age. Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfieffer and Oscar nominee Winona Ryder starred.
2. "The Big Country" (1958) – William Wyler directed this colorful adaptation of Donald Hamilton's 1958 novel, "Ambush at Blanco Canyon". The movie starred Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker and Charlton Heston.
3. "True Grit" (2010) – Ethan and Joel Coen wrote and directed this excellent adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel about a fourteen year-old girl's desire for retribution against her father's killer. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hattie Steinfeld starred.
4. "Far From the Madding Crowd" (2015) – Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge and Michael Sheen starred in this well done adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel about a young Victorian woman who attracts three different suitors. Thomas Vinterberg directed.
5. "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956) – Mike Todd produced this Oscar winning adaptation of Jules Verne's 1873 novel about a Victorian gentleman who makes a bet that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Directed by Michael Anderson and John Farrow, the movie starred David Niven, Cantiflas, Shirley MacLaine and Robert Newton.
6. "Stardust" (2007) – Matthew Vaughn co-wrote and directed this adaptation of Neil Gaman's 1996 fantasy novel. The movie starred Charlie Cox, Claire Danes and Michelle Pfieffer.
7. "Fort Apache" (1948) – John Ford directed this loose adaptation of James Warner Bellah's 1947 Western short story called"Massacre". The movie starred John Wayne, Henry Fonda, John Agar and Shirley Temple.
8. "Zulu Dawn" (1979) – Burt Lancaster, Simon Ward and Peter O'Toole starred in this depiction of the historical Battle of Isandlwana between British and Zulu forces in 1879 South Africa. Douglas Hickox directed.
9. "Young Guns" (1988) – Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips starred in this cinematic account of Billy the Kid's experiences during the Lincoln County War. The movie was directed by Christopher Cain.
10. "Cowboys & Aliens" (2011) – Jon Favreau directed this adaptation of Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's 2006 graphic novel about an alien invasion in 1870s New Mexico Territory. The movie starred Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde.
Filed under: Essay, Movies | Tagged: abigail spencer, adam beach, alec mccowen, alfonso bedoya, anna calder marshall, anna lee, around the world in 80 days, barry pepper, belle epoque, ben barnes, bob hoskins, british empire, burl ives, burt lancaster, cantiflas, carey mulligan, carroll baker, casey siemaszko, cedric hardwicke, charles bickford, charles boyer, charlie cox, charlie sheen, charlton heston, chuck connors, claire danes, coen brothers, comics, dakin matthews, daniel craig, daniel day-lewis, david niven, denholm elliot, dexter fletcher, dick foran, edith wharton, elizabeth marvel, emilio estevez, evelyn keyes, george o'brien, geraldine chaplin, gilded age, grant withers, gregory peck, hailee steinfeld, harrison ford, henry cavill, henry fonda, history, jack palance, jack pennick, james faulkner, jason flemyng, jean simmons, jeff bridges, joe e. brown, john agar, john carradine, john ford, john wayne, jon favreau, josh brolin, julian rhind-tutt, juno temple, keith carradine, kiefer sutherland, literary, lou diamond philips, mark strong, mark williams, marlene dietrich, matt damon, matthew vaughn, matthias schoenaerts, michael hough, michael jayston, michael sheen, michelle pfieffer, movies, nathaniel parker, noah ringer, old hollywood, old west, olivia wilde, pedro armendáriz, peter o'toole, peter vaughn, politics, richard e. grant, robert morley, robert newton, ronald colman, rupert everett, shirley maclaine, shirley temple, sian phillips, sienna miller, simon ward, terence stamp, thomas hardy, thomas vinterberg, tom sturridge, travel, trevor howard, victor mclaglen, victorian age, ward bond, william wyler, winona ryder |	Leave a comment »
Posted on April 29, 2015 by ladylavinia1932
Recently, I noticed there were a good number of television productions in both North America and Great Britain, set during the 18th century. In fact, I managed to count at least six productions. Astounded by this recent interest in that particular century, I decided to list them below in alphabetical order:
1. "Banished" (BBC TWO) – I do not whether this is a miniseries or regular series, but it is basically about a penal colony in New South Wales, Australia; where British convicts and their Royal Navy marine guards and officers live. Russell Tovey, Julian Rhind-Tutt, and MyAnna Buring star.
2. "Black Sails" (STARZ) – Toby Stephens stars in this prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, "Treasure Island", about the adventures of Captain Flint.
3. "Book of Negroes" (CBC/BET) – This six-part miniseries is an adaptation of Lawrence Hill historical novel about a West African girl who is sold into slavery around the time of the American Revolution and her life experiences in the United States and Canada. Aunjanue Ellis, Lyriq Bent and Cuba Gooding, Jr. star.
4. "Outlander" (STARZ) – This series is an adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" book series about a 1940s woman who ends up traveling back in time to 18th century Scotland. Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan and Tobias Menzies star.
5. "Poldark" (BBC ONE) – Aidan Turner and Elizabeth Tomlinson star in this new television adaptation of Winston Graham's book series about a former British Army officer who returns home to Cornwall after three years fighting in the American Revolution.
6. "Sons of Liberty" (HISTORY Channel) – Ben Barnes, Rafe Spall and Henry Thomas starred in this three-part miniseries about the Sons of Liberty political group and the beginning of the American Revolution.
7. "Turn: Washington's Spies" (AMC) – Jamie Bell stars in this series about a pro-American spy ring operating on behalf of General George Washington during the American Revolution.
Filed under: Essay, History, Television | Tagged: adara victor, aidan turner, aldis hodge, american revolution, angus mcfadyen, annette badland, aunjanue ellis, beatie edney, ben barnes, bill paterson, british empire, burn gorman, caitriona balfe, caroline blakiston, colonial america, cuba gooding jr., daniel henshall, david wenham, dean norris, early 20th century, eleanor tomlinson, gabriella wilde, gary lewis, genevieve o'reilly, georgian era, graham mctavish, harriet ballard, heather lind, heida reed, henry thomas, history, ian kahn, j.j. feild, jack farthing, james fleet, jamie bell, jason o'mara, julian rhind-tutt, kevin r. mcnally, kyle soller, literary, lou gossett jr., luke norris, mark wilson, marton csokas, meegan warner, michael gaston, michael raymond-james, pip torrens, poldark, politics, rafe spall, richard hope, robin ellis, ruby bentall, rupert penry-jones, russell tovey, sam heughan, samuel roukin, seth numrich, simon callow, stephen root, television, time travel, tobias menzies, toby stephens, travel, turn: washington's spies, warren clarke, world war 2 |	Leave a comment »
"THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" (2010) Review
Since the last cinematic installment of the "NARNIA" franchise failed to make as much money as the first film, the Walt Disney Studios decided to end its association with C.S. Lewis's saga and not continue with a third movie. Twentieth Century Fox came to the rescue and agreed to release the third film, "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER".
Directed by Michael Apted, "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" centered around the adventures of the two younger Pevensie siblings – Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) – and their return to Narnia some three years after their adventures in "PRINCE CASPIAN". During the last year of World War II, Edmund and Lucy are living with relatives in Cambridge. One of those relations is their obnoxious cousin, Eustace Stubbs (Will Poulter), who accompanies them back to Narnia, when they are pulled into a painting inside his bedroom. The painting turns out to be a portrait of the Dawn Treader, a royal vessel belonging to the now King Caspian X (Ben Barnes). Caspian has been on a three-year voyage in search of the seven Lords of Narnia, whom his uncle Miraz (the villain of "PRINCE CASPIAN") had banished when he usurped the Narnian throne. Along the way they encounter slave traders, dragons, dwarves, merfolk, a band of lost warriors and a mysterious mist that represents the spirit of Evil, before reaching the edge of the world.
"VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" proved to be something of a departure from the previous two stories. One, the protagonists spend most of their time aboard a ship, traveling from one location to another. Secondly, only two of the Pevensie siblings are major characters in this tale, Edmund and Lucy. Apparently Peter (William Peter Moseley) and Susan (Popplewell) are traveling in the United States with their parents. However, both appear in a spell sequence in which Lucy images herself with Susan's looks. Most importantly, the story's main protagonist is not a certain individual. Instead, Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, Eustace and the crew of the Dawn Treader have to face a mysterious mist that acts more or less as a malignant spirit that influences the darker aspects of their personalities, fears and desires.
I might as well be frank. I am not a major fan of C.S. Lewis' "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA" novels. I never have been a major fan and I doubt that I will ever become one. But I must admit that the last two movies made me appreciate them a lot more than if I had never seen them. I must admit that Walden Media had produced some very entertaining movies. As for "VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER", screenwriters Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and Michael Petroni found themselves with a dilemma. Lewis' third NARNIA story turned out to be a bit disjointed and episodic. The BBC solved this problem by combining both"VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" and the fourth novel, "THE SILVER CHAIR" into one production. Director Michael Apted and the three screenwriters were not that drastic. Instead, they assimilated some elements of the fourth novel (like the Narnians being held hostage by the mist and rescued) into the third movie's script. Did it work? Perhaps it did not work for some, but it certainly worked for me. As I had earlier pointed out, the story's main antagonist turned out to be a mysterious green mist that served as a euphemism for the characters' inner fears, desires and darkness. In this regard, the mist reminded me of the First Evil character from Season Seven of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER". Many movie and television fans may not be that enamored of this type of "villain", but it did not bother me. I have discovered that the older I get, the more I enjoyed such storylines that provide ambiguous catalysts for the characters' inner conflicts.
I enjoyed "VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" very much. More than I had expected to. I had not expected to enjoy it that much, considering this was the first movie not to feature all four of the Pevensie siblings. If I must be honest, I did not miss Peter and Susan Pevensie. Edmund and Lucy managed to create a tight relationship with King Caspian and later, their cousin Eustace. And one has to give thanks to the solid screen chemistry between Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Will Poulter and Ben Barnes. Simon Pegg's vocal performance as the swashbuckling mouse, Reepicheep added nicely to the mix.
One of the best aspects of "VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" was that the movie explored a good deal of the main characters' personalities – especially their insecurities, fears and desires – due to the effect of the green mist. This gave Skandar Keynes a chance to explore another dark aspect of Edmund Pevensie's personality – namely his resentment over Caspian's position as Narnia's most recent king and his own desire for power. And Keynes proved he had the acting chops to convey this aspect of Edmund's personality and at the same time, maintain the character's growing maturity. Georgie Henley proved to be something of a revelation in her portrayal of Lucy Pevensie. She had come a long way from the innocent and friendly young girl in 2005's"THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE". Thanks to the green mist story arc, she made great use of her chance to stretch her acting skills by effectively portraying Lucy's insecurities regarding her looks and living in the shadow of older sister Susan. Ben Barnes' portrayal of the now King Caspian X struck me as more mature and solid. Yet, Barnes is also talented enough to convey hints of Caspian's own insecurities of living up to his father's name . . . and the reputations of the Pevensies in Narnia. Liam Neeson was as impressive and commanding as ever, while providing the voice for Aslan the Lion. And Simon Pegg was charming and effervescent as the heroic mouse, Reepicheep. I especially enjoyed the scene in which Reepicheep tries to give fencing lessons to a very reluctant Eustace. Speaking of Eustace Scrubb, actor Will Coulter literally stole the movie as Edmund and Lucy's arrogant and obnoxious cousin. In fact, Coulter's performance was so impressive that at times, he seemed like a pugnacious adult in a child's body. The speaking voice he utilized for Eustace struck me as very strange, yet comic. I was not surprised to learn that Coulter managed to earn a nomination as Young Performer of the Year for the 2010 London Film Critics Circle Awards.
If there is one thing about "VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" that did not appeal to me was that it had been shot in 3D. I have made it clear in my reviews of "AVATAR" and "ALICE IN WONDERLAND" that I am not a fan of 3D photography – at least for motion pictures. And if I must be frank, I did not find the 3D effects for this movie particularly impressive. Instead of a headache, I ended up suffering from sinus congestion from wearing eyeglasses and 3D glasses. And as much as I had enjoyed "VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER", I really saw no need for it to be shot in 3D. But thanks to cinematographer Dante Spinotti and visual effects supervisors, Angus Bickerton and Jim Rygiel; I must admit that I enjoyed the movie's beautiful photography and visual effects.
In the end, I enjoyed "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER" very much. Despite being shot in 3D, I still managed to enjoy the beautiful photography and visual effects. Screenwriters Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and Michael Petroni managed to take a novel with an episodic storyline and transform it into something more solid. The storyline regarding the green mist (a metaphor for the spirit of Evil) allowed the cast to delve into their characters' darker impules and desires with great skill. And director Michael Apted managed to put it all together in an entertaining film.
Filed under: Movies | Tagged: anna popplewell, ben barnes, early 20th century, georgie henley, liam neeson, literary, movies, narnia, religion, simon pegg, skandar keynes, tilda swinton, travel, will poulter, william mosely, world war 2 |	1 Comment »
"THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN" (2008) Review
I must admit that it took me quite a while to write a review of the latest cinematic installment of "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA" saga. This second installment, "Prince Caspian", tells the story of four Pevensie children's return to Narnia to aid Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) in his struggle for the throne against his corrupt uncle King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto). I tried to think of something different about this chapter in compare to the first – "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". But it occurred to me that my reaction to this movie seemed more or less the same as the 2005 release.
And what does that say about my feelings about "Prince Caspian"? Honestly, I thought it was a solid and entertaining film that both children and adult fans of C.S. Lewis' saga might enjoy. That is all I can really say. There was nothing really unique about it. Like many other adaptations of literary works, "Prince Caspian" did not faithfully follow its literary counterpart. Considering that I have never read any of Lewis' works, I was not particularly disturbed by this. The only reason I am aware of any differences between the literary and cinematic versions, is the Internet.
Like the previous movie, the cast is pretty solid. The actors who portrayed the Pevensie children returned for this sequel. Due to the rapid aging of children in general, work on the script began before "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was released, so filming could begin before the actors grew too old for their parts. William Moseley (Peter), Anna Popplewell (Susan), Skandar Keynes (Edmund) and Georgie Henley (Lucy) all gave solid, yet slightly uninspiring performances as the four siblings. Whereas Keynes got the chance to show Edmund at his peevish worst in the previous film, Moseley portrayed a slightly darker side of oldest brother Peter, whose dissatisfaction with being back in England had produced boorish personality. Perhaps I should rephrase that. Peter's boorish, which had been hinted through his handling of Edmund in the first film, was allowed to flourish in this film. It took a military failure against the main villain to give him a boot in the ass to improve his personality. On the other hand, Edmund seemed remarkably changed for the better in this film. One critic had described him as being the film's "Han Solo". I would agree, except Edmund came off as more mature and intelligent than Han Solo. Anna Popplewell had convinced producer Douglas Gresham to allow Susan to appear in the movie's major battles, because she feared the character came off as too passive in Lewis' novel. Many fans of the novel were appalled by this. Not being a literary fan of the saga, it did not bother me at all. At least it gave her something to do. Of all the Pevensie siblings, Georgie Henley's Lucy seemed to have changed the least. Although she seemed less tolerant of Peter's boorishness than she was of Edmund's darker side in the first film.
British actor Ben Barnes portrayed the title role of Prince Caspian of Telmarine with as much solid competence as the four actors who portrayed the Pevensies. Perhaps he seemed a little more competent than his younger co-stars in acting skills, but I could not sense anything remarkable about his performance. Portraying Caspian's evil uncle and the Telmarine's false ruler, King Miraz, was actor Sergio Castellitto. He made a very effective villain, but lacked Tilda Swanton's memorable portrayal as the White Witch. Who, by the way, briefly returned to bring a much-needed spark in the middle of the story. If I must be honest, her brief appearance was probably the best scene in the film. But not even Swinton's spectacular appearance could not overshadow what I feel was the best performance in the movie – namely that of Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin, a cynical red dwarf. I really enjoyed his sharp and caustic take on the dwarf, who is skeptic of the idea of Aslan and magic.
As much as I enjoyed "Prince Caspian", I must admit that I found it no more remarkable than the first. Also, I found it difficult to maintain interest in the film's first half, as it switched back and forth between Caspian's flight from his murderous uncle and the Pevensies' arrival in Narnia. Director Andrew Adamson seemed to lack George Lucas and Peter Jackson's talent for seemless transition between multiple storylines within one film. But once the Pevensies and Caspian finally met, the movie seemed to discover its pace as it flowed toward the heroes' ill-fated attempt to attack upon Miraz and the final showdown. There were two scenes that gave me a sense of déjà vu – namely the attacks of the trees and the river god upon the Telmarine army. It seemed as if either Adamson or Lewis had a Tolkien moment. The attack of the trees especially reminded me of the Ents' attack upon Isengard in "LORD OF THE RINGS: The Two Towers".
"Prince Caspian" is not the greatest movie I have seen this summer. Nor is there anything unique about it. But if one can overcome the fact that it is not an exact adaptation of C.S. Lewis' novel, anyone might find the movie quite entertaining to watch. I heartily recommend it.
Filed under: Movies | Tagged: anna popplewell, ben barnes, disney, early 20th century, eddie izzard, georgie henley, liam neeson, literary, medieval era, movies, narnia, pierfrancesco favino, politics, religion, skander keynes, tilda swinton, william mosely, world war 2 |	1 Comment »


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The communication major at the University of Colorado Denver has as its focus and mission the development of the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to use communication to create a more civil and humane world. The curriculum was developed to counter the pervasive atmosphere of unrelenting contention and uncivil communication that characterizes the contemporary world. The minor in communication is designed to provide students who are not communication majors with knowledge and skills in communication that are useful in any discipline or profession. Both the undergraduate and graduate certificates seek to enhance students' skills in mediation and strategic communication. The graduate program has prepared past students for careers as public affairs officers, web designers, and marketing directors, as well as entrance into some of the nation's top Ph.D. programs in communication.


Discussion in 'Philips TVs Forum' started by benry, Dec 27, 2006.
i'm new to this sort of thing so any advise would be gratefully appreciated.
which of theese would i connect the pc to.
If your PC has a DVI output then all you'll need a DVI to HDMI lead. Then you plug the PC into either of the HDMI inputs. But you'll also need a separate audio lead to connected the sound, as this isn't sent via the HDMI connector.
If you don't have DVI out on your PC then your best bet is probably to get a new graphics card that does.
Thanks for the info drykid....not sure if this is the right lcd so have just cancelled the order. Need to do some more investigating.
NO problem. FWIW my problems turned out to be due to a bad DVI-HDMI cable (Technika brand), and everything is working fine now. Really pleased with the set.
Since a few people on here seem to be picking these up in the sales, I'd be interested in what experiences people have connecting them to PCs, and in particular what display modes they're using.
I've done some experimenting, and the best results I've had so far are to use 1280x768 on the PC (and then changing the HD settings on the TV itself from "native" to to "fullscreen".) This gives a nice picture, with 1:1 pixel mapping vertically, and no obvious overscan. There's horizontal re-scaling though, which messes up the Windows fonts a little. So far I haven't found anything better, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has, especially if anyone has managed to get something close to 1366x768 working.


The concept of justice is pretty well always contentious. Everyone's got an opinion, and often it's hysterical. It's a situation that isn't helped by the political football it becomes every time there's an election, and the gullible flibbetygibbets who choose to get outraged.
I don't think I'm a flibbetygibbet, but I have an opinion. In general my opinion is that justice should be based upon the prudent application of law. I understand how people get emotional, but justice should not be based on emotion. It should be based on facts, and the process by which those facts are assessed and ultimately adjudicated on. It's not as simple as that always. There are grey areas, which is when we must rely upon the wisdom and experience of our independent judiciary.
Having said that, or perhaps because I've said that – I'm not sure which – there have two legal developments in the last 24 hours that leave me confused.
In the first Mark Chapman, John Lennon's murderer, was denied parole for the seventh time. He has been in prison for 32 years. The reason given for denying his application is that to grant it would be to 'trivialise' his crime.
Now I'm a Beatles fan, and love the music of John Lennon. The day he died is one of those rare days that will stick in my mind forever. Chapman was sentenced for the crime and sent to prison. Now though, he seems he can't get out.
Now I understand parole being rejected for those criminals who show no remorse, or give every sign that they will re-offend. Lock 'em up. From what I gather though that doesn't apply in Mark Chapman's case. Reading between the lines it seems that Chapman is being punished over and above his sentence because the person he killed was famous. Had he murdered a relative unknown dead-set he'd be home free by now. Hell, I'm sad that Lennon got killed, and distraught at all the great music denied to us by his death, but I'm not sure his murder should attract a premium simply because he was famous and much loved. Surely the rule of law is beyond such considerations, independent of popular clamour? In other words, isn't Chapman entitled to the same treatment as anyone else in his situation?
The other big legal news is the sentencing of Anders Breivik, the Norwegian mass murderer. In the last 24 hours he was declared sane and sentenced to 21 years in prison. This seems the opposite extreme to me. Breivik killed 77 people, and celebrates it still. 21 years? That seems a ridiculously pitiful sentence for the crime. I don't know the Norwegian legal system, but it's hard to believe in this case, or in Chapman's, that justice is being truly served.
Watched another great episode of Mad Men last night. It's been a season of many great episodes. Last night it was the episode where Don confronts Lane about him embezzling funds.
Like so many times watching this show it ended with me feeling invigorated, stimulated and buzzing with ideas. The best episodes cram so much into them, so much that seems both relevant and very authentic at the same time. I'm sure many people feel they have a 'personal' connection with their favourite TV shows. Through the nineties I used to think that Seinfeld captured the attitude we – my friends and I – lived by. We would go to work and meet socially and discuss the latest episodes with a knowing laugh, and still to this day will often find ourselves referring to scenes or using the famous phrases from the show as a kind of humorous and telling shorthand.
Mad Men is a very different show from Seinfeld, but for me it captures – somehow – so much that seems true to me now and for the last decade. I've written of this before, how the character of Don Draper reminds me of my father, and also how I feel sympatico to him. I feel as if a lot of the blood that runs through Don – lusty, ambitious, ruthless, compassionate, occasionally amoral, sometimes cruel – runs through me. More than anything though it's the events that unfold through the course of the show that resonate with me. There is drama and controversy, conflict and sorrow packed tight into the program – more so than in real life perhaps, but with a ring of reality. There's a motley collection of characters both good and ordinary and things between that reflects my experience of the world, and particularly working life. The things that happen on screen are different to what I experience in my life in the detail, but the moral perturbations and contradictions, the striving and struggling, the rampant desires and regrets, seem so true to my experience of life – as probably they do for many. That's why I get stirred up, because I'm taking the same strife torn and uncertain path with precisely the same ambitions.
I watched last night as Don took Lane aside and got straight to the point about the money Lane had taken. Lane blustered and feigned outrage while Don remained firm and straight. I thought: that's the way to do something like that. If something difficult must be faced it's a lot easier approaching it face on rather than dancing around it, as so many people do. Far better for all concerned to just say it, simply and without drama, than to sidle up to it. When Don, despite Lanes desperate protestations, demanded his resignation I thought that was right too. He was not vindictive, perhaps inside he understood it in some way, and so sought to make it easy on Lane by asking him to resign, to keep the matter private, and to make up the shortfall himself. He cops a lot of flak Don, but – and this the beauty of his character – there is a strong streak of decency and justice in him. There was no getting out leaving though for Lane, it was a matter of trust as Don said, and that was that. And I felt myself agree.
I knew what was coming. I'd read something online that ruined the surprise for me, but knowing how it was to end I watched with an absorbed fascination, as if watching the moments before a disaster in slow-motion. Humiliated, disgraced, about to be unemployed, Lane hung himself on the back of his office door.
I've no doubt that Don regretted his hard line with Lane, and would have recanted if he could. Does that make his original decision wrong then? Or wrong only because Lane chose to end his life because of it? Or does it remain just – a crime was committed and Don was within his rights to refer it to the law – regardless of how Lane chooses to respond to it. In other words, is justice subjective, or purely objective? Do we adjudicate on the crime, or the outcomes?
There's a parallel to this in the news right now. About a week ago nearly a hundred refugees seeking asylum in Australia perished when the ship they were traveling in from Indonesia sunk. This has long been a contentious issue, but this tragedy re-ignited the controversy. In the newspapers, in the streets, in parliament itself there was a clamour to finally achieve some kind of satisfactory resolution – impossible, unsurprisingly, as it turns out. You would hope that in parliament, where our laws are made and supposedly the moral probity and intellectual discourse should be paramount, that some just outcome should be achieved. It wasn't though, and rarely is. The notion of objective justice does not exist in our government, and few, if any, worldwide. What we have instead is a debate corrupted by politics, and political gain, and subjective emotions.
The question should be about what is the just treatment of the desperate refugees seeking shelter within our borders. That is the root question, the issue that demands objective judgement. While our pollies might claim that is what they debate, for the great majority that issue is not the point.
The clamour and outrage we witness now is because so many helpless people died seeking a better life while traveling on a leaky boat. It's not surprising that there is an outcry, but in parliament the drama is less about the causes and all about the effect. Refugees have been turning up on our doorstep for years, and while it has been a running argument it has been allowed to fester unresolved, the political battleground the parties fight over. Now it has erupted, but the debate is not about people seeking a better life and how we may humanely treat them. Except for a few sprinkled around the parliamentary benches, the debate boils down to how this tiresome problem can be removed.
I have my very firm opinions on the asylum seeker debate, and it's mostly about opening our borders and letting more in through conventional methods. In contrast the parliamentary debate is about how to stop them from ever setting out for here, thus removing the tragedies we have just witnessed and the political inconvenience they cause. My idea will achieve much the same thing, and much more humanely, but is so politically objectionable that it is not an option. We come at things from different directions, I – and many like me – seek humane justice, they desire a convenient law. Consequences – political consequences – trump humanity, and overshadow the real issue.
So, is objective justice possible? Is it desirable?
I wonder. We can all pretend to live in a pristine, ideal world, but that doesn't exist. No-one who makes judgement lives in a vacuum. And judgement cannot be, should not be, a matter of simple arithmetic. We are human, not robots. It's impossible I think to achieve that perfect, objective truth, but on reflection I don't think it is something we should aim for. Objective appraisal should be the basis of justice, but there is room for a subjective qualification.
In the case of Don in his treatment of Lane he did nothing wrong, but nor would he have been wrong to temper his judgement with mercy. In the case of our government it means finding an apolitical mechanism to seek causes rather than effects, to find an objective but humane truth. I guess this goes back to that old Shakespearean aphorism, that the quality of mercy is not strain'd. How often we forget.
*A related question when it comes to criminal proceedings: do we seek to punish for the transgression, or do we seek to rehabilitate the transgressor? I think the aim is both, but it's a tricky balance to manage.
Most people when they act with any consideration do so from their beliefs. Those beliefs may be immature or well developed. They may be uninformed and ill-considered – if at all, and subject to personal prejudice; or they may be the result of reading, observation, personal experience and deep consideration.
It's reasonable to expect that the leaders in our society fall into the second camp. In many instances I think that is true, and historically very much the case. In general this has provided us with leaders who are nuanced, humane and of an intelligence far beyond the norm. That's as it should be.
Though I don't question the intelligence of our leaders today, I believe we are going through an era where raw belief is secondary to shallow jingoism. The emphasis has shifted from acting from our beliefs or ideals, from some sort of moral bedrock, to a shallow, opportunistic and ultimately transient re-action to the days events.
There are different reasons for this. I think in general we have dumbed down as a society. Our attention span is shorter, our patience limited. Sound bites rather than informed discussion are now the norm. Our political leaders deal in bold and controversial statements, often with little relationship to the facts, tailored for the evening's news, and tomorrow's headlines. That often they have little relationship to the facts is immaterial, and barely commented on, which is symptomatic of our time. With some exceptions our media standards have radically declined. Bald misrepresentations masquerading as opinion have become the de facto standard, particularly in the tabloid press and radio. For way too many Australians these bitter and pre-digested 'opinions' are how they come to understand the 'facts'. Their opinions are not theirs, but rather have been received from others – and generally those who make the biggest noise and create the biggest headlines. It's all of a piece: sensation over consideration; slogans over discussion; abuse over civility. Even much of our advertising I've noticed has become tainted. I wonder where the standards are that should be controlling these excesses.
Given that this is the society today is it any wonder that our political leaders are what they are? The truth of the axiom that we get the politicians we deserve has never been more evident.
Our leaders are curious. As I said, I don't doubt that either Gillard or Abbott are intelligent people in basic terms. The problem is, one is weak, and the other corrupt.
Gillard doesn't strike me as an intellectual (a much derided term these days unfortunately). She appears like a woman who has given little thought to the broader canvas, more inclined as she is to calm good sense. She is a sturdy type, a strong nature even if she has been weak politically. I don't know enough about her to know if she is a student of history or society, if she reads or doesn't. She strikes me as an occasional reader, too practical to indulge in things of the past. With that though is a stolid lack of imagination. That is her greatest failing as a leader I think. As a deputy she is supremely competent, but from a leader you need qualities that will carry us forward, to follow, to lift us from the bitter rut we have fallen into. Foremost amongst those qualities is imagination. Because she has little imagination there are few ideals that colour her perspective. She acts, not from belief, but from narrow pragmatism.
Abbott is different. He is a reader, a writer, clearly a student of many disciplines. Though he has always been far to the right of where I sit I once quite liked him. In a junior portfolio I was able to dismiss his occasional extremism as harmless Abbott-isms; in many ways he seemed an affable character, and more thoughtful than he portrayed himself to be. His books are well written and well received. Somewhere inside him is a thoughtful man.
Perhaps that's why I now so despise him. I called him corrupt before and I meant that in the sense that he has happily disregarded the 'better' parts of himself in the quest for political power. As an avowed Christian he does little, if anything, to embody Christian virtues, and no Christian charity. A smart man he has resorted in opposition to diss everything. He gives the strong impression that he would oppose initiatives even if he himself agreed with them. He is a man who has happily separated what he believes from how he acts. He is a leading contributor to the hostile political environment we are now subject to. Politics, and society, have degenerated together and if he is one cause of that it is because he has latched onto the tenor of the times. He speaks in violent shorthand, with dubious respect for the facts – the media lap it up, and he reaps the rewards.
I'm an idealist, but I'm not naive. I know being in power is much more challenging than commenting on it. I realise that there are pragmatic realities that must be bowed before, that shortcuts and compromises must be made. I'm also of the belief that occasionally the end might justify the means – but also that both the end and the means must be carefully weighed. The problem with Abbott is that the end for him is to be Prime Minister of this country, and any means will justify it.
It's a philosophy that has infected our parliament, which has become a bitter and mean spirited place. Just yesterday, Joe Hockey, a fundamentally decent man I think, launched himself at the government with a diatribe that was disgraceful and borderline racist. There is no society in our politicians, and little civilisation.
Curious it is to consider the men standing in the wings on either side of the divide, the former leaders, Rudd and Turnbull are both thinkers, intelligent men with well-defined beliefs. Turnbull I would vote for in the blink of an eye – a reasonable, urbane politician of the old school, inclined to do the best for the national interest than his own – and with some sophistication and intelligence. Rudd had his chance and lost his nerve, but at least he stands for something. I'd vote for him ahead of Gillard.
I should finish by saying Australia is by no means unique in this regard. This is a worldwide phenomena I think. In Obama the Americans have a leader they seem to under-value from afar, a man decent, intelligent and acting from the altruistic desire to civil service. And he believes in things. Opposing him though are the ratbags, the Rupublicans in political disarray as the rabid extremism of the Tea Party raises it's very ugly head. I have more faith in the good sense of Australians than I do that the Americans will be able to hold off the Tea Party. The Tea Party spells doom to the American state, but that's an opinion for another time.


Sarens participated in the New Safe Confinement Project at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine. The purpose of the project is to fully contain the damaged nuclear reactor building and prevent the reactor complex from leaking further radioactive material into the environment for the next 100 years. Unit 4 of the reactor building will be encased in a massive arched steel structure.
Leaving Las Vegas on Sunday and on their way to work for various crane and rigging companies throughout the country are seven cranes that have been exhibited on the Tadano stand during ConExpo.
Tadano America President Yo Kakinuma (right) congratulates Harry Baker, president of Southwest Industrial, on the purchase of a 160-ton a GR-1600XL-2 rough terrain and the ATF 400G-6 all-terrain crane. Tadano handed over seven cranes displayed at ConExpo.
On Wednesday morning Tadano handed over cranes to Bigge Crane & Rigging, Bragg Crane & Rigging, Imperial Crane and Rigging and Southwest Industrial.
Bigge Crane and Rigging took delivery of Tadano's GR-1000XL-2 and the GR-150XL rough terrain cranes. The 100-ton capacity GR-1000XL-2 and the compact, multi-purpose 15-ton capacity GR-150XL join some 25 Tadano cranes in the Bigge fleet.
The crane, a dated unit supplied by Arthur D. Henry Crane Services of Thomaston, was preparing to lift a heating/air conditioning unit onto a store in the town when it went over in the parking lot.
Thankfully no one was hurt, although the operator was thrown from the truck.
Debuting today at CONEXPO 2014, Manitowoc presents Grove's new RT770E with KZTM100, the first synthetic hoist rope designed specifically for mobile cranes.
A first: Fibre hoisting rope in a Mobile Crane!!
The KZTM100 hoist rope offers many benefits. It is 80% lighter than wire rope and boasts torque neutral construction that eliminates load spin and cabling. The new hoist material also makes for easy handling, reeving and installation as it reduces kinking, bird caging and damage from other types of cable-spooling issues.
Manitowoc's MLC300 and MLC650 crawler cranes.
The VPC system automatically positions the counterweight to fit the required lift.
NICOLAS MDED and NICOLAS side girder deck with a more than five-fold ratio payload and tare weight!
News, Trafo transports, Transport Comments Off on NICOLAS MDED and NICOLAS side girder deck with a more than five-fold ratio payload and tare weight!
The Marcianise-Rosara route which crosses the Italian Apennine mountain range is a challenge in itself: featuring 350 km of steep gradients, tight corners and difficult road conditions. Aliani Project S.r.l., a long-standing customer of the TII Group, transported a transformer along this route on behalf of the GETRA company and which was to be used at the TERNA power plant in Rosara. Aliani therefore decided to use a vehicle combination that consisted of a NICOLAS MDED platform trailer and NICOLAS side girder deck (width and height-adjustable) with a 230 tonne loading capacity and 41 tonne tare weight – altogether this corresponds to a factor of 5.6 (tare weight/payload ratio).
The dimensions of the transformer were a very compact 10.5 x 3.9 x 4.5 metres – a concentrated load which the NICOLAS MDED easily took in its stride. The excellent payload/tare weight ratio kept the weight of the total combination as low as possible – clearly a decisive advantage when negotiating steep inclines. In addition, the NICOLAS MDED has an extremely low platform height of 755 mm.
Bridge? No problem, with its low platform height of 755 mm, the NICOLAS MDED ensures a low overall height during transport.
Liebherr has announced a very successful first day at Conexpo, but what attracted our intention was the aerial view taken by a sophisticated remote controlled drone 'aircraft', giving a very attractive view the Gold Lot from the Liebherr end.