It's not a secret to educators that schools across the nation are underfunded. The problem is not new. Parent and teacher organizations have for decades raised funds to supplement the funding provided and to secure additional supports ranging from playground equipment and field trip expenses to classroom equipment and additional technology.
Still the emergence of crowdfunding websites has moved what once were local, school sponsored, shared community efforts to individual staff member initiatives and requests that tap funds from far beyond the local community. Initially, such efforts were confined to a few enterprising educators who saw an opportunity to go beyond their personal resources and funds provided locally to secure support for activities and projects they desired for their students.
However, the recent recession that made local supplemental funds even more difficult to access and the emergence of a wider array of online crowdfunding sources have led to significant and rapid growth of individual educator requests and the availability of more funds. For example, one of the most popular crowdfunding sites, DonorsChoose.org, has seen their annual project funding grow from $1.1 million in 2003 to $159.9 million in 2018.
While on one hand, such growth in the availability of supplemental resources is good news for educators seeking to provide a wider array of opportunities for their students, the growth is creating increasing new issues for local principals and school district superintendents. Many of the funding websites have added controls to make misuse of funds more difficult. Others offer guidance to educators and schools to avoid pitfalls and problems associated with resources secured through outside funding. Still, many administrators have concerns about the trend.
Some school districts have even gone so far as to prohibit teachers from using crowdfunding websites. They worry that despite existing controls, teachers might misuse the funds they secure. Others have expressed concern that technology and other instruction-related resources might not align with the adopted standards of the district. Still others worry that such efforts create resource inequities across classrooms, since some teachers are more aggressive in securing outside funding than others.
While on the surface these seem like reasonable concerns, prohibiting educators from participation risks an over reaction and depriving students of important learning resources, tools, and experiences. A better approach might be to establish clear policies regarding the categories and characteristics of the objects that might be requested. School leaders can provide clear guidance to teachers about how funds can be used and how to avoid accusations of misuse of funds.
If there have been specific problems and more direction is needed, schools and school districts might even establish processes for approval before outside funding is requested. This stance can prevent conflicts and disappointment associated with purchases that do not reflect established standards and expectations. It can also clarify who is responsible for maintaining and who owns any technology and equipment secured through outside funding.
The question of equity of resources across classrooms and schools originating from outside sources also deserves consideration. Historically, parent and teacher organizations in some schools have had access to much greater resources through fundraising than others, and school administrators have been challenged to deal with these inequities. To some extent, the growth of crowdfunding websites has ameliorated the situation as educators who work in schools serving students from lower socio-economic families can access the same resources available to educators in schools serving high socio-economic neighborhoods.
Obviously, these are not easy questions to answer. Students deserve the resources necessary to support their learning and gaining access to supplemental funding seems like a worthy effort. We are interested in your thoughts and experiences. Have you sought funding through crowdfunding websites? If so, what has been your experience? Are you dealing with any of the equity, use, ownership, and standards issues discussed? What ideas do you have about how best to address and resolve them?


text:
Q: Javascript hiding map (iframe) This is a snippet of my code:

Bayanihan

    Map   Forum   Insight

Basically, my website is a map with a sidebar. In the sidebar, there are three links: map, forum, insight. So what I would like to happen is if I click Forum, the map background will disappear and will be replaced by forum.html and same goes for the insight. As you can see in the snippet, I am first trying it on forum. html but it doesn't work.

A: I had something similar to this. What I did was using this js to change the content for all the different sites.
I had a main page with an empty content div and all the stuff that went inside the page in independent html files; when I wanted to change content all I did was call this function with the name of the file and it would update everything.
function changeContent(url){
  $.ajax({
    crossOrigin: true,
    url: url,
    success: function(data) {
      $('#content').html(data);
    },
    error: function (xhr, status) {
      alert("Something went wrong, try again.");
    },
  });
}

The 'a' tag was like this:
Stuff
Hope this helps!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Delivery Hero, a major part of Rocket Internet's Global Online Takeaway Group, has closed a new round of funding of $110 million which increases the overall valuation of the company to €2.8 billion (or $3.1 billion). The global leader who has very recently acquired Istanbul-based regional counterpart Yemeksepeti for a staggering $589 million, says the new funds will mostly be used in "selective acquisitions", according to the company press release.
The investment came from two public market investors in the US whose names are withheld by the company. Prominent investors of Delivery Hero presently include Insight Venture Partners, General Atlantic and Rocket Internet.
Delivery Hero currently claims market leadership in 30 countries, and running a network of over 200K restaurants in 34 countries. It says the network processes 10 million orders a month generating more than $165 million in monthly sales.
Oliver Samwer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rocket Internet, commented: "The investments by reputable investors exemplify the attractiveness of Rocket's assets. They demonstrate that the investments in Delivery Hero by the Global Online Takeaway Group, which is today the largest and only strategic shareholder in Delivery Hero, continue to look very promising. They also validate once again the LPV attached to Delivery Hero by renowned third party investors."


text:
White Noise (part 1)jsnhsd_lsd_admin2017-09-29T21:40:40+00:00
Title: White Noise
Technique: 500 white flags installed by Auckland's citizens
Exhibition: Auckland Festival
Place: Te Henga (Bethell beach)- Auckland '" New Zealand
On 26 February 2011 the public was invited to spend a day on New Zealand'™s Te Henga / Bethells Beach, to assist the artist in planting 500 white flags in the sand. At the close of the day, the flags were removed and brought to the city to be re-installed in an enclosed space.
Both a simple piece of visual and auditory poetry and a gesture toward the complex history of public protests and engagement with land, foreshore, and public space in New Zealand, White Noise responds to the specific location of Auckland and the site of Bethells Beach
By the time of the British colonization of New Zealand white flags were used as landmark to delimit land ownership.
During the day of the action at Te Henga / Bethells Beach a spontaneous symbolic gesture occurred, when a Māori Tino Rangatiratanga flag was briefly planted amongst the white flags by a visitor to the beach. This flag has a significant history as a symbol of Māori ambitions for self-determination and land rights, flown over the years at many protests. It reinforces the politician-criticisms intentions of the White Noise.
Special thanks to: Ariane Craig-Smith, Gabrielle Amodeo, Simon Glaister, Sam Hamilton, Amarbir Singh, Mark Ruka, Mei Cooper, Alex Campbell, Heather Crawcour, Michelle Beattie, Loren Marks, Nastashia Simeona, Sarah Carson, Anya Zvezdina, Chanel Breen, Louise Tu'u, Rose Meyer, Victoria Szerdi, Fiona Wilson, Elena Wenn, Ada Leung

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Spring Boot Autoimport import.sql file - Getting a "Column Not found" Error So I have a table in postgresql and I want to fill it with some values on application start. Here is the Entity (in Kotlin):
@Entity
class CalculationType(

        @Id @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.AUTO)
        var id: Long = 0,
        var guid: String = "",
        var title: String = "",
        var modified: Date,
        var creation: Date
)

my import.sqlfile is located under ..\.\resources. it looks like this:
insert into calculation_type (guid, title, modified, creation) VALUES ("test", "title", "2013-12-12", "2013-12-12");

I am getting an error in German, traslated it says Column »test« does not exist.
Thats quite strange because test is in my values, not in my column definitions.
Does anyone know whats going on?

A: Character constants need single quotes
insert into calculation_type (guid, title, modified, creation) VALUES ('test", 'title', '2013-12-12', '2013-12-12');


Your order is as important to us as it is to you. Our in-house Consumer Cell would be happy to assist you with any queries or other issues relating to your order. Please email us at support@dietnepal.com or call us at +977-9813194965 and a representative will be in touch with you. Remember, all queries are answered in the order in which they are received, and as a result, delays occur from time to time. Requests made outside of standard weekday business hours will be addressed as soon as possible.
Please call us during normal business hours (10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday to Friday) before making a return. You will be issued a Return Authorization Number and, if your merchandise is unopened and/or deemed to be in otherwise good condition, receive further instruction on our returns procedure. Returns are only accepted for merchandise purchased through dietnepal.com. Please be prompt; all returns must be received within 10 days of the purchase date, and no returns will be accepted after this time period. You may ship your return using the carrier of your choice.
 We make every effort to safely deliver your order, but understand that, on rare occasion, merchandise can be damaged in transit. If you feel that your order was damaged during delivery, report it immediately and a representative will contact you. We are not responsible for lost or stolen merchandise.
Although every attempt is made to maintain inventory on all of our products, there's a small chance that supply may not always keep up with demand. In this event you will receive an estimated time of availability and the choice of canceling, substituting, or reserving your order.
Prices and availability of all products are subject to change without notice.


text:
Bruce Irvin: I couldn't reach my potential in Seattle
By Dan Hanzus
End Around Writer
Published: March 15, 2016 at 09:03 p.m.
The Superstar Club: Out with the old, in with the new!
Brady has Rodgers beat in prank department
In the end, Bruce Irvin felt the only way he could reach his potential was to leave one of the greatest defenses in recent memory.
We'll let him explain.
Remaining free agents
NFC free agency grades
AFC free agency grades
Free agency winners and losers
Seven riskiest free-agent signings
Robert Griffin III signs with Cleveland Browns
Wesseling: Which franchises are on the rise?
Collateral damage: Players hurt by free agency
Collateral benefits: Players aided by free agency
Under-the-radar free-agent signings
Three teams that lost in free agency
Which teams made the best free agency moves?
"I honestly felt like if I stayed in that (Seattle) system, I don't think I ever would be the player that I think I can be in this league, and that's being a pass rusher," Irvin told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday (via the Raiders' home site). "SAM outside linebacker is cool, but you can do your job the whole game at SAM linebacker and you'll have two tackles.
"I just want to be utilized more and get put in positions more to make plays. I really think (Raiders coach) Jack Del Rio and (defensive coordinator) Ken Norton, Jr., are going to do a great job of really allowing me to do that."
According to CSN Bay Area, Irvin was in pass coverage for close to 19 percent of his snaps over the past two seasons, but he still had success getting to the quarterback when given the opportunity. The first-round pick had 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons and 22 sacks overall across four seasons.
"I haven't even scratched what I know I can do, man," Irvin said. "Like I said, Seattle kind of limited me in that defense -- and I did the best that I could do -- but I haven't scratched my surface. I'm far from it. I still have a lot more great years, and a lot more things that I have to prove."
While we expect the Raiders to take advantage of Irvin's versatile skill set, it will be interesting to see what he can do if given the chance to get after a quarterback on a more frequent basis. Anchored by Irvin and Khalil Mack, the Raiders' defense will be a unit to watch this season.


text:
Q: getting the position of items inside React Native FlatList Scenario:
I've got a number of items inside FlatList and I'm showing a Modal, with item coordinates, on long-pressing any of the Items and closing it when the touch is released.
I'm using Pressable for achieving long-press and onLayout to get the item coordinates.
Item component looks like this
const Item = ({ data, toggleModal }) => {
  const [layout, setLayout] = React.useState(null);
  return (
    <Pressable
      style={styles.item}
      delayLongPress={300}
      onLayout={({ nativeEvent }) => {
        setLayout(nativeEvent.layout);
      }}
      onLongPress={() => {
        toggleModal(layout);
      }}
      onPressOut={() => {
        toggleModal(null);
      }}>
      <Text style={styles.text}>{data}</Text>
    </Pressable>
  );
};

and the App component looks like this
// imports

export default function App() {
  const data = ['1', '2', '3', '4'];
  const [state, setState] = React.useState({
    visible: false,
    layout: { x: 0, y: 0, height: 0, width: 0 },
  });

  const toggleModal = (layout) => {
    setState((prevState) => ({
      ...prevState,
      visible: !prevState.visible,
      layout,
    }));
  };

  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <FlatList
        data={data}
        keyExtractor={({ item }) => item}
        renderItem={({ item }) => (
          <Item data={item} toggleModal={toggleModal} />
        )}
      />
      <Modal visible={state.visible}>
        <Button title={'Close'} onPress={toggleModal} />
        <Text>
          layout: x:{state.layout?.x}, y:{state.layout?.y}, height:
          {state.layout?.height}, width:{state.layout?.width}
        </Text>
      </Modal>
    </View>
  );
}

But the coordinates of all the items are the same no matter which item I press.
If I use CellRendererComponent instead of renderItem I'm getting the correct coordinates but the Modal is not being closed.
CellRendererComponent={({ item }) => (
  <Item data={item} toggleModal={toggleModal} />
)}

Using ScrollView works fine though.
Here's the Expo Demo


Bids from subcontractors and suppliers for this project are currently under review. We will circle back to subcontractors who submitted bids within the next couple weeks.
Full-sized plans and specifications are available for review by appointment at the jobsite trailer/office at 4745 NE Going St. The job trailer is typically staffed from 8:30am – 5pm, Mon. – Fri. Please contact Eli Spevak at (503) 422-2607 or eli(at)aracnet.com to confirm access before stopping by. Also contact Eli for a link to the full set of plan pages, which are currently available for review and/or download.


It was a sad day when Lily Allen said she was leaving the music scene, as who was going to provide that honest view of the industry. So it was a massive welcome back when she released her controversial comeback single Hard Out Here, which went platinum in Australia and has amassed over 22 million YouTube views.
Since emerging in 2006 with her iconic debut single Smile, Lily has gone on to sell over five million albums worldwide. Her first album Alright, Still debuted at #7 in Australia and is certified platinum. Second album, It's Not Me, It's You debuted at #1 in Australia and is 4 x platinum. Lily has sold over one million singles in Australia.
Her talent as a songwriter was acknowledged in 2010 when she won 3 Ivor Novello Awards; that same year she announced she was taking a break from making and performing music.
In 2013 Lily returned to the studio, having spent the previous three years raising her young family and establishing her own record label.
Now the amazing Lily Allen is set to release her third studio album Sheezus on Regal Recordings on Friday 2 May. Lily's new album was produced by Greg Kurstin, except for the title track which was produced by DJ Dahi and Air Balloon which was produced by Shellback.
And you can't help but be excited when John Niven decribes the new album like this… "When you listen to Lily Allen's new album 'Sheezus' it sounds like a decade of experience, heartbreak, joy, mischief, pain, trouble and fun; the whole of your twenties wrapped up in sleek, brilliant pop music".
Sheezus is available on iTunes pre-order now..!


Dataweigh Systems Limited have been established since 1985 and are an independant manufacturer of industrial platform and floor scales in the UK. We are importers of a comprehensive range of electronic balances, microbalances, counting scales, weighing instrumentation, indicators, load cells, industrial platforms and pallet truck scales. We are suppliers in the UK a for CAS scales. Technicians are available to advise on all weighing solutions and bespoke systems, our products are supported by a service and sales network that covers the UK. Dataweigh Systems Limited are a UK Weighing Federation accredited company and supply approved weighing systems for Trade use.
The 7200 is equipped with a state-of-the-art touch screen, which allows users to intuitively navigate the system without having to memorize long PLU numbers. Complement this with a highly efficient system and other time-saving presets, users can access product listings in a blink of an eye.


text:
Filter: star wars
Filter: star wars (7)
Star Wars, Serendipity and Truth
Wednesday, 6 Jan 2021, 12:29
Every family has their own Christmas traditions and, in my house, Christmas isn't Christmas without Star Wars, so I watched the 3 original films again over the holidays, which are, of course, still the best. Little did I think when I sat in the Commodore Cinema, back in the day, watching Star Wars for the first time, that in my lifetime I would see the rise of an evil empire bent on world domination and control. As the globalist bankers, business men and their political puppets come with their vaccine to 'save' the world while simultaneously stripping us of our rights, freedoms and health and making a tidy profit for themselves, I can only thank God these people don't have the ability to travel across the universe. Mind you, I would certainly be in favour of loading them on to a rocket and sending them to a galaxy far, far away.
Christmas is a religious holiday, usurped from the pagans, (if it happened now, you could call it cultural appropriation and start a row about it!) and I would not have considered myself a religious person, although a nephew once remarked that Star Wars isn't a film in my house, it is a religion. You could do worse, I suppose, than aim to be a Jedi and how cool would it be to have a light sabre? Although, at the present time, I'd happily settle for a Kalashnikov.
Anyway, getting back to religion, I had started to re-read M Scott Peck's, The Road Less Travelled again. This happened by accident, I was reading Moby Dick on my Kindle at lunchtime at work, and I went to check a note but couldn't get back to the page I was on, and ended up on a page in the Road Less Travelled on a chapter on religion. In the passage, the author was talking about patients who do not claim to be religious and pointed out that they are, 'You have a religion…a rather profound one. You worship the truth'. This struck me, maybe it was a serendipitous moment (the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for) or maybe it was just a coincidence, but I gave it some thought and had to agree, truth is my religion which is probably why I am at odds with so many and always have been. When I look around me, I see too many who question nothing and it's not even that they believe everything they are told, but they pretend to 'belief' because it is too much work to act and think independently, and it is much easier to just bleat along with the crowd. I also realised that not only do I worship at the altar of truth, but on each side of that altar there is a pillar, one to context and the other to perspective, 3 elements that are sadly missing in the cv19 spectacle being played out across the world in the web of lies, deceit, cowardice and fearmongering.
Over Christmas, I was also speaking to someone I hadn't seen in a while, and who travels a lot for work, especially to China. I won't say who they are or how I know them, but they were in the Shanghai area in June 2019, and told me that everyone was sick with a respiratory flu. They were unable to meet the boss of the company they were visiting, as the man was so ill he had to go to the hospital for injections to help him breathe. Is there anyone else out there who was in China in 2019 and had a similar experience or knows anyone who did? With all the debates raging over lockdowns and masks, we have taken our eye off the ball regarding the origins of this 'virus' and it is a question that still needs to be answered, especially since the residents of Wuhan were able to go out and party on New Year's eve while we were all locked down.
I still maintain I had this back in January of 2019 and my mother in July 2019, more so now since hearing this. My mother was ill for weeks and the cough she had took months to get rid of, and she is 84 years of age and has diabetes, and survived it. That could explain why I've been able to walk around without a mask, travel across the UK and neither me nor anyone I have had contact with has been ill. 2 members of my family circle had mild symptoms (loss of taste and smell for a few days) and that was it. Maybe we have passed on our immunity. And talking about immunity, where are all the thousands who had it and recovered? Are they still wearing masks or are they spreading their immunity around? If you already had it, you should not need a vaccine or mask either, as you should have immunity now.
Tags: politics, covid 19, china, star wars, m scott peck, the road less travelled, moby dick, commodore cinema
Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Aideen Devine, Friday, 8 Jan 2021, 13:02)
Star Wars - This Rise of Skywalker
Monday, 30 Dec 2019, 14:25
Edited by Aideen Devine, Thursday, 1 Sep 2022, 12:55
I was there, back in 1977, at the Commodore Cinema in Strabane, to witness the beginning of new era in cinematic, cultural and commercial history when Star Wars arrived, transporting us through space and time to a galaxy far, far away and 'May the Force be with you' entered our language and even got its own day (May 4th for those who don't know). I fell in love with Luke, lusted after Han and wanted to be Princess Leia. I followed my heroes as Luke confronted the dark reality of his origins in the Empire Strikes Back (still the best movie in the entire franchise) and cheered when Luke, Leia and Han won the day, in Return of the Jedi and the evil Empire was finally beaten. Hurrah!
Then, the balance in the force was lost and a darker side took over (commercial interests) but out of loyalty, I stayed the course, suffered through the prequels, almost crying in despair when Jar Jar Binks arrived on screen (What was George Lucas thinking, what was he thinking????). But cheered again when good sense won out, as the back-lash from the fans saw him sidelined in episodes 2 and 3, even if the balance still wasn't quite right and there were huge plot holes. Then Lucas sold the franchise to Disney and I looked forward in anticipation to see what JJ Abrams would do with it, especially when he had done so well with the reboot of the Star Trek movies. How naive was I...
I watched The Force Awakens with some trepidation but thought there were some good things in it that could be developed only to have my hopes shattered by The Last Jedi and I felt so let down that I did not even go and see Solo, A Star Wars Story (there is only so much disappointment you can take in a certain time-frame although, I am assured it is a fairly decent film) but still haven't seen it.
Then, with the announcement that The Rise of Skywalker would be the final film in the series, and since I was there at the start, how could I not be there at the end, I decided to put all negative feelings aside and go see it. I had watched Rogue One again over Christmas (one of the better off-shoots from the Star Wars story) and The Force Awakens. So to fully prepare, I watched The Last Jedi again (just to see if it was as bad as I remembered - it was!) got bored before the end and went to bed.
So, with the end now in sight, Sunday evenings being what they are and with no better offers on the table, I decided to go to the cinema and watch The Rise of Skywalker. It was getting better reviews than The Last Jedi (which isn't really much of a recommendation) but gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, they had upped their game a bit and since it was the end of the story, hoped that they might have pushed the boat out and made a film in keeping with the spirit of the original trilogy - going out with a bang and not a whimper!
Unfortunately, they didn't! The Rise of Skywalker, or as I will now refer to it, the Lazarus Episode, (because the dead were being resurrected left, right and centre, although no one could resurrect a good script!) failed for the same reasons that most of the newer films in the franchise have failed. They are not character led, they are led by economics with an over- emphasis on special effects and cute characters, in a puerile attempt to flog us Star War's fans more tat, in thanks for our loyalty over the decades.
My biggest gripe apart from the hole-riven story(?) is with the main character (and I use that term in its lightest sense) Rey, this generation's new 'Luke' (because in the age of gender equality, the lead has to be female this time around). She has the acting/emotional range of a door, all jolly hockey sticks earnestness or jolly hockey sticks earnestness with tears which really starts to grate after a while. She is so bad, she actually makes Hayden Christensen look good.
John Boyega who played Finn was one of the good characters in this new series and I had an expectation/hope that his character would be developed into something more than he initially appeared. He could at least have had some Jedi training. However, he was badly under used again in this film and can only lead me to conclude that he was there as a 'token' character to check that 'all-inclusive' box that is so important in the world of political correctness today.
The script/story (if you could even call it that?!) revolves around the 'mysterious' return of the old emperor, Palpatine. However, this didn't really turn out to be much of a mystery at all, and it quickly became obvious that it was merely a plot device to cover up for the complete lack of originality and ideas by the scriptwriters on how to develop a story or make a decent film.
In the original Star Wars Trilogy, we had several great individual characters who bounced off each other and gave the film a sense of realism (even if it was set in a galaxy far, far way) and depth. There was no big convoluted plot, just goodies versus baddies in space, add a little sexual tension, some sharp humour and it worked!
In the new films, even the great characters from the original movies have been lobotomised into blandness. Leia, who was the feisty heroine leading the rebellion even before Luke and Han got on board, has been reduced into a benign, toothless granny. Same thing with Luke and Han, everyone now appears like a refugee from a Channel 5 Christmas movie, all bland sweetness and cloying com-patriotism.
I had such hopes but this poor excuse for a movie is just a mess of nothingness with neither rhyme nor reason, a sorry end to a cinematic era. If there was any reasoning behind it (which I seriously doubt it!) I think it went something like this - Well, we've made a total balls-up of the whole franchise so lets just bring whole sorry mess to an end asap and start over with something else. The fans will still come and see it because it is Star Wars so we'll at least make our money back, then hopefully, we can all forget about it and move on - or words to that effect. I will certainly be doing my best to forget it.
As a long time Star Wars fan, I cannot fully capture the depth of my disappointment. For me, there are really only 3 Star Wars films and those are the 3 originals. And I mean the originals, not the updated version Lucas did a few years ago with more special effects and 'cute characters'. Rogue One is the best of the others and Fan Boys is the fan's, Star Wars film - all worth a look. I will see Solo at some point in the not too distant future but if you are a fan and haven't seen The Rise of Skywalker yet, save yourself some time and money and give it a miss but I know if you're a Star Wars fan, you will still go and see it.
Ah, Obi Wan, the balance in the Force has been lost. I'm only glad they didn't resurrect you and Yoda to witness the trashing of your legacy. But, as bad as it feels at the moment, word has reached me from a distant galaxy (Ok, from number 3 son) that we are not entirely without hope. Apparently, The Mandalorian, another Star Wars offshoot set after episode 6, is getting very good reviews so for fans mourning the passing of our old friend Star Wars, it may not be RIP just yet. So, as we prepare to jet off again to a galaxy far, far away maybe the lesson to be learned here is that, if you can't do it better, especially when it comes to film classics, then leave it alone.
May the force be with you!
Tags: star wars, the empire strikes back, the return of the jedi, the mandalorian, jj abrams, george lucas, jar jar binks, luke, leia, han solo, yoda, obi wan kenobi, disney, fan boys, rogue one, the last jedi, the force awakens, john boyega
Mission Impossible/Fallout
Sunday, 29 Jul 2018, 23:44
DUN DUN! Du du, DUN! DUN! Du..du, DUN! DUN! Du..du DUN!...Your mission should you choose to take it, is to go see the latest Mission Impossible instalment and report back...
Well, just back from watching the latest outing by Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible series and what a wild ride it was!! I thought the MI series might been getting a bit played out by now but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised, I loved every minute of it! Not everyone's cup of tea, I know, and I also know Tom Cruise has many detractors but I'm not one of them, I do love the Cruiser! Well, he is one of the heart-throbs of my generation. I'm not a fan of the Scientology, or any religion for that matter but you have to admit, it's working for him. He's been at the top of his game for many, many years and still going strong.
But...back to the movie! If you like a good action film, and I'm not really a big action movie fan to be honest, I've never seen a Jean Claude or Steven Seagal film but I do like the Mission Impossibles. Maybe its the music...like the Grand Prix...those opening bars send a little shiver of anticipation up the spine and deliver a nerve-tingling thrill a minute! Believe me, thrills are thin on the ground around here...what's a girl to do? Ya gotta takes 'em, where ya gets 'em!
Anyway, I won't bore you with any details or give anything away but it's a good enough story with plenty of twists and turns so if you're into action movies or Tom Cruise or even Simon Pegg (who I first got to know in Spaced and who I am so jealous of, getting to work with, not just Tom Cruise but also getting parts in Star Trek AND Star Wars!) then, go see, and enjoy!
As for me, this message will self-destruct in..Phut!
Tags: tom cruise, mission impossible, simon pegg, star trek, star wars
Permalink 1 comment (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Thursday, 9 Aug 2018, 23:01)
Edited by Aideen Devine, Monday, 18 Dec 2017, 22:15
I went to see the new Star Wars film last Thursday. About 10 minutes into the film I realised something about myself that I've suspected for some time now. I was watching a battle, no real spoiler alert here as you know there will be battles in Star Wars but a ship was exploding and falling over and as I was watching it I was thinking, 'that's not right because if that happened in space the pieces would just float away'. Then I saw they were close to a planet and thought 'unless, of course, it is within the gravitational field of that planet'. Nerd alert! The reason I had begun to suspect this was when I was watching The Big Bang Theory one night, and Sheldon was invited in for coffee and refused saying 'it was too late for coffee, if you drink coffee at this time of night you'll not be able to sleep'. I had actually done this with a male friend of mine one night, although in my defence, I think he did just mean coffee.
Anyway, back to the movie – now I am a huge Star Wars fan so I'm a bit biased in its favour anyway but I wasn't wholly impressed to be honest. Marks out of 10 – 6 at best.
Now, the reputation for Star Wars was built on the first 3 films, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The first 2 are, in my opinion, still the best out of the entire series. Return of the Jedi was good too, and I'll never forget the chase through the forests of Endor as seen on the big screen for the first time, but the Ewoks? I had my doubts then and looking back this is the moment for me when things started to go wrong in the Star Wars universe. Cute characters are not really my thing, R2 works because he is an integral part of the story but when they appear contrived which to my mind the Ewoks were, then, they don't, at least not for me. Apparently, it was supposed to be Chewbacca's home planet of Kashyyyk, a planet of Wookies but the budget wouldn't run to so many large costumes so they cut them in half and made Ewoks. I think he should have shelled out for the Wookies, some things are bigger than a budget. But, in fairness, the story was strong so they didn't dominate the overall picture and I could live with it.
But as bad as the Ewoks were, there was worse to come and the prequels brought to screen one of the most obnoxious characters ever committed to celluloid or rather cgi, Jar Jar Binks. I think Lucas should have been certified for this, what was he thinking, I mean, really? What was he thinking?? Thankfully, the backlash from fans led to his demise and apart from a very brief appearance in Attack of the Clones, he disappeared from the Star Wars universe never to appear again. (I hope) Note to potential film-makers and directors everywhere. Cute characters that can be flogged by the bucket load are no substitute for strong storylines, fully developed characters and realistic, even if it is science fiction, events.
Now that I have had a few days to digest it, there are several weaknesses in the film. Firstly, Kylo Ren, he just doesn't work, the casting for this part was just wrong, no harm to Adam Driver. He didn't do it for me in The Force Awakens and he hasn't improved any since then. Maybe he should have kept the mask on and we could have been left to speculate for years as to who was under the mask, like the Stig, but the weakness of his character is epitomised by the fact that he always looks as if he is about to burst into tears. Another thing too, is his age. He is too young to be the son of Han and Leia, I mean they looked like pensioners and this guy is only in his twenties. Maybe he was a menopause baby, all that hormone fluctuation in Leia could go some way to explaining the gurning. Who knows?
Secondly, Leia. There is a scene in this movie, and turn away now as there is a spoiler coming, that was almost laughable. Leia is on the bridge of a ship in the middle of a battle and the bridge is hit and she is sucked out into space. My initial reaction was, well, thank God for that ( I don't think she should have been in the new films apart from maybe a brief cameo in The Force Awakens) but then, a miracle, she wakens/comes back to life and flies, like Superman, back into the ship. Considering that Carrie Fisher has now passed away, well it was a chance missed, and the director certainly shot himself in the foot with that one, didn't he?
Thirdly, the character of Luke Skywalker. Another spoiler coming up. Luke Skywalker as last seen, was a fully-trained, wise, calm, and in control, Jedi Knight. Ok, his nephew turning bad might have upset him but not where he's huffing around like a disgruntled teenager, especially after everything he went through with his father. I could have understood if he was disillusioned and depressed but again, over-emoting doesn't compensate for real drama or good writing. Then, they did something that made no sense at all, they killed Luke off at the end of the film. Why??? When they had just brought Leia back to life, why would they do such a thing? It just didn't make any sense at all. And another thing, it took a long time for Luke to train to become a Jedi, yet Rey managed it in about five minutes, playing around with a light sabre.
Fourth, comedy moments. Good comedy does not have to be contrived or forced, it just has to be well written with good timing. Sticking in a comedic moment to compensate for the holes in the storyline doesn't do the Star Wars universe justice and is an insult to the fans. This sin was first committed by Lucas himself when he went back and re-jigged the original films and added 'cute characters' and 'comedy moments', for which he should have been taken out and flogged or made to watch all Jar-Jar's scenes on a loop for a month, which would have been a bigger punishment.
However, overall, these are small problems compared to the biggest flaw of all, the actual storyline.
Any Star Wars fan could have written a better storyline, both to the prequels and the sequels. I have to exclude Rogue One, this one worked apart from a few dodgy CGI moments with Leia and Peter Cushing but because the overall story was convincing, they could be forgiven.
In continuing the saga, we should have picked up 40 or so years in the future. Han and Leia are old, and Leia and Luke are like old Yodas, helping to train new recruits and passing on the wisdom of the Force. This was another thing about Return of the Jedi that pissed me off. Leia was the one who was leading the rebellion back when Han was still skulking around the universe and Luke was shooting Womp Rats on Tatooine but by the time we got to Return of the Jedi, she had been sidelined.
Anyway, back to the story that should have been written, at this point in the Star Wars universe everyone has enjoyed many decades of peace and harmony. Then, either Luke's GRAND-child or Leia and Han's GRAND-child becomes seduced by the Dark Side as it starts to rise again. This is where the story should have begun but in the rush to get something on screen and dazzle us with CGI and play on our emotions with 'cute characters' and forced 'comedy', the sense of the story line was demoted behind the potential to flog us more tat which will for the most part end up in landfill, eventually.
On the plus side, I do like the new characters of Finn and Rey and it seems obvious that Rey is headed for a fling with Kylo Ren at some future point, a love tug between him and Finn, maybe, will she go for the good guy or the snivelling wimp? Finn, again a good character but wasted here.
So, that's Star Wars Episode 8, if you're a fan like me, you'll probably still go and see it, but prepare to be disappointed. So, I feel there is nothing else I can do but call on that other great Jedi knight…General Kenobi...I watched you many years ago in A New Hope and I regret that I am unable to convey my request in person but if you're listening, The Force is in a weak and perilous state and the only thing that can save us now is a good writer/director... This is our most desperate hour, if you know someone, use the Force and send them to Disney asap, help us Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're our only hope.
Tags: star wars
Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Simon Reed, Saturday, 23 Dec 2017, 12:56)
Movies & endings
Monday, 4 Sep 2017, 20:25
Edited by Aideen Devine, Monday, 4 Sep 2017, 21:01
I went to see The Dark Tower last week, the film based on the Stephen King books. I think this was a one off and it wasn't a bad effort. Although, I thought, Idris Elba was too young and fresh-looking for the role of The Gunslinger. In the books Roland is ancient and has been around forever. Also, it was all a bit too quick for my liking but I won't complain too much about having to look at Matthew McConaghey, for an hour and a half, or Idris Elba for that matter!
The Dark Tower is a whole epic of 7 books originally (apparently 2 more have been added which I haven't read) and were all very enjoyable, except for the ending. If you haven't read the series, then you'll have no idea what I'm talking about now, but I'll try not to give too much away in case they're on your 'to read' list. The problem I had with the ending, was the very same thing Stephen King referred to in Misery (great book, mediocre film), when Annie Wilkes pulls Paul Sheldon up for cheating with the story like they used to do in the old Saturday shows, when you were sure the hero had died going over the cliff in the locked, burning car, or some such, but by the next week he has somehow managed a miraculous escape.
The Dark Tower had one of those endings. Roland had moved back in time and was leaving with the horn of Eld after the battle of Jericho Hill but that didn't make sense to me. I'm doing an Annie Wilkes now! He would have had to go back and re-fight the battle in order to win it and in my mind he would also have to go back to when he entered Hambry and save Susan Delgado.
I've read quite a few Stephen Kings, they are my pleasure in between the heavy stuff. Misery is my favourite book, and my favourite film adaptation is Stand By Me. The re-make of It, is out this week and if the trailers are anything to go by, then it's something to look forward to. I know a lot of people were disappointed by the ending in the movie first time around so I'm not sure how that's going to be rectified but what works in fiction doesn't necessarily work on screen. Anyway, I won't spoil it by giving away any details. However, I will say that the endings of several of Stephen's more recent novels were disappointing, Under the Dome was one and Joyland another, Revival too, was a bit of a let-down but my biggest disappointment this year, was not a book but a film, the final Planet of the Apes movie, War for Planet of the Apes.
Firstly, it wasn't a 'War', it was a battle and not much of a battle either and from looking at the trailers beforehand; I was expecting WW3 with nukes. Mind you, the way Donald and the Young 'Un are squaring up, we could be headed for the real thing any day now! I'm convinced Lil Kim, could make a case for an Ulster Scots grant with his name!
The big let-down, apart from the 'war', was all the emoting that was going on. It was like an episode of Dr Phil! Caesar was giving it all the dramatics of rage and burning anger, like an obstreperous teenager. While Maurice, the big orangutan, was giving out so much deep and meaningful advice, I half expected him to be given his own talk show.
Then, there were parts of the story that didn't make sense either. How did the soldiers manage to capture the other apes when Caesar was following them, and the other apes had been left behind?? Go figure?? The real pity is, the cgi was the best I've seen but like so many 'epics', too much thought given to the 'show' and not enough to the story. Yes, James Cameron, I'm talking about your Avatar (great visuals, lazy, old, clichéd story) You think you would have learnt from the hash Lucas made with Star Wars!
Anyway, if the books and movies have been disappointing, at least music brings its own rewards and the God of Rock, himself, the one and only Mr Robert Plant, returns to the Ulster Hall in December! And I will be there!
The new Star Wars is out then too, lets hope that's 2 bright spots on the December horizon to look forward to. May the force be with you or rock on! Whatever, is your wont!
Tags: stephen king, planet of the apes, the dark tower, idris elba, matthew mcconaghey, robert plant, star wars, stand by me, avatar, james cameron, dr phil
Star Wars - The Force Awakens
I've been down with flu for 3 days now and was itching to see the new Star Wars film having avoided all media reports so I would know nothing about it. So I dragged myself from my sick bed yesterday and ventured to the cinema with my sons to see it. We're all big Star Wars fans in my house. I won't mention anything about it in case anyone hasn't seen it yet but it was worth the effort. A much darker film than expected but highly enjoyable and a definite must see for us die hard fans. I'll get out again for another viewing over Christmas, once I get rid of this dose.
And as today is the winter solstice, (a special date in my calendar) I'll wish everybody a happy solstice and look forward to the days lengthening again. (I'm thinking about reclaiming this holiday back again from the Christians)
Anyway, I've decided to finish up with the OU, I've completed 5 years and have my 300 points so I'm going to cash them in and go. This is the third dose of flu I've had in as many months and it comes at the end of what has been a very tough 3 years both personally and professionally. At this point I feel completely burned out with study but I also feel I'm missing out on too many other things. I've turned down so many invitations recently and missed out on job opportunities that I'm really resenting the time I have to give to the books so I think it's time to go. I'm going forward to the new year with a great line from The Force Awakens - the belonging you seek won't be found in the past but in the future - so that's where I'm headed with my degree and hopefully a new job as well come January.
So good luck everybody with your studies and I hope you all have a lovely solstice/winter fest/Christmas and a happy and productive new year.
And for all us Star Wars fans, may the force be with you.
Tags: star wars, solstice
Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Aideen Devine, Monday, 21 Dec 2015, 14:29)
Wednesday, 21 Oct 2015, 23:59
First assignment just sent off. As usual, you think you're never going to get it written and then you wish you had another 500 words. Well, I'll sleep peacefully tonight now that it's away and ce sera, sera!!.
I'm looking forward to my long weekend now, I'm off work Monday and I've so much to catch up with not least the trailer for the new Star Wars film, roll on December!! Star Wars and Whitesnake to look forward too, it seems that winter may not be so bad after all. May the force be with you as you hurry to get your assignments in.....
Now where did I leave that light sabre,,R2 have you seen it.........?????
Tags: tma01, a300, star wars, whitesnake


text:
She had the sense to find other work
Dave SimpsonFormer Pekin Times Publisher
Jul 5, 2019 at 6:00 AM
It was February of 1987 when a longtime Denver columnist rose to toast his daughter at an awards banquet of the Colorado Press Association at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.
The writer was proud as he could be of his daughter, who had won a journalism award that year. Hearts melted as he spoke, and I thought how cool it would be, someday, to see my daughter – just a year old at the time – follow me into the news biz.
That was 32 years ago. That was then. But this is now. And today, if she had gotten into journalism, I would be (there's no other word for it) ALARMED.
An old friend from my newspaper years visited a couple weeks ago. We're both pretty much retired now. Over a few bottles of green-bottle beer (the good stuff) we lamented the state of a vastly different industry. We worked together for five years, then he moved on to run much larger newsrooms.
He ultimately got laid off when his paper was swallowed up by a much larger paper, and now works part-time teaching journalism. I retired 13 years ago, after my share of corporate uprooting, change and burnout.
We shook our heads at what has become of a business that, when I started in 1973, was what put many of the richest Americans on the Forbes list. How things have changed, as the Internet has hollowed out, then decimated, what were once our main sources of revenue – classified ads, display ads, and circulation.
I ran small daily newspapers for 17 years, and I honestly don't know how publishers survive in these days of disappearing revenues. It has to be Ulcer Gulch, as they try to make ends meet through layoffs, severe cost cutting, and fewer publication days. My hat is off to anyone who can still put out a quality newspaper in the face of disappearing revenues.
What particularly concerns my old editor friend is what this means for local reporting. News still happens, relentlessly, even if you have fewer reporters covering it, fewer editors, and fewer days to print it. Folks still want to know why the cops came to the house down the street last night, who had a baby in town, and who passed away.
For years our papers let folks know how this year's school budget is changing from last year's (despite many reporters, then and now, who freely admit they "don't do math.") We did the math to show what that would do to your property tax bill. And I tried to have as much sympathy for the retired couple struggling to hold on to the family home as I did "for the kids," even when three of those kids were my own.
Who reports the actions of public officials in small towns if the local paper is a shadow of it's former self? What your local city council is up to won't make it into the big papers, which are battling even worse revenue woes. So my fear – as a guy who has seen well-meaning officials ardently make the case for higher taxes for decades – is that folks can't figure out what's going on if a local paper isn't reporting it.
On-line reporting is the solution, but so far it isn't providing the quantity and quality of news we got from the big newsrooms and thick papers of years ago. I think a lot of hen houses are being left in the care of foxes.
My old editor friend and I are grateful that we were in the business back when it was fun. (In my reporting days, I used to say, "Thank God it's Monday!") We had the people and the budgets to do some good work. And our hearts go out to the folks trying to do the same today, under increasingly impossible conditions.
It would have been cool to toast my daughter, like that Denver columnist, if she had gotten into daily journalism, and had won an award.
Given what has happened to the news biz, however, I thank my stars that she followed in her mother's footsteps, into health care.
Instead of mine, into newspapers.


All digital materials included on the this website are original materials created by the site author.
This site is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.
• For any reuse or distribution, the license terms of this work must be made clear to others.
• Any of the above conditions can be waived if permission is obtained from the copyright holder.
All other copyrights, trademarks, service marks, and logos are the respective property of their holders. Some information/images contained in this site may refer to other sites or authors, but most are original intellectual works. All representations of persons living or dead are unintentional. If you detect any issues with the legality of this site in any way, shape, or form, problems are always unintentional and will be corrected with appropriate notification.
All digital materials included in this site are designed specifically for use as intended. If you redistribute any images or materials found on this web site you agree to indemnify this web site and its owners, operators, managers and/or sponsors for any liability arising out of transfer or use of those images and any expenses incurred in making claims of illegal use and/or redistribution of our images. Contact the sites owner if any work is used in any form.


Serenity-near-the-Sea is a spacious 40sqm Studio for two people opening onto a private pool patio with views of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles.
Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Table Mountain and Lions Head, it is located less than 100m from the Camps Bay Beachfront, tucked quietly away at the back of our property, with a separate entrance and secure on-street parking.
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away!"


Who ever heard of writing a research paper just for the fun of it? Writing a research paper has a distinct intent and purpose. Usually, this purpose revolves around proving a point which you have made in your thesis statement. You will need to use persuasive techniques to show that your contentions about the topic are correct and can be backed up by factual information. This can be a difficult task, but there are steps you can take to prepare for writing. Writing is always much easier when you are prepared to get started – which is the case with most things in life. If you are struggling to get started, try some of the following techniques to build your argument.
Following these three simple steps will help you prepare to tackle even the most monstrous of research papers. Crafting your thesis is important, if you do not feel strongly about what you are writing about then it will be much harder to maintain focus and to write a convincing paper.
When you are trying to find information which supports your thesis statement you should look for research which has been written by others in your field. Are there case studies which prove your point? Have there been any other papers written about this topic? Quoting or referencing the work of others can help you to strengthen your own points about this topic.
When you do find research which supports your thesis, make sure you write it down. In addition to just writing down the author or the title of the study, make sure you write down how it specifically relates to your own ideas. This is important because the next time you look at the article you might not be in the same state of mind.
From the time you choose your topic to the last key strokes on the keyboard, you will need to make sure that your paper is engaging. No one will believe what you are saying if they can barely keep their eyes open while reading your paper. Try to stay away from dry topics and overused ideas. Make sure you vary the syntax, tone, and voice you use while you are writing so that your paper will not be boring.


Vanity Fair. How to Get the Most Out of Reselling…. We want to introduce new categories on the site. Stew looks. Party time! By Curtis M.
Music 3 minutes ago. I am obsessed with anything white; white shoes, white dresses, you name it. For more information, see iam. I tend to post my blog everyday at 5AM New York time so that they have something to wake up to, and I post Instagrams a day. The Daily Media: World News.
By Ron Dicker. Chevy Chase in a wig and prosthetic nose, Share Email. Politics Debate over abortion, birth control heats up at Minnesota Capitol March Make all of your names consistent.
Brutally funny. I love living life and giving back to the community. Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. No, Thanks. Celebrity Break-Ups: It's safe to say things turned out pretty well for her. By using the site, you consent to these cookies.


* Note - after I posted this I noticed the font is teeny. No idea what happened. I tried to fix it a couple of times but apparently that is beyond my capabilities. Sorry!
** Another note. I couldn't leave it so I tried to fix it and ended up making the background funny. Now I think I got it. Either way, I'm walking away from edits.
Welcome back! If you didn't catch part 1 of our France trip, check it out here!
Travel writing isn't exactly my forte but I'm going to keep trying! My hope is that you get a couple of laughs or ideas if you are heading to France. Let's get rolling with Part 2!
Following our success of using the car's GPS, we decided to take the scenic route to Avignon. We knew we would drive through more vineyards and little towns and we were so ready!
We weren't disappointed. The rolling hills around us were ripe with even more vineyards, even more wineries, and even more cute villages. We learned that the "A" roads are the highways in France and the "D" roads are more like our country roads. As we drove along the D974, the GPS smartly took us off the path every so often to drive us through tiny little towns. At first we didn't realize how cool GPS is but after the 3rd town of getting off D974, driving through a little town, and getting back on D974, we realized what was happening.
Me: OH MY GOD! This is so beautiful!
BF: We are going through another town!
Driving through one of the little towns.
Yeah. It was pretty beautiful. We also happened to be traveling through France while the real Tour de France was happening. We didn't look up the route ahead of time and at one point we saw a large pack of cyclists riding on a bridge that went over D974.
"Tour de France!" we yelled. It wasn't the Tour de France. We ended up driving much of the route...two days before the cyclists came through. However, every time we saw someone riding a bicycle we just yelled "Tour de France!" It was sort of like the license plate game most families play on a road trip.
Three hours of driving got us about 1/4 of the way to our destination. We realized we should probably hop on one of those big A highways so we didn't completely miss our check in to our next Air BnB.
We zipped through Mâcon, Lyon (looked sooo cool), Orange, and arrived in Avignon. It took us the same amount of time to drive that 3/4 of the trip as it did the first 1/4.
at my phone all the time. Y'know, like a normal person.
Let me tell you, Avignon was another random pick for us. We were thinking of doing Aix-en-Provence because that's what everybody else does. I can't remember exactly why we landed on Avignon. I certainly had never heard of it. But it was AMAZING!
Avignon is another medieval own plopped right on the Rhone river. The ancient part of town is still blocked off by the old ramparts that circle around the city. We stayed in the ancient part of town, just a couple of blocks away from the ramparts. Another thing that makes Avignon cool is that between 1309 and 1377, the good ol' popes of Rome decided to move here instead! So they built a big old palace, church, gardens, etc. Our baller Air BnB had a terrace with a view of the palace. Add to that, our Air BnB host left us a bottle of chilled rose in the fridge, Avignon was looking pretty good!
The streets of Avignon were narrow and cobblestoned. There is a major market, Le Halle, that operates every day except the days we were there. No worries though. France was playing Iceland in the EuroCup so the big empty square was filled with football fans. We spent our first day and night in Avignon wandering around the streets. For dinner, our Air BnB host suggested a number of places and we checked one out.
Despite my attempts to learn French while driving to Avignon, and this might be a shock to you, I didn't quite get it down. I carried around a Lonely Planet dictionary and phrase book with me. It was super helpful and also terribly embarrassing. BF definitely did not want to be seen with such an obvious tourist. So...for dinner, I ordered an appetizer - a beautiful charcuterie plate - without knowing that's all I had ordered. BF somehow managed to not order dinner - something was lost in translation. As we embarrassingly picked at my plate, not knowing where we had gone wrong, we finally managed to communicate with the waitress that he wanted the filet mignon. Which, by the way, translated into French is not steak, but it is delicious pork tenderloin. All was well though because France won the game and there was lots of merry-making in the streets. Also we had street bread at home.
Ancient Avignon is a smallish city so we got up early and basically walked the entire thing. By 10 am we were ready for a mini-road trip. I was dying to see the lavender fields that were between 1 and 2 hours away. We discovered that there is an abby up in the hills, about 45 minutes north east of Avignon, that grows lavender so we figured that was our best bet.
This road trip through the scenic route led us to Gordes, a gorgeous city built on a hill with the windy-est streets you have ever been on. In order to make one turn, we actually had to drive past the road, back up, and 15-point turn our way to the right. A little scary.
I wore my grandma's hat.
I wanted my hands to smell like lavender forever.
Sénanque Abbey is a Cistercian is a 12th century monastery that grows a bunch of lavender. It was serene.
After taking about a bajillion photos of lavender, we decided to swing by Aix-en-Provence to see what all the fuss was about. I think we were there for 45 minutes. Our first two days of our trip had been mostly sans tourists. We hadn't heard much English and we were loving it - even with all the mishaps. Aix-en-Provence felt like a tourist trap.
The drive to A-e-P was more lavender fields!
Our meal was more expensive, large groups of English speakers, meh. It just wasn't our thing. So we high-tailed it out of there.
Au revoir Avignon! You rocked!
1. Entree means appetizer. Which makes way more sense than "main meal" here in America.
2. Charcuterie plates are delicious and perfect for a hot night. They are way cheaper and way better in France.
3. Filet mignon = pork tenderloin in France.
4. In Avignon, at dusk, about a million swallows fill the sky. It is beautiful and phone cameras just can't capture it.
font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19.5px;">5. You will miss the festivals if you don't plan. We missed every intersection with the Tour de France by about 2 days. Also, Avignon is famous for it's Festival d'Avignon. Basically, the whole city is filled with theater. There are small theater houses everywhere. It happened two days after we left.


Home Marketing to vets' Want a Better Vet Website?
My wife needed to find a good marketing solutions company for her vet website. She knew most vets got their business through word of mouth, a recommendation here and there, some buzz combined with strong customer service, that kind of thing, but we were new in the area and she had just opened up her own practice. So, I helped her look, and we found an online marketing company.
The Internet marketing route worked for her, just like I thought it would. And if it worked for us, then perhaps Internet marketing might work for you. Consider some of these facts.
Firstly, more than half (57 percent) of businesses have acquired a new customer through their company blog. Secondly, for every email sent through an email marketing campaign, 40 dollars flow in.
We found a great, freelance web designer who helped us with our marketing needs because it affected our search engine rankings and visibility in a very positive way. We wanted that number one spot, though, so we found an online marketing company and pursued our goal.
The quality veterinary web design that our freelancer gave us also helped us with brand identification, according to the marketing solutions company, which was great. Hiring a web designer allowed my wife to focus on the core of her business, because she did not have to worry about maintaining and upgrading the website.
We are very grateful to our freelancer, and hire him regularly to help with improvements to the web site. We also would recommend hiring an online marketing solutions company as well. Have any of you had similar experiences with vet websites? Do any of you have veterinary marketing tips? Please comment and share!
I hired an online marketing solutions company and saw my in store traffic go through the roof immediately.
I also saw a dramatic increase in business after hiring a marketing solutions company to take care of my marketing needs.


text:
Papal Artifacts / News / April 20, 1455: Callixtus III Crowned Pope
April 20, 1455: Callixtus III Crowned Pope
Pope Callixtus III: A Gold Coin from His Pontificate, Reverse
The artifact is a gold coin from the pontificate of Callixtus III. The obverse side features his coat of arms with his name on the side.
The reverse side is an image of the "Barque of Peter" with the Pope holding the cross while sitting in the boat. His name is also shown around the coin.
Callixtus III 1455 – 1458
Upon the death of Nicholas V in 1455, the first Spaniard was elected Pope, taking the name of Callixtus III. He was 77 years old and inherited one of the biggest problems faced by the Church–the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. All of Europe was in shock– worried they would be invaded by the Muslims, changing the face of Catholic Christian Europe. To this particular issue, the new Pope would devote himself.
Alfonso de Borja was the son of a small landholder with unfounded claims to nobility. Born December 31, 1378, they did, however, have enough money to educate Alfonso who studied law, which earned him a comfortable living. He was successful enough to catch the eye of the King of Aragon, Alfonso V, who made him his confidential royal secretary.
This was still the age of antipopes, and King Alfonso sent him to advise antipope Clement VIII that support would be withdrawn from him and given to the rightfully elected, Nicholas V. The Pope was so pleased with de Borja's success, he at once made him bishop of Valencia, one of the richest sees in Spain. At this time, de Borja had no background in the Church.
Other prestigious appointments occurred for the new bishop, including influencing King Alfonso to withdraw support for the unauthorized Council of Basle. From there came an appointment as a cardinal priest and de Borja spent the next 12 years studying the Curia while operating "under the radar," being careful not to draw attention to himself. This worked in his favor.
The conclave of 1455, though vehemently divided between two other candidates, united under de Borja whom they considered to be a "caretaker Pope," due to his advanced age of 77. Within 4 days, he was elected and took the name of Callixtus III on April 8, 1455.
With abundant energy, Callixtus subordinated everything else to what would become the heart of his papacy: his deep commitment to what proved to be an unsuccessful crusade against the Turks who were marching towards Europe with a vengeance. Artists and humanists railed against him, wishing for the days of Nicholas V. Money was diverted from the beautification of Rome to generals and munitions.
Multiple kingdoms in Europe account for the lack of support for the Pope's ability to gather and support an army and navy to defeat the Turks, despite a decisive win at the Battle of Belgrade. A Hungarian, John Hunyadi, and St. John Capistrano saved the city from a takeover by the Turks. But after the death of their greatest general, no significant military man emerged to assume command, and no money came forth from feuding Catholic monarchies. It was evident in this failure how far papal prestige had declined.
The greatest project of his life was unsuccessful.
Pope Callixtus' contemporaries thought him to be a weak and ineffectual leader–a pope of little merit. Though much of this was attributed to his advanced age and poor health (he suffered from gout), another issue was his practice of nepotism, which occurred for both positive and negative reasons. Given the temporal power the popes assumed at this stage of history, it was difficult for them to trust other temporal monarchs and understandably they relied on family members whom they often felt they could trust.
In his case, Callixtus took the process of nepotism further than most. Within months, there was not an important fortress in the Papal States that did not have a Spanish commander. Pope Callixtus also promoted several nephews to the cardinalate, including Rodrigo Borja, the infamous Pope Alexander VI.
His papacy was replete with large sums of money and property and positions given to his nephews and other trusted friends. This practice remains a blight on his papacy.
Callixtus was not really a renaissance Pope, and this was taken negatively by Romans who wanted their city beautified in a manner befitting a head of the Papal States.
It is important to remember Callixtus exonerated Joan of Arc of all wrongdoing, which lead to her eventual canonization in the 19th century. He also celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and established the Feast of the Transfiguration–which proved to be the day on which he died–August 6th, 1458.
Pope Callixtus III
The Borgia Monument in Monserrat for Callixtus III & Alexander VI
Pope Callixtus III in the Vatican Grottoes
Pope Callixtus Coat of Arms


text:
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY | NEW JERSEY WXNET
NJWxNet
New Jersey Forecast
NOAA Climate.gov
Surface Observations Radar/Satellite Hydrology Marine
Current Forecasts
Short-Term Long-Term
Overview Observations Normals/Extremes
Coastal Observations
El Niño/La Niña Hurricanes
ONJSC
Wx Awareness Education
About ONJSC
Copyright and Data
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Center for Environmental Prediction
Rutgers Meteorology Program
A Potpourri of Weather: June 2017 Summary and Mid-Year Recap
Dr. David A. Robinson
New Jersey State Climatologist
Center for Environmental Prediction, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences/NJAES, Rutgers University
June Overview
Occasionally there are months that defy a "directional" theme when it comes to the weather and climate conditions experienced across the Garden State. In other words, conditions didn't lean markedly toward, for example, wet or dry, cold or warm, or calm or stormy. June 2017 was one of those "potpourri" months. There were thunderstorms with drenching rain and even two tornadoes occurred, yet there were stretches of comfortable, dry weather. There was a three-day heat wave, with the temperature going as high as 97°, and some cool nights, with 35° being the coldest observed temperature in the state. When the precipitation was added up, the statewide average came out to 3.34", which was 0.67" below the 1981–2010 mean of 4.01" and ranks as the 54th driest June of the past 123 years. The statewide average temperature of 70.5° was 0.7° above average. This ranks as the 27th mildest June on record.
Seven June afternoons saw the temperature soar into the 90°s somewhere within the state. The first such occurrence was on the 11th, the first day of the only three-day heat wave of the month. Toms River (Ocean County), Hamilton (Mercer), and Hawthorne (Passaic) all reached 94°, with 46 of the 64 NJWxNet stations between 90°–93°. Thanks to southwesterly winds coming off the adjacent Delaware Bay, Fortescue (Cumberland) at 81° began a three-day run of having the lowest maximum in NJ. Atlantic coastal stations experienced cooling sea breezes most afternoons, but not before late morning temperatures reached well into the 80°s or even low 90°s. The 12th saw Hawthorne up to 96° and eight stations at 95°. 42 locations reached 90°–94°, with Fortescue at 82°. The 13th was the hottest June day, with Hawthorne and Wayne (Passaic) at 97°, ten stations at 96°, and 45 locations 90°–95°. Fortescue made it to 83°. With humidity levels high, the low temperatures on the 13th were commonly near or above 70°. Point Pleasant (Ocean) ranged from a low of 76° to a high of 95°.
Seven stations reached 90° on the 18th, Hamilton (Mercer) and Wayne saw 91° on the 19th, and Hamilton (Mercer) and Hillsborough (Somerset) each reached 90° on the 22nd. The 30th saw the maximum spike to 96° in Hawthorne, reach 93° in Upper Deerfield (Cumberland), and sit between 90°–92° at 33 other NJWxNet locations. Harvey Cedars (Ocean) experienced an onshore flow throughout the day, thus only rose to 74°.
Twelve June days had minimum temperatures in the 30°s or 40°s somewhere in NJ. All but three of these occurred in the first ten days of the month. Walpack (Sussex) fell to 48° on the 1st. Walpack was a chilly 42° on the 2nd, with Basking Ridge (Somerset) and Pequest (Warren) close behind at 43°. The 3rd found Walpack down to 39°, Berkeley Township (Ocean) at 42°, Pequest and Basking Ridge 43°, and 32 other NJWxNet stations between 44°–49°. The coldest morning of the month was the 4th, with Walpack at 35°, Pequest 39°, Berkeley Township and Basking Ridge each at 41°, and 40 locations between 44°–49°.
The 6th was a cloudy and cool day statewide, with lows of 44° at High Point Monument (Sussex; elevation 1795 feet) and 46° some 367 feet lower at High Point (Sussex). These locations only reached maximums of 52° and 54°, respectively, with West Cape May (Cape May) at 58° having the state's highest maximum. The 7th found lows of 43° at the Monument and 45° at Walpack and High Point. The 40°s ruled most of NJ on the morning of the 8th, with Berkeley Township at 40°, Basking Ridge 41°, and 51 locations between 43°–49°. This continued on the 9th, with Berkeley Township 41°, both Woodbine (Cape May) and Kingwood (Hunterdon) 42°, and 51 stations between 43°–49°. Walpack was 46° on the 10th.
Lows in the 40°s later in the month included 48° in Berkeley Township on the 15th, and Walpack 47° and Pequest 49° on the 26th. A chilly 43° was experienced at Walpack on the 28th, with Pequest 45°, Basking Ridge 47°, and four stations at 48° or 49°.
Precipitation and Storms
The showery nature of warm-season precipitation most always leads to a wide range of monthly totals around the state, with this past June no exception. Edison (Middlesex) took top honors with 6.37". This led a central Jersey maximum zone that also included 6.16" in Hopewell Township (Mercer), 6.00" at Westfield (Union), 5.96" in Franklin Township (Somerset), and 5.90" in Pennington (Mercer). Coastal areas saw the least rain, including Sea Isle City (Cape May) with only 1.70", Eatontown (Monmouth) 1.76", Lacey Township (Ocean) 1.77", Berkeley Township 1.78", while both Brick Township (Ocean) and, in the southwest, Franklin Township (Gloucester) caught 2.10".
There were six events where totals eclipsed 1.00" at CoCoRaHS or NJWxNet station locations. The first was a complex pattern of showers that began on the 4th, with rain sliding from north to south. Rain continued in the predawn hours of the 5th with thunderstorms in central NJ, followed by afternoon and evening rain in the south. Rain again fell in the north early on the 6th, followed by occasional rain, especially in the southwest, during the daytime hours. Totaled up, Galloway (Atlantic) with 2.02" received the most, followed by Port Republic (Atlantic) 1.69", Linwood (Atlantic) 1.42", Bivalve (Cumberland) 1.23", Greenwich (Warren) 1.22", Egg Harbor City (Atlantic) 1.16", and both Franklin Township (Somerset) and Montague (Sussex) 1.15".
Scattered morning showers on the 14th brought Jersey City (Hudson) 1.15", Woodstown (Salem) 1.05", and Franklin (Sussex) 1.00". Little or no rain fell across most of the state. The late morning into early evening of the 17th saw moderate showers mainly in a zone from southern Hunterdon County east-northeast to Union, Hudson, and northern Middlesex counties. Jersey City again took top honors with 1.71", followed by 1.33" in Linden (Union), a 1.30" outlier in Jackson Township (Ocean), Kingwood 1.28", and Edison 1.24". Little to no rain fell in the far northwest and southeast.
The first of two major June events began with heavy mid-day rain in the far northwest on the 19th. Storms moved southward during the afternoon and evening, ending early on the 20th. In Sussex County, Wantage was deluged with 3.83", High Point 3.70", High Point Monument 3.50", Montague 2.34", and Walpack 2.04". In central NJ, Piscataway (Middlesex) received 2.17" and a Franklin Township (Somerset) location 2.03". Some 62 of 220 CoCoRaHS reports came in with between 1.00"–2.34". Reports of strong winds bringing down trees and power lines were received from locations in Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Ocean, and Warren counties. No deaths or injuries were reported. Maximum gusts were reported to be as high as 63 mph at Newark Airport (Essex), Cape May (Cape May) 59 mph, Pennsauken (Camden) 46 mph, Fortescue 44 mph, Lyndhurst (Bergen) 43 mph, and 40–41 mph at five other NJWxNet locations.
Afternoon to early evening thunderstorms on the 21st delivered the heaviest rain along the Ocean-Monmouth border and in Cumberland and northern Cape May counties. Lakewood (Ocean) received 1.19", Brick Township 1.16", and Woodbine 1.02". Reports of downed trees and wires were received from Ocean, Burlington, and Camden counties. Winds gusted to 50 mph in Harvey Cedars, 47 mph at Moorestown (Burlington), 44 mph in Pennsauken, and 43 mph at West Creek (Ocean). Little to no rain fell in northern locations.
The most powerful event of June began on the evening of the 23rd when scattered storms crossed northern and central areas. Early on the 24th, energy and moisture associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy (which came onshore in Louisiana several days earlier) surged across the state. Over two inches of rain fell in under two hours in some central locations, in some cases adding hefty totals to the previous evening's soaking. Meanwhile further south, while the rain was not as heavy, severe storms included a microburst in Browns Mills (Burlington) and two EF0 tornadoes in Howell (Monmouth). As for the rain, as much as 3.22" and 3.21" fell at two Hopewell Township stations, with 2.73", 2.28", and 2.17" at three other Township locations. Elsewhere, Pennington (Mercer) caught 2.79", Oxford Township (Warren) 2.71", Greenwich Township (Warren) 2.68", Mansfield Township (Warren) 2.63", and Franklin Township (Somerset) 2.59". Of 210 CoCoRaHS reports, 46 were in the 2.00"–3.22" range and 56 between 1.00"–1.99". Most of Hunterdon, Warren, Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex, and Union counties saw more than an inch. Further north, 0.50"–1.00" totals were common, while much of the southern third of the state saw close to 0.50". Sea Isle City was on the short end with 0.06" and 0.11" at two locations.
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities occurred in any of the storms. There were reports of building, auto, tree, and power line damage from Cumberland up to Mercer counties and eastward toward the coast. The 7:05AM microburst had estimated winds up to 75 mph. The first tornado began in a shopping center parking lot at 7:21AM and took a half-mile long, 40-yard wide track in less than two minutes. Winds were estimated to be up to 75 mph. The second one occurred at 7:27AM in a wooded park about 3.5 miles east-southeast of the first tornado. It traveled 0.3 miles and was 25 yards wide. These three reports were all confirmed by the National Weather Service, following field visits to each site. Strong winds were observed at NJWxNet stations in Pennsauken with 40 mph on the 23rd, and on the 24th, Mullica (Atlantic) at 48 mph, Fortescue 46 mph, Woodbine 42 mph, and High Point Monument 41 mph.
The highest barometric pressure readings of June occurred on the 28th and 29th with a rather low (for a monthly maximum) 30.15"–30.20". The monthly low was 29.50"–29.60" on the stormy 24th. NJWxNet station wind gusts of 40 mph or greater during the month have all been included in the preceding paragraphs, occurring on the 19th, 21st, 23rd, and 24th.
First Half of 2017 Overview
Statewide, the first six months of 2017 averaged 50.3°. This is 2.6° above normal and ranks as the 3rd mildest since 1895 (tied with 2010). Precipitation (rain and melted snow) averaged 23.15" across NJ from January through June. This total is 0.85" above normal and is 40th wettest.
Jan.–Jun. Avg. Temp
1 2012 52.0°
10 1949 49.4°
Table 1. The ten warmest January–June periods across NJ since 1895.
An examination of stations within the CoCoRaHS network shows Monmouth and Ocean counties had the wettest first six months of the year, with overall totals 4.00"–5.50" above average. Locations in the southwest and northwest saw the least precipitation with totals 0.50"–2.00" below average. Six month totals topped out at 32.93" in Belmar (Monmouth), Lacey Township 32.09", Lavallette (Ocean) 31.92", Berkeley Township 31.85", and Eatontown 31.58". On the dry side, Burlington (Burlington) came in with 21.45", Woodstown (Salem) 21.48", Florham Park (Morris) 22.08", Andover Township (Sussex) 22.10", and Franklin Township (Gloucester) 22.26".
As a result of generally ample precipitation, drought warnings and watches for much of the state were lifted during spring. Sub-normal reservoir levels in Hunterdon County have resulted in a drought warning continuing in that county and in Somerset County, further downstream in the Raritan basin.
For those seeking more detailed information on hourly, daily and monthly conditions, please visit the following Office of the NJ State Climatologist's websites:
NJ Weather and Climate Network
NJ Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network
NJ Snow Event Reports
Interested in receiving our monthly summaries at the end of each month? Send us your e-mail address here to join the mailing list.
Past News Stories


text:
Biocompatible 3D Printed Microneedles for Transdermal, Intradermal, and Percutaneous Applications
Moussi_et_al-2019-Advanced_Engineering_Materials.pdf
adem201901358-sup-0001-suppdata-s1.docx
Microsoft Word 2007
Moussi, Khalil
Bu Khamsin, Abdullah
Hidalgo, Tania
Kosel, Jürgen
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Microneedles (MNs) are playing an increasingly important role in biomedical applications, where minimally invasive methods are being developed that require imperceptible tissue penetration and drug delivery. To improve the integration of MNs in microelectromechanical devices, a high-resolution 3D printing technique is implemented. A reservoir with an array of hollow MNs is produced. The flow rate through the MNs is simulated and measured experimentally. The mechanical properties of the 3D printed material, such as elasticity modulus and yield strength, are investigated as functions of printing parameters, reaching maximum values of 1750.7 and 101.8 MPa, respectively. Analytical estimation of the MN buckling, fracture, and skin penetration forces is presented. Penetration tests of MNs into a skin-like material are conducted, where the piercing force ranges from 0.095 to 0.115 N, confirming sufficient stability of MNs. Furthermore, 200 and 400 μm-long MN arrays are used to successfully pierce and deliver into mouse skin with an average penetration depth of 100 and 180 μm, respectively. A biocompatibility assessment is performed, showing a high viability of HCT 116 cells cultured on top of the MN's material, making the developed MNs a very attractive solution for many biomedical applications.
Moussi, K., Bukhamsin, A., Hidalgo, T., & Kosel, J. (2019). Biocompatible 3D Printed Microneedles for Transdermal, Intradermal, and Percutaneous Applications. Advanced Engineering Materials, 1901358. doi:10.1002/adem.201901358
This work was funded and supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The authors thank Dr. Simona Spinelli, Francesco Rottoli, and Stefano Pietro Mandaglio from the Animal Research Core Lab (ARCL) at KAUST for their assistance with the mouse piercing experiment.
Advanced Engineering Materials
10.1002/adem.201901358
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adem.201901358
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/adem.201901358
Articles; Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division; Electrical and Computer Engineering Program; Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


Rethinking our ideas behind how—and how much—we need to save for health care in retirement is the main concern of "Retirement Planning: Coping with Higher Health Care Costs," recently published in the Journal of Financial Service Professionals, authored by Prudential's Brett Berg, an Individual Life Insurance vice president focused on advanced markets, and Dr. Robert Pokorski, vice president and medical director and an internationally renowned expert on longevity. As advances in nutrition, medicine, and healthy living have extended our average lifespans, a new problem has metastasized—we are outliving the assets we put aside to pay for geriatric and end-of-life care.
Prudential Financial on Valentine's Day introduced its Masterpiece of Love, a series of short films celebrating life, love, art and the regenerative power of the human spirit.
Newark, NJ – Prudential Group Insurance, a business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), today announced it will discontinue the sale of Dental insurance, which it offers primarily to the small group market. The company will continue to service existing clients until their next contract renewal anniversary dates, at which time, Prudential will not offer a Dental insurance renewal, subject to regulatory notice requirements.


Crunchy, slightly sweet, and nutty are all adjectives that describe my type of snack. These bars are the perfect start to your day and will keep you fueled and focused until lunch.
I love a good snack. If you're like me and hit the gym before the sun rises, or if you find it nearly impossible to sit down for breakfast, these homemade no-bake energy bars might just make your mornings a lot easier, tastier, and healthier.
1. Measure out and mix the first seven ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Heat the honey, salt, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium high heat for a couple of minutes, or until it comes to a boil. If you have a candy thermometer heat until it reaches about 260 degrees.
3. Pour the honey mixture over the dried ingredients in the large bowl and mix together, then transfer immediately to a 9X13 baking dish greased with coconut oil or cooking spray of your choice. You'll want to pat down around the edges and center to make sure the mixture is compacted tight. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes.
4. Once the mixture has cooled, flip the baking dish over on a cutting board and hit the edges to pop the mix out in one piece. Let it cool for another five minutes, then slice into 10 bars for a breakfast portion, or into or 20 for a smaller snack portion. Wrap each bar with plastic wrap, foil, or put them in plastic bags with parchment paper in between each bar. Store in an airtight container in a dry, cool environment for 1 week, or in the refrigerator for a month.
Serving Size: 1 bar CALORIES 224; FAT 14g (sat 4.7g, mono 4.5g, poly 1.95g); PROTEIN 4.7g; CARB 22.13g; FIBER 3.1g; CHOL .23mg; IRON 1.18mg; SODIUM 33.61mg; CALC 39.39mg For a snack portion, make 20 bars.


text:
TNGHT Detail New EP 'II," Share New Song
It's the duo's first proper release since 2012
After returning with new song "Serpent" last month, TNGHT have shared the details behind a new EP.
The duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice will release the seven-track II through Warp/LuckyMe on November 12.
The effort was recorded at Mohawke's Los Angeles studio, the Healthfarm. Of the EP, Lunice offered, "While it doesn't sound the same as the first record — the energy is. This could only come from us."
The pair have also shared new song "Dollaz," which comes alongside a video featuring their animated likenesses. You can watch it below.
II follows TNGHT's 2012 self-titled EP. Lunice delivered his debut solo album CCCLX in 2017. In 2015, Hudson Mohawke released solo album Lantern and helmed the score for videogame Watch Dogs 2 in 2016.
II:
1. Serpent
2. Dollaz
3. First Body
4. Club Finger
5. What It Is
6. I'm in a Hole
7. Gimme Summn
More TNGHT
TNGHT Share New Song "First Body"
Hudson Mohawke and Lunice are gearing up to release their second EP as TNGHT called II next week, and the duo have now shared another song f...
TNGHT End Hiatus with New Song "Serpent"
After announcing an indefinite hiatus in late 2013, TNGHT have returned with a new song. The duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice have return...
TNGHT Go on Hiatus
TNGHT seemed to be just getting started, with the duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice having released a wildly praised self-titled EP in 2012 a...
TNGHT "Acrylics" (video)
Following the unveiling of TNGHT's "Acrylics" earlier this week, the cross-continental electronic duo have now set up some visuals for one o...
TNGHT "Acrylics"
Don't let the lullaby music chimes that kick off production duo TNGHT's new single "Acrylics" fool you into playing the song for your babie...


text:
Leeds United confirm signing of Adam Drury
Neil Warnock has completed a deal to sign former Norwich City defender Adam Drury.
The news was revealed by Leeds United press officer Paul Dews, and comes on a day when speculation has been rife about the imminent arrival of Paddy Kenny and Lee Peltier.
The 33-year-old defender has played for Norwich City for over a decade, making over 300 league appearances.
Neil Warnock has expressed his delight at capturing the former Canaries man;
"I'm delighted to have him. He's got the experience we need. He played 16 times for Norwich last season and he's better than a lot of full backs in the Premier League."
Drury's move to Elland Road will be completed on the 1st of July when his current contract expires, and is Neil Warnock's second signing of the summer following the arrival of Jason Pearce in May.
Adam DruryLeeds UnitedNorwich CityPaul Dews
Warnock closing in on Lee Peltier and Paddy Kenny?
Takeover Still On Track