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John Penno signals departure
Synlait founder and chief executive John Penno intends to step down in the next 12 months
Synlait founder and chief executive John Penno intends to step down from his position in the next 12 months, as part of an orderly transition to position the Canterbury milk processor for its next phase of growth.
Penno has been the chief executive and managing director of Synlait Milk for 12 years, and a founder of Synlait five years before that. The Synlait board is embarking on an international search for the right person to lead the business into the future, and Penno will remain in the position until a successor is appointed.
Penno will continue to serve as a director on Synlait's board.
Graeme Milne, Synlait chairman says Penno has been an exceptional leader for Synlait, "but there was always going to be a time when he would move on to fresh challenges".
"I am glad John's decision has come at a time where we can provide a well-managed leadership transition. The company is in very healthy shape with a strong balance sheet and a clear future growth plan," says Milne.
"The new CEO will be taking on a company in strong shape, and with a clear vision and growth strategy."
Synlait has grown from a start-up in the early 2000s to a highly profitable company listed on the NZX and ASX, with a team of 600 staff, a blue chip set of customers focused in the infant formula category, and committed farmer suppliers. It is currently earning annual revenue of $759 million and has a market capitalisation of over $1.3 billion."
"From this platform, the company is looking for a CEO with the skills and experiences to take Synlait up another level," says Milne.
"We have already signalled to shareholders our intention to continue to develop our infant formula business, and enter new categories where there are significant opportunities."
"We have expressed our desire for John to continue in a governance role on the Synlait Milk board of directors," says Milne.
Penno says after 17 years of "living and breathing this company, it is time to move on, but I share the board's intention for me to continue as a director of Synlait Milk".
"There will be very clear processes to ensure the incoming CEO has the freedom and scope to make her or his mark on Synlait's future, and I'm looking forward to taking a supporting role."
"Once the new CEO is in place, I am looking forward to getting back to my entrepreneurial roots and will be looking for opportunities to get involved with start-ups and young companies, which is where my wife, Maury, and I want to continue to make a contribution."
A2 eyes higher sales, profits
A2 Milk expects strong first half sales supported by brand and marketing investment in China and the United States.
Synlait's foray into supermarkets
Canterbury processor Synlait is boosting its presence on New Zealand supermarket shelves.
Water reforms don't come cheaply
Farmers are not the only ones to be lumped with the heavy costs of the Government's proposed new recommendations for freshwater.
Synlait buys Dairyworks
Canterbury milk processor Synlait is adding another business to its stable.
This old mutt has been contacted by many concerned individuals about the role the former Synlait boss John Penno is playing in pimping the Government's freshwater proposals.


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Warren Bradley Partners - 580 Franklin Road Suite #300, Franklin, TN 37069
Warren Bradley Partners
Governor's Club
Westhaven
Leiper's Fork TN
BROOKEMEADE/HILLWOOD
THE NATIONS/HISTORIC WEST NASHVILLE
HILLSBORO/BELMONT/12 SOUTH
HISTORIC RICHLAND/CHEROKEE PARK/WEST END
Nolensville TN
Spring Hill TN
Belle Meade TN
Bellevue TN
Green Hills TN
Franklin TN with a rich history dating from 1796 is an Olde South town of immeasurable charm. The city's vast community honors include "Great American Main Street Community"; "Best Small Town in Tennessee"; "America's Most Romantic Main Street"; and on and on………. It is continually a top choice for places to live as reported by Money magazine and other national publications.
The residential real estate character varies from Brownstones and other homes listed on the Historical Register to both new and established communities. The new urban community of Westhaven located on Franklin's western boundary is an exceptional compliment to Franklin's residential neighborhoods.
Both the award-winning Williamson County School System and the Franklin Special School District serve the students of the Franklin area. Remember though that the boundary line for the city of Franklin is not to be used when determining whether your child is zoned for FSSD or the Williamson County School System. Franklin is also home to Battle Ground Academy, a private school founded in 1889 and continuing to thrive now as grades 1-12 facility.
Residents and visitors truly sense peace and easiness of life here. Historic Downtown Franklin is filled with energy with new shops and a host of wonderful restaurants including The Red Pony and Grays on Main. Historical landmarks such as Carnton Plantation and the Carter House are popular attractions. This charming downtown with superb shopping and 15 blocks listed on the National Historic Register successfully co-exists within a few miles of the mega Cool Springs shopping area, Tennessee's largest.
The quaint town has experienced rapid growth with the move of corporate headquarters by industry giants such as Nissan of North America, and others within the past 10 years. Access to I-65; Franklin Road (U.S. 31); Hillsboro Road (U.S. 431); and I-840 links this community in all directions. Prices range from the $300,000s to $2,000,000+
www.franklin-gov.com
www.downtownfranklin.com
Marty Warren
marty@warrenbradleypartners.com
Affiliate Broker
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Neighborhoods Buying Selling Relocating Home Search Videos
580 Franklin Rd Suite #300, Franklin, TN 37069
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Family real estate team - Marty Warren, Nancy Warren, Wendy Warren Bradley, & Doug Bradley – top real estate agents in Nashville TN area, luxury real estate experts in Green Hills, Belle Meade, Brentwood, & Franklin - Zeitlin Sotheby's International Realty.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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MyWeb30 videos
Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989. He is a scientist and academic whose visionary and innovative work has transformed almost every aspect of our lives.
Having invented the Web in 1989 while working at CERN and subsequently working to ensure it was made freely available to all, Berners-Lee is now dedicated to enhancing and protecting the web's future. He is a Founding Director of the World Wide Web Foundation, which seeks to ensure the web serves humanity by establishing it as a global public good and a basic right. He is also Director of the World Wide Web Consortium, a global web standards organisation he founded in 1994 to lead the web to its full potential. In 2012 he co-founded the Open Data Institute (ODI) which advocates for Open Data in the UK and globally. Sir Tim has advised a number of governments and corporations on ongoing digital strategies.
Sir Tim has received multiple accolades in recent years. These include receiving the first Queen' Elizabeth Prize for Engineering in 2013, election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009 and being knighted by H.M. Queen Elizabeth in 2004. He has received over 10 honorary doctorates, is a member of the Internet Hall of Fame, and was awarded the Finland Millennium Prize in 2004, and the A.M. Turing Award — often called 'computing's Nobel Prize' — in 2016. In 2007, Berners-Lee was awarded the UK's Order of Merit – a personal gift of the monarch limited to just 24 living recipients and was named one of Time Magazine's '100 Most Important People of the 20th Century'. In 2012, he played a starring role in the opening ceremony for the Olympics, where, in front of an audience of some 900 million, he tweeted: "This is for everyone".


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Lava Cola (officially Lava Cola – Vanuatu Kava Cola) is a cola drink produced in Vanuatu by Vanuatu Beverage Ltd. It contains a kavalactone additive, kava consumption being traditionally important in western Pacific nations. Lava Cola has been described as an "anti-energy drink". Australian media have noted that it "produces the calming effect of kava without the muddy taste," adding that, while kava itself is an acquired taste, Lava Cola may well be suitable for export.

The cola began as a syrupy "water-based kava extract" developed by Australian-born James Armitage in 2009. He then successfully approached Vanuatu Beverage to suggest blending it with cola. The watery kava syrup is "added to cola in a proportion of 15 millilitres to a bottle of 330 ml". The drink is now produced in a factory on the outskirts of Port Vila, the country's capital. It went into production for the domestic market in October 2009. Lava Cola uses kava produced on the island of Maewo, which has generated an increase in revenues for local producers. Vanuatu Beverage hopes to export the drink first to Fiji and New Caledonia, then to a wider market.

See also
 Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda

References

External links
 Vanuatu Kava Store

Cola brands
Kava
Relaxation drinks
Vanuatuan culture
Vanuatuan cuisine
Products introduced in 2009
Vanuatuan inventions

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Please Note That We Do Not Offer Guaranteed Delivery Times. We Will Deliver Your Order For Same-Day Delivery, As Long As It Is Placed Before 12:00pm On The Day Of Delivery. Thank You For Choosing Us To Be Your Local Florist.


Yuan Changming, nine-time Pushcart and one-time Best of the Net nominee, started to learn English at age 19 and published monographs on translation before moving out of China. With a Canadian PhD in English, Changming currently edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan in Vancouver. Credits include Best Canadian Poetry, BestNewPoemsOnline, Cincinnati Review, Threepenny Review and 1269 others worldwide.


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Church of Christ in Tanzania
About Todd Storks
Todd Storks and his family moved to Tanzania East Africa in June of 2016. He has been preparing for this opportunity since 2005 when he first went to Tanzania on a mission trip. He fell in love with the people and the benevolent opportunities from day one. He has been preaching since 2000 when he attended Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Colorado. His passion for finding lost souls and sharing the Gospel with any that might hear and obey it is unquenchable. That is why he is a perfect fit for TZ2000 (Tanzania Missions). With encouragement from countless brethren & (much research about Tanzania), he decided to become a Barnabas to the Africans. When he has any downtime he loves to fish and play golf. Todd is an asset to the Kingdom because he is (and has been committed) to Kingdom business with a global vision for eighteen years. Grateful for being accepted by the Tanzanians, Todd and his family look forward to continuing being servants, teaching and caring about the East Africans.
From the Elders of the Rio Rancho, NM church of Christ
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
How blessed we at the Rio Rancho church of Christ are to be a part of the work in Tanzania! Todd and Susan Storks dedicated their lives to Christ in Rio Rancho, and what incredible love and dedication they have demonstrated since those first steps so many years ago.
The Storks found a need in Georgia, planting a congregation there and sharing the Lord through a very successful prison ministry. Determined to share the word where the work was needed, the Storks saw the need in Africa and agreed, with their son, daughter, and future son-in-law to move to Tanzania to share the gospel in a land where so many are ready to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They shared that same commitment with their children. In fact, Haley and her new husband, Mason, were married shortly before moving to Africa. I think you will agree the honeymoon speaks to the dedication of this family!
This mission has had an incredible, meaningful impact on our congregation in Rio Rancho. Our church family has been challenged, has felt and shared the love and the need, and has been so encouraged by the successes that have resulted from this family's willingness to give up nearly everything in this country in order to share Christ with others who are so desperately seeking the word.
Our Rio Rancho family is so blessed to be a part of this effort. We invite others to join in this, or similar works that are so important to our Lord, as we all work together to bring salvation to a lost world.
Monte Hale, Mark Smith, Allan Steinle
Rio Rancho Church of Christ
1006 22nd St. SE
It is my privilege to introduce and recommend Todd and Susan Storks. I first met Todd and Susan while serving on the mission field, Tanzania, East Africa. Roger Shepherd, professor at Amridge University, introduced them to the mission work. They would return on multiple trips, driven by their great desire for the lost souls of this world.
As the ole saying says, "The proof is in the pudding". Both Todd and Susan expressed a desire to be a part of the TZ mission team when the time was right. After raising their children and successfully planting a vibrant church plant in Southern Georgia, they fulfilled their desires and dreams.
Having served in the mission field for more than 20 years, I have not known a couple more eager, equipped, desirous or capable to do the work they have committed to do. My wife Stephanie and I have grown to love and admire this godly couple dearly. Their zeal for lost souls, coupled with their proven life and example in the area of evangelism speaks for itself.
My wife and I recommend our good friends, Todd and Susan to you. Your prayers, financial support will be a good investment and a wise use of God's resources.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me.
C. W. (Cy) Stafford
Director – Tanzania Missions
Cell No. - 601-310-6170
E-mail – tz2000team@gmail.com
Copyright © 2016 Rio Rancho church of Christ | Site designed by New Heights Marketing, Inc.


Sainsbury's School Games (Gold) Heathfield has been recognised for its commitment to and development of competition, school sport and physical education. We develop Y5 Sport Ambassadors to work with our Sports Coach at lunchtime and afterschool clubs. We currently have over 30% of children accessing afterschool sport activities.
Food for Life Bronze Awarded to Heathfield on 1st July 2016 for our efforts in growing produce for the kitchens to use at lunchtime and also broadening the children's understanding of where the food on their plate comes from.
Learning Outside the Classroom This newly gained award recognises the importance Heathfield places on learning beyond the classroom walls. We integrate LOtC into the life of the school, and there is a commitment to developing LOtC to enrich the learning of pupils. Each week a variety of opportunities are presented to the children. Heathfield is one of only 2 schools in Nottingham to have the LOtC mark.
International SchoolsThe International School Award is an accreditation scheme for curriculum-based international work in schools.The scheme provides recognition for teachers and their schools working to instill a global dimension into the learning experience of all children and young people.
Eco-Schools Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools on their sustainable journey, providing a framework to help embed these principles into the heart of school life.
Drug Aware Being a 'DrugAware School' means you are safer, smarter and better prepared to address drug and alcohol issues if they arise and are working together to tackle the harm that drugs and alcohol can present.
Healthy Schools National Healthy School status requires schools to meet criteria in four core themes. These criteria relate not only to the taught curriculum but also to the emotional, physical and learning environment that the school provides. There are a number of specific actions that schools need to take if they are to be recognised as Healthy Schools.


How To Change My Instagram Profile Picture: You could have initially attached Instagram with your Facebook account and imported that personal Profile Picture. If you plan to use Instagram for advertising, you need a more professional appearance.
When I lastly obtained energetic on Instagram, I discovered that the Instagram Profile photo does not change when it's transformed on Facebook. If you go with something seasonal, you'll have to update it on Instagram too.
-- Take a picture using the phone's camera.
Here are my Profile Picture finest practices, from beginning to end.
Place an individual face on your business-- unless you're a well-known brand name, or your organisation is extensively identified by your logo design, utilize your face as your Profile Image. Individuals do not "connect" with a logo design-- they get in touch with a face. People have the tendency to overlook logos-- however are hard-wired to focus on faces. It's only human!
Resist the lure to reveal something "cute" as your character, particularly if it doesn't associate with your brand. Your face is your ideal calling card.
A neutral or soft background works ideal. Maintain it basic-- you do not desire a number of clutter behind-the-scenes contending for attention.
If your history has a shade, make certain it's one that flatters you. I can't tell you just how much I fought with the greenish cast on my face from the avocado space I was photo 'd in.
Your best option is near a home window, or in open color exterior (that implies bright shade). Then, face the light!
Backlights are tough to master. Spotlights and also solid flash will develop severe shadows. You can try adding "fill" light with a flash direct exposure, yet it's ideal not to use it as the major source of light.
For best outcomes, work with a pro to take some wonderful headshots. If that's not in the spending plan, obtain a close friend with a good camera, a good eye, as well as a steady hand.
If you want individuals to take you seriously as a business owner-- DO NOT put up a sloppy "selfie." Make certain your photo is crisp and clear, as well as you look specialist.
If you must take your very own picture, use a timer. Beware: your phone's self-facing camera tends to misshape your face.
While we will not be revealing much of your outfit (unless you're a version), do use something near your face that fits your brand visual.
Travelers, dress for journey; beachpreneurs could dress for the beach; public speakers as well as company consultants need to dress like they prepare to take the stage or speak to the Chief Executive Officer.
Perk factors if you wear your brand color!
6. Smile and also show some individuality!
While you DO want to look workaday, you DON'T intend to look solemn as well as unapproachable. Keep in mind that people work with individuals they understand, like, and also count on. The first step to being likeable is to smile. Make eye contact, and show your character in your posture!
Beware a reduced angle. No person truly wants to search for your nose, as well as you do not require a double chin either. Attempt from a little above, as well as turn your head at various angles as well. Take a number of pictures then pick your finest look.
An account Picture mistake I commonly see is revealing excessive of the body, that makes the face rather tiny. In the photo stream, your Instagram Profile photo is small. Crop to head as well as a little shoulders.
It's not regarding your hair as well as apparel, it's about your face-- that's just what will draw individuals in, and also help them identify you as they see you time and again!
Exactly how about consisting of a small prop that reveals what you do? Examples:.
On my personal Instagram account, where I post a great deal of flower images, I wear a flower crown. On my individual Facebook, I became known as the Hat Girl for commonly wearing interesting little hats.
Any type of specialist digital photographer will certainly inform you that every picture looks far better with a bit of retouching.


The Nyanzi Report: Cabaret Girl - Brick Lane - London.
Cabaret Girl - Brick Lane - London.
It's really nice, very original. I love it.
Love it! Have a great week!
I love your eye for spotting unique people and there inovative style.
I was just wondering,How do you approach people when asking to take their photo? What do you say?
As I have to do some trendspotting for my uni project,and want to know the best way to approach people,because theres alot of people out there who hate having their picture taken.
This is incredible. Looks like she just got off the stage!!
Great look. Colours are so much needed in this weather!
What an awesome idea! Luuuvreee!
First post I looked at this am...what a treat!
That is so cool and creative!
She is so bold to get out of the house looking like that.
All I can say is wow definately a staight up mac maqkeup ad.
Now I know where the other half of my moustache went!!!!
Funny girl but very nice, cool pic!
The expression really completes the look!
Now that's what I call a bold look.
Wow- did not expect that. Cool!
great blog!!! following you now...visit my blog for my international christmas giveaway!!!


The 400Pro series knee pads were co-designed by flooring professionals with larger pads to provide optimal support and comfort!
The Traxx 400Pro Engineered Knee Pads are designed to prevent knee and back problems by evenly distributing pressure across the pads. The larger pads on this model provide plenty of surface area, giving you optimal support and comfort while you work. Co-designed by professional installers.


Evalyn Karns Brendel, age 92, passed away peacefully after a life well lived, surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at Providence Point where she made her home in recent years. Evalyn was born on December 10, 1925 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Donald Porter Karns and Mary Stuart Karns. A descendent of Scottish immigrants who realized the American dream, Evalyn infused her daughter and grandchildren with a strong appreciation of their heritage. Her dignity and grace left an enduring impression on everyone she met.
Evalyn was a graduate of Carnegie Melon University and Case Western Reserve University. She enjoyed a long career as a professional dietitian and nutritionist. One of her greatest pleasures was travelling the world with her husband, Emil, with whom she shared a love of food and culture. When not on one of her many excursions, The Pittsburgh Symphony and Opera is where she could be found on most Sundays.
Evalyn is survived by her daughter Elizabeth Mills, grandchildren Samantha Huff (Andrew) and Daniel Mills, as well as two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband and sisters Dorothy Ergun and Sarah Clark. A great and gracious lady, Evalyn will be deeply missed by her family and many friends.
Family and friends are invited to gather for a celebration of Evalyn's life on Saturday, October 13th from 2:30 – 4:00 PM at Providence Point.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made in Evalyn's memory to the American Heart Association or a charity of your choosing.


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Illusory Color & the Brain
Novel illusions suggest that the brain does not separate perception of color from perception of form and depth
By Baingio Pinna, John S. Werner, Lothar Spillmann on May 1, 2008
A WORLD WITHOUT COLOR appears to be missing crucial elements. And indeed it is. Colors not only enable us to see the world more precisely, they also create emergent qualities that would not exist without them. The color photograph at the left, for example, reveals autumnal leaves in the placid water of a fountain, along with the reflections of trees and of a dark-blue afternoon sky behind them. In a black-and-white picture of the same scene, the leaves are less distinct, the dark-blue sky is absent, the reflections of the light are weak, the water itself is hardly visible, and the difference in apparent depth among the sky, trees and floating leaves is all but gone.
Yet this role for color, and even the true nature of color, is not well recognized. Many people believe that color is a defining and essential property of objects, one depending entirely on the specific wavelengths of light reflected from them. But this belief is mistaken. Color is a sensation created in the brain. If the colors we perceived depended only on the wavelength of reflected light, an object's color would appear to change dramatically with variations in illumination throughout the day and in shadows. Instead patterns of activity in the brain render an object's color relatively stable despite changes in its environment.
Most researchers who study vision agree that color helps us discriminate objects when differences in brightness are insufficient for this task. Some go so far as to say that color is a luxury and not really needed: after all, totally color-blind people and many species of animals seem to do well without the degree of color perception that most humans have. The pathway in the brain that serves navigation and movement, for example, is essentially color-blind. People who become color-blind after a stroke appear to have normal visual perception otherwise. Such observations have been taken as support for the insular nature of color processing, suggesting it has no role in processing depth and form—in short, that color is only about hue, saturation and brightness.
But the study of illusory colors—colors that the brain is tricked into seeing—demonstrates that color processing in the brain occurs hand in hand with processing of other properties, such as shape and boundary. In our decade-long attempt to discern how color influences perceptions of other properties in objects, we have considered a number of novel illusions, many created by us. They have helped us understand how the neural processing of color results in emergent properties of shape and boundary. Before we begin our discussion of these illusions, however, we need to recall how the human visual system processes color.
Pathways to Illusions
Visual perception begins with the absorption of light—or, more precisely, the absorption of discrete packets of energy called photons—by the cones and rods located in the retina [see box on next page]. The cones are used for day vision; rods are responsible for night vision. A cone photoreceptor responds according to the number of photons it captures, and its response is transmitted to two different types of neurons, termed on and off bipolar cells. These neurons in turn provide input to on and off ganglion cells that sit side by side in the retina.
The ganglion cells have what is called a center-surround receptive field. The receptive field of any vision-related neuron is the area of space in the physical world that influences the activity of that neuron. A neuron with a center-surround receptive field responds differently depending on the relative amount of light in the center of the field and the region around the center.
An on ganglion cell fires maximally (at a high rate) when the center is lighter than the surround, firing minimally when the receptive field is uniformly illuminated. Off cells behave in the opposite way: they fire maximally when the center is darker than the surround and minimally when the center and surround are uniform. This antagonism between center and surround means that ganglion cells respond to contrast and in this way sharpen the brain's response to edges and borders.
Most of the ganglion cell axons (fibers) relay their signals to the brain, specifically to the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (near the center of the brain) and from there to the visual cortex (at the back of the brain). Different populations of ganglion cells are sensitive to somewhat different features of stimuli, such as motion and form, and their fibers conduct signals at different velocities. Color signals, for example, are carried by the slower fibers.
About 40 percent or more of the human brain is thought to be involved in vision. In the areas stimulated early in visual processing (parts of the visual cortex called V1, V2 and V3), neurons are organized into maps that provide a point-to-point representation of the visual field. From there, visual signals disperse to more than 30 different areas, interconnected by more than 300 circuits. Each of the areas has specialized functions, such as processing color, motion, depth and form, although no area mediates one perceptual quality exclusively. Somehow all this information is combined, in the end, into a unitary perception of an object having a particular shape and color. Neuroscientists do not yet understand the details of how this comes about.
Interestingly, bilateral damage to certain visual areas leads to deficits in the perception of form as well as color, which offers another piece of evidence that color is not disembodied from the other properties of an object. The intermingling of color signals in the brain with signals carrying information about the form of objects can result in perceptions not expected from an analysis of the wavelengths of light reflected from those objects—as our illusions make startlingly clear.
The Watercolor Effect
One of our early experiments with illusory color illustrates how important color can be in delineating the extent and shape of a figure. Under certain conditions, color changes in response to the surrounding color; it can become more different (called contrast) or more similar (called assimilation). The spreading of similar color has been described only over rather narrow areas, in agreement with the finding that most connections among visual neurons in the brain are relatively short range. We were therefore surprised to find that when an uncolored area is enclosed by two differently colored boundary contours—with the inner contour lighter than the outer contour—tint emanates from the inner contour, spreading across the entire area, even over rather long distances [see illustration on page 83].
Because the color resembles a faint veil such as that seen in watercolor painting, we call this illusion the watercolor effect. We found that the spreading requires the two contours to be contiguous so that the darker color can act as a barrier, confining the spreading of the lighter color to the inside while preventing it from spreading to the outside. The figure defined by the illusory watercolor appears dense and slightly elevated. When the colors of the double contour are reversed, the same region appears a cold white and slightly recessed.
The watercolor effect defines what becomes figure and what becomes ground even more powerfully than the properties discovered by the Gestalt psychologists at the turn of the 20th century, such as proximity, smooth continuation, closure, symmetry, and so on. The side of the double contour that has the lighter color fills in with watercolor and is perceived as figure, whereas the side that has the darker color is perceived as ground. This asymmetry thus helps to counteract ambiguity. The phenomenon is reminiscent of the notion of Edgar Rubin, one of the pioneers of figure-ground research, that the border belongs to the figure, not the ground.
A possible neural explanation for the watercolor illusion is that the combination of a lighter contour flanked by a darker contour (on an even lighter background) stimulates neurons that respond only to a contour that is lighter on the inside than the outside or to a contour that is darker on the inside than the outside, but not to both. Border ownership most likely is encoded at early stages of processing in the visual cortex, such as in brain areas V1 and V2. In experiments with monkeys, neurophysiologists have found that approximately half the neurons in the visual cortex respond to the direction of contrast (whether it gets lighter or darker) and therefore could delineate the border. These same neurons have a role in depth perception that might contribute to figure-ground segregation.
Our investigations showed that wiggly lines produce stronger watercolor spreading than straight ones do, probably because the undulating borders engage more neurons responsive to orientation. The color signaled by these uneven edges must be propagated across regions of cortex that serve large areas of the visual field, continuing the spread of color until border-sensitive cells on the other side of the enclosed area provide a barrier to the flow. Color and form are thus bound together inextricably in the brain and perception at this level of cortical analysis.
Radial Lines
The radial line illusion offers further evidence of the role color plays in distinguishing figure from ground. In 1941 German psychologist Walter Ehrenstein demonstrated that a bright circular patch conspicuously fills the central gap between a series of radial lines. The patch and the circular border delineating it have no correlate in the physical stimulus; they are illusory. The bright illusory surface seems to lie slightly in front of the radial lines [see top illustration on preceding page].
The length, width, number and contrast of the radial lines determine the strength of this phenomenon. The spatial configuration of the lines necessary for the illusion to take effect implies the existence of neurons that respond to the termination of a line. Such cells, called end-stopped neurons, have been identified in the visual cortex, and they may explain this effect. These local signals combine and become inputs to another (second-order) neuron, which fills in the central area with enhanced brightness.
In our studies of the Ehrenstein illusion, we evaluated variations in the number, length and width of the radial lines, and the examples we present in this article use the most striking combination that we found [see lettered illustrations]. We show four copies of each pattern, arranged as a quartet, to enhance the effects. Once we determined the characteristics for the radial lines that produced the brightest central circle (a, on preceding page), we experimented with variations in the chromatic properties of the central gap. First we added a black annulus, or ring, to the Ehrenstein figure, and the brightness of the central gap disappeared entirely—the illusion was destroyed, as Ehrenstein had already noticed. We suspect that this effect arises because the ring silences the cells that signal line terminations.
If the annulus is colored, however, other cells may be excited by this change. When we added a colored annulus, the white disk not only appeared much brighter (self-luminous) than it did in the Ehrenstein figure, it also had a dense appearance, as if a white paste had been applied to the surface of the paper (b). This phenomenon surprised us; self-luminosity and surface qualities do not ordinarily appear together and have even been considered to be opposing, or mutually exclusive, modes of appearance. We call this phenomenon anomalous brightness induction. As occurs with the watercolor effect, cells in early cortical areas are candidates for causing this illusion.
Next we inserted a gray disk into the central gap of an Ehrenstein figure (c). Another phenomenon, called scintillating luster, arose, in which illusory brightness gives way to the perception of a glossy shimmer that occurs with each movement of the pattern or of the eye. The scintillation, or flashing, may come about by a competition between the on and off systems: line-induced brightness (illusory increment) competes with the dark gray of the disk (physical decrement). When we replaced the central white disks within the colored ring with black disks and used a black background (d), the disks looked even darker than the physically identical surrounding area. Instead of appearing self-luminous, as white disks do, blackness seems to generate a void, or a black hole, that absorbs all the light.
When the central disk within the chromatic ring was gray instead of white or black, the disk appeared to become tinted with the complementary color of the annulus—for example, greenish-yellow when the surrounding ring was purple (e). Furthermore, the disk appeared to flash with each eye movement, or when the pattern moved back and forth, and to move in relation to its surround. Flashing anomalous color contrast depends on radial lines and a chromatic annulus the way the other effects do, but it also has unique qualities that do not appear to be a simple combination of the other known effects. In this illusion, the induced color appears both self-luminous and scintillating. Strikingly, it appears to float above the rest of the image. The surface color and the self-luminous color do not mix; instead one belongs to the disk on the page, and the other emerges from a combination of the other characteristics of the stimuli.
In flashing anomalous color contrast, the radial lines may activate local end-stopped neurons, as has been proposed for the filling in of gaps by illusory contours, but activity by those cells does not account completely for the combined flashing and complementary color. It is not clear whether the radial lines have a direct effect on color contrast or whether the vividness of the color is derived indirectly from the luster and scintillation caused by the combination of radial lines and the gray center.
Current understanding of the brain cannot explain all the things going on in this illusion. The complexity of the illusion suggests that it is unlikely to result from a single unitary process but may represent an attempt by the brain to reconcile competing signals from multiple specialized pathways. Scientists clearly have much more to learn about how the brain perceives the physical world. Fortunately, ongoing work on illusory colors will continue to offer a tantalizing portal into the complexities of the human visual system.
This article was originally published with the title "Illusory Color & the Brain" in SA Special Editions 18, 2s, 82-88 (May 2008)
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0508-82sp
SA Special Editions
105 Mind-Bending Illusions


Due to school closings, tonight's healing meeting will be moved to Charis Bible College KC. 7219 W. 95th Street Overland Park, KS 66212 (Southwest corner of 95th Street & Metcalf – Enter at 7223 W. 95th Street Lobby).
Start time is still 7:00 PM.


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Espinoza-Villavicencio, J.L., Palacios-Espinosa, A., Menendez-Buxadera, A.. (1398). Genetic (Co)variance between Age from First to Third Calving and Milk Yield of Holstein Cows in the Tropics. نشریه علمی پژوهشی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی, 9(3), 401-407.
J.L. Espinoza-Villavicencio; A. Palacios-Espinosa; A. Menendez-Buxadera. "Genetic (Co)variance between Age from First to Third Calving and Milk Yield of Holstein Cows in the Tropics". نشریه علمی پژوهشی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی, 9, 3, 1398, 401-407.
Espinoza-Villavicencio, J.L., Palacios-Espinosa, A., Menendez-Buxadera, A.. (1398). 'Genetic (Co)variance between Age from First to Third Calving and Milk Yield of Holstein Cows in the Tropics', نشریه علمی پژوهشی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی, 9(3), pp. 401-407.
Espinoza-Villavicencio, J.L., Palacios-Espinosa, A., Menendez-Buxadera, A.. Genetic (Co)variance between Age from First to Third Calving and Milk Yield of Holstein Cows in the Tropics. نشریه علمی پژوهشی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی, 1398; 9(3): 401-407.
Genetic (Co)variance between Age from First to Third Calving and Milk Yield of Holstein Cows in the Tropics
Iranian Journal of Applied Animal Science
مقاله 4، دوره 9، شماره 3، آذر 2019، صفحه 401-407	 اصل مقاله (375.56 K)
نوع مقاله: Research Articles
J.L. Espinoza-Villavicencio1؛ A. Palacios-Espinosa 1؛ A. Menendez-Buxadera2
1Departamento de Ciencia Animal y Conservación del Habitat, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, México
2Departamento de Genética, Grupo Meragen Campus Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, Cordoba, España
A total of 245187 records of the first three lactations of 131126 Holstein cows in tropical conditions were used to estimate the genetic (co)variance components between age at calving and its respective milk productions. A multivariate analysis of six traits was performed. Heritability for age at calving (h2AC) and milk yield (h2MY) decrease from the first (h2AC1=0.254±0.007; h2MY1=0.198±0.003) to the second (h2CA2=0.242±0.006; h2MY2=0.184±0.003) and third lactation (h2CA3=0.232±0.006; h2MY3=0.168±0.008). The genetic correlations (rg) between the AC1; AC2 and AC3 and between MY1; MY2 and MY3 were high and positive; however, the rg between age at calving and milk production were medium but negative. The first two eigenvalues accounted for 83% of the total genetic variance of the six traits. The corresponding eigenvectors were used as weighting factors,and two underlying expected breeding values (EBV) were estimated based on these components, allowing the identification of those sires that reduced ages at calving and increased milk yield in their daughters. A new approach was developed to estimate an equivalent of calving interval (CIeq) based on the differences between the EBV of the sire for two consecutive ages at calving.
calving؛ genetic correlations؛ heritability؛ Holstein؛ milk production
The age at first calving (AFC) represents a fundamental step for a cow since is the beginning of its productive life. AFC is a complex trait reflecting the maturity rate at which the animal reaches its incorporation into reproductive life as well as its fertility to achieve its first pregnancy and calving. A decrease in AFC can represent a reduction of 18% of the total cost of raising dairy replacements (Tozer and Heinrichs, 2001); however, within certain limits, greater reductions in AFC may be less effective. Even though in specialized dairy populations cows have first calving around 2 years of age, results have been published with the tendency to reduce this indicator to 20-21 months (Ettema and Santos, 2004). However, according to a recent review of this subject (Curran et al. 2013), no clear answer is available, because an AFC at 21 months can produce significant economic benefits in some herds, and in others the response could be the opposite. Evidence has been published on the evolution of AFC as a function of time. In Costa Rica, AFC in Holstein cows was 30 to 31 months with a tendency to decrease from 2006 to 2007 (Salazar-Carranza et al. 2013). In the United States of America (USA), AFC was reduced from 25.9 months in 1991 to 25.4 months in 2002 (USDA, 2009). In a more recent publication (Hare et al. 2006), convincing results showed a very marked decline of AFC in major dairy cow breeds of the USA. Nevertheless, these apparent advantages were annulled due to the increase in the first calving interval. Similar trends have occurred in South Africa (Makgahlela et al. 2008), Spain (González-Recio et al. 2004), and England (Wall et al. 2003). This unfavorable association may result in a collateral negative response in fertility traits due to higher selection emphasis for milk yield (Lucy, 2001). The results of a world survey on fertility in Holstein cattle Sorensen et al. 2007 shown that fertility so far has been a real problem in the Holstein populations around the world. These authors suggest that action needs to be taken, both internationally as well as within each country, in order to change the decline of fertility. One year later Berglund (2008) present a general alternative to genetic improvement of fertility traits in dairy cattle and suggest that new traits and new methods need to be considered. In that context, the use of a multi trait setting could be a very useful procedure as was presented by Haas et al. (2007) using a character with a high level of h2 as body condition scores to improve reproduction performance. The statistical models used to estimate genetic parameters of several economic traits in dairy cattle, theAFC has been included as a fixed effect, which implicitly assumes no genetic variations in AFC; however, the available literature showed some variation in heritability (h2) values. In Holstein cattle under tropical conditions of Sudan, it has been reported for h2 AFC a range from 0.09 to 0.19 (Abdel et al. 2007; Ibrahim et al. 2012; respectively). Different results are reported by Do et al. (2013) in Korean Holstein with h2= 0.11, in South Africa h2= 0.24 (Makgahlela et al. 2008), in Thailand (Buaban et al. 2015) show h2= 0.25 for the same trait and in the Mexican tropics, h2 for AFC was 0.28 (Estrada-León et al. 2008). In Iranian Holstein cattle, h2 values for AFC were 0.19 to 0.36 (Solemani-Baghshah et al. 2014; Toosi, 2002; respectively) have been reported. On the other hand, in 94 studies done in tropical regions with both beef and dairy cattle breeds, average h2 for AFC was 0.31 (Lobo et al. 2000). All these references are coherent to shows the existence of a high additive genetic variance that can provide space for selection and breeding, therefore it seems that results from AFC can be used as a second trait in order to improve reproduction performance. Nevertheless, the publications cited in the previous paragraph have pointed out a negative relationship between AFC and the first calving interval and milk yield (MY) in the first two lactations. The calving interval (CI) is estimated as a function of the difference between two ages at calving of the same cows, however these approaches will be a source of bias to genetic (co)variance estimation between AFC, CI and MY, because some cows are culling for milk yield or fail to be pregnant for second time. Our objectives were to estimate the genetic parameters for age at calving during the first three calving and their corresponding milk yield in Holstein cattle under Cuban tropical conditions, using a six traits sire model with all data available, irrespectively if the cows were recorded for all traits. To make inferences about CI as an indicator of reproductive performance, we developed a new approach to estimate a calving interval equivalence (CIeq) based in the differences between estimated sire breeding values (EBV) for the first three AFC.
Data consisted of 245187 records of the first three lactations of 131126 Holstein cows (daughters of 1765 sires; 2526 in the pedigree) calved from January 1985 to December 2003 in 1106 dairy herds in Cuba. Distribution for the first three calving data is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Data distribution according to age at calving-months of Holstein cows in the tropics
The cows were cared for under standards comparable to the guidelines established by the Canadian Council on Animal Care. Data of animals without date of birth or date of calving and herds with less than 20 records were deleted. Age at calving (ACi, where i=1, 2 and 3 calving) was estimated by the differences between calving data and birth dates. From each animal, the records of milk yield (MYi, where i= 1, 2 and 3 lactations) were considered. The variables ACi and MYi were edited eliminating those records out of range of ±3.2 standard deviations. Finally, a total of 93281, 76561, and 59421 records were available of first, second, and third calving, respectively. All the statistical analyses were performed using ASREML (Gilmour et al. 2009). Several bi-character sire models were applied and the results were combined to estimate initial parameters and a multivariate analysis of six traits was performed simultaneously. With the results of this last model, the (co)variance components between ACi and MYi were estimated where i represent the first, second and third calving. A symbolic multi-trait general model can be described as follows:
yi: vector of n × ij of n records and jth traits (j=1, 2…6) simultaneously analyzed.
bi: vector of n × ij fixed effects of year and month of parity on each trait.
si: vector of n × ij correlated random effects due to the additive genetic component. of the sire of each cows (1/4 of additive genetic variance).
hi: vector of n × ij correlated random effects due to the herd.
ej: correlated random residual effect for jth traits.
Xi Zi and Hi: incidence matrices connecting the fixed and random effects with the data vector for each jth trait.
In this model it is assumed that:
(co)variance matrices for genetic, herd, and residual random effects; genetic covariance among jth traits; environmental covariance herd effects between jth traits and covariance of residual effects among jth traits, respectively.
Ih and In: matrices of order h (number of herds) and n (number of animals).
A: relationship matrix between all sires.
: symbol of product.
With these parameters, heritability for each trait and genetic correlations (rg) between each pair of j traits were estimated by linear functions of the corresponding components using classical formulas (Falconer and McKay, 1996). The coefficients of genetic variation (CVG) were estimated by the square root of the genetic variance of each trait divided by the mean of the same trait and expressed in percentage. The expected breeding value (EBV) for each sire and each trait were estimated as twice the solution of the multi-character model described previously.
In general, the results found in milk production were higher, and the age at first calving was a little more reduced (Table 1) than the values reported in other studies in Holstein cattle of Cuba (Palacios-Espinoza et al. 2007) but with lower numbers of records and different statistical model. The milk production levels reflected lower productivity with respect to Holstein cattle exploited under intensive conditions in arid regions of Sudan (Abdel et al. 2007), in northern Mexico (Palacios-Espinosa et al. 2001), and Brazil (Carneiro et al. 2008) with an average of 3475 to 8000 kg per lactation. Similarly, in Turkey 5541 kg per lactation were reported for first calving cows at 29.8 months (Teke and Murat, 2013). While in the USA Holstein cows reached their first, second, and third calving at 26.9, 40.1 and 53.3 months, respectively (Hare et al. 2006), in Brazil and Colombia ages at first calving of 29.5 and 32.1 months respectively have been reported by Cerón-Muñoz et al. (2004). These differences were related to nutritional deficiencies due to the fact that in the Cuban production system the animals are feed only with low quality pastures. These are the same pattern described three decades ago by Abubakar et al. (1986) with Holstein cattle used in many South American countries. The main results of the multi-character genetic model are shown in Table 2. The variance components increased as parity number increased, while heritability (h2) showed an opposite trend. The herd was the main source of variation accounting for 16 to 33% for age at calving and from 23 to 48% for milk production. Genetic variances were low and relative to average estimates presented in Table 1, the genetic variation coefficients were from 5 to 7% for age at calving and of 15 to 20% for milk production. Estimates of h2 for milk production ranged from 0.17 to 0.20 and were higher than previous results presented by Palacios Espinoza et al. (2007), due to a larger and better-structured database used in this study, which is reflected by the low standard errors of h2 for all traits. Most references about h2 of age at calving basically referred to the first calving and our results were higher. In Holstein cattle of Brazil and Colombia, h2 estimated for age at first calving was 0.19 and 0.13, respectively (Cerón-Muñoz et al. 2004). No references were available for second and third calving in tropical conditions.
Table 1 Mean values and standard deviation for each variable of Holstein cows in Cuba
Table 2 Estimates of variance components (var) and heritability for ages at calving (AC) and milk yield (MY) of Holstein cows in Cuba
The higher genetic parameters of our study may be related to the fact that very low selection intensity is applied in this breed in Cuba, therefore all existent variability in these traits have been shown in this population. The joint distributions between EBV together with the genetic correlation of the six traits under study are presented in Figure 2. In this figure the diagonal, shows the variations between EBV of 923 sires with at least 20 daughters; below the diagonal, the distribution of EBV for each pair of characters and above the diagonal are the genetic correlations (rg) between each one of the six traits from the multivariate model. Within the group of character belong to age at calving (upper left quadrant) and the other for milk production (lower right quadrant) all rg were positive, with higher values for adjacent calving. In general, according to these patterns the AC1; AC2 and AC3 can be considered as the expression of the same traits, but for MY1, MY2 and MY3 the relationship is positive but lower. The upper right quadrant the rg between age at calving and milk yield were negative, particularly those for the same calving which were marked in red in the Figure 2, however these not to be interpreted a priori, as an evidence of the antagonism indicated by Lucy (2001). It is worth highlighting the important variability (lower left quadrant) between the joint distributions of EBV for different traits which need to be analyzed because sires can represent an ideal way for a breeding process in this species. From this representation, it is clear that there is much redundant information that can be simplified by a principal component analysis (PCA) and the results are shown in Table 3. The results indicated that 83% of the genetic variance for six traits could be explained by the linear combination of the first two principal components, a very important variable reduction as a demonstration of the advantages of using PCA. Coefficients of the first two eigenvectors have to be highlighted because they have a precise biological interpretation. The first principal components (PC1) is known as a size vector or general genetic level and in this study the coefficients linked to ages at calving contrasted with those of milk yield as a consequence of the pattern shown in Figure 2. In turn, the second principal component (PC2) is called shape vector explained 28% of the genetic variance with all coefficients were positive. This source of variability in PC2 will be very useful because is related to change of form of response in milk yield and age at calving as we will show below. In practical terms the coefficients for both principal components were used as a weighing factor on the original EBV (standardized previously) to estimate two new EBV based on the eigenvector coefficients of PC1 and PC2 (EBVPC1 and EBVPC2, respectively). These results can be used to identify those sires that can produce benefits by lowering age at calving and increasing milk yield. Figure 3 shows a bi-plot with these new results. Figure 3 shows the projection of each observation around coordinates 0.0 corresponding to the average of EBVPC1 and EBVPC2. The directions of change are represented by vectors AC1, AC2, and AC3 and by vectors MY1, MY2, and MY3, highly correlated within each one (small angle between them) and whose meaning was the same but in opposite directions in the context of the database. In this biplot, a group of the best selected sires (at least 40 daughters each) based on EBVPC1 and EBVPC2 werehighlighted in bold. When this group of elite sires was merged with EBV estimated from the original data, the results were -1.09 ± 0.67; -1.48 ± 0.67, and -2.25 ± 0.93 months for AC1, AC2, and AC3, respectively, and +269 ± 61 kg, +389 ± 133 kg and +627 ± 67 kg in MY1, MY2, and MY3, respectively, which confirms the previous expectation. Similar references have not been found to compare the results of this approach, which demonstrates that in the conditions of this database, it is possible to decrease the age at calving without affecting the levels of milk production.
Figure 2 Representation of variations between expected breeding value of sires, relationships between themselves, and genetic correlations between traits of age at calving and milk production of Holstein breed in Cuba
Table 3 Estimates of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the correlation matrix between the expected breeding values of 923 sires with at least 20 daughters of Holstein cattle in Cuba
Figure 3 Expected Breeding Value distribution of 923 sires of Holstein cattle in Cuba with at least 20 daughters each one in terms of the first two principal components
The negative association with the first calving interval (CI) has been identified as a constraint to lowering the age at first calving (Nieuwhof et al. 1989; Marini et al. 2007). The CI is calculated by the difference between the date and the age between two successive calving of the cows. That type of animals showed a higher or better reproductive performance respect to those having only a single calving, which may be due to problems of consistency and continuity in the recording system or culling of animals with poor production level; in any case, it may introduce a bias in the analysis of the variation causes of CI. In our study a multi-trait sire model was applied in which EBV of each sire for AC1, AC2, and AC3 could be estimated with all available data and the existent variations were shown in Figure 2.
Figure 4 Frequency distribution of the Expected Breeding Value of 923 sires for the first and second calving interval (Figures 4a and 4c), relationship between them (Figure 4b) and the relationships with the Expected Breeding Value for milk yield in the first (Figure 4d) and second calving (Figure 4e)
By analogy to the classical way to CI estimation, it was possible to obtain an equivalent of this reproductive parameter as CIeq1= EBVAC2 - EBVAC1 and Cieq2= EBVAC3 - EBVAC2 and Figure 4 shows the variations between EBV of sires for these new parameters. Several aspects should be highlighted from this figure:
(1) Variations between EBV of sires were around 2.8 months for CIeq1 (Figure 4a) and 3.7 months for CIeq2 (Figure 4c). In reference to real CIof the total data estimated classically but not analyzed, these magnitudes represented between 19% and 26% for the first and second CI, respectively.
(2) The joint distribution of CIeq1 and CIeq2 showed (Figure 4b) that both were highly correlated (r=0.911), so they could be considered as the manifestation of the same trait. The genetic correlation was 0.50, approximately between the first and second CI of Holstein cows of the USA (Short et al. 1990) and in Swedish dairy cattle (Strandberg and Danell, 1989).
(3) The distribution of the EBV for CIeq1 and CIeq2 with the EBV for MY1 (Figure 4d) and for MY2 (Figure 4e) shown a beneficial relationship in the sense that a decrease in calving intervals (by their equivalents in CIeq1 and CIeq2) did not produce a decrease in milk yield.
The results of this approach using the possibilities of a multivariate analysis to estimate EBV in reproductive traits, particularly the calving interval equivalent as a function of the events that gave it origin (EBV for ages at calving) has shown that generalizing the antagonism between CI and milk yield does not apply in all cases and there are possibilities to identify sires with EBV positive for both trait. This trend is not coherent with the expectations, which is likely to be associated with the low performance of this breed in the current conditions of exploitation, compared to the high potential that Holstein breed shows in countries with intensive production systems.
Holstein cattle performance in Cuban conditions can be classified as poor not only based on its levels of milk yield but also on its reproductive efficiency, showing the first three calving at very late ages. Our study demonstrates that genetic variation in ages at calving can be an important option. It is suggested that breeding programs of Holstein cows must be redirected and should give greater importance to these traits with respect to milk yield. The multivariate procedure applied is highly recommended because it has allowed extracting more information with the same available data, identifying a source of genetic variation that already existed in the population but whose expression had not been quantified.
We thank CIMAGT for the help provided for this work.
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text:
SECRETS OF THE WHALES
SELF/LESS
SIGNAL, THE
SKELETON TWINS, THE
SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
SUICIDE SQUAD, THE
Does the world really need yet another expose about Princess Diana? After seeing director Pablo Larrain's latest film, SPENCER, I think not. Though his movie about Jackie Kennedy Onassis entitled JACKIE was one of the best of 2016, I cannot say the same for SPENCER.
This is certainly not the fault of Kristen Stewart who stars as the beautiful but reluctant princess. Her performance is actually quite good. It's more a result of the screenplay by Steven Knight which focuses on three days of Christmas festivities at the Queen's Sandringham Estate in 1991.
Granted, Larrain has stated that the events depicted in SPENCER are "imagined", but dear lord, is it necessary to present Diana as a lunatic? Mental health issues and eating disorders should never be presented lightly, and yet I fear Knight and Larrain have fallen into the trap of disclosing all the salaciousness we've learned over the years about Diana, but with no allotted time for understanding and sympathy. It's just so bloody typical --- why did a man pen this screenplay?
One can't even begin to imagine what those three days were like for the princess. She ditches her security detail and drives herself to Sandringham, getting lost along the way. She arrives after everyone else, including the Queen, only to find that a Major Alistair Gregory (Timothy Spall) has been engaged to make sure Diana toes the line. God forbid should she wear the wrong dress at the wrong time and show up late for dinner!
Her only ally in the house is her lady's maid, Maggie (Sally Hawkins), who is promptly sent back to London because she allows Diana to dress with the curtains open. As she is relentlessly photographed, the fear is a photographer will be able to catch her in her skivvies --- or worse yet, naked --- using a telephoto lens.
To alienate her even further from her cheating husband, Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) presents Diana with the same strand of pearls he's given Camilla. This prompts a rather bizarre dinner scenario where Diana breaks the strand, a few large pearls land in her soup and she proceeds to eat them. A dream of course, but just another example of Larrain's willingness to showcase Diana as unstable.
Her beautiful sons are present, William (Jack Nielen) and Harry (Freddie Spry), but even that time spent together is fraught with William tasked with keeping his mother in line. All the tension of those three days comes to a head when Diana physically interrupts a pheasant shoot to demand that William stop participating and be permitted to return to London with her and Harry.
SPENCER is a remarkably beautiful film with luscious photography by Claire Mathon. And, as one would expect, the costumes by Jacqueline Durran are divine, copied from couture worn by Diana. But the lack of substance in Knight's script is glaring --- and for a long period of time, we are treated to nothing more than a fashion show, as Stewart struts the halls of Sandringham adorned in replicas of Diana's finest.
Yes, the performances are exceptional, especially young Nielen as William, and Hawkins, who is always quietly astonishing. Whereas Larrain was eminently respectful of Ms. Onassis in JACKIE, he is much less so here with Diana.
One has to ask --- when is enough enough? This woman suffered greatly during her brief lifetime. Why can't we let her go, instead of portraying her as if she were insane? SPENCER is sad, heartbreaking --- and disturbing. I am immensely disappointed.
Opinion: Don't Bother!
Director Pablo Larrain received well-deserved plaudits from the movie industry for his 2016 biopic JACKIE which propelled Natalie Portman to an Oscar nomination. Now he has tackled another world-famous personage in SPENCER based on three days in the life of Princess Diana 10 years into her marriage to Prince Charles. This time it is Kristen Stewart in the title role, and she may be on a path to her first Oscar nomination with a superlative performance. She certainly seems to be in the mix for Best Actress along with Jessica Chastain (THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE) and Jodie Comer (THE LAST DUEL).
The movie opens with the tagline that SPENCER is "A fable from a true tragedy". And while Diana's struggles with her marriage to Charles, and her icy relationship with Queen Elizabeth is well documented, these are not the main focus of the film.
Now to address the elephant in the room. My esteemed partner will say that the filmmakers, which includes writer Steven Knight, succeed in making Diana look crazy. I would counter that the film succeeds in emphasizing Diana's extreme unhappiness. Her sometimes aberrant behavior can reasonably be attributed to her rebellious attitude toward the Royal Family.
Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) is not on screen very often, but he manages to convey the utter contempt Charles has for Diana --- call it disdain, disrespect and general disgust. It is clear that Diana's only real moments of happiness occur when she is with her sons, William (Jack Nielen) and Harry (Freddie Spry). In fact, one of the best scenes has Diana driving her sports car convertible with the boys enroute to a KFC for "a real treat". Diana's singing in this sequence captures her utter joy at this moment in time.
The three-day weekend over the Christmas holiday in 1991 doesn't give the storyline much space to delve into interplay between the Queen (Stella Gonet) and Diana, so it doesn't. But much time, perhaps too much, is given to fantasy remembrances by Diana at various ages, especially when she was a young ballet dancer and essentially a free spirit. There is one disturbing scene with a horde of paparazzi doing everything in their power to capture a glimpse of Diana on their cameras. We can only imagine what this recurring aspect of her existence must have been like for her.
SPENCER clearly takes the position that Diana is severely lacking in self-esteem, at least as far as her looks go. But her confidante and main dresser, Maggie (Sally Hawkins), injects a huge dose of confidence in Diana with a surprise revelation late in the movie.
Hawkins and Timothy Spall are consummate pros who deliver fine performances, as well. Spall plays Major Alistair Gregory whose job it is to make sure Diana does everything according to Royal Family traditions.
Stewart truly is at her best when displaying the different mindsets of Diana. Jeanne may note that one moment of "craziness" occurs when Diana brings the pheasant shooting to a halt by demanding her sons return to London with her, much to the chagrin of Charles who submits to her wishes anyway.
We all know the horror of Diana's death which makes SPENCER that much more difficult to endure. And while SPENCER is not a great film, it does give Stewart the opportunity to carry the story of a major historical figure --- and she does it (pun intended) royally.


Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, bragged to the number one pro-Israel lobbying organization in America about the many ways she's blocked Palestinian human rights from being addressed by the United Nations.
So when they decided to try and put a Palestinian [former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad] in one of the highest positions that had ever been given at the UN, we said no and we had him booted out.
Fayyad, a popular diplomat, was going to be appointed to lead the U.N. Mission to Libya, until Haley objected. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres claimed at the time that his sudden rejection of Fayyad had nothing to do with U.S. pressure.
And a ridiculous report, the Falk Report, came out. I don't know who the guy is or what he's about, but he's got serious problems. Goes and compares Israel to an apartheid state. So the first thing we do is we call the secretary general and say, this is absolutely ridiculous. You have to pull it. The secretary general immediately pulled the report. And then the director has now resigned.
The report had been written by Dr. Richard Falk and Dr. Virginia Tilley. Richard Falk is an international law and international relations scholar who taught at Princeton University for forty years, and was Visiting Distinguished Professor in Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Tilley, a professor at Southern Illinois University, is also a recognized expert on the region and the author of multiple books and papers.
With the BDS [boycott, divestment, and sanctions] movement that we were able to stop in South Carolina, we're going to continue to take that to the U.N. and make sure that they understand that is not what we need to be focused on.
Haley was a South Carolina state legislator and governor who had previously worked in her mother's waste management company. She has a B.S. in Accounting.
Politicians from both parties seek endorsement by AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), which opens the door to large campaign donations.
Haley says this is not true.
The Falk report and Dr. Khalaf's letter of resignation can be read here. Richard Falk's and Virginia Tilley's response to Haley's actions, published by The Nation, can be read here.