text:
Cognitive Functions Dynamics In Preschoolers With Autism Disorders Under Rehabilitation Centre Conditions
Vasiliy Feofanov ,
Nataliya Konstantinova ,
Kseniia Kozlova ,
Natalia Belyakova
The present article is devoted to the analysis of the results of our study conducted on thirty-seven preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. At the first stage, the uneven development of cognitive functions (perception, attention, thinking, and memory) is found. The following main problems are identified: difficulties concerning the inability for voluntary concentration, the inability to perceive an assignment, to imitate, etc. The children are divided into two groups: the experimental group (the children with low and below-average levels of cognitive function development) and the control group (the children with average and high levels of cognitive function development). The children from the first group have had cognitive remediation lessons individually once a week during five months. The duration of one lesson is forty minutes, on average including from three to five assignments aimed at developing particular cognitive functions, depending on a child's individuality. After these sessions, it is detected that cognitive function development in children from the experimental group has a significant progress. As a result of using the mathematical method of data processing, we have confirmed our assumptions that special classes for cognitive function development have a significant influence on the development of perception, attention, memory, and thinking. Also, using the sign test, it is found that minor changes in the secondary diagnosis results of the control group in all the five methods are random.
Keywords: Autism spectrum disordercognitive functionscognitive remediationpreschool children
At present, in Russia, the necessity of the establishment of special conditions for impaired children and children with disabilities, providing recovery, rehabilitation and social adaptation, is actualized. One of the most numerous categories of children with special educational needs comprises children with intellectual disabilities (Kislyakov et al., 2017; Kislyakov, 2017). Currently, there is a significant increase of the number of children with emotional-volitional disorders in the form of autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a spectrum of psychological features with a wide variation of abnormal behaviour and problems in social communication and social interaction, as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. A lot of controversy arises around the fact that intellectual, emotional or personality disorders are the primary and determining fact in autism. According to some authors, the violation of cognitive sphere is the source of deviations (Ahmedova & Feofanov, 2017; Gilberg & Piters, 1998; Frith, 1989).
Considering features of perception in preschool children with ASD, many authors define hyperesthesia as hypersensitivity to various sensory stimuli, which clearly manifests in the peculiarities of their behaviour. For example, a child clamps his ears reacting to a loud sound, or squints his eyes against a bright light, refuses to wear some clothes, claiming that it is pricking, and so forth. However, in the emotionally significant situation for a child, these phenomena may not be observed (Mamaichuk, 2007). Numerous studies and observations show that children may experience a change in sensitivity, which manifests in a general decrease in the threshold of discomfort, and, on the contrary, "overreaction" to other less important impressions. From an early age, children with ASD are particularly sensitive to such parameters of surrounding objects as colour, shape and texture. This fact can be defined as a special attention feature of preschool children with ASD. The phenomenon can cause an illusion of a good intelligence development of a child (Nikolskaya et al., 1997).
Considering features of thinking in preschool children with ASD, we can refer to the descriptions by L. Kanner (1943), who notes that children with autism can demonstrate intelligence in solving sensorimotor problems, corresponding solutions of which are in the visual field and include discretion and direct action. Therefore, at an early age, such a child can be good at object sorting by shape, size and colour, and can easily "grasp" a way of action with toys. The child shows such success, basically, when he acts directly, and during targeted training he can be less independent. Parents begin to understand early that with obvious intelligence of their child, it is very difficult to teach him anything directly.
Considering memory features in preschool children with ASD, one may note that they often have an extraordinary concentration on things important to them (Mamaichuk, 2007). In the learning process, it is easy to memorize a large volume of the proposed material, and to accurately reproduce it. But at the same time, children have difficulties in actualizing existing knowledge with a question that is asked in an unusual form. There are also possibilities of accumulating a huge mass of information within the stereotypical interests of children.
In early and preschool years, cognitive functions develop unevenly, superimposing, and transforming, stimulating and delaying each other. This requires special correction sessions within a complex approach, which has to aim at the development of all the cognitive functions in children with ASD.
Children with ASD have cognitive deviations, but the dynamics of cognitive function development in the conditions of rehabilitation centre has not been sufficiently studied.
How does cognitive remediation affect holistic and sensory perception in preschool children with ASD?
How does cognitive remediation affect the sustainability and productivity of attention in preschool children with ASD?
How does cognitive remediation affect the volume of short-term memory in preschool children with ASD?
How does cognitive remediation affect the development level of thinking and the ability to make generalizations in preschool children with ASD?
The aim of the study is to examine the dynamics of cognitive functions in children at preschool age with ASD in the rehabilitation centre.
The following methods were selected, taking into account cognitive traits of the preschool children with ASD:
The test "Gather cut pictures" by Y.A. Strebelova.
The test "Toys grouping" by L.A. Vegner.
The Bourdon cancelation test.
The test "Remember the picture" by N.R. Nemov.
The test "Excluding unsuitable pictures" by S.D. Zabramnaya.
The study was a diagnostic experiment in nature and conducted on the basis of the disabled children rehabilitation centre "Оur sunny world" (Russia, Moscow, Lescova str., 6B). The centre worked according to the program for a complex rehabilitation, integration, and social adaptation of children and youth with developmental disabilities. It also implements its author's program of integrated rehabilitation, based on methods developed by the centre experts.
The experimental group consisted of 15 preschool-aged children with ASD; the control group consisted of preschool children with ASD in the amount of 22 people engaged in no special classes for the development of cognitive functions. All the subjects could be divided by age (3 years old – 4 students; 4 years old – 8 students; 5 years old – 16 students; 6 years old – 9 students) and gender (6 girls and 31 boys).
Based on the analysis of the results of primary diagnosis in all five methods, 37 subjects, according to the cognitive function development levels, were distributed as follows:2 subjects were assigned to a high level, 20 - to the average, 4 - to below average, 11 - to low. As a result, two groups of preschool children with ASD were emerged according differing in cognitive function development levels. The first group (experimental) with low and below average cognitive function development levels, consisted of 15 subjects. The second (control group) - with high and medium cognitive function development levels - included 22 pre-schoolers. This was done to send the first group of children to classes that are part of theremediation activity, in order to verify the above hypothesis.
The purpose of such lessons was to correct cognitive deviations in the children. During remediation sessions, the implemented correctional program was based on the patterns of development the preschool stage of childhood, which is a unique stage in the life of a child.
These sessions were conducted at the constant time, with each child individually once a week for five months. The duration of one lesson was 40 minutes, and on average included 3-5 assignments aimed at the development of a cognitive functions, depending on the individuality of the child, with special attention paid to the development of memory, thinking, perception, and attention. The tasks for a child were mostly offered in visual form.
After ten correctional sessions there was a secondary diagnosis of holistic and sensory perception, attention, short-term memory and thinking.
The analytical results of secondary diagnostics of holistic perception with E.A. Strebelova test «Sloji rasresanniye kartinki» [Gather cut pictures] showed that the development of holistic perception of subject picture in the experimental group increased significantly (figure 1 ). Subjects of this group according holistic perception development levels were distributed as follows:1 child was assigned to a high level (6.6%) and 14 people – to the average level (93.4%). The results of secondary diagnosis in the control group changed insignificantly: the high level increased by 4.6%, and the average level - decreased by 4.6%.Only 22.8% of the control group showed some changes in the results, which may indicate their randomness.
Figure 1: Dynamics of holistic perception development level in two groups of preschool children with ASD
As can be seen in figure 2 based on the results of secondary diagnostics, according to the L.A. Vagner test «Gruppirovka igrushek» [Toys grouping], the sensory perception development level in the experimental group significantly increased. In this group, 12 pre-schoolers (80%) were assigned to average level, and 3 children (20%) to high. The results of secondary sensory perception diagnostics in the control group showed insignificant changes: high level increased by 9.1%, and the average level decreased by 9.1%. Consequently, only 27.3% of the group showed some changes in the results, which may indicate their randomness.
Figure 2: Dynamics of sensor perception development level in two groups of preschool children with ASD
Based on the results of a secondary diagnosis (Figure 3 ) with the Bourdon test, attention stability development level in the majority of children in the experimental group increased significantly: 13 pre-schoolers (86.7%) were assigned to average level, and 2 children (13.3%) - to high. The results of attention stability diagnostics in the control group showed insignificant changes: the high level increased by 9.1%, and the average decreased by 9.1%.Therefore, only 36.3% of subjects from the control group showed some results changes, that may indicate their randomness.
Thus, after cognitive remediation sessions, the experimental group had progress in development of productivity and sustainability of attention.
Figure 3: Dynamics of attention stability development level in two groups of preschool children with ASD
The results of secondary diagnosis with the R.S. Nemov test «Sapomni kartinku» [Remember the picture] (Figure 4 ), showed that the development level of short-term visual memory volume in the experimental group increased significantly: 12 pre-schoolers (80%) were assigned to average level, and 3 children (20%) - to high. Development level of short-term visual memory volume in the control group showed insignificant changes: the high level increased by 22.8%, and the average decreased by 22.8%. Therefore, only 36.3% of subjects from the control group showed some results changes, that may indicate their randomness.
Figure 4: Development level dynamics of short-term visual memory volume in two groups of preschool children with ASD
As can be seen in figure 5 based on the results of secondary diagnostics, according to the C.D. Zabramnaya test «Isclucheniye nepodhodyashey cartinki» [Unsuitable pictures excluding], the thinking development level in the experimental group has significantly increased12 pre-schoolers (80%) were assigned to average level, and 3 children (20%) to high. Thinking development level in the control group has insignificant changes: the high level increased by 13.7%, and the average decreased by 13.7%. Only 31.8% of the control group showed some changes in the results, which may indicate their randomness.
Figure 5: Dynamics of thinking development level in two groups of preschool children with ASD
Based on the processing of all results of the methods at the secondary diagnosis stage, we were able to assess the development dynamics of all subjects entering the control and experimental groups, and also to track changes of the cognitive function development levels (Figure 6 ).
Figure 6: Dynamics of development level of cognitive functions in two groups of preschool children with ASD
According to the study findings presented on Figure 6 , we can see that after cognitive remediation sessions for three months in the experimental group, the indicators increased significantly. As a result, in the group the average development level of cognitive functions predominated (84%) and the high level appeared (16%). Indicators of low and below average levels fell to zero and were 0%.
Comparison of preliminary and final diagnostics allows us to assume the presence of significant differences between two results before and after cognitive remediationsessions in the experimental group. The sign test was used for confidence levels of the proposed sessions effectiveness (Table 1 ).
According to the study findings in the table 1 , differences are significant (p≤0.01) and therefore the null hypothesis is rejected.
Results of the cognitive function development level in the control group, which included 22 pre-schoolers with ASD, not engaged in special occupations, with secondary diagnosis changed slightly. This allows us to assume that changing in the data is random and increasing the levels of perception, attention, memory and thinking is possible only with the help of specially selected activities.
Thus, during the control experiment, it was found that after cognitive remediation sessions for three months the experimental group, previously having low rates, has high and medium prevailing results of cognitive function development level. The indicators of the control group of children who did not attend remediation sessions remained practically unchanged. This confirms the effectiveness of cognitive remediation in preschool children with ASD in the experimental group. Using the sign test, it was proved that the effectiveness of proposed sessions according to the all five psycho diagnostic techniques is reliable and not random since differences are significant (p≤0.01).
This study aimed at the examination of the cognitive remediation influence on the development of cognitive functions (perception, attention, memory, and thinking) in preschool children with ASD.
The analysis of literature sources confirmed the existence of problems in the development of cognitive functions in preschool children with ASD and led us to the conclusion that it was necessary to conduct special cognitive remediation sessions aimed to develop perception, attention, memory and thinking. In the framework of our study, special sessions were designed for the development of cognitive functions, the purpose of which was to correct cognitive function deviations.
Based on the outcomes of cognitive remediation sessions, we could conclude the following:
The significant changes of the holistic perception development level (p≤0.01) of the subjects in the experimental group were proved, while the changes of these parameters in the subjects of the control group were random.
The significant changes of the sensory perception development level (p≤0.01) of the subjects in the experimental group were proved, while the changes of these parameters in the subjects of the control group were random.
The significant changes of the attention stability development level (p≤0.01) of the subjects in the experimental group were proved, while the changes of these parameters in the subjects of the control group were random.
The significant changes of the short-term visual memory volume development level (p≤0.01) of the subjects in the experimental group were proved, while the changes of these parameters in the subjects of the control group were random.
The significant changes of the development level of thinking (p≤0.01) of the subjects in the experimental group were proved, while the changes of these parameters in the subjects of the control group were random.
Based on the foregoing, we could conclude that during the diagnostic experiment and after carrying out special work on the cognitive function development in preschool children with ASD, low and below average levels of the cognitive function development disappeared completely. Therefore, the special work on the cognitive function development in preschool children with ASD in the centre "Our sunny world" really increased the development level of attention, perception, thinking, and memory.
Our heartfelt gratitude to the rehabilitation centre for disabled children "Our sunny world" and its leader I. L. Spitsberg for the opportunity to conduct the research.
Ahmedova, I. E., Feofanov, V. N. (2017). Vliyanie specialnih zanyatii po razvitiyu kognitivnih funkcii na detei doshkolnikov s rasstroistvami autisticheskogo spektra [The influence of special classes on the cognitive functions development in preschool children with autism spectrum disorders]. Aktualnie problemi teorii i praktiki sovremennogo specialnogo obrazovaniya sbornik materialov mejdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferencii [Actual problems of theory and practice of modern special education, a materials collection of the international scientific and practical conference].126-128 p.
Frith, U. (1989). Autism: Explaining the Enigma.Oxford: Basil Blackwell. 204 p.
Gilberg, K., Piters, T. (1998). Autizm: medicinskie i pedagogicheskie aspekti [Autism: medical and pedagogical aspects]. Saint Petersburg: ISPiP. 312 p.
Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child, 2, 217-250.
Mamaichuk, I. I. (2007). Pomosch psihologa detyam s autizmom [Psychologist's help to children with autism]. Saint Petersburg: Rech. 288 p.
Nikolskaya, O. S., Baenskaya, E. R., Libling, M. M. (1997). Autichnii rebenok. Puti pomoschi. [Autistic child. Ways of help.]. Moscow: Terevinf. 341 p.
Feofanov, V., Kislyakov, P., Konstantinova, N., Kozlova, K., & Belyakova, N. (2018). Cognitive Functions Dynamics In Preschoolers With Autism Disorders Under Rehabilitation Centre Conditions. In S. Sheridan, & N. Veraksa (Eds.), Early Childhood Care and Education, vol 43. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 342-350). Future Academy. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2018.07.45


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UPDATE 2-U.S. screened 2.56 million air passengers Sunday, highest since 2019
David Shepardson
(Adds updated Buttigieg statement, United statement)
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened 2.56 million air passengers on Sunday, the highest number since December 2019 and the busiest day since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number was, however, below the 2.88 million screened on the same day in 2019 at the end of the busy U.S. Thanksgiving travel period.
Between Nov. 18 and Sunday (Nov. 27), airlines carried 22.2 million U.S. passengers compared with 23.5 million in the same period in 2019, down by about 5.5%.
U.S. airlines reported very few cancellations over the holiday travel period, including 177 on Sunday and 56 on Monday, according to FlightAware.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday on Twitter that "the system did well. Sunday's weather led to an elevated but not extreme level of delays (5.3%) & overall cancellation rates held below 1.0%."
United Airlines said Sunday was its third-busiest travel day of 2022, with more than 476,000 customers traveling and it completed 99.8% of flights over the week.
U.S. airlines had planned to operate 13% fewer domestic flights during the eight-day Thanksgiving travel period compared with 2019, data by Cirium showed, but often with larger planes.
Airlines and Buttigieg clashed for months over summer problems that led to tens of thousands of flight disruptions and prompted the department to pressure airlines to do more to boost customer service to passengers.
In September, President Joe Biden said his administration had cracked down on U.S. airlines to improve treatment of passengers, a claim rejected by the carriers.
"My administration is also cracking down on the airlines to get passengers fairer treatment," Biden said. "Secretary Buttigieg, at my request, called them out." (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alexander Smith)
We Can Accurately Guess The State You're From, But First Pick Your Favorite School Cafeteria Foods
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Shares of companies linked to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani continued to slide after his namesake conglomerate canceled a planned share sale worth more than $2 billion.
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Treacherous winter weather has extended across the Southeast this week, resulting in icy roads, power outages and other dangerous conditions.
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Shooting investigation shuts I-95 in Pompano Beach
The investigation of an overnight shooting prompted officials to close all southbound lanes of I-95 at Sample Road.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Pollen, 51, is described as a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall and approximately 180 pounds. He has reddish hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, tan shorts and blue tennis shoes.
Anyone with information on Pollen's whereabouts is asked to call Inv. M. Richards at (919) 560-4440, ext. 29320, the Durham Police Department's main desk at (919) 560-4427 or 911.


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Nigeria Govt cancels scholarships in UK, Over 100 Students to Return Home
October 16, 2017 Okegbemi Olusoji News 0
More than 100 Nigerian students in the UK face deportation because their funding has been withdrawn by the government.
According to UK Telegraph, the affected students would have to return home before Christmas because a bursary scheme funded by a regional agency in Nigeria has been cancelled.
The agency's decision to withdraw the funding without their knowledge has left some students saddled with debts of up to £20,000.
A number of students have been reportedly told that they will not receive their degree certification – even though many of them completed their courses in the last academic year.
The newspaper said it spoke to a number of students affected, who said they have been told they could be deported as early as 20 October.
Leeds University medical student Ogbonnaya Ogbonna is one of around 50 university students face being deported because a bursary scheme funding their degrees was pulled by government department without their knowledge.
The Nigerian high commission confirmed that 152 students had been caught up in the scandal when approached for comment, adding that the agency had been left with a "draught of funding" due to a slump in oil revenues.
Meanwhile, universities including Leeds, Sussex and Essex are alleged to have told students they cannot graduate and their visas will not be renewed.
But other universities, including Sunderland and Swansea, have allowed students affected to graduate – leading to accusations that some institutions are attempting to use the students' debts like a "ransom".
"It's impossible to take out loans because I'm not British, so loan companies won't lend to me," a Leeds medical student, was quoted to have said.
Commenting on this, Robert Halfon, a British lawmaker, described the behaviour of the offending universities as "outrageous", adding that the government should intervene to help those with no financial support.
"Whilst some universities have done the right thing, it appears outrageous and unacceptable from those who won't help these students in complete distress, and are holding a loan over the heads like a ransom," he said.
"Universities should be using their bursaries and other funds to support these students, and I hope that the government will be able to step in to find a solution."
Halfon said universities should be made to take out compulsory insurance agreements when accepting international students from politically unstable countries.
He urged the government to consider imposing new safeguards for students.
"If universities are going to take money from governments overseas, known to be in difficult political circumstances, we should look at introducing compulsory insurance agreements to ensure this does not happen again."
However, the department for Education declined to comment on the issue, stating that it was a matter for individual universities.
The universities of Leeds and Essex said they "sympathised" with the students affected but declined to say whether their visas would be revoked.
They added that they were working closely with the Nigerian high commission to resolve the dispute.
The University of Sussex claimed it had allowed one student to graduate, but declined to comment on whether their transcript had been withheld.
It added that it had been providing "some financial assistance for living costs in cases of particular hardship".
In a statement, the Nigerian high commission said additional funding had now been approved for 87 students, but provided no details of when this would be paid.
Others who have chosen to remain in the UK have done so at their own "volition", it added.
Nigeria Govt
scholarships in UK
Students to Return Home
ABUAD 2016/17 Graduating Students List
AFIT Released DE 2017/18 Admission List


ROLL Peanut Modeling Chocolate 1/2" thick.
CUT 1" circles. Preasure between plastic wrap and cutter will round edges of circles.
TEXTURE circles by pressing down cutter. Texture random segments over circle.
PLACE flat side of the textured circle over flat side of the acorn-shaped truffle. SMOOTH sides of circle to connect to truffle body.
INDENT a hole in the middle of the circle with toothpick.
ROLL a small log of chocolate fondant. This will create a stem.
INDENT top of the wider side of the stem with toothpick.
BRUSH edible glue or water to the narrow side of the stem, and glue to textured peanut butter chocolate circle.
BRUSH any excess powder over top of truffle.
This will create a beautiful gradient effect.
PLACE cream in saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
REMOVE from heat and SPRINKLE chocolate. COVER and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Heat should melt the chocolate.
STIR until smooth. ADD chocolate liqueur. This mixture is known as Chocolate Ganache.
POUR mixture on shallow bowl. COOL to room temperature. COVER with plastic wrap.
COAT your hands with cocoa powder and roll ganache into 3/4" balls or weight 14gr. balls.
SHAPE balls between both palms of your hands, pressing them slightly, and shape into cones.
PLACE flat side down, over wax paper.
REFRIGERATE for 30 minutes, or until hard.
TOSS truffles into a shallow bowl containing cocoa powder. TAP excess cocoa powder off and return to wax paper, flat side down.
Truffles are now ready to be topped by peanut butter modeling chocolate cap.
The highest the quality of chocolate you use, the most delicious your truffles will be.
In order to achieve nicely modeled truffles, work in a cool environment and allow ganache to slightly firm up by refrigerating 20 minutes prior to forming the truffles.
Ganache Truffle's body may be substituted by your favorite cake ball recipe!
Store: Airtight, Refrigerate for up to 6 weeks.
MELT chocolate over a double boiler until completely dissolved or by heating on a microwave safe bowl, in intervals of 15 seconds, until chocolate is completely melted.
POUR light corn syrup over chocolate and mix with a rubber spatula until chocolate thickens and looks slightly grainy. Don't overstir.
POUR mixture over plastic wrap, and cover tightly. Let REST overnight or refrigerate for 4 hours, until modeling chocolate has harden.
CUT in 4 equal parts and KNEAD each part separately until it softens. Chocolate will feel quite hard, continue kneading until warmth of your hands softens chocolate. Chocolate must be pliable, and hold its shape.
KNEAD all pieces together and add peanut butter. KNEAD until well combined.
REMOVE each circle with an angled spatula. Using the same cookie cutter, texture top by gently pressing chocolate dough with cookie cutter in a random arrangement.
With the back of a brush or using a toothpick, indent the middle of the circle to receive the fondant stem.
Real white chocolate (one containing cocoa butter) can be substituted by candy melts or chocolate coating (that contains no cocoa butter); which will result in a more pliable dough.
Modeling chocolate top may be substituted by small vanilla wafer, such as Nilla wafers. Melted chocolate or fresh peanut butter may be used to adhere truffle to wafer.
Store: Airtight, room temperature for up to 12 months.
KNEAD rolled fondant until pliable. Make a well in the center and place 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa powder. Measure 1/8 teaspoon of shortening, and slightly rub it in your hands.
KNEAD the shortening and cocoa powder into the rolled fondant until the cocoa powder is evenly incorporated.
REPEAT the process until all cocoa powder is incorporated to the rolled fondant.
MAKE a well in the center of the rolled fondant and add Chocolate Liqueur. KNEAD until fondant is smooth and pliable. DUST fondant with more cocoa powder if needed.
WRAP chocolate fondant on plastic wrap. KEEP covered at all times to prevent crusting and drying of the sugar paste.
MAKE a pea size ball of fondant. Roll into a taped log, and curve to simulate acorn stem.
INDENT top of fondant stem with toothpick or the back of a small brush.
SET aside, and let to dry before adding to the acorn top.
My recommended commercial fondant brand is Carma - Massa Ticino. Satin Ice is my second choice.
Work in small batches while incorporating cocoa powder to fondant, and knead slowly to prevent cocoa powder puffs.


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UFC Vegas 45 preview: Derrick Lewis headlines against Chris Daukaus
Last Updated: 16th December 2021
After the final numbered card of the year at UFC 269 saw one of the most surprising title changes in MMA history, as Julianna Pena dethroned Amanda Nunes to become women's bantamweight champion, we could be set for a few more surprise results from the UFC's final card of 2021 on Saturday.
In the main event, Derrick Lewis looks to bounce back from defeat in a title eliminator against Ciryl Gane as he faces the impressive Chris Daukaus, who is unbeaten in his first UFC appearances.
Meanwhile, in the co-main, fan-favourite Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson takes on Belal Muhammad in a fascinating welterweight clash. We preview all the action and run through our UFC betting odds below.
Derrick Lewis v Chris Daukaus – Heavyweight
Derrick Lewis is box office. He might be classed as your 'classic' heavyweight, relying on his ferocious knockout power to overcome shortcomings as a mixed martial artist, but with 12 UFC knockouts to his name, few who have come before have been so effective at closing the show.
In fact, no fighter in UFC history has more knockouts than Lewis, and a KO win at 2/1 on Saturday night would see him hold the record outright. He's more than just a knockout artist, though, going the distance with the likes of champion Francis Ngannou and having his hand raised too.
His opponent, Chris Daukaus, doesn't have the big fight experience of Lewis, but is on a five-fight winning streaking, including his first four in the UFC. He's no stranger to closing the show either, with each of his last nine professional wins coming via KO/TKO.
Daukaus has wins over respected opposition such as Alexey Oleynik, but this is certainly the biggest test of his career so far and a huge opportunity for him to propel himself into the title conversations. The part-time fire fighter is currently 11/8 to win his 10th fight in a row via KO/TKO.
With vastly more big-fight experience, you would expect Lewis to have the upper hand in this one as he is more than capable of finishing any heavyweight he gets in the octagon with. Don't discount Daukaus, though, who is very well rounded and equally capable of causing Lewis trouble on the feet.
Daukaus is the current favourite at 8/11, with Lewis available at 11/10.
Stephen Thompson v Belal Muhammad – Welterweight
As a firm fan favourite Stephen Thompson will be hoping he is able to force through a claim to a welterweight title shot as one of the few fighters in that division yet to be beaten by dominant champion Kamaru Usman. Despite losing three of his last five, 'Wonderboy' recently signed a new six-fight deal with the UFC and looks set to compete in more than 20 UFC bouts before his career is done.
Standing in his way is Belal Muhammad, who impressed many with his resolute takedown defence in his last bout against Demian Maia, and is looking to stake a title claim, coming into this one without defeat in his last five bouts. Muhammad has shown huge overall improvement in recent years, and a big win against a household name in Thompson would certainly get people talking about his prospects.
Thompson is currently the 2/5 favourite, with Muhammad currently at 19/10 to land a big win.
Check out all the latest UFC betting odds at William Hill


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Back when I was a rather precocious teenager, my mother and I would go out on shopping trips together. One day, we were looking at clothes and walked into the bridal section of a store. As we examined at the dresses and their high price tags, I wondered aloud if my mother would give me a big wedding when I got married.
I was taken aback; one of the universities I was applying to carried a $60K price tag for a four-year education. My mother made, at that time, about $13 per hour. "Even if I don't eat, you will go to school," she added.
I always recall that moment when folks tell me how they can't afford the time or money to further their education or their skills. I always think of my mother working those double shifts or overtime or double time, and occasionally reeling from exhaustion, to ensure my future.
Fast forward to 2014: Even today, I am always reading that book, or taking that class, or working some internship-level job to pick up that skill I desperately require. Because it's only by investing in myself that I become increasingly valuable. I raise my earnings by raising my human capital.
Human capital can be defined as the knowledge and set of skills that a person possesses that make him capable of performing labor that increases economic value. On a more relevant level, human capital is a person's competencies and talents as well as experience that make him capable of charging $75 per hour for a given job versus minimum wage.
These competencies and talents can be the result of a four-year education. However, learning doesn't start and stop at the college campus. If it does, that know-it-all graduate will soon be surpassed by her younger and nimbler peers in a very short time.
Learning is a lifelong process because life, like knowledge, never stops advancing. And the surest way to stay ahead and be paid top dollar for your time is to invest as much as possible into yourself and your freelance career. Here are 10 more reasons why you need to invest in yourself if you wish to get ahead.
Your life is more than just a timed series of social outings and family responsibilities. No, you also have goals and are striving to achieve them. Frankly, for most of us, it is our goals that give life meaning. However, how can you achieve your goals if you don't have the necessary know-how? By investing in yourself, you grasp that resource and achieve your goals rather than just engage in wishful thinking.
You might be good- just not good enough. Or you might be fast- just not fast enough. Despite your "years of experience," someone else is always snagging some opportunity away from you because you are limited in a certain proficiency. Investing in yourself and becoming proficient in whatever it is that you lack allows you to grab at opportunities that would previously have passed you by. Investing in yourself also doesn't leave you wondering what you may have accomplished had you not been limited by X, Y or Z.
Training and learning enable you to start seeing the broader scope of your profession and where its future lies. You are able to accurately predict what exactly will be the next "big thing" and take steps now to ensure that you're at the forefront of this up-and-coming trend. You stop looking at just your paycheck and start looking at the bigger picture.
I always loved to write, but I never saw myself making an actual living as a writer. I relegated writers to the same field as starving artists and struggling actors. It wasn't until I started taking online classes, networking with colleagues and reading freelance career books that I realized just how lucrative freelance writing could be.
I don't spend my days worrying about a freelance job going south or a client wrapping up a writing gig on me and disappearing. The "what if's" of making money through writing don't bother me because I already know what I bring to the table. But this confidence in my abilities resulted only after I'd accumulated some skills in writing, pitching, SEO, SEM, marketing and product management. And these skills came from my actually sitting down and learning them.
You know you have a crappy boss and this boss wants you in top form at all times. In a normal, everyday situation, you might quit on this boss, but not here. Why? Because your boss is YOU. And it's this boss's job to ensure that you are focusing on your own growth and development so that the business of You, LLC does not one day go bankrupt.
Employers regularly send their employees off to classes and training excursions because they know that even a small investment in education yields incredible returns down the line. Why should you stop learning just because you are now a freelancer? Are you less valuable than an employee simply because you don't have an employer hovering over you?
Learning any new skill rewires the neural circuits in your brain and provides you with new pathways of thinking about life and its challenges. And being more creative certainly makes you a more interesting person.
The higher you go in your education, training or personal journey of discovery, the more likely you are to encounter other great minds also seeking education, training and discovery. Such a "meeting of minds" can only bring about further greatness.
At the end of your life, you will look back on your accomplishments and failures, the opportunities you grabbed or abandoned, and whether or not you were genuinely happy. If you made every effort to live a life of excellence and not mediocrity, you will have lived a life of no regrets.
Why do you freelance? Sound off in the comments below!
Investing in my career is not an option for me. As an accountant, it is a requirement. If I don't keep up with the changes to not only tax law, but on accounting regulations, my clients will soon go elsewhere.
You had me at #2, but 8,9, & 10 are so, so, so true.
We are kindred spirits! Knowledge is power. Never stop learning. Read, read, read.
I love number 3. We should all take our future in our own hands!
Katie, I agree! It can be easy to become isolated. But freelancing also frees you to connect with other entrepreneurially-minded, adventurous, and amazing people!
Number 9 is so important because of how easy it is for freelancers to become isolated. Investing in yourself, your education, and your career is a great way to connect with other people and benefit from the exchange of ideas and passion.


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Published On: Fri, Dec 14th, 2018
Dispatch Blogs / This Day in History / World News | By Guest Author
Chernobyl tours: be ready for the most extraordinary trip
Events that will remain in memory forever
Impressing the whole world with its huge scale and terrible consequences, the Chernobyl disaster shocked the whole world. Radiation has affected the vast territories of Ukraine and neighboring countries, such as Russia and Belarus. Radioactive rains were observed even in the remote parts of Europe and some parts of the United States of America. During those times, an ordinary person could not even know what kind of consequences such catastrophe may cause and what kind of tragic events may be associated with the negligent action of workers on a nuclear power plant of the same type as the Chernobyl one. And although after an explosion of the Chernobyl NPP, safety issues at similar plants have been improved, the events of 1986 will not be erased from the history and the memory of thousands of people.
Uniqueness of the exclusion zone and popularity of Chernobyl tours
Today, the radiation of the 30-kilometer area, which was formed as a result of terrible events, has declined and in most areas, the radiation levels are permissible for a long staying of people. And even if the exclusion zone is not suitable for living yet, it is absolutely safe for tourism.
The uniqueness of the zone is the fact of human non-intervention, which has led to the rapid development of the animal and plant world that amaze with the species listed in the Red Book. Also, the place is impressive for tourists by its silence and calmness. Chernobyl and Pripyat, due to their mysterious and extreme atmosphere, are considered to be the most extraordinary and attractive destinations for a tourist, who seeks special and unusual places and who is ready to open a new world. The exclusion zone is like a magnet for those, who love mystery, and want to feel historical and, at the same time, creepy atmosphere of the cities abandoned by people a long time ago.
Throughout the year, tourists have an opportunity to use the services of agencies that offer Chernobyl tours. One of such agencies is Go2Chernobyl. Professionals, while developing tours, took into account the safety, comfort, and every attraction that can be interesting to guests of the exclusion zone.
Types of Chernobyl tours and what do they include:
the one-day excursion includes 25 most popular locations of the zone, English-speaking guides that meet your information needs, and an opportunity to make breathtaking pictures;
two-day excursion with an opportunity to spend a night in the hotel of Chernobyl and visit Soviet secret objects, such as DUGA, designed to detect launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles during Cold War; two days of staying in the exclusion zone is an opportunity to see more;
individual excursion allows visiting the Chernobyl NPP from the inside and makes possible to stay in the zone for up to 5 days.
Go2Chernobyl is an agency that proposes access to the information that is not available on the Internet, an opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the Soviet Union, guarantees of safety, comfort and unforgettable emotions.
Do not miss a unique opportunity to go on the Chernobyl tours, as it can be a trip of your whole life, which you will never forget.
Author: John Collins
Bio: John Collins is an experienced outstanding writer of his niche that takes the inspiration from his wonderful journeys. He is a loving father of two kids and a reliable husband.
ChernobylChernobyl DisasterEnergyenvironmentenvironmental issuesenvironmental protectionHistorynuclear programnuclear scientists killednuclear triadPripyatRussiaVacationWorld HistoryWorld News


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Mascara Literary Review
Stephanie Ye: Cardiff
January 1, 2011 / mascara / 0 Comments
Stephanie Ye (1982) is a Singaporean writer. A graduate of the University of Chicago, she currently works as a journalist. Her poetry and fiction have been published in the Quarterly Literary Review of Singapore (qlrs.com).
You change out of your school uniform into street clothes in the Bishan station washroom, then take the MRT to Lavender. Ten stops, one transfer. The east-bound train is packed, people's folded umbrellas dripping water onto the floor, the seats, other passengers. This train is sponsored by an international bank, advertising the new savings programme it has cooked up for the Singapore market. On the windows are pasted large thought bubbles positioned to seem like they are emanating from the heads of the people seated on the benches that line the walls. "Will we be able to afford a holiday in Europe?" worries an Ah Soh wearing a quixotic amount of makeup on her wilting visage. She has long green fingernails and toenails, like the spikes of some exotic and poisonous creature. "Can I afford to take care of Mum?" ponders a sleeping Bangladeshi worker, whose bulging FairPrice plastic bag swings ponderously between his knees as the train jerks to a halt.
She is already waiting in the open-air carpark next to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority building, reading a paperback. You pull your foldable umbrella from your backpack, but it turns inside-out in the wind and you're soaked anyway as you wade across the asphalt, your track shoes going squish, squish, squish. You can see the cover of the book, distorted through the rivulets running down the windscreen, as she lays it on the dashboard. It is one of those chick lit novels done up in violent pink with a large photograph of the author on the back. For a literature teacher, she has terrible taste in novels.
"You're late," she greets you as you open the car door and quickly shove yourself in, though not quickly enough to prevent large raindrops from spattering the fake leather upholstery. She twists to rummage through the backseat and tosses you a scratchy scarf-looking thing. You actually have a sports towel in your bag, but you use it anyway. It smells like her.
"If you would pick me up from school, I wouldn't be late," you reply. The windscreen wipers thrash to life with a thudding sound. You watch her profile as she puts the car into drive and navigates out of the lot, the way her pupil seems to float in a green lake when viewed from the side. You love to watch her drive. You feel so safe in the warm submarine stillness of the car, a tank against the raging monsoon.
"You know very well that's out of the question." She fumbles with the radio, the static crackling into the pushy voice of a DJ, exhorting listeners to call now, call now and you could win… "Did you take a shower?"
"Well, that's not very considerate of you."
"Sorry. But the guys' showers are like damn gross lah. There's gunk and everything. I'm better off not going in there."
She glances at you, you think to show some interest, then you realise she is checking her blind spot. "Anyway, isn't it time you stopped playing so much football and started studying?"
"Excuse me, are you trying to tell me I'm a lousy student?" Of course, you know you are not; you are by no means the best, but you're certainly not the worst either. If anything, you are solidly, consistently OK, which sounds pretty mediocre except that you're in reputedly the best school in the city-state, meaning you're at least the average of the best in Singapore. For what that's worth.
"Of course you're not lousy." She slows as the car goes through a huge puddle with a mournful whoosh, blurring the windscreen with fans of water. "But if you're serious about wanting to go to the UK for uni, you'll have to do well for your As."
"Not really. I really only want to go to Cardiff. It's not that picky."
"Oh, thank you for holding my alma mater in such high regard."
"Don't be so touchy lah." You can tell she's not really offended. "I just mean, it's not, like, Cambridge or something. Anyway, I don't know anyone else who wants to go there, so I'm sure they'd be happy to take me, the token Singaporean."
"It's not just about getting in — you'll need one of those government scholarships — unless your parents have stumbled upon loads of cash they'd forgotten about? Have you thought about your applications for those? You have to be the cream of the crop to get one, right?"
Of course she's right and you know she knows and so you don't answer. You gaze out the window at the dark green rain trees by the roadside, sliding past, their branches like frozen bolts of lightning. It is afternoon, but the storm makes it seem like it is much later, or earlier: a timeless state.
"Then again, you have to ask if it's really worth it," she continues. "They pay for four years of uni, but you have to spend six years in the civil service – there's obviously an imbalance built into that. I've always thought that was rather sneaky of them, wooing starry-eyed 18-year-olds with promises of a posh education, then turning them into indentured cubicle monkeys."
"Better than not getting to study overseas at all."
"That's what exchange programmes are for. Besides, half the professors at the local Us are from abroad anyway." She shrugs. "Even lowly A-level lit teachers like me." She's being self-deprecating; they only import ang mohs like her for the top junior colleges, and only for the humanities subjects, the theory being that white people can teach subjects that involve a lot of words better than the locals. Talk about a colonial hangover. But you have to admit, your favourite teachers are white. You find them more interesting to talk to.
Even then, there's a lot of things she just doesn't get. Like the whole wanting to go abroad to study thing. An expat like her should understand the need to live someplace else for a while, to just get the hell out of the place you were born. Or maybe that's not even a consideration for her; maybe she's just getting paid more to be here. You can't really blame her like that. But how to explain? You can't find the words to unravel the knot of emotions suddenly swelling in your chest. This feeling of cosmic and cruel injustice, that of all the random places in all the world to be from, you had to be from here. This place so tiny. Insignificant. Unsophisticated. Hot. Except when it rains.
"I'm just sick of Singapore, I guess," you finally say. The car has stopped at a red light, and for a while the two of you sit in the burble of an '80s power ballad as you watch some unlucky pedestrians pirouette across the road, swaying under umbrellas and open newspapers like high-wire acrobats.
"Cardiff's not going to be all that different, my dear. I don't know what romantic notions you've got in your head, but it's very much like Singapore. It's a city. All cities are essentially alike."
"Cardiff's not the same as Singapore," you say firmly. "It gets seasons."
"True," she admits. "I suppose if there's anything I miss about Cardiff, it's the change of season. An eternal summer can get quite tedious."
Summer. You slowly drag a finger across the windowpane, as if you could brush away the raindrops on the other side. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. Otherworldly markers for the passage of time, in a city on the edge of the equator.
She books the room for three hours, saying she has to be home for dinner by eight. Back when this all first began, you were a little depressed by the bare-bones efficiency of these rooms – just a bed, a TV, a lamp, an electric kettle, two Boh teabags. The curtains are thick enough to shut out the murky sunlight, but crashes of thunder, the tapping of rain and the blare of horns on Bencoolen Street filter through the glass. It is not a space to stay in for long. But over time you've come to see that it is elegant in its economy. All a man needs and nothing more. You kick off your track shoes and take off your wet clothes and hang them to dry on the back of the door, then take a quick shower. When you get out she is watching Channel NewsAsia, the weather report. Rain is general all over South-east Asia.
You are always surprised by how fair she is. It isn't that pallid fairness that Chinese girls are, a pale yellowness like tea-stained teeth. Her skin is luminous, almost bluish, and completely without any scars or blemishes, as if her girlhood in Cardiff had been free of sports, vaccinations and other mishaps. As you make love, every inch of her body turns from blue to pink, and her green eyes take on a faded, watercolour quality. Even the rain must be softer in Cardiff.
Afterwards, she lies on a towel and continues reading her book while you try to take a nap. Rain usually makes you sleepy, but the drumming on the windowpane seems exceptionally loud, and you end up watching her instead. It still amazes you, being so close to her. You remember that first day when she walked into class, she was wearing a light blue blouse made of some kind of satin and a black form-fitting skirt with heels, not the slutty kind but rather geometric and eye-catching, like high-tech gadgets. Her dark hair was twisted up in a knot and she was wearing a brownish-pink lipstick. Your whole class, both guys and girls, fell dead silent. She is that beautiful.
"For a literature teacher, you have terrible taste in novels," you say.
She harrumphs, not taking her eyes off the page. "Shut up. Wait till you've spent all night marking essays on the Mill on the bloody Floss."
"Are we that bad, Mrs. Williams?" you ask, reaching out to stroke the back of her thigh.
You feel the impact even before you register that about 400 pages of pulp romance and fashion swaddled in pink have just descended on your head. It hurts, but you know you deserved it and so you don't move, don't say anything.
"I told you not to call me that when we're here," she says evenly.
Your head throbs to the beating of your heart. You put your hand back on her skin, still warm and slick. You close your eyes. "I'm sorry," you say. You are, really. But you don't open your eyes to see if the apology is accepted. Instead, behind your eyelids you fly over the sea and through the sky, punching the turbulent thunderclouds and shrugging off the raindrops, heading for Cardiff.
22 January 2020, Frontyard
28-29 November, 2019
World Literatures & the Global South Conference. Keynote: Gauri Viswanathan
2019 Heyman Mentorship Award
Tweets by @mascarareview
© 2007-2020 Mascara Poetry Inc. First Published April 07, ISSN: 1835-4017
All Rights Reserved All work in Mascara is the sole property of the artists and may not be reproduced for any purpose without permission.


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Flinders St Station and trams in the 1950s- Melbourne icons
Stability and Sedation
When glamorous US film star Ava Gardner visited Melbourne in 1959 to film Neville Shute's nuclear-disaster novel On the Beach, she was allegedly unimpressed by our isolated corner of the world and famously described it as "the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world". US evangelist Billy Graham however, while visiting in 1950, had called it "the most moral city in the world". Perhaps in between those two descriptions, almost a decade apart, lay an unavoidable correlation...were we morally upright but dreadfully dull? More recently, journalist Neil Jillet has claimed Gardner never made the remark at all but rather it was a colourful invention of his own, yet this scarcely seems to matter, as the remark, now etched into Melbourne folklore, had touched a raw nerve.
Typical suburban housewife, Edna Everage
Melbourne in the 1950s was certainly a bastion of conservative values, with nary a ripple of discord from its citizens. Men wore hats and suits and women wore hats and gloves and everyone was awfully nice and chiefly concerned with domesticity. Politically, Prime Minister Robert Menzies was at the helm, WWII was over, the men were home, the women were shuffled back to the kitchen, the pubs closed at 6 o'clock, families were moving out to the newly created suburbs and all seemed right with the world.
It was, as comedian Barry Humphries once remarked, "like going to a party and dancing all night with one's mother". Humphries was one of the few Melbournians to sharply satirise 1950s Melbourne culture via his suburban creation, Edna Everage, who exquisitely typified all that was smug, stifling and self-satisfied about respectable normality. Melbourne had its pockets of subversion but after two world wars and a Depression, most people did not crave excitement - they wanted stability and security and could thus be lulled into a sense of conformity without too much social friction. By and large, we were white, homogenised and compliant....much like a glass of milk devoid of flavouring.
Still of a 1950s beauty by Melbourne's leading portrait photographer, Athol Shmith. Culture Victoria
The Hopeful City
Unlike its rival city Sydney, Melbourne had never been a penal colony but rather its foundations lay in the aspirations of ex-convicts, English immigrants and free men who had hoped for a new prosperity and a civilised world of respectable passions and dreams. In 1836 the first settlement on the Yarra river was formally named after the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Lord Melbourne and within two years land values had more than tripled. Melbourne's prosperity was further propelled along by the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s and the land boom of the 1890s - growth was so rapid that at one point it became the second largest city in the British Empire, after London.
Alas, the 1890s boom was followed by a calamitous crash and fortunes were lost almost overnight. My own great grandfather, Francis Gilman, Mayor of the inner city suburb of Hawthorn, lost 80,000 pounds in the crash through over-speculation - a fortune by the standards of the day. Completely ruined, he was forced to forgo his Malvern mansion, get a job at the gas works and move in with his adult daughter and son-in-law. Melbourne recovered but only to be sunk into desperation once again by the Great Depression of the 1930s and of course, two terrible wars. Post-war however, things picked up greatly, as they did elsewhere.
Melbournian race-goers, with trainer Tommy Smith out front. Image by Baden Mullaney
The 50s was a period of new-found affluence. Employment was stable, birth rates were up, Victorian wool prices were healthy, US investment and coal exports to Japan were happening and earlier Government restrictions on imported goods led to a productive manufacturing sector which serviced the domestic market. Shops and houses sprang up to service the needs of growing young families and the great suburban sprawl was taking firm root.
State of the art 1950s Melbourne home
Premier for 25 yrs, Sir Henry Bolte.
The pro-development and aesthetically challenged Henry Bolte was the State Premier (still the longest serving thus far in our history), and was, according to my mother, responsible, among other controversies, for tearing down what was known as the "Paris end" of Collins street in the city and removing forever many of the old buildings in the town that had identified Melbourne architecturally as one of the most striking examples of a Victorian city in the world. However, I'm aware this is a subjective view and there were and still are, Melbournians who preferred to decimate the ornate and elegant buildings in favour of innovative glass and concrete, thereby making it look like any other modern city:
Decorative domes, facades, spires and even entire buildings were removed. Traditional ornamental cast-iron awnings on commercial buildings were removed and banned in the inner city, and instead, shop awnings were suspended without posts. The (the developers) actions were as much to modernise the city as it was to remove the traditional associations with Europe. Many of these revolutionary early curtain-walled buildings contrasted heavily with the many highly ornate existing buildings providing further 'evidence' of the superiority of modern construction.
From Walking Melbourne, describing the rush to modernise Melbourne for the 1956 Olympics.
Melbourne's Victorian architecture - Royal Exhibition Building. In need of repair, by 1950 it was earmarked for demolition, to make way for the construction of office blocks. The grand ballroom was eventually demolished but the public outcry was so great, it was decided to preserve the rest.
The Wild One, Johnny O'Keefe
The new demographic, the teenager was emerging as a targetable economic force and even rock'n roll had hit us in the form of diminutive rocker, Sydney-sider, Johnny O'Keefe, known locally as The Wild One, who belted out foreign hits with enough gusto to rattle the old folk.
Night-life was limited in Melbourne due to the six o'clock hotel closing rule but there was always the cinema, clubs, theatre, restaurants, Luna Park, dances and of course, the radio at home. Daytime recreation was commonly fulfilled by our obsession with the beach and sports of all kinds, though 1950s Melbournians traditionally favoured Australian Rules football, which was conceived in Melbourne, horse racing and cricket. For the children there was Scouts and Cubs and Girl Guides and Brownies, designed to foster good citizenship and character development.
The Bar (1954) by South Melbourne artist John Brack, representing the "6 o'clock swill" when men would down as much beer as they could in the small window between the end of work and closing time.
1950s Melbourne Cup poster
True, we were still at best, a one car family (many people didn't own a car at all), the shopping mall would not arrive till the end of the decade and we were late to receive some of the technological marvels that were already ubiquitous in other countries, such as TV (which didn't arrive until 1956) - yet when we could, we took to the new consumerism with gusto.
Cream brick veneers grew from the landscape like wildflowers in Spring, old 'coppers' were set aside as down payments were made on bright new washing machines, refrigerators replaced archaic ice-boxes and babies passed through the maternity wards with almost as much frequency as the Holden cars that rolled off the production lines. We were in the boom period.
Shiny new Holden cars barrelling along the production lines . ABC News
In the 1950s, many people still considered themselves both British and Australian, if not by birth then by sentiment, lacking the national confidence to completely sever the invisible umbilical cord to Mother England and we looked to that country for guidance and approval. Schools hung the monarch's portrait in the main corridor and its students sang her praises every morning at assembly. American cultural colonisation had yet to make any deep inroads into our sense of sense of identity, although certainly we soaked up our fair share of US influence via Hollywood and seductive images of American culture.
Cultural institutions tended to reflect English tastes and values and while we did have our own artists, musicians, writers and actors, we were a little shy about applauding local talent and loath to regard them with the same reverence we showed foreign, celebrated talent. We weren't quite sure they were as good - this reticence became known as the Australian "cultural cringe". Native, Aboriginal culture was often overlooked, except as a kind of novel boutique art and in the '50s the most celebrated Aboriginal artist was Albert Namatjera, who, though extraordinarily talented, painted almost exclusively in the European style.
Kwaritnama - watercolour by Albert Namatjira. NGA
Most Melbournians living in the metropolitan area scarcely even saw an Aboriginal and there was little regard or acknowledgement of traditional ownership. The vast majority of Australians were European-centric, living under the insular umbrella of the White Australia policy, which excluded non-European immigrants. However we weren't completely devoid of multi-culturalism as Greek and Italian immigrants were beginning to open up cafes, delicatessens and restaurants, gradually introducing strange and interesting foods into our hitherto limited culinary range.
When we finally did get television in 1956, we began, slowly, to project more of our unique identity through locally produced TV shows, although imported material was still favoured by the commercial operators. In Melbourne, GTV9 launched In Melbourne Tonight and the children's program The Tarax Show in 1957, HSV7 broadcast the variety show Sunnyside Up but the public broadcaster, the ABC, would not give us a platform for the discussion of local issues via the current affairs programs Four Corners, and This Day Tonight until the beginning of the next decade.
The 1956 Olympic Games
Runner Ron Clarke lights the Olympic Flame in 1956
The '56 Games were in a way, a coming of age for Melbourne. It was a chance to play host to a vast sweep of international visitors and to showcase our beloved city to the world and although we were a little insecure culturally, as a sporting nation, we felt up to the task. Apart from providing the stimulus for a massive period of growth and development - hotels had to be built, old buildings torn down, new facilities created, as the first Games to be held in the southern hemisphere and the first to be broadcast live on television, it electrified Melbourne with a tremendous sense of pride and excitement.
The Games were opened by Prince Phillip and the Olympic flame lit by Melbourne runner, Ron Clarke, who by the end of his career, would set seventeen world records. Rower Merv Wood carried the Australian flag in the opening ceremony and went on to win the Bronze medal in the double sculls event with fellow rower Murray Riley. Strange things happened during the games - prejudices were broken down and new bonds formed. My own Grandmother, who still had residual resentment toward the Japanese because of WWII, went to one of the basketball games, which happened to be between the US and Japan and found herself barracking ferociously for the plucky Japanese basketballers, who were the underdogs during the game.
The '56 games also ushered in some new innovations, still maintained today - one such innovation, where all the athletes parade together as one at the close of the Games, came about at the suggestion of a Melbourne schoolboy, John Wing. Australia did well in the pool and on the track - Betty Cuthbert, Dawn Fraser and Murray Rose all won gold. 67 nations competed and despite some international tensions of the era, the catch cry of the day was "the friendly games". When it was all over and the last athlete returned home, there was a general feeling that the Games of the XVI Olympiad had been a resounding success for Melbourne.
Decorations in celebration of the 1956 Olympics adorn Coles store in the city of Melbourne
The 1950s had ushered in a new age of modernism, affluence and consumerism in Melbourne, as it did in the rest of the Australia and we were never to be the same again. We had our cars and houses and the promise of a bright future. In that decade we grew bolder, stronger and a little more sophisticated. Melbourne became the cultural and financial centre of Australia, as well as the fashion capital. We still loved sport but valued the Arts, taking pride in our new found cosmopolitanism, which was helped along by a steady stream of immigration. So confident and secure were we, that by the 1960s we were ready to question, criticise and to some degree at least, overhaul the conservative status quo.
Some Significant Events in 1950s Melbourne:
1952 - Melbourne's iconic Argus newspaper becomes the first in the world, to introduce colour printing and photography for occasional issues
1953 - The Korean War ends but Australia keeps a presence in Korea as peace-keeping force until 1957
1954 - People line the streets as the Queen and Prince Phillip visit Melbourne as part of their first official tour of Australia
1955 -Ray Lawler's play, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll premieres at the Union Theatre, Melbourne
1956 - Barry Humphries introduces Edna Everage on the Melbourne stage. Television arrives. The Games begin.
1957 - The Argus becomes unprofitable and is shut down forever
1959 - On the Beach is filmed in Melbourne, with visiting stars Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck. The beach scenes are shot on the Cowes beach, Phillip Island.
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Hitler's Filmmaker: Leni Riefenstahl
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History of the Chrysler Building
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Q: How to install Juniper on ubuntu 16.04 How to install Juniper on ubuntu 16.04x64?
I install 32bit java:
There are 4 choices for the alternative java (providing /usr/bin/java).

  Selection    Path                                            Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
  0            /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/java   1081      auto mode
  1            /home/romanovi/opt/jdk1.8.0_91-i386/bin/java     2         manual mode
  2            /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/java   1081      manual mode
  3            /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-i386/jre/bin/java    1080      manual mode
* 4            /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java          1         manual mode

What should I do next?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Heimer, Sina; Schmidlin, Patrick R; Stawarczyk, Bogna (2017). Discoloration of PMMA, composite, and PEEK. Clinical Oral Investigations, 21(4):1191-1200.
INTRODUCTION To assess the discoloration and stain removal potential of different cleaning methods relevant to individual/professional prophylaxis and laboratory cleaning on polyetheretherketone (PEEK), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based, and composite (COMP) materials after storage in different media for 7 days. METHODS One thousand three hundred twenty specimens of PEEK, PMMA, and COMP (N = 440 of each group) were prepared and stored in four different media for 7 days to cause stain. Samples were divided into three cleaning groups (n = 10): (i) individual prophylaxis, (ii) laboratory protocols, and (iii) professional prophylaxis. Color was determined by a portable spectrophotometer and calculated between different time points (∆E). The data was statistically evaluated using univariate analyses, Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests (p < 0.05). RESULTS The significantly (p < 0.001) lowest discoloration was found when specimens were stored in distilled water and chlorhexidine (CHX), followed by red wine. Curry solution caused the highest discoloration. PEEK showed the significantly (p < 0.001) lowest color changes, while COMP showed the highest changes. Ultrasonic bath and Air Flow Plus (AFP) were the significantly (p < 0.001) most effective methods to remove staining. The least cleaning effect was found using a soft toothbrush (ST), a medium-hard toothbrush (MT), and SunSparkle (SS) cleaning system. CONCLUSIONS PEEK seems more stable against discolorations than other denture resin materials. Regarding the cleaning potential, individual prophylaxis can be conducted with toothbrushes. For professional prophylaxis, air-abrasion devices using gentle powders are effective. Laboratory protocols should include gentle cleaning methods like ultrasonic bath. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Clinicians and dental technicians should inform their patients about the discoloration potential of certain foods/beverages and recommend the most efficient cleaning, but preventive methods.


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New Rowing Fitness Studio in Brookline
Aug 24, 2017 | Lifestyle
Power Rowing is changing Boston's workout routine
BOSTON, MA, August 24, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ — Bryan Fuller, owner of Power Rowing studio in Brookline Village celebrates successful launch of his new indoor rowing studio.
Power Rowing has come to Brookline to shake up the monotonous fitness routines in the city. The low impact exercise has taken the city by storm and offers a safe alternative to some of the popular high intensity workouts.
A typical Power Rowing class lasts forty-five minutes and consists of High Intensity Interval Training ("HITT"), which includes rowing and abdominal workouts. A short HIIT workout has been proven to be as effective as an hour-long endurance workout for post exercise oxygen consumption ("EPOC"), but with less impact.
Bryan Fuller, the studio's owner isn't new to rowing by any means. He has been rowing crew for the last 6 years and even completed a row across the Atlantic Ocean. If you're looking to learn the proper form of rowing, he is the man you want to learn from.
In addition to his new studio, Fuller also donates his time to several charitable organizations around the city. As an Army veteran, he volunteers with a local veteran's rowing program and donates a portion of his proceeds to a woman's shelter that aims to prevent domestic violence.
Bryan is proud to share his rowing experiences and invites anyone interested in a class down to his studio to learn.
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Kate Kelsen
Official Author Site for Kate Kelsen
About Kate Kelsen
Writing Tips, Advice & Discussion
The New Neighbours
The Wilted Rose
Paid To Dance
Stripping Past & Present
Asha's Story Part One
Resources for Writing & Online Publishing Services
The Plot Planning Sheet: The Essential Tool For Writers
Consultancy for Online Publishing Services
FREE Chapters!
The Wilted Rose: Chapter One
The New Neighbours: Excerpt
Paid To Dance: Stripping Past & Present (Excerpt)
Paid To Dance: Asha's Story Part One- Chapter One
Paid To Dance: Asha's Story Part Two- Chapter One
Books By The Beach: Grave Bargains at Palm Beach
February 28, 2019 February 8, 2019 Kate Kelsen
And here we are, stop no.10 on my Books By The Beach tour!
Palm Beach has been voted cleanest beach in Queensland three times. Jefferson Lane hosts some of the earliest and most basic of Gold Coast beach "shacks", some on blocks of land valued in millions of dollars. There is some suggestion that these in fact predate the subdivision of the area in the 1950s, and other remnants of an earlier settlement.
The area is bounded to the north by the mouths of Tallebudgera Creek to the north and Currumbin Creek to the south. There are nearshore bait reefs along Palm Beach and offshore there are fishing reefs that are some of the most productive of the Gold Coast.
In this post I will be sharing with you about my short story Grave Bargains.
In the wake of an unforgivable act against his family, Peter is determined to bury the past and start fresh. His good intentions are challenged by a sinister stranger, who is determined to dig up his sins, and threatens to jeopardise his efforts to make amends.
I got the idea for Grave Bargains after watching American Horror Story: Murder House, the first season in the popular anthology series. For a number of years I worked on this story in bursts on and off, before finally completing it in 2017 and launching it on Halloween of that year.
PLEASE NOTE: At the end of this video there is information about purchasing Grave Bargains on Amazon. My books are not currently available on Amazon. Instead you can download a PDF version of the story for FREE HERE: Grave Bargains
Thank-you for joining me here at Palm Beach! See you next at Currumbin Beach!
Tagged American Horror Story, Blogging, books, Free book, Free short story, Gold Coast, Gold Coast Author, Gold Coast Living, Independent Publishing, Inspiration, Palm Beach, Short Stories, Southern Gold Coast, Supernatural, travel, writingLeave a comment
Books By The Beach: The Wilted Rose at Tallebudgera Creek
Welcome to Tallebudgera Creek, stop no. 9 on my Books By The Beach tour!
Tallebudgera Creek is by far one of my FAVOURITE spots here on the Gold Coast. Where I am sitting in this video is on the Burleigh National Park side of the creek. Here there is a small, quiet beach, and I love to come here on a weekday when the crowds have gone and read a book or do some writing. Sitting on the sand, you can smell the rich aromas from the australian native plants and trees just behind you.
By hang on, you say. This is Books By The Beach, not Books By The Creek!
Tallebudgera is best known for its sparkling creek which is framed by the Burleigh Heads National Park on one side and Palm Beach on the other. However, this popular beach destination starts its journey further inland, from the Springbrook Plateau below Burleigh Mountain in the Springbrook National Park near Upper Tallebudgera, and north of the New South Wales/Queensland border. The creek flows generally north by east through the Tallebudgera Valley towards Burleigh Heads before reaching its mouth, south of the Burleigh Head National Park, and emptying into the Coral Sea. The creek descends 100 metres (330 ft) over its 25-kilometre (16 mi) course.
Tallebudgera Creek is known for good fishing, and its name even translates in an indigenous language to "good fishing". Bream, flathead, whiting and even bull sharks call the creek home. Camping, swimming, picnicking, and kayaking are other popular activities amongst visitors.
While the waters in the creek are renowned for their relative calm, the surf waves are within walking distance at nearby Tallebudgera Beach.
In this post I'm going to share with you about my book The Wilted Rose.
The Wilted Rose is the story of one Australian family's struggle with mental illness during the 1960s and 70s. The story depicts the rise and fall of ambitious young woman Sarah Ross, whose pursuit of a nursing career in the 1950s is challenged by tradition and religion. After Sarah's mental health deteriorates, her dedicated husband Jack adopts the role of her carer, and their daughter Grace must survive adolescence through great adversity, before their family finally receive a definitive diagnosis for Sarah's condition. The Wilted Rose is a moving story of passion, heartache, and unbreakable family bonds.
I started working on this book around the age of eighteen, and published it at twenty one. I held a launch for the first edition at the Suited To Success office in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, attended by several of my friends and family. The first print run of the book, which consisted of fifty copies, sold out quickly.
I held another launch for the revised edition in August 2012 at the now closed Black Cat Books and Cafe in Paddington. Guests at this book launch included representatives from various community groups associated with the book's subject matter, including mental health organisations and local historical societies.
PLEASE NOTE: At the end of this video there is information about purchasing The Wilted Rose on Amazon. My books are not currently available on Amazon. Instead you can download a PDF version of the first chapter for FREE HERE:
The Wilted Rose Chapter One
If you live in Australia, I can post you a signed paperback copy of The Wilted Rose. Simply send me a message via the Contact page.
Tagged Blog, Blogging, books, Free Chapter, Gold Coast, Gold Coast Author, Gold Coast Living, history, Independent Author, Independent Publishing, mental health, Novel, Southern Gold Coast, Tallebudgera Creek, travel, Women, writingLeave a comment
Books By The Beach: A Kind Gesture at Burleigh
Welcome to Burleigh, stop no.8 on my Books By The Beach tour!
Burleigh Heads is a suburb that extends north to Miami Headland, and south to Tallebudgera Creek, Palm Beach. The centre of the neighborhood is James Street, which consists of cafes, delis, hairdressers, retailers, chemists, restaurants and charity stores.
Burleigh Heads' surf break attracts surfers from the Gold Coast and beyond. At the headland of Burleigh, locally known as "The Point", is a popular vantage point for surfing spectators. On Sunday afternoons, bongo drum players gather in Justins Park for a jam session, which attracts a crowd for a picnic dinner in the park. Many also practice acrobatics, juggling and hula hooping to the beat of the drums.
Indigenous Australians inhabited the area of Burleigh Heads for thousands of years prior to European settlement. The Indigenous tribe were known as the Kombumerri clan, who had named the area 'Jellurgal'. The Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre is based at the foot of the Burleigh Headland, alomgside the pristine Tallebudgera Creek.
In 1840, James Warner was commissioned to survey the coastline near Moreton Bay. Warner named the Headlands near tallebudgera Creek 'Burly Head' because of its massive appearance. Decades later the name was adapted to the more genteel spelling of 'Burleigh Heads' and was declared a town reserve by the Queensland Government in 1871.
Burleigh Heads has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the David Fleay Wildlife Park located on Tallebudgera Creek Road. Burleigh Headland is part of a wildlife corridor connecting coastal forests south to the Queensland New South Wales border ranges.
The Gold Coast skyline can be seen in the distance from Burleigh Heads. The north-east facing beach is protected by the point to the south and offers one of the best swimming, body boarding and surfing beaches on the Gold Coast. A mature stand of Norfolk Island Pines form a backdrop and are home to native birds.
Burleigh Hill, with a view north of the Gold Coast skyline
The Quiksilver Pro, an event on the World Surf League, is often contested at Burleigh Heads when the surf is not contestable at Kirra or Snapper Rocks.
A Kind Gesture is yet another short story that put me through my paces. Loosely based on true events, A Kind Gesture tells the story of Stuart, a lonely divorcee who picks up a young hitchhiker on a cold night in Chicago. As their encounter progresses, it becomes obvious that neither is who they seem.
PLEASE NOTE: At the end of this video there is information about purchasing A Kind Gesture on Amazon. My books are not currently available on Amazon. Instead you can download a PDF version of the story for FREE HERE: A Kind Gesture
Thank-you for joining me here at Burleigh! See you next at Tallebudgera Creek!
Tagged Australia, Australian author, Australian History, Blog, Blogging, books, Burleigh, Characters, Creative Writing, Creativity, Gold Coast, Gold Coast Author, Gold Coast Living, history, Independent Author, Independent Publishing, Quiksilver Pro, Short Stories, Southern Gold Coast, Surfing, Tallebudgera Creek, travel, Women, writingLeave a comment
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📚 BIG NEWS: 26th JANUARY 📚 Today I submitted The Wilted Rose to The 2019/20 ADAPTABLE Program (Queensland Writers Centre) which seeks material for film or television adaptation to pitch to screen creatives. Successful writers will be announced in early Feb. Fingers crossed!! 🤞🤞 . . . #filmadaption #queenslandwriterscentre #adaptable #australianstories #novel
📣ANNOUNCEMENT 26th JANUARY 📣 My debut is setting off on an interesting journey. 📚➡ I'll tell you where to tomorrow afternoon! Stay tuned!! . . . #debutnovel #creativenonfiction #indiepublishing #indieauthor #truestories #australianstories #writing #opportunity
REVISION FINISHED!!! 🎉🎉 87 pages, 25,887 words. FINISHED!!! NEVER. TO. BE. REVISED. AGAIN!! 😂🤣 One step closer to getting my previously published books back out into the world and moving on to BRAND NEW WRITING!! . . . . . #wip #workinprogess #truestories #womensstories #australianstories
FINISHED!! 🎉🎉 Revision of Paid To Dance: Asha's Story Part One is FINISHED!! Twelve more pages left to type and it will be ready for a proofread!!! . . . #revision #revisededition #secondedition #truestories #womensstories #storiesaboutwomen #stripping #exoticdancers #creativenonfiction
Which ending is best for your story? ✒📚 . . . #writing #ending #howthestoryends #nailtheending
STATIONARY!! ❤✒❤✒❤✒ Nothing like a good pen I tell you!! Who else is obsessed with stationary?? . . . . . #stationary #obsessed #nothinglikeagoodpen #luxury