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Large Burmese Gilt Lacquered Buddha
Large Burmese Gilt Lacquered Buddha. Lacquered wood in red with gilt highlights, serenely seated with hands in a Bhumisparsha mudra.
Mandalay, Burma.
19th century. Height 85 cm.
The Royal Ontario Museum till 1969
From a Single Owner Canadian Collection, featuring objects Deasccessioned from the Royal Ontario Museum in 1969
* Buddhism is practiced by 90% of the country's population, and is predominantly of the Theravada tradition. It is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of the proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion. Adherents are most likely found among the dominant Bamar people, Shan, Rakhine, Mon, Karen, Zo, and Chinese who are well integrated into Burmese society. Monks, collectively known as the sangha, are venerated members of Burmese society. Among many ethnic groups in Myanmar, including the Bamar and Shan, Theravada Buddhism is practiced in conjunction with nat worship, which involves the placation of spirits who can intercede in worldly affairs.
With regard to the daily routines of Buddhists in Myanmar, there are two most popular practices: merit-making and vipassanā. The weizza path is the least popular; it is an esoteric form somewhat linked to Buddhist aspiration that involves the occult. Merit-making is the most common path undertaken by Burmese Buddhists. This path involves the observance of the Five precepts and accumulation of good merit through charity and good deeds (dana) to obtain a favorable rebirth. The vipassana path, which has gained ground since the early 1900s, is a form of insight meditation believed to lead to enlightenment. The weizza path is an esoteric system of occult practices (such as recitation of spells, samatha and alchemy) believed to lead to life as a weizza (also spelt weikza), a semi-immortal and supernatural being who awaits the appearance of the future Buddha, Maitreya (Arimeitaya).
* From Wikipedia
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Why Does Lord Of The Rings Clear Up Space On Your iPhone?
A Reddit thread is claiming that for those of us — and there are many — who are running out of space on our iPhones, all we have to do is try hiring The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Viola! Free space! An April Fools joke, or so we thought. But I loaded my beat up iPhone 5 with music until it was bursting at the gills and then attempted to hire Peter Jackson's 6.83 gigabyte masterpiece. Lo and behold, I had gained almost 200 megs out of nowhere. Three more rentals and my overstuffed phone had gone from a meagre 381 megs to a full 1.2 gigs of free space.
The exploit isn't limited to Tolkien-based fantasy films — any rental attempt where the desired file is larger than your current free space seems to magically create hard drive space. Which begs the question: what on earth is it deleting? And why does it happen incrementally over many failed rentals instead of all at once?
We've reached out to Apple for comment, and we've emailed our sincere thanks to Peter Jackson.


> My  input file was generated from Avid Media Composer 8.
> either MKV or MOV, the file is listed as progressive in mediainfo.
> libx264 in mov and mkv.
how it should be displayed?
affirm it) your ingest is TFF (there is no info about it in the input file).
instead of "unknown" (value 0) in the FFV1 bitstream.
You can force FFmpeg to configure the encoder with interlacement.
people will rely on this information.


text:
Killing Capitalism: Technocrats Spark Worst Economic Collapse In 150 Years
Posted By: Heather Scott via AFP June 9, 2020
Please Share This Story!
The World Bank has spoken. As a primary agent of implementing global Technocracy, its report underscores the enormity of shutting down the planetary economic system. Simultaneously, the World Economic Forum has called for a complete "reset". ⁃ TN Editor
The coronavirus pandemic inflicted a "swift and massive shock" that has caused the broadest collapse of the global economy since 1870 despite unprecedented government support, the World Bank said Monday.
The world economy is expected to contract by 5.2 percent this year — the worst recession in 80 years — but the sheer number of countries suffering economic losses means the scale of the downturn is worse than any recession in 150 years, the World Bank said in its latest Global Economic Prospects report.
"This is a deeply sobering outlook, with the crisis likely to leave long-lasting scars and pose major global challenges," said World Bank Group Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Ceyla Pazarbasioglu.
The depth of the crisis will drive 70 to 100 million people into extreme poverty — worse than the prior estimate of 60 million, she told reporters.
And while the Washington-based development lender projects a rebound for 2021, there is a risk a second wave of outbreaks could undermine the recovery and turn the economic crisis into a financial one that will see a "wave of defaults."
Economists have been struggling to measure the impact of the crisis they have likened to a global natural disaster, but the sheer size of the impact across so many sectors and countries has made that difficult.
Under the worst-case scenario, the global recession could mean a contraction of eight percent, according to the report.
But Pazarbasioglu cautioned: "Given this uncertainty, further downgrades to the outlook are very likely."
Meanwhile, a group of American economists who are the arbiters of when a recession starts and ends said Monday the United States entered a downturn in February, ending 128 months of uninterrupted growth, the longest streak in history.
Recessions typically are defined by several months of declining economic activity.
But the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a non-profit, non-partisan research organization, called the current situation in the world's largest economy "unprecedented" due to the severity of the drop in employment and production, even if it might turn out to be shorter than other recessions.
Read full story here…
How The Great Reset Is Accelerating Into Global Tyranny
Death To Capitalism! Technocracy Cheers As Markets Crumble
Unraveling The Great Reset And The Irrational Global…
Progressives: Central Banks Seen As Key Agents Of…
Slavery Ahead: The Technocratic Convergence Of…
Capitalism Is Being Blamed For COVID-19 Deaths
Killing Capitalism: WEF Warns Of Cyber Attack…
The Davos Revolution And The Re-Making Of Civilization
Masher1
Came in last night, Was presented with a big nasty looking warning…. Knew it was a trick..
I guess you must be hitting the mark too much lately…
Vonu
With all the presidential hoopla about China, it is not part of the World Economic Forum or the World Bank.
e.a.greenhalgh
The economic collapse was planned circa 2012 by Obama who was told the market was over heated. He is alleged to have to subvert the Constitution to form a Socialist Republic. Economist Peter Gunther predicted the 2019 collapse https://medium.com/@edwardagreenhalgh/covid-19-world-economic-collapse-under-the-rule-of-law-the-lock-downs-are-illegal-and-not-a-real-556c4b9b4ca8
One World Religion: Pope Francis Signs Historic Covenant With Islam

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Netflix's 'Ozark' Was Most Popular Streaming Show This Summer, According to New Audience Metric
Meanwhile, Nielsen may have cracked streaming ratings, revealing numbers on shows like "Marvel's The Defenders" — though Netflix says they're all wrong.
Oct 18, 2017 5:15 pm
@franklinavenue
Jackson Davis/Netflix
A few months ago, a Netflix exec mused to IndieWire that he was actually surprised that the streaming service's viewership data hadn't leaked out. Plenty of Netflix insiders know exactly who's watching what, and when.
Yet, the streaming giant has managed to keep its ratings under lock and key. Accurate data remains a mystery to even top-level Hollywood execs outside of the Netflix bubble.
That's starting to change, as more services chip away at the facade of Netflix ratings. Parrot Analytics has made headlines recently with its proprietary "Demand Expressions" metric, which looks at a variety of factors in determining a digital program's popularity. And according to a new study revealed exclusively to IndieWire, the Jason Bateman drama "Ozark" led the pack among all streaming shows over the past 90 days.
"Demand Expressions" measures audience demand for a title — including streaming, social media, blogging, file sharing, blogging, comments and other sources. The measurement is weighed by importance, which means a stream or download take precedence.
Sarah Shatz/Netflix
Meanwhile, Nielsen, the grandaddy of all ratings services, has been working on streaming viewership data for some time, and finally revealed some of that information this week.
According to Nielsen, which handed out just a few morsels of viewership info to reporters, the first episode of Marvel series "The Defenders" averaged 6.1 million viewers during the first week it was released, between August 18 and August 25. The first episode of "Fuller House" Season 3 posted 4.6 million viewers between September 22 and September 29. And the premiere episode of Season 5 of "House of Cards" also averaged 4.6 million viewers, from May 30 to June 6.
As it does every time another company claims to have cracked the Netflix ratings mystery, the service was quick to dismiss the numbers. "The data that Nielsen is reporting is not accurate, not even close, and does not reflect the viewing of these shows on Netflix," a spokesperson said.
Netflix, of course, could be right. Past numbers, including well-publicized ratings information from the now-defunct Symphony Advanced Media service, have been considered wildly inconsistent. But until it finally releases actual data, and not just press releases on quirky user habits that ultimately don't reveal much information, this is the closest thing we've got.
Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and now CBS All Access remain stubbornly resistant to sharing viewership info, yet studios need that information to assess the value of their content and set license fees. Actors and creators also need that information in order to negotiate and renegotiate their deals. The business as a whole could use more information on the value of placing content on streaming services. And the media would like to know, in order to gauge audience interest. At some point, that Netflix exec will be right, and someone will intentionally or accidentally release real numbers — so it behooves those services to get out in front of it.
Nielsen has been working on its streaming ratings methodology for some time, and was originally expected to launch a new streaming ratings service months ago. But it got caught up in a few hiccups, including coding issues.
Nielsen is using its people meter boxes, the same ones that measure broadcast and cable ratings, for Netflix measurement. For streaming programming, it relies on an audio code embedded inside the shows, in order to track viewership. Because there's such a big rush of viewership for Netflix shows on the first day of viewing, Nielsen has to make sure that studios are sharing those audio cues from the very beginning.
Nielsen's reveal of Netflix stats also came following months of hardball negotiations with networks and studios to start buying that data. Nielsen knows the traditional Hollywood studios are hungry for those ratings, and insiders said the company has been looking to charge networks as much as four to five times more than what they now pay for broadcast and cable ratings. Companies initially signing on include Disney/ABC, NBCUniversal, A&E Networks and Warner Bros.
As for the Parrot Analytics data, the company shared the top 10 digital originals in the United States over the past 90 days, and Netflix easily dominates the roster. The sleeper hit "Ozark" actually topped the charts, while CBS All Access' "Star Trek: Discovery" was No. 2, followed by Netflix's "Stranger Things," which remains popular even before the launch of Season 2. Hulu makes an appearance with Emmy winner "The Handmaid's Tale," but as has been discussed recently about the lack of buzz surrounding Amazon Prime's programming, none of that service's shows make the top 10.
Here's the full chart:
AVERAGE DEMAND EXPRESSIONS
Ozark Netflix
Star Trek: Discovery CBS All Access
Stranger Things Netflix
The Handmaid's Tale Hulu
Narcos Netflix
Orange Is The New Black Netflix
Castlevania Netflix
Marvel's The Defenders Netflix
13 Reasons Why Netflix
House of Cards Netflix
Source: Parrot Analytics; Average Demand Expressions between July 14 and October 11, 2017.
Meanwhile, for the week of October 5 through 11, "Star Trek: Discovery" was actually No. 1, perhaps helped by the fact that new episodes are being released on a weekly basis. In No. 2 was new animated series "Big Mouth":
Big Mouth Netflix
Fuller House Netflix
Source: Parrot Analytics; Average Demand Expressions between October 5 and October 11, 2017.
This Article is related to: Television and tagged Netflix, Nielsen, Parrot Analytics, Ratings


text:
Q: Enabling "Connect to Outlook" in a regular list in SharePoint Is it possible to enable the connect to outlook option in a regular list in SharePoint?
I already have a list with lot of columns and we need the Connect to outlook option enabled.
Is there a way to do it? or should I create a new calendar list and copy all the columns to it?

A: You will need to do this with a Calendar view. SharePoint enables/disables the Connect to Outlook button based on the list type.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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BOURKE, Melanie Patricia - 2012 TASCD 290
I, Robert Pearce, Coroner, having investigated the death of
Melanie Patricia BOURKE
(a) Melanie Patricia Bourke died on or about 7 December 2010 at Mersey Community Hospital, Latrobe aged 25 years;
(b) Ms Bourke was born in Launceston on 4 June 1985 and at the time of her death was single and a disability pensioner;
(c) Ms Bourke died as a result of aspiration pneumonia and pyelonephritis;
(d) at the time of her death she was being treated by a medical practitioner.
(e) no other person contributed to the cause of Ms Bourke's death.
Background and investigation
1. Melanie Bourke died on 7 December 2010 aged 25. Prior to her death she lived in Devonport. She had poor health. She had a long history of chronic medical conditions and an extensive medical history. She was an insulin dependent diabetic. Her health was complicated by her non-compliance with management of her diabetes and general lack of self-care. She had been admitted to hospital more than 100 times in the previous seven years, mostly because of her diabetes. Both the North West Regional Health Service and Tasmanian Ambulance Service had a specific management plan for use when Melanie required treatment. One aspect of her condition when she was unwell was extreme agitation and physical resistance to paramedic and medical intervention and so sedation was integral to the management plan.
2. On 4 December 2010 Melanie had a fall at home. On 5 December 2010 her mother, Denise Bourke, called for an ambulance. Melanie was taken to the Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe. On 7 December 2010 she suffered two cardiac arrests and she died at about 3.15pm.
3. The coronial investigation of Melanie Bourke's death has included, amongst other things:
(a) a post mortem examination;
(b) review of the records of the Mersey Community Hospital ("the MCH") and the Tasmanian Ambulance Service;
(c) a comprehensive report from Professor Michael Buist, the Clinical Director of Intensive Care at the Mersey Community Hospital;
(d) a review of the post mortem examination by the Director of Statewide Forensic Medical Services, Dr Christopher Lawrence;
(e) a toxicology report from Forensic Science Service Tasmania;
(f) advice in conference from a senior nurse investigator engaged by the Coronial Division and Dr Lawrence.
4. In the course of the investigation Melanie Bourke's mother, Denise Bourke, expressed some concern that Melanie's death was contributed to by the medication administered to her on and following 5 December 2011. The investigation has been conducted with that expression of concern in mind.
5. The starting point is to determine the cause of Melanie's death. I am satisfied from the post mortem examination and Dr Lawrence's opinion about the results of that examination that the cause of her death was aspiration pneumonia and pyelonephritis. Aspiration pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs and airways leading to the lungs from breathing in foreign material, for example food or vomit. This may lead to swelling and inflammation in the lung or a lung infection (pneumonia). Pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidneys. In Dr Lawrence's opinion, which I accept, the aspiration pneumonia was well established at the time of death and was probably highly significant in the cause of death. Her kidneys were considerably damaged and she had deteriorating renal function. The effect of the sepsis, whether arising from the pneumonia or the kidney infection or both, was a series of physical consequences, not all of which can be precisely identified, but ultimately leading to heart failure.
Circumstances leading to Ms Bourke's death
6. The ambulance arrived at Ms Bourke's home at about 2.15pm on 5 December 2010. Presumably because of the known difficulty in attending to Melanie's care a senior paramedic, Andrew Muir, was also called to assist. Melanie was in pain, had nausea and had vomited food. The initial assessment was of hyperglycaemia. She complained of back pain. She was monitored, including with a cardiac monitor and given oxygen therapy and insulin. The management plan prepared by the Tasmanian Ambulance Service Medical Officer in conjunction with the MCH Director of Emergency Medicine was implemented. To inhibit her agitation and allow safe transport to hospital she was given 5mg of midazolam to sedate her. However, she remained agitated and non-compliant. She was administered 100mg of Ketamine. The management plan provided for administration of 150mg of Ketamine but Mr Muir decided on a lower dose. That dose proved to provide effective sedation and she was safely taken to the MCH.
7. She arrived at the hospital at 3.12pm. In the Department of Emergency Medicine 200mg of Ketamine was administered intramuscularly at 3.30pm and a further 100mg of Ketamine at 4.05pm. She was assessed and examined and given other general treatment and transferred to the High Dependency Unit at 6.10pm where further assessments and monitoring were undertaken. Her left lower leg was in a plaster cast from an earlier fracture. She had a chest x-ray that showed no abnormality.
8. Ms Bourke was assessed by the locum consultant physician the following morning, 6 December 2010, at 8.55am. She continued to complain of back pain. Plain x-rays revealed no fractures.
9. During the morning of 6 December the Director of Medicine instructed that, in accordance with the patient management plan, Melanie should be transferred to the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie ("the NWRH"). However advice was received from the NWRH that no beds were available and so she was kept at MCH.
10. During 6 and 7 December Melanie continued to be agitated and complain of back pain. Her condition deteriorated. She was not eating and required ongoing sedation and analgesia as well as an insulin infusion.
11. Just after 10.00am on 7 December Melanie was noted to have a profoundly slow heart rate. She was pale and unresponsive. Resuscitation attempts were urgently commenced. Further measures were taken to treat her and stabilise her condition. A chest x-ray disclosed possible aspiration. An echocardiogram also disclosed a dilated right ventricle. Dr Buist attended at 11.50am and diagnosed pulmonary embolus. Arrangements were made for Melanie to be transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital for surgery. However later in the afternoon Melanie suffered a further cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated. She died at 3.15pm.
Matters arising from these circumstances
12. Melanie's mother has expressed concern about the circumstances leading up to her daughter's death. A particular matter she raised was a comment made by the paramedic, Mr Muir, about the level of ketamine described by the management plan as to be administered to Melanie, that it was "enough to kill a horse". Mrs Bourke's concern is understandable but, as a result of the investigation, I am satisfied that the level of medication administered to Melanie was not excessive. Mr Muir's remark was made in passing and colloquially and intended only to indicate that the same result could be achieved with a lower dose. The toxicology report lists medications present at therapeutic quantities only. Her medication did not contribute to her death except that her sedation may have increased the risk of aspiration.
13. Other matters have emerged during the investigation. It is now acknowledged that Melanie should have been transferred earlier to the NWRH in accordance with the management plan. Professor Buist also acknowledges that there was an insufficient assessment at a sufficiently senior level of Melanie's deteriorating condition and the origin of her back pain.
14. Even so, it must be acknowledged that Melanie was a difficult patient, she presented with atypical symptoms and, even with the benefit of the post mortem findings, it is difficult to unequivocally identify the cause of all of her symptoms and signs and to diagnose her condition. The post mortem findings are difficult to reconcile with Melanie's signs during her admission. The attribution of an orthopaedic cause to the back pain, given her history, was understandable although an alternative cause was not considered and it was later revealed that it is likely that the back pain was due to the infection in her kidneys. The diagnosis of pulmonary embolus, when it was made, was a reasonable one even though the post mortem examination casts doubt on it. Professor Buist points out that the finding of a grossly dilated right ventricle suggests least transient obstruction. I accept the advice of Professor Buist that even if Melanie had been transferred to the NWRH it is unlikely that her treatment would have altered.
15. I regard it as likely that the infections were present prior to Melanie's admission. However even if they had been earlier diagnosed and aggressively treated, Melanie was so unwell that the infections placed her at significant risk, whatever course was taken. The deterioration of her condition and the cardiac arrests are still likely to have occurred.
Comments & recommendations
16. By s28 of the Coroners Act a coroner investigating a death is required to find, if possible, when and where the person died, how the death occurred, the cause of death and to identify any person who contributed to the cause of death. The primary focus of an investigation is to seek out and record the facts concerning the death of a person. It is a fact finding exercise of an inquisitorial nature. The facts which are relevant are those which may enable findings about the matters the Act requires the coroner to, if possible, determine. However it is proper that an investigation should identify not only the direct means or mechanism of death but also the circumstances attending the death. It is not the function of an inquest to attribute any moral or legal responsibility or liability for a death or to hint at blame. It is not a means of apportioning guilt. A coroner is to determine facts. The facts, once determined, will speak for themselves and it is for others to, if necessary, draw legal conclusions.
17. I have decided not to hold in inquest into Ms Bourke's death. The investigation has sufficiently disclosed the identity of the deceased person, the time, place, the relevant circumstances concerning her death and the particulars needed to register her death under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act. I am satisfied that no other person contributed to Ms Bourke's death. I do not consider that an inquest is likely to elicit any further information concerning the issues that I am required to determine.
18. The investigation has also resulted in steps being taken at the Mersey Community Hospital to review and address some of the issues that arose in the course of Melanie's care. They relate to record keeping and monitoring of deteriorating patients. This challenging case serves as a reminder to clinicians of the need for close vigilance when caring for sedated patients with heightened risk of aspiration, particularly if diabetic and at risk of becoming critically ill.
I convey my sincere condolences to Ms Bourke's family.
DATED: 19 September 2012 at Launceston in Tasmania


The Aquaserp is an interactive spray feature suitable for shallow pools and spray park applications with no standing water. There are no moving parts and simple interaction for the players is with the water flow alone. A piped in water source is required.
Operation is a maximum pressure of 120gpm @ 25psi or 13.9L/s @ 17.5m.


Scientific Professionals are happy to announce the launch of our new website! Scientific Professionals, part of the Clinical Professionals Group was formed in response to focus on the needs of clients by finding key hires for their business. We pride ourselves on generating and maintaining successful, honest and professional partnerships with all of our contacts.


Surprise! Welcome to our new blog! We have been working on quite a few changes around the site.. some you may have noticed already.
I want to apologize for the confusion that switching blog platforms has caused. I am tediously working to repost all the older posts.. unfortunately there is no easy way to do this and requires a few hours of copy and paste ha ha! So in the meantime some older posts may be missing if you are looking for them.. but will be posted soon.
With all the nerd work I have been doing lately I totally missed posting the winners for the June Inspired by... challenge.. sigh sorry. So without further ado here are the fantabulous winner and runner ups!!
Congrats to Evelyn La Fleur she entered this beautiful layout and was selected as the winner.
We totally loved all the entires. They were all so amazing! Thanks for playing with us!
Make sure you check out our July Colour Challenge and play along for a chance to win a great prize. Evelyn please email us at info@meilipaperie.com to let us know where we can send your prize.
really a beautiful layout, congrats Evelyn!
Thank you very much Jò! Your layouts are awesome! Congratulations for the feature!


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MIES CROWN HALL AMERICAS PRIZE
Nominated Projects
Outstanding Projects
MCHAP
Back to Nominated Projects
The Click Clack Hotel Medellin
PLAN:B ARCHITECTS
Felipe Mesa, Federico Mesa
Click Clack LAB (Felipe Cruz, Tomás Beltrán), Estrumetal, Epífita, CONINSA RAMON H., Laura Kate Correa
The Click Clack Hotel
Alejandro Arango (exterior), Carlos Vélez (interior)
The daily life of the hotel and the city are complementary. The building is an epicenter to promote local creative industries through art, gastronomic events, fairs, concerts, theatre, nightlife, and various types of recreation. The structure of the building was designed to have a wide structural span and allow the passage of people into its semi-public areas. The expression of the structural forces is part of its form. The building was thought of as a large, heavy, and perforated machine, resistant and friendly. In Medellín, the intense sun generates defined shadows all the time. The tones vary in intensity, always keeping in a gradation of grey. This building participates in that same palette, and more than a volume, it pretends to be a shadow that stands out and contrasts with the intense vegetation of the interior and the surroundings.
The building is an urban crossing with a permeable configuration. It completes the block, creating a pedestrian crossing and new semi-public spaces: a passage, stairs, a courtyard, a podium, platforms, terraces, and a bleacher. It has several accesses and is surrounded by native vegetation. The building has an internal network with connectivity through several vertical communication zones: seven staircases, six elevators, corridors, mezzanines, ramps, and doors, generating flexibility and allowing singular dynamics to each type of event. Each visitor can wander through the various spaces where cultural agendas and interactivity take place and curiosity is rewarded.
The hotel has a wide range of different types of compact rooms, grouped and stacked in volumes of various sizes, where the tropical climate can affect the building through balconies, terraces, platforms, and decks. Each room has a unique location, according to its height and its relationship with the exterior or interior of the building: there are corner rooms, rooms towards the courtyard, towards the passage, or the outer streets. The hallways have natural lighting and open spaces with native vegetation. The roof terrace is also full of activity, and it has a swimming pool, bars, restaurants, and an outdoor cinema.
MCHAP Sponsors


text:
Sklyarenko () is a Ukrainian-language family name.

The surname may refer to:

Alexei Sklyarenko (1870–1916), Russian revolutionary
Andrey Sklyarenko (born 1976), retired Khazakstani hurdler
Oksana Sklyarenko (born 1981), Ukrainian marathon runner

See also

Ukrainian-language surnames

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Here at Made For Her Jewellery we specialise in high quality, stylish and modern women's jewellery. We source all our jewellery products from around New Zealand and Globally. We sell online direct to you allowing you to receive huge savings off the normal retail prices.
When shopping on our website you will be spoilt for choice as we stock New Zealand's largest selection of women's jewellery and are adding new product lines every week.
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text:
Chuck Lindsey
Norman Reedus Could Be Our Next Ghost Rider
Walking Dead star, Norman Reedus, expresses serious interest in playing the Marvel character Ghost Rider in the MCU and we have a first look at what that might look like.
The character of Ghost Rider first hit the big screen in 2007 with Nicholas Cage's portrayal of the hell-fire wielding superhero and was later portrayed by Gabriel Luna as the second rider, Robbie Reyes in Marvels Agents of Shield.
About 4 days ago, in an interview with ComicBook.com, Walking Dead star, Norman Reedus, commented on his extreme interest in reviving the Johnny Blaze character, Ghost Rider in the MCU.
When asked about the character, Reedus said, "It would be "so fun" to play Johnny Blaze and the fiery antihero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe." Reedus says the conversation of who should play Ghost Rider next "has been coming up for years," and he wants "them to put [him] in it."
So amidst this news, fan artist Mizuriau took to Instagram to share a new piece of fan art showing what The Walking Dead star could look like as Ghost Rider. Utilizing one of the stills of Reedus' Daryl from the series, the art sees half of his face on fire and a charred skull making its way out.
The casting, in my opinion, would be perfect as Reedus is an avid bike rider, and has his own motorcycle show on AMC called Ride: with Norman Reedus. So the idea of him playing a motorcycle stunt driver turned hell-riding-superhero makes perfect sense.
SOURCE: https://screenrant.com/ghost-rider-mcu-norman-reedus-fan-art/
SOURCE: https://screenrant.com/ghost-rider-norman-reedus-mcu-role-interest/
norman reedus ghost rider
norman reedus mcu
ghost rider movie
norman reedus ghost rider art
ghost rider fan art


text:
The Chiefs and Home on the Range celebrate
What do the Kansas City Chiefs and Home on the Range have In common?
The Home on the Range cabin is in Smith County, Kansas and it is over 100 years old. Doc Higley had help with a new dugout by Beaver Creek to live in the summer months to hunt and fish, and be the doctor on call in the 1870s. Erosion by the creek changed the dugout into a cabin. After he left Kansas, the cabin was lived in by many families. The floor is all dirt. Pete and Ellen moved onto the property and refused to sell the Higley cabin. Doc Higley wrote the poem My Western Home there and it became a song, Home on the Range and state song of Kansas in 1947. Pete and Ellen Rust owned the property and surrounding area. {{more}}
Pete passed away and Ellen eventually moved to Smith Center and then a nursing home. She was nearing 100 years old when she passed away. She had thought ahead about the future of the cabin, and with the help of nieces and nephews, the cabin's popularity soared.
One nephew, El Dean Holthus, and wife had three sons, and the middle son, Mitch, became a sports announcer. He called the football games on the radio for Kansas State for many years and then he went on to the Kansas City Chiefs as a play by play announcer on the radio.
Eventually, the cabin needed to be restored and money had to be raised. With fundraisers around the state, the cabin was refurbished in 2013. Mitch and Tami Holthus created a golf tournament fundraiser in the spring to raise money for other projects on the property. Chiefs players were flown in and they played golf and signed autographs, and then a pickleball tournament at the high school in Smith Center was well attended. A Patrick Mahomes autographed football brought almost $2000 at the ending bid.
The movie Home on the Radio co-written by Sharon Black was filmed in 2016. Mitch Holthus had the part of 'Pete the announcer' in the radio station in the 1930s. Mitch has Chiefs kingdom show after the games on Monday night on the radio to talk about the game and talk to players and people involved with the Chiefs. He also led audiences in pep rallies in Miami and in Kansas City. He rode in the parade in Kansas City.
So Home on the Range is a family affair including anyone who wants to volunteer. The cabin is open to the public free of charge sunup to sundown.
You can read Sharon's previous story on Home On The Range…
AWARD-WINNING FILM
Home on the Range was directed by Ken Spurgeon and was filmed in Smith Center, El Dorado, Topeka and Wichita, Kansas.
The film won Best Documentary at the 2017 Wild Bunch Film Festival in Willcox, AZ and the 2018 Western Heritage Wrangler Award as the best Docudrama by the National Cowboy and Western Museum in Oklahoma City, OK.
Sharon Black is from Smith Center, Kansas. We welcome her to our team of volunteers.
Sharon Black has been writing for many years including newspapers, short stories, and as a publisher. She was born in Nebraska and has lived in Kansas most of her life. In her hometown of Smith Center, Kansas, Willa Cather's hometown is to the north and Bob Dole's hometown is to the south. Sharon is a press release writer for the National Parks Arts Foundation, and writes for b U n e k e magazine. The biggest project she has accomplished is co-writer of the TV movie Home on the Range. The movie is about the song, which is the state song of Kansas and the lawsuit surrounding it in the 1930s, and finding the rightful author of the song. Sharon is distantly related to the Mississippi writer Eudora Welty.
(More from Sharon…)
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When Labour pushed through the legislation extending detention without charge from 28 to 42 days, the air was full of the usual talk about basic freedoms and the preservation of civil liberties that has accompanied counter-terrorist bills over the years. Conservative MP David Davis decided that all the propaganda about habeas corpus, Magna Carta and the rest could do with more sustained exposure and resigned so he could fight a by-election on the question.
Initially there was speculation that he'd got a screw loose, but pretty soon a wide range of figures, from right to left, rallied round in his defence. The fascist BNP said it would not stand in the election as it agreed with what Mr Davis said about changing the detention law. The Libdems and many Labour MPs said they backed him on this particular matter. Left-winger Tony Benn supported Davis, who returned the compliment by praising one of Benn's speeches as "astonishingly wise and insightful".
A Trotskyist group, the Socialist Equality Party, is also standing in the by-election. Fully participating in the electoral circus, they claim to be different to the other parties. They say (all quotes from World Socialist Web Site) that "None of the official parties can genuinely defend democratic rights", which means they all have the same goals, but reckon that they're the ones for the job. They denounce Labour's "attempts to justify the overturning of the historic foundations of British law" and insist that "The cornerstone of democracy is the safeguarding of the individual citizen from arbitrary action by the state". None of these remarks would sound strange coming from the mouths of Davis or any of his supporters.
In the pages of World Revolution we have over the years covered the various repressive measures brought into law by the capitalist state. However, we've also tried to get over the fact that the legislation will not only be used against the 'terrorist' threat, but also against the working class and revolutionary militants; and that this strengthening of the state is inevitably justified by a propaganda barrage about democracy and freedom. The ruling class uses this ideological cover to try and obscure the real nature of the state that imposes all the repressive measures.
You can read about the extent of CCTV surveillance, the DNA database, or the latest repressive laws in the pages of WR, or from David Davis or the SEP. The difference is that the SEP, like Davis and Benn, says "This latest measure stands at the apex of a mountain of anti-democratic legislation", whereas the marxist approach of the ICC shows that repression and democracy go hand in hand as weapons against the working class. The historic foundations of British law are based on the defence of the interests of the ruling class. When the Romans ruled Britain the law defended the interests of a slave-owning class, not of the slaves. In feudal times the law defended the interests of the lords and king, not the serfs and villeins. In capitalism bourgeois law serves the interests of the ruling bourgeoisie, not the working class.
There are certainly different ideological weapons used to buttress the rule of particular classes. Feudalism used the church and religion where modern capitalism uses the media and democracy, but they are both forms of class rule. There is, however, a key difference between feudalism, within which the bourgeoisie could gradually develop as an exploiting class until it was in position to dominate the state and overhaul it for its own purposes, and capitalism, where the working class is an exploited class and, rather than taking over the state of its exploiters, will have to destroy it.
Democracy and repressive law are not capitalism's only weapons. The history of Northern Ireland, for example, shows what the state is capable of. Internment, interrogation using sensory deprivation techniques and other methods that prefigured the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, the manipulation of terrorist groups and a shoot-to-kill policy were all used by British democracy. The Stockwell shooting of 2005 shows that the British mainland is not going to be immune to the repressive armoury developed on the other side of the Irish Sea.


For the third consecutive day, the National Weather Service has issued an emergency weather shelter alert as the overnight forecast is a low temperature of 33 degrees with a wind chill of 29 degrees.
That means it will be very cold and very uncomfortable for those who have no place to stay and for those in need, it can be very difficult to find a place to stay when the weather turns ugly.
Wade said there can be significant barriers to finding a place to stay but when it comes to the extreme weather it can be difficult for those with no place to go.
There is one place that has been serving the homeless community and providing emergency shelter for years and that's the Eureka Rescue Mission. The Mission provides both a day-use area where people can stay during the day and an emergency shelter when the weather turns cold.
For Bryan Hall at the Eureka Rescue Mission, all he sees are people who need help.
One issue the Rescue Mission is facing is an ongoing renovation that has meant the cafeteria has been turned into a dorm with people sleeping on the floor. Hall said they can make room for 64 men with room for 40 or so women and children, who can be housed at the women's shelter on Third Street. The mission has also received a donation of 30 cots that will be set up in the day-use area when needed to expand the number of beds available.
In addition to the donated cots, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services provided 30 mattresses for the beds and it's that sort of community help that keeps the shelter up and running. It's a much-needed service.
For Hall, the onset of winter and the cold weather that comes with it is nothing new. Providing a warm space for someone who needs it overnight is a battle he's been fighting for years and he's not going to stop now. He also said it might be time for local governments to take more steps to provide the necessary space.


This past weekend, we had our Central Florida Food Blogger Bake Sale as part of the National Food Blogger Bake Sale to benefit Share Our Strength. I'm pleased to announced that we raised over $1300!!! Considering our goal was to surpass last year's fundraising here in Central Florida and make it to $500, I call it a resounding success! Thank you to everyone who came out and bought our baked goods and bought raffle tickets.
And a huge thank you to these food bloggers who baked and helped out so much! Aggie from Aggie's Kitchen, Pearleen from MegaYummo!, Katie from Katie's Cucina, Jaclyn from food + words, Jim from Comfort in Crumbs, Dawn from Wicked Good Dinner, Suzanne from My Adventures in Food, Robin from Simply Southern Baking, Wanda from My Sweet Zepol, and Holly from I Could Eat and Zeema from Sweet 'Scapes Catering. And thank you to Gaby from What's Gaby Cooking, the founder of the National Food Blogger Bake Sale, we raised over $24,500 nationally. If you came out to support the bake sales across the country, thank you so much! We are one step closer to getting rid of childhood hunger.
A little bit of the bake sale. That's Aggie's kids, aren't they cute? And there's a group picture we took as we were breaking down, I wish we got one with everyone!
I wanted to share with you the recipe for the cupcakes I made for the bake sale and then proceeded to make for the NASA Tweetup I attended for the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour. These cupcakes are to die for and when I first saw them on My Baking Addiction, I pinned it and knew I had to try them one day. When the bake sale came up, I knew this cupcake would be the perfect thing to make for it. Um, there are no words, first of all, Jamie is a genius and these cupcakes are officially my new favorite cupcake. I'm going be making them ALL the time!
The cupcake has the perfect moistness and icing is amazing. And you can't go wrong with a peanut butter cup inside. The recipe is incredibly easy to make and I'm so happy that Jamie said it was okay for me to share the recipe on my blog! I only modified it slightly and that's because I didn't read her recipe close enough when I asked my husband to pick up some of the ingredients for me. I had him buy the smaller boxes of instant pudding and it worked out just fine.
I knew I was going to love this recipe when I saw the batter was pudding-like. I really think the sour cream and pudding mix really make for a moist cupcake.
Once you fill the cupcake liners up with 3 Tbsp of batter, you place frozen miniature peanut butter cups on top and every so slightly push them down.
Be sure to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in your cupcake or muffin pan.
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix together all of your ingredients except the peanut butter cups for minute or two until well mixed.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until several cupcakes pricked with a toothpick come out clean. Do not prick the cupcake where the peanut butter cup is inserted. There will be a slight indentation or hole where the cupcake is sunken in from the peanut butter cup, you'll fill that with icing. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes.
In your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix thoroughly the softened butter and peanut butter on low to medium speed. Turn off your mixer and in two batches, add the powdered sugar and mixing until well blended. Be careful, the powered sugar can go everywhere!
Add vanilla and 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk a little bit at a time while blending on low speed. Blend until well combined. You'll start to see the icing pull from the sides of the bowl. Add a little bit more milk to get to the right thinness (to your preference). Keep blending, higher the speed, until nice and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Using a big round tip and decorator bag, pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes and top with a mini on each cupcake.
I used a smaller box of instant pudding because that's what I told my husband but it worked out just fine.
I don't like tons of icing on my cupcakes so one batch of peanut butter icing actually worked for 2 batches of cupcakes for me.
I used a Tbsp measuring spoon, I really need to get a cookie scoop or a ice cream scoop that measures out to 3 Tbsp.
I actually ended up with 30 cupcakes in the batch…so even more to share or to keep for yourself! I don't like putting 3 cupcake pans in the oven so I'll usually fill up two of them (24 cupcakes), bake them and then fill one with the remaining 6 cupcakes.
I prefer to make buttercream icing in a stand mixer but you can make it with a hand mixer in a large bowl, it may take a little longer to make but it's worth it!
I actually left the cupcakes on a cooling rack covered with a kitchen towel and placed the icing in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to frost your cupcakes, allow to the icing to sit on the counter for at least 20 to 30 minutes. I even added splashes of water to it to make it even more fluffy before piping the icing onto the cupcakes.
Slightly modified from Jamie of My Baking Addiction.
Those cupcakes look SO good! What a classic combo of flavors!
These cupcakes look sinful! I would not be able to resist those peanut butter cups in them!
The bake sale looks awesome too! It's great to see everyone pulling together. $1300 is a great result for all the work you guys put in!
Absolutely adorable! I'm slightly in love with the mini pb cups. Very hard to save some for baking with.
If my oven worked, I would be making these right now. They look divine! Bookmarking this page forever and ever.
A reeses pieces INSIDE a cupcake??? With another mini pieces on top!?! Brilliant!
I was wondering if you could make this into a 9×13 cake as well?
Are these darling things cupcakes or mini cupcakes? It is hard to tell from the picture. They are so stinkin' cute!
I made these last night and they were absolutely delicious. With your tip about the icing recipe making a lot, I halved it and it covered all 24 cupcakes. Also, I added a little more peanut butter and didn't use a full pound of powdered sugar. I hate overly sweet icing, but that's just my personal taste.
Oh and one other thing- when I used 3 Tbsp of batter per cupcake, they ballooned way over the top and ended up looking more like muffins than cupcakes. So I backed it down to 2 Tbsp per cake and that was perfect.
Thank you for this yummy recipe!
That's really strange…when I use the 3 Tbsp scoop and put the peanut butter cup inside it, it doesn't overflow. I'm sorry that happened to you! So glad it was still yummy!
Are the peanut butter cups inside the same size as the ones on top, or are they a little bigger?
Hi Kara, the ones inside the cupcakes are definitely bigger. I have the kinds spelled out in the recipe. The ones inside the cupcakes are called Miniatures, the ones on the frosting are called Minis. Hope that helps!
Sorry about that! 1 1/2 cups which is equal to 24 tablespoons. I hope that helps!
These turned out AMAZING!! The cupcake is delicious and the icing is easily the BEST I've ever had! It was a huge hit with everyone.. thank you so much!!
I'm trying to make these, but can't seem to find instant espresso. Where did you get yours from?
I found it at my grocery store in the coffee section & also at specialty food stores. It's a small bottle & looks like instant coffee. You can try coffee too if you can't find it.
Gorgeous! I love love love peanut butter Buttercream icing. These look amazing.
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These are phenomenal cupcakes and very easy to make!! My favorite recipe I've found online!!! I was wondering about freezing or storing them. Any idea on if they can keep ok in the freezer for a week and be thawed? Thank you!
These sound great! I am making them today for a group I am involved in with my church. BUT, I dont have sour cream. I could have sworn I had some on hand but turns out that I dont. Is there anything I can substitute?
Hi, Chelsea! Looks like when you google it, there are a lot of substitutions for sour cream but I would be wary because you're baking here, not cooking. What I would do in this situation is just make the cake mix with the instructions on the box and follow through with the rest of the recipe. Hope they enjoy the cupcakes!
I made this recipe this weekend, and it was a huge hit. I made a two tiered cake instead of cupcakes, so I chopped up some Reese's to put on top, instead of cooking them inside. I also had to use more than a few substitutions (almond milk instead of regular, part olive oil because my canola ran out, Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, instant coffee instead of espresso, and also used the small box of pudding) and this recipe still turned out FABULOUS! Everyone raved, and this has inspired me to try the pudding effect on other boxed cakes/flavors. Best. Icing. Ever. I just had a piece for dinner (don't judge me). Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I made these for a function at work. I used a 1/8 measuring cup and then topped up with a tablespoon measure. I only got 26 out of the batter. I kind of wish I had only made half the icing as I am dong Weight Watchers and it is tough to have all this leftover icing around. I calculated the points and I think I may have to share mine with a friend. They look amazing and I hope everyone likes them. Thanks for the recipe.
this recipe sounds amazing! i'm definitely going to try to make these; however, i'm not a big fan of espresso or coffee flavors. would it dramatically change the taste of the cupcake if i leave the espresso out?
Actually in this recipe, you don't really taste the espresso flavor or at least I don't. When I add coffee or espresso to chocolate cake recipes, it just heightens the flavor of the chocolate and doesn't leave a coffee taste. Hope that helps!
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I love this batter. It is so versatile. I've made the cupcakes and a cake version several times. Tonight I am altering it with snickers instead of pb cups. I will then add a caramel buttercream to the top. Thanks so much for sharing.
The cupcakes in the photos look really delicious. I like chocolate and its a great combination of peanut butter and chocolate.
These are by far THE BEST cupcakes I have ever made. They are so moist and a perfect blend of peanut butter and chocolate. I will say that I have made them twice already and I actually only made 1/4 of the icing recipe the second time around because the whole recipe was way too much for my liking.
Question: I know you said that you waited to frost the cupcakes until the day after you made them. Do you suppose I could frost the same day the cupcakes are made and keep them in the fridge with decent results? I need to make these for a work party and won't have time to frost the cupcakes in the morning before I go to work. Thanks for your help!!


A joint venture by nine housing associations, this estate with its 5600 dwellings was initiated and developed along lines established by the Foundation for Architectural Research (Dutch initials SAR) headed by the theorists Habraken and Carp. In this approach the 'urban tissue' is fitted out with neutral 'supports' for which each resident chooses what in principle is their own 'infill'. The building process was accompanied at all levels by discussion with the future residents. See also the SAR-estate Molenvliet in Papendrecht.


text:
Q: Complicated Indefinite Integration $\displaystyle\int{\dfrac{\left(\sqrt{x}+2\right)^2}{3\sqrt{x}}\;\mathrm{d}x} =\frac{2}{3}\big(\sqrt{x}+2\big) $
I do not know how to get $\dfrac{2}{3}$. I assume $\sqrt{x}+2 = u$, then $\mathrm{d}u= \dfrac{1}{2}\,x^{1/2}$
But it is wrong answer....
So help me
Thank you

A: Assuming you mean $\displaystyle \int \frac{\left(\sqrt{x}+2\right)^2}{3\sqrt{x}}\,dx$:
Let $\,u=\sqrt{x}+2\,$ and $\,du=\dfrac{dx}{2\sqrt{x}}$
Thus, we now have $$\dfrac{2}{3} \int u^2 \,du=\dfrac{2u^3}{9}+C=\dfrac{2\left(\sqrt{x}+2\right)^3}{9}+C$$


text:
Advancing Change in a Time of Disruption: Forging a New Pathway for Nature
Bioneers Restoring Ecosystems Article
This article was written by Mari Margil, executive director of the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights. For years, Margil has dedicated her work to upholding environmental protections internationally and advocating the rights of nature.
Republished from Common Dreams with permission. Featured image by Banaras Khan/AFP for Getty Images.
Mari Margil speaking at a Bioneers conference
I first traveled to Nepal in 2012 to meet with members of the Constituent Assembly drafting the country's new constitution. The central question we discussed was how to tackle global warming from a Rights of Nature perspective.
Home to Mt. Everest, Nepal has witnessed the Himalayas become the fastest warming mountain range on earth. The kind of change that is needed is obviously significant, and over the years, our discussions have shifted from what the United States should do ("get your country off our back" was a common refrain), to what smaller nations like Nepal must do in the wake of the growing climate crisis.
Toward the end of that first stay in Kathmandu, a taxi strike took place. It was only then, as the heavy air pollution cleared, that I was able to see the Himalayas from my hotel room.
Today we are witnessing something similar in India, China, and elsewhere. With the disruption of everyday life occurring from coronavirus, air pollution rates are dropping fast.
Without the disruption of a taxi strike or the coronavirus, something that shifts our perspective, it can be difficult to see the world differently. What's right in front of us can seem so concrete that it can be challenging to imagine that another reality is possible.
However, in these pandemic days (daze?), our reality seems to shift daily—even hourly. As we read more headlines about falling pollution levels and other environmental effects, what seemed impossible becomes imaginable.
As it turns out, research shows that times of change can be a good time to change our habits. In a study authored by University of Bath psychology professor Dr. Bas Verplanken and his colleagues, they describe the habit discontinuity hypothesis. As Dr. Rick Nauert explains, this means that "habits can be changed when you change the factors around the habit (location, context)."
Thus, disruption—in our individual lives, such as moving or getting a new job—and in our collective lives, such as a global pandemic—can provide a window of opportunity to change our habits and make positive change.
The courage to go first
The pandemic notwithstanding, times of great disruption are not always brought about so abruptly. People on the frontlines of social justice movements struggle for years, decades, even longer, to make the great changes in society that are needed to expand freedom, rights, and protections. They mobilize to create the conditions for significant shifts in society and law.
In social change movements those who "go first" often show the rest of us that a new reality is possible.
We can glimpse that new reality in something as simple as sitting on a stool. In 1960, four young black men sat at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Their refusal to give up their seats helped reveal to the nation the injustice of Jim Crow segregation.
Their willingness to "go first" led others to follow. Within two months, sit-ins had taken place in over 50 cities in 13 states. The Greensboro Four—Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil—together made visible a path that others could then walk.
In 2008, I went to Ecuador to meet with the elected delegates to the Constituent Assembly who were drafting the country's new constitution. We discussed the Rights of Nature—this need to change how nature is treated under the law—from something whose use and destruction is to be regulated, to a living entity in need of protection and respect unto itself.
Ecuador is home to remarkable, biodiverse ecosystems, from the páramo high up in the Andes to the Galapagos islands.
When the people of Ecuador approved the new constitution in September 2008, it was a landmark moment in the budding Rights of Nature movement. For the very first time anywhere in the world, a country had enshrined constitutional protection of nature—or Pacha Mama.
In the face of overlapping environmental crises—including extinction rates far beyond natural background rates, to climate change—this brave willingness of a nation and its people to "go first" revealed that it is possible to change how we treat nature, from an object of human exploitation to a subject with legal rights of its own.
Within weeks, I spoke with people in India, Nepal, and other countries who were interested to find out how they could follow in Ecuador's footsteps.
Today, many of us did not envision that we would ever be under "stay at home" social distancing orders. Maybe the shutdown in Wuhan was too distant to seem a possibility. Perhaps it was measures first taken in northern Italy that brought that idea a little more into focus. By now, the cascading events that have led to a practical global shutdown have brought into view a different world, at least for a while.
Social movements often bring into sharp relief prejudice and destruction that is otherwise camouflaged. In so doing, such movements force our realities to shift, and we are left to wrestle with what we do with that new understanding.
At this moment, in this time of disruption, as we are able to see the possibility of change, the question before us is what we will do.
Common DreamsConservationcoronavirusCOVID-19Healing Natureland managementMari MargilNaturepandemicRestorationWildlife
Using the Pandemic as a Catalyst for Change: Advocating for Herbicide-Free Campuses and Non Toxic Spaces
The Upside of the Downside
New Pathways for Old Wisdom: Mari Margil on the Rights of Nature


text:
Frances Mayes Always Italy (Hardcover)
By Frances Mayes, Ondine Cohane
Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time (Paperback)
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed (Hardcover)
The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones (Paperback)
By Anthony Bourdain
An African in Greenland (Paperback)
By Tété-Michel Kpomassie, A. Alvarez (Introduction by), James Kirkup (Translated by)
The Snow Leopard (Paperback)
By Peter Matthiessen, Pico Iyer (Introduction by)
Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country: Traveling Through the Land of My Ancestors (Paperback)
By Louise Erdrich
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (Vintage Departures) (Paperback)
By Tony Horwitz
In Patagonia (Paperback)
By Bruce Chatwin
My Twenty-five Years in Provence: Reflections on Then and Now (Vintage Departures) (Paperback)
Short Life in a Strange World: Birth to Death in 42 Panels (Hardcover)
By Toby Ferris
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia (Paperback)
By Rebecca West, Christopher Hitchens (Introduction by)


text:
Blow-Up: Photography and swinging sixties London
By: Athol McCredie
The classic 1960s film Blow-Up had quite and impact on the photographers featured in our exhibition The New Photography. Here, photography curator Athol McCredie reflects on the movie, its themes, and some of the ways it connected to New Zealand photography.
In June 1967 an advertisement in Wellington's Evening Post newspaper announced screenings of Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film Blow-Up with the come-on: "It slashes at the mini-skirted 'dolce vita' of swinging London where people don't care about anything (as long as it's the scene). Not life…not sex…not even murder!"
Advertisement for Blow-Up, Evening Post, 3 July 1967.
The lurid descriptions pulled in the punters and it became the biggest grossing art-house film to date, and a signature film of the 1960s. It particularly appealed to anyone with an interest in photography, for its central character Thomas (played by David Hemmings) was a fashion and documentary photographer.
Blow-Up's influence on New Zealand photographers
Auckland photographer Max Oettli went three times and dyed his corduroy jacket green in explicit imitation of that worn by Hemmings.
In Wellington, John Daley saw it three times also and remembered the envy he felt at the photographer's expensive Nikon cameras, convertible Rolls Royce and nubile young models cavorting in his studio.
And for Gary Baigent, the 1967 conjunction in Auckland of Blow-Up with the MoMA touring exhibition The Photographer's Eye and his own book The Unseen City: 123 photographs of Auckland made it seem like photography was suddenly 'in', and led to all sorts of people picking up cameras and talking about photography.
John Daley, c.1968. Photo by John Fields. Te Papa (O.044179)
Swinging Sixties London
Certainly, Antonioni captured the fact that photography was very much an integral part of Swinging Sixties London. Fashion photographers such as David Bailey, Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy were key figures in its creation and dissemination and, like the models Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton and Penelope Tree, became stars in their own right.
For photographers in New Zealand the film provided a sort of validation. They were not necessarily fashion photographers themselves, but the photographer character in Blow-Up is also shown working on a personal project – a book of documentary photographs of down-and-outers in London.
For the young male photographers in New Zealand, Antonioni may have made photography look very cool, but they perhaps missed reading the film as a scathing indictment of the Swinging Sixties. The characters are shown as self-absorbed and amoral, seeking meaning in the superficialities of fashion. Thomas, for example, does not seem to be photographing the homeless out of any social concern. Nor does he bother contacting the police when he has evidence of a murder.
Larger Truths
But Antonioni is intent on larger truths than allowed by social critique. A key scene is the Yardbirds gig where Jeff Beck smashes a guitar on stage and throws part of it into the crowd. The previously impassive audience are suddenly galvanised and fight tooth and nail over the neck of the guitar. Thomas manages to grab it and rush outside. But on the street, with his pursuers lost, he glances at his prize briefly and then just carelessly throws it on the footpath. A bystander picks it up, examines it and also discards it. In a brief space of time the piece of guitar has gone from something of great value (a rock star's guitar) to just a piece of junk. Value is clearly all a matter of context: we value what other people desire. Or put another way, meaning and significance are not intrinsic but a matter of belief.
A Murder Mystery?
The film is nominally a murder mystery, for in photographing what Thomas believes will be an uplifting final image for his book – of a couple embracing in a park – he unknowingly captures what appears to be a hand pointing a gun amongst the bushes. This is only evident on greatly enlarging (blowing up) one of his shots. Thomas believes he has prevented a murder, for the woman being embraced (played by Vanessa Redgrave) runs after him when she spots him taking the photographs and demands the film. But Thomas's further examination of the blow-ups suggests there may be a body in the bushes. However, with the image breaking down under magnification into film grain the evidence is unclear. So Thomas returns to the scene at night and discovers there is indeed a body in the bushes. Yet revisiting with his camera next morning he finds no trace. Was there ever a body? Can photography tell us anything reliable about the world? What is real?
David Hemmings as Thomas in Blow-Up, 1966. Arthur Evans photo.
Photography, Truth and Illusion
This, to me is where the deeper resonance for our New Zealand photographers must lie, for they too were using photography to decipher their experience. Photography, unlike older visual media where everything is determined by the maker, offered the opportunity to see beyond what was intended. But what is seen can be ambiguous and open to different interpretations. Thomas's previous bullying and confident relation to the world comes apart as he realises he has unconsciously recorded something whose truth can't be confirmed one way or the other.
The mystery of the murder (if in fact there was one) is never resolved, and the film's ending left many puzzled, which might have been part of the reason for the repeat visits by our photographers. After leaving the park and its now absent body, Thomas encounters a mime group playing tennis. He watches as two of them pretend to hit a ball back and forth. When the 'ball' is batted out of the court he is persuaded to pick it up and throw it back. Now we hear the sound of the imaginary ball struck by the players' racquets as they continue the game. Thomas has switched from an observer to a participant in an illusion. The movie ends with Antonioni's camera looking down from high above and Thomas fading out upon the grass, suggesting, some say, that we too have been complicit in an illusion – that of the cinema.
In: Art, Photography
Tagged: Documentary photography, exhibitions, film, The New Photography


Those moments of calm don't come as often as they used to.
You look stunning. What a wonderful colour on you!
That dress is so pretty! It's a perfect color for you!
This sounds very familiar. I usually spend more time picking out what I'll wear than actually fixing up my hair/make up or anything like that.
15 minutes or less is usually the time I allow myself to get ready or dressed. I could say that it is because I feel comfortable with myself but on the other hand it might be just that I'm too lazy to get up additional half an hour before I need to.
This all reminds me of another article (and post) of yours, where you talked about make up versus no make up in personal but also broader sense and I must admit that I have been thinking about it ever sense (not all the time actually). There was another blogger that also wrote about it and she said something about how important it is to be able to feel good without it- regardless of the fact do we wear it or not.
Interesting thoughts...as yours are...much food for the thought.
You look lovely!The dress and the shoes are so well matched....Looking forward to reading the interview.
Don't you look beautiful? Love that shade of green on you and those wedges are astounding!
The emerald shade is a striking colour on you. You look beautiful in these photos. When it comes to getting ready, I have learnt to make it 15 min. because I am always on the go somewhere for something and have little patience, lol.
Amazing dress! I really like your hair xo Gorgeous pictures!
Can't wait to read the interview with your grandma!
I love this post; the way you write so beautifully and bring so much whimsy to something as simple as the process of getting ready. I'm now reminded of a word - well, I've forgotten the word but the meaning is along the lines of "the joy of writing about something of little importance" (but far more romantic/whimsical sounding). I love how you write so wonderfully and creatively about all the simple pleasures as well as the super important things. STUNNING images, especially those by the lake. I too love all the soft greens; I'm filled with such a feeling of calm when I look at them...although I do kind of get anxious when seeing you by the lake in such precariously heeled shoes! I think that's the second time I've seen you next to a body of water while wearing those shoes - still makes me nervous! Your interview for Violet sounds wonderful.
Sweet blog and gorgeous photos. I don't have the time I used to either to get dolled up in my vintage finery, but I'm excited this weekend to pull out all the stops. I'm doing a signing for my book Ghostoria: Vintage Romantic Tales of Fright and I'm going to do a total 1940s hair, dress, shoes and make-up!
I'm thrilled to find your blog and cannot wait to see you in more vintage gems!
These gorgeous photos exude that sumptuous calm you describe when there is that rare bit of time. I wonder if this shoot was one of your Ella Fitzgerald moments? Your silk dress would certainly have swirled and swayed beautifully while you moved around your dressing room.


THE HUNTER'S CABIN - At the south end of Wooded Island was a log house with clay floor and stick chimney which was built by Theodore Roosevelt, of New York, a lover of huntsman's sports, as a museum and memorial in honor of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. A rope divided the large room of the building into a public and a private compartment. On chilly days a fire blazed in the broad fireplace, and in that regard the interior exactly resembled the houses of pioneers in timbered regions forty years ago. Otherwise the furnishings were more comfortable than those enjoyed in northern Indiana when Pierce and Buchanan were in the White House. The skins of wild animals covered the floor, and the beds and settees were made of streched skins. A double-bunk afforded two wide and easy couches. A stool was made out of a section of log, and primitive cooking apparatus and tin dishes and candles gave a realistic appearance to the domicile. To complete this picture, a hunter in long hair and wide-brimmed felt hat made his home in the cabin and answered the questions of many visitors, for there was a charm about the premises, pioneers loving to recall the vanished days, and younger inquirers seeming pleased to see before them the picture so often drawn in the tales of their grandsires and this chapter of their romances. Between the Hunter's Cabin and Marie Antoinette's bed-chamber in the French section was a wide divergence.


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Indians' Sam Marks earned medalist after shooting a 40 but it wasn't enough in a Eastern Valley Conference loss played on the back nine of Ridgeway Golf Course.
Xavier 171, Berlin 184: Indians' Sam Marks earned medalist after shooting a 40 but it wasn't enough in a Eastern Valley Conference loss played on the back nine of Ridgeway Golf Course.
Jordan Konrath fired a 46 for Berlin, while Peter Bruce Allington, Tim DeRuyter and Eric Roehl each chipped in 49s.
Xavier was led by Joe Larsen, who shot a 41.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It's common knowledge at this point that being 20% or more above your ideal weight – another way of defining obesity – raises your chances of suffering major physical challenges, which also include conditions such as high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. But we tend to forget how extra pounds can stress the spine.
The fact is, obesity places a great deal of additional strain and pressure on back and spine tissues. It shifts your center of gravity and taxes all of the muscles and joints at the core of the body.
All of these spinal conditions can prompt troublesome or even dangerous symptoms, including chronic pain, numbness, and tingling in the neck, back, arms or legs.


You've learned how to be exactly late enough that your tardiness has no negative consequences. The end result is that you'll have time for one extra Adventure every day.
Only gives an extra adventure at rollover, not upon ascending.


Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Emerita Curiel met with Licensee, Monica Hamilton, for a Random Annual Visit and toured areas of the home accessible to the children. Off-limit areas: All bedrooms, living room, second bathroom. Census was 3 children. Licensee stated there are no new residents in the home since licensure. Adult residents have criminal record clearances. Hours of operation: M-F 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Licensee did not have a current CPR/First Aid certificates, posted Parent's Rights and current Emergency Disaster Plan. LPA reviewed several children's records. Toys appear to be safe. LPA observed cleaning compounds properly stored out of children's reach. Sharp utensils are stored and locked in a kitchen door. Fire extinguisher carbon monoxide and smoke detector meet regulations. The backyard was fenced and there were no bodies of water. LPA observed the play structure was broken. Licensee stated children are not allowed to play on the broken part and the replacement part has been ordered. Licensee stated she will send LPA pictures once the play structure is repaired.
This facility is not providing Incidental Medical Services-IMS at this time. LPA discussed IMS services and the requirement to create a plan of operation. Specifics on the plan can be found in the family child care home evaluator manual (FCCH EM) Policy 102417. LPA discussed the new licensing requirements AB 792 and LPA gave licensee 30 days to get the immunization's. LPA provided information on the new immunization requirements, and web site information.
LPA discussed safe sleeping practices for infants and requirement to notify the department prior to making changes to off-limit areas, or making alterations to the building. LPA provided information on the new immunization requirements, and web site information, so that licensee can stay current in the requirements of the Department. The web site is (www.ccld.ca.gov).
Deficiencies are cited on the subsequent pages of this report under the California Code of Regulations, Title 22.The licensee was provided a copy of their appeal rights. Exit interview conducted. Notice of Site Visit was provided.
Licensee cannot locate her current CPR/First Aid card.
Licensee stated she will send CCL a copy of her current CPR card by 11/14/16.


text:
In federal appeals court, city asks to be let out of construction of new jail building
by Charles Maldonado March 7, 2022 March 7, 2022
The Orleans Justice Center. (Michael Isaac Stein/The Lens)
Lawyers for the city of New Orleans and Orleans Parish Sheriff-elect Susan Hutson on Monday took their case against building a controversial jail medical and mental-health facility — known as Phase III — before a seemingly skeptical panel of federal appeals court judges.
In June, 2020, Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration abruptly halted pre-construction work on Phase III, after more than a year of regular updates to a federal judge overseeing the jail as part of a nearly nine-year-old federal consent decree. Early last year, the judge denied a request from the administration to rescind earlier orders — based on agreements made by the city under Cantrell's predecessor, Mayor Mitch Landrieu — to move forward with the facility. The city is appealing that decision.
At issue before the appeals court is whether the initial orders violated federal law and whether the judge properly took into account changing circumstances, such as a sharply decreased jail population and a city budget strained by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city is the lone party to the consent decree that is opposed to Phase III. Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, along with the United States Department of Justice and civil rights attorneys representing detainees in the jail, argue that Phase III is necessary to provide adequate medical and mental health care to people incarcerated in New Orleans. But criminal justice reform advocates have long opposed a new building — instead arguing that a portion of the current jail could be retrofitted to provide care. It is an argument the city has now taken up as well.
Representing the city, Harry Rosenberg opened his arguments by citing what he said was a national political shift away from jail expansion and the use of correctional facilities as mental health hospitals.
"The district court appears to be in a time warp over the last 9 years," Rosenberg said, adding that the order by District Court Judge Lance Africk, who is presiding over the consent decree, was "just anathema to national policies, period."
Rosenberg then got into his legal points, which were frequently challenged by 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Rhesa Barksdale.
Prison Litigation Reform Act
Rosenberg said that Africk's order violated the federal Prison Litigation Reform Act because the law prohibits federal judges from ordering the construction of a jail building. That's an argument the city has made since mid-2020. But it's one that the other parties, as well as Magistrate Judge Michael North — who in December 2020 issued a scathing report recommending Africk deny the city's attempts to get out of building Phase III — say has no legal weight. Africk based his order on North's report.
North and the other parties maintain that the city was never ordered to build a jail facility. It was merely ordered to honor its own legal agreements. And the city has only brought up the issue of the PLRA over the past year and a half, but the origins of the dispute date back nearly a decade.
In 2013, the DOJ and the detainees' attorneys informed Africk that the city's current jail, then under construction, was not designed to accommodate detainees needing acute mental health care. (It was not required to under a 2011 zoning ordinance authorizing construction, an issue that was never addressed prior to the adoption of the consent decree.) Since the consent decree requires adequate care for all classes of detainees, the parties to the consent decree were forced to find a permanent solution. As a temporary measure, those detainees were for several years housed in a state prison.
In 2016, when his office was struggling to reach timely compliance with provisions of the consent decree, Gusman agreed to cede control of jail operations to a federally appointed compliance director. (He has since taken back control of the jail.) As part of that court agreement, the compliance director was to issue recommendations for housing acute and subacute detainees. In January 2017, then-Compliance Director Gary Maynard recommended the construction of the 89-bed facility.
Then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu came out in favor of the plan, even dispatching his city attorney to a City Council meeting to warn council members that failing to sign on to the plan could mean being found in contempt of federal court. The council voted in favor of starting the construction process.
But progress on the facility stalled until 2019, when it was announced that the state would no longer house New Orleans detainees. That prompted an order from Africk for the city to prepare a temporary facility on the jail campus — the Temporary Detention Center — and "continue the programming phase of Phase III."
At the oral arguments on Monday, that history led Barksdale to interrupt and question Rosenberg's arguments saying Africk's order violated the PLRA.
"The city agreed to it," Barksdale said.
Later, in her response to the city, attorney Elizabeth Cumming, who is representing the jail detainees, noted that at no time between Landrieu's agreement on Phase III and Cantrell's 2020 move to stop work on the facility did the city ever object to the 2016 agreement or the 2019 order.
"The city never challenged those orders," she said. "It continued moving forward."
Jail size and city budget
Rosenberg said that between the initial 2016 agreement that led to the plans for Phase III, a lot had changed, and should be taken into consideration. To begin with, he noted, the population of the jail had been reduced from more than 2,000 to fewer than 800.
The main jail building, the Orleans Justice Center, "is only being partially used because of that decrease," he said. As a result, the city prefers a partial retrofit of OJC as a permanent housing solution for acute and subacute detainees.
But Cumming said that North and Africk took the lower population into account and still found the retrofit lacking. OJC, she said, can't accommodate a full infirmary or other necessary programming, like private group therapy sessions that can be held away from uninvolved inmates or those in different classifications.
"There is no space for mental health care," she said. "The parties have a plan to fix the ongoing structural issues. … And that plan is Phase III."
Elizabeth Hecker, an attorney for the DOJ, addressed the city's arguments about costs. The city has access to post-Katrina FEMA money to build Phase III. But attorneys for the Cantrell administration have claimed that those funds fall about $15 million short of the estimated $51 million construction cost. However, in 2020, an attorney for the jail's then-Compliance Director Darnley Hodge argued that the money for Phase III came out of a $70 million pot of federal funds to replace the jail's Templeman II building, of which nearly $50 million is left.
In his rebuttal, Rosenberg did not respond to Hecker's points about the FEMA money, which Judge Carl Stewart later pointed out.
"It's telling to me that in five minutes of rebuttal, you never addressed the FEMA money," Stewart said
Susan Hutson
An attorney for Susan Hutson, who was elected Orleans Parish Sheriff in December but will not be sworn in until May, also spoke before the panel on Monday.
Hutson is not currently an official party to the consent decree. But she ran in part on her opposition to the building, aligning with local criminal justice reform advocates who have long opposed any expansion to the jail. Because she has an interest in the outcome of the appeal, her attorney, Joshua Force, was allowed to address the appeals court.
Still, Barksdale asked Force what standing Hutson has in the case.
"Here we have a person who isn't even in office," Barksdale said.
"She will have to deal with whatever decision this court holds," Force responded.
Force went on to argue that forcing the city to move forward with Phase III now would violate the state constitution and the city's charter because the City Council has not given its approval to the building in a new zoning ordinance. Council members have publicly expressed their opposition to the building and have refused to take a vote on whether to approve new zoning to allow for it.
But Barksdale seemed unmoved by the argument.
"You don't think the Louisiana Constitution and the Home Rule Charter trump the need for constitutional conditions?" at the jail, he asked.
Force responded that the consent decree itself doesn't require the construction of Phase III.
"The sheriff-elect is committed to complying with the consent judgment, but she is in support of the retrofit," he said.
Nick Chrastil contributed to this report.
Charles Maldonado
Charles Maldonado is the editor of The Lens. He previously worked as The Lens' government accountability reporter, covering local politics and criminal justice. Prior to joining The Lens, he worked for... More by Charles Maldonado


text:
package org.apache.commons.lang3.concurrent;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;

import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
import java.util.concurrent.Executors;

import org.junit.Test;

/**
 * Test class for {@code CallableBackgroundInitializer}
 *
 * @version $Id: CallableBackgroundInitializerTest.java 1436770 2013-01-22 07:09:45Z ggregory $
 */
public class CallableBackgroundInitializerTest  {
    /** Constant for the result of the call() invocation. */
    private static final Integer RESULT = Integer.valueOf(42);

    /**
     * Tries to create an instance without a Callable. This should cause an
     * exception.
     */
    @Test(expected=IllegalArgumentException.class)
    public void testInitNullCallable() {
        new CallableBackgroundInitializer<Object>(null);
    }

    /**
     * Tests whether the executor service is correctly passed to the super
     * class.
     */
    @Test
    public void testInitExecutor() {
        final ExecutorService exec = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
        final CallableBackgroundInitializer<Integer> init = new CallableBackgroundInitializer<Integer>(
                new TestCallable(), exec);
        assertEquals("Executor not set", exec, init.getExternalExecutor());
    }

    /**
     * Tries to pass a null Callable to the constructor that takes an executor.
     * This should cause an exception.
     */
    @Test(expected=IllegalArgumentException.class)
    public void testInitExecutorNullCallable() {
        final ExecutorService exec = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
        new CallableBackgroundInitializer<Integer>(null, exec);
    }

    /**
     * Tests the implementation of initialize().
     */
    @Test
    public void testInitialize() throws Exception {
        final TestCallable call = new TestCallable();
        final CallableBackgroundInitializer<Integer> init = new CallableBackgroundInitializer<Integer>(
                call);
        assertEquals("Wrong result", RESULT, init.initialize());
        assertEquals("Wrong number of invocations", 1, call.callCount);
    }

    /**
     * A test Callable implementation for checking the initializer's
     * implementation of the initialize() method.
     */
    private static class TestCallable implements Callable<Integer> {
        /** A counter for the number of call() invocations. */
        int callCount;

        /**
         * Records this invocation and returns the test result.
         */
        @Override
        public Integer call() throws Exception {
            callCount++;
            return RESULT;
        }
    }
}


If you want to analyze sales force performance so that you can increase your sales there are many tools that could help you and your team(s). Reviewing sales results on an ongoing basis can help you identify what's working well and what's in need of a process refinement. You can also use productivity measurement to measure individual performance, too, and develop strategic plans on a per customer and per salesperson basis. The right tools can help you understand what works exceptionally well and what needs improvement in terms of people, processes, and attitudes. Be sure to carefully review your options so that you find the right tool.
Do you know how to leverage data from your CRM to encourage individual improvement? One of the best things about choosing to analyze sales force performance is that you can gather information that you can present to your salespeople with cold hard facts about their strengths and their weaknesses. As you develop sales plans for their customers and /or their territory you can easily measure success. And the right tool can help you determine whether or not your existing processes have any major flaws that can be tweaked to make goals attainment easier, too.
In order for a sales team to benefit from a forecasting and CRM tool that helps analyze sales force performance, it needs to fit the way they work. Today's sales force isn't static, in a cubicle; a salesperson today is on the go all the time. Having to stop and synchronize with the office slows the salesperson down and causes problems in the operations process, too. Intuitive mobile-friendly sales tools like Base make a huge difference to productivity and customer success as well as management's ability to effectively manage. When researching your options, look for sales tools that work the way your team does and look for tools with little to no learning curve. You shouldn't have to close down your sales floor for a week to teach them how to use your new sales tool. Your tools should benefit your sales people and your customers alike, not be a bottleneck and source of frustration.
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Base will analyze sales force performance and help your team become 10x more productive. Get started today.


text:
EA Announces Star Wars: Squadrons
EA has officially announced Star Wars: Squadrons. The new game from Motive Studios is an "immersive, first-person space dog fighting experience" that follows an original story with a new cast of characters, plus cameos from characters like Wedge Antilles and Hera Syndulla.
PlayStation 5 was announced last week, and we still have no idea what it's going to cost. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said, however, that Sony is focused on "value opposed to price." Speaking of next gen, there's more details on Xbox Series X's Smart Delivery initiative.
Here's how much we think the PlayStation 5 will cost: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps5-price-heres-how-much-we-think-sonys-latest-con/1100-6477901/
Here's a list of Xbox games with Smart Delivery: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-series-x-smart-delivery-games-features-detail/1100-6478490/
For the next five weeks, GameSpot is hosting Play For All, a summer gaming celebration and charity event featuring special guests like Troy Baker, Danny O'Dwyer, and many familiar GameSpot faces. We are all coming together to raise money for Direct Relief in support of those fighting on the frontlines against COVID-19, as well as Black Lives Matter.
Play For All schedule:https://www.gamespot.com/play-for-all
Where to donate: BLACK LIVES MATTER: http://bit.ly/gs-blm
COVID-19 Direct Relief: http://bit.ly/gs-covid
#SaveState #GameSpot
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THE LAST OF US REMASTERED All Cutscenes Full Movie (2020) 4K 60FPS →
In My Shadow – Story Trailer | PS4
Xbox Activision Reactions And Rainbow Six Extraction | GI Show
IGN Plays Rainbow Six Extraction – Maelstrom Protocol feat. Stella Chung, GetFlanked, & Velly
Best Speed Running Moments From GDQ


We are the Southern Tier's landscape and hardscape professionals. Our team takes pride in the work we do every step of the way, from the most innovative designer, to our incredibly dedicated fieldworkers. From the design room to the finished product, we will work to create a unique addition to fit your vision and budget. Let us transform your property and bring it to life.


This is primarily for those Pellissippi State folks with an interest in our presence in Second Life.
Things languished the last year or so, as we anticipated. We were all overwhelmed with moving to a new Course Management System, a new Content Management System, a new Student Information System, budget cuts. overwork, etc. Along with others, I found myself having to track my time and energy into other things. That situation has improved somewhat, and so we are looking at that potential again.
As we've mentioned in other articles, Second Life has fallen off the radar of the mainstream media, but since I've gotten back into it I've been impressed with the continued growth of educational endeavors there, and the ways in which people are figuring out how to use it to foster learning, along with the serious research that is being conducted on SL as a medium for education in distance and hybrid situations. The University of Texas system, for instance, has announced a system of around 50 islands to provide significant space to each of their 16 real-life campuses. Plus, we have people working on an open-source version that can reside on our own servers and potentially hook into the larger metaverse, part of a larger world-wide effort that is likely the next stage in developing a virtual universe that might be considered Web 3.0 or 4.0.
Several faculty were interested in the possibility of SL at one point. We would like to completely rebuild the island known as WindingRiver Campus2 to make it more useful for learning, given SL's unique capabilities. We'll have a meeting to discuss this when we get back from fall break, probably at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, but subject to rescheduling depending on feedback. If you are interested, please drop an email to dking at pstcc dot edu to make planning easier. Thanks!