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It's masala...It's art house...It's...
...Lagaan (2001)?! Several weeks ago, Beth and Memsaab discussed ingredients of masala film. The genre has existed in Bollywood for a long time, and I found their approaches to formulating the lists of ingredients, here and here respectively, very interesting. We believe some ambiguity is almost inherent in judging what constitutes a typical such film. Combine this approach to defining films of the genre with their frameworks (which I believe are fair indicators of what Beth calls 'foundation masala') and my favorite film, and the result is a series of questions that is inevitable: Is Lagaan a masala film? Is it an art house film? Is it neither? Or is it both?
But before garnering feedback on these questions, let's 1) note that RememberGhajini.com just went live (for Aamir Khan's upcoming pure masala film), 2) check out this video of Aamir speaking very rationally on the Mumbai terror attacks, in which he alludes to subdued Eid festivities (almost non-existent -- that was the case at the mosque I attended here in Los Angeles today as well, with black armbands; black is the last color worn on happy occasions) as he also discusses he's really not in the mood to release a film, and 3) go through some of the masala ingredients (as noted in the lists referenced above, in no specific order) and identify specific instances in the film, primarily with respect to the unsung hero of Lagaan, its background score.
The score is brilliant and as significant as any other component of the film in transporting the audience to Champaner of 1893. A. R. Rahman directs it, and this post is dedicated to his loyal sound engineer H. Shridhar, who passed away last week. I'm assuming you have seen the film and refer to characters and not actors (there is this series of posts with more, including notes on the cast).
A special note of thanks to Suresh Kumar for allowing me to use the wonderful audio clips -- if you're interested in background scores, you'll enjoy his blog. His extensive (and fantastic) breakdown of the Lagaan background score is available at this link. Thank you Suresh!
1. Strong, bright, sunny, competent heroines
Gauri and Elizabeth qualify in each of these categories. They are competent enough to influence those around them, and are afforded background music consistent with their roles throughout the film.
Gauri demonstrates courage on many occasions, such as with the forgiveness of Lakha (more on him later). Moreover, she makes her confidence in Bhuvan known early and often. Here's, "bharosa hain mohe, tujh pe, tori himmat pe" (I trust you and your courage). This is complemented by the tune to Mitwa in the background.
She is introduced alongside members of the village, and is a fine integrator but also a traditionalist who believes in palmistry!
Elizabeth is the chief catalyst for Lagaan XI's mere comprehension of the game of cricket, let alone the outcome. She understands, in her own words, that "this is not fair," and makes Champaner's problem her own. Her introduction comes courtesy her brother Captain Russell, as he introduces her to Raja Puran Singh. The flutes in the background give her one phenomenal theme after another. Sample this:
2. Incredibly 'good looking' hero who is also 3. an orphan
Our strong, bright, sunny, competent (and I would add stunning) heroines make the decision on Bhuvan's looks easy. Add to the mix that Bhuvan has some noteworthy leadership qualities (outlined in this character sketch), and it's a win-win all round. Bhuvan is introduced during a deer hunt in which he tries to play protector. Immediately, we realize the background score to the action will be top-notch.
4. Criminal intrigue
The essence of Lagaan is the message: 'sach aur saahas hai jis ke mann mein, ant mein jeet usi ki rahe' (one whose heart carries truth and courage is who is ultimately victorious). Leading a film to this conclusion requires portrayal of the opposite of goodness. The British Raj drives injustice in the Indian sub-continent around 1893, but it is Captain Russell who takes the intrigue to above and beyond what is considered even by his leadership as adequate and acceptable (but within authority). His introduction comes alongside Bhuvan's in the deer hunting sequence, his theme bleeding arrogance:
Yardley is a member of the cantonment, and is charged with inflicting physical damage (a crime in a gentleman's game, punitive per the sport's rulebooks) on the cricket field. His theme complements the objectives of the film:
5. Unrequited love
The Gauri-Bhuvan-Elizabeth love triangle is incredibly well integrated throughout a film that is hardly a love story at its core. Gauri's jealousy theme is indicative of her growing concern of the bonding of Bhuvan and Elizabeth.
And Elizabeth's growing love for Bhuvan is consistently leveraged, courtesy the beautiful orchestral version of 'My heart it speaks a thousand words'.
A similar vibe is eventually incorporated into her admission of love for him.
This from the very last scene almost always reminds me of how "life is not fair" :'(
6. 'Ridiculous' plot
The head of a cantonment challenges a group of villagers to a cricket match, the outcome of which would determine the extent of revenue the cantonment would generate from the region. Even with minimal risk, *that* is ridiculous by every definition. The background score is effective in setting the scene when the challenge is issued by Captain Russell and accepted by the naive villager who dared to dream. It really is as dramatic as the previous sentence indicates! :D
7. Buddies and 8. Henchmen
Bhuvan's best buddy is the mute Bagha, who is among the first to join the team (coincidentally, the persons who play Bhuvan and Bagha are very good friends in real life). Bagha portrays emotions through his dhols (drums), and the score fits in.
The antagonists have their share of buddy relationships -- Russell and his henchmen do the honors.
9. Dishoom Dishoom
There is not as much of this as in a typical masala film, but it does exist at a few key junctures, not the least important of which is when Bhuvan touches the ball by the boundary lines.
This is also the second meeting between Russell and Bhuvan, here are the soundbytes.
10. Family Drama
We could probably have a post and list dedicated to what family drama really is as well. If it is defined as drama around families, it is there.
If it is defined as drama family audiences can enjoy, it is there. If it is defined as drama that involves a greater family that is a community of villagers in a greater region, it is there. A natural extension to the ridiculousness of the plot, the themes in the climax capture the drama well, complete with the Ghanan Ghanan theme, most fitting.
11. Reunions
A key ingredient of the climax is the reunion of sorts between Bhuvan and Gauri. They shared a lot before, but here is where we see their most intimate physical display of affection (listen to clip under #10 above), following the song O Re Chhori (here's the fantastic theme) earlier in the film:
12. Tears
I swear the first time I saw the cricket match in Lagaan, it was no less engaging as a real intense cricket match. You know, the kind in which the Indian team makes us shed tears of sorrow and joy, all in a few hours. The kind that gets us to cheer each shot or wicket. While the film has plenty of tears from start to finish (no rain in an agricultural society that has to pay taxes despite not being able to afford food would do that), let's just focus on the cricket match here. The blood, sweat, and tears that go into the preparation for and execution of the three days worth of play were well connected. The background score is effective in conveying the many moods associated with the match. There is bhangra when Deva the fast bowler from Punjab takes the final wicket...
...but moments of despair abound. Every time a wicket falls for or runs are scored against the Lagaan XI, there is music that invokes sympathy, such as this:
Bagha the drummer's wicket has very specific music for the purpose, consistent with his favorite instrument:
13. Children
It is only fitting that the first recruit to Bhuvan's team comes courtesy a friendly practice session (his first) with a child named Tipu. Tipu bowls, and Bhuvan's first hit is long and high enough to strike the bell at the temple atop a hill (the music portrays the joy in that specific instance). This gives the team Bagha. Here's Tipu's theme, which includes the tune to the fight song Chale Chalo:
Tipu also serves as an alternate runner (for Ismail) in the match, which leads to some of the most crucial moments. Here is his theme from the match, which segues in seamlessly as the Lagaan theme from the original soundtrack is integrated into the score.
14. Disguises
There are more that just freedom fighters in the guise of cricketers in the film. How about the cunning Lakha as he goes to the enemy to tell of the 'gori mem' (white madam) who secretly helps the villagers?!
Here's his theme:
He is eventually forgiven, and redeems himself in the match. But he does suffer a brutal blow for his loyalty switch.
15. Villain's lair
When it isn't the headquarters...
...it was Russell's abode. #4 above has the theme music to go with this.
16. Antics/Comic side plot
Antics guide comic relief here, and the music backs them up. Examples include Bhura and his chickens, and Goli and his unique bowling style (imagine a baseball pitcher with that action!) -- here's Goli's theme from the match:
Another example is Kachra, whose unique bowling method is also used to induce light-hearted moments which are delightfully used:
17. Impassioned speeches on behalf of the poor, outcast, or disabled
Kachra is crippled and it's this trait that he uses to the advantage of the team. He does not get his place in the team until an impassioned speech partly related to his physically impaired state (and having more to do with his caste) convinces everyone else to let him play alongside them.
This theme from my favorite song of the decade, Mitwa, follows the speech.
18. Quaint villagers living in harmony
This is exactly what the song Mitwa calls for. Unite and believe. They must live in harmony (if only during those last two days of the match) to achieve so much.
19. Religious Symbolism
Lagaan XI has a spiritual leader who is introduced in the same scene as Gauri (see section on heroines above). But Guran the fortune teller is only one of the avenues of religious symbolism. The cricket ball (in #11 above) strikes the bell at the temple. Captain Russell asks the Raja to consume meat, despite knowing of religious prescription recommending against it. Lakha seeks refuge inside the temple. The fight song Chale Chalo, in which the team is shown training, flows into the temple. The case for truthfulness and justice is made in context of religion. And recruits to the team such as Ismail, a Muslim, join the team upon realizing, as dialogue suggests, that 'they are not oblivious to the value of their prayer'. Again, the tune to Mitwa is selected to hit home the message of integration -- indeed, Lagaan XI does have representation from various religions and ethnicities.
20. Devotional song
The film has one of the best Bhajans (they're all great, but full marks to its integration here) in recent memory (perhaps ever), O Paalanhaare, with vocals by Lata Mangeshkar and Udit Narayan.
21. At least one weeping mother
22. Amulets
See Lakha and Bhuvan under #s 12 and 15 above, respectively.
23. Great Songs
The music to Lagaan is brilliant, but you knew that already. Here's a post dedicated to the soundtrack. Each song carries an independent identity but is collectively in sync, if that makes sense, especially in the context of the film, during which it is seamless.
While there are some items noted in the source lists that do not apply to Lagaan (e.g. cabaret/item number, outrageous/shiny sets and costumes, double roles, misplaced family members) there are enough to ask whether it is:
a masala film,
an art house film,
neither, or
There are plenty of masala ingredients, but the coordination of the film, its resolute meaningfulness in over three and a half hours, its attention to detail, and its unwavering commitment involving controlled and dignified chaos is well beyond what we see in masala film.
Lagaan has obviously earned overwhelming success in all markets. Art house cinema lovers have enjoyed it tremendously, as have masala lovers. It is the best-selling Bollywood film DVD of all time, and it's only fitting that the film that carried that distinction in the past -- Sholay (1975) -- is one of the biggest ever pure masala blockbusters, and stars arguably the King of Masala film, Amitabh Bachchan, whose voice is the very first we hear in Lagaan. The background score only contributes to the brilliance of a complete film, one that is legendary in its greatness.
Hope you are all having a great week. Many best wishes your way for a happy Eid! And hope that you enjoyed bits of this fantastic background score. It really is the secret ingredient, as Po's dad in Kung Fu Panda (2008 -- it's great and out on DVD) would say!
I never describe Lagaan as a film on cricket (that's not what makes me like it, as much at least), but I am a sports fan, and this past weekend I was at the Rose Bowl for this. The stadium has hosted several Super Bowls and college football title games, and even the final of the World Cup of soccer. If you're a sports fan and have a chance, go!
On a related note, there's nothing quite like having our federal income lagaan dollars sponsor the upcoming Rose Bowl game, is there?
Published Tuesday, December 09, 2008 Labels: A. R. Rahman, Aamir Khan, background score, fans of Lagaan, film genre
Your love for this film has never ceased to amaze me. You Lagaan nut, you =)
Nope, in my masala world Lagaan doesn't count. It's simply...too highbrow :-)
But that is only in MY masala world. As you say: it's quite subjective!
And how I love love love "O Paalanhaare"...it's the song that got me interested in Hindi film music.
Anonymous: The movie has never ceased to amaze me. The more I see it, the more I love it! 'Lagaan nut' is therefore not at all out of question :o)
Memsaab: As I read through your list and Beth's, I was thinking of Lagaan and was quite surprised at how many ingredients it contained! I agree with you, though -- the film *is* too highbrow to be considered masala in my world too. Maybe at the intersection (#4) then?
That's a very substantial impact that 'O Paalanhaare' had, great! You know my story with this film -- it got me back to watching Hindi cinema. I imagine it (or its music) must mean as much to many, many more.
For me Lagaan is definitely masala - though more intelligent, coherent and way better crafted than the 70s films that seem to be the benchmark of foundation-masala. Perhaps this should be a new genre - "new" masala!
As you point out - the plot is ridiculous. Its not enough that a junior officer has the authority to cancel a whole village's taxes, the film then goes on to rely on the Britishers' sense of fairplay (the umpire is British but unbiased and the officer keeps his bargain upon losing!!??) for the happy outcome. In further masala-ishness, it does a great job of channeling (what I think of as) Hollywood masala - remember the awesome Victory?
So, while I love Lagaan, I wouldnt classify it as "arthouse" because that tag (for me) requires a more believable plot (besides having no song-n-dance numbers ;-D).
Bollyviewer: Lagaan set all sorts of benchmarks, and the style of filmmaking was one of them. Whatever it is, I'm on its bandwagon. I can't see it being as popular without these masala ingredients. Yet, it is so not a masala film at its core (and not art either). So I like your term for the intersection leaning toward masala, 'new masala'. Or even 'intellectual masala', perhaps?! :)
The plot was ridiculous enough that the film almost didn't get made! Aamir initially refused Ashutosh Gowariker's offer. Then Shah Rukh refused, and then Abhishek Bachchan. So Ashu went back to Aamir, and the rest, as they say, is history. (All this is from the book, The Spirt of Lagaan, by Satyajit Bhatkal.)
I haven't seen 'Victory', and will try to. Thanks. And yes, in India of 1893, people were losing lives because of lack of fair play, let alone being asked to pay more taxes or having them forgiven! (Probably true of India today in some respects.) But that's what I think made it all so delightfully entertaining -- it's way out there, but so well done, enough for me to take the narrator's word that Bhuvan's story was "lost in the pages of history"! ;)
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Saurabh said...
Lagaan, a masala film? It is definitely a complete entertaining film but I wouldn't consider it a masala type of film.
Spieces' (masala) films are actually comedy films, I think. Lagaan is a serious movie so calling it "complete" maybe better.
BTW, how do you upload music clips?
Filmi Girl said...
I'm with Bollyviewer! By my standards, Lagaan is definitely post-modern masala! Rather than coming from a Manmohan Desai masala, though, Lagaan is based in the Manoj Kumar style of masala - like Roti Kapada aur Makaan.
LOL on the amulets. You have outdone even yourself!
ajnabi said...
I had never thought of Lagaan as masala, but you've made a great case! Okay, I definitely have to re-watch the film.
Sabryna/Alena: Thank you for visiting regularly and for your comment! I hope you continue to find the content worth reading. :)
Saurabh: It's an interesting question, isn't it? I, like you, don't consider it a typical masala film. It's far from it. But what's very interesting is the number of masala ingredients it does have (assuming there is such a thing as 'masala' film). Got me thinking, and probably has some truth to it too. Definitely agree on its completeness. And the music clips are basically embedded, just like the YouTube videos.
Filmi Girl: Thank you! See comment to Bollyviewer; if it seems I'm trying to have it both ways with this argument, it's probably because I am :) If we could formulate a theory explaining Aamir's consistent success this decade, I think this would be my contention -- that he's found that middle ground and is becoming an expert at exploiting it to the benefit of his viewers (and himself, of course)!
Adab Sita-ji: Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I can't get enough of this film! :)
Ajnabi: As I was saying to Filmi Girl above, I'm starting to believe that's been Aamir's approach to cinema of late. The middle ground argument doesn't work as well with something like Taare Zameen Par, but sure does with Lagaan and Rang De Basanti (as opposed to Mangal Pandey and Fanaa, which are closer to masala than these two). Having said that, the intensity captured in each case is very convincing. And if he truly believes that there is no art v masala film, it's all one big bucket, then Lagaan might just make for good case study material.
I'd love to know what you think upon re-watching!
I'm falling in with the theory that Lagaan is at the intersection of masala and art-- the heavy dose of masala is what makes it such fun to watch, and the message at the core is what makes you feel like the four hours were more than just fluffy fun (as opposed to, for example, "Om Shanti Om," which I adored but which is pure fluff). By the way, can masala be applied to American film? We just watched "Sholay" for the first time (awe-some) and it made me think of "Magnificent Seven," which seems to me had a bit of masala element to it. Maybe that's why I liked "Magnificent Seven" more than other westerns? :)
Hi Ellie! It's an interesting theory, isn't it? I was as startled with it, but it makes sense. Aamir usually packages the fluff with some interesting core message. That's not to say he doesn't do pure fluff -- 'Raja Hindustani' was his biggest commercial success at the time of its release (pure fluff and commercial success seem to have a directly proportional relationship). And his upcoming Ghajini is, in his words, his first 'all-out entertainer' this decade.
Sure, I don't see why the masala film concept cannot be applied to Hollywood films. Sholay is truly awesome, and I haven't seen 'Maginificent Seven', but you have me curious :)
Joss said...
It's great that you have written all this, theBollywoodfan. I have asked for Lagaan dvd for Christmas and Lagaan cd for my birthday. I have, of course, seen the film before, bit it was a rented copy. I shall re-read your post after I have watched the film again. And before as well, probably. Thanks!
Hi Joss: What great Christmas and birthday presents! Happy birthday in advance! I'll look forward to your comments then.
It's good to see someone celebrating Lagaan (or any other film) so much. Hats off for a wonderful post, Bolly fan. As for the question, my thinking is similar to yours, maybe a bit of both.
Anonymous: Thank you! It was a lot of fun compiling this information, and the content from Suresh's blog was just so fitting. Lagaan will always be one of the very finest films in my books, at least. So much to enjoy and celebrate! :)
lalsub said...
Hi this is eles, from the AK blog.Have discovered this blog from latest issue of Filmfare.
Lagaan to me is a perfect mix of art and masala.Never boring in spite of its length. Ashu's finest to date.
To those who have not watched these:Watch the film's making 'Chale Chalo' and the accompanying book Spirit of Lagaan(which has a lot more material as compared to Chale Chalo).Satyajit's book is one of the best in its genre.
Another would be Anupama Chopra's book on the making of Sholay. Haven't read it, though.
Eles! Welcome and thank you for your visit. I, of course, agree with you completely on Lagaan, that it is a rather fantastic mix of art and masala!
I also agree on Satyajit's book The Spirit of Lagaan (wrote about it here) and the making, Chale Chalo, which was a phenomenal complement to the book, which I read first (discussed the documentary here).
Haven't read the book on Sholay either. Thanks for the heads up!


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Cross Country Season in Review
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"Radium Girls": A Backstage Perspective
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Bring Back the "Paper" in "Newspaper"
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When Will it Be Safe to Go Back to School?
Lily Caravela
Photo Courtesy of Lily Caravela
After over a year of living abnormally in the pandemic, a common question is continuously raised; is it safe for students and teachers to go back to in-person school regularly?
School has been proven to be a place that is more than just reading, writing, and math. In-person learning offers hands-on experiences, builds social and emotional skills, allows exercise, and can provide support for students who need it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Virtual learning has been one of the only options to continue education for students, even though it lacks all of the main purposes of going into school.
"I tend to be very unmotivated when I am working from home. I don't think my virtual work reflects how I am as a student," says JCHS senior, Alexa Camerino.
Academic and social development is likely to decrease during online learning for the majority of students, according to the American Psychological Association. Increased stress and anxiety, lack of motivation, and less exposure to social interaction are all detrimental effects on mental health within virtual learning.
Many schools have gotten comfortable with using different types of learning to avoid having students "zooming" from bed. One common type of scheduling has been hybrid learning.
Hybrid learning has been used to engage students with in-person learning while being precautionary. It offers schools flexibility balancing online and face-face education. JCHS's hybrid schedule consists of two cohorts that have "In-person" learning one day, and virtual learning the next. Classes 1-4 meet on the first part of the two-day schedule, and classes 5-8 meet on the next two-day rotation. Two virtual classes are held after a one-hour lunch break every day. It has given students an opportunity to restart learning in a more normal way. Students also have the option of requesting to stay completely virtual.
Hybrid Learning has been effective for the most part at JCHS. Students are gifted with the chance of going in and learning face to face while following COVID-19 guidelines. There has thankfully yet to be a COVID-19 outbreak within the school.
On the contrary, hybrid learning can also be problematic for students, as well as teachers. A consistent learning experience is nearly impossible, given that students go to school every other day. Tricky schedules that constantly change can also be difficult to balance. Teachers have the arduous task of balancing technology while teaching live students in a socially distant environment. An overload of work is created for both teachers and students.
It is difficult to predict when life will return to normal, which means it is hard to predict whether going into school full time is an option. According to the Gates Foundation COVID-19 Tracker Analysis, about 83.3% of K-12 parents consider sending their children back to normal learning come August.
"With our country allowing restaurants, gyms, and other businesses to reopen, it is only reasonable to re-open the school systems as well," says JCHS Sophomore Maggie Tierney.
In New Jersey alone, according to NJ.com, almost 3 million total doses of the COVID-19 vaccination had been administered. Roughly 14% of the adult population of New Jersey have received their second dose, making 1 and 7 adults completely vaccinated. As more and more people are vaccinated, the chances of outbreaks decrease.
Other students, like JCHS Junior Haley Tierney, think otherwise about going into school. "It's not safe for us to go back to school full time until high-school level kids are allowed to get the vaccine," says Tierney.
Evidence shows that teens from ages 12-17 are more likely to spread COVID-19 than younger children and older adults, according to the CDC. Opening up the schools fully without students being fully vaccinated could potentially be problematic.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been cleared for people 18 and older and the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for emergency uses only with people 16 years of age and older. Children between 12-15 are predicted to have access to the vaccine from between the 2021-2022 school year, according to Dr. Robert Frenck, director of the Gamble Vaccine Research Center.
"The CDC guidelines are changing frequently so we will keep on top of the changes throughout the rest of the school year. We will continue to follow the recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health to make sure everyone stays safe," says JCHS nurse Danielle Ciccaglione.
According to a March 16th letter by Dr. Heinegg, our school is currently still in the high zone of virus transmission which requires us to remain in the current K-12 Hybrid Scheduling. He goes on to mention that hopefully if we move to a lower moderate zone by April 1, there are plans made to enact a modified K-5 schedule after spring break.
It is important that to keep ourselves and others safe, we must be aware of the constant changes within the guidelines with this unknown virus. If teens continue to protect themselves, a life of normality can be ensured for the upcoming 2021 fall school year.
https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/10/online-learning-mental-health
https://www.ucsf.edu/magazine/covid-school-reopening
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/hybrid-school-schedules-more-flexibility-big-logistical-challenges/2020/06
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Return-to-School-During-COVID-19.aspx
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/03/16/covid-19-vaccine-when-can-children-get-it-coronavirus/4714963001
#covid
#safety
#school
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Actress Denise Richards says she will fail in the show Dancing With The Stars because she has a bad memory and two left feet.
because she has a bad memory and two left feet.
According to contactmusic.com, Richards is one of the contestants on the show which starts March 9. But she is telling fans not to back her because she has never danced before in her life.
She said: "My biggest fear is just forgetting everything right before going on live, that's what I'm scared of. All I hope is that I don't embarrass my girls (daughters). I'm completely out of my element because I've never danced before. Never!"


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Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 121.djvu/1124
[121 STAT. 1103]
PUBLIC LAW 110–114—NOV. 8, 2007
flood damage reduction, storm damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, or navigation project that requires the approval of the Secretary, the Secretary shall initiate, subject to subsection (c), procedures to establish a schedule for consolidating Federal, State, and local agency and Indian tribe environmental assessments, project reviews, and issuance of all permits for the construction or modification of the project. All States and Indian tribes having jurisdiction over the proposed project shall be invited by the Secretary, but shall not be required, to participate in carrying out this section with respect to the project. (b) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall seek, to the extent practicable, to consolidate hearing and comment periods, procedures for data collection and report preparation, and the environmental review and permitting processes associated with the project and related activities. The Secretary shall notify, to the extent possible, the non-Federal interest of its responsibilities for data development and information that may be necessary to process each permit required for the project, including a schedule when the information and data should be provided to the appropriate Federal, State, or local agency or Indian tribe. (c) COSTS OF COORDINATION.—The costs incurred by the Secretary to establish and carry out a schedule to consolidate Federal, State, and local agency and Indian tribe environmental assessments, project reviews, and permit issuance for a project under this section shall be paid by the non-Federal interest. (d) REPORT ON TIMESAVINGS METHODS.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall prepare and transmit to Congress a report estimating the time required for the issuance of all Federal, State, local, and tribal permits for the construction of non-Federal projects for water supply, wastewater infrastructure, flood damage reduction, storm damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, and navigation. SEC. 2045. PROJECT STREAMLINING.
33 USC 2348.
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(a) POLICY.—The benefits of water resources projects are important to the Nation's economy and environment, and recommendations to Congress regarding such projects should not be delayed due to uncoordinated or inefficient reviews or the failure to timely resolve disputes during the development of water resources projects. (b) SCOPE.—This section shall apply to each study initiated after the date of enactment of this Act to develop a feasibility report under section 905 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2282), or a reevaluation report, for a water resources project if the Secretary determines that such study requires an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). (c) WATER RESOURCES PROJECT REVIEW PROCESS.—The Secretary shall develop and implement a coordinated review process for the development of water resources projects. (d) COORDINATED REVIEWS.—The coordinated review process under this section may provide that all reviews, analyses, opinions, permits, licenses, and approvals that must be issued or made by a Federal, State, or local government agency or Indian tribe for the development of a water resources project described in subsection
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PsN: 59194PT1
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I really enjoyed the most recent TWIEVO on the importance of DHX9 in defense against endogenous Alu RNA, and particularly the appearance of ADAR, given recent interested of our lab. It's been known for some time that genetic ablation of ADAR is lethal to mice at the embryonic stage, but that this could be overcome through ablation of MDA5 or MAVS (though these mice still aren't exactly healthy).
Recently, we discovered we couldn't even knock out ADAR in human A549 cells. We had previously found that RNase L activation is the primary mechanism of cell death after introduction of polyIC and decided to test if RNase L ablation would allow us to knock out ADAR. Unlike most experiments, it worked, and was published earlier this year in eLife.
We did a few other things to really nail down that RNase L was responsible for the lethality observed in the absence of ADAR. Specifically, we made a cell line expressing the NS2 protein of mouse hepatitis virus, a well characterized antagonist of RNase L. In this cell line, but not a cell line expressing a mutated, inactive NS2, we also successfully knocked out ADAR. Additionally, we determined that cells lacking ADAR produce more 2-5A, a small molecule required for RNase L to activate.
I'll avoid going on any longer than that, but thanks for highlighting the really cool and growing field around modification and sensing of endogenous RNA, and overlap with antiviral responses. Thanks as well for making TWIEVO happen, and it's been a pleasure meeting both of you over the last several months.
1) The ability to support a bigger brain. That appears to be the reason for the increase in size in hominids.
2) Due to the vastly reduced surface area (proportionally), gigantic animals will cool much more slowly — clearly an advantage for the whales that inhabit very cold water. Might this have been an advantage for for the dinosaurs, too?
3) Taller animals can graze on trees and see food/water/predators that are far away.
Might the large size — and blubber — of the sperm whale enable the deep water dives necessary to hunt the giant squid?
There was mention of reduced predation. This could quickly result in an arms race that produces all giant animals — predators and prey alike.
I think there are probably lots of reason being big is both good and bad. Whether a species evolves to gigantic sizes probably has to do with how those advantages and disadvantages are balanced in that particular lineage. Being big is great but it takes a long time to grow big, time in which reproduction isn't happening so if you die before you reach maturity there's not much help there!
I'd bet there is probably an upper limit to predator size. All the really big things are or have been herbivores. My guess is that it'd hard for super gigantic predators to get regular access to food or something similar. But being big is definitely a good way to stay warm!
Joyce clearly demonstrates that he was familiar with the appearance of Pouter Pigeons. I wondered how that came to be? When young, did he or an associate keep pigeons? Did Joyce browse the live animal markets? I also wondered why he used an image that few would likely recognize. A Joycean gave me a likely answer to both questions. In Joyce's era every educated person would have studied Darwin and would have been familiar with his experiments in atavistic reversion in pigeon crosses.
It is currently in the 43ºF (6ºC) in Durham, NC, but since I am almost always in the greenhouse, it is perpetually in the 70sºF/20sºC. Working in the greenhouse has meant a lot of time to listen to podcasts, including TWiEVO.
1) I particularly loved the episodes with Corrie and Josh, who highlight the importance of natural history museums. Thank you for bringing them to light, especially since a lot of these museums are closing down.
2) I also like how several of the guests have emphasized the importance of having a question(s) to drive their research. Even though sequencing and functional genetics is becoming more accessible, it still takes a lot of time, money, and other resources to develop tools to do some functional work. It is also sometimes also hard to do with certain species, and it is worth asking whether doing the "functional experiment" like knocking out a gene using CRISPR will tell us anything new or important.
3) Coming from the perspective of a budding plant evolutionary biologist, my question is: where are the plants?? You've covered research from a myriad of species, and while there have been some mentions of plants, I keep wondering when plants can be the focus of the conversation. Perhaps this is in the works. If you are interested, I would be happy to suggest a few papers and people who would be fantastic guests.
– In Defense of Plants is hosted by PhD Candidate Matt Candeias, and his goal is to cure plant blindness. (Side note: I have no clue how he is doing this and working on his PhD – I can barely find time to do my own research.) There is a blog, a podcast, and a video series. I haven't looked through everything, but everything looks fantastic. I have listened to a few of the recent podcast episodes, in which he talks to scientists, landscape architects, horticulturalists, etc. I think this one is similar to the format of TWiEVO and is worth a listen.
– The Taproot tells the story behind a plant-related paper – the collaborations, the challenges, the compromises, etc. It feels like a shorter version of TWiEVO, focusing not necessarily on the science in the paper, but the process of making the discoveries and getting the work published. The first episode is actually quite fascinating.
5) Finally, having heard some "panel" discussions and how some podcast taping occurs at meetings, I was wondering, would it be possible to have a TWiEVO taping at a future Evolution conference, perhaps in 2019? I only say 2019 because the 2018 meeting will be a joint meeting and that meeting tends to be very structured. Or perhaps there could be a "recap" of talks you attended, kind of like All Songs Considered recapping SXSW. It is also likely that you do recaps already in your other podcasts, but I thought I should share the idea anyway.
Thanks for all you do! I look forward to future episodes!


French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that he would put forward new proposals for the European Union to boost its security, saying the bloc must stop depending on American might.
"Europe can no longer rely on the United States for its security. It is up to us to guarantee European security," he said in a speech to relaunch his diplomatic agenda.
His proposals will be unveiled "in the coming months", Macron told an audience of some 250 diplomats, lawmakers and international relations experts gathered to mark the return from the summer break.
"I want us to launch an exhaustive review of our security with all Europe's partners, which includes Russia," he added.
Macron's comments came after a string of gestures from US President Donald Trump distancing himself from traditional NATO allies.
Trump has repeatedly called into question the Western alliance's core commitment to mutual defence, while complaining that the US spends too much on military support for Europe.
Macron came to power last year vowing to overhaul the EU and has pushed for deep political reforms -- including a separate budget for the eurozone -- which have so far met with lukewarm support.
The French president, who will head to Denmark and Finland for a three-day trip from Tuesday hoping to shore up support for his EU shake-up, called for redoubled efforts to reform the bloc.
"We need to take new initiatives, build new alliances," he said.
"France wants a Europe which protects, even as extremism has grown stronger and nationalism has awoken," he said.
EU powerhouse Germany has given only muted backing to Macron's ambitious plans, but his call for greater European military cooperation echoes recent comments by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
Writing in the Handelsblatt newspaper, Maas called last week for Europe to "take an equal share of the responsibility" and "form a counterweight" to Washington as Europe-US relations cool.
In a typically expansive overview of his vision of France's role in the world, Macron also blasted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, warning his regime was on the verge of creating a fresh humanitarian crisis in Idlib province.
The regime says it is determined to retake the northwestern province on the Turkish border -- Syria's last major rebel stronghold -- amid speculation of a looming Russian-backed assault.
"The situation is alarming because the regime is threatening to create another humanitarian crisis in Idlib province and until now has shown no desire to negotiate the slightest political transition," Macron said.
"This means reinforcing pressure on the regime and its allies, and I expect Russia and Turkey to take account of their roles and the commitments they have made," he added.
"Since day one I have considered Daesh (the Islamic State group) to be our principal enemy, and I have never made the ousting of Bashar al-Assad a condition of our diplomatic or humanitarian action in Syria," he said.
But he accused Assad of "creating thousands of refugees" and "massacring his own people".


text:
Old Overholt is America's oldest continually maintained brand of whiskey, was founded in West Overton, Pennsylvania, in 1810. Old Overholt is a rye whiskey distilled by A. Overholt & Co., currently a subsidiary of Beam Suntory, which is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan. It is produced at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky. It is one of the most commonly available straight rye whiskies in the United States, where it is available at most liquor stores. It is aged for four years and since early 2020 is non-chill filtered and bottled at 86 proof (43% alcohol by volume). A four-year bottled in bond, 100 proof version was released in late 2017. Old Overholt has been called a "foundation stone of American whiskey" because of its long history.

History

Early years
Henry Oberholzer (Anglicized to "Overholt"), a German Mennonite farmer, moved to West Overton, Pennsylvania, on the banks of Jacobs Creek in Western Pennsylvania in 1800. His family came from the area of Germany which specialized in distilling "korn", or rye whiskey, and Henry took up the tradition.

Growth
In 1810, Henry's son Abraham Overholt (1784–1870) took over management of the distillery and made it into a business. By the 1820s, the distillery was putting out 12 to 15 gallons of rye whiskey per day. Abraham grew the company rapidly; by 1843, Baltimore newspapers were advertising Overholt's "Old Rye"; at that time, only the very few top distilleries were advertised by name. By 1859, Overholt incorporated his business as "A. Overholt & Co." He operated out of a new distillery building that was six stories high, 100 feet long, and which could produce 860 gallons per day.

In 1881, Abraham's grandson Henry Clay Frick took over the company. As one of the country's wealthiest people, the distillery was a sentimental side-business for Frick. Frick took on Andrew Mellon and one Charles W. Mauck as partners, each owning one-third of the business.

In 1888, Mauck adopted the name "Old Overholt" as the official name of the company, adding a picture of Abraham as the logo. Around that time, the company started selling its product in bottles instead of barrels. By 1900, Old Overholt became a national brand. In the early years of the 20th Century, Old Overholt became one of the largest and most respected whiskeys in the country.

Frick died in December 1919 and left his share to Andrew Mellon. This ended family ownership in the company.

Prohibition

The national prohibition of alcohol in 1920 hit most American breweries and distilleries hard, putting many out of business. Perhaps because of its association with Mellon, who was then secretary of the treasury under Warren G. Harding, Old Overholt was able to secure a permit for selling medicinal whiskey. This permit allowed Overholt to sell existing whiskey stocks to druggists for medicinal use.

In 1925, under pressure from prohibitionists, Mellon sold his share of the company to a New York grocer, thus ending local ownership. The company was sold again in 1932 to National Distillers Products Co., which owned more than 200 brands.

War and decline
During World War II, Overholt and other whiskey distilleries were ordered by the government to make industrial alcohol. After war's end, whiskey fell out of favor with the American public generally, as drinkers switched to vodka. Rye whiskey especially fell out of favor, and by the 1960s, Old Overholt was the only nationally distributed straight rye whiskey. The brand struggled through the 1970s as sales continued to decline. In 1987, Old Overholt was sold to the James B. Beam Distilling Company, a subsidiary of American Brands, which moved production to Kentucky. Later the Jim Beam division was acquired by Suntory.

Since December 2015, Old Overholt and Old Grand-Dad, both of which are Beam Suntory brands, have been marketed together as "The Olds".
A four-year bottled in bond, 100 proof version was released in late 2017.

In popular culture
Old Overholt is closely associated with the Old West, particularly Tombstone, Arizona and is served in "Old West" tourist saloons in Tombstone today.

The brand was parodied in a Warner Brothers cartoon, various issues of MAD Magazine and in the Terry Pratchett novels The Dark Side of the Sun and Soul Music as "Old Overcoat".

The Old Overholt distillery was a plot element at the end of season 3 of Boardwalk Empire.  The distillery was part of a deal between Andrew Mellon and Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, who persuaded him to let him manage it in order to implicate Jess Smith and George Remus.

Famous drinkers
Overholt is said to have been the alcoholic beverage of choice for notables ranging from Old West gunfighters to US presidents including Ulysses S. Grant and John F. Kennedy, and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles.

Reviews
Food critic Morgan Murphy said "This very old brand of rye whiskey needles the drinker with zings of fruit flavors, grain bite, and sweet cereal notes."

Whisky writer Jim Murray said "creamy nose...citrus notes...very hard rye...momentarily moist and sweet before going on to perfect the driest, crispest finish of its genre".

See also
 Henry Overholt
 Jacobs Creek (Pennsylvania)
 West Overton, Pennsylvania

References

External links

Old Overholt Brand Page
Whisky Magazine: Old Overholt tasting profile

Rye whiskey
Beam Suntory
1810 establishments in Pennsylvania
American companies established in 1810

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
/***************************************************************************

  Galaxian hardware family (old)

  This include file is used by the following drivers:
    - dambustr.c
    - galaxold.c
    - scramble.c
    - scobra.c

***************************************************************************/

#ifndef __GALAXOLD_H__
#define __GALAXOLD_H__

/* star circuit */
#define STAR_COUNT  252
struct star
{
	int x, y, color;
};

class galaxold_state : public driver_device
{
public:
	galaxold_state(const machine_config &mconfig, device_type type, const char *tag)
		: driver_device(mconfig, type, tag) { }

	UINT8 *m_videoram;
	UINT8 *m_spriteram;
	UINT8 *m_spriteram2;
	UINT8 *m_attributesram;
	UINT8 *m_bulletsram;
	UINT8 *m_rockclim_videoram;
	UINT8 *m_racknrol_tiles_bank;
	size_t m_spriteram_size;
	size_t m_spriteram2_size;
	size_t m_bulletsram_size;
	int m_irq_line;
	UINT8 m__4in1_bank;
	tilemap_t *m_bg_tilemap;
	tilemap_t *m_rockclim_tilemap;
	int m_mooncrst_gfxextend;
	int m_spriteram2_present;
	UINT8 m_gfxbank[5];
	UINT8 m_flipscreen_x;
	UINT8 m_flipscreen_y;
	UINT8 m_color_mask;
	tilemap_t *m_dambustr_tilemap2;
	UINT8 *m_dambustr_videoram2;
	void (*m_modify_charcode)(running_machine &machine, UINT16 *code, UINT8 x);		/* function to call to do character banking */
	void (*m_modify_spritecode)(running_machine &machine, UINT8 *spriteram, int*, int*, int*, int);	/* function to call to do sprite banking */
	void (*m_modify_color)(UINT8 *color);	/* function to call to do modify how the color codes map to the PROM */
	void (*m_modify_ypos)(UINT8*);	/* function to call to do modify how vertical positioning bits are connected */
	void (*m_tilemap_set_scroll)( tilemap_t *, int col, int value );

	UINT8 m_timer_adjusted;
	UINT8 m_darkplnt_bullet_color;
	void (*m_draw_bullets)(running_machine &,bitmap_t *,const rectangle *, int, int, int);	/* function to call to draw a bullet */

	UINT8 m_background_enable;
	UINT8 m_background_red;
	UINT8 m_background_green;
	UINT8 m_background_blue;
	void (*m_draw_background)(running_machine &machine, bitmap_t *bitmap, const rectangle *cliprect);	/* function to call to draw the background */
	UINT16 m_rockclim_v;
	UINT16 m_rockclim_h;
	int m_dambustr_bg_split_line;
	int m_dambustr_bg_color_1;
	int m_dambustr_bg_color_2;
	int m_dambustr_bg_priority;
	int m_dambustr_char_bank;
	bitmap_t *m_dambustr_tmpbitmap;

	void (*m_draw_stars)(running_machine &machine, bitmap_t *, const rectangle *);		/* function to call to draw the star layer */
	int m_stars_colors_start;
	INT32 m_stars_scrollpos;
	UINT8 m_stars_on;
	UINT8 m_stars_blink_state;
	emu_timer *m_stars_blink_timer;
	emu_timer *m_stars_scroll_timer;
	struct star m_stars[STAR_COUNT];
};

/*----------- defined in video/galaxold.c -----------*/

PALETTE_INIT( galaxold );
PALETTE_INIT( scrambold );
PALETTE_INIT( darkplnt );
PALETTE_INIT( rescue );
PALETTE_INIT( minefld );
PALETTE_INIT( stratgyx );
PALETTE_INIT( mariner );
PALETTE_INIT( rockclim );
PALETTE_INIT( dambustr );
PALETTE_INIT( turtles );

VIDEO_START( dambustr );

WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_videoram_w );
READ8_HANDLER( galaxold_videoram_r );

WRITE8_HANDLER( rockclim_videoram_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( rockclim_scroll_w );
READ8_HANDLER( rockclim_videoram_r );
WRITE8_HANDLER( dambustr_bg_split_line_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( dambustr_bg_color_w );

WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_attributesram_w );

WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_stars_enable_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( scrambold_background_enable_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( scrambold_background_red_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( scrambold_background_green_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( scrambold_background_blue_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( hotshock_flip_screen_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( darkplnt_bullet_color_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( racknrol_tiles_bank_w );

VIDEO_START( galaxold_plain );
VIDEO_START( galaxold );
VIDEO_START( mooncrst );
VIDEO_START( pisces );
VIDEO_START( batman2 );
VIDEO_START( dkongjrm );
VIDEO_START( scrambold );
VIDEO_START( darkplnt );
VIDEO_START( rescue );
VIDEO_START( minefld );
VIDEO_START( stratgyx );
VIDEO_START( mimonkey );
VIDEO_START( mariner );
VIDEO_START( ckongs );
VIDEO_START( rockclim );
VIDEO_START( drivfrcg );
VIDEO_START( bongo );
VIDEO_START( scorpion );
VIDEO_START( racknrol );
VIDEO_START( ad2083 );

void galaxold_init_stars(running_machine &machine, int colors_offset);
void galaxold_draw_stars(running_machine &machine, bitmap_t *bitmap, const rectangle *cliprect);

SCREEN_UPDATE( galaxold );
SCREEN_UPDATE( dambustr );

WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_gfxbank_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_flip_screen_x_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_flip_screen_y_w );

/*----------- defined in machine/galaxold.c -----------*/

TIMER_DEVICE_CALLBACK( galaxold_interrupt_timer );

WRITE_LINE_DEVICE_HANDLER( galaxold_7474_9m_2_q_callback );
WRITE_LINE_DEVICE_HANDLER( galaxold_7474_9m_1_callback );

DRIVER_INIT( 4in1 );
DRIVER_INIT( ladybugg );

WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_nmi_enable_w );

MACHINE_RESET( galaxold );
MACHINE_RESET( devilfsg );
MACHINE_RESET( hunchbkg );

WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_coin_lockout_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_coin_counter_w );
#define galaxold_coin_counter_0_w galaxold_coin_counter_w
WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_coin_counter_1_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_coin_counter_2_w );
WRITE8_HANDLER( galaxold_leds_w );

READ8_HANDLER( scramblb_protection_1_r );
READ8_HANDLER( scramblb_protection_2_r );

WRITE8_HANDLER( _4in1_bank_w );
CUSTOM_INPUT( _4in1_fake_port_r );

INTERRUPT_GEN( hunchbks_vh_interrupt );

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Todd Wolfenbarger – President and Partner of The Summit Group
Mario Schulzke • December 15, 2019 December 2, 2013
[quote style="boxed"] I learned that it's important to never waste a good crisis because what you learn when things get difficult can be the most valuable, and the most telling, about people professionally.[/quote]
Todd Wolfenbarger has more than 25 years of senior management experience, having served at a Fortune 100 company (AT&T), one of the fastest-growing businesses in U.S. history (McCaw Cellular), and one of the more dramatic technology services companies to emerge from the high-flying '90s (XO Communications). A decade ago, he became a partner and owner in The Summit Group Communications, an award-winning marketing communications firm serving more than 60 clients throughout the United States and Europe. He currently serves as President and Partner of TSG, which has a strong focus in the healthcare and franchise marketing sectors.
Where did the idea for The Summit Group come from?
The Summit Group was founded in 1982 by my partner, Bill Paulos. I was a client and appreciated his approach that "all communications need to sell." I was impressed enough that I bought part of the agency in 2002.
What is your business model?
We are a strategic marketing and communications firm that focuses on building measurable programs that increase sales. We do this by helping clients tell their stories to create buying experiences for audiences through many forms of media and engagement. Most of the folks at TSG have worked in big markets or for big brands, but have chosen to live within the shadows of the Wasatch Mountain Range. For clients, it means that TSG delivers "New York City talent at Salt Lake City rates."
There is no such thing as a typical day in a marketing agency. Every day is different. For a curious person, that can feel like discovering a toy box. For someone who likes a routine, it can feel like a root canal.
I'm a verbal processor. I think aloud, sometimes to my own detriment, and working through my ideas happens with a "Let me try this one on you" approach.
Marketing is completely being reinvented right now. It is no longer only about working within the restrictions of ad specifications or by trying to convince an editor or news director that your story is worth telling. Today, you have all that — and you have the ability to create your own brand content publishing experience through the Web, social media, and mobile app experiences. This means that communications isn't about talking at your audience, but actually engaging them in a buying conversation. In my 25 years of doing this, the past three have been the most dynamic. I find that to be exceptionally exciting.
The worst position I've been in was serving as the VP of corporate communications in a company that had spectacular expectations and ended up going through a bankruptcy/restructuring. I learned that, during an extremely difficult process, the most important thing is — to borrow a military phrase — to do your nearest duty. I learned that it's important to never waste a good crisis because what you learn when things get difficult can be the most valuable, and the most telling, about people professionally.
I would embrace my curiosity much earlier. I'd ask a million questions, especially the dumb ones. I'd do it relentlessly, and I would do it without fear.
I'm not sure I'm an entrepreneur in the truest sense. However, I've been around a lot of them throughout my career, and my favorite quote is from my business partner (a "real" entrepreneur): "Entrepreneurs aren't more visionary; in fact, entrepreneurs have a vision problem. Their problem is they can't see the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity." My advice? Have that kind of vision, and you'll succeed as an entrepreneur.
Give more than you take. It seems counterintuitive, but over my career, I've found that it has proven to be the best method for building business and customer relationships, and to also discover new business opportunities.
Early on as a business owner, I could become paralyzed by the fear that things might not work out. I've learned over the years that when the fear sets in — and it still does, regularly — the best way out is often through. I try my best to spend as much energy as possible going to work on the problem, instead of letting it go to work on me.
I think someone would make a lot of money if he or she could facilitate the capturing of audio/video and add a text recognition feature to help people record pivotal moments in their lives. Can you imagine how valuable it would be to hear you mother's voice telling you how she felt about you on the day you were born?
Tell us something about you that very few people know.
I want to learn to do a couple of magic tricks and be brilliant at them — you know, the kind where people smile and say, "How the heck did he do that?"
What is your favorite online tool, software or resources and what do you love about them?
I'm a giant fan of LinkedIn. I use it every day to grow and nurture my friends in business. It's a great way to not only organize my network, but it also gives me easy access to what my network thinks.
I'd recommend "Give and Take" by Adam Grant. It's a fabulous book about how personal networks are built and why they matter.
List two experts who have helped you as an entrepreneur and why?
I love to read anything Richard Edelman writes because I think he's brilliant at shaping the future of the public relations profession.
I'm super interested in Malcolm Gladwell and how he extrapolates human behavior from history and psychology. I think if I could just go write all the time (something I'd love to be able to do), I'd like to be that kind of writer.
What did you have for breakfast today?
Sadly, I didn't eat anything. I've never been much of a breakfast eater.
Todd Wolfenbarger on LinkedIn:
Todd Wolfenbarger on Twitter: @twolf11
The Summit Group on Twitter: @SummitSLC
Todd Wolfenbarger on Google+:
Categories consulting, grid, Interviews, marketing Tags Salt Lake City, Utah Post navigation
Natalie Bauss – Founder of Keeki Pure and Simple
Chandra Davis – Founder of Drink Chia


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text:
You are in: HOME > news
South Africa forging ahead on AI - but work still needs to be done
By Ryan Noik 24 June 2019 | Categories: feature articles
Technology trends expected in South Africa in 2020...
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DNAlysis in action – Our experience using our ge...
If you have been paying any attention to emerging technologies, you likely have heard much already about artificial intelligence (AI). And, you will no doubt hear plenty more in the years to come.
From a local perspective though, the ever present question is how is South Africa faring on its AI journey? Are we lagging behind or powering ahead? The good news is, the country is actually doing quite well, with new research contained in the AI Maturity Report in South Africa – commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by EY - indicating AI experimentation is now prolific across South African companies.
Furthermore, businesses are showing a willingness to embrace AI and experiment using new technology, with 46% of South African companies noting they are already actively piloting AI within their organisations.
The report found that there is enthusiasm in South Africa to pioneer new AI solutions, which is producing a "very open culture" towards AI. It also revealed that at least 25% of South African companies consider themselves highly competent in their willingness to experiment with and learn about new technologies – compared to just 14% across the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
Together, this enthusiasm and openness bode very well for adoption of the technology moving forward, not just in the short term.
"Many AI experts argue that it's not simply a lack of technical skills that slows the progress of AI, but also a greater need for a culture of experimentation. Though AI is in its early stages of development in South Africa, it bodes well for AI maturity in the country that businesses are actively experimenting with exciting new AI use cases," explained Lillian Barnard, Managing Director at Microsoft.
Transformative impact for all
She continued that from Microsoft's perspective, the company believes that AI will become, "the defining technology of our time, like electricity, that will transform industry and society." With that in mind, she stressed that Microsoft is intent on democratising artificial intelligence, and make it available to everyone.
One of the examples given of that was Seeing AI, an app that leverages artificial intelligence and one's smartphone to help people with seeing difficulties identify the world around them. That app is already freely available on both iOS and Android platforms.
Beyond the personal example of AI in action, what exactly are businesses most gravitating towards using AI for? Apparently the range runs the gamut, but it is machine learning that has garnered the majority interest (67%) as the tech that businesses are considering of greatest usefulness. Following behind that are smart robotics and biometrics.
Also being actively experimented with by businesses are the likes of Chatbots, Robotic Process Automation and Advanced Analytics.
When it comes to the future benefits of AI, companies across the MEA region are highly positive - and perhaps none more so than South African organisations. 96% of local businesses expect to gain significant financial benefits by using AI solutions to optimise their operations.
The top use cases for AI listed by companies surveyed include automation (83%) and prediction (70%). Use cases in question include a broad range of applications, from increasing employee productivity, to predicting customer churn or consumer conversion rates and proactively managing machinery downtime.
That being said, and despite the fact that 42% of South African businesses say AI is one of their digital priorities, not a single company indicated that it was their most important priority. In fact, there are a number of core competencies South African companies feel they still need to address in terms of AI maturity.
While data management scored well as a competency in South Africa (almost a third of companies consider themselves highly competent), businesses typically rate themselves as only moderately competent when it comes to leadership capability with regards to driving AI forward.
Combining AI with emotional intelligence is another significant challenge for South African companies, with many respondents citing concerns around human-machine interaction, and how AI outputs should be integrated with operational processes and the people involved in those processes.
From the top down
Brian Lewkowicz, Lead on Intelligent Automation at EY Africa, noted that discussions around AI need to take place across all levels of South African businesses. While 83% of organisations report direct involvement at the C-suite level, this number is significantly lower (29%) at a non-managerial level.
Currently, 54% of companies rate impact on personnel as the top business risk in implementing AI. While South Africa's unemployment rates are high, understanding of AI is low. This typically means that much of the workforce's excitement around AI is quickly replaced by fear of job losses.
"To realise the true value of AI, organisations need to understand the scope and risks specific to them. Then they need to define the value and capabilities needed to integrate, activate and incorporate intelligent, robotic and autonomous capabilities. We hope that this study, which we are proud to have partnered with our alliance partner Microsoft, opens doors for South African organisations to use AI to improve business processes and accessibility for non-technical users," added Lewkowicz.
His advice? Companies should implement change management to help employees across the organisation understand that AI helps enhance productivity and can reduce the amount of time they spend on menial tasks.
"Microsoft has always believed that AI strategy should be designed with people at the centre. When companies opt for a 'people first, technology second' approach, human capabilities are extended and people can spend more time on creative and strategic endeavours so, ultimately, companies achieve more," concluded Barnard.
To download the full report on South Africa's AI outlook, click here.
AIartificial intelligenceEYMicrosoftAI Maturity ReportSouth Africa


Mary J. Blige and her estranged husband Kendu Isaacs have reached a settlement in their divorce case. According to reports, last Friday, the two parties came to a legal resolution and will no longer go to trail.
As previously reported, Blige filed for divorce in 2016. Last June, the singer and Oscar nominated actress was ordered to pay her estranged husband $30,000 per month in temporary spousal support. Initially, he requested $129,319 per month.
Isaacs has two children, Nas and Jordan, with his first wife, and an older daughter, Briana, from a teenaged relationship. Neither party have commented about the settlement.


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Home » Missions » First Light from Gemini Planet Imager
First Light from Gemini Planet Imager
Categories: Missions
By Astrobiology Magazine - Jan 10, 2014
Out of this world first light images emerge from Gemini Planet Imager
Gemini Planet Imager's first light image of the light scattered by a disk of dust orbiting the young star HR4796A. This narrow ring is thought to be dust from asteroids or comets left behind by planet formation; some scientists have theorized that the sharp edge of the ring is defined by an unseen planet. The left image shows normal light, including both the dust ring and the residual light from the central star scattered by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. The right image shows only polarized light. Leftover starlight is unpolarized and hence removed from this image. The light from the back edge of the disk is strongly polarized as it scatters towards us. Credit: Processing by Marshall Perrin, Space Telescope Science Institute
After nearly a decade of development, construction and testing, the world's most advanced instrument for directly imaging and analyzing planets orbiting around other stars is pointing skyward and collecting light from distant worlds.
"Even these early first-light images are almost a factor of 10 better than the previous generation of instruments. In one minute, we were seeing planets that used to take us an hour to detect," says Bruce Macintosh of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, who led the team who built the instrument.
For the past decade, Lawrence Livermore has been leading a multi-institutional team in the design, engineering, building and optimization of the instrument, called the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), which will be used for high-contrast imaging to better study faint planets or dusty disks next to bright stars. Astronomers — including a team at LLNL– have made direct images of a handful of extrasolar planets by adapting astronomical cameras built for other purposes. GPI is the first fully optimized planet imager, designed from the ground up for exoplanet imaging deployed on one of the world's biggest telescopes, the 8-meter Gemini South telescope in Chile.
Probing the environments of distant stars in a search for planets has required the development of next-generation, high-contrast adaptive optics (AO) systems, in which Livermore is a leader. These systems are sometimes referred to as extreme AO.
Macintosh said direct imaging of planets is challenging because planets such as Jupiter are a billion times fainter than their parent stars. "Detection of the youngest and brightest planets is barely within reach of today's AO systems," he said. "To see other solar systems, we need new tools."
Gemini Planet Imager's first light image of Beta Pictoris b, a planet orbiting the star Beta Pictoris. The star, Beta Pictoris, is blocked in this image by a mask so its light doesn't interfere with the light of the planet. In addition to the image, GPI obtains a spectrum from every pixel element in the field of view to allow scientists to study the planet in great detail. Beta Pictoris b, a 10 million year old planet several times larger than Jupiter. Credit: Image courtesy of Gemini Observatory, processing by Christian Marois/NRC Canada
And those new tools are installed in the Gemini Planet Imager with the most advanced AO system in the world. In addition to leading the whole project, LLNL also was responsible for the AO system. Designed to be the world's "most sophisticated" astronomical system for compensating turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere – an ongoing problem for ground-based telescopes — the system senses atmospheric turbulence and corrects it with a a 2-centimeter-square deformable mirror with 4,000 actuators. This deformable mirror is made of etched silicon, similar to microchips, rather than the large reflective glass mirrors used on other AO systems. This allows GPI to be compact and stable. The new mirror corrects for atmospheric distortions by adjusting its shape 1,000 times per second with accuracy better than 1 nanometer. Together with the other parts of GPI, astronomers can directly image extra-solar planets that are 1 million to 10 million times fainter than their host stars.
GPI carried out its first observations in November 2013 – during an extremely smooth debut for an extraordinarily complex astronomical instrument the size of a small car. "The GPI team's huge amount of high quality work has begun to pay off and now holds the promise of many years of important science to come," said LLNL Project Manager David Palmer.
For GPI's first observations, it targeted previously known planetary systems – the 4-planet HR8799 system (co-discovered by an LLNL-led team at the Gemini and Keck Observatory in 2008) and the Beta Pictoris system, among others. GPI has obtained the first-ever spectrum of the very young planet Beta Pictoris b.
The first-light team also used the instrument's unique polarization mode – tuned to look at starlight scattered by tiny particles – in order to study a ring of dust orbiting the very young star HR4796. With previous instruments, only the edges of this dust ring (which may be the debris remaining from planet formation) could be seen. GPI can follow the entire circumference of the ring. The images were released today at the 223rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington D.C., Jan. 5-9.
"GPI's performance requirements are extremely challenging," explained LLNL engineer Lisa Poyneer, who developed the algorithms used to correct for atmospheric turbulence, and led the testing of the adaptive optics system in the laboratory and at the telescope. "As a result, the AO system features several original technologies that were designed specifically for exoplanet science. After years of development and testing, it is very rewarding to see the AO system operating so well and enabling these remarkable images."
GPI team during the first light run in November 2013. Left to right: Pascale Hibon (Gemini), Stephen Goodsell (Gemini), Markus Hartung (Gemini), Fredrik Rantakyro (Gemini), Jeffrey Chilcote (UCLA), Jennifer Dunn (HIA), Sandrine Thomas (NASA Ames), Bruce Macintosh (LLNL), Dave Palmer (LLNL), Dmitry Savransky (LLNL), Marshall Perrin (STScI), Naru Sadakuni (Gemini); not shown Andrew Cardwell, Carlos Quiroz, Leslie Saddlemyer. Credit: Photo by Jeffry Chilcote/UCLA
Imaging exoplanets is highly complementary to other exoplanet success stories like NASA's Kepler mission. Kepler is extremely sensitive to small planets close to their parent star and focuses on mature stars – GPI detects infrared radiation from young Jupiter-like objects in wide orbits, the equivalent of the giant planets in our solar system not long after their formation.
"GPI represents a critical step in the road toward understanding how planetary systems form and develop," said Dmitry Savransky, an LLNL postdoc who worked on the integration and testing of GPI before moving to a position at Cornell. "While broad survey missions, such as Kepler, have revealed the variety of planets that exist in our galaxy, GPI will allow us to study a few dozen planets in exquisite detail."
GPI is an international project led by LLNL under Gemini's supervision, with Macintosh serving as principal investigator and LLNL engineer Palmer as project manager. In addition to Macintosh, Palmer and Poyneer, the LLNL team consisted of Brian Bauman, Scot Olivier and former employees Dmitry Savransky, Steve Jones, Christian Marois, Quinn Konopacky, Gary Sommargren and Julia Evans.
Publication of press-releases or other out-sourced content does not signify endorsement or affiliation of any kind.
Astrobio Top 10: Kepler Telescope Bids 'Goodnight' with Final Commands
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EXOPLANET MISSION LAUNCH SLOT ANNOUNCED
Kepler Telescope Bids 'Goodnight' with Final Commands
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With Mars Methane Mystery Unsolved, Curiosity Serves New One: Oxygen
Curiosity Detects Methane and Organic Molecules in Gale Crater
NASA Voyager 2 Could Be Nearing Interstellar Space
Lichen in Orbit
The James Webb Telescope Will See Earth-Like Worlds
Visions of the Future: Planetary Exploration Through 2050
Liquid Water from Ice and Salt on Mars
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Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Astrobiology Roadmap Goal 1: Habitable planet


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May 18, 2021 by Amanda MacGregor
Big Bend National Park and MG/YA Novels Exploring National Parks, a guest post by Cliff Burke
May 18, 2021 by Amanda MacGregor 1 comments
I didn't visit any of the famous National Parks until I was in my mid-twenties. I did visit Hershey Park in Pennsylvania, and many amusement parks, and the local section of the Cuyahoga County National Park where I grew up. But I never experienced the mountains or majesty I always associated with National Parks.
This changed when I was invited to join two friends on road trip that traversed Glacier, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks. I was awestruck by their beauty. Here were the mountains and the majesty and the crisp air and the unspoiled natural beauty I had been promised by old posters and educational films. But, as a writer, I was equally interested in observing other people partaking of the beauty of the parks, and I started to notice a recurring trend. There were a lot of families and most of them had a least one member of the traveling party who was ready to sit down for a while or go home entirely.
When I got back, I wrote down the note – kid forced to appreciate nature on a family vacation – and started building what eventually became An Occasionally Happy Family. I had been living in Austin for about 5 years at the time, and I decided to set most of the story in in the nearest national park – Big Bend. If you do a quick search of Big Bend National Park, the first several results are about how unpopular it is – top 10 least visited national parks, one of the lowest attended parks of the past 20 years. Its own travel brochure described the Park as a "weather-beaten desert" within the opening paragraphs. That is exactly the kind of place where a kid already not inclined to enjoy nature would be particularly aggrieved.
I did as much research as I could online but knew I couldn't write about it accurately without visiting. While it is certainly weather beaten, and a desert, the park is also stunning, and filled with enough distinct features to write several books. I spent several days hiking, takes lots of pictures, jotting down notes at night. I left with enough notes on locations – Chisos Mountains Trail, Santa Elena Canyon, Boquillas Hot Springs, the nearby city of Terlingua Ghost Town – and natural phenomena – black bears, rare birds, dry air – to organize all of the beats of the book when I returned.
It's now been over a full year since I've visited a National Park (though plan to very soon!) and have instead had to rely on books to help me travel across the protected lands of the U.S. Below are some great recent books and one older favorite that explore Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, The Great Smoky Mountains, Chiricahua, and Yellowstone. If you're not hitting the road this summer, these will keep you busy.
The Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach
Twelve-year-old Lizzie Durango and her dad have always had a zoo to call their home. Lizzie spends her days watching the animals and taking note of their various behaviors. Though the zoo makes for a unique home, it's a hard place for Lizzie to make lasting friends. But all this changes one afternoon when she finds Tyler Briggs, a runaway who has secretly made the zoo his makeshift home. The two become friends and, just as quickly, stumble into a covert investigation involving the zoo wolves who are suddenly dying. Little do they know, this mystery will draw them into a high-stakes historical adventure involving the legend of John Muir as they try to navigate safely while lost in Yosemite National Park.
Downriver by Will Hobbs
No adults, no permit, no river map. After fifteen-year-old Jessie gets sent to Discovery Unlimited, an outdoor education program, she and six companions "borrow" the company's rafting gear and take off down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon on their own. Floating beneath sheer red walls, camping on white sand beaches, and exploring caves and waterfalls, Jessie and the others are having the time of their lives—at first. But when they're pursued by helicopters, they boldly push on into the black-walled inner gorge, the heart of the Grand Canyon, only to encounter huge rapids, bone-chilling rain, injuries, and conflict within the group. What will be the consequences of their reckless adventure?
Willa of the Woods by Robert Beatty
Set in 1900 in the Great Smoky Mountains, it's the story of an orphaned girl–gentle of heart, but brimming with the ancient forest powers of her people–who must struggle to survive in a changing world.
To Willa, a young night-spirit, humans are the murderers of trees. She's been taught to despise them and steal from them. She's her clan's best thief, creeping into the log cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and taking what they won't miss. It's dangerous work, but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people.
When Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to survive. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her human enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it?
Distress Signals by Mary E. Lambert
Lavender's class is on a field trip in the desert of Chiricahua National Park, hiking down a ravine, when a flash flood strikes! As the water hurtles down the ravine, everyone sprints for safety. Lavender runs in the opposite direction as the rest of her class and scrambles up a tree while the torrential river rages by.
When the waters finally recede, Lavender finds herself stranded in the brutal heat of the desert with only her ex-best friend Marisol, mean-girl Rachelle, and a boy named John. They are shaken, disoriented, and have just one pack of supplies and the most basic wilderness knowledge. Can they find their way back to safety? They will have to learn to work together in spite of their differences — if they want to survive.
Not Our Summer by Casie Bazay
It's bad enough that estranged cousins Becka and KJ see each other at their grandfather's funeral, but when he leaves them a bucket list of places to visit together over the summer, so they can earn their inheritance, it seems like things are about to get much worse.
However, with each trip the cousins complete—like riding mules into the Grand Canyon or encountering a bear and a hot tour guide at Yellowstone—they steadily learn about and begin to trust one another. That is until the truth behind Grandpa's bucket list, and their family feud, is revealed, testing Becka and KJ far beyond their limits. Will they find a way to accept each other or will their grandpa's wish to mend his divided family end up buried alongside him inside his grasshopper green casket?
Cliff Burke grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. He worked as a house painter, a parking lot attendant, and a sign-twirling dancing banana before graduating from the College of William and Mary. For the past ten years, he has taught reading and writing in China, Hong Kong, and Texas. Currently, he teaches writing and humanities at a middle school in the San Francisco Bay Area. An Occasionally Happy Family is his first novel.
You can follow him on Instagram or Goodreads.
An Occasionally Happy Family is out today and can be ordered here.
About An Occasionally Happy Family
Gordon Korman meets The Great Outdoors in this funny and moving debut about a boy who goes on a disastrous family vacation (sweltering heat! bear chases!) that ends with a terrible surprise: his dad's new girlfriend.
There are zero reasons for Theo Ripley to look forward to his family vacation. Not only are he, sister Laura, and nature-obsessed Dad going to Big Bend, the least popular National Park, but once there, the family will be camping. And Theo is an indoor animal. It doesn't help that this will be the first vacation they're taking since Mom passed away.
Once there, the family contends with 110 degree days, wild bears, and an annoying amateur ornithologist and his awful teenage vlogger son. Then, Theo's dad hits him with a whopper of a surprise: the whole trip is just a trick to introduce his secret new girlfriend.
Theo tries to squash down the pain in his chest. But when it becomes clear that this is an auditioning-to-be-his-stepmom girlfriend, Theo must find a way to face his grief and talk to his dad before his family is forever changed.
Publisher: HMH Books
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Julie Paladino says
So excited to read this article! We just got back from our first visit to Big Bend and absolutely loved it. I'm putting your book on my TBR list. Thanks!


After release to the U.S. market, we also translates a number of courses each year for international divisions of FCA, which have included FCA Canada, FCA Mexico, and most recently the FCA Performance Institute International. Through development we use XML files for automated translation, modify course layout and design, edit design based asset translations, and completely package each translated course for production in the necessary languages. In 2016, these included Global English, Arabic, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.


Commission offices will be closed on Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day.
The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians' access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. The essential services regulated include electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies. On this website you'll find information about the many initiatives underway at the CPUC.
The CPUC regulates investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities operating in California.
The CPUC is the state agency that oversees rail safety; this includes freight, inter-city and commuter railroads, rail transit and rail crossings.
The CPUC also administers safety oversight and enforcement of passenger carriers (limousines, shuttles, etc.).
The CPUC investigates water and sewer system service quality issues, analyzes, and processes utility rate change requests.
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Make your thoughts known on selected proceedings and issues using our online comment form. You can also view the results.


These 89' T FC flat cars are painted red with black lettering and run on Barber Roller Bearing trucks. Built in 1997 by Bethlehem Steel Car Co., these Class DT-91 cars were two of a fleet of 300. As of 1991, 291 car s were reported still in service according to the Official Railway Equipment Register.


This multiple sticker card has three contour cut stickers which individually peel off. Arrange them any way you like. Two Wisconsin contour cut stickers have a Grateful Dead Bertha Skeleton and Roses against a flower of life background. A third sticker has psychedelic lettering "Rhode Island Deadhead". At the top of the card, we included an area to peel and punch as a hang tag for wholesale display.


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China Cancels Flights as Beijing Reports Surge in COVID-19 Cases
China's capital canceled flights and shut schools as a new coronavirus outbreak raised fears. The new outbreak has been linked to a massive food market in Beijing.
Beijing had reported no locally transmitted cases for 57 consecutive days until a flurry of cases emerged last week, according to the BBC. After a fresh outbreak of coronavirus infections, Beijing has begun reimposing some controls used across the country earlier in the year to stifle the first wave of infections. Following the new infections, the COVID-19 emergency upgraded from Level III to Level II in Beijing.
A total of 31 new infections in Beijing reported by June 16, taking the total number of cases in China's capital to 137.
Local newspapers suggested that the new outbreak may have originated from the massive Xinfadi market in Beijing. After some reports about traces of the virus had been found on a cutting board used for imported salmon, salmon was removed from major supermarket shelves and reservations at Japanese restaurants canceled in the Chinese capital. Chinese officials later said that imported salmon was not responsible for spreading the virus, but the damage had already been done, according to the New York Times.
According to reports, hundreds of flights to and from Beijing, roughly 60 percent of departures, were canceled. Fear both of infections and of quarantines prompted many passengers to stay put including train passengers. Beijing South Railway Station's Departure Hall was mostly empty as the authorities ordered that only people who tested negative for the coronavirus could leave the city. Beijing Railway Station has conducted strict measures to prevent and control the spread of the epidemic. Staff members disinfect the hall of Beijing Railway Station on June 18, 2020.
Beijing's epidemic situation is under control and the number of new cases is expected to drop in the coming days, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, on Thursday.
Photo by zydeaosika


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Einstein's Apple: Spanish Language Astronomy Materials Education Center
Title: Einstein's Apple
Author: Francisco Noreña Villarías
Publisher: ADN Editorial, S.A. of C.V.
Year: 1997 First Edition
Suggested reader's academic level: High School
In 135 pages divided into five chapters, this book makes reference to Albert Einstein, creator of the special and general theories of relativity. It uses many black and white illustrations to explain the subject in an easy to understand manner.
More about Einstein's Apple .
Einstein's Apple
In 135 pages divided into five chapters, this book makes reference to Albert Einstein, creator of the special and general theories of relativity. It uses many black and white illustrations to explain the subject in an easy to understand manner. These theories are more general than the Newtonian ones because they apply throughout the universe and not just in our frame of reference. Francisco Noreña Villarías, leads the reader by the hand through the physics that is necessary to understand the special and general theories of relativity. The reader will learn about the Kepler's laws, Newton's law of universal gravitation, artificial satellites, relativity, consequences of special relativity, space and time and space-time, black holes, cosmology, among other things.
by grade level:
Middle and High School (6-12)
Featuring reviews of 100s of Spanish Language books, magazines and articles and multimedia!
The Spanish Language Materials Education Center is run by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory with generous support from the National Science Foundation.


Online commercial real estate investment volume is rapidly expanding. The JOBS Act of 2012 allows major institutional investment managers, middle-market firms, and emerging development firms to raise debt and equity, as well as, acquire and manage new investors online.
At the center of this movement are technology platforms that connect investment firms directly with investors. Join industry leaders Charles Schreiber, Lewis Feldman, and Darren Powderly as they discuss the changes in real estate capital and how tech-savvy firms are developing strategies to leverageLeverage is the use of various financial instruments or borrowed capital to purchase and/or increase the potential return of investment. Assume a buyer puts 20% down on a $5M property. Essentially, they paid $1M to own something worth $5M. Assuming the property appreciates at 5% per year, the sponsor's net worth would grow to $5,250,000 in a year. Had they... More new software technologies to facilitate online fundraising and investment management.
How leading investment firms are leveraging new technology to stay ahead of the game.


Thank you! | Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (BSO)| A community orchestra located near the Twin Cities in Bloomington, Minnesota| Musicians | Concert Performances | Classical Music Thank you!
Our 51st season got off to a great start on Sunday, October 6! Thank you to everyone who attended our first concert of the year. We enjoyed playing with Susan Billmeyer and were so grateful to perform for such a gracious and enthusiastic audience.
We are beginning rehearsals for our next concert, "Sit Right Down and You'll Hear the Tale," featuring programmatic works by Russian greats Alexander Borodin and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. That concert will be held on Sunday, November 24 at 3 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie.
Stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for new photos which we'll be sharing soon!


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