text:
Hamilton, Hamilton, Mercer County May 28, 2021
Antiques Roadshow 2021 Coming To Hamilton Township, NJ
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER)–The Antiques Roadshow 2021 will be at the Grounds For Sculpture filming on Wednesday October 6, 2021. If you think you have something interesting that should be on the show follow the links below:
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 2021 Appraisal Contest
Want to know if you've got junk, or a gem? ROADSHOW wants to see your stuff!
Enter to win an invitation to have your item appraised at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW this summer!
Until we can safely hold ANTIQUES ROADSHOW Tour events again, ROADSHOW will be filming in an all-new way — but we'll still be visiting five locations in 2021 to film appraisals for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW's upcoming Season 26, airing on PBS in 2022!
Producers will select up to 130 entries for filming at each of five locations. We'll notify each selected guest approximately four weeks before the date of the production for which their entry was made.
With a focus on health and safety, all production for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW's 26th season will be on closed sets, accessible only to ROADSHOW production teams, appraisers, and our invited appraisal guests.
The deadline for entries is June 7, so don't wait! Click here to apply
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW 2021 Productions
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10 — Wadsworth Mansion, Middletown, CT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 — Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods, NH
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 — Hempstead House at the Sands Point Preserve, Sands Point, NY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 — Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6 — Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ
(Note: ANTIQUES ROADSHOW reserves the right to change production locations prior to award of prizes.)
Photo by Tina Nord on Pexels.com
Jackson, Ocean County May 28, 2021
Veteran's Memorial Garden in Jackson Partners With HELPSY To Raise Funds
JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ (OCEAN)–Partnering with HELPSY, the Board of Directors for Veteran's Memorial Garden in Jackson, New Jersey recently added a valuable source of revenue to help with the next main phase of construction and maintenance of the memorial park. Three clothing recycling bins have been placed strategically in the park's main parking lot…which is located at the intersection of Jackson Mills Road and Commadore Blvd. The purpose is not only to prevent unwanted clothes from filling local landfills, but also to provide funds to help support the park. Placed a little over a month ago, the bins are on track to recycle hundreds of pounds of textiles each month.
"We were in the final stretch of construction's main phase when the pandemic hit and we lost 80% of our funding," Board President Charles Garofano explains. Because opportunities for fundraising all but dried up, the Park's Board of Directors looked to new ways to support the park and found HELPSY. HELPSY partners with organizations across ten states to collect unwanted clothing and has helped to raise more than $10 million for non-profits and organizations while also helping the environment. Through a combination of clothing drives, collection bins, thrift store partners and curbside pickups, HELPSY diverts 30 million pounds of textiles from landfills every year.
"HELPSY is dedicated to changing the way people think about clothing recycling while adhering to the highest level of social and environmental performance," said HELPSY'S CEO and Co-Founder Dan Green. The Company's efforts have earned it a Certified B Corporation designation…using business as a force of good ™.
Army Vietnam Veteran Charles Garofano and Marine Corp Vietnam Veteran Kenneth Bressi had the idea for the Memorial Park in 2007. They wanted to honor men and women of all five branches of the armed forces… Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force. They created a 501C(3) corporation and with the support of the surrounding communities, Veterans organizations and countless individuals, groundbreaking on the 4-acre park began in earnest in 2008. According to Garofano, the memorial garden is truly a grassroots operation… completely staffed by volunteers and 100% of all funds raised go directly to construction and maintenance of the park.
The next phase of park construction is planned for this summer with the proposed erection of several monuments. Each monument will be a replica of the Washington Monument with a 17" diameter and three-dimensional bronze plaque with insignia of each of the five military branches. Residents who are interested in supporting the memorial garden, can bring unwanted clothing, shoes, stuffed animals, bedding, towels, table linens and curtains…all bagged clean and dry to put into the HELPSY Recycling bins. To purchase a granite bench or an engraved paving stone…go to www. JacksonVetsMemorial.org or contact Charles Gasfano at 732-492-3601 or Ken Bressi at 908-692-8817 for more information. Monetary donations are also accepted.
Lakewood, Ocean County May 28, 2021
Serious Pedestrian Accident In Lakewood
LAKEWOOD, NJ (OCEAN)–Last night around 11:00 p.m. (May 27, 2021), there was a serious car vs. pedestrian accident on Central Avenue.
The patient was treated/transported by Lakewood First Aid along with Hatzolah EMS and RWJ Paramedics. The patient was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center Trauma Center.
Central Ave was closed as Lakewood Police conducted the investigation.
No additional details available at this time.
Photos by: Yossi Brander – Lakewood Scoop


text:
The Scooter That Could Make Battery Swapping Work Costs $4K
Gogoro believes it can transform how people move around cities and how we store and use electricity, announced its electric scooter will cost $4,140.
The company that believes it can transform how people move around cities and how we store and use electricity has announced its debut product, the all-electric SmartScooter, will cost $4,140 to pre-order in Taiwan.
Gogoro is the long-hyped, well-funded (to the tune of $150 million) startup that revealed the Smartscooter at CES this year. The ride is sleek and boasts impressive stats, but the real innovation is the system that lets customers swap depleted batteries for fresh ones at stations located at convenient intervals.
Battery swapping for electric cars has a troubled history (see: Better Place), but Gogoro has good reason to think it can work here. The Smartscooter's batteries weigh just 20 pounds and are easily accessible, so you don't need a complicated and expensive machine to swap it out. A rider can pull them out himself, throw them in the station, and grab two fresh ones. Based on a Gogoro demo, the whole process should take six seconds.
Riders can swap out depleted batteries for fresh ones at small stations located around the city.
The stations, which hold eight batteries, are about the size of an ATM and will cost under $10,000 to install. They can be added as demand increases. CEO Horace Luke calls it "modular capital investment." And they make the question of charging times---a significant problem EV adoption---insignificant. It doesn't matter how long a battery takes to charge if it's fully loaded when you pick it up. "We no longer want to talk about charge time," Luke says. "We want to talk about swap time."
The $4,100 price point, announced at a press conference today, is well north of what customers now pay for the small gas-powered scooters Gogoro wants to replace. It does come with a year of theft insurance and two years of maintenance and servicing, according to The Verge. Crucially, it also includes two years of unlimited access to fresh batteries, so at least customers don't have to worry about gas money anymore.
The scooters are available only in Taipei to start (where the company has been running a pilot project for about three months). Gogoro has plans to expand internationally, but hasn't revealed its next destination.
Alex Davies is a senior editor at Insider and the former editor of WIRED's transportation section, where he specialized in covering autonomous and electric vehicles. He is also the author of Driven, a book chronicling the origin of and race to create the self-driving car.
Senior Associate Editor
TopicsElectric Vehicles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
from setuptools import find_packages
from setuptools import setup

from traffic.openstack.common.setup import get_cmdclass
from traffic.openstack.common.setup import parse_requirements
from traffic.openstack.common.setup import parse_dependency_links
from traffic.openstack.common.setup import write_requirements

requires = parse_requirements()
depend_links = parse_dependency_links()

write_requirements()

setup(name='traffic',
      version='2014.1',
      description="Traffic control for OpenStack",
      license='Apache License (2.0)',
      author='fk',
      author_email='fengkai@cnic.cn',
      url='http://www.openstack.org',
      cmdclass=get_cmdclass(),
      packages=find_packages(exclude=['test', 'bin']),
      include_package_data=True,
      scripts=['bin/traffic-api'],
      zip_safe=False,
      install_requires=requires,
      dependency_links=depend_links,
      test_suite='nose.collector',
      classifiers=[
          'Environment :: OpenStack',
          'Intended Audience :: Information Technology',
          'Intended Audience :: System Administrators',
          'License :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software License',
          'Operating System :: POSIX :: Linux',
          'Programming Language :: Python',
          'Programming Language :: Python :: 2',
          'Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7',
      ],
      )

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Encode WAV [or raw PCM data] to WebM in JavaScript? BH
I'm trying to make a basic audio editor / cutter and exporter with native JavaScript, so far I have been able to read the raw PCM data of input audio files using AudioContext.deocdeAudio, as well as export as a WAV, but I want to compress it, since a two minute video is around 10mb...
I've been trying to cexport to mp3 using lamejs, but th emscripten version is very slow, and plus there are many copyright issues with mp3, so I want to export it as a webm audio, and / or add it to a webm video. [If a webm video is written with only audio, it plays as audio in the browser anyways, so I can deal with that].
Problem is, is that outside of the MediaRecorder [which is unreliable with exact timing] I haven't been able to find any JavaScript solutions that write a WebM audio file directly [although I was able to find some WebM video writers in pure JavaScript]
I have found vorbis which seems to be able to encode audio with a WebM container, but I haven't found any native JavaScript versions of it
I would use webm-muxer.js but its not supported on my chromebook, and want to use a way thats more widely supported

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Silver Screen Streak List #06:
06. Seven Beauties (1975)
Written by dorrk
Seven Beauties (1975)
Directed by Lina Wertmüller
Seven Beauties (1975): Reviewed
Satire is hard. Whatever Lina Wertmüller is attempting to do in SEVEN BEAUTIES, which is certainly ambitious and stamped all over with irreverent and scorching personality, seems pretty close to satire, at least tonally, at least at the beginning. However, successful satire requires a buy-in: the audience needs a reason to keep watching; either the satire must be consistently sharp or involve characters whose clashes with the satirical world feel important. Eventually, however, Wertmüller's tenuous commitment to satire gives way to outright disgust, with both her characters and the world at large. SEVEN BEAUTIES isn't a satire, it's a rant, and not a very funny nor provocative rant, at that.
Giancarlo Giannini stars as Pasquale, a self-styled Napolese dandy with no integrity of any note. He's initially quite similar to the role played by Marcello Mastroianni in this list's earlier film, Divorce Italian Style. But Pasquale is even worse. He is just as emptily vain and confused about his role in society as is Mastroianni's Fefe, but he also lacks (even misguided) ideals. In Wertmüller's satirical take on Italian notions of manhood (possibly with shades of class-based anti-southern prejudice), Pasquale is the complete worthless package, a hollow impotent good-for-nothing cancer of macho self-delusion, and all-too-eager to champion the worst of human evils, fascism. To these ends, he commits murder, terrorizes women, fakes a mental illness, deserts the Army, and winds up in a Nazi concentration camp where he faces the wrenching spoils of his complicity in the rotting whole of human depravity.
If I had watched only the opening sequence and final credits of Seven Beauties, and filled in the rest on my own, this might be a completely different review. Wertmüller begins the film with a blast of in-your-face sarcasm that is bracing and confrontational and woundingly funny; and the way that Enzo Jannacci's score — one of the movie's strongest assets — punctuates the final moment with jackal-like vocalization, is perfect… sadly, almost everything in between is mean and miserable in the least interesting ways.
As a fan of movies about anti-heroes, and someone who gets excited by tough-to-reconcile cognitive dissonance, Wertmüller's brand of satire is too removed and accusatory for me. It's easy to see her looking down from above on her own movie with derision, and this is most directly expressed through Giannini's Muppet-like performance. He is a cartoon of personal corruption, thoroughly despicable, and Wertmüller never lets you forget that he's a cheap caricature. It's hard to think of a decent movie in which the filmmaker's contempt for their lead character is so uncomplicated. After picking up on what a loser Pasquale is within the first 10 minutes, watching Wertmüller lead him through the paces of his meaningless descent is relentlessly dull. Further, one gets the sense that Wertmüller's disgust extends to all of humanity, as her movie oozes misanthropy. She favors the grotesque in people, and although her broad background casting could be referred to as Fellini-esque, there's no warmth for the loud ugliness of "the common person." In Wertmüller's world, everyone is some form of monster — especially the women — and she makes a point of introducing a token innocent only to later punctuate the movie with that character's corruption. There isn't a moment of hope or joy or longing in Seven Beauties. It really is, as Pasquale calls it, "A rotten comedy, a lousy farce called living;" and there's nothing enlightening about enduring Wertmüller's haughty bird's eye view of it.
In addition to the music, Seven Beauties' other best asset is the cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli, a frequent collaborator of both Pier Paolo Pasolini and Sergio Leone. Some of the early noir-influenced shots are visually quite remarkable, and throughout there's an enervating mix of naturalism and carefully staged tableaux. It's interesting that Delli Colli shot Pasolini's infamous Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, released the very same year, a movie which to shattering effect puts the viewer in the position of both abuser and abused as it reveals the depths of depravity licensed by glib authoritarianism. In comparison to that challenging film, which aches with sorrow, the glib and dismissive Seven Beauties fails at every step. It costs Wertmüller nothing to piss on her one-dimensional characters and drag them through horrors; there's even a sense early on that she is merely exploiting the Holocaust as a means to show off her artistic virtuosity. It's as gross as SALÒ in that way, but not in any intentional context. It also, unfortunately, brings to mind the final film shot by Delli Colli, Roberto Benigni's repugnant 1997 accident of smug misjudgment Life is Beautiful, in the way that both films confuse constructed buffoonery with real tragedy; while Seven Beauties has no time for the sickly sentimentality of the later film, it's just as simplistic and cheap an effort at self-aggrandizement at the expense of common decency and universal humanity.
At the most basic level, Seven Beauties is a mere disappointment, as it indicates that Wertmüller is capable of crafting a technically pleasing film containing inspired bursts of energy, and she possesses a distinctive and scabrous authorial wit; at the most profound level, however, Seven Beauties is utterly bereft of empathy to the point that one wonders if, given her final condemnation of mankind's utter moral perfidy and her facile dismissal of the complexity of the human spirit, she isn't herself a little bit more sympathetic to the practices of fascism than she'd like to admit.
Seven Beauties (1975): Ranked
And so, my longest initial streak so far, through Dan Kocher's Custom List, ends at six, with Seven Beauties hitting the second-lowest ranking of the entire movie challenge, #3619 (25.07%). With no FREE PASSES to Round Two, Dan will need to pick a 'Hail Mary' from my Flickchart Rescue List to get me back to his list after Round One ends. The next list comes from Wade McCormick, who chose the combined winners of Cannes' Palme d'Or & Grand Prix du Festival International du Film (two different names for the same festival prize), in order of their Flickchart rankings. This list is aggregated on Letterboxd here; an overview is coming soon.
More about this list
Discuss Seven Beauties (1975) on Facebook
Discuss Seven Beauties (1975) on Letterboxd
SEARCH Seven Beauties (1975) ON VIDEOPOLIS
This movie review is part of the Silver Screen Streak Movie Challenge. Click here for context.
A.K.A.: Pasqualino Settebellezze
"A rotten comedy, a lousy farce called living"
More about Seven Beauties (1975) on Videopolis
PopGap
Silver Screen Streak
Dan Kocher's Custom List
Lina Wertmüller
Silver Screen Streak List #06: 01. The Big Bus (1976)
Silver Screen Streak List #06: 03. Divorce Italian Style (1961)
PopGap #27: Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
PopGap #30: Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976)
Silver Screen Streak List #03: 04. The Fifth Seal (1976)
PopGap Special Report: Our Favorite Movie Books
Seven Beauties (1975) Gallery
Silver Screen Streak List #14: 05. The Petrified Forest (1936)
Silver Screen Streak List #14: 04. Dark Passage (1947)
Silver Screen Streak List #14: 03. The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Silver Screen Streak List #14: 02. The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Silver Screen Streak List #14: 01. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Silver Screen Streak List #13: 02. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)
Silver Screen Streak List #13: 01. Incendies (2010)
POPGAP Projects
Octoblur 2017: Annual Horror-ish Movie Nightmare-a-thon
Octoblur 2017: R.I.P.!
Introducing the Silver Screen Streak movie challenge
PopGap #08 Re-cap: Comedies Since 1970
PopGap: The Potluck Film Festival is Over
Popgap Diary: 2019 in Review
PopGap #19: Movie Books Special Report
Octoblur 2015 - It's Over!


text:
Can't believe your eyes? Scientists build tiny invisibility cloak
This illustration shows a 3-D skin cloak made from an ultrathin layer of gold blocks covering an irregularly shaped object. Light reflects off the cloak (red arrows) as if it were reflecting off a flat mirror.
(UC Berkeley)
By Amina KhanStaff Writer
Scientists might be a step – a teeny tiny step – closer to developing that Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak of your dreams. Researchers at UC Berkeley have created a thin metamaterial that can conform to irregularly shaped objects and render them invisible in certain wavelengths of light.
For now, this cloak is exceedingly small and covers only an object about 1,300 square microns. But the device, described in the journal Science, offers a proof of concept that could potentially be scaled up in the future.
Previous invisibility cloaks tried to gently redirect the light around the object they were hiding – but this required using lots of material, making the cloaks far bulkier than the object they were trying to conceal.
"That is not practical," said study coauthor Xiang Zhang, a materials scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "You have to carry a huge cloak around you."
For this new device, however, the scientists instead decided to scatter the incoming light using a very thin metamaterial – a material whose physical structure, rather than its chemical composition, allow it to manipulate light.
Usually, when light bounces off a three-dimensional object, the light is scattered and the wavefront gets distorted, which is what allows us to see the object's angles and curves. The new and improved cloak is covered with nanoantennas made of tiny gold blocks of different sizes that can counteract that distortion, making it seem to an observer like the light is coming from a flat surface.
A cloak made out of this metamaterial, just 80 nanometers thick, could one day be used in clothing, Zhang said. The technology could be used, theoretically, to also perform the opposite feat: turning a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional one. Say hello to holographic television.
It could even be used to make one object look like another, rather than to simply cloak it, he added. That might be useful for the military, looking to disguise fighter jets as freighters.
NEWSLETTER: Get the day's top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>
There are also non-military applications: Built into a shirt, cloaking technology might potentially make beer bellies look like six-pack abs. Or it could be used to make a car seem smaller and thus safer, reducing the driver's blind spots around the vehicle.
Previous cloaks were able only to hide standard objects, like a cylinder. This cloak was able to cover an irregularly shaped object, one with plenty of bumpy bits.
Of course, if you were to make a hypothetical mask out of this metamaterial, it would only work for the particular contours of one individual's face, and against a predetermined background, Zhang said.
"This cloak may work with your face, but it doesn't work with my face because our facial features are very different," he said.
The concept is akin to passive camouflage – but Zhang says he's hoping to find ways to make it an active system, able to conform to different shapes and work against changing backgrounds.
"That's the next question – can you make this cloak adaptive?" Zhang said.
The cloak was able to hide an object that was the size of a few biological cells, but Zhang said the concept can be scaled up.
"The work is interesting," said Boubacar Kante, an electrical engineer at UC San Diego who was not involved in the study. However, the current cloak works only for a discrete wavelength of light - 730 nanometers - and would have to cover more wavelengths to be effective at a larger scale, he said.
Kante also pointed out that there are disadvantages to using metallic particles. Because metals absorb optical wavelengths of light, they actually make what they're covering seem darker than their surroundings, which can be a dead giveaway. Kante is working on a concept that would use a combination of ceramic particles and teflon to achieve a similar effect.
Follow @aminawrite for more science news.
Hoy: Léa esta historia en español
Amazon's Jeff Bezos expands his rocket plans
'Modern Family' actress's breast reduction puts the procedure in a spotlight
On science, are Trump and the Republicans really worse than Democrats?
Get our free Coronavirus Today newsletter
Sign up for the latest news, best stories and what they mean for you, plus answers to your questions.
Amina Khan
Amina Khan is a science writer at the Los Angeles Times.
Coronavirus mutations are on the rise. The longer it takes to vaccinate people, the more likely we'll see a variant that eludes our tests, treatments and vaccines.
UC San Diego reports big surge in coronavirus infections among students back from holidays
Nearly half of the 245 infections involve students living on campus.
How the new COVID-19 vaccine rules could help the pandemic end sooner
Health officials set aside carefully considered plans for rolling out COVID-19 vaccines and made the shots widely available. That may hasten the pandemic's end.
Some workers don't want a COVID-19 vaccine. Can their bosses make them get it anyway?
Many teachers, grocers and even some hospital employees are wary of the COVID-19 vaccine and don't want it. The question of mandatory vaccine requirements by employers is complicated.
Latest Science
Johnson & Johnson's one-shot COVID-19 vaccine grants promising response in early study
In an early safety study, Johnson & Johnson's one-shot COVID-19 vaccine produced immune proteins in more than 90% of participants.
In pandemic era, older adults are isolated but resilient, study says
An ongoing study suggests older Americans are showing resilience and perseverance despite struggles with loneliness and isolation amid the pandemic.
COVID-19 vaccine push gains steam, but many still face wait
More Americans are now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but they may still have to wait for their first shot even as supplies increase. Here's a closer look.
Children apologize to their dying elders for spreading COVID-19 as L.A. County reels
Children who spread coronavirus to their parents and grandparents are apologizing to them on their deathbeds as L.A. County reels.
At least 9 U.S. states have new coronavirus strain from U.K.
The coronavirus strain from the U.K. is now in at least nine U.S. states. Given its ability to spread, scientists expect that number to rise soon.


As a Non-Executive Director, Gavin brings a wealth of industry knowledge in the Financial Services / FinTech space. He is Ecosystem Development Partner with Anthemis and responsible for maximising the value of their ecosystem; spanning portfolio companies, advisory clients, investors, key influencers and future thinkers.
Previously, Gavin ran Financial Services across EMEA for Heidrick & Struggles, working in both London and New York. He was one of the youngest Partners in the firm's history.
Gavin has a BSc in Maths from Warwick and an MBA from Cass.


text:
Archaeology & Fossils
New dating of Nebra sky disk
by Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
Would you like to receive trending story notifications on your smartphone?
The condition of the Nebra sky disk before being transferred to the Landesmuseum Halle an der Saale. Credit: Hildegard Burri-Bayer
Until now the Nebra sky disk was deemed to be from the Early Bronze Age and therefore the world's oldest depiction of the cosmos. Archaeologists from Goethe University Frankfurt and Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich have now reanalysed diverse data on the reconstruction of the discovery site and surrounding circumstances of the find. Their findings are that the disk must be dated in the Iron Age, making it about 1,000 years younger than previously assumed. This makes all previous astronomical interpretations obsolete.
The Nebra sky disk is one of Germany's most significant archaeological finds and was included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2013. It was discovered in an illegal excavation in 1999 together with Bronze Age swords, axes and bracelets according to the finders. This discovery context was important for the scientific dating, as the disk itself could neither be scientifically nor archeologically dated by comparison with other objects. Many years of investigations by several research groups therefore attempted to verify both the attribution to the supposed discovery site as well as the common origins of the objects independent of the vague information given by the looters.
Rupert Gebhard, Director of the Munich Archäologischen Staatssammlung, and Rüdiger Krause Professor for Prehistory and Early European History at Goethe University Frankfurt have now extensively analyzed the discovery circumstances and research results on the Nebra sky disk. Their conclusion: The site that was considered the discovery site until today and which was investigated in subsequent excavations is with high probability not the discovery site of the looters. Furthermore, there is no convincing evidence that the Bronze Age swords, axes and bracelets form an ensemble of common origins. For this reason, it must be assumed that this is not a typical Bronze Age deposit and that the disk was not found together with the other objects in an original state at the excavation site.
According to the archaeologists, this means that the disk must be investigated and evaluated as an individual find. Culturally and stylistically, the sky disk cannot be fitted into the Early Bronze Age motif world of the beginning of the second millennium B.C. On the contrary, clearer references can be made to the motif world of the Iron Age of the first millennium B.C. According to Gebhard and Krause, on the basis of a divergent data situation and on the basis of this new assessment, all previous, sometimes far-reaching cultural-historical conclusions must be discussed anew and with an open mind, and the disk must be interpreted and evaluated in different contexts than before. The basis for this must be the submission of all previously unpublished data and facts.
More information: Rupert Gebhard & Rüdiger Krause, Critical comments on the find complex of the so-called Nebra Sky Disk. Archäologische Informationen. (2020)
Provided by Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
New study questions decades of research on the evolution of spiral galaxies
Greek archaeologists uncover riches overlooked by robbers
Lost in combat? Artifacts from the Bronze Age
Ancient treasures on show in Germany reveal turbulent past
Bronze swords, other items found in plundered Greek cemetery
New transient X-ray source detected in the galaxy NGC 4945
Georadar reveals 15 burial mounds and 32 Viking Age mysteries
Scientists identify contents of ancient Maya drug containers
Accounting for the gaps in ancient food webs
World's oldest known cave painting found in Indonesia
First human culture lasted 20,000 years longer than thought
Oldest hominins of Olduvai Gorge persisted across changing environments
Astronomers dissect the anatomy of planetary nebulae using Hubble Space Telescope images


text:
Northumberland Tyne and Weary. Another ministerial photo opp, courtesy of CQC
October 29, 2016 November 16, 2016 by minhalexander
By Dr Minh Alexander NHS whistleblower and former consultant psychiatrist, 29 October 2016
The politicised Care Quality Commission (CQC) continues to astound us with its arbitrary ways. Jeremy Hunt cashed in on a public relations opportunity after the CQC rated Northumberland Tyne and Wear Trust "Outstanding". However, serious questions arise about the validity of CQC's rating in terms of patient experience data, the number of complaints upheld by PHSO, the highest rate of violent incidents nationally and a significant increase in use of dangerous face down restraint. A backdrop of whistleblower reprisal and other staff mistreatment adds to the doubts. CQC's claims lack credibility in the face of obvious, severe de-funding and downgrading of mental health services. However, they do serve Mr Hunt well.
CQC's recent 'Outstanding' rating on Northumberland Tyne and Wear was a first for a mental health trust. [1] The inspection had been chaired by no less that Paul Lelliott [2], CQC Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals, and the rating came at a handy time for Jeremy Hunt.
The government's studied neglect of mental health services had brought years of awkward headlines, intensified recently by the scandal of hundreds of un-investigated deaths at Southern Health trust. [3] Opposition politicians have exposed continuing cuts to mental health [4], despite government spin to the contrary. Suicides have continued rising and deaths continue to be criticised by coroners. Bed shortages remain visibly acute.
So sure enough, after CQC hung out the good news bunting at Northumberland, the Minister popped up for a photo opp:
But did long troubled Northumberland really merit a rating of 'Outstanding'? Where the slippery CQC is concerned, it's always wise to check the small print.
Whistleblowers are conscious of the treatment of psychiatrist Dr Antoinette Geoghegan, who suffered a terrible ordeal at the hands of the trust after she whistleblew on unsafe practices. [5] After she won at the Employment Tribunal, Northumberland appealed and subjected her to yet more years of gruelling litigation. She eventually won at the Court of Appeal last year, at great personal cost.
There have also been other staff who have been mistreated by the Trust and who had Employment Tribunal findings in their favour, over matters such as disability discrimination and detriment for trade union activity. [6]
A glance at the most recent staff survey (2015) [7] shows above average scores on staff engagement, and favourable scores on bullying indices, but not the best.
A check of Northumberland's performance on the latest patient survey (2015) – with a questionnaire response rate of only 27% – does not look at all 'Outstanding". See Table 1.
Table 1. CQC patient survey 1 October 2015, based on responses by 227 people (after questionnaires had been sent to 850 people):
Source: http://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RX4/survey/6
A grading of "About the same" as other trusts is not saying much when CQC has now admitted that almost two thirds of mental health trusts, after years of cuts, 'Require Improvement'.
A peek at patient feedback on NHS choices [8] shows 22 entries that are mostly negative with either one or no star ratings, dating back to 2012. The average rating is 1.3 stars. In the year before CQC last inspected, there were seven critical comments: "rude and abrupt…poor service…poor administration and lack of communication…no access to ANY NHS services…disappointing in a time of need…why bother….unfit for purpose, lacking care and compassion…".
A peek at Patient Opinion [9] doesn't look clearly 'Outstanding' either:
Some of the comments, from both patients and families, are very distressed. For example, two months ago:
"I've been left to feel like my life is worth nothing and left me feeling just to give up and not try anymore. They've taken every ounce of fight out of me I give up trying they make it too hard, grind you down. I now feel am worth nothing they've ground me down to the point that I give up don't know who to ask for help anymore life seems pointless cause the staff at the cmht just don't care whether patient are alive or dead."
And 15 months ago:
"My sister is a patient in St Georges and i can't believe what i see every day i visit. Today was the last straw. My sister has not had her clothes changed in a week or washed, i was told if she did'nt want to do these things that was ok by them….parients like my sister are left to fend for themselves whatever their mental capacity. An extremely worried sister."
There are also some very good comments, but the number of criticisms does not support an impression of a consistently sound and adequately resourced service.
A flick through the PHSO's data reveals that Northumberland was the mental health trust with the most complaints upheld against it in 2014/15 – see Table 2. Well, that's sort of 'Outstanding'….
Northumberland has also tended to top the violence charts. NHS Protect data shows that Northumberland has led the field nationally on reported assaults, by some, for three years. [10]
Table 3. Reported assaults at Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Table 4. NHS trusts with the highest numbers of reported assaults in 2014/15
In terms of the rate of violence, as defined by assaults per 1000 staff, Northumberland was the clear leader at a whopping 600 assaults per 1000 staff in 2014/15.
Not least of all, an investigation by the charity MIND in 2013 resulted in a scandal because Northumberland and Southern Health together accounted for about half of all face down restraint incidents in mental health trusts in 2011/12 – with 923 and 810 incidents respectively. [11] Face down restraint is much more dangerous for patients. The variations between trusts could not be accounted for by differences in trust size and population alone.
The MIND data on Northumberland's restraint incidents in 2011/12 can be found here:
mind-restraint-data-northumberland-tyne-and-wear
In response, the government tightened up guidance. Face down restraint was thereafter supposed to be kept to an absolute minimum, and used for the shortest time possible. [12]
There has been little progress though, as confirmed by recent FOI data. [13]
At Northumberland, the rate of face down restraints appears to have increased since the MIND report in 2013. As CQC's latest report admits, between just 1 November 2015 and 30 April 2016
"There were 1,481 incidents of prone [face down] restraint which accounted for 37% of the restraint incidents…" [2]
Pro rata, this equates to 2962 incidents of face down restraint a year – over three times the Northumberland rate in 2011/12. It is very clearly not the minimal use required by NICE.
Excessive use of restraint can be a sign that mental health services are over stretched, and that staff are under strain and not adequately supported.
So how on earth did CQC translate all this into an 'Outstanding' rating?
Logic and evidence don't seem to have much to do with it. What then, are the explanations that are left?
I think Mr Hunt could probably answer that one.
God help our poor NHS, patients and staff.
CQC deaths review: All fur coat 25 September 2016
In CQC's hands, reporting of unmet need and harm, including deaths, is akin to a game of Find The Lady. This summarises the pattern of patchy reporting that hides as much as it reveals.
https://minhalexander.com/2016/09/25/cqc-deaths-review-all-fur-coat/
Letter to parliament: CQC's inconsistent regulation of restraint in mental health 31 October 2016
An analysis of CQC's reporting of restraint practices in its inspection reports on mental health trusts set against FOI data from mental health trusts about their use of restraint. This showed incomplete reporting and questionable inconsistency in CQC's approach.
https://minhalexander.com/2016/10/31/letter-to-parliament-cqcs-inconsistent-regulation-of-restraint-in-mental-health/
[1] First mental health trusts rated outstanding. Joe Gammie, Health Service Journal 1 September 2016
https://www.hsj.co.uk/sectors/mental-health/first-mental-health-trusts-rated-outstanding-by-cqc/7010237.article
[2] CQC inspection report on Northumberland Tyne and Wear 1 September 2016
http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/new_reports/AAAF6056.pdf
[3] Mazars report of an independent review of people with a learning disability or mental health problem in contact with Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust April 2011 to March 2015
https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/12/mazars-rep.pdf
[4] Jeremy Hunt breaks his pledge to raise spending on mental health, Jason Beattie Mirror 22 September 2016
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jeremy-hunt-breaks-pledge-raise-8889117
[5] Private Eye March 2015, on Antoinette Geoghegan's ordeal & eventual vindication by the Court of Appeal.
[6] MP will raise nurse Yunus Bakhsh's plight in parliament, The Journal 25 June 2013
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mp-raise-nurse-yunus-bakhshs-4427398
http://www.ajustnhs.com/case-histories-of-victimised-nhs-staff/#mccoy
[7] Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Staff Survey 2015
http://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/Caches/Files/NHS_staff_survey_2015_RX4_full.pdf
[8] NHS Choices – patient feedback on Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHSFT
http://www.nhs.uk/Services/Trusts/ReviewsAndRatings/DefaultView.aspx?id=2470
[9] Patient Opinion – patient feedback on Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHSFT
https://www.patientopinion.org.uk/services/rx4
[10] NHS Protect data on reported assaults
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Documents/SecurityManagement/Reported_Physical_Assaults_2014-15_-_FINAL_Published_Figures(1).pdf
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Documents/SecurityManagement/Reported_Physical_Assaults_2013-14.pdf
http://www.nhscounterfraud.nhs.uk/2012-13%20Reported%20physical%20assaults%20on%20NHS%20staff%20NO%20PCT%20&%20SHA%20v2%20PCC.pdf
[11] Mental Health Crisis Care, physical restraint in crisis, MIND June 2013
https://www.mind.org.uk/media/197120/physical_restraint_final_web_version.pdf
'Excessive' use of face down restraint in mental health hospitals, Mark Easton BBC, 18 June 2013
[12] Violence and aggression. Short term management in mental health, health and community settings. NICE guideline NG10 May 2015
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG10/chapter/1-recommendations
[13] Surge in number of mental health patients being physically restrained criticised by former Health Minister, Rob Merrick, Independent 21 September 2016
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/mental-health-patients-physically-restrained-norman-lamb-criticised-former-health-minister-a7321136.html
Previous postFOI disclosure 26 October 2016 by PHSO on complaints made about NHS England
Next postLetter to parliament: CQC's inconsistent regulation of restraint in mental health
2 thoughts on "Northumberland Tyne and Weary. Another ministerial photo opp, courtesy of CQC"
I thank you for this article. Approaching Halloween, it's particularly appropriate – scary and horrifying.
I have not long returned from the United Family Friends annual procession to Downing Street where a letter to the PM was handed in describing, not only the unlawful deaths, suicides and severe disabilities at the hands of employees of the State, but the cruelty and total inadequacy of the subsequent enquiries.
Among the victims were those 'let down' by the caring profession i.e. severe limitations (to put it mildly) in the provision of our mental health services.
The State does not like the innocent and the decent because such people cannot easily be bribed or intimidated.
The innocent and the decent are the enemy.
Thank you zrprayder. It is certainly an uphill trudge. So many lives affected by avoidable failings. I agree about the decency deficit in many of those who rule now us.


Monday 8, April 2019 Be the first to comment!
Wednesday 3, April 2019 Be the first to comment!
Thursday 14, March 2019 Be the first to comment!
Thursday 15, November 2018 Be the first to comment!
Wednesday 14, November 2018 Be the first to comment!
Thursday 11, October 2018 Be the first to comment!
Tuesday 28, August 2018 Be the first to comment!
Thursday 23, August 2018 Be the first to comment!
Wednesday 22, August 2018 Be the first to comment!
Tuesday 21, August 2018 Be the first to comment!
Monday 20, August 2018 Be the first to comment!
Tuesday 31, July 2018 Be the first to comment!


To beat fear of failure, you need to outwork it.
Every time you have a fear of failure, you will automatically feel yourself retracting from your target or goals.
The only way to beat this is to work so hard that you don't give this fear of failure a chance to come into your mind.
It simply gets smoked out by your production.
I explain this in detail in my latest podcast episode.
Leave reviews, subscribe and share with people who need to hear this message.


text:
Q: Incorporating seasonality in regression #gTrans #rms I have been looking into incorporating seasonal effects using the gTrans function in the rms R package. However, I am having some difficulty interpreting the statistical explanation in the document.
As explained here:
https://hbiostat.org/R/rms/gtrans.html#non-spline-basis
section 6...
We can make a function called hrm and then provide this to gTrans to model seasonality.
hrm <- function(x) {
  z <- cbind(x, slopeChange=pmax(x - 0.5, 0), sin=sin(2*pi*x/0.2), cos=cos(2*pi*x/0.2))
  attr(z, 'nonlinear') <- 2:4
  z
}
h <- ols(y ~ gTrans(x1, hrm))

My model is actually a longitudinal logistic regression with additional predictors though I have pasted the code in the document for brevity.
My questions are:

*

*I believe that 0.2 is the length of the seasonal cycle. So if my time variable, t, is in days am I correct to replace 0.2 with 365 to allow seasonal cycle to be one year?

*Am I correct to think of slopeChange, sin and cos just like other variables in the regression (since they will get a regression coeficient), its just that they are transformations of x?

*Regarding the slopeChange term, I think that it doesnt have any effect for x<0.5 since the new transformed variable (i.e. slopeChange) is always 0. In the example I think 0.5 is the midpoint of x; presumably the modeler sets this point based on theory?  I'm not sure if its helpful to think of it like a knot in a restricted cubic spline?

*I think that we could also write the slopeChange term as:
slopeChange=ifelse(x<= 0.5, 0, x-0.5)
However, in both cases we are defining this new transformed x variable to have values between 0 and 5 (assuming maximum x is 1).  I'm wondering WHY this choice of values? For example why not:
slopeChange=ifelse(x<= 0.5, 0, x-0.5+1)

where we have added the constant 1 on the end. This actually changes the estimated parameter for the variable slopeChange but I don't know why; if we simply add a constant to a predictor (each value in the vector) in a regression, this should not change the estimated parameter.

A: You're on the right track.  Take a look at the "real" example here: https://hbiostat.org/rmsc/genreg.html#complex-curve-fitting-example where $x$ is in years and the scaling makes more sense.


We hear from a Lab West passenger on board the flight that made an emergency landing in Stephenville. We'll hear from the man behind the Labrador Creative Arts Festival. Environment Canada will tell us how much snow is currently on the ground. We'll take you behind the wheel with long-time snow plow operator, Mike Hickey. And we're joined by an actor and a dancer involved in the Labrador Creative Arts Festival.


The 3 new built wonderful luxury 4bedrooms villas, each one with private pool and magificent sea view,are located over the sea between Ipsos and Barbati beach.
VIP Corfu Villa Viros welcomes you with fresh flowers, fruits and a bottle of Champagne upon arrival. The beautiful Villa offers luxury accommodation, exceptional design, tranquillity and total privacy. Only a few minutes drive from the center of Corfu Town, on the beautiful island of Corfu, VIP Viros Corfu Villa is a 3 bedroom Villa Home in Corfu combining state of the art facilities with the comfort, elegance and style of a traditional Mediterranean Holidays Villa.
Liapades is one of the most old villages in Corfu and it is interesting to visit it. The tourist area is starting from the beach of Liapades (Gefira beach) until 500 m away. It is a place which has developed the last years, there you can find many bars, restaurants, minimarkts, souvenirshops and very interesting is the excursion with the poor donkeys!!!
The beautiful holiday apartments is surrounded by lush vegetation, overlooks the beautiful golden sandy bay of Glyfada" which is the most known in Corfu. The distance to Corfu town and the airport is approximately 14km. The nearest famous village of Pelekas, where Kaiser used to admire the unique sunset from his special wide observation balcony, and the famous Golf Club are approximately 5km away. Around Glyfada beach you can find around 5 Tavernas, some music bars, 3 minimarkets, many kinds of watersports and motorboat rentals.
Villa PENTVASO is a new villa with wonderful sea view, located middlewest of Corfu,accomodates up to 8 persons.
VIP Villa KASPI has been created just a few years ago on a fantastic hillside above the North-East Corfu Island. The place has been chosen in order to offer total privacy along with the fabulous panoramic view over the countryside and the small village of Sinies and about 3km from famous Kassiopi and all amenities.
Villa Pentlukis Luxury detached villa with private pool able to sleep 10-15 persons in independent apartments. Situated between the traditional village of Pentati and Paramonas beach.


A new book called The Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II, written by biographer and historian Robert Matzen, will provide "proof" that Audrey Hepburn was involved in anti-Nazi resistance as a young teenager in Holland.
Audrey's own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research in classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn under fire in World War II. Also included is a section of color and black-and-white photos. Many of these images are from Audrey's personal collection and are published here for the first time.
Besides being personally affected by the Nazi regime—Hepburn suffered from hunger and malnutrition due to scarcity of food—she also experienced loss at the hands of Nazis. Hepburn's uncle, Otto van Limburg Stirum, was executed by Nazis for his refusal to support the regime in 1942.
Hepburn began working with the Dutch Resistance at the age of fourteen. One of the ways she helped was through using her talents as a performer to participate in "black evenings" or illegal performances which featured music and dancing, which also functioned as informal fundraisers. In order to keep the performances secret, the windows of the venue would be blacked out (hence "black evenings") and guards would be "posted outside to let us know when Germans approached," according to Hepburn.
Hepburn assisted in more direct ways as well. According to Matzen, "Audrey once said that one of her jobs was 'running around with food for the pilots… As a fluent English speaker, she could communicate with the pilots, tell them where to go and who would help them." She also helped distribute the prohibited Resistance newspaper, risking her life in the process.
It's clear that WWII, and her involvement in it, shaped Hepburn's life more than was formerly known—The Dutch Girl is significant for the way it will allow Hepburn's truth to finally come to light.
The book will be released on April 15th, 2019.
According to The Guardian, Associate Professor of English at Jesus College, Oxford, Marion Turner, who is Chaucer's first female biographer, is also the first to look in depth at Chaucer's fashion choices. While The Guardian notes that scholars have long known that Chaucer wore a 'paltok', bought for him as a teenager by his employer Elizabeth de Burgh, Turner notes that nobody seems to have investigated what exactly a 'paltok' was!
There were many biographies, written by men, throughout the years focused on Chaucer's masculinity due to how he writes sympathetic women in his stories and poetry, in a time where toxic masculinity was the norm. Chaucer was someone who was ahead of his time and was with independent women, like his wife, who made her own money, and they lived independently rather than the traditional ways of marriage like most people lived by. Turner speculates that he took care of his daughter and always visited her at the nunnery where she was staying.
Read more of the article from The Guardian if you want to learn more of this fascinating find in literary history!
5 Non-Fiction Books You Need to Read Right Now!
As 2019 continues on, we have a lot of book releases to look forward to. Heck, if you want to see the list of the top three books I can't wait for, check out this list.
Thank you for clicking on that.
Now you might notice that one of those books, Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and The Last Trial of Harper Lee, is non-fiction. That book has not come out yet, but in honor of my anticipation here are five non-fiction books that have come out this year and are, above all, wonderful, eye opening, great reads.
Released on January 22nd, Stephanie Land's autobiography beautifully describes her life, post-eviction, as she recalls being tossed onto the street, working as a maid in houses she could never afford just to make ends meet and struggling with poverty. With dreams of moving to Montana, attending college, and becoming a full-time writer, Land's life-long goals are always just out of reach, pushed back by childcare fees, heating bills, and rent. It's a memoir that takes you through the underbelly of America. Gritty, soul-crushing, this is one for the masses to take heart.
Released January 15th, Joshua D. Mezrich's autobiography describes the tribulations and hardships of being a surgeon. Questions like "How much risk should a healthy person be allowed to take to save someone she loves?" or "Should a patient suffering from alcoholism receive a healthy liver?" are questions he faces on a daily basis, but nonetheless they are life changing.
A transplant surgeon by trade, the book opens with Dr. Mezrich, ferrying organs, getting aboard a small plane that winds up getting caught in a violent thunderstorm. The drama speaks for itself: not only are the passengers on the plane in danger, but the people who desperately wait for those organs are in danger of dying thanks to a storm they are far away from.
What's going to happen? Read the book, but know that on CSL's website Kevin Kovaleski, CSL Behring's Senior Director and Therapeutic Area Strategy Team Lead-Transplant, said, "Mezrich's book sheds light on a critical area of medicine, one that's ready for advancements, innovations and breakthroughs".
Despite its release on November 13, 2018, Michelle Obama's autobiography is still going strong, and for good reason. The Guardian calls it "frequently funny," Vanity Fare states, "surprisingly candid, richly emotional, and granularly detailed that it allows readers to feel exactly what Michelle herself felt at various moments in her life," while the The New York Times noting that the book is more about motherhood than politics.
But I know what you're asking: What's my opinion? It's great!
The book shows that living with mental illness isn't pretty, isn't horrifying, but at its core is completely human.
Released January 8th, this book details the foiled plot to murder George Washington. George Washington, in case you didn't know, was this General guy who became President or something.
I kid. It's actually remarkable.
Also check out Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and The Last Trial of Harper Lee when it hits bookshelves May 7th.
The upcoming Stardust biopic about the early years of David Bowie is already facing considerable criticism according to BBC. Bowie's son, BAFTA-winning film director and producer Duncan Jones, has even blocked the film from using the late icon's music in the soundtrack.
The film has cast Johnny Flynn to play a young Bowie and Jena Malone as his wife, Angie. Stardust will document Bowie's first visit to America in 1971, in which he was inspired to create his Ziggy Stardust persona and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album.
Jones took issue with the producers who developed the project without the family's consultation. As a result, the film will have to be made without the family's blessing or the legal rights to David Bowie's songs.
On the other hand, Jones specifically mentioned that if Neil Gaiman were to write a biopic about David Bowie at any point, then the film would definitely have the family's blessing.
Kurt Cobain is a music and social icon of the 1990s who succumbed to a tragic end. He is widely cherished and missed through his music. There already are many different biographies out there on Cobain's life. However, a new one is being made and it's tempting us to learn even more about Kurt Cobain through the words of one of the people closest to him.
Trapeze will be publishing the new book. The biography will focus on Cobain's previous manager, Danny Goldman, and his interactions that formed his close relationship with the former star. Goldman argues that the biographies about his dead friend that are already available aren't as accurate as how he knew Kurt to be. With this new take on the artist's life, we are promised a completely different and new telling on the man, myth, and legend that was Kurt Cobain.
Danny Goldman worked with Nirvana during the time of their hit album Nevermind. To him, these were the most important years of Kurt's life: from 1990-1994. Cobain was married, had his first child, and his problems with his fatal addiction were at their worst. Trapeze has disclosed that it will be focusing on never-before-heard or seen stories and files from Goldman, as well as other unnamed sources.
The new biography will be titled Serving the Servant and will be available in April of next year. For all you Nirvana fans out there, this is definitely a must-read to check out!


text:
The Travelling Squid
Travelling awakens the dreamers, thinkers and believers in us.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Flickr Google+
Lake Kawaguchiko
Hotels & Stays
Sense & Style
Sights & Walks
Shopping & Activities
Squid Hacks
Epic Journeys
Trans Siberian
Part 2: The six hour Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu
Phebe Buffay April 14, 2019 All Posts, Beijing, China, East Asia, History & Culture, Sights & Walks, Tips & Tricks, Travel Destinations
The Great Wall stretching across the horizon.
This is a continuation from an earlier post: 'Part 1: The Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu without a guide'. In gist, I had engaged Zhang from Here is Beijing for a six hour Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu. He provided a car transfer from my hotel in central Beijing to Jiankou, followed by a pickup at Mutianyu at the end of the hike. Zhang later linked me up with a group of German travellers. One of them, J, was planning to trek from Jiankou to Mutianyu too. Part 1 of the post covers our hike from Jiankou (the Xizhazi village) to the Zhang Bei Lou watchtower. This post will highlight other key sections of the hike. You can reference the Watchtower numbers from the map below:
Map of the Jiankou- Mutianyu hike. Credits to Zhang from Here Is Beijing!
The crumbling walls – it's charming on its own.
4. The Ox Horn (牛角)(Watchtower 31 – 27)
The path leading up to the Ox Horn section of the wall.
We carried on along the wild part of the Great Wall and approached the next key section of the hike – the Ox Horn. As the name suggest, this section of the wall is shaped like the horn of an ox. This section was challenging due to the steepness of the path and the fact that there were many loose stones and rocks along the way. My hiking boots were put to good use here.
The steep slope up the Ox Horn. It looks steep but manageable. You can hold on to the shrubs and the wall for support.
According to the map Zhang had shared with us (see second photo of this post), there is a short cut which allows you to skip this section of the wall, but I highly recommend heading up the Ox Horn, as it's the highest point of the Jiankou – Mutianyu Great Wall hike. The view is worth it!
View of the Great Wall as we ascend the 'Ox Horn' section.
View from the highest point of the Great Wall.
Going up the steep slope was a test of endurance, while heading down was a test of balance and strength. I was so glad that there were parts of the Wall still intact. When heading down, we descended as if we were climbing down a ladder. I recall clutching onto the remaining parts of the wall for support. The trick is that for every step you take, you got to make sure that the stones you're stepping on are firmly rooted in the ground. Get a good balance first before taking the next step.
From the highest point of the Great Wall trek from Jiankou to Mutianyu.
At the highest point.
Descending from this steep path can be dangerous. Do take care.
One way to descend is like what J has done. He looks cheerful and relaxed in the photo – I hope this provides you with some assurance : )
The path towards Mutianyu gets easier from there on, as seen from the photos below.
We carried on…
This hike reminded me of climbing old pagodas in Bagan. : )
This watchtower was significantly larger than the others.
I took at least 10 of such photos during the trek.
Like how I could see the path I had completed. Remembered feeling quite accomplished as we came from that watchtower high up on the hill.
( ͡↑ ͜ʖ ͡↑)
We arrived at a rest point where there were drinks for sale. J stopped by to purchase a beer. He said that in Germany, people would usually have a beer at the peak of a climb. To me, this approach was highly motivating – definitely worth considering for my next hike.
The path gets easier as we go along.
5. Barrier to enter a section of wall at Mutianyu (Watchtower 20)
At the barrier. It can be circumvented by climbing over the low ledge on the left. Don't worry about falling. By the side of the low ledge is earth, as indicated by the yellow arrow.
There's a section of the wall which has been blocked (see picture). But fret not, you can easily get pass the barrier by climbing over a ledge. It's not dangerous as there is space further from the ledge.
How it looks like when we crossed the ledge. At the barrier, someone had set up a makeshift store.
More steps to go…
A longer path to get to the Toboggan.
The Toboggan is located between Watchtower 6 and 5. The barrier is at Watchtower 20.
Place for doodling.
For a short period of time, there were just a few people around. It gets quieter after Watchtower 14 (where the cable car is).
Thought we arrived at the perfect time, with flowers blooming in the distance.
6. Cable car (Watchtower 14) or toboggan your way down (Watchtower 6-5)
That's when we had to stop halfway. To wait for those below to complete their toboggan ride.
You have the option of taking a cable car down from Tower 14, or using the toboggan to slide down at Tower 6-5. We took the toboggan down and I highly recommend it! (Though the speed of the toboggan was somewhat limited by an elderly lady who was in front of us.) We also had to make an interim stop halfway through the ride as the lady was not going fast enough. But it was fun! The feeling of sliding down the Great Wall is quite empowering. My legs were also quite sore from the hike earlier, so this was quite a relief. It cost RMB100 for the toboggan ticket and RMB80 for a one-way cable car ticket.
Note: There are toilets available at the cable car station at Watchtower 14.
Stopping halfway…
7. Taking the shuttle bus back to the visitor centre
The visitor centre at Mutianyu. That's where we met Zhang – his van is parked nearby.
Vehicles are not allowed at the foot of the Great Wall at Mutianyu, so you will need to take a shuttle bus down to the visitor centre. That is where Zhang had parked his van and we concluded our hike. The shuttle bus ticket cost us RMB10 and the bus service is regular. You have the option of walking down too, but my legs were not having any of that.
The Travelling Squid's Take on the six hour Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu
Beer as the final reward. Would have been better drinking it at the highest point, but having these in hotel was fine too.
I thought that the six hour Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu was a good balance. The tougher part was at the start when we ascended. After the Ox Horn, the rest of the walk was manageable as we were descending. Zhang also said the it was better for the hike to be from Jiankou to Mutianyu and not the other way round as there are more up slopes for the latter.
Take your time to 'smell the roses', in this case, the 'roses' are the flowers blooming in spring. (Wished I knew the names of these flowers. If you do, drop me a note!)
I do encourage you to stop and enjoy the scenery at each part of the hike, especially at the wild parts. There isn't a need to rush – we completed the hike in about 6 hours. Zhang wasn't too particular about time we took. We were to meet him at 3.30pm, but arrived at the visitor centre at about 3.45pm.
To be honest, I was worried about doing this hike alone. I was concerned about losing my way, and not being able locate the Great Wall from the Xizhazi village. Or falling down and getting injured with no one to help me. It's strange because I don't recall being so cautious back in my early twenties, when I used to travel in India alone. Hence, I was very grateful to have J as a coincidental travelling companion. The hike is challenging at the earlier stages, but as you can see from the photos, it gets better as you go along. My take is that it is worth attempting even if you're alone, as there are people hiking along the Jiankou part of the Great Wall, just not many.
I am not sure how long will the wild part of the Great Wall remain. It could change due to redevelopment plans. But for as long as possible, I hope its raw and rustic charm endures. As I gripped the Wall for support while covering the steeper slopes, I can't help but wonder about the people who built the Great Wall centuries ago, with simpler tools and in much harsher conditions. Perhaps, it's a symbol of the accomplishments of human endeavor, to be appreciated and preserved by many generations to come.
Please don't litter when you are there.
Note: The trip was paid for by The Travelling Squid.
Should you be keen to do the six hour Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu, Zhang from Here is Beijing can be contacted at: bjbdt@qq.com , or best, through WeChat at (0086) 15652318283. If the six hour hike is too long for you, you could also consider a hike at Jinshanling. It should take about 3 hours.
More from The Travelling Squid
Part 1: The Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu without a guide
Review: Having Peking Duck at HuaJia Yiyuan in Beijing
Why Yuanmingyuan the Old Summer Palace in Beijing is worth visiting
Recommended: Stay at Beijing Qianyuan International Hotel near Dongzhimen
Three reasons to cook hairy crabs in Beijing and how to go about it
Written by Phebe Buffay
Phebe is the author of The Travelling Squid, a travel blog filled with tips and anecdotes of her "career of travelling", which began at a tender age of 19. Despite having been to many top destinations, India continues to remain as Phebe's favourite place in the world. Phebe has a bad sense of direction but continues to travel, sometimes alone because of her quirky habits and intensely inquisitive mind.
One Response to "Part 2: The six hour Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu"
Part 1: The Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu without a guide - The Travelling Squid says:
[…] see Part 2 the Great Wall hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu. It will cover the highest point of the Great Wall trek, at the Ox […]
Tours by Viator – Tripadvisor
About The Travelling Squid
Hi, I'm Phebe, the author of this blog. I fell in love with India in 2009, when I lived there for six months. Ever since, I've been trotting across the globe with my trusty backpack sometimes alone and at times with friends, albeit with a questionable sense of direction. Unlike the most courageous, I haven't sold my belongings to travel for a year or two. I currently hold an office job, and would like to show that it is very much possible to pursue one's love for travel and hold a day job at the same time. Check out the About section for more information on me and The Travelling Squid.
thetravellingsquid
Bunnahabhain - A lesser known Scotch which is a mu
Back running in 29 deg weather 😃🔥 Don't know
It snowed in Beijing yesterday. Would have been gr
Some warm noodle soup to get past the exams... Tha
A fun (and epic) night of good wine, cheese and Wa
Te Puia is where I first came across geysers! #Gey
A good stout aways brings back memories of the mos
A wintry sunset in Beijing is fleeting, but really
#冰糖葫芦 (Bing Tang Hu Lu) is about taking ha
© 2020 The Travelling Squid
My first visit to the Great Wall of China was in 2013 (about 6 years ago). Back then, I visited...


text:
Carers' Centre Blog
Tag Archives: story
Carer Stories, Centre News, Staff
A day in the life of…The Senior Carers' Support Officer
15th June 2016 janine
Our Senior Carers' Support Officer, Tom
I do a bit of everything: in terms of supporting carers I offer advice over the phone, as well as visiting them at home for longer support planning sessions.
Having been a carer myself, for multiple people, I know how tough it can be, often with no reward.
This understanding enables empathy, whilst being able to discuss the challenging aspects of being a carer: they may not have acknowledged or be struggling with the more complex feelings of guilt, anger or sadness, be it with anyone else or even to themselves. A good example of this is recognising that you can't 'fix' the person you care for, and that's ok; or coping with the effects of dementia on a loved one: you end up grieving twice. Grief in itself is a whole other ballgame…
I also work with a group of carers delivering training at Bath University. We teach Social Work Students the importance of carers, how to support them and treat them as expert partners. Leading on from this, I have been out in the community for the past couple of years raising awareness of what a carer is and encouraging agencies to refer to the Carers' Centre. The most people I spoke to was 100, but even speaking to one person is worthwhile as they will tell one person, who will tell two people, and so on.
I also manage a team of people here at the centre. This brings its own challenges, but none have sued me for distress yet so I must be doing something right…
– Tom
BANEScarercarerscentrechallengesempathyexperiencefoxfriendlyhistoryhomelifemembernetworkingofficerpastpersonalproverbsseniorstaffstorysupporttom
Carer Stories, Young Carers
My Young Carer Story
3rd February 2016 janine
Last Thursday was National Young Carers Awareness Day, which aimed to raise awareness of our amazing YCs and the unseen work they do every day. Last week we highlighted Joe Lomax, one of our fab YCs. This week, our blog takes a more personal tone, because I want to tell you my story.
My brother is funny and has the biggest smile of anyone I know. He is also severely autistic and has very limited communication skills. When I was younger, this was really hard for me, as I didn't understand his disability or why he acts the way he does. Additionally, no one at school was in my situation, so I often felt lonely, and like I couldn't relate to anyone.
Luckily, an amazing Young Carers service really helped me out. I was referred there by a social worker who felt I needed to be with children in a similar situation to myself. She was absolutely right, and that group helped me get out of the house and meet other children in tough circumstances.
I've worked at the CC for about seven months and I love my role. I run the YC Twitter account, organise this blog, and I'm currently researching support groups. However, my favourite thing about working here is helping kids with difficult home lives, just like I had at that age. Even simple things like taking them to the cinema or running an art club gives them the chance to relax and have fun. It's always so great to put a smile on their faces and help a charity like the one that kept me going when I was their age.
autismautisticblogbloggerbrobrotherbusinesscarerchallengingcharitycompanydifficultfamilyhearthollylovenetworkorganisationpersonalservicesiblingsocialstoriesstorysupportturrellwarmingworkerwritewritingyoung
"It's not just people who are grey who get Alzheimer's": Tracey's Story
3rd December 2015 janine
Tracey with her 'Unsung Heroes' Award at our Annual Award Ceremony
Tracey (pictured left) is a smiley individual full of love and laughter but it wasn't all fun and games last year, when her husband Paul was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's aged just 54.
"I remember Paul would come home from his job in construction and say that some of the young guys at work were hiding his tools", Tracey says. "At the time I didn't think much of it, but now I realise it was the start of his memory problems". After seeing his GP, Paul was referred to the RICE Memory Clinic. When they entered the clinic, Tracey noticed the information, posters and leaflets available all targeted older people.
They were then given the devastating news that Paul has early-onset Alzheimer's, a condition which affects 5% of the population. Despite this difficult diagnosis and the additional care she now gives to Paul, Tracey has continued running the house, working part time and helping to look after her two grandchildren. Tracey is even keen to set up an Alzheimer's support group here at the BANES Carers Centre.
Looking back, Tracey says "I would love to see a picture at the Memory Clinic of someone younger, someone who is still working, someone with a mortgage and children. Because that is the reality. It's not just people who are grey who get Alzheimer's".
Back in August, Tracey and her husband Paul appeared on ITV's Lorraine to spread awareness of early-onset Alzheimer's, and in October it was our pleasure to award Tracey with 'Unsung Hero' at our Celebrating Carers ceremony. We felt Tracey deserved recognition for her bravery and resilience during such a difficult time. Well done Tracey – you're a star!
If you're caring for someone you love and need support, contact BANES Carers' Centre free on 0800 0388 885.
alzeimerscarerscentredementiadisabilityearlyevergreenheartwarmingheroesillnessinspirationalITVLorraineonsetseymourstorytraceyunsung
News and views from Bath North East Somerset Carers Centre
Dawn's Volunteering Journey At The Carers' Centre 10th January 2020
Carer Conversations Session 5: Paul 11th December 2019
Coping with caring over christmas 3rd December 2019
Carer Conversations (audio series)
Carers in the media
Centre News


Photo courtesy of the Treehouse Café | Griffin House, a singer/songwriter from Springfield, Ohio will perform at the Treehouse Café at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20.
Griffin House, a singer/songwriter from Springfield, Ohio, who now lives in Nashville, will perform at the Treehouse Café at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20.
Tickets for this 21-and-older one-night-only show are on sale at www.treehousebainbridge.com. The cost is $35 per person.
The project was tracked at Lakehouse Recording Studios, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. House's ties to Asbury Park go all the back to 2004, when he was invited to tour with Patti Scialfa. His first show in the boardwalk town was opening a show for Scialfa at the Paramount Theatre. It was there that Griffin met her husband, Bruce Springsteen, and those experiences made returning to Asbury Park over a decade later to record "So On and So Forth" feel like a full circle moment in his career.
House recorded the essentially live project with no click track and very little overdubbing. Lakehouse owner, Jon Leidersdorff, helped assemble the band.


text:
Paremeopedus minimus is een keversoort uit de familie van de boktorren (Cerambycidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort werd voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1940 door Blair.

Boktorren

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Mayflower Theatre, Southampton is the third biggest theatre by capacity in the UK outside London and the largest theatre in the south. This year its marking its ninetieth year in style with a £7.5 million refurbishment.
The renovation project, which started construction in June 2018, was extensive, with the theatre seeing a completely new colour scheme introduced throughout. Mayflower Theatre has seen a radical transformation from the previous green coloured scheme, to regal red and gold representing the heritage of the theatre. Furthermore, most of the auditorium seating has been refurbished or replaced and the orchestra pit on the Grade II listed building has been moved to below the stage area. Accessibility into and around the theatre has also been improved.
London lighting design practice, 18 degrees, were appointed as the sole lighting designers for the refurbishment project. The lighting was an important part of the renovation, not only did it need to bring the theatre forward in terms of technological advancements, but it also needed to complement the new interior look and feel and create a comfortable environment for theatre goers.
The all new LED lighting scheme was specifically designed to offer discreet ambience, as well as functionality. The light levels were increased to make wayfinding throughout the venue much easier, and the use of only LED lighting ensured a more conscious approach environmentally for the venue, as well as a longer term, efficient lighting solution.
The colour rendering of the light used within the auditorium area was carefully considered and extensively tested to specifically match the colour of the paint, carpet, fabric and seating. 'This is without a doubt the most significant refurbishment project that the theatre has seen in the last three decades. For us, this project is very much about ensuring Mayflower Theatre remains best in class, not just for now, but long into the future', Michael Ockwell, Chief Executive, Mayflower Theatre commented.
The renovation, spanning 2047 sqm, saw a total of 209 new downlights introduced into the ceiling area to provide ambient lighting. It was key to ensure these downlights provided an even distribution, so theatre goers could enjoy a show without the distraction of light spilling onto their seating area. 289 new linear lights were also integrated into row ends to provide illumination during performances, used to navigate late comers or those who need to leave their seat during a performance. The linear lighting, positioned within the arm rests and handrails, was totally concealed, only offering illumination into the aisles.
Controlling the 365 lighting fixtures around the auditorium needed a state-of-the-art control system to ensure Mayflower Theatre could control the lighting individually or in groups. Working with Charcoalblue, 18 Degrees designed and commissioned the control system so that every light can be individually controlled, either via touchscreens and buttons, or via the lighting control desk.
'We worked incredibly hard to create the right levels of light for the venue, a balance between theatre goers being able to read their programmes, to then being able to enjoy the wonderful performances in front of them – and being able to enter and exit the auditorium safely during the performance if necessary'.
'We carried out extensive on-site trials to ensure we got the colour rendering spot on, which included sections of the walls being painted, and the use of protype seating. We are delighted with the end results and hope future visitors to the theatre will also enjoy the experience as much as we did in designing it!'.


Send Mike Morris an email with any of your tournament questions.
Send Valorie Westlund an email with any of your registration questions.
Send Valorie Westlund an email with any of your Hotel Reservations questions.
Send Duane Bean an email with any of your referee questions.
Please send your payment by mail to the following address.


>> > So to follow playlist?
>> It should do, it does here (as long as you enable Follow Playlist).
> file browser, not the track that was playing when I pressed Stop.
presently in two minds as to which I prefer.
Next message: Andrew Hart: "Re: Questions about the voiced interface"
Previous message: marten Post Uiterweer: "Re: rbutilcli - console interface for the blinds ?"
Next in thread: pondlife: "Re: Questions about the voiced interface"
Reply: pondlife: "Re: Questions about the voiced interface"


text:
/* @angular modules s */
import { BrowserModule } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { BrowserAnimationsModule } from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';
import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
import { FormsModule } from '@angular/forms';
import { HttpModule, Http } from '@angular/http';
import { RouterModule } from '@angular/router';

/* @angular modules e */

/* ngx-translate modules s */
import { TranslateModule, TranslateLoader } from '@ngx-translate/core';
import { TranslateHttpLoader } from '@ngx-translate/http-loader';
/* ngx-translate modules e */

import 'hammerjs';
import { MdModule } from './utilModule/md.module';

import { CvModule } from './cv/cv.module'

import { vacvRouting } from './app.route';

import { DataService } from './service/data.service'

import { AppComponent } from './app.component';
import { Http404Component } from './http404/http404.component';

// a custom TranslateLoader
export function createTranslateLoader(http: Http) {
    return new TranslateHttpLoader(http, './assets/i18n/', '.json');
}

const angularModules = [
    BrowserModule,
    BrowserAnimationsModule,
    FormsModule,
    HttpModule
];

@NgModule({
  declarations: [
    AppComponent,

    Http404Component
  ],
  imports: [
    angularModules,
    MdModule,

    TranslateModule.forRoot({
        loader: {
            provide: TranslateLoader,
            useFactory: (createTranslateLoader),
            deps: [Http]
        }
    }),

    CvModule,

    vacvRouting
  ],
  providers: [DataService],
  bootstrap: [AppComponent]
})
export class AppModule { }


We're not starved for choice these days when it comes to disturbing thrillers: murderous nannies in Leïla Slimani's Lullaby; foully intentioned lovers in, well, the majority of new titles. But even by these standards, Alice Clark-Platts's The Flower Girls (Raven Books) goes to some very dark places indeed.
There's an enjoyably perceptive and driven detective on the case; the plot is clever and twisty – and horribly compelling when the bad weather sets in and the missing child still hasn't been found. But the crime on which the novel hangs is so dark that I had to set the book aside for a time before I could steel myself and dive back in.
In Hanna Jameson's The Last (Viking), American historian Jon Keller is breakfasting at a Swiss hotel where he's been speaking at a conference when he learns that Washington has been destroyed by a nuclear weapon. The attacks keep on coming and the news feeds last for a while, before phones run out and mobile connections disappear. Twenty people remain in the hotel, as rust-coloured clouds roll in and the sun disappears. But these survivors, who don't know if there's anyone else alive out there, aren't only contending with nuclear holocaust. The body of a small girl has been found in one of the hotel's water tanks, and Jon, who narrates the story through a series of diary entries, sets out to find her killer. On top of that, the hotel, which runs to 14 floors and almost a thousand rooms, has a history of suicides, unexplained deaths and "a couple of murders". Jameson does an excellent job of exploring what nuclear war would mean for us now: the Facebook "I'm safe" buttons which hardly anyone has clicked; Jon's determination that "it couldn't actually be nuclear … They were probably just using the word for clickbait". And of exploring what it would mean to live in a place where "consequences no longer existed", where "the giant slate of the world was wiped clean".


"The lust of the goat is the bounty of God."- William Blake.
Greet the day with a poetic moment from Tibet or Mongolia - accompanied by inspired wisdoms of poets, sages, writers, and philosophers from around the world.
All photographs are the work of Hong Kong based Australian photographer Bruce Foreman collected over ten years in Tibet.
Muhammad Yunus – on social entrepreneurship Inspiring vision of a world beyond poverty.
Photos With An Edge The official website of Bruce Foreman, creator of A Poetic Universe.
The Artists Way: On getting into your creative flow Have long been a fan of Julia cameron's 'Morning Pages' for clearing the inner censor.
WordPress.com the Free blogging platform that hosts A Poetic Universe.


text:
We've turned ourselves into temporary residents
The world will continue to reject Israel until it unites to fulfill its true purpose: building a 'national home for the Jewish people'
View of a wooden footbridge (R) leading up from the Western Wall (C) to the Temple Mount, al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem's Old City December 11, 2011. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
A few days ago, the United Nations General Assembly passed a (yet another) resolution denying Jewish ties to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Instead of referring to it by its Jewish name, Temple Mount, after the Temple that King Solomon built there 3,000 years ago, as well as by its Muslim name al-Haram al-Sharif, it will now refer to it only by the latter. I cannot blame the world for doing so. When we turn ourselves into temporary residents, shun our historic task and obligation to the world, we cannot complain that the world wants to evict the seditious tenants.
We keep looking for better diplomatic ways to explain Israel's position, to show that we're valuable to the world and that we have a historic right to live here. We don't understand that the world does not see things the way we do. It does not care about history, and it does not care about the "startup nation" we have built here. It sees us as a belligerent, invasive nation that has taken what doesn't belong to it by exploiting the world's remorse over the Holocaust.
We are arrogant and patronizing to think that the world owes us something. The world doesn't think so, and the fact that we are not even asking why, but keep "explaining" to the nations our position, which they are clearly reluctant to hear, illustrates what conceit can do to a nation's sense of judgment.
The thing we are getting absolutely wrong is our obligation to the world. We were placed here to build "a national home for the Jewish people," just as the Balfour Declaration says. Regrettably, instead of building our home together, we are fighting one another. We've come to a point where we care more about destroying each other than about defeating the enemy. If we are not doing what we are meant to do here, then we have no reason for being here. This is how the world sees it, and the sooner we realize it, the better.
The current UN resolution focuses on Jerusalem and the West Bank. But more UN resolutions are on the way, and they will obviate our right to sovereignty on any part of the country that was not given to us in the 1947 UN Partition Resolution. Not long after, the UN will declare that Jews are an alien entity in Palestine, and that Palestine is where Israel used to be.
As long as we are here, we can reverse the trend, but we haven't got much time. The only way to change the world's view about Jewish presence in the Middle-East is if the Jews begin to act as they are expected. We were sent here to rebuild our nation, to reestablish our union, which formed a remarkable nation out of complete, and often hostile strangers who had decided to unite under the motto, "as one man with one heart." This is our legacy, and only if we are true to it will the nations welcome us here, including the Arabs.
If we wish to work on our unity, then we have every right to declare that this is our goal in being here and that we will not allow anyone to interfere with our efforts. Not only will the world respect this declaration, it will support it.
Here are two examples of how two notorious antisemites relate to Jews when Jews set an example that the world wants to see and follow. Ukraine born Vasily Shulgin was a senior member of the Duma, the Russian Parliament, before the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. He was also an avid antisemite. In his book What We Don't Like About Them…, he complains that "Jews in the 20th century have become very smart, effective, and vigorous at exploiting other people's ideas. However," he protests, "this is not an occupation for 'teachers and prophets,' not the role of 'guides of the blind,' not the role of 'carriers of the lame.'" In another essay, Shulgin becomes almost poetic as he describes where the Jews can lead humanity if they rise to the challenge: "Let them … rise to the height to which they apparently climbed [in antiquity] … and immediately, all nations will rush to them. They will rush not by virtue of compulsion … but by free will, joyful in spirit, grateful and loving, including the Russians!"
A more terse example comes from none other than Henry Ford, who, when not building cars, dedicated much of his time to writing damning essays about Jews. In his infamous composition, The International Jew — The World's Foremost Problem, Ford writes, "Modern reformers, who are constructing model social systems on paper, would do well to look into the social system under which the early Jews were organized."
Ford's grandson, by the way, made it a point to build one of the company's plants in Israel as a token of support for the Jewish state. Symbolically, that plant is now closed. Unless we begin to work on our unity and strive to set the required example, the fate of our country will resemble the fate of Ford's plant, and Israel's Jews, who have turned themselves into temporary residents, will be evicted.


The Crossed Flags Tournament Yo-Yo is an exact reproduction of the early 1960s model that really put Duncan on the skill toy map. It's an ideal gift for any vintage toy collector as well as any keen old-school yo-yo player. This yo-yo is supplied in a smart, clear plastic box with a reproduction of their 1955 Trick Book.