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Posted at September 29, 2021 in 2021 Trans Am	by	Mark Croker 0 Comments
Monday June 7, 2021: Up and at em' just after 5am. Not as early as was the pre-race plan for "up and at em's" but that plan was very much on ice for the time being. Given how crap I felt yesterday it was going to be all about managing the body……and the mind. The latter probably the most important. I had tasted moments of despair yesterday when it became glaringly obvious that I was going to fall well short of the planned daily distance. It was way too early in the race to be feeling such things. Time to calm the fuck down, substantially reduce my vice-like grip on The Plan and just ride my damn bike.
Thanks to a good nights sleep I was obviously thinking clearly. My head was definitely in the game.
How about the body?
Definitely fatigued and a tad stiff. Understandable given yesterdays 13+ hours in the saddle but there was definitely an extra layer of depletion remaining from Thursday nights food poisoning. Extra incentive to take it a tad easier and to simply ride on feel.
I walked my bike out into the chilly, overcast west Oregon Monday morning, to do just that.
Monday June 7, 2021. Getting ready for battle in my Monmouth hotel room.
The Willamette Valley
The terrain from Monmouth was flattish, gently rolling at worst which allowed me to settle into an easy yet productive rhythm. I was now heading south through the lush farmland of the Willamette Valley which would provide a few hours of respite from 2 mountain ranges, the Oregon Coast Range behind me and the Cascade Range in front of me.
I was in good spirits and spent a majority of the 35 kilometres to the University town of Corvallis happily chatting away on the phone with a mate and then my Dad who had stayed up well past midnight Sydney, Australia time for a debrief. It was really comforting to hear from them. Both had been regular voices of encouragement during the 2017 race. Plenty of "HTFU's" from the former and "you're up late this morning's" from the latter.
From Corvallis the route picks up the first noteworthy river of the Trans Am trail, the Willamette River, the lifeblood of the fertile valley. It is the river that divides the city of Portland into 2 distinct parts, further north on its way to the mighty Columbia River.
Not long out of Harrisburg, the target destination for my first stop and resupply of the day, I passed 2 lady cyclists. They were very obviously tourers, bulky panniers front and rear, although their bikes looked more like Dutch commuter bikes. Not the most efficient of set ups and they both seemed to be really struggling against the slight headwind. I was tapping away easily on the pedals and flew past them, at least double their pace.
Wow, that's gonna be a long ride. I wonder where they're going? Surely not all the way to Yorktown.
I was hungry, the first time in days (a good sign) and decided to satiate it properly via a couple of 12 inchers and cookies from the Subway on Harrisburg's main street. I made short order of the first whilst chatting away on the phone with my wife, but decided to take the other with me to eat on the bike. Whilst I was packing up the 2 lady cyclists rolled up and I chatted to one whilst the other went inside. Turns out they were mother and daughter. They were indeed touring the Trans Am route and had started in Astoria a week ago. The mother, who seemed the more experienced cyclist of the 2 by quite the margin expressed how incredibly proud she was of her daughter. No complaining, just pedaling away, getting the daily miles in. They were going to get to Yorktown however long it took. "Whatever it takes" she said.
I was really touched by their story. No fancy Schmancy bikes, gear and months of preparation, just bucket loads of heart, grit and a pure sense of adventure. These guys are the heart and soul of the Trans Am route, not us racers with our sleep deprivation, uptightness and GPS tracking.
Speaking of uptightness………shit……… I've been stopped for almost an hour. Time to get cracking.
Hup, hup, hup!
Monday June 7, 2021. Feeling a little more chipper in the Harrisburg Subway.
McKenzie Country
About an hours riding from Harrisburg, just past Coburg the route enters a part of Oregon where the name McKenzie pops up a bit. Firstly the McKenzie River, a tributary of the Willamette River, then the McKenzie Highway which leads to………drum roll please…..McKenzie Pass, the first big lump of the race which will take us up and over the Cascade Range.
Donald McKenzie, an early 19th century Scottish-Canadian explorer, fur trader and politician obviously had connections in the right places.
I was quite taken aback with the traffic on the first stretch of the McKenzie Highway from Walterville to Leaburg. In 2017 I had cycled through early on a Sunday morning and there was barely a car on the road but this time around midday on a Monday the road was a maelstrom of 16 wheelers. Unsurprising in hindsight given the areas central location to agriculture, logging and the cities of Eugene and Springfield to the south of the river.
By the time I rolled into the small town of Leaburg at around 1:20 pm I was more than ready for a quick break. I pulled into the Leaburg Store for ice-cream, local beef jerky and a nice little sit down in a comfy chair out the front of the eclectic convenience store.
I pulled out my cue sheet. I was still 60ks from the base of the 35k McKenzie Pass climb. What is a realistic destination for the day I wonder? Sisters? Redmond? Prineville?
Who knows. Lets just get over the climb and see what happens.
Back on the McKenzie Highway. Physically I was feeling flattish but there was definitely an excitement building within me. I was getting closer to McKenzie Pass with every pedal stroke. A physically taxing beast of a climb but a beautiful one that rewards you with the most extraordinary views of snow capped mountains over a moonscape of an ancient lava flow. It provides the first taste of wilderness and a tangible sense that the chord is being cut with life as it was before the race, to be replaced by adventure and a journey into self.
Monday June 7, 2021. Pitstop at the Leaburg Store.
Wildfire Country
Not long after Leaburg the McKenzie Highway enters an area devastated by the 'Holiday Farm' wildfire which started on September 7, 2020 and subsequently scorched 173,000 acres of forest along the McKenzie River. During my route research I became aware that most of the scarce services along this stretch were still closed due to the fire but it didn't really prepare me for the really sad scenes of burned out houses and charred forest. So much loss.
Ten months after the fire the dead trees along the McKenzie Highway were still being cleared and quite a few sections of the road were reduced to 1 lane. At one stop and go I had a lovely chat with the traffic control lady. Her 90 year old mother had lost it all in the fire and had had to move from her childhood home surrounded by nature to a retirement home in the city.
Monday June 7, 2021.
The footprint of the Holiday Farm Fire.
At the next stop and go I caught up with Sonny Rasmussen. It had been almost a full day between racer sightings and it was so good to see another rider, particularly Sonny's happy smiling face. Via hand gestures and a text app on his phone (Sonny is deaf) he indicated that he was having knee trouble. Shit eh, I thought. Not good this early in the race, particularly this side of McKenzie Pass. The sign flicked green and we had to get going but at the next opportunity I pulled to the side of the road and waited for him, madly waving a large tablet container whilst filming his approach on my phone. Being very familiar now with the aches and pains of ultra endurance cycling I had packed ibuprofen and paracetamol in large quantities, both of which I had jammed into the one container along with around 20 brightly colured caffeine tablets. It was quite the pill collection, a little dodgy looking perhaps yet Sonny cautiously accepted a red one.
Into the Matrix we go.
Monday June 7, 2021. Sonny approaching the roadside pharmacy.
The next 30 kilometre false flat to McKenzie Bridge flew by. I was starting to feel really good and put the foot down whilst video chatting with Andrew Shand. Remember the name – Andrew has planned to race the Trans Am every year since 2018 but injury, setting up Koreas first single malt distillery and global pandemics have rudely interrupted said plans. He'll be ready to rumble next year though I'm sure!
Good conversation + Good beef jerky + a beckoning mountain + feeling good for the first time in days = "lets get amongst it!!"
Stopping at McKenzie Bridge, although the last services this side of the climb, was not an option. I was feeling too good and didn't want to interrupt the flow. Besides I was now having a go at racing. According to Trackleaders Simone Bailey's dot was not too far ahead.
Head down. Into the drops. C'mon!
I was a little overexcited and put in a ridiculous effort that I'd soon regret but it was fun while it lasted.
Soon later the route takes a right turn off the McKenzie Highway and onto the old road that signifies the start of the climb. The road soon morphing from a gentle gradient to a not so gentle gradient. Thoughts of racing no longer viable. Effort increases and attention alternates between The Essential Lewis and Clarke on Audiobook (very relevant given my current locale) and the infinitely slowly turning digits on my Garmin.
It is hard work and to force progress I promise myself a small break every 3 kilometres, rewarding myself with a couple of sips of Coke or water and a mouthful of the Subway sandwich which has kept surprisingly well.
Upwards.
A few cyclists and cars pass me going the other way. They are sensibly leaving the mountain whilst I do the opposite. It is not the norm for a cyclist to be climbing a mountain as evening approaches and I feel their glances but it gives me strength.
I am not normal.
I don't want to be normal.
Most of the climb is through densely packed Douglas fir and red cedar forests which keeps light to a minimum. It has been getting quite dark and it is with a sense of relief when the road finally exits the tree line, making things less eerie although more exposed to a chilly wind. I stop to put on a few layers.
At 7:30pm I finally make the summit as denoted by a sign and the Dee Wright Observatory, an observation building constructed in 1935 of lava stones. The 35 kilometre climb has taken me almost 3.5 hours, the weather is closing in and I am pretty damn keen to get off the mountain. Photos must be taken though and despite Mount Washington and other noteworthy surrounding peaks being cloaked in clouds, the views were are extraordinary.
Monday June 7, 2021. Finally at the summit of McKenzie Pass.
Monday June 7, 2021. Dee Wright Observatory.
Monday June 7, 2021. A little bit more uppity up before the descent down McKenzie Pass.
Monday June 7, 2021. Still a little bit of snow on McKenzie Pass.
Monday June 7, 2021. Not a bad view, par way down the McKenzie Pass descent.
Sisters to Redmond
I made very short work of the 20k descent. Adrenaline a motivator but also a desire to get warm. It was getting damn cold up there but conditions quickly warmed up with the reducing elevation. By the time I rolled into the outskirts of Sisters I had a good sweat on although I did have the hammer down. I spotted Nathan Jones (race organizer) and Anthony Dryer who were by the side of the road taking photos of me and I flashed a broad smile and a "G'Day boys" at them whilst posing in the drops.
It was great to see them but I didn't stop for a chat. I was feeling good and had just decided to push on to Redmond, 30 kilometres further down the track and thus wanted to keep rolling. But first a quick pitstop at the 76 gas station on the far side of town which I knew was open til 10pm. I had spent many hours preparing my route notes, including opening and closing times of services. An extra layer of detail that was already proving invaluable.
The riding out of Sisters was really enjoyable. Dusk was falling and the soft light was creating a lovely still ambience. It felt so much more peaceful on this side of the mountain. My Dad rang and we chatted for a while about the days riding and where I was going to stop for the night. 2 chats in one day with the old man. Back home in Philly I'd probably Skype with him and mum in Sydney every 2 to 3 weeks. Tough to coordinate with the different time zones and 2 boisterous lads running the household. Now that I was stuck on a bike on my pat malone for hours on end for the next few weeks it would be infinitely easier to chat regularly. It felt comforting to reconnect and to soak up their support.
The last 15 kilometres to Redmond was a decidedly less peaceful affair. A blustery wind picked up, bringing with it a light rain. It was pitch dark also and I had to really concentrate to avoid what was quite a lot of road detritus on the shoulder. It was a good first test of my new front light, a Sinewave Beacon, (not an affiliate link) which was working very well.
I finally rolled into Redmond at around 9:30pm, stopped at a gas station for supplies and then checked into a hotel just off route which I had booked in Sisters.
I was happy with the day. I had done what I had set out to do, managed my body and mind whilst chewing off a decent amount of kilometres. Hopefully I'd be ready to have a real crack tomorrow.
Chocolate milk. Gas station crud. Pack up. Slumber.
Monday June 7, 2021. My hotel room in Redmond, Oregon.
The Day According to Strava
Day 24......Kentucky almost nailed. Oh, and I'm i
Some light reading for the weekend.....copy or pas
Firstly a quick Sam's Place fundraising update as
Snaps from yesterday (Tuesday)....


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Meet the cast of boeing, boeing
Benjamin Lee Stanford (Bernard) is a New York City based actor, originally from Melbourne, Australia. He received his Bachelor in Theatre Studies from the University of Melbourne, and in 2018, his MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Benjamin's regional theatre credits in Australia have included the role of Cosi for the Kew Court House Arts Association, and The Importance of Being Earnest for the OTG Theatre Company. In New York City, he made his Off-Broadway debut in The New Place Players' production of The Tempest as Ferdinand. He has also featured in a number of short films and web series including The Classroom and The Forest for the Trees. Other favorite credits have included The Seagull, Mourning Becomes Electra, and This Is Our Youth. Benjamin would like to thank his family – Lee, Kathryn and Max – for their ongoing love and support.
Shelby Wane (Gloria) is a Los Angeles born actor working in both Los Angeles and New York City. Her recent work includes credits in theatre, film, and television. Shelby received her MFA in Acting from The Actors Studio Drama School in New York City. She received her Bachelors in Art from California State University Northridge specializing in Theatre and Music along with a Certificate in Acting from the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
Marine d'Aouré (Berthe) is a New York City based actor, born and raised in Versailles, France. She holds an MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School, during which she acted under the guidance of fantastic teachers such as Elizabeth Kemp and Susan Aston. Additionally, she has trained classically at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (Certificate). Her recent theatre credits include: Boeing, Boeing (3LD Theatre), Anne Frank Lives!, Body of Women (4th U Artivists) as well as numerous roles at the Actors Studio such as Kayleen (Gruesome Playground Injuries) and Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing). On film, Marine recently appeared in Stiff (nominated for Best Short Film at Berlin Short Film Festival 2018), and the Funny or Die web series Sex Tips and The Classroom. Marine also holds an LLM in International and European Business Law. She would like to thank her family for their endless support and love.
Billy Nugent (Robert) is a New York City based actor. Billy has studied at The Barrow Group in NYC under co-artistic directors Seth Barrish and Lee Brock. He has also received his MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School and is currently a working finalist at The Actors Studio in NYC. He recently completed the role of Hal in Proof (3LD/ASDS Rep), Robert in Boeing, Boeing (3LD /ASDS Rep), and a co-lead role in the short film Stiff, edited and produced by the film director Christian Alvart (Case 39, Pandorum). Billy is grateful to reprise the role of Robert with this wonderful cast in Breckenridge!
Instagram: BillyNugent1.
Prather Rehm (Gabriella) is a New York City based actor originally from Atlanta, Ga. Film/TV credits include Dressed As Girl (part of HBO's NewFest, Portland Film Festival, LA's Outfest, and New Filmmakers Film Festival, NYC) and Por Amar Sin Ley (Univision). NYC theatre credits include: Through The Cracks at HERE, Dan O'Brien's Ondine (directed by Carolyn Cantor), and Machinal (directed by Jesse Berger). Prather received her MFA in Acting from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and studied in conservatory at Michael Howard Studios in NYC. She received her BA in Theatre Arts from The University of the South, Sewanee. When not onstage, Prather is teaching the Lucid Body, a physical movement technique for actors.
www.pratherrehm.com
Casey Bradley (Gretchen) is an Australian-born actor based in New York. Select theatre credits include Through the Cracks (HERE Arts Center); Boeing, Boeing, Ivy Walls (3LD); As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Nights Dream (Australian Shakespeare Company); Hedda Gabler, The Seagull, A Doll House, Our Lady of 121st Street, Top Girls, and Ugly Lies the Bone (Actors Studio Drama School). Select Film and Television credits include Funny Seeing You Here (Brandon Regina), Aegean Mafia:Revenge (Secret6Train Productions), Skithouse (Network 10), Charlie (KayFilums), Fight for Tomorrow (CutItFilms), and Michelle's Not Dead (L.E. Productions). Bradley holds an MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School, a Gold Certificate in Shakespeare from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), and is a Finalist for Lifetime Membership at the Actors Studio.
www.CaseyBradley.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Hepburn trousers add a polished touch to any outfit and are perfect for day or night. The wide cut legs create a chic silhouette that will look great with a pair of heels. Pair them with our Moth Angelika Top or our Moth Dolman Top.


Two brothers who grew up in our church family received some sound advice from their father. He told them that "Half of life is just showing up". Showing up is an incredibly important part of life.
When the enemies of Judah rose up against them, King Jehoshaphat was told by the Lord that he should not fear because "the battle is not yours but the God's". Imagine that, God was going to fight the battle for Judah. However in the very next breath, God tells Jehoshaphat, "Tomorrow go down against them", in other words, "Just show up".
David tells Goliath before he fights him, "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands…" (1 Samuel 17:46) David knew that the battle belonged to the Lord. His responsibility was to "Just show up".
We are called by God to "walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Part of our faith walk is to "Just show up" and let God be God.
And so the brothers received great advice from their beloved father for "Half of life IS just showing up".
That is exactly what Jehoshaphat and David did. They showed up and found out just what their God could do.


What Could Possibly Be Better Then An AT? How's About 2 ATs.
My buddy and I did a relic hunt the other day. Fantastic fall weather! Bugs are gone, great colors and the air is so fresh. We hunted near a place where I prospect for gold, a place where many have gone before me searching for gold. It must have been a busy place at one time, judging from all of our finds. My buddy used his AT Pro- 5 x 8 DD coil. I used the AT MAX- 6.5 x 9 Concentric. Both machines pulled out targets at decent depths. We both went wireless, and had to change frequencies as we were getting cross interference. I hunted mostly in true all metal mode, my buddy in zero discriminate mode.
We pulled out a couple of old coins, lots of 22 shells and a few bullets, including a flattened musket ball. The watch was a surprise, especially reading "30 jewels" on the face.
On a very steep grade, I got an iron grunt on the MAX. I dug it, expecting a nail, but found a long this tapered to a point piece of steel. I took it home, and upon better assessment, I discovered some nice ornate designs along the side. It could have been used by the native population to sew leather together from moose and deer hides. A also dug an old silver plated spoon, with the silver pretty well worn off. I formed it into a ring, and gave it a good polish and a new life.
Another week or so, and gold prospecting will come to an end. The river bed gravel is already getting harder to dig up for my highbanker. I got the usual petrified wood, one piece with the end already crystallized, and a cool fossil. Just like metal detecting, you just never know what will come out of a river bed.


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USA - 53 years old
Solid pieces
by Adam McKay
2015 / 130m - USA
2004 / 94m - USA
Very pure comedy where simply everything is played for laughs. It's all extremely silly and over-the-top, but I feel that I often miss this type of film nowadays. The cast is well in on the joke, there are so many memorable quotes and even though not everything is funny, the hit to miss ratio is more than sufficient. Fun!
The inoffensive
McKay repeats the little stunt he pulled with The Big Short, exchanging the 2008 crash with political figure Dick Cheney. It's a welcome update of the political biography, adding a little snark and sass to a genre that is generally pretty stale and predictable. McKay does well, but as he's repeating his own formula, it's not quite as novel as it could've been.
The film follows the political career of Cheney, as he rises through the ranks, fades back into the background and gets his time in the spotlight when he is asked to become vice president next to George W. Bush. There, he would claim a lot of the power that was usually reserved for presidents only.
McKay's sense of humor is what sets this film apart. The fake end credits and the restaurant scene in particular are real stand-outs. Performances are decent too, but it's not quite enough to keep an otherwise predictable film interesting from start to finish. Then again it certainly could've been a lot worse.
... Read all
Action, Comedy
Dubious filler
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Comedy, Sport
McKay is slipping. The Big Short was an interesting film, but the more he tries to relive that success, the cringier his films seem to become. Don't Look Up is a satire that loves to make fun of the excesses and polarization of our society, but it never gives the impression that it understand the core reasons for these problems.
Two scientists discover a meteoroid racing towards our planet. It's a planet-killer that will destroy all life on Earth, with only 6 months to find a solution there is no time to waste. When the scientists try to warn the general population, they get swept up by political greed, hungry media and a society that has lost its trust in science.
Don't Look Up is a film embellished with famous actors, populism and easy satire, but it's never very funny or edgy, nor does it address any of the issues it wants to tackle. It's just having a quick laugh at the expense of societal issues, within the confines of safe Hollywood film making. A missed opportunity.
Plain forgettable


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FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (2016) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW
fantastic beasts and where to find them (2016) movie
Genre | Fantasy
Classification | M
Released | 17 November 2016
Eddie Redmayne ... Newt
Colin Farrell ... Graves
Katherine Waterston ... Tina
Dan Fogler ... Jacob Kowalski
Ezra Miller ... Credence Barebone
Alison Sudol ... Queenie
J.K. Rowling ... (written by)
Salvatore Totino
James Newton Howard
Mark Day
Worldwide $814,037,575
Australia $24,200,000
North America $234,037,575
Queenie: [to Newt Scamander] She was a taker... You need a giver.
Newt Scamander: [hands Jacob a helmet] Put this on.
Jacob Kowalski: But why would I have to wear something like this?
Newt Scamander: Because your skull is susceptible to breakage under immense force.
Jacob Kowalski: You, uh, you know how to read minds?
Queenie: Oh, don't worry, honey. Most guys think what you was thinking first time they see me.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (2016) MOVIE IMAGES
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (2016) STORY SYNOPSIS
The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (2016) MOVIE REVIEW
Reviewed by Mark Geraghty | Review date 16 November 2016
Pop Movee Rating ⭐⭐⭐½
Fans of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe will be thrilled to get a peek into a different corner from the Wizarding well-spring of the English author's mind as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes the global box office by storm. The new film sees Rowling extend her influence further into movie-making with her role as sole screenwriter on the new film. On the Potter series, Steve Kloves was largely responsible for adapting the author's novels for the screen, but not this time. Fantastic Beasts has been developed specifically for the screen, based on the fictional textbook of the same name featured in the Harry Potter films. Warner Bros, the studio financing and distributing the film, are keen to capitalise on this new material and have already announced it will be the first in a series of five movies based on the adventures of Eddie Redmayne's central character, Newt Scamander. With new characters and new Wizarding worlds to explore, the question everyone will want answered, "Is Fantastic Beasts any good?"
At the end of the film's 133 minute running time, most viewers should feel reasonably satisfied that Rowling and veteran Potter Director David Yates have successfully established a new set of characters that will warrant emotional investment over the long-term from both fans and newcomers alike. Fantastic Beasts is not without its challenges; foremost among them is the film's dark tone. People who have read Rowling's Potter novels and have seen the film's know that the cinematic version of her stories were sanitised of a lot of the dark magic represented by Voldemort and his followers. Rowling takes the opportunity in Fantastic Beasts to bring a greater emphasis on that aspect of her novels, especially when it comes to the sadistic nature of some of her more extreme characters and the indiscriminate pain they inflict. The film's darker tone isn't reserved just for the Wizarding world, Rowling's inclusion of a Witch-hunting clique gives her an opportunity to show that it's not just dark Magic that exploits and tortures children and their participation in the story becomes critical in uncovering just what on Earth is going on in 1926 New York.
The great variable of Rowling's new story is the shift from Hogwarts to New York. The Potter series was littered with the cream of English acting along with the three main characters, all of whom were British to the core. The change in setting brings a fresh approach to casting, with Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander the only notable Brit. Katherine Waterston plays opposite Redmayne for the majority of the film as Porpetina Goldstein, a recently-demoted investigating agent for America's equivalent to the Ministry of Magic. The dynamic between the two leads is a little off in their early scenes, but as the film progresses there's an increase in energy and chemistry levels between them. There's no such problem for supporting actors Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol. Fogler becomes the film's comedic relief as Jacob Kowalski, an ordinary 'No-Maj' (the American description of a Person who can't do magic otherwise known as a Muggle in the Potter books). Inadvertently teamed with Newt, Kowalski helps the Wizard rediscover a little of his humanity after having spent years in the wilds collecting his menagerie of Fantastic Beasts. Of the main characters, Alison Sudol's Queenie Goldstein absolutely delights with her soft demeanour, her natural beauty and a smile that lights up the screen. Her lightness, emphasized in the relationship she develops with Kowalski, helps to balance the film's darker elements portrayed through Colin Farrell's Graves and a hard-to-recognize Ezra Miller as Credence.
A large measure of Fantastic Beasts' success can be attributed to the ability of Director David Yates to bring back together many of the behind-the-scenes personnel who helped him create his four Harry Potter movies. Experienced Potter Production Designer Stuart Craig returns, assisted on this project by The Dark Knight & The Dark Knight Returns veteran James Hambidge. Yates also reunites with his Harry Potter Film Editor, Mark Day. Academy Award winning Cinematographer Philippe Rousselot shot the picture, with James Newton Howard providing the film's score. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is quite deliberate in establishing the groundwork for a new series of films, but it never gets bogged down in anticipation of its own mythology. Despite its dark tone, it's great entertainment and a worthy follow-up to reboot J.K. Rowling's wonderful world of Wizards and Witches.


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Q: Why is foundObj._id showing undefined? deleteCrypto(name){
      let foundObj = this.Cryptos.find(x => x.name === name);

      let indexOfArrayItem = this.Cryptos.findIndex(i => i._id === foundObj._id);

      axios.delete(`${this.baseApiURL}/delete-crypto/${foundObj._id}`).then(() => {
        this.Cryptos.splice(indexOfArrayItem, 1);

        this.getCryptos()
      }).catch(error => {
        console.log(error)
      });

foundObj._id should evaluate to an _id field for a mongodb document but it evaluates to undefined.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: SparkContext.loadFromMapRDB with generic type def loadFromMapR[T: Manifest](path: String): RDD[T] = {
   val selectedTable = sc.loadFromMapRDB[T](path)
    selectedTable }

I am working in Scala and want to allow a generic type to be loaded from a SparkContext.  This code will work if I specify the type as such.
def loadFromMapR(path: String): RDD[basicObject] = {
  val selectedTable = sc.loadFromMapRDB[basicObject](path)
  selectedTable }

But I want to make it generic! My first code doesn't compile! I am getting an error that states:
not enough arguments for method loadFromMapRDB (implicit evidence $1: Scala.reflect.ClassTag[T])
could not find implicit value for parameter f: com.mapr.db.spark.RDD.RDDTYPE[T]

Thanks!

A: Add : RDDTYPE to the definition of T:
def loadFromMapR[T: ClassTag : RDDTYPE](path: String): RDD[T] = {
  sc.loadFromMapRDB[T](path)
}

[note: Manifest is deprecated, so I replaced it with ClassTag]
This is of course shorthand for:
def loadFromMapR[T](path: String)(implicit ev1: ClassTag[T], ev2: RDDTYPE[T]): RDD[T] = {
  sc.loadFromMapRDB[T](path)
}

Which means - our function expects implicit parameters of types ClassTag[T] and RDDTYPE[T], both are necessary when calling loadFromMapRDB which expects such implicit parameters - as can be seen in its signature:
def loadFromMapRDB[T](tableName: String)(implicit
  evidence$1: scala.reflect.ClassTag[T],
  e: DefaultType[T, OJAIDocument],
  f: RDDTYPE[T]
): MapRDBTableScanRDD[T]


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Home > Environment
Total to develop 3.3 GW of additional solar projects in Spain
Written by Frédéric Dubessy on Friday, September 25th 2020 à 18:50 | Read 622 times
Total's Spanish solar projects cover almost all of Spain (map: Total)
Israel supports a two-state solution to its conflict with Palestine
Voltalia invests in five new solar power plants in Portugal
The European Commission gives the green light to state aid in the field of hydrogen
HOMERe France and IECD join forces to facilitate the employability of young Lebanese
Lebanon will be able to extract its own natural gas
SPAIN / FRANCE. Thanks to an agreement with Spain's Ignis, on Friday 25 September 2020, guaranteeing the deployment of an additional 3.3 gigawatts (GW) of solar projects, Total is strengthening its position in the Spanish market.
Construction of the first solar farms will begin in 2022 and the French group aims to bring them all into production by 2025. They will be built near Madrid and in Andalusia.
This deal with Ignis will enable the French group to increase its portfolio of solar projects in Spain to more than 5 GW by 2025.
According to a press release from Total, "this solar electricity portfolio will enable the group to cover all the electricity consumption of its industrial sites in Europe by 2025: to do this, (it) will purchase nearly 6 TWh per year of green electricity produced by these Spanish solar sites through an electricity purchase contract covering more than 3 GW of solar farms. It will be the largest corporate PPA in the world. Thanks to its electricity trading capabilities, the Group will thus be able to supply all of its European sites with competitive green electricity".
Total has already signed two important agreements in Spain in 2020. The first in February with Powertis and Solarbay Renewable Energy to develop nearly 2 GW of solar projects. The second with the acquisition in May from Energias de Portugal (EDP) of a portfolio of 2.5 million residential customers and two natural gas-fired combined cycle power plants (843 MW).
"Spain is a priority country for Total in Europe and we intend to take advantage of the growth opportunities that the country offers in order to respond concretely to the challenges of the energy transition towards carbon neutrality," said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total.
The Spanish government plans to produce 70% of its electricity from renewable energies by 2030, and then 100% by the middle of the century.
Tags : Andalusia, EDP, Energias de Portugal, energy, environment, Europe, France, Ignis, Madrid, Patrick Pouyanné, Powertis, renewable energy, solar energy, Solarbay Renewable Energy, Spain, Total
Thursday, September 22nd 2022 - 12:30 Voltalia invests in five new solar power plants in Portugal
Tuesday, September 13th 2022 - 14:40 Slovenia gets €3.26 billion from the EU to support the sustainable development of its economy


Moon met Kim at the border village of Panmunjom on April 27. Kim crossed over into South Korea for the meeting becoming the first North Korean leader ever to set foot in South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953. While active conflict in the Korean War lasted from 1950-53, the two Koreas are technically still at war because a peace treaty was never signed. Moon is expected to meet Kim again in September. But to what end?
The South Koreans will be "very, very reluctant" to do anything that jeopardizes its alliance with the United States, said Manning. So, he predicted, efforts to mend the inter-Korean relationship could slow down.
Robert Manning spoke in an interview with the New Atlanticist's Ashish Kumar Sen. Here are excerpts from the interview.
Q: What do the North Koreans seek in return for denuclearization?
Manning: We don't know because we have never tested it.
[US Secretary of State Michael] Pompeo has said he wants North Korea to hand over 60 to 70 percent of its nukes. That's absurd. We have seven decades of well-earned, deep-seated distrust on both sides. One of the main reasons the North Koreans have nukes is because they are afraid of us. Remember, until 1991, the United States had tactical nukes in South Korea. What we are essentially telling them is: "Give us what we want, trust us, and then we will loosen sanctions." It doesn't work that way.
The biggest problem goes back to the terrible, uselessly vague statement that followed the Singapore Summit [between US President Donald J. Trump and Kim on June 12]. The North Koreans say we are not living up to our commitments to a peace regime and we're saying the North Koreans are not living up to their commitments on denuclearization. We're both right because there is no mechanism in the agreement that suggests what comes next or how you do it.
Q: What are your thoughts on reports that Trump told Kim at the Singapore Summit that he would sign a declaration to end the Korean War, but the Trump administration has since prioritized denuclearization?
Manning: We have given Kim at least half a dozen security assurances—no-hostility-no-attack pledges—going back to at least 1994. They have mattered little. Why one more piece of paper matters is beyond my comprehension.
What a lot of us have been recommending is that we ask North Korea to give us—by a date certain—a full inventory of its nuclear weapons, fissile material, and facilities and that we will convene with China and the two Koreas a four-party process leading to a peace treaty. That's a reasonable equation and if the North Koreans reject it that's on them. I'm afraid that the way things are going right now, the United States will be perceived as the bad guy by China and South Korea.
Meanwhile, the North-South discussions are going forward. There have been family visits, they are talking about confidence-building measures, there will be a summit [between Kim and Moon] in September, and Moon has made an effort to link North-South progress with denuclearization. The reality is we have nothing on denuclearization. The first baby step is getting the International Atomic Energy Agency [the United Nations' nuclear watchdog] a full inventory of the North Korean program to acknowledge what North Korea claims it has, and set up an inspection and monitoring regime within 30 to 45 days. The North Koreans could allow the IAEA to visit their Yongbyon reactor as a down payment.
Q: Are the United States and North Korea back on the path to confrontation?
Manning: We seem to be headed back toward a stalemate. I feel we're not that far from "fire and fury" all over again. The problem is it will be much more difficult to reapply "maximum pressure" on North Korea. When Trump met Kim, China read it as a message to normalize its relationship with North Korea. China, despite a lot of criticism, had done far more to squeeze North Korea than many of us ever expected; it clearly had an impact. That pressure is now being quietly eased up.
Q: How should the United States proceed?
Manning: The White House said one of the mistakes we had made in the past was not getting frontloaded results. Perhaps they are right, but what benefits are they going to frontload to North Korea? Is it sanctions relief? Is it economic investment? There is no sense this has been thought through and that they have a strategy for reciprocal, proportionate steps in a calibrated diplomatic process. They vastly overestimate American leverage. Short of starting a war, our leverage is limited.
The Trump administration did a very good job of applying pressure on North Korea. We had a critical mass to really push them; it worked. But I don't see any evidence of a clear idea of a process.
By raising the possibility of a resumption of joint military exercises with South Korea, [US Defense Secretary James] Mattis made a good effort to try to remind people that the United States made a major concession by suspending these exercises. Joint exercises are the glue of alliances. If you don't have joint training it is very difficult to fight together.
Another mistake we are making is that every one of the frontline states in Northeast Asia is making their own deals with North Korea—the Chinese, Russia, and even Japan has been secretly meeting with the North Koreans because they have been cut out of the process.
Q; In the past, North Korea used uncertainty to its advantage. Now, given the uncertainty coming from the White House to whose advantage does that play?
Manning: The tragedy to me is Trump's disruptive ideas could be useful if they were followed through correctly. I thought it was a really bold move to meet Kim. To Trump it is a reality TV show, but in the real world it has to be connected to a strategy.
Meanwhile, what we see coming out of North Korea is just right out of its old playbook—deceive, deny, delay. The incompetence of our policies is playing into that North Korean narrative. I hope the administration will step back and we'll see a course correction.
Q: What impact does failed US-North Korea diplomacy have on South Korea, especially on Moon who has staked his presidency on peace?
Manning: That's what a lot of us are worried about. The South Koreans have tried to walk right up to the edge of doing things that advance North-South relations without going over the line. The stalemate of our policy is putting them in a really difficult position. To his credit, Moon sees himself as a mediator between the United States and North Korea. He will use his summit with Kim [in September] to mediate. Whether he will succeed or not I don't know.
Q: Is there a limit to how much progress the two Koreas can make in improving their relationship in the absence of a peace treaty or progress in US-North Korean diplomacy?
Manning: That would be a major strategic choice that the South Koreans are very, very reluctant to make. The US-ROK alliance has 90 percent support in South Korea. When you are a middle power surrounded by two major nuclear powers and a country called China that has invaded you several hundred times over the last two millennia, alliances with powerful countries that are far away look pretty damned good.
I think we will see [the North-South effort] slow down. There may be some retribution from the North because I don't think the South Koreans will put the alliance at risk. Despite what some liberals in town think, we are not going to have a peace treaty with a nuclear North Korea. Either we have a real end of confrontation, conventional arms reductions, and peace—think of the end of the Cold War as an analogy—or we won't.
Robert A. Manning is a senior fellow in the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Follow him on Twitter @Rmanning4.


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You are here: Home1 / What's On2 / Theatre3 / All That Remains
by Olesya Khromeychuk
produced by Molodyi Teatr London
All That Remains is a reflection on memory and loss based on true stories from the ongoing war in Ukraine. A woman who has lost her brother and is left with only a few of his belongings tries to make sense of what happened. The show weaves her story together with those of the volunteers (mostly women) who keep the army supplied with the basics that the state doesn't provide, fellow soldiers haunted by memories, and the voice of her brother from mobile phone videos recorded at the frontline.
Using documentary theatre and music, the show explores the absurdities of this unexpected war, in which families find themselves trying to buy bulletproof vests online and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacts soldiers' relatives via Facebook. Most of all, this is a story about the shock of losing a loved one to armed conflict, and about finding the strength to live on.
Molodyi Teatr London is a Ukrainian-British theatre group. All that Remains is Molodyi Teatr London's third original play. The company's previous shows, Penetrating Europe, or Migrants Have Talent and Bloody East Europeans, have been performed at the Edinburgh and Camden Fringes and won rave reviews; Bloody East Europeans was longlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe.
Q&A. Each performance will be followed by a discussion with the author and cast and is open to all who attended the production.
Please note All That Remains contains some strong language and descriptions of violence.
Press for All That Remains
An uncanny and yet powerful depiction of how isolating the experience of war is. All That Remains offers a rare chance of grasping the genuine Ukrainian perspective rather than the version that's being broadcasted (or not) by the media.★★★★★ Central and Eastern European London Review
This is a show that remains long after the metaphorical curtain has gone down and makes us consider some difficult issues. All That Remains is poignant, tragic and quietly powerful. ★★★★ Views from the Gods.
The most intimate conversation. Raw and painful. Very real but unimaginable. Ukrainian Events in London.
written & directed by Olesya Khromeychuk
Production / Rehearsal / Cast
Watch the trailer / interviews
Katheryn Howard Charles Darwin: Collapsing Creation


Before we begin to get too deep in today's message we need to get a good handle on our two terms we are going to discuss today, Conversion and Regeneration. For our purpose in looking at Jesus' Kingdom here is how you need to understand these two terms; Conversion is the part that man plays in his own salvation and Regeneration is the part that God plays. Did you get that? Man is able to change something that is of the fleshly world but only God can create something anew!
We really need to get this concept down into our soul and into our minds. Man can't create unless God is involved.
In the John 14:6 Jesus said, "…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The plain, unadulterated truth is this: No man is ever "saved" until God Almighty does something within that man that only God could ever do. There is No salvation without a miracle of a new life and a new birth that is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.
A man can do a lot of turning around, a lot of wishing, a lot of crying, a lot of praying and a lot of talking and parading around but never, ever be born again. Until God does something miraculous in the life of a man he will forever still be a sinner and unregenerate. He may be a loving, kind individual, tenderhearted with animals and maybe even a well-meaning church goer, but in God's book and eyes he is still just a sinner. He must be regenerated in order to be born again, in order to pass from death unto life.
Now don't misunderstand me, Decision is the first step that WE have to make. God demands that every person exercise their free will, as man is never so helpless that they can't choose. God demands that man make a choice, a choice between Good or Evil, between Heaven or Hell, between inward Holiness or Moral Filth, between Life and Death, between a book of truth and promises or a pack of lies. Man must make a choice because that is where real life begins.
I never cease to thrill at the moment of a person's decision wherever and whenever it occurs. It is a grand moment when a person says' "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee…" Luke 15:18 That is the moment when I think that the angels want to stand and clap. That's the moment a man turns around and says goodbye to the pigs and wallow and starts home. He may still be hungry, in rags and burdened by debt but he is still heading in the right direction. He has made the turn. That is what conversion means, turning around.
But it isn't God who must turn around, sinner, it is you! It isn't God who must change His mind, it's you! Don't let anyone tell you something different. God is facing towards you at this very moment. God had not turned His back on you. His grace is reaching out now towards you and He is waiting for you to turn around. The prophet Jeremiah in 32:33 said, "and they have turned unto me the back, and not the face:" That is the world's tragedy today.
Our world has turned its back on God and that is your sin in this if you have not made a decision to turn to God. Conversion means turning around. That is something you must do. God will not do this for you. God will awaken your memories; God will speak to you; God will gain your attention; but He will not turn you around. That moment of decision is yours alone. No one else can do it for you. It is up to you to say today, "I've had enough. I don't want to go to hell. My sins are wasting my life. I want to go home. I will reach out for God's salvation." God is awaiting That Moment in your life!
This work of salvation, this change in the sinners life, is something more than the turning over a new leaf. It is something more than expression of a wanting to be good. It is something more than coming down the aisle and giving the preacher your hand to be baptized and it is more than a person mouthing the words, "I'm going to keep company with this crowd instead of that crowd." If that were all it takes then it could be our own resolutions that save us. We could be our own savior. But Jesus says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh…" And it will always be flesh! It will never turn into something Christ-like by any amount of positive or wishful thinking. We must be reborn again of the Spirit, and this is the realm of action of the Holy Spirit. Something must come alive within man. Something God-like, something patterned after a different world, a spiritual world, the only world that is really real for the spirit that resides with our fleshly bodies.
Something eternal must quicken the man who has turned around. He must be brought into a Spiritual Family and a Spiritual Kingdom. He must acknowledge and be acknowledged by the Father. Old things must be put away and pass away and all things must be made new. When one is regenerated by the Spirit of God there is never any mistake about an experience like that. You will always know and remember when you were born again, just like you will always know and remember when you recovered from a serious illness or were delivered from a narrow escape of some sort.
The Bible in Ezekiel 36:26-27 describes it thusly, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27) And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Make no mistake about it, it take the miracle working power of God to deal with the fallen human nature and depravity of man.
Our sin is the result of our own doing. Our want, our hunger, our nakedness, our shame, our depravity, are all the result of having spent all our substance on fleshly existence not spiritual living. We have wasted all our own resources; we have nothing left to give to the Father but our repentance. God must furnish everything. The work of transformation and regeneration is His. He is the only one who knows how to turn a pauper into a Prince!
This is why we need more than a religious dog and pony show today. We need something more than organized sentiments and ceremony. We need more than marching and praying and crying. We need more than an education in religion. We must have the Power and Work of the Holy Spirit within the New Birth of our Spirit Man. Today, too many of us are trying to get along without the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. We are afraid of it and think if we will just use some formulaic system in outreach to the unsaved that everything will work out for us and them. This is a recipe for disaster folks.
There's a feeling rampant in our world today that all that is needed is some token of decision and man can be saved. Hear me when I tell you, on the authority of the Word of God, Man's part is never complete without God's part. Salvation is less than nothing without the miracle of the rebirth of the spirit man. There is No salvation in preachers, prophets, penance or prayers, but only in the Blood of Jesus. Jesus, Himself says in John 3:7, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." Jesus rests the entire matter on the word, "MUST".
Service and sacraments, churches and charities, tears and treasure, ritual and reformation, all may be good, and all may serve a purpose, but not one of them has the power to save you! You must be born again.
This independence from God can only cause you to perish. Your religious pride will be your undoing. You may go to perdition inside the church instead of outside of it, but my friends, unless you yield to the work of the Holy Spirit and let God produce within you a new birth, you are as lost while serving or partaking of communion as you would be on skid row.
Where are your Fruit of the Spirit? Where is your love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. If these are not evident in your lives then you have not yet been reborn!
Men will readily take their part in church work and ceremonies while refusing to take their place as guilty sinners needing a sinner's savior. Men are willing to believe in the doctrines of God's Word, while refusing to believe into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, whom He alone, through His Blood alone, can bestow the priceless gift of eternal life.
Friends, remember this, there is No fellowship with Jesus without a new birth. Jesus isn't receiving men into His Kingdom on the basis of good intentions; Jesus said you must be born again, from the Spirit. This is how we pass into the Kingdom, the spiritual domain of our Lord and Master.
Here is the pattern: Faithfulness, Repentance, Confession, Baptism, and then…The Work of the Holy Spirit. Are you bearing fruit within the Kingdom of God? As surely as God changes the grubby caterpillar into a beautiful, translucent butterfly, He has a new birth for every sinner. Appetites, habits, desires, goals for living, all manner of fleshly things will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
Peter believed into this experience. 1 Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." If it was good for Peter then it should be good for you, so don't stop your life short and fail to lay hold of the very thing that allows us to live within Jesus' Kingdom. Don't just come to church and warm a pew for Jesus. He doesn't have need of warm pews as His Kingdom is outside of the four walls of the church. Pray to Jesus, run to Jesus, Shout to Jesus if you think you have to, but lay hold of the Holy Spirit and begin to exist within Jesus Kingdom and within His existence. Resign yourself now to Jesus' will and His ways and be regenerated into Christ's existence.
This entry was posted in Bible and tagged bertram tx, Bible, Christ, Christianity, Conversion, jesus, Joppa Church, Regeneration, Roy Blizzard III. Bookmark the permalink.


This book focuses on the fundamentals of the use of biologics in asthma, describing the rationale, principles, mechanisms of action, and indications. It offers an excellent balance between basic science and the analysis of clinical trials, updating readers with new developments that are changing the global scenario for targeted biological anti-asthma therapies, especially with regard to more severe disease. A range of therapies are considered, from the humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody omalizumab, widely approved as add-on treatment for inadequately controlled disease, through to emerging biologics for which evidence supportive of efficacy is accumulating, including anti-IL-5, anti-IL-4, and anti-IL-13 therapies. One aspect to emerge is the variability in individual response, which suggests a need for characterization of different asthma subtypes to permit the effective implementation of phenotype-targeted treatments. This book will be of interest for pulmonologists, clinical immunologists, and physicians seeking sound information on these therapies, but also for scientists and pharmacologists wishing to enhance their knowledge of the therapeutic implications of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie severe, uncontrolled asthma.


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Gas explosion in Nigeria's Lagos kills 5, including a child
Emergency service officials in Nigeria say that a gas explosion in Lagos has killed at least five people, including a child
A gas explosion in Lagos Nigeria's biggest city, on Tuesday killed at least five people, including a child, an emergency services official told The Associated Press.
"There are four adults dead — three males and one female — and a 10-year-old boy died in the incident," Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency said, adding that rescue operation is still ongoing.
The fire broke out after a cylinder exploded at a gas shop in the densely populated Mushin area of Lagos.
It was extinguished in about one hour and "we were able to rescue 10 people alive and they have been treated and discharged on the spot," said Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, director-general of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.
The cause of the explosion is not known yet but authorities are suspecting one of the gas cylinders exploded as a result of a fire close to the gas shop and work being done on one of the cylinders.
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"Out of the four bodies (one was) a woman who was said to be frying (food items) while Sodiq (another of the victims) was operating on a cylinder," Farinloye said.
At the scene of the explosion, a crowd lined behind a barricade as rescue workers and some residents carried away the gas cylinders left within the premises while remains of the vehicles destroyed were packed at one corner.
One of those killed is said to be a motorcyclist who was caught in the massive fire as he drove past the scene. The fire destroyed three shops, six shanties and about 12 vehicles, said Olajide Ogabi of the Lagos State Fire Service.
He faulted the location of the gas shop within the residential area and along a power line and said the shop was once closed by the state government because of its location.
Gas explosions are common in Africa's most populous country, especially in Lagos, a city of more than 14 million people. One of the most recent was in October 2020 when an explosion at a gas station killed eight people and razed many buildings.
Two months ago, the Lagos state government set up a team to monitor outlets where gas is stored in commercial quantity and carry out a safety audit in the state. So far, 1,850 places were surveyed out of which 15 were closed for not complying with safety standards, according to Lanre Mojola, director-general Lagos State Safety Commission.
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In July this year, federal lawmakers in Nigeria asked authorities to design a strategy to regulate the use of old gas cylinders, arguing that "the continued use of old cylinders can cause explosions especially in poorly controlled environments."
A committee has been formed to investigate the incident and look at "what led to this," Oke-Osanyintolu of the Lagos emergency services agency said.
LagosNigeriaNational Emergency Management AgencyOneAfrica
1/0Gas explosion in Nigeria's Lagos kills 5, including a child
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For the first time in months, Sheila could breathe easy. The physically inexplicable knot of nerves and emotions that caused the ever-present ache in the pit of her stomach was gone. She touched the little box inside her pocket and smiled.
As it was, she'd stumbled onto the purveyor of her cure quite by accident. Walking the dirty city streets home from work, still fighting back the tears she'd been guarding against all day, she finally lost the battle when a gust of wind upended her umbrella.
She'd slipped into a little alley and finally surrendered, letting the rain cover up the evidence of her grief. She was rather caught up in the drama of it all when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up, startled, to see a hunched old woman there, holding an unmangled umbrella above her head. There was something about her eyes and the curve of her mouth that was almost a smile that made Sheila wonder vaguely if she had once been beautiful.
"Come inside, dear," the old woman had said.
Sheila was not usually the sort to run off with random strangers in alleys, but in that moment, she was of the opinion that she really had nothing else to lose. And so she followed the old woman through a door, hidden to all but the most observant by a façade of brick that matched the wall quite perfectly.
Her memories of what happened next were murky. She could glimpse the old woman handing her a cup of something warm that might have been tea. She could hear the story of her latest heartache spilling from her mouth. She could feel of the old woman's hand as it held hers — her skin had been smooth and soft, but thin, like it would bruise easily.
When she stepped back out into the alley, it was as if she'd awoken from a very long nap. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and if it had not been for the verification from her phone that it was in fact the same day, she might have believed she'd slept through the entire winter. In her hand there had been a piece of paper, which she hadn't noticed until a warm breeze tried to carry it away from her.
You have just undergone a very delicate procedure to remove your heart. It's possible you may experience slight memory problems for a few hours following the procedure. This is entirely normal and not cause for alarm; however, if symptoms persists beyond seven days, please return for observation.
As discussed prior to your informed consent (please see attached), your heart has been preserved in a uniquely manufactured container, where it will remain safe and functional should you choose to have it reinserted some day. It is imperative that you keep it on your person at all times. Failing to adhere to this recommendation can have severe adverse side effects, as discussed prior to your consent. Please remember that the container also serves as your receipt for the procedure should you encounter any problems.
Your records will be kept on file in the event you choose to return to have your procedure reversed. Good luck, and we hope you enjoy your newly Contained Heart™.
She flipped to the attached page, which bore a photocopied list of benefits and warnings, punctuated by her signature. At the bottom, it said, "You will find your new Contained Heart™ waiting for you in: __________________" Scrawled above the line were the handwritten words "your right-hand skirt pocket." And sure enough, that is where she'd found it. It was silver and cubic, with carvings that could have been simply decorative or perhaps instructive in some language or code she could never hope to decipher. It was both heavier and warmer than it should have been.
Weeks went by with nothing but good results. Her friends were surprised and relieved to see her smiling so easily again. With the heaviness of her heart in her pocket instead of her chest, she felt light and free — perhaps even invincible.
If she'd been able to recall more of the procedure and the conversation that preceded it, she would have been more careful. The old woman had warned her that hearts have a way of refusing to be contained. But Sheila did not remember this, and she had never been particular adept at protecting her heart.
After a particularly enjoyable evening out, during which she'd laughed and danced and charmed more than her fair share, she began to feel her mood slip, just the tiniest bit, as she stepped out of the cab that had carried her home. She chalked it up to one too many drinks, one too many dances, one too many hours in her impressively high-heeled shoes, and thought nothing more of it.
Until morning. When the light streaming through her window finally woke her, her limbs felt so heavy she could barely gather the will power to move them even an inch. And that's when it hit her. She forced herself out of bed and onto the floor where her skirt lay discarded from the night before. She reached into its pocket, and her finger, horrifyingly, slipped through the bottom of it. She flipped it inside out and stared at her finger. Her pocket, it seemed, had come apart at the seams.
She scoured the floor for the little silver box. She searched the sidewalk outside her apartment. She called every cab company in the city. She begged the manager of the club until he let her search every booth, every crack in the dance floor, every bag of trash collected from the night before. Her heart was nowhere to be found.
She rushed to the alley in a panic, informed consent and instructions in hand. She walked up and down, banging all along the brick wall until the old woman finally stepped out.
"Please help me," Sheila begged.
Again she was handed a cup of something that might have been tea, but Sheila could not take comfort in it this time. She once again spilled the details of her sad story to the old woman's patient ears. When she was done, the old woman took her hand again and squeezed it, but her eyes were sad.
There was more pleading and more tears, but eventually she had to accept there was nothing the old woman could do for her. She let the old woman lead her out into the alley, and she did not protest when she closed the door. The sun had gone under the clouds. All Sheila could feel in that moment was the cold.
But there was something the old woman had not revealed. In her many years of research, she had learned many things about the heart. One thing was that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Another was that home is where the heart is. And so, the old woman could not guarantee it, but over the years she had seen many cases in which these two factors worked together quite well to work things out. But you cannot simply tell a woman who has lost her heart to take heart.
Across the city, a businessman late for a meeting hurried to the curb as he simultaneously signaled for a cab. Just as he reached for the handle, a glint of silver in a mound of grimy slush caught his eye. He squinted at it, but he couldn't quite fathom what it could be.
He looked at the driver, impatience permanently etched onto his face. He looked at his watch. He was already so late. He took his hand off the handle. The cabbie yelled something rather rude and drove off. The businessman walked over to the pile of what had once been pristine snow and picked up the tiny box. It was heavy and warm. He put it in his breast pocket and signaled for a cab.
I really like this. A lot.
I think this is one of your best short stories! But I want to know what happens to the man? Maybe the heart leads him to the woman who lost it and they live happily ever after?


text:
@itsleillo
Featured Artist Illustration March 5, 2017 September 27, 2019
Instagram: @itsleillo
Twitter: @itsleillo
I'm an illustrator and cartoonist. I grew up in North Wales and now live in Brighton with my wife, dog and twin daughters. In the day I work at a studio in town with other illustrators.
Simple, bold and funny.
Pen and paper. It's immediate, indelible and lo fi.
I mostly do editorial, and I love the problem solving that's involved – taking the key points of an article and quickly working out a few ways to represent them in a simple, funny picture.
First, l do lots of doodling until I find the best ideas. Then I try to make the image as nice as I can for the final. Sometimes that's just pen and paper, but mostly it's digital these days.
Originally, I really just wanted to make people laugh. I'm a huge comedy fan so as a kid I was really inspired by Galton and Simpson, Gerard Hoffnung, Pink Panther Films, Steve Coogan, Ivor Cutler, John Landis films and, weirdly, Arnold Schwarzenegger. I drew a lot of wounded soldiers, but I thought they were funny. As a grown up I started just doing gag cartoons. I won a couple of awards so I started trying to do it professionally. But I also loved making the work, so I worked on my style and eventually became an illustrator.
Obviously I'm influenced by a huge number of artists, but for immediate inspiration I often look at work by Charles Barsotti, Saul Steinberg, Jordan Awan and Andy Rementer, although I'm still mostly inspired by funny ideas or concepts.
Also, it can be very demoralizing to just look at amazing work, so I also like to look at work that I think is awful, but which is successful.
I think art, music and comedy are filters through which we put life and the world to make it bearable.
I don't have any art training. I have a degree in Linguistics from King's College London.
I hope not. Part of the attraction of illustration is to be freelance. I've had proper jobs in the past, working in offices. It's really awful.
I don't have a fixed plan. At the moment, I'm starting to play around a lot with animation, so I would love to do more with that. I just worked with an animator on something and it got me really interested in animating my own stuff. I'd also like to do more in publishing. I have 2 small children, so I'd like to write and illustrate a picture book for them. I'm pretty keen on the idea of doing loads of extremely well-paid ad work, too.
In ten years I suppose I'd really like to have written something with a long narrative, like a graphic novel, or an animation or maybe even a sitcom. And more really well-paid ad work would be great, too. Just alive and content would do though, really.
I want my artwork to get better. At the moment I feel I wrestle with it; and I'd like to get to a point where I'm good enough to be at peace with what I can and can't do. I like the idea that my work makes people smile and laugh.
Bread and cheese.
The Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker is the book I use most, but Evelyn Waugh books are the books I've enjoyed the most.
These – Talking Heads, The Clash, The Stone Roses, The Beatles, Pulp, AC/DC (Bon Scott Era), Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, The Stranglers, Johnny Cash, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, The Smiths, Led Zeppelin, George Michael, Guns N Roses, The Doors, Elvis Presley, Radiohead, The Who, The Kinks, Nico, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, Sam & Dave, Roxy Music, The Specials, Hot Chocolate, Queen, Prince, New Order, Madness, Happy Mondays and Clannad.
I don't have any interesting hobbies. I like all the normal stuff. I become obsessed with things and do them so relentlessly that I bore myself of them forever.
Primary school teacher/lorry driver
@leandrobeltran
@razvanvezeteu


text:
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OpEdNews Op Eds 5/26/2013 at 1:14 AM EDT H2'ed 5/26/13
Andrew Sullivan, terrorism, and the art of distortion
By Glenn Greenwald (Page 1 of 3 pages) 8 comments
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Challenging the conventional western narrative on terrorism produces unique amounts of rage and bile. It's worth examining why
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Afghan villagers in the Kunar province sit near the bodies of 10 children killed in a Nato airstrike in Afghanistan on 7 April 2013. Photograph: Reuters
(Updated below)
Everyone who participates in political debates sometimes has their arguments publicly misrepresented. Like many writers, if I noted and refuted every case where that happened to me, I would have time for nothing else. But sometimes the distortions are so fundamental and obvious -- as well as pernicious -- that they are worth examining. I had intended to write today about the reaction to this week's War on Terror speech by President Obama, but will postpone that until tomorrow so that I can instead discuss what Andrew Sullivan (and others) did yesterday. Beyond my wanting to correct their glaring distortions, the episode raises some interesting broader points that drive debates on these issues.
On Thursday, I wrote about the London killing of a British soldier by two men using a meat cleaver. The sub-headline, which I wrote, called it a "horrific act of violence," a phrase I repeated in the very first sentence. I described that event as one where the solider had been "hacked to death." In the second paragraph, I wrote:
"That this was a barbaric and horrendous act goes without saying."
I then proceeded to raise two main points about the attack. First, given that the person killed was not a civilian but a soldier of a nation at war (using US standards), it is difficult to devise a definition of "terrorism" that encompasses this attack while excluding large numbers of recent acts by the US, the UK and many of their allies and partners.
Second, despite the self-serving bewilderment that is typically expressed whenever western nations are the targets rather than perpetrators of violence -- why would anyone possibly be so monstrous and savage as to want to attack us this way? -- the answer is actually well-known and well-documented. As explained by the CIA ("blowback"), the Pentagon (they "do not 'hate our freedom,' but rather, they hate our policies"), former CIA agents ("we could try invading, occupying and droning Muslim countries a little less, and see if that helps. Maybe prop up fewer corrupt and tyrannical Muslim regimes"), and British combat veterans ("it should by now be self-evident that by attacking Muslims overseas, you will occasionally spawn twisted and, as we saw yesterday, even murderous hatred at home"), spending decades bombing, invading, occupying, droning, interfering in, imposing tyranny on, and creating lawless prisons in other countries generates intense anti-American and anti-western rage (for obvious reasons) and ensures that those western nations will be attacked as well. In the London case, the attacker cited precisely such anger at US/UK aggression as his motive ("this British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. . . . the only reason we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily"). Those are just facts.
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Having written about these matters many times before, I know exactly how some people reflexively try to radically distort the argument beyond recognition in order to smear you as a Terror apologist, a Terrorist-lover or worse, all for the thought crime of raising these issues. To do so, they deceitfully conflate claims of causation (A is one of the causes of B) with justification (B is justified). Anyone operating with the most basic levels of rationality understands that these concepts are distinct. To discuss what motivates a person to engage in Action B is not remotely to justify Action B.
To use the example recently provided by former CIA agent Barry Eisler in his brilliant explanation of "blowback," if Person X walks up to Person Y on the street and spits in his face, and Person Y then pulls out a gun and shoots Person X in the head and kills him in retaliation, one can observe that Person X's spitting was a causal factor in Person Y's behavior without remotely justifying Person Y's lethal violence. One can point out that a potential cost of walking up to people on the street and spitting in their face is that they are likely to respond with similar or worse aggression -- and that this is one reason not to engage in such behavior -- without justifying or legitimizing the response that is provoked and without denying (or even minimizing) the agency or blame of the person who responds.
This is all so basic and self-evident that it should be unnecessary to point it out. But I know from prior experience in having my arguments on this issue wildly distorted and smeared that it's quite necessary. So I did point it out: by several times making clear exactly what I was -- and was not -- arguing, and did so as explicitly as the English language permits:
"As I've endlessly pointed out, highlighting this causation doesn't remotely justify the acts."
Concerning whether this attack should be categorized as "terrorism," I explained precisely why it's vital to ask that question: because the term bears such great significance legally, politically, culturally, and emotionally and yet has no clear or consistently applied definition, and is thus used as a propaganda tool to glorify violence and other conduct by western states while rendering inherently illegitimate all violence directed at those states. In doing so, I was equally explicit about what I was and was not arguing [emphasis added]:
"I know this vital caveat will fall on deaf ears for some, but nothing about this discussion has anything to do with justifiability. An act can be vile, evil, and devoid of justification without being 'terrorism': indeed, most of the worst atrocities of the 20th Century, from the Holocaust to the wanton slaughter of Stalin and Pol Pot and the massive destruction of human life in Vietnam, are not typically described as 'terrorism.' To question whether something qualifies as 'terrorism' is not remotely to justify or even mitigate it. That should go without saying, though I know it doesn't."
If anyone knows of a way to make that any clearer, do let me know.
So now we come to what Andrew Sullivan and others told their readers that I argued. Announcing at the start that "I really have to try restrain my anger here," Sullivan quickly accused me of spreading "Islamist propaganda." Arguing that US intervention in the Muslim world both before and after the 9/11 attack was noble and often beneficent -- yes, he actually argued that with a straight face -- he demands to know of me: "How can that legitimize a British citizen's brutal beheading of a fellow British citizen on the streets of London?" He then added: "The idea that this foul, religious bigotry . . . is some kind of legitimate protest against a fast-ending war is just perverse." He concludes with a real flourish: my "blindness to the savagery at the heart of Salafism," he decrees, "is very hard to understand, let alone forgive."
That I "legitimated" the London attack or argued it was a "legitimate protest" is as obvious a fabrication as it gets. Not only did I argue no such thing, and not only did I say the exact opposite of what Sullivan and others falsely attribute to me, but I expressly repudiated -- in advance -- the very claims they try to impose on me. Even vociferous critics of what I wrote, writing in neocon venues, understood this point ("I do find myself wanting to agree with Greenwald in arguing that this is an atrocious murder rather than an act of terror"). Does Sullivan actually think that people who argued that the London attack should not be called "terrorism" (like Chris Hayes), or who pointed out the role played by western aggression in motivating them (like former British soldier Joe Glenton), or who have long warned of "blowback" in the form of such attacks (like the CIA and Pentagon), are remotely arguing that the attack was justified? Sullivan's behavior evinces a blatant inability or refusal to critique what I wrote without distorting it beyond all recognition.
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[Subscribe to Glenn Greenwald] Glenn Greenwald is a journalist,former constitutional lawyer, and author of four New York Times bestselling books on politics and law. His most recent book, "No Place to Hide," is about the U.S. surveillance state and his experiences reporting on the Snowden documents around the world. His forthcoming book, to be published in April, 2021, is about Brazilian history and current politics, with a focus on his experience in reporting a series of expose's in 2019 and 2020 which exposed high-level corruption by powerful officials in the government of President Jair Bolsonaro, which subsequently attempted to prosecute him for that reporting.
Foreign Policy magazine named Greenwald one of the top 100 Global Thinkers for 2013. He was the debut winner, along with "Democracy Now's" Amy Goodman, of the Park Center I.F. Stone Award for Independent Journalism in 2008, and also received the 2010 Online Journalism Award for his investigative work breaking the story of the abusive (more...)
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Home Business Four oil-funded projects 'missing' – KITE
Four oil-funded projects 'missing' – KITE
Four major oil-funded projects that were listed as completed in the Northern, Upper West and Brong Ahafo Regions cannot be traced, Kumasi Institute of Technology, Energy and Environment (KITE) has revealed after a visit to proposed oil-funded project sites.
The four missing projects were: a 3-unit classroom block at Soo in the West Mamprusi district of the Northern Region; a six-unit classroom block at Ntariba, in the Kintampo Municipal of the Brong Ahafo Region; the T.I. Ahmadiyya Primary in the Wa East district of the Upper West Region; and the Yeliyeri Dam, also in the Wa East district of the Upper West Region.
According to the think-tank, about four out of the 31 projects they inspected between 2010 – 2016 could not be traced. However, 63% of the projects had been completed and were in use by intended beneficiaries.
The inspected projects span across all sectors of the economy: including education, energy, agriculture as well as infrastructure.
At a stakeholders' workshop for dissemination of findings from evaluation of key provisions in the Petroleum Revenue Management Act held in Accra, the Executive Director of KITE, Ishmael Edjekumhene said: "We visited only 31 out of about 500, and the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has also done 40 – and they were telling us that they couldn't find some of the projects as well. So, unless somebody proves to us that those projects are in the new places that they said they are, then somebody has to account for exactly where the money went".
According to KITEs, the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) has been rendered ineffective because of the decision to spread the revenue thinly over several projects, thereby minimising it's potential transformational impact.
The study also revealed that reporting on projects and activities funded by the ABFA has been unsatisfactory because available information lacked details, which makes it nearly impossible for independent monitoring.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a workshop, Ishmael Edjekumhene said: "We put too much faith in the ABFA and PIAC. So, after 6-7 years of this experiment we sought out to find out whether indeed the ABFA and PIAC have served the purpose for which they were set up".
He added that there is so little information on the projects, apart from the ones that the Ministry of Finance put in their reports.
"Our experience in trying to follow some of the projects was extremely difficult; meanwhile, the law is clear that no information should be withheld as far as oil and gas is concerned. So, we haven't spent the money well – and not necessarily because someone is squandering the money, because you go to the ground and you don't see the project," he lamented.
Ishmael Edjekumhene recommended that focus be shifted to working on a few projects at a time which can be fully completed to serve as a legacy from the oil revenue.
"The resource won't be there forever because it is not infinite. If we don't make another discovery soon, Jubilee will be hitting decline in no time. We need to follow what the law is telling us to do. The law said don't spend on more than four priority areas; and when you start the project, finish it. It continues to say don't change until after three years," he cautioned.
Ishmael called on the Auditor General to do a follow-up on the issue, as there was no evidence of projects in some areas KITE visited.
Since 2014, the Kumasi Institute of Technology, Energy and Environment (KITE) has been leading a consortium of researchers from the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) to implement a 3-year impact evaluation research titled 'Examining Transparency and Accountability within the Oil and Gas Sector: Impact Evaluation of Key Provisions in Ghana's Petroleum Revenue Management Act'.
The study sought to investigate the effectiveness of two notable provisions of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) – the creation of a Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) and Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) – for enhancing transparency and accountability in the management of petroleum revenues in Ghana.
VIALilipearl Baaba Otoo
SOURCEBy: thebftonline.com | Ghana
ABFA
Annual Budget Funding Amount
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Papete
Posted on Posted inArtistsTagged Brazil, Papete
Papete — aka José de Ribamar Viana (Nov. 8, 1947 — May 26, 2016) — was a Brazilian percussionist who released three albums on Discos Marcus Pereira between 1975 and 1980, followed by a fourth release on Continental in 1981.
Berimbau e Percussão (1975)
Bandeira de Aço (1978)
Água de Côco (1980)
Planador (1981)
Flying Banana
Flying Banana were a Brazilian samba-folk trio that released a self-titled album on Philips in 197...
Azymuth are a Brazilian samba-jazz/funk trio from Rio, formed in 1971. They first appeared as "Con...
Recordando o Vale das Maçãs
Recordando o Vale das Maçãs were a Brazilian symphonic-folk band that released the album As Crianç...
Wanderléa
Wanderléa — full name Wanderléa Charlup Boere Salim (born June 5, 1946) — is a Brazilian samba-pop...
Cláudia — aka Maria das Graças Rallo (born May 4, 1946) — is a Brazilian samba-pop singer who rele...
Cesar Mariano & Cia
Cesar Camargo Mariano (born Sept. 19, 1943) is a Brazilian pianist and composer who released eight...
Maria Creuza
Maria Creuza (born Feb. 26, 1944) is a Brazilian samba-pop singer who released four albums on Trov...
Paulo Bagunça e a Tropa Maldita
Paulo Bagunça e a Tropa Maldita were a Brazilian folk-psych band that released a self-titled album...
Manfredo Fest
Manfredo Fest (May 13, 1936 — Oct. 8, 1999) was a Brazilian samba-jazz/pop keyboardist and bandlea...
New Love Ltd
New Love Ltd was an American soul trio that sang on the 1978 album So Much to Talk About (Tudo Bem),...
Nana Caymmi
Nana Caymmi (born April 29, 1949) is a Brazilian samba-jazz vocalist that released a standalone al...
José Mauro
José Mauro is a Brazilian singer/songwriter and guitarist who released the popular samba-psych alb...
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The Bible - History or Story?
The Bible -- History or Story?
1. "The authors of the Bible were obviously informed about the past and were concerned to pass on a truthful record of what they knew. Their audiences also knew enough of the past to keep those authors honest." This claim simply asserts, without proof, that the Bible is true. It is just as easy to claim that bible authors made everything up.
2. "Some Bible books claim to have been written at very specific times and places (e.g. in the first year of such and such a king). If some of these kings really lived and we know that some of events really happened then we should generally believe the rest of what those books say." This again just assumes without proof that the Bible is true. It is just as easy to assume that the authors, like fiction writers of all ages, chose real settings for their stories.
3. "Some Bible books give precise details about events and life in the distant past. We can therefore safely assume that there must have been some real connection between those past events and the stories about them in the Bible. The stories must have some truth behind them." Good story tellers always try to add color to their fictions by touching them up with realistic details. No-one says that James Bond stories are true just because they are set in times of real Russian leaders, true places, etc."
4. "Where a book is clearly written long after the time it speaks about we must assume that it relies on sources or traditions that were originally close to those ancient events and that these details were preserved and passed down through many generations." This is simply asserting, without evidence, that the stories must be true "because" we know they must have been true! One can just as easily assume that the stories were invented.
All of these reasons for believing that the Bible contains real history are circular arguments. They say, in effect: "We know the Bible is true because its authors were careful to tell the truth, and we know they were careful to tell the truth because what they wrote was true ...." and so on.


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