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Anthropoetics XXIV, no. 2 Spring 2019
Generative Anthropology's Scene of Origin in Cognitive and Axiological Contexts
Magdalena Złocka-Dąbrowska
Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University
"the ethical is the supreme human dimension, and what makes it human is its dependence on self-reflective thought" (Eric Gans) [1]
Eric Gans's originary hypothesis explaining language and the appearance of culture continues to develop. This article will offer an interpretation of the scene of origin, the core idea of Generative Anthropology (GA), in the context of cognitive studies, where "interest centers on the mind" and where language is one of the "goodies" upon which cognitive research focuses.[2] The objective of the argument that follows is to demonstrate that human cognitive abilities can be understood using the heuristic of the scene, a procedure which simultaneously offers new axiological meanings.
The idea initiated and presented in The Origin of Language (1981),[3] confirmed and extended in The End of Culture (1985)[4], and developed in Science and Faith (1990)[5], Originary Thinking (1993)[6] and The Scenic Imagination (2008)[7] asserts basic and universal distinctions of human identity. In the first of the books mentioned, Gans formulated the hypothesis that human language and the species that uses it, originated in a singular event he designates as a scene of origin. Gans drew attention to the contemporary rebirth of the subject of human origin and emphasized the special position of this issue in the siècle des lumières, stressing its negation, even flat rejection in the eras that followed, until more modern times. However, despite radical progress in research in all the fields of human knowledge, beginning with neuroscience and human physiology, through philosophy, anthropology, sociology, literary studies, up to psychoanalysis, we still don't possess an unambiguous and empirically verifiable understanding of the appearance of language in human life. The heuristic proposed by Gans offers us many possible paths of inquiry into this universal human peculiarity, our ability to express our humanity through the sign, that which we might call, in Shakespeare's phrase, our "brightest heaven of invention"[8].
In the Introduction to The Origin of Language, Gans notes that in siècle des lumières, a discussion of the subject of language origin was located in the metaphysical dimension. Modern thought, however, has long discarded the "meta" component, confining itself to mere physicality. Despite or perhaps because of this reduction, contemporary intellectual fashions do not provide us with sufficient explanations of what is fundamentally human.
Gans's theory[9] imagines a scene consisting of a gathering of a group of proto-humans around an object of appetitive attraction, in which cognition is evidenced in the form of a linguistic sign, henceforth "one of the cognitive abilities of a human being."[10] This is also an ontic and semantic event that represents the "state of the human condition."[11] Man can express himself by a "double anchoring of language, in cognitive processes and in social interactions," which is "intuitively natural and psychologically reliable and effective in practical applications."[12] In the center of the scene, one can recognize the central object (likely something edible) and two or more humans,[13] where one of them is indicating the object and thus representing human appetite, or what in the scenic context will ultimately be called "desire." The central element of the scene is a human gesture, a pointing at the object, which is understood as an initial sign, an "effect" of designation. The gesture itself is made through a human body, thanks to the corporael, mechanical, physical abilities of man, but at the same time, is triggered by intellectual abilities of the human mind. As a consequence, both dimensions, carnal and mental, combine into one, where designation "might open the door that will enable cognitive scientists to explore the human mind,"[14] in the context of behavior that is of basic and fundamental importance to man.
Let's ponder more deeply and ask why and how it happens that man, being hungry, that is, remaining in a state of unmet primary need, in a state of food craving, in a state, as expressed by Gans of "appetite," is able to deter, to stop in its natural, instinctive power, a mechanism of satisfying hunger, and make the first characteristic gesture—to create a sign? To answer this question, we have to admit that the gesture appears because man finds himself in the presence of other human beings, and only because of the others, he indicates the central object of appetite and creates a sign. We may assume that if he were alone, he wouldn't need any other gestures than the act of consuming the object to satisfy his natural appetite. A sense of belonging to a nascent community, which appears in the presence of others, enables and inspires a human being to create a sign, which can even be justified by the psychological research of Leon Kenemans and Nick Ramsey, who claim that watching somebody else perform "a specific act . . . activates our own motor cortex."[15] For us, this motor cortex produces the pointing that is the first sign.
Moreover, pointing at an object instead of killing a rival (the other human, who would like to consume the object just as we do ), or consuming a tasty animal's meat alone, means that the other is as important to him as he is to himself, or even more, because he is engaged in the act of invention of the sign, demanding creative effort and transgressing the natural relation of the human to its prey, which is the spontaneous consumption of the latter by the former. Transgression of the law of the natural world by an act of cognitive designation represents the basic human skill which differentiates us from the animals, an ability which already belongs to the world of culture.[16]
Cognition, as we understand it, also implies an active ability to choose, thus implying that the human is possessed of free will. In the "pre-scenic moment," before the appearance of the sign, proto-man has two options: 1) to fight for the central object and initiate violence (or for that matter flee and abandon the object to the more-violent rival), or 2) to remain on the scene and create a sign to defer or eliminate violence. Making this decision devolves upon and helps create man. The final choice whether to "produce" a sign which "defers" the danger of possible intra-human violence, can only be made by a being who comes to the world equipped with circuits for social interaction—social abilities which constitute a standard resource of our brain. We don't have to learn those skills, unlike all the other skills for survival that we have to master.[17] They just exist.[18]
In the scene, the issuing of a sign in the presence of other humans also means consciousness of the presence of those others, and signifies an elementary perception of the social world. Thanks to human consciousness, with its unlimited number of potentials, registration of the presence of coexisting humans becomes a process of re-cognition, an appreciation and identification of society. It also means that man creates the sign for the others; he wouldn't produce it if there were nobody around him, if there would be no one to whom he could demonstrate the central object and the gesture-sign itself. We can presume that this registration of others underlies Saussure's understanding of language as "the social production of speech ability."[19]
Intentionality is one of the most significant features of cognition that form the basis for social interactions. Anna and David Premack conducted research on intuitive social skills, while trying to determine what young people, including children, can understand of them. The findings revealed that human beings at an early stage of development could already read intentional actions of presented and pointed-to objects, and attribute desires and intentions to them.[20] If we refer this to the pointing at a central object, we might suppose that intentionality is included in the designation and is read and understood there by the others. We may also indicate that the appearance of the sign is a response to intentionality and expresses the final goal of the scene of origin—that deferral of violence as a means of human survival mentioned above, which undoubtedly falls within the scope of ethics. We should thus always look for the universal ethics that "arises from being human," implying that the scene of origin, the originary core of human language and culture, is "designed to increase our survival."[21]
So far, we have argued that the scene of origin is based on an implicit intentionality of deferral and survival as effects of its occurrence, but we shouldn't forget that the appearance of the sign starts with a cognition of the needs of the others. Such cognition results in a possible sharing of the central object of appetite, which may be thought of as representing altruistic values. Besides, the appearance of the sign as a demonstration of knowledge about the human condition, as well as a demonstration of having information about the human condition, both lead to deferral or avoiding potential violence, which I would also call a value. The studies of Felix Warneken and Michael Tomasello have shown the existence of altruistic behaviors, which had already been noticed in the early stages of human development. The ability to understand this kind of behavior refers equally to relatives and non-relatives, and also applies to sharing information, which is in contrast to other species. According to these scholars, twelve-month-old children can already share information with the others, especially when they know where an object is that another person is looking for, and they can easily point to it, just like a new human being on Gans's scene of origin. There are good grounds to believe that the gesture of designation has an altruistic character. Last, but not least, altruistic behaviors, which are presumed by cognitive science to be innate among humans, are also influenced by social experience and cultural transmission.[22] In this way, the scene of origin reveals its axiological dimension.
Now, let us turn our attention to some concepts of cognitive neuroscience or rather neuro- ethics, including that of the brain as a source of mind and consciousness,[23] and thus also "an interpreter of understood thought."[24] There is a view that the history of the mind should "run next to the body's history."[25] This view can help us to widen the cognitive contexts of our understanding of the scene. Since the time of Hippocrates, we have known that "the brain has the greatest power in man," and is a "forerunner of the mind's ability," and that a process of "understanding" takes place in "the whole body."[26] The brain also constitutes the locus of our sense of morality.[27] While keeping that in mind,[28] we can now focus our attention on one contemporary theory, which like Gans's GA, tries to build a coherent vision of man, but which refers mainly to the abilities of the human brain. I mean here the work of Michael Gazzaniga, the general character of which is aptly enough suggested by the title of his book, The Ethical Brain.[29] Gazzaniga's study gives the brain its special property by concentrating on "lifespan neuroethics." He theorizes how the brain defines human life and what kind of role it plays in determining values. For Gazzaniga, understanding that the brain works automatically and simply follows the laws of the natural world is insufficient. He also claims that we can have confidence in the decision-making device that is our human brain, because it is specially equipped to make decisions for taking actions, driven by existing systems of values. It is crucial to point out that such values may be defined as comprising all our human conceptual elements, which, in combination, result in a deferral of violence.
In his next book, continuing the topic of ethics, Gazzaniga elaborated concepts of "ethical modules" of the brain, saying that they are important components of human nature. These too might support our understanding of Gans's scene of origin.[30] However, according to Gazzaniga, scientists have had problems understanding "how the brain works in morally challenging situations."[31] He quotes from James Q. Wilson's The Moral Sense: "However much the scientific method is thought to be the enemy of morality, scientific findings provide substantial support for its existence and power."[32] Gazzaniga emphasizes that Wilson has reviewed many areas, such as history of philosophy, evolutionary theory, anthropology, criminology, psychology, sociology, and finally stated that "no matter what intellectuals argue, there are certain universal, guiding moral instincts," while adding that "they are so instinctual that they often get overlooked."[33] It is worth stressing how Wilson speaks about morality not purely in terms of a social construction. The crucial component is a "willingness to obey" contracts, that is, the existence of "non-construal elements of contract," as Emile Durkheim's translator puts it, that presuppose the contract's binding nature.[34]
According to Gazzaniga, "moral reasoning is good for human survival." This in fact refers to the ability to recognize a certain norm for behaving in society and to apply it to others and oneself.[35] In the same sense, the scene of origin through the creation of the sign is also dealing with moral reasoning, and implies the formation of an ethics, which for Gans "is the supreme human dimension."[36] Gans's deferral of violence, an essential objective of the scene, contributes to human survival as an expression of human values. Both human survival and the deferral of violence constitute very complex issues, but beyond reasonable doubt, they do belong to the axiological dimension.
According to Gazzaniga's mentor Roger Sperry, in his work on science and moral priorities,[37] new concepts of brain and consciousness bring a revised outlook to science with respect to human values, laying new foundations for mutual relations. Sperry argues that science and values are not separate realms, so it is not necessary to insist that one must not be applied to the other. He also claims that the merging and even fusion of the two is urgently needed as well as "a frame of references for value priorities that will act to secure and enhance our world instead of destroying it."[38]
Sperry's concept of a "causal potency in consciousness capable of holding influence downward over all component orders of cerebral function," along with the linked theory that "values inherent in the patterns of the mind are the key determinants in all decision making,"[39] in fact support our efforts to present a scene of origin in an axiological dimension. Sperry's findings of the cohabitation of two different consciousness in "the same skull in harmony,"[40] actually opened a new territory of inquiry in the humanities and also became useful for us. Based on this view, we may suppose that Sperry's so-called "self-regulated motives for consciously controlled actions"[41] together with the creative force of consciousness, do guide a human being from the scene of origin to designation and the creation of the sign.
GA inquires into the beginnings of human language and cultural unity and the process of their constant appearance in different texts as human self-expression, which takes the form of a scene of origin. The axiological discourse is not only present implicitly in the scenes but also explicitly—which we find in innumerable instances in mythological transfers.[42] These texts may be considered as propositional mental representations,[43] expressing and transmitting "higher knowledge" as axiological systems, where the scenes of origin are mainly framed as debates over violence and its deferral. The mythical texts are their locus and constitute transformations of human experience by the mind in order to expose, separate, and irrevocably name particularly important parts of reality.[44] As a result, we receive the so-called ideational image, which occurs in all mythical texts and contains a cognitive configuration that is passed on in the process of verbalization, or is recovered in the process of textual interpretation.[45]
Let me cite an example from the Hindu epic, Mahabharata, which may help illustrate our ideas here. In the Bhagavad-Gita, as in many other parts of the Mahabharata (or Ramayana, as well), we may find many scenes of origin in the shape of repetitive discourses forming a "substitutional speech stimulus."[46] These constitute a kind of multiplication of the "primal" scene of origin, which develop meaningful speech based on the scene, where the establishment and development of language make possible joint human activities.[47]
In the traditional view, the Mahabharata is a report of tribal fights in the region of Delhi-Mirat-Mathura, stylized as a war of humans, gods, and demons over the domination of the world. It contains a description of the Hindu cultural system, which is "highly self-conscious of its genesis and functioning"[48] and a moral and universal treaty, whose objective is to create and prevent the collapse of an authority of Law (dharma), as well as a system of higher values and human obligations, which remain to help balance the universe.[49]
A huge part of the poem is devoted to a description of the battle, which takes place on several levels, mainly in the shape of cataclysms and destruction. The center of the Mahabharata: the Bhagavad-Gita, and the center of the Bhagavad-Gita: the Kurukshetra Battle, appears to have its analogue in the bloody events that occurred in the oldest mythical past at the turn of the Tretā-yuga and the Dvāpara-yuga, and constitutes a locus for "an idea of tragic consciousness." The Kurukshetra event-based complex, including an "eighteen-day-long battle of the Bharatas," spans overall decades of the warring families and constitutes a cognitive message as a war narrative. This material forms more than a quarter of the epic, suggesting its relative importance as it constitutes the principium compositionis[50] around which the great poem is organized. It is simultaneously subjected to the principium generationis which we recognize as Gans's scene of origin.
Discourse about the war that precedes the battle itself and describes all its aspects amazes us with its long duration. It remains a possible reconstruction of the oldest Vedic structures (i.e. The Battle of the Ten Kings from Rigveda). This discourse constitutes a textual registration of the existence of one of the oldest human cognitive activities, with the scene of origin as its most basic and useful conceptualization. It would be hard to believe that only simple coincidence, not an existing rule, may explain the fact that in the description of the battle of Kurukshetra we find descriptions of "retardation techniques, which delay the duel between the two most fierce warriors, . . . Arjuna and Karna."[51] GA offers by far the most plausible conceptualization of the underlying principle. In this poem, as in many others, we can find cumulative sequences of delays transformed into a form of omnipotent retardation—in short, a continuum of consecutive scenes of origin.
The intense experiences of the Kurukshetra Battle in the personal as well as the social dimension, largely influenced by the powerful force of the human brains and shaped minds of authors of the poem, thus became the source of conscious reality contained in the text.[52] From the sixth to the tenth chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, we experience the war and find many crucial dialogues among such higher entities as Krishna and the associated fighter Arjuna, two of the most famous mythological figures from the epic, who discuss the eternal dilemma "to fight or not to fight." Their dialogue concentrates on the issue of an expected attitude, in the face of incoming war, and a choice that must be made. We find there two formulae of reality, two different concepts, pro- and anti-war. Krishna represents the first concept and Arjuna the second. The divinity that makes Arjuna a hero, his firm purposefulness, also gives him the power to teach on the battlefield. The text introduces him as "lamenting" the consequences of the war, while trying in parallel to escape from coercion into violence, which he is particularly afraid of, especially the potential violence against relatives. Whatever the imminent risk, his statements are still a reflection on the use of violence, a reflection in which he speaks of values and enters an axiological dimension. Here are the examples of Arjuna's "lamentations":
"O Krishna, I do not desire the victory, kingdom, or the happiness accruing it. Of what avail will be a kingdom, pleasures, or even life itself, when the very persons for whom we covet them, are standing before us for battle?"
(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, Arjun Vishad Yog, l. 32-33)
"O Maintainer of all living entities, what pleasure will we derive from killing the sons of Dhritarasthra? Even though they may be aggressors, sin will certainly come upon us if we slay them. Hence, it does not behoove us to kill our own cousins, the sons of Dhritarashtra, and friends. O Madhav (Krishna), how can we hope to be happy by killing our own kinsmen?"
"Their thoughts are overpowered by greed and they see no wrong in annihilating their relatives or wreaking treachery upon friends. Yet, O Janardan (Krishna), why should we, who can clearly see the crime in killing our kindred, not turn away from this sin?"
(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, Arjun Vishad Yog, l. 38-39).[53]
There are many other dialogues that could serve as examples of discussions over fights, battles, wars, and all kinds of conflicts, present in human systems of representation, where deferral of violence is the most significant issue. Gans's theory searches for wisdom, and its scene of origin can be defined as a metaphor for a particular type of value located in a gesture of designation, a specific way of creating and evaluating reality. Our objective was to offer some further reflections that might open up a discussion about the axiological contexts of the scene of origin resultant from the huge potential of the human brain, and equally and at the same time of the human mind. The existence of a higher value system in the scene of origin, reflects the inherent wisdom and power of the human and its necessary suitability to the task of understanding the complexity of existence.
Indeed, in this way, an axiology inscribed in the essence of GA might help guide humanity to a higher path of survival than uncertain course the world presently follows.
[1] Eric Gans, Originary Thinking. Elements of Generative Anthropology, Stanford University Press, Stanford California, 1993, p. vii.
[2] Fred A. Keijzer, The Generation of Behavior. On the function of representation in organism-environment dynamics, Utrecht 1997, p. 1.
[3] Eric Gans, The Origin of Language. A Formal Theory of Representation, University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1981.
[4] Eric Gans, The End of Culture. Toward a Generative Anthropology, Univeristy of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1985.
[5] Eric Gans, Science and Faith. The Anthropology of revelation, Rowman&Littlefield Publishers, Savage 1990.
[6] Eric Gans, Originary Thinking. Elements of Generative Anthropology, Stanford University Press, Stanford California, 1993.
[7] Eric Gans, The Scenic Imagination, Originary Thinking from Hobbes to the Present Day, Stanford University Press, Stanford 2008.
[8] William Shakespeare, Henry V, Penguin Books, London 1993.
[9] See, first of all, Eric Gans's The Origin of Language. A Formal Theory of Representation, University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1981.
[10] Stanisław Gajda, "Lingwistyka wobec rzeczywistości językowej i neuropsychologicznej" [in]: Neuropsychologia, neurologopedia i neurolingwistyka in honorem Maria Pąchalska, ed.by. Grażyna Jastrzębowska, Jolanta Góral-Półrola, Artur Kozołub, Uniwersytet Opolski, Opole 2017, p. 517.
[11]Język a komunikacja 9. Kognitywizm a komunikatywizm-dwa bieguny współczesnego językoznawstwa. Dyskusja przy okrągłym stole, Krakowskie Towarzystwo Popularyzowania Wiedzy o Komunikacji Językowej "Tertium", Kraków 2006, p. 118.
[12] Ibidem.
[13] It means that culture is created collectively and should be placed on the above-individual level. Mateusz Stępień, "Sposoby rozumienia kultury przez prymatologów", [in]: Studia Socjologiczne, no.2/2017 (225), p. 33.
[14] Fred A. Keijzer, The Generation of Behavior. On the function of representation in organism-environment dynamics, Op.Cit., p. 1.
[15] Leon Kenemans, Nick Ramsey, Psychology in the Brain, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire, New York, 2013, p. 256.
[16] A subject of understanding and of a definitions of culture in primatology, in transmissional and nontransmissional contexts, see: Mateusz Stępień, "Sposoby rozumienia kultury przez prymatologów", [in]: Studia Socjologiczne, no.2/2017 (225), p. 32-33.
[17] Michael S. Gazzaniga, Kto tu rządzi – ja czy mój mózg ? Neuronauka a istnienie wolnej woli, przekład Agnieszka Nowak, Smak Słowa, Sopot 2013, p. 124.
[18] It is also worth adding here that, as Merlin Donald claims, only a human is characterized by the ability to repeat actions in order to improve their skills and this is the basis of all human culture and language (Michael Gazzaniga, Istota Człowieczeństwa. Co sprawia, że jesteśmy wyjątkowi? Transl. Agnieszka Nowak, Smak Słowa, Sopot 2011, p. 352).
[20] Ibidem. See also: Anna Premack, David Premack, "Infants attribute value to the goal-directed actions of self-propelled objects", Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 9(6), 848-856.
[21]Michael S. Gazzaniga, The Ethical Brain, Dana Press, New York , 2005 s. 177.
[22] Ibidem., p. 125.
[23] Adam Zemełka, Jak Grecy odkryli mózg? Wielki transfer myśli w świetle (neuro)nauki współczesnej, Wydawnictwo Napoleon V, Oświęcim 2016, p. 204.
[25] Alwyn Scott, Schody do umysłu, Wydawnictwo Naukowo-Techniczne, Warszawa 1999, p. 113.
[26] Adam Zemełka, Jak Grecy odkryli mózg? Wielki transfer myśli w świetle (neuro)nauki współczesnej, Op. Cit., p. 202.
[28] I mean here my previous attempts to introduce discourse on language and cognition, which may be found in articles in Anthropoetics. Journal of Generative Anthropology, XXI, XXII ( www.anthropoetics.ucla.edu).
[29] Michael S. Gazzaniga, The Ethical Brain, Dana Press, New York, Washington, D.C, 2005.
[30] Michael S. Gazzaniga, Istota człowieczeństwa, Co czyni nas wyjątkowymi? Trans. Agnieszka Nowak, Smak Słowa, Sopot, 2011, p.139-147. Gazzaniga enumerates five different modules: "reciprocity module" (reciprocated altruism), "sensitivity module for suffering," "hierarchy module" (social), "coalition module" (group membership), and a "purity module" (reaction of disgust)[30]; two of those modules could be useful for us: the "reciprocity module" (reciprocated altruism) and the "coalition module" (group membership), we might recognize as good points of reference in Gans's theory. See also: Mateusz Hohol, Wyjaśnić umysł, Copernicus Center Press, Kraków 2013, p.120 following: Michael S. Gazzaniga, The Ethical Brain. The Science of Our Moral Dilemmas, Harper Perennial, New York- London 2006, p. 147-148.
[31] Michael S. Gazzaniga, The Ethical Brain, Op. Cit., p. 166.
[36] Eric Gans, Originary Thinking. Elements of Generative Anthropology, Stanford University Press, Stanford California, 1993, p. vii.
[37] Roger Sperry, Science and Moral Priority. Merging Mind, Brain, and Human Values, Columbia University Press, New York, 1983.
[38] Ibidem., p. 64.
[39] Colwyn Trevarthen, Foreword, [in]: Roger Sperry, Science and Moral Priority. Merging Mind, Brain, and Human Values, Columbia University Press, New York, 1983, p. xii.
[40] Ibidem., p. Xiii.
[42] See, for example, my "Generative Anthropology and the Mahabarata: Cognition, Narrative, Culture." http://anthropoetics.ucla.edu/ap2301/2301mzd/
[43] Philip Goff, "Conscious Thought and the Cognitive Fine-Tuning Problem", [in] The Philosophical Quarterly, Vo. 68, No.270, p. 98.
[44] See: Kognitywizm a komunikatywizm-dwa bieguny współczesnego językoznawstwa. Dyskusja przy okrągłym stole, Op.Cit., p. 118.
[45] See: Ward H. Goodenough, Culture, Language and Society, Benjamin/Cummings Pub. Co., University of Michigan, 1981.
[46] Aleksander Kiklewicz, "Komunikatywizm i kognitywizm-dwa bieguny współczesnego językoznawstwa funkcjonalnego" [in]: Kognitywizm i komunikatywizm-dwa bieguny współczesnego językoznawstwa. Dyskusja przy okrągłym stole, Krakowskie Towarzystwo Popularyzowania Wiedzy o Komunikacji Językowej "Tertium", Kraków 2006, p. 34.
[47]"Dyskusja okrągłego stołu" [in]: Kognitywizm i komunikacja- dwa bieguny współczesnego językoznawstwa. Dyskusja przy okrągłym stole, Krakowskie Towarzystwo Popularyzowania Wiedzy o Komunikacji Językowej "Tertium", Kraków 2006, p. 97-98.
[50] Joanna Sachse," Some Words on the Battle at Kuruksetra (Retardations and Replacement)" [in]: Rocznik Orientalistyczny, T. LX, z.2, Warszawa 2007, p. 90.
[52] See: Michael S. Gazzaniga, Kto tu rządzi – ja czy mój mózg? Neuronauka a istnienie wolnej woli, Op.Cit., p. 186.
[53] Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, Arjun Vishad Yog; https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/1, Open Access : 05.03.2019.
Last updated: April 17, 2019 at 12:43 pm


Some Windows laptops and 2-in-1 computers have a precision touchpad, which gives you more control for navigating in Windows. You can use specialized gestures using multiple fingers to access the application switcher, move between separate desktops, and more. You can also change the commands that are assigned to different gestures. This video will help you identify whether your computer has the precision touchpad, and then will explore the options.


Before I start finding some deals, I just HAD to post this. It's beyond adorable and I can't wait to make it for my baby girl.
Amy over at The MotherLoad posted how to make Piggy Pancakes yesterday. Puts a smile on your face, eh?
OK, now I'm off to find some deals. Be back soon!
This is SO CUTE!! I'm going to head over to Amy's site. My kids are going to love these!


Datashader turns even the largest datasets into images, faithfully preserving the data's distribution.
Datashader is an open-source Python 2 and 3 library for analyzing and visualizing large datasets. Specifically, datashader is designed to "rasterize" or "aggregate" datasets into regular grids that can be viewed as images, making it simple and quick to see the properties and patterns of your data. Datashader can plot a billion points in a second or so on a 16GB laptop, and scales up easily to out-of-core or distributed processing for even larger datasets.
This page of the getting-started guide will give a simple example to show how it works, and the following page will show how to use Datashader as a standalone library for generating arrays or images directly (2-Pipeline). Next we'll show how to use Datashader as a component in a larger visualization system like HoloViews or Bokeh that provides interactive plots with dynamic zooming, labeled axes, and overlays and layouts (3-Interactivity). More detailed information about each topic is then provided in the User Guide.
To illustrate how this process works, we will demonstrate some of the key features of Datashader using a standard "big-data" example: millions of taxi trips from New York City, USA. First let's import the libraries we are going to use and then read the dataset.
Here you can immediately see that the data points are aligned to a street grid, that some areas have much more traffic than others, and that the quality of the signal varies spatially (with some areas having blurry patterns that indicate GPS errors, perhaps due to tall buildings). Getting a plot like this with other approaches would take quite a bit of time and effort, but with datashader it appears in milliseconds without trial and error.


text:
News / World
Kaunda Selisho
Lifestyle Journalist
New Year's Eve: World rings in 2022 under Covid cloud
Experts and non-experts alike hope that 2022 may be remembered as a new, less deadly phase of the pandemic.
The world began ushering in 2022 on Friday after another tumultuous and pandemic-ridden year capped by new restrictions, soaring case numbers, and a slight glimmer of hope for better times ahead.
The past 12 months saw a new US president and a new Adele album, the first spectator-free Olympics, and dreams of democracy from Afghanistan to Myanmar and Hong Kong crushed by authoritarian regimes.
But it was the pandemic — now entering its third year — that again dominated life for most of humankind.
More than 5.4 million people have died since the coronavirus was first reported in central China in December 2019.
Countless more have been sickened — subjected to outbreaks, lockdowns, lock-ins and an alphabet spaghetti of PCR, LFT and RAT tests.
The year 2021 started with hope, as life-saving vaccines were rolled out to around 60 percent of the world's population, although many of its poor still have limited access and some of its rich believe the jabs are part of some ill-defined plot.
As the year drew to a close, the emergence of the Omicron variant pushed the number of daily new Covid-19 cases past one million for the first time, according to an AFP tally.
France became the latest country to announce Omicron was now its dominant coronavirus strain on Friday.
In Britain, the United States, and even Australia — long a refuge from the pandemic — the variant's prominence is driving record new cases
To party, or not?
Parts of the Pacific nation of Kiribati became the first to welcome 2022 from 1000 GMT.
But from Seoul to San Francisco, celebrations have again been cancelled or curtailed as infections rise.
In Sydney, which in normal times bills itself as the "New Year's Eve capital of the world", the vast harbour where people gathered to watch the city's famous fireworks was notably uncrowded.
With tourists still unable to enter the country and many residents fearful of the rapid spread of Omicron, tens of thousands were estimated to have attended, rather than the one million-plus who normally flock to the foreshore.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: New Year's Eve: Here's what you can and can't do
Still, the city saw New Year's Eve in with a bang — igniting six tonnes of technicoloured fireworks that lit up the Opera House and floating barges, turning the Harbour Bridge rainbow-like.
"I'm just trying to focus on the positive things that happened this year, rather than dwelling on all the bad things that have happened," 22-year-old medical student Melinda Howard told AFP as she waited for the show.
Dubai is planning a pyrotechnics spectacle at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, despite a slew of infections in the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah will attempt to break two world records with a huge fireworks display ahead of 2022.
In South Africa — the first country to report Omicron back in November — a curfew was lifted late Thursday to allow festivities to go ahead.
Health officials said that a dip in infections in the past week indicated the peak of the current wave had passed — crucially without a significant increase in deaths.
'Only one desire'
In Rio, celebrations on Copacabana Beach will go ahead in a scaled back format — though crowds of revellers are still expected.
"People have only one desire, to leave their homes, to celebrate life," 45-year-old Copacabana beach waiter Francisco Rodrigues said.
Some Brazilians are more circumspect, such as Roberta Assis, a 27-year-old lawyer.
"It's not the moment for large gatherings," she said.
ALSO READ: May 2022 be better than 2021
Authorities in Seoul are showing similar caution, barring spectators from a traditional midnight bell-ringing that will instead be live-streamed.
In India, fearing a repeat of a devastating virus surge that overwhelmed the country in April and May, cities and states have imposed restrictions on gatherings, with Delhi implementing a 10:00 pm curfew.
Mumbai police on Friday issued evening bans on people visiting public places such as the city's beaches and seafront promenades, normally popular sites for seeing in the new year — with the restrictions set to last two weeks.
Trying times
The World Health Organization has warned of trying times ahead, saying Omicron could lead to "a tsunami of cases".
"This… will continue to put immense pressure on exhausted health workers, and health systems on the brink of collapse," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Many Western leaders have been hesitant to reimpose strict controls seen in 2020, for fear of sparking a new economic downturn.
But on-again-off-again restrictions have still prompted frequent, vocal and occasionally violent anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine and anti-government protests.
"Hopefully 2022 is going to be better for everyone," said 31-year-old reveller Oscar Ramirez in Sydney.
"Everyone in the world needs a big change."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Domenico Montanaro
Kainaz Amaria/NPR
Domenico Montanaro is NPR's senior political editor/correspondent. Based in Washington, D.C., his work appears on air and online delivering analysis of the political climate in Washington and campaigns. He also helps edit political coverage.
Montanaro joined NPR in 2015 and oversaw coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign, including for broadcast and digital.
Before joining NPR, Montanaro served as political director and senior producer for politics and law at PBS NewsHour. There, he led domestic political and legal coverage, which included the 2014 midterm elections, the Supreme Court, and the unrest in Ferguson, Mo.
Prior to PBS NewsHour, Montanaro was deputy political editor at NBC News, where he covered two presidential elections and reported and edited for the network's political blog, "First Read." He has also worked at CBS News, ABC News, The Asbury Park Press in New Jersey, and taught high school English.
Montanaro earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware and a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.
A native of Queens, N.Y., Montanaro is a life-long Mets fan and college basketball junkie.
NPR Poll: More Americans Disapprove Of Trump's Handling Of Iran Than Approve
By Domenico Montanaro • Jan 15, 2020
More Americans disapprove than approve of President Trump's handling of the situation with Iran, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll. But they are split along party lines, and the results largely reflect the president's approval rating.
By a 49%-42% margin, Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran. Usual splits emerge, with roughly 9 in 10 Republicans approving, more than 8 in 10 Democrats disapproving and about half of independents disapproving.
4 Takeaways From The Final Democratic Debate Before The Iowa Caucuses
There are now no more official debates before Democrats begin voting.
Tuesday night's debate was the last before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3, and it featured six of the 12 remaining candidates — the top four of whom polls show to be neck and neck.
Democratic primary voters got a substantive debate in which the candidates clashed over what it means to be commander in chief, gender politics and, of course, health care.
Here are four takeaways from Tuesday night's debate:
With A Month To Go Before Iowa And New Hampshire, Anything Can Happen
By Domenico Montanaro • Jan 3, 2020
Democrats all want one thing: to beat Donald Trump.
The problem is, they can't agree on who's best to do that. With a month to go until the Iowa caucuses, there's a clear top tier of four candidates: former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Ind.
The Top Moments From A Decade That Reshaped American Politics
By Domenico Montanaro • Dec 31, 2019
Whether you think the new decade starts at midnight Tuesday or a year from then, the eve of 2020 seems like a good time to look back on the top political stories of the 2010s.
Our 10 Most-Read Political Stories Of 2019 Reflect A Shifting Capitol Power Dynamic
An overarching and important theme of 2019 was the shifting power dynamic in Washington. The 2018 midterm elections put Democrats in control of the House of Representatives after eight years of Republican control — and made Nancy Pelosi House speaker for the second time in her career.
That had consequences, including the use of the ultimate check on presidential authority, impeachment.
6 Takeaways From The 6th Democratic Debate
Listen to The NPR Politics Podcast here.
The impeachment of President Trump has dominated the news this week. But the political focus shifted to the Democratic presidential candidates Thursday night for their sixth debate, this one in Los Angeles and hosted by the PBS NewsHour and Politico.
Tracing The Roots Of A Partisan Impeachment
President Trump was impeached Wednesday night on two articles of impeachment — one for abuse of power, the other for obstruction of Congress. And they both got more votes than either of the other two impeachments in American history.
Poll: Opinions Of Impeachment Remain Unchanged; Signs Point To Base Election In 2020
Surprise, surprise. Americans' views of impeachment are split and largely unchanged, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll.
With the House expected to impeach President Trump by the end of the week, and after hours upon hours of congressional testimony, 48% of the country opposes impeachment, while 47% supports it.
NPR-Marist Poll On Impeachment, Democratic Presidential Candidates
NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll: Biden, Sanders Lead 2020 Democratic Race
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders lead the crowded Democratic field, pulling in together about half of the support of Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll.
Biden leads with 24%, followed closely by Sanders at 22%. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is third with 17%, followed by South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 13%, all together making up a clear top tier of four candidates.
'Impeachment Lite'? How Articles Against Trump Compare To Clinton's And Nixon's
Updated at 10:15 a.m. ET
Democrats are on track to impeach the president by the end of next week. After more than 14 hours of debate Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee approved impeachment articles against President Trump on Friday morning.
House Judiciary Committee Delays Votes On 2 Articles Of Impeachment Until Friday
Planned votes on two articles of impeachment against President Trump were delayed late Thursday night by Rep. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He asked members to consider how they want to vote and to reconvene at 10 a.m. Friday.
Ranking minority member Rep. Doug Collins and others protested that Nadler had upset the committee's plans without consulting them.
The Judiciary Committee had sparred for more than 12 hours Thursday ahead of expected votes.
Democrats Are Going To Impeach Trump — Here's How They Might Do It
By Domenico Montanaro • Dec 7, 2019
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she and Democrats are moving forward with impeachment against President Trump.
"The president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit," she said Thursday.
We are expected to find out what exactly the articles of impeachment will be against the president next week with a vote potentially before Christmas. But what exactly will the articles of impeachment be? Democrats have given some clues this week.
President Trump Pardons Pair Of Turkeys — The Strange Truth Behind The Tradition
By Domenico Montanaro • Nov 26, 2019
Once again, for this week of Thanksgiving, a U.S. president "pardoned" turkeys.
"Butter, I hereby grant you a full and complete pardon," President Trump said, continuing the tradition and addressing a turkey named Butter. "Full and complete."
Trump said Butter's companion, Bread, will also be spared.
Updated at 9:05 a.m. ET
Candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination took to the debate stage for the fifth time Wednesday night. There weren't any groundbreaking or game-changing moments, but here are five things that stood out:
1. Impeachment hearings may have taken some steam out of the debate
Let's face it: The biggest story of Wednesday was not the debate, it was the impeachment testimony of Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union.
Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Say Impeachment Hearings Won't Change Their Minds
The country is witnessing one of only a handful of times in its history that Congress has gone through with public hearings on whether to impeach a president. And yet, the overwhelming majority of Americans across parties say nothing they hear in the inquiry will change their minds on impeachment, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.
What We Learned From The 1st Week Of Impeachment Hearings
The first week of Trump impeachment inquiry hearings is in the books.
If you were paying attention to the thousands of pages of closed-door testimonies, you would recognize some of the details that emerged.
But there were some new and important wrinkles from the public hearings with acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor; George Kent, a top State Department official with oversight of Ukraine affairs; and Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, who described a plot to oust her led by President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
7 Moments That Stood Out From The 1st Day Of The Trump Impeachment Hearings
Two witnesses seen as crucial to the case against President Trump in the impeachment inquiry testified Wednesday.
Much of what was said by acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor and George Kent, the State Department's top official on Ukraine policy, was previously known from their lengthy depositions released last week.
But there were some new things — and several moments that stood out. Here are seven:
1. A new detail from a new witness emerges
What We Learned From Reading Thousands Of Pages Of Impeachment Inquiry Transcripts
By Domenico Montanaro • Nov 9, 2019
There was lots more detail in the transcripts released by congressional investigators this week that help color in the picture of what went down in the pressure campaign from the Trump administration to Ukraine.
Some had been known already, based on reporting and previously released opening statements. But far more depth was given after seeing the questions and answers from what were hours-long depositions.
And a lot of it will be aired publicly, beginning Wednesday with the first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump.
Mulvaney Likely Won't Comply With Subpoena, Kent Transcript Released
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Ukraine Pressure Campaign Undermined 'Rule Of Law,' Top State Dept. Official Says
A top State Department aide questioned the legality of a U.S. president asking for an investigation into a political rival in his hours-long, closed-door deposition before congressional impeachment investigators.
"Politically related prosecutions are not the way of promoting the rule of law. They undermine the rule of law," said George Kent, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
Ambassador: Giuliani, Acting In Trump's Interest, Tried To Cast Biden In 'Bad Light'
Updated 2:45 p.m ET
William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, told congressional investigators that President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was orchestrating an international pressure campaign on Ukraine, was acting in the president's interests and trying to cast former Vice President Joe Biden "in a bad light," according to a transcript of Taylor's testimony released Wednesday.
Tuesday's Elections Show Impeachment Might Not Boost GOP As Much As It Hoped
Tuesday's statewide elections in Kentucky and Virginia were a big night for Democrats. And the results tell us a few things about national politics, consequential issues and President Trump.
In Kentucky, Democrat Andy Beshear, the son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, claimed victory Tuesday night and narrowly leads incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin by about 5,000 votes. Bevin has not yet conceded the race.
Ambassador Acknowledges He Said Aid For Ukraine Depended On Public Support For Probes
Editor's note: This is a developing story and will update with more details of the testimony.
Updated 6 p.m. ET
Ex-Ambassador To Ukraine Says She Was Told To 'Watch My Back'
Ousted former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told congressional investigators that she was warned to "watch my back" by a senior Ukrainian official, according to the newly released transcript of Yovanovitch's closed-door deposition before Congress.
The Ukrainian official told her that Rudy Giuliani's associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who have since been arrested on an unrelated charge, wanted a different ambassador in the post. Why?
Democrats Now Have An Unlikely Ally In Trump Impeachment Inquiry – John Bolton
By Mara Liasson & Domenico Montanaro • Oct 27, 2019
President Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, is known as a conservative foreign policy hawk. But he is turning into a key figure in the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry of Trump.
"All administrations are tempted to do bad things and have people who have bad instincts or wrong instincts," said Danielle Pletka, who oversees the conservative American Enterprise Institute's work on foreign policy and defense.
Democrats Can Calm Their 2020 Election Anxiety By Accepting That There's No One Else
By Domenico Montanaro • Oct 24, 2019
It's happening again.
Democrats are wringing their hands, wondering who else might be out there?
Michelle Obama? Sherrod Brown? Mike Bloomberg? Hillary Clinton? Oprah?
Democrats do this mental gymnastics nearly every election cycle — is there anyone not running for president who is better than who is running and can definitely win in a general election?
Mitt Romney, 'Pierre Delecto' And The Strategy Of Anonymously Criticizing Trump
The rap on Mitt Romney is that though he isn't a fan of President Trump, when he speaks out, it's in a fairly lukewarm way.
And then it was revealed over the weekend that he's been behind an anonymous Twitter account under the nom de plume Pierre Delecto.
6 Takeaways From The 4th Democratic Presidential Primary Debate
The fourth Democratic debate was a long one, about three hours, and ended after 11 p.m. ET.
You might not have made it through the whole thing, but there were some potentially consequential moments.
Here are six takeaways:
1. The scrutiny came for Warren, and her vulnerabilities were exposed some
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was under fire Tuesday night from several opponents, and when that happens to a candidate, you know they're a front-runner.
7 Questions Ahead Of The Next Democratic Primary Debate
Updated at 9:45 a.m. ET, Mon. Oct. 14
The focus of the last two weeks has been President Trump and the congressional impeachment inquiry. But next week, Democrats running for president will take center stage again.
A dozen candidates, the most so far on one stage, will gather Tuesday for the fourth primary debate in Westerville, Ohio, at Otterbein University. The debate, which is sponsored by CNN and The New York Times, will air on CNN at 8 p.m. ET and will also be simulcast on local NPR stations.


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Success Academy Bronx 2 wins 2014 Blackboard Award
By Robert Wirsing
Success Academy Bronx 2 has every reason to celebrate. It was named the recipient of the 2014 Blackboard Award.
Photo courtesy of Success Academy Charter Schools
One Bronx public charter school holds a distinct honor for not only being a top performer, but also as the first borough-based school to be recognized as such.
On Tuesday, December 9, Success Academy Bronx 2, a free public charter school for children grades kindergarten to fourth grade, won a 2014 Blackboard Award for being one of New York City's outstanding academic institutions.
Recognized by Manhattan Media, which publishes an annual guide to the city's best schools, Success Academy Bronx 2 was one of only 12 schools across the city to win this year.
Vanessa Bangser, Success Academy Bronx 2's founding principal, accepted the prestigious honor at a ceremony held inside the Scholastic Auditorium in Manhattan.
"We strive to develop the whole child and help all scholars meet and exceed their potential in every aspect of schooling," Bangser said.
"We value their ability to strategize as mathematicians just as much as their ability to engage in meaningful conversations with each other, and as much as their love for playing in the snow during recess," she added.
"We are thrilled by this award and deeply honored," she said. "We have a wonderful community of parents, students, and teachers here that I am incredibly proud of."
Located at 450 St. Paul's Place, Success Academy Bronx 2 is one of 24 elementary schools operated by Success Academy Charter Schools and consistently outperforms others in both math and English Language Arts state exams.
Last year marked the second time its students ranked second in the state for math; outperforming wealthy public and private school students.
Aside from these subjects, students explore a vast array of academic fields including science, dance, music, theater, chess, and other electives.
One unique feature is the school's robust sense of community, best illustrated every Wednesday morning when families and staff join students in the cafeteria for breakfast and to celebrate their birthdays, cultural traditions, and achievements.
Another instance is 'Everybody Reads' days in which parents are invited to read with their children.
"It almost feels like a second home," expressed Rosemary Varona, whose daughter, Iysis, is a first grader at the school.
"There is a great sense of teamwork," exclaimed Anthony DePiano, founding science teacher. "No one is left to fall, no one is left stranded. We have everything we need."
"Ms. Bangser inspires me to think not only about what I can do for scholars, but also what I can do for our community," said Katherine Genao, fourth grade teacher
"At Bronx 2, we are a family," divulged Bangser. "I truly love not only the children, but the adults I get to interact with every day. They are passionate, dedicated, fiercely intelligent people who push the school to be even better tomorrow than it is today."
Both Bangser and teachers are frequently credited by students' families for inspiring their children to become more engaged in learning.
Cindy Silfa explained her son, Jayden, has excelled in school thanks in part to the educators and services provided in this mind enriching atmosphere.
"He really likes math and he has learned so fast here," she said.
Local Sons of Italy lodge and Bronx Rotarians deliver 3,000 toys this holiday season to children
St. Raymond Elementarys holds Christmas Show
R.A.I.N. Senior Center computer class graduation
Theodore Korony Post and Auxiliary host luncheon


Home Paintingnew paintingLaunching HMS Belfast Painting at last!
Launching HMS Belfast Painting at last!
Well, that week was busy!
Bucks Open Studios is in full swing, presentation at Oxford University Press Bookshop amidst the usual chaos that seems to surround me.
The beauty of Open studios is I have to make art.
I know it's a hard life isn't it!
So, I found time to finish the HMS Belfast Painting.
Does a little dance around the room!
I'm loving how the chains turned out! Although I'm pretty sure I did a whole lot more waves on the Thames. They seem to have mysteriously vanished.
Previous Previous post: Battleships at the ready – now to start painting!


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The Miss Man Show
Home Entertainers Drag The Miss Man Show
Location: Richmond, Melbourne
Let's get started with the Man behind the Miss...
Mitch Bartlett certainly has an exciting life in the biz! Working professionally in the entertainment industry for the last 20years, Mitch has certainly helped see this industry to where Melbourne's corporate and commercial scene is now. You would have worked with Mitch in the past when he fronted corporate bands such as Funky Film Express and then later on, also at lead vocals with Star People. Having worked as one of Melbourne's A-list dancers and choreographers for many years, Mitch has been featured in many video clips with the likes of Kylie and Danni Minouge and also danced as one of Kylie's backup dancers on the Australian and European tours. Mitch has also choreographed many other corporate acts which have been successful in the industry till today!
Ok now that you know the Man Here is the Miss!
Miss Man is an enigma, a star by day and a superstar by night... A Hawaiian tan, a blonde back comb, legs to die for, and eyes so large you can feel yourself sinking in them at just one glance of this glamazon. She is the latest star of the TV screens in Australia, as seen on Channel 7's Australia's Got Talent. She is incredible, an all live singing and dancing comedian... with killer legs in oh so high heels, and an attitude to boot. Watch out fellas, you may just fall in love with this sassy songstress... many do, and many don't live to tell the tale.
Ready, set and all go for Miss Man in the corporate entertainment industry... She has brought a new flavor to this industry and is taking it by storm! With her fun and infectious personality she will make the perfect host for your event or gala dinner. Interacting with the audience and interviewing your special guests Miss Mans cheeky banter always gets the crowd roaring in laughter!
The Show... well what can I say?!? It's just like the perfect cocktail... Start with a shot of Showgirls, a twist of Australia's A-list dancers, mixed with the most amazing costumes even to be seen, shake it up with all the top tracks from the 80s, 90s and today... and now stir that through with a high energy show and Miss Mans awesome live vocals! Need I say more?!
The new diva from Down Under is... Miss Man
This is an outstanding show that is full of fun, colour and laughs! Miss Man and her dancers really get the audience into the celebrations of the night with all the favorite songs of the past and present. Watch as the audience falls in love with the whole production! With so many options for the clients to choose from, this package really caters for every event! Make sure you contact us to go through the many different elements to make the Miss Man Show unique to your event.
Show Duration:
15minutes show
x2 30minute sets
Dancers Option of::
x4 dancers


However, it is very dangerous. A lot of times you can't see what's on the other side of the sand hill or most of the time it's people who don't see you.
Did you hear a few weeks ago? A man was killed here in Utah while riding his vehicle. He didn't realize on the other side of the sand hill was a drop off and his vehicle rolled on him killing him.
I was almost hit once because a sand rail didn't see me coming up the face of the mountain. While it's important to have fun, you also need to make sure you are protected. Make sure you have the right gear and equipment. Don't even think about riding without a helmet and flag.
It's also just as important to make sure you are insured properly and you have insurance on recreational vehicles you own. You just never know when you are riding outdoors, anything can happen. All it takes is one time and you could lose everything.
Give me a call and lets make sure you are covered.
I'll Have Another is Out? Get Insurance!
What? I'll Have Another is out of the Belmont. Are you kidding me. And I was looking forward to watching this horse race.
The last time the Triple Crown was won was clear back in 1978 and I'll Have Another had a good shot of becoming the 12th horse in history to win the Triple Crown.
The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont consist of the Triple Crown. There have been lots of horses that win 2 of the 3 due to injury or competition. This is what made this next race so exciting to watch because it's extremely difficult to win the Triple Crown.
One day he's looking good, the next he has a swollen tendon and retired for the rest of his life. It's a lot like insurance I guess. One day everything is normal, the next day, you just never know what to expect. I see it all the time. I've seen families quality of life turn upside down, businesses go belly up and lives ruined all because they didn't have the right insurance to fit their needs or didn't think they needed it.
So if you're fine today… GREAT! But what about tomorrow? Get Insurance today. Give me a call and protect your quality of life.
We are excited to announce that Brasher Insurance Group has just moved locations. Our new office location is 4548 S Atherton Dr., Suite 210 in Salt Lake City. We just simply out grew our last office space. If you are looking for a good insurance agent that will give you the best rates, give us a call (801) 679-3653 or simply fill out the form to request an insurance quote. We handle life insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance and health insurance.


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Best Language Learning Apps To Learn Quickly In 2021
Leave a Comment / Apps & Games / By Ayobami Ola
Aside, increasing your value in the marketplace, learning new languages also increases your problem-solving skills. You become more indispensable, effective, and open to increased opportunities with new skills. There are unlimited apps that aid learning new languages, but the best language learning apps you would need to succeed with ease in learning new languages are enlisted here.
Harnessing language learning apps will help the development of your vocabulary. You are assured to become fluent with the lesson patterns which are not difficult to retain and recollect. In addition, making good use of the best language learning apps help to economize when compared to formal school.
Here Are The Best Language Learning Apps That Will Make Language Learning Easy For You
1. Pimsleur
2. Memrise
3. Mindsnack
4. LinguaLift
5. TripLingo
7. DuoLingo
8. MosaLingua
Pimsleur is one of the best language learning apps that deliver opportunities to learn new languages with ease. The app offers fifty-one languages for learning. You will have to choose your choice of language to learn and then commence an auditory lesson that lasts for thirty minutes. The auditory lesson is downloadable and compatible with Alexa.
Pimsleur basically provides information in the form of a podcast. And if you are on a long commute, you can still harness the use of the app as it has a driving mode which helps you continue improving your skills without looking at the screen.
Users receive a free seven-day trial. And a premium subscription with the top twelve selling languages goes for $20 monthly. While subscription for audio-only costs $15 each month. The app has a good number of features which include digital flashcards, role-playing challenges, and reading lessons.
Memrise tracks a certain learning method that depends on producing weird and humorous associations with the words studied. The fun created on Memrise often lies in gamification and memes. The memes are produced by the community in which everyone can partake.
And if you are considering a good option for fun vocabulary practise, you should go for Memrise. The courses are usually paired with the design of memes to help learners retain and recollect the vocabulary. The app has no shortage of courses. And that is basically for almost every language.
Memrise also helps find standardized courses that are centred around prevalent textbooks. You can earn, revise, and also create memes. You can follow other learners and contest for points. This also helps you track your progress in a certain course. You get motivated when you outscore others.
Memrise has its strength in mnemonics and spaced repetitions. The algorithm of the spaced repetition evaluates how each word review should be done and then prompts you with reminders. The app is really helpful with its memes that help in memorizing the vocabulary.
However, as a new user, you may need some time to get used to the platform but with consistency, you are sure to come up with your creative mixtures.
Mindsnacks is indisputably one of the best language learning apps as it takes language learning to a whole new level with very amusing designs. The app has seven languages that are taught. And each of them comes with about nine games geared towards improving grammar, vocabulary, and also practising listening.
The app is free for download. But the free version only comes with a limited amount of games to be played. The premium version, however, avails you more game options and helps you partake in more lessons. The games have simple short lessons that are outlined for tests and practices so that they can be mastered. Since the game is timed, it achieves keeping you engaged and intrigued.
LinguaLift is basically for serious learners. If you whole-heartedly desire to under-go a comprehensive language program with a tutor's guide, then you should consider LinguaLift. It is great with script learning materials, vocabulary, flawless grammar descriptions, and several cultural insights that are not available in many language programs.
The app has tutors who can help you with grammar and make suggestions for additional resources that can help your study. The tutors are also readily available to give answers to your questions while also assigning and correcting your homework.
LinguaLift has an edge over many other similar apps with its availability of Tutors. This means communicating with real humans who are prepared to help your growth. Ensure either as a beginner or intermediate learner to harness the use of tutors on the app.
Courses on the app are revealed in small sections of about ten to fifteen minutes. This so you can learn gradually every day and also not get easily worn out of your learning interest. The app's algorithm measures your development through the courses and reviews your topics to specifically meet your learning needs.
Subscribing for courses on the app will give you an opportunity to their Language learning secret book that is made available for free and accessible through their homepage. You also receive a study map customized for your learning and is called, 'a road map to fluency'. To receive this, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire in which you are expected to reveal some information about yourself to their tutors. This information includes your daily schedule, goals, study practices and so much more.
The tutors use this information about you to create a road map that would guide you on your learning journey. You will be guided on the best study routine that would work for you and also be acquainted with extra resources to harness and how to use them, and the materials needed to cover. The roadmap is your perfect guide.
LinguaLift specifically covers Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Hebrew, French, Chinese (Mandarin). You can learn more about their list of languages on their e-book, Language Learning Secrets. The e-book is very important for everyone who is interested in language learning.
TripLingo is an app basically for people who travel and want to improve their language skills. It helps you stay connected in communications in every environment you find yourself.
The app helps you communicate in a foreign environment, thereby making every of your journey worthwhile and with reduced stress.
In addition to being able to just communicate in a new environment, the app is also aimed at making learners use current expressions and sound like one of the locals rather than the sounding weird. It also has a feature which is called 'slang slider' which unveils diverse levels of casual and formal speech terms. These help you fit into the specific context of that society.
The programs are split into two basic handy units such as, 'business phrases' or 'safety phrases.'
The app serves as an emergency material with its built-in voice translator. The translator helps in translating your English language in the foreign one. And when you seem stranded, you can get a real translator to get you tuned up in communication.
TripLingo's free version gives you access to up to fifteen percent of the resources on the app. But this excludes audio. And even at that, the app remains a great and exciting resource.
One of the best language learning apps is Busuu. The app has free features, but to access the broader features, you will need to unlock for the premium version which goes for a monthly fee of $17.
Busuu contains organized lessons with expressions and skills attached to different tasks. The courses also come individually with separate small 'travel courses' for people who are interested in getting basic language learning before embarking on a trip. The app acquaints its users within basic dialogues words and questions including audio versions to help learn how natives use them.
This app lets users get used to native speaking patterns. Its learners contribute their native communication pattern by making corrections of errors made by others learning their language. It also has a desktop version that allows users to communicate live with native speakers.
As you study and contribute to the platform, you are able to 'berries' points that are used to rank learners on their engagement on the platform. This more importantly helps language learners to keep track of their progress on the app.
There is no list of the best language learning apps that don't mention DuoLingo. Created Luis von Ahn, the app has garnered over one hundred million users. The app brings together the addition of language learners with gamification. And has become a model of language learning apps.
DuoLingo has courses that are created by people who natively speak the languages. This encourages devoted language learners to get involved. The app doesn't solely target native English speakers. It extensively aims at people who have differing first languages and produces eighty-one courses.
This app is a complete resource for a good number of languages which include Italian, French and Spanish. With the standard lesson program, you can go any of the topical packs. For example, time, people and tourism. What this means is that you can if you have gone through basic language learning, but only need to upgrade certain gaps in your knowledge of the language, you can boost your learning through the dialogues made available in the app.
Users can learn dialogues in real-life situations before engaging in public discussions. Its learning is also based on a flashcard system that helps you practice each word properly. Also asking you to record your voice as you speak and spell back so that you can activate all your memory channels.
However, you will be expected to pay to unlock each language resources separately. But then, the free version offers a variety of resources that would get you learning for a few days
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Sakura Watch, April 17, 2017 - surprise! Cherry blossoms bloom begins this weekend as we see most of the buds florets emerging from the sakura buds! Call it an Easter miracle, a sign of climate change or an answer to wishes of thousands of eager Toronto blossom fans, the bloom date has yet moved up again to see a blooming start as early as later this week!
Usually, as past predictions and observations have shown, moving from stages 3 & 4 into stage 5 and finally bloom traditionally require 16-21 days. This is the window of opportunity for the weather to co-operate with stable spring temperatures and essential blends of rain and sunshine. Last year extreme weather stalled the trees for so long they went to leaf. This year it seems the opposite bouts of above seasonal temperatures have turned the tables again.
Near summer-like weather, this past weekend as accelerated the pace of bud development to the point where all the trees are now in a clear stage 5 of development! This stage timeframe usually dictates a full bloom could occur within 6-10 days.
What will bloom first? Where should I look?
My walk this evening saw a few trees with sure signs of being ready to begin showing at least a few cherry blossoms, possibly as early as Wednesday or Thursday of this week (April 19 & 20 respectively). As is still the case, the trees located near the sports fields near the High Park Ave and Bloor Street entrance will be among the first to show signs of blooms.
The real first bloom could be as soon as tomorrow on the one sizeable lone sakura tree resting on the hill (see photos in gallery) shows a hand full of florets fully extended, white petals in a ball just waiting to open up! I plan to be checking on Wednesday to see the progress and report back.
The past few years have made it more and more challenging to get an accurate prediction date. Its become apparent this year that I will be looking closely at all the signal and signs of development and create new prediction models. Expecting the unexpected is now the new normal. Unpredictability has been exasperated with the constant fluctuations in temperatures and climate that the old schedules no longer can accurately predict blooms.
It seems only continued on sight observation, as I've been doing, will be the only sure way to track how fast or slow the development of the sakura cherry blossoms will be. Watch for more updates in the next couple days.


text:
Start Over You searched for: Content type Performed music ✖ Remove constraint Content type: Performed music
1. Louisiana Hayride Recordings & Materials, 1921-2003
Music from the "Louisiana Hayride" records
Spoken word and Performed music
Analog audiocassette and Optical disc (Including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD)
Noel Memorial Library, Northwest Louisiana Archives at LSUS
View on gencat.eloquent-systems.com
3. Frank Page Collection, 1930s-2007
The Frank Page Collection contains publications, newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, and other memorabilia mostly about the Louisiana Hayride artists.
Still image, Text, and Performed music
Photographic print, Text document, Pressed 78rpm disc, and Pressed 45rpm disc
4. WLBZ (radio station) Bangor, Maine Station Records 1931-1973
The station records of WLBZ begin in 1931, and consists mostly of station logs (1931-1956). Also included are some audio tapes and materials concerning licensing and operations
Spoken word, Still Image, Text, and Performed music
Pressed 78rpm disc, Pressed 45rpm disc, Open reel tape (unknown material), Analog audiocassette, and Digital audio file (including MP3, WAV, AIFF, etc.)
30 Boxes/36 Linear Feet (including paper archives)
Raymond H. Fogler Library
5. Frederick C. Packard Jr. sound recordings, 1933-1963 and undated
The Packard collection includes approximately 2,500 discs created, produced, commissioned, or collected by Frederick C. Packard, Jr., during the years 1933-1963. The collection forms part of the Woodberry Poetry Room. While it does not contain a complete inventory of his work, the collection features substantial numbers of discs from all stages of the recording and production process, and constitutes the single-largest aggregate of his recordings of spoken literature. In addition to the discs he created for publication, the materials include rare outtakes; original recordings never reproduced or intended for commercial release; Harvard-related language lessons, lectures, sermons, theatrical, radio, and musical performances; and the voices of Harvard students and professors recorded in his role as Professor of Public Speaking. The collection also features listening copies that Packard (and Woodberry Poetry Room curator John Lincoln Sweeney) created based on exchanges he arranged with the Library of Congress, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Radio Éireann.
Lacquer disc, Pressed LP disc, and Metal disc
30 linear feet (90 boxes of discs, 17 boxes of original sleeves, and additional ephemera)
Woodberry Poetry Room
View on nrs.harvard.edu
6. Johnny Green sound recordings and motion pictures, 1934-1989
Consists of rehearsal, demo, and master recordings made by Green of motion picture soundtracks, television and radio broadcasts, and concert performances. Includes sound recordings made by others in which Green is featured. Also includes copies of motion pictures and television broadcasts that relate to Green's career.
Performed music, Spoken word, and Two-dimensional moving image
Open reel tape (unknown material), Analog audiocassette, U-matic (including U-matic S), and Motion picture film
74 linear feet (88 boxes)
Houghton Library
7. Milo Ryan KIRO-CBS Radio News Phonoarchive, 1935-1978
The Milo Ryan / CBS Radio News Phonoarchive is a unique audio time capsule that documents many historic 20th century events. It consists of sound recordings of CBS Radio News programs, public affairs shows, actualities, speeches, interviews, wartime dramas, daily World War II news updates. The recordings capture groundbreaking broadcasts by Edward R. Murrow and his "Boys": William L. Shirer, Eric Sevareid, Tom Grandin, Larry LeSueur, Charles Collingwood, Howard K. Smith, Winston Burdett, Bill Downs, Mary Marvin Breckinridge, Cecil Brown, and Richard C. Hottelet. The collection also includes recordings of programs and speeches made by public figures during and beyond WW II, including Churchill, Eisenhower, Einstein, Hitler, and JFK. As Dr. Donald Godfrey writes in his 1973 article "History Held a Microphone": "There are twenty-two hundred and twenty-seven newscasts. All but a handful originating from CBS. Their newscasts represent every weekday without a miss, from September 7, 1939, with the Germans entering Poland, to April 2, 1945, with the allies entering Germany.... Tapes contain examples of special events coverage: the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor, the bombing of Japan, landings in North Africa, the 13 Normandy Invasion, the World Security Conference, April, 1945, the function of the American and Russian Armies, April, 1945, the death and funeral of FDR, and miles of tape on V. E. and V.J. days. Elmer Davis' daily five minute reports are represented in entirety from his debut, September 16, 1939, to February 13, 1941, and occasionally to July 9, 1943. H. V. Kaltenbom edits the news, complete from August 27, 1939, until January 26, 1940, and sporadically thereafter. Our library includes 21 speeches by Winston Churchill, representing 12 hours of this master of language. There are 51 talks by President Roosevelt totaling 24 continuous hours." A detailed description of most of the recordings in the Phonoarchive is available in Milo Ryan's book History in Sound (UW Press).
Acetate open reel tape, Digital audio file (including MP3, WAV, AIFF, etc.), Photographic print, and Text document
View on archiveswest.orbiscascade.org
8. KWKH Louisiana Hayride Broadcasts, c. 1958-1959 (CDs)
various documentation of this popular radio program
Optical disc (Including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD)
2 recordings
10. WILL Radio: Focus 580
Performed music✖[remove]96
Still image36
Sounds (Other than music & language)18
Two-dimensional moving image17
Notated music10
Tactile notated music1
Three-dimensional form1
Three-dimensional moving image1
Photographic print35
Open reel tape (unknown material)25
Pressed LP disc20
Digital Audio Tape (DAT)17
VHS (including SVHS and VHS-C)17
Lacquer disc15
Pressed 78rpm disc15
Acetate open reel tape12
Photographic negative7
Radio programs12
Popular music7
Radio interviews4
Radio news programs4
Radio speeches4
Sound recordings4
Community affairs radio programs3
Compact Discs3
Educational radio programs3
Historical3
Radio announcements3
Radio sports events3
Religious radio programs3
Audiocassettes2
Stanford University, Archive of Recorded Sound16
Archives of African American Music and Culture11
University of Delaware Library, Special Collections4
University of North Texas Music Library4
Marr Sound Archives3
Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection3
Noel Memorial Library, Northwest Louisiana Archives at LSUS3
ART FM / WXOX 97.1 FM1
Aaron Mintz1
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections1
Anderson University & Church of God Archives1
Berea College1
Big Heavy World Foundation1
Charles Reinsch1
Chicago History Museum/WFMT1
Delaware Historical Society1
Dr. JoAnn Rayfield Archives1
History San Jose1
Houghton Library1
more Repository/Collector »
New Jersey4
Deleware1
North Carolina1
Oregon1
South Carolina1
Vermont1


text:
Regulator plans new crowdfunding rules for 2017
By Ryan Weeks on Friday 9 December 2016
Alternative Lending
FCA boss Andrew Bailey says it is necessary to strengthen investor protections, with standards of disclosure also needing improvement.
The FCA, which took over supervision of the crowdfunding (both loan and investment based) market in April 2013, has issued an update on its post implementation review of the market, which began with a call for input in July. Based on feedback received since the summer, and in addition to its own findings during the ongoing authorisation process, the City regulator has determined that a number of rules across the industry will require modification.
The FCA plans to consult on additional rules for the market in early 2017. These include "more prescriptive requirements on the content and timing of disclosures by both loan-based and investment-based" platforms.
For loan-based platforms specifically, the regulator will also look to strengthen the rules surrounding wind-down plans, extend mortgage-lending standards to platforms and – in what is something of a curveball – to enforce additional "requirements or restrictions" on cross-platform investment.
"Cross-platform investment" refers to a consumer investing via a single platform, but across loans that have been originated by a number of other platforms. The primary concern here is not with "aggregators" – firms that act only as points of access, without originating loans. What the regulator appears to have taken issue with is platforms that both originate loans themselves, while also aggregating origination from other platforms.
The FCA has also said that it could consider "setting investment limits to cap potential consumer harm".
"Our focus is ensuring that investor protections are appropriate for the risks in the crowdfunding sector while continuing to promote effective competition in the interests of consumers," said Andrew Bailey, Chief Executive of the FCA. "Based on our findings to date, we believe it is necessary to strengthen investor protection in a number of areas. We plan to consult next year on new rules to address the issues we have identified."
For both loan and investment based crowdfunding platforms, the regulator deems it "difficult for investors to compare platforms with each other or to compare crowdfunding with other asset classes", due largely to the complexity of some offerings. Indeed the complexity of some firms is deemed by the FCA to introduce operational risks and conflicts that "are not being managed sufficiently".
The regulator says that it is difficult for investors to adequately assess risk and return. Meanwhile, in both segments of the market, some financial promotions appear to be missing the mark on being "clear, fair and not misleading".
Loan-based crowdfunding, by far the larger portion of the industry, seems to have attracted the greater weight of regulatory scrutiny. In addition to the concerns shared by both segments of the industry, the regulator also identified a number of key issues that are specific to the debt-based platforms. Provision funds stood out as one such issue, as did "inadequate" wind-down plans. The FCA also states that it has "challenged some firms" to improve their client money handling standards.
Other concerns raised by the regulator about debt platforms included: regulatory arbitrage with the banks and asset managers, maturity mismatching, the unfair treatment of institutional investors, and liquidity risk for IFISA investors.
For investment-based platforms, other issues included: the management of conflicts of interest (one example given is that of a firm raising money for itself via its own platform), standards of due diligence, and client assessment rules,
The FCA received 90 responses to the call for input. You can access the feedback statement in full by clicking here.
The regulator plans to report on the final conclusions of the post-implementation review in mid-2017.
Industry reaction
RateSetter:
"We are happy that the FCA is applying rigorous standards to the whole industry: as a founding member of the P2P Finance Association, we have worked to set high levels of disclosure and transparency which are unmatched elsewhere in financial services. We'll continue to work with the FCA to ensure that our market works in the interest of investors and borrowers."
James Meekings, co-founder and UK managing director, Funding Circle:
"We welcome the FCA's review and support the focus on investor protection. Platforms must fully disclose information about risk and returns which is why Funding Circle publishes performance data on every single loan. Investors have now lent £1.8 billion to small businesses through the Funding Circle platform, supporting the creation of 40,000 new jobs."
Christine Farnish, chair, P2PFA:
"The critical test for any review of this sort is whether the sector is, overall, delivering beneficial outcomes for investors and borrowers. It is not easy for a regulator to grapple with new market entrants, especially when they are disrupting traditional business models and challenging powerful incumbents. We trust that the critical consumer outcomes test – based on a balanced and evidence-based assessment of benefits and risks – will be applied as the Review moves forward."
Charles Owen, founder, CoInvestor:
"Due diligence is a key part of any investment decision and for most crowdfunding opportunities there is no institutional level financial scrutiny. The separation of the due diligence process away from the platform listing process, and undertaking of this by a third party rather than the platform, is a fundamental requirement."
People in this Article:
James Meekings
UK Managing Director and Co-Founder
Christine Farnish
Metro Bank enters the world of digital car loans
Amelia Isaacs
Klarna launches spending year-in-review feature 'Money Story'
Tech Nation loses UK government grant to Barclays


text:
New BCP Council Leader breaks first promise on the night he is elected
Last night Conservative Councillor Drew Mellor was elected the new leader of BCP Council, last night he also broke his first promise to his colleagues and residents. Despite a new commitment to "listen", an alliance between the Conservatives and some of the Independents, took away many councillors right to speak in support of the Unity Alliance's candidate for Leader, Cllr Vikki Slade. A handful of councillors had spoken when, in a highly cynical move an independent councillor proposed that "the vote now be put", supported by the Conservatives. This put an end to the debate, and brought forward the leadership vote sadly, Vikki was defeated so the council now has a new leader and a Conservative administration despite only getting 28% of the public vote in the 2019 election.
With their promise "to listen" immediately broken what can we expect from this new administration? In his speech the new leader promised to fully engage with residents as well as work with councillors from all parties. We will be watching very closely as this is the councillor who closed area committees ignoring residents' and other councillors' views. This is the councillor and the political party that were responsible for the closure of public toilets, the 150% increase in car parking charges, criminalising homelessness and supported development on our precious green belt.
Under Vikki's leadership the Unity Alliance fully engaged with residents when developing the Council's Corporate Strategy, responded to the call for declaring a Climate Emergency, brought three councils together to create a ground-breaking Families and Young Peoples strategy and much more. Our role now is to scrutinise all new proposals and hold the new administration to account.


Clearwater Beach isn't just a great place for summer vacation. Winter in Clearwater Beach, Florida is beautiful as well! The sun is still warm, and Clearwater Beach is full of fun throughout the entire year.
Looking to escape from cold weather and snow? Call B&W Management, Inc. today to secure a beachfront condominium with beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico.
Winter in Clearwater Beach remains warm, with a beautiful beach. Average Clearwater Beach temperatures range between 73° and 66° during the day. At night, it can get a little cooler but still averages between the mid 60°s and upper 50°s. The warm sun makes it a great time to walk on the beach. Winter in Clearwater Beach is a great time to go for hikes on the beach, like walking to Caladesi Island.
If you're looking to get into the ocean, you may find it a little cool. The Gulf of Mexico water temperature in the Clearwater Beach area drops for the mid 70°s in November to the upper 60°s in December. The water temperature then remains in the 60°s throughout the remained of the winter.
Clearwater Beach has great food that is often celebrated. There are events celebrating the delicious food throughout the year such as Stone Crab Festivals, Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week, and Clearwater Beach Uncorked! The cool weather also highlights a lot of cool weather foods on the local menus that you may normally overlook during summer, such as Drunken Shrimp at The Bait House, Backwater's Hot-Crab Seafood Dip, S'mores Creme Brulee at North Beach pub and more!
You won't miss out on holiday fun. There are fun events and great places to celebrate the holidays in Clearwater Beach!
Celebrate Thanksgiving with a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner right in the condos! Each unit in Surfside Condominiums and The Villas of Clearwater Beach come with fully equipped kitchens and easy to get to grocery stores nearby! "It's vacation, I'm not looking to cook a large meal." – no worries, there are many great restaurants celebrating with full Thanksgiving dinners nearby including Bob Heilman's Beachcomber Restaurant and Columbia Restaurant (Sand Key). Both of these restaurants require a reservation for Thanksgiving.
Christmas in Clearwater Beach is full of events such as Holiday Lights in the Gardens, Christmas Town at Busch Gardens, Winter's Wonderland at Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Christmas Eve dinner cruises!
Winter in Clearwater Beach is a great time to take a day trip to Crystal River, Florida. As the Gulf of Mexico cools down, manatees surround the warm spring waters in Crystal River. It's the perfect time of year to kayak around the springs. The beautiful area has crystal clear water that stays over 70 degrees throughout the entire year and is filled with manatees!
You can combine a trip to Crystal River with a short visit to Tarpon Springs, or just take a day trip to Tarpon Springs by itself! It's a wonderful Greek village filled with delicious Greek food and unique shops surrounding the sponge docks that the city is known for.
If the weather drops too cool to be outside, or if a small rainy day disrupts your winter vacation, there are a lot of fun indoor activities nearby!
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a must-do for the whole family! It's not your typical aquarium. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a marine life rescue center focused on the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick or injured marine animals. While visiting the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, you'll get a chance to meet Winter the dolphin, star and inspiration of the hit movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2, both filmed in Clearwater Beach.
The Museum of Science & Industry, located in Tampa, is a great place for all day fun! The museum has exhibits on weather, dinosaurs, space, flight, natural disasters, human development life stages, an IMAX Dome Theater, and the Saunders Planetarium. There's also an outdoor ropes course and zip line!
If a cool day has you trapped inside and your kids are full of energy, take them to AirHeads Trampoline Arena! AirHeads Trampoline Arena is a full, indoor, trampoline park making it a great place to escape the cool weather. Just jump around and have fun, play some AirSports like dodgeball or basketball, or have fun playing some arcade games!


text:
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2. Atomic Mini-Z MR-02/MR-03 Selective DPS Set - ON SALE - 25% Off!
3Racing Mini-Z MR-02MM/MR-02RM/MR-015MM Carbon Fiber Roll Damper Set.
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Atomic Mini-Z MR-02 MM Titanium Damper Plate - 94mm WB.
Atomic Mini-Z MR-02 MM Titanium DPS Kit - 94mm WB.


+ Significant improvement in allowing needed sequences (combining marks at end of bidi label).
+ Improvement in clarifying that what people register is the unmapped form.
- Misleading information in Rationale (if anyone reads it).


What's inside your patio cushions?
Ratana Outdoor Furniture is built to withstand tough weather conditions such as our west coast Vancouver Island environment. Their Sunbrella brand fabric prevents colorful cushions from fading hot sun. But as everyone knows, if you don't like the weather on Vancouver Island, give it a minute and it will change. So outdoor furniture in our area needs to be able to stand up to both rain and shine.
Ratana takes great pride in offering reticulated foam on all their luxury outdoor seating collections. Unlike traditional polyurethane foam, which soaks up water like a sponge, reticulated foam is an open cell material.
Reticulated foam's open pores allow water and air to easily flow through the seat cushion. Whether direct moisture (like rain or liquid spills) or dew, mist, fog or other environmental elements, Ratana's foam cushions will completely shed moisture to provide a fast-drying, comfortable seat.
Ratana's reticulated foam cushions are also treated with an antimicrobial agent to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. This germicide combined with the open cell foam creates a virtually maintenance free cushion in sun, rain, and snow.
Whether direct moisture (like rain or liquid spills) or dew, mist, fog or other environmental elements, reticulated foam will completely shed moisture to provide a fast-drying, comfortable cushion.


This young lady lost over 80 pounds and presents with the usual type of concerns after having been so successful at achieving this goal (either through a bypass or doing it by themselves). Patients that lose massive amounts of weight are left with areas of concern including the abdomen, breasts, arms, legs and inner thighs etc. During the consultation, all of the areas of concern are discussed. This is a great time to go over each region and determine the best approach. With this patient, we wanted to bring in the tissue vertically as well as horizontally. Not all patients need this but it does give an extra tool to achieve results that the horizontal tummy tuck would not include. The scars shown are very new and should lose their red color within a year or so. Scars ususally maximize their reddness at 3-4 months. The life changes of a recontoured patient with massive weight loss can be quite amazing. You can just imagine the change in confidence that a patient would experience. A combination of areas is the usual approach to cases in this category. My preference is to do just about everything at once and have one setting if possible, knowing that safety is the primary concern. The patient ususally stays overnite in the facility and is home the next day. Early mobilization is recommended and encouraged. We have the patients up and in the hallway the next morning and this continues at home. Of course, whatever pain medicines and antibiotics that are needed are given as the process matures. It is so very true that Confidence IS Beautiful...especially with the ability to add to the contouring of a patient that has done so much with what she can do to lose weight. Then, we come in with our approach and life is better. Patient shown at 4 months post op.