text:
THE BEST FILMS IN ACTION, DRAMA, HORROR, AND MORE
EXPERTLY CURATED BY THE COS STAFF
Film Review: Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus
by Blake Goble
So it's come to this. Spike Lee, a two-time Oscar nominee and one of our most infuriating and rousing directors took his latest project to Kickstarter. That's not meant to condescend to the process or the auteur, but rather to acknowledge an interesting situation unfolding in modern film. It seems like it can eliminate a lot of red tape for an artist, and Lee's always struggled with his uncompromising vision.
In a recent statement, Lee felt this movie was the "future of film distribution." Or perhaps it's just the best place for a man to work that's unwilling to play ball with others. Whatever it is, the movie's here now.
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is the final product of Lee's grass-roots experimentation, and it's a confounding curiosity. It's an unofficial remake of Bill Gunn's 1973 blaxploitation film, Ganja & Hess, about an academic that begins to crave blood after being stabbed with a strange Ashanti artifact. Dr. Hess Greene's (Stephen Tyrone Williams) whole MO is African art and history, and he's fascinated by the Ashantis' relationship with blood. After all, America is a "blood society," built on violence and the spilling of blood, according to Greene. Yes, it's preachy academic stuff, but there are so many terrific and incomplete ideas swirling about in this film.
When he's transformed into a blood junkie (not a vampire, a distinction the film tries to make), Greene begins to stalk and drain women, and we see a paranoid and even jokey consideration of disease. Greene is a scholar living in the Hamptons, so naturally his over-educated and snobby friends believe that he's drinking a new kind of grainy V8, and not a wine glass of blood in broad daylight. Lee ties a lot of Da Sweet Blood into his career-spanning explorations of black society and the politics of representation. The film is littered with high and low socioeconomic plays, and Lee plays with the distinction very giddily.
Lee's best weapons are his music selection and score. They propel and even mask some of the choppy story. He uses an elegant piano score by Bruce Hornsby (yes, that Bruce Hornsby), along with a soulful and unfamiliar independent soundtrack. The good thing about watching this at home is that it's not rude to Shazam songs during the movie, so open an ear for Govales, Jasiel Ace, Milton Nascimento, and other unfamiliar or unknown artists with distinct sounds.
That said, yes, this movie missteps. Often, in typical Lee fashion. He relies heavily on religious patter, the "blood of Christ" and so on – it's just in his DNA these days. Lee also could be accused once again of being aggressively unkind to women here, with the extended and shallow characterizations, not to mention the graphic nudity that teeters on objectification. Add all that to the hammy romantic flourishes in the second half, a tone that takes some getting used to, and the sense that the whole product could benefit from a further polish.
Lee's riffing here, trying new things from dry humor to stark sexuality to genre juxtapositions he's never done before, and at least Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is never boring. It's often a very mysterious, funny, and unnerving film. At other times, it feels like the best Lee could do with limited resources and a flurry of content. It may look cheap, or formally very plain (it was shot in 16 days, features an unfamiliar cast, has few locations, and seems to employ nominal lighting), but it still has that sense of restlessness, assurance, and total commitment to vision that Lee's always had.
Lee pulled a fast one yesterday and made the movie available to rent or own on Vimeo. He was unencumbered by a studio, so you get to see the privileges of total control on display, even if the final product could have benefitted from more editing and collaboration. We know the costs because of its full disclosure in publicized fundraising. The production was so minuscule that making a small profit from $1.5 million in rentals seems possible (The Interview made modest bank). If nothing else, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus deserves attention as a new kind of auteur's business model. Maybe more directors could work this way – it certainly works for musical talents.
The only catch with this strategy is how it screens digitally. The movie's clean and pointed aesthetic works for the most part. It will look fine on a big HDTV; no one should ever watch a film on a phone or a tablet. Still, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus and its strange story of Hamptons-brand vampirism seems like it would be best experienced at a midnight showing, in a small arthouse theater.
Beetlejuice 2 to take place in modern day, specifically written for Michael Keaton
Here's the next movie Trent Reznor is probably going to score


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text:
Q: Citation Undefined Errors:

Citation 'Mosconi' on page 1 undefined

and

There were undefined citations.

Problems: References do not load and the citation is undefined (but this problem persisted once before even after the references successfully loaded).
What i've already done:

*

*Set my quick build to contain the PdfLaTeX + Bib(la)tex + PdfLaTeX (x2) + View Pdf

*Made sure the bib file and latex file are in the same folder.

LaTeX body:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage[margin=3.5cm]{geometry}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{natbib}

\begin{document}
\title{\textbf{Literature Review}}
\author{James A. Walsh}
\maketitle

\begin{multicols}{2}
ah \cite{Mosconi}

\bibliography{readcube_export}
\bibliographystyle{plain}

\end{multicols}
\end{document}

Then the bib file (readcube_export.bib):
@article{Mosconi,
  volume={117},
  year={2013},
  doi={10.1021/jp4048659},
  journal={J Phys Chem C},
  number={27},
  abstract={  We computationally investigate organometal {CH3NH3PbX3} and mixed halide {CH3NH3PbI2X} perovskites {(X} = Cl, Br, I), which are key materials for high efficiency solid-state solar cells. {CH3NH3PbX3} perovskites exhibited the expected absorption blue shift along the I → Br → Cl series. The mixed halide systems surprisingly showed the {CH3NH3PbI3} and the {CH3NH3PbI2Cl} (or {CH3NH3PbI3–xClx)} perovskites to have similar absorption onset at ∼800 nm wavelength, whereas {CH3NH3PbI2Br} absorbs light below ∼700 nm. To provide insight into the structural and electronic properties of these materials, in light of their application as solar cell active layers, we perform periodic {DFT} calculations on the {CH3NH3PbX3} and {CH3NH3PbI2X} perovskites. We find a good agreement between the calculated band structures and the experimental trend of optical band gaps. For the mixed halide perovskites our calculations show the existence of two different types of structures with different electronic properties, whose relative stability varies by varying the X group. For these systems, the calculated formation energies decrease in the order I \{\textgreater\} Br \{\textgreater\} Cl, in line with the observed miscibility of {CH3NH3PbI3} and {CH3NH3PbBr3} compounds, while suggesting a comparatively smaller chlorine incorporation into {CH3NH3Pb(I1–xClx)3} compounds. We also show that Cl atoms preferentially occupy the apical positions in the {PbI4X2} octahedra, while Br atoms may occupy both apical and equatorial positions, consistent with reported lattice parameters. The interplay of the organic and inorganic components of the perovskites, possibly mediated by hydrogen bonding between the ammonium groups and the halides, seems to be the key to the observed structural variability.},
  pages={13902-13913},
  issn={1932-7447},
  author={Mosconi, Edoardo and Amat, Anna and Nazeeruddin, Md. K and Gr{\"a}tzel, Michael and Angelis, Filippo},
  file={C:\Users\James\Google Drive\2017\2017 Honours Project\Literature Review\jp4048659.pdf;C:\Users\James\Documents\ReadCube Media\Mosconi et al-2013-The Journal of Physical Chemistry C - supplement.pdf},
  title={{First-Principles} Modeling of Mixed Halide Organometal Perovskites for Photovoltaic Applications}
}

As you can see the bib file is already formatted correctly (I think) by the original exporter (ReadCube), the package is included, the citation is made to the correct ID and the file name is correct.
What could I be doing wrong?

A: The example does not use BibLaTeX, but package natbib. Therefore, the build should use BibTeX, the order of commands:

*

*pdflatex

*bibtex

*pdflatex

*pdflatex

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag: NASCAR
Adults, African-American Firsts, Community, Sports	 March 21, 2016
SPORTS: Meet Tia Norfleet, the 1st Black Female NASCAR Driver
article by Da'ryl Victoria via thesource.com
When we think of women in NASCAR we often think of internationally celebrated Danica Patrick, however there's one woman in particular we should be paying more attention to. Meet Tia Norfleet, the first African-American female NASCAR driver and daughter of legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet.
The adrenaline and skill of driving at high speeds resides in the bloodline of the Norfleet family, and the love and passion for the sport has been held by Tia since age seven. Having a Hot Wheels Barbie car was a top priority for millions of young girls in the early 90s, but Norfleet's car would trump others when Mr. Norfleet doubled the battery power of her Barbie Corvette.
Barely a teen, and roughly 10 years removed from the legal age to drive, Bobby Norfleet handed his pre-teen daughter the keys to their family mini-van, knowing she could handle the road alone. At nine years old Tia, now a semi-pro behind the wheel, embarked on daily trips to karate practice, convenient stores, and traveling around her neighborhood in preparation of becoming one out of a handful of women in a high speed and dangerous male dominated sport.
At age 14, Norfleet began competing on a local and regional level in kart racing, leading into a successful drag racing career resulting in top rank stats: winning 37 out of 52 events. In 2000, she switched her focus, setting her sights on dominating the track in entry level spec racing, competing in Bandolero cars. Eventually in 2004, Norfleet would move on to late model stock car racing on short tracks, later becoming the first African-American to obtain a NASCAR late model series racing license. Continue reading "SPORTS: Meet Tia Norfleet, the 1st Black Female NASCAR Driver" →
Filed under: African-American NASCAR drivers, black NASCAR drivers, Bobby Norfleet, Danica Patrick, NASCAR, Tia Norfleet, Wendell Scott
African-American Firsts, Awards Shows, Awards/Honors, Commemorations, Events, History, News, Sports, U.S.	 January 30, 2015
African-American Racer Wendell Scott Officially Inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame Tonight
NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Wendell Scott
Announced last May, the news finally became official: as of tonight, African-American race car driver Wendell Scott is the first black man inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Scott drove during the Jim Crow era, and he was the first African-American to win a race at NASCAR's elite major league level. He died in 1990. His career began in 1952, and his racing team was his family. They would travel to races together from their home in Virginia, and his sons served as his pit crew.
Wendell Scott's son Frank Scott (left) and grandson Warrick Scott at StoryCorps in Danville, Va. Wendell Scott, who died in 1990, was one of the first African-American NASCAR drivers to win a race at the elite level.
"It was like Picasso, like a great artist doing his work," says Scott's son, Frank, 67, at StoryCorps. "And he was in that car, he was doing his work. And as children we didn't have that leisure time, you know, we couldn't go to the playground. He said to us, 'I need you at the garage.' I can remember him getting injured, and he'd just take axle grease and put it in the cut and keep working."
But Scott wasn't allowed to race at certain speedways. When he planned to go to Atlanta, he even received death threats.
"Daddy said, 'Look, if I leave in a pine box, that's what I gotta do. But I'm gonna race,' " Frank says. "I can remember him racing in Jacksonville, and he beat them all, but they wouldn't drop the checkered flag. And then when they did, they had my father in third place. One of the main reasons that they gave was there was a white beauty queen, and they always kissed the driver."
"Did he ever consider not racing anymore?" asks Scott's grandson, Warrick, 37.
"Never," Frank says. "That was one of my daddy's sayings: 'When it's too tough for everybody else, it's just right for me.' "
Before the Atlanta 500 in 1964, Scott was sick and needed an operation, but he refused not to race.
"And so, I said, 'Daddy, we don't have to race,' " Frank says. "He whispered to me and said, 'Lift my legs up and put me in the car.' So, I took my arms and put them behind his legs and kind of acted like I was hugging him and helped him into the car. He drove 500 miles that day."
Wendell Scott (right) and his son Frank in Darlington, S.C., in 1970. Wendell Scott becomes the first African-American driver inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday. (Courtesy of the Scott family)
"How did his racing career officially end?" Warrick asks.
Scott's career ended only because he couldn't afford to race anymore. No one would financially support his career.
"Where other drivers that we were competing against had major sponsorships, providing them engineers, as many cars as they needed," Frank says, "he did everything that he did out of his own pocket.
"He always felt like someday he's going to get his big break," Frank adds. "But for 20 years nobody mentioned Wendell Scott. At one point it was like he never existed. But he didn't let it drive him crazy. I think that's what made him so great. He chose to be a race car driver, and he was going to race until he couldn't race no more."
Produced for Morning Edition by Jud Esty-Kendall and John White. To hear audio of this story, click through to npr.org.
Filed under: African-American race car drivers, black race car drivers, Frank Scott, NASCAR, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Warrick Scott, Wendell Scott
African-American Firsts, Awards/Honors, Commemorations, History, Sports	 May 25, 2014
Wendell Scott Becomes 1st Black Man Inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame
Nearly 25 years after his passing, Wendell Scott, the first African-American driver to secure a victory at NASCAR's top level, continues to make history. His legendary career includes a historic premier series victory, championships, and more than 100 wins in NASCAR's regional level divisions. This week, he reached the sport's pinnacle and became a NASCAR Hall of Famer.
Scott, one of NASCAR's true trailblazers, became the first African American elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Wednesday when the 2015 class was announced in a special unveiling at the hall in Charlotte, North Carolina. Accompanying Scott in NASCAR's sixth class are Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Joe Weatherly and Rex White all of whom will be officially enshrined on January 30, 2015 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
"This is a proud day for NASCAR and one of the most significant days in the history of our sport," said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. "We are honored to announce Wendell Scott is a member of our 2015 class of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees. "Wendell had plenty of success in our premier series but his contributions, of course, transcended any results on the race track."
"His importance to our sport grows daily. At NASCAR, we are reminded of that importance with every advancement we make when it comes to diversity and inclusion. All of that can be linked to Wendell Scott. Congratulations go out to the entire Scott family, especially his wife Mary and his children. Wendell is where he belongs, where he has always belonged – in the NASCAR Hall of Fame."
Scott, a skilled mechanic and self-sufficient driver on the race track, looked past the racial prejudice that was widespread during the 1950s and 1960s to pursue his love for racing. Continue reading "Wendell Scott Becomes 1st Black Man Inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame" →
Filed under: African-American race car drivers, Danville, NASCAR, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Virginia, Wendell Scott
Commemorations, News, Records/Prizes, Sports, U.S.	 October 26, 2013 October 26, 2013
Darrell Wallace is 1st African-American to Win NASCAR National Race in 50 Years
Darrell Wallace Jr. celebrates winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 on Saturday, October 26.
(CNN) — It's one win for Darrell Wallace Jr., but what will it mean for other African-American race car drivers — present and future? The answer to that question might not come for years. Nonetheless, NASCAR wasted no time Saturday in hailing Wallace's on-track success at Martinsville Speedway in southern Virginia.
"We congratulate Darrell Wallace Jr. on his first national series victory, one that will be remembered as a remarkable moment in our sport's history," said NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France. Wallace took the Kroger 200 on the racing circuit's Camping World Truck Series, which is on NASCAR's third tier.
Still, it is notable given that no African-American has won any NASCAR national series race since December 1, 1963, when Wendell Scott became the first ever to win a race at NASCAR's top level, in a victory at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida. Scott, a Virginia native who served in the Army during World War II, raced in more than 500 races during his career — finishing in the top five 20 times, though that would be his only victory.
Plus, the 20-year-old Wallace isn't just any driver. He's a highly touted graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity, having been featured in numerous local and national publications. The Mobile, Alabama, native — who lives in Concord, North Carolina — won in his 19th start on Camping World Truck circuit. In 10 of his first 18 starts, he finished in the top 10. Shortly after the Martinsville race ended, Wallace — using his twitter handle @BubbaWallace — reveled in the victory.
He wrote: "We Came. We Saw. We Conquered."
article by Greg Botelho via cnn.com
Filed under: black drivers in NASCAR, Brian France, Camping World Truck Series, Darrell Wallace, drag racing, Florida, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR Drive for Diversity, Speedway Park, Virginia, Wendell Scott
Sports	 February 19, 2013
Teen Making History as 4th Black Driver in NASCAR
Darrell Wallace, Jr., driver of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, poses with the Coors Pole award after qualifying for pole position for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East American Real TV 150 at Dover International Speedway on September 28, 2012 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Darrell Wallace Jr., is set to make history as only the fourth black driver with a full-time ride in a NASCAR series. Wallace takes the wheel for the Truck Series race Friday at Daytona International Speedway. He is signed with Joe Gibbs Racing and will drive the No. 54 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Wallace joins Wendell Scott, Willy T. Ribbs and Bill Lester as the only full-time black drivers in the 65-year history of NASCAR. Scott, one of the original pioneers, is the only black driver to win a race. Wallace, the son of a white father and black mother, openly talks of becoming the Tiger Woods of NASCAR. He wants to become a star who can transcend the sport and prove people of all colors can race.
Copyright 2013 Dan Gelston, The Associated Press via thegrio.com
Filed under: black NASCAR drivers, car racing, Darrell Wallace Jr., Daytona Beach, Florida, NASCAR, sports, teen NASCAR drivers
News, Politics, Sports, U.S.	 September 25, 2012
Obama Leads Romney Among NASCAR Fans By Seven Points
President Barack Obama and Nascar Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart pose for a photo during a visit by the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to the White House on April 17, 2012 in Washington, DC. President Obama hosted the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart to honor his championship season. (Photo by Ned Dishman/Getty Images for NASCAR)
President Barack Obama's recent lead in the polls has extended to some unexpected corners of the electorate. According to a new Zogby poll, the president is beating Republican Mitt Romney by 7 points with NASCAR fans. The Huffington Post has more: Continue reading "Obama Leads Romney Among NASCAR Fans By Seven Points" →
Filed under: Mitt Romney, NASCAR, polls, President Barack Obama, Tony Stewart, Washington DC
News, Sports	 October 1, 2010 July 12, 2012
Sixteen Year-Old NASCAR Driver Darrell Wallace, Jr. Earns 2020 Sunoco Rookie Of The Year Award!
Sixteen year-old Darrell Wallace, Jr. has earned 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
Wallace compiled five top-fives and seven top-10s in 10 races and finished third in the overall season standings. His rookie campaign was highlighted by victories at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway and Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway. Winning the Greenville race in his series debut marked the first victory in the 24-year history of the K&N Pro Series East for an African-American driver.
Read more: http://www.whowon.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=230&StoryID=298384
Filed under: NASCAR, race car driving, Rookie of The Year, Sunoco
African-American Firsts, History, Sports	 March 28, 2010 September 9, 2012
Darrell Wallace Jr. Becomes First African-American And Youngest Driver To Win NASCAR Event
History was made Saturday night in NASCAR—though most people may not know of it and who the subject of it is.
Darrell Wallace Jr. was brought into NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program and on Saturday, made his debut in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
Wallace Jr. ran well all night long and when it came to the green-white-checkered, he put himself in position to challenge for the win. On the final lap of the race, he made the move and took the lead from fellow rookie Cole Whitt to win the race.
With the race win, Darrell Wallace Jr. accomplished a lot things of that'll be remembered for a long time.
First, he became the first African-American to win in series history.
Second, he became the youngest winner ever in the K&N Pro Series East (16 years, 5 months, and 19 days). The previous youngest winner with Brett Moffitt (16 years, 9 months, and 27 days) with his win last season at South Boston Speedway.
Lastly, he gave the Drive for Diversity program its first East victory in history. The program had accomplished two wins previously in the K&N Pro Series West, yet this marked on the East side.
Wallace Jr. started racing when he was nine years old and in 2005, he won 35 of the 48 Bandolero races he entered. He won the championship that year and became the first driver in history to win all six races of Charlotte Motor Speedway's Winter Heat on the way to the title.
In 2006, he moved up to the Late Models and registered 11 wins and 34 top 10s in 38 races.
In 2007, he moved up to the late model division and competed in a variety of tracks. In 2008, his late model career took off as he became the youngest Late Model feature winner at Franklin County Speedway. His 2009 season included three wins and 11 top fives in 23 starts, nine of which were UARA Late Model races.
In 2010, he was pinned to be one of the Drive for Diversity Program drivers and is also a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. Joe Gibbs Racing has already pulled talents like Joey Logano and Matt DiBenedetto from the K&N Pro Series in the past.
For the 2010 K&N Pro Series East division, he'll be driving for Max Siegel, who used to be a part of the management at Earnhardt-Ganassi (then Dale Earnhardt Inc).
Siegel jumped on board with the Drive for Diversity program in June of 2009, which is a program that looks to give female and minority race car drivers an opportunity to show their talents.
Siegel then helped start Revolution Racing as part of a company by the name of 909 Group. He wanted the drivers that are part of the program had a good team to run for. The team put past K&N East Series champion/car owner Andy Santerre in charge of operations due to his past experience. They also have brought in other drivers and crew chief from the three main divisions to be able to mentor the drivers.
So far the program has turned out to be a success as it has allowed drivers like Wallace Jr. to showcase their talents, get out there with strong cars and also lock up deals with major NASCAR teams.
The next K&N Pro Series race is at South Boston Speedway on April 3rd and Wallace Jr. and company look to continue the growth of the program.
Filed under: African-American Firsts, auto racing, Darrell Wallace Jr., NASCAR

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The Hamburg Innovation Summit (#HHIS) is the platform for Transfer Innovation – Innovation scene top-players let inspire themselves by knowledge- and technology based innovations and learn new things about upcoming megatrends. We are working on our vision to create a highly attractive event for top-level decision makers in north europe.
Top players out of economy, science and politics. Meet entrepreneurs, students, startups as well as social agents, with an common interest in latest innovation trends.
Inspiration to start the day right, hands on workshops in the afternoon and in addition an interactive exhibition. Enjoy plenty of opportunities to learn more about what the innovation scene drives.
FUTURE CITY – How will our future life look like?
NEW WORK – How will we work in future?
DEEP TECH – What will be soon "State oft the Art"?


text:
Q: Zariski density of conjugates of $SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$ in $Sp_{2g}$ Let $Sp_2g$ be the symplectic group defined over $\mathbb{Q}$. Consider $SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$ as a subgroup of $Sp_{2g}(\mathbb{Z})$ (the embedding that I have in mind is $A\to \begin{pmatrix}
A& 0\\
0& I_{2g-2}
\end{pmatrix}$, but you can take any algebraic group embedding which yields a positive answer to the following question).
Is it true that there eixst finitely many $g_i\in Sp_{2g}(\mathbb{Q})$ such that the $\mathbb{Q}$-Zariski closure of $\cup_i g_i SL_2(\mathbb{Z})g_i^{-1}$ is equal to $Sp_{2g}$? i.e. that this union is Zariski-dense in $Sp_{2g}$? If yes, what conditions and restrictions should these elements satisfy? How should the $g_i$ be chosen? I would appreciate any result, comments or reference in this direction.

A: This seems impossible to me, at least with the kind of embedding considered or anything remotely close to it. I'll think classically, in terms of $\mathbb{C}$ points. Your embedding $SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$ sits inside $SL_2(\mathbb{C}) \subset Sp_{2g}(\mathbb{C})$. Note that $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ is three dimensional. So the Zariski closure of $\bigcup g_i SL_2(\mathbb{Z}) g_i^{-1}$ is contained in the closed subscheme $\bigcup g_i SL_2(\mathbb{C}) g_i^{-1}$. But the latter is a union of finitely many $3$-dimensional varieties, so it can't fill up the $2g^2+g>3$ dimensional variety $Sp_{2g}(\mathbb{C})$.
This argument applies whenever the map $SL_2(\mathbb{Z}) \to Sp_{2g}(\mathbb{Z})$ extends to a map $SL_2(\mathbb{C}) \to Sp_{2g}(\mathbb{C})$. If you just ask for a map of abstract groups, ignoring algebraic geometry, I don't know what to expect.

A: Even for any algebraic group embedding of $SL_2$ into $Sp_{2g}$, with an arbitrary amount of conjugation by arbitrary elements, the answer is no. Consider the matrix $\begin{pmatrix} \lambda & 0 \\ 0 & \lambda^{-1} \end{pmatrix}$ in $SL_2$. Its image under the algebraic group embedding is some $2g \times 2g$ matrix whose eigenvalues are powers of $\lambda$. The characteristic polynomial of this matrix is some $2g$-tuple of polynomials in $\lambda$, all defined over $\mathbb Z$, whose image is a $1$-dimensional subvariety, defined over $\mathbb Q$, of the space of polynomials.
Because elements conjugate to this one are dense in $SL_2(\mathbb C)$, the image of every element of $SL_2(\mathbb C)$ under the characteristic polynomial map is contained in this $1$-dimensional $\mathbb Q$-subvariety. The same is true for any number (even an infinite number) of conjugate copies of $SL_2$.  Because the characteristic polynomials of elements of $Sp_{2g}$ form a $g$-dimensional variety, there is no way this union can be $\mathbb Q$-Zariski dense.

A: As requested, here is a construction (a sketch only) of faithful representations $PSL(2, {\mathbb Z})$ to $PSp(n, {\mathbb Z})$ with Zariski dense images. I will add some details when and if I have time.
I will work modulo the center(s), taking care of the latter takes extra effort. First note that $\Gamma=PSp(n, {\mathbb Z})$ contains involutions $\sigma$ which act as Cartan involutions on the associated symmetric space of $Sp(n, {\mathbb R})$. Let $\tau$ denote an order 3 element of $PSp(n, {\mathbb Z})$ coming  from the block-diagonal embedding of $SL(2, {\mathbb Z})$ as in your question. Now, choose a generic sufficiently long (say, in the word metric, but you can also use a matrix norm) element $\gamma\in \Gamma$ and consider the representation $PSL(2, {\mathbb Z})\cong Z_3 \star Z_2\to \Gamma$ sending the generator of $Z_3$ to $\tau$ and the generator of $Z_2$ to the conjugate $\gamma \sigma \gamma^{-1}$. The claim is that such representations do the job.  A proof is (mostly) a certain ping-pong argument.
Of course, I recognize that this is not what OP had in mind, but it is a response to a remark in David's answer.

A: A complement to David's answer. Zariski dense (faithful) representations of the $2, 4, 5$ triangle group are constructed by Long and Thistlethwaite's Zariski dense surface subgroups in $SL(4, \mathbb{Z}).$ This is not exactly easy (the paper is nicely written, though).


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13 Famous Landmarks in Paris
By Chris Allsop
It can feel like there are little else but famous landmarks in Paris, especially amid the regal, tree-lined avenues and cobbled lanes of the French capital's historic center.
This could have something to do with how the City of Light, with its chic style, peerless cuisine, and dramatic history has achieved a kind of cultural pre-eminence in our collective imaginations. Or maybe it's a straightforward Gallic penchant for flamboyance.
And while it's extraordinary how familiar we feel, even before visiting, about places such as the Eiffel Tower or Notre-Dame Cathedral, what's even more remarkable is seeing these famous monuments in Paris woven into the urban tapestry. Little things like how the light falls through the Louvre's glass pyramid, or the color of the Seine on a spring afternoon.
Charge up your camera battery, and prepare to come face to face with extraordinary cultural treasures that truly live up to their billing.
Here is a list of 13 famous landmarks in Paris.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Opera Garnier
River Seine
Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur
Like the Statue of Liberty (also French), the Eiffel Tower is one of the world's best-known sights. This iron needle is the highest point in the relatively low-rise center of Paris, elegantly planted in the Champs de Mars public park.
Gustave Eiffel's wrought-iron structure was designed to be the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris World's Fair. When it was unveiled it became the world's tallest building. The plan was to have the tower stand only until 1909, but its popularity (and usefulness as a radiotelegraph post) ensured its permanence.
Be sure to book in advance if you intend to ride the elevators (or take the stairs) to the tower's various viewing platforms. You'll be forgiven for being distracted from the view of the city's elegant urban planning by the Michelin-starred menu at the Jules Verne restaurant on the tower's second floor.
Built to commemorate the success of the French at the Battle of the Three Emperors—Napoleon's greatest military success—the Arc de Triomphe is much more than a decorative roundabout at the northern end of Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
Perhaps the country's most potent patriotic symbol, the world's largest triumphal arch took 30 years to build and was modeled after the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
The three-decade construction schedule was less about any architectural difficulties and more about a hiatus resulting from Napoleon's unseating as emperor. However, 19 years after the French had downed tools, the work was finished by King Louis-Philippe I and dedicated to the French armed forces.
The arch is engraved with famous victories and the names of French generals, while beneath is buried an "Unknown Soldier". It is possible to climb 300 steps to the viewing platform at the top of one of the most famous monuments in Paris, for far-reaching views across the rooftops while 2CVs and scooters circle below.
Another of the most famous landmarks in Paris, the Louvre is an intrinsically Parisian building and brand (despite its most famous treasure, the Mona Lisa, being Italian). Architect I. M. Pei's modern glass pyramid, enclosed within the baroque embrace of a former 12th-century fortress, is a breathtaking juxtaposition to witness in person.
On your first visit, you might have your heart set on seeing the Mona Lisa. It's an achievable goal but bear in mind that the viewing space in front of the world's most famous painting (in what is arguably the world's most famous art gallery) can become crowded. If your schedule allows, consider an evening visit on Wednesday or Friday instead.
Of course, if you don't fancy the Mona melee, the world's largest museum has more than enough alternative treasures with which to slake your cultural thirst. There's the Venus de Milo, the atmospheric The Raft of the Medusa, or the imposing Winged Bulls from Mesopotamia.
Read: Summer in France
One of the famous monuments in Paris that owe their existence to an exhibition—in this instance the 1900 Universal Exhibition—the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées (to give it its full title) is the haughtiest building in the central, extremely snooty 8th arrondissement.
The imposing art nouveau structure has a striking resumé. In the past, it has been a WWI military hospital, a Nazi truck depot, and the headquarters of the French resistance. Today, it is still used as an event space, although beneath Europe's largest steel and glass ceiling you'll also find a science museum and the engrossing exhibitions of the National Galleries.
One of the most beautiful churches in the world, robed in a truly outsized aura, Notre-Dame Cathedral is a 12th-century French Gothic edifice brooding on an island in the Seine.
Its instantly recognizable rectangular towers, profusion of flying buttresses, and spectacular rose windows are revered by the religious and non-religious alike. Which isn't to say there haven't been some bumps along the road.
During the French Revolution, the interior of the cathedral was ransacked. However, after the outpouring of feeling in the wake of the devastating fire on April 15, 2019, it's clear that the cathedral remains, for many, intrinsic to their sense of French national identity.
Built in the 19th century, the Opera Garnier was created to be the home of the Paris Opera. The opera moved to the more up-to-date Bastille Opera House in 1989, leaving the Opera Garnier to change its name officially to the Palais Garnier and become more of a home for ballet.
However, what happens on stage at the Opera Garnier is almost irrelevant, so distracting is the marble and gilt grandeur of the Napoleon III-era interior of this, one of the best theaters in the world.
You can take yourself on a self-guided tour (complete with tablet guide) of this dazzling interior, with its Belle Epoque galleries, immensely grand staircase, and horseshoe-shaped auditorium with a ceiling painted by Marc Chagall.
On your travels, you'll also discover a library and the Musee de l'Opera museum within. Don't forget to check out Box Five, which is dedicated to Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera; it's there that the 1909 story is set.
One of the city's main public squares located at the eastern end of Les Champs, the Place de la Concorde was once known by another name: the Place de la Revolution.
During the French Revolution, the Place de la Concorde was selected as the site for the public executions of the King and Queen of France (and many others). The revolutionaries pulled down the statue of Louis XV, for whom the square was originally named, and a guillotine was erected.
It's this bloody past that led to the renaming of the square as Place de la Concorde. Its original regal swagger remains, however, with statues at each of the square's eight angles, monumental fountains, and the yellow granite obelisk centerpiece that once stood at the entrance to Egypt's Luxor Temple.
The world's most famous street? The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (shortened to 'Les Champs') is both stately thoroughfare and close to a mile of supreme retail therapy.
Les Champs, as the flagship address for retail super-brands both shiny new and classic, plants the flag for the French capital's claim to be the best shopping city in Europe. Beneath the plane trees, you'll find every major luxury brand represented.
Champs Élysées
Duck beneath legendary Ladurée's gilt and verdigris awning for some sweet sustenance while browsing. And be sure to save plenty of time to gaze upon the alluring window displays, framed by art deco lines, of the flagship Louis Vuitton store, listed as a historical monument.
But Les Champs is about more than just fancy bags. It's a gathering place for citizens, a Tour de France finishing line, a New Year's Eve singalong spot, and a World Cup-winning frenzy. If you're there on the first Sunday of the month, Les Champs is also blissfully car-free for the day.
The River Seine is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. It is more than just a landmark that Paris is famous for, of course—its very presence attracted the proto-Parisians to the site when Place de la Concorde was just a swampy patch of grass.
Today, this broad, silvery-green conduit of history and sleek restaurant boats divides the grey mansard roofs of Paris into Left and Right Banks. The eight miles of river within the city boundaries has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Some of its 37 bridges share that designation, such as the Pont Neuf—the city's oldest standing bridge.
For the citizens of Paris, its spacious riverside walkways offer a calm respite from the capital's busy streets as well as a place to cool off in July. The Seine is lined with many of the city's finest buildings and a saunter along its route, encountering artists selling their wares and the occasional open-air book store, is a must when visiting the city.
Read: What Is France Known For?
While located in the relatively distant 18th arrondissement, the exotic white domes of the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur (sacred heart) vie with the Eiffel Tower as the city's most eye-catching landmark.
Inspired by San Mark's Basilica in Venice, the Sacré-Coeur caps the higgedly-piggedly, bistro-busy lanes of the trendy Montmartre neighborhood. You'll find the church's Roman-Byzantine architecture at the conclusion of 222 steps leading up from verdant Square Louise Michel.
Sacré-Coeur is the country's second most visited religious monument after Notre-Dame. Take a look inside and you'll be bowled over by France's largest mosaic (5,166 square feet), or climb the dome. For many, though, the panorama of Paris from the top of the 222 steps is all they require.
The Centre Pompidou is, ostensibly, a gallery created by President Pompidou as a flag-bearer for Paris's contemporary art.
It's an enjoyably quirky building to admire, having been built by architects Renzo Piano, Su Rogers, and Richard Rogers in the "high tech" architecture style. Its industrial facade, for some, hasn't perhaps aged as well as it might have, but it remains distinctly original amid the primarily classical style of the city center.
Inside is as busy as the exterior with a cinema, major public library, and a program of concerts—just some of the offerings on hand within this beloved cultural center. And then there's the permanent collection of modern art—one of Europe's largest—with important works by Man Ray, Duchamp, and Picasso. Head up the sixth-floor terrace, too, for incredible views over the city.
Musée d'Orsay is one of the gorgeous, outsized buildings left over from the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900. It's also another utterly wonderful Parisian art gallery mostly overshadowed (at least in some visitors' minds) by the nearby Louvre.
They're missing out. Within France, the d'Orsay is one of the most famous monuments in Paris and almost as instantly recognizable as the Louvre. A former railway station positioned on the Left Bank, its Beaux-Arts industrial good looks recall those of the Grand Palais.
If you're a fan of Impressionism, then the d'Orsay should be your first stop. Beneath its high-ceilinged, curving corridors you'll find names such as Renoir, Manet, and Van Gogh. On the top floor, the masterpieces hanging on the walls include Renoir's Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette and Paul Cézanne's The Card Players.
If Marie Antoinette were visiting Paris today and could tell us which was her favorite bridge over the Seine, she'd probably, without hesitation, choose the Pont Alexandre III.
It's not just that this bridge, connecting the Grand Palais with the Invalides military history complex, is named for a former Tsar who sealed the Franco-Russian Alliance (since expired). It's that the bridge is weighed down with golden nymphs, cherubs, and winged horses.
Designed to harmonize with the architecture of the Grand Palais, the Pont Alexandre III is among the most famous landmarks in Paris. Underlying its gaudy triumphalism is a coup of 19th century engineering. The engineers succeeded in meeting a brief that insisted the bridge did not obscure the view of the other French landmarks on either approach.
The extrovert style of the Pont Alexandre III has earned it countless movie credits, while its historical and cultural importance has seen it deemed a national historic monument. It's a little like Paris—there's a lot crammed in, but, here, it all seems to just fit perfectly.
Read: Best Things to Do in Paris With Kids
Experience all of these famous landmarks on a luxury cruise to Paris. From the avenues of the City of Light to the glamorous beaches of the Côte D'Azur, France is one of the world's most enchanting destinations.
Browse our cruise itineraries online and book an incredible vacation to France.
Chris Allsop
Chris Allsop is a UK-based food and travel journalist whose writing has appeared in The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, and The Guardian, among other titles. When he's not trying to arrange yet another trip to Italy, he's obsessively on the lookout for new farmhouse cheeses to match up with his latest sour beer.
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text:
Largest-Ever Order of NaturaLINE® Goes To MSC
Leased through SeaCube Containers, the innovative natural refrigerant units will help MSC expand its reefer capability with the most advanced technology available
MSC is investing in the latest generation green technologies with 2,000 refrigerated containers that use Carrier Transicold's NaturaLINE® unit, which innovatively uses the sustainable natural refrigerant carbon dioxide. The containers are being leased through SeaCube Containers.
SINGAPORE - Aug. 22, 2018
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, a global leader in transportation and logistics, will lease 2,000 containers chilled by Carrier Transicold's innovative, natural refrigerant-based NaturaLINE® refrigeration system. The first of its kind, the NaturaLINE unit solves the problem of how to use refrigerants effectively and efficiently – to transport valuable items such as perishable food and pharmaceuticals – while helping to protect the environment. The system utilizes repurposed carbon dioxide (CO2), the refrigerant with the lowest global warming potential (GWP) among all container refrigerants currently in use. MSC's new refrigerated containers – all 40-foot high-cube models – are being leased from SeaCube Containers LLC. Carrier Transicold is part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
"The NaturaLINE unit's innovative use of CO2 is the first of its kind available on the reefer market," said Giuseppe Prudente, chief logistics officer, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. "By providing higher level of performance in the minus 40 degrees Celsius deep-frozen range, we can add new capabilities for our growing customer base, particularly for seafood and other high-value frozen commodities. Moreover, shipping is already one of the most environmentally sustainable forms of cargo transportation, and we are pleased to continue to improve our environmental performance by equipping our fleet with the latest green technologies."
The ability to achieve minus 40 Celsius was previously only attainable in container systems using a refrigerant with a GWP nearly 4,000 times higher. The NaturaLINE unit has managed this, along with high efficiency, a quiet operation and tight temperature control.
"We commend MSC and SeaCube for their investment in environmentally sustainable refrigeration equipment," said David Appel, president, Carrier Transicold & Refrigeration Systems. "The NaturaLINE unit, with CO2 refrigerant, takes users directly to an end state by guarding against regulations, environmental taxes and phase outs that other refrigerants will be subject to during their operational lifespan. In addition, CO2 is non-ozone depleting, widely available, relatively inexpensive and nonflammable."
Carrier Transicold recognized the need for refrigeration technology that would neutralize concerns over GWP – in much the same way that it led the industry away from ozone-depleting refrigerants ahead of Montreal Protocol deadlines 25 years ago.
"In taking leadership to provide a natural-refrigerant solution, Carrier Transicold created what is perhaps the most sound investment a leasing company and shipping line can make – a refrigerated container that will not become obsolete in its lifetime due to pressures from environmental legislation," said Robert Sappio, CEO, SeaCube. "By fulfilling the NaturaLINE unit's first order of this magnitude, SeaCube is pleased to be part of this important development for the shipping industry."
MSC will begin taking delivery of its new containers from SeaCube later in the year. The NaturaLINE units will be supported by Carrier Transicold's global service network. For more information about the NaturaLINE refrigeration unit from Carrier Transicold, visit www.transicold.carrier.com.
About Carrier TransicoldCarrier Transicold commemorates its heritage of container refrigeration innovation and leadership in 2018 by marking the 50th anniversary of its pioneering front-wall container refrigeration unit design. Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. Carrier Transicold is an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.transicold.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain.
About MSCWith global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. is a privately owned global shipping company founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte. As one of the world's leading container shipping lines, MSC operates 480 offices across 155 countries worldwide with over 70,000 employees. MSC's shipping line sails on more than 200 trade routes, calling at over 500 ports, with access to an integrated network of road, rail and sea transport resources that stretches across the globe. www.msc.com
About SeaCubeSeaCube Containers LLC, Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, owns and manages both dry and refrigerated shipping containers and generator sets used to power refrigerated containers when transported over land for prolonged periods of time while en-route to their final destinations. Providing global coverage, the company leases out equipment primarily under long-term contracts to the world's largest shipping lines.


A collection-based game where your objective is to get all 3 of the keys. Includes a long chain of item-building that could all be lost at a moment's notice.
i recognized one enemy off the bak:the gorrila wit a bakpack is from that wario game where the first boss is a plum.
The game doesn't work cause there's an error that appears when you run it.
pretty sweet for an mario fangame in 2003!
It might be helpful if you could tell what that error was.


text:
Coyotes establish permanent home territories in northwestern Long Island
Dec 02, 2020, 6:01pm EST
Updated on:Dec 02, 2020, 6:01pm EST
The environmental group Seatuck says multiple pairs of coyotes have now established permanent homes on Long Island.
News 12 has been told their territories are in the northwestern part of Long Island.
Experts say the coyotes, which rely on rodents, birds, insects, and plants to survive, will have a positive impact on our ecological health.
Researchers say they spotted the first coyote on the Island back in 2009.
Wildlife Biologist Mike Bottini, with Seatuck, says there are multiple mating pairs living on Long Island.
He says over the past 100 years coyotes have migrated from the west and finally made it to Long Island.
Bottini says there are now at least nine coyotes on the Island. Six are in the Queens-western Nassau area close to Manhasset and Port Washington. There are three coyotes in Suffolk -- two on the south fork and one in Mattituck.
Bottini says the coyotes came to the Island from the Bronx, either by walking on aqueducts to Queens or by swimming. As the populations grew, the animals were pushed to explore new territory.
Experts say coyotes don't typically live in the woods, they live in urban areas near people. They've been known to make their homes near golf courses and fields.
Bottini says coyotes will go after small animals -- including pets.
He says coyotes are afraid of people, but if one gets too close, never feed it.
"Shout at it, you wave at it, you pick up a rock or a stick and you throw it at it. Keep them on guard when it comes to confronting humans," Bottini said.
Wildlife biologists say people can coexist with coyotes; we just need to take the proper precautions to avoid conflicts with them.


text:
10 Best Android Games for Girls
by Techy Nickk in Games 0 comments
The gaming industry is one of those industries which is growing rapidly with a growth rate of 18% in 2018. Even it is estimated that video games could reach $300 billion dollar industry by 2025. Every day hundreds of people download games on their phones, computer, and consoles and girls are also playing games a lot. Girls are 45% of total gamers in the U.S
Even the average age of gamer girls/females in the U.S is 36 years. So while talking about games we can't forget to talk about girls in our conversation. That's why I wrote this article about 10 best android games for girls.
And if we'll talk about only mobile gamers then girls are dominating this platform because according to the new study of highsnobiety.com 63% of mobile gamers are females and 60% of them play games every day which is more then that of male community in the mobile gaming industry.
So in mobile everyone knows Android is dominating the smartphone OS market that's why we're going to talk about 10 best android games for girls, available in the play store.
Read Also: Best Photo Editor Apps For Smartphone Users
10. Candy Crush: Soda Saga
Here comes the Candy Crush: Soda Saga at the 10th spot on our list. In this game, you just have to match three candies in a single row and bam you'll get points. If you're a girl who loves to play puzzle type games and likes candies then you must download Candy Crush: Soda Saga. This game is different from any other Candy Crush game.
Because here you've to find candy bears in most of the levels and you have to fill every box of candy with the purple soda. This game is very addictive and you'll never find the end of Candy Crush: Soda Saga because with every update developers add some new levels and exciting modes. After all these things I'd say you'll love the background songs of Candy Crush.
Size - 62 MB
Download link - Candy Crush; Soda Saga
09. CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars
CATS is an online multiplayer game where you can fight with unknown players and beat them with your car. You can customize your whole car according to your preference and if you're are a girl who loves to create things and who is curious to know how things work then you must download CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars.
Here you've to unlock the latest weapon for your car to beat enemies and win the match. In CATS you've to clear 24 stages to reach the finals and then you'd become the star of this game globally. CATS is developed by the developers of Cut the Rope, it means there will be no compromise with the graphics and the gameplay. So go ahead and use the customized weapons to defeat your enemies.
Download Link - CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars
Read Also: 10 Best Emoji Apps For Android
08. My Bakery Empire
Hey if you want to become the CEO of your own startup then My Bakery Empire will fulfill your dream because here you've to create the whole empire of your bakery business. The mouth-watering gameplay will make you hungry and cute characters are there for you to entertain. If you're a girl who loves cooking and interested in bakery and love cakes than you must download this game.
In My Bakery Empire, customers will place orders and you have to make cakes according to their needs. In this game, you'd participate in different types of contests and become the winner of those contests. After completing so many orders you'd even unlock new bakeries to expand your bakery business which is very awesome.
Download Link - My Bakery Empire
07. Masha and the Bear
If you're familiar with the Russian TV show Masha and the Bear then you must know that how cool the story was. In this TV show, a retired circus bear decides to live a peaceful life in the middle of a forest but after that, a girl named Masha comes to the forest and met the Bear and changes the life of a peaceful bear. You can watch episodes of Masha and the Bear on Voot and Netflix.
Now let's talk about the game. Here come Masha and the Bear in the 7th spot on our list. In this game, you'll get more than 30+ educational games and you can learn a lot with all these games. Masha and the Bear is made for the small age kids to grow their learning power. So if you've got a baby girl then you must download this game for her because of games like words search, drawing, and some puzzles to boost your kid's ability to get things.
Download Link - Masha and the Bear
Read Also: 10 Best Web Browsers For Android Users
06. Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja is a game where you've to slice fruits with your presence of mind. Fruit Ninja demands full of focus from the player because while slicing fruits you've to avoid bombs. You can get awesome fruit combos and time limits can give you a lot of stress while playing this game. Background sound is awesome graphics are very good and this is easy to play the game.
You can unlock different types of blades from which you can slice the fruits and every blade contains some extra power in it. After improving your skills, you can even join events in this game to unlock new blades easily. For girls, it's a time killer so if you want to pass your time quickly then you should check out this game.
Download Link - Fruit Ninja
05. Hay Day
Here comes Hay Day where you can create your own farm but first you've to clear the place from the bushes and small grass which is not good for your farming plans. In this game, you can make shelters for your pet animals like pigs, sheep, and horses. You can create awesome things on your farm and talk to your neighbors globally which is a very good feature of this game.
If you're a girl who is curious to know about farming or interested in the same field then you can download this game to get some idea that how farming looks like and how much hard it is. Here you can trade your things to the person who is willing to purchase or need that thing. In Hay Day you've to feed animals and take care of them.
Size - 109 MB
Download Link - Hay Day
04. Angry Birds
When wingless birds are angry and want to take revenge then you must stay out from their way. The whole game is based on birds who are angry because of the pigs who stole bird's eggs. In Angry Birds, you'll see different types of birds with different types of powers I personally enjoy this game a lot while playing it because of its a puzzle game with funny background sound and lovely graphics.
this is one of the best android games for girls because you'll see so many characters which are specially made for the girls and showing the women empowerment in this game. The story mode of Angry Birds is very amazing and interesting because you'll see every time some new things in this game. So if you're a girl who likes to play puzzle game with story then you must download this game.
Size - Depends on which part you want to download
Download Link - Angry Birds
Read Also: 10 Best Android Games in the Market for Free
03. Cut the Rope 2
I've played Cut the Rope 2 a lot because it is a very addictive and awesome game. In this game, you've to cut the ropes and make way for candy to reach the Om named monster like a baby. In Cut the Rope 2 you'll see so many different characters to play with and everyone have their own abilities. Girl's mind processing power is more than that of boys that's why in best android games for girls list there are so many puzzle type games.
You'll never get bored by playing this game because you'll find different places in this game and even you can unlock new things. And if you're tired of solving puzzles in Cut the Rope 2 then you can watch cartoon stories of this epic game without closing the application.
Download Link - Cut the Rope 2
Read Also: 10 Best Photo Editor Apps For Android
02. Pet Rescue Saga
This game is a bit different from others because in this you just need to match two same color boxes and bam you'll get points but while getting scores you need to save pets to clear the level because this is the main work in Pet Rescue Saga. If you're a girl who loves pets and wants to save some baby animals then you must download this game because here you'll get the right opportunity.
In this game, you have to save many types of baby animals like puppy, pig, and turtle. Some extra features like explosions balloons, boosters, and many more things are waiting for you in Pet Rescue Saga. You can compete with your friends and go-ahead from them in this game. And the interesting part of this game is that every 2 weeks new levels added to this game.
Download link - Per Rescue Saga
Read Also: Must-Have Smartphone Apps
01. Candy Crush: Saga
Candy Crush: Saga is the game where you can crush as much as candies you want in the limited moves. This game is dominated by women because 69% of users of this game are women. All I can for this game is that you'll never get bored from it because of hundreds of levels with new challenges and lovely graphics will tell you to play this game more and more.
Good things about Candy Crush is that you'll never lose your progress if you've logged in with your Facebook account and awesome extra boost up features which will help you to clear the levels. Game is full of chocolate and candies so if you love candies and chocolates then this game is for you. Candy Crush Saga is one of the best android game for girls.
Download Link - Candy Crush: Saga
Tags: Games


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Okay, I am completely blown away by the people who review sports games. It's nothing short of incredible, really.
I did some research after hearing about the game-killing bug in the PSP version of NCAA 2007. On running plays, the ball is spotted where the runner is first touched by the defense. Not tackled--touched.
In other words, it's NCAA 2007: Two-Below (Doug Walsh suggested that).
That's a recall situation. As a game ranking, that's a big fat zero.
Now check out these excerpts from some of the reviews. They're classic.
I noticed that the ball is spotted where the ball carrying player is initially hit, instead of where his knee hits the ground, which can lead to some frustrating results on running plays. It'll be important to note that the initial point of contact on tackles is where your yardage gained will end -- a serious bug in an otherwise enticing running game.
Hey, no problem, though. He even finds the bug and it's still "Great!"
...spotting the ball seems to be slightly off--a three-yard gain on the ground sometimes is spotted as no gain at all.
He didn't even play the game long enough to clue in on what was going on. Well done.
IGN is the best, though. Curiously, even though Gamespot and Gamespy's build had the bug in it, IGN claims their review build didn't. I find that very interesting, but let's move on. They've adjusted their review score to reflect the bug in the running game, and now they've given the game a 6.9, which is "passable."
So here's what we've got: a bug that renders the game unplayable. Period. No one can play the game for any length of time with two-below rules on running plays. Yet Gamespy still gives the game 4 stars out of 5, and IGN gives it 6.9 out of 10!
What does a game have to do for IGN to give it a "not passable" score--set your PSP on fire?
Oh, wait-that would be a 5.2.


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Featured Story / april 2014
Big is Back
By Carol McGarvey
The economy is on an upswing. And so is the interest in luxury housing in the metro market, according to area home builders who specialize in custom homes.
"Everyone has felt the effects of the downturn in the economy the last few years," says Jim Harmeyer of Tyler Homes in Altoona. "But things are definitely turning around," says the busy builder who constructs 20 to 25 custom homes each year. Homes costing $500,000 and above fit into the luxury category, in his opinion. He has been in the business for 22 years.
For some, luxury might be measured in square footage. But Harmeyer says it's not always about the 7,000- or 8,000-square-foot home. "A home in the 4,500-square-foot range can cost $1.5 million or more, depending on the amenities and materials. People tend to want a huge kitchen, a large master bedroom suite with volume ceilings, large foyers, and lots of windows."
In the Midwest, Too
A recent story in the New York Times discussed the cutbacks and now the return in luxury home interest in larger markets around the country. But the trend also is hitting Iowa, say the local builders. Buyers never really abandoned the idea of luxury homes. Instead, they just took a sabbatical. And now they are back.
"What's interesting," says Kevin DePhillips of Homes by DePhillips, "is that many homeowners are skipping one phase in the upscale market. Some clients who built earlier in the $300,000 to $400,000 range would normally move up to the $600,000 to $700,000 range for their next home. Instead, though, they're jumping directly up to the $1 million-plus range. It's very interesting." Kevin works with his father, Mick DePhillips, who started the company in 1973. They build about a dozen custom homes each year.
Kevin Johnson, who started Accurate Development in 1991, has about 30 housing starts this year. He mostly builds custom homes and also does some specs. "That way, people can see what we can do."
Return of Confidence
Johnson feels the economy is rebounding at a nice pace and homeowners are more confident about building. "While 5,000 square feet and above fits into the luxury market, it's not really about the size of the home. It's really more about the choice of higher-end materials and about how the space is to be used."
He says clients are choosing homes that are less formal and with more usable spaces. There's a bathroom for every bedroom, along with nicer details throughout the home.
Other luxury home options that are catching on are the large laundry/mudroom areas with lots of built-in storage wherever possible. The mudroom area, often with cubbies, provides a spot to store backpacks, coats, and boots near the entrance to the garage.
Media rooms, sunrooms, and the so-called "dirty kitchens," or prep kitchens, are must-haves for some homeowners. DePhillips has added some prep kitchens locally. "It's a separate, smaller kitchen space off the main kitchen. It's a place to prep food for a dinner or a party without the mess being in the main kitchen," he explains. "It's also the place where smaller appliances such as the coffeemaker or the espresso machine or the big mixer can be placed and left out. That way they don't clutter the counter space in the main kitchen."
Another must for many is the walk-in pantry, again to cut the use of space in the bigger kitchen. "They keep getting larger and larger," says Harmeyer. Some years back he started adding the "grocery getter" to his pantry plans. A small door from the garage directly into the pantry offers a means to unload groceries directly from a vehicle into the pantry without carrying bags through the house.
Other Luxury Trends
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) cites other trends for the luxury market. One is green building, reflecting an interest in concern for the environment. Features such as solar panels, water-saving appliances, and renewable building materials are becoming more important to many homeowners.
Still other clients want the addition of yoga studios, resistance pools, and dedicated fitness rooms. Screened porches for entertainment and relaxation also make many wish lists, along with high-tech amenities often to be controlled by smartphones.
A newcomer to clients' wish lists is elevators, Harmeyer says. "I'm seeing that clients in their mid-40s are taking a good hard look at the future. They might want a two-story home for this phase of their family life, but they understand that a two-story might not be what they want or need 25 years down the road. They are wanting to put in elevators to allow for those changes. They are looking at their home as a luxury investment in the future." He is currently building a home with an elevator in central Iowa.
Another trend Harmeyer sees is the aspect of multigenerational living. "They might be thinking that their aging parents will need a place to live at some point. Health issues are becoming a focal point for them. It's a form of long-term planning to consider these matters while they are building now. It's a way to create suites for their parents instead of care facilities." Such suites might include a living area, kitchenette, full bath, and bedroom spaces. It gives the family members some privacy but still has them close by.
The NAHB also says universal design, which features wide doors, lower countertops, and minimal stairs, is a consideration for many clients looking to build a home to stay in as they age.
"The sky's the limit, that's for sure," says DePhillips.
Johnson agrees. "The industry truly is back in the swing of things."
Hot Trends: Kitchens & Baths
Builder Design Centers


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Footymad
Sky Blues Mad
Sky Blues Latest
Sky Blues News
City To Launch Pictures Website
Last updated : 13 November 2011 By Covsupport News Service
Coventry City are to launch a pictures website in the run up to Christmas.
The club have developed a new site with Binley based company Arena Images to ' give supporters access to an extensive library of images from the last fifty years of Sky Blues' history'.
City's Retail boss Justin Tose is quoted as saying: "There are so many wonderful moments in Coventry City's history that been captured by photographers over the last five decades.
"We have a vast library of images which cover the drama of FA Cup ties as well as the magical day at Wembley and encounters from the Premier League against the likes of Manchester United.
"Then there are moments which are engrained in every Sky Blues supporter's mind of the last day at Highfield Road as well as the first day at the Ricoh Arena.
"The website will give supporters the chance to go through the library and choose which photos they would like to order."
The website when it is launched can be found at www.coventrycitypics.com
Football.co.uk


FSA Data: Farm 26 Farmland 161.3 Ac. Cropland 149.6 Ac. Corn Base 72 Ac. Corn Yield D 111 bu. Corn Yield CC 112 bu. Soybean Ac. 73.8 Ac. Soybean Direct Yield 30 bu. Soybean CC Yield 36 bu.
Section 8, Boone Twp., Cass County, IN. 3 Miles west of Royal Center, IN on SR 16 to CR 900 W, then 2 miles north on CR 900 W & 900 N.


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Category Archives: PLO
Three Thoughts on the release of FRUS: Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1969-1972
Posted on August 21, 2015 by Jeremy Pressman
A new Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) volume is out on US policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict, 1969-1972.[1] While I was not able to read the whole volume yet, I set aside some time to read through the documents from the year 1970. I wanted to share three impressions. Without going back and looking at the existing secondary histories, I cannot tell you that these are new revelations. But either way, I found the documents of interest.
1. First, on October 23, 1970, CIA Director Richard Helms reported that a Fatah official had contacted the United States and wanted to talk with the United States, including about the idea of a two-state resolution.[2] As I read the texts, the clear implication was that Fatah was open to discussing a two-state solution in 1970. The US government kept the backchannel conversation going but declined to set an agenda and send a representative to hold official secret talks with Fatah.[3]
A month later, on November 24, Helms told Kissinger, then the National Security Advisor, that the Fatah contact told the CIA that Fatah had completed plans for a Palestinian state alongside Israel, and the idea had the support of all the Arab states except Jordan. In terms of territory, the state would include the "West Bank of Jordan, the Gaza Strip – with unimpeded access between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – certain (unstated) portions of the East Bank of Jordan, and internationalization of the Old City of Jerusalem." So not only was the United States aware that Fatah was interested in two states but also aware that the idea had wider Arab support.[4] The CIA continued contact at least into early 1971; the Fatah official was pressing the United States to set an agenda for an official (secret) dialogue but the USG did not. Though it is now 45 years later, the name of the Fatah contact was kept classified in the FRUS volume.
2. Second, as this was happening, a much larger discussion was taking place at the highest levels of the US government to consider changes in US policy toward the Palestinians.[5] The first shift was straightforward. Was the Palestinian question now more than just a refugee question? (For example, remember that the only reference to Palestinians in UNSC Resolution 242 of 1967 was as refugees and without even using the word Palestinian.) The US answer was yes; the Palestinians had become an independent, if fragmented, political force. "The Palestine question can only be settled with the Palestinians."[6]
But that left two other challenging and inter-related questions. What endpoint did the United States favor, an independent Palestine or an autonomous Palestine in association with Jordan? Also, what role would King Hussein play? Should the United States bypass the King, consult the King, or should the King be able to veto changes in US policy toward the Palestinians?
At a December 17, 1970 meeting of the Senior Review Group, US policymakers agreed they favored a Palestinian entity, maybe a state, in the West Bank and Gaza in association with Hashemite Jordan.[7] They did not want to specify what would be the borders of the state in the West Bank and instead used the phrase with "whatever frontiers might be agreed." Kissinger was against the idea of committing to the 1967 lines. They did not favor an independent Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza and feared Palestinian irredentism toward Jordan in such a scenario. Consequently, they also did not favor an independent Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza, and parts or all of the East Bank of Jordan.
In theory, US officials knew they could dump Hussein and work directly with the fedayeen – Arafat, PLO – but they were unwilling to do so. In the internal US minutes and memos, one senses US loyalty to King Hussein. Kissinger had mixed feelings about consulting Jordan: "Would we ask [King] Hussein if he minds if we deal with the [Palestinian] fedayeen? This is like a wife asking her husband if he minds if she commits adultery."[8] But in the end, the United States wanted to get a feel for the King's view of how to handle the Palestine issue and the possibility of US contacts directly with Palestinians. Washington instructed the US Ambassador to Jordan to discuss the "Palestinian factor" with King Hussein. The King had a measured response.[9]
Hal Saunders, a key US official on Arab-Israeli matters, correctly noted a central "con" to Palestinians getting a separate voice and, ultimately, a separate entity: "The Israelis would choke."[10]
As an aside, two other comments struck me as spot on. After a discussion of possible Palestinian-Jordan endpoints, David Packard, Deputy Secretary of Defense, noted something true to this day: "The problems arise in trying to move from here to there."[11]
Helms, the CIA director, also predicted what would happen if Palestinian nationalism was not addressed in political fashion: "In effect, resistance has finally restored the essential degree of national pride to the younger Palestinian generation, and if this pride is not permitted to channel itself into constructive effort (for example, within the context of a Palestine entity), it will vent itself violently and destructively against all foes, real or imagined."[12]
3. Third, and just briefly, reading documents around the Egyptian-Israeli fighting in 1970, the War of Attrition, it kind of suggests another part of the story of the growth of tighter US-Israel ties: the United States felt pushed toward Israel in reacting against Soviet support for Egypt. Much of this discussion turned on Israeli arms requests. I am familiar with the argument that Israeli support for Jordan during Black September demonstrated to Washington that Israel could be a useful strategic asset for the United States. But I had not thought about the way in which Israel served as the US proxy in competition with the Soviet Union and its Egyptian proxy and that that might have cemented US-Israeli ties as well.
[1] Steven G. Galpern, ed, Foreign Relations of the United States: Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1969-1972, vol. 23 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 2015).
[2] Document 174. Alexis Johnson, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, made a similar point in Document 172. For an op-ed on CIA-PLO contacts that fingers Ali Hassan Salameh, see Kai Bird, "Robert Ames and the CIA's history of back-channel talks with 'the bad guys'," Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2014.
[3] Helms to Kissinger, Document 180, November 5, 1970. See also document 185, November 20, 1970, p. 647.
[4] Document 186, p. 649. Another report suggested the Palestinians meant the portion of the East Bank of Jordan west of the Ramtha-Amman-Ma'an line.
[5] This larger discussion preceded the Fatah contact. See Document 112 (May 7, 1970), Section D on p. 371 (also Sisco in document 114). Also Kissinger comment, briefly, p. 599. Also documents 181, and especially document 182 (November 13, 1970). Document 176 (October 24, 1970) – NSC summary of a longer State paper on US Policy Toward Palestinians.
[6] Document 170, p. 576.
[7] Document 192, December 17, 1970, pp. 673-680. Among others, the meeting included Kissinger, Deputy Secretary of Defense Packard, CIA Director Helms, Harold Saunders, Joseph Sisco, and the Chairman of the JCS.
[8] Document 183, p. 635 (Senior review group meeting, November 13, 1970. Good discussion here of the possible roles of the King and of the fedayeen in future US policy.)
[10] Document 182, p. 632.
Posted in Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jordan, Palestine, PLO, United States	| Tagged Israeli-Palestinian conflict	| Leave a reply
Posted on December 11, 2013 by Brent Sasley
At Foreign Affairs, I argue that many American commentators who write on Israel fail to account for processes of change within its domestic politics, leading to incomplete analyses on how Israel reacts to the Iran deal. A close examination of shifts within Israel's security establishment yields a more complete picture:
Most depictions of how Israel sees the recent nuclear accord with Iran are consistently shallow. When explaining what the deal means for Israel, Western analysts and journalists tend to focus on the differences between close political allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who denounced it as a "historic mistake," and the Israeli security establishment (that is, serving and retired officials from the military and intelligence agencies), which is generally more tolerant of the deal. But it is misleading to think of Israeli policymaking just as a tug of war between those two camps, because disagreements between civilian and security leaders are normal, and because the public rhetoric on which such assumptions rest doesn't allow for a consideration of wider trends and changes. Such a view leads to needlessly alarmist predictions about a coming split between Israel and the United States.
Posted in Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Geneva deal, Iran, Israel, Israel National Security Council, Mavi Marmara, Oslo Accords, PLO, Public opinion	| Leave a reply
Yes, Israelis Are Open to a Palestinian State
Writing in Mondoweiss, Alex Kane argues that, based on the most recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, Israelis don't actually want a two-state solution—contrary to a slew of previous surveys—because their version of a Palestinian state is so truncated and unviable that it's not acceptable to Palestinians. He concludes that "Israeli society is too wedded to the continuing colonization of Palestine for a Palestinian state to come into being."
Kane raises a fair point—that Israelis aren't clamoring to leave the entire West Bank in return for a Palestinian state on the entire territory—but his argument rests on several presumptions that I don't think can be taken as indicative of Israelis' or Israel's final position on a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
First, Kane assumes that public opinion polls determine outcomes. The general findings are that, in democracies, public opinion sets parameters rather than makes specific government policies, particularly in foreign affairs. This isn't to say that governments can't ever make policy with which the public disagrees; or that public opinion can't constrain governments. But this general historical pattern, and indeed the specific historical pattern in Israel, indicates that if the Israeli public broadly and consistently supports peace with the Palestinians, which I think even Kane agrees is demonstrated in polling, then the government has the space to move forward on the peace process.
Kane draws a straight line from public opinion surveys to the specifics of a deal. But that's not what public opinion is used for, nor how it's properly understood. In some areas, for example, surveys on how people will likely vote, public opinion polls can be fairly accurate. But this is less so on critical foreign policy issues. It's not the Israeli public that will determine the specifics of a deal. No-one has ever said getting to a final agreement would be simple, but we have plenty of previous official negotiations and track two efforts that show what Kane is concerned about may not be unbreachable obstacles when Israeli and Palestinian negotiators get close to the endgame. There's nothing to support the conclusion that the Israelis will get everything they want, as expressed in the recent Israel Democracy Institute poll that Kane builds his case on; the negotiators themselves have said that "all issues" are on the table.
Second, Kane specifically mentions Ariel and Ma'ale Adumim as stumbling blocks, because most polls indicate Israelis want to keep them. They will probably prove to be two of the settlements over which negotiators will fight most. But that doesn't translate into an inevitable inability to resolve the issue. If Israel keeps them, it might well be that Palestinians will be compensated for them through land swaps and a complex arrangement of corridors and alternate routes to Jerusalem and around the West Bank.
Third, Kane mentions the demilitarized nature of a Palestinian state as something likely to block an agreement. I'm not sure why this should be considered more of sticking point than Jerusalem or the right of return, but there isn't anything to suggest that "demilitarized" can't be finessed in talks. It might be a temporary Israeli or international military presence in the Jordan Valley; it might mean a defense treaty between Israel and Palestine giving the former the right to send soldiers through the latter's territory to fend off a threat from the east; it might be a well-armed Palestinian police force but no military. It could mean many things—especially because there is a growing understanding in Israel that the Jordan Valley isn't as necessary for Israel's security as it once was. But being demilitarized isn't something that will make or break a final agreement, nor is it the sin qua non for Palestinian statehood.
Fourth, the details of each poll that Kane references are important. At +972 Dahlia Scheindlin has a sharp and careful analysis of Israeli polls on peace talks. She points out there are real differences in the types of questions asked, and therefore the specific conclusions that commentators can draw from a single poll or question. Given these differences, it's clear that there is considerable room to maneuver in negotiations, which gets back to my first point above. I highly recommend reading her piece in full.
Finally, Kane switches arguments to contend that Benjamin Netanyahu is not the leader to bring Israel into a final agreement. That's probably where I agree most closely with him. I've argued that I'm skeptical Bibi will be the one to sign a final agreement. Maybe he will, but even if he doesn't, a genuine process under Bibi will help maintain a positive atmosphere for continued negotiations under his successor. (I'm not suggesting the process continue for its own sake; I'm speaking of a serious set of talks.)
Even more importantly, the historical pattern favors Bibi. All of Israel's prime ministers who engaged in talks with the Palestinians were hawks, all hardline in their own way. In his first term as prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin refused to consider the PLO a serious negotiating partner; as late as January 1993 he rejected direct talks with the organization. Yet he signed the Declaration of Principles and accepted in private the likelihood of a Palestinian state run by the PLO. Ehud Barak as Chief of Staff expressed considerable reservations about the Oslo Accords and as a politician abstained from the Knesset vote on Oslo II; yet at Camp David and Taba he broke longstanding Israeli taboos on final status issues. Ariel Sharon once said that "the fate of Netzarim [in Gaza] will be the fate of Tel Aviv"; in summer 2005 he withdrew all Israeli civilians and soldiers from the Strip. And Ehud Olmert was once considered a hardline rightist opposed to a Palestinian state; he now regularly talks about the coming division of Jerusalem.
What I'm saying is that the public declaration of leaders are important and need to be accounted for, but they aren't necessarily the final determinant of their actual policies. The four prime ministers before Netanyahu are proof of this, while Bibi himself has been softening his own position on a Palestinian state. This is not to say that these Israeli leaders suddenly began to read from Mahmoud Abbas's script; and clearly there were still gaps between their opening positions in negotiations and a fair, just solution for both peoples. But the difference between their previous statements and their later positions also cannot be ignored; it's for sustained negotiation to bridge that gap.
If we want to look at Israeli public opinion and historical patterns, as Kane does, then they are at worst ambivalent about outcomes and dependent on conditions, and at best give concrete reasons why we can remain optimistic and hopeful for real change.
Posted in Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jordan Valley, Oslo Accords, Palestine, Peace Process, PLO, Right of Return, Settlements, West Bank, Yitzhak Rabin	| 4 Replies


The panoramic scene from this hilltop has been called Ohio's most spectacular view.
We need your help protecting the natural treasures of Ohio's Appalachian foothills. Make a Pledge to the Edge today!
The most popular of all trails in the Edge of Appalachia Preserve system is the one that leads to Buzzardroost Rock, which stands like a giant limestone monument far above the waters of Ohio Brush Creek. The panoramic scene from this hilltop has been called Ohio's most spectacular view.
The 465-acre protected area is named for the turkey and black vultures (buzzards) frequently seen soaring above or roosting on the rock. This dolomitic outcrop towers 300 feet above the valley and provides habitat for a number of rare prairie plant species, including the plains muhlenbergia grass, which is classified as an endangered species in Ohio.
The Edge of Appalachia Preserve System has 4 trails with over 10 miles of hiking total that traverse through woods and prairies.
Travel east on SR 125 for about 7 miles toward the village of Lynx. Watch for the sign on the right as you go up a large hill. Turn right off SR 125.
Please note that there are no facilities of any kind on the trail.
The trail at Buzzardroost Rock passes through a number of plant communities and provides the opportunity to witness the area's diverse geologic history. The trail crosses four separate rock strata, including Estill Shale (gentle slopes with moist forests) and Lily, Bisher and Peebles dolomites (cliff and steep sides with oak-maple forests and primary cedar barrens), and Ohio Shale (Appalachian oak forest dominated by chestnut oak).
Buzzardroost Rock is a 4.4-mile, moderately difficult, round-trip trail. Preserve naturalists suggest that hikers plan to spend a minimum of two to three hours for the round trip, allowing time to observe the natural features along the way and enjoy the scenic view from the top of the rock.