text:
Sepia Officinalis
Taryn Simon
Exhibition: Nov 6, 2008 – Jan 11, 2009
Sepia Officinalis, 2008Credit Line: Todd JohnsonArtist Credit: Todd JohnsonCopyright notice: Todd JohnsonSource: FinePix S3Pro
Taryn Simon's Artpace exhibition, a photo-sculptural installation titled Sepia Officinalis, is a departure from the artist's previous bodies of work, introducing a more intuitive atmosphere of trial and error based on natural phenomena. It features four aquariums that house a species of marine life called cuttlefish. The skin of this mollusk almost instantly adapts to its surroundings, taking on distinct tonalities of the surface over which it swims; it is this unique defense mechanism that has given the creature the nickname "chameleon of the sea." Through maintenance of four distinct environments, the artist tests the cuttlefish's survival strategy of adaptive invisibility.
Sepia Officinalis is an investigation of the influence of the image on the body–using control and experimental groups. The control group is represented by the three tanks lined with images of sand, the natural environment of the mollusk. The use of images rather than actual sand exposes the artist's penchant for pairing the artificial with the organic. Through her careful construction of these environments, Simon blurs the lines between natural and man-made, emphasizing the influence of illusion even in the biological world.
The experimental tank features a checkerboard image, which was selected after a series of tests gauging the dermatological reaction of the cuttlefish. The artist analyzed myriad patterns, including squares, stripes, and spots, in order to find the most viable pattern for transference to the cuttlefish. The artist's selection of the checkerboard pattern–because of its strong influence on the coloration of the mollusk–ultimately raises issues surrounding the investigation of visibility through camouflage in nature. The artist also raises questions about passive versus active forms of disguise and the way humans have adopted the camouflage phenomenon for their own use. Ironically, Cuttlefish are colorblind, expanding on the idea of conversion and influence and pointing out that adaptation does not always follow a logical formula.
The inconspicuous presentation of the tanks in Simon's installation visually parallels the camouflage tactics of the mollusks. Cuttlefish, which are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment, are easily frightened. When alarmed, they emit a toxic ink that completely clouds the tank and ultimately can cause their death. They must be housed in a temperature- and pH-controlled environment that includes complex filtration systems and daily maintenance. The animal only eats live shrimp and cannot be placed in shared tanks due to the possibility of cannibalism. The stringent requirements of the cuttlefish's living environment emphasizes the fragility of the experiment: even the slightest elemental change could result in failure. The symbolic implications of this risk reference a common theme found throughout the artist's work–the influence of environmental factors on the development of visual identity.
Taryn Simon's calculated, formal photographs are both direct and mysterious. The artist's practice has traditionally centered on making the invisible visible. Her large-format images explore the ways that photography can alter our awareness of perception and the distribution of visual information. Inherent to her approach is a marriage of text and image. By merging visual and written material, the artist underscores the ambiguity of photography and the influence of context on what we see.
Taryn Simon was born in New York. She received her BA from Brown University in 1997. She has had solo exhibitions at Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany (2008); Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA (2008), and London, England (2004); Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY (2007); High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA (2006); P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY (2003); and Kunst-Werke Berlin, Germany (2003). Her work has been included in many group exhibitions including Reality Check: Truth and Illusion in Contemporary Photography, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (2008-09); Manifesto Marathon: Manifestos for the 21st Century, Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, England (2008); Gwangju Biennale, South Korea (2008); Geschlossene Gesellschaft, Kunst-Werke Berlin, Germany (2008); and ClickDoubleClick: The Documentary Factor, Haus Der Kunst, Munich, Germany (2006). In 2001 Simon was awarded the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in Photography.
Hans Ulrich-Obrist is the Co-Director of Exhibitions and Programs and Director of International Projects at the Serpentine Gallery in London, positions created for Ulrich-Obrist in April 2006. As a curator at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France since 2000, among many other exhibitions he organized solo shows with Jonas Mekas (2003), Anri Sala (2004), and Cerith Wyn Evans (2006). Before this position Ulrich-Obrist was an independent curator for a decade, organizing the group show Take Me I'm Yours at the Serpentine (1995) and Retrace Your Steps: Remember at the John Soane Museum (1999), also in London, England. Ulrich-Obrist was a panelist in 1998 for the 1999-2000 year of artists, and was invited to be a speaker at the 2003 symposium, but was unable to come due to illness.
Photo by Dominik Gigler
Los Angeles, California, USA
Curator: Lauri Firstenberg
Untitled (Rodney McMillian)
Rodney McMillian
Curator: Franklin Sirmans
America's Family Prison
Cuidad de Guatemala, Guatemala


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Social Media in the Age of Misinformation, Part 2
Join technologist and digital media scholar An Xiao Mina for a global exploration of internet memes as agents of pop culture, politics, protest, and propaganda on- and offline. Based on her new book, Memes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Mediais Changing Social Protest and Power (Beacon Press, January 2019), Mina uses social media-driven movements to unpack the mechanics of memes and how they operate to reinforce, amplify, and shape today's politics.
Crucially, Mina reveals how, in parts of the world where public dissent is downright dangerous, memes can belie contentious political opinions that would incur drastic consequences if expressed outright. She finds that the "silly" stuff of meme culture—the photo remixes, the selfies, the YouTube songs, and the pun-tastic hashtags—are fundamentally intertwined with how we find and affirm one another, direct attention to human rights and social justice issues, build narratives, and make culture.
An Xiao Mina
An Xiao Mina is author of Memes to Movements: How the World's Most Viral Media is Changing Social Protest and Power. She leads the product team at Meedan, where they are building Check, a platform for collaboratively verifying news in real time, and Bridge, a platform for translating social media and messaging app content. She is also a co-founder at the Credibility Coalition, an effort to develop a standard for assessing content credibility online, and co-chair of the W3C Credible Web Community Group.
At Harvard University, Mina is an affiliate researcher at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society and a recent 2016 Knight Visiting Fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, where she studied online language barriers and their impact on journalism. She has spoken at venues like Creative Mornings, Harvard Law School, the Personal Democracy Forum, and the International Journalism Festival, and she has contributed writing to publications like the the Atlantic, Quartz, Fast Company, and the Economist. With her collective The Civic Beat, she's exhibited work in spaces such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image. She is an advisory editor to Hyperallergic and serves on the board of China Residencies.
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Each of us is a healthy and whole being. Even before birth (in utero), we have experiences that take us away from our authentic selves. The goal of therapy is to work through what blocks us from connecting with our essential self and discovering our life purpose. Therapy is a process by which we uncover the truth about who we are as well as what holds us back from believing in the possibility of change.
Each of us has experienced difficulties and challenges. Identifying and cultivating strengths that help us through our darkest nights helps us connect to our authentic selves. Clients identify 3 categories of strengths including the inner, interpersonal and transpersonal. Some inner resources clients name include: humor, sense of beauty, optimism, awe, persistence, curiosity, creativity, acceptance and compassion.
Clients also identify people - living or dead - who embody these qualities: ancestors, family members, authors, celebrities, etc. Together we discover who it is that has a guiding message. While all strengths connect us to our highest self, transpersonal resources connect us directly to something greater than ourselves. Clients have drawn upon the wisdom and strength of a Higher Power, God, Jesus, Allah, Yaweh, the earth, animal spirits, trees, etc. Connecting to these resources connects us to our true nature.
An important step on this journey is cultivating compassion. Through compassion we come to experience our connection to ourselves and, ultimately, to know that we are connected to all beings.
I have been trained in a variety of theories and methods including individual, couples, and family counseling, object relations, cognitive therapy, drama therapy, psychodrama, movement therapy, sandplay, art and movement therapies. I also have studied Buddhism (Vipassana meditation) and other spiritual practices for many years. I draw from all of these areas in my work with individuals, couples and families. The therapeutic relationship is a co-creation, so the work varies with each client.
There are times in our lives when we wish to focus on our own growth and to know ourselves better. Many life challenges can lead a person to individual therapy including: wanting to make changes but unsure about how to proceed; abusing food, substances, work, etc., as a means of coping; experiencing anxiety, panic or depression; unable to move on from past hurts or traumas; being in a time of transition or experiencing a loss. Individual therapy can help clients gain greater awareness of their own processes and transform life challenges into opportunities for growth.
If most of the challenges in your life revolve around your primary relationship, you may benefit from working with your partner or spouse in therapy. Couples Therapy focuses on the relationship between the two people in the couple. The therapist acts as a facilitator in helping the couple better understand their interactions and the forces that may be affecting their relationship. The therapy shifts between day-to-day problem solving and improving communication, and exploring previous experiences of each partner that may be contributing to present-day behaviors.
Couples therapy can help those who are in new relationships as well as those who have been together for many years. Couples therapy can help renew the respect and love the couple shares, increase the fun and pleasure the couple experiences and deepen the intimacy of the relationship. It can also help each person develop new roles in the relationship and be more fully themselves.
Families often come into therapy when there is a breakdown in communication, during a crisis or in a time of transition. Family therapy gives everyone an opportunity to be heard and to work together for the good of the family. Family therapy can help the family establish new roles for each member and establish new rules, rituals and norms.
Many individuals, couples and families choose to work in an expressive arts modality. I am skilled in psychodrama, drama therapy, sandplay, art and movement therapies and may draw from all of these areas in my work with clients. The introduction of expressive modalities increases spontaneity and playfulness, thus allowing for new roles - new ways of understanding, experiencing and acting - to emerge.
I work with individuals, couples and families at IMAGINE! in San Rafael on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and in San Francisco on Tuesdays. Please call (415) 454-7308 to discuss your needs or arrange for an appointment.


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text:
«Ме́льмот Скита́лец» () — самое известное произведение Ч. Р. Метьюрина (1782—1824), английского писателя ирландского происхождения. Характерный образчик позднего готического жанра эпохи байронизма. Сам Метьюрин обозначил жанр произведения как небылица:  указано в подзаголовке на обложке книги. Однако в России, начиная с первого издания (1833 год), этот подзаголовок опускают.

Написанный в конце первой четверти XIX века в Ирландии, этот роман стал популярен далеко за пределами Англии, и долгое время оказывал влияние на литературу многих стран Европы, включая Россию и Францию.

В первом русском издании 1833 года название романа было переведено неточно. Исправляя ошибку, в 1894 году его переиздали под более правильным именем «Мельмот Странник». При подготовке академического издания 1983 года академик М. П. Алексеев обосновал необходимость возврата к «Мельмот Скиталец», так как именно этот вариант утвердился в русском языке, в том числе, в качестве крылатого выражения.

Посвящение

Роман посвящён маркизе Эберкорн:

To themost noble theMarchioness of
Abercornthis romance is by her ladyship's permissionrespectfully inscribed by the author.

Леди Энн Джейн Гор (1763—1827), дочь Артура Гора, 2-го герцога Арранского, стала маркизой Эберкорн 3 апреля 1800 года, когда Джон Джеймс Гамильтон (1756—1818), с 1790 года 1-й маркиз Эберкорнский, взял её третьей женой после того, как парламент в 1799 году объявил недействительным его предыдущий брак с двоюродной сестрой, леди Сесилией Гамильтон.. Маркиз умер за 2 года до выхода романа в свет, и Вальтер Скотт, поддерживавший отношения с этим семейством, пытался заинтересовать овдовевшую маркизу творчеством Метьюрина.

История написания романа
В самом начале предисловия к «Мельмоту Скитальцу» Метьюрин указывает, что идею романа ему подсказала его же собственная проповедь. Выражая сожаление, что мало кто прочёл эти его «Sermons» («Проповеди»), изданные в 1819 году, далее он цитирует свой же риторический вопрос:

… есть ли кто-нибудь среди нас, кто… принял бы всё, что может человек даровать, или земля предоставить, чтобы отречься от надежды на своё спасение?

И дает на него однозначный ответ: «Нет, никого не найдётся, ни одного глупца на земле, кого бы искусил враг рода человеческого таким предложением!». Французский исследователь Морис Леви увидел в этом намеренную попытку автора ввести читателей в заблуждение, опровергнув самого Метьюрина «по логике вещей». Роман — не иллюстрация одного из известных утверждений богословской риторики, а наоборот: его главный герой как раз делает противоположный выбор.

Поэтому, да простит мне автор, но мы не верим ни одному его слову! Пусть нас сочтут недостаточно почтительными, но нам не удержаться от искушения считать, что приведённые выше слова Метьюрина и написаны были для того, чтобы их можно было процитировать в предисловии к роману.

Сам Леви при этом полагает, что работа над «Мельмотом Скитальцем» началась ещё в 1813 году, опираясь на письмо Метьюрина В. Скотту от 15 февраля 1813 года. В нём Метьюрин сообщает, что пишет сейчас поэтический роман, причём хоть и будет это «вещь необузданная» (), но «все шансы понравиться публике» у неё есть. Утверждая, что сам он всегда любил рассказы о суевериях, Метьюрин почти что хвастает: «я на самом деле был всегда более сведущ в видениях иного мира, чем в реальностях этого; поэтому я решил, что смогу в своем романе, вводя дьявольское вмешательство, "переиродить всех Иродов", поклонников немецкой школы».

Со своей стороны, М. П. Алексеев не находит в письме Метьюрина Скотту указаний именно на «Мельмота Скитальца». По его мнению, термин «поэтический роман» () не позволяет решить, что именно имелось в виду — «стихотворный роман» или же роман, «поэтический» по своему колориту, но написанный прозой. В любом случае, это не «Бертрам» (Метьюрин говорит об издателях, а не театральных постановщиках); кроме того, «среди рукописей Метьюрина, оставшихся неизданными, также нет произведения, которое автор мог бы описывать и в 1813 году, и позже». Исследовав другие косвенные свидетельства, в том числе книги, которые служили Метьюрину источниками при написании романа, учёный пришёл к выводу, что работа над Мельмотом началась не ранее 1817 года.

Алексеев обращает внимание на поспешность в создании романа; даже в печатном тексте не
были устранены повторы одних и тех же цитат в разных главах и в эпиграфах к ним. В 1813 году Метьюрин был окрылён успехом «Бертрама», и «едва ли мог задумывать новый роман, если все его мечты и надежды связаны были со сценой и театральными деятелями». Этот роман, по мнению Алексеева, лучше вписывается в период после 1817 года, когда автор вновь был во власти заимодавцев («ему всюду чудились чужие неоплаченные векселя, за которые он отвечал своей свободой»), и нужда усиливала депрессию.

Не соглашаясь с Леви по поводу 1813 года, Алексеев поддерживает французского коллегу в оспаривании даты, на которую сам Метьюрин косвенно указывал, ссылаясь на проповедь — а она была произнесена «в воскресенье после смерти принцессы Шарлотты». С текстом романа Алексеев работал по изданию с предисловием Д. Гранта, который в своих примечаниях сократил жизнь юной принцессы Великобритании на год, указав «1796—1816». Не соглашаясь с 1816 годом по своим научным соображениям, академик упустил ещё одно подтверждение своей правоты: Шарлотта Августа Уэльская скончалась не в 1816, а 6 ноября 1817 года, что дополнительно подтверждает его гипотезу о поспешности, с которой работал Метьюрин.

Алексеев напоминает, что после издания в 1813 году «Бертрама» для Метьюрина «напряжённые отношения… с церковным начальством… нисколько не улучшились», и само издание брошюры «Проповедей» в 1819 году предпринималось отнюдь не ради гонорара. Описание обстановки, в которой работал автор, Алексеев нашёл в воспоминаниях о нём, опубликованных его неизвестным приятелем в 1846 году. Это происходило в Дублине, где Метьюрин жил со своей семьёй. Возвращаясь домой из храма поздно вечером, он писал иногда до трёх часов ночи, изредка освежая себя бренди с водой. «Правда, оно не опьяняло его; оно действовало на него более странно и страшно», — добавляет свидетель, — «лицо приобретало бледность мертвенного тела; дух его, казалось, блуждал сам по себе…».

Структура и композиция романа
Роман «Мельмот Скиталец» не относится к числу коротких произведений. Метьюрин разбил его на 39 глав, пронумеровав их римскими цифрами. В первом издании романа (1820) его объём был разбит на 4 тома, при этом из-за небрежности типографии был допущен сбой в нумерации глав, и последняя по счёту обозначалась XXXVI. Каждой главе предпослан эпиграф, часто на латыни или на греческом языке.

Композиционно роман относится к разряду повествований, называемых в немецком литературоведении «рамочными» (), а во французском — «уходящими в бесконечность» (, или, точнее, бездну:  ←  бездонный). При чтении такого романа одно за другим раскрываются вложенные друг в друга повествования. Поводом к их развёртыванию могут быть либо рассказ одного из героев, либо читаемая им книга и т. д. И лишь когда эти истории последовательно замыкаются, читатель постепенно возвращаясь к уже забытым предысториям, последовательно ставит точки в каждой из них, причём самая последняя — в повествовании о том персонаже, с чьей истории начинался роман.

Приём смены рассказчика известен в мировой литературе издревле — достаточно упомянуть Махабхарату, Рамаяну или Тысячу и одну ночь. Однако по сравнению с ними композиция «Мельмота Скитальца» настолько усложнена, что «ей трудно подыскать аналогию среди множества "рамочных повествований" мировой литературы». Рассказать его сюжет так же сложно, пишет французский литературовед, как и изложить, что и в какой последовательности изобразил Жак Калло на гравюре «Искушения святого Антония»: «сотни образов, наплывающих один на другой, созданных с безудержной и неистощимой фантазией, смещение планов, впечатление непрекращающегося, бесконечно растягивающегося кошмара». Среди ближайших композиционных аналогов Алексеев называет «Рукопись, найденную в Сарагосе», однако, в отличие от Метьюрина, этот роман Ян Потоцкий так и не завершил.

Многослойные, многоярусные романы также ещё сравнивали со вставляющимися друг в друга «китайскими лаковыми шкатулками» — в отличие от матрёшек, здесь гораздо сложнее разобраться в их формах и соотношениях. Упоминая эту аналогию, Алексеев констатирует, что подсказать развязку не входит в задачу автора. «Метьюрин всё время сознательно запутывает пространственный и временнóй планы, смещает перспективу; это приводит к тому, что читатель теряет общую нить, связующую отдельные повести». Эта усложнённость оказалась столь велика, что первое его переиздание на родине в 1892 году английские издатели сопроводили в предисловии специальной схемой.

В упрощённом виде сюжетная канва «Мельмота Скитальца» выглядит следующим образом:
 I—II — Джон Мельмот, последний представитель своего рода, находит в кабинете только что умершего дяди рукопись, в которой тот изложил историю Мельмота Скитальца.
 III — в этой же рукописи излагается история англичанина Джона Стентона, находившегося в 1676 году в Испании, и на следующий год встретившегося с Мельмотом Скитальцем.
 IV — рядом с домом Мельмота происходит кораблекрушение. Спасается лишь испанец Монсада, который рассказывает Мельмоту о встречах со Скитальцем в Испании (V—XXXIV).
 V—XXXIV — повествование Монсады, в которое включён рассказ испанского еврея о юной Иммали, живущей на острове в Индийском океане. В Испании Иммали зовут Исидора; её отцу таинственный чужеземец рассказывает две новеллы:
 XXIV—XXVI — о семье Гусмана;
 XXVIII—XXX — о двух влюблённых.
 XXXIV—XXXVII — окончание истории Иммали (Исидоры).
 XXXVIII—XXXIX — окончание рассказа Монсады.
 XXXIX — «Сон Скитальца» и его смерть.

Отражение в мировой литературе

Оскар Уайльд
В мае 1897 года Оскар Уайльд, переехав во Францию, сменил имя на Себастьяна Мельмота (). Об этом романе писатель знал с самого детства — ведь Чарльз Метьюрин приходился ему двоюродным дедушкой. Собственно, напрямую к «Мельмоту Скитальцу» восходят и основообразующие мотивы его романа «Портрет Дориана Грея» — сделка с дьяволом и магический портрет, связанный с судьбой героя.

Оноре де Бальзак
Впервые Оноре де Бальзак (1799—1850) прочёл «Мельмота Скитальца», очевидно, вскоре после выхода в свет в 1821 году французского перевода этого романа. То, что «сказка» Матюрена его взволновала, чувствуется уже в одном из первых его юношеских романов «Вековечный, или Два Берингельда» (1822). Как и Мельмот, главный герой здесь наделён сказочным долголетием, умением мгновенно перемещаться в пространстве, видеть сквозь стены — что и даёт ему власть над людьми. Есть и сходство в мелочах: дата, подтверждающая возраст Берингельда (1500) стоит на портрете Берингельда (у Мельмота 1640); одна из первых сцен — собрание деревенских жителей, где выделяется фигура бабки-кликуши. Напрямую заимствовано из XXI главы предложение, в котором Мельмот объясняет Иммали, что такое любовь; вообще, эту фразу Бальзак запомнил наизусть — её же литературоведы нашли потом и в его личном письме госпоже Берни.

Александр Пушкин
В Восьмой главе «Евгения Онегина» присутствует мимолётное упоминание Мельмота, в момент первого после праздных скитаний появления Евгения на светском рауте:

Всё тот же он, иль усмирился?
Иль корчит так же чудака?
Скажите, чем он возвратился?
Что нам представит он пока?
Чем ныне явится? Мельмотом,
Космополитом, патриотом,
Гарольдом, квакером, ханжой,
Иль маской щегольнет иной

Примечания

Ссылки

Литература

Готические романы
Романы 1820 года
Литературные сказки
Фантастические романы на английском языке

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Whether you're driving, taking transit or arriving by taxi, let us help you find the best route to the Ponderosa Studios.
Please note: The Ponderosa Studios front desk is located in Cedar House at Ponderosa Commons.
Overnight parking is available nearby at the West Parkade. When you check in, we'll provide you with directions and further information.
Arrive at UBC. (UBC is final stop; all buses stop within a 15 minute walk of the Ponderosa Studios.
UBC is the final stop for each of these routes, which all arrive within a 15 minute walk of the Ponderosa Studios.


The fast growing trend of serving coffee in chic, conceptual surrounds has spread to Penang and you will see a number of cool cafes especially around the Georgetown area. People here take their coffee seriously and to help you pick out the best of these non-cookie cutter cafés, we have compiled a list of 5 Great Cafes in Penang.
Though there are still lots of traditional old Chinese cafes left which serve cheap coffee and snacks, these trendy essential staples of urban life stand out for their quirky interior designs, some of which use elements of cultural novelties to help them stand out. From the bizarre to the brilliant, these weirdly and wonderfully themed cafes have definitely made a java-sized impact on the island's conventional dining scene and we name the names that really matter.
The first entry on our list of 5 Great Cafes in Penang is a French Japanese import that is easily beating the competition. Miam Miam Café is not only the embodiment of hipster culture with its great interior design (think, Peranakan mosaic tiles, contrasting with sky blue metal chairs and cosy marble top tables) and a central location in Gurney Paragon Mall, but also because the food and drinks are some of the best you'll find around.
The place sees a crowd of young urbanites - way too cool for chain options like Starbucks - willing to wait for good food for up to 45 minutes at peak times. However, the food is really worth it and steals the show, from start to finish. Almost everything is good but we highly recommend Miam Miam's signature spaghetti, al dente pasta topped with a poached egg and loaded with plump shimeiji mushrooms, mushy eggplant, savoury slivers of sausages and lots of crispy bacon.
Just off Nagore Road in Georgetown, Pik Nik Café is a quaint bohemian-esque café that certainly proves old world charm can make a roaring comeback. You could not ask for a more nostalgic place to bring a book and spend an afternoon surrounded by antiques of a bygone era, in a cosy home-away-from-home setting.
It has got to be one of the most beautiful and eclectic coffee shops we have ever visited – you even get your bill in an old metal medicine box (take note that they only accept cash payments). Plan to bring your appetite because portions here are pretty huge, which helps you stomach the final bill as almost everything on the menu can be shared. Meanwhile, food is concocted and presented creatively to say the least – think, juicy beef burger patties enveloped between thick, crispy and fluffy waffles.
Kopi C Cafe is certainly one of the more unique concept cafes in Penang at the moment. Designed in the style of an upscale Peranakan-style coffee shop, with dark wood tables and chairs, lots of black and white local art in ornate framework and buffed wood floors, it is housed under the roof of a heritage complex and arts space combo on Beach Street.
What makes it stand out is the food, with all day breakfast specials and Sunday brunches that break the mould. We recommend the jumbo-sized breakfast wrap wrapped around a fluffy omelette, with sun dried tomatoes, eggplant and rocket leaves.
Prepare for a satisfying culinary and caffeine trip that will leave your taste buds homesick after you visit Moon Tree 47, a cafe, art gallery and home stay combo along Jalan Muntri in Georgetown. Set in a pre war colonial Chinese storefront, traditionally quirky and cool are just a couple of words to describe its interior design, which focuses heavily on Peranakan style with mosaic tile work, lots of antique furniture and even a water feature in the indoor open air courtyard.
Back to the simple food menu, you can expect home-cooked style dishes that taste just like mom used to make but each dish has been given a unique touch, like spongy and moist milky-tasting butter cake slices with a side scoop of ice cream – simply divine. However, it is the coffee that makes a trip here worthwhile, with trained baristas yielding cuppas that are well done, and elegantly presented.
Bringing a touch of glamour and decadence to the coffee scene in Penang, Fullhouse Cafe is a decidedly girly high-tea type cafe, with interior design that leans towards a white and blush-pink colour palette and gives the game away. Set in Penang Times Square, furniture-wise you can expect full-on Victorian-style with lots of rose-patterned damask cushions, Georgian windows and plush sofas with embroidered, lace and beadwork design.
Besides an a la carte menu of western food with some Japanese influences, they also serve freshly baked in-house cakes and pastries – our favourite meal line up here starts with the teriyaki chicken burger, followed with a slice of the lemon cheese cake or tiramisu mini chocolate brownie. The cafe has attracted a loyal following of ladies who come not only for the great coffee and food, but also for the chance to sneak off for a cheeky gossip session with girlfriends.


Above: "Picnic Monster" by this issue's cover artist Juan Francisco Adaro. Fifteen years ago, Adaro was "painting illegal murals in the streets of Buenos Aires" while his partner in art Brooke Gontarek was a freshman at the University of Florida. "I thought I was going to go into international business or become a psychologist," she says.


We are happy to report that our native team in India threw a Christmas party for our 119 orphans on Christmas Eve. The children received new clothes as gifts and enjoyed a special holiday meal of Biryani and ice cream. Then they enjoyed playing fun games together such as running races, skipping, carroms (similar to billiards), and Kho Kho (a popular local tag game). The children also participated in a singing competition and 17 participants won prizes such as pens, lunch boxes, and books. Every child was very happy, they had so much fun, and they felt satisfied to be loved and blessed by our faithful staff who care for them at our campus known as Peace City.
We are in the process of trying to make yet another round of security improvements to our campus as demanded by the Department of Children's Homes upon a recent inspection, mostly regarding the height of the campus wall, which needs to be raised 3 feet higher. We also need to install cement window frames and iron gates for the Girls Home as extra measures toward securing their protection and comfort. With your support, we are seeking purchase bars of iron, bricks, sand, cement, gravel, plastic pipes, and iron pipes so that we can begin these extensive construction projects during the second week of February.


Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 30 because the world's best Bruce Springsteen Tribute Band "Bruce in the USA" is coming to Ponca City for the 4th of July holiday weekend and will be appearing at the Poncan Theatre for a two hour show starting at 7 pm.
My wife and I have seen this group twice now, both times appearing at Ram's Head in Annapolis Maryland. The last time we saw them in 2005, we went backstage and met Matt Ryan and told him "I want to bring you to my hometown, Ponca City, Oklahoma for 4th of July weekend next year" and he said "Great, we'd love to, where's Ponca City?"
This group is good. Music critic Greg Matlby said "If Matt Ryan and his band, American Dream, took the stage at a Springsteen concert ...few people would be able to tell the difference." Clarence Clemons himself, joined the band on stage in New York, claiming after the show that it was the greatest Tribute he's ever seen.
Matt played the Springsteen character for eight years, in their full scale Las Vegas show. The great success with "Legends of Rock and Roll" evolved his character into the Bruce In the USA show. His amazing portrayal of "The Boss" (not to mention his jaw-dropping resemblance) is as close as you can get to see the real thing in concert. Bruce In the USA takes this genre of performance art to a whole new level making it the world's #1 tribute to the E. Street Band's legacy.
Vaudeville was at its peak when the Poncan Theatre was originally built and the theatre was designed for live performance so that makes it a great venue for live rock and roll. When my wife and I moved to Ponca City, we met with Dave May, manager of the Poncan Theatre, and told him we wanted to help bring more rock to Ponca City and make it available at an affordable price so we are pricing the tickets starting at $20 for the back balcony and going up to $35 for the prime seats in the front downstairs.
Support Ponca City and the local music scene, come out for a terrific 4th of July music holiday, enjoy yourself while listening to some of the best music of the past 35 years, and see a show you will never forget. Call Dave May at the Poncan Theatre at 580-716-7016 and reserve your tickets now. See you at the Poncan Theatre on Saturday, June 30.
Take a look at our slideshow of a recent "Bruce in the USA" show we attended in Towson Maryland.


For over four decades the UCR Botanic Gardens has hosted the largest plant sale events in the Inland Empire. Recently these events have been reimagined and redesigned to focus on offering visitors plants propagated from our own unique plant collection and bringing in local vendors to broaden the selection of plants suitable for the inland region.
Fall is the best time in California to plant perennials, shrubs, bulbs and wildflower seeds, as plants established in the fall and winter grow faster the next spring and require less water when summer arrives. We host our largest sale in the fall, our Garden Market & Plant Sale, showcasing Gardens-propagated horticultural and native plants, cacti and succulents, patio and house plants, water efficient plants, colorful landscape trees, and numerous species that attract native pollinators. Participating local vendors offer orchids, Plumeria, Australian plants, and other specimens, while Botanic Gardens staff, volunteers and UC Master Gardeners are available to answer questions. Friends members enjoy early admission in advance of the public sale.
Beginning in spring 2019 we will replace our public sale with a Spring Celebration & Member Appreciation Plant Sale. This unique event will be open only to our members and will be held on site in our upper nursery where our beautiful plants are propagated and grown. Members will have a chance to shop, see where the action takes place in the Gardens, visit special places such as the Greenhouse, Butterfly Garden, Rose Gardens, and Dome in their springtime splendor, and enjoy complimentary refreshments.
At all our sales, most of our plants will have a detailed information sign and color photo to help you make your selections. Plant Sale lists will be available on our website one to two weeks prior to each sale. To enjoy early admission to our Fall Garden Market & Plant Sale or exclusive admission to our Spring Celebration & Member Appreciation Plant Sale, you may become a member at https://myadv.ucr.edu/forms/UCRBG.


After a wrist or hand injury, rehabilitation exercises should be performed as soon as pain allows. These exercises strengthen the muscles in the wrist, hand, and forearm which can help the injury heal and prevent further injuries. They also improve the range of motion of the wrist and hand which can make the area less prone to injury.
These exercises can be used for rehabilitation of specific injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
This stretch requires the help of a partner or therapist to stretch the muscles which supinate the wrist (turn the hand over).
The patient is in a relaxed position with the upper arm supported.
The therapist fully pronates the hand (so the palm faces down) to stretch and lengthen the supinator muscles.
A mild stretch may be felt in the wrist and forearm.
This position can be held for up to a minute, provided it does not cause pain.
Doing this exercise with the elbow bent reduces the stretch on the Biceps muscle to focus on supinator.
Putty can be used to strengthen the small muscles of the wrist and hand. This is useful after injuries such as a fracture to any of the small bones in the hand or a wrist, thumb or finger sprain.
It can be gripped in both hands and pulled apart to work on wrist deviation strength.
It can also be squeezed to improve grip strength.
This depends on the exact exercise, but generally, the intrinsic muscles of the hand are worked to grip it and then the forearm muscles which control wrist extension, flexion, and radial and ulna deviation.
This exercise aims to increase the range of motion into pronation and supination. Pronation is the movement of turning the hand so the palm faces downwards. Supination is the opposite movements so the palm ends facing upwards.
Ulna and radial deviation are the movements of tilting the wrist from one side to the other. Radial deviation is to move the thumb side of the hand down towards the wrist and ulna deviation is moving the little finger side down.
To work on ulna deviation, the athlete holds a weighted bar in the hand with the arm by their side so that the palm faces inwards and the weight is at the back, as shown.
The athlete then tilts the wrist so that the little finger moves upwards.
To work radial deviation, the arm stays in the same position but the weight is moved to be in front of the hand.
The wrist is then pulled up so that the thumb moves towards the wrist.
This wrist flexion exercise can be performed with a dumbbell as shown, or with a resistance band. It is great for strengthening the wrist flexor muscles of the forearm after wrist and elbow injuries.
To strengthen the muscles which flex the wrist, the athlete sits with the forearm supported and palm facing upwards.
Starting with the wrist bend downwards and a small weight in the hand, the athlete pulls the wrist upwards, keeping the forearm flat on the table.
They then slowly reverse this movement.
Wrist extension exercises are rarely used in weight training programmes, although it is a great exercise for rehabilitation of injuries such as tennis elbow and sprains/fractures of the wrist.
Support the arm on a bench or table as shown, with the palm facing downwards.
Pull the wrist back so that the dumbbell moves towards the body.
Slowly return to that starting position.
Perform whilst kneeling with the forearm rested on a bench in front of you.
Rubberband exercises are a great way for strengthening the finger extensors and is commonly used in treating tennis elbow injuries as the same muscles causing pain at the elbow, also control finger extension.
A rubber band is placed around the fingers and thumb.
The athlete spreads the fingers apart as far as possible.


text:
Loyal dog makes 62-mile journey in two weeks to find her owners
A loyal dog walked 62 miles in a quest to be reunited with her owners after escaping the temporary care she'd been placed in.
One-year-old golden retriever Ping An, whose name translates approximately to 'safe and sound' in Chinese, had been dropped off at her owner's friends' house in Nantong, 100 kilometres away from their home in eastern China's Qidong City, so she could be looked after while their home underwent house renovations.
But after four months of separation, Ping An just couldn't bear to be away from her beloved owners any longer and made a run for it.
What the family didn't know was that she had gone on a trek in search of them.
After tirelessly walking for 62 miles, the pooch was spotted limping outside an office building with bleeding paws.
She also looked 'quite depressed after she was unable to find her owners', according to her rescuers.
Pictures taken by the employees show the seemingly malnourished retriever lying on the road with her head between her paws.
Her rescuers took care of her immediate injuries which were mostly on her feet, then took to social media in the hopes of tracking down her owners.
They began by sharing information locally on WeChat, a popular Chinese messenger app, and within the day, the family had been reunited with their pup.
In a heart-warming video, the family can be seen stroking and hugging their golden retriever after being apart for four months.
They can be heard saying to their pet: "Ping An, you've worked hard. You just stay home from now on. [We] would never send you away" reports Daily Mail.
Ping An has been taken to a vet and is now recovering from her injuries, says her owners.
Report: 'Contracts are flying' before NBA free agency officially opens


Kara's Party Ideas | Kids Birthday Party Themes: Monster Valentine's Party - FREE downloads! Kara's Party Ideas | Kids Birthday Party Themes: Monster Valentine's Party - FREE downloads!
Monster Valentine's Party - FREE downloads!
Are you ready for some cuteness? This MONSTER VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY submitted by Lauren Skansgaard of Ellinee is adorable! Who would have thought that combining monsters and Valentines would be soooo darling! And the best part- the whole monster party kit is available to download for FREE! Thanks so much, Ellinee!
Be sure and check Ellinee out, they have a lovely paper styling blog.
The invitation & the monster valentine's day card are available to personalize, download and print from shareholidays.com.
CANDY BAR WRAPPERS: Print PDF pages on 8.5 X 11 inch letter weight stock. Trim and wrap around bar securing ends with double stick tape.
ROUND STICKER SHEETS: Open PDF and print. Make sure you select PAGE SCALING = NONE in the print window. (Very important so that the design lines up properly). Print onto Avery 8293 label sheets. Peel and stick to decorate packages, envelopes or anything else.
STRAW FLAGS & ROUND DESSERT TOPPERS: Print PDF on either card stock or letter weight stock. Trim flags and fold on dotted line. Open flat and place a 2 inch strip of double stick tape across the fold. Make sure there is no tape hanging off the edges of the flag. Wrap taped area of flag around stick pressing paper together on flag ends.
Trim round toppers using a 2″ circle punch or scissors. Using tape, secure onto the top of a toothpick or bamboo skewer. Insert into cupcake or dessert.
Now just download and print the Free Monster Party kit!"
These are so, so cute! I want a monster!
this is adorable! wish i had some little monsters around to throw this party for!! will pin it for future use! thank you!


The comprehensive life insurance policies that Prudential offers are flexible enough to allow people to meet their long-term insurance goals on their own terms. These range from more conservative plans like their term life insurance, where a premium is paid out when death occurs, or more liberal plans such as universal or variable life plans, where cash value is accrued over the course of an investor's lifetime. Term life coverage period options of 10 and 20 years give potential policy holders an extra level of choice when determining their life insurance needs.
As is the case with life insurance policies across the board, the actual rate that a customer pays into a life insurance policy varies on a few key factors, such as lifestyle and health. That said, Prudential does offer a few distinct policy options to help their customers plan for the inevitabilities in life. These plans include Term Life, Universal Life, Variable Life, and Survivorship Life insurance. The option you choose will be decided during your meeting with a knowledgeable service agent.
Prudential brings its A-game when it comes to providing support. The website is a treasure trove of smart, useful information that can easily help a potential policyholder go forward with the policy purchasing process in a savvy manner. In addition to the helpful online education center, the site features insurance calculators and buying guides that go a long way into reducing the intimidation factor that oftentimes accompanies the purchase of life insurance. For any question you have, Prudential's knowledgeable telephone support staff is more than capable of filling in the gaps.
Prudential's reputation as a strong and sturdy life insurance provider is built on much more than its rock logo. From offering a host of well-designed life insurance policies to providing an abundance of online tools and info, this is a company that goes great lengths in making sure that their customers have the means to make the best insurance-based decisions possible. Thank you for reading our Prudential review.
If you are shopping for life insurance, stop searching! Look no further than Prudential. I have researched every company possible and they really do offer the best prices and the most coverage. What more could you ask for?
There are certain things in life that you just can't leave to chance, and the financial security of your loved ones is one of those things. That is why life insurance is something that my husband and I agreed we needed to get before we decided to start a family. We shopped around and we were quite put off by the information we were finding. Two young and in good health people shouldn't be quoted such astronomical rates. Thanks to Prudential, however, we were finally able to find life insurance policies that actually provided great coverage at a price that we could afford!
I have always enjoyed living life on the edge. I get a real thrill from taking chances and the more dangerous the chance, the more exhilarating I find it. I guess you could call me an adrenaline junky. Some of my favorite activities include scuba diving, base jumping, downhill skiing (black diamonds, of course), mountain climbing ad sky diving. Not only do I like to live on the edge in my pastimes, but I also live on the edge at work. I am a New York City firefighter, which is one of the most dangerous jobs around. I battled five alarm fires, save people from car crashes and I rescue people from damaged buildings. Yeah, I am a daredevil, alright. While all of this dangerous living is something that I really enjoy, it isn't good for a lot of reasons; particularly for life insurance. You see, no insurance company wants to cover someone as risky as me – and if they do, it comes at a very high price. Well, Prudential is the only insurance company that I found that would actually provide me with a great policy, but they offered it at a great price! I mean, that's totally unheard of, but it's true! Thanks, Prudential!


Read the side effects of Glycopyrrolate as described in the medical literature. In case of any doubt consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Most common- Dry mouth, difficulty in urinating, headaches, diarrhea and constipation.
Central Nervous System- Drowsiness, dizziness, problem in sleeping, headache, confusion and nervousness.
Heart- Irregular heart beat, cardiac arrest, high/low blood pressure and prolonged QT interval.
Skin- Itching, rash, redness and dry skin.
Gastrointestinal- Nausea; vomiting and loss of taste.
Hypersensitivity- Severe allergic reactions including anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions and hives.
Miscellaneous- Fever and decreased sweating.
Potentially Fatal - Severe anaphylaxis.
Other Precautions : * Avoid hot environments.
Glycopyrrolate is a muscarinic anticholinergic agent, prescribed for peptic ulcer in combination with other medicines and also used in anesthesia as preoperative medication. It reduces acid and saliva secretions.


Write's note: The full candidate bios are available on the Illinois Tech Student Government Association (SGA) website at sga.iit.edu. Elections will also be available online at this same website from April 5 to April 11.
1. What leadership and team experiences have prepared you to take on this position?
2. Why do you think you are the best candidate for this position?
3. What's the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn't learn from this packet alone?
To start, in terms of team experiences I have been involved in various organizations from youth. My earliest being in a youth orchestra playing the violin. Various others during high/middle school include being a member of the debate club, National Honor society, football team, basketball team, soccer team, and cross country team, as well as being a daycare instructor, broadcasting camera operator, and yearbook team member. In college, I have been a part of the summer staff for the Exelon Summer Institute as a communications instructor. I had the pleasure to work with the Office of Institutional Advancement as a member of the stewardship and events team. As far as professional collaborations, I have participated as an aide to the MSBARC/37 Oaks Retail Consulting in hosting technology and community outreach initiatives. In terms of leadership, I am currently undertaking a minor in the field and will be awarded my certificate of leadership later this spring from the Leadership Academy. I have also lead and created a IPRO course during the summer of 2017.
Last year I was nominated for this position, and at the time I knew I was not yet ready to hold such a position due to a lacking skill set and mostly a lack of knowledge of Illinois Tech. Over the course of the past year, I have gotten involved and built my personal capabilities to contribute; for example, I have helped curate a scholarship for the Stuart School of Business. I have built mutual respect relationships with the president and with various provosts and have been nominated to be student body representative in various functions for the school. One of these was being a speaker with the mayor for the Kaplan institute beam signing ceremony and another being a student rep for the Amazon bid. I already have experience with policy and education given my background as an advocate in my youth, which resulted in two state bills being passed and a $50,000 contribution towards program initiatives in Jackson public schools.
One thing that you would not know about me from this packet is that I consider myself a Renaissance man; I like everything and like to learn anything, if not but to experience it. I love to learn about various cultures most, and I plan to pursue international entrepreneurship as a career. I like to tinker with various fields and bring "odd" narratives together. I enjoy music of various genres from various cultures. I do rap and am currently learning how to sing as well as be a lyricist. Most of all I am a people person, so if you have a story to tell, I am more than willing to listen.
I was the captain of a cross-country team. I've been to more than a few "leadership" conferences and retreats. I've organized my fair share of events. I ran for SGA senator not long ago. I even won. But I've never been a "natural-born" leader. It's always been hard for me. That's the truth of it. I'll never know all there is to being a leader. But from experience, I know quite a few things it isn't. It's not some title or being able to order people around. Nor is it having all of (or the best) ideas. There are no points won for the most critical opinions, or the loudest voice. For me today, it's passion and humility, hard work, and sometimes stubbornness. Being ready to jump on any opportunity that presents itself - but also knowing about when not to get involved. It's about taking credit for the failures, and making sure every victory is never yours. It's about being the first one in the room, and the last to stop fighting. Leadership isn't about yourself. It's about everyone else. I'm determined to put that wisdom to good use.
SGA is a hard, time-consuming, and thankless task. SGA's executive board is even worse. So, while there've been some truly brilliant people inside of SGA this past year, almost none of them want to come back to take up the mantel. Bureaucratic, obscure, and demanding, it isn't uncommon to watch your grades slip away, not only as you try to manage all that you've got to do, but as you try to figure out what it is you're doing in the first place. I've heard it described as "a black-box within a black-box within a black-box." For those new to SGA, or even with a modicum of experience - their first half of the presidency is going to be spent running around, trying to do something without knowing what it is that actually needs to be done - and the second will be spent wondering where it all went wrong. So here I am. Too stubborn to give it up or too stupid to get out while I can, I'm hopelessly naive enough to still believe I can make a difference, and maybe - just maybe - I understand the blasted machine well enough to make it tick.
Throughout the last few years, I have been engaged and leading a diverse range of activities. In high school I was varsity co-captain of the track and field team, and helped lead the team to winning 3rd place in the state championships. I also was on executive board of Model United Nations which taught debate skills. More importantly, at Illinois Tech I am on the executive board as Events Chair of the American Medical Students Association. My mission for this year was not only to provide a variety of innovative programming, but also to raise membership and student involvement. While working with the rest of the executive team, I learned valuable skills about managing executive boards, tasks, and workloads. Liking team dynamics, I joined the women's track team my first year and Kappa Phi Delta. However, much of the preparation came from being an elected senator in SGA this year on the Events Committee. It was a privilege and an exciting experience to take part and represent students.
Illinois Tech prides itself on the plethora of diversity of backgrounds, cultures, mindsets, perspectives, thought-processes, and opinions. Representing this diversity can only come from an individual who has been a part of the many sides of our university. From Greek life to athletics to student organizations to professional societies to SGA, I've experienced, engaged, and helped grow the diversity we love in each of these groups. My goals to promote SGA and lead senate to reach their levels of potential is unique. I know my experiences will help facilitate the thoughts of our senators and student body to implement real change. I am incredibly enthusiastic about SGA and how much of a positive impact. In terms of skill-set, I am well equipped to run for vice president as I will be able to run Senate productively and learn running finances as I am very organized, adaptable, and timely. My strive for transparency and approachability will connect SGA to students. Diverse and driven, I know I will find innovative ways to always benefit the student body.
. M: I've surprisingly got many nicknames my friends seem to call me - Mo, Mon, Moni, Moniibz, BMoney, Monday, etc. O: I'm overwhelmingly in love with cool printed socks, Thai food, collecting stickers, Pusheen, the soundtrack to "Interstellar," and "Black Mirror." S: My favorite season is spring time because of the lively colors and flower shows.
T: My favorite poem is a "Dream within a Dream" by Edgar Allen Poe which is about the hopelessness of time.
If you see me around campus, come say hi!
Currently at Illinois Tech, I have held a few positions that have prepared me to take on this position for Finance Board Chair. This includes serving as a Recorder for Finance Board on behalf of SGA, where I document all allocations of funds for all student organizations. Another position I currently hold is serving as treasurer for my student organization, which is the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) where I run our weekly budgets and spend accordingly based on what the allocation was intended for.
I believe I am the best candidate for this position because I can offer motivation like no other. I can push people to limits they thought they were never capable of. If I become Finance Board Chair, it's my ultimate goal to ensure that student involvement on campus increases. I believe that SAF funds (Student Activities Fund) are a tool that is necessary to use to help reach across a student body that is full of diversity and is capable of doing amazing things.
The most interesting thing about me that you wouldn't learn from this packet alone would have to be that I play some really top notch foosball. If you don't know what foosball is, in short, it's a table game with two soccer goals and players in it and the objective is to score more points than the other player to win the game. I would argue that I am probably the best Foosball player at Illinois Tech, and if anyone says otherwise, I would challenge them to a game. And this comes from playing for years on end in the Bog, often playing anyone that wanted to play for fun.
media representative for the President's Student Advisory Council, tech support for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, programmer for the Indian Student Association, programmer for Union Board's MTCC Late NIITe 2018, and member of the Galvin Library's Student Advisory Committee. Now it may feel that I may have bitten more than I chew more but it was solely aimed at gaining the maximum experience while having easier classes in the first 2 years of my undergraduate program.
This is one of the trickiest questions but I will try to answer it in the best way possible. I feel that I am the best person for this position because of the invaluable experience that I bring along, having worked with a plethora of organizations on campus in my relatively short stay of 3 semesters. Along with that, the skills that I possess make this position a perfect opportunity for them to be used in the most effective way possible, impacting as many lives positively as possible, which is kind of my aim.
The most interesting thing about me, I feel, is that I have been to Germany for 9 months in an exchange program after my sophomore year of high school.
I have many! I participate as a leader and general body member in many organizations on campus, currently. I am a general body member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the President of the Residence Hal Association, a general body member and secretary of SGA currently while also being a member of the women's cross country, basketball and track teams. SGA has prepared me for this role because I know the kind of members I would be leading as a vice president, and I also know how the executive board works and would run. I work closely with the current vice president in two different settings - as a peer and a member of her committee learning the ropes of the position. This is a representation of how I know how to work well as a member of a team while also knowing how to lead a team. I work very well with others based off the things I have learned while being a part of these groups and this would be what I take away most into this position.
I think I am the best candidate for this position because I think that any vice president needs to be a listener and a leader. It is not only about what ideas I have but the ones that I listen to. I am very good at going around and hearing what others have to say about the academics at the school and making sure that their voice is heard. As a vice president, I would also lead a committee of senators through projects, and this is where I am the right leader for the job. I have been a senator two years now and a part of the executive board for one already and know how to be the leader some of the senators need to make sure tasks are getting done. By being a better leader to these senators, I hope that it will encourage a constant flow and accomplishment of goals and improvements in academics at the school!
I am an energetic person! Interpret that as crazy, dedicated, fun, friendly, or what have you because I am ALL OF IT. I come from a big, crazy family. I am one of five kids (I have all younger brothers) and my parents are one of five on each side. I value a good time with people I love, whether that be friends or family! A lot of my free time is spent with other people and most of the time, I am still doing something student organization related when I am just with friends. I am just looking forward to making SGA a more credible place to turn to for help in the student community while also meeting new people and making new experiences.
As the sole SGA senator for the Stuart School of Business (and a prominent member of the Communications Committee and loyal servant to Nathan Cooper Jones), I am frequently tasked with maintaining communications between students, student executives, and administration on campus regarding a wide range of projects we take on. I am also in charge of running most of SGA's social media accounts, including Twitter and Snapchat, where I have to be able to successfully communicate ideas and events to the general student body regularly. In running these accounts, I am forced to communicate with multiple parties interested in promoting their respective events. I believe all of these experiences combined with my time here at the Illinois Institute of Technology (the most social school on the planet) have properly prepared me to interact as a leader and team member as vice president of communications.
Throughout my time as an SGA senator, I have worked closely with the current (very fast) Vice President of Communications Nathan Cooper Jones. This experience has been invaluable, gifting me with experience that will be directly applicable to the position. Pair this with plenty of leadership experience and a lot of great ideas, and you have the best candidate for the position.
Follow me @NarkisAnthony on Twitter and Instagram to learn more.
I have been an advancement ambassador since my freshman year in college and it's been such an enlightening experience. It has given me the opportunity to network with inspiring Illinois Tech Alumni who became leaders in their fields. This unique job helped me polish my communication skills, art of persuasion, and the ability to multitask. The associate director decided to challenge me by promoting me to a leadership position that is usually given to older students. I now supervise student workers and handle the data aspects. A big part of the job is to tackle workplace issues and listen to my fellow coworkers' comments, concerns and feedback. I believe that the skills that I have acquired from this leadership position will help me through my time as your next vice president of student life. Earlier this semester, I decided that I wanted to give back to Illinois Tech's student community by running for senate. I got the opportunity to represent Armour College of Engineering as a senator in the Communications Committee.
To begin with, I have the unique advantage of representing multiple groups on campus since I'm a commuting international student. I believe that this position requires someone who will go above and beyond in including and reaching out to all students on campus to improve their life and college experience. When it comes to the positions I hold in student organizations, I am very determined and known for being a woman of my word. I believe that being an executive board member of SGA is a bigger responsibility, since this position is the bridge between students and administration. Having acquired interpersonal and workplace communications skills throughout being an advancement ambassador at the Office of Institutional Advancements gives me the benefit of knowing how to accurately relay information between the student body, administration and SGA. In addition, my involvement with alumni will bring alumni engagement to the table where alumni could also get involved in SGA to create a better campus life.
I am known for the level of dedication that I hold for all the positions I have and have had in the past. I live by my 110% effort rule, and I am a very committed person who puts others first. Anyone who knows me could attest to my love and pride for this university and my passion for SGA. My family's legacy at Illinois Tech makes it feel like it's truly my home away from home. I love to talk about what I do in the organizations that I am a member of to bring more light to the importance of being involved on campus. The only way to bring our ideas to life is to use the platforms that we've been given and become more aware of the matters and decisions concerning our campus. It is a great way to not only give back to the community but to keep ourselves accountable as well. Through assisting the Communications Committee and attending senate meetings, I have learned a lot about SGA and its power to create an impact on campus, especially on student life. That is exactly what my mission is in Illinois Tech SGA.
Throughout high school, I was part of many clubs and took on leadership roles. I was a tour guide for several years and a physics teaching assistant my junior and senior year. I also co-founded the "MIT Launch Club" which followed the MIT curriculum on entrepreneurship and created and ran a drop-in, student-run tutoring center on campus that helped students from grades nine through 12 in STEM subjects. I was also part of the girls' varsity wrestling team for 4 years where I learned the importance of being a team player. Currently, I am a student ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and take on leadership positions at several events. I am also a team flight-line player in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, helping to build a modular plane we will compete in a competition in Kansas in April.
Technically speaking, I am a very organized person and love to schedule events. I will be able to not only pitch new ideas, but I will do whatever's in my power to execute those plans. One of the reasons I chose Illinois was because of the potential I saw, not only in myself as a student, but in others as well. Illinois Tech is a small campus, but it's located in a very central area, surrounded by resources that are at our fingertips. I think it's time we try something new and start utilizing the opportunities around us.
When I eat Fruit Loops, I must eat them in the color order of the rainbow.
From the beginning of my high school career, I viewed myself as a leader. Whether it was athletics, academics, or even community service, I always challenged myself to take things one step higher. While my high school career was filled with many great experiences, not until entering college had I truly begun to showcase my leadership potential that I had been building all of my life. I will admit it, I was scared at first to step up to the plate and become a senator of SGA, much in the same manner to become an executive board member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. However, I learned that what I feared most, even more than failure, was to pass up a perfect opportunity to be involved in something challenging, yet infinitely rewarding. My experience as a senator, an executive board member, and an athlete here at Illinois Tech has truly shaped who I am today, giving me the necessary leadership and teamwork skills to be beyond successful in this position.
What sets me apart from many other individuals are my well-rounded characteristics. A certain degree of well-roundedness is required in order to be successful in this position, and my experience as an athlete, an executive board member, and a senator has pushed me well beyond this degree. In addition, communication and teamwork are also two very important aspects of this position. I am certain that I have learned more about teamwork than what is required for this position, especially being an athlete my whole life. Regarding communication, although this was not an easy task for me to do, I have prepared myself to be comfortable in situations requiring high levels of both oral and written communication, and I attribute these accomplishments to my involvement at this university. Finally, above all else, I have a passion to make this university a better place, and I would be inspired beyond words to lead a team of brilliant individuals who will work together to do the same.
What's interesting about me is not so much the leader I am today, but rather, the person that I was prior to being a leader. Many people believe that a leader is someone who is naturally smart, someone who is not afraid to make mistakes, and someone who does not need to challenge themselves because life comes easy to them. For me, this was never the case. Prior to high school, I was a year behind in mathematics, and I was even placed into classes that moved at very slow paces for kids with substantially low reading scores. In addition, I was afraid to challenge myself, because at the time I was too scared of failure. But after a while, I got tired of being this type of person, and I decided to change. I did so by taking a summer class to place me into honors algebra my freshman year, and after succeeding in this course, I began to understand the true value of a conquered challenge. From my freshman year on, I grew exponentially, and today I am someone who is motivated beyond any individual to keep pushing myself to higher limits.
I was part of TEDxIIT for the past two years and was the executive secretary at TEDxIIT 2017. I worked as the team leader of a group of 12 my colleagues during the summer of 2017 at China Resources.
I have an international student background myself. While I had 4 years of high school in Connecticut, I knew what the international student needed, and I have a great understanding of the local culture. I always like to talk to people and make new friends, and being in this position will be beneficial in both ways.
I am very cell phone-addicted, so I am well known for replying to things quickly, which always makes me reachable when something happens. I am almost always the first person that my friends trying to reach when they got in trouble.
A leader cannot be successful until they learn to allocate the resources present to the right people at the right time. I have learned to be a leader not only professionally but on a personal front as well, starting from leading small group of friends in book clubs at local libraries to leading a whole section of a class as class representative for five consecutive years from middle school through high school. I learned a lot of positives and negatives about myself. But more than anything that I have learned, I believe my father, who is a leader of a school himself, has taught me the best qualities while I was appointed as the head boy of my school. Those qualities include patience, determination and perseverance. All these qualities, I believe, have resulted in me gaining the confidence to apply for a leadership post in a country where I'm fairly new.
As discussed above, I take pride in saying that I have been taught to be a leader on both the professional and personal front. I have indicated that my strengths are patience, determination and perseverance, which reflect my presence anywhere I go. I'm confident that I'm a person who leaves a positive mark by using my strengths at different levels with an intensity that is suitable for the situation. I believe I'm a good listener, a confident leader who doesn't fear to make decisions if need be, and a friendly person promoting direct communication. I can't comment on my competitors' strengths, but all I can say is that these qualities bring me up to par with the best candidate you might have.
Something that you wouldn't know about me from this application would be my sense of humor, especially my ability to make people laugh just with my laughter or even a tiny smile. Another interesting thing I would like to mention is that I love to match my turbans with the outfits I wear, which would interestingly give you a very high number and colors of turbans that I have. Interestingly, I know the difference between fuchsia pink and blush pink.


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Benjamin H. Wilkins
Help us celebrate Benjamin! Please share your stories and photos, and invite others who remember Benjamin.
Benjamin H. Wilkins, of Lansing and formerly of Manton, passed away on Thursday, July 21, 2022 with Margaret and Don by his side. He was 76.
Benjamin was born on June 30, 1946 to L'anse and Betty (Muzzy) Wilkins in Waynesboro, Virginia. He was a graduate of Manton High School and proceeded to achieve his Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from Michigan State University. Benjamin spent his career working for General Motors as an engineer until his time of retirement. Benjamin's passion for swimming began while swimming at a pond in Manton, which carried on to swimming for MSU. He enjoyed watching all sports, especially for Michigan State. He proudly attended almost all of his high school class reunions. In his spare time, he liked to make special trips to visit his place in Harrison.
Benjamin is survived by his sister, Sarah Wilkins of New York; special cousin, Margaret (Don) Kistler of Remus; cousins, Sue Peters of Florida and Nancy Barrett of Florida; and good friend, Bob Mills of Lansing.
He was preceded in death by his parents, L'anse and Betty Wilkins; brother, Richard Wilkins; and sister, Betty Groh .
A time of gathering will be held on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 from 12 noon until 2 p.m. at Hall-Holdship Funeral Home. Interment will take place following the gathering at Fairview Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the charity of one's choice.
Condolences and memories may be shared online at www.Hall-Holdship.com.
The family is being served by Hall-Holdship Funeral Home.
Hall - Holdship Funeral Home
https://www.holdshipfuneralhomes.com
Cadillac News
https://www.cadillacnews.com/obituaries


Semi-precious stones are making a comeback at the heart of the most prestigious jewelry houses this summer. They create a mosaic effect with turquoise cabochons, malachite pendants and lapis lazuli hoops. These minerals with all their well-being benefits are enhanced by yellow or rose gold and spread their good vibes, all while highlighting a summer tan.


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Tamil Nadu Leads India's Historic Turn to the Sun and Wind
June 7, 2017 By Keith Schneider
The ninth and final story in a series of reports by Circle of Blue and the Wilson Center on the global implications of water, energy, and food challenges in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
MADURAI, India – Before he agreed to serve as minister of state and take command of his country's mammoth energy production and distribution sector, Piyush Goyal developed one of India's most spirited political careers. "A man of ideas and competence," according to First Post, a prominent news organization, Goyal is an accountant and lawyer who rose to the peak of Indian economic and political culture as an investment banker, member of parliament, and treasurer of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Following the May 2014 national election – a BJP triumph – Goyal seemed poised to assume any number of economic development posts in Narendra Modi's new government. Modi recognized, though, that Goyal's expertise in law, international finance, and politics was a near perfect fit for one of the most difficult ministerial assignments. Modi asked Goyal to make over India's obsolete, dangerous, water-wasting electrical generating sector.
India's leaders are attempting a delicate maneuver: stoking the fires of economic growth while jettisoning an energy strategy that relies on coal for almost 70 percent of its electricity. The country churns with economic disruptions that are not helped at all by frequent blackouts and confrontations over scarce water between citizens and coal-fired electrical stations. State and national agencies are burdened by corruption that impedes the fair permitting and enforcement of pollution control laws. In rural villages, people organize to protect their water supplies and block coal mines and the construction of coal-fired power plants.
Goyal has moved to meet that challenge much faster than anyone anticipated. Though he has not attained the global prominence of climate champions such as Pope Francis, Al Gore, or Bill McKibben, Goyal belongs in the conversation. "We have crossed 10,000 [megawatts] of installed capacity of solar," Goyal said in one triumphant tweet in mid-March. "In another 15 months we expect this to go up to 20,000 MW and 100,000 MW by 2022." A thousand megawatts is equal to one gigawatt, roughly the size of a single large coal or natural gas power station.
India is joining China, the United States, and Europe in reducing emissions while economic activity increases
India now competes with China, the United States, Japan, and Germany as a world-leading developer of electricity from wind, solar, biomass, and small hydropower plants. India's generating capacity from wind power is more than 30 gigawatts, fourth among nations and nearly 6 gigawatts more than two years ago. India's solar electrical generating capacity doubled in the last year to 10 gigawatts. Overall, India reached 50 gigawatts of renewable generating capacity in March 2017, excluding large hydro-electricity, twice as much as in 2012 and equal to 16 percent of India's total generating capacity. The country ranks fifth in the world in renewable capacity, according to government figures.
Like China and the United States, India is also shutting down old coal-fired plants and curtailing the development of new ones. In December 2016, India announced an energy plan to develop 275 gigawatts of generating capacity from renewable sources by 2027, equivalent to more than a quarter of all the generating capacity in the United States. The Central Electric Authority said India would not need to build another new coal-fired generating station for at least a decade and likely longer. If carried out, that would mean effectively shelving 178 gigawatts of previously planned coal-fired generating capacity.
Goyal followed that disclosure with another – a plan to quickly close at least a dozen still operating coal-fired plants that have a total of 11 gigawatts of generating capacity. "That one action alone will not only help us bring in more efficiency in the operation of thermal plants, but will help us reduce millions of tons of carbon dioxide that is being generated by the age-old plants," he said in a statement. "It will help us reignite economic activity in the power sector."
The numbers express a profound new reality in India's energy industry that carries international significance: Climate-changing carbon emissions in India, the world's third largest producer, are poised to start leveling off after years of sizable increases. India is joining China, the United States, and Europe in reducing carbon emissions at the same time that economic activity increases – a decoupling that has been heralded by economists as critical to slowing and stopping global climate change. In March, the International Energy Agency reported that in 2016, for the third year in a row, climate-changing emissions did not increase even as the global economy expanded.
The New Energy Landscape
Here in Tamil Nadu the repercussions of these shifts are distinctively visible across the landscape. The state's various power stations hold 27.3 gigawatts of electrical capacity. Nearly 10 gigawatts of capacity are generated from renewable sources in the form of expanding wind and solar energy fields, more than any other Indian state or territory, according to Central Electric Authority figures.
Most of Tamil Nadu's renewable electricity is generated south of Madurai, a city of magnificent Hindu temples and 1.5 million residents. Along a 20-kilometer stretch (12 miles) of land, thousands of windmills rise above the green canopies of oil palm plantations. One generating farm alone, the 1.5-gigawatt Muppandal wind farm, is the largest in the world outside China.
Northeast of the wind generating zone lies the Adani Group's 648-megawatt Kamuthi solar photovoltaic plant, the largest in India and one of the largest in the world. The 1,000-hectare installation (2,500 acres) opened last summer on a thinly settled stretch of sun-scorched desert near Sengappadai. It took 18 months and $670 million to plan, design, and build the plant – a quarter of the time it takes to develop and construct a similar-sized thermal power plant, according to Tim Buckley, director of energy finance studies at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a global research group based in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Adani Group's foray into solar energy marks a sharp pivot in the company's energy generation strategy. For decades since its founding in 1988, Adani was intensely involved in developing coal mines and coal-fired power plants inside and outside India. The company has also attracted global attention for its $16 billion, multi-stage, 60-million-ton-per-annum coal mine proposal for Carmichael, Australia, which has generated fierce opposition from environmentalists and economists. But in India, Adani is cutting back its fossil fuel goals in favor of renewables. The company now proposes to build big solar plants in 11 Indian states that would hold 10 gigawatts of electrical capacity, or 10 percent of the country's 2022 solar generating goal.
"A Perfect Combination"
Powering Tamil Nadu's growing renewable electrical industry is a host of favorable conditions. By far the most important is the state's fortuitous position between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Western and Eastern Ghats mountain ranges to the west. The warm ocean and the tall mountains provides more than 300 days of ample bright sunlight a year and strong steady winds at night for the state's solar and wind energy corridor.
"It's a perfect combination for renewable sources," said Hans Raj Verma, Tamil Nadu's principal secretary for rural development, in an interview. "Sun by day. Wind at night. The fuel source is free 24 hours a day."
Other advantages are state and central government financial incentives for clean energy that encouraged construction of Tamil Nadu's first wind installations a decade ago. Since then Goyal has designed new debt financing instruments for the country, power purchase agreements, and recruited international capital to begin accumulating the estimated $250 billion that India will need to reach its national grid upgrade goals and renewable energy target of 175 gigawatts by 2022.
Verma is optimistic that Tamil Nadu will attract a significant share of the investment. The cost of building new wind and solar is dropping below the cost of constructing new fossil fuel plants, in part because they take much less time to complete. And because they use scant water, do not pollute, and are constructed away from the coast and in less densely populated regions of Tamil Nadu, renewable projects encounter much less public resistance.
"Producing electricity that we need without so many negative effects makes renewable energy an attractive option," said Verma. "At this point in our development it makes very good sense."
Other meteorological and civic trends, meanwhile, are interfering with the operations of Tamil Nadu's thermal energy suppliers. The state's nuclear sector includes two coastal plants, both cooled by sea water, that have 2,440 megawatts of electrical capacity.
The long delayed 2,000-megawatt Russian-built Kudankulam station, the largest and newest nuclear plant in India, opened its first 1,000-megawatt generating unit last year. A second is due to start commercial operation this year. The plant has a troubled operating history of frequent unplanned shutdowns and a legacy of fierce public protest. Opponents argue that the risk of a serious accident is too high and that heated water released to the ocean from the plant's cooling system is damaging fisheries.
As recently as 2010, Indian authorities expressed big ambitions for the country's nuclear power sector. Generating capacity would increase to more than 80 gigawatts over the next two decades, up from less than 6 gigawatts. That aggressive plan has been considerably tamed since the nuclear accident at Fukushima in 2011. Nuclear plants also are notoriously difficult to finish on time and often billions of dollars over budget.
India no longer mentions that 80-gigawatt nuclear goal. Minister Goyal confirmed the shift in policy during an economic summit in 2014. "This government would like to be cautious so that we are not saddled with something only under the garb of clean energy or alternate energy," he said. Getting international financing for nuclear projects is an unstated but likely significant obstacle, given the financial risks involved.
Stranded Fossil Fuel Assets
In Tamil Nadu's fossil fuel sector, operating conditions are no better. The deep drought of the last two years has made water for cooling scarce and curbed production at coal-fired power plants. In late February, low water levels in the Thamirabarani River forced the 1,050-megawatt Tuticorin Thermal Power Station to shut down indefinitely.
Of more than two dozen proposed coal-fired power plants, almost all have been shelved
Up the coast in the Cuddalore district, the massive infrastructure company IL&FS planned to build a 3,180-megawatt coal-fired power plant. The energy finance and development company succeeded in opening two 600-megawatt generating units in 2015 and 2016. Three other larger units were stopped by a court order in a case brought by fishermen and residents. Opponents argued that the plant would damage fishing grounds and other natural assets, and that construction permit applications were incomplete.
Just north of the IL&FS power station lies the shuttered $2-billion Nagarjuna oil refinery. The facility, constructed along a Bay of Bengal beach, was blasted by a cyclone in 2011. Its owners decided not to make extensive repairs, and a new buyer has never come forward. The closed refinery, its unmaintained machinery accumulating rust and mold, is one of the most expensive examples of a stranded fossil fuel asset on the planet.
And in Vilambur, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the refinery, lies the site of the Cheyyur Ultra Mega Power Project, a proposed 4,000-megawatt, coal-fired power plant that failed to attract a developer and is all but formally dead.
Just five years ago, India and Tamil Nadu still proposed to build over two dozen coal-fired plants with well over 20 gigawatts of new generating capacity. Since then, almost every project has been shelved.
New Operating Plan
In effect, Goyal and Modi are tossing aside India's old energy plan and installing a new one that the prime minister calls the largest renewable capacity expansion program in the world. If India succeeds, according to the Central Electric Authority, non-fossil fuels – renewables, nuclear, and large hydroelectric power plants – will account for 57 percent of India's installed power capacity by 2027, compared with 31 percent today.
The new energy blueprint that Goyal and Modi drew up, but Tamil Nadu in many ways pioneered, embraces the reality that India can now rely on wind and solar power and new grid and energy storage technology. "India is graduating from megawatts to gigawatts in renewable energy production," said the prime minister in February 2015.
Indeed, the brightest outlook in India's energy sector, arguably the most encouraging prospect for actually achieving its ambitious goals, comes from tapping water-conserving wind and solar resources and developing a much larger domestic renewable energy industry. In the latest edition of India's national energy statistics, published in 2016, the government estimates that the potential generating capacity of the renewable sector is 897 gigawatts, with more than 80 percent coming from solar.
This cleaner, more efficient operating plan has several objectives. The first is to recognize the multiple ecological impediments to fossil fuels and take advantage of domestically sourced, cleaner, and lower-cost renewables that don't further imperil dwindling water resources. The second is to sustainably strengthen the country's annual GDP growth rate, which now rests around six percent. The third is to position Modi and India at the head of the international movement to slow the effects of climate change, which are now rampant and causing turmoil in India.
In December 2015, Modi joined President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Paris to guide 196 nations to an international agreement to curb climate-changing carbon emissions. In the days before the Paris Agreement was approved, Modi also worked with France and 119 other nations to establish the International Solar Alliance. The group, started with a $30 million, five-year grant from India, has a single overarching mission: establish solar power industries in developing nations.
"Solar technology is evolving, costs are coming down, and grid connectivity is improving," Modi said in introducing the Solar Alliance in Paris. "The dream of universal access to clean energy is becoming more real. This will be the foundation of the new economy of the new century."
At Last, a Pragmatic Course on Energy?
The change in energy strategy is long overdue. Decades of pursuing a coal-based electrical sector wrecked India's countryside, polluted its water, made the air unsafe to breathe, killed far too many miners each year, and produced endemic corruption from private profiteering. Three years ago, the National Green Tribunal, a high court that decides environmental cases, shut down all the coal mines in the state of Meghalaya for rampant pollution and safety violations. It was the first time in history that a court had closed a regional coal sector. And two years of vicious drought have showed India how vulnerable its freshwater-cooled coal-fired plants are to water scarcity.
Having shed much of its allegiance to fossil fuels, India must now prove that it is capable of powering itself with cleaner, water-conserving alternatives. That is no small feat. India's 2022 renewable energy generating goal is 175 gigawatts, 125 gigawatts more than the sector's current capacity.
What is unfolding is a portrait of a new India
After troubles with large-scale hydropower and nuclear, India counts on the solar sector to generate 90 of those new gigawatts, a tremendous but not necessarily unprecedented surge. After all, from March 2012 to March 2017, largely following through on the old development strategy, India added 77 gigawatts of new coal-fired capacity, the largest increase of any five-year period in national history.
Minister Goyal told a clean energy conference in Abu Dhabi in January that India would exceed the 90-gigawatt target. "With the advent of new technology in storage, we are poised for huge growth. Solar growth will support landowners to derive income and solar industry to build their business," he said. "We can manufacture at scale. We need to draw up a regime where government can be an enabler for manufacturing to compete."
The shift in India's energy priorities, and how Tamil Nadu communities are responding, is a consequence of rapidly changing conditions and operating principles from the 20th to the 21st centuries. The old path to development was paved by cheap energy, cheap land, lower population density, rising personal and government wealth, easy financing, and relatively stable ecological conditions. The idea of growth at any cost took hold. So did the principle that bigger power plants, bigger industrial projects, and unlimited growth are always better.
The cumulative effect in Tamil Nadu and much of India is that industrial developers tore at the land and injured communities. They moved villages out of the way of power plants. They sickened thousands of workers. They diverted rivers and drilled for water without anticipating dry years.
Much of that often-heedless development is coming under significant social and ecological pressure in Tamil Nadu. Planners are rethinking development goals in Chennai, which has been pummeled by drought, floods, and hurricanes. Farmers are much more aggressive in defending their water and land from new development, including oil and gas drilling. Wind and solar farms, supplied with domestically manufactured equipment, are under construction. What is unfolding is a portrait of a new India, a nation that is joining with China at the lead of a cleaner, more responsive development model and the emerging Asian century.
The conflicting demand for water, food, and energy is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. Global Choke Point, a collaboration between Circle of Blue and the Wilson Center, explores the peril and promise of this nexus with frontline reporting, data, and policy expertise. "Choke Point: Tamil Nadu" is supported by the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai. Jayshree Vencatesan of Care Earth Trust, Nityanand Jayaraman, and Amirtharaj Stephen provided expertise and invaluable guidance. Read the full series here.
Keith Schneider is senior editor and chief correspondent at Circle of Blue and helped develop the Global Choke Point project. A two-time winner of the George Polk Award and other honors for his work, he also reports on energy, agriculture, the environment, and policy for The New York Times, where he has served as a national correspondent and contributor since 1981.
Sources: Before It's News, Climate Home, The Economic Times, First Post, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (India), Nagarjuna Oil Corporation Limited, Science Alert, Twitter, U.S. International Energy Agency.
Photo Credits: Used with permission courtesy of Dhruv Malhotra. Map: Used with permission courtesy of Circle of Blue.
Topics: China, Choke Point, climate change, coal, conservation, consumption, cooperation, COP-21, democracy and governance, demography, development, economics, energy, environment, environmental health, featured, hydropower, India, international environmental governance, mitigation, natural resources, population, solar, South Asia, Tamil Nadu, U.S., water, wind
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