Ah, autumn! Perhaps my favorite season, as it brings relief from the heat of summer (just barely beating out the glory of spring's warmth after the frozen winter). I consider the entire season a holiday, and therefore, I always bring some of the autumnal beauty indoors to provide a constant reminder of the cycle of life.
Perhaps the thing that most symbolizes autumn to me are the colored leaves. Call me weak, but I simply cannot walk where leaves are falling without snatching some of the most beautiful. I think that this started when I was visiting northern California one September, walking among the redwoods, and was just awestruck by the scented air, the warmth of the sunshine, the softness of the forest floor, the rustle of the leaves in the cool breeze, and the brilliant golden color of the big leaf maples that are native to that area. I wanted to bring part of that forest home with me, so my mind started clicking. Silly as it may sound, I decided to bring home some forest floor, including fallen leaves, redwood cones, redwood twigs, and the odd piece of lichen. Once home, my mind identified a three-tiered redwood canapé tray (bought for $3 at a resale shop in northern California) as the ideal way to display these different forest elements in a colorful, textural, aromatic way. A little artful arrangement, and voilà! I had a centerpiece for my dining room table, or an accent piece for a side table, or something to sit on a shelf for a little natural highlight.
Thus began a tradition of bring the autumnal outdoors inside. Once, while out walking in Chicago, I discovered a gingko tree shedding its brilliant yellow leaves … I found myself unable to resist bringing home a bag of those leaves, and laying them out on a blue and white Italian platter I was using to decorate the table for an upcoming dinner. Later, as those leaves dried and became more golden than yellow, I transferred them to a gingko-leaf-shaped metallic dish, placing a golden pillar candle in the center, to create a perennial decoration for the dining room, bathroom or even bedroom. Another time (or several times), I discovered a variety of brilliant red, and red-infused leaves of several species that also made their way home with me. Once home, some found themselves adorning some shiny black ceramic bowls, while others found homes in wicker baskets, and still others had their petioles ("stems") stuck into a pierced ceramic candleholder. No cost decorating!
If leaves aren't you thing, or if you feel you are ready to diversify a bit, consider filling bowls or platters or baskets or reed wreathes or other "holders" with any of the following: apples (red ones, green ones, striped ones, yellow ones), winter squash (some amazing shapes!), gourds (both colorful and textural), pumpkins, and dried corn/maize (get the multi-colored varieties, commonly called "Indian corn" even in these politically correct times; be aware that the cobs come in a variety of shapes, including some tiny little red ears sometimes called "strawberry corn" … who knew?). To add a vertical element to arrangements, add chrysanthemums (available in a wide range of colors), or to get REALLY vertical, put corn stalks, reeds, branches or Equisetum (horsetails) in interesting vases. As I described last month, you'll also be bringing in outdoor plants to give them life over the winter; for a few months, my pots and flower boxes of impatiens will add splashes of color throughout my home. Lastly, you may want to use some sort of non-Christmassy wreathe(s) to add splashes of color and texture on vertical surfaces; during the autumn, I like wreathes made of tree branches, reeds, hay (essentially, anything non-evergreen), adorned with bittersweet berries and autumn leaves and tiny cones (redwood, spruce, or similar "soft" cones). Last word: please, Please, PLEASE avoid stereotypical commercial decorations (such as those cardboard and plastic things used for Halloween and Thanksgiving in elementary schools); they are NOT attractive (even in elementary schools), and will do nothing to enhance your home. It's better to not decorate for the season than to use those commercial travesties.
Adopt A Dog Month: Animal shelters have millions of loveable dogs (and cats) that need homes. Go in for a consultations to make sure that your lifestyle can accommodate a pet, and then if you get a green light, adopt one (or two or three). You won't be sorry!
AIDS Awareness Month: In this day and age, I doubt that anyone has not been touched by HIV and AIDS in some capacity. Even with the current medicines that are available, life without AIDS is better than life with it, so be AWARE! No one is immune.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Breast cancer is an international disaster. While the exact causes of the disease are poorly known, environmental and lifestyle factors dominate the explanations. Visit www.nbcam.org for more information.
Car Care Month: If you can get by without it, get rid of your car; I did without a car for thirteen years, thanks to Chicago's excellent public transportation system. If you have a car, keep it in top running condition to reduce its impact on the environment.
Child Health Month: Children are perhaps our greatest resource: KEEP THEM HEALTHY! That not only means taking them to the doctor and dentist regularly, but also giving them proper lifestyles, which is often undervalued, but about which I am regularly crusading to increase awareness.
Clock Month: I'm not sure what the intent of this is about, but do not take it to justify purchasing additional clocks. I would suggest that this is an opportunity to introduce more mindfulness into your lives, to be aware of the amount of time you are wasting on television, or couch-potatoing, or just being slothful. Time is something you will never get back, so don't waste it! Plus, remember to turn back your clocks one hour on October 26 if you are currently living with Daylight Saving Time.
Cookie Month: I am the original cookie monster. Especially chocolate chip cookies. Especially MY chocolate chip cookies. I'll share the recipe eventually.
Cosmetology Month: Ah, just what we need, a month to celebrate superficiality, wasted money, and possible health dangers to humans and to the animals on which cosmetics are tested.
Dental Hygiene Month: We hear lots about brushing and flossing, but not enough about tongue brushing! In my humble opinion, this is the most overlooked aspect of dental hygiene … BRUSH YOUR TONGUE DAILY!
Dessert Month: I've never been a big dessert person, but if you are, remember to eat it in moderation. A little bit goes a long way. Contact me if you want some delicious, healthy and easy desserts.
Dinosaur Month: As an ex-paleontologist, I have to acknowledge that it was dinosaurs that got me interested in paleo when I was 4 years old. But, I also have to point out that from an overall perspective of evolutionary paleontology, dinosaurs are rather insignificant. Enjoy them for what they are.
Disability Awareness Month: I always have to be aware of disabilities in my home décor business, but I find too many people take their good health for granted. So, let's expand Disability Awareness Month to include Healthy Body Awareness.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Do not tolerate domestic violence (and violence can be verbal as well as physical). I hereby empower you to escape any domestic violence situation. Visit http://www.ndvh.org/, or call 1.800.799.7233 or 1.800.787.3224 (TTY) for help 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
Eat Country Ham Month: I use a variety of country hams as flavoring components for many recipes. Whether Smithfield, or Serrano, or Prosciutto, or some other country ham, enjoy it, but in small amounts (as flavoring, rather than as the main component).
Energy Awareness Month: If one is aware of energy use, one can free up considerable funds for better use, as well as have a positive impact on the planet. In previous columns, particular my summer Simple! Sensible! Sensational!® food columns, I ranted about turning on the oven when the ambient temperature is high. Now, I'll also rant about using the oven to cook only one thing; plan a meal to involve cooking most of it in the oven (such energy-conscious planning is one of my specialties). Recently, I encountered a woman wearing a fleece windbreaker indoors, where the air conditioning was turned on, while the temperature outdoors was about 60°F; I pointed out that she only needed to open the windows and turn off the AC! Finally, if one is aware of heating expense, one can plan how to seal windows during winter, or to use the oven more for cooking, to reduce the need for heating.
Family Health Month: Everyone needs good health, and if you have it, be grateful! Don't take it for granted. Be aware of your body, monitor it, and if something isn't "right," fix it, or see a professional about fixing it! Diet is also important for health, as is lifestyle, and that is where I can help you.
Kitchen & Bath Month: Until I wrote this column, I had no idea there was a kitchen and bath month, but I'm glad there is. Of course, in my line of work, EVERY month is kitchen and bath month, because their appearance and functionality are crucial to a well-running home, and my line of work is creating such a home.
Magazine Month: I have found that many people keep the entire magazine when there is only a single article inside that they find interesting. Do yourself a favor by "scavenging" your magazines, ripping out the articles you want, and filing them in subject files. See http://www.god-dess.com/webhintsMay03.html for precise instructions regarding setting up a filing system.
Pasta Month: I do believe that I have included recommendations for pasta preparations in every single Simple! Sensible! Sensational!® column I have written. Celebrate the entire month by clicking through those past recipe columns, and working your way through the thousands of pasta options at your fingertips!
Pickled Pepper Month: I don't have much experience with pickled peppers, unless you count the Italian peperoncini that adorn antipasti platters, or the brined red peppers favored by many Eastern European cultures (which I have used often to make a tangy pasta sauce). The key point here is that the deliciousness of the peppers has been combined with the health benefits of the vinegar (or is the healthiness of the peppers being combined with the deliciousness of the vinegar? You be the judge!).
Pizza Month: Pizza is one of the most popular foods in America, if not the world. However, to be entirely frank, most pizza that is consumed is crap. Gloppy, gooey, and insipid, made with inferior ingredients. If you are going to enjoy pizza, enjoy a good one! I make a variety of what could be called "flatbread pizzas," with a variety of superior ingredients (such as pesto, smoked salmon, caramelized onion and fennel, caviar, capers, tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes and gravlax, just to name a few); contact me if you need some help.
Seafood Month: Oh, it was less than 30 years ago when seafood was being promoted as the next health panacea, as well as an environmental panacea, due to the abundant biomass in the earth's oceans. Well, today much of the world's seas have been overfished, leading to shocking disruption of food cycles among marine mammals and other species. Essentially, humans are the top predators/ consumers on the planet. We are dependent on prey/food lower on the food chain. However, the bulk of our food comes from only four or five of almost 45 phyla. My project, "Fun with phyla," (scroll to the bottom of http://www.god-dess.com/services2.html to see my offerings regarding the remaining 40 phyla) deals with eating a variety of tasty foods in other phyla, giving some relief to our seas and the fish, mollusks and arthropods inhabiting it (though I do provide recipes for all of these in my food columns, but I'm stepping away from that at this precise moment).
Spinal Health Month: I have to admit, I have been blessed with excellent spinal health. However, I have had some muscular problems with my back in the past, due to carrying my backpack inappropriately, or due to some macho posturing, or due to careless movement. Some presumed spinal problems can also be due to psychological fragmentation, so consider all possibilities when approaching your spinal health.
Vegetarian [Awareness] Month: I was a strict vegetarian for three years. Even today, my diet is predominantly vegetarian, though I do use meat, fish and poultry in the Japanese style as a flavor element rather than as a primary component of a recipe or a meal. Despite what certain pop diets recommend, we really don't need much meat, so move your meals into a primarily vegetarian direction (and that means ALL kinds of vegetables, not just the white, starchy ones; I can teach you to create miracles with a variety of greens). Oh, and for the record, humans (and primates in general) are omnivores, so think DIVERSITY when you are dining.
Get Organized Week: Of course I'm going to embrace this celebration, since this is a major aspect of GOD-DESS! If one is organized, one has much more free time to enjoy life! It's amazing how making only a few changes can free up massive amounts of time to do the things that make life worth living! If you can't do it, call me.
Customer Service Week: I'm very serious about Customer Service. In fact, I have been called a "Service Animal" (it was meant as a compliment). But I hear you saying, "But I don't have any customers." Well, if you shift your perspective just slightly, and start thinking of every human being you encounter as a customer, and that your duty is to provide them with better service, you will make a real difference in the world! Don't be shy! Do it … today … please!
Wildlife Week: It's hard to describe how I felt when I first saw a bald eagle in the wild. Or my first gray, humpback, minke or fin whales. Or peregrine falcons … in only-semi-wild downtown Chicago. Or key deer in the Florida Keys. Or elk in Northern California. Or bison in Wyoming. Or raccoons and opossums roaming behind my apartment building in Lakeview. Or the golden crowned kinglet, American redstart, purple finches, cardinals and other beautiful birds outside my Edgewater window. Or a Snowy Owl in the Ozarks, blown far outside of its normal range. Or that huge salt and pepper kingsnake sunning itself outside of my parents' back porch. Open your eyes to wildlife, and do whatever you can to preserve ALL of the species, not just the "pretty" ones.
Health Education Week: Sponsored by the National Center for Health Education, (www.nche.org), this week should serve as an impetus to educate ourselves and others regarding our own health, and health issues in general. I am shocked by the amount of misinformation presented as fact, and I am disappointed by the inability of many media and individuals to wrap their minds around the concepts of probability, variability and testability. Celebrate by continuing to adjust your diet and behavior in healthier directions.
Reading Week: As someone who reads at least a couple hundred pages of GOD-DESS related text daily, not to mention significant pleasure reading, I heartily recommend and encourage other to read as much as possible. I do travel-planning, but reading can help us to escape when we don't have the funds or time to travel. I do my own research, but reading prevents me from reinventing the wheel by being aware of what others have done, so that I can build on it. I do extensive cooking and teaching about cooking/entertaining, and reading helps me to augment my own creativity, and to be more complete in my presentations (but remember: YOU MUST CITE OTHER PEOPLE'S CONTRIBUTIONS … Give credit where credit is due). Read, and support your local library!
Peace, Friendship & Goodwill Week: I truly believe that we tend to take these things for granted. I wonder if people really understand what being a "friend" is all about; I ask because so many people use "friend" to describe what I would call casual acquaintances, while I hear others say, "I have enough friends already" (somehow, if they say that, I doubt it!). Then, there is "goodwill": according to dictionary.com, this can mean "benevolence," or an "attitude of kindness or friendliness"; can there ever be too much kindness in the world? I think not! All of this then leads to "peace," which to my eye seems to have taken on a meaning of "an interlude between altercations or conflicts" rather than being the goal in and of itself. Clearly, we as a species need an overall shift of perspective outward. We have become cloistered. Break out of those self-imposed boundaries!
Rainforest Week: I love rainforests! That's probably partially because of my biological, botanical, ecological training, but I had this perspective even before my formal education. I have no doubt that part of this love came from my childhood in northern California, and my parents' taking me to the coastal redwood forests, some of America's most precious rainforests (albeit temperate ones). That love has only been reinforced by my visits to the temperate rainforests of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, as well as to the tropical rainforests of Puerto Rico. Combine this with my education and my love of indoor gardening, and I can't help but want to celebrate this week. Be mindful of the source of the wood products that you purchase! Has it been sustainably harvested? Has it been reused/recycled from preexisting uses? Just be aware of your potential impact on rainforests!
October 1 (Founding of the Republic, China; Independence Day, Cyprus; Armed Forces Day, South Korea; Independence Day, Nigeria; Independence Day, Palau; Independence Day, Tuvalu), October 2 (Independence Day, Guinea; Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday, India), October 3 (Reunification Day, Germany; Independence Day, Iraq; National Foundation Day, South Korea), October 4 (Independence Day, Belgium; Independence Day, Lesotho), October 5 (Constitution Day, Liechtenstein; Proclamation of the Republic, Portugal; Constitution Day, Vanuatu), October 6 (Armed Forces Day, Egypt), October 9 (Independence Day, Uganda), October 10 (Double Ten Day, China and Taiwan; Fiji Day, Fiji), October 11 (Thanksgiving, Canada; Revolution Day, Panama; Flag Day, Uzbekistan), October 12 (Dia de la Raza, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela; Discovery Day, Bahamas; Independence Day, Equatorial Guinea; Columbus Day/Native American Day, USA), October 14 (Flag Day, Madagascar; Republic Day, Yemen), October 18 (Persons Day, Canada; Flag Day, Chile), October 20 (Revolution Day, Guatemala), October 21 (Flag Day, Costa Rica; Independence Day, Marshall Islands; Trafalgar Day, UK), October 23 (Revolution Day, Hungary), October 24 (United Nations Day; Suez Day, Egypt; Labor Day, Palau; Independence Day, Zambia), October 25 (Labour Day, New Zealand; Thanksgiving Day, Grenada; National Retrospection Day, Taiwan), October 26 (Independence Day, Austria), October 27 (Discovery Day, Cuba; Independence Day, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Independence Day, Turkmenistan), October 28 (Independence Day, Czech Republic; Flag Day, Taiwan), October 29 (Republic Day, Turkey), October 31 (Reformation Day, Slovenia).
October 1: World Vegetarian Day: while I am not a vegetarian, and observe the omnivory of humans and other primates, I encourage everyone to eat as close to a vegetarian diet as possible for health, economic and environmental reasons. If you haven't already done it, try going all day without one bit of meat, fish or poultry. Today is also the Chinese Moon Festival, which has a variety of stories behind it, but which I shall refer to as one of many Harvest Festivals.
October 2: Name Your Car Day: Each of my cars, when I have owned one, has been "the Bretmobile"; so much for creativity!
October 5: Do Something Nice Day: Start by doing something nice today, and then do it the next day, and the next, and the next, until you have habituated "being nice." It's soooooo simple.
October 6: Yom Kippur: A "Day of Atonement" for sins between man and God in the Jewish tradition. It is a 25 hour sabbat, where (to varying degrees) work, eating, drinking, wearing cosmetics, wearing leather, even washing/bathing, are forbidden. Meanwhile, because of my own heritage, I shall be celebrating German-American Day by cooking some wonderful wursts (I spent 3 years as a strict vegetarian in the 1980s, and wursts were my weakness!).
October 7: National Frugal Fun Day: Too many people think you need money to have fun. Wrong! "Fun" is in your mind, not your wallet.
October 9: Moldy Cheese Day: Mold is a generic term without much biological meaning. Organisms called "molds" are placed in two kingdoms (Protista and Fungi). However, the mold on cheeses are fungi, and they are [mostly] flavor developers. If, however, you have one of the less desirable molds on your cheddar or swiss, just cut it off! You don't need to toss an entire piece of cheese just because there is mold on the outside! If you have an interest in non-stereotypical foods, contact me regarding my Fun with Phyla® project.
October 10: National Angel Food Cake Day: Angel Food Cake has never been one of my favorites, but I have had some delicious versions with chocolate and or fruit compote on top … to each his/her own!
October 11: It's My Party Day: Every day should be your party! Go for it!
October 12: Columbus Day/Native American Day/Dia de la Raza: Columbus has been quite a controversial figure. Sometimes he was celebrated for his role in exploring and colonizing Central and South America (for Spain). Sometimes, he has been blamed for introducing slavery to the Caribbean and MesoAmerica, for introducing diseases against which the native peoples had no immunity, and even for stealing credit/"thunder" from the Norse, who traveled the Atlantic 500 years earlier to reach North America (specifically, Newfoundland). Today, we must look at the picture as broadly as possible, and celebrate that we are on our way to One World. We must also celebrate those qualities that make each of us unique, so that we never lose those, for their sum makes us greater. While Columbus Day is usually celebrated on the first Monday after October 12 (in 2003, it is on October 13), Native American Day seems to be celebrated throughout the year, with October 12 being just one such occasion (and since I have Native American blood, I'm for as much recognition as possible). Finally, Dia de la Raza, or Day of the Race, is designed to celebrate the merger of all of the peoples who came together to form the cultures of Central and South America, and the Caribbean. THAT is something worth celebrating.
October 12: Farmer's Day: Here in the distant North, October 12 is just about the end of the harvest. There are few hangers-on, but you had better believe that I have already celebrated the farmers earlier in the season. Still, it never hurts to be grateful to farmers, as long as they are NOT the sort that use inhumane and earth-harming techniques (and there are a lot of those, who do so purely for greed).
October 14: National Dessert Day: My idea of a great dessert is a cheese platter (see October 9 for some insight into cheese), perhaps with some roasted nuts (October 22), although some might prefer Angel Food Cake (October 10), or maybe some peanut butter cookies (October 13) or chocolate (October 28). Just remember to enjoy your dessert in moderation.
October 17: Wear Something Gaudy Day: While I personally don't see the need to wear something gaudy, I do think it is a great idea to dress "outside of your comfort zone." That's why I wear purple today! I used to be a beige guy!
October 19: Evaluate Your Life Day: We cannot underestimate the value and importance of evaluating your life on an ongoing basis.
October 21: Babbling Day: Sorry, but there is never an excuse for intentional babbling, and if you are unintentionally babbling, just stop it now! Think!
October 22: National Nut Day: Nuts are full of micronutrients as well as LOTS of flavor. I add them for texture to so many dishes, and I'll do the same thing on this date. If you need help incorporating nuts into your diet, let me know.
October 23: National Mole Day: Geeks and nerds of the world: Arise! This day is not about the soft, furry little burrowing insectivores. Oh, no, it's about Avogadro's Number, 6.02x10 to the 23rd particles of anything. I'm going to liberate the day from this, and call it National Molé Day, to celebrate that fabulous blend of ground nuts (see October 22), seeds, chiles, garlic, and other flavorings (such as chocolate; see October 28).
October 26: Make a Difference Day: This day was developed to offer an opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors. Please do so, but don't stop there. Everyone is your neighbor, different only by degree of geographic closeness. Make a difference to anyone whom you encounter today, and the rest of your life. You can especially make a difference by helping someone for an hour, because you will have an extra hour due to Daylight Saving Time ending (clocks are moved back! "Spring forward, Fall back!).
October 28: National Chocolate Day: Whether you enjoy it for National Dessert Day (October 14) or as part of National Molé Day, or just to nibble a bit now and then, chocolate has antioxidants as well as fabu flavor. Enjoy!
October 31: Halloween/Samhain: Halfway between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice, Samhain was observed by the Celts and Norse in various forms as the day when the "veil" between the realms of living and dead was thinnest. It is a time of great reverence and respect for those who passed onto the next realm before us. I don't know when it became a tribute to commercialism, greedy children and vandalism, and I don't care. I shall be meditating.
November 1: Dia de los Muertos: Demonstrating the Universality of certain ideas, Hispanic people observed the astronomical events like equinoxes and solstices, and shifted the midpoint one day later than the Celts. Again, this is a day recognizing the thinness of the veil between the realms of life and death, but it is more about those loved ones who have died during the previous 12 months, and who use this day to enter permanently into the realm of the death. Gorgeous luminaria and marigolds brighten what some might consider a dismal day, which it isn't!
I am ending this on a positive note, as death is just part of the cycle of life (and no, I have NOT seen "The Lion King"). And while you are part of that cycle, there is no reason not to celebrate. So decorate, celebrate, and enjoy life!


The streets of this downtown neighborhood began development in the early 1800s. Quickly, the area grew into a professional and cultural hub. Now, the district draws in business and public sector crowds for meetings, meals, and even concerts.


Includes unlimited streaming of In Between The Panels via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
"...Because what Goodrich has done is dig deep through a catalog of material, bringing the best to light and breathing new life into five simple, yet wonderfully intricate works, with a set of new mixes and edits."
"It takes a certain kind of musician to master the paradox of creating tranquil, yet and staggeringly awakening music."
Produced by Justin Goodrich and Adam Billitzer.
Tracks 1-4 written, performed and recorded by Justin Goodrich. Copyright Justin Paul Goodrich 2014, A Saviors Sanctuary ASCAP.
Track 5 written by J. Jett/K. Laguna, Jett Pack Music BMI; performed and recorded by Justin Goodrich.
Will this begin or end tonight?
Where to go? Where to turn too now?
Can I breathe? Am I still alive?
Could possibly happen to me tonight?


text:
COMM601 Trends in Digital & Social Media
User's Guide for Students
Which e-book reader?
"Pay it Forward" from prior students of COMM601
About the COMM601 Final Project
Introduction – Why study digital and social media?
Chapter 1 - A Historical Perspective
Chapter 2 – What is a Social Network?
Chapter 3 – Metadata, Tracking, and the User's Experience
Chapter 4 – The Ethical Challenges of Online Behavioral Targeting (OBT)
Chapter 5 - Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality
Chapter 6 - Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Chapter 7 – Facial Recognition
Chapter 8 – Digital Activism
Chapter 9 - Deepfakes, Hate Speech, Anonymity, and Free Speech
Chapter 10 – Socially Constructed Knowledge: Q & A Networks and Wikis
About the Author – Steve Covello
Trends in Digital & Social Media (V14)
Chapter 5 – Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality
If you look back through history and document people's reactions to newly emergent technologies, you will see a predictable pattern: there were some who saw the new thing for all its promising capabilities; others insisted that it posed extraordinary dangers.
Naysayers said that the first electrified subway system was an underground death trap. "People were not made to travel underground!" it was said. But then, when people finally rode on the subways, they found that it was actually quite a nice experience.
Motion picture films, in their first decades as an entertainment medium, were believed to cause juvenile delinquency and depraved behavior based the imitative behavior theory. For example, in 1913, "After [censor Major Funkhauser] banned some films of people dancing (the turkey trot and the tango), he said that 'the objection is not based so much upon these pictures in themselves, but upon the effect they would have on thousands of young people.'" (Denby, D., 2016). Communities all over the country mandated censorship despite arguments about Free Speech. This practice dissolved through a combination of legal decisions and changes in social standards that were less paternalistic.
In the 1950s, comic books were targeted as a corrupting influence on young people. Piles of comic books were burned, fostered by the belief that "…Hitler was a beginner compared to the [influence of the] comic-book industry." (Werther, F., 1954).
In this chapter, we examine the promise (and outrage) held in one of the newest media technologies to become accessible to the general public: Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Realities (AR/VR/MR), collectively referred to as reality technologies.
The readings and media in this chapter touch upon the basic capabilities of reality technologies and then go beyond the "wow factors" to explore their potentially negative collateral effects.
As a relatively new and evolving field of study, the terminologies used to describe AR/VR/MR are often changing. The following definitions provide basic descriptions, though there may be additional nuances to them under certain conditions.
Augmented Reality (AR) – "…taking digital or computer generated information, whether it be images, audio video and touch or haptic sensations and overlaying them [onto] … a real-time environment" (Kipper, G., 2012, p.18).
Virtual Reality (VR) – "A completely artificial digital environment that uses computer hardware and software to create the appearance of a real environment to the user" (Kipper, G., 2012, p. 22).
Mixed Reality (MR) – "…where real world objects or people are dynamically integrated into virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time" ( Retrieved 12-17-2017 from: http://www.realitytechnologies.com/mixed-reality ). Microsoft offers a more detailed illustration of MR with graphical and video representations of MR across the full spectrum of reality technologies.
Reality Technologies – A blanket statement used to describe all of the varieties of AR/VR/MR.
Copyright Microsoft, inc. Retrieved 12-17-2017 from: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/mixed-reality/mixed_reality. The graphic is based on Milgram's Virtuality Continuum (Milgram, P, 1994)
Haptic Feedback – The experience of vibrations and other sensory experience associated with a VR experience. Examples of this are found in surgical training.
What should you be focusing on?
Your objectives in this module are:
Identify the elements in AR/VR/MR sensory experiences that differentiate them from other forms of media.
Identify the ways in which immersive technologies can produce positive impact on the human experience.
Evaluate the collateral risks and challenges that emerge from the proliferation of immersive technologies such as:
How does immersion in artificial environments adversely affect behavior in the real world, especially if the virtual world is more emotionally and physically fulfilling?
Are behaviors or thoughts in the virtual world subject to the same moral, ethical, and legal codes as those in the real world? Can "thought crimes" be considered real crimes?
Readings & Media
Thematic narrative in this chapter
In the following readings and media, the authors will present the following themes:
Reality technologies can provide amazingly immersive experiences for entertainment, education, and for forming empathy.
The legal ramifications of the use of reality technologies is woefully behind the curve of its implementation.
With the power that comes with reaching deeply into the realms of human sensory and psychological experience comes a set of profound ethical considerations.
Examples of various reality technologies:
You are in an unfamiliar airport with thousands of people swarming around you. You can't read or speak the local language. You have no idea how to get to the check-in counter. Then you hold up your AR-enabled smartphone and load an app that maps information onto the airport interior. The information floats in front of you so that you can navigate directly to your destination.
You are repairing a complex piece of machinery and need assistance. You put on an AR device and it maps animated information onto the device to guide you step-by-step through the process.
Video: Augmented Reality Training Demonstration – by Scope AR using the Epson Moverio BT-100
You are scheduled to be deployed to a complex military theatre of action where it would not be possible to recreate the engagement environment in the physical realm. You and your team put on a VR apparatus that produces a simulated representation of the engagement environment. The VR system enables your team to practice and refine your strategy through active participation and playback analysis.
Video: Virtual Reality: The Future Of Military Training
As your 2-year-old child grows, you sense something isn't quite right. She is withdrawn, doesn't make eye contact, and is not communicative. She is diagnosed with a form of autism. You are frightened about how she will be prepared to get by in the world. As a parent, you wish there was a way you could see the world through her eyes to help her cope as she grows up.
So you locate a VR resource that helps you to understand how autistic people experience stimuli in the real world so that you can respond to your child's reactions and needs.
Video: Autism TMI Virtual Reality Experience (Note: This is recorded so that it can be viewed in 360 VR using a Google Cardboard device. You will not be able to get the full experience from watching this video without wearing the device, but consider the immense value in having this kind of resource freely available on YouTube.)
You feel alienated from your peers and feel desperately lonely. You don't like how you look, you are sometimes bullied, and you feel detached and withdrawn from the world. You have no place to go in your community that makes you feel like you belong to something meaningful.
So you put on your VR device and it transports you to a virtual world where you can appear to be anything you want – a different person, an animal, an alien. It gives you a newfound sense of freedom and comfort to interact with others in realtime, to make friends, do things together, or even change genders. Other participants seek you out to dance, chat, or have sex with you – an experience you believe could never happen in real life. The virtual world is beautifully fulfilling in ways the real world cannot be.
As an educator for medical students, you want to enable them to experience empathy with patients. Embodied Labs is a company inspired by Carrie Shaw, a medical student, to create VR embodied experiences. Read more in NPR's feature article, "Virtual Reality Helps Hospice Workers See Life And Death Through A Patient's Eyes".
Required Virtual reality is booming in the workplace amid the pandemic. Here's why.
Article: The spike in development and implementation of AR/VR systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a number of ethical and legal issues to emerge that had not been anticipated. "Virtual reality is booming in the workplace amid the pandemic. Here's why" by Justin Higginbottom describes the AR/VR landscape in the business environment and the issues that the legal system has not yet established a precedent for addressing. Among them are:
Is virtual sexual harassment the same as "real" sexual harassment?
What are the permissible limits for the design and behavior of one's avatar?
What can be done if an AR system is able to map another person into a provocative appearance, or even another gender?
How would law enforcement operate if the users are located remotely, in another country?
Higgenbottom, J (2020, July 4). "Virtual reality is booming in the workplace amid the pandemic. Here's why". Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/04/virtual-reality-usage-booms-in-the-workplace-amid-the-pandemic.html
Required Ethical issues and codes of conduct
Article: Frontiers in Robotics and AI – "Real Virtuality: A Code of Ethical Conduct. Recommendations for Good Scientific Practice and the Consumers of VR-Technology" by Michael Madary and Thomas K. Metzinger. This is a formal research article that contains more than what you will need for this module. Please skim the initial sections if you like, but focus in detail on the following sections:
Beginning with "Context-Sensitivity All the Way Down" and ending before "The Research Ethics of VR".
Beginning with "Risks for Individuals and Society" and ending before "Summary".
Here is an excerpt relevant to our studies which bears a connection between the psychological effect of social media participation and the implications of "need" within reality technologies:
…immersive VR introduces new and dramatic ways of disrupting our relationship to the natural world. Likewise, the newly created "need" to interact using social media will become even more psychologically ingrained as the interactions begin to take place while we are embodied in virtual spaces….(Madary, M., & Metzinger, T., 2016, p. 2)
Madary, M., & Metzinger, T. (2016). Real Virtuality: A Code of Ethical Conduct. Recommendations for Good Scientific Practice and the Consumers of VR-Technology. Front. Robotics and AI, 2016.
Required VR and the rules of virtual sex
Article: The New York Times: "Virtual Reality Gets Naughty". Please note that this article refers to aspects of sexuality in language which some may find unexpectedly frank for an academic activity. There is no nudity or sexually explicit content shown here, but the subject matter touches upon aspects of sex-oriented technologies which some may find uncomfortable. It is, however, a critical exploration into the areas where reality technologies are implemented.
Krueger explores several dimensions to the "virtual companionship" technologies: online pornography, robotic companionship, sex therapy, sex education, and PTSD therapy.
Krueger, A. (2017, October 28). Virtual Reality Gets Naughty. Retrieved December 17, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/28/style/virtual-reality-porn.html
Optional: Supplemental resources that are relevant to AR/VR
The science behind how your brain is tricked into believing VR even when the graphics aren't realistic:
COMM601 alumnus Peter Riendeau produced his undergraduate Capstone project as an online e-book tracing the impact of AR/VR in the field of Marketing. Mr. Riendeau had worked in the field of sensory technology for about 30 years and combined his work experience with his Marketing studies to produce this open document.
Educause Review: "VR and AR: The Ethical Challenges Ahead" describes the issues of using immersive technologies in the field of education.
Firefox has developed a mixed reality Web browser called Firefox Reality.
Mashable: "Virtual reality porn is here. Get ready for the first coming" by Chelsea Stark. This article uses explicit language in its reporting of the VR technologies now being tested in the pornography industry. It includes descriptions of other remotely controlled devices such as teledildonics. The purpose in offering this article is to surface the implications of self-centered sexuality in a social context where the rules of consent differ from those in the real world.
DigitalBodies.net: VR, AR, Wearables and the Future of Learning. Explore how AR/VR is being used in the field of education.
Denby, D. (2017, June 19). What Movie Censors Did for Women. Retrieved December 24, 2017, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/02/what-the-hays-code-did-for-women
Kipper, G., & Rampolla, J. (2012). Augmented Reality : An Emerging Technologies Guide to AR. Rockland, MA: Syngress.
Milgram, Paul & Kishino, Fumio. (1994). A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays. IEICE Trans. Information Systems. vol. E77-D, no. 12. 1321-1329. Retrieved 12-17-2017 from: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.102.4646&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Wertham, F. (1954). Seduction of the innocent. New York: Rinehart.
Previous: Chapter 4 – The Ethical Challenges of Online Behavioral Targeting (OBT)
Next: Chapter 6 – Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Trends in Digital & Social Media (V14) by Steve Covello is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


White are dominant on this Teaching Handwriting The Measured Mom due to table below. Then very light pink & light greycolor scheme is make it perfect. Combination beetween vermillion, black, very light pink, silver, pale rose are wraping around the room.
Below is the table contains color information of Teaching Handwriting The Measured Mom.


text:
Qaleh Bardi () may refer to:
 Qaleh Bardi, Khuzestan, Iran
 Qaleh Bardi, Lorestan, Iran

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


News about Mayo Clinic, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Had Two Diseases Struck at Once?
Extreme fatigue and muscle pain led to one diagnosis. Enlarged lymph nodes led to another.
Researchers have discovered a second bacterium that may cause the condition.
Two teams of doctors, in an important advance for precision medicine, say that traits should be looked at first, not tissue samples.
A player went into convulsions after a fight in a junior league game in Iowa. Last week, concussion researchers urged a ban on fighting in junior and professional hockey.
Researchers at a conference last week at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic said that hockey must change fundamentally to protect players from concussions.
A recommendation after a Mayo Clinic conference called on professional and junior hockey to replace five-minute penalties with automatic ejections and suspensions.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder doesn't just "go away" in adulthood.
Institutions serving the elderly are struggling as nurses, home health aides and family members fall ill with the flu.
Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. has returned to his home in Washington after being treated for depression at the Mayo Clinic.
CHICAGO - Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr., who has been on medical leave since early June, is being treated for "Bipolar II depression" at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, according to a statement released by the clinic Monday providing the most recent update on the congressman's medical condition."Many Americans have bipolar disorder," said the brief statement, which the clinic said it was distributing at Mr. Jackson's request. "Bipolar II disorder is a treatable condition that affects parts of the brain controlling emotion, thought and drive and is most likely caused by a complex set of genetic and environmental factors."
The clinic said in a statement that Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr., who has been absent since June, was being evaluated for depression and gastrointestinal issues.


They had seen a lot of Linda since the divorce. The first and the last times she and Sallee met happened within a space of eighteen months and a couple of hundred feet. Sallee would always remember that first time: Her dad picking Linda up outside of the hospital on a cold blowy Friday afternoon in early March, Linda running down the wide cement steps waving and smiling, and her father saying, "We should get some kites. March is the best time for flying kites. Gordy, get in the back so Linda can sit up front." Gordy started to turn around to climb over the seat when Linda opened the back door and jumped in with Helen and Sallee.
"It's fine, Joe," Linda said with a sunny smile that instantly melted Sallee's heart. It didn't hurt that she was wearing the coolest nurse's outfit Sallee had ever seen. The cap, what a cap — starched with peaks and valleys like a mountain range and her nurse's pin! "I'd like to sit back here with the girls, if that's all right with you and Gordy?" Gordy looked dumbstruck while Joe's beam of assent lit up the car.
Linda turned to Helen and Sallee. "I had heard that you were both such beautiful little girls, but I didn't realize that your Daddy wasn't exaggerating." She leaned in close in a conspiratorial way. "You know the way Daddies do when they talk about their girls," she whispered and then winked. Linda – this remarkably exotic grownup sitting in the back seat next to Helen and Sallee – mesmerized them. She reached up and removed the bobby pins holding her nurse's cap, and a wisp of dark hair fell around her face. Seeing Helen's eager look, Linda placed it on the child's head, taking care to pin it to her soft blonde curls. Helen, never one to miss an opportunity for affection, plopped herself in Linda's lap and wrapped herself in Linda's willing arms.
The magic lasted longer than in a standard fairytale. They saw Linda every time they went to visit their father for months. Visiting Joe had always been an adventure, but with Linda everything was more–more zest, more laughs, more new things. The idea that a grownup would play dress-up was unheard of before Linda. And she had some of the most wonderful clothes for dress-up. Joe's house began to fill up with all matter of material for the purpose: a uniform that she didn't use anymore, complete with a hat, and all kinds of things she had left over from dance recitals. They learned songs and dance steps while dressed as princesses and queens, dripping with beads and glass jewels.
Linda possessed a vast storehouse of girl novels too, to go along with her encyclopedic knowledge of Nancy Drew. Sallee couldn't believe that she had read every single volume and could remember all of their plots as if she'd just read them. If Sallee happened to mention that she was reading a particular title, Linda was as conversant with the particulars as if it was lying open on her nightstand.
To say she loved Linda would be an understatement. Adored would be closer to the mark. If it had been possible, Sallee would have absorbed her into her being the way you breathe in the essence of a spring day–the sunshine, the birdsong and the fragrance of lilacs scenting the magical air, as if you could capture it forever in your lungs. Her clean smell, like sheets drying in that perfect spring air, had just the tiniest hint of flowers with a dash of earth. When Linda turned her gaze on Sallee, her eyes filled with curiosity and delight, as if what the girl had to say was going to change the world forever.
When absent, Linda consumed Sallee's conversations. Unfortunately, she had few people with whom she could converse. Helen was such a baby. When they were at their mom's house, talking about anything that went on at their father's tended to make Helen so nervous that Sallee had stopped bothering. Gordy was less than worthless, you were lucky if he even looked up from whatever he was doing and gave you a dirty look. Was it since the divorce, or since their old bloodhound Lance was killed or when he'd turned fourteen? She wasn't sure, but for sure he wasn't an ally any more.
I will email you the first chapter of Done Growed Up ASAP!
BUY DONE GROWED UP NOW!


Boq Understudies: Michael Drolet, Jay Reynolds Jr.
Wicked 2nd National Touring Company Currently playing in Saint Louis, MO through January 06, 2013 and moves to Tampa, FL from January 09 to January 27, 2013.
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 6th, 2013 at 1:17 am	and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
CAN unveils new Jersey of Nepal national cricket team
KATHMANDU: The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) officially made public the new Jersey of Nepal national cricket team on Monday.
The CAN and Nepal National Cricket Team's official sponsor My Second Teacher (MST) on June 14 had jointly announced an open competition to design the national team jersey.
The CAN said that the jersey should be designed in accordance with International Cricket Council (ICC) rules for national teams.
According to CAN, amongst 500 samples of Jersey, Adarsha Pokhrel was declared the winner of the jersey design contest.
Real Madrid beat Athletic 2-0 to claim Super Cup title
Djokovic leaves Australia after losing deportation appeal
19 footballers of Chyasal Youth Club contract COVID-19
Tennis star Djokovic loses deportation appeal in Australia


Wherever you roam, don't leave home without the season's mad mix of crafty ethnic knits, blanket coats, head wraps, and heavy-duty boots.
Ping wears a Loft faux-fur vest, $98. Isabel Marant sweater, $405. On head: Autumn Cashmere pink scarf; Jennifer Behr gray kerchief, $242; 3.1 Philip Lim white pullover; Echo orange-and-pink muffler, $48.
Jill Stuart white sweater, Toga brown sweater. Around waist: Inhabit sweater; Eternal Child gray cardigan, $375. Closed jeans, $180. Basso & Brooke fur collar, $366. Stella McCartney patent belt, $262. Karen Walker skinny belt, $40.
Brittany wears a Lindsey Thornburg cloak. Iris von Arnim sweater. Kersh pants, $100. Jennifer Behr kerchief, $172. Aminaka Wilmont woven scarf (worn on head). Autumn Cashmere fingerless gloves, $88. Domingo Ayala Collection bracelets, $50 each. Rag & Bone blanket. D&G boots.
D&G cardigan, white jumpsuit, maroon jumpsuit (worn around waist), navy-and-white skirt, $325, and scarf (worn on head), $275. Diesel white zip cardigan , $170. Moschino Cheap and Chic cardigan (worn around waist). Falke socks, $36. D&G boots.
Autumn Cashmere green tube scarf, and pink tube scarf (worn on head). Y-3 bomber jacket, $400. Echo pink oversize pom hat, $32. Mischa Lampert multicolored scarf, $120. Alex and Chloe earrings, $72.
Yigal Azrouël patchwork knit. Jean Paul Gaultier yellow sweater. Armani Exchange faux-fur vest, $150. Around waist: Billabong black-and-white sweater, $70; I Heart Ronson for JCPenney sweater, $41. H&M knit pants, $50. Adrienne Landau vest (worn on head), $350. H&M scarf, $35. Autumn Cashmere gloves, $88. Missoni bag. DSquared2 boots, $400.
William Rast shirt, $165. C.Z. Falconer pants, $255. On head: Jennifer Behr merino kerchief, $172; Aminaka Wilmont leather-scarf; Adrienne Landau ombré vest, $325. Basso & Brooke fur collar, $366. Sportmax fur gloves, Lutz & Patmos fur arm warmers. Around waist: SuperTrash white cardigan, $150; Gudrun & Gudrun sweater. Rebecca Taylor cardigan (worn around leg), $260. Falke knee-high socks, $22. D&G boots.
Ping wears an Adrienne Landau green vest, $350, and leopard vest, $250. Lands' End kiwi vest, $35. G-Star pants, $250. Alexander Wang sunglasses, $325. Brittany wears a Juicy Couture hooded faux-fur jacket, $358. Tory Burch blue vest, $325. Jean Paul Gaultier yellow sweater (worn on head). Alexander Wang sunglasses, $325. Adrienne Landau faux-fur scarf, $125.
H&M poncho, $60. Meghan black-and-white poncho, $148. Kensie black sweater, $68. Marc by Marc Jacobs scarf (worn around waist), $198. Black Horn skirt, $180. Adrienne Landau fur vest (worn on head), $250. Love Moschino coat with glove collar.


text:
package v1alpha1

import (
	"context"

	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp/cmpopts"

	"knative.dev/pkg/apis"
	"knative.dev/pkg/kmp"
)

func (et *EventType) Validate(ctx context.Context) *apis.FieldError {
	return et.Spec.Validate(ctx).ViaField("spec")
}

func (ets *EventTypeSpec) Validate(ctx context.Context) *apis.FieldError {
	var errs *apis.FieldError
	if ets.Type == "" {
		fe := apis.ErrMissingField("type")
		errs = errs.Also(fe)
	}
	if ets.Source == "" {
		// TODO validate is a valid URI.
		fe := apis.ErrMissingField("source")
		errs = errs.Also(fe)
	}
	if ets.Broker == "" {
		fe := apis.ErrMissingField("broker")
		errs = errs.Also(fe)
	}
	// TODO validate Schema is a valid URI.
	return errs
}

func (et *EventType) CheckImmutableFields(ctx context.Context, og apis.Immutable) *apis.FieldError {
	if og == nil {
		return nil
	}

	original, ok := og.(*EventType)
	if !ok {
		return &apis.FieldError{Message: "The provided original was not an EventType"}
	}

	// All but Description field immutable.
	ignoreArguments := cmpopts.IgnoreFields(EventTypeSpec{}, "Description")
	if diff, err := kmp.ShortDiff(original.Spec, et.Spec, ignoreArguments); err != nil {
		return &apis.FieldError{
			Message: "Failed to diff EventType",
			Paths:   []string{"spec"},
			Details: err.Error(),
		}
	} else if diff != "" {
		return &apis.FieldError{
			Message: "Immutable fields changed (-old +new)",
			Paths:   []string{"spec"},
			Details: diff,
		}
	}
	return nil
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Hitting the high C
Magdalena Rachwald
The concert hall has a total of 141 speakers, provided by French firm L-Acoustics
On the one hand, it's the first class A office building in Bielsko-Biała; while on the other, it's one of the most modern concert halls in Europe, with the most superb acoustics. Musicians, concert-goers, and corporate employees are all set to converge on Cavatina Hall
In 2019, on the corner of ul. Dworkowa and ul. Sempołowska in Bielsko-Biała in southern Poland, the construction of an office building began that had a concert hall as a central feature. Cavatina Holding, the developer of the project, had identified the commercial potential of the region and its need for modern office space. It had also noticed that the city itself didn't have a venue for holding concerts, festivals or other similar events. And so, it decided to fill this gap. The revenues from the office space supplement those from the concert section, while the building's exceptional dual nature enhances its prestige in the eyes of actual and potential tenants.
Construction work on Cavatina Hall was completed in 2021 and the concert hall section opened in February 2022. Today, it is one of the most interesting musical landmarks in Poland – and not only because it was built through the use of private funds. The complex is exceptional in a number of aspects, even when compared to other European cultural buildings.
A shell at the foot of the Beskids
The dual function of the building at the foot of the Beskid mountains is immediately obvious. The office section takes the form of a glazed block, while the concert section is a glass sphere resembling a shell that surrounds the internal façade of the building. "The biggest challenge was to design a building for such specific and demanding use on such a small site and with significant height restrictions. The concert hall steals the show, but the office section completes the building and provides it with its actual context. We wanted the building to have a light organic form, that was both airy and that was an intriguing point in its own space," explains its architect, Piotr Jasiński, the design director of Cavatina Holding.
The concert hall section has an area of about 4,000 sqm as well as an impressive height of 17m and seating for 1,000 people. Adjacent to this is the function room, which can fit in 150 people. Concerts can also be held on the rooftop terrace, while there are also two recording studios within the complex.
Cavatina's own team of architects and builders were responsible for the entire project, while the acoustics were the work of Warsaw studio of EwkAkustika, which is owned by Ewa Więckowska-Kosmala, who has worked on several concert hall, philharmonic centre and theatre projects across Poland. A virtual model of the concert hall has also had to be generated to test out its viability by the acoustics workshop of the Building Research Institute – because every such detail was crucial. The sound quality has been determined not just by the shape of the hall, but also by its balconies – as well as the walls and even the seat coverings.
Immersion in sound
Audio Plus has been involved in the project since the outset. The company has acted as the audiovisual and stage technology consultant while also coordinating its technical development. One key decision it took for the project was to employ an immersive sound system. According to Paweł Kuhn, the marketing director of Audio Plus, there are only a handful of buildings around the world that feature such systems. They enable the location of each instrument in the orchestra to sound natural. The speakers also react automatically to what is happening during the performance, such as someone singing while moving across the stage. This is known as sound tracking, which has not been used up to this point in any other concert hall in Poland. "Everyone ends up listening, including those on the far left or far right of the hall as well as those in the centre, who will hear the singing as if it is coming exactly from its source, the singer, and not from the nearest speaker," he explains.
The concert hall has a total of 141 speakers, provided by French firm L-Acoustics. To generate this acoustic space, the stage lights have to comprise a full range of speakers and woofers as well as four subwoofers above the audience, while speaker systems in front of the first row and on the second balcony as well as around the audience and on the back wall have been installed. Sound is also provided by speakers suspended from the ceiling.
Together, the speakers in the L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive sound system are designed to work for both symphony orchestra concerts as well as for multimedia projects and film screenings.
Music for all
The Fiducia Foundation is the operator of the concert hall. This institution was founded in 2019 with the support of Cavatina. Among its founding statutes is a commitment to make culture and education available to the underprivileged in society. "Through working with educational centres, local governmental authorities and NGOs, we have created a special programme for the elderly and the young to partially finance the purchase of concert tickets. Moreover, we are making the concert stage and recording studios available to young musicians for their first professional sessions, by organising workshops for them," claims Katarzyna Pytlarczyk, the president of the Fiducia Foundation.
Over the next season, which starts in September, around 100 concerts are to take place in Cavatina Hall. "The area of the building, the size of the halls, and the technology it uses all mean that events that not only include musical events can be held there. It can also be a superb venue for congresses and conferences, training sessions and business meetings – and on an unprecedented scale for this region. Additional conference rooms are also available, along with the foyer and the patio on the roof," points out Katarzyna Pytlarczyk.
Culturally certified
In the office building world, certification has now become the standard – and Cavatina Hall is no exception to this trend. The office and service section, which is occupied by US tech firm Ellie Mae as well as by Cavatina itself, has already been awarded BREEAM at the 'Excellent' level. However, the concert section also has the very same certificate, which is unheard of elsewhere across Europe. "We began the certification for the concert hall much earlier than for the office section. Coordination meetings had to be held with the certification body BRE to fulfil the criteria for the concert hall to function as a non-standard building," explains Agnieszka Seweryn, a BREEAM engineer at Cavatina Holding.
It is not only the elevators and the lighting that are energy-efficient in Cavatina Hall, but also its sound system. Even during a concert, you're always able to take in a good lungful of fresh air. Sensors have also been fitted in the hall to help increase the ventilation whenever carbon dioxide levels grow too high. "The building scored full points for its use of natural and resources and its sustainability during the certification process," claims Agnieszka Seweryn.
"Cavatina Hall has already established itself as a showpiece of the city, while improving how tenants perceive the building itself. This is the first development in Bielsko-Biała to provide class A office space along with the option to easily alter the space to suit the company's needs," points out Dariusz Wysocki, the director of marketing and PR for Cavatina Hall.
Previously, the site of the complex was dominated by factories, but since the land around the two buildings has been redeveloped, to become a showpiece for the city of Bielsko-Biała itself, open to all its residents – and not just its white-collar workers and music lovers.
Edition 6 (269) June 2022
APP and its apps
APP-Projekt is aiming to stay at the forefront of the technological changes that are transforming the Polish project management scene. Jacek Korwin-Małaszyński, a board member of t ...
Stock market report
Not a bad ending to a poor year
The first few weeks of 2022 saw the Warsaw Stock Exchange recover some of its losses over the year, but this doesn't make up for the fact that it was a weak one for those investing ...
Virtual certainty
As we enter the age of the metaverse and become increasingly active in the digital world, has virtual real estate now also become a thing? If so, what exactly is it? And could it b ...


Our comparison video reviews the DICENTIS WIRELESS vs Confidea vs Quinta wireless conference systems. Read our comparative analysis of these three leading RF wireless conference systems.
ready to buy a wireless conference system? Get in touch!
Looking to rent or buy interpretation equipment? We can help with that too.


What is the faecal immunochemical test?
The Faecal immunochemical test detects tiny amounts of blood in your faeces (poo / stool), which you would not normally see or be aware of. You should complete the test as soon as possible.
The test helps to diagnose bleeding disorders of the gut (intestine). There are several causes for bleeding from the gut including; polyps (small non-cancerous growths in the bowel), ulcers, conditions causing bowel inflammation and rarely, bowel (or colorectal) cancer.
Please note: the test can only say that you are bleeding from somewhere in the gut. It cannot tell from which part or the cause of the bleeding. If the test is positive, your doctor will have a discussion with you about the option of referring you for further tests, to find the source of the bleeding.
Your doctor has provided you with a testing kit, including a brown-topped specimen bottle and a clear specimen bag containing the request form (which is for laboratory use only).
There are many ways to collect your stool (poo) sample. For example, you could pass your stool into a clean and dry container which is covered with toilet tissue.
After this, use the small scraper in the brown-topped specimen bottle to scrape up as much of the stool (poo) as possible from the toilet tissue lining the container. When the bottle is almost full screw the brown-topped scraper back on (as tightly as possible to prevent leakages in transit).
Please write the date and time that the sample was collected on the bottle label, (which may already be partially completed by your doctor).
Return the bottle inside its specimen bag to reception at Cuckfield or the Vale surgery before 2.30pm, Monday to Friday.
It is essential that the sample is fresh (i.e. collected on the same day it is returned to the surgery), to avoid the specimen being rejected by the hospital laboratory.
When can I find out the results?
These are usually available after 2 weeks. You can obtain results by phoning the surgery but it is important to make a follow-up appointment with your doctor, especially if you were advised to do so or your symptoms have persisted or changed.
Should I still attend for bowel cancer screening?
Yes, absolutely – the bowel cancer screening programme saves thousands of lives each year. It is important to do the faecal immunochemical test, as advised by your GP, regardless of whether you have just participated in bowel cancer screening or are due to take part in it imminently.


text:
Madison, Indianapolis & Lafayette Railroad
The Madison, Indianapolis & Lafayette Railroad connected Madison to Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the state's first railroad.
The Madison, Indianapolis & Lafayette Railroad (MI&L) was first conceived in 1836 when state legislators included it as part of the Internal Improvement Act. 1
Work on the first segment of the MI&L, between Madison and North Vernon, began in 1837. 1 It included the removal of 500,000 tons of earth 6 and the construction of a 7,012-foot incline with a grade of 5.89% in Madison, which was the steepest incline of any standard gauge railroad in the nation. The first train to operate over the track occurred on November 3, 1841. 6
Horses were required to pull train cars up the incline as no locomotive was powerful enough for the grade. 2 A cogwheel system was implemented in 1848 but abandoned in 1868 when the Reuben Wells engine debuted. The 56-ton engine was heavy enough to stay on the tracks without the assistance of cogs. At the top of the incline, the Reuben Wells was swapped for a standard locomotive. A project conceived in 1853 called for a 4¾-mile lower grade line to be built in the Clifty Creek valley to bypass the incline. 6 It would have included two tunnels but all work was stopped after $309,479 was expended due to financial difficulties.
The MI&L became part of the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis Railroad in 1866, which merged with other railroads in 1890 to form the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway (PCC&StL), which was controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).
The PCC&StL discontinued dedicated passenger operations in Madison on August 15, 1935, which was replaced by a coach attached to daily local freight runs until that, too, ended on October 10, 1938. 4
The PRR eventually became a part of Penn Central (PC) which went bankrupt in 1970.
In the 1975 Final System Plan for Conrail, which was to take over PC and other bankrupt railroads in 1976, the section of the PCC&StL between Madison and North Vernon was marked as dismantled despite it serving the Clifty Creek Power Plant. Aided by the state legislators, who passed a law that authorized cities to operate short line railroads that were less than 50 miles in length, 5 the city of Madison acquired the line in 1981 to save the railroad from abandonment. 1 The city had originally offered Conrail $500,000 which was declined. 5 The city went to court and filed a condemnation suit under the Right of Eminent Domain, and the court ruled in favor of the city. The line was sold to Conrail for just $307,000.
The incline, maintained to service the Clifty Creek Power Plant, was last used for regular operations in 1992. 7 It had just been refurbished with financial assistance from the Indiana-Kentucky Electric Corporation and was used to haul equipment down to the power plant when it was being expanded upon.
Elsewhere, a 16.8-mile segment from North Vernon to a power substation near Columbus was abandoned in 1975. 3 The remainder of the line between Columbus and Indianapolis was acquired by the Louisville & Indiana Railroad in March 1994.
The idea for a rail-to-trail to connect downtown Madison to the top of the hill was conceived in 1995. 3 The state General Assembly allocated $435,000 for the trail in 1999. The Build Indiana fund contributed an additional $45,000. Construction on the first segment of the trail, between Crooked Creek to a quarry, was awarded to Wingham Construction in 2001 and opened on September 21, 2002. 3
"Madison Railroad's Origins." Madison Railroad. N.p., 2011. Web. 24 May 2014. Article.
"Madison Railroad Incline Cut." National Park Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2014. Article.
"Indiana Railroad Abandonments." Indiana Department of Transportation. N.p., Oct. 2007.
Jefferson County Historical Society. "Gone Forever." River to Rail. N.p., 2007. Web. 24 May 2014. Article.
Jefferson County Historical Society. "The Final Chapter." River to Rail. N.p., 2007. Web. 24 May 2014. Article.
"Madison's Railroad." Old Madison. N.p., 1997. Web. 24 May 2014. Article.
Wright, Ruth. "Building, traversing Madison incline tested early railroad engineers." RoundAbout. N.p., Jan. 2003. Web. 24 May 2014. Article.
The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter
One of the more infamous UFO encounters in Kentucky is the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter, otherwise known as the Hopkinsville Goblins Case. Occurring in the fall of 1955 near Hopkinsville and Kelly, Ke…
Continue reading "The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter"
Category ExplorationsPosted on April 20, 2012 July 21, 2014
Lee Plaza
Category In FocusPosted on July 31, 2011 April 22, 2015
Mt. Sterling High School
It's not too often I make my way back down to central and eastern Kentucky anymore, but when I do, I like to at least do a check up of some of my old haunts. The Mt. Sterling High School in Mt. Sterli…
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A playful illustration incorporates the passions or pastimes that make them one-of-a-kind.
Full of personality, this charming blanket lets a loved one know they're truly one-of-a-kind, with a playful illustration featuring the passion or pastime that makes them, well, them. Create your "character" by choosing a hobby, skin tone, hair color, and clothing, then give the charming keepsake to the person in your life who makes the world a more interesting place. Illustrated by Shelly Klein in Michigan. Woven in North Carolina. Printed in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Check out the Personalized Family Hobby Art here.
Machine wash gentle in warm water. Tumble dry low, gentle cycle. Do not wash with bleach. Do not iron.
My daughter will use it at work to cover her lap.
I'd like to update my 3 star review to 4 stars. I was immediately contacted by customer service who sent me a new blanket. They were very accommodating. I'm still not giving 5 stars as this material isn't really young kid friendly as it will snag based on the thread. But nice gift and great customer service!
I loved the idea of this personalized throw. I bought 4 of them for my grandchildren. However won't purchase again because: 1) ordering more then one got complicated as you have to order and pay for them separately. I was on the phone and emailing this company for a couple days to get my orders straighted out as changes were needed. They were certainly pleasant to work with so I have no complaint about how they treated me. Just a comberson process. 2) this product is way overpriced for what you get. Fabric is flimsy and snags easily. In fact one of my throws arrived with a snag but I couldn't bear dealing with a return as ordering was such a pain. Also not really a snuggle blanket as i had hoped as it's actually a little scratchy. Best used as a conversation piece.


The wire rope hoist line is available as a monorail suspended unit, a footmount unit or a top mounted double girder trolley; all have a service class of "H-4" or "D". Monorail hoists are available from 1 to 20 Ton capacity, with true vertical lift, single or two speed (3:1) as well as variable frequency drive. The footmount and top running double girder trolleys are cataloged through 60 ton with 40′ of lift. However, for those applications where a catalog model just isn't right-we offer "built-up" trolley-hoists to 100 tons and beyond.
High Strength 19×7 IWSC (195kg/mm2) Wire Rope.
DC motor brake with optional AC motor brake.
Heavy cast iron class F motor insulation (single speed) for H4 service.
True vertical lift and forged steel hook with safety latch and thrust bearing enable the hook to swivel 360 degrees.
On all monorail hoists, a paddle type upper control circuit limit switch is a standard feature.
Upper and Lower Geared Limit Switch are available as an option.


Drop your ride a couple inches with a lowering kit for improved handling and sleek looks. All of our lowering kits and lowering springs are custom-configured for your exact vehicle. From lowering spring sets to the full-blown drop package, we have the right lowering kit for your ride and your budget.


I woke up from a dream then started talking to Irene, who lives in Boston now and who says it's currently 0 degrees Celsius and she and her husband are recovering from the flu. This flu thing, has it not affected anyone this season? I feel like it has moved to every corner of the Earth. I miss Irene, and I dunno how relevant this is (probably not at all) but I'm likely to meet Freya soon before she leaves to work in Dubai. It's nice to see my girls overseas, it means that borders sometimes only exist in minds. I saw a photo of A at a bar, and a few days ago he said he was staying away from drinking 'cos it helps him feel better, and I know from firsthand experience that mixing alcohol with mood regulators is a no-no. My head hurts from wondering if he's drinking but yknow, I am going to trust that he knows what he's doing, and I am nobody's mother, and I am not here to take care of anyone, he is a very competent adult and I need to go back to sleep.


Baked kale chips are easy to make and also very healthy for you. If you are not a fan of kale this recipe just might convert you. They are crisp, light and melt in your mouth.
You will need fresh kale, olive oil, and kosher salt.
First, trim the leaves off the stem, cut them into medium to small pieces and place them on a cookie sheet. Next, drizzle olive oil over them and sprinkle a good amount of kosher salt on top. HELPFUL HINT....make sure not to overcrowd the kale on the cookie sheet. You want the leaves to be crispy.
Next pop them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 mins.
And now you have a delicious good for you baked snack.


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Have made all arrangements for Hajj, Saudi Arabia to decide modalities: Naqvi
By Press Trust of India on 1:12 am April 6, 2022 No Comment
New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said the government has made all arrangements for Haj, but a decision on the modalities has to be taken by Saudi Arabia.
The minister said this in Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour, after Nadimul Haque of the TMC raised the demand for confirmation of date for restoration of Haj-2022.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) member pointed out that the International Haj Yatra did not take place in the last two years due to the Covid pandemic.
It is the Saudi Arabian government which will decide the modalities of Haj and how many would be permitted for the pilgrimage from India, Naqvi said.
He also informed that during the Modi government, more than two lakh pilgrims have gone for Haj from India.
In her Zero Hour mention, Rajani Ashokrao Patil of the Congress made a case for resettling of two-thirds of Asiatic Lions at two or three more places rather than just Gir in Gujarat.
Since all Asiatic Lions are in a single population, they remain vulnerable to disease, epidemic, cyclone, and drought, Patil pointed out.
In the Serengeti National Park (Tanzania and Kenya), one-third of the 3,000 lions died due to the canine distemper virus within a very short span of a few months, she said.
Such an epidemic can result in the extinction of the Asiatic Lions, she said and added that currently, the distemper virus is killing the Gir lions as well.
According to her, for a viable tiger population, a tiger reserve needs to have a human-free space of over 800 square kilometers.
"The same is true for lions. However, for the only population of Asiatic Lions in the whole world, the exclusive space available is just 250 square kilometers of the Gir National Park," she added.
Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) stressed on the need for changing election laws to make political parties accountable for their poll manifesto.
To this, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked other members, including former prime minister and JDS member H D Devegowda, was it possible to make election manifestos legally binding.
Devegowda said, "The only thing is that certain issues need to be discussed on the issue of election manifesto. That is my opinion".
Naidu said that political parties should meet, think about this seriously and then move forward in the larger interest of the country.
"It is a real issue. What has been raised is an important issue. When we are in Opposition, we say that it should be enforceable.
"When we are on the ruling side, our position is different. So, all parties should apply their mind and then come to some conclusion," he said.
In his mention, Anil Desai of the Shiv Sena suggested to apply the Mumbai city bus transport model in Delhi.
He said the discipline which is being maintained by the BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport) is very good and having started in 1873, it will be completing 150 years of service to the people.
"My suggestion is that the same discipline and the kind of transportation, which takes place in the city of Mumbai, the same model should be applied in Delhi's public transport, that is, DTC," Desai said.
BJD's Prasanna Acharya demanded construction of a memorial in the Asirgarh Fort in Maharashtra to honour freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai of Odisha, who raised his sword against the Britishers at the age of 17 and throughout his life fought against the Britishers.
PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss sought the intervention of the central government in the Cauvery river water dispute. PTI
Have made all arrangements for Hajj, Saudi Arabia to decide modalities: Naqvi added by Press Trust of India on 1:12 am April 6, 2022


Q. What is the 6th Form assessment process?
Q. Is boarding available at your schools?
Yes, for sixth form students only. Boarding places will be available from September 2019 onwards to both CCSS and Stephen Perse 6th Form College students. Please contact us for more information at this stage.


The ECB's actions in the coming months could mark a significant – and positive - turning point in the euro crisis according to Rupert Watson, head of asset allocation at Skandia.
Commenting he said: "The European Central Bank is likely to take actions over the coming months that could mark a significant turning point in the euro crisis and further strengthen sentiment towards global stock markets.
"However, the ECB will not be able to save the euro alone if individual governments do not continue to reform their economies.
"First, the ECB could begin a program of buying short dated bonds for those countries that have officially requested support and are thus already subject to conditions and monitoring. It would probably start with Portugal as it has already requested support and would aim to bring those yields much closer to German levels.
"At least in the short run, it could commit (or imply a commitment) to purchase bonds in unlimited quantity. We view this as likely.
"Second, the ECB could expand its collateral rules for banks, making it easier for them to borrow from the ECB. We view this as highly likely.
"Third, the ECB could cut interest rates from 0.75% to 0.5%. We view this as highly likely.
"Fourth, the ECB could launch a new long term refinancing operation (LTRO). This is likely if options 1-3 fail to result a material improvement in the sovereign and banking markets.
"In the short run, the ECB is likely to be able to bring short dated peripheral yields much closer to Germany's level. As a central bank, the ECB is able to create the euros to buy the bonds in unlimited quantities.
"What would perhaps be more significant than lower bond yields, however, is the signal that the ECB is likely to play a more central role in resolving the crisis. Previously, the ECB had signaled it would respond after national governments had improved their finances and made substantial reforms.
"In the long run, even a more forceful ECB will not be able to save the euro if individual governments do not continue to improve their finances and reform their economies. The fiscal reforms imply weak or negative economic growth for many years to come.
"However, while the last two years have taught us all to be skeptical of talk of progress within the eurozone, the ECB's actions could mark a significant turning point in the crisis.


text:
Criminal Law Keyed to Dressler
Criminal Law Keyed to Kadish
Criminal Law Keyed to LaFave
Criminal Law Keyed to Kaplan
Criminal Law Keyed to Weaver
Criminal Law Keyed to Bonnie
Criminal Law Keyed to Lee
Criminal Law keyed to Boyce
Criminal Law Keyed to Stuntz
The Character of Criminal Law
Defining Criminal Intent
Darab v. United States 623 A. 2d 127 (D.C. 1993)
Crimes of Sex and Sexual Violence
Homicide Crimes
Criminal Law Keyed to Robinson
Criminal Law Keyed to Johnson
Criminal Law > Criminal Law Keyed to Stuntz > Defining Criminal Intent
Darab v. United States
Citation623 A. 2d 127 (D.C. 1993)
An Islamic Center was hosting a worship service to indicate the end of Ramadan. A new iman was scheduled to give service. At the event, the old iman came with his followers. The old iman and his followers initiated an argument. The security personnel demanded that everyone leave the event or fear arrest by the police. The old iman and his followers did not leave, and they were arrested and convicted of unlawful entry.
There must be a reasonable basis or justification for a valid bona fide belief defense.
An Islamic Center in Washington, D.C., held a worship service for the end of Ramadan. The Center was also hosting its reopening after it was closed, due renovations. Thus, the Center was expecting a many attendees. Dr. Samuel Hamoud, the man in charge of security at the Center, hired private security officers to assist at the service. Dr. Adil Al-Aseer, a new imam, was responsible for leading the service. Once service began, the Center's prior imam, Mohammed Asi, and his followers began a violent argument in the Center, physically attacking Al-Aseer and Hamoud. Thereafter, Hamoud and the manager of the private security team ordered everyone in the Center to leave or the police would arrest them. The Mohammed Asi and his followers did not leave the service, and were, subsequently, convicted of unlawful entry under D.C. Code § 22-3102. Mohammed Asi and his followers appealed the convictions alleging they did not receive the instructions to leave the Center because they could not hear Hamoud and the manager of the private security team, and they thought they were allowed to stay in the Center. Mohammed Asi and his followers belief of the right to remain was founded on an opinion Asi obtained from the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, which stated one may not own a mosque and deny other Muslims entry onto the mosque property.
Whether there must be a reasonable basis or justification for a valid bona fide belief defense.
Yes, there must be a reasonable basis or justification for a valid bona fide belief defense.
The prosecution must proved that the defendant was at a location, a person with legal authority over that location told the defendant to vacate, the defendant did not vacate, and, at the time of the request, the defendant did not have a legal right to stay to convict someone of unlawful entry. One's entrance into a location with a bona fide belief that he or she has the legal right to enter refutes the required intent to illegally stay at a location. Nevertheless, a mere assertion that one has the right to enter a location is not sufficient to be entitled to a jury instruction of bona fide belief defense. Defendants must also introduce evidence that there was a reasonable justification for that belief. Here, Defendants relies on the Koran and an opinion from Al-Azhar University to sustain his belief that Muslims could not be excluded from a mosque. The court accepts that their belief may have provided some form of justification for remaining at the event. However, the explanation does not sufficiently prove that the protesters had a legal right to remain at the service. Also, Defendants claim they could not hear the orders to leave the service, which is contradicted by witnesses' testimony that stated the instructions were heard throughout the service. Therefore, Defendants' request for the bona fide belief defense is rejected. The lower court's ruling is affirmed.
Study Assets: Mens Rea


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ArtCityCultureFeaturesMichiganNewsTop lists
Best destination for 2016: Detroit
No Vacation Required — January 15, 2016
Like an art-house movie on Netflix that you know you need to watch but the time never feels quite right, Detroit, Michigan, has been in our "queue" for several years.
We've paid attention from afar as the popular narrative about the city has shifted from tabloid tales of a modern ghost town to stories of urban renewal and revitalization. Like those stories, our interest in the city has also shifted from removed fascination with a city on the decline—something that seemed so unlikely for a city in the United States—to a deep interest in a classic American icon that seems to be poised to retake its seat as a trendsetter and culture shaper.
A confluence of events has made it very clear to us that 2016 is the year to head to the Motor City. Here are three reasons why:
1. Architecture. We were aware that Detroit has quite a bit of historic architecture, but we didn't know just how significant the city's architecture is. In fact, when we think Detroit, we picture the hulking GM Renaissance Center looming over the Detroit River, which is impressive in pictures but not something we are chomping at the bit to see firsthand.
Apparently, we have a lot to discover! In 2016, the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, a global exposition dedicated to innovation in architecture, will be entirely devoted to recognizing the architectural significance of Detroit and the role it has played in shaping the modern city. More importantly, the pavilion will be exploring ways that the city, once recognized as the "center of American imagination," can serve as a testing ground for urban renewal and a catalyst for shaping next-generation urban culture.
2. Food. From what we've read, there is a bit of a foodie renaissance happening in Detroit, which seems apropos of a city on the rebound. Our curiosity is piqued by stories of an emerging food scene driven by pop-up restaurants that serve as incubators for culinary innovation. One that really grabbed our attention is (revolver), which hosts a revolving (see what they did there) list of guest chefs for very popular "table d'hote" dinners.
Beyond the restaurant scene, we've read about something that is downright impossible in most cities: large urban farms. Apparently, Detroit has a lot of open space within its massive boundaries (approximately 139.1 square miles), some of which is related to razed buildings making way for urban pastures. In response, the nation's largest urban agricultural movement has sprouted, and several area restaurants source produce directly from these farms. Some farms, like Food Field, also sell their veggies at Detroit's historic Eastern Market.
Viewfinder Tip: Volunteering is an excellent way to discover a new destination. We're going to check out Greening of Detroit when we make it to the Motor City.
3. Art. Artists have long played a critical role in urban revitalization. We've seen it in almost every city we've visited: emerging neighborhoods of derelict-warehouses-cum-performance-spaces-and-art-galleries, which both underpin and give way to full-on gentrification (and push out the very artists who laid the foundation for the transformation, but we digress). So there is no surprise that artists are playing a key role in Detroit's renaissance.
We read about a thriving scene that seems completely unfettered when it comes to artistic expression and an environment that serves as a template for the art that just can't happen elsewhere—pop-up sculpture parks and abandoned houses transformed into massive art installations. To the above point, that kind of thing does not last long.
It is time to move Detroit to the top of the queue.
What should we put on our list to experience when we visit Detroit?
Next post Best destination for 2016: Ischia, Italy
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About the Author No Vacation Required
Kent and Caanan are self-described fulfillment fanatics who rejiggered life so that every day could be a dream day. They started a virtual consulting business (specializing in helping individuals and organizations navigate change) in order to see the world, give back, and make a living from anywhere while doing work they love. On the side, they share their adventures by writing about LGBT getaways, nature-centric journeys, the tech side of travel, globetrotting with purpose, and luxury escapes that aren't fussy.
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text:
Part Seven: Chapter 1
The Levins had been three months in Moscow. The date had long passed on which, according to the most trustworthy calculations of people learned in such matters, Kitty should have been confined. But she was still about, and there was nothing to show that her time was any nearer than two months ago. The doctor, the monthly nurse, and Dolly and her mother, and most of all Levin, who could not think of the approaching event without terror, began to be impatient and uneasy. Kitty was the only person who felt perfectly calm and happy.
She was distinctly conscious now of the birth of a new feeling of love for the future child, for her to some extent actually existing already, and she brooded blissfully over this feeling. He was not by now altogether a part of herself, but sometimes lived his own life independently of her. Often this separate being gave her pain, but at the same time she wanted to laugh with a strange new joy.
All the people she loved were with her, and all were so good to her, so attentively caring for her, so entirely pleasant was everything presented to her, that if she had not known and felt that it must all soon be over, she could not have wished for a better and pleasanter life. The only thing that spoiled the charm of this manner of life was that her husband was not here as she loved him to be, and as he was in the country.
She liked his serene, friendly, and hospitable manner in the country. In the town he seemed continually uneasy and on his guard, as though he were afraid someone would be rude to him, and still more to her. At home in the country, knowing himself distinctly to be in his right place, he was never in haste to be off elsewhere. He was never unoccupied. Here in town he was in a continual hurry, as though afraid of missing something, and yet he had nothing to do. And she felt sorry for him. To others, she knew, he did not appear an object of pity. On the contrary, when Kitty looked at him in society, as one sometimes looks at those one loves, trying to see him as if he were a stranger, so as to catch the impression he must make on others, she saw with a panic even of jealous fear that he was far indeed from being a pitiable figure, that he was very attractive with his fine breeding, his rather old-fashioned, reserved courtesy with women, his powerful figure, and striking, as she thought, and expressive face. But she saw him not from without, but from within; she saw that here he was not himself; that was the only way she could define his condition to herself. Sometimes she inwardly reproached him for his inability to live in the town; sometimes she recognized that it was really hard for him to order his life here so that he could be satisfied with.
What had he to do, indeed? He did not care for cards; he did not go to a club. Spending the time with jovial gentlemen of Oblonsky's type--she knew now what that meant...it meant drinking and going somewhere after drinking. She could not think without horror of where men went on such occasions. Was he to go into society? But she knew he could only find satisfaction in that if he took pleasure in the society of young women, and that she could not wish for. Should he stay at home with her, her mother and her sisters? But much as she liked and enjoyed their conversations forever on the same subjects--"Aline-Nadine," as the old prince called the sisters' talks--she knew it must bore him. What was there left for him to do? To go on writing at his book he had indeed attempted, and at first he used to go to the library and make extracts and look up references for his book. But, as he told her, the more he did nothing, the less time he had to do anything. And besides, he complained that he had talked too much about his book here, and that consequently all his ideas about it were muddled and had lost their interest for him.
One advantage in this town life was that quarrels hardly ever happened between them here in town. Whether it was that their conditions were different, or that they had both become more careful and sensible in that respect, they had no quarrels in Moscow from jealousy, which they had so dreaded when they moved from the country.
One event, an event of great importance to both from that point of view, did indeed happen--that was Kitty's meeting with Vronsky.
The old Princess Marya Borissovna, Kitty's godmother, who had always been very fond of her, had insisted on seeing her. Kitty, though she did not go into society at all on account of her condition, went with her father to see the venerable old lady, and there met Vronsky.
The only thing Kitty could reproach herself for at this meeting was that at the instant when she recognized in his civilian dress the features once so familiar to her, her breath failed her, the blood rushed to her heart, and a vivid blush--she felt it-- overspread her face. But this lasted only a few seconds. Before her father, who purposely began talking in a loud voice to Vronsky, had finished, she was perfectly ready to look at Vronsky, to speak to him, if necessary, exactly as she spoke to Princess Marya Borissovna, and more than that, to do so in such a way that everything to the faintest intonation and smile would have been approved by her husband, whose unseen presence she seemed to feel about her at that instant.
She said a few words to him, even smiled serenely at his joke about the elections, which he called "our parliament." (She had to smile to show she saw the joke.) But she turned away immediately to Princess Marya Borissovna, and did not once glance at him till he got up to go; then she looked at him, but evidently only because it would be uncivil not to look at a man when he is saying good-bye.
She was grateful to her father for saying nothing to her about their meeting Vronsky, but she saw by his special warmth to her after the visit during their usual walk that he was pleased with her. She was pleased with herself. She had not expected she would have had the power, while keeping somewhere in the bottom of her heart all the memories of her old feeling for Vronsky, not only to seem but to be perfectly indifferent and composed with him.
Levin flushed a great deal more than she when she told him she had met Vronsky at Princess Marya Borissovna's. It was very hard for her to tell him this, but still harder to go on speaking of the details of the meeting, as he did not question her, but simply gazed at her with a frown.
"I am very sorry you weren't there," she said. "Not that you weren't in the room...I couldn't have been so natural in your presence...I am blushing now much more, much, much more," she said, blushing till the tears came into her eyes. "But that you couldn't see through a crack."
The truthful eyes told Levin that she was satisfied with herself, and in spite of her blushing he was quickly reassured and began questioning her, which was all she wanted. When he had heard everything, even to the detail that for the first second she could not help flushing, but that afterwards she was just as direct and as much at her ease as with any chance acquaintance, Levin was quite happy again and said he was glad of it, and would not now behave as stupidly as he had done at the election, but would try the first time he met Vronsky to be as friendly as possible.
"It's so wretched to feel that there's a man almost an enemy whom it's painful to meet," said Levin. "I'm very, very glad."