text:
package androidx.media2.test.service;

import static androidx.media2.test.common.CommonConstants.ACTION_MEDIA_BROWSER_COMPAT;
import static androidx.media2.test.common.CommonConstants.MEDIA_BROWSER_COMPAT_PROVIDER_SERVICE;
import static androidx.media2.test.common.TestUtils.PROVIDER_SERVICE_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS;

import static junit.framework.TestCase.fail;

import android.content.ComponentName;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.ServiceConnection;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.IBinder;
import android.os.RemoteException;
import android.support.v4.media.MediaBrowserCompat;
import android.util.Log;

import androidx.media2.test.common.IRemoteMediaBrowserCompat;

import java.util.UUID;
import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

/**
 * Represents remote {@link MediaBrowserCompat} the client app's MediaBrowserCompatProviderService.
 * Users can run {@link MediaBrowserCompat} methods remotely with this object.
 */
public class RemoteMediaBrowserCompat {
    private static final String TAG = "RemoteMediaBrowserCompat";

    private final String mBrowserId;
    private final Context mContext;
    private final CountDownLatch mCountDownLatch;

    private ServiceConnection mServiceConnection;
    private IRemoteMediaBrowserCompat mBinder;

    /**
     * Create a {@link MediaBrowserCompat} in the client app.
     * Should NOT be called main thread.
     */
    public RemoteMediaBrowserCompat(Context context, ComponentName serviceComponent) {
        mContext = context;
        mBrowserId = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
        mCountDownLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
        mServiceConnection = new MyServiceConnection();
        if (!connectToService()) {
            fail("Failed to connect to the MediaBrowserCompatProviderService.");
        }
        create(serviceComponent);
    }

    public void cleanUp() {
        disconnect();
        disconnectFromService();
    }

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
    // MediaBrowserCompat methods
    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    /**
     * Connect to the given media browser service.
     *
     * @param waitForConnection true if the remote browser needs to wait for the connection,
     *                          false otherwise.
     */
    public void connect(boolean waitForConnection) {
        try {
            mBinder.connect(mBrowserId, waitForConnection);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call connect()");
        }
    }

    public void disconnect() {
        try {
            mBinder.disconnect(mBrowserId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call disconnect()");
        }
    }

    public boolean isConnected() {
        try {
            return mBinder.isConnected(mBrowserId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call isConnected()");
            return false;
        }
    }

    public ComponentName getServiceComponent() {
        try {
            return mBinder.getServiceComponent(mBrowserId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call getServiceComponent()");
            return null;
        }
    }

    public String getRoot() {
        try {
            return mBinder.getRoot(mBrowserId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call getRoot()");
            return null;
        }
    }

    public Bundle getExtras() {
        try {
            return mBinder.getExtras(mBrowserId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call getExtras()");
            return null;
        }
    }

    public Bundle getConnectedSessionToken() {
        try {
            return mBinder.getConnectedSessionToken(mBrowserId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call getConnectedToken()");
            return null;
        }
    }

    public void subscribe(String parentId, Bundle options) {
        try {
            mBinder.subscribe(mBrowserId, parentId, options);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call subscribe()");
        }
    }

    public void unsubscribe(String parentId) {
        try {
            mBinder.unsubscribe(mBrowserId, parentId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call unsubscribe()");
        }
    }

    public void getItem(String mediaId) {
        try {
            mBinder.getItem(mBrowserId, mediaId);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call getItem()");
        }
    }

    public void search(String query, Bundle extras) {
        try {
            mBinder.search(mBrowserId, query, extras);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call search()");
        }
    }

    public void sendCustomAction(String action, Bundle extras) {
        try {
            mBinder.sendCustomAction(mBrowserId, action, extras);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to call sendCustomAction()");
        }
    }

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
    // Non-public methods
    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    /**
     * Connects to client app's MediaBrowserCompatProviderService.
     * Should NOT be called main thread.
     *
     * @return true if connected successfully, false if failed to connect.
     */
    private boolean connectToService() {
        final Intent intent = new Intent(ACTION_MEDIA_BROWSER_COMPAT);
        intent.setComponent(MEDIA_BROWSER_COMPAT_PROVIDER_SERVICE);

        boolean bound = false;
        try {
            bound = mContext.bindService(intent, mServiceConnection, Context.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to bind to the MediaBrowserCompatProviderService.");
        }

        if (bound) {
            try {
                mCountDownLatch.await(PROVIDER_SERVICE_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS,
                        TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
            } catch (InterruptedException ex) {
                Log.e(TAG, "InterruptedException while waiting for onServiceConnected.", ex);
            }
        }
        return mBinder != null;
    }

    /**
     * Disconnects from client app's MediaBrowserCompatProviderService.
     */
    private void disconnectFromService() {
        if (mServiceConnection != null) {
            mContext.unbindService(mServiceConnection);
            mServiceConnection = null;
        }
    }

    /**
     * Create a {@link MediaBrowserCompat} in the client app.
     * Should be used after successful connection through {@link #connectToService()}.
     */
    private void create(ComponentName serviceComponent) {
        try {
            mBinder.create(mBrowserId, serviceComponent);
        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to create default browser with given serviceComponent.");
        }
    }

    class MyServiceConnection implements ServiceConnection {
        @Override
        public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName name, IBinder service) {
            Log.d(TAG, "Connected to client app's MediaBrowserCompatProviderService.");
            mBinder = IRemoteMediaBrowserCompat.Stub.asInterface(service);
            mCountDownLatch.countDown();
        }

        @Override
        public void onServiceDisconnected(ComponentName name) {
            Log.d(TAG, "Disconnected from client app's MediaBrowserCompatProviderService.");
        }
    }
}


I worked my tail off in practice and in the weight room, but I never went "the extra mile." I did what was expected of me, and I worked hard when I was supposed to (even when the other guys were being lazy), but that was it.
And I was pretty good.
Then there were players like Josh. Josh's dad would film the game, and they would watch the whole thing, play-by-play, when they got home from the game. They would go over every mistake, one at a time.
When the game was over for me, I'd head home and go to sleep (usually on the couch).
For Josh, his night was just beginning.
Now, I'm not saying this is a great way to parent a kid. But I will say this: Josh was a much better football player than I was. He had a bunch of natural talent, but he spent way more time practicing than I did.
He would have laughed and made me go run sprints or something.
But boy, people do the same thing in the audio world ALL THE TIME.
We don't expect it to work that way in the football world, and it sure as heck doesn't work that way in the audio world either.
You gotta put in the effort.
You gotta log the hours.
There's no other way, pumpkin.
And a great way to get into the habit of regular practice?
A great way to make yourself better, one mix, one month at a time?


The man suspected of gunning down a rookie Kentucky state trooper was shot and killed early Monday after a massive manhunt, authorities said.
Joseph Thomas Johnson-Shanks, 25, is believed to have fatally shot Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder after a traffic stop and subsequent nine-mile car chase late Sunday.
Lyon County Executive Wade White told NBC News that Johnson-Shanks was cornered Monday in a small wooded area near some homes. Authorities commanded Johnson-Shanks to drop his weapon — but when he refused, police said, a trooper shot him.
The suspect was taken to a nearby medical facility, where he later died, authorities said.
Police had said earlier that Ponder, 31, was killed after the suspect fled from a traffic stop on Interstate 24 at 10:20 p.m. local time (11:20 p.m. ET) police said.
"A pursuit ensued with the suspect stopping abruptly around the 49 mile marker, causing the front of Trooper Ponder's police cruiser to make contact with the rear of the suspect vehicle," Trooper First Class Jay Thomas said in a statement.
"At this time, the driver of the suspect vehicle fired several shots into the police cruiser striking the hood, windshield and Trooper Ponder multiple times," he added. "The suspect fled the scene on foot."
Ponder was taken to a hospital in Princeton, Kentucky, but died of his injuries at 11:41 p.m. ET (12:41 a.m. ET on Monday).
Ponder was a Navy veteran, said James Webb, who coached Ponder in high school track and football and who remained close with the trooper after graduation.
He was "just a fantastic young man — humble, quiet and unassuming," Webb told NBC affiliate WAVE.
In a statement released Monday, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said he was "deeply saddened" by the killing.


Today we have consultants in every sector and just about every field of work. For example, once we only met a hairdresser or barber when we needed a haircut, today in some salons we are also introduced to a hair or styling consultant who can provide us with professional advice based on years of experience and current industry knowledge and insight before making a styling choice. At Excitech we can't advise you on the latest hair style or next colour trend, but we do have a team of Consultants and this blog is a brief overview of the type of specialist work we engage in and a little bit about the lifestyle.
I joined Excitech five and half years ago as a Principal Consultant after over thirty years of working within multi-disciplinary design, main contractor and developer organisations. The first point I would like to make is that many of the Consultants at Excitech also provide a wealth of experience based on long standing careers within the Construction sector, but not only in design and contractor project delivery roles. The Consultancy specialism extends to include IT and Infrastructure, Document Management, Facility Management (FM), Change Management, Software Development and Implementation. The benefit to Excitech customers is that more often than not their projects or requirements are being supported by a multi-faceted team in the background, ensuring best practice is being applied based on an extensive knowledge bank and a combination of skillsets. This also brings benefits to Excitech Consultants as we can explore and develop workflows with internal peer and specialist advice and support. For example, BIM to FM workflows can be developed through every project stage including migration to Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) or Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) with support from design, construction, technology and FM specialists, providing that joined up approach.
Excitech customers will often be introduced initially to a Principal Consultant who will seek to understand the customer's needs or challenges and provide recommendations to solve or deliver required outcomes. The second point I would like to make is that no two customers are ever the same. We are all unique as individuals and organisations are the same with their own strengths, weaknesses and often unique culture. As a result, a Principal Consultant will start with a `blank piece of paper` and make no assumptions to ensure tailored recommendations and solutions are proposed. This ethos also extends to technology solutions, for example, a particular Document Management Solution may be perfect for one organisation, but not right for a similar organisation, and this is where the Principal Consultant will provide advice to a customer, not in isolation, but with the support of Technical Consultants. Excitech have a team of Technical Consultants who understand the technologies in micro detail, from design technologies such as Revit, to the latest construction management solutions such as Autodesk's 360 platform, CAFM solutions like ARCHIBUS, to online training platforms such as Pinnacle Series. These technical experts provide the knowledge and detail required to support the Principal Consultants and validate that the right solution has been proposed. I personally get embarrassed when I am introduced by Customers to their staff as a BIM expert, as I do not believe you can know absolutely everything in areas such as BIM. BIM is far too big a subject, but with the help and network provided by our specialist Technical Consultants, any gaps in knowledge are fully supported to enable that expert delivery.
This leads onto my third point, I strongly believe as a Consultant you must be a proactive learner, open to new ideas and love the industry you support. If we take BIM as an example, this is a big change for the whole industry, from working standards, methods and procedures that are extended by new contractual arrangements, new roles and duties, to rapidly developing technologies, both in functionality and number. For many organisations this is a period of industry disruption, old working methods being challenged and a move to increased digital delivery and often project risks. Excitech Consultants need to maintain their knowledge and skill-sets, and this requires dedication and a will to go that extra mile to ensure the advice provided is industry leading, the work and extra effort that goes into that personal development in such a fast-changing industry cannot and should not be underestimated as it is relentless.
The life of a Consultant at Excitech is not as simple as the definition at the top of this page sounds, 'A person who provides expert advice professionally'. The actual work extends to project delivery, providing training and education programmes, auditing projects, acting as Employer's representatives, evaluating tender returns, public speaking, implementing technology solutions, etc. It is this variety of work that I believe appeals to many Consultants, but on the flip side there is a lot of travelling, living in hotels and no fixed daily routine at work or at home. So if anyone was reading this thinking a Consultancy job is just for them, as long as you do not want a set daily routine, love living in hotels, have an understanding family, or no family, and are very self-motivated every day, then maybe this is the job for you?
The work we deliver as Consultants for customers is often in the background or under non-disclosure agreements, telling the world all about our successes is often not an option available to us. So when we do get an opportunity to promote our endeavours, we all celebrate. At the end of last year one of our Consultants Steve Rudge, Head of Construction, with our customer Balfour Beatty won the Best Use of IT in a Construction Project at the 2018 Construction Computing Awards. This recognition highlighted the strength of the Excitech Consultancy team and how combined expertise can be leveraged and maximised to deliver award winning outcomes. However the majority of or work remains hidden behind closed doors and often our strategies and consequent implementation becomes business as usual for many of our customers.
In summary, the life of a Consultant at Excitech is very varied and challenging with a heavy reliance on wider industry experience, it is not a job for everyone but for those that embrace it. Providing tailored solutions and outcomes specifically aligned to customers' needs is rewarding. Having internal Consultants and Experts that cover a wide range of technologies that support the life of a built asset from concept, design, construction, in-use, to final demolition, including the all-important IT infrastructure, provides unequalled support and knowledge. And finally, more often than not we support customers in the background, this for me was the most significant observation when I joined Excitech as a Principal Consultant. After being a customer for nearly thirty years I knew the Excitech customer base was extensive but not to the level I found. From Central Government Departments and Local Authorities, to Airports, Hospitals, Universities, Banks, Main Contractors, Designers and Manufacturers, Excitech Consultants are there supporting our customers but remain what feels sometimes like one of industries best kept secrets.
Daryn has been involved in the construction industry and professional design practices for over 25 years. His experience spans many sectors, including Defence, Education, Healthcare, Petrochemical, Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Transport to name a few.


Spanish Throwdown is the most international functional and lifting competition in Spain, based on tradition and community spirit. Aspiring to have the best Crossfit event in Southern Europe for everyone, providing a unique experience with tough workouts. Spanish Throwdown and Weightlifting Face to Face, will take place at the "La Ciudad de la Raqueta" stadium.
The best 39 + 1 male rx, 23 + 1 female rx, 16 teams, 16 master> 35 male, 8 master> 8 female, the 8 master> 40 male, 24 male Rock climbing and 16 female climbs, will have the right to face the classification, which will take place in Madrid in the month of September.


A preset is an asset that serves as a configuration preset for Save Extension.
Within other settings, presets define how the world is saved, what is saved and what is not.
Under Project Settings -> Game -> Save Extension: Default Preset you will find the default values for all presets.
This default settings page is useful in case you have many presets, or in case you have none (because without any preset, default is used).
All settings have defined tooltips describing what they are used for. Check them moving your mouse over the property.
Serialization: Toggle what to save from the world.
Compression: This settings can heavily reduce saved file sizes, but adds an extra cost to performance.
Asynchronous: Should save & load be asynchronous?
Because presets are assets, the active preset can be switched in runtime allowing different saving setups for different maps or game modes.
Save: If false, this actor will be completely ignored while saving. Disable this on all actor classes you don't want to save for performance.
Transform: Should save position, rotation and scale of this actor?
Physics: Should physics be saved? Transform is required to be enabled to save physics.


text:
January 13, 2021 Opinion » Letters to the Editor
Teletherapy: Will it survive the pandemic?, Riot at the Capitol, U.S Representative Cliff Bentz & Pro Trump Mob
As journalists, we are advised to keep ourselves out of the story and to focus instead on the people affected by any given issue. This week, in our nation's Capitol, the focus of the ire (and outright insurrection) was lawmakers—but also affected by the fear and chaos were the many journalists covering the certification of the Electoral College votes. They, too, hunkered down in terror, and some even found themselves targets of people who, for the past four years, have ascribed to the belief that we are "enemies of the people" out to spread "fake news." If you're reading this, I hope you're among the many who have paused this week to consider the importance of real, trusted and verified information, because the information that spurred the Capitol riots was anything but that. When journalists become part of the story, something has often gone terribly wrong.
Ashley Moreno
On Jan. 12, Deschutes County Health Services staff administered 384 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, mostly to first responders, at the DCHS shot clinic. County staff held the first clinic on Dec. 31. Since then, they've administered about 1,450 shots (800 Moderna and 650 Pfizer) to people who fall under Group 1A in the Oregon Health Authority's vaccine prioritization framework. Currently, most Phase 1A individuals find out about their eligibility and are scheduled through their employer or residential living facility. The clinic is running five days a week, Mon.-Fri.
Real journalism is a profession that compels us to ask questions, talk to those affected by the stories we tell, root out facts, verify and re-verify information, and to come to the closest approximation of the truth that we can find before we put our work out to the public. It also compels us to correct ourselves publicly and quickly when we make a mistake. From all of us who believe and live by these tenets, I'd like to say a thankyou for picking up this newspaper or reading us online. I hate to even have to say it following last week's spectacle, but real news really does save lives.
RE: Teletherapy: Will it survive the pandemic? News, 1/7
When we say there is a stigma to mental illnesses, aid or abet those who do, whom are we helping except those trained to say it?
Curiously, no one. Why, then, do it?
— Harold A Maio, retired mental health editor
Riot at the Capitol
My father fought in three wars for this country and gave his life due to military service. I fought in one. (That was enough.) That used to be patriotism.
"Patriot" used to mean—patriot. In the last few years it became synonymous with "militia thug." In the last few months it has morphed to mean "terrorist, racist, traitor."
This is tragic beyond imagining.
The actions in Congress of our newly sworn representative, Cliff Bentz, have only served to cement this last meaning. Does he not see what's happening? Does he not understand the danger? Will he do nothing to reverse course?
—Greg Byrne
U.S Representative Cliff Bentz
WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR, CLIFF BENTZ?
Well, look at you, Mr. Representative. You were sworn in on Sunday to uphold the Constitution, yet three days later, you vote to cast it aside.
This is unacceptable. You are not beholden to (the waning days of) President Trump and his unfounded and conspiratorial assertions about the election. He lost. Get over it. The votes and certification processes of each state were legitimate. You know this.
You represent my District. I expect you to do so with honor and integrity. Within three days you have failed. You should be ashamed. How can I trust you as my Representative? Find the courage to not mindlessly slip-stream behind the likes of your irrational conservative colleagues. Find your soul and begin to listen to all your constituents before you find yourself in two years wondering why you didn't get re-elected.
—Nancy Tyler
Cliff Bentz
I am shocked at the events that unfolded in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6. Our Capitol was assaulted by a seditious mob. Five people have died. Pipe bombs were found by the Capitol. Our Constitution and our legal system were damaged by these events.
But let's not forget how this all started. President Trump for months has been spreading lies about the election. Despite losing 59 out of 60 court cases, despite having no evidence of significant voter fraud and despite the fact that his opponent won by more than 7 million votes, Trump continued to promote his false narrative that he won the election.
I hold Trump responsible for these deaths, damage to our Capitol, and more importantly the threat to our democracy. He needs to be held accountable.
However, I also hold Congressman Bentz responsible for the seditious events. Bentz voted to void the election results. He has repeated many times the same lies about the election as Trump.
We should not forget that Bentz was attempting to overthrow a legal election and to disenfranchise American voters.
On his website, Bentz says: "America is not just a country; it is an idea. A very successful idea that no one else in the world has been able to duplicate. Under President Trump's leadership, the possibilities for our country's future have expanded quickly and dramatically."
At least in one way, Bentz is correct, under Trump the possibility of our country being overthrown by coup are possible.
I don't say this lightly, but Bentz should be removed from office for violating his oath to protect our country and our Constitution.
— George Wuerthner
Remove Cliff Bentz
Cliff Bentz, Representative from Oregon, was one of the people supporting the coup by voting to disenfranchise the vote. He needs to be removed from office, charged with sedition, and prevented from ever holding public office again.
—Jack Homeyer
Pro Trump Mob
Those who participated in the mayhem at the Capitol last week are not, and never can be, Patriots. To be a patriot you must live in the country of which you profess your love. None of the people belonging to or subscribing to the organizations of the far right and their misguided, paranoid sentiments actually live in the USA. Instead, they live in a country existing only within the narrow bounds of their feeble, collective mindset.
They pledge allegiance to a fantasy country which resembles the United States in name only. This fantasy version of the USA and its angry, misguided citizenry routinely claim to be oppressed for their righteous and noble cause. What cause is that? The only one I can see is one that seeks to injure, dominate, ridicule, bully and oppress anyone who doesn't agree with them. That's not a cause; it's a petulant, overblown sense of entitlement that comes complete with a pseudo-religious fascist, racist fascination with violence.
The deep divisions endangering our country today have been cultivated and nurtured for decades. Demagogues broadcasting their vitriol over the airwaves and the internet have done their damnedest to tear this country down and remake it in their own image.
The Constitution has been hijacked, misinterpreted and replaced with a Cult of Personality that cannot and never will be the equal of Democracy.
Democracy. Look it up. Read about it. Educate yourself. Then take a moment from your busy life and participate in YOUR Democracy.
—Woody Peasas
Letter of the Week:
Woody: Thanks for writing in and encouraging others to participate in our democracy. From my perspective, one part of that participation is writing letters to the editor to share your thoughts in your own community—so kudos to you for doing so! Come on by for your gift card to Palate.
—Nicole Vulcan
Tilting-at-Windmills is Not What Deschutes County—or Congressional District 2—Needs
Owyhee River Canyonlands Wilderness Preservation, School discipline in Bend school district, Hundreds More Affordable Housing Apartments Underway in Bend & Getting Educators Vaccinated Early is a Path to Speedier Recovery More »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Wonder Woman; Writer; Quiz Mistress; Homeschooler; Geek; Hippie; Doula; Photographer; Be nice or I'll write about you.
Things That Piss Me Off Tuesday - The resurrection edition
So, I haven't been following my own blogging rules for some time now. I've neglected my regular weekly obligations, including WTF Wednesday and this one. My bad.
I've been busy. Honest. Here goes.
Life's.Not.Fair.
I have a friend laying in a hospital bed being kept alive by machines right now, and it's not fucking fair. (she'd totally disapprove of my language just then, by the way). Life sucks ass sometimes, often without warning. Bad things happen to good people. It's wrong in so many ways that I can't even begin to put it into words.
Cat bastards
It's not just the deep life-altering things that piss me off lately though. Sometimes it seems like everything does.
Like my cat. He's an asshole. Truly.
It's to the point where I call him that now, and he responds. Mostly by scowling at me in his special way. He hates me, always has. I'm not sure why, honestly. I'm a nice person. I don't beat him or fling him across the room in the middle of the night when he attacks my feet. I begrudgingly share my space with him, even though I'm completely allergic to everything he is.
He spends literally all day trying to figure out how to escape from the house. In a normal neighborhood, with a normal cat, that wouldn't be an issue. But, I have a crazy neighbor, and he's a klutz. He'd get hurt in a hurry, before the crazy neighbor even got a chance to screw with him. The cat can't even jump on the couch without falling off. You know I mock him for this. So does he.
Consequently, I can't let him out. And he's pissed. He's decided to take it out on me, one stealth attack at a time. Told you he is an asshole.
Political Phone Calls
First of all, if you think a phone call during dinner is going to make me change my vote, you're delusional.
Second, it's freaking July people. I so do not want to put up with this shit for four more months.
Third, I despise the fact that these annoying phone calls somehow are excluded from the Do Not Call Registry. What the hell???
Fourth, if you're going to call me, there had damned well better be a live human being on the other end. I do not take calls from robots. Especially political robots.
Save your money and pay for some more terribly misleading ads on television, eh? Ah, the American way.
Helicopter Moms
Before you go getting your panties in a wad, I have to confess that I have my tendencies. I work very hard to control my obsessive mom instincts. I get it. I do. Having said that, sometimes these ones piss me off.
Like during swimming lessons. You know, the ones that I paid good money for. The same amount that they paid for their kid. Who is 5, not 2. Get out of the pool, mom. Seriously. The class is only 30 minutes long and you are just encouraging your kid to freak out more. Toss him in or pull him out. Now.
Thanks for wasting ten minutes of time I paid for.
Mommy and me class is over there. The kid has to learn to sink or swim on his own. And he will. Honest. Now stop being such a damn distraction and let the teacher do what you are paying them for.
We live in a world where, for the first time, active duty service members were allowed to wear their dress uniforms in a gay pride parade. Where more and more states approve gay marriage with each passing year. Where actors and politicians and professional athletes can openly admit their sexual orientation.
And where a place that makes chicken sandwiches can steal the spotlight because their owners don't seem to live in that same world. Where they donate money from profits to organizations that fight not just against gay marriage, but against gay rights in general. Openly preach about how righteous they are for being married to their "first wives".
Whatever. People don't go there to be pontificated to. They go there because you make a damn tasty sandwich. This isn't about freedom of speech or freedom of religion. I respect those 100%. What I won't do, however, is help fund hate. I love your sandwiches, Chick fil-A, but you will never get another penny of my money again.
Posted by Kelly DeBie at 3:31 PM
I apologize in advance for this.
I haven't really been fully invested in writing much for the last week. I've been almost completely distracted the entire time, and admit to having done a poor job of forcing myself to focus.
Of course, the migraine I've been nursing for the last 6 days isn't helping either.
I am supposed to write not one, but two posts in my summer music series today, but I think that I'm going to have to do this instead. I will keep going with the music eventually, and as I've already admitted to a few people, I will be extending it.
I was absolutely right about not being able to limit that series to 31 days.
But first, this.
The last ten days around here have been the kind of days that don't make any sense at all. Where things happen, and it's difficult, if not impossible to see where the reasons may lie.
Though the shooting wasn't in my town, it wasn't that far away. I struggled with it enough as it was before it was thrust into my face in a personal way. Scary enough to think about the fact that it could have easily been my son and my husband in that theater, scary enough to think about the fear that must have been in the hearts of those who were there, scary enough to envision a world where things like this happen at all.
And then, Monday.
A friend of mine, fighting for her life, fighting to come back to us, fighting to stay herself. Fighting for reasons that I can't comprehend and that make no sense to me. For many hours that day, we weren't sure what was happening. By that evening, we found ourselves holding up walls in a waiting room shared with the families of the shooting victims.
All of us waiting. Wondering. Asking why. Holding hands and bowing heads together, this room full of strangers.
In that moment, I saw the best and worst of humanity. I've seen it many days since.
My friend and this innocent victim, in beds not far from one another, fighting a fight that in many ways is no different, but for completely different reasons.
Neither of which make sense.
I've had so many people tell me about how things happen for a reason, and how we aren't privy to those reasons. How we are supposed to trust that somehow these tragedies are part of a plan we get no part in drafting. We are supposed to be strong and be hopeful and be resolute in our faith.
I'm just not so sure.
There is too large a part of my soul that needs reason. That craves explanation. That wants to know why horrible things happen to good people.
I have found myself asking that question far too many times these past few years. For my family, for my friends, for complete strangers, for myself.
Sitting here with my children, we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics a few nights ago and I pondered who would sing. Two years ago, k.d. lang sang Hallelujah in the Winter opening, and simultaneously touched my heart and broke it. A thousand miles away, my father was engaged in the fight of his life that evening. We'd come close to losing him only a few days later.
In a split second, I both hoped that Annie Lennox would sing and that she wouldn't because I knew exactly which song she would sing if she did, and I wasn't sure that I could hear it right now. It would be this one.
I'm grateful she didn't sing it. I have spent many years perfecting the art of shielding my children from my own sorrow, but songs like that one strip me of my defenses. It took me a few days to work up the strength to even write this post.
I want to believe that there are reasons. I do. With every ounce of my being I want to believe it.
I just know that sometimes those reasons don't show themselves to us. That sometimes it never makes sense. That time doesn't heal all the way some people say it is supposed to, that sometimes all it does is put more distance between then and now.
I'll pick myself up in a bit here. Build the shield again. Get back to the tasks at hand.
For a while though, I'm going to be staring at the sky, looking for a reason.
Posted by Kelly DeBie at 11:46 AM
Summer School of Rock - The Who
They've often been referred to as the greatest rock band ever.
They started out with roots in bluegrass, competing against a ton of other bands that sprung up in the years after The Beatles hit it big. They had to do something to set themselves, to define them, and did they ever.
Instrument destruction became a routine part of their act, and many guitars and drums have been sacrificed on stage as a result. They gained popularity in England gradually, then hit is big here with My Generation in 1965.
Known for many years for their singles, the band made a clear shift toward full length performances, which would eventually come to be referred to as rock operas.
They performed much of Tommy at Woodstock. Quadrophenia would be their second rock opera, released in 1973. Their Who Are You album was their best seller, but was followed shortly by Keith Moon's death. More tragedy hit the band when 11 fans were crushed to death in Cincinnati in 1979.
The band broke up in 1983, but reformed not long afterwards. In 2005, they released their first studio album in over 20 years, and toured to go along with it. They are still currently on tour.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and the living members of the band, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are recipients of Kennedy Center Honors as well.
Posted by Kelly DeBie at 9:18 AM
Summer School of Rock - Eric Clapton
There is exactly one person in this world who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times. Yes, three times.
Eric Clapton.
As a member of Cream, as a member of The Yardbirds, and as a solo artist.
He's one of the most gifted guitarists of all time, and has a gift when it comes to songwriting. There is a soothing richness to his voice.
His time with both bands was relatively short, especially given the length of his career overall. By the early 70's, he was on his own.
Clapton was friends with, and inspired by Jimi Hendrix. Layla, one of his most famous songs was recorded during the time he was working with band mates in Derek and the Dominoes. That band didn't last long, as it seemed to attract tragedy. Clapton's drug use began to spiral out of control, and by the 80's he was fighting alcoholism as well.
He's always been a bit of a mess personally, with a long sordid history of womanizing. He has cheated on just about every woman he's been with, and pursued Pattie Boyd while she was still married to George Harrison. A good many of his songs reflect his pursuits in this department.
One of his most famous songs, Tears in Heaven, was written as a tribute to his son Conor after his horrific death resulting from a fall from the 53rd floor.
He helped thrust reggae onto the mainstream stage when he covered Marley's I Shot the Sheriff. He's worked with just about everyone in the music world by now. His songs have been featured in many movies and television shows. He just released a jazz collaboration album with Wynton Marsalis, showcasing his musical depth.
There truly are but a handful of artists who are at this level, who will ever be.
Summer School of Rock - The Cure
I wasn't originally going to write about The Cure today, but I feel like it's the only choice for today.
It would be hard to imagine a world where vampires are sexy, black nail polish is worn by even the most mainstream guys, and Marilyn Manson sells out shows without them. I think you could make the argument that emo wouldn't exist at all without The Cure.
They didn't just change music, they put a name and a face on goth, even if they've always resisted the label themselves.
The band has changed members several times, the only constant being Robert Smith. Him and his crazy hair and his makeup and black clothes and darkly depressing songs.
The band started in the mid 70's in England, and began more as a punk act. As Smith took control of the band more, the songs turned darker and more tormented. They wanted to define themselves as unique and different in a world of standard rock bands, and they did. Smith was known to end shows in tears.
They released several albums before they became a household name in the United States. It really wasn't until Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me in 1987 that they got into heavy rotation here, though by that time they had a fairly decent following. Just Like Heaven followed soon after, becoming their biggest hit.
1989's Disintegration was the album that achieved the greatest commercial success, including some of their most popular songs Pictures of You and Lovesong.
The band played the MTV VMA Awards that year, at the peak of their fame. Albums released since haven't been as successful. Many members of the band reunited last year for a series of Reflections shows, and they are playing a music festival this summer.
Robert Smith is still keeping it weird after all this time.
The band was nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on their first year of eligibility this year, but narrowly missed. They'll get in.
Summer School of Rock - Aerosmith
In the world I live in, I seem to have a direct connection with music, and the cosmic radio gods often understand that.
Late last night as I drove home from the hospital, my most favorite song by this band came on the radio, and I did what I had to.
Turned it up all the way, sang my heart out and cried.
Sing with me, sing for the years.
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tears.
Sing with me, it's just for today.
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away.
It came at just the time I needed it.
I've always loved Aerosmith, and I'm not alone. It's impossible to have a successful career in music spanning over four decades without the support of a lot of fans.
They formed in 1970, and were the American answer to all the British bands that popped up in those days. They wanted to be the greatest rock band that ever was.
Steven Tyler's voice and Joe Perry's lead guitar have meshed together in perfect harmonies for years. The remaining members of the band, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford have all been with the band since it's inception or very shortly thereafter. They've played together for what seems like forever.
Walk This Way, one of their breakout hits, was famously covered by Run D.M.C. in the 80's.
Through the 70's, they enjoyed a ton of success and had a string of platinum albums. Drug abuse almost did the band in more than once. Perry left the band for about five years, and neither he nor the band did very well during that time. They reunited in 1984, but sales were slow until 1987's Permanent Vacation - their best selling album in a decade. It contained the songs Dude Looks Like a Lady, Rag Doll and Angel.
Pump, released in 1989, was another smash hit and earned the band their first Grammy for Janie's Got a Gun. Get a Grip churned out more radio hits including Crazy and Cryin'. The band is widely credited with helping Alicia Silverstone shoot to fame after her appearances in their videos.
Their only number one song was I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, from the Armageddon soundtrack in 1998.
They've played halftime at the Superbowl, and inspired their own version of the Guitar Hero games. Tyler was a judge on American Idol. Though there has been a lot of tension between Perry and Tyler, the band is still together, still recording and still performing. They are currently on tour.
I saw them live in the late 90's, and absolutely LOVED the show.
In their 60's now, and still kicking ass.
Summer School of Rock - Elvis
The look, the raw talent, the mysterious voice, the gift of talent, and the hips. He had it all.
Elvis.
He'd become the King.
Actor, singer, legendary performer and heartthrob.
There can't be many people over the age of 20 or so who don't know at least part of his story. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935, he began his career in Memphis. He loved the sound of the music being made by the African American bands and artists, and wanted to do what he could to bring it to the masses in the 1950's.
What made Elvis a sensation were his television performances. He shook his hips and rocked the world. One of the most famous of his appearances was seen on The Ed Sullivan show by over 80% of the viewing audience, unimaginable statistics for any time or place.
His live shows drew crowds full of screaming girls, the crowd just couldn't get enough of his new sound.
He starred in movies as well, he was a media whirlwind.
Then, like so many other young men in those days, his draft card was pulled. He enlisted in the Army, and would meet a 14 year old Priscilla while in Germany.
After he was discharged honorably, he returned to music in the States. The drug use he'd picked up in the Army continued, as did alcohol abuse. He married Priscilla and churned out marginal movies and soundtracks. His costumes got more elaborate, the hair got bigger, he became more and more about excess.
By the time of their divorce in 1973, he was overdosing on a fairly regular basis and his health was declining. He struggled to get through concerts, when he bothered doing them. He was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor August 16, 1977 and pronounced dead.
What he left behind is a to-this-day unrivaled string of hits. He changed music, he changed performances. He crossed lines and brought different kinds of music to people who'd never heard it. Thousands have spent their entire career just impersonating him.
He is the King.
Summer School of Rock - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
There aren't many bands that can say they've stood the test of time, with careers lasting over 30 years, but Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers can. The band that formed back in the mid 70's played on SNL's season finale in 2010.
Petty decided that someday he'd be a rock star when he met Elvis Presley at the age of 10. He formed a couple bands, including Mudcrutch before the Heartbreakers lineup solidified in the late 70's. They recorded and released a couple albums in those first years, none of which were huge hits.
The third album Damn the Torpedoes went platinum. They wrote songs that people could relate to, about love and the challenges of life. Their musical style was consistent and enduring. They were never the loudest, the hardest, the most drugged out, the most political, the most outspoken. What they were, and still are, is popular. Period.
They played Live Aid in 1985, then Petty branched off to pursue other interests for a while. He teamed up with George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne in the group The Traveling Wilburys, the released his wildly popular solo album Full Moon Fever.
That album included the songs Runnin' Down a Dream, Free Falling and I Won't Back Down.
The Heartbreakers got back together for 1991's Into the Great Wide Open, which generated the hit title song and Learning to Fly.
They recorded Mary Jane's Last Dance for a greatest hits album, which would later become a subject of controversy when Red Hot Chili Peppers released Dani California, a song with several similarities. The band never pursued legal action though many thought they should, because in Petty's words, there are enough frivolous lawsuits in this country without people fighting about pop songs.
Petty would release a few more solo albums, but also continue performing with the band. He started his own show on an XM radio station. A documentary, Runnin' Down a Dream was released in 2007.
They've played the halftime show of the Superbowl, something not many performers can put on their resume.
Reflecting on the band's admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Petty said this:
It's very easy to be cynical about the Hall of Fame. But on the other hand, it's a really beautiful thing for someone like me. I've dedicated my entire life to music.
Posted by Kelly DeBie at 12:05 PM
Summer School of Rock - Bob Marley
On the list of people who have single-handedly influenced music the most, Bob Marley has to be near the top. His influence extends far beyond music, though.
Marley was born in Jamaica in 1945, and his music was inspired by the place where he grew up. He struggled with his own identity. His father was a white plantation owner and often absent even though he was married to Marley's Jamaican mother. He identified himself as an African, and his music reflected his strong beliefs in restoring the rights of those taken from their homelands.
He quit school at 14 to pursue music, playing with local Rastafarian musicians. At 18, he formed The Wailers, a predominately ska band. He embraced the Rastafarian lifestyle and began growing his trademark dreadlocks. Over the next ten years, the band would record a few albums, and move toward a more reggae sound. He was a powerful figure in Jamaica, and quickly became the spokesman for the Rastafarian movement.
Finally, in 1974, with the release of the Burnin' album, Marley got some international attention. Eric Clapton covered I Shot the Sheriff and Get Up, Stand Up started seeing a heavier radio rotation. The Wailers were offered the chance to open for Sly and the Family Stone, but we fired after a few performances because they were more popular than the band they were supposed to be supporting. The Wailers broke up shortly thereafter.
Marley found new band mates and kept recording. No Woman, No Cry would become his first international hit in 1975. Marley, his wife and his manager were shot by an intruder in his home in Jamaica. Marley left for England and continued recording and performing. He wouldn't return to Jamaica until 1978, and during his concert, the two fighting parties called a truce, the leaders shaking hands on stage.
His songs weren't just music, they were politically charged messages to the people. Fighting against oppression, fighting for justice, fighting for the poor, calling for peace. He gave voice to those without one, he brought power to the people.
Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny. ~ Bob Marley
Marley died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36, and received full State honors for his burial in Jamaica. Redemption Song is widely thought to be about is coming to terms with his own mortality, as it was recorded after his diagnosis. Though the government there had long opposed the Rastafarian movement and the message of his music, they adopted his song of unity, One Love, as the theme song of the tourism board.
His legacy is a great one, though his life was short. He spread music about peace and harmony throughout the world. He influenced ska, rock, r&b and pop. He brought reggae to the masses. He was a cultural force that can't be denied.
His music is as relevant today as it was when he recorded it. One of the things I miss the most about living in San Diego was 91X's Mandatory Marley every day, though I hear they no longer do it.
At his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Robert Palmer said this:
No one in rock and roll has left a musical legacy that matters more or one that matters in such fundamental ways.
The legacy of the Dark Knight
The stories that will be written in the years to come about the legacy of the Dark Knight series will not be glowing and positive. These films won't just become a part of the film history of this country, they will become a part of it's history, period.
The role of the maniacal villain The Joker would prove to be the one that pushed Heath Ledger over the edge. He infused himself into that role too much, many would say, and it rocked him to his core. Haunted him, even. The demons that would sneak into his brain as a result would lead to his self-medication and death.
His body, found lifeless in a hotel room in 2008. A posthumous Academy Award for the role he will forever be associated with. His greatest work, undeniably, his last.
Little did we know that tragedy was not the last to befall the series.
Today, in a place not far from where I call home, another.
A gunman, self-proclaimed to be inspired by The Joker, opened fire on a theater full of fans. There to be thrilled with the first release of the movie, some of them would never live to see the end.
I will not name him. I will not feed into his pursuits for notoriety. I will not show a picture of his face.
I will not.
Instead, I will try to spell out my feelings, as disjointed and disorganized as they still are.
When the last few major mass shootings have occurred, they've been far away. They've been at workplaces. They've been over there. They weren't close to home. They weren't things I felt threatened by as much. They weren't things I had to sit my children down and try to explain to them.
A friend just had a little girl a few days ago, and related her concerns. About how she doubted why she would bring a child into this world after the horrors of today, and I commiserated. I felt exactly that same way 11 years ago. Morning sunlight streaming through my bedroom windows, my newborn son asleep at my side, I was awakened by a panicked phone call from my husband. I turned on the television just as the second tower fell and I questioned what right I had to bring a child into this world.
That feeling wouldn't go away for months. Years even.
This time though, even if the tragedy is smaller in scale, it hits home just as much. My eldest child, that one sleeping next to me the morning of 9/11, wanted nothing more in the world than to accompany his father to a midnight showing of this film. Last night. My husband seriously contemplated going, as he's done to several other movies of this genre. Decided at the last minute to wait until the weekend to see it.
It could have been them in that theater. It could have been any 11 year old boy and his father. It could have been anyone.
This shooting makes us all unwilling victims. It makes the place that so many of us look to as an escape from the reality of our lives dangerous now. It takes us back to the world we lived in post 9/11, although this time we'll not be scanning the sky for planes constantly, or subconsciously deciding if those in the crowd are threats solely based on their ethnicity. Instead, we'll be afraid of everyone. We'll be afraid of grad students. In ordinary places.
Choosing not to fly, okay. Many did that after the attacks without hesitation.
Choosing not to live normally, and go on about your normal lives, go to your normal places, enjoy the normal things we do every day? Harder. And, I would forcefully argue, is something we should not do.
Though this threat does not appear to be an organized one of terror, the disorganization of it is perhaps even more scary. The fact that there are deluded, armed people out there in the world, plotting for things like this to happen, without any connection to a larger organization, to me, is terrifying. But it is what it is. And we cannot let it dictate our lives. And we should not.
People like this exist. There are many more like him out there. It's ugly, but true.
If you let their mere existence scare you into hiding, though, they have already won.This is, in many ways, no different than the war on terror. It's just a more diffuse, homegrown variety.
What is absolutely imperative, though, is what we can take away from this experience. I am not, by the way, referring to the debate about gun control/freedom to bear arms that has already popped up in social media.
That does deserve mention, though. I am a flaming liberal, I've admitted as such before. I support the 2nd Amendment's right to bear arms, but I refuse to believe that our forefathers would have supported the kind of weapons used in this crime, particularly the 100-shell magazine involved. There has to be a limit of reason, a line where people can't honestly argue that something is necessary for recreational hunting or incidents of self defense. This, in my opinion, is far beyond that line. This, in my opinion, gives unstable people a way to hurt others in unimaginable ways.
What I am actually referring to is the discussion we must, as a nation, have about our mental health system.
Up until the 1980's, there were places often unflatteringly referred to as insane asylums. People were categorically and often unfairly deemed "crazy", and locked up. President Reagan deinstitutionalized the treatment of the mentally ill. HIPAA came along a while later and ensured that every patient has a right to determine their own care.
Which is great...for stable and/or medicated, safe patients who are aware of their conditions, and actually seek help before they pose a threat to others.
For the rest of us, including the entirety of the rest of mental health patients, it is not great.
The homeless numbers have skyrocketed. Many of them suffer from mental illnesses and have nowhere else to go. Incapable of truly caring for themselves, they have no safety net left. The system has been defunded. Places that used to offer inpatient care, not just for the benefit of the patients, but for society, no longer exist in large part.
In addition, It is impossible, legally and ethically, for anyone to do anything about a patient, regardless of how unstable they are, without their consent under HIPAA. Trust me. I know this one well.
Inside and out.
If they say they are fine, they are fine.
If they refuse diagnostic procedures, medications, testing or therapy, fine.
So long as they do not actually hurt themselves or someone else, or make a blatant threat to do so, everyone else's hands are tied. Including law enforcement. Including mental health professionals. Including family.
Now, I am in no way making an argument that the system should go back to the way it was, but - and this is a BIG but, this case proves that it is not working now.
There has to be some kind of happy medium, where inpatient hospitals are adequately funded, and those who pose a legitimate threat to others are able to get the help they need, even if (and maybe especially if) they don't necessarily consent to it.
This is a murky area for me personally, particularly since I studied bioethics in the years that HIPAA was enacted. I worked in hospitals, labored under the weight of ethics commissions and found myself in heated discussions all the time about this. I saw these patients and their families in a professional context. I walked past the locked wards of the psych unit weekly. I dealt with the harm they'd done to themselves, to their spouses, to their children.
Trust me when I say that you only need to see one 14 year old boy, burned over 90% of his body by a raging father, to see things the way I do.
Do I believe wholeheartedly in a patient's right to control their own health care? Absolutely.
Do I believe that their right should be allowed to endanger others? No.
And this is where the murkiness begins. Where there is no obvious line to differentiate between those who can make clear, levelheaded decisions about their bodies begins and where those who can't see the threat they pose to others begins.
It's hard, if not impossible to tease out.
We've done a terrible job of it. We must do better.
There must be some lesson we can take away from this. Something that gives us hope in a time of fear. Pushes us to resume our normal lives as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
There must be something aside from destruction.
Batman would want the people of Gotham to do better. Superheroes aren't real, though, and we must do this on our own.
We must.
Summer School of Rock - AC/DC
Apparently when you take a pair of brothers from Scotland and move them to Australia, you get one of the most successful rock and roll bands in history.
Angus and Macolm Young, those brothers, are the only two members who have been with the band since it's inception in 1974. They chose the name AC/DC in reference to electrical currents, and their energy as a band.
They went through quite a few lineups in the early days, and became famous in Australia pretty quickly. In 1976, they signed an international deal with Atlantic Records and went on tour with bands like Aerosmith, Black Sabbath and Cheap Trick. They were regarded mostly as a punk band back then, and adopted their trademark school uniform look.
Highway to Hell, released in 1979, was their breakout album in the United States, and demonstrated their shift towards pure rock. In 1980 Bon Scott, at the time the lead singer, died of alcohol poisoning. The band regrouped and chose Brian Johnson as their new front man.
Back in Black was recorded with the new man on vocals, and is by far, their biggest commercial success. The album is the second highest selling of all time in the entire world, behind only Thriller. It spawned hit songs like Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long and Hells Bells - one of my personal favorites.
Incidentally, if you lived in San Diego in the late 90's/early 2000's, the song is inseparable from Padres pitcher Trevor Hoffman. He was a kick ass reliever, and this song accompanied his walk to the mound. It spelled certain doom for any visiting team. This kind of stuff could make anyone a sports fan. Good lord, I miss Trevor Time.
AC/DC would never come close to the sales of that album, but later ones would still do well, notably The Razors Edge in 1990 that had a few hits including Thunderstruck. That song is the theme of the Denver Broncos mascot Thunder...are you sensing a pattern yet?
It's impossible to think about sports in my life without AC/DC. Those bells, those chords, they can only mean one thing.
It.Is.On.
They were rightfully inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, and are still kicking ass. Rumored to be recording another album, their eager crowd awaits.
Summer School of Rock - Pink Floyd
What band could possibly come between a movie in the Transformers franchise and a subtitle? Pink Floyd, of course!
The third movie in the series was to be subtitled The Dark Side of the Moon, but that name already belonged to an English rock group from the 60s and 70s. Not many people can honestly say they are the reason Michael Bay didn't get his way.
Pink Floyd began in the mid 60's as part of the London Underground movement. They started out as essentially a psychedelic pop band, but moved towards a more progressive rock sound over the years. Not everyone liked or understood their music at first, with more than a few concert promoters refusing to pay them after the performance, claiming that what they did was not music.
Their first single, Arnold Layne, released in 1967, was banned in some markets because of the references to cross dressing. They recorded their first album, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but by that point original member Syd Barrett's LSD use was rampant and contributing to his mental downfall. He would be kicked out of the band shortly thereafter. Several other members had already been added.
They were part of the BBC's live coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing, in part because their style of music was often referred to as space rock. This instrumental piece, Moonhead, accompanied the broadcast. It's long, but an interesting piece of their history.
They would tour and release several albums in the early 70s, but it wasn't until Dark Side of the Moon, that they achieved huge commercial success. Long, often hard to follow songs filled the album, which had mixed critical reviews, but appealed greatly to the psychedelic rock audience.
By the time The Wall was recorded and released in 1979, the band was suffering greatly at the hands of fighting and drug addiction. The amount of studio time required to intricately weave all the sounds together tested the will of the band. It would become their hugest success, selling over 23 million albums worldwide and spawn their quintessential song, Another Brick in the Wall.
Their stage shows had become elaborate, long affairs with huge props and groundbreaking speaker set-ups. The tour for The Wall would be made into a movie as well.
The band would break up and briefly attempt reunions several times, members releasing their own albums in the meanwhile.
After over 20 year of fighting, in 2005, the entire lineup performed together at the Live 8 concert. Since then, two have died, leaving no chance of a full reunion.
Last year, the remaining members of the band signed a five year deal with EMI to ensure that their music would be kept only in album form, as they had always vehemently opposed the idea of singles being released.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
Summer School of Rock - The Eagles
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair.
Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air.
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light.
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim.
I had to stop for the night.
Hotel California resides in my top ten favorite songs for a reason. The Eagles had a way to play rock and roll, but infuse it with a mellower country side and appeal to just about everyone in the process.
Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner formed the group in 1971, and their first album contained three Top 40 singles. They didn't wait around for fame. Their second album, Desperado, marked the time when Henley and Frey took the reigns of the group, writing almost all the songs and shaping the direction they were headed. As the years went on, they started to move away from the country inspired sound. Tension grew between them and the other members of the band.
That tension would never go away, and would eventually destroy the band.
Their One of These Nights album pushed them into international stardom. They were on a roll at that point, releasing new albums all the time. The Eagles first compilation album, Their Greatest Hits 1971-75, would become one of the highest selling of the decade.
In 1976, they would reach the pinnacle of their career with the release of Hotel California. Subsequent albums failed to live up to that, and the band eventually broke up in 1980. By that point, Leadon and Meisner had already left the band. They were replaced by Timothy Schmidt, Joe Walsh and Don Felder. The ending was not pretty, with an entire performance involving threats of violence being screamed at one another between songs.
Each member spent time on solo careers after the band dissolved, some more successful than others. Henley was by far the most popular and enjoyed many years of popularity. Some of my favorite songs are Henley's including this one he played with Bruce Hornsby.
The band reunited in 1994, and ended up going on tour and releasing another album Hell Freezes Over, a reference to the time they claimed they'd ever play together again. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and all 7 members managed to be civil to one another. They even played a few songs.
A few years later, the band went back on tour, then abruptly fired Don Felder. He sued and the case settled out of court. There are rumors that they may try to record another album.
For the record, we never broke up. We just took a 14 year vacation. ~ Glenn Frey
Summer School of Rock - Ozzy Osbourne
He's known as The Prince of Darkness, The Godfather of Heavy Metal, or simply Ozzy. He's one of the artists who's earned the single name, as no one needs to speak his last name to know who you are talking about. There is only one Ozzy.
He's had a career that has lasted over 40 years and is one of the most dynamic stage presences in the history of music.
John Michael Osbourne picked up his nickname in school, where he struggled with learning disabilities and dyslexia. Drawn more to the stage than academics, he would drop out at the age of 15. He formed his first band a few years later, that would later become Black Sabbath.
Geezer Butler read a book about the occult and he and Ozzy found that people had a strange fascination with it. They starting writing songs that were heavier, darker, all infused with Ozzy's eerie sounding voice. Black Sabbath rose to fame quickly, though their first few albums didn't receive much critical acclaim.
They had a way of disturbing people, of getting under their skin. Their lyrics and antics didn't sit well with many people. By the late 70's, they were so drugged out that they could hardly get through recording sessions. Their tour with Van Halen in 78' was deemed uninspired. Ozzy was fired from the band, the others claiming his drug use was interfering too much.
Ozzy picked himself up, found new musicians and recorded Blizzard of Ozz. The album never had a single Top 40 hit, but would become one of the best selling albums of the 80's. His most famous song, Crazy Train, comes from that album.
One of my proudest moments as a mother was the morning my three year old woke me up playing air guitar standing on my bed,
dun dun. dun dun. dun dun dun dun. aiiii-aiiiiiii-aiiiiiiiii
It was also around the start of his solo career that he began biting the heads off animals. A dove after signing a record deal, and a bat on stage. He was heavily criticized for these acts, and often accused of promoting Satanism, and accusation that began back in the early days of Black Sabbath.
He successfully defended two lawsuits brought by families of young men who committed suicide, alleging that his music drove them to take their lives. Though the courts sided with Ozzy, it was just another reason for a lot of people to hate him.
During the tour for Diary of a Madman, guitarist Randy Rhodes was killed in a plane crash that resulted from low passes over the tour bus. Buzzing the bus with cocaine in his system turned out to not be such a good idea, but it was part of the catalyst to get Ozzy to clean up his own act.
By the 90's, he was playing with so may musicians from different bands that he finally decided to start Ozzfest - one of the most successful and longest running heavy metal festivals in the world.
He is still recording and performing now as a solo artist, as well as a rumored Black Sabbath reunion tour and album.
Ozzy gained a new audience with the MTV reality show The Osbournes, though he claims that he's never seen a single episode of it himself. He claims he was stoned the entire time, which is plausible given his life long struggles with drug and alcohol abuse. He is said to be sober now.
Ozzy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the other members of Black Sabbath in 2006.
I love you all, but you're all f***ing mad. ~Ozzy
Summer School of Rock - Pearl Jam
There would be no way to talk about rock music in the 90's without mentioning Pearl Jam. While it's impossible to say what might have happened had Nirvana's front man survived the decade, the fact of the matter is that he didn't. Nirvana dissolved and Pearl Jam emerged as the ultimate grunge band of the 90's.
As with most bands, it took a few years for the band to take shape, adding front man Eddie Vedder in 1990. They were actually named Mookie Blaylock initially, after the basketball player, but changed it after legal naming concerns arose.
Ten was recorded in Seattle the following year, and would become their most commercially successful album. Full of songs about depression and suicide, anger and loneliness, it spoke to the youth of the time. Vedder's soulful voice combined with anthem style rock made a recipe for fame. Rock without the flash. You were just there for the music.
Flannel. As far as the eye could see.
At the time, some accused Pearl Jam of being the sell-outs of the grunge movement, including Kurt Cobain, primarily because Pearl Jam's music was played more in the mainstream market than other Seattle based bands at the time. Alice and Chains and Soundgarden were heavier and Nirvana was just...well, Nirvana.
Ironic, considering Pearl Jam has basically spent the rest of their career trying to prove they are anything but sell-outs.
By 1992, they were touring with Lollapalooza and playing SNL.
The fame got to the band quickly, and they started to pull back from what was expected of them. After winning awards at the MTV music awards, they refused to make videos. Vedder explained that videos, though wildly popular at the time, stripped some of the meaning from the songs and took away the listeners ability to interpret them.
They started refusing interviews and television performances. They set a cap on ticket prices to concerts, then got to the point where they boycotted Ticketmaster. Refusing to play any arena where Ticketmaster controlled tickets and assessed their fees, Pearl Jam finally canceled their 1994 summer tour.
The band never fully recovered from the fight with Ticketmaster. They stood their ground, but quickly realized how hard it is to book venues without the ticketing giant. In the late 90's, they recorded a few more albums and changed drummers several times.
Pearl Jam contemplated quitting altogether after 9 fans were crushed during a concert in 2000 in Denmark. The band was initially blamed because they didn't heed the promoters requests to stop playing when the crowd swelled, but was later found innocent of blame. Between that incident and 9/11, the band took some time off to contemplate their own (and everyone else's) mortality.
Just Breathe is one of my favorites, and shows the depth of their experiences, speaks to the power of lyrics and shows why they never needed videos in the first place.
2009's album Backspacer yielded their first music video in years. Since then, they have been back on SNL and other television shows. They are currently on tour in Europe.
Pearl Jam will forever be known as much for their music as for their refusal to comply with the rules. They are loud and opinionated, often speaking out on everything from the environment to abortion to the war. They have played a great many charity concerts, and will most certainly continue to do so.
The only reason they aren't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? They aren't eligible yet.
Summer School of Rock - Metallica
There aren't many bands that can honesty say they began in The Recycler, but Metallica can. Lars Ulrich placed an ad looking for metal musicians and found James Hetfield. History was made.
It would be hard to write about rock music without writing about Metallica. They played hard and fast, and this wasn't music you danced to. You thrashed to it. There's a reason the show on MTV was called Headbanger's Ball.
They built up a pretty good following in the underground rock scene, and recorded and released several albums before they hit it big. Master of Puppets was one of their most critically acclaimed albums, and got them on tour with Ozzy Osbourne.
In 1986, the band's bus slid on ice and crashed, killing Cliff Burton. It took them a while to regroup and decide to go forward, but I'm sure they are glad they did. Their next album, ...And Justice For All earned their first Grammy nomination for One. The song is an extended one, with several changes in tempo and an intensity at the end that is unmatched. It is, simply put, a masterpiece.
Their fifth album, Metallica, was their biggest commercial success. That album cost over a million dollars to make, but the investment was worth it. By then, the hair bands had taken over the airwaves, and many people tried to lump Metallica in with them. True fans knew that wasn't a good idea, as Metallica was always harder and faster. They weren't just a sell-out. Hetfield was burned by on-stage pyrotechnics during a tour with Guns N Roses in 1992. Their following albums wouldn't come close to the sales of Metallica.
In a shocking move that alienated many of their fans, in 2000 they joined in a lawsuit against Napster, the free music file sharing service. Ulrich testified before Congress about copyright infringement, and Napster eventually filed bankruptcy after reaching a settlement. Ulrich, though passionate about this issue, angered a lot of people and the band lost a decent chunk of their base. He was booed on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Metallica fans sided with Napster because they're lazy bastards and want everything for free. I like playing music because it's a good living and I get satisfaction from it, but I can't feed my family with satisfaction.
~James Hetfield, 2001.
Keep in mind, this was after their fifth album sold over 25 million copies worldwide. The guys weren't exactly hurting for money, and they pissed off a lot of people in the process. Including me. Lars came off as a whiny, spoiled, rich brat.
They are still making music and recording, though they've changed their sound again. In the St. Anger album, they dropped all guitar solos, which is something that most people can't understand given it's part of what made them famous.
Love them or you hate them, they've made their mark on music. They altered the way music is shared, and in the digital world we now live in, they've changed history.
Summer School of Rock - Santana
Carlos Santana was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1947 and learned to play the violin before he ever picked up a guitar. His family moved to San Francisco when he was a child. He was mostly self-taught, and was greatly inspired by Richie Valens at a time when there weren't many other musicians from Latin backgrounds playing rock music.
Once he committed to pursuing music as a career, it took off quickly. His unique sound drew a large following quickly. He blended Latin music with rock and blues. He can play a guitar like no one else can.
He formed the group Santana, and they played on the most famous stage of 1969, Woodstock, before the band had even released an album. In a heartbeat, fame.
The instant stardom took it's toll on the band, with many members coming and going. Drug use was rampant, and Santana realized quickly that he needed to take the reigns.
Over the years, he's formed and dissolved several other bands. At the center of them all, though, was his guitar. He faded into the background towards the late 80's and 90's until a few collaborative efforts with other performers thrust him back into the spotlight.
Smooth and Maria, Maria became chart topping hits, in part because of his intricate stylings.
Proving that he's still got it after all these years, Supernatural went 15 times platinum, and won him 9 Grammy Awards in 2000.
Santana is currently touring with The Allman Brothers.
Summer School of Rock - The Beastie Boys
This is one of the groups I'm prepared to catch a little heat on for including in this series. They aren't really a pure rock band, but they don't fit nicely into any genre. They cross boundaries, they push limits, they didn't fit in anywhere, but they fit in with everyone.
And, even if you choose to disagree, they belong in this series. At least for me.
Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock formed the group in the late 70's as a punk band, but quickly began integrating elements of hip hop and rap. They were a group of white boys challenging everything we thought we knew about music. They blend all different types of music, from punk to rock to rap to jazz. They don't fit in a tiny little box, and they like it that way.
Their breakout was touring with Madonna in 1985 and the release of their first major album, Licensed to Ill in 1986. I remember being a kid back then, when you'd catch a tiny snippet of a heavily censored Beasties song and crave more. Parents didn't know what it was, radio stations weren't sure what to do with it, but we wanted more.
"Three idiots create a masterpiece" ~Rolling Stone
My brother got the tape and we'd play it and play it and play it. It's not the kind of music that you can listen to quietly, either. You can't Fight For You Right To Party on low. It's simply impossible.
Their next album Paul's Boutique, took the art of sampling and layering to the next level. In 1994, they headlined Lollapalooza, cementing their status as an icon to my generation.
One of their most popular songs showcases just how many boundaries they cross. Sabotage, at it's core, is a hard rock song. With punk and rap thrown in.
They've won awards in the rock and rap category, proving that there isn't just one place they belong. They are one of only 3 predominantly rap groups to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which happened this year, just a few months before Adam Yauch (MCA) died due to complications from cancer.
They never took themselves too seriously, they always had fun. Their videos are evidence of that.
Where the Beasties will go from here, no one knows. As a huge fan, I hope that they keep at it. Even now, over 30 years after they came onto the scene, there is no one else like them. Not even close.
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Abstract : The aim of this paper is to present a one dimensional Preisach  modelling of the hysteretic behaviour of the electrical polarization P versus the electrical field E. This model is applied to a soft ferroelectric material (classified P188) and it is shown that the piezoelectric butterfly loop of the mechanical stress S versus E is deduced from the P(E) behaviour. The centred cycles method  is used to obtain the Preisach's density. With this method only a few experimental cycles can be used to characterize the hysteretic P(E) behaviour.


Laings of Glasgow is Scotland's oldest family jeweller, specialising in luxury jewellery and watches since 1840.
The key objective of the Laings website was to showcase their luxury jewellery and watches across all devices types. This meant innovative category pages and mobile/touch friendly product page zoom functionality.
The Laings website is fully integrated with V12 Finance payments, Anagram Systems Encore EPOS & Stock Control system in addition to Inventory Aware Google AdWords campaigns and Lifecycle Marketing.


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Q: Install Numpy in Python 3.4.4 and Linux I just installed Ubuntu 16.04 which includes Python 2.7.11 and 3.5.1.
I also installed Python 3.4.4 successfully. But when I try to install numpy with:
sudo apt-get install python-numpy
sudo apt-get install python3-numpy

it installs for Python 2.7.11 and 3.5.1 but I need it for Python 3.4.4. How do I install it?

A: From python docs: when working with multiple versions of Python installed in parallel, below commands can be used along with pip to install a Python Package for a particular version of Python:
python2   -m pip install SomePackage  # default Python 2
python2.7 -m pip install SomePackage  # specifically Python 2.7
python3   -m pip install SomePackage  # default Python 3
python3.4 -m pip install SomePackage  # specifically Python 3.4
python3.5 -m pip install SomePackage  # specifically Python 3.5

Hence, to install numpy package for Python3.4, you can use this command:
~/$ python3.4 -m pip install numpy

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ANDY Maw ruffled his wife's feathers by moving a young bird in at home — a pigeon who fell in LOVE with him.
Chartered accountant Andy, 42, took pity on the bedraggled bird when it turned up on his doorstep after a storm.
But now Pokey the pigeon can't leave Andy alone.
The dad of four revealed how she: ATTACKS wife Trude if she goes near him; sits on Andy's car DASHBOARD for drives; uses the family TOILET if it needs to go indoors; settles on Andy's knee when he takes a BATH and STALKS him if he tries to spend time alone.
Andy, of Maidenhead, Berks, said: "It sounds crazy but she's fallen head over heels for me.
"When Pokey is on her mating cycle and lays her eggs on her little bed in the bathroom, she sits on them for three weeks.
"But when that part of the cycle is over and she wants a mate she comes after me and sexually harasses me.
Pigeon expert Prof Danial Haag-Wackernagel, of the University of Basel in Switzerland, said: "Pokey is 'imprinted' to Andy as a mate.
I wouldn't mind a dove falling in love with me though,doves are cool!
^ Are doves cleaner then pigeons? I guess I'd have to ask the birds.
Who knows? But they represent peace so i would say..yes! Doves over pigeons everytime,imo.


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Kylie Jenner becomes first woman to reach 300 million Instagram followers
It may be time to officially crown Kylie Jenner the Queen of Instagram.
The Kylie Cosmetics mogul, 24, has become the first woman in the world to reach 300 million Instagram followers on the social media platform.
The milestone makes her only the second person, behind soccer pro, Cristiano Ronaldo (at 388 million) to reach such a high follower count.
Instagram's official account takes the helm as the most-followed on the platform with 460 million.
Previously, Ariana Grande took the top spot as the most-followed woman on Instagram. In Feb. 2019, Grande had racked up 146.5 million followers, beating out Selena Gomez, who had earned the most-followed spot before the "Positions" pop star.
Jenner's made the social media milestone despite keeping a relatively low profile on Instagram for the past two months.
The star, who is expecting her second child with rapper Travis Scott, took some time away from social media after 10 concertgoers died at Scott's Astroworld Festival show in Houston on Nov. 5. Jenner returned to Instagram on Christmas Eve with a throwback picture of her mother, Kris Jenner.
Then on New Year's Eve, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians alum took time to reflect on the highs and the lows of the past year.
"As 2022 is approaching i've been reflecting on this last year and the blessings that it brought but also the many heartaches it held," she wrote alongside the black-and-white image of her growing baby bump. "I will never forget this year and all the significant changes it made to my life."
"I pray this new year is filled with a lot of love for all of you and i hope everyone stays safe and healthy during this time. 🖤," the Kylie Cosmetics founder added.
In his first Instagram post following the Astroworld tragedy that occurred in November, Scott, 30, shared a black-and-white image of his side profile on Dec. 31 writing, "Always 🤎." Jenner commented with two "🤎🤎" emojis.
At the time of the tragedy, both Scott and Jenner posted statements and mourned the deaths of the fans. Scott and rapper Drake, who appeared for a song at the show, were named in a $750 million lawsuit filed by 125 Astroworld Festival attendees.
The victims killed were Axel Acosta, 21, Jacob Jurinek, 21; John Hilgert, 14; Brianna Rodriguez, 16; Franco Patiño, 21; Ezra Blount, 9; Rudy Peña, 23; Madison Dubiski, 23; Danish Baig, 27; and Bharti Shahani, 22.
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PILLSBURY SWEETENS RECIPE COMPETITION WITH $1 MILLION
Steven Pratt, Tribune Staff WriterCHICAGO TRIBUNE
There's a lot of dough awaiting the next grand-prize winner of the Pillsbury Co. Bake-Off: $1 million.
The payoff, up twentyfold from the previous top award of $50,000, is part of several changes announced Monday in the premier cooking contest for amateurs.
Besides garnering more publicity for the Minneapolis-based food conglomerate, a unit of Britain's Grand Metropolitan PLC, the huge prize and contest makeover should bring in recipes to solve cooking challenges that consumers face, said Diane Slayton, Pillsbury's director of promotion.
The biennial contest, first announced in 1949 to promote the company's flour and other baking products, draws tens of thousands of entries, Slayton said, and the $1 million prize is intended to attract even more home cooks, she said.
"We want to find recipes that fit with modern American lifestyles," Slayton told a press conference during the Food Marketing Institute Convention and Exhibition in McCormick Place, which runs through Tuesday.
The bake-off is seeking original recipes in the following categories: 30-minute main dishes, special side dishes and simple breads, quick treats and snacks, and desserts. Category winners receive $10,000 prizes, and the overall winner gets the $1 million.
Contestants' rules require recipes to include at least one ingredient selected from a list of company products. That list also has expanded to include representative products from some Pillsbury subsidiaries, including Green Giant, Hungry Jack, Old El Paso and Progresso brands.
Entrants have until Oct. 16 to submit recipes. The 100 finalists will be judged Feb. 26 in Dallas.


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MUSEUMS IN MUMBAI
street shopping
The dream city of Mumbai is not just a paradise for street food, magnificent architecture, and fashion. With its rich culture and historical significance, it has a mirage of untold stories and facts preserved to be shared over its centuries of presence. Many of the stories are kept alive in one way or the other in museums and galleries that call the Film City their home.
There are several museums in Mumbai that exhibit science, art, technology, transportation, culture, cinema, currency, etc., and we have listed down some of the best ones for your perusal.
Dr. BhauDaji Lad Museum
If you want to take a dive on Mumbai's history then Dr. BhauDaji Lad Museum is the place for you. Established in 1872, the museum orates the evolution of the city to an industrial city and port emphasizing the struggles during the British rule. One of the galleries in a Palladian-style architectural building documents the lifestyle and culture of the founding communities who were the people who had migrated to Bombay.
The exhibition is carried on to the gardens surrounding the museum which is graced by statues, café, a special project space, shops, and area for performing arts. You can even enjoy the shows performed by Indian contemporary artists on regular basis.
RBI Monetary Museum
An educational museum launched by the Reserve Bank of India; the RBI Monetary Museum communicates awareness about the currencies. The six galleries of the museum discourse the history of money, the banking system of India, and administration of currency in the country. The most interesting part of the museum is the Coinage section having coins of more than 1000 years old. Some of the currency that grace the museum are Panam coins, Indo-Greek coins, Tughlaq coins, paper money.
National Museum of Indian Cinema
Its perfectly fitting that the famous 'Film City' of the country has its own museum depicting the Indian cinema in a chronological manner. The National Museum of Indian Cinema was launched in 2019 and depicts the film heritage of the country right from the first silent motion picture that was screened at Watson's Hotel in the year 1896 in Mumbai to the contemporary Bollywood.
A 19th century building exhibits the evolution of cinema while another new glass structure has galleries that go up to four floors. The display there has souvenirs such as magazines, vintage cameras, posters, costumes, equipment, and a touch screen showing clips from iconic movies. There is a film studio for children where filmmaking can be experienced and the other section of the building teaches about the impact of Mahatma Gandhi on cinema.
Jehangir Art Gallery
Nestled at Kalaghoda, South Mumbai, the Jehangir Art Gallery is one of the most popular art museums in Mumbai and a home for artists to show-off their creation. Founded in 1952, the art gallery is named after Cowasji Jehangir and has housed several pieces of artwork from great artists like M F Hussain and S H Raza. The museum is a heaven for art enthusiasts and the artists have to wait for several months sometimes years for their turn to display their exhibit.
The gallery has 4 halls for artists to display their work with all the facilities provided to them. The museum plays host to 300 shows per year and the artists who didn't have much luck to enter the gallery, display their work on the pavement outside the gallery.
National Gallery of Modern Art
Located inside the former palace of Maharaja of Jaipur, the National Gallery of Modern Art is a perfect place for art lovers and history buffs. The museum houses over 17,000 pieces of work dating back to 1850 which includes sculptures, paintings, photographs, and graphics. The gallery was inaugurated in the year 1954 and has art pieces from the contemporary as well as the artists of the pre-colonial era. The walls and alleys of the museum are graced by the works of famous artists such as Raja Ravi Verma, Pablo Picasso, Rabindranath Tagore, Tyeb Mehta and MF Hussain.
Furthermore, the NGMA also works on tracking the evolution of the art practices throughout the main art centers of India which reveals some very fascinating distinctions between different regional art forms and the national continuity. The visitors have a great time viewing the 19th and 20th century artistic oration that is heavily influenced by the historical movements in India.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj VastuSangrahalaya
Formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj VastuSangrahalaya opened its gate for visitors in the early 20th century and is now one of the most popular museums in Mumbai. The museum has an impressive architectural style making it a heritage structure and it showcases a myriad of historic artwork, artifacts, and sculptures in the gallery. In 2008 several new galleries were also included in the museum containing artwork of Lord Krishna, textiles, and traditional Indian costumes of different regions.
The museum hosts several lectures and exhibitions on different topics related to history and arts which makes it a hot spot for tourists to visit this magnificence architecture and explore the conserved art.
Nehru Science Center and Planetarium
Named after the first Prime Minister of India, a trip to the Nehru Science Center and Planetarium will leave you mesmerized and curious. Located in Worli, the museum showcases 500 exhibits related to technology and science such as energy, kinematics, sound, transport, and mechanics. The impressive High Voltage Demonstration facility shows electric current's power generated by the Tesla Coil that emanates enough voltage which makes it feel like actual lightning. Make sure to click a fun picture on the optical illusion known as the Head on a Platter.
Red Carpet Wax Museum
Get ready to feel like a celebrity in the totally red carpeted Wax Museum of Mumbai. It is a gallery showcasing life size wax statues of different celebrities, globally recognized starts from actors, sports personalities, and even famous politicians. The museum has an ambiance of an actual red-carpet event with moving statues and people from all age group find it attractive and awe inspiring. You can click pictures with your favorite star's wax statue or even have a selfie session in one of the selfie corners. Currently, the museum houses statues of personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi, Balasaheb Thackeray, Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Terresa, Albert Einstein, Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, and many more.
These are some of the popular museums that must be visited by anyone planning a trip to Mumbai along with all other fascinating features of the city. It is really promising to witness the culture and history of a city through these artworks and models in the museums. Enjoy your day reminiscing the history and culture of Mumbai and gain insight on the evolution from the islands to a major city of the country.


text:
@interface PodsDummy_BoringSSL : NSObject
@end
@implementation PodsDummy_BoringSSL
@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub