Tinna Adventure and East Iceland have appeared in several well-known media outlets recently. Those range from webcasts to famous travel magazines and websites.
So far we have appeared in the following media outlets: Visir webcast, Wanderlust Travel Magazine, Iceland Air Saga Shop Magazine, The Guardian, Travel Weekly, Icelandic Times, Luxury London, Lonely Planet, The Wandering Wagars and the Daily Mail Online.
They all provide a great introduction to the beauties of East Iceland. They also give an insight into the available tours in the area as well as accommodation.
Among others, things that East Iceland has to offer are Super Jeep tours in Winter and in Summer. There are also yoga hikes and horse riding.


text:
Technical collaboration protocol signed between Alstom Turkey & ITU
by İTÜ | Nov 07, 2019
Istanbul Technical University and Alstom Turkey have signed a Technical collaboration protocol with the aim of developing a cooperation in education. The agreement was signed before Prof. Mehmet Karaca, ITU Rector, Ms. Arban Çıtak, General Manager of Alstom Turkey, and Mr. Mama Sougoufara, Vice Chairperson for Alstom Group Middle East and Africa Regional System and Infrastructure.
The focus of the protocol is to train ITU engineering students and new Alstom personnel in the field of "railway engineering. " Those who start work will receive training from Alstom and ITÜ tutors, thus increasing the number of experts in sub systems such as line work and energy procurement. Within the scope of the partnership, Alstom experts will introduce the railway sector to ITU engineering students and provide information about Alstom's worldwide experiences and substantial project references. This collaboration will also include joint seminars, workshops, conferences, symposiums, conventions, meetings and introductory activities.
At the ceremony, Prof. Mehmet Karaca quoted "ITU, since its establishment has become an academic establishment that possesses the most privileged background in the field through working on the issue of transportation systems and its resolutions. This background is also a directive for shaping the future of our university. Accordingly, besides providing the training of an expert workforce, steps which shape the sector through innovative resolutions have been taken. The duty which ITU has assumed in the various stages and levels of the transportation sector is developing with the experience of the distinguished project partners. These comeback as studies which raise the lifestyle of communal living in our country and are technologically superior.
Followed by Rector Karaca's speech Ms. Arban Çıtak, Alstom General Manager for Turkey stated "This partnership will encourage young and talented ITU Engineers to be a part of the sector and thus will help enrich the field by raising awareness in Turkey's railway sector and qualified workforce with experts in their field and qualified Turkish Alstom engineers.
About Alstom
Alstom has been active in Turkey for nearly sixty years. Alstom, a supporter of sustainable mobility, develops and markets systems, equipment and services for the railway sector. Alstom provides every kind of solution (from fast trains to metros and trams to electrical buses), passenger solutions, and privatized services (maintenance, modernization), infrastructure, signalization and digital mobility solutions. Alstom is a world leader in integrated transport systems. The company reported a sales of 7.3 billion Euros in the 2016-2017 fiscal year and received an order totaling 10 billion Euros. Alstom's head office is based in France and is active with 32.800 personnel in over 60 countries.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A little visionary post tonight...As much as I can envision the future anyway (being retarded makes it difficult).
We talk about "traditional" print publishing today as old hat. Well, not too far into the future the new tablet computers, eReaders and other mobile devices will be "traditional" or old hat also. Just like the old bulky camcorders (remember them?) have given way to more diminutive devices.


text:
<?php

namespace SilverStripe\Comments\Tests;

use SilverStripe\Akismet\AkismetSpamProtector;
use SilverStripe\Comments\Controllers\CommentingController;
use SilverStripe\Comments\Model\Comment;
use SilverStripe\Comments\Model\Comment\SecurityToken as CommentSecurityToken;
use SilverStripe\Comments\Tests\Stubs\CommentableItem;
use SilverStripe\Control\Controller;
use SilverStripe\Core\Config\Config;
use SilverStripe\Core\Injector\Injector;
use SilverStripe\Dev\FunctionalTest;
use SilverStripe\ORM\DataObject;
use SilverStripe\Security\Member;
use SilverStripe\Security\SecurityToken;

class CommentingControllerTest extends FunctionalTest
{
    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    protected static $fixture_file = 'CommentsTest.yml';

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    protected static $extra_dataobjects = [
        CommentableItem::class
    ];

    protected $securityEnabled;

    protected function tearDown(): void
    {
        if ($this->securityEnabled) {
            SecurityToken::inst()->enable();
        } else {
            SecurityToken::inst()->disable();
        }
        parent::tearDown();
    }

    protected function setUp(): void
    {
        parent::setUp();
        $this->securityEnabled = SecurityToken::inst()->is_enabled();

        // We will assert against explicit responses, unless handed otherwise in a test for redirects
        $this->autoFollowRedirection = false;

        // Mock Akismet if it's installed
        if (class_exists(AkismetSpamProtector::class)) {
            $akismetMock = $this->createMock(AkismetSpamProtector::class);
            Injector::inst()->registerService($akismetMock, AkismetSpamProtector::class);
        }
    }

    public function testCommentsFormUsePreview()
    {
        $parent = $this->objFromFixture(CommentableItem::class, 'first');
        $commController = new CommentingController();
        $commController->setOwnerRecord($parent);
        $form = $commController->CommentsForm();

        $commentsFields = $form->Fields()->first()->FieldList();
        $expected = array('Name', 'Email', 'URL', 'Comment');
        CommentTestHelper::assertFieldNames($this, $expected, $commentsFields);

        // test with preview on
        Config::modify()->merge(CommentableItem::class, 'comments', array(
            'use_preview' => true
        ));

        $parent = $this->objFromFixture(CommentableItem::class, 'first');
        $commController = new CommentingController();
        $commController->setOwnerRecord($parent);

        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild1')->delete();
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild2')->delete();
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild3')->delete();

        SecurityToken::inst()->disable();
        $this->autoFollowRedirection = false;

        $form = $commController->CommentsForm();
        $commentsFields = $form->Fields()->first()->FieldList();
        $expected = array('Name', 'Email', 'URL', 'Comment', 'PreviewComment');
        CommentTestHelper::assertFieldNames($this, $expected, $commentsFields);
    }

    public function testApproveUnmoderatedComment()
    {
        SecurityToken::inst()->disable();

        // mark a comment as spam then approve it
        $this->logInWithPermission('CMS_ACCESS_CommentAdmin');
        $comment = $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'testModeratedComment1');
        $st = new CommentSecurityToken($comment);
        $url = 'comments/approve/' . $comment->ID;
        $url = $st->addToUrl($url, Member::currentUser());
        $response = $this->get($url, null, ['Referer' => '/']);
        $this->assertEquals(302, $response->getStatusCode());
        $comment = DataObject::get_by_id(Comment::class, $comment->ID);

        // Need to use 0,1 here instead of false, true for SQLite
        $this->assertEquals(0, $comment->IsSpam);
        $this->assertEquals(1, $comment->Moderated);

        // try and approve a non existent comment
        $response = $this->get('comments/approve/100000');
        $this->assertEquals(404, $response->getStatusCode());
    }

    public function testSetGetOwnerController()
    {
        $commController = new CommentingController();
        $commController->setOwnerController(Controller::curr());
        $this->assertEquals(Controller::curr(), $commController->getOwnerController());
        $commController->setOwnerController(null);
        $this->assertNull($commController->getOwnerController());
    }

    public function testHam()
    {
        SecurityToken::inst()->disable();

        // mark a comment as spam then ham it
        $this->logInWithPermission('CMS_ACCESS_CommentAdmin');
        $comment = $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComA');
        $comment->markSpam();
        $st = new CommentSecurityToken($comment);
        $url = 'comments/ham/' . $comment->ID;
        $url = $st->addToUrl($url, Member::currentUser());
        $response = $this->get($url);
        $this->assertEquals(302, $response->getStatusCode());
        $comment = DataObject::get_by_id(Comment::class, $comment->ID);

        // Need to use 0,1 here instead of false, true for SQLite
        $this->assertEquals(0, $comment->IsSpam);
        $this->assertEquals(1, $comment->Moderated);

        // try and ham a non existent comment
        $response = $this->get('comments/ham/100000');
        $this->assertEquals(404, $response->getStatusCode());
    }

    public function testSpam()
    {
        // mark a comment as approved then spam it
        $this->logInWithPermission('CMS_ACCESS_CommentAdmin');
        $comment = $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComA');
        $comment->markApproved();
        $st = new CommentSecurityToken($comment);
        $url = 'comments/spam/' . $comment->ID;
        $url = $st->addToUrl($url, Member::currentUser());
        $response = $this->get($url);
        $this->assertEquals(302, $response->getStatusCode());
        $comment = DataObject::get_by_id(Comment::class, $comment->ID);

        // Need to use 0,1 here instead of false, true for SQLite
        $this->assertEquals(1, $comment->IsSpam);
        $this->assertEquals(1, $comment->Moderated);

        // try and spam a non existent comment
        $response = $this->get('comments/spam/100000');
        $this->assertEquals(404, $response->getStatusCode());
    }

    public function testRSS()
    {
        // Delete the newly added children of firstComA so as not to have to recalculate values below
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild1')->delete();
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild2')->delete();
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild3')->delete();

        $item = $this->objFromFixture(CommentableItem::class, 'first');

        // comments sitewide
        $response = $this->get('comments/rss');
        $comment = "10 approved, non spam comments on page 1";
        $this->assertEquals(10, substr_count($response->getBody() ?? '', "<item>"), $comment);

        $response = $this->get('comments/rss?start=10');
        $this->assertEquals(
            4,
            substr_count($response->getBody() ?? '', "<item>"),
            "3 approved, non spam comments on page 2"
        );

        // all comments on a type
        $response = $this->get('comments/rss/SilverStripe-Comments-Tests-Stubs-CommentableItem');
        $this->assertEquals(10, substr_count($response->getBody() ?? '', "<item>"));

        $response = $this->get('comments/rss/SilverStripe-Comments-Tests-Stubs-CommentableItem?start=10');
        $this->assertEquals(
            4,
            substr_count($response->getBody() ?? '', "<item>"),
            "3 approved, non spam comments on page 2"
        );

        // specific page
        $response = $this->get('comments/rss/SilverStripe-Comments-Tests-Stubs-CommentableItem/'.$item->ID);
        $this->assertEquals(1, substr_count($response->getBody() ?? '', "<item>"));
        $this->assertStringContainsString('<dc:creator>FA</dc:creator>', $response->getBody());

        // test accessing comments on a type that doesn't exist
        $response = $this->get('comments/rss/Fake');
        $this->assertEquals(404, $response->getStatusCode());
    }

    // This is returning a 404 which looks logical code wise but also a bit weird.
    // Test module on a clean install and check what the actual URL is first
/*    public function testReply() {
        $this->logInWithPermission('CMS_ACCESS_CommentAdmin');
        $comment = $this->objFromFixture('Comment', 'firstComA');
        $item = $this->objFromFixture('CommentableItem', 'first');

        $st = new CommentSecurityToken($comment);
        $url = 'comments/reply/' . $item->ID.'?ParentCommentID=' . $comment->ID;
        error_log($url);
        $response = $this->get($url);
        error_log(print_r($response,1));

        $this->assertEquals(200, $response->getStatusCode());

    }
*/
/*
    public function testCommentsFormLoadMemberData() {
        Config::modify()->set('CommentableItem', 'comments', array(
            'use_preview' => false
        ));
        $this->logInAs('visitor');
        SecurityToken::inst()->disable();
        $parent = $this->objFromFixture('CommentableItem', 'first');
        $parent->CommentsRequireLogin = true;
        $parent->PostingRequiredPermission = true;
        //$parent->write();
        $commController = new CommentingController();
        $commController->setOwnerRecord($parent);

        $form = $commController->CommentsForm();
        $commentsFields = $form->Fields()->first()->FieldList();
        $expected = array('Name', 'Email', 'URL', 'Comment', 'PreviewComment');
        CommentTestHelper::assertFieldNames($this, $expected, $commentsFields);
    }
*/

    public function testCommentsForm()
    {
        $this->autoFollowRedirection = true;

        // Delete the newly added children of firstComA so as not to change this test
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild1')->delete();
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild2')->delete();
        $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComAChild3')->delete();

        SecurityToken::inst()->disable();
        $this->autoFollowRedirection = false;
        $parent = $this->objFromFixture(CommentableItem::class, 'first');

        // Test posting to base comment
        $response = $this->post(
            'comments/CommentsForm',
            array(
                'Name' => 'Poster',
                'Email' => 'guy@test.com',
                'Comment' => 'My Comment',
                'ParentID' => $parent->ID,
                'ParentClassName' => CommentableItem::class,
                'action_doPostComment' => 'Post'
            )
        );
        $this->assertEquals(302, $response->getStatusCode());
        // $this->assertStringStartsWith('CommentableItemController#comment-', $response->getHeader('Location'));
        $this->assertDOSEquals(
            array(
                array(
                    'Name' => 'Poster',
                    'Email' => 'guy@test.com',
                    'Comment' => 'My Comment',
                    'ParentID' => $parent->ID,
                    'ParentClass' => CommentableItem::class,
                )
            ),
            Comment::get()->filter('Email', 'guy@test.com')
        );

        // Test posting to parent comment
        $parentComment = $this->objFromFixture(Comment::class, 'firstComA');
        $this->assertEquals(0, $parentComment->ChildComments()->count());

        $response = $this->post(
            'comments/reply/' . $parentComment->ID,
            array(
                'Name' => 'Test Author',
                'Email' => 'test@test.com',
                'Comment' => 'Making a reply to firstComA',
                'ParentID' => $parent->ID,
                'ParentClassName' => CommentableItem::class,
                'ParentCommentID' => $parentComment->ID,
                'action_doPostComment' => 'Post'
            )
        );
        $this->assertEquals(302, $response->getStatusCode());
        // $this->assertStringStartsWith('CommentableItemController#comment-', $response->getHeader('Location'));
        $this->assertDOSEquals(
            array(
                array(
                    'Name' => 'Test Author',
                    'Email' => 'test@test.com',
                    'Comment' => 'Making a reply to firstComA',
                    'ParentID' => $parent->ID,
                    'ParentClass' => CommentableItem::class,
                    'ParentCommentID' => $parentComment->ID
                )
            ),
            $parentComment->ChildComments()
        );
    }

    /**
     * SS4 introduces namespaces. They don't work in URLs, so we encode and decode them here.
     */
    public function testEncodeClassName()
    {
        $controller = new CommentingController;
        $this->assertSame('SilverStripe-Comments-Model-Comment', $controller->encodeClassName(Comment::class));
    }

    public function testDecodeClassName()
    {
        $controller = new CommentingController;
        $this->assertSame(Comment::class, $controller->decodeClassName('SilverStripe-Comments-Model-Comment'));
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Hats off to Bill O'Reilly for holding Nihad Awad's feet to the fire. Note something as you watch. Awad says he was glad when the Tsarnaevs were killed and captured respectively. To the untrained American ear, this sounds like Awad is concerned for the welfare of the American infidels.
As the leader of a Muslim Brotherhood front group, Awad is fully aware of the teachings of the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, who champions a tactic known as Muruna. Muruna's 'Doctrine of Balance' is about a level of deception that permits Muslims to say and do things so counter to the fundamental tenets of Islam that blasphemous behaviors can be permitted if a 'greater good' can be achieved. The purpose of such tactics feed a much larger agenda.
That agenda is to acquire power through politics, not bombs, which actually harm the cause of the political arms of the Muslim Brotherhood – like CAIR.
For example, the goal of the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs (IMMA) is to transform Muslim minority lands into Muslim majority lands. Gains are made with greater ease when terrorist attacks do NOT happen. Consequently, the stealth agenda suffers when they do. Therefore, it is at least conceivable that Muslim Brotherhood leaders would condone the death of fellow Muslims IF "unbelievers" become a "danger to the Muslims".
So when you hear a Muslim Brotherhood leader say that he is relieved when Islamic terrorists are put down or subdued, the likely reason is because it makes his job more difficult, as can be seen in the exchange between O'Reilly and Awad below.


Your resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm) while at complete rest. It is an indicator of physical fitness as your resting heart rate will decrease as your heart becomes stronger with aerobic exercise training. A low resting heart rate indicates better fitness in people who are in athletic training or a workout program but it may have other significance for people who are not physically fit.
A healthy resting heart rate for adults is 60 to 80 bpm. Adults with a high level of fitness may have a resting heart rate below 60 and some elite endurance athletes (such as marathon runners or professional cyclists) have a resting heart rate below 40.
An average adult resting heart rate range is 60 to 100 bpm, but the higher end of this range is associated with increased health risks including metabolic syndrome. An elevated resting heart rate of 80 bpm and higher can be an indicator of increased cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality risk, according to studies. The risk is most pronounced when the resting heart rate goes above 90 bpm.
Resting heart rate varies by gender as women tend to have smaller hearts and lower blood volume and hemoglobin, so the heart needs to beat more frequently to nourish the tissues. Average resting heart rate also changes from throughout the lifespan, being much faster in infants and slowing into adulthood. The average ranges also change slightly as you age.
Your resting heart rate may be affected by medications. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers may lower your resting heart rate below 60, while medications for asthma, depression, and attention deficit disorder can raise your resting heart rate.
A low resting heart rate in people who are not physically fit is called bradycardia.
If you don't actively exercise and have a low RHR with symptoms of dizziness or shortness of breath, you should discuss this with your doctor.
Your resting heart rate will become lower as you improve your fitness. Vigorous aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, has the most effect on lowering your resting heart rate. Moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking has less effect.
RHR is lowered as the heart muscle becomes stronger and is able to pump out more blood per heartbeat. The body needs fewer heart beats to pump the same amount of blood. If your heart muscle is weak, it needs to beat more times to pump the same amount of blood.
Athletes often monitor their RHR to determine when they are fully recovered from a hard workout or race. They know their usual RHR and monitor it to see when it returns to normal after a day or more.
A resting heart rate that is 5 bpm above your usual RHR indicates that you may need more recovery time.
A high resting heart rate is a sign of overtraining. Your resting heart rate may be elevated for one or more days after a vigorous endurance workout, such as running a 10K race or walking a half-marathon. You might delay another hard workout until your resting heart rate has returned to its usual value.
Fitness monitors and apps that record resting heart rate daily may use that data to give you a notification as to when you are ready for another hard workout. If you aren't fully recovered, they may recommend a light intensity workout instead.
Your resting heart rate should be taken first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed. Your pulse rate will rise if you do any activity, get up, or eat, drink, or smoke.
To get a true resting heart rate you must be completely still and calm. If something like an alarm startled you awake, lie quietly for a few minutes before taking your pulse. If you can't take your pulse immediately after awakening, wait for one to two hours after having any caffeine, exercising, or an emotionally stressful event. Lie down or sit quietly for at least 10 minutes before taking your pulse.
You need a device that counts seconds—use your mobile phone's stopwatch or clock app, or a clock or watch that has a second hand or displays seconds.
To take your pulse manually, place your index and middle fingers on your wrist below the base of the thumb and apply gentle pressure until you detect the pulse.
Or, place those two fingers just to the side of your Adam's apple in the hollow area, pressing gently until you detect the pulse.
Count your heartbeats for 6 seconds and multiply by 10.
Count your heartbeats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
Count your heartbeats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
There are also apps such as Azumio Instant Heart Rate that use the flash on your mobile phone to take your pulse. This can be an easy option as it coaches you through the process and is very accurate. Some fitness bands and smartwatches have LED heart rate sensors that measure your resting heart rate or your heart rate on demand. These are more or less accurate depending on whether you are wearing them snugly enough. It is best to check readings for several days so you can see if any single reading appears to be inaccurate.
Your resting heart rate is a useful number to know and monitor when you start a fitness program. Track it over time and let it guide you as to whether you need more recovery time after a hard workout. You don't need to worry if you see some daily fluctuations, but long-term trends can indicate how well you are progressing in building fitness.
Liu X, Luo X, Liu Y, et al. Resting Heart Rate and Risk of MetabolicSyndrome in Adults: A Dose–ResponseMeta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Acta Diabetologica. 2016;54(3):223-235. doi:10.1007/s00592-016-0942-1.
Ostchega Y, Porter KS, Hughes J, Dillon CF, Nwankwo T. Resting Pulse Rate Reference Data for Children, Adolescents, and Adults: United States 1999-2008. National Health Statistics Report. 2011 Aug 24;(41):1-16.
Zhang D, Shen X, Qi X. Resting Heart Rate and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in the General Population: A Meta-Analysis. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2016;188(3):E53-E63. doi:10.1503/cmaj.150535.


text:
Nick D'Aloisio
A Summly Sell
In the last twenty-four hours the tech world has been aflutter with the news that Summly was sold to Yahoo! for the princely sum of $30 million (with 90% of that being in cash). Not too shabby for 17 year old creator Nick D'Aloisio, who said that process has given him "an appetite for starting companies".
Skeptics may say that $30 million is an extraordinarily large sum for an app which is only just about to reach one million downloads since it's launch in December 2011. Clearly there is a lot more going on here than just a startup acquisition; Yahoo! have been buying a range of small mobile startups ever since CEO Marissa Mayer joined nine months ago.
Are Yahoo! staking a claim that the future will be mobile-only, instead of being mobile-first?
Importantly, this move by Yahoo! indicates a bright future for startups. It proves that large brands are willing to invest time and money into new industries and the brains behind them. Also, it shows what a difference having the right mentoring can make, as Summly was backed by a range of ventures and well-known names in tech as well as media.
Tagged: Marissa Mayer, news, Nick D'Aloisio, startups, Summly, Yahoo


The benefits to small businesses of joining FESPA UK Association were quickly apparent to one of the newest members - Sarah Waterhouse - who produce hand printed sustainable fabrics.
The Sheffield-based company initially signed up to the Association to simply be part of an organisation with the best interests of printers at its heart, but found there were also other advantages.
Says company owner, Sarah Waterhouse: "We soon realised there would be very direct assistance through the expertise within FESPA. Peter Kiddell has already helped solve some technical issues we were having and we have been given valuable funding search information. In the future we may also take advantage of the apprenticeship scheme as we expand our business."
Sarah Waterhouse was launched as a home-based business in 2007, screen printing small pieces of fabric. It moved to a studio at Yorkshire Artspace two years later and has matured into a professional fabric design and printing company, supplying fabrics by the metre to a variety of interiors and upholstery clients. The business specialises in hand printed sustainable fabrics on a range of organic cotton and hemp base cloths.


The Users list can be viewed from the Users tab in admin dashboard. Also, The admin can approve or deny users from this tab if Admin approval after registration setting is chosen.
The additional Information about the user can be viewed by clicking on the username or view button below the username.


Early today we flew east over some of the few states we haven't yet visited on our Rides for Human Rights.
From Washington over Idaho, Montana, and beyond.
Our tailwind exceeded 100 mph (162 kph). We would have liked a bit of that in California and Oregon!
An aerial view of the 2 lanes of U.S. Highway 101 near Brookings, Oregon. The red dot is on our track, on the northbound shoulder. Storms and landslides caused the road to disintergrate, shift, and sink.
U.S. 101's collapse forced us to travel by car on a long, narrow, winding, high-altitude detour too dangerous for bicycles. It was the worst of the many hazards a car helped us to avoid.
Days of extraordinary weather made the harsh coastal terrain in California and Oregon unusually dangerous. That's why on our 9th Ride we pedaled only 503 miles. Five hundred miles is not nothing. But it's not the 1,000+ miles of every past Ride.
We're disappointed. We hope our fans—and those who donate to Human Rights First and the IWC based on our mileage—won't hold it against us.
Four and a half hours after takeoff, we landed in New York. We took the AirTrain (monorail) to the A train (ordinarily an express, but today, ugh, it made every stop through Queens and Brooklyn) to Columbus Circle. Jeffrey carried me via Lincoln Center . . .
Josie Robertson Plaza was nearly deserted at rush hour. Even so, look at the diversity of the people. I belong to a tiny minority—how many American kangaroo court puppets do you know?—and Jeffrey too is accustomed to being one minority among many. It feels good to be back where no group is dominant.
. . . to a bicycle, and pedaled uptown. We reached West Harlem just before sunset.
L to R: Jeffrey and Joey, facing north on a Hudson River pier.
L to R: Jeff, Joey. Jeff works for an airline. He and his wife had wondered about children appearing in immigration court without a lawyer. He said a light went on when Jeffrey explained that because asylum applicants aren't criminals, they can have a lawyer only "at no expense to the government." Jeff talked bicycles with Jeffrey too. We're glad to have met him.
We enjoyed the view uptown.
About 3 miles away is the George Washington Bridge, across the Hudson between New Jersey (at left) and NYC.
After sunset, looking downriver and into New Jersey.
Jeffrey chauffeured me back to our neighborhood, seen here from the ramp to Riverside Park South.
Our building is at the middle of the photo, immediately to the left of the two towers with glowing tops.
After biking 503 miles in 19 days, thus we ended the physical part of the 9th annual Ride for Human Rights.
As every year, Jeffrey will keep biking for his own purposes. I'll go back into storage.
Those who have followed these Rides, or who know Jeffrey, know why the Ride has not yet ended. We are back in NYC, but Jeffrey isn't home.
In a few days, I'll yield to Jeffrey for his annual wrap-up, and he'll clear up any confusion.
Meanwhile, it's not too late to join the fun and donate to Human Rights First, donate to the Interfaith Welcome Coalition. A donation to HRF in any amount gets you a collectible Beatles postcard, signed by Joey and Jeffrey.
One of hundreds of different postcards waiting for donors. We know it's the wrong flag. It's part of the fun!
A Beatles postcard . . . like the Rides . . . like the America we've seen from low and slow on over 10,500 miles of road . . . there's nothing like it in the world.


text:
ENL News
experience nissan leaf
US, Germany strike Nord Stream 2 pipeline deal to push back on Russian 'aggression'
By Liam James
Even before it was made public, leaked details of the agreement were drawing criticism from ome lawmakers in both Germany and the United States
The United States and Germany on Wednesday unveiled an agreement on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under which Berlin pledged to respond to any attempt by Russia to use energy as a weapon against Ukraine and other Central and Eastern European countries.
The pact aims to mitigate what critics see as the strategic dangers of the $11 billion pipeline, now 98% complete, being built under the Baltic Sea to carry gas from Russia's Arctic region to Germany.
US officials have opposed the pipeline, which would allow Russia to export gas directly to Germany and potentially cut off other nations, but President Joe Biden's administration has chosen not to try to kill it with US sanctions.
Instead, it has negotiated the pact with Germany that threatens to impose costs on Russia if it seeks to use the pipeline to harm Ukraine or other countries in the region.
But those measures appeared to have done little to calm fears in Ukraine, which said it was asking for talks with both the European Union and Germany over the pipeline. The agreement also faces political opposition in the United States and Germany.
A joint statement setting out the details of the deal said Washington and Berlin were "united in their determination to hold Russia to account for its aggression and malign activities by imposing costs via sanctions and other tools."
If Russia attempts to "use energy as a weapon or commit further aggressive acts against Ukraine," Germany will take steps on its own and push for actions at the EU, including sanctions, "to limit Russian export capabilities to Europe in the energy sector," the statement said.
It did not detail specific Russian actions that would trigger such a move. "We elected not to provide Russia with a road map in terms of how they can evade that commitment to push back," a senior State Department official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We also will certainly look to hold any future German governments accountable for the commitments that they have made in this," the official said.
Under the agreement, Germany will "utilize all available leverage" to extend by 10 years the Russia-Ukraine gas transit agreement, a source of major revenues to Ukraine that expires in 2024.
Germany will also contribute at least $175 million to a new $1 billion "Green Fund for Ukraine" aimed at improving the country's energy independence.
'Threatens Ukraine's security'
Ukraine sent notes to Brussels and Berlin calling for consultations, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet, adding the pipeline "threatens Ukraine's security."
Kuleba also issued a statement with Poland's foreign minister, Zbigniew Rau, pledging to work together to oppose Nord Stream 2.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was looking forward to a "frank and vibrant" discussion with Biden over the pipeline when the two meet in Washington next month. The visit was announced by the White House on Wednesday, but press secretary Jen Psaki said the timing of the announcement was not related to the pipeline agreement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin hours before the release of the agreement, the German government said, saying Nord Stream 2 and gas transit via Ukraine were among the topics.
The pipeline had been hanging over US-German relations since former President Donald Trump said it could turn Germany into a "hostage of Russia" and approved some sanctions.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter he was "relieved that we have found a constructive solution." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, asked about the reported details of the agreement earlier on Wednesday, said any threat of sanctions against Russia was not "acceptable," according to the Interfax news agency.
Lawmaker opposition
Even before it was made public, leaked details of the agreement were drawing criticism from ome lawmakers in both Germany and the United States.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who has been holding up Biden's ambassadorial nominations over his concerns about Nord Stream 2, said the reported agreement would be "a generational geopolitical win for Putin and a catastrophe for the United States and our allies."
Cruz and some other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are furious with the Democratic president for waiving congressionally mandated sanctions against the pipeline and are working on ways to force the administration's hand on sanctions, according to congressional aides.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she was not convinced the agreement would mitigate the impact of the pipeline, which she said "empowers the Kremlin to spread its malign influence throughout Eastern Europe."
"I'm skeptical that it will be sufficient when the key player at the table – Russia – refuses to play by the rules," Shaheen said.
In Germany, top members of the environmentalist Greens party called the reported agreement "a bitter setback for climate protection" that would benefit Putin and weaken Ukraine.
Biden administration officials insist the pipeline was so close to being finished when they took office in January that there was no way for them to prevent its completion.
"Certainly we think that there is more that the previous administration could have done," the US official said. "But, you know, we were making the best of a bad hand."
Liam Jameshttps://experiencenissanleaf.com
Is Val Kilmer Health Sick? What's Wrong With Him
Liam James - January 27, 2023
How does Mandela Effect False Memory Occur?
Austin Russell: Biography, Height, Weight, Net Worth & Career
Find Your Zen: The Best Relaxing Games for a Calming Experience
Will Romelu Lukaku flourish in Serie A once again?
Liam James - July 12, 2022
Top 5 Most Expensive NFTs Owned By Celebrities
Liam James - June 25, 2022
Snxx – Everything to know about the website
Liam James - March 24, 2022
Day trading tips everyone should know 2022
Welcome, Experience Nissan Leaf your number one source for all things. We're dedicated to giving you the very best Information, with a focus on Your Needs.


Autumn was born and raised in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Her story reflects this with a love for it's music, stories of the locals, the beautiful outdoors and of course, her family. She was recently engaged and is mother to a beautiful little girl. She enjoys the local farmers market and festivals, creativity through making delicious meals and painting and fun times at the greenway with her family.
When paths crossed with Cotton Chiropractic, she was invested in serving at a local area restaurant. Her authentic smile, empathy for others and love for service is contagious and inspiring. She loves the stories of those who come into the office and has a genuine interest to learn. Autumn truly enjoys expanding her understanding of health and wellness as she learns from The Cotton family, pursues new healthy recipes at the local Co-Op and stays physically active through regular yoga and fitness at the family YMCA.


White privilege in action. "Here and Now" TV show S01 E02 & E05 clips. Contrast as Kristen and Ashley get arrested. Ashley's reactions as a black woman.
Bell Rings Selena: Tay what class do you have next? Taylor: Science but I HAVE to tell you something come over to my house for a sleepover. Selena: Uh..
From The Episode "Man's Best Friend Is Not His Dog"
Film Theory: LEGO Batman Vs DC Batman Who's The Strongest Batman?


text:
Hot News: Grey Skies Fallen Streams The Many Sides Of Truth At GunShyAssassin Days Before Release
Írta: NorthWar 2014.04.27. 8:39 94
NYC-based ominous metal quintet, GREY SKIES FALLEN, is just days from the street date of their monstrous sixth release, The Many Sides Of Truth, and today the entire album has been made available for streaming.
GREY SKIES FALLEN's epic and multifaceted black/death/doom delivery has never been more poignant and dominating In the band's seventeen-year history thus far as the works showcased on The Many Sides Of Truth, the result of several lineup changes and additions, and several years of dedicated work on the album. The fourth GSF release to be recorded with Keith Moore at his Audio Playground in Patchogue, New York, The Many Sides of Truth packs a wealth of crushing cross-genre metal dynamics into a thirty-eight minute, zero-filler album.
Just a few days out from its official release date of April 29th, GREY SKIES FALLEN is now offering their entire The Many Sides Of Truth through metal portal GunShyAssassin RIGHT HERE.
The local release show for The Many Sides Of Truth is scheduled for Monday, May 12th at The Acheron in Brooklyn, with direct support for GREY SKIES FALLEN coming from the henchmen in Buckshot Facelift, the brutalizing grind/death faction in which three of the members of GSF share double-duty. Additional opening support bombardments will be supplied by local acts Hypoxia, Lysura and Lucid Terror.
GREY SKIES FALLEN Record Release Show:
5/12/2014 The Acheron – Brooklyn, NY w/ Buckshot Facelift, Hypoxia, Lysura, Lucid Terror [info]
GREY SKIES FALLEN will independently unleash The Many Sides Of Truth, directly publishing the album through all digital platforms, and in CD and LP runs of 300 copies each. The Travis Smith-designed cover art for the record has been redesigned in three separate color schemes. The band's own limited digipak CD and digital releases will bear a blue-infused cover, the LP artwork in green. Additionally, Paragon Records will issue a full official jewel case CD run featuring the artwork in red, and also handle distribution of the album. The band's own LP pressing will be available shortly after the other editions on three vinyl color schemes — black, colored/splattered, and glow-in-the-dark. Preorders for the CD and digital versions through the band are available HERE, and LP preorders are posted HERE.
http://www.greyskiesfallen.com
http://greyskiesfallen.bandcamp.com
Grey Skies FallenMegosztás0
Hot News: Grey Skies Fallen – No Clean Singing Premieres New Track From NYC-Area Dark Metal Act
NorthWar 2014.03.07. 2:29
Hot News: Grey Skies Fallen – New York Black/Doom Outfit Prepares To Release Sixth Album
NorthWar 2014.02.14. 19:46 2014.02.14. 19:47


Fyl decided her husband is still too sick to be life of the party on a wet, cold night and so we're sitting home on New Year's Eve. I didn't argue. Besides, there's a Jack Benny marathon on Antenna TV. When the pizza came It was guest star Frankie Avalon singing, so I joined Fyl in front of her TV watching old Sid Caesar shows and munching on a Palermo's special, thin crust, crispy, anchovies on half. Taking my empty plate into the kitchen later the Benny marathon was still on in the living room and I could hear Robert Goulet. Even an hour apart the difference in timbre, phrasing, range–hell, in sheer quality of everything–with Frankie Avalon was beyond glaring. Plus Goulet was much, much funnier in the follow up bit, a natural. Funniest of all, though, was Joan Marshall, the woman in the sketch and one of the great undiscovered comic talents of the sixties. Alas, she was gorgeous, and in that decade gorgeous and funny were not allowed to mix. In the thirties she might have been a screwball superstar, another Carole Lombard; in the fifties she could have been the female lead in a sophisticated comedy. But in the sixties only Jack Benny recognized how funny she was and let her run riot in a couple sketches. They said it really bothered Joan that she never got choice comedy roles, and she never seemed happy in her career being beautiful. Hollywood is full of beautiful women. It's not full of naturally funny people. But sometimes what you are really good at and the times you live in don't coincide. If only you'd been born twenty years earlier.
This entry was posted in Comedy, Whatever. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Q&A: Brittain Brown on his journey from Duke to UCLA, how he got his name and his personal Waffle House order
Levi Edwards
Digital Team Reporter
Monday afternoon in his metro Atlanta home, Brittain Brown was still digesting the fact his NFL dream has come true.
The running back has split time at two schools totaling over 2,200 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. The Canton, Georgia, native put himself on the Raiders' radar after two successful seasons at UCLA along with his performance at the Raiders' Pro Day inside Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center.
Brown met with Raiders.com via Zoom to learn a little more about him and his journey to the Raiders.
Levi Edwards: What was the inspiration behind your name Brittain?
Brittain Brown: How my name came into play is my parents met someone who had a similar name to mine, and my mom loves unique names. I have an older brother and two younger and we all have unique names.
LE: I've also read you father was an army ranger, is that correct?
BB: Yes he was. He played football at West Point and served after that.
LE: Speaking of family ties, is it true you're related to Heisman winner Herschel Walker?
BB: He married into our family. He's my cousin by marriage.
LE: Have you had many interactions with him?
BB: I had one, he was at our family reunion down in Savannah, Georgia.
"Just Brittain, baby!"@BrittainBKB | @Raiders pic.twitter.com/KtMw1FuVyz
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) May 1, 2022
LE: What was your experience like at Duke University the four years you were there?
BB: I tell people all the time it's a great school. Just the school life itself, I would definitely go back and do it all over again. I think people get the wrong idea about Duke sometimes, but it's a school filled with great people and there's always stuff to do, even though it's in the small town of Durham. They took care of us while we were over there and the education is unmatched. All the resources they had for us while we were trying to deal with football and academics at the same time – I think was probably one of the best places in the country for that. Durham probably has all of the best food in North Carolina too.
LE: What made you decide to move across the country to Los Angeles to play for UCLA after being a Blue Devil?
BB: After four years of being at Duke, I had an injury that was subsisting for two years from 2018-19. I just decided it was time to move on and graduated. I wanted to do my fifth year somewhere else and Chip Kelly came calling. They run the ball about 70 percent of the time if you watch their games on the West Coast. They always run the rock so I said, 'Why not go to UCLA and get more exposure?' For my dream to play in the league, it was the best place for me to go.
Represent ! https://t.co/3LdqwSie8O
— Brittain Brown (@BrittainBKB) April 8, 2022
LE: Having now lived on the East Coast and the West Coast, what late-night move is better: In-N-Out or Waffle House?
BB: I'm taking Waffle House, 10/10. 15/10. I don't know why people hype up In-N-Out so much, it's sub-standard. To everyone on the East Coast, it's not what you think it is. I'm going with Waffle House.
LE: So what's your Waffle House order?
BB: All-Star breakfast, it comes with everything. It comes with waffles, eggs, sausage, bacon, toast – everything you need right there.
LE: Lastly, what traits do you believe the Las Vegas Raiders saw in you that led to you being drafted?
BB: I think they selected me based off my film. They believe I'm similar to the running backs they like to have on their team. That, and I went to the Raiders' Pro Day and talked to [running backs] Coach Kennedy Polamalu. He liked how I came off toward him and I've been working hard, so when I got to the Pro Day, I was ready to rock. I feel like I showed them the best of my abilities while I was there.
Draft Pick: RB Brittain Brown
With the 250th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders select running back Brittain Brown.
RB Brittain Brown
Seventh Round (250th overall)
Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press
Kyusung Gong/Associated Press
Ashley Landis/Associated Press
Raiders Mailbag: First thoughts of the Silver and Black's 2022 draft class
Raiders.com's Levi Edwards breaks down what Raider Nation believes were the highlights of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Raiders announce jersey numbers for 2022 draft class
The six newest Raiders have gotten their jersey numbers and are one step closer to putting on the Silver and Black.
Ziegler and McDaniels assess their first draft in the Silver and Black
Notes and quotes from the duo's final 2022 Draft press conference.
What They're Saying: NFL analysts weigh in on Raiders' 2022 Draft
Take a look at how the experts graded the Silver and Black's draft class.
Introducing the Raiders' 2022 NFL Draft Class
A recap of the newest additions to the Silver and Black.
Q&A: Thayer Munford Jr. pays his respects to his fallen college teammate, ready to compete in the Silver and Black
Thayer Munford Jr. has accomplished a lot at Ohio State, and believes he's got more in the tank for the Raiders.
Player Profile: Get to know RB Brittain Brown
The Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up their 2022 draft by adding another player to the running back room.
Q&A: Matthew Butler brings a passion for serving the community with him to Las Vegas
Raiders.com spoke with fifth-round draft pick Matthew Butler from Tennessee regarding his first impressions of Las Vegas and what he hopes he can provide to the Silver and Black.
Player Profile: Get to know T Thayer Munford Jr.
The Silver and Black got more offensive line depth with the first of their two seventh-round picks.
Raiders land Brittain Brown with their final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft
Brown attended Duke University for three seasons before transferring to UCLA for his final two years of eligibility.
Raiders select Thayer Munford Jr. with the No. 238 pick
The Silver and Black add more depth in the trenches with their first of two seventh-round selections.


text:
Guilty Plea In 2019 Port Jervis Newborn Baby Murder
PJPD
On November 12, 2019, Port Jervis City Police Officers responded to the scene of a horrific incident in a vacant parking lot, where a newborn baby was found deceased. In February of 2020 the infant's mother, Nicole H. Layman was charged with murder, and in March, arraigned in an Orange County Court on an indictment in connection with the death of the newborn. This past Friday, December 10th, the now 23 year old Layman, pleaded guilty in an Orange County Courtroom to Manslaughter in the Second Degree.
According to the press release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office:
Pursuant to the plea agreement placed on the record at the time that Layman pleaded guilty, the District Attorney's Office will recommend that she be sentenced to five to fifteen years in state prison when she is sentenced on February 28, 2022. Layman remains remanded to the Orange County Jail in lieu of bail in the amount of $500,000 cash, $3,000,000 secured bond or $5,000,000 partially secured bond.
Back in November of 2019 the night the baby was found in the vacant lot adjacent to Hornbeck Avenue in Port Jervis, an investigation determined that the infant had been born that same night, and the cause of death was exposure to the elements. Further investigation included a search warrant execution at Layman's residence, an autopsy of the deceased newborn, and further laboratory analysis of tissue samples obtained during the autopsy.
In addition to the City of Port Jervice Police Department, aid was provided by NY State Police, the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office and the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
In her December 10th 2021 guilty plea, Nicole Layman admitted to having just given birth to the baby girl, and left her exposed to the elements without notifying anyone.
The Orange County DA reinforced the importance of the resources and help available for those in Orange County who believe they are unable to care for their children.
The individual circumstances surrounding an offender's state of mind, including their capacity to truly appreciate the seriousness of their offense beforehand, and whether or not they engaged in extensive planning, are all proper sentencing considerations. While consigning an infant to die of exposure is, by definition, unnecessary, illegal, and barbaric, I believe that a sentence of five to fifteen years in state prison in this case would strike a just balance between the seriousness of the conduct, and some mitigating factors attributable to this particular defendant.
Filed Under: Port Jervis
Amazing Port Jervis Home Featured in Country Living Magazine for Sale
5 Incredible and Local Hudson Valley Burgers
New York Man Falls 250 Feet To Death in Hudson Valley
1 Killed on Hudson Valley, New York Road Featured in Commercials
Food Network Host Returns to Hudson Valley Eatery: Here's What He Found
Mayor Responds to Rumors White Castle is Opening in Hudson Valley
Could White Castle be Calling Port Jervis Home in 2022?
New York Man Killed on Hudson Valley Road Featured in Commercials
Burger Sold in Hudson Valley Named 1 of New York's Best Burgers


Hartlepool RNLI inshore lifeboat and volunteer crew pictured with the two casualties during the incident.
A man was rescued by Hartlepool RNLI after his jetski broke down off Middleton beach.
The volunteer lifeboat crew were called by Humber Coastguard to the incident on Saturday, May 5, and launched the inshore lifeboat around 5.12pm to tow the jetski to Hartlepool Marina.
Hartlepool RNLI inshore lifeboat and volunteer crew.
The inshore lifeboat returned to the Ferry Road lifeboat station at 5.44pm and shortly afterwards at 6.10pm it was called out again by Humber Coastguard, to assist a man on a fishing boat which had also broken down off the Headland in Hartlepool.
The vessel was then towed to Hartlepool Marina and the inshore lifeboat returned to the Ferry Road lifeboat station at 6.50pm.
Inshore lifeboat helm Mark Barker said: "The shouts were two straight forward tow jobs in near perfect sea conditions, but still something myself and fellow volunteers constantly train to deal with."


NEED A RIDESHARE?? Go to the Summer Solstice Rideshare and Roomshare page (This page is not moderated by 3HO. It is a place where you can coordinate travel plans with each other.) Summer/Winter Solstice Ride Share and find the connection you need!
If you're looking for Doug and the Yogi Mobile, you can find him on the ride share page.
Solstice attendees are welcome to arrive at Guru Ram Das Puri on Thursday, June 13th at or after 1:00 pm.. Registration and check-in for badge pick up will open at 1:00 pm.
In general, if you are camping, please plan to arrive on site before 5 p.m., in order to better facilitate efficient Registration/Check-In and set-up.
If you are staying in a cabin or have rented a tent you must arrive prior to 8:30 p.m. so that you can check in at Registration which closes at 9:00 p.m; if you need to arrive later you will be directed to spend the night in the Tantric Shelter. We suggest you have your sleeping bag, mat and/or sheepskin, and toiletry items accessible to bring to the Shelter with you. Registration/Check-In will open at 9 a.m.
If you plan to arrive at Guru Ram Das Puri after 8:00 p.m., you will need to spend the night in a motel and you can make arrangement to have the shuttle pick you up in the morning. Registration and the front gate will be closed.
If you arrive in New Mexico before the scheduled arrival day or miss the last shuttle departure time, you will need to make arrangements to stay in a motel/hotel. If you need to arrive at Guru Ram Das Puri before the scheduled arrival day or leave after the last day at noon, you will need to make reservations in a hotel or other arrangements off-site.
Ram Das Puri closes to the public at noon. Please schedule your departure from the site for prior to 12:00 pm.
Camp ends with a farewell breakfast in the morning.
Immediately after breakfast, camp will begin breakdown. Please confirm your return shuttle reservations prior to breakdown.
Be certain to leave enough time to gather and pack all of your belongings prior to your departure time.
Please do not leave behind your tent, sleeping bag, or other such items, bring them to the recycling center at the bottom of the hill and not to the Solstice Lost and Found. It creates a lot of extra work and they are thrown out in the trash. There are tents available for $208 for a cot in a 2 cot tent; the tent is large can sleep up to 6; for families the rate is $416 with 2 cots and children are free (there are no cots provided for children). Please make sure you leave your area in the condition you found it, recycle what can be recycled, and throw the rest in the trash. This is the final stage of your yogic practice of seva at solstice.
General Transportation Information: The 3HO Summer Solstice Sadhana Celebration is located in Española, New Mexico. There are independent shuttle services available to drive you from the Albuquerque International Sunport (airport) to Guru Ram Das Puri, where camp is located. You must make arrangements directly with them via phone (they have no email address). See information below. If you arrive in New Mexico before the scheduled arrival day or miss the last shuttle departure time from the airport, you will need to make arrangements to either stay in a hotel, or find alternative means of transportation. Please do not arrive at Guru Ram Das Puri before the scheduled arrival day. Please read the specific information that follows regarding how to schedule your itinerary and arrange for transportation assistance to the site.
Airport Hotel: If you arrive to Albuquerque (Airport Code: ABQ) late at night and there are no shuttle options available, you can stay at a hotel near the airport and arrange ground transportation for the following day.
While there are many hotel options near the Albuquerque consider the Best Western Airport Albuquerque InnSuites Hotel. Use the business name SOLSTICE when you make your reservation and receive the corporate rate of $89.66 (US, taxes included) per night. Reserve by phone at 505-242-7022.
New this year: Book your shuttle when you register for Solstice online!
3HO Foundation does not endorse transportation providers nor are we affiliated with these companies.
For those seeking an option costing less than $10 and who do not mind an extended travel time, there is a way to get from the Albuquerque airport to the New Mexico Motor Vehicle building at the base of the dirt road to Ram Das Puri. Note: you should only choose this option if you can arrange transportation from the base of the dirt road to Guru Ram Das Puri.
Click Here to use Google's public transportation tool.
Be sure to enter accurate times that coincide with your flight arrival.
Review the time it will take you to reach New Mexico Motor Vehicle, it can sometimes take quite long (5+ hours).
Click here for a map to Guru Ram Das Puri, the Solstice site, from Santa Fe, NM.
Click here for directions from the Albuquerque airport.
You can also use MapQuest or Google Maps to map your own driving directions to Española, New Mexico.
The final 8 mile approach to Guru Ram Das Puri is a dirt, forest service road labeled 31 Mile Road on most maps. The safe speed limit on 31 Mile Road is 20 mph. The road is used regularly by large trucks and may be patrolled by law enforcement officers who will give tickets for speeding. PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY on this portion of your trip.
Take I-25 North towards Santa Fe.
Upon entering Santa Fe city limits, take St. Francis Drive/Highway 285 Exit. Drive through Santa Fe on Hwy 285/84 towards Española (approximately 25 miles).
In the town of Española, Hwy 285/84 turns into Riverside Drive. Follow Riverside Drive until you come to Fairview Road (there is a Bank of America on your left and Walgreens on your right). Turn left onto Fairview. The next stoplight (across the bridge) is Paseo de Onate.
Go through the light at Paseo de Onate where Fairview Road changes its name to Industrial Park Road.
Make your first right on Calle de la Merced. This will become a dirt road. Continue on this road for approximately 8 miles. Guru Ram Das Puri will be on your right.


*Stop in through April, pick out an egg from our basket, and you WIN IMMEDIATELY!
Yeck's Tire & Auto has been serving the Bellevue/ Offutt Community for over 42 years – so you know we'll always be here when you need us. Our people are genuine, caring and understand that because of you, our valued client, we exist! We work hard every day to prove it.
We were recognized as a top businesses in Sarpy County, as voted on by the readers of Suburban Newspapers, which includes the Bellevue Leader, Papillion Times, Gretna Breeze and The Base: 68113, and Omaha.com.
Extend your Warranty to 36 months/36,000 miles, when you make your qualifying repair and services purchase(s) using your NAPA AutoCare EasyPay Credit Card.
Because the Customer has a need we have a job to do.
Because the Customer has a choice we must be the better choice.
Because the Customer has sensibilities we must be considerate.
Because the Customer is unique we must be flexible.
Because the Customer has an urgency we must be quick.
Because the Customer has high expectations we must excel.
Because the Customer has influence we have the hope of more customers.
Because of the Customer we exist!
"My family has been sending our cars here since before I could even drive! I continued the family tradition of going here and they really take care of you. Many times the staff helped me out and went above and beyond for me! They even call and check up with you after a service has been provided to make sure everything is running smoothly. Great, honest mechanics!"


There is an excellent chapter dealing with the brain, specifically parts of the brain and the brain's placidity. There are two concluding chapters dealing with special scenarios, such as trauma, and special meditations (this is what I'll keep returning to the book for). My favorite part—largely due to my neurotic need for it—is the perfect trifecta at the end: bibliography, chapter-specific reference notes, and a thorough index. It's sick, I know, but it's so, so what I love. I NEED to have follow-up material and proof of theory.


text:
Browse books by:
Capsule Review
Page url Request Reprint Permissions
Hun Sen's Cambodia
By Sebastian Strangio
Yale University Press, 2014, 344 pp.
Reviewed by Andrew J. Nathan
In This Review In This Review
Hun Sen's Cambodia
The metaphor of a mirage recurs in Strangio's well-reported book. In Cambodia, democracy is a mirage; so are constitutionalism, civil society, the rule of law, transitional justice, poverty reduction, media freedom, and environmental conservation. The UN and foreign donors have committed billions of dollars and exported thousands of personnel to Cambodia to create these illusions since the end of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, but they have failed to turn them into realities. What remains real are violence, corruption, income polarization, land grabbing, and environmental devastation. Yet, as Strangio shows, the country is enjoying an economic boom, and a Cambodian middle class is emerging. A great deal of blame for the tragedies and some credit for the successes go to Hun Sen, the country's dominant politician since 1985, whom the book vividly portrays as a man of great intelligence, energy, and political skill—and also as a control freak and an amoral pragmatist whose guiding principle is "Know reality." Despite a surprising rebuke to Hun Sen's party in the 2013 National Assembly elections, Chinese support for Hun Sen—combined with waning Western interest—is likely to guarantee that business as usual will continue for the foreseeable future.
More By Andrew J. Nathan
More from Asia and Pacific
Middle Powers and the Rise of China
Edited by Bruce Gilley and Andrew O'Neil
Qiaowu: Extra-Territorial Policies for the Overseas Chinese
By James Jiann Hua To
Strategy in Asia: The Past, Present, and Future of Regional Security
Edited by Thomas G. Mahnken and Dan Blumenthal
Get the latest book reviews delivered bi-weekly.


I woke with a start. The glow of the sunrise illuminated the fabric of my tent walls so that everything around me was coloured bright orange. Outside I heard sherpas stirring. The radio was blaring out a Hindi love song as pans were filled to start breakfast. This was Everest Base Camp, the kicking-off point for would-be summiters of the world's highest mountain. And I was here for two nights soaking up the atmosphere of what is probably the most famous campsite on earth.
As I unzipped my sleeping bag and felt the rush of cold air seeping in, I heard the ground beneath my mattress groan. This is a campsite with a difference. The land we pitch on is the rock strewn Khumbu Glacier and is in a constant state of flux. Frequently, especially in the early hours of the morning, you hear it creak deep below. Coming back to find tents moved or ice splitting is not unusual – hence my scary dream.
Per-chiiing! Outside the wind-scoured ice stalagmites began to explode as the -13C temperatures of night were replaced by rising heat. I emerged from my tent to see the next expedition along was readying to have their kit blessed by a Buddhist lama for good luck in a ubiquitous puja ceremony – usually involving a lot of drinking (tea and sometimes stronger). Nearer to the Khumbu Icefall – a colossal swirl of seracs and crevasses that must be negotiated to reach the first of four camps on the way to the summit – climbers were already making their way over the newly fixed ladders spanning bottomless chasms in the glacier. This is arguably the Everest ascent's most dangerous section. They looked so tiny against the white ripples – no more than specs of flotsam on an ocean of ice. For them the adventure was just beginning, but for walkers like me, getting to Base Camp is an adventure in itself.
It had started 11 days earlier in Kathmandu, boarding the tiny Dornier plane to Lukla. Based deep in the Himalaya, the airport is infamous for its unpredictable weather and tiny landing strip, as well as the usual risks associated with small planes among big mountains. The alternative is a week's walk in before the trek proper even begins and between that and a 40-minute flight, a trip to the 'most dangerous airport in the world' was the obvious choice.
Soon the brightly coloured high-rise apartments of Kathmandu were relegated to the smog below. Mountains upon mountains flashed by, those faraway peaks becoming bigger until my brain couldn't compute their gargantuan size and simply relegated them to the unreal, their snowy tops merging mirage-like into the clouds. Suddenly in the dusty hills below, the tiny match box-size strip of tarmac appeared; a miniscule line on the ground. It looked like an impossible goal, but in less than a minute we were hurtling towards the wall at the end of the runway before a sharp right turn whisked the plane safely to a stop outside Tenzing-Hillary Airport. I had arrived.
The chimes of prayer wheels' bells filled the air as I left the small town and negotiated (always to the left) the rocks carved with Buddhist prayers. It was spring so the usual Himalayan palette of browns and greens had been splashed with reds, pinks and purples of rhododendrons that clawed their was up the mountainsides en route to Namche Bazar.
The air smelt sweet with spices while smoke from the piles of juniper burnt for luck crept its way into my chest as I made my way up. Dust swirled as each zigzag gave way to another, then came the dzo. These cow-like herds march up the paths carrying luggage and supplies. It doesn't matter who is first, you get out of their way (always on the inland side) and let their pointy horns pass.
A checkpoint, and overtaking porters loaded with so many groceries I felt like a lightweight with just my little daypack, marked that I was close to this the main trading centre in the Khumbu region. Sitting at 3,440m Namche really feels like the gateway to the high Himalaya. As I climbed through its steep, cobbled streets, wandering among the outdoor shops boasting a mix of real and questionable mountain kit at bargain prices, prayer flags, khukuri knifes and shawls made from 'genuine yak wool', I felt like I'd reached somewhere very special indeed.
"That's me," said Ang Phurba (locally known as Kancha Sherpa) as he held an Everest book out to me. I looked at the sepia photo on the page more closely, the wide eyed smile of fresh-faced 21-year-old sherpa he was pointing to in a crowd of excited faces, then up at the 81-year-old man who stood in front of me now. He was older, but I could recognise those same twinkling eyes and excited grin.
He is the last living member of the 1953 Everest expedition that saw Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay become the first people to stand on the roof of the world on 29 May. He had invited me and my walking group in for tea in Namche and began, with the help of his son translating, to talk about that most famous of all mountain journeys.
Kancha was paid 8 rupees a day (around £20 in today's money) and went on to work as a high altitude sherpa on the USA Everest ascent in 1963. With his tales swimming in my head, I left hoping that I'd finally catch sight of this legendary peak the next day.
Waking early I headed up a steep path to the Hotel Everest View. A bit of a white elephant, this Japanese-built hostelry was supposed to attract wealthy business people who wanted the very best view in the Himalaya, but that clientele didn't want to walk for three days to acclimatise. So they built an airstrip nearby but visitors couldn't cope with the sudden high altitude and got sick. Now it's rarely full. Thankfully the last few days trekking had prepared me better. I felt tired as we neared the 4,000m mark but a few steps further, through the halls of the hotel out on to the roof terrace, and aching legs were instantly forgotten.
Greeting me was an exquisite panorama of peaks – Kangtega, the horse saddle with a thick wedge of leather-like ice sat on its back; the pointy Thamserku; Ama Dablam, or 'Mother's Treasure', with snow hanging round her neck like jewels; then a sprawling ridge of Cholatse, Taboche, Lhotse, and the snow-plastered, romantically-named Peak 38. Behind all those, peeking up like a covert spy was a little peak – Everest. I didn't believe it at first. It looked so unassuming, so unimpressive compared to the others so… small. I had to ask several times if I had it right. But, after that, it only seemed to grow.
I continued to trace the path through the twin villages of Khunde and Khumjung – home to the Edmund Hillary established school and hospital as well as the remains of a more mysterious resident in the local monastery. It looked like a coconut, with a slightly ginger tone of hair – but I knew it wasn't. The glass that protected it kept dazzling with the white light from the camera fl ashes as people gawped trying to work out what it was we were looking at.
"Yeti scalp," explained Chewong, our sirdar.
In the darkness of the monastery I felt myself shiver, but once outside in the Himalayan sunlight, yetis seemed at odds with the beauty of the surrounds. Eagles soared on the thermals while prayer wheels chimed and flags flapped comfortingly in the breeze. This area is known for musk deer – a protected species – so I kept my eyes peeled as we walked above the trees.
"Quick – I see one," shouted Chewong and we stared down the embankment, waiting. A black-and-white mountain dog emerged from the trees wagging its tail. Suddenly the sightings of yetis made a lot more sense.
The next few days saw worries of yetis relegated to lower down the list as I put in a lot more ascent and the air got thinner. Thankfully the route was full of distractions to take my mind off the altitude. From visiting teahouses for copious amounts of hot liquid, to visiting the monastery at Tengboche at prayer time (listening to the monks chanting while they sipped steaming tea), negotiating rickety bridges over deep gorges and gazing at Everest, until I arrived at Dingboche – three days from Base Camp.
Here I had the luxury of two nights in one place to acclimatise – but that didn't mean sitting around. First I had to summit a peak for a taste of the air above 5,000m. 'Little' Nangkartshang hill looked small enough but as I started walking up, it seemed to grow. Vultures circled as I climbed higher and the familiar clunk of the yaks' cowbells began to fade. Each step took tremendous effort. At altitude you can feel your brain working slower – putting one foot in front of the other takes a great deal of concentration, your chest feels tight and you have to constantly remind yourself to look at the views – and what views they were. Makalu rising up from the valley, Island Peak slap-bang centre earning its name and serrated tops forming a pointy parade.
After two hours was a short scramble to summit. I was exhausted. Then I spotted a flash of red, yellow and blue. There in front of me was a man wearing only his pants with the word 'Superman' emblazoned on them. He was a Canadian, who had stripped to his underwear for no particular reason – proof that altitude really can do funny things.
It's a shame the same superhero wasn't waiting at Gorak Shep two days later on my second 5,000m peak – Kala Pattar. As Himalayan peaks go, it's almost as famous as some of the world's highest. That's because you don't need any technical skills to tackle it and it offers one of the best views of Everest there is. At the lowly height of 5,643m (in comparison, Everest's 8,848m) this was still a big challenge. Starting at 5,100m, every metre of ascent required solid determination. Around me the sherpas strolled effortlessly up with big backpacks while for me breathing felt like sucking honey through a straw. What would have been a 45-minute meander in the UK took over two hours of unrelenting effort.
Despite that view of Everest before me, once I had finally reached the prayer flags at the summit, I had to wait for 10 minutes before I could summon the effort to stand up and take a photo. From here the striped rock and lack of snow that singles out Everest's top looked close enough to touch. The ripples of ice that make up the Khumbu Glacier looked easily surmountable and I caught myself, just for a second, thinking that maybe, one day, I might be able to try it.
Kala Pattar may be vertically taller than Base Camp, but reaching the lowly 5,365m of my tent felt like the biggest high of all. To emerge onto the boulder-strewn glacier and be greeted by hundreds of tents – knowing that mine was among them – made me feel a tiny bit like an expeditioner.
After surviving my first night without being swallowed by a crevasse, I began to explore the campsite, meeting some of those who hoped to conquer Everest. It may be 60 years since the first ascent title was claimed but other 'firsts' are still sought. There was the Indian team that included two record attempts – a 16-year-old boy and a woman hoping to summit twice; friendly Lakpa Sherpa, a 22-year-old who invited me in for mango tea and had already been up Everest twice, as well as summiting K2, Manaslu and Makalu; and Kaji Sherpa, the 42-year-old who didn't start climbing until he was 37, but since then has been up Everest five times. Next year he plans to summit four times in a season to raise money for his village.
"Like staring up at heaven," was how Kaji summed up seeing the summit the first time he climbed it. And as I gazed up at the Khumbu Icefall on my last morning, before starting the four-day walk back to Lukla, I felt I got a glimpse of what he described.
We, mere mortals, had reached the end of our adventure where the mountaineers begin theirs. But after everything I'd experienced, a trek to even just as far as Base Camp proves it: you don't need to climb the highest mountain on earth to feel like you're on top of the world.
Wanderlust editor Phoebe Smith is also author of Extreme Sleeps: Adventures of a Wild Camper. She travelled with Exodus on this trip. The Everest Base Camp Trek starts from £1,769pp, including return flights from London Heathrow via Delhi, return flights to Lukla from Kathmandu, 3 nights hotel accommodation in Kathmandu, 12 nights teahouse accommodation on trek, porters, walking guides and all breakfasts. Look for special departures that include two extra nights staying at Everest Base Camp in tents (usually March/April) something that is not possible to organise independently.


Swedish car maker Volvo has launched its fastest and most powerful car yet S60 Polestar in India. As is the case with cars from the performance division of German luxury car makers, there are enough tell tale signs on the S 60 Polestar that this is not your regular S60 sedan.
Of course the Polestar logo gives it way on both the front as well as rear but there are also a lot of other design elements that aid in better aerodynamics. The bumper has been redesigned and the skirting along with the splitter is sportier and the air intakes also are designed to do a better job.
The S 60 Polestar runs on a 4-cylinder 2.0 liter Petrol engine. This Drive-E engine is twin-charged engine and produces a whopping 367 horsepower and 470 Nm. And all that translates into a quick Volvo as the car does a 0 – 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds. The top speed is limited electronically to 250kmph.
The car was launched at the Kari racetrack in a very pleasant Coimbatore after which we got to sample this newest set of wheels from Volvo.


Visit Worksoft at IBM's Innovate 2013 Tech Summit in Orlando, FL! - Worksoft Inc.
Worksoft is thrilled to be in Orlando, Florida this week as an exhibitor at Innovate 2013: The IBM Technical Summit. If you are attending Innovate, be sure to visit our Booth, G212, to learn more about Worksoft's automated testing solutions. Please drop by and ask for a demo.
We are also very excited that Worksoft's Chief Technology Officer, Shoeb Javed, will be a featured presenter at the technical summit. Don't miss his session, "How the Rise of Mobile Apps in SAP Ecosystems is Driving Highly Automated Testing" (PA-1223), on Tuesday, June 4 from 3-4 p.m., in room Dolphin-Australia 3.
Want to learn why highly automated testing is becoming a must-have rather than a nice-to-have solution? Shoeb's presentation will explain how the dramatic increase in mobile technology adds a new dimension to maintaining high quality business execution. And he'll share how global companies are ensuring quality business execution in a highly mobile environment.
Search the session previews to access the full session abstract.


text:
Colombo Fashion Week focuses on becoming eco-friendly
Colombo Fashion Week is reportedly focused on becoming eco-friendly given Sri Lanka's status as a manufacturing hub.
While design in the global apparel industry is taking place mostly in the West, production has moved to other countries.
"Sri Lanka is one of the very few countries where the fashion industry and the apparel co-exist," Ajay Vir Singh, Founder of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week has been quoted as saying in the media.
"Because both the industries co-exist together, we could pick up the whole thing and create a solution," he has said.
"The issue that's happening around the world is the parallel manufacturing and the fashion design industry is very divided."
Countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh could also follow similar strategies.
According to reports, HSBC Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) has introduced "Responsibility in Fashion," an initiative based on three key ideas to prevent garments from ending up in landfills.
The three key initiatives are Garment Enhancement Guarantee, Garment Disposal Plan and Return-After-Use-For-Purpose.
"The fashion industry now features among the top five most polluting industries in the world," Singh has explained.
"It was always in our hearts to create a responsible and actionable program that could be very relevant not only in Sri Lanka but also for key fashion countries in the world to adopt. We have been working on it for the last few year years and I am happy that we're the first in the world to implement such a programme."
CFW has also introduced a Responsible Meter, a tool to evaluate garments presented at CFW based on environmental, societal and organizational wellbeing, local media report further states.
CFW has further noted that it has received nearly fifty applications for this year's Emerging Designer Programme, and has chosen 13 designers who would incorporate the Responsible Meter and the three actionable impacts into their collections under the guidance of CFW.
"What's happening in the western world is activists are saying not to buy this and that, but they have no idea how it is negatively impacting supply chains," Singh has added.
Sri Lanka's apparel industry is on a continuous growth path and has shown much interest in promoting eco friendly manufacturing processes as well as products. Sri Lanka's apparel industry has also been benefited by the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country. All these are indicative of the growth as well as expansion of Sri Lanka's apparel industry. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore confidently explore business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka's apparel industry.


text:
Books – Art & Architecture
All Our Changes
Images from the Sixties Generation
Gerry Kopelow (Author)
All Our Changes is a stunning collection of 160 black and white photographs taken between 1968 and 1970. These images capture the innocence and earnestness of the early Canadian hippie movement, from political protests and speakers' corners, to Festival Express and the Mariposa Folk Festival. Joni Mitchell is here, as are the Guess Who, but so are everyday kids hitching rides, hanging out, and, one by one, forever changing the Canadian political and cultural landscape.
Published September 2009 | Art & Architecture
The North End
Winnipeg's North End has informed the Canadian mythology and influenced the national psyche. The North End also divides and defines the city of Winnipeg, shaping its politics and sense of identity. In these photographs, taken between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s, John Paskievich set out to explore the North End he knew in his youth.
Published October 2007 | Art & Architecture
Winnipeg Modern
Architecture, 1945 to 1975
Serena Keshavjee (Editor)
Winnipeg Modern captures the grace and beauty of the Modernist period and includes critical and historical essays on the aesthetic and social project of Modernist architecture in Winnipeg. Lavishly illustrated with 300 photographs from provincial archives, the private archives of architect Henry Kalen, and contemporary photographer Martin Tessler, this book is a testament to the Modernist principles of structural expression and purity of form.
Winnipeg School of Art
Marilyn Baker (Author)
This volume is a history in words and illustration of the early years of the Winnipeg School of Art, its hopes and ideals and its struggles for survival. Its story is in large part a record of art and artists in Winnipeg during the period. The growth of the School is described through the terms of its first four principals: Alexander Musgrove, Frank Johnston, Keith Gebbhardt, and L. LeMoine Fitzgerald. Biographical sketches on artists involved with the School as teachers or students from 1913 to 1934 are also included.
Published August 1989 | Art & Architecture
Music from Within
A Biography of the Composer S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté
Ferdinand Eckhardt (Author)
Published January 1985 | Art & Architecture
Manitoba Architecture to 1940
A Bibliography
Jill Wade (Author)
Go to page: < 1 2


text:
In-licensing inhibitors
by Kelsey Kaustinen	| Email the author
Horizon Discovery Group plc
LakePharma Inc.
CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—Horizon Discovery Group plc has announced a program in-licensing and option agreement with pharmaceutical giant Servier that could be worth more than £50 million (approximately $76.7 million) to Horizon, factoring in milestone payments, payments linked to net sales and tiered royalties on future product sales. Per the terms of the deal, Servier has a first option to license the assets back, and if it exercises this option, Horizon stands to receive up to £50 million in milestone payments as well as royalties on product sales. If Servier elects not to exercise its option, Horizon can seek out another pharma partner, and Horizon and Servier will share in the success of the program as its moves into the clinic and toward registration.
"The in-license of assets with a strong preclinical pedigree, but which do not yet have a clear clinical development strategy, represents a great opportunity for companies like Horizon. Demonstrating our scientific leadership through our translational genomics, drug combination and biomarker discovery platforms, we seek to identify genetic markers that predict drug sensitivity, enabling programs like this one to be progressed rapidly into the clinic for defined patient populations," Dr. Darrin M. Disley, CEO of Horizon, commented in a news release. "This innovative deal, as part of our strategy to drive accelerated growth, offers significant upside potential for our investors built upon the leverage of our intellectual property, technology platforms and know-how."
The agreement includes several novel kinase inhibitors that have shown promising potential in terms of preclinical data for a range of cancer types, but do not yet have a biomarker to define sensitive patient populations. Horizon will apply its technology platform to identify the cancer patients most likely to respond to the compounds, either as monotherapies or combination therapies with other drugs. This deal also gives Horizon the option of exploring the use of these inhibitors in other therapeutic indications. The company will evaluate the compounds' mechanism of action and verify the patient stratification hypothesis through in- vitro and in-vivo preclinical experiments, and will define a path for the development of biomarkers for drug efficacy and patient stratification.
Jean Pierre Abastado, director of Oncology Innovation for Servier, said: "The longstanding collaboration between Servier and Vernalis has led to the discovery of novel kinase inhibitors. Horizon's technology portfolio and expertise makes them ideally positioned to progress these drug candidates into the clinic and to investigate their potential for therapeutic efficacy both alone and in combination therapies. Servier is committed to driving therapeutic progress for the benefit of patients, with partnerships such as this playing a key role."
Horizon has been busy on the partnering front since September. On Sept. 9, the company announced the beginning of a license and supply agreement with Abcam, a leader in supplying research antibodies. The agreement grants Abcam access to more than 1,800 human diploid and haploid cell line models from Horizon's X-MAN collection, and Horizon will help to develop additional haploid cell lines to validate new antibodies from Abcam.
The agreement states that Abcam will pay Horizon £660,000 in exclusivity payments across an initial three-year term, with the potential for an additional £1.275 million across years four to six should Abcam elect to extend the exclusivity period. Preferred pricing will be charged for any additional haploid cell lines developed. Horizon also stands to receive a royalty on the sale of Abcam antibodies marketed using validation data derived from Horizon cell lines for a period of 10 years from the first date of sale. There is also scope to extend this deal to include the complete human proteome and the co-development of novel functional genomics products and services with Abcam.
A week later, Horizon inked another license agreement, this one with LakePharma Inc., a leading contract research organization based in Belmont, Calif. The license covers commercial use of a genetically engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line, developed by Horizon and adapted to manufacturing conditions by LakePharma. The cell line is now available exclusively from Horizon for further licensing to customers on non-exclusive licensing terms. No financial details for the agreement were disclosed.


text:
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Translated by Deborah Smith
Reviewed by David Hebblethwaite
The first of Korean writer Han Kang's books to be widely available (in Deborah Smith's superb translation) to English-speaking audiences, The Vegetarian was originally published as three separate novellas, then as the original novel in 2007. Each part is told from the viewpoint of a different character – none of whom is the titular vegetarian herself. The first part introduces us to a Mr Cheong, who likes a nicely ordered existence, and was pleased to have found a wife who facilitated that:
The passive personality of this woman in whom I could detect neither freshness nor charm, or anything especially refined, suited me down to the ground. There was no need to affect intellectual leanings in order to win her over, or to worry that she might be comparing me to the preening men who pose in fashion catalogues, and she didn't get worked up if I happened to be late for one of our meetings (p. 3).
All this is disrupted, however, when Yeong-hye (whom Cheong refers to only as "my wife", never by name) suddenly decides to stop eating meat, and throws all animal products out of the house. Cheong does not take this news too kindly, especially as Yeong-hye gives him no more concrete explanation for her sudden change of diet than "I had a dream". Although it's not necessarily unusual to eat vegetarian in South Korea, it is rather unusual for someone to declare themselves vegetarian. And this is the main reason for Cheong's anger: that Yeong-hye has done something unexpected, thereby disturbing the equilibrium of her husband's life ("The very idea that there should be this other side to her, one where she selfishly did as she pleased, was astonishing," p. 13).
So, from Cheong's viewpoint, Yeong-hye is to be defined only in relation to him. We only get to see things from Yeong-hye's perspective in passages representing her dreams – abstractions or scattered episodes that link suffering and violence to meat, and whose jagged prose stands in sharp contrast to the smooth certainty of Cheong's narration (for example: "Try to push past the meat, there's no end to the meat, and no exit. Blood in my mouth, blood-soaked clothes sucked onto my skin," p. 12). More generally, Smith's translation deftly captures the complex emotions embedded in and underneath each character's point of view.
I should say at this point that I don't think The Vegetarian is 'about' vegetarianism per se – the depiction of Yeong-hye's choice and its consequences seems to me too abstract and remote to be taken literally. Rather, I see this more generally as a book about an individual stepping outside the norms of society for her own reasons, and how that is seen by others. It's telling that each part of Han's novel focuses on how other characters relate to Yeong-hye. Moreover, their relationships revolve around progressively deeper parts of Yeong-hye's self. For example, in the first part, Mr Cheong (and, as it turns out, Yeong-hye's blood family) is most concerned with her behaviour – she is no longer playing her appropriate role as wife and daughter, and this must be corrected.
However, Yeong-hye refuses to go back. In the second part, Cheong is out of the picture; the viewpoint turns to Yeong-hye's brother-in-law, a video artist (who remains unnamed). He is particularly focused on Yeong-hye's body: she hasn't taken much care with her diet, and is beginning to waste away; but the artist sees more than this:
This was the body of a beautiful young woman, conventionally an object of desire, and yet it was a body from which all desire had been eliminated. But this was nothing so crass as carnal desire, not for her – rather, or so it seemed, what she had renounced was the very life that her body represented (p. 85).
He is attracted to her (aesthetically and sexually; the two tend to bleed into each other for him), and wants to use her in his work. Yeong consents to have her body painted with flowers; in fact, she likes it so much that she keeps the paint on. What the artist really wants to do, though, is film sexual tableaux of Yeong-hye with a man painted in similar fashion – and he can only find a male subject by fudging his intentions a bit. In this part of the novel, Yeong-hye becomes a blank space for her brother to fill as he wishes (and she is quite happy to let him). It's only towards the end that this becomes disrupted (and the tone of Smith's translation shifts) when characters with different ideas intrude on the situation.
In The Vegetarian's final part, Yeong-hye has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital; her only visitor is her sister, In-hye. So the sphere of Yeong-hye's existence has been reduced drastically; and, in a very literal way, so has she – her body continues to weaken, as she refuses all food (even an intravenous drip). She tells In-hye that she doesn't need food, only water, because she wants to become (or perhaps believes she is) a tree. In this chapter, In-hye is concerned with her sister's mind, trying to work out how she can save Yeong-hye from herself. But there is the nagging sense that – unlike her sister – Yeong-hye has found a kind of serenity in life, even though she's effectively had to destroy herself in the process. In-hye is ultimately faced with a difficult choice, perhaps one as significant in its own way as the choice Yeong-hye made.
As a character, Yeong-hye fills this novel even while remaining an empty space for much of it. In some ways, she lacks agency; in others, she is firmly in command of who she is. We're never quite allowed to come to a definitive conclusion on why Yeong-hye does what she does; but then, neither are the people around her – and the ramifications of how they react to her spiral through – and beyond – the pages of this fine novel.
David blogs at David's Book World (formerly called Follow the Thread).
Han Kang, The Vegetarian, trans Deborah Smith (Portobello Books: London, 2015). 978-1781846275623, 183pp., paperback original.
15 thoughts on "The Vegetarian by Han Kang"
Pingback: Fiction | Shiny New Books
Pingback: The Vegetarian and Bilabo – New York – Bilbao: Shiny New Books | David's Book World
Pingback: Reflections: 'light reading' | David's Book World
Pingback: A reading acrostic | David's Book World
Pingback: My favourite books read in 2015 |
Pingback: Human Acts by Han Kang – David's Book World
Pingback: Man Booker International Prize 2016: the longlist – David's Book World
Pingback: 2016 Man Booker International Longlist | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog
Pingback: The Man Booker International Prize 2016 shadow shorlist – David's Book World
Pingback: The official Man Booker International Prize shortlist 2016 – David's Book World
Pingback: Man Booker International Prize 2016: the shadow panel's winner – David's Book World
Pingback: Man Booker International Prize 2016: and the winner is… – David's Book World
Pingback: Never Any End to Paris by Enrique Vila-Matas – David's Book World
Pingback: My favourite books read in 2016 – David's Book World
Pingback: The White Book – Han Kang – David's Book World


text:
Former Zillow CEO lists home for nearly $8M above Zestimate
Spencer Rascoff, a co-founder and former CEO of Zillow, is trying to sell the Los Angeles home he purchased in 2016 for $24M
Zillow and Jenna Bascom for Inman
by Patrick Kearns
Spencer Rascoff, a co-founder and former CEO of Zillow, is trying to sell the Los Angeles home he purchased in 2016 for $24 million.
Spencer Rascoff, a co-founder and the former CEO of Zillow Group listed his Brentwood Park, Los Angeles home for $24 million on Thursday, which is nearly $8 million more than the Zestimate, Zillow's often-maligned automated valuation model says the home is worth, as first reported by The Real Deal.
The Zestimate for Rascoff's home is listed at $16.1 million for the property, but it does acknowledge an estimated sales range between $13.23 million and $21.62 million. And to be fair, Zillow's own model acknowledges, "The list price and Zestimate for this home are very different, so we might be missing something."
Zillow has invested heavily in improving the Zestimate, launching a two-year, $1 million contest to improve the tool. Over the summer, the company announced the tool can now use photos when valuing homes, bringing the error rate below 2 percent, meaning half of all Zestimates fall within 2 percent of the home's eventual sale price.
Still, the tool has drawn ire from some real estate agents, who feel it often puts them in the unfair position of defending their own comparative market analysis versus a tool that hasn't actually been inside the home. It's also been at the center of an anti-trust lawsuit against Zillow.
It's also not the first time the Zestimate has failed to capture the value of Rascoff's home. In 2016, Rascoff sold his Seattle-area home for $1.05 million, which was 40 percent less than the Zestimate said the home was worth. This time, it's flipped, with the Zestimate valuing the home far lower than Rascoff, who is represented in the listing by Josh and Matthew Altman with Douglas Elliman.
Rascoff first purchased the six-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion in the affluent Brentwood Park neighborhood of Los Angeles for $19.7 million in 2016, according to public records. In the time since purchasing the home, Rascoff stepped back as CEO, but still serves on the company's board of directors.
In 2019, Rich Barton, also a co-founder of the Seattle-based real estate technology company, returned as CEO. Rascoff had served in the role since 2010 and guided the company through its initial public offering and the launch of its top revenue driver, Zillow Offers.
Rascoff, meanwhile, is working to launch a company called Dot.LA, which is a news service aimed at covering the Southern California technology scene.
Email Patrick Kearns
Zillow declares mission accomplished, debuts new comprehensive vision
Zillow's iBuyer sends revenue soaring in Q4, beats expectations
Ex-Zillow president: IBuyer business will be a 'two-horse race'
Zillow Offers continues expansion, launches in Cincinnati
Salary-based, tech-forward Prevu launches in Seattle
Ask Doss now offers brokerage, home loans and FSBO solutions
CoreLogic acquires Prospects Software following long partnership
Renovation startup Curbio raises $65M in Series B