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Web Gyaan!
So I have shared one 'film gyaan' until now. And in the 'gyaan' series, I thought it only fitting, as we move further away from consuming content through traditional media into new media, that I share one of my absolute favorite youtube channels.
The best part about this youtuber, an English gentleman by the name of Robert Llewellyn, is that he produces and hosts one of the maddest, most informative, most non-preachy, and most entertaining 'Electric-Green' Energy channels out there. Aptly called Fully Charged, Robert presents and shares some wonderful insights into the future of electrification and clean energy solutions, all in his inimitable, slightly eccentric but totally endearing style!
He's out to prove to all the naysayers, one of which I was myself until recently, that Clean can be Cool! And what better way to prove that, than with a video from his channel about an Electric, old school, super cool Porsche 911!!!
Hope you enjoy. And please subscribe to his youtube channel and keep up with all the latest in the world of clean energy!
The Discovery!
The sun shone bright as a ripe orange on the second morning of Jeff and Karen's Mediterranean honeymoon. Full of youthful bounce, the couple made its way out of their resort at the edge of the ocean to the tiny main street of their idyllic romantic getaway. Complete with matching straw hats, together atop their bicycle hired from the resort, the plan for the day was 'exploration'; perhaps not just of their immediate surroundings, but also of themselves as a newly married, united entity. The air filled with giggles of innocence as Jeff complimented his better half on how beautiful she looked, radiant as she was, like the clear blue waters of the beach. They'd even skipped the complimentary breakfast at their hotel and had decided instead, to wind their way riding, and stop at any street-side cafe that would catch their fancy. They shared a uniquely competitive yet friendly banter, more akin perhaps to that of close friends being as comfortable with each other as they were in their own individual skins; than the sometimes awkward atmosphere that the weight of recent marital status brings. Jeff, the IT programer who'd risen quickly through the ranks at Microsoft, steadfast, scientific, his good looks belying the often-quoted 'geek' stereotype; went about everything including their ongoing and mutually agreed 'discovery-of-the-village' with a cautiously planned approach. Karen on the other hand, a young, up and coming graffiti artist from the trendy Soho area, unabashed, unapologetic, and entirely arbitrary in her ways; compelled Jeff to just "let go" and "be". As the two lightheartedly quarreled whilst riding they came upon a quaint little eatery and for a change yelled together spontaneously…. "Breakfast"
Karen and Jeff parked their bicycle right outside the cafe, Jeff instinctively reaching out for a lock that didn't exist, perhaps a result of his everyday routine of riding to his office and having to ensure the safety of his daily-runner. "No need for locks here darling", quipped an excited Karen, who'd never used a lock a day in her life, no matter where and for what! The duo entered the cafe. The enticing aroma of freshly baked bread and butter wafted through the tiny 10 seater place. At the counter, behind a modest but well stocked temperature controlled show-window that had the most divine looking confections, just a single, familiar-looking, middle aged man, his hands full of dough, smiled at them and signaled by gesture for them to seat themselves and that he'd be with them, momentarily. Karen and Jeff noticed just one more table occupied towards the end of the small space. Curious to see who else had had the same idea as them, especially given this was a village almost exclusively patronized by tourists, they made their way down the other 5 tables to the one at the end. Along the way, they passed the pale yellow, rustic wall of the cafe, dotted sporadically, with black and white pictures that seemed to be of a young man at the beach with his family. It became clear to Jeff and Karen that they were of the same oddly familiar man that had greeted them at the cafe, making it quite obvious that he was the owner. Before they'd settled into this knowledge, they'd reached the end of the cafe to the 'table'. And as they caught sight of the couple sitting, eating, laughing, enjoying their morning, at the table they'd been curious about… They realized. The couple at the table, was them!
With This.. I Thee Wed.. Food!
"3 Mixed Grill Sizzlers"
"And 2 Full Butter Chickens plus 6 Butter Naans"
"Ok Sir, I will have the butter chicken and naans packed by the time you eat your sizzlers and are ready to leave"
"errrrrr…..the butter chickens and naans are ALSO to ear HERE"
(flummoxed, bamboozled waiter, bewildered, settles down and leaves to execute this modest order for 3 grade 9 students)
This scene plays out rather casually at the famed Hotel President in Dehra Dun, as two of my mates and I, place our 'usual' lunch-order while on one of our formative 'private' outings from boarding school (the kind where you're allowed out of the campus by yourself, unescorted by coddling parents or regimenting masters). And thus begins, not just for me, but for most boarding school students, a life-long relationship. Say hello to our significant other – food!
To a hostel student, food represents the first important relationship in one's lives. As such, the relationship encompasses, at different stages, the entire emotional scale. When we join school, food represents two things – the baser value is sustenance, and the more heightened metaphor, home. When a senior takes away one's home-food, or when one runs out of the laddus that grandma has packed and sent, one experiences what can only be described as the 5 stages of grief. There is denial… "how could this happen to me?"… "I can't believe I was the one who got caught with my 'home-food'"… This is shortly succeeded by anger, though it is almost always a passive, internal anger, since externalizing it and revolting against the culprit, necessarily a senior-boy, results in further antagonizing. Bargaining, there's heaps of… It begins, like any negotiation the world over, with the least possible offer… "Ok out of the 10 packets of Top Ramen that I have, how about you take 2"… this 'outlandish' (from the senior's point of view ONLY, of course) request is met with immediate and terse criticism.. There's little choice but to sweeten the deal… "ok ya… take 5 out of 10 packets.. that's fair right.. half and half?"… finally though, the senior takes 8 and one is left with 2!! and that's a 'good' scenario! Alas… Depression sets in… One cries remembering home, curses the day one was sent to this dubious gang-land that they allegedly call the country's best school.. and finally, after months of consistent similar incidents, one accepts one's fate.. Food, especially home-food (tuck), is never one's own.. not until one reaches at least grade 10!
The ties to 'home-food' though are just a small part of a much larger picture.. a slice of a giant pie, if I must employ a 'cheesy' food analogy.. Seriously though, think of it like a single battle in an eternal war! The 'other' woman in this greed-drenched illicit liaison – hostel-mess-food, which in our case was served at the CDH, the Central Dining Hall. About now, your brain will be forgiven for conjuring up images of 'central jail', rather than a boys' mess.. The CDH was indeed, like a jail, with food similar to that in a jail.. and though our school was too fancy to call this hallowed-hall a 'mess', it was a right old mess.. Let me share the good news first (yes, there was some…little….but some)… Bread, butter, chapatis and such were unlimited.. Its what preserved our bowels, our sanity, and our 'growth'.. Because the rest of it, the 'main course' and the 'dessert', was divided into woefully inadequate portions that would fall prey (yes quite literally) to seniors taking them away (even and despite the presence of masters and beras on duty, such was the ingenious resolve and enterprise of even those who were failing their subjects, but could devise the most clandestine schemes to steal food); or be simply inedible… Like mentioned earlier, if the just-described two scenarios did not befall you, and you got your 'share', the body hardly even registered its intake because it was just too little! Share it was, but to call it 'fair' would be a cardinal exaggeration!
In case you don't already see a pattern emerging; that I today, not proudly, though resolutely, use all the food-injustices through my childhood as a solid justification for my absolute inability to 'share' my food, even a quarter of a century since boarding school – is not limited to me.. It is a scarring time that is almost like a right of passage, that most boarding school kids go through.. of course, having gone through this trauma, we have all survived and lived to tell the tale.. but like most victims of post any ordeal – some come out triumphant, others not so much.. fact is, this is all in good humor.. some of us have got closure by marrying wonderfully gifted cooks; others have gone permanently into the food & beverage business and made empires out of it (Nirulas being a case in point).. either way, mine, and many others' relationships with food continues to be, like most relationships in life, bittersweet! Seems like, we're married, till death do us part!
The RATE CARD!
The first time I experienced this phenomena was when a writing project came our way over a decade ago. The client said, "what's your rate?" Confused, perhaps a bit cheekily, I asked, "rate for what?" Pat came the reply, "per word rate". Now, I understand that the writing/content industry does often subscribe to 'fixed rates'. My question though is, should the 'rate' for a word such as ABROGATE be the same as it is for IT? And what about ideas? How do we have a 'rate card' for those?
The same tends to happen when prospective students come to me to get some one-on-one lessons from me at home. Again, the 'tuition' industry in India follows 'per hour' rates. Having said that, I am teaching in the age range of 5 – 55! I am often times not teaching any prescribed text/texts or something that exists as a formal subject. I design ALL my study material myself, on an individual, case-to-case basis. This requires immense effort, time, and a deep understanding of each individual's specific requirements. How then, can I have a 'rate'?!
Even the vegetable-vendor changes rates according to how he/she perceives the shopper. At least I'm not doing that. My 'rate' is based on the amount of time, effort, research, study-material-development it will require on my part.
So let us leave the 'rate card' to its intended purpose – for Transport, Hospitality and other services with FIXED valuations; and NOT subject Creativity OR Individuality, to rates!
W'RITE'RS WRONGED!
Until eight years ago, my wife Anuja and I were working with different Media Companies (Production Houses, TV Channels) in Mumbai. Then, merely months into being married, we were both Pink Slipped when the recession hit. The Media Industry was particularly bad, with mass retrenchment and companies either winding off, or laying off almost entire work-forces! That is when the two of us, because we had a fair bit of experience in Writing, decided to become stand-alone, freelance, professional Writers & Content Developers.
To our minds, we had hit upon a brilliant survival-idea. We had a pre-existing network into the Media Industry, and we had both been Writing within our various roles over the years as Directors, Producers and Assistants. This would need NO investment. We'd work from home. And we wouldn't inform our parents (back home in Delhi or Jaipur)!! 🙂
Then came our first reality check. We were asked by a large corporation (said organization shall remain unnamed) to develop their Website. Now typically we would quote a certain figure for the project with a break-up of Writing/Ideation/Supervisory Fee as one block & Designing Fee as another block. We were shocked to learn that the client, upon seeing our cost break-up, rather nonchalantly said that he'd be willing to spend the money on designing, but would cut the Writing Fee by a 5th!!! Why? Because "kaun toh padhta hai". Agreed. But where would the ENTIRE 'idea' for the website come from? Us of course, which is why it formed an integral part of our 'writing fee'. Bad luck for that though. It was just fine that any design-software-savvy person (not to take away from the genuinely talented designers that are out there) would be able to create a me-too site by seeing 'references' provided by the client! And for that 'copying' work, the client was willing to pay, let's say 1 lac, but not our 30,000 rupee Writing Fee!
This was only the beginning of our brutal initiation into the world of 'freelance writing'. What we dismissed as a first, one off bad client, turned out, to our horror, to be the norm. We'd write scripts upon scripts for huge television networks for paltry sums of money, and those payments would be made to us, after 'daily' follow ups (read phone/email begging and countless physical visits to their accounts departments) 6 months to a year later! So while the on-air talent would be paid, lets say 50,000 per episode, IMMEDIATELY, we'd be waiting for a 50,000 cheuqe for 5 scripts, for a year!
I don't mean for this to sound like a rant, or ramblings of a frustrated writer. The truth though is, it is tough. We even had to 'invent' a Brand and Brand ourselves, just in order to be taken a little more seriously. Even that didn't work.
I just want to leave you with this thought… If Customer is King (which most clients admit), then shouldn't the Content, which ought to engage them, appeal to them, appeal them, and ultimately lure them (and that will ONLY happen if it is based on careful study of the target audience and developed on the basis of some real human insights of that target), also be KING? Agreed, hardly anyone reads nowadays. But isn't an IDEA, or a SCRIPT on which VIDEO content is based, worth something?
I sign off with a video interview that UTV had done with us shortly after our Pink Slips in Mumbai… And urge you, do not WRONG WRITERS. We have VALUE!
http://kartikbajoria.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/BOLD-UTV-INTERVIEW.mp4
Ageless and Stage-less
Race-less and Colour-less
Not Biased Towards the Intelligent
Nor Biased Against the Average
Indiscriminating
Indefinable
Invaluable
FilmGyaan!
In a world where education is becoming increasingly staid and prosaic, it always helps to remind ourselves of some inspiring stories of some educators, students, and institutions. A lot of people have probably watched these three films. They are not new. But they will always be FRESH, and my absolute favorites.
Good Will Hunting, the Academy Award Winning film where an unusually talented janitor at MIT is discovered and guided by Robin Williams's character.
The original, the precursor to School Of Rock; in my view Mr.Holland's Opus is one of the most moving, uplifting films about a Music Teacher wonderfully portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss, proving how beautifully cathartic teaching can be, and what an impact a great teacher, albeit an ordinary mortal, can make in a student's life!
The English Teacher in this case, played once again by Robin Williams, inspires his students to look at poetry from a completely unique perspective, helping his students discover themselves in the process. Dead Poets Society's Mr.Keating leaves an indelible impression!
These masterpieces are easily available on blueray and dvd. Buy them, rent them, WATCH them, AGAIN!
JUDGMENT BE DAMMED!
A student of mine recently confided in me. The things he/she shared awakened me to a startling reality. What kind of an environment are we subjecting our children to? The student said his/her peer group at school had boycotted him! Why? Because he failed to solicit the latest model of a cellular phone from his parents, his 'lesser' phone, falling a mile short of 'cool'. To add to these woes, he/she had expressed no plans or desire to prepare for the SAT and subsequently study abroad. This, proved to be the final nail in the coffin! How could this kind of blasphemy be pardoned? Promptly, his 'uncoolness' was punished as he/she was struck out of the 'gang'.
Is it just I who finds this ABSURD? I too attended a school that is sometimes dubbed elitist. I don't remember being antagonized for who I was and where I came from! Rich or poor, intelligent or average, tall or short, we were ALL the SAME.
It got me thinking. Could this undeniably unhealthy situation be related more to kids' parents, rather than to the kids themselves? Are we as parents doing the right thing? Instilling the correct values? Being good examples and role models? Or could it perhaps be that we have lost our path? That in our tearing hurry and desperation to demonstrate that we have 'arrived', we might have, unwittingly, unintentionally, misguided our children?
I'm not sure. But it is certainly food for thought. In the meantime, don't we owe it to our children to ensure that we create an atmosphere that is COMPLETELY FREE of judgment? A place, at home and at our schools, where our children aren't burdened by banal issues like brands & defining themselves through them? A habitat where experimentation, discovery, self-expression are uninhibited and unstoppable?
We grew up in a simpler time, where we were footloose and fancy-free. Shouldn't we decide for our children's sake, JUDGMENT BE DAMMED!?


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Q: Simulation done/finished event in jNeuroML? Is there some event mechanism that could let me know if the simulation is finished?
I have a LEMS file that is simulated in NEURON with:
jnml LEMS_file.xml -neuron -run
the GUI stays open after the simulation is done.

A: At least with LEMS -> NEURON simulations, the -nogui flag will run the simulation till the end and then close NEURON.
jnml LEMS_file.xml -neuron -run -nogui
Any commands after this one will be executed after the simulation is finished.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It is a delight to be able to contribute to the debate on the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017. Like many of those who have spoken on the debate already, it is important to start off by pointing out that the reforms we're debating here that are included in this legislation are indeed landmark reforms, not only in respect of the changes that they make to the legislative regime that applies to this part of the economy and to this form of communication, but also the fact—and I think this is more important—that they have the unanimous support of the Australian media industry. That in itself is a massive achievement. I have to commend the Minister for Communications, Senator Fifield, for his amazing efforts in being able to secure this agreement and support right across industry. Without that, these reforms would not be the landmark set of reforms that they are.
In debating this, we have to recognise that the Australian media landscape has indeed changed significantly over recent years, and also over the longer term as well. It's important that regulation that was designed for a specific set of circumstances and a specific type of technology that was available at the time keeps pace with the technology that has evolved since laws were put into place. The rules, the laws and the regulations need to be dynamic, like the technology available to the media sector itself is.
The important point, going back to the ability to achieve consensus in the industry on this legislation, is the fact that the government has been listening and has undertaken extensive consultation with industry and the community in preparing this legislation. I think that is an excellent example to be set in terms of how to bring about landmark reforms. The fact that we have listened means we do now have a package that will genuinely modernise regulation for this industry. As I've stated, given that technology has changed and, therefore, the laws need to now reflect that, it's important that, looking forward, we ensure we have legislation that is able to keep up with changes into the future. This is not a static thing; it's a case of being able to manage the dynamic environment, the changing environment, and the changing technologies in this sector into the future. We can't just make laws for now; they have to be futureproofed as well.
Turning to the elements of the package of legislation in the broader media reforms, these are the abolition of broadcasting licence fees for TV and radio, the introduction of spectrum use pricing, the ban on gambling advertising during sports broadcasts and children's shows, the anti-siphoning amendments scheme and list, the review of the Australian and children's content, and the $30 million fund for broadcasting women's and niche sports, which I was delighted to hear Senator Macdonald speak at length about just yesterday. He spoke about the importance of investing in both of those areas to develop both women's sports and niche sports, which don't receive the media attention they otherwise could. That is an exceptionally important part of this entire package.
This bill goes to abolishing two of the five media cross-ownership rules and providing stronger local content protections for regional TV. Australia's media cross-ownership and control rules date back to the 1980s, a period when many great things occurred—including my birth!—but they haven't been substantially updated since 2006. That is why this piece of legislation today is so important. The laws as they stand, unamended, reflect the historic media environment, the traditional mediums and platforms available to media—TV, radio and print media—which of course are still important; no-one can deny that. But the laws as they stand today don't reflect the current environment, which now encompasses a great many more technologies in the way of social media, internet and the like. So we need to take stock of that and, again, this is why this legislation is so important.
We've seen massive changes in the ways Australians access information. The online world is where most people seem to turn to access their news, and social media is a significant part of that. Even many in this chamber would turn to Facebook and Twitter for breaking news rather than the TV and radio of days gone by, because it is more instantaneous, it is unfiltered and it is direct. That is a reality we have to accept, and that's why the amendments being proposed are important.
The challenges that face traditional media and how revenue is generated on audience shares is placing a burden on traditional media, which is leading to an uncompetitive situation. The ways in which our traditional providers of media operate and use of the existing platforms in this field do need updating so that they can remain competitive with these new and emerging technologies that are competing with traditional forms of media. A little bit later on I will come to the importance of these traditional mediums to regional Australia. Most of Tasmania is considered to be regional—almost its entirety. That's why they're important to my home state of Tasmania. Another reason it's important that this bill is passed is that it ensures that Australian media companies can compete against global media giants and maintain the local jobs, which is of particular importance, especially when you look at some of the smaller entities around Australia, and so that these companies can continue to provide the local content—again, something I will touch on in more detail when reflecting on the importance of local media to regional communities.
This bill will, as is the government's intention, strengthen regional local content requirements to ensure that communities continue to have access to local news and content that is relevant to their communities and to their lives and to ensure that the information they're receiving actually does provide some benefit to their daily lives. That's something regional media has been able to do over many years and will, under these laws, continue to be able to do. It's important, though, that we do strengthen the operating environment for regional broadcasters to uphold the regional content requirements, and, as I said, the bill before us is something that goes a long way to doing just that.
Turning to the media ownership and control rules and the current situation, we currently have five rules in place that limit the control of commercial broadcasting, being TV, radio and newspapers. These rules are somewhat outdated and don't reflect, as I've said before, the contemporary digital media environment which we now operate in. All of us have these great things, these smartphones and tablets, which provide us with so much more information. But the rules, while they need changing, also need to ensure that the traditional forms of media are protected and supported as well.
The rules as they stand, though, were developed in an analog environment that was dominated by only three platforms, as I've mentioned—free-to-air TV, free-to-air radio, and print. This was a time before smart TVs, internet radio and the technology of smartphones and tablets. The current control regime and the ownership rules regulate only those three platforms and are based on geographical areas, boundaries that have since been broken with the advent of the internet and the many other channels used to distribute and access online content.
The bill will repeal two of the five current rules, the 75 per cent audience reach rule and the two-out-of-three cross-media control rule. The 75 per cent reach rule applies to TV and prevents a person, either in their own right or as a director of one or more companies, from exercising control of commercial TV broadcasting licences whose combined licence area exceeds 75 per cent of the population of Australia. The rule was first introduced in 1987 as a 60 per cent rule and later increased in 1995 to a 75 per cent rule, obviously to reflect the changes at that time.
As at October of last year, the figures for combined audiences were as follows: Channel 7 covered 74.51 per cent of the population; Channel 9, 73.96 per cent; and Channel 10, 67.31 per cent. For regional networks, which are generally affiliated with these larger metropolitan counterparts, the audience coverage in 2014 was, for the Prime network, 24.33 per cent; WIN Network, 25.15 per cent; and Southern Cross, 34.11 per cent. Tasmania, my home state, is covered by the WIN Network and Southern Cross, which I have to say do an excellent job of providing very relevant local content in their news bulletins and other programming as well.
The rule has the practical effect of preventing mergers between any of the metropolitan networks, being Seven, Nine or Ten, and any of the regional networks, being Prime, WIN and Southern Cross. Any merger under the current arrangements would substantially exceed the 75 per cent rule, and the rule as it stands does little to support media diversity, as regional viewers—those who live outside of our metropolitan areas—essentially receive the same commercial TV programming as their metropolitan brothers and sisters due to the affiliation or content supply agreements.
In the changing media landscape, with broadband internet and the proliferation of tablets, smartphones and other devices, the rule is largely redundant. The ABC and SBS now are streaming their channels online to 100 per cent of the population, if they choose to access it, right across the country, including into regional markets where metropolitan networks don't currently broadcast other than through affiliates. The repeal of this rule would remove one burden on broadcasters, allowing consolidation and change in affiliation and ownerships, making such changes to relevant competition laws, as with most other industries. It would provide broadcasters the opportunity to build operations on a greater scale and compete in an environment where audiences can already access premium content online.
Going to the two-out-of-three cross-media rule, the rule provides that mergers can't involve more than two of the three regulated platforms of TV, radio and newspapers in any commercial radio licence area. This rule tightly regulates just TV, radio and newspapers and doesn't take into consideration the changing media landscape and the substantial online media offerings we have today, including the alternative news sources that exist. We're also seeing traditional providers now moving into these more modern platforms. A lot of our newspapers run things through social media newsfeeds and the like. They are doing their best under the current arrangements to compete, but it is important that we do support this legislation to give a truly level playing field. This rule is not suited to a contemporary media environment and it does restrict the diversity of content offered to consumers. It was introduced in 2006, which is 11 years ago, and we have to reflect on the technology we had back then versus the technology we have now. Smartphones, tablets et cetera were all in very juvenile stages of development and not as widely available to every man, woman and child as they are today.
There are three rules to remain. Firstly, the five-four rule applies to TV and radio and is known as the minimum voices rule. It is a requirement that at least five independent media operations or media groups are present in mainland state capital cities, and at least four must be present in regional commercial radio licence areas. Secondly, the one-to-a-market rule specifies that a person must not control more than one commercial TV broadcasting licence in a licence area. Finally, the two-to-a-market rule specifies that a person must not control more than two commercial radio broadcasting licences in the same licence area.
It is important to also point out that these specific broadcasting requirements, mergers and acquisitions in the media sector are subject to the general prohibition of anticompetitive acquisitions outlined in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. So we can see that this sector is highly regulated—there are rules everywhere. The point is that these rules are to remain dynamic, to remain relevant and to foster growth in this area, to ensure that our media industry is operating at optimum levels in a competitive way, ensuring that all audiences—regional and metropolitan—get the content they are after. The operating environment for free-to-air commercial TV and radio broadcasters has changed substantially and is expected to continue to do so over the next five to 10 years, and I suspect well beyond that as well. The current rules on control and ownership constrain the ability of Australian media outlets to change the structure of their businesses and to respond to changes in the media environment. That's not okay in 2017. The sad reality is that that does have an impact on jobs.
In the time remaining to me, I will briefly turn to the matter of regional content, which is an important issue; it is close to my heart. As I said before, Tasmania is almost entirely a regional community, perhaps with the exception of Hobart. Online media services do provide a useful product for consumers, but they are no substitute for local broadcasters. Australia is a very vast country, with many, many diverse and disparate communities across its land, and Tasmania is no exception to that. We are small geographically, but we are broken up into many subregions: the north-west; the west coast, which is an entirely different community with different news needs and different activities taking place; the north-east, which is within a couple of hundred kilometres of the population centre of Launceston but, again, a very different community with different needs when it comes to news and current affairs; and then, heading south, within the Hobart region, there is the Derwent Valley, the Huon Valley, the south-east and the east coast. All these areas have their own unique communities and a requirement for specific news in each of those communities.
The local broadcasters that we have—be it our TV broadcasters in Southern Cross, WIN or indeed the government broadcasters, being the ABC predominantly, and also the radio networks and print media—do a great job of providing tailored local content, which is so important for local communities. Indeed, in times of natural disaster and emergencies, it is the local TV and radio that really do assist these small communities. Again, being close to one another doesn't mean they are the same communities. The Derwent Valley, a half-hour to 40-minute drive from Hobart, may be subject to emergency warnings that Hobart is not. That's why it's important that we do have regional content available through our local broadcasters.
Of course, local programming supports much-needed jobs in regional communities. This is also through advertising through our commercial broadcasters. It's amazing when travelling around the state of Tasmania—going into any workplace and hearing the local radio station blaring in the workshop, bakery or news agency. Local businesses advertise on local radio. It provides local jobs; it supports local jobs. That's why it's important. Local programming may be at risk where regional broadcasters merge operations and there are strong expectations of cost savings. You end up with syndicated content, which is not good because that is not what these small local communities are after.
It was disappointing to reflect on one of the iterations of the committee report a Senate inquiry has done into this legislation and note the dissenting comments of opposition and Greens senators to this, because it really shows that they don't have an understanding of what regional communities require when it comes to media, when it comes to local content and, indeed, as I've just demonstrated, when it comes to local jobs. I think it is incumbent upon senators in this place—opposition, Greens and anyone else—to support the measures contained in this bill: to support the Australian media to catch up with the 21st century, to ensure we have the best regulatory regime that we possibly can and, most importantly, to support regional communities and regional content and those who produce it to make sure our regional communities are not left out because of the inner-city Labor and Green people in this place.


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Betty Bennett
Betty Bennett (October 23, 1921) is an American jazz singer. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, as a child, she hoped to become an opera singer, studying voice and piano. Her direction was changed when, by way of records, her mother introduced her to the music of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Loving what she heard of these jazz musicians, Betty quickly became proficient in jazz singing, displaying a natural talent for the form. While still very young, she joined Georgie Auld's band and then in quick succession spent time in the late swing era big bands led by Claude Thornhill, Alvino Rey, and Charlie Ventura and she was also briefly with Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. The Ventura band bore the promo tag 'Bop for the People' and Betty's contemporary vocal styling was a perfect fit. More than her contemporaries, Betty bridged swing and bop. Apart from airshots, Betty's recording career got underway with 1949-1951 sessions by the Ventura band, including performances of Yankee Clipper, Too Marvelous For Words and I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind. Betty's experiences in these years are entertainingly recounted in her autobiography, The Ladies Who Sing With The Band, which was published by Scarecrow Press in 2000. Betty recorded her first own-name album for Trend in 1953, the songs including Nobody's Heart, Time After Time and You're Nearer. Two years later, she recorded for Atlantic Records accompanied by a band led by André Previn, whom she had married in 1952. In the...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Global Café Kitchen
On July 26, 2019 July 25, 2019 By ediblereadingIn Reviews
Reading's vegetarians and vegans have never been served terribly well. Back in the day there was Café Iguana, which I still miss (my order was usually a Roma toasted sandwich and their delicious, if whiffy, garlic and herb fries). It was scuzzy but lovable, the service was haphazard and the whole thing was distinctly, well, nineties, but I was very sad when it closed. For a long time after that, the only destination for vegetarians was the brilliant and unsung Bhel Puri House, and plenty of people didn't even know it existed.
It's only in the last couple of years that things have started to shift. We've seen restaurants raise their game: now there are many places with credible meat-free (or plant-based, or whatever you want to call it this month) options. So now we have Pho where most of the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan, Clay's Hyderabadi Kitchen which has an excellent vegan selection, and Honest which first introduced an excellent vegetarian fritter and then added a trailblazing vegan burger. I keep meaning to do a round-up of the best places for vegetarians in Reading – another gap in the market – and the main thing that delays it is the growing plethora of options.
In parallel, Reading saw two completely meat-free venues open this year. The first, Miami Burger, offered a vegan take on American fast food and closed its doors last week shortly after announcing a deal to sell its products in Morrisons. A cynic could almost believe that the restaurant was always just a shop window to land that kind of contract (a conspiracy theory hardly helped by Miami Burger rewriting history to describe the Reading restaurant as a "test kitchen").
Either way I never visited Miami Burger – known to some as "Brexit Burger" because of the political views of its owner, a man who left the Tories for UKIP and once pondered on his blog whether the unemployed should have their votes taken away – and I'm not convinced I've missed much. Besides, for five pounds you can get one of Bhel Puri's amazing vada pav, and that's more than enough veggie burger for me.
The second meat-free restaurant is a more interesting proposition. Global Café for many years was home to Tutu's Ethiopian Kitchen, a much-celebrated Reading establishment which left me baffled when I visited it on duty many years ago. Tutu left this year to take over a site in Palmer Park which used to belong to the Chalkboard Café, and as a result Global Café has taken on a new chef and is offering a regularly changing vegetarian and vegan menu under the moniker Global Café Kitchen.
I was having a drink at Global Café with my mother and my stepfather the fateful night we went to review Lemoni, and looking at their menu I was very tempted to change our plans and eat there instead. It was small (four or five main courses and a couple of starters) and reasonably priced (mains were around a tenner). But most crucially, it all looked worth eating: from a tempura mushroom burger to a vegetarian rendang, from Sri Lankan dahl to a halloumi and tabbouleh salad, I could happily have ordered practically anything on the menu. I wasn't alone, either; my mother in particular would much rather have eaten at Global Café than Lemoni, so much so that we agreed to come back the following week and give it a whirl, with my stepfather in tow.
The Global Café hasn't changed in many years, and I suspect you either think it's one of the last great Reading institutions or an anachronism you haven't felt the need to visit for a very long time. I veer more towards the former – even though it's a tad on the scruffy side I've always had a soft spot for it. The area at the front, near the bar, gets lots of light from the lovely big windows and if all the tables and chairs don't match and don't seem to be designed for eating at or drinking at, it doesn't necessarily matter. Nor does it matter that there's a sofa randomly plonked there, with a big metal trunk serving as a table. It's Global Café: that's just how it is.
My stepfather found the long trip downstairs to the loos genuinely alarming ("it smells of damp down there") and was a bit baffled by the different-coloured lights in the wicker lightshades ("you'd think they'd be LED bulbs, wouldn't you?") but I wouldn't describe him as the target market for this kind of place. He was more impressed with the selection of local beers, as was I, but because it was a school night the three of us opted for an alcohol-free Erdinger Blue apiece while we decided what to order. It's my top tip for anyone who likes the taste of beer and wants to cut down on their alcohol intake – and it cost less than £3 a bottle, considerably cheaper than the crazy prices charged at some of Reading's pubs.
There were only a handful of starters, but all the mains from our previous visit were still on the menu, along with a couple of specials – a spiced potato and cheese "Bombay burger" and what was described as a "Banana Blossom burger".
"What's the banana blossom burger?" I asked the dreadlocked chap behind the bar (no table service, so that's where you place your order).
"It's not made from banana, it's another part of the banana tree. It sort of has the same texture as chicken."
"Sounds interesting."
"They're changing the menu all the time. I'm not even a vegetarian, but I really like the food here."
"How long have you been running the new menu?"
"About three months, we're still getting used to it really."
I wasn't sure whether this exchange inspired confidence or eroded it – but I liked his honesty and I liked the sound of the banana blossom burger, so I changed my mind about what to eat and ordered it instead.
Our starters arrived reasonably quickly, brought I think by the chef. The menu had three, one of which was soup, so we ordered the other two planning to share them. The best of them was the crispy fried aubergine, cooked with a beautifully light touch and free of all the stodge and mulch I associate with aubergine done badly.
This stuff was better than versions I've had of the same dish, berenjanas con miel, in Andalusia and the little tweaks to make the dish vegan only added to the appeal: vegan labneh had a very pleasing touch of coconut, and the miel de cana (vegan honey) was hard to distinguish from any other kind of honey. We all ever so politely made sure we had our fair share before nicely bargaining over the final piece. A really good dish, although at six pounds it felt like it should have been a bigger portion. "I could have eaten one of those on my own" said my mother, echoing my feelings. Still, I guess that's what happens when you share two starters between three: if you go, order your own.
The other starter was a very different kettle of quinoa. Flatbread with marinated tomatoes, olives and dip sounds like just the thing to graze on while you wait for your food to arrive, but this was a lukewarm warm-up act. The tomatoes – cherry tomatoes halved – were pleasant enough, and the olives, small and pitted, were the kind of thing you could get in any supermarket.
The houmous, though, was worse than anything you could get in a supermarket – I've no doubt they made it themselves, but it had no lightness, no evidence of olive oil or garlic or tahini. Calling it a dip was optimistic because it didn't have the texture for dipping: you'd have had more luck using it to cement a wall. We did our best to scoop it on to the heavy, unremarkable flatbread.
This rogue's gallery came to four pounds – for the same money you could have a much bigger bowl of the best houmous in Reading just up the road at Bakery House, and they'd throw in piping hot, fresh-from-the-oven pitta bread into the bargain. It felt like the restaurant had bought those little, weird-shaped dishes, and then struggled to decide what to serve in them. The answer, I think, is Not this.
The themes of the starters – glimmers of talent, inconsistency and slightly sharp pricing – followed through to the main courses (which arrived pretty quickly), although these were generally far better. My mother's choice, the parippu – Sri Lankan dahl – was earthy and creamy with a nicely gradual heat. Her verdict was that it was "a bit monotonous" – although I suspect that, texturally at least, that's always the way with dahl. The toasted coconut on top helped, but it needed something like toasted seeds for texture and what it really needed was plenty of fresh coriander. The rice was somewhat clumpy – brown rice might have been better – and the flatbread wasn't required: there wasn't enough of the dish to be able to use it. If that all sounds like faint praise, it shouldn't entirely – I enjoyed it, but even at eight pounds it felt like it could have been a little bigger and better.
My stepfather had chosen the rendang – in this case a chickpea curry with aubergines and courgettes. I'm used to rendang being made with long-cooked, sticky strands of beef and having an intensely savoury taste. This dish didn't have any of that, feeling more like a massaman or a Thai curry with as much sweetness as heat, if not more. Again, I liked it, and again I felt that it was a little keenly priced: eleven pounds for this one. My stepfather seemed to enjoy it, too, and polished it off in short order.
This brings us to the appropriately alliterative banana blossom burger, which I'm delighted to say was an eye opener. It didn't have the texture of chicken, after all that: it reminded me more of artichoke hearts, and you got a couple of pieces rather than a single patty. But the coating around the banana blossom was very good – salty and savoury, reminiscent of shame-free KFC. The bun was strong enough to stand up to everything in it (so unlike, say, Honest's buns which always seem to go soggy at the bottom) and the ripe avocado and mango mayo in it finished it off nicely.
This was a revelation to me, and I hope Global Café Kitchen moves it off the specials menu so more people can try it. A chap at the table next to me ordered it and when it arrived at his table I butted in to enthuse to him about how much I'd liked it. "It's a bit like KFC!" I said, to which he mournfully replied "I've never had KFC" (I asked him his verdict as we were leaving: he thought it was too salty, so Christ knows what the poor guy would actually make of KFC).
Also, I really liked Global Café Kitchen's fries – clearly hand-cut and prepared on the premises – and the sweet tomato sauce and (presumably) vegan mayo they came with were both tasty, too. My stepfather had some "dirty fries" although it wasn't clear what made them so sinful or indulgent: the "beetroot aioli" mainly seemed to be finely diced beetroot and the sesame seeds felt a bit unnecessary. They were still very good, though, because their fries are very good.
There isn't much more to say about Global Café Kitchen than that – there was no dessert section, and we'd been fed so quickly and efficiently that there was nothing more to do but to head out. Our whole meal – two starters, three mains, those extra fries and three beers – came to almost bang on fifty pounds, not including service.
Service was really friendly and likeable but had a general air that they were still getting the hang of things. We had to ask for side plates, for instance, and the speed with which our mains came out gave the impression that the restaurant didn't have masses of customers, so was used to just cooking things and getting them out of the door almost straight away. Three months should be long enough to get those teething troubles under control but, much like everything else about Global Café, I was prepared to overlook some of the less polished aspects.
Reviews like this are the hardest to conclude. A hatchet job writes itself, a rave review also builds to a natural, logical crescendo, a rallying cry of sorts. It's far more difficult to write the sort of nuanced summary that makes half your readers think the mark at the end is far too harsh and the other half believe that you've let a restaurant off the hook. All the same, here goes: much of what I ate at Global Café Kitchen wasn't perfect, and much of what I liked felt too small or too expensive (or ever so slightly beige) but in terms of imagination and range there is still plenty to celebrate.
They offer a genuine vegan menu (nearly all the dishes are vegan, and they say the rest can be made vegan on request) which offers a wide range of dishes, tries different meat substitutes rather than just doling out the same old tofu and – most crucially – offers real and interesting choices. I could have ordered any of the main courses we tried that night, and a couple we didn't, without feeling like I was missing meat at all. There's a lot to be said for that – whether you're vegetarian or vegan, or know somebody who is that you'd actually like to have dinner with once in a while. Or, for that matter, if you'd just like to do your bit to eat more sensibly and help the planet from time to time. That you can do so without donning a hair shirt is quite an achievement, even if in 2019 it shouldn't feel that way.
I never made it to Miami Burger – deliberately, I'm afraid – but the one thing I heard about it from my vegan followers was how nice it was just to have somewhere where they could order everything on the menu. Those people should make their way to Global Café and support a kitchen that may not be doing everything right quite yet but definitely has the right idea. And the rest of us? We should consider following suit from time to time, and supporting a Reading institution – one which, it seems to me, has picked up the torch from Café Iguana and is doing its best to carry it forward into an uncertain future.
Global Café Kitchen – 6.9
35-39 London Street, RG1 4PS
https://www.risc.org.uk/global-cafe/global-cafe-kitchen
dalGlobal CafeReadingrestaurantsServiceTutu's Ethiopian Tableveganvegetarian
Lemoni
Buenasado


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Best Steam Mops
Updated January 2023
Genius Steam Pocket Mop
The touchless pad makes this model 1 of a kind for our cleaning expert. Our tests found it easy to set up and use.
Features a no-touch pad release button for hands-free removal. Targets messes and stains. Great for those who want to keep their hands clean. Equipped with intelligent controls for intuitive and customized cleaning.
The water tank isn't removable, which can be an inconvenience.
Steam Pocket Mop
Scrubbing Action
An affordable and capable model that is a parent favorite and proved itself lightweight and maneuverable in our tests.
Equipped with an extra-large reservoir to cover all surfaces in a single cleaning session. Swivel head makes steering and maneuvering easy. Dual-sided design means you have twice the surface area for cleaning. Its reusable pads are machine-washable.
Power cord is a bit shorter than expected, which can inhibit cleaning.
Sapphire PowerFresh Deluxe
Simple Yet Solid
A powerful model by 1 of the best brands in the floor-cleaning industry.
Produces powerful steam for deep-cleaning action. Heats up quickly and has high and low steam settings for different needs. Easy to fill and use. Considering its price, it's incredibly reliable compared to other similarly priced models. Has a SpotBOOST option to target stubborn stains.
Can leave streaks on some flooring surfaces, such as high-gloss and laminate finishes.
PowerSteamer 3-in-1 Steam Mop
Comprehensive Cleaning
This model can handle a variety of floors, outdoor surfaces, and vehicle cleaning.
Has a whopping 29 accessories to cover indoor and outdoor cleaning. Handle is designed so it can be mounted for storage. Variable modes let you control the intensity and avoid damage to fragile surfaces. Handheld piece is ideal for cleaning upholstery.
Button needs to stay pressed for operation; some consumers would have preferred an automatic mode.
PurSteam
Steam Mop Cleaner
Easiest to Use
A powerful cordless mop steam cleaner suitable for all floors, including hardwood and tile.
This cleaner works great as a steam mop, carpet cleaner, glass cleaner, and steam cleaner. It has 3 adjustable modes and a large 12.8-ounce water reservoir. Plus, it works with tap water, so you don't need to spend on detergents.
The power cord is short and there are some reports of it leaving behind noticeable streaks on floors.
Written by Jennifer Blair
Buying guide for Best steam mops Steam Mop 101 What to look for when buying a steam mop Tips and tricks for using a steam mop FAQ
Buying guide for Best steam mops
If you have hard floors, using a steam mop provides a faster, deeper cleaning than other methods. The steam loosens the dirt without employing chemicals, effectively doing the hard part for you. All you have to do is glide the mop across the surface of your floor and know that you've eradicated germs, bacteria, and dirt all in one efficient swipe.
A good steam mop should heat up to between 140°F and 180°F and have a long cord so you don't have to keep swapping outlets as you work. An assortment of attachments and mop heads makes the unit more enticing.
When selecting steam mops for our shortlist, we think about the size of each mop and who would benefit most from each. For example, a person living in a cramped apartment may prefer a small mop for hard-to-reach corners and crevices
When researching steam mops, we note their durability and track record for longevity. Inexpensive models sometimes don't last a year. High-end models can last five years or more.
We look at the number of heat settings a steam mop offers and whether the settings are adjustable. The more settings offered, the more versatile the machine.
We observe how big the water tank, or reservoir, of a steam mop is and note the information in our research. The more water it holds, the heavier it will be — but the less often it will need to be refilled.
We note a mop's maximum steam temperature. For the deepest cleaning, it's best to have a model that can reach 140°F to 180°F at minimum.
Some consumers prefer a 5-pound mop, whereas others don't mind using a 15-pound mop. We find out a steam mop's weight when it's filled with water so buyers know what to expect.
Some steam mops come with additional features: a brush for scrubbing grout, a squeegee for cleaning mirrors and windows, a landing pad to catch drips. When these features are offered, we note them and determine whether they add value to the purchase.
We look at steam mops with fold-down handles, telescoping handles, and traditional upright handles. Bonus points go to mops with handles designed for wall-mounting
We look for steam mops that heat up quickly. A wait time between 30 seconds and several minutes is ideal.
We consider how long a steam mop's cord is. The longer the cord, the easier it will be to move freely around a room. Look for a cord that's at least 20 to 30 feet long.
Steam Mop 101
How does a steam mop work?
A steam mop has an internal water boiler. When you add water to the mop's reservoir, it's turned into steam. The steam is pumped to the mop's cleaning head as you move it across the floor.
The steam loosens any dirt or residue on the floor, and the mop's cloth cleaning pad removes it without any scrubbing necessary.
What are the benefits of a steam mop?
A steam mop does the hard work for you. You don't have to get down on your hands and knees to scrub. You don't have to lug around or empty heavy buckets of dirty water, either, making it a good option if you have joint issues or pain.
Because a steam mop utilizes hot steam to remove dirt and grime, you don't need to use harsh chemicals to clean your floors, which is ideal if you have children and/or pets.
You can also get your floors cleaner than with traditional mopping. Steam kills bacteria and germs on your floor's surface. And even with the deeper clean, floors dry more quickly when you're done.
How long does a steam mop last?
The lifespan of a steam mop depends on the model that you buy and how often you use it.
Higher-end steam mops can last for five years or more. Budget-friendly models sometimes wear out after a year.
Keep in mind that the more often you use the mop, the sooner it will break down. If you use your steam mop once a week or less, it will last longer. If you use it daily, it may start to show signs of wear and tear at the one-year mark.
Washing your steam pad in between uses is very important so that you're actually cleaning and not just moving the dirt around.
Tia Daniel
BestReviews Cleaning Expert
What to look for when buying a steam mop
It's important to choose a steam mop that's comfortable to handle. Some models weigh as much as 15 pounds without any water in them, while others weigh as little as five pounds with water inside.
If possible, test out the weight and feel of a steam mop before you purchase it. If not, check online reviews to see what others think of the mop's ergonomics.
In terms of storage, a model that has a fold-down or telescoping handle is easier to tuck into a closet or cabinet. If you have low-lying furniture, choose a mop with a low profile to easily fit underneath items with low clearance.
The water tank, or reservoir, is one of the most important components of a steam mop. Consider the size of the tank first. The more water the tank holds, the less often you'll have to stop to refill the mop while you're cleaning. Keep in mind, however, that the more water your mop holds, the heavier it will be.
It's a good idea to choose a model with a tank you can refill without having to turn the mop off to allow it to cool down.
A removable water tank is also a convenient feature. It allows you to bring the tank to the sink and fill it with water. If the tank doesn't detach, you'll have to fill the mop with jugs or a funnel.
Steam-mopped floors dry so quickly because most steam mops use dry steam, which doesn't contain any water particles in suspension.
Steam settings
The most effective, versatile steam mops have adjustable steam settings.
With adjustable settings, you can control the steam output to best match the type of flooring or how dirty it is. Look for a mop that has at least three settings for the most control.
You should also pay attention to the mop's maximum steam temperature. For the deepest cleaning, you want a model that reaches at least 140°F to 180°F.
Many steam mops come with additional accessories or attachments that make cleaning easier, like brushes for scrubbing grout or a squeegee for cleaning mirrors and windows.
Some steam mops come with a carpet glider to freshen up your carpet. Other mops include tools for cleaning blinds, drapes, car interiors, and countertops.
A mop that comes with a tray or landing pad is great for catching any drips during or after use.
It may seem like a small detail, but a steam mop's cord is important.
You want to choose a model with a long cord. That way it's easy to move around a large room without having to unplug and risk cooling down the appliance.
Look for a steam mop with a cord that's at least 20 feet long. If you have very large spaces to clean, choose a model with a cord that's around 30 feet long.
A steam mop with easy-to-push digital controls is the easiest to use. Those with trigger-style controls can cause fatigue fairly quickly and are a poor option if you have arthritis in your hands.
Heat-up time
After you plug in and turn on a steam mop, you must wait for the appliance to heat up and start producing steam. For the most efficient cleaning, choose a mop with a short heat-up time. A steam mop can take anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes to heat up.
The shape and size of a steam mop's head determine how easily it will clean your home.
There are three basic head shapes:
Rectangular: A large rectangular head works best if you have large areas of open floor you need to clean.
Triangular: Small triangular heads are an ideal option if you have nooks and crannies you need to clean, such as around a toilet. Keep in mind that it will take longer to clean a large area with a mop that has a smaller head.
Swivel: A mop head that swivels comes in handy when you need to maneuver around furniture and other items. Look for one that rotates 180 degrees for the most maneuverability.
Take the steam pad off after each use. Also, you'll want to use up all of the water in the tank so that water doesn't sit inside the water tank in between each use.
Tips and tricks for using a steam mop
Before using your steam mop, vacuum the floor to remove any surface dirt and debris.
Being sure that you are washing your steam pad in between uses is very important when it comes to using a steam mop.
If there's a particularly dirty spot on your floor, allow the steam mop to sit on the area for eight to ten seconds so the steam has time to loosen the dirt.
For the best results, use distilled water in your steam mop if you live in an area with hard water.
Empty the water tank after each cleaning session before you store the mop. Remove the cleaning pad as well to prevent mildew.
A steam mop is an eco-friendly cleaning option because it doesn't use any chemicals and you can reuse the cleaning pads.
Q. What type of flooring can I use a steam mop on?
A. Always consult the owner's manual to ensure that the mop is safe for use on your flooring. However, most steam mops can be used on marble, ceramic, stone, linoleum, vinyl, laminate, and sealed wood flooring.
Q. Are the steam mop's cloth cleaning pads reusable?
A. Most steam mops use reusable pads. However, you must clean them regularly. Most can be machine-washed on the delicate cycle with a mild detergent, but consult your owner's manual for the proper washing procedure.
Q. How much do steam mops cost?
A. In general, steam mops range from as little as $35 to as much as $200. For a durable, effective mop, expect to pay $60 to $115.
Q. What maintenance does my steam mop need?
A. The water tank of a steam mop can experience limescale buildup, particularly if you fill it with hard tap water. Be sure to empty and wipe down the tank after each use. It's also a good idea to periodically clean the steam nozzle with a pin to remove any deposits that may have collected there.
Light 'n' Easy
A versatile and fast-heating steam mop to clean any surface in your home.
O-Cedar
Microfiber Steam Mop
An all-around useful machine with some handy features.
FloorMate Deluxe Hard Floor Cleaner
More like a vacuum cleaner, this appliance is versatile and high-quality.
S7001 Mop
Scrub and sanitize your floors in no time with this powerful steam mop from trusted cleaning brand Shark.
Powerfresh Slim Steam Mop
A light and portable steam mop with useful attachments.


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Nandita Das Feels Her Movie 'Fire' Had A Tangible Contribution In Bringing Homosexuality Into Public Domain
Saloni SinghUpdated on Sep 24, 2018, 18:25 IST
Nandita Das is one of the few celebrities in Bollywood who is assertive of her choices. Whether it's directing a film or featuring in one, the lady has always been way ahead of her time. Her recent film, Manto has received a positive response from critics and audience alike and she couldn't be more thrilled.
But there was a time back in her life, when small budget thought provoking films were lashed out and banned. One such film was Fire starring Nandita Das and Shabanai Azmi. An Indo-Canadian 1996 film, the Deepa Mehta directed film raised important issues like homosexuality.
Fire movies still
While the movie was progressive, it's only now that the Supreme Court decriminalized Section 377.
Speaking to an entertainment daily, Nandita was asked if the movie should now release in India considering the present situation and she said, "Fire ka kaafi ek tangible contribution tha iss cheez ko public domain mei laane ka. Uski shayad nayi life ab usko milegi."
Congratulations to Actress/Director NANDITA DAS for her epic bio-pic MANTO, on the life of Indi-Pakistan writer Saadat Hasan Manto played by Nawaddin Suddiqui. The film depicts the life of Saadat Hasan Manto during the 1947 Partition of India, which displaced over 14 million people along religious lines, resulting in brutal violence and a loss of an estimated 2 million lives. Manto was one of those forced to flee India, after being fired from his job as a screenwriter in Bombay for being Muslim, and then having to accept Lahore, Pakistan as his new home. The violent nature of the partition created an atmosphere of hostility and suspicion between India and Pakistan that plagues their relationship today. Manto tells a concerned friend that people drink either to endure pain or to silence their conscience. His death at 42 due to alcoholism came as no surprise. He never returned to the city he loved. "We are still grappling with issues of identity, nationalism and religion. Not just in India, but around the world," says Das. "His words lend themselves to the times, then and now, in their identity politics." Das wanted to do more than simply tell Manto's story. Just as Manto saw the world in Bombay – a place of boundless (and for a time borderless) opportunities where issues of race, religion and nationality blurred – she also wanted to explore the theme. "It's not about showcasing an Indian writer; it is about looking at the idea of boundaries," she says. "It's about how we have created these boundaries of 'us and them', whether its person to person, or country to country, because we are losing our grip on the importance of truth. Have we stopped valuing honesty?" Manto's work was born from his experience. In his stories we see an author who never shrank from telling the truth about what he saw, even if it was ugly. "His sense of morality, his sense of humanity and truth is just as important in today's world where we are discussing concepts like 'post-truth' and fake news. The space for expressing truth is shrinking," says Das. "If he were writing today what he wrote back then, it would probably be banned." Premieres Oct 11 @nanditadasofficial #nanditadas
A post shared by The Voice Of A Woman (VOW) (@thevoiceofawoman) on Sep 21, 2018 at 11:46am PDT
Nandita Das is happy with the way Supreme Court called it the beginning of the end of prejudice. She now wishes there are more such films talking about the subject and community.
Well, we hope to see such films too.


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Arthur Ashe's historic U.S. Open win might not have happened without his brother's sacrifice
By James Brown, Alvin Patrick
September 6, 2018 / 6:55 PM / CBS News
NEW YORK — Sunday will mark 50 years since tennis great Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win the U.S. Open. Ashe, who died in 1993, might never have gotten the chance were it not for his brother's sacrifice.
In 1967, Arthur Ashe's brother, Johnnie Ashe, was a Marine fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, while Arthur was in the Army, stationed at West Point.
Arthur Ashe, of Richmond, Va., holds his trophy after defeating Tim Okker from the Netherlands to claim his first U.S. Open Tennis Championship, in Forest Hills, NY, Sept. 9, 1968. MARTY LEDERHANDLER / AP
"Vietnam was an ugly war," said Johnnie Ashe.
In May of 1967, the brothers wrote to each other.
"I had said to him in the letter, 'You know, I got only a couple a months left. How much time you got left,'" Johnnie Ashe said. "He said, 'Well, I'll have 15 months left when you get back home.' So I started thinking about it."
He was thinking about protecting his brother from combat, given the military's desire to avoid deploying siblings to a war zone at the same time.
"I went to the first sergeant and said, 'Look, I wanna extend my tour in Vietnam. I don't want my brother to have to do a tour.' He sat back in his chair and said, 'Well, who's your brother?' I said, 'Arthur Ashe Jr.,'" Ashe said.
In addition to being a young army officer, his brother was one of the top amateur tennis players in the world.
"In Vietnam, they didn't shoot any bullets with your name on 'em. They were all sent, 'To whom it may concern,'" Ashe said.
In February 1976, Arthur Ashe Jr. (right) visited with his brother, Johnnie, and father, Arthur Sr., at Westwood Racquet Club in Richmond. Richmond Times Dispatch
When asked why he felt he was better suited to handle that situation, Ashe said he wasn't concerned about himself. He served a second, 12-month tour in Vietnam and made it home in the summer of 1968, just in time to watch his brother make history as the first African-American man to win a major tennis championship.
Ashe never told his brother what he did. He only told their father, Arthur Sr., a widower who raised both boys by himself. Years later, Arthur Sr. told his eldest son about his brother's sacrifice.
At the U.S Open on Monday, in Arthur Ashe stadium, retired Capt. Johnnie Ashe accepted a West Point flag in his family's honor.
"I know that they're up there somewhere ... looking down on this," he said. "I think Arthur would say, 'Not bad.'"
Woman is vaccinated, and "grateful," after ICU stay in pregnancy
Reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward of Virginia station WDBJ-TV were gunned down on live television Wednesday morning
First published on September 6, 2018 / 6:55 PM


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Initiative to Shine Spotlight on World's 'Invisible' Working Equines
World Horse Welfare highlights 100m working equines which support almost ten per cent of world population
This quarter, World Horse Welfare's Invisible Horse initiative is turning the spotlight on the developing world's 100m working horses, donkeys and mules which play such an integral role in the livelihoods, communities, families and educations of 600 million people.
It is estimated that working equines support the livelihoods of almost ten per cent of the world's total population and yet these equines often remain 'invisible' to the governments and policymakers who are best placed to make the decisions that can protect their welfare as well as improve the livelihoods of the families who depend on them.
World Horse Welfare's 15 international projects are run in 13 countries across the globe to provide vital training to owners and communities in practical skills such as farriery, saddlery, nutrition and all aspects of equine care without whom many simply would not be able to survive. A key aspect of the charity's approach is raising the profile of working equids through strengthening links with regional, national and international governments and institutions including the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the European Commission – as well as human development charities.
World Horse Welfare Head of Programme Development, Karen O'Malley, explains:
"The developing world's equine-owning communities are some of the poorest and face difficulties every day in order to feed and provide for their families, with so many completely reliant on their working equine in all aspects of daily life.
"In our western society, working equines are such a rarity and those that we do encounter such as the formidable mounted police divisions and treasured brewery drays are so revered that it's hard to imagine communities in the developing world using horses, donkeys and mules in the same way that our cars, vans and lorries transport us and our goods around whenever and wherever we need them.
"One example which demonstrates these communities' reliance on their working equines is that of 64 year-old Celienne who lives in the urban area of Thomazeau, Haiti. We met Celienne during our community based training activities. Celienne earns 4,000 goudes, around £50 per month, through agricultural work and relies on her mule, Brigan to not only transport all six members of her family but also to fetch water and to work the land so she can generate an income.
"We discovered that Brigan had a painful wound underneath his saddle which had been left untreated simply because Celienne had no understanding of how to deal with it nor of the pain and risk of infection for Brigan despite the fact that her family was so dependent on him. The wound was given immediate treatment by our project vets and a local vet was asked to help support Celienne moving forward. The wound quickly healed and Celienne now has the knowledge to help prevent it from happening in the future as well as where to go for help should Brigan need veterinary support again. Not only does this mean that Brigan's welfare is safeguarded but it also means that he can continue helping Celienne support her family for many years to come.
"Celienne's story is just one of many which not only demonstrates the essential role that working equines play in the lives of communities in developing countries but also highlights the lack of knowledge in how best to take care of their equines. Working with local partners such as governments, universities, human development organisations and sports regulators we can build an understanding of the cultures and challenges facing these people so that we can equip them with the knowledge and tools to better look after their equines resulting in sustainable improvements and behaviour change which have long-term benefits for the future."
World Horse Welfare has named 2016 the year to highlight the world's invisible equines who often suffer in silence as people either cannot or choose not to see them. The year-long campaign will highlight the plight of these equines, making them 'visible' so they can receive the care and protection they so desperately need with the first quarter of the year aimed at highlighting the number of foals born into uncertain futures and the wide-reaching impact this has on horse welfare.
From the horses left in barns and stables for weeks on end, to those working many hours every day on the streets of Choluteca in Honduras or Cape Town in South Africa who go unnoticed by governments and policymakers, to the horses transported long distances across borders to be slaughtered or to face uncertain futures and those who sadly are sometimes found too late. The charity will be focussing on a number of key themes as the year progresses including; foals and youngsters, rescue and rehoming, working equines around the world and campaigning to improve laws to protect horses.


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Cardi B jokes she 'can't even be sexy in peace' after daughter Kulture crashes her video
Washington [US], November 21 (ANI): Cardi B gives fans a glimpse of her life as a mom in a hilarious video on Instagram in which she tries to model a stunning outfit when her 2-year-old daughter Kulture Kiari walks into the shot.
The 28-year-old rapper captioned the video as, "I can't even be sexy in peace," she captioned the candid footage.
In the clip, Cardi sports a low-cut corset top and high-waisted pants as she strikes a sultry pose for the camera. After adjusting her hair, Cardi glances over to the side as her daughter appears in the frame.
"Mommy?" she coos, popping up onscreen.
"Yes?" Cardi responds with a chuckle.
The mother of one then makes a face at the camera before turning it off.
Cardi shares Kulture with rapper Offset, whom she reconciled with just weeks after filing for their divorce.
According to People Magazine, Cardi B said in an Instagram Live session last month after the couple was spotted celebrating her birthday together, "I'm just a crazy b****. One day, I'm happy and the next day I want to beat a n**** up and f****, 'I'm gonna teach ya ass mother***, I ain't playin' with you. You're gonna see. And then it's like, I don't know, I just start missing..."
"It's hard not to talk to your best friend. Do you know what I'm saying? It's really hard not to talk to your best friend. And it's really hard to have no d***. And it's just like, I don't know," she explained, addressing their reunion.
As per People Magazine, in September, Cardi filed for divorce from Offset, saying their marriage was "irretrievably broken" and "there are no prospects for a reconciliation," reportedly after finding out the rapper had been unfaithful yet again, People confirmed at the time.
In her Live video, Cardi addressed fan claims that she's "materialistic" and reconciled with the 28-year-old because he had gifted her several lavish presents -- including a new car and a bright pink billboard on behalf of their daughter.
"I do like material things," she admitted, before adding, "What do y'all want me to do?" (ANI)
Cardi B sultry video Kulture Offeset Latest celebrity related news


These outrageously Crispy Honey Roasted Chickpeas only require 5 ingredients! These versatile chickpeas are crazy easy to make and perfect on pastas, salads, potatoes and more! Plus, I've included tips on how to make truly crunchy roasted chickpeas!
After posting a hearty ragu bolognese and sweet glazed donuts, posting something a little healthier just felt like the right move.
But don't worry, while these snack-tastic little chickpeas are healthy, they are far from boring! These chickpeas, with their blissfully crunchy exterior and slightly creamy, tender interior, are EVERYTHING!
Salty, savory and slightly sweet, these roasted chickpeas are irresistible and mega delicious!
Outrageously crispy, impossibly crunchy roasted chickpeas slathered in honey, sprinkled with flaky sea salt and dusted with ground ginger.
While some people may refer to these humble, pop-able chickpeas as merely a snack, I declare them a lifestyle.
In all seriousness, there isn't any food situation these addictive crispy chickpeas can't improve!
Need a healthy snack? Grab a handful of these honey roasted bad boys.
Need to spruce up a bowl of soup? Garnish it with these!
Bland baked potato? Say hello to your new favorite 'tater topper!
Boring salad making you sad? Spruce it up with a scattering of this crispy deliciousness!
Want to take your sunny side up eggs to the next level? Sprinkle on a some of these!
Obviously I could continue, and go all out Bubba Gump on you, but I think you get the point – these crispy honey roasted chickpeas are the MVP of breakfast, brunch and dinner, and you need them in your life!
How to get roasted chickpeas crunchy?
There are a few tricks and tips to get roasted chickpeas truly crunchy and crispy. If you are short on time, you can skip a few of these steps, however each step is important if you want chickpeas that are actually crispy with tons of crunch!
Rinse, drain and dry. After rinsing and draining, make sure you dry the chickpeas really well. The less moisture on the chickpeas, the crispier they will be!
Peel the skins. Removing the skin from the chickpeas helps a ton! I know it's a tedious task, but it is worth the effort!
Dry the chickpeas in the oven. Spread the chickpeas out on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes to completely dry out the chickpeas before tossing with oil and seasoning.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the chickpeas with oil and desired seasonings. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Allow the chickpeas to sit in the oven. For truly crispy chickpeas, turn the oven off after roasting and allow the chickpeas to sit in the warm oven for an additional 15-20 minutes before serving.
Oven roasted chickpeas are a healthy snack choice or a great addition to various dishes!
Chickpeas are a great source of dietary fiber which can help you feel fuller for longer.
As well, chickpeas are loaded with protein. One cup of roasted chickpeas equals a single serving of protein.
On top of all that healthy jazz, chickpeas are also an excellent source of antioxidants, calcium, folate and vitamin B.
If you are looking for a quick and easy, healthy snack that isn't loaded with sugar and artificial additives, crispy chickpeas are a wonderful option!
What to serve with roasted chickpeas?
What to season roasted chickpeas with?
There are so many flavor possibilities and seasonings to pair with crispy, nutty chickpeas! Below are a few flavor combinations to try on your next batch of homemade crispy chickpeas.
How to store roasted chickpeas? Do roasted chickpeas need to be refrigerated?
After roasting chickpeas, make sure to let them cool completely before storing!
The best way to store roasted chickpeas is in a parchment paper, or brown, bag. However, you can store leftover roasted chickpeas in a container or jar, just make sure to leave the lid cracked open so the chickpeas can breathe and moisture doesn't build up!
Roasted chickpeas do not need to be refrigerated, and they should be stored at room temperature.
How long do roasted chickpeas keep?
Properly stored, crispy chickpeas do taste best if consumed on the first day, however they will stay crispy and keep for 4-5 days at room temperature.
Can roasted chickpeas be frozen?
Roasted chickpeas can be stored in a freezer safe, zip-closure bag and frozen for up to 1 month.
To get truly crispy chickpeas you need to rinse, drain and dry the canned chickpeas really well! I recommend rinsing and draining the chickpeas then transferring them to a dish towel or thick layer of paper towels. Pat the chickpeas dry and then let them air dry. The more moisture you remove from the chickpeas, the crispier they will be. While removing the skin from the chickpeas will ensure crispier roasted chickpeas, you don't have to painstakingly remove all the skin if you do not want to. Simply remove and discard any excess skin that comes off while you are thoroughly drying the chickpeas.
Crispy chickpeas will keep in a paper bag or a container on the counter for 4-5 days. Leave the lid on the container cracked open to prevent moisture buildup and to keep the chickpeas crispy.
Perfect for snacking or adding a boost of protein and flavor to boring meals, these chickpeas are satisfyingly crunchy and delightfully delicious!
Grab a can of chickpeas from your pantry and get ready to transform them into something magical!!
Until next week friends, cheers – to the humble little chickpea.
These outrageously crispy Honey Roasted Chickpeas only require 5 ingredients! Simple to make and packed with flavor, these versatile chickpeas are perfect on pastas, salads, potatoes and more! Plus, tips on how to make truly crunchy roasted chickpeas!
Preheat oven: Arrange baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Oven dry chickpeas: Spread the chickpeas out on a rimmed baking sheet. Place chickpeas in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until chickpeas are completely dry.
Toss dried chickpeas with oil: Remove chickpeas from oven. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt. Use your hands or a large spoon to evenly coat the chickpeas. Spread the chickpeas out in an even layer on the baking sheet.
Roast chickpeas: Roast the chickpeas in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan halfway through. Chickpeas are done roasting when they are golden brown and crunchy.
While chickpeas are roasting: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining teaspoon of oil with honey. Season with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Toss chickpeas with honey: Remove chickpeas from oven and transfer to bowl of oil/honey mixture. Sprinkle with ginger. Stir well to coat completely. Return chickpeas to baking sheet and spread them out in an even layer. Roast again for 5-8 minutes, or until honey is caramelized. OPTIONAL: For truly crispy chickpeas, turn the oven off after roasting and allow the chickpeas to sit in the warm oven for an additional 15-20 minutes before serving.
Serve: Sprinkle with more flakey salt and ground ginger. Enjoy!
I can imagine so many ways to enjoy these tasty, crispy chickpeas! Perfect snack and a great to add crunch to almost any sweet or savory dish!
Dang girl! I don't think I have any questions about chickpeas because you answered them all! A few years ago I did a post with za'atar chickpeas but you have me craving these honey roasted ones like right now! As we speak! Pinning! And since I just started counting calories (thought I'm officially NOT on a diet) these sound perfect!
Sweet, salty with a spicy kick from fresh ginger…so yummy! I love to use them as the salad topping for the crunchiness.


I got to know Lothar in 2004 when I become keyboard player with the Vicky Leandros Band. During our first phone conversation, he mentioned that we had already met: In the hallway of the building where my daughter lives with her mother. Our daughters not only live in the same building, but on the same floor. What a coincidence. With Vicky, Lothar plays the saxophone, flute, guitar, bass and sings. Once, when we were playing with Vicky in Athens, I told him quite honestly: "Lothar, you are the best! ... but what in? We killed ourselves laughing. Anyone who has experienced Lothar live, knows exactly what I mean. He defies description!
Lothar is from Hamburg. His dad was from the Carribean, where he was a very well known musician. You can feel the Carribean sun in Lothar's songs and in his whole way of being.
For decades (he's not 25 anymore) he's been bringing his many talents to a variety of formations. He's founder and leader of La Saxa, a very entertaining saxophone quintet. As singer or musician, live or in the studio, he's collaborated with people like Simon Webbe, Inga Rumpf, Herb Geller, Marianne Rosenberg, Yvonne Catterfeld and many more. As lead singer of the "Steve Bourbon Project" he published the CD "Rock the Club" (with Sylt Lounge).
For a few years he's also been playing in the band with Klaus Lage. Klaus and I had been thinking, if we should go on tour as a duo (piano and vocals). Or maybe as a trio? So it was natural to suggest Lothar, who plays saxophone, flute, guitar, bass and percussion and he sings to boot. Klaus was enthused and we recorded the 2006 K.L. CD "Zug um Zug" as trio and went on tour with this small formation.


At least here in Canada. Maybe its because winter comes earlier to us than to the majority of our southern neighbours, but we celebrate thanksgiving the 2nd Monday in October. Like them its a shopping holi…. no wait, wait sorry, it isn't!
While we don't have any history of pilgrims and sharing with the native Indians, and our thanksgiving history is all over the map (celebrated in April at one point! See the link above) it, at least now, is a celebration of the harvest, thankfulness for what we have, and of course family and friends.
It is also known in our lighter way as Turkey Day, and turkey is the traditional meal cooked for some on the Sunday or other the actual Monday holiday. In my family, and I think for most Newfoundlanders, we ate thanksgiving dinner at Newfoundland dinner time (lunch) on Sunday, and it consisted of Jiggs dinner with all the fixings, dressing, peas pudding, etc. One thing I want to mention though is something I really haven't seen since I moved away. We, in Newfoundland, had what I thought was a common blue potato, but I don't see them up here. All blue potatoes I see here have flesh that is completely blue, not like the blue we had back home, and pictured. These have bluish/purplish skin and white flesh with blue veins.
Also with dinner there were likely to be puddings!
Now the problem with pudding is… what kind? My dad used to make a flour and baking powder pudding that is similar in taste to a tea biscuit, and its served with the dinner. My buddy Bernard calls it a gravy biscuit. There's also pudding, or duff, that is, well I honestly don't know what its made from, but its boiled in the boiler with the dinner usually, and served for dessert traditionally with molasses cody.
Besides the traditional gathering of family and friends, and belly bursting food, Thanksgiving was also traditionally a time to share the bounty. We would always have a special thanksgiving church service, and people would bring vegetables, meats, fish, preserves and other purchased staples to the church, which would be gathered and shared with the more needy after the fact. I'm sure there was also a little "showing off" involved, as it was always nice to have pride in how good a crop of potatoes or carrots or whatever you had. It also often led to trading. Often times people back home traded what they had for what they didn't, and this worked in reverse in other years. For example, if you were lucky enough to kill a moose, or own a cow, you might trade a quarter of beef or moose for potatoes or vegetables, etc.
I hope you and yours have a great thanksgiving from me and mine. Loosen your belt, laugh with family, eat some duff, splurge on the gravy, and remember to hold everyone dear close. Happy Thanksgiving!
I remember people growing vegetable marrows too now that you mention it. But I don't ever recall what they used them for, if anything.


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Where next for Anthony Martial?
It's no secret that Anthony Martial wants to leave Manchester United this month.
Sevilla were favourites to sign the Frenchman, on loan until the end of the season, but it appears that move has now collapsed potentially leaving Martial in an unwanted situation on deadline day.
United have already rejected a loan offer from the club for Martial.
Ralf Rangnick has made it public knowledge that the pair had a meeting over Martial's future, with the player making it clear he wishes to leave the club as soon as possible. The attacker has not been selected for a match ever since.
His agent, Philippe Lamboley, also went public about Martial's desires to leave with an interview on Sky Sports – before the manager knew anything about it.
So, if Sevilla are no longer in the race to sign Martial, who is?
Anthony Martial's next club odds:
Newcastle – EVS
Sevilla – EVS
Not to sign or agree a contract with any other club – 11/4
Barcelona – 5/1
AS Roma – 11/1
Juventus – 12/1
West Ham – 12/1
Atletico Madrid – 14/1
The La Liga outfit may be have reportedly given up on signing Martial, but they are still priced at evens to sign him before February 3. Newcastle are also top of the list, but they are being linked with every Tom, Dick and Harry since the Saudi takeover. That's why it is worth getting the best deals for betting at Oneida Omi88 online slot because you never know when you'll need it.
Newcastle are set for a busy January transfer window because they need to invest quickly, with the likelihood of them being relegated to the Championship only getting stronger, as results get worse under Eddie Howe.
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The former Bournemouth manager has been unable to kickstart the Saudi-led movement, but I think most fans of the Premier League are happy about that. For example, I want Martial to leave but not for Newcastle if it helps them stay in the top-flight.
West Ham would be a shock destination for Martial – but less so than Newcastle – and they are 12/1 to land the Frenchman this month. We all know how well Jesse Lingard did at West Ham last season, though sadly the Hammers are currently positioned above us in the league table, which makes for sorry reading at the moment.
At least at Barcelona he'd still be representing one of the biggest clubs in the world but with a better chance of playing regularly.
It is a shame that things have not gone as planned for Martial at Old Trafford.
After bursting onto the scene in his debut against Liverpool, we all thought the former AS Monaco academy graduate was destined for the very top.
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Can you believe these gifts?
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Suggestions, some silly, for presents that celebrate the season
By Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service Nov. 30, 2018
Not everybody celebrates a religious holiday in December. But almost everybody likes presents, which is why every year Religion News Service rounds up a few gift ideas for all the people of faith — or no faith — on your list. All come with best wishes for happy holidays and a wonderful new year.
Potato Latke Gram: Hanukkah starts Sunday night. You can mail somebody a potato that comes with a "Happy Hanukkah!" potato peeler, a latke recipe and a retro telegram message from you.
Christmas and cats: "Margaret's Night in St. Peter's" is for children ages 6-10 — or the cat lady on your list — and imagines what life would be like for the pope's cat, Margaret.
Barbie with a hijab: Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad wore the Muslim head covering when she won a bronze medal with the U.S. women's team at the Olympics in Rio. This year, Mattel created a doll in her likeness.
Sikh coffee cup: It's a colorful mug featuring a cheerful print of a happy Sikh man.
Keep warm for Kwanzaa: Celebrate African-American heritage and principles like faith and unity while you light the seven candles in this "ugly" Kwanzaa sweatshirt.
Lunarly box subscription: Lunarly encourages the spiritual-but-not-religious to practice self-care and set intentions for the new year — and every new moon — with a journal and monthly assortment of plants, candles and crystals.
Plush Hindu deities: Kids might feel courageous cuddled up with a Hanuman or able to overcome obstacles with a snuggly Ganesh, with explanations of the depictions' symbolism.
'King Solomon's Table': Prepare a holiday meal with the recipes Joan Nathan's "Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking From Around the World."
Crystals for the winter solstice: Get ready for the longest night of the year with a collection of tumbled stone crystals, including calcite, chrysocolla, clear quartz and rose quartz.
Buddha soap on a rope: Wash up with green-tea scented, vegan-friendly Buddha-shaped soap on a rope.
Hanukkah scrunchie: The '90s are back, and so are hair scrunchies. You can look both retro and festive with this dreidel-decked scrunchie from Midrash Manicures.
Muslim 'Pride and Prejudice': Jane Austen's classic gets a modern twist in "Ayesha At Last" by Uzma Jalaluddin in which the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, becomes Ayesha Shamsi, who dreams of becoming a poet, not a wife.
A very Sufjan Christmas: "Songs for Christmas" began as Christmas albums indie musician Sufjan Stevens created as gifts for friends and family. Featuring traditional carols, hymns and slightly apocalyptic original songs, the first five volumes were released as a CD box set in 2006. This year, for the first time it's on vinyl, along with the previously unreleased song "Lonely Man of Winter."
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R.E.M. celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1988 album Green this year. Today R.E.M. announced Rhino is reissuing a deluxe double-disc version of the double platinum album on May 14th. The new version will include the original material plus a bonus live concert captured at Greensboro, North Carolina, on November 10, 1989 (some video from this concert appeared on 1990's Tourfilm which is available to stream in full here). Green - the deluxe 25th anniversary edition will be available as a 2 cd set, digital download, and on 180 gram vinyl.
R.E.M. also revealed a limited edition five song ep, Live in Greensboro, will be released for Record Store Day. The ep includes five tracks omitted from the double disc Green reissue due to space constraints, and comes along with a non-reproduction patch (recently discovered in the band's vault!) Only 2500 copies of Live In Greensboro ep will be pressed.
The tracklisting for the reissues is posted below. For more on the Green 25th anniversary reissue, visit the official R.E.M. website.
"World Leader Pretend" (from Tourfilm, 1990)
Disc One – Original Album
1. "Pop Song 89"
2. "Get Up"
3. "You Are The Everything"
4. "Stand"
5. "World Leader Pretend"
6. "The Wrong Child"
7. "Orange Crush"
8. "Turn You Inside Out"
9. "Hairshirt"
10. "I Remember California"
Disc Two – Live In Greensboro 1989
2. "The One I Love"
4. "Belong"
5. "Exhuming McCarthy"
6. "Good Advices"
8. "Cuyahoga"
10. "World Leader Pretend"
11. "I Believe"
12. "Get Up"
13. "Life And How To Live It"
14. "Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
15. "Pop Song 89"
16. "Fall On Me"
17. "You Are The Everything"
18. "Begin The Begin"
19. "Low"
20. "Finest Worksong"
21. "Perfect Circle"
Live in Greensboro EP – Record Store Day Exclusive
1. "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
2. "Feeling Gravitys Pull"
3. "Strange"
4. "King of Birds"
5. "I Remember California"