text:
Aviation readiness up as units operate at 'warp speed'
By Sean Kimmons, Army News ServiceApril 24, 2019
NASHVILLE -- Army aviation readiness has climbed 15 percent over the past three years while units continue to work at "warp speed" to support missions across the world, leaders recently said.The Army currently consumes 16-plus combat aviation brigades' worth of combat power to sustain existing requirements, said Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson, deputy commander of Army Forces Command.In the active component, the deployment-to-dwell ratio now stands at about 1 to 2.3 years, with some CABs turning slightly faster to execute the next mission, she said.Expeditionary CABs in the reserve component have a mobilization-to-dwell ratio of about 1 to 5 years, while medical evacuation and heavy lift units operate at just under 1 to 4.When not deployed, units regularly conduct home-station training, rotations to combat training centers, humanitarian assistance and other duties in support of homeland defense. "If anyone says we have extra, additional aviation assets just sitting around, they are absolutely misinformed," Richardson said April 15 at a conference hosted by the Army Aviation Association of America, or Quad A. "There is no excess capacity."Since three years ago, when FORSCOM began intensive reviews of aviation readiness, rates have increased about 15 percent in aggregate, she said."Every action we take, every flight that we fly, every repair part we put on an aircraft, must equate to readiness," she said.This is part of the Army's No. 1 priority, she said, to build the most ready and capable force possible with irreversible momentum by 2022. At that time, the focus will then shift to create a modern force by 2028, followed by multi-domain dominance by 2034.AVIATION INVESTMENTSArmy senior leaders have already begun to align funds to support existing aircraft and develop new fleets that can provide overmatch against near-peer competitors.In the aviation portfolio, about $24.1 billion has been requested for fiscal years 2020-2024. Nearly $7 billion is slotted for research, development, testing and evaluation, while $17.5 billion is for procurement."The critical role of Army aviation in worldwide missions continues to grow," said Jeffrey White, the Army's principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition. "We're incrementally modernizing the existing fleet while we're preparing for a competitive aviation advantage with the next generation of aircraft."Deeper in the portfolio is a nearly $5.7 billion investment in Black Hawk helicopters, which can buy about 200 UH-60M models and upgrade around 160 UH-60L models to UH-60Vs, along with the associated training, equipment, publications and fielding costs, he said.Apache helicopters have a nearly $4.7 billion investment, which is enough to purchase 210 AH-64E models and also provide upgrades to the existing fleet.About $4.4 billion is for Future Vertical Lift, which includes plans to develop the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft and Future Long Range Assault Aircraft that aim to replace some Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, respectively."These investments align with our modernization focus to make Soldiers and units more lethal to win our nation's wars and come home safely," White said at the conference.White, a former Army aviation officer, added a culture change in acquisition is needed to speed up the requirements process in order to get aviation assets out to Soldiers quicker."We need to prototype early, we need to do more testing and learning, more technology demonstrations," he said.Aviation has also benefited from the use of Other Transaction Authority, or OTA, which can cut through the bureaucratic red tape to streamline the acquisition process.Program Executive Office for Aviation has already awarded over $88.5 million using OTAs for unmanned aerial systems and the Black Hawk and Apache fleets, he said."OTAs are out there and we're going to use them," he said. "They're a tool in our portfolio and expect to see us use them more often."HIGH OPTEMPOEven as the Army transitions to Future Vertical Lift, today's aircraft will remain in service for a long period of time, said Brig. Gen. David Francis, director of Army aviation for the deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7."What we don't want to do is neglect that fleet and allow it to go into disarray," he said. "So, we're going to continue to modernize our current fleet so that we can be ready to fight tonight with what we have as we look forward."Aviation units, he said, are about 83 percent committed on any given day, and no matter if they are active or reserve, units share similar challenges."It affects all of those components because over half of our aviation force resides in the Guard and Reserve," he said. "We cannot do the things the Army asks us to do without those other components being an absolute part of that solution."Biggest challenges for units continue to be time constraints and personnel shortages, said Richardson, adding the chief of staff approved new manning guidance in December that now requires CABs to be filled at 100 percent."This will take a little time for the personnel system to catch up so that we can grow," she said.She also advised units not to limit drills even if there is a perceived shortage in training dollars."Individual and crew reps and sets build a foundation for the high-end collective proficiency that's required," she said. "We tell our corps, division and CAB commanders that you train and spend, and let FORSCOM worry about the money."
October 13, 2020National Museum of the United States Army to open Veterans Day 2020
June 12, 2020245th Army Birthday message from the Army Senior Leaders
April 23, 2020Army announces upcoming 2nd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, unit rotation
April 16, 2020National Museum of the United States Army to delay June 2020 opening
February 11, 2020Army National Military Cemeteries renamed as Office of Army Cemeteries


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Q: Android Fragments : support library crashes on extending Activity class I am learning android development right now and i came across the fragment class.
Here I found out that we can use two imports for the Fragment Class, namely

*

*android.support.v4.app.Fragment : Can be used for API < 11 as well.

*android.app.Fragment : Used for API >= 11 ONLY.

However I found that when I use support fragment in an activity, it crashes when I extend the Activity class. The Support Fragment works fine when I extend FragmentActivity or ActionbarActivity.
Please help me understand why does this happen.

A: You have to choose whether you use classes from the support library or not. If you do, you have to use classes that are compatible with each other. FragmentActivity and ActionBarActivity are part of the support library, hence they support android.support.v4.app.Fragment. Activity is not from the support lib, so it supports android.app.Fragment.
Basically, Activity and ActionBarActivity do the same things. There are minor differences between the 2, the main one being the method getFragmentManager() in Activity being replaced by getSupportFragmentManager() in the support library. Other methods that differ are usually prefixed with 'support' in ActionBarActivity.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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A story of a lost friend
A bitter lesson I hope will not be repeated
I wrote this "Story of a Lost Friend" just a few days before Pax went missing in the Swiss Alps, and in the original version I wrote: "Don't worry, Pax is fine, healthy, happy and full of beans, having a great summer fishing and running in the mountains."
After Pax was lost, I wondered if my writing this sentence somehow triggered the "quantum universe" resulting in Pax getting lost. Had I tempted fate?
Perhaps you also blame yourself for things you know aren't your fault, even though — to a degree — I believe that our thoughts create our reality. Who knows.
In any case, the good news is that Pax is sleeping in a chair beside me as I type, and I will snap a picture of him right now to share with you.
But getting back to the story of a lost friend, when you finish reading this piece, the title will make more sense.
A story from 1968
It was August 21, 1968 and I awoke to the sound of rumbling tanks on our otherwise quiet street. As a four-year-old, I remember looking down the street from our balcony, and watching the strange khaki coloured growling monsters crawling from the East German border towards Prague to alter the course of history.
These Russian troops invaded my country following orders from Moscow to squash any attempts to build a more democratic society.
Russia had latched onto my country like a leech on its victim, determined to suck it dry, destroying the lives of millions.
Those who complied and didn't protest the occupation could go about their lives almost the same as before, and if someone became an informer for the occupants they gained even more privileges, access to better jobs, money, and the freedom to travel.
People who opposed those in power were demoted, faced persecution, and sometimes went to prison. News were censored, and people (who 20 years later became national heroes and leaders) were labelled as criminals and enemies of the state. Their voices were silenced, and many had escaped to what was then the free-world.
My father was an idealist and spoke up against the Russian occupation. When he was punished and demoted from his job, there was still a window of opportunity to leave the country before the Iron Curtain fell, but my grandparents convinced my parents to stay. It was a grave mistake which made him live the rest of his life in regret, never reaching his potential.
He could still work as a veterinarian, but was demoted to the most difficult farm work while his friend, who collaborated with the Russians, benefited by getting my father's job as head veterinarian of the region.
My dad lost a job, and a friend.
July, 2021: A different time and place
The pandemic has divided nations. Some people have followed and agreed to the most common narrative, while others have been questioning if the measures introduced are sensible, and then there are some who believe in conspiracies.
In reality, no one really knows what is going on.
Yet, not unlike when the Russians took over my old country, people have now been divided into two groups, those who question and those who comply. Those who are compliant have been promised they can live their lives with certain privileges of access and freedom to travel, the same way as before the pandemic, despite the fact that they are not 100% protected, and appear to be spreading the virus in some cases.
It is hard to see the destruction of livelihood and widespread mental health crisis. Many scientists, doctors, and other reputable people, have tried to speak up, but often have been shamed and censored under the umbrella of spreading misinformation.
But how could we not question some of the measures being taken, such as quarantining the Australian olympians for one month upon their return, when the disease incubation period is no more than a week?
How could we not question the fact that in some countries, governments are proposing a two-tiered society model where a part of the nation would not be able to fly, board a bus, or a train, without a vaccine passport?
People are being ostracized, shamed, and punished just because they decided not to participate in what is still classified as a trial of a vaccine that has not gone through proper safety evaluation.
Are we now going to start dividing people into groups for those who smoke, or those who drink alcohol because they chose to do so? What about people who eat unhealthy processed food, or fish like tuna, which is full of mercury?
These health choices are respected as personal decisions because they fall under the umbrella of civil liberties and the same should apply to the vaccination decision.
Sadly, similar to 1968, some people have decided to remain quiet about the government measures out of fear of being shamed, losing jobs, or their friends. After all, based on our evolutionary history, being shunned and marginalized is the hardest form of punishment for a human.
I am prepared that some of you may object to me writing about this, as it is not about dogs or health. Yet, I feel obligated and compelled to warn you that losing basic civil liberties is a serious threat to democracy.
I recognize this danger, because I have seen it before.
I am not here to tell you what to do. Even in my family, the opinions and decisions vary. But that is okay.
There are still a lot of unknowns and because of this, no one should be forcing others to comply under threat of losing their basic civil liberties, or jobs. No one should be allowed to divide nations into two groups. History has shown us enough examples of how damaging this is.
Debate has always been at the core of a healthy democracy, and an attempt to squash discussion is one of the methods of those who want to take advantage of the situation and gain more power. It may be a government or multinational corporations who are making billions, while our countries drown in debt and are inundated with a mental health crisis of unprecedented proportions.
Similar to communism, many governments have now bypassed the constitution and ignored our right to freedom of choice. To be more accurate, people still have the freedom to choose, but they will be faced with restrictions and effectively labelled as second-class citizens.
This is done under the cover of "protecting the people from danger". In 1968 the danger in occupied Czechoslovakia was "imperialism," in 2021 it is the pandemic.
Australians now need a permit to leave the country the same way we did in the Eastern Bloc. They have been locked up in their country for more than a year, and ironically are now dealing with the greatest number of cases since the beginning of this all.
In Canada, the government has been so concerned about the spread that they now decided to call an election two years ahead of schedule, despite the risk of increasing coronavirus spread. Are political ambitions the medicine for COVID-19 spread?
It doesn't even matter how COVID-19 happened now because it is here. What matters is whether we let the government officials, who were elected to serve and protect us, take away basic civil liberties, threaten democracy, and create regulations that do not make sense.
Scaring and dividing the nation is not the best strategy to end this crisis, and we need to speak up!
Just to be clear, I don't expect that all of you will agree with me. What I hope is that you question all that is going on in a constructive and healthy way, and do not let history repeat and fall into what I know so well — a totalitarian regime.
Take care and be well, I am looking forward to your reply. Thank you for sharing this piece with your friends.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Alopecosa hingganica est une espèce d'araignées aranéomorphes de la famille des Lycosidae.

Distribution
Cette espèce est endémique de Mongolie-Intérieure en Chine.

Description
Les femelles mesurent de  à .

Publication originale
 Tang, Urita & Song, 1993 : Two new species of the genus Alopecosa from China (Araneae: Lycosidae). Acta Arachnologica Sinica, , .

Liens externes

Notes et références

Lycosidae
Espèce d'araignées (nom scientifique)
Faune endémique de Mongolie-Intérieure

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
NBC Twitter feed hacked, spreads false 9/11 reports
Read nextCongress fiddles while patents burn us
Hackers very briefly gained control of the official NBC News Twitter feed over the weekend. Their aim: To send false messages preceding the 9/11 anniversary.
The hacking group Script Kiddies released these messages during Friday evening on Twitter:
NBC quickly moved in to quell any concerns and instantly condemned the attack. The tweets were sent in quick succession before any action could be taken. On Saturday morning, the account was back in the control of NBC news and Vivian Schiller, NBC's chief digital officer released a statement on her Twitter account, mentioning that an investigation was now under way.
Schiller also released this statement on Twitter:
"The NBC News twitter account was hacked late this afternoon and as a result, false reports of a plane attack on ground zero were sent to @NBCNews followers. We are working with Twitter to correct the situation and sincerely apologise for the scare that could have been caused by such a reckless and irresponsible act."
Script Kiddies are a splinter cell of Anonymous, the hacking activists who have targeted Mastercard, VISA and other prominent websites in recent times. The group also claimed to have hacked the Fox news politics Twitter account earlier this year, stating that President Obama had been assassinated.
NBC was saved somewhat by the fact that fans of its Twitter account were quick to denounce the messages as a scam. NBC news followers spread the word that a hack had taken place and in the same process set out to humiliate the group who broke into the Twitter account.
Social media director for NBC news, Ryan Osborn quickly suspended the account while Twitter hastily banned the Script Kiddies feed.
The hack came at a very delicate time in the US. Parts of the country have been placed under high alert following a series of unconfirmed reports of terrorist plots against New York City and Washington DC were uncovered.
Posted in NewsTagged 911, anonymous, hackers, NBC, NBC news, Script Kiddies, Twitter
Congress fiddles while patents burn us
Gearburn • 12 Sep 2011


The zipper accessory oval hardware plate (.875" wide and 1.25" tall) is featured with 44 brilliant clear Swarovski crystals. The detachable zipper pull design is removable by a split ring and can be interchangeable with any of the Monique bags. This product is handmade in the San Francisco Bay area.


Sampdoria could soon be in the hands of a new owner. Massimo Ferraro, the current owner, is in fact negotiating the sale of the club.
On Wednesday, a meeting is set to take place in London, where the vice presidents of Sampdoria (Fiorentina and Romei) will be present, along with the American fund that has been brought to the attention of Ferrero by Gianluca Vialli.
Therefore, the basis of the deal could be set during the meeting, which eventually would see Ferrero let go of 100% of the shares, should a final agreement be reached. The 67-year-old, who took over Sampdoria in 2014, values the club at no less than €100m, which seems to be a reasonable price for the American fund.
Currently, there are two clubs in the league with American owners: AC Milan and Roma, who are owned by Elliott management and Neep Roma Holding respectively.


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Tag: Hunter Sallis
Cyclones in Hunter Sallis' top-eight
Jared Stansbury, November 16, 2020 November 16, 2020
Iowa State remains in the running for one of the nation's best guards. Omaha five-star prospect Hunter Sallis cut his list of collegiate options to eight on Monday with Iowa State, Kentucky, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Creighton, Oregon, Kansas and UCLA making the fin...
Cyclones make five-star combo guard Hunter Sallis' top-12
Jared Stansbury, August 23, 2020 August 23, 2020
Iowa State remains in the running for one of the nation's best players in the 2021 recruiting class. Omaha combo guard Hunter Sallis included the Cyclones in his top-12 list released on Twitter on Sunday. The other 11 schools on the five-star prospect's l...
BASKETBALL RECRUITING: 2021 Names to Know
Jared Stansbury, June 2, 2020 June 2, 2020
As Iowa State moves towards putting the finishing touches on its 2020-21 men's basketball roster, let's turn our attention to the 2021 cycle. The Cyclones will likely have three or four scholarships to work with during a recruiting cycle that could be unlike any...


Few really understand how the FedEx Cup points system works, and even fewer find it very compelling. The PGA Tour made a few changes from last year because of the system's shortcomings. When Vijay Singh won the first two events in '08, it was a lock he would be crowned the champ. In turn, the final two tournaments had no meaning.
One of the principal changes was to make sure this didn't happen again. The points system was revamped. The Tour is trying to create a formula that has the best of two worlds. By keeping a running total of points earned throughout the year, players are rewarded for consistent play. The points double in the playoffs to place more importance on those events and then the slate is wiped clean for the Tour Championship.
To be fair, it's only the third year of the FedEx Cup playoffs. There are going to be problems and figuring out how to implement playoffs in golf isn't easy. I understand it's to create more "drama." But, is that happening? I asked a player I met what he thought. He shrugged and said something like, "They're tweaking [the system] and it's going to take a while. The players don't even get it, so…" Ryan Moore said, "There needs to be a better way to keep the players and the fans interested. There should be more intrigue at the end. Right now it's anti-climactic." His Tour buddies agree.
Basically, the guys are playing not because they see much value in the playoffs; rather it's just another golf tournament and there's a bigger purse at each. And, if somehow you manage to win the FedEx Cup, then there's a hefty prize — $10 million. Not to mention do you think Heath Slocum really cares he jumped up in the standings? No, he's happy he won the tournament and gets to play in the next three.
There should be more on the line to keep the pressure on the players and to make it more interesting for the fans. The guys have to play good enough at each event to make the finals. Do you think Camilo Villegas would have withdrawn had that been the case? He's still in the field this week because he has enough points.
Heath Slocum Is Not That Good. Sorry.
The results at The Barclays disproved the so-called improvements. With all due respect to Slocum, he was ranked 124th entering the "first round" of the playoffs. Now, he's 3rd. I mean, he barely made the field! It basically shows that the "regular" season didn't actually matter. Prior to last week, he only had two top ten finishes. So, I guess the outcome is comparable to the eighth seed knocking out the first in the NBA playoffs, like when the Denver Nuggets upset the Seattle Sonics in '94. Fair enough. Sure, Slocum deserved to be there and to make the Tour Championship, but to jump that many spots seems a bit excessive.
The changes this year were supposed to make the results more volatile — to create more parity. But the system is inherently flawed. The FedEx Cup isn't technically at the end of the season. There is still the fall series. While none of the top players compete in them, they are still official tournaments.
At the end of the season, let's say the top 30 point leaders receive a "bye" in the first round. Then the remaining 95 players compete for the remaining 70 spots for the second tournament. So, in the next round, the top 100 play and 70 make the third round. The players in that field compete to make the top 30 and move onto the finals — same breakdown as it stands now. But here's the catch: There are no purses in the first three rounds. Pool the money together and the rewards are greater if the players make it to the Tour Championship. Then, there's a HUGE payout at the end and it would make everyone care a little more (I sensed a lot of indifference at The Barclays).
Playoffs are about stepping it up when it matters and being clutch — that's what actually makes it exciting. Sure, Slocum did so last week by draining the final putt to win, but from what I heard, it was only slightly more compelling than a cut-throat shuffleboard match on a Carnival Cruise line.
But I can't verify that — I left early.
*Editor's note: I made some changes after initial posting.


Lier XD: Shutter Island , Bad.
Almost a year ago, when I first saw the trailers for the movie, I wasn't too thrilled.
I'm a firm believer that movie trailers can be way too revealing. I'm not saying that all movie trailers are bad. I've watched the Inception trailer a couple times now and I still have no idea what that film is about. I remember the original Matrix trailers. I don't recall showing any part of the 'real world' in the various spots.
1) Main character, a federal marshal, arrives at Shutter Island, a prison for the criminally insane.
2) Originally sent to investigate a missing inmate, he soon finds out that there's a huge conspiracy around.
3) Trailer shows him speaking with the missing woman, who informs him that there's a huge conspiracy and everyone's in on it! (the orderlys, doctors, guards, everyone!) They're doing nasty experiments and he's the latest victim.
4) He's trying to get out before they make him insane through psychobabble drugs which are in the good, medicine, cigarettes that he's been using.
Now, I don't think its a spoiler in stating that there's a twist to this movie. The real twist (here it comes) is that it is so blatantly obvious. The main character has always been a patient at the hospital. He's a federal marshal who was so grief stricken with the death of his wife and kids that he fabricated the whole story of going to Shutter Island to investigate the guy to blame for their deaths... and that's himself! Brilliant stuff, right?
I'm not a doctor, and I don't claim to know anything, but I wish that I could have delusions as great as the main character's. To be able to fabricate a story like that and then delude himself into believing it. Wow.
Anyway, movies aren't just about plot. The acting in the film was great. I thought the pacing had some problems. The action and drama slows down dramatically the moment that the twist is revealed. It felt a little too pretentious to me with the whole name-anagram idea. Really, an insane man is going to create his alternate persona with the same anagram as his real name? Yeah, right. I was waiting for the other twist to drop, that somehow he was correct and that Shutter Island was a brain-washing camp. Nope. The movie ends with Leo still being crazy.
Also, I thought the music score in the film was strange and out of place. There were several points in the movie where there's an increasingly loud blast of low tone (like a ship's horn or something) such as when Leo first enters the prison facility. I'm not sure what that was about, but I didn't like it.


text:
О́мский госуда́рственный драмати́ческий теа́тр «Галёрка» — один из театров Омска, создан в 1990 году.

Его создателем и бессменным художественным руководителем является Владимир Фёдорович Витько — заслуженный деятель искусств России, заслуженный артист России. Театр был основан при строительном кооперативе и первоначально арендовал помещения в омском Доме учителя, гастролируя при этом по областным сценам. В следующем году он получил статус муниципального, а затем занял здание дома культуры «Юность», договорившись о переводе коллективов самодеятельности в другой ДК.

С самого начала театр заявил, что придерживается принципов русского реалистического психологического театра. Театр «Галёрка» — постоянный участник Всероссийских и Международных фестивалей и форумов. «Галёрка» была с гастролями во многих российских городах. В июне 2010 года омский театр принимал участие в программе Российской национальной выставки в Париже, где представлял культуру Омского региона.

В «Галёрке» поставлены спектакли по произведениям А. П. Чехова, Ф. М. Достоевского, А. В. Вампилова, В. Н. Крупина, В. Г. Распутина, С. Л. Лобозёрова, А. Н. Толстого, А. Н. Островского и других.

В театре работали: Народный артист России Юрий Григорьевич Гребень (1996—2014), Анатолий Михайлович Кузнецов (1996—2006).

В театре ставили спектакли режиссёры: Сергей Стеблюк, Андрей Русинов

Здание
Вскоре после основания, в 1992 году, театр разместился в здании бывшего дворца культуры «Юность» по адресу улица Богдана Хмельницкого, дом 236. ДК был построен в первой половине 1960-х гг. и принадлежал ракетно-авиационному заводу «Полёт». Однако в 2005 году находившееся в аварийном состоянии здание было закрыто на реконструкцию, которая затянулась на 13 лет. В ходе реконструкции по проекту группы архитекторов НПО «Мостовик» бывший ДК был полностью перестроен. Новый театр стал трёхэтажным и получил фасад в стиле модерн, а также новый зрительный зал на 300 человек, подвижную сцену, репетиционные залы, гримёрные, швейный и бутафорский цеха. Общая стоимость реконструкции составила около 530 млн рублей.

Примечания

Литература
 Под знаком Галерки в XXI век. Т. Бакулина. Издание «Полиграф». Омск. 2000.

Ссылки
 Официальный сайт театра
 Театр на портале правительства Омской области «Омская губерния»

Театры, основанные в 1990 году
Драматические театры Омска
Государственные театры драмы России


If you were around in the late '80s and early '90s, you likely saw the re-emergence of Disney animated films. From 1984 to 1994, there was a string of instant classic films, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. However, that success was built on the base of one of the roughest times in Disney Animation Studios history. Waking Sleeping Beauty documents the power struggles and infighting that occurred during this golden era of creativity and passion that left us with some of the greatest animated films ever made. Remarkably, no stone seems left unturned in the illuminating and emotional documentary that utilizes archival footage, interviews, and photos to piece together this look behind the scenes of Disney at the time. So hit the jump for my full review of Waking Sleeping Beauty.
The documentary begins with footage of Elton John singing the intro to The Lion King's The Circle of Life, and we are quickly introduced to the four main characters of the film. The focus is largely on the balancing act that occurred between CEO Michael Eisner, president and COO Frank Wells, studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, and head of animation Roy E. Disney. Despite the fact that the animation department had its most financially successful and critically acclaimed stint in decades, tensions arose of where the credit was given and who was in the limelight. These struggles are the showcase of the film, as they use old interviews and footage mixed with new audio interviews to look back at the time. This is the stroke of genius by director Don Hahn: never using talking heads and always utilizing past footage gives an uncensored look into this tumultuous time. Hahn and producer Peter Schneider could have simply given a glowing look back at this golden era, but they provide transparency and Eisner, Katzenberg, and Disney show their flaws as well as gifts.
Despite a runtime of only 86 minutes, Waking Sleeping Beauty does a tremendous job of setting the stage and bringing us up to speed on the focus of the film, providing background and context. Walt Disney Studios was in a state of flux in the early '80s as the animation department struggled to capture the audience it once dominated. There was an odd mixture of the old animators still working at the studio and a new influx of talent, and unease was prevalent as the future of animation as a viable medium of entertainment was questioned. This was Walt Disney Studios – built on the base of animation – and yet animation was seen as something unnecessary. The animators were moved from building to building, and left wondering about their future. Under new leadership from Eisner, Wells, Katzenberg, and Disney, a newfound focus on animation revitalized the struggling department in the mid '80s. That revitalization was partly led by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken who put an emphasis back on the musical aspect of the animated films.
Ashman arises as the heart and soul of the film, and his arc in the documentary is heartwarming and powerful. His influence and creativity helped usher in three of those four landmark films, but he is not the only hero of the film. Waking Sleeping Beauty shines a light on what made this decade so prosperous and turbulent at the same time; the writers, directors, and animators are given a voice. Because director Hahn and producer Schneider were working for Disney animation at the time, they knew the storylines and major players to focus on. This helps give the film a loose focus that provides shocking revelations and humorous moments while celebrating the legacy these films left. The film also touches on the live action side of the coin and other ventures; a snapshot of the studio as a whole is provided, though the central focus always remains on animation.
Yet, there is much more to the DVD of this documentary than just the film itself. Waking Sleeping Beauty is packed with more than 80 minutes of additional interviews, archival footage, and deleted scenes. Normally, deleted scenes are passable but there are two incredible glimpses at Ashman that are worthy of watching more than once. We have over 12 minutes of footage from a lecture Ashman gave when he first started working with the animation studio that gives his reasoning on why he was drawn to work on animated films. Ashman's description of what makes an animated musical work so much better than a live-action musical is eye opening and shows his genius. Another deleted scene, which was partially shown in the film, is of Ashman and Jodi Benson in the recording studio as they hammer out The Little Mermaid's Part of Your World. Over six minutes of footage shows how intense these sessions were in terms of not just singing the lines, but performing them. Ashman was striving for a narrative in the music that took time to get across and understand, but the results speak for themselves.
The feature Why Wake Sleeping Beauty? has director Don Hahn and producer Peter Schneider give their reasoning for making this documentary and the process they went through to collect the footage. There are many questions still left from the documentary that this helps answer in many ways. There are also three homemade studio tours led by animator Randy Cartwright in 1980, 1983, and 1990 that show the various states of the animation department and some of the talented people that worked there. A 15-minute piece on the Sailor (Roy E. Disney), the Mountain Climber (Frank Wells), the Artist (Joe Ranft), and the Poet (Howard Ashman) shows their influence on the various members of Disney Animation Studios. Finally, the audio commentary track provides even more insight by not only utilizing Schneider and Hahn, but also having various directors, animators, and executives give additional information and background to the stories.
Overall, Waking Sleeping Beauty is a tremendous package for any fan of the Disney. That is the target audience, but even casual observers should check out this one of a kind inside look at the meteoric rise from the ashes that Walt Disney Studios went through. This is a comeback story at its heart — a celebration of the tremendous success — but also a showcase of how the surface does not always tell the whole story. Director Don Hahn dives into the murky underbelly and gives us a glimpse at underappreciated heroes, corporate struggles at the top, and the creative process that led to these tremendous films. Waking Sleeping Beauty is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen format, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track and is in stores now.


The April Roundtable featured the first out-of-state presenter the group has had the privilege of hosting in its short history. Barbara Butler Davis of Lake Forest, Illinois, spoke on her recent (2004) publication of her premier book Affectionately Yours: The Civil War Home-Front Letters of the Ovid Butler Family. Ms. Butler is a Chicago area teacher and an avid student of Indiana history. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Ovid Butler, the founder of Butler University in Indianapolis.
Ms. Davis' book is a collection of 65 letters written during the Civil War and sent to Ovid Butler's son, Scot, while he served in the eastern theater from Indianapolis to Franklin to Atlanta and into South Carolina by war's end in 1865. This is somewhat unique in that most letters studied and published from the war are those written by soldiers at the front and sent back home. As the author pointed out, soldier's at the front had almost no room to carry extra items, even things as small as a letter, and certainly had no way to preserve them in the harsh conditions of camp life or the extremes of existing "on the march". Thus, such a complete collection as these letters represent provides a fascinating opportunity to get an intimate look at the thoughts and feelings that those at home felt and sent on to their loved ones so far away.
Ms. Davis' fifteen year odyssey to the final editing and publication of the letters began as a master's thesis in college and became somewhat of an obsession when she almost accidentally became aware of an undetermined group of letters in, of all places, New Jersey, that added to the collection and was capped by the unearthing of more that had been stored in the basement of the tiny Irvington branch of the Indianapolis Public Library for years before she became aware of them. Then, aided by the mentoring of noted Indiana Civil War historian Alan T. Nolan, she began the difficult task of transcribing and editing them into a cohesive and readable history of one of the most prominent families the State of Indiana has ever produced.
Ovid Butler was a respected lawyer, publisher and educator in the mid-19th century community in Indianapolis. His son Scot went off to war as had so many young men of the era, spending the largest part of his service in the U.S. Signal Corps. His mother was Elizabeth Anne McOuat Butler, a stout woman of strong Scottish heritage and the second wife of Ovid. After the war, Scot married Julia Wesley Dunn of the Dunn family of Bloomington, a family instrumental in the early history of Indiana University and which is remembered today by the Dunn Cemetery adjacent to Beck Chapel on the IU campus.
These letters make fascinating reading. The book is published by the Indiana Historical Society Press and is available through their History Market and in other locations throughout the state.
As the first full year of the Roundtable nears its end and we approach the "hiatus" months of July and August, members can look to opportunities for travel, study and reflection on their passion for everything Civil War related.
If you have travel plans or experiences you might like to share with those in the group, please bring them to the last two meetings, contact one of the officers or ask for a "classified ad" to be placed in the last two Sentinels of the year. If possible, arrangements can be coordinated to visit a battlefield, attend a re-enactment, enjoy a museum or other CW related places and events.
As a token of their appreciation to the Monroe County History Society for its support and for providing a "home" to the Roundtable, the membership voted without dissent a gift of $100 to the Society at the annual meeting in April. Without the generous support of the MCHS and its new director, Jill Lesh, the MCCWR would find it much more difficult to operate. Loyal partners are hard to find, and the Roundtable values its association with the MCHS!
Unfortunately, even a small organization such as the MCCWR cannot run on enthusiasm alone. If you were unable to attend the April meeting at which annual dues were collected, please help us by sending your check to Kevin Shiflet, our treasurer, at 1104 Forest View Drive, Ellettsville, 47429. Dues are $15 for an individual, $20 for a family and $5 for a student membership. This money helps to defray the cost of postage, refreshments, printing and other incidental expenses incurred regularly. We thank you.
Join fellow members and friends at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, May 16th, at the Monroe County History Center for a presentation by Stew Devane on The Story of the 42nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry during the war. Stew is a reenactor and a friend of Roundtable member and former presenter Joel Foust.
"Brevet rank" was a Civil War term borrowed from the British during the Revolutionary War. Different from a commission, officers were often awarded a higher rank due to meritorious service in combat or allowed to serve in staff positions. Many West Point graduates were awarded brevet rank because there were not enough vacancies in the regular army. The rank also allowed volunteers to be promoted. It has not been used in the U.S. military since 1918.
Call any of the above people for questions, suggestions or comments regarding the Roundtable.
MCCWR members are have a rare opportunity to help in the preservation, archiving and transcription of a group of letters belonging to the Monroe County History Center including at least some Civil War documents. The actual contact and value of this collection is unknown, but members are excited to have the chance, perhaps, to touch history with this project.
Anyone interested in helping or even "kibitzing" this project should contact Lisa Simmons or Erica Kendall at the History Center, 332-2517. Forms will be provided to become "official" History Center volunteers.


First impressions count. Prepare your property to impress potential buyers. Address those little DIY issues you've been meaning to do; add a fresh coat of neutral-coloured paint; enhance natural light, remove ALL clutter; keep it spotless.
You must increase enquiries. Give your property maximum exposure by listing it online with Urban Keys, then helping to boost awareness by 'sharing' over social media and e-mailing contacts. Statistically, it increases chances.
More flexibility with property viewings, better chances to sell. This is supported by longer opening hours at Urban Keys, maximising accompanied viewing opportunities – over 55% of our viewings take place after work and on weekends.
As soon as an offer has been made and received, we will notify you verbally and in writing. Price and any special conditions will be stated in writing. We will cross-check buyer's ability to proceed before you decide to accept or counter offer.
Once a final offer is accepted by you (the property seller), including for fixtures and fittings, Urban Keys will prepare a memorandum of sale and write to all parties to confirm the agreed price, as well as stipulated terms and conditions.
Until contracts are exchanged, neither party has legal obligation to buy or sell the property, and both can pull out without penalty (or only loss of deposit). Both buyer and seller sign identical contracts, and formally exchanged by solicitors.
Completion is when residual monies (usually 90%) are transferred from your solicitor to the seller's solicitor's account. Your solicitor will call you when the money has cleared into your account and will inform us to release the keys. Congratulations, your property is now sold!


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Blog posts about press release
The London Borough of Sutton has become the latest council to adopt SocietyWorks' digital residential waste management portal, WasteWorks, to more efficiently and transparently manage resident access to waste services online.
SocietyWorks is providing a dedicated version of its integrated online waste management portal, WasteWorks, to the London Borough of Sutton. Through the portal, residents can access the council's domestic waste services, including checking their collection days and requesting new bins, as well as subscribing to and paying for green waste subscriptions, all from within the same self-service workflow.
WasteWorks was launched in 2021 in collaboration with Bromley Council and Veolia, and was shortlisted for a LGC Award 2022. For Sutton, the portal is integrated with Veolia Echo and Barclaycard to provide a more convenient, seamless and transparent online experience for residents, while streamlining processes for staff and contractors to help reduce avoidable contacts and better manage expectations.
The introduction of WasteWorks is a joint venture between the London Borough of Sutton and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, whose own dedicated version of the portal launched a few months ago for handling green waste. This comes as part of the ongoing improvements being established by the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP), of which both councils are members.
Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks said: "It is always an honour to be trusted by a council to introduce a new service and bring about sought-after improvements for citizens. We're proud to have the backing of the SLWP in introducing WasteWorks for the boroughs of Sutton and Kingston upon Thames. Together, we can deliver a unified digital experience for residents, connecting multiple suppliers together while simplifying online access to waste services for residents."
Paul Brockwell, Interim Head of Waste and Street Cleaning at London Borough of Sutton said: "The London Borough of Sutton recently opted for WasteWorks to provide digital waste solutions for our Waste collection service, having witnessed the great work already achieved at The London Borough of Bromley. The system has enabled Sutton Council to provide a seamless and much improved online experience for Sutton residents. SocietyWorks has been extremely sensitive to our needs as an organisation and worked tirelessly to provide the authority with solutions in a very short timeframe that benefit the borough as a whole."
Take a look at WasteWorks for the London Borough of Sutton.
Find out more about WasteWorks.
SocietyWorks provides the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames with a new online waste portal
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has chosen SocietyWorks' self-service waste portal WasteWorks, for managing resident access to waste online more efficiently and transparently, starting with garden waste and looking ahead to incorporate wider domestic waste services.
Residents of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames will now be able to access the council's garden waste services via a dedicated version of SocietyWorks' new online waste portal WasteWorks, which was launched in 2021 in collaboration with Bromley Council and Veolia. Using the portal, residents will be able to view their garden waste subscriptions, order new containers and use one-off card payments for non recurring subscriptions, all within the same workflow. There will soon be a Direct Debit function for residents to use for recurring subscriptions, too. While initially focused on improving the resident experience for garden waste, plans are in place to roll WasteWorks out to manage the council's wider domestic waste service transactions.
Optimised to work on whatever device residents want to use, WasteWorks will enable the Council to provide a more convenient and seamless online experience for residents thanks to integration with the council's in-cab system provided by Veolia Echo and payment provider Capita. WasteWorks will also help to deliver a more transparent waste service by enabling a two-way flow of information to keep residents informed on the status of their waste subscriptions, payments, reports and requests. Customer services will be able to use the same user-centred workflow to manage waste subscriptions on behalf of residents over the phone.
The introduction of WasteWorks, which was recently shortlisted for a LGC Award 2022 in conjunction with Bromley Council, is a joint venture between the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Sutton, whose own dedicated version of the portal is currently in development. This comes as part of the ongoing improvements being established by the South London Waste Partnership, of which both Kingston and Sutton are members. The two councils approached SocietyWorks to help further digitise their existing online domestic waste system and move towards a consistent approach to online waste services across the boroughs, which will also benefit their shared waste provider Veolia by improving communication between its in-cab system, the councils and residents.
Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks said: "We're delighted to be helping the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames bring its online waste system in line with resident expectations. It's always a pleasure to work with councils that not only put resident needs first, but also work very collaboratively with neighbouring councils and their other external partners to deliver more wide-reaching improvements. We look forward to helping more councils across the UK do the same."
Councillor John Sweeney, Portfolio Holder for Business, Recycling and Customer Contact added: "We are excited to be one of the first boroughs to use this innovative system. This new online portal will allow residents to more easily keep track of their subscription payments. It is great to know that this system has been developed with another London council and we look forward to rolling it out across the borough."
Scott Edgell, General Manager, Veolia SLWP said: "Our teams work hard to serve over 70,000 Kingston households with recycling and waste collections, including 14,000 signed up to the garden waste collection service. We're so pleased to be supporting Kingston Council with the implementation of their new waste portal with the help of SocietyWorks, so that the high quality service we strive to deliver to residents is reflected in a better experience online, and look forward to the platform's development in Sutton."
Take a look at The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames' new green waste system or contact us to discuss how WasteWorks could work for your authority.
Peterborough City Council adopts WasteWorks to improve resident access to waste services
Peterborough City Council has broadened its partnership with SocietyWorks to handle domestic waste online through its new WasteWorks service.
Peterborough City Council has adopted WasteWorks, a new waste service from citizen-focused local authority services provider SocietyWorks, to improve the way residents access waste online. The new service will empower residents to easily self-serve reports and requests from any device, while helping the council to streamline processes, deliver faster resolutions and reduce demand on customer contact centres thanks to an automatic two-way flow of data from front to backend system.
Integrated directly into Peterborough's in-cab system Bartec and branded to complement the council's website, WasteWorks will allow residents to manage all of their waste requirements from one place, whether it's to report a missed bin collection or to pay for a bulky waste collection – which is currently being worked on and set to be delivered later this year. Behind the scenes, the service will seamlessly feed information between citizen, administrator and inspector, helping the council to better manage expectations and close the feedback loop through automated notifications and intelligent tools for on-the-ground inspectors.
This is the second SocietyWorks service to have been adopted by Peterborough City Council, which has been successfully using FixMyStreet Pro to take reports from residents about street and highways problems since 2019. The council will be able to access both WasteWorks and FixMyStreet Pro reports from a central dashboard, which includes a live heatmap to track category, seasonal and area-based trends.
Councillor Nigel Simons, cabinet member for Waste, Street Scene and the Environment, said: "We are fully committed to improving waste services across Peterborough and as part of this commitment, we want to enhance the way residents access services online. The new WasteWorks service will make a positive difference and I would encourage residents to log on and see for themselves."
Councillor Marco Cereste, cabinet member for Digital Services and Transformation, added: "We want to engage better with residents online and enhance the overall user experience. This is a big step forwards and just the start of improvements to our online services."
Mark Cridge, Chief Executive at SocietyWorks said: "We're thrilled to be working with Peterborough City Council again. By integrating both FixMyStreet Pro and WasteWorks into its line of business systems, the council and its residents will benefit from a truly joined-up reporting service that puts user-friendliness at its heart.
"Peterborough is a really forward-thinking council, and it's been a real pleasure to collaborate with the team on this project and build a service that works around the real-life needs of residents and staff."
Residents in Peterborough can access the new waste service right now.
WasteWorks is available to all UK councils. Request a demo to find out more.
Merton Council switches to FixMyStreet Pro for managing environment reports
Merton Council has joined a growing number of London boroughs using SocietyWorks' FixMyStreet Pro service to process reports from residents about local environment issues.
Londoners living in the borough of Merton can now make reports about environment issues such as fly-tipping and graffiti via the council's newly launched FixMyStreet Pro service. Developed by SocietyWorks, the subsidiary of civic technology charity mySociety, FixMyStreet Pro is focused on helping citizens be active members of their community by making it easy to report problems and closing the feedback loop between council and resident.
FixMyStreet is an extremely user-friendly platform, and it will make it even easier for our residents to play their part.
Councillor Natasha Irons, Merton's Cabinet Member for Local Environment and Green Spaces
Merton Council is one of several London authorities to use FixMyStreet Pro and benefit from its intelligent functionality to handle the complex routing of inbound street and environment reports, automatically ensuring everything goes to the correct place, including being able to divert reports to Transport for London where relevant. With integration into Merton's Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM system, FixMyStreet Pro acts as the user-friendly front door to environment reports, with a simple, fully-optimised interface that works perfectly on any device and facilitates a two-way flow of data so that report-makers can stay up to date with the progress of their reports.
Councillor Natasha Irons, Merton's Cabinet Member for Local Environment and Green Spaces: "Merton is a great place to live, work and visit but, like all London boroughs, we're seeing too many people abusing our public spaces with environmental crimes like fly-tipping and littering. We want everyone to take care and pride in their neighbourhoods and behave considerately, so that everyone can enjoy our great borough. FixMyStreet is an extremely user-friendly platform, and it will make it even easier for our residents to play their part."
Mark Cridge, Chief Executive at SocietyWorks said: "FixMyStreet Pro provides London councils with a key opportunity to join a community of authorities and other agencies delivering a truly efficient and joined-up service. We're delighted to welcome Merton into the FixMyStreet family, and we're excited to continue working together to build a stronger, more active community."
FixMyStreet Pro is now up and running in Merton. Residents can use the service to report local environment issues.
Want to explore how FixMyStreet Pro could work for you? Request a demo with the SocietyWorks team here.


Rajasthan's rich culture is manifested via its majestic forts, royal palaces, vibrant festivals, performing arts, and even traditional costumes. The traditional Rajputi Poshak is colorful and elaborate and is still proudly worn by Rajput's.
Every Rajput woman adores the grace and elegance of a Rajputi Poshak that offers them a gorgeous look. Therefore the poshak has a natural recognition as the attire of the Rajput women.
The women of Rajasthan, extremely like the region itself, is wrapped in color and tradition. This is reflected in their energetic dress and ornamentation.
For centuries, the Rajputi dress most widely worn by the women in Rajasthan has been a combination of an upper garment kanchli and kurti, a lower garment(Ghaghra) and the odhani, wrapped to flow across the upper and lower parts of the body.
In addition to above, there are numerous diverse and additions to the ensemble across and within communities, depending on the social position of the wearer. However, these three items of Rajputi dress are the basic traditional garments worn by Rajputi women in Rajasthan even today.
The kanchli is an upper garment, worn by Rajput's ladies in most communities in Rajasthan.
The fascinating choli or kanchli sits snugly on the curve of the chest and is the finest example of the technical understanding of molding a flat two-dimensional form, the fabric, on a three-dimensional body.
However, these kanchli, choli or kurti are Colorful and intricately designed and shaped as per the specific body measurements.
In order to have a traditional touch, they are adorned with mirror-work, kundan work, Gotta Patti, beads and sequins, coral and shells, and creative-cut work.
The kurti is an uppermost garment that is worn in combination with a kanchli. This Dress is about 200 years old. The kurti is usually a sleeveless garment.
Depending on the regional style the skirts in India is known by various different names. In Rajputi Poshak, the most popular by far being the ghaghra.
The ghaghra is actually a long skirt, which has the form of a simple gathered skirt or a flared gored skirt.
Royal Ranisa Provides the best Rajputi Dress in Jaipur at an affordable price.
The ghagra covers full legs, embroidered and pleated skirt. Royal Ranisa provides a variety of colors, prints, and fabrics, such as silk, cotton, georgette, and crepe.
We have a large collection of the Rajputi Poshak in different colors and different pattern.
The odhna or odhni is a visor and represents the continuation of an unbroken tradition of wearing unstitched lengths of fabric.
It was adopted as the most preferred style of clothing by the ancient people of India.
In addition to above, it is made of lightly printed or patched fabric, it features Beautiful embroidery, beadwork or other embellishments.
Poshak is typical but quite pretty. However, you can choose it for the grand occasion like marriage.
The Royal Ranisa brand has been one of the best one-stop destinations who serve the community of the Rajput women worldwide, bringing them a huge Collection of this wonderful Rajput dress in the best colors and designs.
The Royal Ranisa brand has been one of the best one-stop destinations who serve the community of the Rajput women worldwide.


Ben Salter and Grant Fague of SPPARC Architecture joined us as our guests on the 28th October 2016!
We were delighted to have Ben Salter and Grant Fague of SPPARC Architecture as our guests for Fluid Friday Lunch.
Their award winning practice has an exciting UK & International portfolio of completed and live projects across a multiple of sectors.


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tostrivetoseektofind
A Travel Blog by Dawn about Dawn and Adam
Camping – US and Canada
Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
A Doll, a Cow, and a Mink Walk into a Forest…
On March 4, 2009 By DawnIn Dawn, South America
Our best day in Ushuaia by far was the day that we went to Tierra del Fuego National Park. I was still hurting a bit from our climb to the glacier, but once we got to the park I couldn't have cared less about a few sore muscles. We traveled to the park in a mini-bus, and as we were the only passengers, the driver chattered away about everything that we passed. There was the river, the golf course (it is so damn windy in Ushuaia that I imagine yelling "Fore!" is a requirement every time your club makes contact with a ball), and the "train to the end of the world" which he scoffed at quite heartily to make it known that this was one of the greatest tourist traps of all time. After a brief drive he dropped us of at the coastal trail and we headed out along the coast of Beagle Channel through beautiful beech forest which was again reminiscent of New Zealand.
I wish that I could adequately describe the park, but (allow me to be a bit cranky here) after seven months of writing about the places that we have gone hiking in, it seems difficult to describe what makes one that much different from another. Of course we see them as completely different places, but how do I describe those differences in writing? Mountains, water, trees, birds, rocks, occasional mammals. How many variations can I create for this? Looking at natural beauty never gets old, but writing about it is another matter.
What I can say is that the second trail that we took in the park ends at the border of Chile. A sign marks the border and warns people that they should not pass that point. Of course we had to take some pictures of us pretending to sneak into Chile and I am happy to report that we did not get shot at or even chastised. And it does support my previous assertion that it is really freakin' easy to cross the border unmolested. Also notable was the creepy plastic doll that someone had strategically placed on a rock next to the trail. Adam saw it first and he was kind enough to not say anything so that I could experience the creepiness for myself. It was kind of Blair Witch Project, and I say "Bravo" to the sort of person who thinks ahead enough to bring a plastic doll with him in his backpack when he goes hiking.
At the end of the day we climbed back into a mini-bus that unfortunately picked up a gaggle of English speaking tourists that I just knew were going to be annoying. Our strategy to avoid talking to such people is to not speak at all and therefore not give away the fact that we speak English too. These particular tourists went on and on about shopping for clothes, the run-ins that they had with store clerks, and even made some fully audible and snarky remarks about the route that the driver was taking, forgetting that it just may be possible that he speaks English. I would bet that the driver was thinking the same thing that we were: Damn, why don't these mini-buses have ejector seats?
Our jaunt to the park, while totally worth it, was a bit expensive, but we still wanted to do some more hiking. Alba suggested that we take a taxi to Playa Larga which has a trail that runs along the coast offers a different view of the Beagle Channel . We ended up sharing a cab with another guest who was one of those people who finds silence uncomfortable and must ask questions to fill it. Thankfully it was a brief drive to Playa Larga, and we parted ways with Stephen after planning to meet him back at the trail head in five hours.
The trail began at the beach and in just a few minutes it ascended into the forest area before it wound back out to the coast again. In the forest I was surprised to meet a couple of rogue cows who were trying to hide behind some trees. It was like a Far Side cartoon without a caption.
The sun was out in full force that day, and when we broke out from the forest, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Beagle Channel and all of the mountain ranges surrounding it. We climbed to the top of a hill to soak it all in. Adam turned to me with his arms outstretched as if to say, "What more could you possibly ask for?"
The trail continued past a picturesque estancia and up to a deep gorge. The only way across was at the bottom where we could wade through the stream that was flowing into the channel. Since we wanted to eat lunch on the other side, we took off our shoes and socks, rolled up our pants, and stepped into the water. I was expecting the water to be cold, but not that cold. This water was so cold that it was painful. The second that I stepped into it I wanted to be out of it which caused me to flounder around, staggering and splashing and cussing and probably getting much wetter than I needed to. Adam watched me, amused, from the other side. When we finished lunch and we had to go back the same way we came, I still had not learned from my previous experience and provided a similar spectacle complete with new and improved combinations of expletives.
On our way back we came across a very curious mink who dashed out from between the rocks on the shore to check us out. He was fairly skittish and kept diving under the rocks for cover, but he was interested enough to come up almost to our feet to see what the hell we were. Later we told Alba about our mink sighting and she was off to the races telling us about how the minks were introduced to Argentina for their fur and that they had become pests and that Chile was pissed off because the animals had crossed the border (apparently they didn't heed the signs posted clearly in Spanish and English at the borders). It was a long story, but I was just happy that I could understand almost everything that she said. And just like that it was time to bid Alba and Ushuaia goodbye and set off on yet another bus to El Calafate.
Sometimes near-disastrous occurrences are predictable. For instance, when we asked Alba to book us a cab for 4:30 in the morning so that we could be on time for our bus at 5:00, I just knew that the taxi was not going to show up. But what can you do in that situation? All you can do is hope that your feeling is wrong. Which it wasn't. Which is why at 4:40 AM we were foolishly running down the street thinking that we could actually make it to the bus station on time. Maybe if we had not been weighed down by our bags we could have made it, but running with the equivalent of a midget strapped to my back and a chubby baby strapped to my front allowed me to sprint for about 30 seconds and then come to a near halt, my lungs and legs refusing to cooperate. We got about six blocks and thankfully we came across a gas station that was open. We breathlessly explained that we needed a taxi right this second, and the station attendant looked at us sympathetically as he picked up the phone and called. At 4:45 we were pacing back in forth in front of the gas pumps waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the taxi. Another man who had been watching all of this from the van that he was sitting in while chatting with the station attendant took pity on us and offered to give us a ride. And that is one thing that stood out about Ushuaia—the people are wonderful. As we pulled into the bus station at a few minutes to 5:00, we stuffed the taxi money into his hand and grabbed our bags. As we were climbing out of the van he called after us in Spanish, "Say hello to Arnold for me—he's my papa!" Fabulous.
Our bus troubles appeared to be over, but we had another long trip ahead of us: A bus from Ushuaia to Rio Gallegos again with the ferry crossing and all of the border crossing rigmarole, then a 3 ½ hour layover and another bus from Rio Gallegos to El Calafate. Total time: 20 hours. Of course our bus troubles were not over. After crossing into Chile and driving down the very bouncy gravel road for hours, the bus blew a tire. And here allow me to illustrate a difference between travel in the United States and travel in Argentina. In the United States, if you were traveling on a bus and there was a major delay such as someone having to go to the hospital or a destroyed tire, the bus driver would make some sort of announcement saying what had happened, what they are going to do, and how long we might expect to be delayed. It doesn't really change anything, but it gives you some peace of mind. In fact, people in the United States would demand this sort of announcement if it wasn't given right away. In Argentina there are no such announcements. If something happens, well, you can see what's happening for yourself—why should they have to tell you? So we stood on the side of the road for two hours watching the bus drivers, who were not doing a very good job inspiring confidence in us regarding their mechanical abilities, puzzle out how to change the back inner tire. This event threw us off at the ferry crossing causing more delay resulting in yet another ulcer-inducing afternoon wondering if we were going to make the next bus or not. We got to Rio Gallegos with 40 minutes to spare before taking our bus ride to El Calafate which, except for the drunk guys from Finland, the obnoxious Irish man and the dull movie adaptation of The Merchant of Venice that we were compelled to watch because we were sitting right in front of the TV and under the speakers, passed without incident. And although we had survived this trip unscathed, I was thinking about how in a couple of weeks we would be on another trip for 36 hours and that, "I would rather be set quick in the earth and bowled to death by turnips" (as a character from The Merry Wives of Windsor says) than spend that much time on a bus again. But before we went off on another long distance nightmare, we still had over two weeks to spend in El Calafate and El Chalten and a date with a very special glacier.
Why I Never Got That Presidential Physical Fitness Award in Elementary School
One thought on "A Doll, a Cow, and a Mink Walk into a Forest…"
Matthew K. Rasmussen
You are still alive, I was getting worried there for a while. Looks like your having a good time. Love the new blog, thank you for making my morning entertaining.
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Home » Electric Scooters » Hero MotoCorp » Hero MotoCorp confirms eMaestro electric scooter
Hero MotoCorp confirms eMaestro electric scooter
Reports already suggested that Hero MotoCorp is working on an electric scooter to be launched in 2021 and now it seems that the Hero's first electric scooter would be the eMaestro. NDTV carandbike has reported that the eMaestro concept will be the first of many electric vehicles from Hero MotoCorp, and the project was confirmed to the media by Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman of Hero MotoCorp at the Hero World 2020.
As the name suggests, the eMaestro is based on the Maestro Edge and will be equipped with a powerful lithium-ion battery and a permanent magnet motor. Cloud connectivity is also expected to be offered, which will be a new avenue for Hero. The eMaestro will retain most of the design of the Maestro Edge but will sport unique red alloy wheels and a fully digital instrument cluster.
Though Hero MotoCorp will be coming in a couple of years after the competition, the company will be looking to go big in range, features and price when it finally takes the plunge. While major players like Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor have introduced electric scooters in the market in limited cities, Hero has invested in another popular e-scooter brand, Ather Energy (about 30% of which is owned by them) whose recently launched Ather 450X is creating excitement with its features, specification and pricing options.
The eMaestro is expected to be launched in 2021 and priced under Rs 1 lakh to make up for lost ground. Hero will also be looking to make the e-scooter available in most of the major towns and strengthening the charging network. The company announced plans to invest around Rs 10,000 crore for R&D of alternate mobility and sustainable manufacturing at the recently concluded the Hero World 2020 event.
"We are an ever-evolving, youth-centric, innovation-led brand, that has remained the market leader for nearly two decades now, and yet we are not resting on our laurels. As we enter a new decade, we are aiming at ushering in the next wave of mass mobility that is accessible, convenient and environment-friendly, which is aligned with our rejuvenated Vision of 'Be The Future of Mobility'.
Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman of Hero MotoCorp at the Hero World 2020
[Source: auto.ndtv.com]
Categories Hero MotoCorp Tags Hero eMaestro


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15 March, 2014 - 12:45 aprilholloway
Do Spirit Pond Inscriptions show that the Holy Grail was taken to North America?
Forensic geologist, Scott Wolter, has put forward a radical new theory concerning a set of three inscribed stones found near Spirit Pond in Phippsburg more than 40 years ago. According to Wolter, the controversial stones are evidence that the Knights Templar fled Europe for North America after their persecution in 1307, bringing with them the Holy Grail.
The Spirit Pond rune stones, as they are often called, were found in 1971 by a Walter J. Elliott, Jr., a carpenter born in Bath, Maine. The stones, currently housed at the Maine State Museum, have been dismissed by some scientists as a hoax or a fraud, but others maintain that they are authentic and provide evidence of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact and Norse colonisation of the Americas.
The mysterious stones measure about six by eleven inches. One stone features a rough map on one side and inscriptions on the other. The second stone bore a dozen letters on one side, and the third contained a long message of sixteen lines neatly inscribed on both sides of the stone.
The map depicted on one of the stones. Image source .
Upon finding the stones, Walter Elliott took them to the Bath Maritime Museum, where director Harold Brown suggested that the marks might be in the Norse runic alphabet. Subsequently, the stones found their way to Einar Haugen, Harvard professor of Scandinavian languages and history. In his published evaluation, he was adamant the stones were a fraud and dismissed them as "gibberish".
Those who believe that the artefacts are authentic have claimed that Haugen's swift dismissal of the stones served as an unfair deterrent to additional research ever since. According to Sue Carlson from the New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA), once Haugen called them fakes, legions of other scientists in the mainstream establishment wrote them off as such and wouldn't listen to any other theories.
The stones have caused a sharp divide. Both Haugen (1972, 1974) and Wahlgren (1982, 1986) declared the stones are a fake, while more recent research has tended towards an acceptance of its connection to medieval Scandinavia (Buchannan, 1974; Whittal, 1974; Gordon, 1974; Hahn, 1989, 1990; Nieldson, 1992, 1993, 1994; Chapman, 1981, 1993; Buchanan, 1993; and Carlson, 1994). According to the latter, the stones are proof of a widespread Viking presence in North America from the 14 th-15th century.
In a report published in the NEARA Journal, Sue Carlson endeavoured to translate the stones. According to her research, it tells of a sudden storm and fearful Vikings trying to save their ship from "the foamy arms of Aegir, angry god of the sea." In support of this perspective are the Viking traces found along the New England coast, and the location of two rectangular craters a few hundred yards from where the stones were found, which are believed to be sod houses, typical of Norse architecture, dated to around 1405.
Carlson dismissed Haugen's claim the stones were covered in "gibberish," saying he based that determination on an assumption it was Norse language circa 1010. Indeed, analysing and authenticating Norse runic inscriptions poses many challenges, due to the variations in scripts over the ages, and proponents of the stones' authenticity have argued that Haugen was locked into just one of the many runic scripts that were in existence.
However, forensic geologist Scott Wolter has thrown another spanner into the works with his radical idea that the inscription is not proof of a 15 th century Norse voyage to Maine, but the dramatic escape of the Knight's Templars with the Holy Grail to North America. Woltor supports the theory that the Holy Grail is not a cup, but rather the line of descendants from a secret marriage between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.
According to legend, the Knights Templar were tasked with protecting the Holy Grail. Photo source .
"It's the greatest story that's never been told," said Wolter, whose show "America Unearthed" is aired on the History Channel's sister station, H2.
The theory assumes the Holy Grail has been misidentified for generations as a physical cup in which Christ's blood was collected during his crucifixion. Wolter subscribes to the fringe theory that scholars throughout history mistakenly misinterpreted the Old French "san greal" as "holy grail", instead of the similar but more accurate phrase "sang real," which means "royal blood" – in other words, the bloodlines of Christ.
The Knights were a religious military group during the time of the Crusades, but in 1307, previous supporters in the Catholic Church and French royalty turned on the order, accusing members of heretical practices and hunting them down.
Wolter said he believes the Knights were a threat not only because of the wealth they had gained over the years but because they were the biological descendants of Christ. If revealed as members of the divine bloodline, he theorized, their claim to power would rival those of the church and monarchy.
One of Haugen's justifications for dismissing the Spirit Pond stones as fake relates to a crisscrossed character appearing throughout the inscription, referred to as the 'Hooked X' or 'Stung A' because it represents the 'a' sound. Because the same symbol can be found on purportedly runic carvings famously discovered on stones in Narragansett and Kensington, the prevailing academic theory is that all the inscriptions are fakes, with carvers of the more recently discovered New England stones using the 1898 Kensington Rune Stone as their source material.
But Wolter has another hypothesis about the symbol. In his 2009 book, "The Hooked X: Key to the Secret History of North America," he wrote that instead of disqualifying all three sites, the symbol validates them. Wolter said scholars thrown off by the hooked X are limiting their scope of research to the language used by Norse voyagers and argues that the stones instead were etched by Cistercian monks traveling alongside Knights Templar.
"These archaeologists have all been programmed [to believe the stones are fakes] and they can't think outside the box," said Wolter.
Wolter has theorised that the hooked X combines the upside-down V representing the male gender, the right-side-up V representing the female gender, and a small V on the top right arm representing a small female offspring. Together, that's Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their daughter, Wolter said, and the symbol was one of many used by the Knights and their monk supporters as part of a secret language to communicate with one another without giving away their continued existence.
While Sue Carlson dismisses Wolter's Knights Templar theory as "outrageous", they do at least agree on one thing, and that is that the Spirit Pond stones have been unfairly treated since their discovery and at the very least deserve more objective research.
Featured image: One of the Spirit Pond rune stones. Photo source .
The Runes and Language of the Spirit Pond Stones and the Narrangansett Inscription can be Found in Modern Books – by Richard Nielsen
The Holy Grail in Maine? History Channel researcher's theory touches off fresh debate about Phippsburg artifacts – Bangor Daily News
Spirit Pond – New England Antiquities Research Association
The Spirit Pond Inscription Stone – Science Frontiers
The Spirit Pond Inscription Stone: Rhyme and Reason – Suzanne Carlson
Spirit Pond
Phippsburg
blood line
san greal
sang real
Sharon Riordan wrote on 12 August, 2015 - 02:17 Permalink
"If Jesus and Maggie had a baby, well that makes them simple, flawed human beings."
Maybe this will allow you and others to think outside the box concerning our own rightful divinity.
Research leads to deep realization concerning "what you don't know that you don't know".
Tricky but effective.
David R wrote on 21 October, 2014 - 17:31 Permalink
This idea of a bloodline born of Jesus and Magdalene is a complete baloney sandwich, period. Let's just take the basic idea and go, so what? If Jesus and Maggie had a baby, well that makes them simple, flawed human beings. The term "royal blood" is a ridiculous concept. Special blood, is one of the oldest tribal tricks in the book to bamboozle the folks in the village. There was not a monarchy in Europe that did not try to attach themselves to the "vine of David" and/or Solomon to legitimize their far out fantasies of being magical people and indeed, worthy of the common folk's worship and support.
Two, the basic idea was created out of naiveté' and first glance, in the study of the grail, by the authors of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail"….great little book of interesting history, but rubbish in it's main conclusion. Brilliantly argued rubbish, is still rubbish.
ALL references to the grail we have are not about the being itself (although Wolfram Eschenbach's calling it a "lapis exillis"…talk amongst yerselves) but metaphorical treatments. The being itself is so powerful as to be inherent, metaphorically, mythographically, within virtually every culture on Earth. This is historically speaking, of course, since today we are over polluted with rubbish (see above). It's very sad that a person with an education in geology is now attached to the bloodline mess. No wonder the grail is "lost"-although, lost only in a sense that humans are in the wasteland and unable to know. As far as we know, the grail is just fine and "knows" exactly where it is, at all times, even though humans call the being by another name that smells not quite as sweet…..due the math, rosy croissants.
poppy.mullan wrote on 27 July, 2014 - 00:54 Permalink
very interesting theory about the holy grail not being a physical cup but his royal bloodline, hadn't thought of it in this way but i guess it could be possible as translations and words slightly change their meaning over time
Popeye wrote on 26 July, 2014 - 19:47 Permalink
US?! Really? The whole continent of US, or part of it?
You mean North America, right? :)
antientarcana wrote on 16 March, 2014 - 20:09 Permalink
This is not the only stone that mentions the grail coming to the US, nor stories of the knights templars coming to the US. I do not know if I would use a tv show as the basis for a report because you never kow what could be exaggerated on or what could contain the Hollywood effect. I was thinking about writting an article on these stones too, there are at least three that mention the grail coming to the US but we don't even know what the grail really is.