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Relocating - to Melbourne, to a Lily Pond, back just 156 feet ....?
Moving house down under, or moving from England to Wales, or moving only 50 metres – seem to fall into the category of "mad dogs and Englishmen come out in the mid-day sun". When I was researching where 'my post on nuts with peepholes' came from recently, I also found out that Joseph Banks, the botanist, had joined Captain Cook in his first great Pacific Voyage. I could not leave Captain Cook out of that post, nor could I this one!
Captain Cook's parents came from Yorkshire, and had built, in 1755, a cottage in the English village of Great Ayton: whether Captain Cook (1728 – 1779) actually lived there is uncertain, and was probably unlikely, as he was a teenager when he became a British merchant seaman, and joined the Royal Navy the same year the cottage was built.
Earlier last century in 1933 the owner decided to sell the cottage with a condition of sale that the building remain in England – which to me seems an odd clause to have in the contract, but I suppose there was good reason! It would be good to know why and the reason behind it. However, that lady had some foresight, as the cottage was put on the local market obtaining an offer of £300. Hereby hangs the tale – Russell Grimwade, an Australian, offered £800, with the agreement that the clause be changed from "England" to "the Empire"!
So the cottage was deconstructed brick by brick, packed into 253 cases and 40 barrels for shipping to Melbourne. Cuttings from ivy that adorned the house were also taken and planted when the house was re-erected. Grimwade, who was a notable businessman and philanthropist, donated the house to the people of Victoria for the centenary anniversary of the settlement of Melbourne in 1934.
The cottage is now a popular tourist attraction with an English country garden around it, while being part of the Fitzroy Gardens, one of the major Victorian era landscaped gardens in Australia, which add to Melbourne's claim to being the garden city of Australia.
de speldenmaker: the manufacturer of pins
From the Book of Trades 1694
All our family love gardens and about fifteen years ago my mother and I went for a weekend break in "the Fall" to Wales; it was glorious – lovely sunny days, clear skies, misty autumn leaves, the orange, amber, coppery hues of the trees and shrubs changing their colours as we approached, or giving us their magnificence on the landscape as we drove around. Today she remembered and said it was a very good trip!
Bodnant was the second garden accepted by the National Trust, whereby the Aberconways retained ownership of the Hall. The gardens are situated high above the River Conwy looking westwards towards Snowdon. Around the Hall are terraces with informal lawns shaded by trees, while in the valley below through which a tributary runs is the "Dell" containing the wild garden.
It is in an exquisite place and was absolutely superb when we visited; we were able to walk along the Rose and Lily Terraces, the Canal Terrace, through the Rockery into the Dell, and we could see the 50 metre long tunnel of laburnum, which unfortunately flowers in spring, as do the magnificent azaleas and rhododendrons, so we missed those.
Another house that moved is the Pin Mill, which presides over the Canal Terrace, which was purchased by the 2nd Lord of Aberconway (owner of Bodnant) from the tiny village of Frampton in Gloucestershire. The Pin Mill would have needed lots of water, but Frampton was an ideal location situated between the River Severn and one of its tributaries, the River Frome.
©NTPL / Ian Shaw
The Canal Terrace and the Pin Mill at Bodnant Garden in the spring sunlight.
Why Lord Aberconway decided to move it in 1938 is probably recorded somewhere, but unknown to me. In the early 20th century the Pin Mill was used as a factory for making pins (surprisingly!) before being used by a tanner for storing his hides. The folly, as it is described, is a rather pretty building and makes an excellent focal point at the end of the Canal Terrace with its profusion of water lilies: don't you think?
The third relocation is the strangest of all and sits up the Downs about three miles away from here in Eastbourne. A man called 'Mad Jack' (Jack Fuller) was a wealthy local MP, who had madcap ideas, but who was a colourful, fascinating, eccentric, larger than life, very generous, typical Georgian squire – built some bizarre creations. One of which is a light house called Belle Tout.
Fuller witnessed a ship foundering under Beachy Head, the stretch of coast near Eastbourne notorious for shipwrecks. He commissioned a wooden lighthouse in 1828; while the building of a proper lighthouse began in 1829. Unfortunately Mad Jack had not taken into account the sea mists and more often than not the lighthouse was shrouded in mist and not able to be seen from sea.
The Little Lighthouse that moved
A new lighthouse was erected at the bottom of the chalk cliffs with Belle Tout being sold off, in 1902, as a small substantial three storey building. Even in the early 1900s it was known that this part of the coast was liable to severe coastal erosion, and the lighthouse was perilously near the edge. The building changed hands a number of times over the years and had been sympathetically restored as far as possible.
I n 1999, after a massive planning operation everything appeared ready for Belle Tout's monumental move – as the patio was now only ten feet from the edge of the cliff! How does it happen? Simple – it is lifted up onto runners and dragged slowly back away from the cliff, all computer controlled, so there was no disruption – all carefully planned to ensure there should be no heavy digging machinery on site.
From timetravel-britain.com
So necessity caused Mad Jack's eccentric Belle Tout's move, a folly purchased changed the location of the Pin Mill, while the house move came about by a philanthropist determined to have a piece of Captain Cook moved down under, even if it was bricks and mortar. All of them seem to be suitably ensconced in their new surroundings – but I have to say the storms and cliff edge movement here along the Downs, probably makes the original statement that Belle Tout had been moved to survive another 75 years somewhat questionable!
Dear Mr Postman – today seems to have been the last of our Indian Summer, the cold north winds are gathering and it's getting darker in the evenings – I really do not like it that much! I'll go and join the banksias roses down south .. where spring is coming. My uncle is not very well and things are not quite decided .. so we live in limbo land – time will resolve all.
Labels: Australia, Hilary Melton-Butcher, History, Inspirational Stories, mother, Plants, Sussex, UK, Weather
Garnets, Tolkein, Silver and Gold ....
What does the dirt beneath your feet hold? A treasure trove of wonders perhaps? Just like the hoard unearthed by a Staffordshire man using his trusty metal detector. The clay soils of Staffordshire were practically impossible to farm, so the lands were left relatively unscathed by agricultural upheaval until mechanisation arrived some five hundred years ago.
The farmlands, woods, forests, mountains and dales of ancient times still hold glittering caches from the dark ages of a cultural world, we still do not fully understand during those realms and empires of yore.
A sword hilt fitting, gold with cloisonné garnet inlay, from the Staffordshire Hoard. Soil can be seen on the object as it has not yet been cleaned by conservators.
The Lichfield area became the ecclesiastical centre for Mercia after a number of their Kings were buried in the newly built monastery grounds, when the first Christian king donated land to Abbot Chad. A cathedral was built in AD 700 to house the bones of St Chad after his beatification.
The hoard exemplifies craftsmanship of the highest level, the treasures deemed to be for kings, queens, royalty and aristocratic nobles – exquisite intricate workmanship of an art not seen before. Articles in common use at that time made of gold and silver, decorated with garnet, filigree, millefiori – swords, hilts, helmets, a scabbard boss, a crushed cross – all ornately decorated or depicted with animals of the day.
An amazing collection of over 1,500 gold and silver pieces, the gold items weighing over 5kg, which is three times more than the last great treasure trove in 1939. The Sutton Hoo find seventy years ago seems to establish that this period in English history of presumed barbaric times, was in fact a pretty sophisticated place. One of the pieces found in 1939 came from Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey), thus proving that trade links had been far more extensive than previously thought.
Gold scabbard boss with inlaid garnets
Picture: STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD courtesy of The Telegraph
The most intriguing object is a small inscribed strip of gold with a Latin quotation from the Old Testament Book of Numbers, which translates: "Rise up, O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face". This tiny artefact would suggest that Christianity was widespread in seventh century Britain.
We pride ourselves on our Anglo-Saxon heritage, but there's a feeling that British history essentially begins in 1066 with the Norman Conquest – perhaps this find (the Staffordshire Hoard) will enable historians and archaeologists to unravel the twists and turns of our past and find our way through the mists of time.
Britain about the year 802, showing the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in red/orange and the Celtic kingdoms in green.
This treasure trove was found in the Kingdom of Mercia, one of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchic kingdoms, centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries now known as the English Midlands. The name itself Mercia derives from the Latinisation of the Old English "Mierce", meaning border people.
J R R Tolkein is one of the many scholars who have studied and promoted the Mercian dialect of Old English and introduced various Mercian terms into his legendarium – especially in relation to the Kingdom of Rohan. Tolkein weaves Mercian monarch's names into this kingdom, eg Freawine, Frealaf and Eomer.
The name garnet, long used since the Bronze Age for gemstones and abrasives, came from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus "grain", possibly a reference to the Punica granatum "pomegranate", and plant with seeds similar in shape, size, and colour to some garnet crystals.
Now that these objects of wonder have been officially classed as treasure they will be evaluated, pondered over, scientifically explored using the latest techniques available to trace their origin, thus establishing perhaps a revised thinking of our Anglo-Saxon history.
Little is really known of this period, a great deal of it conjecture in the true sense, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals charting the history of the Anglo-Saxons (400 AD – 800 AD); it was initially created in the 9th century and added to as time went on. The earliest of these annals was dated 60 BC, and they were updated annually until the early 800s AD, when the Vikings started to conquer England, prior to the great Norman Conquest of 1066. Other works, such as The Venerable Bede's "Historia" completed in AD 731, like other historical writing from this period were a mixture of fact, legend and literature.
Three glittering prizes (in 1938, 1942 and 1992) have been found in East Anglia – the area that became the Roman and Anglo-Saxon main centre between London and York, and for North Sea trade to Scandinavia and the Rhine into mainland Europe.
From 700AD . . . part of the Staffordshire hoard. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters; courtesy of The Guardian
An abandoned hoard (dated 1455) in Sherwood Forest of Robin Hood fame uncovered in 1966; fleeing Vikings in 902 from Ireland buried coins, ingots, amulets, rings, brooches etc in the river bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire found by workmen in 1840; men plundering a burial cairn for stone on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, unearthed a gold cup in 1837.
And now the greatest Saxon treasure of all, the Staffordshire Hoard – until the earth gives up more buried wares from fleeing warlords – has been detected and laid bare for us all to admire, to excite the archaeologists, historians, scientists – who are describing this treasure as the equivalent of finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells, and will almost certainly rewrite that period of English history.
Dear Mr Postman – it has been a long week – my poor uncle is not at all well, but fortunately he can be moved from the short stay hospice up to the Nursing Centre where my mother has been for these past two years. In fact we've managed to get him into the room next door, which is the same room he had when he recuperated from a fractured pelvis not quite two years ago.
Labels: Cornwall, Customs and Traditions, Europe, Hilary Melton-Butcher, History, Inspirational Stories, mother, UK
What did the charcoal hawker start ...?
And where did Handel fit in or the ancient instrument: the trumpet? Just three hundred years ago we needed charcoal for our braziers, which were used to cook on and heat our lodgings, while light was supplied by candles – so charcoal hawkers were a necessary part of London life.
Music as an art was beginning to take shape. The word 'concert' (of which 'concerto' is the Italian form) means a performing together and was long used solely in that sense; in the late
1700s a concert was not an event in musical performance, but a combination of performers. It was at that time often an entertainment to be viewed, discussed, listened to – not necessarily, and not usually, as an artistic expression worthy in its own right.
A keyed trumpet at the Reid Concert Hall Museum of Instruments in Edinburgh.
It seems that the first actual paying concerts were started by John Banister, a London violinist in 1672 who, together with a few other performers, gave a programme daily at 4.00 in the afternoon in a sort of 'tavern like' atmosphere.
Thomas Britton, who by day hawked charcoal for a living round the streets of London, had converted his loft into a music-room, where, as a self-taught musician and scholar, who enjoyed the friendship of the most cultured people of his day, including many of the nobility, had installed the necessary musical apparatus, including a tiny organ of five stops, on which Handel was wont to play.
The Proms 2005. Most people sit, while Promenaders stand in front of the orchestra. The Royal Albert Hall Organ is in the background.
This man of humble origins, who carried sacks of charcoal to light braziers in people's houses, was the originator in 1678 of a series of concerts that were held weekly for thirty six years until his death in1714. These concerts originally were free, until Britton charged ten shillings a year subscription and one penny for a cup of coffee (so coffee was 'common' by 1700). Ned Ward, a humorist of the day reported that "anybody that is willing to take a hearty Sweat may have the Pleasure of hearing many notable performers in the charming Science of Musick".
The diverse aspects of early music spread, allowing different groupings of musicians to gather and play together, exposing not only their talents, but also their instruments to the music loving society of London in various taverns, music premises, theatres, meeting rooms, halls throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Stop knobs of the Baroque organ in Weingarten, Germany
The great courts of Europe employed a kapellmeister, designating a person in charge of music-making (kapelle means "choir", "orchestra", or literally "chapel", and meister "master"). Bach, Handel, Haydn amongst other great composers established their reputations through these positions, while at this time there was a great inter-change of ideas across Europe, which allowed the kapellmeisters or freelancers (as Beethoven and Mozart preferred to remain) to influence music in the great cities at that time, of which London was one.
Haydn, in the 1790s, travelled twice to London to perform and conduct his compositions including the Concerto in E flat-Flat Major for Trumpet and Orchestra, which he had composed for his long standing friend, Anton Weidinger, an Austrian trumpet virtuoso in the classical era. Weidinger experimented with a 5-keyed trumpet, a version of the instrument on which a full chromatic scale became possible, before the introduction of the valve trumpet in the 19th century.
A Promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall, 2004. The bust of Henry Wood can be seen in front of the organ.
During the 1800s concert performances became more and more popular ranging across the professional musicians' genre: voice, instrumentation, solos, orchestra, church music etc. Numerous concert halls were built including Queen's Hall, at which The Promenade Concerts (to be become popularly known as The Proms) were begun in 1895. Popular concerts for the public opened their ears to the possibilities of the orchestral classics, as well as making acquaintance with orchestral novelties via the annotated programmes supplied for the concerts.
The Proms, is an 8 week summer season of daily orchestral, classical music concerts held annually and predominantly in the Royal Albert hall, but now include chamber concerts at Cadogan hall and additional Proms in the Park events across the country. Jiri Belohlavek the Czech conductor, has described The Proms as "the world's largest and most democratic musical festival".
Last weekend the final night of The Proms 2009 was held; the BBC interlinking from the Royal Albert Hall to outside venues across Great Britain. Haydn's Trumpet Concerto was once again played by Alison Balsom, an extremely talented leggy blonde, who has recently won the Classical Brit Award for her trumpet playing, and has made her mark in the fiercely competitive world of classical music; a fantastic achievement bearing in mind the fairly limited repertoire available for this instrument.
Alison Balsom trumpeter
The trumpet, that dates back at least to Tutankhamun's era (1300BC), when bronze and silver trumpets were found in his grave, and Alison Balsom's splendid performance over 3,000 years later may not have come about except for men like, Thomas Britton, the charcoal hawker.
Handel, in 1710 had been appointed Kapellmeister to George, Elector of Hanover, and when George became King George I of Britain, travelled to London with his court where he joined the general cognoscenti's acceptance that Britton, despite from humble origins, opened the musical doors to a much wider social audience, which continues to this day.
Alison Balsom's performance at The Proms 2009 - on You Tube
Hallo again Mr Postman - life has been tricky - my uncle has rather suddenly had to go into the hospice and I am now sleeping at his house, as well as generally looking after things for him .. my mother continues on and I relay messages backwards and forwards between the two hospitals! I think there's a life out there - is there?! So I'm grateful to you for delivering this letter to both my mother and my uncle. My uncle sadly cannot read any more - another challenge we need to help him with. I hope he'll be able to go home with care in place. We live each day as it comes. It's been gloriously sunny today here - a really hot balmy summer's day.
Labels: Europe, History, Inspirational Stories, Music, Postive Story, UK
Sting like a bee? Dance like a bee?
Nature produces a species that can sting like a bee, but cannot be stung back because it has armour plates and is called a wolf. The honey bee or bumble bee is not meant to be able to fly anyway, but waggles a dance. While the wolf has difficulty adapting to change, it has been around for a long time featuring in folklore and mythology, including the well known Roman tradition that a wolf was responsible for the childhood survival of Romulus and Remus, the twin founders of Rome.
Romulus and Remus nursed by the She-wolf by Peter Paul Rubens (Rome, Capitoline Museums)
The gray wolf survived the ice ages slowly adapting and thriving to be able to live in most habitats – temperate forests, deserts, mountains, tundra, grasslands and even urban areas; however it has now been restricted to a much smaller range, because of the widespread destruction of its territory and human encroachment of its habitat or local extinction (extirpation).
Though once abundant over much of Eurasia and North America, the gray wolf has been pushed to the northern expanses and wildernesses – human cultures have a love hate relationship with the wolf, in some it is respected and revered, while in others they were feared and held in distaste.
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
Bees are an enormous species, it is estimated that there are 20,000 varieties in nine families, but entomologists generally agree that these numbers are likely to be much larger, and they are found everywhere, except Antarctica, in every habitat on the planet that contain insect pollinated flowering plants.
It is thought that approximately one third of our food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees. They collect nectar which they use as an energy source, while the pollen is primarily used for protein and other nutrients, as well as feeding the next generation – the larvae.
A solitary bee visiting Lantana
They too have evolved and are, like ants, a specialised form of wasp. It is thought that ancestrally the bees switched from insect prey to pollen gatherers, as their target was always covered in pollen when fed to the wasp larvae. The earliest insect flower pollination occurred by beetles well before bees came along; the novelty as far as entomologists is concerned is that bees are generally more efficient as pollinators than any other pollinating insect such as beetles, flies or butterflies.
This evolution has continued and there are now a great many different types of bee of the solitary or the communal types. The honey bee, bumblebee and stingless bee have advanced altruistic forms of community – they practice mass provisioning, complex nest architecture and perennial colonies, while other simpler community types have developed over the millennia.
Beekeeping or apiculture has been developed by humans to farm honey bees to obtain the honey, but recently managed populations of the honey bee may be one potential problem of the disease 'colony collapse disorder', however this management may provide a way to contain the condition and allow new colonies to be started up.
Other particular species are the Bumblebee, immortalised so often in children's tales, the killer bee (Africanised Honey Bee) – these bees are generalists, while, for example, the Orchid Bee, the Hornfaced Bee and other types exhibit a narrow, specialised preference for pollen sources, typically to a single genus of flowering plants.
European Honey Bees Lebanon
The ability of bees to be able to fly has been vexing scientists and mathematicians for years and since 1934 when it was found that their flight could not be explained by fixed-wing calculation – as the calculations "don't square with reality", the chase has been on to solve this challenge. There appears to be a connection called the Dance of the Bees relative to their waggle – a navigational command as to the whereabouts of their food source – the flowers. At this point I bow out and leave you to look at the "Hive Mind Honey blog" for a greater understanding, or Wikipedia.
Now you're asking, I hope, why on earth do we have story on wolves, on bees – well how about a BeeWolf which is actually a wasp, known as a bee hunter (hence its name). This predatory insect injects venom into the bee, which only paralyses it leaving it ready for use in a new brood chamber within the burrow, when an egg is laid. The bee may try to sting back, but another evolutionary feature is that the BeeWolf has an armour plated covering, which prevents a deadly attack from its prey.
The European beewolf, Philanthus triangulum
Nature is so clever – it may take eons for all of these evolutionary forces to take effect, and that constant evolvement continues on – the domestic dog only 'broke away' from its common ancestor the wolf approximately 15,000 years ago; will we understand if the waggle dance of the bee actually explains how it flies, and will the BeeWolf continue to hunt bees? Time will tell.
Dear Mr Postman thank you for taking this letter up to my mother, she enjoyed the story on the Banksian nut and Banksia rose and commented that of course those mammoth journeys by Cook were under sail! I explained the four major journeys Cook made, and gave her some background, as I have realised that the mix of subjects within each blog post can be muddling for her – she can still comprehend, and come up with appropriate comments – and takes an interest and is interested, as long as I speak clearly and slowly enough with some pauses for her to comment, if she wants to = for us both the most important thing: getting the interaction going. I have to say my subjects would bemuse most people ... we talked about the fire surviving banksias plants and Captain Cook's cottage ... but not my mother.
Labels: Americas, Animals, Asia, Europe, Flowers, Hilary Melton-Butcher, Inspirational Stories, mother, Positive Stories, UK, USA
Nuts with Peepholes, a name for talking about ...
Banks a name to be remembered, as a man who influenced the King and society in the days when exploration, knowledge and an understanding of the earth were beginning to take shape. The world was starting to become smaller, texts could be shared, art could be reproduced, knowledge and philosophy could be debated, new lands were being mapped, new sea routes charted, each and every discovery spurring the curious learned, the intrepid explorer to want to know more.
Banksia prionotes inflorescence
Sir Joseph Banks, the naturalist and botanist, joined Captain Cook's first expeditionary voyage (1768 – 1771) on the Endeavour with the prime objective of seeing the transit of Venus on Tahiti (French Polynesia). This joint scientific venture between the Royal Navy and the Royal Society for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, included scientists, naturalists and artists, whose observations, discoveries and pictorial recordings, together with Cook's own experience as an explorer, navigator and cartographer made the journey of immense importance.
Endeavour replica in Cooktown harbour - just offshore where the original Endeavour was beached for seven weeks in 1770.
Cook had by this time already mapped Newfoundland and this was to be the first of his three great Pacific expeditionary voyages. On their return Cook's journals were published and he was a hero amongst the scientific community, however Banks became the bigger hero among the general public, as presumably it was easier to understand the plants, the descriptions with the appropriate specimens, while also having the pictorial records than Cook's concept of the globe with its seas and land outlines.
Banks was a prodigious naturalist and during this first trip, together with botanists from Sweden and Finland, collected over 3,000 specimens. The voyage took them to Brazil, whence bougainvillea was first sighted, round Cape Horn and across to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus across the sun, and on westwards to New Zealand and the east coast of Australia before returning via Java (Indonesia) and the southern tip of Africa.
The Endeavour on reaching the Australian eastern seaboard had foundered on the Great Barrier Reef necessitating a seven week lay over for repairs; Banks and his fellow scientists took their opportunity to explore, record, draw and search out specimens to be taken back to Europe. Banks introduced eucalyptus, acacia and mimosa to name a few of the new species to the western world, while approximately 80 species continue to bear his name.
Cones: Infructescence of B. integrifola, with non-persistent flowers; and B. marginata, with persistent flowers
During this period the Banksia genus, in the plant family Proteacae, was discovered. One of these produces the Banksian Nut which appears as a seed pod with peephole apertures – this conversation starter (exactly how I came to find out about it – as my uncle has one on his mantelpiece), proved we were extremely ignorant as to its provenance and I was deputed to find out, especially as the only Banksia I had come across was of the Rosa variety.
The Banksia are mainly endemic to Australia and are recognised by their characteristic flowering spikes with fruiting cones and heads. The large seed pod is quite extraordinary as you can see in the picture. The plants have adapted to the occurrence of bushfires in two ways: the first by the fire stimulating the opening of seed-bearing follicles and the germination of the seed in the ground; the second through sprouting either from lignotubers, or from extremely thick bark that protects the tree allowing it to regrow.
They form an essential role in the food chain of the Australian bush, as heavy producers of nectar for nectariferous fauna, vital for bees when nectar is in short supply, tiny seeds, smaller insects or larvae as food for birds and insects, hiding places for pupation or nesting once the large seed heads have ripened or for regeneration when the time is right.
Woodworked Banksia grandis cone
The reddish brown shrubby wood cannot be put to many uses, as it warps too easily, but is used for ornamental purposes in wood turning; while the seed pods are generally marketed as souvenirs for tourists – how my uncle must have received his – from a visiting god-child - or they are turned into a woodworked object such as the one shown here.
Rosa banksiae, commonly referred to as the Lady Banks' Rose
The Rosa banksia I know from my days in South Africa, herald the start of spring with their flowering profusions of creamy yellow clusters of flowers cascading over walls, along facades of houses, clambering along fences bursting with their pendulous welcome to the spring in the southern hemisphere. In Johannesburg this encouraging plant brought the feeling of warmth to the long dry cold of winter, the hope of mellower days before the burning summer sun beats down and our thoughts turned to the expectation of rain.
William Kerr, a professional gardener and plant hunter, worked at Kew when not travelling, and was instructed by Sir Joseph Banks on his expeditions to China. During one of these exploratory trips deep into China in the early 1800s the white Rosa Banksia, named for Sir Joseph's wife, was classified, then two further variations were found a richer yellow, and the lovely pale creamy yellow variety that I grew to love in South Africa. It is only since I have returned that I have found and seen these beautiful clambering plants in peoples' gardens in early summer (including my uncle's) – and now, here too, they remind me of the warmer days to come: wish I was in the southern hemisphere now!
Thank you Mr Postman for coming by today when I've been a little slow in writing, lots going on and just sometimes letters don't happen! My mother is as bright as ever, always cheerful - how I do not know, but her strength amazes me: she will be interested to see the Banksian nut when I take it up and she can touch and feel it. Aren't we lucky isn't the weather brilliant at the moment - we're having a late summer .. it's not quite time for an Indian Summer yet ..
Posted by Hilary Melton-Butcher at 11:21 8 comments:
Labels: Africa, Americas, Asia, Australia, Birds, Europe, Flowers, Geography, global, Hilary Melton-Butcher, Inspirational Stories, international, mother, New Zealand, Positive Stories, UK, world
Where are Pelicans?
I too asked this question when I saw a note from a friend of mine, Lorna, in New Zealand and clicked through to find out more. Tiny villages or communities like this one is home to just 113 souls; back in the 1970s I lived for a while in a Northamptonshire village of 180 or so, but within a radius of a few miles there were a number of other villages and the main town – so to find Pelican, a sea fishing village on the Alaskan Panhandle was an interesting experience; while then again to find descendents of Charles II time living happily in St James's Park was too!
Photo credit © Glenn Bills 2004 Aerial View of Pelican
Lorna spent some time in Alaska pursuing her art and photography passion and had spent some time there. What sort of sank in, when I looked at this picture of the sea port, is how obviously isolated it is – and when something major goes wrong to our town's infrastructure, it just gets sorted out and that is it: in Pelican things are different.
Raven Radio Sitka, Alaska: KCAW-FM Radio Broadcast (short) is interesting - listen here
Their wooden flume broke and this meant that the water and hydro-electric systems failed leaving the town with a rather large quandary: without fresh water and without any electricity in their homes and businesses. The systems have been patched – but the Alaskan winter approaches – the dilemma now is finding a 'permanent temporary' measure (if that makes sense?) until the scheduled brand new pipe is installed next year.
Image by City of Pelican
This resilient community will pull through and the tiny haven will continue to offer commercial fishermen storm protection, as intended, when established by The Pelican's owner in 1938. Raven Radio of Sitka, Alaska reported on the flume's collapse and there's a short radio broadcast.
Now comes the fun bit - who would have thought that pelicans would be living on the duck pond in the middle of St James's Park London – certainly not me! Especially pigeon eating pelicans. This world is amazing! The Russian Ambassador in the late 1600s had given Charles II these exotic birds as a present and here they are to do this day.
This happened in October 2006 – one of the five pelicans living near Duck Island in the Park was sauntering happily along, watched by a number of tourists, as was the poor pigeon minding its own business – pelicans eat fish, but the next thing the pigeon was gulped in – can you see its beady eye? Apparently it struggled but eventually the pelican won and had its strange lunch.
The Pelican with its huge wingspan and large pouched bills are found worldwide, though naturally occurring in the warmer climes; there are two main groups: those with mostly white adult plumage, which nest on the ground, while those with brown or pink-backed plumage nest in trees. The wingspan ranges from as little as 6 feet to over 11 feet, while the bill is the longest of any known bird.
The unusual wildlife spectacle in St James's Park was caught on camera by photographer Cathal McNaughton: courtesy of the BBC 25 October 2006
Surprisingly they often fish in groups forming a line to chase schools of small fish into shallow water and then scoop them up, or with larger fish they are caught with the bill-tip, then tossed into the air and caught before being swallowed head first. The Brown Pelican of North America usually plunge-dives for its prey – watch out all swimmers and surfers, because as one young lady found out she needed 11 stitches after colliding with a Pelican.
Pelicans have been revered for centuries in countries around the world; in Western Europe they feature in heraldry, in Medieval times they were represented in 'Bestiaries', in Peru the Moche civilisation (around 300AD) worshipped nature, often depicting Pelicans in their art.
A Pelican can be a book - a child of Penguin?! or as here it can be a seaport, with some desperate repairs needed, found on the panhandle of Alaska – not the one that stretches out into the Pacific, but the strip of islands, long inlets that continues down the coast of Canada for about 400 miles. Or the pelican bird found on various continents and seemingly, on occasions, vicarious in its diet – a pigeon here or there, or a duck, or a dove.
Just looking to find out about something that catches my eye, or amuses me can lead to so many interesting diversions – pelican eating birds, bestiaries, flumes, panhandles, symbolism across the ages: so much has happened in this world of ours that we can, should we wish, find out about.
Dear Mr Postman – Autumn has arrived and it's only September, it really is a bit much. I have another couple of days to myself before I get back to seeing my mother again on a daily basis – it's been good to have a little space at home this time, and not have to rush off and catch an aeroplane to the other side of the world – well I'd love to .. but not for 6 days as I have been doing! so this has been treat time, but it'll be nice to be back to see her.
Labels: Africa, Americas, Asia, Australia, Birds, Books, Customs and Traditions, Europe, Hilary Melton-Butcher, History, Laughter, mother, Positive Stories, UK, USA
Gathering taxes by a Hedge?
30,000 miles or 2,000 miles of hedging – which would be India and which would be Cornwall? Closed for the collection of salt taxes, or for soil erosion? How about the Chinese Willow Palisade for ginseng and timber taxes?
Cornish hedges predate both the Indian and the unmeasured Chinese Willow Palisade by some thousands of years. It is extraordinary to think that Cornwall was densely populated in prehistory, and their field systems still exist today as evidenced by the stone-faced earth hedge-banks found all over Cornwall.
Stone Hedges, Pendeen
Cornwall's prehistoric farmers practised mixed agriculture, while maintaining common land and rough grazing around the fringes of the fields forming a crucial element of this farming landscape. These tiny fields enclosed against the elements cover an estimated 30,000 miles (two thirds of which were built in the Neolithic Age, or the slightly later Bronze and Iron Ages (2,000 – 4,000 years ago).
Hedges in England were altered as the Norman influence took effect, with manorial lands requiring larger field systems, then as the population increased in Medieval times the lands were regulated again through the Enclosure Acts, but now a great many of those replanted Medieval hedges have been grubbed out so that larger fields provide cheaper food for our ever increasing modern population (which recently topped 61 million).
The term "hedge" comes from Old English, German and Dutch signifying 'enclosure' as in the name of the Dutch city, The Hague. Hedges are usually boundaries of closely spaced shrubs and trees made up of many species dependent on the countryside, some old boundary hedges may have been existence for many hundreds of years.
Wayside Cross and stile, St Buryan
The western part of Britain suffered less interference from marauding invaders, while the geology, local climate and style of farming ensured that these hedge boundaries have been left relatively undisturbed. The protective structures provided windbreaks for the stock, the courtyard house settlements, the crops struggling to grow, as well as the prevention of erosion of the valuable topsoil.
So often we went out for walks as the sun splayed out from the darkened skies soon to jewel the landscape, the soft mist rolling in on the Atlantic winds dusting the hedgerows and grassy fields with dew drops, before the squalls of life enriching rains came over.
Roadside hedge, Sancreed
When the sun was bright and the sea shone its mix of green and aquamarine with the sky blue above, the hedges colourfully displayed their wares: the early flowering creamy yellow primroses, the white narcissi, the bluebells, the summer bramble flowers, the dog roses, scattered in amongst the natural sedge, the vibrant green ferns unfurling their new leaves through the summer. Autumn comes turning the flowers to berries, or fruits providing more wealth for the briefly sighted or hidden wildlife.
These showed us the tiny wonders of Cornwall, the pockets of wildlife, the hidden gems in the hedges, the sanctuary of protection and life ahead. We heard the constrained buzz of bumble bees collecting nectar inside foxglove flowers, their tall erect spikes adding to the decoration of the already blooming hedge; we saw beetles or the ants crawling amongst the tiny sugary droplets in the celandine or honeysuckle flowers; we watched in amazement the butterflies softly fluttering along the flowery banks.
These heirlooms from generations past continue to provide an insight into plantings and habitats that may have been lost elsewhere, reflecting the natural wonders of days long ago: flower meadows, woodland plantings, heath uplands, lichen and moss covered stones left completely untouched for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
An eager bumble bee on a foxglove
These hedges are a natural part of the West Cornwall landscape, where my mother lived and where we have always holidayed, and can be seen to this day in towns and villages, as well as along all the lanes crisscrossing the Cornish peninsula, reminding us as we walked or drove of these bastions of wildlife.
Today these picturesque hedges add to the feel the visitor experiences of the Cornish landscape – the unkempt-looking hedges with their weathered stones and wind-slanted bushes or trees, the tiny valleys full of lush greenery tucked into this land of rocky outcrops, moors and rugged cliffs, all linked with its patchwork of tiny fields.
We need to protect these ancient stone hedges, which provide a link to pre-farming history, where native species still abound, supporting the many insects, small mammals, birds and rodents finding a home or foraging in the stony crevices.
Old Cornish hedge in Penzance
A hedge a boundary, an earth bank, a thorny tax line or a willow palisade high above a ten foot trench all manmade over time – history will remember all three, but I know I would rather come across the flowery profusion of a Cornish earth-bank, than the straggly prickly tax collecting hedge in India, or the fast growing willow trees hiding the tax trench beyond, which enclosed huge tracts of land in the centre of China. Let's hope that the 21st century Cornish preserve these wonderful flowering havens.
Hello! Mr Postman – now it's September Autumn seems to be calling, more blustery winds and squally showers, though we're fortunate here in the South East as it has been drier. My mother will love to have this letter, which will bring back memories of blackberrying round the lanes, our walks and times gone by; she will enjoy the photos, as they are so evocative of Cornwall.
I have to credit Cornish Hedges with these photographs and reminders about how important our heritage is – their website is really good = about why Cornish Hedges are Different, and! is well worth a read.
Labels: Asia, Cornwall, Customs and Traditions, Flowers, Geography, Hilary Melton-Butcher, Inspirational Stories, Plants, Positive Stories, UK
Relocating - to Melbourne, to a Lily Pond, back ju...


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Franch
English Tv Series
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Nivin Pauly
1984-10-11 male Aluva, Kerala, India Homepage
Nivin Pauly is an Indian film actor and producer best known for his work in Malayalam cinema. Nivin applied for the audition of Vineeth Sreenivasan's directional debut Malarvaadi Arts Club in 2009, and was selected to play the main role. Malarvaadi Arts Club produced by actor Dileep released on July 2010. After playing several small roles and cameo roles, Nivin got his breakthrough with his role in Thattathin Marayathu (2012), which was also directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan.Later, he went on to act in successful films including Neram (2013), 1983 (2014), Ohm Shanthi Oshaana (2014), Bangalore Days (2014), Oru Vadakkan Selfie (2015), Premam (2015), Action Hero Biju (2016) and Jacobinte Swargarajyam (2016). Nivin made his debut as a producer with the film Action Hero Biju under his production company Pauly Jr. Pictures, which also starred him in the title role. Nivin Pauly is also the youth ambassador of Kerala Blasters for the third edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) football. Nivin received the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his Tamil debut Neram (2013). In 2015, Nivin Pauly received the 45th Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performances in Bangalore Days and 1983.
Ohm Shanthi O.. 2014 7.3
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Hey Jude celebrates the innate beautiful things in human beings and life as a whole. For the world, Jude and his thought processes seem like a puzzle....More.
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Q: MSXML creating XML "header" I am attempting to use MSXML in VB6 to create a XML file that can then be deserialized as an object in C#.
The XML I am attempting to mimic looks like this
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ArrayOfStock xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <Stock>
    <ProductCode>12345</ProductCode>
    <ProductPrice>10.32</ProductPrice>
  </Stock>
  <Stock>
    <ProductCode>45632</ProductCode>
    <ProductPrice>5.43</ProductPrice>
  </Stock>
</ArrayOfStock>

The question I have is how do I create the following line using the MSXML library?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

IE: How do I create an unterminated "header" value?

A: Have a look at this similar question.

You need to use a MXXMLWriter60,
  instead of saving it directly. ... See
  IMXWriter for details.

A: Lots of hubbub here about UTF-8, but the DOMDocument.save() method does use the PI to determine how to encode saved output.  The only real snag is that for formatted output instead of economical output (no whitespace) you need to use the SAX Writer.
Basically things seem to work just as expected though.  There is nothing hackish about this, it's how it is done.
Option Explicit

Private Sub Main()
    Dim varStock As Variant
    Dim docStock As MSXML2.DOMDocument
    Dim elemRoot As MSXML2.IXMLDOMElement
    Dim elemStock As MSXML2.IXMLDOMElement
    Dim elemField As MSXML2.IXMLDOMElement
    Dim I As Integer

    varStock = Array(Array("12345", 10.32), _
                     Array("¥45632", 5.43)) 'Yen sign used here to show Unicode.

    Set docStock = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    With docStock
        .appendChild .createProcessingInstruction("xml", _
                                                  "version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8""")
        Set elemRoot = .createElement("ArrayOfStock")
        With elemRoot
            .setAttribute "xmlns:xsi", "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
            .setAttribute "xmlns:xsd", "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
            For I = 0 To UBound(varStock)
                Set elemStock = docStock.createElement("Stock")
                With elemStock
                    Set elemField = docStock.createElement("ProductCode")
                    elemField.Text = CStr(varStock(I)(0))
                    .appendChild elemField
                    Set elemField = docStock.createElement("ProductPrice")
                    elemField.Text = CStr(varStock(I)(1))
                    .appendChild elemField
                End With
                .appendChild elemStock
            Next
        End With
        Set .documentElement = elemRoot
        On Error Resume Next
        Kill "created.xml"
        On Error GoTo 0
        .save "created.xml"
    End With
End Sub

Examining the output file looking for the Yen sign you should see that the text is UTF-8 encoded.
If you want this in-memory rather than to disk you can .save() to something like an ADODB.Stream object, or just use XMLHTTPRequest.send with the DOMDocument as the argument (body).  There is no need to resort to the heavyweight option of an Interop approach.

A: Its called a "declaration".
On your XML writer, set the property omitXMLDeclaration to False and encoding to "utf-8".

A: Thanks for both your input but unfortunately the methods described only apply to xml in the .NET platform.
(But you did guide me in the right direction)
In VB6 (Using MSXML 3 and above) the method to accomplish what I was looking for was createProcessingInstruction()
The code looks like this.
Private Sub BuildHeader()
    m_document.appendChild m_document.createProcessingInstruction("xml", "version=""1.0"" encoding=""utf-8""")
End Sub

and can then be processed as such (assuming all the other object details are consistant)
XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Stock));
using (StreamReader streamReader = new StreamReader(path))
{
    return (Stock)serializer.Deserialize(streamReader);
}

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text:
var Ractive = require('ractive');
var Template = require('./Content.html');
var FriendsList = require('../friendslist');

module.exports = Ractive.extend({
	template: Template,
	components: {
		FriendsList: FriendsList
	}
});

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when I look at this woman I have an irresistible urge to fashion myself the same way... yes I am male. of course I am male.
yes. a saree looks drab without a certain bulge in the chest... but a man can very well create that bulge!!! you say that's artificial? but so are body piercings or any other accessories for that matter... just like pins and buttons and seams in the right places keep a shirt/suit/jacket in the right shape, so will an artificially created bulge keep a blouse in the right place, adding to the aesthetic value.
say, I have collarbones and a narrow shoulder to match that of a woman... I am slender and my waist smoothly bulges giving way to a perky firm buttock. so I can very well go to a salon tomorrow, get all my body and facial hair removed... trim my eyebrows curl my lashes... get a skin treatment and a hair treatment, and walk down any road confident and beautiful in the same setup as this lady.
this 'I' is not me the writer of this blog alone. this 'I' is innumerable number of men around the globe who think the same thought as mine. and the most important thing is that I do not consider it as 'crossdressing'... it's just another fashion choice... a way or manner in which I want to dress myself, the way I want everyone else to see me. it's just like finding a particular shirt or t-shirt you like and then finding accessories and looks that go well with it.
if we set aside the fantasies the fetishes and all other theories generally associated with 'crossdressing', this question comes to the forefront! it's not like I want to be a lady or feel like one... it's just that I want to wear a particular type of clothing.... that too not always. the fact that I want to dress in a saree today doesn't mean I won't wear trousers tomorrow... I do not abhor male clothes... I love them, and wear them happily. just that I want to do the same with 'female clothes', be it a sari or a halter top.
so what do you think my dear reader? should we really label this as 'crossdressing' and then fight for equal treatment or validity from society? or should we treat it just as a fashion choice and transcend the categorizations and labels? for me the later seems the more logical and natural thing to do... let's hear from you... is it a fashion choice for you? or is it something else???


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text:
The Continuing Story of West Chelsea's Story Boutique
Relying on an ever-changing narrative, the West Chelsea boutique has become a favorite haunt with shoppers, established executives and new talent.
By Rosemary Feitelberg on December 5, 2015
The backstory behind Story, New York's innovative West Chelsea boutique, has quite a cast of characters. And that's exactly how founder Rachel Shechtman likes it.
Profitable in its first year and now four years strong, the Tenth Avenue ever-changing store has become a destination for high-powered fashion executives and yet-to-be-discovered small business owners alike. Never mind the 2,000 shoppers that visit the single shop on a typical Saturday. If you were to meet Shechtman at a party, her introductory line might simply be, "I have a concept store called Story. We have the point of view of a magazine, we change every three to eight weeks like a gallery and we sell things like a store."
This story first appeared in the December 2, 2015 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
Since Story's unveiling, Shechtman's roster of brand partners inside the 1,600 square feet of selling space include Target, GE, Lexus, Yahoo, Intel, Procter & Gamble, Home Depot, Condé Nast and Pepsi, among others. There have been Q&As with Bobbi Brown, Norma Kamali and Yves Béhar, as well as cooking, mixology, yoga and Pilates classes, tallying 400-plus in-store events. Pitch Night, an open-call for small businesses, has rocketed so many brands that Shechtman is in talks to partner with a major-league company to substantially scale up the project.
Target chief executive officer Brian Cornell, J. Crew's Millard "Mickey" Drexler, Lands' End's Federica Marchionni, Macy's Terry J. Lundgren, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Intel's ceo Brian Krzanich, HSN's Mindy Grossman and more are among the numerous influencers who have all made their way to the store for one reason or another. Shechtman estimates that 10 percent of Story's visitors are from other businesses scouting new ideas for products, technologies, strategies and display fixtures. Martha Stewart is a fan, as is Whoopi Goldberg, so much so she has served as a Pitch Night judge and more than 12 Story-found entrepreneurs have been featured on "The View." Goldberg said, "I love Story, because it's innovative. I've never seen anything like it. The story changes every few weeks and it's never dull, never boring."
But as is the case with many of the high-profile people that Shechtman befriends, Stewart and Goldberg have no formal ties to her company.
Target's Cornell told WWD, "Rachel has an incredible ability to connect people with brands in a way that's meaningful and highly experiential. Our partnership last holiday season allowed us to bring forward some of the incredible stories behind the brands that Target carries every day, and to see how consumers respond to finding our offerings in an unexpected setting. It was an experiment, and that's something Target thrives on — pushing our brand into new territories so we can test, learn and ultimately better serve our guests."
Shechtman explained her philosophy this way: "There are men, women and kids, who are five to 95 — New York City bus drivers, hedge fund managers, lawyers, doctors and a 16-year-old who is fulfilling a purchase order out of his bedroom, or a girl who flew from Montreal to pitch mittens. You can always buy something in the store that's $5 or $10 or $700. It's really democratic in its appeal," she said. "They're just people and people like discovering things. We treat everybody the same, and they become part of our community."
That approach is paying off. Every three to eight weeks, Story takes on a new theme — the American Express Open-supported "Home for the Holidays" is the current one and features more than 320 brands, a good number of them that most shoppers might not know at first sight. Sponsorship for a single story is $400,000 compared to $150,000 when the store first opened. In addition, American Express Open has become the first company to sign up for an annual partnership. Starting at $750,000, one-year partnerships secure sponsorship of a story, provide an ongoing element in each story and access to strategic partners. Having spent 10 years working full-time as a consultant for Toms Shoes, the CFDA and other clients, Shechtman still consults with select companies through monthly retainer fees. Not long ago, 40 Chanel executives met with Shechtman in her store. Ten percent of her company's volume now is driven by consulting fees.
Aside from selling more than 6,000 books last holiday season, 50 percent of Story's shoppers during that key selling period frequented the store two times or more. Keeping customers coming back and building a community is a key part of Story's success. "From a consumer perspective, it's always about contact, community and commerce," she said. "We're always working with small businesses — more than 2,700 to date," often giving those brands instant exposure to industry power players.
"When we had our soft opening on Dec. 1, 2011, everyone was saying brick-and-mortar retail was dead. If you think about it, there's been 20 years of nonstop digital and technical innovation. There are all these new business models online — crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, subscription retail. Everyone is saying it's dead but no one is thinking about it differently." Shechtman said. "So if we're the same people living online that live off-line why can't we take new principles and behaviors that live in the digital world and put them in the physical world?"
Aside from using Lightspeed for POS and Prism Skylabs to analyze the store's heat-mapping and people-counting, Story also uses Perch-enabled displays, which offer shoppers a digital reaction at the point of contact. For example, as soon as a product is touched or removed, a screenlike image appears on the table or display for further interaction. Perch also tracks when shoppers approach a display and interact with products, and uses cloud-based analytics to measure shopping behavior. Touching a product makes shoppers about 50 percent more likely to buy it, according to the Journal of Consumer Research.
Energized about discovering new companies, Shechtman said she was the first to sell Beth Macri's jewelry, Ringly smart technology rings and the Swiss-made activity-tracking Withings Activite watch.
Shechtman's own a-ha moment happened in the spring of 2011 with Toms Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie, one of the clients she worked with full-time as a consultant. Driving from a meeting at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., offices, Mycoskie told her, "'Enough with this someday s–t! You've been talking about this for years. Now is the time to just shut up and do it," Shechtman recalled.
Mycoskie told WWD, "First off, from a personal standpoint, she is such a go-getter who takes a vision and really executes it until it is at the level she wants it to be. Story's success really comes from the ingenuity of the concept."
Her decision to sign a 10-year lease at 144 Tenth Avenue at 19th Street also showed a certain amount of foresight, since the neighborhood's popularity has surged in the past few years. With a bird's eye view of The High Line, Story pulls in tourists and locals alike. During a recent Tuesday afternoon visit, a steady stream of shoppers filtered through the front door before being greeted by a staffer who explained the store's concept. Some stayed for more than an hour, examining some of the 320 brands including Nate Berkus for Target, Graf & Lantz bags, Kahri's Karl Lagerfeld dolls, Canada Goose's hooded parka and Zany Toys' red plastic "No" button. The average retail price for an item from the Home for the Holidays story is $30. "What makes us different from an agency that does experiential marketing and pop-up shops, it's A, our brand; B, our community, and C, my personal name so I have skin in the game. It's like an insurance policy to some degree," Shechtman said.
While Shechtman would potentially open more stores, she has been approached about opening stores-in-store, which would be "interesting" with the right partner, she said. Considering the prospect of scaling up Pitch Night to a broader scale, Shechtman said, "If we have had this much success with no publicity, imagine if we made it a priority and our focus? Look, Amazon[.com] launched Handmade. I think small is the new big. It's a new era. My generation wanted the It bag and the cool shirt that somebody else had. Now we're at a point where people are really about individuality and expressing themselves. To me, that's exciting. There's a fundamental reality that big brands are not hanging out with Beth Macri in a café while she makes a necklace. It's about, 'How can we take a person who made a prototype in their bedroom and put them in front of Mindy Grossman?'"
Like several of her sponsorships, last year's with Target started in an organic way. "You can tell when people are coming from a company. They drive up in an SUV, there's a group of them and they tend to linger. I asked my team to figure out which company they were from," she said. "I was debating approaching them, because I was in my Lululemon yoga pants with no makeup on. So I went up to one of them and said, 'Hi, I'm Rachel, the founder of Story.' He said, 'I'm Brian.' I said, 'What do you do at Target?' and he said, 'I'm in Minneapolis.' I asked, 'But what do you do there?' And he said they were all part of the executive group."
After telling Brian from Minneapolis that others had been asking when she would work with Target, she said she'd responded at the time, "When Target is ready to do something new and different, and once I've done enough stories to know what I'm doing." It was only after Cornell gave her a business card and suggested she e-mail an idea that she decided to pitch him on the spot, telling him, "I think you should let me go to Minneapolis, find my favorite brands that are sold at Target and bring them Home for the Holidays at Story to merchandise with other brands that we love and small businesses." Eight weeks later their partnership bowed at Story, with such products as Faribault for Target scarves, blankets and accessories, and Toms for Target journals, apparel and candles. Shechtman remains in touch with Cornell although no future plans are on the horizon just yet.
Over the years, there have been such themes as the recent "Donald Story!," which was dedicated to the work and limited-edition products by the illustrator Donald Robertson from a kiss-covered Diet Coke bottle to coffee mugs, Rolexes and surfboards to a custom Donald emoji T-shirt bar, that was produced by Bow & Drape. Another theme, Her Story with The Dressbar at Dressbarn, featured storytelling from Spanx's Sara Blakely, HSN's Mindy Grossman, Cherry Bombe's Kerry Diamond, Martha Stewart and 36 other women interspersed with some of their favorite finds such as Brooklyn Slate natural cheese boards, Minimoc's moccasins for babies and Finell's handbags. Another one of the store's incarnations, "Made in America," was equally far-flung with options, featuring Flint and Tinder underwear, Andrea Bocchio's baubles and the e-commerce site Brika's first brick-and-mortar outpost. At the Intel-backed Style.Tech story, shoppers could find Withings Smart Body Analyzer, Sensora's Bluetooth-enabled heart rate-tracking sports bra and iFetch, an automated ball-throwing device among other cutting-edge designs. To showcase the talent found through the Lexus Design Award, Story set up a Creativity story that focused on such innovative items as Nanoleaf's sculptural LED Bulb and Iris' pendant light that looks like an iridescent soap bubble. For its Crafted For Lexus section, the company spotlighted forward-thinking Japanese designers whose creations included Morihata binchotan facial soap and Tembea tote bags.
Along the way Shechtman has racked up such accolades as giving a TED talk in 2013, inclusion among Fortune's 40 Under 40 and winning last year's Rising Star award for retail from Fashion Group International. In her ever-connected world of contacts, Shechtman met Behar (with whom she has developed a jewelry line) and Stefan Sagmeister, who designed the store's logo, through a TED conference about 10 years ago. Sagmeister later agreed to a lunch meeting but initially declined to do the logo. Ideas-driven as she is, she suggested the graphic designer — who was concerned about funding a film he was working on — use Kickstarter, which was relatively new at the time. Three days before his $45,000 campaign was ending and still short $32,000, Shechtman offered to plunk down $20,000 on her American Express card, telling his movie producer, "That doesn't just give you $20,000, that gives you your marketing campaign, called, 'We're over halfway there.'… People want to contribute to something they can impact the outcome of. And I have skin in the game so once you get there you can do my branding."
Sagmeister said, "There seem to be very few new ideas in retail, so if someone like Rachel actually creates something fresh, we all rejoice. As Brian Eno once said, 'One way to go down a truly new direction is to do something so labor-intensive that nobody else bothers.' In design, drawing 10 by 10 black squares with a 6H pencil would qualify; in retail, coming up with a concept that requires a new interior and new suppliers every four months who would compete in that same category. Rachel is crazy."
Giving start-ups and little-known brands their big breaks is what Shechtman finds most gratifying. At Story, small signs detail the back stories behind some of the brands that are sold to give shoppers a sense of discovery. "There may be someone who sells 40 units, which isn't game-changing. But if they get a purchase order from a large retailer — that's a whole other story," she said. "There's a cashmere sock vendor that we have worked with who sold more here than they did with Neiman Marcus," she noted, declining to identify the resource.
All in all, Shechtman concluded, "If my full-time job could be sitting at a table all day just being the idea girl where someone could ask, 'Do you have an idea for this?' That would be great."


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United States Watch DaBaby operate 'Bop' With Dance Crew the Jabbawockeez …
Watch DaBaby operate 'Bop' With Dance Crew the Jabbawockeez …
Following the release of his sophomore album Kirk in September, DaBaby made his first-ever appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Accompanying host Jennifer Lopez as the show's musical guest, the rapper performed two songs for the SNL audience in Studio 8H: "Bop" from Kirk and "Suge" from his debut album, Baby on Baby, released in early 2019.
Joined by hip-hop and trap dance crew the Jabbawockeez, DaBaby delivered an energetic performance of "Bop" alongside a crowded stage of dancers that included a lot of twerking.
About DaBaby
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 21, 1991), better known as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper and songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is best known for his single "Suge", the lead single off his debut studio album, Baby on Baby (2019). "Suge" became a commercial success and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.Along with the success of the single, Baby on Baby peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200. He released his second studio album, Kirk months later. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming his first album to top the chart.
Watch DaBaby Perform 'Bop' With Dance Crew the Jabbawockeez …
About Perform
Performance is completion of a task with application of knowledge, skills and abilities.
Later, DaBaby returned to perform his hit "Suge" with the Jabbawockeez, in which he threw dollar bills in the air and ushered in a dance-off.
DaBaby also appeared in an SNL sketch in which Jennifer Lopez, Kenan Thompson, Pete Davidson, and Chris Redd posed as carolers who put their own Christmas spin on hip-hop classics. While the group was singing to a couple, DaBaby robbed them.
"Yo, I'm like Robin Hood. I rob the rich and take it back to the hood," DaBaby said.
Last month, the rapper spoke to Rolling Stone about Kirk saying, "You going to hear shit like 'Intro,' where I rap like I've never rapped before. You going to hear shit like me rapping on the J. Cole song. Certain songs, I don't even use ad-libs. I can do whatever at the end of the day. Whatever the music or production takes me, that's where I'm going to go."
Following his breakout year, DaBaby has received two Grammy nominations: "Best Rap Song" and "Best Rap Performance" for "Suge."
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Home > Bank PO > How are scores calculated for IBPS PO CWE Exams ?
If you are appearing for the Common Written Examination for IBPS and you wish to know more information on how Total Weighted Standard Score then this is the page for you.
How are the scores calculated for IBPS PO Exams – what is the ranking criteria ?
The Equated Scores so obtained are standardized to arrive at Final Standard Score with a minimum '0' and maximum '50' by following Linear Transformation Method. This procedure is followed for each of the tests.


Every crane operator needs to follow OSHA regulations—and every crane needs to be equipped with crane safety systems from Crane Warning Systems Atlanta!
Top running overhead crane is correct for your warehouse, workshopa, garage and assembly factory etc. Click here for a free top running crane price list.


Have you found the Topeak MountainBlaster Mini Pump Black Cheaper?
Efficient single action design inflatesto 90psi. Includes a folding t-handlefor better grip and comfort whileinflating. Works with presta andschrader valves.
What do you think of Topeak MountainBlaster Mini Pump Black?


◆Why is the line Japanese-inspired?
◆I would bring things back from Japan and use them on clients who would notice the difference in quality, texture, color, and longevity. I noticed using it that it was more beautiful and effective in many ways.
◆I started peeling away the layers of the onion to try to figure out who made my favorite things in all the categories. Four years later, I was able to create my "Made in Japan" story and bring all of the beauty of the Japanese formulations and innovation to my line in America.
◆What makes Japanese beauty products better?
◆The Japanese are so innovative and have a willingness to pursue new ideas. They're very interested in figuring out how to make beauty better.


Four Clover Life- By Namrata Singh: Chirp------Life- Let's have a party tonight.
Chirp------Life- Let's have a party tonight.
and I get mine to seal the deal.
I shall pour my smile and gratitude to you.
and hang on...till I see the day.
and I learn to fly with my feets planted on ground.
through the creek of my broken window.
and pour hot coffee of faith and trust.
humiliate my being with 'comparisons'.
for I respect myself a lot more.
and choose to respect those who cannot.
this is no race and we both aren't competing.
what use is it to die bruised?
"This is no race and we both aren't competing; Neither follow nor overtake...I want to join hands and walk parallel".
Please allow me to compliment that you have an awe-inspiring writing skills. Very thoughtfully written. Unfortunately, very few people realize it in this materialistic world. I really hope this verse becomes a true reality oneday than being just a verse and bring together common hearts. It certainly would change the definition of friendship and add more meaning to it.
Am glad you liked it. I am trying to live it.


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Live Music to Warm the Soul This Week in NYC
Rant 'N' Roll: Three Diametrically Opposed Sounds
The year was 1987. Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev's Kremlin, in an effort to promote his transparent Glasnost policy of friendship to the West, invited Billy Joel to perform the first fully-staged high-energy American rock 'n' roll show behind the Iron Curtain. Joel jumped at the chance. How could Gorbachev—who, compared to current Russian President Putin, is Pete Seeger—have possibly known that the New York singer/songwriter had always wanted to play for the Russian people? Reportedly, he put up two mil of his own money to make it happen, and when it did, it was a resounding success.
A Matter Of Trust: The Bridge To Russia (Columbia/Legacy) revisits this moment in rock history with a two CD/two DVD package chronicling shows in Leningrad and Moscow. One DVD is a concert, the other DVD a documentary.
The two CDs are impeccable: the sound, the setlist, and the between-song comments gushed by Joel and translated into Russian by an onstage interpreter. With 11 of 27 songs previously unreleased, it's a soul-satisfying romp for any Billy Joel fan, which includes this reporter.
Sure, you get your "Allentown," "Baby Grand" (minus Ray Charles, of course), "Uptown Girl," "Big Shot" and the obligatory Beatle cover of "Back In The U.S.S.R," but, amongst the unreleased, are "The Ballad Of Billy The Kid" (preceded by the kind of cool western soundtrack instrumental music he loved growing up), "Pressure," Beatle cover "She Loves You" (recorded at rehearsal, that is so note-for-note perfect, including the harmonies, you'd swear it was the Fab Four themselves) and an incredible a capella harmony cover of one-hit wonders Don & Juan on their 1962 doo wop classic "What's Your Name" which Joel explains was the type of music he used to sing on street corners with his buddies when they were cutting school.
Add "Stiletto," "Honesty," "The Longest Time," Piano Man," "New York State Of Mind" and more and you've got quite the package.
Now if only he would write some new tunes.
Emergence (LMB Music) by multi-instrumentalist Lawrence Blatt is a beautiful acoustic piece of work mixing counter-melodies, rhythmic interplay and exceptional technique couched in various genres. Blatt plays guitar, bass, mandolin and accordion. He wrote and arranged all 12 tracks and utilizes others on violin, viola, cello, English horn, French horn and pennywhistle. It all makes for a quite exceptional listening experience as it delves into classical, folk, worldbeat, Celtic, Latin, Middle-Eastern and jazz. The good thing about it is it ain't no damn new age ambient wallpaper: there's always something kinetic going on to massage the brain and sooth the ear. Bravo!
Man, I'll tell ya, I can't ever seem to stay away from the blues! When it's all said and done, it's the blues that rocks my soul. This week's installment is from Bad Brad & The Fat Cats whose Take A Walk With Me (Fat Cats Entertainment) got under my skin after the first listen to its 13 tracks. Bad Brad Stivers comes out of the University Of Northern Colorado and has been knockin' 'em dead on the festival circuit. Ask him who his influences are and he'll be quick to rattle off Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rory Gallagher, Robin Trower, Jonny Lang and B.B. King. He plays a lot at the Boulder Outlook Hotel and its owner says his effect on the patrons is not unlike the young Elvis Presley. He's got a guitar/harmonica/drums band but this album is augmented with five more musicians for a fuller sound. Let's hope he hits the Northeast sometime soon. Love this guy!
billy joelmike greenblattrant 'n' roll
Previous Boz Scaggs @ State Theatre
Next Maria's Local Radar: Monterey
60 Recommended Live Music Events This Weekend in NYC
Recommended Live Music in NYC This Week
On The Record: Billy Joel's 'Live at Yankee Stadium' & John Mellencamp's 'Scarecrow' (Deluxe Ed.), plus Dee Clark, Luke LeBlanc, the Great Divide, Rick Berthod, & Daniel Sherrill
Jeff Burger
Rant 'N' Roll – Woody Guthrie
Rant 'N' Roll – Remembering Elton
Local Concert Updates: David Byrne, Billy Joel, Spin Doctors, Best Coast, Daughters, etc.


Verso is a unique and virtuosic duo, playing a wide range of styles from ancient to contemporary music. In search for new repertoire they often ask composers to write for their duo, which has resulted in a collection of more than sixty original works. The music is extremely diverse and adventurous: contemporary classical is interwoven throughout with shades of world music, jazz, pop and dance. Verso has been awarded many times in international competitions: De Vriendenkrans and Concertgebouwprijs (Amsterdam 2003), Comradio contempory music prize (Barcelona 2003), IBLA Grand Prize and the Piazzolla award (Raguza, Italy 2006).
The virtuosic ensemble BLACK PENCIL was founded in 2010. The ensemble's debut concert took place in the same year at the prestigious Amsterdam Concertgebouw, followed by the world premieres of several new works at the large-scale festival Istanbul: European Capital of Culture 2010.
The ensemble has given numerous concerts in The Netherlands (Concertgebouw Amsterdam, De Doelen Rotterdam, Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, Bimhuis Amsterdam, Philharmonie Haarlem, Schouwburg Almere, November Music Festival, a.o), Germany, Ireland, Turkey, Denmark and Venezuela.
Black Pencil focuses on broad repertoire with new works composed especially for the ensemble, as well as an adventurous range of their own early music arrangements. As a contemporary music ensemble, until now they received about 70 new compositions dedicated to them.
The name 'Black Pencil' stems from the ensemble's first project, inspired by a remarkable series of miniatures by the painter Mehmet Siyah Kalem (15th century, presumably of Turkish origin). In English, 'siyah kalem' literally translates as 'black pencil'.
Black Pencil's performances are characterized by being original, historically informed, fresh and virtuosic, together with a unique instrumentation: blockflute (Jorge Isaac), panflute (Matthijs Koene), viola (Esra Pehlivanli), accordion (Marko Kassl) and percussion (Enric Monfort).
Zerafin is a colorful, cosmopolitan ensemble, open and contemporary. The musicians come from all over the world and are specialists on their instrument. They have lived in the Netherlands for many years.
Zerafin is a tight group, seasoned and polished by a long-standing collaboration. Zerafin is fresh and daring, and during concerts this driven group radiates enthusiasm, joy and energy.
The music of Zerafin moves between contemporary composed music, world music and improvisation.
Zerafin regularly collaborates with other ensembles, musicians and artists from other disciplines. Zerafin plays on small, medium and big stages and festivals in the Netherlands and abroad. Zerafin plays for a broad audience of music- and culture lovers.
Zerafin gives the Dutch society an opportunity to participate in the authentic richness that each musician brings to the Netherlands. Zerafin is our present for the Dutch music.
Please contact Rienk Blom, Blom Music Management.


Largazole and its derivatives selectively inhibit ubiquitin activating enzyme (e1).
Protein ubiquitination plays an important role in the regulation of almost every aspect of eukaryotic cellular function; therefore, its destabilization is often observed in most human diseases and cancers. Consequently, developing inhibitors of the ubiquitination system for the treatment of cancer has been a recent area of interest. Currently, only a few classes of compounds have been discovered to inhibit the ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1) and only one class is relatively selective in E1 inhibition in cells. We now report that Largazole and its ester and ketone analogs selectively inhibit ubiquitin conjugation to p27(Kip1) and TRF1 in vitro. The inhibitory activity of these small molecules on ubiquitin conjugation has been traced to their inhibition of the ubiquitin E1 enzyme. To further dissect the mechanism of E1 inhibition, we analyzed the effects of these inhibitors on each of the two steps of E1 activation. We show that Largazole and its derivatives specifically inhibit the adenylation step of the E1 reaction while having no effect on thioester bond formation between ubiquitin and E1. E1 inhibition appears to be specific to human E1 as Largazole ketone fails to inhibit the activation of Uba1p, a homolog of E1 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Moreover, Largazole analogs do not significantly inhibit SUMO E1. Thus, Largazole and select analogs are a novel class of ubiquitin E1 inhibitors and valuable tools for studying ubiquitination in vitro. This class of compounds could be further developed and potentially be a useful tool in cells.


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Q: Will a FCM message, open a firebase database connection? I want to know, if my app is in background and it recieves a fcm message, will this automatically open a firebase connection to sync my active references?
I would like to run a service on recieving a fcm message which then attaches a onChildAdded and singleValueEvent listener to a database ref (keep_synced true) and performs the actions in background, and then the service stops itself when the value event occurs. Wanted to know if this approach guarantees that I will receive all the children added to that location by that time ?
Thanks a lot

A: NO. You have to update the value by yourself. FCM is a replacement of GCM, it is used just to send notification.
You can handle the FCM and then call the listener which update all the child at that node.

A: No, there will be no automatic connection to the Firebase Database when the FCM message is received.
You'll have to process the FCM message for that and then reconnect your database listeners or go online.


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New A Quiet Place Trailer – Silence is golden for John Krasinski & Emily Blunt in the new thriller
February 13, 2018 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment
John Krasinski seems keen to show there's more to him than just Jim from The Office, and that's certainly true for his second feature as a director. He's taken the reins of a horror/thriller for A Quiet Place, and brought Emily Blunt along for the ride.
The new trailer certainly retains an air of mystery, introducing us to a seemingly post-apocalyptic world where Krasinski, Blunt and their two kids have to live in complete silence, because 'If they can't hear you, they can't hunt you'. But what is hunting them, and what made those enormous rips going up the wall? As you might expect, staying completely silent at all times isn't really feasible, so the family are in a lot of trouble.
It's a trailer that suggests this could be a really good movie, and certainly builds the intrigue. Take a look below. The movie is due in cinemas next spring. [Read more…]
ACTORS: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt DIRECTORS: John Krasinski
A Quiet Place Trailer – Emily Blunt gets into thriller mode for director John Krasinksi
The Hollars Trailer – John Krasinski has more problems than just a pregnant Anna Kendrick
Synopsis: 'John Krasinski's big-hearted family comedy takes a touching look at the ties that bind. Krasinski plays John Hollar, a frustrated graphic novelist anxiously awaiting the birth of his baby with girlfriend, Rebecca (Anna Kendrick). When his mother, Sally (Margo Martindale), is diagnosed with a brain tumor, John flies back home, where denial runs deep in the family tree. While his loving but fractured family pulls together to prepare Sally for surgery, John takes a second look at the life he left behind.'
The movie is Krasinksi's sophomore directorial effort following his 2009 adaptation of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. He also co-wrote The Promised Land, although Gus Van Sant directed that one.
The film will be in US cinemas on August 26th. Take a look at the trailer below. [Read more…]
ACTORS: John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Sharlto Copley DIRECTORS: John Krasinski
John Krasinski To Direct The Hollars, With Anna Kendrick & Richard Jenkins Starring
May 6, 2014 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment
John Krasinksi is best known as an actor, but he's also been exploring writing and directing in the last few years. While few people saw his directorial debut – Brief Interviews with Hideous Men – he's now returning with The Hollars, according to Screen Daily.
He's also set to star in the film alongside the always excellent Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins and Margo Martindale.
James C Strouse wrote the script which will see Krasinski as 'John Hollar, who gets yanked from the New York life he shares with his beautiful girlfriend back to his Middle America home town when his mother undergoes brain surgery.
'Back in the place where his life began, Hollar must navigate the dysfunctional rhythms of his helpless brother, anxiety-prone father and over-eager high school girlfriend.'
The actor turned director comments, "This is one of the best scripts I've read, period. Jim has written one of the most tough-minded, sweet, funny and accurate stories about family I've seen. I am lucky to have a script like this to direct… and to have this cast is simply surreal."
The movie will be sold at Cannes later this month.
ACTORS: John Krasinksi, Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins DIRECTORS: John Krasinski


Let's say you want to sell an eBook.
Well first, you spend $4 on this eBook that tells you how to set up your store – in detail.
But your objective wasn't to set up a store, right? It was to sell the eBook. And even after you had everything installed, you noticed sales weren't really working as you hoped.
So the next thing you do is you read my post on pricing experiments to see if you need to adjust your price. Right?
And in there, you read about the power of story. And so you go back and rework your product details page – which is easy to do because you're using WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads.
The last time I wrote about selling, I told you that you wanted to focus not on features, and not even on benefits. I told you to focus on destinations.
The best way to do that is to leverage the power of great stories. Check out this example to see what I'm talking about.
I loved the destination they were taking me to. I loved how they shared it. And you'll notice I'm not talking about story as in, "once upon a time." I'm talking about the story I find myself in when I read the page and it transports me into being an incredible artist, or designer, or sketcher.
It was so powerful a story, that in November I bought one, and bought more for my friends.
But there's one part of the fiftythree experience I didn't love.
Because the story they were telling, and the destination they took me to was so awesome, I was willing to sustain my eagerness as I moved thru their checkout process.
But it was five clicks.
It tells you how compelling their story was. But even if a few people fall off that process, it's a frustrating loss for the company that worked so hard to get us motivated to buy.
1. Help people imagine the future.
The power of a great and compelling story is that it transports you. It does that by helping you imagine a different world.
This, by the way, is the same way people sell timeshares. Because while you're on vacation, it's easy to envision a lot more vacationing.
So if you're selling an eBook, don't focus on the content of your eBook. Instead, focus on the result of a changed life after reading the eBook.
2. Remove distractions and roadblocks.
The second thing you want to focus on is limiting the number of roadblocks to collecting money. Once you've transported someone to a destination they want, you don't want to have them spend the next twenty minutes forgetting about it while clicking thru your site. So streamline everything.
3. Check out this new EDD extension.
Lastly, if you've indeed bought the eBook I told you about, and you got your WordPress and EDD site up, like I suggested, and you know how easy it is to use Gravity Forms – then you have to check out this new EDD extension.
Because you no longer need to have people click from one screen to the next. Instead, you can let people check out directly from the product / story page.
That's how you leverage the story while removing all the roadblocks. Check out this video.
Now, with a few plugins (and that eBook), you can set yourself up to earning money while you sleep. And if you're going to do that, maybe you should pick a new destination to sleep, like Hawaii, or my personal favorite, Cabo San Lucas.


In the 21st century, there are many ways to gain success from your investments. One such idea is to get Patent for your idea. While framing/creating the patent application/document, it's better to illustrate particular concepts with the help of Patent drawings. They are a visual representation (such as, an illustration of embodiments, chemical equations, stages, flow charts, reference numbers, several views, and photographs) of the idea that provides a better understanding of the invention, without reading and understanding the complete specifications. If included, it must represent every feature that is present in the claims. The use of visual representation to frame the entire application must follow the guidelines to secure your patent drawings. Another important aspect is the inclusion of illustrations is not compulsory. However, since it makes better and quick understanding of the invention, it comes with high recommendations.
Drawing allows the reader to understand and implement the specifications without reading the text. The drawings illustrate the invention, showing every feature and embodiments (which are options or variations of the invention). You can use this to create an inference; it's much easier and faster to steal useful information from patent drawings than to study the complete specifications. It makes patent drawings much more vulnerable and prone to disclosure, requiring greater security for all aspects of the invention. Therefore, it is essential to secure your patent drawings, by applying all the methods described below.
The inclusion of drawings within the application enhances the understandability and chances of earning the patent. Seeking the highest level of security for Patent Drawing should be on the top of the priority list. Let's understand various methods that you must know to assure complete protection of your patent drawings.
Filing NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement): NDA's, confidentiality agreements (CA), proprietary information agreement(PIA), or secrecy agreement (SA) are the best conventional ways to prevent any third party from disclosing the information about drawings. While discussing the information with a patent attorney or agent, there is no need to use NDA. It is because the protection of the discussion will be automatic under the client/attorney privilege. NDA will create a confidential relationship between parties to protect sensitive information or trade secrets.
Maintain track of all communication modes: Another method to keep an eye over is to keep records of all modes of communication, such as faxes, emails, phone calls, etc. between receiving parties. Maintaining track of all the information which get exchange over the Internet, especially over the mails, must be observed on a regular basis, to ensure that zero loop-holes exist. In case, any information gets leaked out, it will be easier to identify the individual(s) involved, and strict action can be taken against that person(s).
Install Internet security software: It is must have latest and updated internet security software on every system which is used while communicating among all the relevant (attorney, third party if any, and applicant) people. There are many software available depending on the user's requirements and the severity of their security. They even offer anti-virus, anti-spam, and anti-spyware protection.
Monitor all Wireless connections: As the security has become more intense, hackers these days have learned new techniques even to use unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots to steal your information and take control of accounts. After your system gets a connection with the Wireless hotspot, and you start sending your patent information (especially, patent drawings), hackers can take control of your system to access all your data files. It's better to be aware of all these factors if you are looking to get your drawings online. Also, one must check before sending the files that the site is the reliable one.
We, at The Patent Drawings Company, serve our clients with a wide range of software and our skilled experts. We aim to deliver 100% customer satisfaction while maintaining complete confidentiality of their data. It gives you easy and quick ways to order and give us the chance to serve you.
Follow us for Utility Patents Drawings, Design Patent Drawings, Patentability Search, Design Patent Search, Engineering Drawings, and Trademark Drawings.
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