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Tornos India > Journey of Thumri from Lucknow to Calcutta
Journey of Thumri from Lucknow to Calcutta
Volume: 11, No: 07 ; July-2017
The dulcet notes of a song resonated across the long corridor of the Durbar Hall in Metiyaburj. The floor, covered with decorative carpets and enveloped in white linen or chandni, was graced by the assemble musician. Large mirrors and crystal and chandeliers added to the aura and reflected the admirer gathered in the Hall. The sound of ghunghurus was reverberating the alleyways of the palace. The ambiance of was reminiscent of the lost glory of Lucknow. A Bengali bhadralok stepped down from a buggy and sauntered down the hallway of the durbar. He was cordially greeted by Wajid Ali Shah and seated next to him.
Raja Sourindra Mohan Tagore
Raja Sourinder Mohan Tagore (1840-1914) was one of the greatest connoisseurs of music of the time. Raja Sahib had travelled all the way from Pathuriaghata to Metiyaburj to enjoy the quintessence of Lucknowi Thumri. The music genre was not unknown to him, but yet the thumri that was sung in the Durbar of Metiyaburj had an Unique distinction. Raja Sourinder Mohan Tagore had a perfect understanding of the Hindu musical genre that had won him laurel from all corner of the world. But thumri held place of pride in his heart, especially when the King's own composition were sung in the Durbar. With this, the story of an exotic and highly mellifluous musical genre started to unfold under banks of the Hooghly.
Wajid Ali Shah's most popular thumris are those that are the saddest yet sweetest of parting songs. In the durbar of Metiyaburj, the badshah sang his own songs with great devotion and patriotism. Whilst singing, he would be in a state of joyous ecstasy, transported back to his beloved Lucknow, both in body and soul. He would sit quietly for a moment and tears would trickle down to his face. Thus, he lamented,
"All this time I was in a dreamland as though transported by unknown hands to my Kaisarbagh Baradari. Ah, what I have left behind! Now only the sweet memories lingr".
Palace Sultanate of Metiaburuj. Photo credit: 'Pearl by the River' by Sudipta Mitra
The Durbar Hall of Metiyaburj would be brimming with eminent musician and music personalities of Calcutta who had assembled to cherish the archetypical style of Lucknowi thumri and kathak dance composed by Wajid Ali Shah. The Jadunath Bhattacharya (1834-80) popularly known as Jadu Bhatta, and Aghore Nath Chakravarty, were great admirers of Badshah's Durbari thumri at Metiyaburj. Pandit Jadu Bhatta was also the music –guru of Ravindranath Tagore and a resident of Thakurbari at Jorasanko for some time. He sang dhrupad in the durbar of Metiyaburj and accompanied by the notable Pukhwaji Keshab Chandra Mitra.
Among several other musician of Calcutta who came to visit Metiyaburj. Murad Ali Khan was one. The renowned North Indian dhrupadiya of Tilwandi gharana was a long time resident of Calcutta. Murad Ali was one of the very few singers who were given the right to sing the Deepak rag in the durbar. It is said that he was a court musician of Wajid Ali Shah's in Metiyaburj for a while and left the durbar during the Badshah's lifetime. He was also the music guru of Aghore Nath Chakravarty.
The Badshah continued his Bhairavi thumri in bol banao style:
Babul mora naihar chuuto hi jaaye,
chaar kahaar mil, mori doliiyaa uthaaye,
more apanaa begana chhuto hi jaaye,
anganaa to parbat bhaye, dehlii bhayi bides,
je baabul ghar aapano, mai chali piya ke des.
Meaning – O father; I depart reluctantly from my home. Four men gathered to lift my palanquin and my loved ones will become strangers. The innermost portals of my home will be unreachable as I leave my father's home and go to my husband's country.
This immortal piece enthralled not only the honourable guests of Metiyaburj, but continues to enliven the hearts of millions of listeners even today. Hidden in these lines is an esoteric allegory of a desolate heart after he is separated from his homeland and banished from his kingdom. The four bearers of the palanquin ('chaar kahaar mil, mori doliiyaa uthaaye') are symbolic of the four bearers of his coffin. The Badshah might have been contemplating to end his life in self-exile and thus his song had taken him away from all mores of life. However, it was his passion for music that incited him to keep his sweet memories of Lucknow alive. Soon, Metiyaburj, his kingdom-inexile, blossomed as a centre of classical vocal and instrumental music, where a large number of musicians from northern India Would congregate.
Initially referred to as a raga rather than a genre, thumri in the latter form is believed to have originated in the court of Lucknow under Wajid Ali Shah. The common theme that runs through most of his durbari thumri is 'separation'. Although some texts epitomized the heavenly joy of lovemaking, it was eclipsed by the pangs of departure. While the throne of Delhi was losing its lustre by middle of the eighteenth century, Lucknow was emerging as a political, economic and cultural centre of northern India. Lucknow was gifted with an elite class that had both the taste and wealth to patronize innumerable courtesans and musicians that had migrated from Delhi. The Lucknow tawaifs were diligently trained in classical music and were exalted as eminent exponents of classical art. But unlike the Mughal penchant for classical music, the Lucknowi durbar tended to renounce the demanding dhrupads and kheyal for the lighter and more adaptable thumri and ghazal.
In the two decades preceding the great revolt of 1857, thumri reached its apogee of popularity in Lucknow court. Thumri in combination with kathak made its debut in the court of Wajid Ali Shah and remained enmeshed in the kothas of the Lucknowi tawaifs till mid-nineteenth century. While Wajid Ali Shah is ascribed as the father of present-day genre of thumri, it was his courtier Sadiq Ali Khan who was the single most important figure to develop Lucknow gharana of thumri. Sadiq Ali Khan was trained in kheyal and was one of the very few masters whose name is associated with the transformation of thumri from kheyal. Chroniclers believe that it was he who refined and introduced the bandish thumri in Lucknow. Believed to be a centenarian, Sadiq Ali Khan had many renowned disciples including the Badshah himself as well as Bindadin Maharaj, Qadr Piya and some distinguished tawaifs like Haidar Jan and Najma.
Thumris were traditionally composed in Braj Bhasa, or the dialect of Agra-Mathura region of North India, which was closely associated with the devotion of Lord Krishna. Some were composed in Khari Boli and a few in Urdu. Incorporating Urdu vocabulary in some of the compositions is indicative of the region's desire to adapt to Muslim taste. Wajid Ali Shah was an adept composer of light classical thumri under his pen name, Akhtar Piya. The King composed his thumris in Braj Bhasha and some in Urdu as well. Together with Bindadin Maharaj, Wajid Ali composed melodies of light classical thumris to blend with kathak. Dadra also emerged along with thumri in the court of Wajid Ali Shah. Dadra, a genre of light classical Hindustani music, resembles thumri in many aspects and gave much more freedom to the artists. The text that dealt with love and passion was originally sung in Dadra tal (rhythm) in the King's court. Another important thematic form of thumri was one that was composed to celebrate the vernal festival of Holi. The deposed king was a secularist and his compositions of thumri crossed the narrow boundaries of religious chauvinism. Based on the sensuality of Krishna-cult, Wajid Ali's lyrics comprised several names of Hindu avatars such as Hari, Radha and Jugal Kishore.
A much lighter classical music-genre called ghazal had flourished in the court of Lucknow during the heyday of Wajid Ali Shah. The Badshah was passionate about Urdu poetry and composed some immortal ghazals, which are sung even today. Ghazal, a Muslim oriented semi-classical genre, lay outside the tradition of Sanskrit-based musical themes. The efflorescence of Lucknow culture played an important role in bolstering the more adaptable ghazals and thumris than the austere dhrupad and kheyal. The famous Urdu poet and composer of some evergreen ghazals-Amir Meenai (1826-1900) served in the court of Wajid Ali Shah for five years till the mutiny broke out.
Chroniclers narrate that Wajid Ali Shah brought with him a bevy of gifted musicians in his mimic capital of Metiyaburj. However, no authentic record is available to testify that the great maestros of Awadh had settled in Calcutta along with the deposed king. The connoisseurs either stayed back in Lucknow or migrated to enrich the durbars of other princely states. Calcutta was never considered productive by the genius players before the beginning of the Nawabi era.
Unlike classical dance, Bengal had perceived the taste of classical music long before Wajid Ali Shah's arrival. A dhrupad Style of Bengali classical music made its debut in the court of Malla King Raghunath Singha II of Bishnupur in Bankura district between 1702 to 1712, after he brought in Ustad Bahadur Khan Se'nia and his pukhwaj player Peer Baux, from Delhi on a very high remuneration.Bahadur Khan, a descendent of Tansen's lineage developed the famous and the only classical genre in Bengal, the Bishnupur gharana.
Pandit Jadhunath Bhattacharya (alias jadu Bhatta) the distinguished musician who also attended the court of Metiyaburj, was a dhrupadiya of Bishnupur Gharana. Although dhrupad started losing ground to kheyal in North India from eighteenth century onwards, the metamorphosis happened much later in Bishnupur. Aghore Nath Chakravarty of Bishnupur gharana and a celebrity in Metiyaburj durbar experimented with Bishnupuri kheyal. Wajid Ali Shah got a flavour of Bishnupuri gharana when these guests visited his durbar in Metiyaburj and sung in their own style.
Wajid Ali Shah's presence led to the decision of innumerable musicians to migrate to Calcutta. It was then that Bengal got the taste of a distinguished North Indian semi-classical gharana. The Badshah brought with him to Calcutta his thumri along with his nautch girls and musicians who could create magic on their instruments. Thumri as a genre soon percolated down from the zamindars to the womenfolk of the city's bordellos. Chitpore was one such area where the courtesans followed the lifestyle of Lucknowi tawaifs. A new generation of talented musicians was born who further refined the thumris. Lucknow never encouraged pure classical music; rather it bolstered a variety of light classical styles and made them popular throughout the country. The musical culture of Bengal preferred the lighter style of thumri to the abstruse kheyal and dhrupad. In Calcutta, similar to Lucknow, thumri went concurrently with kathak.
When Wajid Ali Shah came from Lucknow to settle in Calcutta, the babu culture was already tuned to accept the brilliance of his thumris. Wajid Ali Shah aroused much interest amongst the elite in Calcutta to whom the grandeur of Lucknowi thumri was net unknown. Rather, the influence of Lucknowi thumri was so strong in Calcutta that classical music was completely swamped and replaced by light classical style after 1860. The King composed several raginis under his pseudonym Akhtar Piya and named them Jogi, Juhi and Shah pasand, the last meaning 'favourite of the king' and charmed his audiences who were hitherto alien to him.
Although some of the most mellifluous ghazals were composed by the King for his books Diwani-Akhtar and Huzn-e-Akhtari in Calcutta, the Muslim oriented genre of music was not enjoyed by the Hindu dominated Bengali bhadralok society. The amicable cultural interaction between the two religions, Which was a distinctive feature in Lucknow was somewhat missing in Calcutta. Calcutta which was greatly swayed by the egos of Hinduism, unlike Lucknow, looked down on ghazals as a product of Islamic culture The new style of North Indian majlishi music found no place in the heart of Bengali elite. Traditionally, ghazals are poetic expressions of the pangs of separation and loss. Wajid Ali's own ghazals were full of pain and pathos reflecting his grief-laden heart. But Urdu and Persian lyrics baffled the people of Calcutta's music circle and in the durbar of Metiyaburj too.
Before the advent of thumri in Calcutta, another semi-classical form of North Indian music called tappa found its Way from Lucknow into the heart of Bengali music lovers, Tappa is said to have developed in the court of Asaf-ud-Daulla from popular folk songs of camel riders in Punjab and Sindh and the credit for it goes to Asaf-ud-Daulla's court singer Shori Mian (1742-92). Wajid Ali Shah's penchant for tappa is not very evident, although scholars believe that during his time kheyal Was sung in tappa style and a new sub genre called tappa-kheyal was developed by him.
According to some authors, Imam Bandi, the famous tappa singer of Benaras, spent many years in Metiyaburj. She trained a number of students including her son Ramzan Khan and Nagendra Nath Bhattacharya. Ramzan Khan became a famous singer of tappa-kheyal style, who stayed in Calcutta till his death.
A large number of composers from Delhi and Lucknow had dissociated themselves from their erstwhile Muslim supporters and migrated to Calcutta in early nineteenth century. Now they thrived under the lavish tutelage of Hindu bhadraloks despite the presence of a decent Muslim population in Calcutta. The deposed king was poised to be the leader who prodded the budding Muslim gentry of Calcutta to patronize great performers of music.
Though the King was accompanied by a bevy of adept musicians, his hunt for talent never stopped in Calcutta. Sharar once narrated an incident when Wajid Ali became restless to meet one Dhunni Khan, a famous singer in Calcutta. Dhunni was performing in a majlis at Metiyaburj in the house of a noble and his melodious voice reached the ears of the banished King. Dhunni Khan obliged to sing before the court, but after hearing his songs the King commented, 'He has a good voice but does not know music. The King therefore rejected him and Dhunni Khan found no place in his court.
The quest for talent went on till his last days. Near the end of his life the King gave refuge to a twenty-six-year-old jewish Armenian lady, who had come to seek fortune in Calcutta from Benaras. Malka Jaan, as she was called, had her training in music under Kalloo Ustad and had learnt dance from Ali Baksh of Lucknow. Her original name was Victoria Hemmings who later embraced Islam and renamed herself as Malka jaan. Malka was known for her stunning beauty cloaked in white skin, personal appeal and excellent skill in Hindustani classical music. When she was invited to perform at Qasr ul Baiza in Metiyaburj, the tawaif enthralled the Badshah by singing two of his own thumris. A wave of emotion rippled through the court and an overwhelmed King was struck with nostalgia. The long cherished dream of Malka Jaan of Azamgar to establish herself in the court of Wajid Ali Shah was realized. She was appointed the court singer and her illustrious musical career started to bloom. Malka Jaan settled in Calcutta in 1883 with her ten-year-old-daughter, Angelina Yeoward alias Gauhar. Malka Jaan was a gifted poetess. Her Urdu verses were complied as Makhzan-e-Ulfat-e-Mallika and published in Calcutta in 1886. Malka bought a house at Chitpore where she lived for the rest of her life. Gauhar was brought up in the cultural milieu of Chitpore. She would often lurk in a corner of Wajid Ali Shah's durbar to watch her mother perform. Gauhar was exposed to North Indian classical gharanas in Metiyaburj. Gauhar blossomed as the iconic Gauhar jaan and became the first Indian artist to press a gramophone record in 1902.
The kheyal exponent Ali Baksh was employed in the durbar of Metiyaburj, but the exact year of his arrival in Calcutta is not known. Ali Baksh stayed in Metiyaburj while the King was alive and afterwards he spent some years in the Barabazaar area of Calcutta and finally went back to Gwalior. The only Bengali student he had in Metiyaburj was Pandit Bamacharan Bandhopadhyay who eventually became a legendary kheyal singer in Bengal. Ali Baksh's blessings on his favourite student gave him an opportunity to sing kheyal raag Bhopali before Wajid Ali Shah. The King's commendation in the durbar was indeed the lifetime recognition for Bamacharan in his music career.
Abdul Halim Sharar in his commentary mentions the names of Ahmed Khan, Taj Khan and Ghulam Hussain Khan as distinguished singers in the court of Metiyaburj. Ahmed Khan was an exponent of kheyal and tappa in Lucknow who came to Calcutta after the King was deposed. But how long he stayed in Metiyaburj is not known. Ahmed Khan had many Bengali students of whom Benimadhab Adhikari, alias Beni Ustad, was the most eminent. Pandit Bamacharan Bandhopadhyay also took training under Ahmed Khan for some days in Metiyaburj.
Little is known about Ustad Taj Khan, except that he was a dhrupad and kheyal singer of Senia lineage in the court of Lucknow and came to Metiyaburj with the King. Afterwards, he left Calcutta and joined the royal court of Nepal. Bamacharan Bandhopadhyay came in contact with Taj Khan during his stay in Calcutta. There is hardly any information available on Ghulam Hussain in the music circle of Bengal.
A host of North Indian musicians were engaged in the durbar of Metiyaburj though their names are not known. However, some of them can be traced from the oral tradition of Bengal and the memoirs of many distinguished Bengali musicians who spent their student years in Metiyaburj.
The debut of Lucknowi thumri in Calcutta by Wajid Ali Shah triggered a spurt of creativity in the sphere of Hindustani classical music of Bengal. Soon Calcutta emerged as an edifying hub of classical music in India and for this the credit goes to the King. Wajid Ali was not only a benevolent patron of music but was himself a gifted composer. His experiment with Hindustani music opened a new horizon in the history of semi-classical genre. But his reputation did not remain unblemished. While the popularity of thumri was widely attributed to the munificent support of Wajid Ali Shah, his ardent generosity could not escape the criticism of one of his contemporary writers Ustad Asadullah Kaukab. Kaukab, a renowned Sarodia and musicologist of his age who stayed in Metiyaburj wrote:
"Wajid Ali was a master at the art and possessed the knowledge of an expert but cannot escape the criticism that it was his conventional and cheap tastes that made the music of Lucknow frivolous and easily understood by all. In accordance with popular tastes even the most discriminating singers omitted difficult techniques and based their music on light, simple and attractive tunes which could be appreciated by everyone… During the reign of Wajid Ali Shah there was a large number of musical experts in Lucknow, but the singers which had influence at court and received royal titles, were not among the most adept… There was much talk of music at the time of Wajid Ali Shah, but the art had fallen from favour and only the commonplace aspects were in vogue. In Lucknow, Kadar Piya (one of the pseudonym of Wajid Ali) composed Thumris, which became popular with the masses with the result that music was cheapened. Most music lovers lost interest in the classical forms of ragas and raginis and began to enjoy Kadar Piya's Thumris."
The criticism was undoubtedly idiosyncratic and unfortunate. Asadullah Kaukab, a keen observer of Hindustani gharanas of fine arts since the beginning of his career, was puritanical in his views. The King's innovation was therefore frowned upon Probably he was right in his own wisdom. Yet, the King's generosity in developing a variety of light classical styles explicitly whetted the appetite of the Bengali intelligentsia.
Credits : Originally : A Prelude of Thumri in Calcutta (Chapter from : Pearl by the River) – by Sudipta Mitra


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May 13, 2020 - Health
Coronavirus likely forced 27 million off their health insurance
Bob Herman
Jobs, and the health insurance tied to them, are evaporating. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Roughly 27 million people have likely have lost job-based health coverage since the coronavirus shocked the economy, according to new estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Why it matters: Most of these people will be able sign up for other sources of coverage, but millions are still doomed to be uninsured in the midst of a pandemic.
By the numbers: For the 27 million people who are losing their job-based coverage, about 80% have other options, said Rachel Garfield, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation and lead author of the report.
Roughly half are eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Another third are eligible for subsidized health plans on the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces.
The remaining 20% are pretty much out of luck because they live in a state that didn't expand Medicaid or are ineligible for other kinds of subsidized coverage.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's latest coronavirus relief bill would fully subsidize the cost of maintaining an employer plan through COBRA — an option that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive for many people. But that's a long way from becoming law.
The bottom line: The coronavirus is blowing up health insurance at a time when people need it most.
Hospitals still suing patients in coronavirus hotspots
As millions of Americans lost their jobs and fell sick with the coronavirus this summer, hospitals in some of the hardest-hit states were getting back to the business of suing their patients.
Why it matters: The Americans least likely to be able to pay their medical bills are the same people who are vulnerable to the virus and its economic fallout.
Marisa Fernandez
Study: Kids may contribute to COVID-19 community spread more than previously thought
Photo: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images
A study published Thursday found that children may play a larger role in the spread of COVID-19 than previously realized, intensifying concerns as schools grapple with whether to reopen.
Why it matters: The findings, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, coincide with changing scientific research analyzing children's ability to spread the virus, despite showing mild or no symptoms.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Elena is a mother existing in an unhappy marriage to a minister whose congregation's latest crusade is an anti-gay one. Peyton is a lesbian writer who has recently lost her mom and her long term partner. Both women are emotionally alone and click immediately once they meet. There's plenty of drama going on for the both of them and they quickly find that their friendship is what gets them through the tough times. Until that friendship deepens. Then things start moving pretty quickly.
I watched the movie a several months ago and enjoyed it. I finished the book today and then watched the movie again tonight and got more out of the film because of the background and more in depth knowledge of Elena and Peyton's relationship.
The book had a few issues – loads of missing commas which messed up the flow for me (one of my quirks) and one instance of Elena's name being used when it should have been Peyton's – but they were pretty easy to overlook. I felt the story dragged in a few places and maybe went on a bit too much in others but, overall, if you liked the movie before reading the book, it will only enhance your experience.


The recent 37th JP Morgan HealthCare Conference was a magnet for venture capitalists. Many investors believe that the AI healthcare industry has huge potential for growth and will not be affected by economic cycles. This year, a record 38 Chinese companies participated in the conference, with 21 doing live presentations.
A new research paper published two weeks ago in Nature Medicine meanwhile attracted significant public attention: Boston-based digital health company FDNA introduced a smartphone app that can determine whether a person has a rare genetic disease from just a photo. The company utilizes computer vision to distinguish the facial phenotypes of genetic disorders and make a preliminary diagnosis accordingly.
In addition, over the past year many markets have experienced the "consumption upgrade" trend, and the healthcare industry is no exception. Many enterprises and universities are applying artificial intelligence technology to improve disease diagnosis. Major players here include Google DeepMind Health, Arterys, Yitu Tech, Ali Health, etc. We can expect additional artificial intelligence applications and integrations in the healthcare industry, bringing new solutions to a wide range of medical problems.
Withings launched the Move ECG at CES 2019, a smartwatch with both activity tracking and the ability to measure electrocardiograms (ECGs) and send information directly to doctors.
A team of scientists at FDNA published a study in Nature Medicine on Jan 7. Identifying Facial Phenotypes of Genetic Disorders Using Deep Learning pioneers the use of facial analysis in detecting genetic disorders.
"Stick to Globalisation, achieve shared and win-win development" — that's the Chinese government strategy in today's complicated international political and economic climate. Siemens' global strategy seems to follow the same trajectory: pushing their digital-related technology and products around the world.
Siemens recently announced a partnership with China's Feihe Dairy and Finnish manufacturer Konecranes, and has also signed a country-wide full-level collaboration with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) in cutting-edge energy technologies and research development. The agreement with DEWA will boost Siemens' strength across AI, IoT, additive manufacturing and robotics. The step into national-level, cutting-edge technology development suggests Siemens' potential in an international environment dealing with Brexit, Trade Wars, etc. It's not difficult to predict that Siemens will enter even more country-level collaborations instead of putting all its efforts on the DEWA contract.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Siemens have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in cutting-edge energy technology research and development.
The MoU includes smart grids, the integration of renewable energy and distributed generation in the electricity grid, energy storage systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in energy production units, 3D printing and additive manufacturing, robotics, cyber-security, and smart buildings, as well as plans for building national capacities in the energy sector.
Konecranes has implemented the Siemens digital innovation platform including the AI-based MindShpere, Teamcenter and Simcenter Portfolios.
The collaboration aims to deliver digital twin and IoT solutions with Siemens technologies.


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For sale: new and revealing Byron letters
Unpublished and revealing letters from Lord Byron to his close friend and 'brother minstrel' Francis Hodgson, which have lain unexamined for more than 100 years, go on sale with other books and manuscripts at Sotheby's London next week. The 15 letters, with 70 pages in the poet's handwriting, are the most important Byron papers to be available for auction for more than 30 years.
The documents belonged to the 19th-century Liberal Prime Minister the 5th Earl of Rosebery and Midlothian, who was a noted bibliophile and biographer (of Napoleon) and are estimated to sell for £150,000-£180,000.
The letters were written between 1808, before the poet was famous, and 1821, by which time he was in exile. Topics include his Grand Tour 'the inhabitants (of Portugal) have few vices except Lice and sodomy'poetry, politics, the publication of Childe Harold, Byron's disillusionment with religion 'we are miserable enough in this life, without the absurdity of speculating on another' and love 'I almost rejoice when one I love dies young, for I could never bear to see them old or altered'.
A highlight among the books is a first-edition copy of Bligh's account of the 'mutiny' on the Bounty, estimated at £10,000-£15,000. Viewing is on October 25-28 and the sale on October 29 (www.sothebys.com)
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Country Life's 2020 Christmas Double Issue: What you'll find inside the biggest-ever issue of Country Life
Prince Charles publishes Village Survival Guide featuring ideas for getting the most out of country life
Country Life wins top award at 'Oscars' of the magazine world


La Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo ya es dotada de un animal más. Esta vez, no es un animal silvestre, sino una perra. Lassie, una pitbull viejita que pertenecía a un músico de reggae y calypso de renombre en Managua, fue botada a la calle, por ser vieja, por ya no tener el encanto de ser cachorra, por estar enferma, por depender de una familia sin recursos para pagar el costo de curar sus heridas. Pero la verdad es que Lassie no fue botada a la calle por ninguna de esas razones. Fue botada a la calle por la falta de afecto, de conciencia, por tener el corazón encogido los miembros de la familia que decidió olvidarse de ella.
Lassie al momento de su rescate en Managua. Foto Lorena.
Cuando nos dimos cuenta de Lassie, nos hizo pensar que podríamos asumir la responsabilidad de darle cariño, comida y casa el resto de su vida. Estamos acostumbrados a los animales silvestres, pero esta vez adoptamos una perra!
Lassie en su hogar temporal en Managua, después de ser rescatada por los ángeles de la Fundación ADAN. Foto Lorena.
Los voluntarios de la Fundación ADAN se llevó a la perrita Lassie hasta la Laguna de Apoyo, donde nuestro equipo la adoptó. La pobre perra, viejita y enferma, ya en un lugar nuevo, tuvo que ir adaptándose a nuevas personas, y lugar nuevo, y hasta una perrita con quien estaría compartiendo espacio. Poco a poco, iba reconociendo a las personas nuevas en su vida, hasta decidir adueñarse de un pequeño solar con techo, en el patio de la propiedad de la Estación Biológica.
Lassie comiendo en su solar. Foto Julie Comeau.
Rápidamente, Lassie desarrollaba confianza con nosotros. También, ella aprendía del terreno físico, dónde es de ella y dónde no. Ahora, después de pocos días, ella se siente en casa. Su rescate ha sido exitoso!
Lassie quiere mucho a las personas que manifiestan amor con ella. Foto Julie Comeau.
Esperamos dar mucho a Lassie, amor, comida, salud. Ya sabemos que a nosotros, nos va a dar mucho más que nosotros a ella. Ella fue olvidada por una familia, pero ahora es parte de otra familia que promete a cuidarla y compartir amor con ella. Nuestros voluntarios se dedican a darle cuido y afecto.
Si quieres ayudarnos con alimento o con tu tiempo para nuestros animales silvestres (y domésticos) rescatados, contáctanos! Puedes ayudarnos con el rescate animal!
Haz click en el escudo para contactarnos!
Although birds are not always easily photographed in the wild, some people are up for the challenge. The following photos were taken by Lars Saenger, who spent two weeks studying at Apoyo Spanish School and watching nature inside the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. These photos demonstrate that the area is great for practicing nature photography.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) populations found in Nicaragua do not breed locally. The entire Osprey population of Nicaragua is regarded as migratory, nesting further north. Some birds pass through Nicaragua on migratory trips, but many choose the ample aquatic ecosystems to fish in Nicaragua until moving northward for another reproductive period. Ospreys feed almost entirely on fish plucked from the surface of water. Even though the Osprey does not nest in Nicaragua, there are always a few individuals present in Laguna de Apoyo, most likely immatures that remain behind in their southern range until ready for reproduction.
Most of the bird species found in Nicaragua have wide ranges, often spanning many countries. Some, however, are found in more restrictive ranges, within an ecosystem. One such bird species, Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii), is located only in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The species prospers in both open areas with plenty of trees and natural forest areas in the tropical dry forest region of Nicaragua. Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is an ideal habitat for the bird, which is a close relative to and shares many superficial characteristics with the Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), a species common through much of the eastern United States. Hoffmann's Woodpecker is active in most areas of the reserve year-round, including both the deepest forest areas and built areas with houses.
Some birds prefer to inhabit areas without human influence, but others may be particularly attracted to humans. One bird that responds positively to human impacts on the forest is the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus). They tend to be active throughout the day, loud and ebullient, and many other species do not prosper in their presence. They are not found deep into the forest.
Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila), feeding on the nectar of Tabebuia rosea.
Hummingbirds are always loved by birdwatchers. Their precise movements and delicate forms inspire awe among anyone who sees them. Among the most common hummingbird species in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is the Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila). It and other hummingbirds consume nectar from flowers, as everyone knows; what fewer people appreciate, however, is that hummingbirds also consume very small arthropods, which they may glean from the air. One example of such prey is the juvenile spiders, that may actually be transported by the wind. The Cinnamon Hummingbird will feed on tiny spiders, often gleaning them from foliage and flowers. This bird species is common particularly near humans, and is even found in peri-urban areas of Managua.
Many species of tyrant flycatchers have been documented in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, among them, the Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarhynchus pitangua). At first glance, it resembles the Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulfuratus), but without cinnamon wing-feathers, and with a much more formidable peak and distinctive calls. It can be found in open areas as well as within a relatively closed canopy.
The bird most adored by Nicaraguans is the Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa). This lovely species is very common in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, likely because of the abundant sites for nesting available. The species makes nests in tunnels carved horizontally into loose clay and ash deposits in the steep banks in ravines and road cuts. This site may be among the best to find the species in the entire country.
Among the numerous species of tyrant flycatchers in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, is the Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer). Its genus consists of several species, some of which are quite difficult to distinguish at a distance. It is common throughout the reserve.
Birdwatchers never tire of watching the Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma), especially around a nesting colony. Dozens of nests in the form of woven socks are constructed in a single tree, where the birds engage in highly social behavior among the nesting group. Nesting occurs during the dry season, sometimes starting as early as November, with as many as one hundred birds gathered into a single site! An oropendola colony is always a birdwatching paradise.
Please contact us for a birdwatching tour in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve or anywhere in Nicaragua. We organize expeditions in all locations of the country, and we would love to take you!
Click on the "escudo" to contact us at Gaia.
There is an amazingly complex set of conflicts between people and wildlife, much more extensive and complex than anyone can appreciate. Humans impact wild animals in their natural environment in numerous ways, and for most wildlife, the impacts are negative. Birds may almost always be seen near areas of human activity, but several species of birds are not compatible with humans or with the birds that are compatible with humans and accompany them.
At Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo, we often see, up close and personally, the clashes between humans and wildlife, and wildlife rarely prospers from the impact. Animals may end up hunted, abused, captured for the pet trade, or victims of habitat alterations and destruction provoked by humans. Often, wildlife die or appear injured or disabled and in need of wild animal rescue, thanks to the many ways humans encroach on wild environments.
We feel gratified and awed, however, by the kindness shown by a family visiting the area and the happy ending for an owl. This family had noted an owl in distress in standing water, near the lake, and upon our suggestion, brought us the poor bird. It was obviously in severe distress, completely defenseless, and at risk of getting attacked by pet cats in a yard. The owl appeared to be in shock. We took the owl, wrapped in an old shirt, and placed it in a cage, and waited. We gave it a small amount of water, and then left it alone, warm inside a cocoon to recover from the shock it was experiencing and guarded from the distractions of daytime in a draped cage.
The owl was clearly an adult Pacific Screech-Owl (Megascops cooperi). This is perhaps the most common and definitely the most evident of the owl species in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, particularly because of their willingness to reside in areas inhabited by humans. We have had some positive experience with this species, so we felt confident that we could feed it and give it a chance to survive and return to the wild. In the worst of cases, we could give it a restful end in a quiet place, if it indeed would not survive.
The Pacific Screech-Owl is taken from the cage, prepared to return to the wild. Photo Lars Sanger.
Within a few hours, the owl had recovered considerable energy. By the end of the day, it was sitting on a perch, and showing a much better posture. Then, an egg appeared under the perch! The egg had cracked in the fall, but nonetheless, it helped explain the distress of the poor animal. Encouraged by the event and the improvement of the spirits and energy of the bird, we gave it lots of food, in the form of Asian house geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus), an invasive species which abounds around artificial lights in the area. After two evenings and days of comfort and food, it had not produced another egg yet, but it (or rather, she) was calling in the evening and receiving a response from the trees above. Could it be her mate?
Pablo Somarriba prepares to release the Pacific Screech-Owl. Photo Lars Sanger.
A recent evening, Pablo removed her from her cage, took her to a nearby secluded area, and released her. She did not hesitate. Within a fraction of a second, she had flown. She landed in a nearby tree, where she perched to assess her new freedom and examine the surroundings.
The Pacific Screech-Owl returns to the wild. Photo Lars Sanger.
Most birds and other wildlife affected by humans perish without notice, victims to cats, dogs, and to the transformations to habitat caused by human inhabitation. Even when people think they are making their country home compatible to wildlife, they may be eliminating a lot of elements of habitat vital to the natural order that is found in the ecosystem, such as undergrowth. Other impacts may involve pets. Cats are now understood to present a huge threat to wildlife.
These issues are grave in the context of the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, where human activity is intense. It is one of the most visited protected areas in Nicaragua, with some 100 residences and hotels along the shores of the lake.
Flight to freedom! Photo Lars Sanger.
Seeing an owl in flight is always a great surprise. They seem to command the air, appearing without notice, and moving swiftly, without noise or flutter. This owl, in only a few wing-strokes, flew to a nearby branch and landed. Below is a video of her first flight.
Our member of the neighborhood owl family is again in the wild, where she will, hopefully, reintegrate and go on to reproduce. She was saved from a sure death by dogs in a yard, and now, she has another opportunity to live and die in the wild as she was destined.
We can appreciate the Pacific Screech-Owl in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve almost any evening, by following the calls made within a family group. The members of a group frequently interchange a pleasant, bouncy call each evening. Occasionally during daytime, they can be spotted roosting in trees, sometimes just overhead of us in our daily activities. They are occasionally spotted during birdwatching excursions as well, because they may be roosting in plain view. This is one of the owls most tolerant of the presence of humans, so they are more easily found than most other owl species in the inhabited areas of the reserve.
The Pacific Screech-Owl is now in the wild again! Photo Lars Sanger.
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Review: Feel Good S01 E01
Diksha Sundriyal
In its latest treat of feel-good shows, Netflix has offered up a story by Mae Martin. The Canadian stand-up comic infuses the show with her personal struggles and tragedies and presents something that promises to be a good binge-watch for a weekend. In its first episode, 'Feel Good' introduces us to the characters and gives us a lot to look forward to in their stories. A feel-good experience by all measures, it is short and sweet, and something that will leave you with a warm feeling.
Feel Good Episode 1 Recap
Mae Martin is a stand-up comedian who has moved to England from Canada. It is during one of her acts that she meets George. Pretty and interesting, George immediately catches Mae's fancy, and soon enough, they find themselves on a date. George reciprocates Mae's interest, but she confesses that she has never dated a woman before. Their date soon turns into another then another, and three months later, they have moved in together.
They live in George's flat, which she shares with a man named Phil, who suffers from depression. It is after the move that they start to notice things about each other that they didn't know before. A Skype call with Mae's parents leads to the revelation that Mae is an addict, and Mae notices that she hasn't yet met any of George's friends. As a promise to deal with her addiction, she attends an NA meeting and ends up befriending an older lady who has a new perspective to offer.
Feel Good Episode 1 Review
Mae Martin's 'Feel Good' is charming. The moment it begins, it welcomes you into the life of the woman who has this goofy look, is a bit awkward, but delightful. You are eased into her new relationship, and for the first couple of minutes, it feels like a perfect romance, cosy and lovely. It takes some time for the seams to emerge in an otherwise smooth relationship, and Mae and George find that on their first day of moving in together.
The show quickly shifts the attention from their adorable romance to the things they have been keeping from each other. Mae's addiction comes to the light, and even though she says she is pretty sober, she becomes uncomfortable when she finds herself in a situation where her sobriety might be called into question. There is much more history that she has kept from George, simply because she wanted a clean slate. But clearly, she needs a lot of work on her troubles.
While Mae struggles with her troubled past, George struggles with accepting her present. Despite being with Mae for three months, she hasn't told any of her friends about her. So, when she tries to talk to George about her problem, it also looks like she is deflecting attention from her own dilemma. She hasn't quite come to terms with her sexuality and coming out to her friends about it is something she isn't ready for yet. She should take her time, but how will it affect her relationship with Mae?
Like an opening act, the first episode of the series warms you up, preparing its audience for the punches that it has in store for the next round. The laid-back approach towards storytelling, the characters that you immediately take a liking to, a story that might feel all too relatable, and a few good laughs along the way- the show has a great many things to offer. For now, it is safe to say that 'Feel Good' is definitely living up to the name.
Read More: Best Feel-Good Shows on Netflix


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November/2003
Kirchengeschichte: Allgemeines
Oort, Johannes van, Wermelinger, Otto, u. Gregor Wurst [Eds.]
Augustine and Manichaeism in the Latin West. Proceedings of the Fribourg-Utrecht Symposium of the International Association of Manichaean Studies (IAMS).
Leiden-Boston-Köln: Brill 2001. X, 337 S. gr.8 = Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies, 49. Geb. Euro 95,00. ISBN 90-04-11423-8.
Bronwen Neil
As the title indicates, this volume contains the proceedings of the Fribourg-Utrecht Symposium of the International Association of Manichaean Studies. Twenty-two papers presented by scholars from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland are edited here, including those of two of the editors, Johannes van Oort and Gregor Wurst.
The international symposium, held at Fribourg, Switzerland on 8-11 July 1998, was the fruit of a collaboration between the Seminar of Patristic Studies at the University of Fribourg, and the Faculty of Theology of the University of Utrecht. It represents the fourth symposium of the IAMS, the fifth being held in Sydney in 1999. The two-page preface by the editors of the volume rehearses these facts but does not attempt to draw out common themes or new findings of the Symposium. Obviously it will not be possible within the scope of this review to appraise every one of the contributions. Instead I shall attempt a brief survey of most of the topics covered.
The impact of Augustine of Hippo's more than nine years as a Hearer with the Manichean sect has provoked many questions among scholars of his work and thought. Several of the authors represented in this volume, and particularly Werner Sundermann, "Das Manichäerkapitel des Skand gumang wizar in der Darstellung und Deutung Jean de Menasces", acknowledge the debt of those in the field to the ground-breaking work of Pierre Jean de Menasce, professor of Missiology and History of Religions in the Faculty of Theology of the University of Fribourg (1938-1948), and author of the seminal article, "Augustin manichéen" in Freundesgabe für E. R Curtius (Bern 1956), 79-93.
The papers can be roughly divided (allowing for some overlap) into the following categories: 1. philosophy and theology (both Catholic and Manichaean); 2. textual analyses; 3. exegetical studies. These categories reveal the interdisciplinary nature of Manichaean studies, stretching as it does from "Latin patristics in the West to Chinese studies in the East" (Preface, ix). This range of content is both the strength and the weakness of any such collection.
One of the exceptional features of the volume is the linguistic range of sources under discussion. As noted in Samuel Lieu's comprehensive survey of the development of the Dictionary of Manichaean Texts project ("Lexicographica Manichaica", 140), Manichaean texts survive to us from the Roman Empire in Syriac, Greek, Coptic, and Latin; from Mesopotamia and Iran in East Syriac, Arabic, Pahlavi and New Persian, and from Central Asia in Middle Persian, Parthian, Sogdian, Tocharian and Bactrian, Old Turkish and Chinese. The focus of a symposium on Augustine and Manicheanism in the Latin West is obviously on the sources of the western Roman empire. In this group we find discussions of the Coptic, Syriac, Greek, and Latin sources which naturally predominate.
Exceptions to this western focus are the articles of W. Sundermann, who discusses the Manichaean chapters of the Skand gumang wizar by Zoroastrian Mardan-farrox; and of J. Tubach and M. Zakeri, "Mani's name", which refers to Persian, Arabic, Zoroastrian, Sanskrit and Hebrew (as well as Latin, Greek, and Aramaic/Syriac) etymologies.
Augustine's fifteen anti-Manichean treatises have preserved many fragments of Manichaean texts - albeit recalled from a hostile perspective - that have not survived intact elsewhere. These texts, such as Faustus of Milevis' Capitula, Epistula fundamenti, and Epistola ad Menoch, are the focus of several of the textual studies included here (e. g. G. Wurst, "Bemerkungen zu Struktur und genus litterarium der Capitula des Faustus von Mileve"; E. Smagina, "Das manichäische Kreuz des Lichts und der Jesus patibilis"; M. Scopello, "L'Epistula fundamenti à la lumiere des sources manichéennes du Fayoum"; J. van Oort, "Secundini Manichaei Epistula: Roman Manichaean Biblical Argument in the Age of Augustine", which examines Secundinus' knowledge and use of biblical texts).
Others concentrate on the anti-Manichean texts themselves: De moribus ecclesiae catholicae, De moribus manichaeorum (J. Kevin Coyle, "What did Augustine know about Manichaeism when he wrote his two treatises De moribus?"), De Genesis contra Manichaeos (D. Weber, "Augustinus, De Genesis contra Manichaeos. Zu Augustins Darstellung und Widerlegung der manichäischen Kritik am biblischen Schöpfungsbericht"), Contra Adimantum, Contra epistulam fundamenti (J. Ries, "Jesus Sauveur dans la controverse anti-manichéenne de saint Augustin"), Contra Faustum, Contra Secundinum (G. Sfameni Gasparro, "Au cur du dualisme manichéen: La polemique augustinienne contre la notion de mutabilité de Dieu dans le Contra Secundinum"), Contra Felicem (F. Decret, "Objectif premier visé par Augustin dans ses controverses orales avec les responsables manichéens d'Hippone"), De natura boni, De duabus animabus, and the Manichaean section of De haeresibus. M.-A. Vannier, "L'interpretation augustinienne de la creation et l'émanatisme manichéen", draws on many of these treatises in her study of Augustine's application of scriptural exegesis in his refutation of the Manichaean cosmogony.
Other textual studies which fall outside the heading of anti-Manichaean treatises are those I. Bochet, "L'unité du De unitate credendi d'Augustin" and W. Beltz, "Augustins manichäischer Erbteil, dargestellt an De mendacio und Contra mendacium".
Important philosophical and theological questions raised by the papers which focus on these texts include: What did Augustine know about Manichaeism when he was a Hearer or afterwards? How reliable a witness was he? (J. Kevin Coyle). Was the conversion of Augustine to Neo-Platonism a Christian or a philosophical one? How radical was Augustine's separation from Manichaeism, since he could not free himself from the culture in which Catholic and Manichaean Christians lived together (W. Beltz)? What books of the Manichaeans did Augustine read and what did he learn from discussions, lectures and preaching (K. Rudolph, "Augustinus Manichaicus - das Problem von Konstanz und Wandel")? What was the understanding of "faith" and its relation to "insight" in the Latin Manichaean sources (A. Hoffman, "Erst einsehen, dann glauben. Die nordafrikanischen Manichäer zwischen Erkenntnisanspruch, Glaubensforderung und Glaubenskritik")? How should we evaluate contemporary charges of Manichaeism against Augustine, such as those made by the Pelagian Julian of Aeclanum (M. Lamberigts, "Was Augustine a Manichaean? The Assessment of Julian of Aeclanum")? To what degree is the claim of the Pelagians justified, that the later Augustine's doctrines of predestination and original sin were the result of a relapse into his old Manichaean ideas (A. Magris, "Augustins Prädestinationslehre und die manichäischen Quellen")?
Two papers which fall outside the three thematic categories mentioned above are H. G. Schipper, "Melothesia: A Chapter of Manichaean Astrology in the West", which looks at the scheme of correspondence between astral signs and human limbs presented in the Coptic Kephalaion LXX; and M. Stein, "Bemerkungen zum Kodex von Tebessa", which offers a transcription of the first six folia of this important manuscript of ancient Theveste. Unfortunately the reader is not aided by any indices. However some authors have supplied useful bibliographies (e. g. W. Sundermann, A. Hoffmann, G. Wurst, and S. G. Richter, "Bemerkungen zu verschiedenen Jesus-Figuren im Manichäismus"). Scholars of Augustine and of Manichaeism in general will find much of value and interest in this collection.


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Vin Diesel Recalls The Last Thing He Said To Paul Walker
Photo by Picture Perfect / Rex Features
The upcoming release of Furious 7 has resulted in some bittersweet interviews with the film's stars as they anxiously await the film's release while also doing so without their longtime friend and co-star Paul Walker.
While many of the stars have opened up about losing Walker when he was killed in a tragic car accident on November 30, 2013, it is Vin Diesel who has been the most open about his friendship with the late star, even naming his newborn daughter Pauline, after Walker.
In a recent interview with Variety, an emotional Diesel recalled another heart wrenching moment regarding the last time he saw Paul while on set of Furious 7 and what he said to him.
On a night just before Walker's death, the duo were filming a scene where Diesel's character Dominic Toretto is left lifeless while Walker's character Brian O'Connor rushes over to him. The actor revealed the scene made him think about his own death and the affect it would have on others. "These action films can be very dangerous, no matter what anyone tells you. I started to think, 'What would happen to Paul Walker if I died?'"
The moment made Diesel go to Walker's trailer to talk to him about it where he told Walker, "If I do die, let them know what kind of brother I've been to you," he said before giving him a hug and parting ways for what they didn't know would be the final time.
"I've played that over in my head countless times. That's the last time I ever saw him," an emotional Diesel told the publication. After Walker passed days later, the Furious 7 team made the decision to carry on with the film, asking Paul's brothers Cody and Caleb Walker to stand in as his body doubles for the remainder of filming.
While finishing the movie and trying to deal with Walker's death has been incredibly hard for the entire cast, Diesel said the end result is amazing and finishing it is what Paul would have wanted.
"Universal is going to have the biggest movie in history. It will probably win best picture at the Oscars — unless the Oscars don't want to be relevant," he stated.
Also Check Out: 14 Actors/Actresses Who Died Before Seeing Their Final Films
Paul Walker's Memorable Movie Roles Ranked


The international design award and competition is now actively looking for new and original product and project submissions worldwide. Entries are open to both concept stage works as well as realized projects and products. The ultimate aim of the competition is to highlight and recognize good design works worldwide.
Learn more about how A' Design Award benefits designers, architects and artists to help them to achieve their goals, get famous and known througout the globe such as the networking services that help winners connect with media, procurers and producers.
Design Competition Categories include the Good Architecture Design Award, Good Industrial Design Award, Good Product Design Award, Good Communication Design Award and Good Service Design Award.
Entries will be judged by an international jury panel of scholars, professionals and media members.
The foundation of any good design award, in addition to fair evaluation and judging by an extensive methodology, is to have a strong and expert design competition jury which provides their invaluable knowledge base and insight to evaluate the submitted entries, creating benefit and value for participants by transferring their insights and ideas in form of votes, feedbacks and suggestions.
Good design award jury panels shall be multidisciplinary and comprised of recognized but most importantly experienced international designers, professors, entrepreneurs, journalists and publishers who can truly validate and evaluate design using their wisdom, experience, specialization and technical knowledge. In a good design award, every design award jury member should follow a code of conduct or as we require sign a jury agreement and shall be excluded from taking part in the competition.
In addition, to avoid conflicts of interest, the jurors may not be employees of the participating companies. Furthermore to create further value to participants, the A' Design Award and Competition has introduced during its foundation, for the first time in all design award and competitions, a prejudging procedure called preliminary evaluation and checking which helps participants to get insights about their work before they participate in the design competition finals.


I cannot believe it is already Friday again!
Late to my own party…but at least I showed up!
I have not had one moment to even look at Tootsie Time, much less post anything new…and for that I am sad. There are a lot of exciting things happening in my world right now, and these things are taking up most of my energy and time!
I started a business recently. I didn't intend for it to be a business…it was supposed to be a hobby…just a temporary little thing…but it seems to have taken a life of it's own, and I had to go get a business started because I have had so many people interested! This is why I have been so complacent about posting, commenting and visiting. I just don't have a lot of time!
Soon I will have things all ironed out, and the start up effort won't be quite so huge…(I hope). It will be then that I can get myself organized to have time for the greenhouse, the business, the kids and of course you guys! Be patient with me…I am a single mom, (with three busy busy kids…and Grammie and Grampie won't admit it, but they are a handful too! hee hee), I have my job, and my business on top of the greenhouse and all the pets and household things that I do. There are days that I wish there were two of me!
REGARDLESS of the reasons I am absent, please know that I appreciate each and every one of you who links in, comments and/or just pops in for a peek at what's going on this week. I will eventually get time, and the 100 year old house series will resume…as well as get back into sharing my greenhouse updates…but for the time being, the flaunting…well…it's up to you guys…again.
So…get ready…it's time to GET YOUR FLAUNT ON!
*)*)*)...U may not like me due to my honesty. But I'd rather have a backbone than a wishbone any day of the week!!


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Archive for the ' NBC News ' Category
Harsh Covid lockdown in Chinese city Xi'an triggers online anger
NBC News January 7th, 2022 NBC News
Officials in Xi'an have been punished after reports emerged of people being denied lifesaving medical treatment and running low on food amid a strict coronavirus lockdown in the Chinese city of 13 million. Xi'an, an ancient capital and now major center of industry 600 miles southwest of Beijing, was locked down late last month amid China's worst outbreak of the coronavirus since it was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019. Residents have been told to stay home except to get tested for Covid. In recent days, outrage over the lockdown conditions has swelled as people shared personal stories... Read More
North Korea says it will miss Beijing Olympics, blaming pandemic and 'hostile forces'
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Friday that it would skip next month's Beijing Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic and actions by "hostile forces," a largely redundant statement since the country has already been barred from the Games by the International Olympic Committee.In September, the committee suspended North Korea through 2022 for refusing to send a team to the Tokyo Summer Games, citing the pandemic. IOC President Thomas Bach said at the time that individual athletes from North Korea who qualify to compete in Beijing could still be accepted. There is no word of that... Read More
U.S. rings in New Year with Covid surge, scaled back celebrations and travel woes
NBC News December 31st, 2021 NBC News
As the United States prepared to ring in 2022, the nation has set yet another record for daily coronavirus cases, New Year's Eve celebrations were scaled back and travel plans were disrupted because of the pandemic. The U.S. marked a record 584,545 new coronavirus cases Thursday in a week when the country broke new case records for three days straight, according to an NBC News data analysis. On Thursday, the 7-day rolling average of new daily coronavirus cases was a record 342,768, the third day in a row of a record seven-day average. Before this week, the highest 7-day average was Jan. 11,... Read More
Israel begins administering 4th vaccine dose amid omicron surge
JERUSALEM — Israel has begun delivering a fourth vaccine dose for people most vulnerable to coronavirus, becoming one of the first countries to do so as it prepares for a wave of infections driven by the omicron variant.Israel, which led a world beating vaccination program in 2020, will administer a fourth dose of the vaccine to individuals with weakened immune systems along with elderly residents and employees in care homes.The rollout of the fourth dose began at Israel's Sheba Medical Center Friday morning and was administered to heart and lung transplant patients.The country is currently... Read More
Another year, another variant: Subdued celebrations ring in 2022 around the world
HONK KONG — Another year, another variant.Much like last year, 2021 is ending with the emergence of a new form of the coronavirus, dashing hopes that the end of the pandemic might be in sight.And although so far the new variant, omicron, seems to have milder symptoms and lower rates of hospitalization and death, many countries around the world are erring on the side of caution and scaling back plans to ring in the New Year.There will be no traditional displays above most of the world's landmarks, with fireworks cancelled over Paris's Arc de Triomphe, London's Big Ben and the Petronas Towers... Read More
U.S., U.K. and other nations shatter Covid records amid omicron surge
NBC News December 29th, 2021 NBC News
The United States, Britain, France, Australia and other countries are shattering records for daily reported coronavirus cases as the highly transmissible omicron upended hopes of a return to some version of normality in parts of the world.The "overall risk related to the new variant … remains very high," the World Health Organization said in its weekly epidemiological report Tuesday, citing "consistent evidence" that omicron has a growth advantage over the delta variant, which remains dominant in parts of the world.It came as the U.S. hit a record 7-day case average of 262,034 cases on... Read More
On Christmas, pope prays for peace and the pandemic's end
ROME — Pope Francis prayed Saturday for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, using his Christmas Day address to urge health care for all, vaccines for the poor and for dialogue to prevail in resolving the world's conflicts.Amid a record-setting rise in Covid-19 cases in Italy this week, only a few thousand people flocked to a rain-soaked St. Peter's Square for Francis' annual Christmas address. Normally, the square would be packed with tens of thousands of holiday well-wishers.At least they could gather this year. Italy's 2020 holiday lockdown forced Francis to deliver a televised address... Read More


RONAN—For Ron Couture, maintaining an active lifestyle is a family affair.
Couture and his four children recently participated in the Flathead diabetes program called "Walking the Rez." Participants tracked the number of steps they took in a day with a pedometer, then phoned in their miles every Monday to one of four fitness centers on the Flathead Indian Reservation located in St. Ignatius, Arlee, Ronan and Elmo.
Though the program has been running six years, this is the first year the Couture family participated. Together, they logged a total of 1,430 miles over a three-month period.
"What? I have to walk around the rez?" Couture said of his initial reaction to the name of the program. Though participants do not have to literally walk the 200 miles around the Flathead Indian Reservation, they do collectively register enough miles to circle the reservation several times over.
Couture said his two sons Zarec, 8, and Ruben, 7, often had competitions to see who could walk the most steps in a week. They would wear their pedometers all day at school and then come home and continue wearing them while playing outside.
"People have asked us to continue the program throughout the year," Ronan fitness specialist Gigi Yazzie said.
Yazzie said that even a half-hour of physical activity, like walking, helps maintain good health and reduce chances of developing diabetes.
"You need to keep your body active," Jeneese Hilton said. Hilton, a 69-year-old Walking the Rez participant, also takes weekly hiking excursions into the Mission Mountains. "It keeps your mind and your emotions in check," she said.
Flathead diabetes coordinator Brenda Bodnar said "Walking the Rez" works in two ways. First, it helps people who have diabetes combat complications through proper exercise. Second, the program helps prevent diabetes by encouraging participants to maintain good health through exercise.
"Walking the Rez" takes place every year from Valentine's Day to Mother's Day. Walkers who successfully participated in the program received shirts and certificates.
Although Couture no longer has to call in his step totals, he still walks the road by his home a mile into Ronan.


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Facilities Use Requests
13626 Twin Peaks Road, Bldg. 900, Poway, CA 92064
Poway Unified School District is pleased to announce a new online facility request and rental system in Facilitron starting May 1, 2018. On May 1, renter/community groups will be able to submit requests for fiscal year 2018-2019.
In partnering with Facilitron, reservation requests can be submitted easily and will be handled more efficiently using Poway Unified School District's custom facility use sites, both for the district and each individual school. Renters will be able to access photos and descriptions, see real-time availability, get estimated quotes, and pay online.
You can view and request all district facilities at: https://www.facilitron.com/pusd92128 .
Although the process of requesting/approval/management of facility use is now digital, what is implemented on Facilitron remains the same as dictated by Poway Unified School District's board policies on facility use. Poway Unified School District's administrative staff will make final decisions on all facility use requests.
Facilitron will assist with the set-up of organizations and user accounts along with verification of non-profit status (if applicable). Facilitron will also collect payment and proof of insurance (certificate of insurance) on Poway Unified School District's behalf. Payments can be submitted conveniently on Facilitron. Payment options include major credit cards, checks, ACH/eCheck, and Paypal. Proof of insurance (certificate of insurance) can also be conveniently uploaded into the system, and/or it can be obtained directly through Facilitron.
The new Facilitron system is now live for all sites. Moving forward, the only way to request use of a district facility is by creating a Facilitron account and submitting a request online. If you need any assistance setting up an account and/or in submitting a facility use request, you can contact Facilitron directly at: support@facilitron.com, or by calling them at: 800-272-2962 ext 1.
SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINE
24-Hour Field Status Hotline 858-748-0010 extension 2118
Facilities Use Requestor Information
Requests must be submitted 30 days prior to the event, per board policy.
All requests must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the event start date. Breaks, weekends and legal holidays do not count towards the 30 days prior notice.
Public Use Of School Facilities Policies
All requests are accepted on May 1 or after for the upcoming summer and school year. Bookings are available from July 1 through June 30 of the following year (example: July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019). Bookings are based on a Fiscal year, not a Calendar year. Requests are booked on a first come, first served basis, with the exception of multiple groups requesting use of the same property, date and times. In this instance, time will be divided between the conflicting groups with priority given to non-profit youth groups where the facility best suits their requirements.
There are no reservation guarantees. An internal group may 'bump' a group out at any time. Even at a moment's notice.
If checking with the school site for availability, please remember that even though the school site may have the room available, your request may still be denied at the district level. Do not assume that you have obtained your reservation until you receive a confirmation email from the Facilitron. The district office DOES NOT check availability at any site.
Welcome to the Facilities Use Website. Please take the time to read over the website as many of your questions may be answered here.
Facilities Requests Home
Facilities Use Agreement
Facilities Use Insurance Information
Facilities Use Fees
Facilities Use Administration
Facilities Use Contacts
External/Internal Organizations
facilitiesuse@powayusd.com
Send forms to:
Attention: Facilities Use Department
13626 Twin Peaks Road Poway, CA 92064


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